Sociology

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Peregrin
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Sociology

Post by Peregrin »

HRUKA SOCIETY


The isolationist Hruka are perhaps one of the most strictly elitarian societies in the known galaxies - in fact, their political system is often described by outsiders (very few of whom have ever met a Hruka) as "techno-feudalism".

The upper classes (sometimes describes as castes) of the Hruka are divided into a variety of clan-like entities called "Hrensak" which each are quite loosely connected genetically, though each of these "noble houses" has its own dialect of the Hrukan language. For communication between each other, they use the ancient language of High Hrukan as a means of inner communication.

The members of the Hrensak, known as "Hrensakai", are usually biotechnologically and cybernetically enhanced to the extent that they display levels of physical strength and mathemathical intelligence which would be considered superhuman by both the lower classes of the Hruka and the humans of today. Some even upload their minds into robotic bodies and become de-facto golems. Each Hrensak has, in addition to its own dialect, its own unique aesthetic and cultural idioms and idiosyncracies.

However, all of the individual Hrensak agree upon a common code of conduct including a set of unalienable rights entitled to Hrensakai of each Hrensak. Inside those limitations, however, each Hrensak operates with its own individual code of laws. Nonetheless, to outsiders the Hrensak often appears as a monolithic mass.

The various Hrensak are all represented in the Oligarchy, the secretive yet omnipotent military government of the Hruka - however, it appears at times that certain Hrensak are overrepresented in a manner irrespective of quantity. This has lead to much speculation about the individual Hrensak manipulating and attempting to dominate the Oligarchy.


The lower castes, called "Vuurlsak", though technically neither undereducated nor impoverished, definately have practically no political influence and are aware of this. Neither do they possess the technologically granted superhumanity (or, more appropiately, superhrukaity) of the Hrensakai. In practice mere serfs to the Hrensakai, each Hrensakai has its own "entourage" of attached Vuurlsak which each occupy a specific socio-economic niche in union with a given Hrensak. In other words, there are many different Vuurlsak each fulfilling the same niche in society, though each of these is affliated with a different Hrensak.

Vuurlsak rebellions, however, are not unheard of, though they are rare due to the Oligarchy's extremely intensive and practically omnipresent vigilance which looms like a great shadow above Dragim, sliding into the smallest nooks and crannies of each crater and canyon.


The main unifying event of Hruka society, be it among Hrensakai or Vuurlsakai, is honest-to-goodness gladiatorial combat of all sorts. The Vuurlsakai's fights vary from barely regulated, yet immensely popular and somehow legal, backyard knifefights to pitfights between renowned professional killers which fill stadiums. These pitfighters are not slaves as their predecessors in Ancient Rome, however - all of them volunteered to their dangerous position where many become revered for their success in the bloodied arena. Neither is is uncommon for a respected Vuurlsakai pitfighter to retire while in his or her prime, though some look down upon it.

The pitfighting that happens among the Hrensakai is somewhat different - the code which the Hrensak have signed to specifies that if two Hrensakai develop an unforgivable grudge against each other, they shall be sentenced to a pit fight until one of them is immobilized or dead. Some Hrensakai view these pit fights as rather embarassing, but in cases of very respected high-ranking Hrensakai resolving personal grudges, their respective admirers from both Hrensak and Vuurlsak often show up in huge ceremonial stadiums for the specific purpose. To avoid long vendettas between different Hrensak, which may trigger civil war among the Hruka, however, it is explicitly forbidden by the Oligarchy to display any sort of desire for vengeance over a Hrensakai killed in a pit fight by a member of a rival Hrensak.


The omnipresent surveillance by the Oligarchy, the rigid and implacable hierachy as well as the widespread love of pit fighting have caused many outsiders to view the Hruka as living in a morbid, loveless and ethically decayed society - though in this regard, the secrecy in which the Oligarchy shroud both themselves and their subjects to the outside world may not have helped. Many of the Hruka themselves, however, consider themselves to live in a model for how to structure a society.
"You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you." - Heraclitus
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Peregrin
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Re: Sociology

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THE NEURO-TELEPATHIC NETWORK:

The benefits the Xril species has from cyborgization are manyfold - calculation abilities on par with those of supercomputers and in some cases superior senses as well, but the main impact it has is that of the Neuro-Telepathic Network, which is what the Xril themselves consider the best communication network ever made.

Shortly after birth, each Xril is implanted with a set of neural computers which hook up the respective person to the Neuro-Telepathic Networks. The most important of these are:
  • The Communicator/Receiver Implant which allows the Xril to exchange thoughts with another member of the NTN. This, however, requires that both Xril are within the same Regional Hub. (see below)
  • The Identificator Implant which transmits data to the nearest Regional Hub Station (again, see below) about the particular Xril's whereaboul and an amount of readily available personal information which depends from person to person. Due to this way, two Xril in the same Regional Hub know exactly where each other are.
  • The Data-Processor Implant, a computer which administrates all of the above and is more or less controlled directly by the individual Xril's thoughts. It also has its own harddisk wherein a Xril can store a specific amount of memories or other information. Using its thoughts, a Xril can actually manage its personal memories the same way as a 20th century homo sapiens can manage the files on a computer.
Most Xril later get these implants replaced or upgraded either as an improvement, or to use them in combination with the myriad of other neural implants which individual Xril possess.

This Neuro-Telepathic Network, by making it possible to exchange memories with each other, could in practice turn the Xril species into a cyborg hivemind. However, the Xhatrr Dominion have made sure that this could never happen. This is not done due to fears of a hive mind society, but due to the facts that:
  • A completely free exchange of information on such a scale would be a spy's dream and would make lots of classified information available to the public. Aside from restrictions and a draconian set of licenses, passwords and other security measures attached by default to highly confidential information. Joined by this are various AIs employed by Xril law-enforcement agencies which also are connected to the Neuro-Telepathic Network and can actually hack the memories of individual Xril.
  • Technological necessities have shaped the Neuro-Telepathic Network in a way so that communication is still limited to a degree. Firstly, the Network is divided into several Regional Hubs. Each Regional Hub varies in size, but most encompass either a planet, a moon or a specific spaceship, often divided into several Sub-Hubs. Most civilian Communicator/Receiver Implants can only communicate with Network members in the same Regional Hub. As such, upon boarding a ship most Xril have to disconnect and then connect to the ship's Regional Hub, and then connecting to the Hub upon the planet upon which the ship arrives. Each Regional Hub is administrated by one Central Hub Station. In case the Central Hub Station breaks down, the Sub-Hub Stations which administrate the Sub-Hubs take over. However, some Xril have Personal Hub Administrator (PAH) neural implants which actually gives the Xril in question a personal small Hub, known as a Personal Hub, in cases of emergency. A typical example of a use for such is that of Xhatrr Army soldiers who use Personal Hubs sharing administration amongst each soldier to ease communication on the battlefield.
"You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you." - Heraclitus
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Peregrin
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Re: Sociology

Post by Peregrin »

THI'NXAXVOK

Thi'nxaxvok (rough translation: "the most extreme form of togetherness") is the closest thing that the Xril have to marriage, though the very concept of Thi'nxaxvok's actuality is something which undoubtedly would repel many 20th century humans on a philosophical scale, not the least because many of them would instantly think of a certain Star Trek: The Next Generation villain race or certain ideological movements with which they disagree with. Of course, the social context is a rather difficult because Thi'nxaxvok was literally enabled by the Neuro-Telepathic Network (what equivalent of marriage the Xril had hitherto is now forgotten thanks to the successive Xril regimes' habit of purging all historical and cultural records from previous regimes), and its social context is therefore difficult to understand for humans.

However, Thi'nxaxvok is actually quite simple; two or more Xril who happen to like each other very much open each other's neuro-telepathic network profiles to each other and fuse them into one - with (and this is what unnerve many outsiders) the "joined" individuals now sharing all their memories and consciousnesses by copying them to every member's Data-Processor Implants, as well as fusing the functions of their other implants through extensive mechanical modification. In short, Xril married couples/triples/quadruples/quintuples (or "clusters") are more akin to small hive-minds than anything else. While immensely practical since it bypasses the occassional inconvenience arising from the matter of NTN regional hubs, since the associated upgrades to the other neural implants turn the clusters into walking private hubs (which individual Xril outside the cluster can join by permission), it practically the individual cluster members' existence as totally seperate individuals since by default they no longer have distinct memories and consciousnesses from each other.

So, if you meet a group of Xril who appear to be seperate bodies dominated by the same soul - don't worry, that is just a sign that they love each other.
"You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you." - Heraclitus
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