#galactic common script

[vireserein-reblogs-things]

Y'ALL DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW LONG THIS TOOK ME. . . I'M SO PROUD OF IT. . .

- Serein, but from a different account

Can I ask about the galactic common script that you write in? If that's even the correct term for it, that is.

Of course! Thank you so much for taking interest! I'm truly fascinated by how far these logs reach— Where are you from? I've never come across one who can't recognise the writing, until beginning work on this blog (and I do apologise for my spotty appearances! We are making so many new discoveries; they threaten to devour my attention. . .)

The common script shared between our clusters is called such for a reason! How can we name an animal without using a language that we all know, or an alphabet that we can all read? Even beyond the sciences, our daily lives are woven between dozens of planets with their own unique cultures, so the common script is used in grocery stores, on the names of our ships, and even on our birth certificates.

In blue, our standard font. I've written in print on the right, and cursive (in red), below. We traditionally combine some letters due to certain planets lacking phonetic similarity, so you'll see some interchangeable lettering.

. . . Maybe the problem is that my handwriting is bad? I should start using print, again. How dreadful; I thought it looked more professional, that way.

- Captain Olimar

[artist-issues]

So if you could tell everyone about your favorite movie, what would you tell them about it?

PS I love your blog and your media deep dives

Thank you! So kind! Anything good I have to say is really just because of Jesus, not me. I'd tarnish and ruin good things, left on my own.

I keep trying to tell everyone about my favorite movie, but I get so choked with all the things I want to say—and knowing that the more deep I make it seem the less they'll like it because they're not accustomed to deep-diving into children's media and that'll skew their enjoyment of it—that I wind up falling back on the tried and true "it's so good, you have to see it, I can't believe you've never seen it before, we have to watch it!"

It's Lilo & Stitch.

Lilo & Stitch is incredible for so many reasons.

It was an underdog in the Disney Studio. One of their lowest-budget movies, in their B-Team Shabby Florida Studio, and only a handful of higher-ups really believed in it. And now it's one of their biggest, longest-lasting, farthest reaching worldwide franchises.

Disney was stuck in a rut of making only a certain handful of movies; Triumph-of-Humans Adventures, or Princess-Fantasies. And Chris Sanders, the guy who basically invented their Story Department during the "renaissance" period, came along and said, "let's break the mold. Let's just try something small, quirky, bold, and new. Let's flip the script on everything except good storytelling." Instead of Princesses, you get Normal Humans Living in a 2002 rural beach town. Instead of Magic you get Sci Fi—but only like five minutes of Sci-Fi. Instead of a Romance you get Family. And when we say "family," no, we don't mean, "Epic Lion King or Tarzan Coming-of-Age Destiny Stories—" we mean "orphans about to be split up by the foster care system, needing a friend." Instead of Lassie (pet movies, like 101 Dalmatians or Lady & the Tramp.) you get something closer to Gremlins meets E.T. Instead of an Epic Adventure, you get Smalltown Sister Tries to Find a Job. Instead of Dashing or Loveable Main Character you get Mildly Disgusting Main Character who picks his nose and pushes little orphan girls down, for fun. Instead of a Namable Famous City on Earth, like New York or London in their old movies, you get Nameless Town in Hawaii. Instead of Hero Triumphs, you get Villain Redeemed.

The style. All the alien ships look like fish, all the alien creatures look like some take on small-town animals like armadillos or pigs or bobcats, or more aquatic life. And then it matches with what? Small Town Hawaiian Imagery. So you get the idea that not only, stylistically, do the visuals of the movie blend well, but, Stitch not only doesn't belong in outer space among those aliens—he doesn't belong on Hawaii, where even the locals have something in common with the Galactic People, and he does not.

Watercolor backgrounds. Nobody was doing that. Nobody is doing that. They didn't have to do that. It's just beautiful, and soft.

Stitch. As a character. Name one other character whose arc starts with "you can never belong; there is nothing inside of you that is good." and then ends with "loved unconditionally, adopted into a family that loves him in spite of the trouble he brings them. In spite of his inability, at first, to love them back."

Lilo. Lilo is loved that same way by Nani. Nani willingly invites trouble into her already fraught life if it'll make Lilo the tiniest bit happier. Even though Lilo already makes Nani's life hard. Lilo, too, is about to go into the next phase of life with nothing—if the social worker takes her away, she'll have lost her parents, her sister, her home, and her hometown, which she's shown to know and love—and we've already seen how feeling lost and like she doesn't belong causes Lilo to act destructively, because her classmates treat her like she doesn't belong and Lilo beats the crap out of them. The directors said it like this: "Lilo is a future Stitch," if she's taken away.

All these characters have holding them together is this commitment to this definition of family: "Nobody gets left behind or forgotten." Lilo and Nani were "left behind" by their parents, because their parents died. Or they could think of it that way. But Nani doesn't. She does whatever she can to keep Lilo with her, and refuse to "leave Lilo behind." She's eighteen, nineteen—she could go on to college, live in a dorm, while her troublemaking sister goes to foster care. She has all these surf trophies on her nightstand—she could've been somebody if she'd left her family behind. But she doesn't. Whether Lilo loves her back or not, she won't leave Lilo behind. And guess what? Whether David, the surfer boy, gets Nani's love back or not, he loves her and is there for her. Whether Stitch loves Lilo back or not, she sticks with him—until she almost doesn't, but guess what, by then it's okay, because he's learned. He's been transformed by the idea "nobody gets left behind," which is just another term for "unconditional love."

The commitment to FOCUS. Chris Sanders is always good at this. But this movie could've been about, or addressed, DOZENS of social issues. It could've picked up the "government worker" flag. It could've picked up the "racism" flag, or the "classism" flag. It easily could've picked up the "feminism" flag, or the "be yourself" flag, or the "find who you truly are," or the "you're worth everything" flag. But it didn't. It CUT OUT previous scenes that would've addressed racism or classism. It JUST later-focused on one, universal, unifying theme that every human on this planet can understand, and relate to, and needs to be reminded of: "family loves unconditionally."

This movie is why I looked into being a storyteller. Just this movie; no other movie did it for me.

[sol-consort]

im obsessed with the line from allers about creepy turian fan mail. love letters that are so sentimental and tender they cross over into frightening. being way too intimate in writing to someone who barely knows them, if at all. it's so fun🌹

A well-structured society built on self-control, service of others, and utter devotion to the cause makes the best soldiers in the galaxy. The most efficient and organised military.

but...as an unforseen consequence, turians have absolutely zero chill.

"As uptight as a turian" is a common galactic phrase for a reason. It's hard for them to come off as casual. More often than not, it results in awkward encounters in their sincere-but-misinformed attempts at befriending the other species.

Their social awareness covers all the appropriate terminology to address your superior, a fellow man in arms, innocent civilians, an unruly enemy, they even have a whole script on addressing a once fellow soldier turned enemy.

But not friends.

It doesn't extend to coming up with good pick-up lines for the hot human at the bar, either.

All those feelings they keep repressed in order to be the ideal turian model have got to come out somewhere somehow.

The lines between "charmingly invested" and "intrusively creepy" tend to blend when it comes to a turian. They end up shooting themselves in the foot by either coming off too strong and intense or too cold and detached, depending on their self-restraint for the day.

Much like we need sunlight and physical touch or our mood inexplicably sours. Turians need to blow off steam every so often in order to remain the epitome of discipline, or they will grow agitated and feral.

And if a cute human celebrity catches their eye, oh, you've earned a loyal turian fan for life. The creepiest war-nerds fans you'll ever have, but immensely devoted.

Making the most hardcore fans you'll ever meet. Their admiration tethering on the edge of obsessing. Their fanmail is shamelessly intrusive and overwhelmingly intimate.

Pouring all of their intensity into this one person that they decided to worship for life. There is determination in their step, head fringes more puffed, talons shinier, shots more precise than ever. A noticeable improvement in their health and performance ever since they started writing you weekly letters.

Greatly detailing the events of their last dream where a batarian group kidnapped you and their team was tasked by the government to rescue the human celebrity, instead of the human military because "turians just do it better"—how you ended up clinging to their arms as they carried you to safety, calling them your hero, looking in awe at their sharp talons, asking if you can touch them. The sensual kiss that followed, your cute pink human tongue, oh so short, their longer blueish one easily covering it whole.

—only for their eyes to snap open, looking up at the ceiling, laying on their bed, alone.

The sound of their purring filling the room whole, they've never heard it that loud before, the vibration in their throat is overwhelmingly intense.

The taste of your lips at the tip of their tongue, their soft sensation ghosting over their hard shell.

As for the reminder of the letter, they mention all their favourite moments in your last interview. They made one of your shots during it their omni-tool background! They're absolutely in love with your new wardrobe. Human fashion is so eyecatching and tantalising, especially the colour you wore in the interview. Did you know its the same colour as their clan tattoo? What a small world, or maybe it's fate? You'd look amazing in anything, actually. Even nude, especially that. Sometimes, you wear really tight shorts and flimsy tops, and they picture a vivid image of the silhouette of your soft body underneath. By the spirits, how are humans so plump?

[desultory-novice]

How would you envision the dynamic between Marx and Daroach?

I bet Daroach likes to do mischief. Could be another candidate for a "prank partner" Marx could have, perhaps?

Very interesting thought you have there, and I think you may be onto something...!

Daroach is a thief, but he is, by way of costume and mannerisms, clearly modeled on the specific concept of "the phantom thief" and all phantom thieves are multi-classed in thief + stage magician. They just are. (That Daroach has some real magic to back it up, or at least his cane is magically imbued, helps.)

And of course, Marx was originally introduced as a Marx the Magician before settling in his better known job title of Cosmic Jester. (But what is a jester but a combination clown + stage magician?) So, now we have a pair of stage magicians who are both known to be smooth talkers and insanely dexterous.

What else can we pull out of this pair?

Something that's kind of easy to read from his character but not always obvious is that Daroach seems to be... fairly old?! Maybe not as old as Doc, who he himself states as being "up in years" but when I went back through the script for Mass Attack, he's clearly been all over the place, but he's also been to Popstar in the past and studied it extensively. This man is crazy traveled...

..Or he just likes Popstar a lot. We all do!

[Take a nap, old man!]

PS: I love this image of Daroach so much. It's probably my defining Daroach image. Look at this man mouse. Look at all the emotions you can read from one sketch! I would give him treasure and watch him scurry away with it except that I know he would only truly feel satisfied if he stole it. Dess looks at Daroach like the squirrels in my yard that steal all the birdseed. I should be annoyed. I should be, but they are so much fun to watch. Dess just wants to adopt all the Kirby characters... (assuming they indeed turn out to be 8cm, that is. ^^; ) Such good blorbos, all of them..

...

AHEM! Sorry about that tangent.

The reason I bring Daroach's age up is that he is still provably "young at heart." He's kind of a big goof?! Who else would get possessed by the Lord of the Underworld and then, snickering, call Doc over... "Say, Doc? I just got an idea for a shockingly good trap! Can you...?" So, yes! I believe he would have exactly the kind of fun-loving nature necessary to enjoy... at least SOME of Marx's goofs! 

The difference that I see is mainly is that Daroach will casually and freely admit to having several (implied) fears born from (implied) bad experiences and he cares about things like danger-level. Marx seems the type who lets his nigh invulnerability (?) to lasting harm and his confidence in his schemes inform 99% percent of his bad decision making. (1) "Caution" is where they really part ways.

That and, like in my own rabbit Marx drawing, I think that should Marx ever decide to turn on his fellow-of-a-shared-profession and assume he could beat Daroach in sleight-of-hand, Daroach would swiftly make Marx regret his hubris in the most embarrassing way.

But when they're on the same page? Oh boy, look out! You're not getting out of this with either your possessions OR your dignity!

With Marx and Daroach, you've basically got the gritty (goofball) veteran stage magician and the bold upstart with no limits and no fear together. That's a classic movie team-up right there!

-

(1) Common fandom interpretations aside, it's hard to say how many of Marx's plans/tricks were bad ideas or have ended badly for him when really, Marx has only been caught/stopped twice. Once with the whole Galactic Nova incident and again (depending on how you take these posts) in the Christmas Cake incident on Twitter. Of course, cartoon logic almost always dictates that once the "frighteningly intelligent trickster" character stops being a villain and joins the good guys, his schemes get more and more goofy/harmless and far easier to interrupt than that climactic first encounter!

[vasco-portable-translators]

What Languages Do They Speak in "Dune"?

"Dune," the epic science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, has captivated readers and viewers for decades. Its richly imagined universe, intricate political landscapes, and diverse cultures are brought to life not only through the narrative but also through the languages spoken by its characters. Probably inspired by the turmoil of the late 20th century, with the Cold War included, "Dune" tells a dystopian story of the future, where various great houses control planetary fiefs in an interstellar society. In this blog post, we will explore the fascinating linguistic world of "Dune" and shed light on the various languages used throughout the series, including those in the second Dune movie. So, if you're wondering "what language do they speak in Dune", "what language is spoken in Dune", or "what language do the Fremen speak", you will find your answers here! In this article, we'll look into the following topics: - The Galach Language: A Universal Tongue - Fremen Language: The Voice of the Desert - Are there any ancient languages in "Dune" or "Dune 2"? - What Language Do They Speak in Dune 2? - Is There Arabic in Dune? - The Diversity of Dune Languages - What language do the Sardaukar speak? - Is Dr. Yueh Speaking Mandarin? - What language do the Atreides speak? - The Dune Language Translator - Is Dune Based on Islam? Let's start! FAQ: What language is being spoken in Dune? The most widely spoken language in Dune is Galach. It is a universal tongue derived from English and a number of Slavic languages. What is the secret language in Dune? The secret language was spoken by the Sardaukar, fierce and elite soldiers of the Padishah Emperor. It was briefly spoken in the Dune movie from 2021. Is Galach a real language? Galach is a fictional language created by Frank Herbert for Dune. What language is Lisan al Gaib? "Lisan al Gaib" is a Fremen term used for an off-world prophet or messiah. It may come from Arabic, "لسان الغيب," (lisaan al-ghaib) meaning "tongue of the unseen/missing." What language did the Fremen speak? The Fremen used a language of the same name. It descended from Arabic and Chakobsa, which a tongue used by House Atreides as their battle language. Is the language spoken by Fremen based on Arabic? The Fremen language resembles Arabic. The Fremen culture was also based by Herbert on historical Islam. The Galach Language: A Universal Tongue When it comes to Dune languages, the most widely spoken one is Galach. Often referred to as the "common tongue" or "trade language," Galach serves as a lingua franca or an official language for interstellar communication. This Dune language originated mainly from English and various Slavic tongues and, as it usually happens, evolved and changed over the millennia. It allows individuals from diverse planets and cultures to interact and trade. The High Galactic Alphabet, also known as the Galach script, is used to write this language. The High Galactic Alphabet plays a crucial role in the transmission of knowledge and information across the universe. What language do the house Atreides speak? In universe of "Dune", House Atreides, one of the central great families in the story, primarily speaks Galach. However, they also have their own language, reflective of their rich heritage and traditions. The Fremen Language: The Voice of the Desert The Fremen are a desert-dwelling people native to the desert planet Arrakis, also known as "Dune". And what language do the Fremen speak? While Galach may be the common language, the Fremen language is also one of the prominent tongues in this fascinating universe. This Dune language, deeply rooted in their desert culture, holds significant importance in the storyline, reflecting their struggles, beliefs, and way of life. It descends from Arabic, but it became simpler over the years. We'll look into the Arabic features of this language later in the article! The Hunting Language When talking about the Fremen language, it is also worth to mention the hunting language. It is a non-vocal system of hand signals and gestures designed to be silent and discreet. Fremen warriors use these signals to communicate with each other during hunts or battles, without alerting potential prey or enemies to their presence. The ability to communicate silently is crucial in the hostile and harsh environment of Arrakis, where even the slightest noise can have severe consequences. Is Dune Based on Islam? "Dune" has often been interpreted as having parallels with various real-world cultures and religions. Some readers and viewers have drawn connections between the Fremen culture and Islamic influences, citing similarities in language, customs, and social structure. However, Frank Herbert did not intend "Dune" to be a direct allegory of any particular religion or culture. Instead, he used a wide range of influences to construct a unique and multidimensional world. The Mysterious Languages of the Sardaukar This Dune languages come from two powerful factions in the "Dune" universe. The Sardaukar, the fierce and elite soldiers of the Padishah Emperor, speak a secret language known only to their ranks. This tongue can be briefly heard in the Dune movie from 2021. What Language Do They Speak in Dune 2? With the release of the second Dune movie, fans were introduced to new cultures and characters, each bringing their languages to the big screen. While Galach remains the universal language, the movie further explores other linguistic elements, adding depth to the already immersive world of "Dune". But are there any other Dune languages? Are there any ancient languages in "Dune" or "Dune 2"? There are references to ancient languages that add depth and historical context to the story. One notable ancient language mentioned in the series is "Old Earth," which is believed to be the ancestor of several modern languages, including Galach. In the "Dune" novels, characters occasionally reference ancient history as well as Old Earth words and proverbs, showcasing the language's enduring influence even in the distant future. The use of Old Earth expressions also serves to highlight the continuity of human culture and history across time and space. Additionally, the Bene Gesserit, a powerful and secretive sisterhood in the "Dune" series, possess a vast store of ancient knowledge, including languages. They are known to have preserved and studied various ancient languages and texts, which contributes to their enigmatic aura and mystique in the universe. Is There Arabic in Dune? One of the most intriguing aspects of "Dune" is its cultural inspiration, which includes elements from various real-world cultures. While the Fremen language draws inspiration from Arabic, it is not a direct representation of the Arabic language. Frank Herbert's world-building is a unique blend of influences, creating a vibrant and distinct linguistic landscape with original words and phrases. An example of influences drawn from Arabic words in the Fremen language may be the expression "Sietch". It is used to describe the Fremen's underground communities or settlements in the deep desert. It resembles the Arabic word "سيتش" (pronounced "saytch"), meaning "to camp" or "to pitch a tent." Dr. Yueh Speaking Mandarin: Fact or Fiction? There is a popular myth among Dune enthusiasts that Dr. Wellington Yueh, a prominent character in the series, speaks Mandarin. However, canonical sources do not support this claim. Unfortunately, there is no Dune language mentioned in the books that would be reserved for Dr Yueh. It leaves room for interpretation and speculation among fans. The Dune Language Translator Given the significance of languages in "Dune," many fans have yearned for a functional Dune language translator. While some online tools claim to offer translation services, it's essential to approach them with caution, as these translations might not be accurate or faithful to the source material. The intricate nuances of languages in "Dune" require a deeper understanding and cultural context to be accurately translated. It's better to rely on well-informed sources, such as Frank Herbert books themselves. If you're a big fan of Dune (or just became, thanks to our article) and want to discuss this marvelous work of art with other people, don't limit yourself only to your language. Contrary to Dune tongues, translating real-world languages gets way easier when you use a voice translator from Vasco. You can chat in different languages, translate images to understand foreign alphabet, use text to speech translation, and more. Conclusion In this article, we answered the following question: "What language do they speak in Dune?". We also learned more about these issues: "what language do the Fermen speak", "What language do the Atreides speak?" and "Is the language in Dune Arabic?" The Diversity of Dune Languages Herbert's genius lies in his ability to craft a universe where cultures, languages, and identities are diverse and multifaceted. The characters in "Dune" come from different backgrounds and planets, each speaking their own languages, further emphasizing the vastness and complexity of the "Dune" universe. While Galach serves as the common tongue for interstellar communication, each planet and faction brings its own language, adding depth and richness to the narrative. As "Dune 2" expands the universe even further, fans can anticipate a more intricate tapestry of languages and cultures, weaving together a masterful and immersive experience. Whether it's the enigmatic Fremen language, the secretive tongue of the Sardaukar, or the noble Atreides' heritage, "Dune" reminds us of the power and beauty of language in shaping worlds and telling captivating stories. As we await more adaptations and explore the ever-expanding universe of "Dune," let us cherish the linguistic brilliance that adds another layer of brilliance to this iconic sci-fi masterpiece. In the nutshell: "Dune," the epic science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, features a diverse array of languages that enrich its intricately imagined universe. The most widely spoken language is Galach, a universal tongue derived from English and Slavic languages, serving as the common language for interstellar communication. The Fremen, native to the desert planet Arrakis, have their own language with roots in Arabic, reflecting their culture and struggles. While Arabic influences are present, "Dune" is not based on Islam, as the author drew inspiration from various real-world cultures and religions. Additionally, the secretive Sardaukar soldiers have their own mysterious language, and there are references to ancient languages like "Old Earth." The complexity of languages in "Dune" contributes to its immersive storytelling, making it a beloved classic for readers and viewers alike. Read the full article

[planetary]

someone help me i made a character and shes an android made to look like and Be a galactic pop star. really friendly but essentially runs on a script and cant Actually converse with people in like a really individualized way. shes like any ai chatbot at first ok. anyways shes blonde (like a lighter honey color) and her signature color to wear is light blue. this is in a universe where unnatural eye/hair colors are natural as well, just less common. categorizing natural as the first 3 and unnatural as purple and gold.

[captain-ultimat-doggo]

Y'know what I got more. Also I'm certain I've seen something about tiny humans in space before so probably pulling inspiration from that.

The humans who travel through space have tactical gear to navigate everything. I'm talking futuristic body armor with grappling hooks and "bug zappers" that are just lightsabers. I mean we've got little drones so we can monitor what's happening in our ships without leaving the safety of our walls, with wrist/forearm mounted monitors and controls for them. Like built in futuristic gills/air filters so we're existing in ships without friendly atmospheres, or swimming through pipes, and are just fine. Hell, maybe the boots are even retractable roller skates for ease of movement if you go out on the smooth floors these aliens seem to prefer. It's about efficiency, I swear.

A kind of Spray paint/ink is used to communicate. Those huge graffiti style bubble letters are actually the easiest script that humans can make and giants can read. An experience Triloxon engineer once woke after passing out at its station, and found its blueprints completed and edited in strangely detailed stylized letters. And somehow the room temperature had been changed to a comfortable sleeping temperature for it. It took like a week to convince the crew about its run in with a friendly Borrower.

And we're online. We are SO online. The galactic nets are filled with humans and we're spreading so much misinformation on our little rogue travelers, who are known by so many names. Some people call them "Borrowers" or "Ships Rats" or "Stowaways" or if you want to insult them, the galactic common word for "Vermin". But we're also looking out for them. No one knows exactly where it started but a tradition is spread and accepted by all.

"if you think there is a human onboard, leave a gift. If you'd like them to leave, trap it. If they accept, you've got yourself a Human. If it goes untouched, you were probably imagining things."

The traps very rarely go off. Because we started this tradition, after all. It's not a gift, it's a litmus test. if the Human doesn't know every component of the gift, whether it's trapped or not, then this isn't the place for them. Because it is very dangerous to operate in a place where not only do you not know the crew and the ship well enough to be surprised or trapped. Common advice from the older more experienced shiprats, the ones who've managed to befriend and trust their crews and ride on their shoulders to give advice as they work, and string their hammocks in a cupboard where they can be contacted, is harsh but honest.

"If they know enough about you to leave a gift and you haven't even tapped their cams or set up your own surveillance, leave the gift and bail at the next port."

"If they try to open the walls to reach you or find your hideout, it's time to go."

"We are hardly more than spiders to them. We catch their pests and spin our nests in the walls. We do no harm. But there are always people who hate and kill spiders. There will always be giants who squash humans."

"Do not let them into your heart until you've already stolen theirs."

"The Fralcx race fucking LOVES cinnamon. It's the best bargaining tool in your repertoire. Just offer to put cinnamon in their tea mix and you'll have an ally for life.". " Same goes for Quillions mangoes, for some reason."

A favorite pastime is humans using throwaway accounts to respond to their crew posting "I think there's a human in the walls, what do I do?" Posts to see if they can test the waters on what the crew really thinks.

One alien panics over designing a gift because Xey don't want to be condescending so they end up designing and fabricating what essentially is a tiny house,with dimensions to fit in the walls, and algae pools to create the correct atmosphere inside. The thing is on Levo-strips so the human could pull it around and put it wherever they like without much effort.

Xey find it gone the next morning and a note spray painted in its place, which said Thank You not only in Galactic Common, but also xer native language. Which the human regrets when the acid tears start falling through the grating and they have to book it. (They have a new house to stash somewhere in the ship, after all.)

There's a popular TV Show inspired by Tom & Jerry about a human refusing to leave a ship piloted by a single, very exhausted Felixine who keeps setting out traps as tradition says to when denying a human, only for those traps to be disabled and the bait gone, and then walk into a trap himself. It tops charts in 8 systems

Humans entering space and realizing we are so small. We are mice compared to these giant races with their advanced machinery and technologies and experiences beyond us- except that we're humans. And our engineers dive into the new tech and once we learn the principles we also soon realize how Inefficient everything is. Their "microchips" are the size of cars, their storage drives are basically buildings, and they somehow store less data than ours. So, human companies take advantage, and tech starts rolling out. Massive and there's a lot of wasted space so that it can be managed with larger hands/pincers/claws/tentacles, but also so much more efficient than anything the galaxy has seen before.

Human technicians start hopping ships and upkeeping the general maintenance, the stuff that most aliens put off or don't notice because they never access the crevices of their ships. As human companies become more popular and lead the tech world in everything from warp cores to game stations ("it's so compact! How are the graphics so good?" Says a 60' tall grimbleback, holding a new VR headset that has all of its components included because it's so BIG by our tech standards), soon many things have accessibility ports for humans to be able to use as well. This means that these shiprats hoping ship to ship cause such a huge improvement in everything running smoothly, and there's a huge downtick in pests on ships because those "pests" are not only big enough and aggressive enough to bite a pitbull or a person in half, they're invasive to so many planets and humans hate nothing more than dog killing planet overrunning monsters.

All the while, from the Aliens perspective, humans are an elusive race that don't fraternize much with them. You almost never see a human as most places aren't exactly safe for the little things to run around in. They do export so much stuff though, and the custodial staff at the Central Galactic Outpost insists that there's more humans around than any other race if you just know where to look.

And sure it's somewhat known that some of the little daredevils hop ships and help out in exchange for room and board, usually without permission, but that can't be that common, can it?

Maybe your ship is running better this cycle ever since you stopped at the last station, that just means that tuneup was better than you thought. And maybe for some reason that program you were working on last night is finished when you wake up, but you're so tired maybe you finished it before you passed out. Somehow that faulty light in the galley has fixed itself as well, which is odd, but maybe the Engineer finally got to it. You'd know if there was someone else on your ship.

Right?

... You leave a little bowl of berries out as a thank you, just in case. You're not sure what humans like but you've heard they have a sweet tooth.

[leanstooneside]

A fool in a gown is none the wiser

◊ THE ENTIRE EXTERIOR

◊ THE MOST PART

◊ THE LONG BRITISH

◊ THE AURORAL CURTAIN

◊ THE PICTORIAL SYMBOLS

◊ THE HUMEROUS CONNECTS

◊ THE MINERAL FLUORSPAR

◊ THE COMPLETE GARMENT

◊ THE MURAL DETERIORATED

◊ THE YOUNG LEAVES

◊ THE COLORED BANDS

◊ THE GEODETIC ZENITH

◊ THE FEDERAL SURVEY

◊ THE ANCIENT GAMES

◊ THE THEMATIC MATERIAL

◊ THE GENERAL FORM

◊ THE ISOLATED FARMSTEAD

◊ THE SOLE FOOD

◊ THE FULL SOVIET

◊ THE MODERN BLAST

◊ THE OTHER END

◊ THE DESCENT STAGE

◊ THE RED ALGAE

◊ THE BITTER TASTE

◊ THE SYSTEMATIC HELLENIZATION

◊ THE LOWER JAW

◊ THE COMMON NAME

◊ THE MOST VALUABLE

◊ THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC PROCESS

◊ THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON

◊ THE ORAL TRADITION

◊ THE GRACEFUL HULA

◊ THE SUBSEQUENT DECADE

◊ THE MANY CAUSES

◊ THE LAST YEARS

◊ THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS

◊ THE SURGICAL REMOVAL

◊ THE YOUNGER GREENSTONE

◊ THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES

◊ THE METAL HOOP

◊ THE SINOAURICULAR NODE

◊ THE MANY OTHERS

◊ THE GHOULISH UNCLE

◊ THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

◊ THE BEST KNOWN

◊ THE DENSE HEAD

◊ THE MAIN DATA

◊ THE PHENOTYPIC EXPRESSION

◊ THE MECHANICAL FLOTATION

◊ THE BESTKNOWN

◊ THE GEOMAGNETIC FIELD

◊ THE TRADITIONAL GARB

◊ THE LOWER PART

◊ THE LIGHTER ISOTOPE

◊ THE GALACTIC CENTER

◊ THE GLOTTAL STOP

◊ THE FUNDAMENTAL IDEA

◊ THE NARRATIVE USE

◊ THE FINANCIER DANIEL

◊ THE FERTILE LANDS

◊ THE LARGEST SATELLITE

◊ THE SAME TIME

◊ THE HIEROGLYPHIC SCRIPT

◊ THE MOST VERSATILE

◊ THE POPULAR NAME

◊ THE HERALDIC SYMBOL

◊ THE FARFLUNG

◊ THE MAJOR VEGETATION

◊ THE VOCAL CORDS

◊ THE LAST APACHE

◊ THE TYPICAL AMERICAN

◊ THE SMALL PERENNIALS

◊ THE MEDIUM HELPED

◊ THE BEST COMING

◊ THE THYROID GLAND

◊ THE HIGHEST FERTILITY

[id-agent6031]

Random OOC ramble about Kiraq

I wanna rant and ramble about this, so suffer.

So for starters, the plural and singular is Kiraq. They speak Galactic Common Language (which is just a slightly older form of English) and Kiraqian as their main two forms of communication, and in their universe, they are one of the most respected and feared species, second to humans and a few mindless predators only.

Despite them being one of the most powerful species in the galaxy, there are only about about three hundred thousand Kiraq in total.

They do not do names, they have a number identification system to keep them all in track. And the numbers all mean different things. All Kiraq are selectively bred and trained, not cloned, but similar. DNA is taken from every Kiraq and stored in huge vats, that DNA is carefully selected from and used to create new Kiraq when they need more. Kiraq are not familiar with concept of training, throwing their young right into training and brainwashing.

The lower your number is as a Kiraq, the more important you are.

1-100

These numbers are saved for Kiraq that are deceased but worthy of remembering, only the numbers up to 68 are used currently, and every hundred years or so, there's a new one added. 1 is the Kiraq that established their current society, 2-68 are a series of heroes that died wiping out different species.

101-108

These are the Council, which are 8 Kiraq that are selectively bred and engineered to be the smartest of the species. They're kind of weird. They're life span is planned out and they are protected explicitly they can reach the coveted age of 200, which is when the next Council will be ready to take over after selective breeding. If a Council member dies early, the space is left blank until the next set of Council members complete training. No more than 2 Council members have died early.

109-111

The three Elders. These are the three oldest Kiraq, besides the Council, and they use their wisdom of age to benefit the species and society. If an Elder dies, They're replaced by the next oldest Kiraq. They Elders are usually about 150, most Kiraq don't live over 100 because they're killed by other species.

112-9,999

These are the Breeders, the one that are in charge of breeding the next generations. I have to fix the script I posted to reflect this.

1,000-5,999

These are the Kiraq Agents. Out of the whole species, they're the ones with the most difficult and hard training.

They are essentially spies, sent on solo missions to report, fix, break, or punish other species. 6,031, the Kiraq on this blog, is an anomaly because she was selectively bred to be an Agent but she got demoted so much, she slipped her ranking down. However, it is illegal for a Kiraq to pick or get assigned a new occupation, so she's the lowest ranking Kiraq Agent in history.

6,000-99,999

These are the Scientists, aka inventors, explorers, etc. They create all of Kiraq's tech, they log new species and one of them is a member of the Galactic Database, they record Kiraq's history, they cure diseases and serve as doctors as well. They plan cities, and they handle providing rations to other Kiraq, and keep ships running smoothly.

10,000-99,999

These are lower class soldiers known as Hoardes, they are trained to fight in large groups, destroying whole planets.

100,000+ (the max number is around around 300,000, but never exact)

These are the Masses. Basically slaves for physical labor.

Kiraq are widely known to not feel fear. This is a falsehood that most Kiraq believe. Kiraq are absolutely capable of feeling fear, and the Council are the only ones that know this for a fact.

The lie is reinforced by brainwashing and training. Most Kiraq that exhibit too many traits of fear to an enemy or admit to being afraid to an Elder or Council member are locked up to cleanse the species.

However, it is illegal for one Kiraq to kill another. So these afraid Kiraq are stripped of their ID and called Nameless, and are held in individual cells until they die or until the Breeders have fixed them.

Breeders are allowed to do experiments on Nameless, though only the Elders and the Council are aware of this. The experiments are meant to fix the Nameless of their fear, when in reality its just purposely traumatizing them until they give in and act more normal. Only a handful of Nameless survive and get reintroduced to society with a new ID.

[ad-cn]

The lightsaber fights, however, were definitely a highlight. it’s clear that Star Wars by that time has grown to be a franchise with a multi-generational appeal and one of the simplest desires anyone can take from the original trilogy is to see more lightsaber duels, with tighter sword choreography and longer scripting of the fights.

The lightsabers in the original trilogy were these near-mythical weapons made to contrast the modernity of blasters and military tech, the prequel in turn revels in being a fantasy period-drama about the control and conquest of nations, complete with noble knights and their improbable fancy duels. It demonstrates the gulf in the film’s intentions with the lightsaber’s iconography; the OT lightsaber duels were remarkable for their placements as strong emotional beats in each film, highlighting a drastic change in experience for Luke Skywalker. In The Phantom Menace, no Galactic Empire existed, and in place of tight blaster-dodging are lightsaber hacking and slashing. It becomes the common form of combat seen on screen, accurately reflecting the acknowledgement of the weapon as a highly appealing, marketable concept to advertise.

[fantasyinvader]

I think it’s meant more to be like, Boar!Dimitri’s actions were motivated by his belief that he needed to avenge the dead. It’s created this cycle where he killed those who hurt other people, but realized that killing was wrong so he was creating suffering for others and would one day face retribution for it, and through it all left him suicidal. Savior!Dimitri, on the other hand, is motivated by a desire to ease the suffering of the living, and part of that is him hearing from them what their problems are and using that to decide how to remedy the issue. It even ties into how he’s the leader who gives a political voice to the commoners in his ending, making it so that he can hear their complaints.

As it stands with Edelgard, she’s creating suffering right now and that suffering will only spread if she gets what she wants. She’s the only leader who the game talks about marching troops into other countries following the war (in the Japanese script) after all. It’s possible to understand someone, but not be able to reconcile with them. Dimitri’s (and Claude’s, in the Japanese script) beliefs are too far removed from Edelgard’s, who believes full-heartedly that her ideals are needed. and as such the only to stop her is to defeat her. And even then as Dimitri defeats her Hegemon Form, a form that is supposed to be emblematic of her beliefs, he offers her a hand only to be met with one final attempt to kill him by her.

It’s like in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, one of the inspirations for Houses. Yang and Reinhard are rivals but both have a deep respect for each other. They both see the flaws in both the artistocracy and the democracy, and Reinhard would very much like Yang to work for him after Reinhard won the war. Yang admits he would have loved to serve Reinhard if he had been born in the Empire, but he was born in the Free Planets Alliance, he grew up breathing the air of freedom so much so he could never work with Reinhard who is seeking an autocracy. Yang would always work to support that freedom, even refusing to take power for himself because despite it’s flaws he still believed in democracy.

Gundam also has shades of this despite it’s anti-war themes. There is always the hope than mankind will mature and learn to peacefully resolve conflicts, but at times understanding isn’t enough. Some people can not be reasoned with, so while fighting may be wrong it doesn’t mean you don’t fight back.

And if we think about how FE talks about coexistence, the fact Edelgard won’t accept any other outcome than her victory and her imposing her will upon the world shows that she’s the one that refuses to coexist.

thinking about @fantasyinvader's recent Dimitri post -

I think one of the points I'm not really fond of with AM and Boarmitri's turn to Savior!Mitri is how Dee shifts his attention from the Means to the Ends.

And sure, we have to think about the bigger scope - criticise to prevent the "Ends" means putting an end to the "Means" - but what about the ones who were sacrificed, or the ones who are and written off as "means"?

Kleiman dude really believed he was doing the right thing by chopping Duscur people (or at least putting them under the bus for something he and his lord did).

Boarmitri reacts to the "slaughtering Duscur people" strongly, and would have killed him because hey, you were slaugthering people down (or are responsible for the persecution Duscur people suffered and are still going through).

Savior!Mitri? Will put his execution on hold, to consider what Kleiman dude meant by "doing the right thing".

But, regardless of why Kleiman Dude thought was "right" or for "justice", the thing is, he still organised the massacre of several people and wrongly framed innocents to hide their involvment, which led to their persecution/massacre.

"But Lambert was removing our rights and privileges" sure, what does this has anything to do with Dedue having lost his sister to senseless murder after being wrongfuly framed for regicide?

"Kleiman Dude really believed what he was doing was right" and ? Tell that to Felix's mom, what's going to happen? People do things for all kinds of reasons, so what?

-

Worst offender is, of course, Supreme Leader.

Boarmitri wants to cut her down to avenge the dead (and maybe stop the war?) but when Savior!Mitri finally hears her, uh, reasoning, he is resolved to kill her because that's her choice (uh) and it's their fate???

The fuck?

Sure he mentions putting an end to the war, but the entire "we have no other choice but to fight, because it's what she wants and that's the destiny we were born to", please no?

Hopefully the first sentence "end the war" exists, otherwise I'd really believe Dee makes this fight and final battle all about Supreme Leader (and blame fate because that's hresvelg grey for you) and completely ignores the people who are, uh, living in this Fodlan ravaged by war, the ones who died because of it or are still dying because that's what war does.

What about the ones who died? The ones who are dying (or are locked in a 5 stars resort doing zumba for 5 years) ? The ones who are turned in demonic beasts? The ones who are starving?

"We have no choice but to destroy each other... Such is the destiny we were born to."

who cares about casualties, let's agree to disagree about our Ends and blame fate instead.

:/

[aenor-llelo]

what are all the dialects/languages written and spoken in orp? i always forget the difference between script and endewrit

the languages that have been shown so far

Script- the common "universal" language, native to the Overworld. Indicated with Latin alphabet.

Talon- the native language of elytron and avians, used in Sky. Is slowly dying out as an ethnic minority language due to limited accessibility of speech. Indicated with Daedric alphabet.

Khorsh- the piglin language and the primary trade language of the Nether, indicated with a Kuruntic font.

Ender- the language of the End. Only spoken/written by endermen, or those who work closely with them.

Endewrit/Enchant- the language of magic. Indicated using the Standard Galactic font, which is the font used for enchantment in Minecraft.

[dornish-queen]

Pedro Pascal - La Vanguardia

With Javier Peña's mustache as his hallmark, the 'Narcos' and 'Game of Thrones' actor is filming in Budapest with Nicolas Cage and Paco León

Pascal, cultured, seductive and reflective, repeats as Loewe's ambassador for its Solo Mercurio perfume and is a model for 'Magazine Lifestyle'

SYLVIA MARTI   12/13/2020 06:00

 Casual striped jacket, tousled hair, exquisite punctuality, and a room in Budapest. There is something about this man, generous in smiles and answers, great talkative, attractive without clichés. Pedro Pascal, 45 years old and face success. He shot The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent in the Hungarian capital with Nicolas Cage and Paco León, who apparently encouraged the show a lot; We see him without seeing him in the Star Wars universe as a galactic bounty hunter in The Mandalorian and he is Maxwell Lord, the eighties villain of Wonder Woman 1984 , perhaps the only blockbuster that, if nothing goes wrong, will make us happy Christmas.

Session in Budapest The Chilean actor shoots 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' in the Hungarian capital with Nicolas Cage and Paco León

(full article and photos under the cut)

Chilean by birth, his family left the country fleeing the Pinochet dictatorship when he was a baby. Brief passage through Denmark and new life in San Antonio (Texas). Normal when speaking in your mother tongue some words in English slip through. Think before answering a question without losing spontaneity or being afraid of silence. An art. 

There is still Javier Peña's mustache, which catapulted him to fame from Narcos , and you can recognize that little point of joyous irony of Prince Oberyn Martell, who almost ended the Mountain in Game of Thrones . Two roles that have opened doors that he has managed to keep safe from slamming doors and have allowed him to skip the toll of stereotyped roles. Today Pascal, well trained in theater and loved by the cameras, can do whatever he wants. Even dedicating a Saturday to star in a fashion shoot and speak exclusively for Lifetsyle Magazine .

"Nobody knows me but everyone thinks they know me," he said when he debuted as the face of Solo Loewe perfume. Introduce yourself with four words.”

I do not define myself only by them, but I am contradictory, faithful, loyal, sensitive and, at times, a bit geek.

What would surprise me about you if you knew him better?

That although I live life and enjoy family, friends and social connections a lot, I have a lonely point. I like having my space and the option of staying a day at home in a relaxed and cocoon plan .

“Even though I live life and really enjoy family, friends and social connections, I have a lonely point.”

With Covid-19, many of us are already a little tired of staying at home ...

Yes, now that I don't have much choice to go out, I'm afraid of not being able to go back to the theater, to a party, to a dinner with many people ... I really regret those times that, instead of going out, I stayed at home.

Which character has left the most impression on you?

I miss Peña, from Narcos . It was my first leading role, the first time I had time to develop the character, create his energy, his style ... They gave me a lot of freedom to shape it, even if it was based on a real person. I was able to work on it, make it my own, create the tone, invent and deepen.

Do you easily get rid of them when filming is over?

When I was younger I was very clear that they had to be left at work, that the character had to be separated from the person. I thought that with age it would get easier and easier but, surprisingly, the opposite happens to me: it gets harder and harder. Energy cannot always be organized the way we would like and I have to admit that I take some of my characters home with me.

Have you incorporated any of their phrases into your life?

Maxwell Lord has a very attractive in Wonder Woman 1984 : "Everything is fine, but it could be better."

Very eighties. Like the one Gordon Gekko said on Wall Street (1987): "If you want a friend, buy yourself a dog." Have we advanced or are we already for the fourth pet?

We have come a long way. I am very inspired by young people, their strength to face in an original way that win, win and win system that reached a monstrous level in the eighties. Today's young people go deeper into the need to respect a planet in which we all live together and the obligation to take care of it.

“Young people inspire me, they deepen the need to respect a planet and the obligation to care for it.”

I see you optimistic ...

I am a realistic and hard-working optimist. My first impression is that the glass is half empty, I have to find arguments to see it half full.

Is it true that you drew the comic strips to interact with them as a method to immerse yourself in your character in 'Wonder Woman 1984'?

I made a book with images from the eighties and sixties, comic book drawings, papers, erasers, colored pencils, markers and vignettes to better understand what it was to be a man of that decade, how his attitude was forged ... It was a way to focus to live up to what Patty (Jenkins, the director) asked for, which was a lot, and not lose sight of it. I'm a horrible cartoonist, but I had to do something practical to study, understand, and develop the character.

What does a script or a role have to have to get their attention?

Sense of humor. Even if it is a drama, a hero, a villain ... Humor immediately hooks me.

A good shield to go through life ...

The best. It is the most important thing to survive.

Do you remember the last time you laughed out loud?

Paco León immediately came to mind. When he's on set, here in Budapest, we are all happier and we laugh a lot. The entire production loves it. It has made filming more fun.

“When Paco León is on set, here in Budapest, we are all happier and we laugh a lot”

 What fascinates you most about the Star Wars universe?

Nostalgia, the huge audience it has, the ability to reach so many people. It reflects our childlike imagination without limits. Create more and more worlds with all kinds of people and species. He is capable of casting the universe

What is your definition of success?

Have a healthy relationship with yourself. Nothing matters if you don't love yourself.

What would you have done if you had not succeeded as an actor? Did you have a plan B?

No. Perhaps the only thing that could have been useful to others is acting as a literature teacher, as a counselor or advisor for people who need help ... I am a bit of a therapist with my friends. And it must work, because they come back. I have a lot of common sense.

What is elegance to you? Has your relationship with Loewe influenced the way you dress?

In that of elegance I am a student, I am learning. I wear what is comfortable but I also have very finite taste and, when motivated, I really like to express myself with style. And when it comes to style, Loewe is on top of everything.

Something material that would save from a fire.

A book. I always have one on hand. Now I am rereading The Magic Mountain , by Thomas Mann. Literature is one of my passions. It is an extension of life. The problem would be to choose only one, there are so many! My identity is made by inspirations from authors, actors, dancers, the art world, the sea ... There is no self without the influence of all the things that inspire me.

“The sea is what I like the most in life. I have respect, curiosity and love for him on a religious level.”

The sea…

It's what I like the most in life. I have respect, curiosity and love for him on a religious level.

If he gets lost, I know where to look for him.

On a boat in the middle of the sea, on an island, on the beach in Chile ... Everything related to water. One of the first smells I remember, although I don't know if it's too attractive, is the chlorine in the pool.

What is your fastest way to disconnect?

Losing your mobile phone. I fell down the stairs in Dubrovnik and at first it was like, "Oh noooo." But then I thought, "Well, a week without him." I had a certain feeling of liberation. Not having to be aware of e-mails, messages ... I find it very strong that people communicate even through a direct message from Instagram. I refuse.

Now that you quote them, how are you getting along with the networks? (He has 1.5 million followers on Intagram)

I am quite active, I use it when I have a good time, but also to express myself and to give my opinion.

“I will say goodbye to the year with a kiss and raising the middle finger. He has treated me well but the collective suffering and fear this year….”

What is your favorite word?

Oxymoron. I like its meaning and its sound

Who would you like to shut up, as you did in the first Loewe Solo ad?

Personally, I would love to shut up that heavy, bad voice, the imp that we all have in our heads. That it's nice to have him and that, and I know he will never go away, but it would be nice if he shut up sometimes. Collectively I think we would all like to shut up one person.

Trump?

I suppose.

What have you learned from this rare year?

That you cannot live without human contact. For me the deep and simple connections with my friends and family is the only thing that matters.

How will you fire him?

With a kiss and raising the middle finger. He has treated me very well but the collective suffering and fear this year….

*article translated with google chrome. Source of article*

[hatnhousejacket]

What can I say? I put Selkies into outer space and then I learned how to record sound a bit better so I wrote a dumb script... and recorded this mess

transcript under the cut

Bartender: Welcome to Melpomene stranger, how’s our lady of tragedy treating you?

Stranger: ‘That obvious I’m new?

Bartender: Haven’t had a fresh face on the ‘roid for months.

Stranger: You flatter, my face ain’t that fresh.... don’t worry about the glow it’s not radioactive.... mostly.

*beat*

Bartender: [with big I am now leaning as far away from you as I can manage while still doing my job energy] Right. So what can I getcha?

Stranger: A pan-galactic gargle blaster?

Bartender: [unimpressed silence]

*ice shifts*

Stranger: [with resignation] Best beer you’ve got?

Bartender: Hmmmmmm [cracks a beer and pours it into a tankard] So stranger, any news from the great hyper-ways?

Stranger: Nah, I’ve been in the deep black, you’re probably more up to date on planet business then me.

Bartender: [with clear disappointment] Nothing, really?

Stranger: Well no news, plenty of rumors though. Ghost stories and whispers and such.

Bartender: Is that so? [trying to sound uninterested but clearly starved for literally any entertainment]

Stranger: You ever hear of Stellar Endothermic Life-support Kinetic Exoskeletons?

Bartender: [scoffs] That’s an old belter’s yarn. Sky-folk ain’t real.

Stranger: [moving to get up and leave] If you don’t wanna hear abou— (t it...)

Bartender: Wait!... ahem.... I mean... I’ve got no-one to serve right now...might as well....

Stranger: Alright [hook line and sinker] well... time was, the old belters were young and their yarns were common knowledge. Back then near every star-hand could claim they’d glimpsed a SELKE suit out the viewport at least once. Some feared the sight, thought it meant temptation out an airlock to an icy death. But some; cruel, optimistic, self-centered, fools; dreamt of catching a star swimmer of their very own....

[To the tune of Einini...]

Star Swimmer through the aether — Void-a-calling, void-a-calling — Don’t loose sight of your skin here — Lest you ne’er swim the stars again

A young pilot solar sailing — Dropped his cargo just to follow — Through the star fields one a’wandering — ‘Till he found her basking moon

Star Swimmer through the aether — Void-a-calling, void-a-calling — Don’t loose sight of your skin here — Lest you ne’er swim the stars again

Circuits slip from her fingers — As they comb through hair all askew — In the sunlight where she lingers — Slumber comes and takes her true

Of course tales had been told for centuries of the reward for a man clever enough to secret away the coat of a heavenly maiden and our selke awoke to find her skin nowhere to be seen and her only consolation a young pilot’s gentle hands. She felt stripped, cracked open like a freshly split clam. Vulnerable without her plasma claws and steel teeth and the star sight her neural circuitry granted her. The pilot was nice enough and she had nowhere else to go so she followed him to his world...

She was held through steps unsteady — Wed her pilot one fine morning — And she gave him kids a’plenty — All with her stars in their eyes

Star Swimmer through the aether — Void-a-calling, void-a-calling — Don’t loose sight of your skin here — Lest you ne’er swim the stars again

But the void ne’er stops a-calling — Body aches for weightless aether — Then her eldest asks one evening — Why’s Da hide an old spacesuit here?

Well... the poor bastard got a nice taste of the void himself after that and nothing, not even love for her children could keep the Selke earthbound after that. Still children are resilient and they managed to survive on their own, caring for each other and aching for the stars they couldn’t truly touch. Every generation of that family tree since has born at least one child with starlight eyes. Great pilots and starfarers the lot of them. Many cycles of exploration later on a colony station many parsecs away one such child was born. Her name was Fiona and she had a habit of “borrowing” her cousin’s starskipper for joyrides...

Young Fiona went a’flying — Solar wind-tides distant moonsides — Pulled her on with endless calling — Far from skies of which she knew

Star Swimmer through the aether — Void-a-calling, void-a-calling — Don’t loose sight of your skin here — Lest you ne’er swim the stars again

She went wandering and was followed — Long lost kin of sky and fin — Steel skin slipped on circuits burrowed — And the starsight showed her home

Star Swimmer through the aether — Void-a-calling, void-a-calling — Don’t loose sight of your skin here — Lest you ne’er swim the stars again

Bartender: Huh... any of that true?

Stranger: [cheerfully] Oh no clue! Got the tale off some weird mechanical bastards I hitched a ride with a while back.

Bartender: You can’t ask them?

Stranger: Nope, they fucked off to some damp rock near a dwarf star and died.

*beat*

Bartender: ...oh.

Stranger: [drains bottle and thunks it down on the bar] Well thanks for the drink! This asteroid might be boring as shit but the beer is ....actually the beer’s pretty shit too. [walks off]

*beat*

Bartender: Wait! Hey, wait! You didn’t pay!! [door closes] Asshole!

[vasco-portable-translators]

Star Wars Languages: Exploring The Linguistic Richness

In the vast universe of the Star Wars saga, epic battles, iconic characters, and profound philosophies captivate audiences. Yet, the array of languages adds another layer of richness, enhancing the narrative with cultural depth. The franchise introduces languages from the melodic tones of Twi'lek to the guttural shouts of Shyriiwook, the language of the Wookiees. This linguistic diversity reflects the complexity of our own world's languages. This post delves into the rich linguistic landscape of most Star Wars languages you can learn. We will examine the structure, usage, and cultural significance of its most notable languages. Whether you're a linguistics aficionado or a casual fan, this exploration reveals how language breathes life into the beloved universe of Star Wars! FAQ: What is Aurebesh language in Star Wars? It's not as much a language, as it is a script for the Basic language. It's a common language spoken widely among different planets and cultures. How many Star Wars languages are there? When it comes to the main languages in Star Wars, we can say there are approximately 14 languages worth taking a look into. Though the detailed lists can sometimes count as many as 68 languages! Do Siths have their own language? Yes, they do. The interesting part is that before becoming an ideological movement, Siths were an ethnic group with their own culture. It's how the language was born. Do Wookies have their own language? Yes, they do, and it's called Shyriiwook. Interestingly, it was never fully developed to be an actual language. It's one of those exceptions where the sounds made by actors are more or less random. Who created languages in Star Wars? The initial creation development was sparked and inspired by George Lucas himself. Still, he cooperated with a group of dedicated linguists. Ben Burtt, for example, has created Shyriwook and Huttese. What exactly is a constructed language? Constructed languages, or conlangs, are a cornerstone in science fiction and fantasy. They create immersive experiences that engage fans deeply in fictional universes. Therefore, conlangs are in opposition to natural languages (so called "real languages") that have appeared in human civilization and have been influenced by their culture and historic events. In Star Wars, these languages do more than facilitate communication across diverse species. They also highlight cultural identities and social hierarchies. Consider Aurebesh, the script found on monitors and signage, which is a transcription of Basic. This is a standardized galactic language, similar to English or Mandarin on Earth. Therefore, creating conlangs is an interesting method for enriching the lore of any fictional universe, and making it more immersive for audiences. The role of languages in Star Wars Languages in Star Wars are not merely a tool for communication. They are a critical element of world-building and character development. - It shapes the viewer’s perception of the cultural and political landscape of the galaxy. For example, the dominance of Basic (the equivalent of English in the Star Wars universe) speaks to the influence of the Galactic Empire, but even before that, it was associated with the Republic. This connection is evident even in earlier periods, such as in the game "Knights of the Old Republic," set around 4000 years before the films, where Basic is already established. It's important to note, however, that Disney has removed this game from the canon, which means certain key details, including those about languages, may differ between sources. - Languages in Star Wars also serve as a narrative device to depict exclusivity and inclusion within the galaxy's diverse communities. Characters who understand multiple languages often possess strategic advantages, illustrating the importance of communication skills across different cultures. Overview of Major Languages in Star Wars But hey, what language do they speak in Star Wars? Well, it's not just one! So, maybe a better question to ask is how many languages are there in Star Wars? Usually, it's said that there are 14 main languages spoken in this universe. Still, there are some some detailed lists, including as many as 68 different languages! (here you can find an example of such a comprehensive list). Though we will not discuss each and every one of them, we will consider the most crucial ones. So, let's delve deeper into some of nearly all Star Wars languages that shape the interactions and conflicts within this vast cosmos. Basic What is the Star Wars language called? When searching for the answer, you're probably thinking of the Basic language spoken commonly across the whole Galaxy. However, it's simply represented by English in Star Wars films, Clone Wars series, and other Star Wars media. So, even though it's a part of fictional languages in this universe, it wasn't artificially crafted. Huttese - Origin and Characteristics: Huttese is primarily an indigenous language spoken by the Hutts, a slug-like species known for their roles as gangsters and crime lords. This language blends long, drawn-out vowels with harsh consonants, creating a sound that is both commanding and slippery, mirroring the deceptive nature of its speakers. - Notable Speakers and Usage: Jabba the Hutt, perhaps the most infamous of his species, frequently uses Huttese to issue commands and conduct illicit business deals, making it a language synonymous with the underworld. - Cultural Significance: Huttese's prevalence in the Outer Rim territories signifies the economic and social control exerted by the Hutts over these less governed spaces. Bocce - Importance as a Trade Language: Bocce acts as a lingua franca among traders and pilots across numerous planetary systems, designed to facilitate straightforward and efficient communication. - Linguistic Structure: Known for its simplicity and adaptability, Bocce incorporates elements from various languages, reflecting the diverse interactions in the galaxy’s trade networks. - Common Usage: It's often heard in bustling marketplaces and spaceports, where quick and clear communication is essential for business transactions. Shyriiwook (Wookiee) - Phonetics and Syntax: Native language of Wookies, Shyriiwook relies heavily on a series of growls and roars, tailored to the vocal apparatus of this species. Its complex syntax is difficult for non-Wookiees to grasp, often requiring translation droids in interspecies interactions. - Communication Challenges: The linguistic barriers between Wookiees and other species underscore themes of alienation and cultural diversity within the galaxy. - Notable Speakers: Chewbacca, the co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon, is the most famous Wookiee speaker. His interactions with other main characters highlight both the challenges and comedic elements that arise from language differences. Sith Language - Historical Context: Associated with the dark and secretive Sith Lords, this language's origins are as ancient and mysterious as the Sith themselves. - Linguistic Features: The Sith language includes a unique script and a complex grammatical structure, designed to be impenetrable to those outside the Sith Order. However, originally, this language was spoken by the Sith race; it had nothing to do with ideology yet. - Usage in Rituals: Often used in dark side rituals, the language’s use in the series adds an element of foreboding and mysticism, enhancing the dark allure of the Sith. Aurebesh - Role in the Galaxy: Aurebesh is the standardized script seen throughout the Star Wars universe, used for most written communication of Basic. - Visual Design: The script consists of unique characters that replace the Latin alphabet we know in the real world. Its widespread use on signs, screens, and military insignia conveys a sense of unity and standardization across the Galactic Empire and beyond. - Learning Aurebesh: Fans and language enthusiasts often learn Aurebesh, incorporating it into fan-made content and everyday use, demonstrating its impact beyond the screen. This concludes our Star Wars languages list. With their distinctive sounds and scripts, they surely enrich the narrative. But on an even more important note, Star Wars written languages make it easier for fans to engage with this world on a whole new level. The creation and evolution of Star Wars languages The languages of Star Wars are not merely fictional constructs, but are the result of meticulous design and thoughtful evolution. Let's take a look at how it was done. Crafting the Languages - Initial Development: First introduced by George Lucas, the process of creating these languages often began with sound designers and linguists brainstorming sounds that might be characteristic of a particular species or culture. For instance, Ben Burtt, the sound designer for the original films, developed Huttese and Shyriiwook based on the characters’ physical and cultural traits. - Linguistic Expansion: As the franchise grew, so did the need for these languages to be more fully fleshed out. What started as a few phrases or words necessary for pivotal scenes in the films expanded into more comprehensive language systems. This expansion was often driven by the needs of the expanding universe in books, television series, and video games. Evolution across media - Incorporation in Expanded Universe: The Star Wars Expanded Universe (now branded as Legends) played a crucial role in enriching the linguistic tapestry. Authors and creators added to the lexicon and grammar, providing fans with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the languages. - Community Involvement: Fans have significantly influenced the evolution of these languages, using them in fan fiction, at conventions, and in everyday communication. This fan engagement has led to the development of learning materials and the creation of a Star Wars language translator like the of Arabesh alphabet (you can check it here). Impact on Fan Culture Through these languages, Star Wars not only entertains but also educates and engages its audience. This universe truly is a living, evolving linguistic phenomenon. - Language Learning and Usage: Enthusiastic fans often engage with these languages by learning to speak or write them, participating in communities where these skills are prized. For example, websites and apps offer courses and tools to learn languages like Shyriiwook, appealing to those fans who wish to immerse themselves even deeper into Star Wars lore. - Cultural Resonance: The languages have become a way for fans to connect with each other and with the franchise at a more intimate level. They serve not only as a testament to the richness of the Star Wars universe but also as a bridge between the fictional and the real world, enhancing the communal and interactive aspects of fan culture. Learning and using Star Wars languages Fans of Star Wars often take their passion for the saga to the next level by learning to speak and write in the languages depicted in the films and series. Here are some useful phrases and their significance in fan interactions: - Basic (Galactic Basic Standard): - "May the Force be with you" - A common farewell and well-wishing phrase. - "I have a bad feeling about this" - Often used humorously among fans to express apprehension. - Huttese: - "This Sa interesting" (This is interesting) - "Achuta" (Hello) - Shyriiwook (Wookiee): - Due to its complex phonetics involving growls and roars, exact transliteration into Basic is challenging, but fans enjoy mimicking the sounds. - Mando'a (Mandalorian language): - "Su cuy'gar ogir" (Hello there) - A standard greeting in Mando'a. - "Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum" (I love you) literally translates to "I hold you in my heart," a phrase cherished by fans and used in more personal communications. Do you wish to know more than just how to say I love you in Star Wars? Check our article, where we see how to proclaim love in several languages. Interested in languages beyond Star Wars? As we continue to marvel at the linguistic complexity of Star Wars, why not take your interest in languages beyond the screen? With the Vasco Translator, a cutting-edge universal translator, you can explore over 100 real-world languages with ease. You can use a voice translator that lets you talk with people freely, or a photo translator that makes any text in your surroundings understandable. And many, many more! Imagine if, one day, we might even add Star Wars languages to our repertoire! Would you like an Aurebesh translator? Until then, the Vasco Translator remains your best companion in uncovering the languages of our world. Dive into new cultures, learn new phrases, and connect with people around the globe. Who knows? The next language you learn could be as thrilling as Aurebesh! 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[buzzdixonwriter]

Spock Grok Shock Squawk

Lemme get my main thesis out in the open first thing:

The search for intelligent life in space is a quasi-religious endeavor.

The unstated hidden hope is that we will find up in the sky people who are better and wiser than us, and who will prove they’re better by sharing that wisdom, ushering in, if not exactly a golden age, then one of shiny brass.

The unstated assumption is that they will be like the Vulcans in Star Trek, more advanced than we are, but impressed by our courage and our curiosity and our just plain ol’ fashioned humanness so that even though they are technologically and culturally far superior to us, they’ll toss the keys of the galactic federation in our lap, letting us run things for everybody’s betterment.

Snowflake, please…

(I mean let’s acknowledge this is a white and / or Anglo / European colonial fantasy from the gitgo, okay?  No sane species will let us anywhere near the torpedo room, capice?)

The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is a harmless enough exercise, and I’ll be honest, it would be cool if they actually found something, but at its core it’s no different from going into a place of worship and attempting to contact the divine.

(Mind you, I have absolutely no objection to that in principle, either, but I know how a lot of supposed spiritual searchers are actually searching for cudgels to batter their fellow humans into submission; and besides, as will be pointed out below, the search for the divine shares some similar issues with SETI, so read on, MacDuff…)

My next major thesis is this:

Nobody knows what they’re looking for, SETI or conventional religion.

They dress it up in fancy costumes but when you strip both groups’ sky beings naked, you find they’re looking for people just like us in every important way (i.e., we understand them, they understand us, and they don’t hold us accountable for our bullshit).

Here’s a few issues I have with the current state of SETI affairs:

We don’t know what alien life would look like.

We don’t know how alien life would think.

We don’t know what alien life can sense that we can’t sense.

We don’t know how alien life would process information.

We don’t know how alien life would adapt to its environment.

(There’s more -- much, much more -- but these will do for the moment.

Point 1: I’m not talking about green skinned Martians with six limbs, I mean we don’t even know if alien life would have a cell structure or pass along generational information via DNA.

Personally, I think there’s a remote possibility life on Earth did not evolve but is a product of panspermia, in which case any life we encounter on other planets in this solar system may indeed use cell structure, DNA, etc.

But that’s just “a chance greater than zero” not hard evidence.

We literally have no idea what other life would look like so we have no way of knowing where or what to look for.

Someone familiar only with North American forest insects might have a hard time identifying life found at the bottom of the Marianas Trench -- and that’s part of the planet we all share.

There’s a fringe science called shadow biology that wonders if there may be life on this planet that we can’t identify because it looks and behaves so differently from us.

That’s another one of those “greater than zero” speculations -- but the fact we can define right now what would constitute alien life means all we’re doing is looking for Vulcans.

Point 2: We don’t even know how we think; howda %#@& can we anticipate how alien intelligence would think.

I got into this discussion decades ago at a sci-fi con and the fan I was talking with blithely assumed we would recognize one another as intelligent based on whether we used mathematics and my question then and now is:  ”How would you know?!?!?”

Math is a symbolic language that (apparently) interprets basic underlying principles in a way that humans can grasp and apply.

The principles exist whether or not they are expressed, or how they are expressed.

We humans “see” 2 + 2 = 4 as “logical” because out symbolic language links the concept of two distinct objects added to another two distinct objects as being the equivalent of four distinct objects, but we have no way of knowing if an alien intelligence grasps the concept of distinct objects.

For them it may all be just part of a continuum.

There could be aliens desperately trying to contact us right now, using methods we can observe, and we just can’t grasp that there’s even a message to be grasped! 

Point 3: Holy cow (no, not a religious exclamation), this point is huge and we just keep glossing over it.

Humans possess better color vision than canines.

We see three primary colors, they see only two (blue and yellow).

There are other terrestrial species -- butterflies and mantis shrimp, to name two – who see colors far beyond human range, well into what Dr. Seuss would call the “on beyond zebra” range.

Even if we could talk to dogs, we couldn’t tell them what green looks like:  There is literally no place in their brain to process that color.

Or consider binocular vision, i.e., depth perception.

Most humans have depth perception but many -- for any number of reasons -- do not.

A lot of animals lack binocular vision (indeed, on Earth encountering a creature with binocular vision is fraught with danger because they’re almost always predators of some sort, using depth perception to attack prey).

Try explaining depth perception to someone who’s only had vision in one eye since birth.

“Well, it doesn’t have a color or a texture or anything like that, you really can’t ‘see’ it except…well…you actually can see it insofar as you can ‘see’ the actual space that exists between two objects instead of just guessing based on visual clues…”

Again, we may be bombarded with messages from space all the time that we simply lack the ability to sense.

Point 4: This is a lot like Point 2 but different enough to enjoy its own category. 

I mean a couple of things when I refer to processing information.

First off, there’s the actual processing time.

Remember the sloth DMV scene in Zootopia?

Imagine we contact a life form that takes a standard terrestrial year just to express “2 + 2 = 4”.

The entirety of human history would pass before it could get to basic trigonometry.

How do you communicate with that?

(And what would you talk about?) 

Conversely, we would be like ferrets on espresso, the worst form of cultural ADHD imaginable to them

And the script could be flipped!

We could be the ones taking forever to respond, their elaborate and erudite answers might flash by in less than a nanosecond.

We also don’t know what an alien species would value.  We have Maslow's familiar hierarchy of needs but there’s no guarantee these would motivate any other species.

Thigs that would be extremely vital to us might be wholly unimportant to aliens and vice versa.

The fact our sky is blue is just an interesting fact to us, to aliens it might be the single most important thing they’ve ever encountered.

We simply have no way of knowing!

Point 5: Europeans encountering North American native peoples dismissed them as “primitive savages” because they didn’t smelt ore, they didn’t use wheels, and most of their cultures lacked a written language.

Ignore the fact they had well traveled trade routes stretching from the Bering Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, ignore the fact many of them governed and protected well organized territories the size of France or Germany, ignore the fact they lived in an environment not only abundant with easily available natural resources but also possessed the time to work those resources at a leisurely pace.

The European interlopers sure ignored those facts.

SETI looks for machine based physical communication from alien life (physical here including any form of energy used to convey information such as a telegraph or a laser beam).

Presuming alien life exists it may never have occurred to them to attempt to communicate in the manner humans do!

It would be like putting a mime on the radio.

The great unuttered chauvinism of the Drake equation and Fermi paradox is this: That there exists a basic template to intelligent life that’s so common the law of averages says we must find examples of it just like us wherever we look.

That’s an awfully big assumption, folks.

And we’re nowhere close to proving any of it.

  © Buzz Dixon