5 replies to this topic

[Visyac Cephias]

So I'm toying with the idea of writing a Battle-tech crossover, and I plan to have the principle character be a Warrior-come-Engineer.

Some points of uncertainty that I'm trying to overcome:

What kind of family unit would a Warrior have, having been rejected by the system they were born for?(I am aware of Iron Wombs, the purpose they serve, and the fact most warriors lack traditional parents) Is there a precedent of adoption by the lower classes of these rejected individuals, or do they receive some from guidance by the warrior class to insure that they are not wasted?

How visually apparent are most warriors? I know elemental are genetically engineered to be larger and stronger than most, does a similar system also apply to the warriors?

How loyal to the Clan spirit are those outside of the Warrior Caste? Is there a expectation and precedent?

Also, am I correct in the assumption that they would only have a single name, as last names are reserved for blood names?

[Skylarr]

You used the word "Warrior-come-Engineer". This implies that he/she was a member of the Warrior Caste and is now a member of the Science Caste.

When a Warrior is no longer accepted in a front line unit he is moved to either a second line then to a Solahma Unit. Sometime they go straight to a Solahma Unit. You are say that he is physically unfit for duty in a military unit, but, is very intellegent to the Clan he is in sent him to the Sciantist Caste.

How do you thinks he feels? He was raised to believe that he must die in combat, but, now he will never see combat ever again. Even though his/her DNA was not going to be used to create more Sinkos, his body would be used to make the stuff that the Embryos float in while inside the Iron Womb. Now this will not happen. Even other Warriors will look down upon him/her. ( Can someone please verify this. I thought I saw this in the book with Aiden Pryde.)

Initially he/she will be a very hostile and bitter person. Some may stay this way until they die and some may be influenced by the other Science Caste members. This is up to you. In the Scientist Caste he/she can obtain a Labname. (Just like Peri did.)

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Labnames

Although any form of surname outside the warrior caste is frowned upon, the Scientist caste secretly assigns surnames (referred to as labnames) to people who make great scientific contributions. The surnames are after great historical scientists (Newton, Watson, etc.) and have nothing to do with the person's genealogy.

I am sure the other Castes have marriages, families, and adoptions.

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How loyal to the Clan spirit are those outside of the Warrior Caste? Is there a expectation and precedent?

It all depends on the person. There is an example in a bool of a Clan Tech who was Captured by IS forces. He felt he was capture according to the Clan way so he willingly jumped back into his roll under his new bosses. While others refused.

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Also, am I correct in the assumption that they would only have a single name, as last names are reserved for blood names?

"Although any form of surname outside the warrior caste is frowned upon," I am sure some of the civilians do have last names. Just the Warrior Caste do not recognize them.

[Visyac Cephias]

Actually, I meant a warrior that became part of the technician caste (mech matinence etc.) over science. And rather than being physically unfit, it is more an issue of him failing a portion of the warrior training as a child.

Would such failure, at such a young age, mean he is completely rejected? Would sibko have anything else to do with him? Does he have any control over his situation? Are warrior tests a pass-fail thing, or can there be retrys?

Edited by Visyac Cephias, 25 March 2013 - 08:24 AM.

[Skylarr]

This is simular to what happened to a Peri.

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Peri (born 3012 - died 3070), who was later known as Peri (Watson), was a member of the Scientist caste of Clan Jade Falcon. She was a trueborn, born into the same sibko as Aidan Pryde and Marthe Pryde. She was also the mother of Diana Pryde. As a scientist, she would eventually rise to hold the title of Chief Scientist, overseeing a variety of assignments, from weapons testing, to genetics, to espionage for her Khan and Clan when need be. More often, her investigations were done to satisfy her own curiosity. They would also help to unravel the mystery surrounding the Society, assisting her Clan in the task of eventually routing out the chalcas rebel faction.

Part of a sibko combining the genetic legacy of Star Commander Tania Pryde and Galaxy Commander Ramon Mattlov, Peri and eleven of her sibkin survived to enter warrior training at Crash Camp on Ironhold. She was a hard-working cadet, persevering through several years of the Jade Falcon's harsh trueborn warrior training program. In her mid to late teenaged years she was eased out of the training program as her Falconers had determined that she was lacking in mechanical skills and simply was not competitive enough. She was, however, extremely intelligent, scoring high enough to enter the Scientist caste.

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Scientist Caste

The scientist caste has two responsibilities: continued technological development and genetic control of the population. The warriors' eugenics program naturally occupies a place of prime importance in their work. Assignment to the scientist caste is considered a high honor for civilians because it literally holds the future of the Clans in its hands. This caste is also responsible for educating and testing all freeborns.
The scientists caste is under control of the warrior caste, but it is usually allowed to operate without much interference or meddling, giving members of the scientist caste a freedom not seen in any other caste, including the warrior caste.

Technician Caste

The technician caste is less defined than the others. In general, a member of the technician caste is responsible for the upkeep, repair, and operation of complicated equipment, including everything from a cyclotron to an agribot to a BattleMech. In fact, a technician's status in Clan society is directly related to the caste he is supporting. Thus, technicians assigned as support for a BattleMech Star are much higher in status than technicians assigned to maintain agribots, even though the two groups possess the same skills.

How would he/she be treated? He/she is not a failed warrior. Wiki says that a Sibko starts with 100 children. Not sure how accurate this is. I thought it was only like 25. Out of 25 only 2 to 4 on average make it all the way through.Some do have more and some have less make it through, on average.

So, I would have to say how far along he/she was when they failed. Was in their early to mid childhood. Or was it lin the final years. Or did he/she fail during the Trial of Position?

Aidan Pryde failed during his Trial of Position and was reassigned to the Tech Caste. If I remember correctly he felt humiliated and the Head Techs looked down on him. This does not mean it is the Norm. And each Clan may be different. Smoke Jaguars are very abusive to all non Warrior Caste Members, But Jade Falcon and the Wolfs may be 50-50 and other Clans who have a really harsh sibko system may be understanding.

[CG Oglethorpe Kerensky]

Visyac Cephias, on 24 March 2013 - 05:02 PM, said:

What kind of family unit would a Warrior have, having been rejected by the system they were born for?(I am aware of Iron Wombs, the purpose they serve, and the fact most warriors lack traditional parents) Is there a precedent of adoption by the lower classes of these rejected individuals, or do they receive some from guidance by the warrior class to insure that they are not wasted?

Just because the warrior washed out of the program doesn't eliminate years of trueborn/freeborn indoctrination. In the lower castes you will find cliques of former warriors that band together because they believe they are superior to the freeborns around them. New trueborns into a caste will likely have an unofficial greeting by the other trueborns and an offer to join the group, one that I doubt will be rarely rejected.

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How visually apparent are most warriors? I know elemental are genetically engineered to be larger and stronger than most, does a similar system also apply to the warriors?

Warriors often have very distinctive features of the bloodlines they are bred from, this is not an accident. Warriors are going to recognize each others features easily and that will set them apart from the freeborns around them. On the other side of thing the freeborns may easily recognize former members of the warrior caste or not at all depending on the amount of exposure to them.

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How loyal to the Clan spirit are those outside of the Warrior Caste? Is there a expectation and precedent?

Your basically talking about North Korea here. The other caste members have been indoctrinated in Clan propoganda all their lives and there is no freedom of the press to suggest otherwise. Troublemakers of society are relegated to the Dark Caste and killed for sport, basic civil rights do not exist within the clans. One may find discontent if you look for it, but most people are going to tote the party line either out of brainwashing or fear of consequences.

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Also, am I correct in the assumption that they would only have a single name, as last names are reserved for blood names?

Yes.

[Nighpher]

Visyac Cephias, on 25 March 2013 - 08:22 AM, said:

Actually, I meant a warrior that became part of the technician caste (mech matinence etc.) over science. And rather than being physically unfit, it is more an issue of him failing a portion of the warrior training as a child.

Would such failure, at such a young age, mean he is completely rejected? Would sibko have anything else to do with him? Does he have any control over his situation? Are warrior tests a pass-fail thing, or can there be retrys?

this is covered in the battletech novel: "Way of the Clans"