LostKnightsRPG.org

::Challx's mandibles begin clicking audibly and his wings occasionally flutter, with it seems to be a barely contained challenge, while looking at the humanoid lizard::

"Ourvaluesdogiveustheadvantageofsolidarity, howeverifaforcecomeswithactualcombatexperiencehowwellwillweactuallybeabletodefendourselves...trainingisworthwhileonlytoapoint.

"are you saying you haven't done anything but training? i thought everyone here had real experience..."

"Myunderstandingisthatknowonehaseverbeeninatruewarsituationsincetherehasnotbeenawaronanygrandscaletoparticipatein. IstheresomethingthatIdon'tknowthatwouldbeworthwhileinformationforustohave?"

"well, while there hasn't been war, there always small scale conflicts to contend with. and my people joined the federation a relatively short time ago, so there are some of my people still living that were in our world's last major conflict."

ooc: how long ago did your planet join the GF? Was it truly recently or was it just recently in the perspective of supers that can live for hundreds of years?

"Thequeensofmypeopleunderstandthatconflictisnaturalanddidnotwantustogrowcomplacent, sowehaveritualisticwarbetweencolonies. Itkeepsusstrongkeepsourculturalidentityaliveanditpreventstheinevitableoverpopulationofourworlds..."

(about 500 years ago if i remember the story correctly. it's in there.)

"Waitaminute, yourpeoplesjoinedtheFederationcenturiesagothereisnowaythatyoucanhavesomeonefromthetimeofyourlastgreatwarlivingtoday...thatsunnatural"

"my teacher was a... hero in the war. i know alot of the heroes from that time are gone, but alot are still left too. what's so unnatural about it?"

"Idonotknowofanyspeciesofanimalorpersonthathavelifespansextendingintotheseveralhundredsofyears. Itdefiesmodernscience...allbeingsaresubjecttoageinganddeathduetothatage."

"oh, i'm sure there is somewhere... and though we're long lived, i didn't really expect people to be all that surprised by it. i try to take anything i see from new species in stride. like you for example, you move so quickly, it's almost like you work in a different time frame than we do."

"Many speciesss have unique perspective of time and space. The ancients of my kind are said to have powers of the mind. Perhaps it is this insight into the mind that allowed my people to avoid war and conflict. For as long as we can remember, we have been in harmony with the earth and each other. It is this unity that gives us our strength."

''that's neat ignac. some of my people get their abilities that way. though most are just born with them or manifest at puberty. except the poor normals... but we do our best to help them.''

"Whatdoyoumeanpowersofthemind? Thatsoundslikesimplesuperstitionandlegendtome, andwhatdoyoumeanwhenyoucallsomepeopleonyourplanet"normals"asifyoumeantosaythatyouaresomehowspecialandabnormal? MyyouseemtothinkthatmyspeedissomehowspecialorsupernaturalbutIcanguaranteeyouitisnot...someofmykindjustactandmovefasterthanothers, notunlikethehummingbirdsofEarthormanyinsectsonanyplanet. Thathasnothingtodowiththesupernaturalortheparanormal."

"weeeell... some of the questions you just asked require a bit of explanation. first off, as everyone on my planet is taught, there isn't anything "super"natural, as that would apply it isn't a part of nature, which it is. but there are aspects of the natural world that aren't well understood, or some things, like magic, that exist apart from the normal rules of science. while the scientific method could possibly be used to codify such things, and a science of magic created, it would have to incorporate sentient desire and thought into the equation, something that even the most advanced sciences have difficulty with...

::takes a breath::

second, yes, we have people we call norms or normals. it really is just a holdover from an earlier era in our culture, as they are in fact quite abnormal... but basically, they were born without any special abilities that set them apart from one another, they all possess functionally the same innate traits, with only minor variations in strength, speed, coloration and such. some of these unfortunates were the result of "pure" birth movements, some just happenstance, and a few are occassionaly the result of recessive gene pairings. but despite their lack of special abilities, and their weaker constitution, we attempt to ensure that they are all cared for and provided with the things they need to exist and function in society. at least when they let us..."

"Ohcomeonyoucan'texpectmetobelievethatmagicreallyexiststhatispreposterous...allmagiciansaresimplycharlatanswhoseektoearnaquickdollarthroughtheentertainmentofignorantmasses. Asforyourpeople...Idon'tthinkthatIfullyunderstandwhatyouaresaying, youseemtobestatingthatmanyofyourpeoplepossessabilitiesthatfarsurpassthebaselevelforyourrace. Asforthecareofyour"normals"isn'tthatfairlycondescendingandarroganttoprovidethemwitheverythingthattheyneedtosurvivesincetheyarejust"normal"andcan'tdoitforthemselves?"