The Tragic Yazirian

jedion357's picture
jedion357
February 20, 2012 - 6:54am
In writing a short story for the book of khad'dans project (BTW we have some awesome material submitted for that thank-you to the contributors) I was revising my story and added the phrase, "because the yazirian of all the races in theFrontier loves a tragedy" I had not planned to say that nor thought about it before actual watching my fingers type it. I had also been using a tenant from the honor code in the story, "A great hero without ceremony, poetry or song is a tragic hero, a dutiful youth learns the old songs." An honor bound race that has an honor code is probably prone to identifying with tragedic heroes because sometimes honor causes you to do something the will have a negative impact on yourself but because of honor you carry through. I suspect that all the clans have songs and stories of tragic but honorable heroes and perhaps a few have tragedic anti-heroes whose honor was besmirched but the story/song is such a powerful lesson or teaching tool for the young that it persist in the popular consciousness. That said I think that yazirians would absolutely get off on Hamlet and Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet would be viewed as a cautionary tale for the young about the tragedies that can ensue when you go against the clan. In particular Juliet will be villainized by yazirians since Romeo kills a member of her clan and she cares not for it but persists in trying to be joined to Romeo and his clan. Plus the end where to two clans end their clan war after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet will smack of a trite fairy tale -ish ending to the yazirian.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!
Comments:

jedion357's picture
jedion357
June 4, 2013 - 7:13pm
I think Mad Max is a bit of the tragic hero that the yazirian would get.

Mad Max: his friends and family are dead but, in yazirian eyes, he's chosen his life enemy and kills them by the end of the movie. he's tragic because he's left alone with no one to remember him

Road Warrior: yazirians would just love the title and he's a hero that comes to a beleaguered clan's assistance and because he has nothing left (after his vehicle is lost to him) he takes on the role of dis-inherited charging an enemy clan alone to regain his honor in what could very well be a suicidal charge. He's lest behind but secures their escape. He's not at tragic this time because no doubt they will sing his song.

Mad Max, Beyond Thunder Tree: Its a rehash of the Road Warrior script but this time its explicitly stated that he will have his song sung. To a certain extent the Mad Yaz character becomes a legendary figure that wanders the waste land expunging some great shame in his past and helping clans in need but in the manner of a formulaic story always ends up left behind or alone but the clan that was helped will now sing his story.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
June 7, 2013 - 4:04am
You should include the Road Warrior in his song. The first movie told of how Mad Max chose his life enemy; The gangs who preyed on those trying to survive in the wasteland.
Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?

jedion357's picture
jedion357
June 7, 2013 - 10:43am
Thinking about how to work this into the setting. Mad Max is of course post apocalyptic. Laco is desolate but colonized by humans. Devco system has a desparate feel to it in the way it was colonized and since it was refugees then you can presume a significant yaz population. The other desolate planet would be voltyrnus. We could presume that Mad Yaz lives on Hargut and that the environment is heavily influenced by the resource and industrial economy giving it a desolate feel. Or that he just wanders the space lanes never knowing where he will end up.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

rattraveller's picture
rattraveller
June 7, 2013 - 4:29pm
Post Apoc and Frontier have alot of similarities. Both have small isolated communities trying to survive in wild lands. If you want to include ruins either go with a planet invaded by the Sathar or maybe some ancient civilization.
Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go?

jedion357's picture
jedion357
June 7, 2013 - 6:55pm
In Road Warrior and Thunder Dome Mad Max helps desparate people flee the baddies and escape to and "eden" or haven but he is left behind

it could be that Madd Yaz finds a lost "clan" which is in reality the survivors of a lost ship- survey ship, scout ship and helps them escape to the frontier but he is left behind alone- a tragic hero for certain.

Perhaps its a planet with a sathar or klikk threat.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!