Hans was writing about alternate coyn sets for the Droyne.
Suggestions for alternate Coyns:
In the modern set we have the six castes. An ancient set might
have seven. The seventh caste being that of the ancients
themselves: Grandfather and his children.
While I think that the races idea being representative of their
respective personality types, I might also suggest that they
represent the competition that the Droyne face in the present
setting. Grandfather, when setting out the coyns thought he had
better show the Droyne who/what else was out there in the universe.
I guess I'm thinking of Niven's Ringworld Engineers where the Pak
had built their ringworld with bits and pieces of other worlds to
serve as warnings to their descendents: Earth, Mars, Kzin etc.
But at other times, it was not apparant just who were the races
that Grandfather might want to show to the Droyne. Example: Until
the Aslan hit space, they were a pretty small deal. Thus, Coyns
from before that time wouldn't include them.
But what other races are out there?
The extinct race on Sabmiqys: The Gya Ks. Until -8000 when their
planet was wiped out, these guys must have looked like a potent
force to Gramps. (TL 17 but no jump drive.) [Challenge]
The extinct race on Spica now known as the Hasst'kor: The creators
of the Prt'. Until -10000 when they were wiped out in a war, they
were doing quite well. (TL 16) [Challenge]
The Droashav, also known as the G'naak by the K'kree: The original
G'naak carnivores who almost conquered Kirur in -27000. Their TL
is unknown, but was at least TL10, and some of their
instrumentation has survived 23000 years without any maintenance.
(Sounds like TL 16+ to me, but no jump drive). [MegaTrav Journal]
The Hhkar: The stogie smoking lizards have been in space since
- -50000. (TL10 but no jump drive.) [Challenge]
The intelligent Chamax thingies: (Unlikely, but these guys were
space faring in the 700s. (TL9-10 but no jump drive) [Double
Adventure 5]
The unnamed alien race in Traveller's Digest #21. These guys were
just sort of thrown in without any explanation. They were
obviously some kind of servant race for the Ancients.
The Primordials: These guys who were so dang powerful, they made
Grandfather look like a doddering senile old Worker Caste. Then
they got bored and died. I almost did too when I read that one.
[Knightfall]
Alternately, an ancient set of coyns might have proto-vargr on
them. Vargr looked quite different in -300,000.
Or How about Dolphins?
How about another dead alien race we've never heard of before in
Traveller? The Krell from Forbidden Planet? The things from
Aliens (JTAS)? The creatures the Aliens originally snacked on in
Alien? Larry Niven's Slavers? David Brin's Progenitors? Arthur
C. Clarke's Ramans? The Ancient High Martians from Space: 1889?
The Daleks? The aliens from UFO? The Mysterons from Captain
Scarlet? The alien races from 2300AD? James P. Hogan's giant
Ganymeans. Saberhaugen's Berserker creators? The Moties? H. P.
Lovecraft's Ancient Ones? The mice from Hitch Hiker's Guide to the
Galaxy? The Hive creatures from Alt.Pub.Havens-Rest?
Who knows, maybe in the future we may be seeing coyns with Ael Yael
on them or Brinn, or Newts? [The players find a bag of coyns that
went through a time warp. From the past, or the future? :-]
Scott 2G Kellogg
PS to the people involved in my Trav Sale. Don't worry, I'm
getting things organized!
^Z