On 03Aug2024 1905, Jim Vassilakos - jim.vassilakos at gmail.com (via tml
list) wrote:

> But, of course, there's a deeper level, and it goes back to Jeffrey
> Schwartz's comparison of the Imperium and Zhodani Consulate to Amway and
> Herbalife. To put it simply, having psionic abilities is such an
> advantage that it seemed inevitable that psionic individuals would
> eventually take over. Of course, by the late fifth century, psionic
> bloodlines were already ensconced in most of the major power centers
> (the royalty, the nobility, the megacorps, and the military).

How inheritable is psionics offically these days? AM4 did not guarantee
nobles a decent psi score at all - they rolled 2d like normal, but were
guaranteed training. TNE outright stated that psionic talent is not
inheritable.

So there weren't really psionic bloodlines, though the offspring of
psionic nobles would have the advantage of exposure to psionics and
training. The universal testing and recruitment of those with good
psionic potential into the establishment is very clever - it brings the
greatest threats into the system, and it renews the ruling elite at the
same time, and concentrates what inheritablity there is in the elites
while removing it from the general population's gene pool.

> But unlike
> the Zhodani Consulate, the Imperial psions weren't rubbing it into the
> noses of the non-psions. The non-psions, by and large, incorrectly
> believed they could rise to the top of whatever hierarchy they
> inhabited, so they would work harder and be willing to take greater
> risks than their Zhodani counterparts. This made Imperial society more
> dynamic. And it made it easier for the Imperium to incorporate neutral
> worlds, as people didn't have to change their own whole of life. The
> Zhodani had a much harder time. Ultimately, their society was more
> stable, but this was at the cost of growth.
>
> They could see that Space Amway --- er, the Imperium --- would
> outcompete them over time. They panicked and decided to attack in order
> to buy themselves some time. Then they began infiltrating the Imperial
> Psionics Institutes. This resulted in the aforementioned PSI, which was
> part and parcel of Psionics Suppressions. Those in the know call this
> period of history the Psi Wars.
>
> What do you think?

I don't think the Consulate panicked. It seems like a very deliberate
series of wars with generally limited (for the Zhos) objectives. They
seem quite good at them.

--
Rupert Boleyn <xxxxxx@gmail.com>