Stupid question- how does a hereditary monarchy work with the Gremak practise of basically just letting their 'tadpole' stage roam wild-ish, before socialising them once they move to the juvenile stage? Do the nobility make a point of segregating their offspring from the general population? Do noble Gremak juveniles have a different upbringing from the typical 'enslaved for 30 years before they hit adulthood' most Gremak go through? From what we've seen from what Glitok 'the Devourer' says, I think I can safely assume that even if it's different, it's hardly 'safe'. I do wonder just how much of his own family he ended up eating...

Gremak adults can have many thousands of offspring, so children are not precious, and even juveniles who are of the royal family are not exempt from being randomly murdered. Although the Gremak are governed by an aristocracy, they are ruled according to the principle of might makes right; accordingly the aristocrats tend through natural selection to be the the most clever, powerful and brutal among them.

Aristocratic Gremak (even as larvae) have distinctive coloration, and some are poisonous... but this is not absolute proof against being eaten, but it does give the hereditary aristocracy an advantage.

Wouldn't the nobility be placing their offsprings within a confined space of palace walls which segregate and protect them from common larvae?

Gameplay wise this could lead into the royal palace unique building on the empires homeworld - which when lost results into permanent moral penalty for all Gremak underlings

zolobolo wrote:Wouldn't the nobility be placing their offsprings within a confined space of palace walls which segregate and protect them from common larvae?

Gremak lay clutches of eggs that number in the hundreds; if they all survived to adulthood, there would be a population crisis (not to mention a civil war, as hundreds of little princes each tried to take over at the same time). Running the gauntlet of Gremak childhood ensures that only the meanest and nastiest among them survive to adulthood.

So, on a related note, am I right in guessing that Glitok's appellation 'the Devourer' is a reference to just how many of his own siblings he ended up eating?

nweismuller wrote:So, on a related note, am I right in guessing that Glitok's appellation 'the Devourer' is a reference to just how many of his own siblings he ended up eating?

Enemies in general.

So if I'm parsing things correctly, it's less hereditary in principle and more because the natural advantages (size, poison, coloration) of the aristocratic lineages make them the best situated to seize a position of power once they hit adulthood?

nweismuller wrote:So if I'm parsing things correctly, it's less hereditary in principle and more because the natural advantages (size, poison, coloration) of the aristocratic lineages make them the best situated to seize a position of power once they hit adulthood?

Well, pretty much all "hereditary nobility" is established and maintained by force. The "nobility" is generally the warrior class, and titles are "hereditary" only in the sense that the most powerful individuals tend to be of the upper class. It's an evolutionary feedback loop. The system is old enough that there's a lot of tradition associated with it, but having a hereditary claim to a leadership title doesn't do you much good if you can't "enforce" your claim. Even after the culling of the juvenile stage, there are still probably 10-20 "rightful" claimants to any given title.

nweismuller wrote:So if I'm parsing things correctly, it's less hereditary in principle and more because the natural advantages (size, poison, coloration) of the aristocratic lineages make them the best situated to seize a position of power once they hit adulthood?

From the sound of it, it's hereditary because those in power do whatever they can to ensure their lineage stays in power. And because they are in power they tend to succeed (perhaps a crude restatement of what Arioch just wrote).

Some idea for nobility/high ranking Gremak: the dozen or so offspring that survive to adolescence/early adulthood are still not recognised by the parent until they have proven their worth for the family name by deeds (raiding? daring achievments? adventures that show you are made of the right stuff ) .
Until then, they are "unclaimed". They and others know they are "potential" nobility, but can't pull much "rank" yet.
(Of course, some influence is present, you don't want to be THAT Guy the young prince(ess) remembers with a vengance when he/she gets recognized)
Exceptional individuals could get "adopted"/claimed into a noble family by merit, despite not having blood ties. (Blood ties are very weak in Gremak, right? Blood is just as thick as gravy )
Much backstabbing ensues for the privilge to get claimed by a noble family

BTW, do Gremak have males/females dynamic or do they reproduce like slugs?

SirDamnALot wrote:BTW, do Gremak have males/females dynamic or do they reproduce like slugs?

Gremak have males and females, but since they are egg-layers (and don't have to give live birth or nurse the young), there is very little physical or behavioral difference between the genders.

Arioch wrote:

SirDamnALot wrote:BTW, do Gremak have males/females dynamic or do they reproduce like slugs?

Gremak have males and females, but since they are egg-layers (and don't have to give live birth or nurse the young), there is very little physical or behavioral difference between the genders.

Thanks

I'm game mastering Pen & Paper RPGs, my mind works in strange ways and has a tendency to automatically fill gaps and extrapolate stuff.
If I get my players to do a SciFi game, the Gremak will surely make an apperance