Everyone's gotta have their Romulan and Klingons.
We'll get to our metaphorical Kilingons in a sec here.
For know, I'd just like to say that I think Circles and Linear formats would probably be equally easy/hard, as with either one you need to make certain that the array you're carving will fit perfectly into the space you intend for it. Circles would be considered 'more advanced' only because they can be scaled to absurd proportions. Like maybe a Siege Shield that can protect a fortress city from extended sieges until help arrives.
Otherwise, I like everything else - especially the idea of nexus points where multiple linear arrays criss-cross each other.
So, we've heard about our metaphorical Romulans.
Let's get into our metaphorical Klingons.
We already know that in many other countries men are treated little better than breeding studs. Their rights are few in number, and generally amount to being protected from neglect and harm. In fact, in many of these countries, it is a capitol offense to cause any harm to a man.
But there, their rights pretty much end. They are usually kept confined to their own suites while the women they have been contracted to breed with all take their turns with him as they feel like it.
It's a bit like Geminar from Tenchi Muyo: War on Geminar, where males that can pilot the Sacred Mechanoids are treated as fragile things, but also bred like race horses. Except it's even more restrictive.
It is not a terrible life. In these places, men will always have good food and comfortable living conditions, and be permitted intellectual and even artisanal pursuits. But they reside in gilded cages and rarely see others - they hardly even get to see their children, and the women that permit a man to be apart of their daughter's life is considered to be very progressive or even radical.
(While considered taboo in most countries, some others will breed a daughter with her father for the sake of establishing certain genetic traits. Thus, males in these places are never permitted to see their children. With the relationship between the two being known only to their house matriarchs, this practice carries on with neither party being the wiser. The only inhibition is the threat of dangerous recessive traits building up in the genepool, and this ironically enough keeps the practice from getting out of hand.)
In some places, though, it is even worse.
The Holy Jade Dragon Empire is one such country. Located in what we would call China, it is ruled over exclusively by a race of dragons that can assume human form. These dragons not only form the nobility, but the warrior and religious casts as well. Each of these casts are regarded as equal to each other as there is a certain system of checks and balances, however it's plainly clear that it's the religious caste that really calls the shots.
The Noble Caste are strategists and leaders, taught from a very young age the finer aspects of the art of war, as well as all the other skills required to administer a massive standing army. However, they do not make laws and they do not have any training to fight for themselves. As far as dragons go, they are soft and physically weak, but only in comparison to the Warrior Caste.
At the head of this caste is the Empress of the Holy Jade Dragon Empire. While she does indeed act as the commander-in-chief of their armies, in all other aspects she is a mere figurehead. Strangely, the Empress is obligated to lay as many fertile eggs as possible. This is because the decision on who will next ascend the throne is decided on by the Religious Caste. The choice is always based on merits alone, and the rest of the princesses will be assigned to offices they are deemed fit for. There is absolutely no room for petty intrigues, and those that attempt it are executed. The only way they may be saved is if the person they plotted against forgives them. However, it puts both parties in a precarious situation, because should the original offender attempt to manipulate the court again... Both of them will be executed, as the one who granted forgiveness was evidently not a good enough judge of character, and therefore unfit to lead.
The Warrior Caste is about what you would expect. Each one is harshly drilled from the moment they can pick up a weapon. While the Nobility studies strategy, the warriors study tactics. Their only concern is to win battles - the direction a war goes is handled by the nobility. To this end, most are illiterate, relying instead on a small set of simple ideograms for written communication. They are expected to devote themselves to the battle field.
There is also a certain Darwinism to be had here. The warriors, having been raised with nothing but war on their minds, are put on the front lines at a very young age of fourteen years old. A fair number of these warriors killed through simple attrition. Those that do make it to the age of twenty are retired to breeding duties until they can no longer breed. And once they can no longer lay eggs, they become teachers and instructors for the hatchlings. Once dibilitation from old age begins to hamper their ability to teach, they are granted the mercy of a swift and painless passing so as not to suffer the indignities of death from old age.
The Religious Caste not only forms the core of their clergy, but they also serve as their lawmakers as The Empire is most emphatically a theocracy. While the Nobility lead the armies, it is truly the Religious Caste that are in charge, as they give the Nobility the words of their God of War. They are, of course, the most well educated, however deal very little - if at all - with the art of war.
The Religious Caste also determines which males are fit to breed. They look carefully at a number of aspects, but the greatest care is given to selecting the males that the Empress will breed with. Great emphasis is placed on intelligence and cognitive ability so the next generation of leaders is made from the best stock available.
There is a worker caste, of course, but they are serfs for all intents and purposes. They're as illiterate the Warrior Caste and consist of other races - humans, beast-kin, and fae - people who have been conquered over the centuries of on-again, off-again warfare. While they do enjoy some protections - after all, wounded, sick, or dead workers cannot provide for the Empire - any signs of uprising are dealt with swiftly and lethally.
Males are slaves - full stop. Their health is maintained quite well, but they are taught nothing more than how to talk and what their place is. They are harshly punished for transgressions as well. Attempt to run away and their feet will be amputated. Attempt to harm another woman and their hands will be severed. Be caught trying to read and their eyes will be burned out. Bear false witness against someone and their tongue will be removed.
They will never execute a male as they see death as a reward to be earned. Nor will a male ever be harmed in such a way as to keep them from breeding. The only thing males have in their favor is that harming them in such a way as to hamper or eliminate their ability to breed is a capitol offense and will result in immediate execution.
And there's that. Definitely "Bad Guys", but without anywhere nearly as much institutionalized cruelty. Just....
....VERY Authoritarian.
Next I think I'll do a story post, but after that I'd like to cover something that'll be a little more fun.
Pirates and The God of Thieves.
We'll get to our metaphorical Kilingons in a sec here.
For know, I'd just like to say that I think Circles and Linear formats would probably be equally easy/hard, as with either one you need to make certain that the array you're carving will fit perfectly into the space you intend for it. Circles would be considered 'more advanced' only because they can be scaled to absurd proportions. Like maybe a Siege Shield that can protect a fortress city from extended sieges until help arrives.
Otherwise, I like everything else - especially the idea of nexus points where multiple linear arrays criss-cross each other.
So, we've heard about our metaphorical Romulans.
Let's get into our metaphorical Klingons.
We already know that in many other countries men are treated little better than breeding studs. Their rights are few in number, and generally amount to being protected from neglect and harm. In fact, in many of these countries, it is a capitol offense to cause any harm to a man.
But there, their rights pretty much end. They are usually kept confined to their own suites while the women they have been contracted to breed with all take their turns with him as they feel like it.
It's a bit like Geminar from Tenchi Muyo: War on Geminar, where males that can pilot the Sacred Mechanoids are treated as fragile things, but also bred like race horses. Except it's even more restrictive.
It is not a terrible life. In these places, men will always have good food and comfortable living conditions, and be permitted intellectual and even artisanal pursuits. But they reside in gilded cages and rarely see others - they hardly even get to see their children, and the women that permit a man to be apart of their daughter's life is considered to be very progressive or even radical.
(While considered taboo in most countries, some others will breed a daughter with her father for the sake of establishing certain genetic traits. Thus, males in these places are never permitted to see their children. With the relationship between the two being known only to their house matriarchs, this practice carries on with neither party being the wiser. The only inhibition is the threat of dangerous recessive traits building up in the genepool, and this ironically enough keeps the practice from getting out of hand.)
In some places, though, it is even worse.
The Holy Jade Dragon Empire is one such country. Located in what we would call China, it is ruled over exclusively by a race of dragons that can assume human form. These dragons not only form the nobility, but the warrior and religious casts as well. Each of these casts are regarded as equal to each other as there is a certain system of checks and balances, however it's plainly clear that it's the religious caste that really calls the shots.
The Noble Caste are strategists and leaders, taught from a very young age the finer aspects of the art of war, as well as all the other skills required to administer a massive standing army. However, they do not make laws and they do not have any training to fight for themselves. As far as dragons go, they are soft and physically weak, but only in comparison to the Warrior Caste.
At the head of this caste is the Empress of the Holy Jade Dragon Empire. While she does indeed act as the commander-in-chief of their armies, in all other aspects she is a mere figurehead. Strangely, the Empress is obligated to lay as many fertile eggs as possible. This is because the decision on who will next ascend the throne is decided on by the Religious Caste. The choice is always based on merits alone, and the rest of the princesses will be assigned to offices they are deemed fit for. There is absolutely no room for petty intrigues, and those that attempt it are executed. The only way they may be saved is if the person they plotted against forgives them. However, it puts both parties in a precarious situation, because should the original offender attempt to manipulate the court again... Both of them will be executed, as the one who granted forgiveness was evidently not a good enough judge of character, and therefore unfit to lead.
The Warrior Caste is about what you would expect. Each one is harshly drilled from the moment they can pick up a weapon. While the Nobility studies strategy, the warriors study tactics. Their only concern is to win battles - the direction a war goes is handled by the nobility. To this end, most are illiterate, relying instead on a small set of simple ideograms for written communication. They are expected to devote themselves to the battle field.
There is also a certain Darwinism to be had here. The warriors, having been raised with nothing but war on their minds, are put on the front lines at a very young age of fourteen years old. A fair number of these warriors killed through simple attrition. Those that do make it to the age of twenty are retired to breeding duties until they can no longer breed. And once they can no longer lay eggs, they become teachers and instructors for the hatchlings. Once dibilitation from old age begins to hamper their ability to teach, they are granted the mercy of a swift and painless passing so as not to suffer the indignities of death from old age.
The Religious Caste not only forms the core of their clergy, but they also serve as their lawmakers as The Empire is most emphatically a theocracy. While the Nobility lead the armies, it is truly the Religious Caste that are in charge, as they give the Nobility the words of their God of War. They are, of course, the most well educated, however deal very little - if at all - with the art of war.
The Religious Caste also determines which males are fit to breed. They look carefully at a number of aspects, but the greatest care is given to selecting the males that the Empress will breed with. Great emphasis is placed on intelligence and cognitive ability so the next generation of leaders is made from the best stock available.
There is a worker caste, of course, but they are serfs for all intents and purposes. They're as illiterate the Warrior Caste and consist of other races - humans, beast-kin, and fae - people who have been conquered over the centuries of on-again, off-again warfare. While they do enjoy some protections - after all, wounded, sick, or dead workers cannot provide for the Empire - any signs of uprising are dealt with swiftly and lethally.
Males are slaves - full stop. Their health is maintained quite well, but they are taught nothing more than how to talk and what their place is. They are harshly punished for transgressions as well. Attempt to run away and their feet will be amputated. Attempt to harm another woman and their hands will be severed. Be caught trying to read and their eyes will be burned out. Bear false witness against someone and their tongue will be removed.
They will never execute a male as they see death as a reward to be earned. Nor will a male ever be harmed in such a way as to keep them from breeding. The only thing males have in their favor is that harming them in such a way as to hamper or eliminate their ability to breed is a capitol offense and will result in immediate execution.
And there's that. Definitely "Bad Guys", but without anywhere nearly as much institutionalized cruelty. Just....
....VERY Authoritarian.
Next I think I'll do a story post, but after that I'd like to cover something that'll be a little more fun.
Pirates and The God of Thieves.