54 replies to this topic

[Max Liao]

Let's not get locked into themeology meaning heritage. Not everyone from the Draconis Combine is of Japaese ancestry. There are blond hair, blue eye, Aryans who will commit seppuku at a moment's notice.

Just because the CapCon is Sino-Soviet, doesn't mean some good ol' U S of A jump ships didn't head in that direction.

While the cultures and leadership are two-dimensional stereotypes, the heritages and populations are not so much.

[Karl Streiger]

Kezran Vrass, on 13 June 2012 - 04:22 AM, said:

The Lyrans are predominantly German in culture,

Not really.
The major influence of german culture could be found because the rulling family has german roots. At least thats it. Nothing more.
Don't think that any founder had ancistors that were german - not in the last thousend years.
Marsden, McQueniston???, Tamar - non of them could be identified as German.
The ruling system was first found in the ancient Greece

Edited by Karl Streiger, 13 June 2012 - 04:35 AM.

[Demoulius]

Well Steiner sounds German.... Thats about it

[Hawkeye 72]

As long as Steiners keep bringing us this, I will be pleased

[Arturus]

Yeah, as I recall the original BT TT lore, Steiner/Lyran was of northern European ancestry...all sorts of different nationalities included from that area.

And who you callin' fat? lol.

A provocative but interesting topic on BT lore...

Oh yeah...btw...Free Skye!!!

.../tiphat

[Chuggernaut]

Karl Streiger, on 13 June 2012 - 04:35 AM, said:

Not really.
The major influence of german culture could be found because the rulling family has german roots. At least thats it. Nothing more.
Don't think that any founder had ancistors that were german - not in the last thousend years.
Marsden, McQueniston???, Tamar - non of them could be identified as German.
The ruling system was first found in the ancient Greece

The Marsdens are pretty standard European mutt, though I think they lived in Ireland before leaving for Donegal.
The McQuistons are Scot-Irish.
The Tamar family is actually, I think, Pakistani or Indian, maybe? I'd have to look and I don't have my Steiner sourcebooks handy (I know, I should convert them to PDF and put them on my phone just in case I need to make quick references. I'm such a bad Steiner).

You're pretty spot on about the Steiner family roots and their influence- the LC is a pretty polyglot nation. Coventry, for example, is pretty heavily Australian in population (has one of the few large Aboriginal populations we've heard of, too). The Brewers, who control Defiance Industries, are black. But it's not just the Steiner family's ancestry, it's the influence of Katherine Steiner Marsden, the first Steiner Archon. She was was into her family history, and she exerted a lot of force upon society because of her popularity and force of personality. The difference between her and the Japanization of the DC, for instance, is that the Kuritans did it by force, and in the LC, it happened because it was cool to imitate the Archon.

[Hagetaka]

The Tamar family was Pakistani, but there was never much info given on the racial/religious breakdown of the region.

Edited by Hagetaka, 13 June 2012 - 08:27 PM.

[Chuggernaut]

Meh, the only religions that people in the LC should be are Reformed Neo-Buddhist and Modern Aesirist. Anyone else needs to get with the times.

[Alfred VonGunn]

Niftal, on 11 June 2012 - 11:36 PM, said:

An interesting idea, OP. I would rather FASA made Steiner to be more like the Germans after the Marshal Plan and rebuilding of Western Europe. Considering this started before the Berlin Wall fell, they would have to use Western Germany as a template. Then again, an Eastern Germany take-off would have been very odd. No, no, now that I think about it, an Eastern Germany based faction in Battletech is a bad idea.

Or, go back further than Prussia and base it before Bismark. (Probably the wrong spelling) A lose collection of warring factions that no one wanted to or could tame.. Oh, wait, we got the clans for that.

And concerning the idea of a Space Israel, I'll put forth that Earth itself is a good example of it: Constant war over it in Battletech, crusaders want to reclaim it, religious orders to defend it, to name a few themes.

They did make them more like the Prussians then the Nazis in the way they think militarily.. and more like the 60s Germans in the way they run their corporations .

The Thing about Terra is that no one really cared about in it after the 2nd SW but Com Star and the Clans when they arrived. Everyone else just looked at it like Switzerland...

[Harabec Weathers]

Chuggernaut, on 13 June 2012 - 09:37 PM, said:

Meh, the only religions that people in the LC should be are Reformed Neo-Buddhist and Modern Aesirist. Anyone else needs to get with the times.

So what you're telling me is that House Steiner practices religious persecution?

[DerMaulwurf]

Harabec Weathers, on 17 June 2012 - 09:05 PM, said:

So what you're telling me is that House Steiner practices religious persecution?

Nope.

As our House Book says:

Quote

Of the five Successor States, the Lyran Commonwealth is probably the most tolerant towards diversity of religious beliefs

If you're looking for persecution you've chosen the right side.

In the LC Judaism is the second largest religion in terms of numbers (talk about subverting German clichees). With Christianity being the strongest (Steiner family included) and strong showings by Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. No mentioning of Aesirists.

If you're looking for persecution, start looking at home Cappelan.


edit: However, having many jews in the richest faction is terribly clichee.

Edited by DerMaulwurf, 17 June 2012 - 09:50 PM.

[Chuggernaut]

DerMaulwurf, on 17 June 2012 - 09:48 PM, said:

edit: However, having many jews in the richest faction is terribly clichee.

They're also highly populous in the FedSuns, where they mostly live in the Draconis March. It's not like they're mostly exclusive to the LC or anything.

Also Aesirism is talked about in Handbook: House Steiner, not the old House book. It's just weird enough for me to really dig.

Harabec Weathers, on 17 June 2012 - 09:05 PM, said:

So what you're telling me is that House Steiner practices religious persecution?

I'm merely expressing a personal opinion, namely that some religions are cooler than others. Like ones with Thor or Level 6 Laser Lotuses.

[Lipot]

I find that whenever someone tries to tie in some notable historical faction that it tends to get messy. When it comes to trying to isolate the background of the Lyran Commonwealth, you can not start to untangle that web. At the end of the day, all it ends up to be is Europe on a larger scale. Besides, who needs to have their own competent military when you have the C-Bills to hire a merc force strong enough to push back Marik and Kurita on a regular basis.

[Chuggernaut]

Truth be told, the incompetents like Kathleen Heany or Gloria Bishop exist to perpetuate the stereotype so that when you run into a badass Lyran you get rocked extra hard.

[Kyzar Kon]

I've always pictured it to be more of a relation to the United Kingdom around 18th century, a vast and powerful empire who was heavily industrialized yet their royal officers paid for their rank with cash just to wear the uniform at a dinner party.