trope-a-day
(Note: a planet of the day is still coming, albeit not technically today. Just been movieing.) Third-Person Person: There are a number of languages and cultures in the Associated Worlds that do this. One notable example is the use of first-third person in Eldraeic, because it lets you cite your
worldbuilding
The Common Volumetric Accord is simply the current agreement (under the protocols of the Accord) concerning what will be considered sovereign territory among star nations, what will be recognized as free space, open to the passage of all, and what is not normally claimable as such. The Common Volumetric Accord
trope-a-day
Thicker Than Water: While the Houses (extended family-clans) are an important part of their social structure, the eldrae are really too individualistic to play this one entirely straight; and, well, principles are thicker (see: Honor Before Reason, Principles Zealot). In practice, most do pay rather more than lip service to
digisapience
In today’s not-a-gotcha, someone questions why digisapiences (i.e., sophont AIs) exist at all, citing this passage of Stross via Zompist.com – We clearly want machines that perform human-like tasks. We want computers that recognize our language and motivations and can take hints, rather than requiring instructions enumerated in
Lumenna-Súnáris System
I/3. Sialhaith Class: Sialhain Orbit (period): 0.58 au (161.3 T-days) Orbit (ecc.): 0.02 Radius: 3,680 miles Mass: 4.3 x 1024 kg Density: 4.96 g/cm3 Surface gravity: 0.84 g Axial tilt: 7.9° Rotation period: 23.1 T-hours Black-body temperature: 347 K
Lumenna-Súnáris System
I/2. Toramir Class: Eurymic Orbit (period): 0.32 au (66.12 T-days) Orbit (ecc.): 0.00 Radius: 826.9 miles Mass: 5.996 x 1022 kg Density: 6.07 g/cm3 Surface gravity: 0.4 g Axial tilt: 12.1° Rotation period: 43.3 T-days Black-body temperature: 467 K
trope-a-day
There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Usually averted by the Imperial Military Service and those following its fine military tradition – although that tradition also suggests it’s a good idea to have it available to use. Because it’s unsubtle, and inelegant, and for a sophisticated people of great strategic
Lumenna-Súnáris System
(Or maybe a little more often, if I happen to feel like it; also, a shout out to Wolfram Alpha, whose fine facilities make running the necessary calculations a great deal easier.) I/1. Eurymir Class: Eurymic Orbit (period): 0.21 au (35.15 T-days) Orbit (ecc.): 0.05 Radius:
Lumenna-Súnáris System
(So post. Such computation. Wow.) Okay, folks, here we go, the Lumenna-Súnáris System. A little bit slower than expected, because it turns out that it actually takes quite a long time to gather up and re-double-check all my figures with great care.  Since I know you guys, y’know? So
trope-a-day
(Missed this last night, oops, so have some catch-up.) There Are No Therapists: Averted, if technically true. Which is to say, these days, you take your mental problems – or indeed, any mental imperfections you feel you might have – to a psychedesigner, who will edit your mind-state to not contain whatever
Eliéra
But first, merry rebirth-of-the-solar-deity day to one and all. So, let’s see. So far as maps of worlds go, such as one might be able to make biomes out of… …well, this may take a little while. For values of little while equal to “I have a map of
trope-a-day
Theme Naming: As is traditional, variants of this apply to just about every starship class ever manufactured, and a whole pile of classes of other vehicles, too. Also weapons from various manufacturers, some ranges of computers, and most of the other products about which people are prone to anthropomorphize.