1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

A couple of questions about Morat lore;

Discussion in 'Combined Army' started by WiT?, Nov 29, 2021.

  1. WiT?

    WiT? Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2017
    Messages:
    1,025
    Likes Received:
    1,408
    I've been reading into Morat lore lately, and it's a contradictory or vague in some areas. So would love to hear your takes on it.
    • Are the "regiments" huge monoliths that represent all, say, Rodoks or Vanguards or whatever across the whole species? Or are there smaller regiments of each type embedded in each army, that have regimental loyalty to that particular group and not so much the wider group as a whole? I think its the former, closer to a widespread "nationality" amongst Morats rather than a close knit "clan" of Morats in a particular location.
    • Would these regiments ever work together in mixed squads? My guess is no - they would only fight directly alongside members of the same "regiment". Though elements from the next section are less clear
    • Are the non-regimental units - Suryat, Raicho, Daturazi, Rasyat, Yaogat - affilitated with the regiments in any way? These units did not have the word Regiment associated with them, they had things like "unit", "brigade", "division", or "sacred order". Like is there a squad of the most experienced Vanguards that wear Suryat armor and are a Suryat squad within the regiment of Vanguards? Or are Suryats all their own thing? Would the Suryats have loyalty to all Suryats or to the regiment they work with? The fluff is not clear on this. Are these just actually regiments in their own right just with translation issues?
    • Are Sotaraks fights to the death? My guess is yes due to the word "mortal combat". Do they use battlefield equipment and equal numbers? Is their like, five Sogarats hosing down five vanguards every time they come to start an offensive? The Sogarats do win the most Sotaraks after all...
    • The fluff describes morat strategy and tactics in an extremely flattering light. Their strategic flexibility is "the main morat resource", with a "suppleness to change plans at the last moment" which makes them extremely unpredictable. But simultaneously, they also favor the frontal attack and CQB, using single-type units that are chosen via a mortal combat rather than the best regiment for the job. Can someone help me understand this?
    Cheers for any input on this. The fluff is pretty cool and we never really talk about it lol
     
  2. Gwynbleidd

    Gwynbleidd Non asto coram malo

    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2021
    Messages:
    863
    Likes Received:
    1,330
    I should like the answers to some of these questions as well please. I have been reading the combined modiphius RPG book and a few of these questions mirror my own...
     
    PurpleSquid and stevenart74 like this.
  3. DaRedOne

    DaRedOne Morat Warrior Philosopher
    Warcor

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2017
    Messages:
    1,549
    Likes Received:
    3,629
    Alright, buckle down little apes, and let the ol' bloody handed murderer help ya! These come mostly from HSN3 and the RPG, so there might have been changes, but I doubt it:
    I hope this helps you out. MAF is by far my favorite part of infinity.

    However, it's important that we as MAF players understand that MAF are the designated 'generic mook army' for Infinity. The narrative function of the MAF is to be a small, relatively easy to overcome enemy that looks way more dangerous than it actually is. Again, this is metalanguage, it has nothing to do with the actual MAF lore, but with how the characters are presented to players in the game and how much information we have on them.
     
    #3 DaRedOne, Dec 1, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2021
    Willen, chaos11, Time Bandit and 16 others like this.
  4. WiT?

    WiT? Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2017
    Messages:
    1,025
    Likes Received:
    1,408
    Quality post right there, wish I could like it twice.

    Is there an RPG book other than the generic "Combined Army" book that is good for Morats? I looked through it but didn't find anything that seems remotely as in depth as what your understanding is!

    One point of difference though is in the Combined Army RPG I read very explicit fluff about the Sotarak which had teams of Morats from different regiments playing essentially capture the flag over a 36 hour period, with the winners needing to then display and hold their flag pieces for 36 (?) minutes against all comers. Maybe I've made a mistake and that is two seperate rituals or maybe there is old and new fluff? It was under the entry for the Sotarak Bannercape equipment.

    When you say Suryats are Vanguard+, are they actually closely affiliated with them? Is that why they can link? Or do you reckon that link is pure gameplay mechanic 'necessity'?

    Such sadness... I was hoping they could be a case of physically minded antagonists that were dangerously competent. So tired of seeing smarmy elves styling over the hulking dumbo orcs time after time.
     
  5. DaRedOne

    DaRedOne Morat Warrior Philosopher
    Warcor

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2017
    Messages:
    1,549
    Likes Received:
    3,629
    Thank you mate. I am here to help.

    From a personal standpoint, I like to see the Morat in a slightly different light. My MAF are mostly separatistic from the Combine after the loss at Wotan, and see humans as worthy opponents for how staunchily they have held out. This does put them even more in line with the Klingon, though. Which honestly the Morats could stand to copy some more.

    Could you imagine a Morat saying poetry to his lady? :D
     
    PurpleSquid likes this.
  6. PurpleSquid

    PurpleSquid Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2019
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    10
    So much interesting things from one of my favourite lore part of infinity to read here !

    I like to see the Morats as space orcs : not like orks from GW stuff, but more like orcs from Warcraft III stuff : they are red (like the chaos orcs), like to fight, but aren't super dumb either, while also having some sense of honor.
    Also, I totally imagine a Morat saying poetry to his lady, but more to describe how much at awe he would be to see her slaughtering a huge prey singlehandedly, while she wave her hair like in shampoo ads, her whole face bloodied by the splash of the beast last drop of life juice.
    Like, the fluff does says that there are other "types" of Morat, so I'm also able to see a Morat scientist in a labcoat wearing glasses being "Hmmm... This reaction is fascinating : this plant seems to explode when taken out of a wound. Maybe we can create ammunition that'll explose when the medics are trying to heal the wounded ?"

    If I recall correctly, the Sotarak is actually to decide who will lead the assault. So I like to imagine that while one unit/regiment is the one charging head on, the others are here to provide support or even flank. And here, maybe the "suppleness to change plans" might be in the sense of the angle of the frontal attack. Maybe they'll switch between launching waves after waves on a single point, to attack logistics, then try to attack everything at once at will ?
     
  7. solkan

    solkan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2017
    Messages:
    1,335
    Likes Received:
    1,982
    Then again, a person reading through the 2nd edition background material could conclude that the MAF is constructed as a meat grinder to make use of the overly aggressive elements of society while the more restrained ones remain at home getting stuff done. And the military may or may not think it’s the one in charge. :-/

    Put everyone with violent tendencies in the army (include criminals), and ensure the army spends all its time out fighting the enemy = Morat peace.
     
    Willen and PurpleSquid like this.
  8. Kelthret

    Kelthret Usuario

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2017
    Messages:
    385
    Likes Received:
    394
    Morat lore specifically states they don't give a crap about honor. They're soldiers, not honorable samurai warriors.
     
    Reece, Gwynbleidd and PurpleSquid like this.
  9. PurpleSquid

    PurpleSquid Member

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2019
    Messages:
    13
    Likes Received:
    10
    Yes, they don't have individual honor, but it's more about the honor of the regiment I think.

    The lore states that they did have a period of "Sacred Personal Honor" to a race of professional soldiers, before the Knife Renaissance.
    The lore also has a "Life of Dishonour" little box on the CA rpg book, which says that a Morat will become a slave if their units have fled the field or that they disobeyed an order, and that most of the time, the Morat becoming a slave will take his/her own life (which, funny enough, can be seens as inspired from the seppuku of the samourai when they were dishonored. After all, the Morats writing system looks awfully close to the Japanese hiragana/katakana, with even some characters being the same, but meaning something else, so I do think Morat are lightly inspired from Japanese.)

    And the N3 lore book does states (at least in the French version) about the Sotarak :
    "A Sotarak is a death fight, a competition between the different corps of the army to obtain the honour of initiating the main offensive".

    So I agree with you that while Morats don't have an sense of individual honor. the lore states they do have a sense of honor. Just a more "collective" one.
    Or a inhuman one. We don't see anything of honor to go to other regiment barracks to plunder the other regiments food rations, and I don't think the Morats does either, but that makes them stay sharp and compete between each other.
     
    Time Bandit and DaRedOne like this.
  10. DaRedOne

    DaRedOne Morat Warrior Philosopher
    Warcor

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2017
    Messages:
    1,549
    Likes Received:
    3,629
    The Problem is that 'Honor' the way we use it has two meanings.

    Honor can be like a prize, a position of elevation over your peers. Or it can be a personal code, like ethics that you follow.

    Morats have little in terms of combat ethics. They will punch below the belt if they can (which makes it very odd that they won't use camo, but hey, read back my comment about Sci-Fi writers not understanding military stuff.)

    However, morats do have honor in the sense that they have positions that are considered better or worse, or tasks that are considerer more socially flattering than others.
     
    AssaultUnicorn, Hecaton and Willen like this.
  11. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2018
    Messages:
    1,200
    Likes Received:
    1,417
    I personally believe that they will have "Evil Klingon Honour"; if they have to absolutely destroy a Enemy Position they will call down Long Range Bombardment or send their Zerat Skirmishers Elites (the "Special Force Zerat" should have TO Camo, I believe) to plant bombs everywhere and explode the Enemies to kingdom come. . .

    But if they have the "Upper Hand" then I believe they will grant some modicum of "Honourable Death" to foes, maybe just to impress peers and not for "Respect Towards Enemies". . .

    If a Human is totally disarmed, except for a Combat Knife, and still dares to point it to a Morat Officer, either SOME of the Officers will draw their "Morat Machetes" and honourably dispatch the foe, or send the "Youngest Pup To Be Blooded" to do the deed, and if the Human managed to draw blood, then the scars will be born with pride. . .

    I see now a Morat trying to impress a Zerat during opening of courtship rituals. . .

    "That's Small Scratch there? Oh, Yas, was one of the Blue Bladefighters of the Furless!! Brave Foe, when I ripped away the heart was not a ounce of fear in His eyes, only defiance!!! His blade? Gave to Mom at home, She's a veteran Oznat, she always have issue to file the claws of the Gakis during mating season. . . . !!"

    And other Morats will instead empty a whole Chainrifle Clip on the face of the upstart foe for DARING to presume to Sotarak a Better!!!

    Also the drawing of the Umbra Legate commissar dispatching "Nazi Firing Squad" some hapless Paraiso Civilians captured, have not "Soulless Automatons" like Drones acting as escort, but Morat Infantry Soldiers, that seem grim and determined (neither gleefully whhoping the Human's Culling, but not also seeming troubled by that "Schultzstaffen" manner of treating noncombatants)!!

    So I believe Morats, that have a lot of recalls to WW2 Japanese "Bushido Soldiers" could either be "Good Samurai" or "Bad Samurai". . .

    But Samurais nonetheless obey and execute orders of hierarchical superiors without qualms. . . . .
     
  12. toadchild

    toadchild Premeasure

    Joined:
    Feb 22, 2017
    Messages:
    4,262
    Likes Received:
    8,073
    As mentioned in previous posts, Morats draw elements from Japanese/samurai culture. I'm pretty sure their red skin and big hair is meant to evoke Japanese Oni. The original Raicho was also styled a bit like a giant animated suit of samurai armor.

    They're explicitly crafted to be something of a dark reflection of humanity; they're predominantly left-handed, they're very xenophobic and love war, and their tech level is explicitly established to be approximately equal to that of the human sphere (unlike other elements of the CA which are more advanced). The left-handed part is a bit silly, but otherwise they are showcasing humanity's worst traits while still operating effectively as a culture. It's very much like what you'll see in a Star Trek mirror universe episode or similar.
     
    jake richmond and DaRedOne like this.
  13. colbrook

    colbrook Grenade Delivery Specialist

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2017
    Messages:
    9,295
    Likes Received:
    17,066
    Not just Oni, but Japanese Macaques (which may have also inspired Oni legends so somewhat circular inspiration)
    p21-nicol-monkeys-a-20170305-e1488613957200.jpg
     
    Reece, toadchild and Lesh' like this.
  14. joedj

    joedj Member

    Joined:
    Feb 19, 2018
    Messages:
    28
    Likes Received:
    11
    I've painted my Morat to appear more like lions. Imagining the hierarchical machinations of sentient big cats is a frightening proposal, especially when our housecat demos one of his semi-nightly 'wild tears'.
    Honor has little to do with prey, when one's blood is up...
     
    DaRedOne likes this.
  15. RolandTHTG

    RolandTHTG Still wandering through the Night

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2019
    Messages:
    383
    Likes Received:
    494
    Now I kind of want to do a Morats as Kzinti army, but I don't have the sculpting skills to pull it off.
     
  16. jake richmond

    jake richmond Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2017
    Messages:
    295
    Likes Received:
    564
    Its worth pointing out that the tiny bit of 1st person Morat lore we have shows them talking, interacting and behaving pretty much exactly like humans
     
  17. WiT?

    WiT? Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2017
    Messages:
    1,025
    Likes Received:
    1,408
    All aliens in this universe will be like that - various 'rubber forehead' types that are just humans with a random hat on
     
    Lesh' likes this.
  18. jake richmond

    jake richmond Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2017
    Messages:
    295
    Likes Received:
    564
    I actually think it makes Morats more compelling. They're not the mysterious and unknowable "other". They are depressingly and terrifyingly familiar. we can't have peace with them not because they don't understand us but because they're just like us.
     
  19. stevenart74

    stevenart74 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2018
    Messages:
    1,200
    Likes Received:
    1,417
    Orcs (Azeroth ones, not "Bulldog Jawed Soccer Hooligans" that GW likes so much), Klingons, Kzinti, even Sangheilis from HALO (more for the ferocious Warrior Code than physical appearance, that is more on spot with the Elite of the Jayths) are inspirational for Morats. . .

    Also the Nautjia-Predators for their "Fearless Brave Hunter Culture" have much in common with Morats (especially the Oznats and these new "Ryntok Deathdealers"); while a Naked Predator will have much more visual resemblance with a particularly buff Caliban Shaasvastii, with the Facemask On and the Fur-Hair braided into rasta tresses some of the newer troops could really resemble those heavy armoured "Xenomorph-Hunters Nautjias". . .
     
  • About Us

    We are a company founded in 2001 in Cangas (Spain), and devoted to design and manufacture games and figures. Our main product, Infinity the Game, was born with the ambition to satisfy the most demanding audience, offering the best quality.

     

    Why are we here?

     

    Because we are, first and foremost, players.

  • Quick Navigation

    Open the Quick Navigation