[RP]The Zo! Jr. Experience, #720 - Calder Soren - Upcoming First Seeker Elections

[Zo! Jr.]

The camera zooms into a closeup of an elebrian behind a microphone, with headphones and a snazzy suit.
"Hello all and welcome to the Zo! Jr. Experience. We will be doing our normal jungle ambush interview tonight... I will interview the candidate, and the Patreons can occassionally chime in and ask questions. Sitting across the desk from me right now is..."

The camera zooms out, and a morlamaw is revealed sitting acrpss the table, also wearing headphones with a microphone in front of him.
"...the blueist of all the candidates, Calder Soren! Welcome, Calder. Thanks for coming on."

The Elebrian smiles.
"How has it been, being selected by the forum for the upcoming election?"

[Calder Soren]

Thank you, Zo! Jr. It’s a pleasure to be here.

It’s a bit overwhelming and humbling, to be frank. It’s also a little nerve wracking. I have 3 very tough opponents with strong platforms to overcome if I am going to be chosen as a successor to both Jadnura and Luwazi Elsebo.

[Zo! Jr.]

Zo! Jr. nods.

"The first question comes from some discussion that has already occurred just outside the Lorespire Complex. Cut number 3"

He plays a short video clip of a human in a business suit.

Quote:

"What that guitar playing Morlamaw from Arniselle? I mean don't get me wrong, I have a friend who's a morlamaw, I got nothing against them. But we've only known their race for what a year, and now we're going to let one of them lead us into the vast? No, I'm not sure about Soren."

Zo! Jr. looks to Calder

"Morlamaws are newcomers here to Absalom Station. How would you answer those that question your commitment and dedication to the Starfinder Society, due to your short time here in the Pact Worlds?"

[Calder Soren]

It is normal to question the unknown. We were, as a people, given a chance after Starfinders came across a number of our kind taken in by the corruption of worshipping a god whose followers espouse views that do not align with Morlamaw societal views. Those who came to Arniselle deemed us worthy of being given a chance, in spite of those misguided few they initially encountered. Allow me the chance to prove their judgment to be accurate.

[Zo! Jr.]

Zo! Jr. smiles.
"I have heard that some of the morlamaws that returned spurned the... lawfulness that morlamaws are culturally acclimated to. What would you say to these morlamaws, as well as others that prefer freedom over"

Zo! Jr. does air quotes.
"being 'shacked by the dictates of laws and rules', and are afraid that you will try and take over their lives?"

Zo! Jr. leans back.

"Are you thursty? would you like some tea? And what are your thoughts on beer?"

[Calder Soren]

I would tell them that freedom does not equate to lawlessness, and that if they disagree with laws, work to change them, and that I will stand by them in their quest.

Thank you for the kind offer. After a day on stage with the band, I will partake of alcohol, but being amphibious, I also have to keep hydrated. Water will suffice, thanks.

[Zo! Jr.]

"Sure, sure."
Zo! Jr. pours the morlamaw some water.

"Tell me about your band. That seems to be a big part of who you are. When will you be releasing another album? What is your favorite song?"

Squaling noises, and then the podcast is interrupted by the sounds of Abysshead. Zo! Jr. gestures frantically for a few seconds, then the music abruptly cuts off.

"Sorry about that. Technical difficulties. Now, Calder, please continue where you were so rudely interrupted."

Zo! Jr. takes a sip of something from a delicate looking teacup decorated with skittermander skeletons.

[Calder Soren]

A number of other Morlamaws and I got together some time back and started playing music together. Because of our heavier sound, people have likened is to Abysshead, however, we are not a death metal band.

Song writing for a new album took a back seat to preparing for the election, however, I believe we will get back to it after the election. As for a favorite song, I’m not sure I have one. It’s hard to choose a favorite from a labor of love. It would be as difficult as choosing a favorite child, which just should not be done.

[Zo! Jr.]

"Well, if choosing your favorite song is not something you want to do, can you tell me which of your songs is speaking to you the most right now? Any one that you would want to share with our listeners?"

Zo! Jr. clears his throat, then takes another sip of the tea.

"What are some of your musical influences that inspire you? Anything that we here in the Pact Works should know, or is it all music from your homeland of Arnisalle?"

[Calder Soren]

The influences all come from Arniselle and life underwater. You feel the sound more than hearing it, at times. The songs of the other life living below the water in communicating with each other is a song that is not easily forgotten.

The one most speaking to me currently is Call of The a Deep. The sounds we achieve on that song are intense

["Dr." Cupi]

Patreon question from Dr. Cupi wrote:

"Hey there,
I've been a part of the Starfinder Society since before Calder knew what the Society was. How can Calder know about all the mistakes and successes of previous First Seekers if I'm still learning about them? And I'm the smartest person I know. Not trying to offend here, but I just find that to be a non-starter. We don't need another Jadnura, nor a Lezusk. How much do you even know about Starfinder history? To be clear, I'm not questioning your dedication. I'm looking for someone knowledgeable.

[Calder Soren]

No offense taken, Dr. Cupi. It is a fair and valid question.

Before leaving Arniselle, I spent time in the lodge on planet, speaking with some Starfinder agents and reading or listening to anything I could about the Society at the lodge. That got me interested in the Society, as did tales told by those Morlamaws who witnessed the heroism of the agents who journeyed to Arniselle and defeated the cult.

When I made the decision to leave Arniselle, intrigued by what I had already learned, I needed to satiate my appetite for knowledge of the Society, its goals, its successes, its failures, and its past and present leadership. I spent time speaking with both novice and veteran Starfinders, listening to their stories from completed missions, and, when I decided to get further involved, started speaking at some length with faction leaders, Venture-Captains (Naiaj and I seem to share the same direct approach in dealing with people), First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo, members of the Forum, and Guidance. I spent a lot of time listening to what worked, what didn’t, and paid close attention to why as well as how. I learn more about the Society with each passing day, and will continue to do so.

[Zach rodchester]

Pateron Question from Zach "Longshot" Rodchester wrote:

Mr. Soren It's good to finally see you outside Wayfinder hq...but I do have a question if you are elected First Seeker are you and Boss lady Fitch merge the Wayfinders and Second seekers into one group? since your platform seems to be similar ?

[Calder Soren]

Hello, Zach.

I have no desire to merge the Wayfinders and the Second Seekers if elected. In my meetings with the faction leaders, I have assured them of my wish to play to their strengths and the strengths of their factions. The Second Seekers would follow my agenda, but the Wayfinders will continue to do what they do best.

[Thide Zhaynnash]

Hello, Mister Zo! Junior. I'm so very pleased that you've opened up a dialogue for rank and file Starfinder employees to meet the candidates. I do so hope you get a chance to speak with all the leading contenders, as the candidates represent an astonishing cross-section of the Society.

But I digress...

My question for you, Mister Soren, is about your stated platform goals. In the current media environment, an unprecedented level of scrutiny is being placed upon the Society from many quarters. In that light, your platform could be interpreted as one of martial expansion and commercial exploitation.

At the risk of being trite, under your administration, what would a network of Near Space and Vast outposts be for?

[Calder Soren]

Thank you for the question, Thide.

I agree that expansion will be seen and spun by some as an act of martial aggression, however, that is not the intention at all. In order to fulfill the Society's mission statement of "Explore. Report. Cooperate.", expansion is a must. We need to go back to the lodges that were abandoned, as well as to explore further in Near Space and The Vast. By doing so, we are in a better position to discover new races, technologies, possible allies, and even those who wish us harm.

As it stands today, had any of those lodges been open, we may have had advanced warning of the Jinsul threat, or of the movements of the Swarm, or even of what the Azlanti Star Empire is doing. We rely on information to be passed to us by those who come across this information, and more, in their travels. If we were able to get this first-hand, we could better coordinate with the Stewards and others charged with the defense of the Pact Worlds.

That's not to say we should ever give up the ability to defend ourselves. Exploration can be dangerous. The Scoured Stars reinforced that fact. We always need to be prepared, but that does not mean being the initiators of the conflict.

Those who would attack us in the media will not see it this way, but it is the truth of the mission.

[TurnProphet]

So, are we going to hear from the other candidates? Or is this just an endorsement using the guise of an NPC's name? I hear VCs are telling their players how to vote, too. This is why we can't have nice things.

[Kishmo]

TurnProphet wrote:

So, are we going to hear from the other candidates? Or is this just an endorsement using the guise of an NPC's name? I hear VCs are telling their players how to vote, too. This is why we can't have nice things.

VOs (or anyone, really) absolutely can share their views, but if anyone is flat out saying "you MUST vote for my preferred candidate" that's a pretty bald violation of a free vote. And, I mean, unless your VC is putting a gun to your head as you go to the Survey Monkey site, presumably you can vote as thou wilt? I hope? Maybe email the Org Play address if that is happening a lot.

About the other candidates, though: all of this stuff on the forums is extracurricular. Presumably Tara Nova and Ehu Hadif could come on here and start a thread if they were so inclined. Zo! Jr. and Charli Poshkettle have offered as much. Or, maybe the others just aren't tapped in to the online community side of Organised Play, or not interested in "campaigning" online, or happy to let the chips fall as they may. Or maybe they're submitting from a part of the world where English isn't prevalent, and they are furiously campaigning, on non-English forums or social media or whatever. Who can say :)

For what it's worth, Avor Stelek made an "Introduction to Avor 101" post which I found super useful for GMing, but it's in the GM Discussion thread for 2-07. Since it's the GM Discussion thread, there could be spoilers in the other posts (especially as time goes on) but as of now, Avor's post is pretty clean, IMO.

As an aside: it's really interesting how we, as players, have to choose between what WE want, vs. what our CHARACTERS may want. Especially from the perspective of - what makes for a fun, dramatic, 3rd Season may not be in the best interests of the in-game Society, per se. Like, as a player, I like tactical combat. I should probably vote for a candidate who's plan aligns with that goal. But, my characters would probably prefer to do some nice, quiet, desk work. So, I mean...that's a tension that we all need to mediate. And that's not even considering how to vote if your multiple characters would have multiple viewpoints! Either way, super interesting. I'm really enjoying this aspect of the "Living Campaign."

[Calder Soren]

TurnProphet wrote:

So, are we going to hear from the other candidates? Or is this just an endorsement using the guise of an NPC's name? I hear VCs are telling their players how to vote, too. This is why we can't have nice things.

TurnProphet,

I can assure you that Zo! Jr. and I are not the same person. I was invited to make my character known here by answering questions that were posted both in the 2-07 thread and sent here or to Zo. Jr, and did so. If this is being perceived as being told how to vote or to sway the vote, that was not the intention, which was solely to give the players a way to give further insight into their characters. To date, only myself and Avor have posted to the forums.

Hearing that VCs are telling people how to vote actually upsets me. I get that people have their favorites, and they want to help them get elected. But telling people to vote a certain way is not the right way. I don't want anyone told to vote for this character. I want people to vote for this character because they believe, from the scenario and any interactions on here, that he's the one best fit for the position. If they believe he's not and vote for another, that doesn't upset me (though it does then make me wonder what I could have done differently or better to earn their vote).

Truth be told, I have been hoping to see posts from the other candidates, and was glad to see Avor's posts. In reading through his background information, I was happy that someone else was coming forward to present their character so others on the forums could see what they stand for and to give some further background and guidance on how they should be run. I was hoping that would encourage the others to also participate, and that it would evolve into an online character debate among the four of us where people could ask questions and get clarifications.

[David knott 242]

You do have secret ballots, right? In other words -- you don't vote on ballots that will be seen by a VO or VC?

["Dr." Cupi]

Well this thread has devolved. There are very few rp threads. Can we get back to the OP s original thread purpose and take the oog conversation elsewhere?

[RealAlchemy]

Every time I hear the name Zo, my brain keeps flashing on some very old advertisements. Zo, I was zitting in zis bar ...

[GM Wageslave]

RealAlchemy wrote:

Every time I hear the name Zo, my brain keeps flashing on some very old advertisements. Zo, I was zitting in zis bar ...

It's sort of like that, but remember the copyrighted 'finger guns' and declarative exclamation point every time you say the name...

[Calder Soren]

One thing I have not addressed is my platform and how I would work with the other factions.

As a leader, and understanding that each faction has an agenda, while still looking out for the Society on the whole, I would prefer to send agents on missions that play to the core values of the Society (Explore, Report, Cooperate) while also cementing our place in the universe. Exploring new worlds; investigating planets where lodges were founded and abandoned; bolstering our fighting forces through diplomacy and negotiation; acquiring new technology to assist us in facing the jinsuls, the Swarm, and the Azlant Star Empire; meeting new races; and mutual defense missions supporting our existing and newfound allies throughout the universe. By doing so, we will have the manpower to handle the exploratory missions needs to advance our science and technology to benefit all citizens of the Pact Worlds and its Protectorates.

I would prefer to keep warm relationships with each faction within the Society, relying on them to further my goals by playing to their strengths, and would want to encourage the minor factions to step up to take on a larger role. If we learned anything from the Scoured Stars incident, it is that there are beings out there who are fanatical, technologically advanced beyond what we have accessible to us currently, and have numbers that far exceed our roster of agents.

I would expect the Acquisitives to seek out ancient artifacts, new technologies, and to leverage their relationships with the mercenaries they hired or served with (for those who stayed with the Society) to help us become stronger and more ready for new threats that have yet to be discovered. Having them seeking these things out will lead us closer to solving the mysteries of Golarian and the Gap, and would help the Society become further prepared for the future and also to help us learn more of our past.
I would wish the Dataphiles to continue searching for information on the Gap, what happened to Golarian, and to coordinate our activities with the keepers of knowledge throughout all of space, cataloging and studying any artifacts, technologies, resources, species, and worlds discovered, as well as performing important research and development of new technologies that will better all in the Pact Worlds and beyond.

I would push the Exo-Guardians to organize our defense of the Pact Worlds and to reach out to and network with the Stewards, the Star Knights, the Knights of Golarian, the Skyfire Legion, and others to come together to defend the Pact Worlds from any external threat. The jinsuls, the Swarm, and the Azlant Star Empire are still out there, as are other unknown and unseen threats. Having strong alliances with police or military forces in mutual defense is paramount to the continued survival of both the Starfinder Society and the Pact Worlds.

I would task the Wayfinders to seek out undiscovered or forgotten worlds, make contact with unknown races and species, and to scan the universe they reveal to the rest of us for both potential allies and threats. Their desire to be the first into the unknown will prove invaluable in our ongoing quest to establish lodges where there are none currently.

As for the Second Seekers, I would direct them to never lose sight of the Society's ongoing goals, as well as those goals I bring to the position. I would want them to take part in every mission undertaken by the Society to make sure they always advance the Society and present it in the best possible light. I would hope and expect that they would be a guiding hand in the overall direction of the Society.
I would want to set goals according to a need I see in the Society. The biggest need I see to be filled is the research, development, and dissemination of newer technologies in all aspects of life in the Pact Worlds and the Society. Advancements in entertainment, health, military, agriculture, and other technologies will make lives better for all, and may also entice worlds outside the Pact Worlds to join the society, especially if they have encountered the jinsuls, the Swarm, or the Azlant Star Empire.

With respect to our current situation regarding the media campaign against us, I would urge patience. We know almost nothing about Datch. She wears a gray suit and an AbadarCorp pin, but we do not know if she is truly part of or representing AbadarCorp. If she is part of AbadarCorp, is this sanctioned by their leadership, or has she struck out on her own and made allies? If she does not represent AbadarCorp, who does she represent, and who backs her? To attack this issue head on, and to restore our good name throughout the Pact Worlds and beyond, we need to find the answers to these questions, and more. We cannot allow ours lives to fall into her trap, but must outsmart her, as well as her allies and backers, so that they, instead, fall into ours. In the end, the truth will come to light, and when it does, those attempting to paint us negatively will realize not only how untrue this campaign has been, but also that they need us.

[Jimaa Whitehorn]

The following question is submitted from a Nuar clad in a very sharp blue, red, and grey set of armor, that looks really good despite the normal bulk of their race.

"Thank you for the opportunity to address at least one of the candidates, Mr. Zo! Jr. Candidate Soren, I notice a distinct lack of the Manifold Host being mentioned in your run-down of factions and philosophies within the Starfinder Society. As your stated goals tend to align along the lines of the Host, what are your thoughts on working more closely with us in the future?"

[Calder Soren]

Thank you for the question, Jimaa.

I have not yet had any exposure to the Manifold Host and am not yet familiar with their goals. However, if, as you've stated, my goals and those of the Manifold Host are closely aligned, I would absolutely want to work more closely with the faction.

As you can see, what I intend is to play to the strengths and goals of the factions within the Society. That does not change at all with any faction, major, minor, new, old, or not yet begun. If there is something that falls within their area of expertise, I intend to lean on them to assist in moving forward by doing the things that make them stand out from the others.