This one is simple enough. To remind viewers that Canada was involved in the creation of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force, they show the force saving some hostages in the Congo.

This piece has something I always want to see in action movies, but very rarely do. The heroes take the bad guy alive. It feels like Hollywood can’t fathom an outcome that doesn’t involve death, but I think it is a good idea to tie the UN Peacekeepers’ reputation to a mindset where maybe killing isn’t always the answer. Also, Dextraze comes across as pretty cool. The fact he isn’t using a gun draws a comparison to Sam Steele, but of course Dextraze has two guys with big guns standing next to him, so the comparison isn’t perfect. It’s still cool, though.

Anyway, this commercial is fine. Maybe if it had been on when I was young some of the hostage-taker’s lines would be burned into my head, but as it stands, I have no sentimental attachment. I can give it Three out of Six Pieces of PDR’s Reviewing System Cake.

Deglaens

On a small planet full of swamps and jungles, the Deglaens have arisen as a dominant life form. They spend most of their time flying through the planet’s thick atmosphere almost as if they were swimming, but do land and crawl around at night. Their diet is made up primarily of the planet’s worms, which they have only recently learned to cook. Deglaen technology is still pretty primitive, they have begun to build things out of stone and make rubber from the plants.

Mymi Coots is an obsessive collector of plants. Having claimed a tract of land for personal use, Coots has gathered and dozens of different kinds of plants from all over the region. It isn’t easy to keep them alive, though, as some of the plants have bad reactions to the others, and some just don’t thrive in that kind of environment, but Coots is learning. In time, the things Coots learn may help the Deglaens to tame the plants and develop a stronger agricultural skills.

Slond Peyo is an insecure individual who cares very strongly about appearing powerful in the eyes of others. The obsession has taken over Peyo’s life and now most others in the community consider Peyo to be an idiot because of the effort put into trying to look big an important person.

Raglor Swend is frightened all the time. The world seems to be full of danger, so it seems to Swend that frightened is the appropriate state to be in. I mean, there is a war brewing in the Arnasta Valley, the Speckled Death Plague is spreading like never before, and giant jag-toothed Venesters lurk in the night and can capture even a full-grown Deglaen. Who wouldn’t be frightened?

A Fact About Deglaens: The Deglaean’s eyesight is not such that it can perceive the existence of the stars, but if a human were on their homeworld they would be able to make out the galaxy that is home to the Pejjits.

Universe: Narsidon

Dobraxu

The Dobraxu are a species with serpentine tails, three arm-like limbs, and a single large eye on their bulbous heads. They are very clever at creating machinery, but have not yet mastered any form of programming, so their technology is all powered by Dobraxu individuals, rather than being autonomous.

After centuries of “progress”, one Dobraxu nation took over the planet and is now the only government there. One Dobraxu named Marjantar is a villain known as Exomek who is trying to take over the planet Zunoltia, and that mission is an official one given by the Dobraxu government, but mostly the species is peaceful. They just have some jerks in charge.

Veedab is a member of the World Council, the government body that votes on the best actions for the planet to take. Veedab has been trying for years to change the way the hospital system works, because as it is right now hospitals are built as boats that are sent to where they are necessary. This can be handy, if some disaster strikes they can send some hospitalships there to help, but the drawbacks are numerous (Not the least of which: just imagine going in for tail surgery only to wake up and be told you are on the other side of the continent because they had to head towards a city where there was a fire. It’s inconvenient). Veedab has tried to convince the other council members that permanent hospitals being built on land in major cities would be wise, but it goes against tradition, so nobody listens.

Sittul is a citizen of the planet’s largest and oldest city, Haraza Mataa. The city is so old and central to Dobraxu culture that its denizens are considered the “simple” folk and the ones that are considered sophisticated are the ones living small rural locations. Sittul may dreams of one day moving out of the city to become a big success somewhere small.

Heaff is a wacky sort of Dobraxu. Heaff refuses to play by society’s “rules”. When society says “Heaff, you should settle down and do things right” all Heaff does is wander around and do things wrong. Heaff is the life of the party, but also everyone kind of hates Heaff a little bit. Sometimes it is lonely being wacky.

A Fact About the Dobraxu: The Dobraxu do not consider theft to be a crime. If you can’t keep your stuff secure, they feel, maybe you don’t deserve your stuff.

Universe: Green

Aado Vvuk

The Aado Vvuk are an aquatic species that evolved in the oceans of a world they call Mnaara. The Aado Vvuk have five tentacles, two functioning as we would call arms and the rest, though still functional, are more rigid and are used primarily for motion. They have one eye, which they can bulge out to improve their peripheral vision, and their stomachs can be extruded from their body (from around the “armpit” region) to engulf food.

Aado Vvuk culture is highly ritualistic and the vast majority of them have daily routines that they prefer not to vary from if at all possible. Acts such as eating are personal, so the length of the involved rituals can vary from person to person, but more public acts, especially those involving the election of government, are more consistent. Almost all rituals involve a stupid amount of chanting, though.

Shntaa is on a quest to circumnavigate the oceans of Mnaara in the hopes of gathering together the pieces of an ancient artifact that have been spread all over the world. The Tubes of Aaanaaav are spoken of in stories in various Aado Vvuk cultures, supposedly a device that could generate power unlike anything seen to this day. Shntaa’s research has determined that the Tubes were broken during a conflict between two communities and the pieces were spread as symbols of friendship to the leaders of various other communities and so it has been down the centuries. Shntaa dreams of tracking down and reassembling the Tubes and being a rich energy provider. Unfortunately for Shntaa, the Tubes actually created only small amounts of energy that, while impressive back in the day, have been greatly exaggerated by legend and actually pale in comparison to modern technology. Hopefully, when Shntaa learns that, the archeological victory will be comfort enough.

Nnntn is a butcher, an occupation very similar on Mnaara to its equivalent on Earth. The fish-like livestock of the Aado Vvuk are given to Nnntn, who then chop them into the good bits and gives them to consumers. It is good, honest work and Nnntn finds it rewarding, if unfortunately messy. Cleaning up after a bloody mess is harder underwater than in the air.

The badly scarred Rrrntr is a veteran of the most popular “sport” on Mnaara. The sport involves a performer standing before a crowd and committing various acts of self harm. Generally, when it comes time to retire, these self-harming athletes will perform a final exhibition in which they damage their eye and live the rest of their life being supported by their fans. Rrrntr was fairly successful, gaining a fan following that still respects the aging athlete to this day, but the idea of being blind has no appeal. It may result in a lost of respect from the fanbase, but Rrrntr would rather be able to see.

A Fact About Aado Vvuk: Since they live beneath the surface of their oceans, the Aado Vvuk do not study celestial bodies by the light that reaches their world (though they know of their sun, at least), but they have begun to get a sense of their stellar system by close study of the effects the moons have on the tides. They are developing a great understanding of gravity.

Universe: White