Writing Alien History
Jul. 11th, 2005 11:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccastareyesHave been trying to work out the history of one of my alien species in my current writing world. Mainly because it explains why they don't have psionics and didn't really take to them quickly. Humans were at a disadvantage with psionics because the ability most common in them is the ability to sense them being used. Having a psi on Earth before psionics was formally recognized by modern science (and some level of schooling in shielding was put into place) was like having a Christmas tree at a star party -- a very bright thing near a large number of people who don't like light right now.
Some time in the equivalent of Daryn's industrial revolution/expansionist age, one nation-state managed to get steam power or the internal combustion engine or the airplane or SOMETHING before any of its rivals. Probably many somethings. They then proceeded to conquer their neighbors and set up 'civilizing' missions. Daryn has far less habitable space than Earth -- it's a barly habitable rock of a planet whose Sun is nearing the end of its time on the Main Sequence -- so it is easier to conquer the world. Daryns are also odd about culture -- as long as they are the majority, they hold onto culture like rabid hyenas. Put them in the minority, however, and they will try to adapt the majority culture quickly. Desert mentality, I think -- figure out what's surviving in that niche and mimic it, then don't let go, because change will probably be for the worse. The unnamed country was smart and moved as many of their citizens into conquered cities as possible, so Daryn ended up with a more unified culture and government than Earth will probably ever have.
I can't figure out how the current dominant religion took hold, though I do know it was founded when the Darynese went out to space.
Psis were respected as chosen by whatever gods/spirits the locals believed in. In the dominant religion, priests carried the message of their god to the people, by caring for them (Darynese priests often havemedical or psychological training), while the psis dealt with the more spiritual aspect of the religion. They were very distant figures -- I want to say like Jedi. While the locals might be close to the local priests, the psis were more likely to assist wiht the govenrmnet or higher up in the religion or in the military. They were speicalists, and only the talented were trained in it. They did do some research into psi-tech interfaces as well.
Daryn actually managed to pull off a subluminal colonization effort, unlike most places. The remains of a minority faith packed up and left to form the first colony. The second was founded as scientists started to speculate exactly how long Daryn had before its star heated up so much that the planet was uninhabitable -- Daryn's industrial age had made the problem worse, and the equatorial regions were mostly unlivable, and the lower temperate zones nearly so. The colony was selected to preserve Daryn's culture.
Speed of light delays to the parental homeland plus new environments made the colonists change culturally. This unnerved the heck out of the homeworlders. An isolationist movement started just as the third and fourth ships were being planned. A cult sprung up, lead by a charismatic psi, claiming some solution to the solar problem AND allowing Daryn to protect its culture. There were reports of citizens showing sudden conversion, and alligations of mind control. The government and church took a stand against the cult -- since it was causing massive chaos and creating anti-psi sentiment, which was dangerous, as both were connected to psis -- while the leader of the psis tried deperatly to combat it and preserve their good name. Eventially, the psis were forced to start psi-blinding the entire population, once they figured out that the cult leader was mostly interested in those with psi potential (and enough people in power to keep out of trouble). They were condemned by the government for this, and were suggested to make some grand statement about Daryn no longer needing them and fly the fourth colony ship into the sunset.
So, Daryn no logner had any teachers in psionics. The psis ended up on the first colony planet, and decided to keep what was done on Daryn a secret -- they didn't record where they came from or why. The church decided likewise (because psionics taking over scared the shit out of them, and the nice story of Daryn no longer needing them was very convienent) and buried most of the details.
It so happens Colony World #1 made first contact with humanity, and got word home that they were keeping their abilities a secret from the outside world. After all, it was an old wives' tale that psis were more easily controlled than mundanes, and they learned humans had psis very quickly. Trading with humans for the FTL drive (plus psychic abilities that most Darynese couldn't defend against and didn't believe in much) gave Colony #1 an edge on trade with the homeworld. Well, until recently, when Daryn started encouraging modernization and self-sufficiency (like Japan's Meiji Restoration).
Pick apart, offer suggestions, etc.
Some time in the equivalent of Daryn's industrial revolution/expansionist age, one nation-state managed to get steam power or the internal combustion engine or the airplane or SOMETHING before any of its rivals. Probably many somethings. They then proceeded to conquer their neighbors and set up 'civilizing' missions. Daryn has far less habitable space than Earth -- it's a barly habitable rock of a planet whose Sun is nearing the end of its time on the Main Sequence -- so it is easier to conquer the world. Daryns are also odd about culture -- as long as they are the majority, they hold onto culture like rabid hyenas. Put them in the minority, however, and they will try to adapt the majority culture quickly. Desert mentality, I think -- figure out what's surviving in that niche and mimic it, then don't let go, because change will probably be for the worse. The unnamed country was smart and moved as many of their citizens into conquered cities as possible, so Daryn ended up with a more unified culture and government than Earth will probably ever have.
I can't figure out how the current dominant religion took hold, though I do know it was founded when the Darynese went out to space.
Psis were respected as chosen by whatever gods/spirits the locals believed in. In the dominant religion, priests carried the message of their god to the people, by caring for them (Darynese priests often havemedical or psychological training), while the psis dealt with the more spiritual aspect of the religion. They were very distant figures -- I want to say like Jedi. While the locals might be close to the local priests, the psis were more likely to assist wiht the govenrmnet or higher up in the religion or in the military. They were speicalists, and only the talented were trained in it. They did do some research into psi-tech interfaces as well.
Daryn actually managed to pull off a subluminal colonization effort, unlike most places. The remains of a minority faith packed up and left to form the first colony. The second was founded as scientists started to speculate exactly how long Daryn had before its star heated up so much that the planet was uninhabitable -- Daryn's industrial age had made the problem worse, and the equatorial regions were mostly unlivable, and the lower temperate zones nearly so. The colony was selected to preserve Daryn's culture.
Speed of light delays to the parental homeland plus new environments made the colonists change culturally. This unnerved the heck out of the homeworlders. An isolationist movement started just as the third and fourth ships were being planned. A cult sprung up, lead by a charismatic psi, claiming some solution to the solar problem AND allowing Daryn to protect its culture. There were reports of citizens showing sudden conversion, and alligations of mind control. The government and church took a stand against the cult -- since it was causing massive chaos and creating anti-psi sentiment, which was dangerous, as both were connected to psis -- while the leader of the psis tried deperatly to combat it and preserve their good name. Eventially, the psis were forced to start psi-blinding the entire population, once they figured out that the cult leader was mostly interested in those with psi potential (and enough people in power to keep out of trouble). They were condemned by the government for this, and were suggested to make some grand statement about Daryn no longer needing them and fly the fourth colony ship into the sunset.
So, Daryn no logner had any teachers in psionics. The psis ended up on the first colony planet, and decided to keep what was done on Daryn a secret -- they didn't record where they came from or why. The church decided likewise (because psionics taking over scared the shit out of them, and the nice story of Daryn no longer needing them was very convienent) and buried most of the details.
It so happens Colony World #1 made first contact with humanity, and got word home that they were keeping their abilities a secret from the outside world. After all, it was an old wives' tale that psis were more easily controlled than mundanes, and they learned humans had psis very quickly. Trading with humans for the FTL drive (plus psychic abilities that most Darynese couldn't defend against and didn't believe in much) gave Colony #1 an edge on trade with the homeworld. Well, until recently, when Daryn started encouraging modernization and self-sufficiency (like Japan's Meiji Restoration).
Pick apart, offer suggestions, etc.
