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Zhodani

Has anyone got a thread out there on the Zhodani? If not I would like to start one.

If you look at the bottom of this thread, you'll find links to four other threads that the software deems likely to be related. And if you do a search for 'Zhodani', you get a long list of threads (or posts) where the search term can be found.


Hans
 
Everything Zhodani

Everything Zhodani

Especially, culture, habits, customs, behaviour, playing Zhodani, tactics, etc. I realize that these have been touched on and that there is a lot of information out there in the various books and publications (I think I have read nearly all the classic traveller stuff.) I have my own implementation of Zhodani IMTU and I just wonder what others think and do with the Zhos.
 
Society

Ok, so I will just throw a few thoughts out here....
We know that there is little or no crime.
We know that Zhodani like to be productive, social members of their society and help others out.
Yet, we also know that there is a Prole caste, who are non-psionic.
We also know there is the Tavrchedl'.
1.) How do the Zhodani justify war?
2.) Are the proles maybe more barbaric that the Nobles and the intendants?
I think like only 20-30% of Zhodani are really psionic and belong to the noble and intendant castes. I seem to remember this. Correct me if I am wrong.
3.)I know it is possible for 20-30% of the society to "police" the rest of the population, but how capable are the Zhodani of doing this?

4.)I see the Zhodani society on one hand as being very harmonious. I think that while conformance to certain norms is the rule, that this does not preclude individualism or freedom. What do you think?

5.) IMTU -There are also blunts and screamers. Blunts are people who are psionic, but their only talent is not being able to be effected by psionics. Ok, or course you can throw them into a wall using telepathy, but you can't probe them or read their thoughts, they are blunts.
Screamers on the other hand are people who are psionic, but cannot control their psionic powers. They emit something like "psionic noise". Both blunts and screamers are treated as disabled persons. What do you think of this idea and how do you think that Zhodani society would deal with their disablilites/gifts?

6.) Another idea. Since the Imperium is so paranoid about psionics, wouldn't it be likely that they have a secret police of psi-hunters maybe some of whom are also psionic?
 
Ok, so I will just throw a few thoughts out here....
We know that there is little or no crime.
We know that Zhodani like to be productive, social members of their society and help others out.
Yet, we also know that there is a Prole caste, who are non-psionic.
We also know there is the Tavrchedl'.
1.) How do the Zhodani justify war?
2.) Are the proles maybe more barbaric that the Nobles and the intendants?
I think like only 20-30% of Zhodani are really psionic and belong to the noble and intendant castes. I seem to remember this. Correct me if I am wrong.
3.)I know it is possible for 20-30% of the society to "police" the rest of the population, but how capable are the Zhodani of doing this?

4.)I see the Zhodani society on one hand as being very harmonious. I think that while conformance to certain norms is the rule, that this does not preclude individualism or freedom. What do you think?

5.) IMTU -There are also blunts and screamers. Blunts are people who are psionic, but their only talent is not being able to be effected by psionics. Ok, or course you can throw them into a wall using telepathy, but you can't probe them or read their thoughts, they are blunts.
Screamers on the other hand are people who are psionic, but cannot control their psionic powers. They emit something like "psionic noise". Both blunts and screamers are treated as disabled persons. What do you think of this idea and how do you think that Zhodani society would deal with their disablilites/gifts?

6.) Another idea. Since the Imperium is so paranoid about psionics, wouldn't it be likely that they have a secret police of psi-hunters maybe some of whom are also psionic?

Canon has two surviving Imperially authorized psionic institutes - one on Terra, one in the Marches.
 
Ok, so I will just throw a few thoughts out here....
We know that there is little or no crime.
We know that Zhodani like to be productive, social members of their society and help others out.
Yet, we also know that there is a Prole caste, who are non-psionic.
We also know there is the Tavrchedl'.
1.) How do the Zhodani justify war?
2.) Are the proles maybe more barbaric that the Nobles and the intendants?
I think like only 20-30% of Zhodani are really psionic and belong to the noble and intendant castes. I seem to remember this. Correct me if I am wrong.
3.)I know it is possible for 20-30% of the society to "police" the rest of the population, but how capable are the Zhodani of doing this?

4.)I see the Zhodani society on one hand as being very harmonious. I think that while conformance to certain norms is the rule, that this does not preclude individualism or freedom. What do you think?

5.) IMTU -There are also blunts and screamers. Blunts are people who are psionic, but their only talent is not being able to be effected by psionics. Ok, or course you can throw them into a wall using telepathy, but you can't probe them or read their thoughts, they are blunts.
Screamers on the other hand are people who are psionic, but cannot control their psionic powers. They emit something like "psionic noise". Both blunts and screamers are treated as disabled persons. What do you think of this idea and how do you think that Zhodani society would deal with their disablilites/gifts?

6.) Another idea. Since the Imperium is so paranoid about psionics, wouldn't it be likely that they have a secret police of psi-hunters maybe some of whom are also psionic?

1) Well the Zho's see the Imperium as a bunch of mentally unstable evil types its not that hard. Plus the 1st FW started because Imperials were displacing Zho's colonies.

2) I would say Proles are not more barbaric than Nobles since the Proles are watched over by the Police and not so much for the Nobles who get freedom of thought.

3) I would say pretty good


Ok going to edit my post just to add some stuff.

Got me looking at all my Zhodani stuff and the Consular Guards in particular. Just wondering if other people think there are just WAY to many Commando Groupments? I mean there are one per most regiments, two per Assualt Regiments, two per Division, three per Corps and that is just the Consualr Guard units, makes it look like they are the most common unit there is.
 
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We know that there is little or no crime.

Perhaps the Zhodani probably have crime, just not crime as "we" understand it.

Yet, we also know that there is a Prole caste, who are non-psionic.

The Proles do not meet whatever norms the Zhodani have to be considered worth training for Psionics. This is actually a pretty important distinction if you think about it.

1.) How do the Zhodani justify war?

The universe is a violent place. The Zhodani, perhaps unlike the Imperium, are very aware of the limits of psionics. With their understanding of psychology, they understand that sometimes violence is the best solution for a situation.

(Hint: Traditionally, people whom you don't like are considered crude, barbaric, and violent and only understand violence.)

4.)I see the Zhodani society on one hand as being very harmonious. I think that while conformance to certain norms is the rule, that this does not preclude individualism or freedom. What do you think?

I'd like to think the Zhodani are far from perfect. They have their own problems, these problems, due to the nature of psionics, are very different from problems our societies have and in fact we may not even understand them, but they would be the kind of thing that keeps the Zhodani up at night.

The emphasis that a system that encourages "freedom" is the highest form of social organization and that the more "individuality" you have, the better of you are is a truth of our times, but it isn't necessarily a Truth in the same way, that say, the speed of light is or the existence of gravity.
 
Split personalities must be a problem, especially if one of them is more criminally inclined, and might be concealed from normal monitoring by the clueless host.

For a more aware character, the ability to compartmentalize.
 
I'd like to think the Zhodani are far from perfect. They have their own problems, these problems, due to the nature of psionics, are very different from problems our societies have and in fact we may not even understand them, but they would be the kind of thing that keeps the Zhodani up at night.

The emphasis that a system that encourages "freedom" is the highest form of social organization and that the more "individuality" you have, the better of you are is a truth of our times, but it isn't necessarily a Truth in the same way, that say, the speed of light is or the existence of gravity.

I suspect the Zhos have a similar tech problem to the Vilani- instead of the dead hand of tradition stifling tech innovation, you have the paternalistic hand of the upper class, if you think different you won't for long, and so several directions of inquiry and research likely get cut off before they can progress. In both cases, internal stability is worshiped above risk.
 
In my old MTU my "Zhodani Transhumans" were actually time-travelling refugees from the Imperial past, refugees of the Psionic Suppressions - that managed to escape elsewhere into time. I forget the exact details (I'd have to go find the old documents), but it was the result of a very powerful sport psionic on the scale of Grandfather who took the core seed group to Zhodane where they "took over" the existing race there in a time-loop causality.

As a result they have an ingrained distrust of the Imperium but at the same time an almost paternalistic relationship with it.

Reading and looking at the canon Zhodani I think that you can really make an argument for that paternalistic attitude. I don't see them as manipulators like the Hivers, but more akin to the idea that they believe that they know more, understand people better (often better than they understand themselves), and that they can help everyone "find their place" and/or reach their "best potential."

D.
 
I would love to jump into this thread with both feet but I need to read up on all the posts, presently I am trying to get the kids to finish their homework.

I have always been very interested in the dynamics of the relationships between the three classes in society. Further I would love to discuss the the Consulate's ability to assimilate non-Zhodani Humans in the clients states.

Hopefully tomorrow I can catch up with you guys.
 
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