the Zoners

[Jinx]

@Blunt:

somewhat different to what you wrote - which i find interesting.

for me, zoners are somewhat having their fingers in many affairs, - twitching a thread here and there. - they are not really puppetmasters for that matter, but they manage to manipulate others in a way that gives them a maximum of freedom in places that there is not really any.

about the political situation:
they are neutral - but its not a neutrality like the Junkers enjoy ( that is a neutrality given by being ... in the whole... invisible or too much trouble to deal with ) - the zoners enjoy a neutrality off force. - when you hurt them, they make sure it hurts you just as much. - that is a neutrality that can - if enforced ... ensure a greater resistance to changes, but that is also unstable if things go wrong.

the zoners force a neutrality at freeport 9 - by threatening the corsairs with their warships. - it tells them "if you harm us, we harm you" - ( whereas the junkers would emply a neutrality that would make the corsairs not even "think about invading" )

in omega-49, they enjoy a neutrality by employing the corsairs ( a funny and somewhat double bladed relationship that those factions have ) against any plans that the bretonians have. - they try to make sure that the corsairs are the first ones to fall to a conflict... but at the same time they suggest them that its in their own interest.

to protect themselves against the corsairs ambitious plans ( or might be plans ) - they "allow" the BHG to station ships at every freeport. the BHG is grateful for bases and supplies and grants the zoners an indirect protection against the unlawfuls.

its something like that "if any unlawful attacks a freeport, they attack the guild - giving the guild reason to massivly strike back, cause the guilds interests are affected".

so while the only other neutral faction, the junkers, keep their neutrality by keeping the fire low burning, the zoners let the fire burn high - but attempt to control it. - a dangerous "game". ( and it sometimes appears like a game indeed - as a whole, not for the individual zoner though )

about the military power:
the zoners have a military power, but no lore suggests how powerful they are. - they are one of the factions that have access to the most powerful ships - and are probably one of the factions that is able to deploy a large number of them - if they needed them. - but on the other hand, they have no "real fleet". they spread rumors that they have. - their greatest military power is rumors for that matter. - their ships are supposed to be "phantoms" - they hide in nebulas, they appears in "stories". no one can really tell how powerful they are.

the common zoner uses civilian ships - a pure understatement for such a faction - they also use freighters. no zoner uses transport class vessels. ( in RP, they rather pay others that own transports to supply them )

the original zoner ( vanilla ) was probably really some sort of hippie that went into the edge worlds to live his own life, free from the shackles of what was considered "civilization" for whatever reasons. - but the zoners in disco have grown past that stage. - they are not only "self sufficient" anymore, they trade more than they need ( if we include players and playerfactions ) they show ambitions greater than whats needed to only make a peaceful life.

its hard to tell what powers they have. - in the past - there were opinions saying that they have enough military power to overwhelm a house faction ... and there were opinions saying that they have almost no military power at all.

to support the rumor with one of the few bits of lore there are ... the zoner juggernaut was seen only in rheinland in a far distance of some patrol. it is mentioned that it was used to carry resupplies to some freeport - but its nothing more than a phantom.
the only other rumor about the warfleet comes from the corsairs that fear at least one juggernaut that stands ready to strike back at them if they go for freeport 9. - so one must decide ... is it the fear - or do the corsairs know more about the size / power of the fleet. ( nothing is said there )

the economic powers:
the zoners originally supplied themselves with what they needed - nothing more, as nothing more was possible ... and even what they needed was hard to find. nowadays, it appears that they are trading far more than they need for themselves alone.

the fact that they are THE main supplier of deuterium is part of that - as well as that they are sometimes right at the source of new mining places... places that are not yet exploited.

from what the players show - the zoners are rather filthy rich. they are traders in the first place. the idea of being independent has grown - and probably led to a society that is very similar to the society that they fled from.

the culture of the zoners:
there is no lore that shows how or if the zoners spread their idea. - they are not realls sharing ONE idea anyway - they rather share one dislike for the core systems. the fact that gran canaria is "buying" slaves for a good price might suggest that they indeed "recruit" from ppl that are abused in the core. but there is little information about all that.

the future developement:
zoners are bound to inhabit every bit of space that is not claimed ( yet ). they may be very interested in Gallia - maybe not even only in the edge systems but actually in the gallic society itself as it is not a core house. they will surely try to extend their influence and their trade to gallia - and they will offer informations and trade opportunities to them, i d say.

however - it depends on the first contact and the diplomacy employed by gallia itself. when gallia itself is as isolated as for example the coalition, there won t be much to do about them ( but smuggling ) - if they are open for a faction like the zoners though.... the zoners would probably try to establish strong relationships as a "partner" like gallia would provide them with political and economical powers that the zoners had no access to before.

* * *

all that leaves the question... are zoners that strong? - that ambitious? or are they still rather an oddity.

- for the idea of them being more powerful speaks the fact that more and more zoner installations are popping up here and there
- one of their greatest disadvantage ... not having a planet .... has vanished with the colonization of gran canaria
- their understanding of shipbuilding is among the highest developed factions - and they have secured their systems extremely well ( omicron-74 is a fortress )


but .... i think there might be a secession. zoners that establish a new society - and zoners that want to enjoy what they left the core for - being "free". cause in order to gain power, the zoners would have to build up something very similar to a goverment. ( zoner council for example )




edit: guys, may i remind you that its NOT a discussion about the players - but a discussion and opinions about the NPCs ( and i daresay, no NPC ever replied to you "you cannot touch me, lolz!" )

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