Droyne Question

[Timerover51]

I have been working up a Droyne character for a game, and that got me back to thinking about something that I have wondered about for a while.

I have Twilight's Peak (Adventure 3), Secret of the Ancients (Adventure 12), the Droyne Alien Module for Classic, the Alien Realms adventure book, along with Research Station Gamma (Adventure 2). Now, according to the Droyne Module, Grandfather has eliminated all surviving "remnants of the bases and complexes left undestroyed in the war." However, there are three existing Ancient complexes on Fulacin, an Ancient City with a functioning Control Center on Albert, the moon of Victoria, and of course, the city in the Secret of the Ancients. Based on that, there could still be quite a few more Ancient sites, including complexes like the ones on Fulacin, in the Spinward Marches and elsewhere.

Based on the complexes on Fulacin, the possibility of discovering some surviving Ancients, from Warriors to Technicians and Leaders can not be overlooked. As Grandfather developed the Droyne caste system, I am assuming that he was working with some established groups.

What would happen if a Droyne Leader or a Droyne Sport with Leader abilities located one of those complexes? Could the modern Droyne convince the Ancient Droyne not to self-destruct the complex or base, and allow the examination and use of the facility?

Also, once the war of Grandfather verses his children and grandchildren started, what would be the chance of one of his grandchildren having children, and then placing them in something like the stasis eggs on Fulacin for later release? I understand that great-grandchildren are not canon, but what are the possibilities of them appearing.

 

[Vladika]

I have been working up a Droyne character for a game, and that got me back to thinking about something that I have wondered about for a while.

*Comment reserved for last. (The Fortunate Son is going to be a mighty interesting place indeed!)

What would happen if a Droyne Leader or a Droyne Sport with Leader abilities located one of those complexes? Could the modern Droyne convince the Ancient Droyne not to self-destruct the complex or base, and allow the examination and use of the facility?

Probably.

Also, once the war of Grandfather verses his children and grandchildren started, what would be the chance of one of his grandchildren having children, and then placing them in something like the stasis eggs on Fulacin for later release? I understand that great-grandchildren are not canon, but what are the possibilities of them appearing.

Those horny little Droyne, like horny little species of everything else in the universe, probably go on about fulfilling their biological imperative.

*OK, so you REALLY want to piss Grandfather off do you?

 

[rancke]

I have Twilight's Peak (Adventure 3), Secret of the Ancients (Adventure 12), the Droyne Alien Module for Classic, the Alien Realms adventure book, along with Research Station Gamma (Adventure 2). Now, according to the Droyne Module, Grandfather has eliminated all surviving "remnants of the bases and complexes left undestroyed in the war." However, there are three existing Ancient complexes on Fulacin, an Ancient City with a functioning Control Center on Albert, the moon of Victoria, and of course, the city in the Secret of the Ancients. Based on that, there could still be quite a few more Ancient sites, including complexes like the ones on Fulacin, in the Spinward Marches and elsewhere.

Well spotted. This shows that the information from SotA isn't authorial voice but viewpoint writing (Grandfather's viewpoint). Grandfather believes that he eliminated all surviving bases and complexes, but we know better. So perhaps the statement that he eliminated all his kids and grandkids is likewise what he believes but not necessarily the truth. I've always had a problem with the comment "He kept careful count". How could he possibly know if one of the kids had cloned itself?

Based on the complexes on Fulacin, the possibility of discovering some surviving Ancients, from Warriors to Technicians and Leaders can not be overlooked. As Grandfather developed the Droyne caste system, I am assuming that he was working with some established groups.

Grandfather didn't develop the Droyne caste system. Castes are a common feature of Eskaloytan animals and the Droyne castes developed over long long periods of time.

What would happen if a Droyne Leader or a Droyne Sport with Leader abilities located one of those complexes? Could the modern Droyne convince the Ancient Droyne not to self-destruct the complex or base, and allow the examination and use of the facility?

IIRC the squad of warriors in the complex on Fulacin didn't suicide because they had been instructed to do so; they suicided because there were no leaders around to give them orders. (They probably had orders not to leave the base intact if they wouldn't be around to defend it).

Also, once the war of Grandfather verses his children and grandchildren started, what would be the chance of one of his grandchildren having children, and then placing them in something like the stasis eggs on Fulacin for later release? I understand that great-grandchildren are not canon, but what are the possibilities of them appearing.

Very high I should think. As I said, I've always had trouble with the statement that Grandfather definitely killed off all his kids. Perhaps he did kill off all the original kids and grandkids (assuming there's a way to distinguish between clones, clones of clones, and clones of clones of clones). Even then I don't see how Grandfather could possibly be able to examine the remains of all 420 kids and grandkids.

I think it far more likely that some of his kids did hide and that they popped out of stasis from time to time over the subsequent X number of years and Grandfather kept killing them off until finally they stopped showing up.


Hans

 

[mike wightman]

It is well worth getting the Mongoose Traveller update of Secret of the Ancients.

Not only is it a much better adventure than the original it also fills in a lot of gaps and adds a lot of new stuff to the Ancients war - oh, and it is new canon

I have a vague memory of reading that DGP were going to introduce a new Droyne leader in their Zhodani/Droyne Alien book.
Or it could have come up in a proposed TNE project. It may even have been in the GT Droyne write up.
I'll try to dig up the details.

 

[SpaceBadger]

Sorry, dude, but I'm not going to comment one way or the other as I reserve the right to make that decision if/when it comes up in the course of an adventure!



EDIT: However< I don't have any major disagreements with the speculations and conclusions so far in this thread, either!

 

[rancke]

It is well worth getting the Mongoose Traveller update of Secret of the Ancients.

Not only is it a much better adventure than the original it also fills in a lot of gaps and adds a lot of new stuff to the Ancients war - oh, and it is new canon

I keep meaning to read it, but so far I haven't gotten around to doing so. I did read the first installment, and I'm very much not impressed by the treatment of Alell that essentially ignores almost everything that had been previously established about Alell and the history of that part of the Spinward Marches.

Note that while I'm mostly very much not impressed with the continuity of the new and the old material, I'm also a little bit unimpressed with the new material in itself.


Hans

 

[aramis]

I've always had a problem with the comment "He kept careful count". How could he possibly know if one of the kids had cloned itself?

Well, let's start with the possibilities that pattern of scales might not match. † Identical twins aren't always 100% identical, either.‡
Further, it is possible that droyne DNA contains telomeres as do most terran macrobes. §

† noting that cloned cats do not always have the same color patterns as the donor, and cloned reptilians will have gender based upon incubation temperature. It's quite possible that cloned droyne might not even be the same gender, let alone caste.
‡ many factors are environmental and/or experiential.
§ genetic matter that reduces over time in the non-stem cells; essentially, the self-destruction timer on cell replications.

 

[mike wightman]

Not wanting to spoil the plot of MgT SotA - many of Grandfather's children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren have survived to this day. Although by the end of the adventure there may or may not be one less

 

[rancke]

Well, let's start with the possibilities that pattern of scales might not match. † Identical twins aren't always 100% identical, either.‡

I addressed that further down. But really, if an Ancient can't make an identical copy of himself, his technology isn't as advanced as I've been led to believe.

Be that as it may, I find it highly unlikely that Grandfather would be able to kill all 420 of his offspring in ways that left him remains to examine. Surely there must have been some anti-matter or total-conversion bombs involved in some of the cases?


Hans

 

[Timerover51]

Well spotted. This shows that the information from SotA isn't authorial voice but viewpoint writing (Grandfather's viewpoint). Grandfather believes that he eliminated all surviving bases and complexes, but we know better. So perhaps the statement that he eliminated all his kids and grandkids is likewise what he believes but not necessarily the truth. I've always had a problem with the comment "He kept careful count". How could he possibly know if one of the kids had cloned itself?

Hmmm, we are agreeing. This might be a first. Your thinking pretty much is identical to mine on the subject.

Grandfather didn't develop the Droyne caste system. Castes are a common feature of Eskaloytan animals and the Droyne castes developed over long long periods of time

I went back over the Droyne module, and the Droyne had a caste system prior to Grandfather. For a while, some of the isolated Droyne lost the ability to caste, which may or may not have resulted in the Coyns. I suspect that they were in existence prior to Grandfather.

IIRC the squad of warriors in the complex on Fulacin didn't suicide because they had been instructed to do so; they suicided because there were no leaders around to give them orders. (They probably had orders not to leave the base intact if they wouldn't be around to defend it).

You are correct, after going back and checking my copy of Twilight Peak. A Droyne with Leader ability would be able to control the Warriors, and keep them from activating the self-destruct sequence.

Very high I should think. As I said, I've always had trouble with the statement that Grandfather definitely killed off all his kids. Perhaps he did kill off all the original kids and grandkids (assuming there's a way to distinguish between clones, clones of clones, and clones of clones of clones). Even then I don't see how Grandfather could possibly be able to examine the remains of all 420 kids and grandkids.

Looking at the Droyne module, the key sentence is

each of them had about 20 children of their own, creating a simple core of highly intelligent , immortal beings. (Emphasis Added)

So there could have readily been more than 420 descendants, some of which Grandfather may not have known about.

I think it far more likely that some of his kids did hide and that they popped out of stasis from time to time over the subsequent X number of years and Grandfather kept killing them off until finally they stopped showing up.
Hans

The problem with that is once Grandfather retreats to his pocket universe, how is he going to know that a descendant resurfaced 50 to 100 parsecs away? Even with a Jump-6 ship, travel takes time, and with lower Jump rates, information travels even slower. A descendant hiding out in his own small pocket universe would be essentially undetectable.

 

[mike wightman]

Grandfather still has his agents travelling around during classic era - there's a Challenge adventure IIRC. His agents can be biological or mechanical

The Ancients have access to ftl comms - mentioned in MgT SotA and in T5.

Go to the Mongoose site an dowload it - it is free an therefore well worth the price

 

[Nathan Brazil]

I addressed that further down. But really, if an Ancient can't make an identical copy of himself, his technology isn't as advanced as I've been led to believe.

Be that as it may, I find it highly unlikely that Grandfather would be able to kill all 420 of his offspring in ways that left him remains to examine. Surely there must have been some anti-matter or total-conversion bombs involved in some of the cases?


Hans

In Secrets of the Ancients, there is a little of both "cloning" ideas going on.

During the "Ancients" period, the clones are lamented by Grandfather for not having the extra thousands of years of experience and wisdom that he has, implying that a full memory transfer was not done.

In the "Classic Imperium" era, Grandfather and Seven both have a "library" which allows for a perfect copy (including most or all memories) of the Ancient involved should they somehow be killed for whatever reason.