trope-a-day
Hard Light: Not strictly speaking. What there is is the ontotechnological extrapolation of photonic molecules, quantum wells, programmable matter, and various other cutting-edge concepts until they resemble something like the reality graphics (and, indeed, the Eldraeverse calls them reality graphics) seen in Vernor Vinge’s A Fire Upon the Deep
trope-a-day
Privately Owned Society: In what is now the Empire, long ago. Or now. Could go either way. In its purest form, in the years immediately following the Drowning of the People. After deciding that democracy amounted to substituting a parade of replaceable jackasses for the old permanent jackasses on the
Eldraeic Transcend
Academician LylvĂĂ«ve Lochran-ith-Lochran’s concept of ambition, despite her otherwise excellent presentation of the near-term possibilities of Information Physics, remains lacking. Recompiling the universe to remove its more irritating constraints is a project suitable for those of only moderate ambition. But consider: the implications of idesteltĂ©, of universe as processor,
trope-a-day
Privateer: Many star nations find potentially-disavowable and/or privately funded (i.e. Private Military Contractors) commerce raiders and other semi-official means of making war useful enough that letters of marque issued to shipborne mercenaries are still a standard part of the military toolbox in and near the Worlds.
trope-a-day
Private Military Contractors: Lots of them, especially since the Laws and Customs of War in the Eldraeverse recognize mercenaries as legitimate combatants (it should be noted that the Imperial sense of honor takes no issue with fighting for money as long as you stay bought; loyalty to one’s contract
Múrcár
(In honor of current events, here, have a Pluto-analog…) They say one is the loneliest number, but eleven is the loneliest planet. Well, it’s not a planet as such. Múrcár is, galactographically, a gelidean-class planetesimal, massing 1.7 x 1022 kg, and orbiting well beyond the system snowline at
trope-a-day
Prison Ship: The Empire doesn’t use them as prisons – it finds the whole notion of prison really quite unspeakably barbaric – but lots of other polities have figured out the advantage of a prison surrounded in every dimension by a few million miles of vacuum. And enabling the threat of
computing
CS Drachensvard holding position 120,000 miles from uncharted drift Corfeth (Vanlir Edge) System The sound of retching broke the silence on the bridge. Midshipman Lochran-ith-Lanth, currently manning the tactical/payload position. He’d already clamped his hand over his mouth by the time I glanced over at him, though,
trope-a-day
Pretext for War: Unfortunately, played straight more often than not in these decadent modern times when one is at least nominally supposed to try to solve ones’ differences via the Conclave of Galactic Polities, or the Galactic Trade Association, or some such. The Imperial Ministry of State and Outlands, among
trope-a-day
Precursor Killers: While not actually known with any certainty, it is generally believed that the Precursors were wiped out by… the Precursors. (Being the lovely near-solipsists described in the previous trope, well, once they started interfering with each other’s whims, they just couldn’t cope with each other’s’
worldbuilding
Reader JonS asks: Is there a ComicCon-esque event in the Eldraeverse, and if so how good is the cosplay there? (Has nothing to do with my wish to be at ComicCon, even WITH the crowds.) Oh, definitely. (Almost certainly several: the Worlds are, after all, a big place, but I
Imperial Security Executive
ISE SECURITY ADVISORY 4420-116 RESTRICTED (INFRARED) Note: This document replaces ISE Security Advisory 4112-11. It is applicable to personnel of all levels of the Imperial Service and Imperial Military Service, and to all external contractors of the Imperial Service and Imperial Military Service, and all other individuals whatsoever endorsed with