[Torg] Ax 18 & The Living Land as a Social 18 Reality (6 of 8)

[Jones Jasyn]

2 or 3 weeks ago, I suggested that the Living Land could be thought of in terms of a high, not low Social axiom. 18 is the axiom I think would be most appropriate. I'm going to give that entry and discuss the Living Land afterward.

18-  Civic nationalism broadens to the degree that factions and subcultures of radically alien nature can be incorporated.

Predictive sociology now becomes possible, sociologists can predict the future behavior of masses of individuals with great precision. This ability is limited by the amount of information that can be ascertained about the population. Such predictions are usually reliable in the short term (within a few days), however long term predictions are much less reliable.

Social dissemination techniques improve, allowing the alteration of cultural norms without mass propaganda, via a social virus. Social viruses are ideas that spread from individual to individual, altering their attitudes and values to conform to the desired behavior. Inoculations against such viruses become possible, as do “counter-viruses” that reverse the changes. The existence of social viruses opens a new theater of war, and defenses against social viruses become a necessity.

Social viruses require this axiom to create, but can be spread through normal social interaction (possible at a Social of 3 or greater). This makes such viruses particularly devastating against civilizations with a lower Social axiom, as they cannot inoculate themselves against the effects of a social virus. At this axiom level, social viruses must be relatively narrow in scope, only implementing one effect.

Metalinguistics becomes possible, allowing for a comprehensive and accurate linguistic template. This discipline integrates the knowledge of a wide variety of languages to allow the quick and easy translation between them. Newly encountered languages can be interpreted within a few minutes of encountering them. Only a small sample of the original language need be present for translation to be possible.

Economic systems can encompass and predict levels of production, distribution and sales for tens of billions of consumers. Such prediction allows the prevention of boom or bust cycles. Basic human needs (food, shelter, strictly necessary medical care) can be distributed for all consumers in the system (if sufficient supplies and adequate tools for distribution are available).

“Waking hypnosis” is possible, including compelling individual behavior. Such techniques require no tools other than social interaction.

Highly decentralized social structures become possible. Instead of depending on a central authority, small-scale (less than 150 individuals) groups or cells can implement consensus policy more rapidly and more flexibly. Hierarchies become relatively level, though a leadership structure within individual cells is still necessary. In cases where multi-cell action is required, cells can organize around a controller cell, usually the cell with the most experience or skill in dealing with the situation. If mission or value consonance diminishes, the organization can fracture or dissolve. Any social institution can be reorganized along these lines, benefitting from the new capabilities.

The Living Land as a Social 18 Reality

A Social 18 organization is divided into cells of up to 150 individuals. Each cell has its own leadership structure, but there isn't a leadership hierarchy for the organization as a whole. Each cell pursues the goals of the organization, translating those goals or policies into local actions. In instances of war or large scale natural disasters, cells come together to form larger organizations as needed.

Viewed through this lens, the Living Land's tribes are not Social 5 tribes, but Social 18 cells. These cells share the same goals and values of Baruk Kaah and independently act to carry out the goals of the Living Land as a whole.

Other realities likely view the Living Land as primitive, and assume they're tribal, and Baruk Kaah lets them think so. In actuality, they're highly developed socially, so much so that most of the trappings of lower Social societies- bureaucracies, nations, treaties- are no longer necessary. The Eidenos have advanced beyond them.

In this light, Kaah isn't a fool, he's a canny political manipulator, better than 3327, an expert in tactics and persuasion. One on one, he can talk you into nearly anything, via "waking hypnosis."

Using social viruses, he "spliced" in a major revision of his religion, rewriting its tenets, then convinced (via propaganda or another social virus) all (or nearly all) eidenos to convert. And, those same social viruses can be aimed at other invaders- or Earth.

Kaah invade so successfully because a Possibility War isn't military in nature. A cosm invades, lays down its reality, and drains PE from locals. Killing isn't part of it. High Lords don't want to kill Ords, they want to drain them. And even Storn Knights aren't disastrous (via the Theorem of Futile Reconnection), at least they haven't been in previous invasions.

>From the point of view of Jakatts, they enter a new world, find the primitives who can't survive in the Living Land and then care for them, teaching them the Way of Life. Kaah exploits their benevolence, love of Life, and flexible social structures. The common eidenos don't know about stelae, possibility energy, or cosms, they only know that Lanala opens up new worlds for them, so they can experience new sensations and spread her message of joie de vivre.

The Living Land seems like an unsubtle invasion, like an obvious imposition of an alien reality. It is, compared to 3327's economic and political infiltration, but this misses the point. Its subtlety doesn't lie in perpetrating an invisible invasion, but in limiting how the natives can respond to the invasion.

Kaah's world moves in and devastates existing societies by removing the underpinnings of their culture: technology, magic, or religions that aren't Lanala. His cosm invades other worlds, convinces locals of the validity and supremacy of Lanala, then carries these alien species along with him on further invasions.

They can try to operate as an organized group, but their tools to garner resources and utilize them are absent. This throws them on the mercy of the Jakatts- just to stay alive, they have to turn to the eidenos for food and shelter. Which, because of their economic insights and predictive sociology, they know how to provide, far more easily than any other cosm.

(And, if they do organize to fight a conventional war, the eidenos become more organized in response, and show a greater degree of tactical and strategic flexibility. It's a no-win scenario.)

Having dissolved their society, having forced them to integrate into eidenos society to survive, winning the war is just a matter of waiting till the ords transform, defending his stelae, and watching out for Storm Knights.

3327 can be fought: economically, politically, technologically. Baruk Kaah can't be fought, because in his reality the only tools available are those that, if used, guarantee his victory. Truly frightening, for those who can appreciate the threat. Which, because he looks like an ignorant primitive, most can't.

In Baruk Kaah's case, the only tools of war available are Storm Knight Glories, tales, and uprooting stelae. Everything else is doomed to failure.

Tools For Storm Knights

Under this axiom, there are four main tools that natives can acquire: waking hypnosis, predictive sociology, social virus tools (creation, inoculation, counter-viruses), and meta-linguistics. Additionally, the tools of lower Social axioms, like the Social 17 bonus to social skills, are also available. These tools are distinct and colorful abilities not available to other cosms, and powerful in ways that other cosms are not. Specific mechanics for these have not been finalized, but broad details can be identified.

Waking hypnosis is akin to super-persuasion. Individuals can be talked into nearly anything, provided their willpower can be overcome. Shooting a demon with a Godsfire is one thing, but talking him into shooting his Alpha? Priceless.

Meta-linguistics allows the character to speak an essentially infinite number of languages, with just a short exposure to them. The character would become a living is the Star Trek Universal Translator (and "Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra" wouldn't slow them down for a second). In Torg, Languages are often hand-waved, but with this ability available, it makes Living Land characters essential: who else can talk to Pyrians, Gudasko, and Benthe? In the case of extreme aliens, like the Benthe, meta-linguists can detect what form of communication they use (via Social 17 "understand alien forms of communication") and can improvise means to communicate: blasts of perfume for smells, light pulses for light, whatever.

Social viruses are an extreme form of internet memes. They are person-to-person propaganda, similar to fads, but used in a much more precise, much more effective way. In David Oakes words (from 2002, when the first version of these were proposed): "So, a [social virus] built for CE cultures would spread like the fastest fad, persist like the most enduring Democratic Ideal, but still have to compete with a multitude of [alternatives]. Total obedience would be
limited, and it would still take generations to effect change." As Storm Knights, PC eidenos might be the only ones in a position to fight Kaah's social viruses, and it may be critical that they do so.

Predictive sociology can predict the behaviors of whole populations, for the next few days (assuming enough information can be gathered). This tool wouldn't have immediate applicability, but it could still be utilized by clever Storm Knights. Predicting when the Cyberpapacy might move against Paris or when the Nile might cross the Mediterranean would give Earth resistance forces critical days to prepare. Even though each invader is led by a High Lord, he can not and does not individually manage each maneuver in the Wars. Even if he sets goals or policies, a predictive sociologist could discern those in the preparations his subordinates must make- the movement of supplies, the disposition of forces, the patterns of communication (who talks to how how much and when). A predictive sociologist can be as effective as a spy, without needing to be there beside the High Lord.

Of all the changes to axiom levels suggested in the complete axiom charts, this is the most radical. It definitely changes the Living Land, but in ways that preserve extant campaign material. The jungle, the Deep Mist, the dinosaurs, all of the normal trappings of the Living Land are present, but the eidenos are a more definite threat. All the more so because they're not actually a threat, just a bunch of friendly neighbors, here to share food with stranded Earthers. Also: Baruk Kaah is no idiot.

I find this idea incredibly tempting, enough so that I've altered my plans for the "Living Lands" to include this. I'm not 100% convinced, but the idea is too tempting to easily dismiss and I'm having a hard time identifying drawbacks.
--
Jasyn Jones
jasynj (at) gmail (dot) com

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson

Check out my Torg webpage, Storm Knights:
web.me.com/stormknights/