Re: Neogi as who's pawns? (lost e-mails)

On Jul 9, 2006, at 1:15 AM, Dreamer wrote:

>> The main problem I have with this idea is that it doesn't fit with the
>> Neogi personality. If a Neogi has this ability... why would he ever 
>> use
>> it? Entering into a hibernative trance would not be desirable at all 
>> to
>> a paranoid Neogi, air conservation or no. It leaves them vulnerable to
>> attack (especially if their umber hulk slaves are also in a trance!)
>> from both revolting slaves and rival neogi.
>
> Actually, Neogi think of all things including themselves as
> property, if I understand their write-up correctly.
>
> So, if their Overmaster orders them to make themselves helpless,
> then they are very likely to follow orders.  And if the
> Overmaster orders all unnecessary neogi and their umber hulks
> into a hibernative trance, they will have little choice except to
> obey.  The Overmaster would likely order all neogi + UH remaining
> active to not harm any inactive ones, so they would feel
> reasonably safe.
>
> If this was done it would greatly increase the numbers that could
> be crammed into a SJ ship - slaves in a hibernative trance also
> can't escape.  You'd just need a 'night watch' of active neogi
> and UH, almost certainly including the Overmaster.

Yes, Neogi have an ingrained sense of property -- but they are also 
inherently selfish and self-interested beings, driven by opportunism 
and greed. The behavior you described reflects nothing of the evil 
nature of Neogi society. Neogi are constantly back-biting and plotting 
and planning against each other -- Neogi of parallel and higher rank at 
the same time. Betrayal is the key mode of advancement in Neogi 
society... I'd venture to guess it's the only form of promotion the 
racial hierarchy has. If the Overmaster orders all his underlings to 
render themselves helpless, they *may* follow orders -- or they may 
not. In fact they may see such a condition as a prime opportunity to 
get rid of a few enemies, under the presumption that everyone else is 
going to comply with the order.
There is no "safe" in Neogi society. Wherever a Neogi is within the 
hierarchy, that position is constantly threatened from below -- 
constantly. A key thing to bear in mind is the sole method of Neogi 
reproduction: members of the community who have fallen out of favor 
(often leaders or Overmasters who have failed or otherwise suffer from 
low approval from their peers) are bitten and infected with Neogi 
poison from multiple Neogi, which transforms them into Great Old 
Masters. No Neogi becomes a Great Old Master willingly; it must be 
cornered, betrayed and attacked by its fellows. That should be a clear 
indication of why a Neogi would likely never submit to putting itself 
into a hibernative state.