Aslan

[robject]

Not so much a "deflinization" thread... more of a "what are their interstellar policies really like?" kind of thread. Or a "what do they do as a people?"...

They're not Kzin, so what are they? Their empires aren't as trivially loose as Vargr confederations, so what are they? They've not really got an Imperium, or a Consulate, so what are they?

 

[rancke]

Not so much a "deflinization" thread... more of a "what are their interstellar policies really like?" kind of thread. Or a "what do they do as a people?"...

They're not Kzin, so what are they? Their empires aren't as trivially loose as Vargr confederations, so what are they? They've not really got an Imperium, or a Consulate, so what are they?

The Hierate is a 4000 man real-life Diplomacy game.


Hans

 

[mike wightman]

A closer model in literature are the Chanur novels by CJ Cherryh - so similar it's frightening.

Aslan as Kzin? Nope

 

[Supplement Four]

I think its obvious that they're modeled after the samurai in many aspects of their culture.

 

[JAFARR]

I think the name was taken from C.S.Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series where Alsan was a lion who allowed himself to be sacrificed and returned to life (draw your own conclusions as to who he represented). But the Aslan race does not portray his character in the books.

 

[Ishmael]

I think that if they are to be portrayed as samurai-like, then give then a rich back history based on the Sengoku period right up through the Edo period. Lots of action there!

Aslan relations to the Imperium could be modeled after the isolationist policies concerning trade with the west during that time.

Imagine the Aslan having its own MT rebellion until a Nogunaga works to unify the Heirate.

If I recall, "Aslan" means 'lion' in Turkish and its not related to Narnia stories where Traveller is concerned.
It was used as a title by Seljuq and Ottoman rulers

 

[aramis]

I think the name was taken from C.S.Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series where Alsan was a lion who allowed himself to be sacrificed and returned to life (draw your own conclusions as to who he represented). But the Aslan race does not portray his character in the books.

Perhaps, but it's also quite true that Aslan is Turkish for "Lion".

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Perhaps, but it's also quite true that Aslan is Turkish for "Lion".

Which is probably where CSL got the name.

 

[Antony]

What is true from previously published background is that they do not like Aslan (which by the way is the human name for the race not their own) deviating from a set cultural model (that of the Hierate). They tend to destroy such Aslan groups. Non Aslan if they follow their cultural model are accepted as full parts of the society. Nothing that I can recall about what happens to other species that have been accepted as Aslan should their culture then drift away from the correct model again.

By cultural model I refer to that of the Hierate clans.

 

[mike wightman]

Isn't it canon that terrans used Aslan because it was turkish for lion?

I'm sure it is mentioned somewhere...

 

[Max]

yes it does seem that the Aslan closely resemble Cherryh's Hani. Also the Kif at the end of the Chanur cycle start to resemeble the Vargr which is even scarier.

 

[Supplement Four]

It is canon that the Aslan are not really a major race....that they actually stole jump drive tech from a crashed...human was it?...vessel.

I'm not sure how widely known that little piece of canon is, or if it was expanded upon in the later versions of the game.





Hey...I wonder if Mongoose will realize this with the new publication.

 

[rancke]

It is canon that the Aslan are not really a major race....that they actually stole jump drive tech from a crashed...human was it?...vessel.

Yes, it's canon that by the commonly accepted definition, the Aslan are not a major race. Which just goes to show that the commonly accepted definition is silly, not that the Aslan are not a major race. They're major all right. Any species that control that many sectors of space is a major race. (And, contrariwise, the Droyne are no more a major race than the Bwaps.)


Hans

 

[BlackBat242]

Later edition canon... that story did not exist for most of the CT era.

 

[travlar]

Isn't it canon that terrans used Aslan because it was turkish for lion?

I'm sure it is mentioned somewhere...

I think it says no one knows where the name comes from, but I could be wrong. But then, it still could be said somewhere that that's where it came from.

 

[robject]

It is canon that the Aslan are not really a major race....that they actually stole jump drive tech from a crashed...human was it?...vessel.

I'm not sure how widely known that little piece of canon is, or if it was expanded upon in the later versions of the game.


Hey...I wonder if Mongoose will realize this with the new publication.

Perhaps more like a revelation than canon. What happens when a major race is no longer called a major race? It's not like re-classing a planet as a planetoid.

And that bizarre little twist from Mission on Mithril means someone liked them enough to transplant them, waaay back before the Ziru Sirka.

 

[Whipsnade]

Later edition canon... that story did not exist for most of the CT era.

BlackBat242,

DGP always claimed it was an easter egg of sorts dating from the very beginning. They pointed to both the oddities in Aslan history in AM:1 Aslan and a map in AM:6 Solomani showing Terran settlements outside the Confederation circa -2204.

Sounds like a retcon to me, but no one from GDW ever called them on it.


Regards,
Bill

 

[rancke]

Perhaps more like a revelation than canon. What happens when a major race is no longer called a major race? It's not like re-classing a planet as a planetoid.

They're still a major race. What happens when a definition turns out to be inaccurate? You revise it. Not much of a problem.

And that bizarre little twist from Mission on Mithril means someone liked them enough to transplant them, waaay back before the Ziru Sirka.

Not so. The dates fits perfectly well with an early (but still post-Great-Rift-crossing) incursion into the Marches. Probably a jumper expedition that suffered a misjump.

('Jumper' and 'Crawler' are the terms I've coined for two different kind of ihatei settlements. Crawlers settle close to the other clan holdings so that the clan can protect them and they can support the clan (once they grow strong enough to field ships of their own). Jumpers moves a long way away from any other Aslans and find a quiet spot where they can grow in piece for generations -- hopefully long enough to be strong enough to fend off other ihatei once they show up.)


Hans

 

[mctesla]

They're still a major race. What happens when a definition turns out to be inaccurate? You revise it. Not much of a problem.

I disagree-- per the MT Imperial Encyclopedia Library Data (which I have handy, but I believe it mirrors CT, et al., almost word for word) comes the following excerpt from the definition of Minor Race : "The fact that the categorization is informal and arbitrary, and tends to elevate those already in power has made resistance difficult, if not impossible."

Think about the insults that folks level at the French, etc. It doesn't really reflect anything but the insulting culture's biases, and at the end of the day, doesn't really mean anything.

I wouldn't think that the Impies would be interested in changing the definition at all, after all, it would give them and the Sollies additional fodder for insults-- and as you noted, I don't think that the Aslan would care, after all, they are still controlling multiple sectors.

I think a better thing to say is that it was never a good definition from an objective viewpoint (and to which the Library Data alludes) and the fact that the Aslan didn't invent their own jump drive just is another reflection of that.
mega:

 

[aramis]

The Aslan not being a major race is also an issue that, unless PC's do something untoward, isn't going to get out, either.