Nekovalkyrja Questions / Clarifications

[howlam]

Hello All,

I have some questions/clarifications regarding Nekovalkyrja.

1. Where is SPINE located on a NH-29 Series?

2. Are tails common among them?

3. From the wiki, there is a compulsory 8 years of military service before being released. Is there other conditions where there is no need for them to be tied down?

4. During their service, if one happened to be KIA and to be STed, is their 8 year service being renewed?

5. For NH-29H series, can there be those with human hands, but with cat ears instead?

6. In regards to their hands & feet, can I clarify that their fingers and toes are slightly stubbed, and their feet are more feline engineered as they tend to walk on their balls of their toes?

7. Due to the lack of information on NH-12 series as its being phased out. Since they are considered personal assistance, how much?

8. Is there a timeline for the series, which we can see on the comparison chart?

Thanks.

 

[raz]

1. I believe it's right down the middle of their backs.
2. No.
3. I think we got rid of the compulsory service.
4. If a character gets ST'd, their time in service is not changed.
5. A cat-eared, human-handed Neko would be a custom body.
6. Whatev.
7. Not sure I understand this question.
8. There doesn't appear to be a timeline specifically associated with the NH series.

 

[mizunoyoroko]

I recall hearing somewhere (I might be crazy) that the SPINE is actually 3 pink 'spots' at the base of the spine (horizontally is the impression i got). But I can't find it for the life of me (it was probably someone's character).

As for your question, no dieing and getting ST'd didn't renew the compulsory service, however raz is correct. There is no longer compulsory service for anyone within Yamatai (or any faction now that I think of it).

As for the mix idea, well....you could. It'd probably be a custom body as raz said, and the NH-29H is slightly restricted.

On the hands and toes: As far as I know, they aren't stubbed, in fact...I recall (again no proof) that neko fingers are longer(?) by a little bit than normal fingers. But they do walk on the balls of their feet (though it isn't mentioned a lot in roleplay).


NH-12s. Not quite sure what you are asking about. They have been completely phased out of roleplay (for OOC reasons mostly, but it can be explained IC). They basically were an NH-17 that was only 12 inches tall. When nekos (NH-29) are naturally born, they are roughly the same size, so almost all of the equipment designed for NH-12 Nekovalkyrja can be used by youngling NH-29 Nekos. In fact, that's standard practice where the Sylph is concerned.

As for the timeline...not visually this the best thing I can think of for what you might be looking for:
https://wiki.stararmy.com/doku.php?id=st ... ison_chart

 

[howlam]

Thank you all for responding to the questions.

For No.1, basically, SPINE is used to connect to electronic devices so that they can either control or analzye them. Am I right to explain that?

For No.7, since NH-12 series are only 8-inches in height and used as personal assistants. I was wondering how they function?

As in a secretary where she would be scheduling appointments and recording down conversations? :?:

 

[Yangfan]

SPINE's main purpose is to allow a Neko pilot to connect her power armor's controls directly to her nervous system, allowing for optimal reaction times while in combat.

Other Yamataian machinery can be controlled through old-fashioned computer terminals, through verbal commands (Star Trek style), or through telepathy, although as a societal norm telepathy are usually reserved for emergencies or combat situations.

Considering that Nekovalkyrja have almost flawless memory, they tend not to have secretaries or aides as they do not need them. Very high ranking officers might have an aide-de-camp as a status symbol, but that aide is probably a NH-29 rather than a NH-12. Yamataian officers might find them useful, as would visiting foreign dignitaries.

Before the Species Restriction Act, lower ranked officers of the other species tend to acquire NH-12s as aides as they actually found a secretary with flawless memory helpful. I suppose this could be one of the IC reasons why the NH-12 series was phased out: Demand for them plummeted after the Species Restriction Act.

 

[howlam]

Ahh, roger that.

That's probably a reason why NH-12 is phased out.

Maybe a mod want to approve on this so we can update on the wiki as well?

 

[Wes]

Official Answers:

1. SPINE is located on the small of an NH-29 Neko's back. See the SPINE wiki entry.

2. Tails are almost never found on modern Nekovalkyrja.

3. The old 8-years-of-slavery has been replaced with a 3-year enlistment contract. There is no way to serve in the Star Army of Yamatai without agreeing to the enlistment contract and oath.

4. The contract is not renewed, although more days may be added to it based on time lost since death.

5. NH-29H nekos never have cat ears. That's the point of the H. If a neko has cat ears, she's a regular type.

6. Nekovalkyrja have slightly thicker fingers than an equivalently-size human, however the feet are not very catlike.

7. NH-12s have been out of use for years now. I wouldn't worry about them. If you need a personal assistant, you make want to look at NovaCorp's assistant android.

8. Neko models are noted on the main time but do not have one of their own. I've tried to put dates on all the articles.

 

[howlam]

Thank you Wes for the official answers/clarifications as well.

For the SPINE entry on wiki, I'll update it for you.

 

[MissingNo]

On the hands and toes: [...] But they do walk on the balls of their feet (though it isn't mentioned many in roleplay).

As long as I've been playing, I've always thought nekos were plantigrade (human-like feet) and the only difference was that they had four toes instead of five...Wes, would I be right in guessing that the have human-type feet with the feline number of toes and claws instead of toenails?

Old picture of Yui in an NH-7y2 body:

 

[Wes]

NH-29 nekos have human-style feet with one less toe on each foot. They have no claws or toenails.

 

[Fred]

My input here:

1. Where is SPINE located on a NH-29 Series?

SPINE itself is meant to be a wireless connection point between a nekovalkyrja and the backing of a seat or power armor. So, basically, when a NH-29 sits on a chair with the appropriate receptors, information can start being exchanged. Connection is usually done while seated, but has a good enough range for the neko to stand up from her seat. Going further away degrades the link (which is usually cut off then, as a safety measure).

Visually, when I designed the SPINE interface, it was meant to have the dorsal skin right above the spinal cord be darker colored in a birthmark-like fashion in a way which would gradient back to the neko's normal skin color around an inch away from the skin immediately over the spinal column. There weren't supposed to be holes, connection points or anything of the sort.

2. Are tails common among them?

Tails are out of style for a long while now. They were seldom seen on NH-17s. You might consider them completely phased out with the NH-29.

3. From the wiki, there is a compulsory 8 years of military service before being released. Is there other conditions where there is no need for them to be tied down?

The Star Army of Yamatai, in competition to the United Outer Colonies military, tried to improve the conditions for which a Star Army soldier would work under. In an effort to abolish slavery, new nekovalkyrja find themselves no longer under such strictures... though a nekovalkyrja won't go very far from her birthplace if she doesn't have a place to mature, win funds and such. That said, it's still greatly advantageous - and such a good incentive - to have nekos remain in the military becuase that's mostly where they are created and can gain resources to become self-sufficient and the support needed to orient themselves for the rest of their lives.

You might view it as the Star Army of Yamatai being more or less the nekovalkyrja-equivalent of elementary/high school. You earn your basics there for life there. Skip there, and you might be found wanting for everything else in the rest of your life as an individual.

4. During their service, if one happened to be KIA and to be STed, is their 8 year service being renewed?

No, not really. If you get killed and that they end up being nice enough to revive you, it doesn't make the length of your tour of duty any shorter.

5. For NH-29H series, can there be those with human hands, but with cat ears instead?

Not so far. The pinkie is seen as largely vestigial for humans, so, there's little reason to make custom models of that, and custom models beyond the standard base tend to be impractical and costly. I could see a warrant officer with 10 000 Ks on hand managing to get it for herself during a soul transfer procedure... but having five-digits implies a different skeletal structure and that definitely shouldn't come off free.

6. In regards to their hands & feet, can I clarify that their fingers and toes are slightly stubbed, and their feet are more feline engineered as they tend to walk on their balls of their toes?

Aside from the skeletal structure being different because they only have 4 fingers/toes, they ought to be mostly the same. Personally, I don't really view the fingers as stubby - just nailless and as smooth under the digit as it is over it (instead of having a sort of flat groove in which a fingernail would normally grow). They also likely have their feet handled muscularly the same as humans and not felines - I often walk on the balls of my feet, firstly, and secondly I think the habit is more because they are used to dealing with less gravity on starships.

7. Due to the lack of information on NH-12 series as its being phased out. Since they are considered personal assistance, how much?

Fetch papers, fetch pencils, fetch butterknife, spread butter on toast, turn off the oven, drag dirty laundry away, toss refuse in the wastebasket, get into very small spaces to do repairs on things larger people would have trouble getting access to.

That sort of assistance.

8. Is there a timeline for the series, which we can see on the comparison chart?

There was something for the NH-7 awhile ago, but it's likely obsolete by now (and the values used very arbitrary). The link Yoroko gave you is about as good as it gets.