Mike and Lee: I've taken the liberty of forwarding this to the
general TML and to Nick (who knows more about law already than most
of us will ever want to). I like it; it reminds me of Heinlein's
True witnesses, with some MT flavor.
Forwarded message:
:Date: Fri, 22 Nov 91 09:40:03 CST
:From: [email removed] (Michael A. Surman)
:
:Hi Richard,
: Lee and I were bouncing around another idea (what's new, right! :-) )!
:It has to do with our character backgound but adds another dimension to the
:game background also. Here's the idea. I've edited only a small fraction of
:what we were discussing.
: -------------------
:Mike, here are my ideas about the Interstellar Professional Witness Society.
:
:The organiztion has its' roots in the distant past. It started during the Long
:Night, among the few interstellar traders still operating. Because many of
:these groups spent most, if not all, their lives in space, they became
:acccepted as neutral third parties on many worlds. It would be bad for
:business if these mediators were dishonest, so they developed a code amongst
:themselves governing their actions in such matters. Over the years they
:developed a reputation for honesty and impartiality on many worlds. One
:particular group of merchants adopted this practice of mediating disputes as
:its prime source of income. This is the group that eventually became the IPWS.
:
:Humanity expanded through space, and the IPWS expanded with it. There has
:never been any shortage of disputes and expansion only magnified this. It is
:during this time that the society developed training and conditioning programs
:which insured its' members honesty and integrity. By the time the Third
:Imperium was established the society had increased its' reputation to the
:point where they were officially recognized by all major governments. Even
:the Imperium put its' stamp of approval on the IPWS.
:
:After the Frontier Wars with the Zhodani, the IPWS was the mediator of choice
:in all negotiations. Zhodani society has a very high degree of honesty due to
:the widespread use of psionics in it. Even the Zhodani recognized the IPWS in
:an official sense. Also during this time, psionic training programs were
:developed and instituted in the society. This last fact is not for public
:consumption within the Imperium, although the Imperium itself knows about it,
:and still supports the IPWS.
:
:Throughout the Imperium, the Zhodani Consulate, and the Solomani Sphere, the
:gray robes of the IPWS are known and respected. Members of the IPWS go through
:the most rigorous of mental and moral training known to humankind. Their
:honesty and integrity makes even their unsupported word truth. It is
:accepted in courts of law without question. If an IPWS member says he saw it,
:it's as good as if the event was videotaped.
:
:Note that the name is Interstellar, NOT Imperial. When a witness puts on his
:robe, he has no loyalty to any government or other organization. He has no
:axe to grind for anyone. He will report only the truth of what he sees or
:hears. No opinions are given. If he sees an object from one side and it is
:red, he will report the object is red *on this side*. He has not seen the
:other side and will not comment on it.
:
:Well Mike, that is a short explanation of the IPWS and its origins. I added
:the last paragraph to illustrate how I imagine a society member is expected
:to act while "under the robe". I hope it helps.
: Lee
:
:**
:The message I sent you (witness.txt), is only a history of the society. I'm
:not quite sure how it operates after the rebellion. But seeing as it has its
:roots in the Long Night, I'm pretty sure that with all these years of good
:reputation, the society should continue to flourish. As to our position
:in the society, I feel that the society dosen't have ranks. It has members.
:Certainly, there is a support structure for training and for interacting with
:outside parties, but nobody really orders anybody around. I would imagine
:that a society member would be a useful addition to any organization such as
:the SDS; as long as they remember that with the robes on we are not loyal to
:any particular thing except our own integrity.
:
:**
:
:Nope, nothing to add. I imagined the psionic training to be in the realm of
:improving memory, reinforcing of the other training to the point where it
:really is ingrained. I hadn't thought of actual skills being taught
:'(Telepathy: Shield & Lie Detection)'. But it makes sense; maybe the psionic
:training we recieved '(other than what we were born with)' was through the
:IPWS. I think that will fit in real well.
: Lee
: -------------------
:
:Well? What do you think?
:
:Mike
I like it. It seems to kind of flow with another idea I once started
building, the Interstellar Rescue Service, whic sort of fell apart,
because of the breakup.
- --
Richard Johnson [email removed]
Sue Congress!