Odraani Q&A Asnwers! (Patreon)

Q: What are the chances of an average Paktum citizen to travel into space ? Is this a popular form of tourism, despite the huge costs of gate travel ?

A: Space tourism is fairly limited in accessibility due to cost and health reasons. There are some ‘cruises’ that orbit the planet or make a round trip around its moon - if any is present - These are often seen as special events such as a honeymoon, anniversary, big family trip, as these need a considerable saving up, but not unreachable.

Better-off citizens may embark on a trip every few years. Such trips can also be gifted to university students, or workers of well performing facilities.

Intersystem tourism is very expensive due to gate costs and is relatively uncommon, although the experience of setting foot on a different planet in another solar system is described as life changing by many. This is the strongest incentive for joining the Odraani navy or army.

Workers, scientists often get shipped into mining and research outposts where they work in 5-10 month rotating shifts.

Q: What is the status of the nobility ?

A: No such thing. Even ‘Upper class’ has a different meaning in Odraani society. This group is made up of most high-ranking administrative, political, scientific and military positions, who must often make trips across systems. They have easier access to leisurely space travel, unlike cargo crews who are also responsible for running their ships.

Q: Is music and performance a popular hobby in your setting? And if so, do those serving aboard a spaceship get to bring instruments along?

A: Music and dancing are one of the key factors of Odraani entertainment, most odra know how to play at least one instrument and dancing have its own customs, such as each family having their own moves and rhythm.

Instruments are always present on larger spaceships’ rec rooms, as space travel often includes days, weeks or even months of travel between destinations within a system and all form of entertainment is needed. 

Q: With fusion being successfully obtained; what is the most advanced technology Odranni have?

A: Correction, the odraani does not have access to fusion technology; they use fission reactors on ships, installations and are the largest consumers of uranium ore in the known Wannsi galaxy.

Their most prized technologies are the compact, powerful batteries, safe, efficient reactors, efficient coilguns as well as a massive expertise in terraforming and life support technologies, economic jump gates and space elevators.

However, most of their economic power comes from being able to produce goods en masse, and large amount of raw material income, rather than technological superiority.

Q: What is something that odraas have in thier history book that they dont like to talk about?

A: After their formation, during the first few decades the Odraani was fairly militaristic, oppressive, spreading aggressively, colonising large amounts of worlds, with said colonies being controlled by either Ssetten, Sisu or Könno.

These lead to tensions with several smaller, larger fights breaking out between the Odraani and its colonies, where it become clear the pact does not have enough materiel and manpower to regain total control.

Fearing these events will throw the Odraani back into chaos, protests broke out all over the three parent worlds which led to a swift regime change, called the Garland Revolution.

The new leadership gave government representation to the colonies, withdrew from many worlds, paid reparations and entered a much more peaceful, diplomatic phase. Though, for many decades after, people still bitterly remembered the Odraani oppression.

However, many citizens, officials saw this as the Odraani showing weakness. These views were unwelcome and many supporters of the militaristic era fled to distant systems, notably Neben. This world benefited the most from the military industrial complex by being the second biggest mining, metallurgical and naval centre after its former parent world, Könno.

The large influx of pro-authoritarian officials, and the loss of important status first led to a civil war within the sector and then gave birth to the Nebenuiapaktuum, a fascist separatist state. Their aim was to restore the Marussa system to its former glory as the all-controlling authority of Odraani and her colonies. Initially scoring massive victories, the movement was crushed by the Odraani navy.

Q: What was ancient Odranni civilization like? Was it as robust and varied as our own on Earth, or was it more "streamlined"?

A: The Odraani has always been very diverse when it came to cultures and religions. One of the main concerns of Maro unifying the countries of Ssetten was it also bringing a monoculture, but it never happened, as its goal was to manage resources and ease tensions while rebuilding the war-thorn world.  

The Paktum still embraces its colourful background to this day; one of the many examples of this are the Idrians, a culture hailing form the arid lands of Ssetten, whose descendants still embrace their traditions on distant worlds. Another example are the many different Yirti accents heard from each across the Paktum as members still speak their native tongues in their communities. 

Q: What reputation do ,,off world miners´´ (like asteroid miners) do have for the rest of the Odraani society? Is it a highly sought and respected Trade or not seen with much respect? Or is it even nationalised, given that there most of the navy´s rare material are coming from (I presume)?

A: Miners and off-world miners are highly respected as their hard work is what keeps the Odraani running; same goes to cargo pilots, gate crews, manufacturing workers.

Like most larger companies and operations, these are run by the local state to keep standards as high as possible. 

Odraani Trade is supervised by a massive bureau - Central Board of Trade Supervision - who communicate and coordinate with each system to manage production and demands. This also allows strategic use of resources for trade, driving out competing factions.

How each world manages their own production quotas in on their own, but they must still adhere to paktum policies such as worker's rights, worker's self-management, self-sufficiency and ecological consequences.

Q: Do the Army and Navy have their own airforces/ own airforce deveploments or is there a centraliced military body that looks into the development of flying machines?

A: Air force is part of the Odraani army as the one of the larger branches within it, but their prevalence differs from planet to planet.

Aircraft are designed and produced by some government bureaus, each focusing on different kind of aircraft, and role, but all of these agencies are overseen by an aeronautics office.

Q: Does the royal family has to do/learn certain jobs or trades to widen their perception of ,,their´´ realm or is it a monarchly family first and formost. And are the four arms the empress has a family trade and royal ,,mutation´´ or can it happen to any Odra? (Again a few questions ^^; Still loving to learn from you, see more of your Odraani and art in general)

A: So this is an interesting topic as the emperor and the whole monarchy has been retconned ^^’ Ilya is the man ambassador and face for the Pdraani, not any kind of royalty.

Their species, the Saathi is kind of a living fossil that originates from a small remote island. They are known for their exceptionally long lives - several hundred years - and slow paced nature.

The second set of arms is suspected to be the result of a faulty regenerative gene mutation a long time ago that is now a key feature of the species. Such ‘splicing’ mutation can happen to other odra when they regrow tails with a forked tip but it is fairly uncommon.