Steven UnIVerse: 4shadowing

[Keltest]

Except everyone and their mothers know that mineral exist all over the cosmos. Invading an inhabited planet is a waste of resources. Mars would make for a much better colony, simply because you wouldn't have to fight for it.

I think youre confusing "invading an already occupied world" with "dealing with a rebellion arising from within your own ranks". Earth was already occupied by the gems when the rebellion started. And youre totally right, it was deemed a waste of resources, (the rebellion was successful) which is why Homeworld no longer wants anything to do with Earth or the Crystal Gems.

[Snowbluff]

I think youre confusing "invading an already occupied world" with "dealing with a rebellion arising from within your own ranks". Earth was already occupied by the gems when the rebellion started. And youre totally right, it was deemed a waste of resources, (the rebellion was successful) which is why Homeworld no longer wants anything to do with Earth or the Crystal Gems.

No, effort was wasted on humans regardless. And they elevate in invasions to grow new gems on other worlds as well.

Furthermore, you also have the cost to move on and off Earth because of its gravity, especially in Era 1 when they didn't have gravity generators. Smaller planets, like Mars, are more economical.

No matter how you weigh it(ha. No pun intended), if you have something you can do in space, you do it in space.

[Razade]

Furthermore, you also have the cost to move on and off Earth because of its gravity, especially in Era 1 when they didn't have gravity generators. Smaller planets, like Mars, are more economical.

1. Gems can decide their own gravity. See the Moon Base. This is during Era 1.
2. They don't need to worry about the cost of moving things with a Planet's gravity because of things like the Galaxy Warp. This is during Era 1.
3. Gem Technology doesn't seem to work on fuel, even ancient gem technology. They have magic. They don't need fuel.

No matter how you weigh it(ha. No pun intended), if you have something you can do in space, you do it in space.

Except they did it on Earth and the counter-arguments to your points are much more reasonable.

[Keltest]

No, effort was wasted on humans regardless. And they elevate in invasions to grow new gems on other worlds as well.

Furthermore, you also have the cost to move on and off Earth because of its gravity, especially in Era 1 when they didn't have gravity generators. Smaller planets, like Mars, are more economical.

No matter how you weigh it(ha. No pun intended), if you have something you can do in space, you do it in space.

Humanity's ability to resist the gems was, to put it mildly, nonexistent. the gems had super laser cannons, the humans had... swords and spears. Earth is "in space" as much as an asteroid or other planetoid is. So why, exactly, should the gems be looking at the earth and going 'nope"?

[Aquillion]

Humanity's ability to resist the gems was, to put it mildly, nonexistent. the gems had super laser cannons, the humans had... swords and spears. Earth is "in space" as much as an asteroid or other planetoid is. So why, exactly, should the gems be looking at the earth and going 'nope"?

They're talking about earth's gravity, which makes it more expensive to do anything here. Getting from earth to (the rest of) space is more expensive than getting from, say, the moon to space. Therefore, earth is less "in space" than the moon - there's a bigger barrier to get from earth to the rest of the galaxy.

(However, since the gems had warp pads which don't seem to consume meaningful energy, that doesn't really matter. They really only need to send one lander to place a warp pad on a planet. Really, the big question is why they didn't just grab every single planet.)

[John Cribati]

Really, the big question is why they didn't just grab every single planet.)

Sadie managed to take out a corrupted Gem with literally a pointy stick. Theoretically, a large enough number of beings with pointy sticks could take out a single ship full of Gems depending on where said ship lands. It's unsafe to just have one ship at a time.

[Razade]

the big question is why they didn't just grab every single planet.

Whose to say they haven't take the ones they could? Maybe they're just not worth taking because the Gems would suck? They have a base outside Saturn. We don't know they didn't take Mars. Venus may be too hostile to be worth the trouble, what with its acid rain. Mercury may also not be worth it considering the insane temperatures that it experiences. They had a Moon Base, so they took that. No reason to think they didn't do stuff with all the four inner planets if they could use them. Whose to say they can use Gas Giants? All the outer planets are Gas Giants, maybe they don't yield anything useful to a mineral based species.

[Snowbluff]

There's nothing on Neptune. 9otherwise the rubies would have called up Neptune and asked if Jasper was there. The other bases in the system would have remained, as the gems hand no interplanetary flight.

1. Gems can decide their own gravity. See the Moon Base. This is during Era 1.
2. They don't need to worry about the cost of moving things with a Planet's gravity because of things like the Galaxy Warp. This is during Era 1.
3. Gem Technology doesn't seem to work on fuel, even ancient gem technology. They have magic. They don't need fuel.



Except they did it on Earth and the counter-arguments to your points are much more reasonable.

1). Gems aren affected by their own gravity. Everything else is affected normally.
2) resources to create the galaxy warp would need to have been gathered or sent to earth.
3) gems are magic, their tech is tech. Gravity generators and gem destabilizers and limb enhancers are their tech.

None of them are. Everyone knows that asteroid mining would next better results if minerals were all that was required. This is a common aspect of galactic level societies.

[Razade]

There's nothing on Neptune. 9otherwise the rubies would have called up Neptune and asked if Jasper was there. The other bases in the system would have remained, as the gems hand no interplanetary flight.

But they knew what Neptune was. They have a base/zoo around Saturn. They have control of the Milky Way even if they don't utilize it.

1). Gems aren affected by their own gravity. Everything else is affected normally.

Nor is their tech. The moon base is built under the assumption of near zero G and a species that doesn't need to worry about gravity. Gen 2 technology is shown not to have propulsion devices. There's no exhaust ports. There's no boosters. They move through folding space and maintain their own altitude through some other means.

2) resources to create the galaxy warp would need to have been gathered or sent to earth.

All it takes is one trip at slightly higher cost then the trips are almost 0 cost. Your argument was that things cost more moving within a gravity field. It isn't when all you need to do is build one teleporter. Especially if you have a Moon base to lessen the trip for that first construction project. When you have the ability to transfer places near instantly, cost is probably not one of your concerns. Your argument about cost has no real weight considering all of this.

3) gems are magic, their tech is tech. Gravity generators and gem destabilizers and limb enhancers are their tech.

Not according to Pearl. She specifically calls their tech "Magical Artifacts". This may be Clarke's Third Law in effect, but Pearl called gem tech Magic. Garnet didn't correct her any time she did either.

None of them are. Everyone knows that asteroid mining would next better results if minerals were all that was required. This is a common aspect of galactic level societies.

Once again. Asteroids may not have all the minerals that the Gems need to make strong gems.

[Draconi Redfir]

But they knew what Neptune was. They have a base/zoo around Saturn.

what makes you think the Zoo is around Saturn? I thought it was described as being far into Dimond controlled territory. I mean the planet was never named so i can understand confusion, and if it was stated to be saturn then i'd have no problem with it but... lots of gas giants have rings... i rather doubt it's our saturn, espesually with how fast and for how long the ruby ship had to travel.

[Razade]

what makes you think the Zoo is around Saturn? I thought it was described as being far into Dimond controlled territory. I mean the planet was never named so i can understand confusion, and if it was stated to be saturn then i'd have no problem with it but... lots of gas giants have rings... i rather doubt it's our saturn, espesually with how fast and for how long the ruby ship had to travel.

Honestly it's just an assumption on look. They still know what Neptune is.

[Flickerdart]

If Gems really needed to eat life force, they would just kidnap humans en masse, put them in the Gem equivalent of an industrial farm in the most minimal conditions possible to use them as cows or pigs, then not give a damn about their needs or wants while exploiting them to be the most efficient life force meals you could ever have then distribute them as fast food or soylent green all across the empire.

Why? Your "plan" requires a lot of work for literally no benefit, compared with the existing plan of "plant Kindergartens into the planet." It's not like humans have the ability to escape or fight back as-is.

And if you think humans are the best source of biomass on the planet, you really haven't been paying attention.

[theNater]

So, a thought struck me overnight, and Google tells me it's plausible. We're all thinking too small.

The gems aren't just mining on Earth, they are hollowing it out. Using every ounce of the 6*10^24 kilograms of its mass. Why not mine the asteroid belt? Because the entire asteroid belt consists of a paltry 3*10^21 kg of mass, about one half of one tenth of one percent of one Earth. Why not Mars? Well, Mars masses about 6*10^23 kg, or one tenth of Earth's mass. So, sure, maybe after Earth's operation is fully up and running, it'll be worth picking up. Y'know, while we're in the neighborhood. At 5*10^24 kg, Venus is almost as massive as Earth, so it's probably the next target unless its atmosphere is too awful, even for gems.

[John Cribati]

And again, the makeup of the planet is probably important to what Gem you get at the end of the day, so Mars or Venus might not HAVE the materials to make what they need.

[theNater]

And again, the makeup of the planet is probably important to what Gem you get at the end of the day, so Mars or Venus might not HAVE the materials to make what they need.

Unfortunately, the issue of scale works against that. Like, there might be a planet low in Peridotite, but it probably has at least some Magnesium, Silicon, and Oxygen somewhere. Theoretically, the gems could use chemical processes to separate those elements from whatever they're attached to, then attach them to each other. Once they have a big block of Peridotite, they can slap an injector onto it and get a Peridot.

That said, there are a couple of facets of gem culture that might prevent such a plan from being implemented. For example , if we assume the diamonds were formed from naturally-occurring kindergarten sites, then a scientist can't suggest that this might lead to better gems, because that would be tantamount to saying the diamonds aren't perfect. On the other hand, they also can't suggest it would lead to worse gems, because the question would come up of why you'd want to provide inferior subjects to your diamonds, instead of spending your time and energy finding good natural sites.

Another one might be a result of a vulnerability in gem psychology. Suppose the ideal conditions for gestation involve some trace elements. Just to have example numbers, maybe to make a Peridot it takes 98% Peridotite and 2% Phosphorus. But the gems don't know this, so their first attempt is 99% Peridotite and 1% Phosphorus, which yields a smaller Peridot. Where other species might try tweaking the variables in a variety of ways, a gem's initial reaction is probably going to be to assume the sample isn't pure enough, and try to get it to 99.9% Peridotite. This would lead to a never-ending spiral of spending more and more effort getting smaller and smaller Peridots.

[Lord Raziere]

Why? Your "plan" requires a lot of work for literally no benefit, compared with the existing plan of "plant Kindergartens into the planet." It's not like humans have the ability to escape or fight back as-is.

And if you think humans are the best source of biomass on the planet, you really haven't been paying attention.

I was responding to the people who think that the life force theory is a thing at all, its ridiculous since there is no evidence to it. The example is meant to point out how ridiculous the theory is, and its not all that different from how humans utilize resources in an impersonal, industrial manner for their own gain which the Gems do all the time. They could also have other facilities for plants, animals and so on if that life force theory was true, thats not the point, the point is, they don't have these facilities to do these things, Gem society is founded upon efficiency and cold utilitarian statistical logic to the extreme, a general rule of thumb is that if its not there, its not considered worth expending resources over.

They don't have these facilities to harness this life force and there is no evidence that they use life force and it would be kind of weird and out of place in the setting if that was actually true, so whether or not my plan is most efficient or not is beside the point of the fact that they don't exist and have no reason to exist, because Gems are not vampires.

[Flickerdart]

Unfortunately, the issue of scale works against that. Like, there might be a planet low in Peridotite, but it probably has at least some Magnesium, Silicon, and Oxygen somewhere. Theoretically, the gems could use chemical processes to separate those elements from whatever they're attached to, then attach them to each other. Once they have a big block of Peridotite, they can slap an injector onto it and get a Peridot.

You can also just use a tiny laser to blast three neutrons out of lead and make it into gold. But simply mining more gold is more effective.

Same thing here - mining component minerals and then using chemistry to mess around with them is probably feasible, but also not as efficient as just invading the right planet in the first place.

[Razade]

So, a thought struck me overnight, and Google tells me it's plausible. We're all thinking too small.

The gems aren't just mining on Earth, they are hollowing it out. Using every ounce of the 6*10^24 kilograms of its mass. Why not mine the asteroid belt? Because the entire asteroid belt consists of a paltry 3*10^21 kg of mass, about one half of one tenth of one percent of one Earth. Why not Mars? Well, Mars masses about 6*10^23 kg, or one tenth of Earth's mass. So, sure, maybe after Earth's operation is fully up and running, it'll be worth picking up. Y'know, while we're in the neighborhood. At 5*10^24 kg, Venus is almost as massive as Earth, so it's probably the next target unless its atmosphere is too awful, even for gems.

Are we? I think I pointed out that they're hollowing out the planet as a point towards not needing an organic biosphere. I also posted that they were going to make almost a hundred Kindergartens on Earth. We only saw the devastation two caused.

[Lizard Lord]

Honestly I have no problem with the "Earth is special" trope because, in real life, Earth IS special. Out of all the planets we have been able to observe since the invention of the telescope Earth remains the only one we can find any signs of life on. Sure that still leaves a lot of room but I would say that it is enough of a sample size to suggest Earth IS a rarity. So I see no problem having it remain one even in a story where other worlds also have sentient life.

[theNater]

You can also just use a tiny laser to blast three neutrons out of lead and make it into gold. But simply mining more gold is more effective.

Same thing here - mining component minerals and then using chemistry to mess around with them is probably feasible, but also not as efficient as just invading the right planet in the first place.

Oh, absolutely. I'm just saying that as long as we're invading Earth anyways, there little reason to not also invade Mars(probably afterwards). I mean, it's right there, and we'll have all our heavy construction equipment on hand because we just used it on Earth.

Are we? I think I pointed out that they're hollowing out the planet as a point towards not needing an organic biosphere. I also posted that they were going to make almost a hundred Kindergartens on Earth. We only saw the devastation two caused.

Okay, so most of us are thinking too small.

Honestly I have no problem with the "Earth is special" trope because, in real life, Earth IS special. Out of all the planets we have been able to observe since the invention of the telescope Earth remains the only one we can find any signs of life on. Sure that still leaves a lot of room but I would say that it is enough of a sample size to suggest Earth IS a rarity. So I see no problem having it remain one even in a story where other worlds also have sentient life.

The Earth of Steven Universe is undeniably special in a wide variety of ways. But a few posters are trying to insist that in addition to all its various unique physical and historical properties, it carries some sort of magical force which has never been referenced in the show, and which interacts with gems in bizarre and apparently inconsistent ways. It empowers Peridot but not Amethyst, taking it kills all life around the kindergarten but doesn't harm Connie or any of the plants around the barn, what have you. Nothing happens that can't be explained without it, and trying to introduce it as an explanation causes at least as many new conundrums as it solves.

[Lord Raziere]

The Earth of Steven Universe is undeniably special in a wide variety of ways. But a few posters are trying to insist that in addition to all its various unique physical and historical properties, it carries some sort of magical force which has never been referenced in the show, and which interacts with gems in bizarre and apparently inconsistent ways. It empowers Peridot but not Amethyst, taking it kills all life around the kindergarten but doesn't harm Connie or any of the plants around the barn, what have you. Nothing happens that can't be explained without it, and trying to introduce it as an explanation causes at least as many new conundrums as it solves.

Exactly, Earth is special because its the one planet that stopped a seemingly never-ending galactic imperial conquering machine of unfeeling logic and strict caste systems by simply showing an alternative to that way of life even 5000 years ago, thus causing many of the members of that empire to rebel and fight for something better. It does not need some mystical force conjured out of nowhere that isn't actually there and would raise questions as to how Gem society works without it.

[Manga Shoggoth]

The Earth of Steven Universe is undeniably special in a wide variety of ways. But a few posters are trying to insist that in addition to all its various unique physical and historical properties, it carries some sort of magical force which has never been referenced in the show, and which interacts with gems in bizarre and apparently inconsistent ways. It empowers Peridot but not Amethyst, taking it kills all life around the kindergarten but doesn't harm Connie or any of the plants around the barn, what have you. Nothing happens that can't be explained without it, and trying to introduce it as an explanation causes at least as many new conundrums as it solves.

While I am not advocating any magical forces here, these are hardly bizarre¹ or inconsistencies:

"It empowers Peridot but not Amethyst" - Amythest is an Era 1 gem who has spent her entire life on Earth and not been in a position to notice any difference. Amythest is hardly unempowered, she is just making the mistake of comparing herself to Jasper (allegedly a perfect, utimate quartz), rather any regular quartzes. Something has empowered Peridot, but the show hasn't given a mechanism for Peridot gaining her powers.

"taking it kills all life around the kindergarten but doesn't harm Connie or any of the plants around the barn, what have you" - the damage was caused by the Gem Injectors and they haven't been running for 5000 years (and are nowhere near Connie or the Barn). - why should Connie or the barn be affected by them?

The problem is that the show itself is rather coy about how the injectors work (or, indeed, anything gem-based). It's rather hard to discuss a mechanism when the best the show gives you is "they suck up all the good stuff from the ground", with a shot of a bunch of dying trees.


¹ - I have trouble with the word bizarre when describing a story about sentient, ambulatory gems with super-powers.

[Devonix]

While I am not advocating any magical forces here, these are hardly bizarre¹ or inconsistencies:

"It empowers Peridot but not Amethyst" - Amythest is an Era 1 gem who has spent her entire life on Earth and not been in a position to notice any difference. Amythest is hardly unempowered, she is just making the mistake of comparing herself to Jasper (allegedly a perfect, utimate quartz), rather any regular quartzes. Something has empowered Peridot, but the show hasn't given a mechanism for Peridot gaining her powers.

"taking it kills all life around the kindergarten but doesn't harm Connie or any of the plants around the barn, what have you" - the damage was caused by the Gem Injectors and they haven't been running for 5000 years (and are nowhere near Connie or the Barn). - why should Connie or the barn be affected by them?

The problem is that the show itself is rather coy about how the injectors work (or, indeed, anything gem-based). It's rather hard to discuss a mechanism when the best the show gives you is "they suck up all the good stuff from the ground", with a shot of a bunch of dying trees.


¹ - I have trouble with the word bizarre when describing a story about sentient, ambulatory gems with super-powers.

I think that the meaning is more about how if Peridot is "Empowered" by being on Earth it would mean she's absorbing something, rather than simply gaining new powers by believing in herself and learning more about herself. Which would be more in line with the messaging of the series. If she was absorbing stuff from around her, then her body would be acting like an injector. and should be harming humans or plants around her

[Manga Shoggoth]

I think that the meaning is more about how if Peridot is "Empowered" by being on Earth it would mean she's absorbing something, rather than simply gaining new powers by believing in herself and learning more about herself. Which would be more in line with the messaging of the series. If she was absorbing stuff from around her, then her body would be acting like an injector. and should be harming humans or plants around her

Oh, I agree that the "believing in herself and learning more about herself" is a good part of it - Peridot is developing because she is no longer tied by the Homeworld point of view. But that doesn't explain how she suddenly developed powers that she - as an Era 2 Gem - is not suppose to have.

But why should Peridot be acting like an injector when the rest of the gems aren't?

(The arguement can be made that if Peridot is "doing an Injector" she isn't causing damage because in her case it is a single gem and a slower process, so the surrounding area is remaining undamaged of recovers by itself. In that case if we had several thousand Peridots we might see more of an effect)

There are only two gem actions that the we have seen that cause such disruption: Gem Injectors (which are described as hugely damaging, but are only used to create gems) and the ultimate Gemoforming of the planet (by which point organic life is a bit of a moot point).

[John Cribati]

Occam's Razor would suggest "Peridot always had powers but was never aware of them" is more likely to be the explanation than "Peridot gained powers by some mystical, unexplained quality the Earth has."

[Manga Shoggoth]

Occam's Razor would suggest "Peridot always had powers but was never aware of them" is more likely to be the explanation than "Peridot gained powers by some mystical, unexplained quality the Earth has."

The trouble with invoking Occam here is that you are simply creating more variables: "Peridot always had powers" requires you to explain why the Diamonds never knew about the powers (or if they knew, why they suppressed knowledge of them - although given the Diamonds, this one is less of a leap...).

Besides, even if there is something on Earth that is giving Peridot her powers, that doesn't necessarly mean that it is mystcal, only that it is unexplained. I have already suggested that the Earth's magnetic field is a possible source (if the example in "It Could Have Been Great" is anything to go by a gemoformed planet is unlikley to have a magnetic field even if it started out as having one as they appear to take the planet pretty much apart. There is something in the middle there, but it doesn't look much like a planetry core).

Don't get me wrong here - I'm not suggesting a "magic" explanation. I'm just pointing out that "not explaned" does not mean "magic".

[theNater]

Peridot is developing because she is no longer tied by the Homeworld point of view. But that doesn't explain how she suddenly developed powers that she - as an Era 2 Gem - is not suppose to have.

Because at its core, gem society is based on a single, fundamental lie: "you don't have any power".

This lie is told to different gems in different ways. Pearls are told "you're only good for looking prettty". Sapphires are told "you can't change things". Rubies are told "you are so common as to be expendable". But it's still the same lie and it's always a lie. We've met six Rubies, and they're all unique. Sapphire can, and has, changed the future. This is why Pearl is so terrifying to Homeworld forces, not for the fact that she can outfight soldiers, but because doing so reveals the lie that keeps their society running smoothly.

Era 2 gems have been told that same lie in the most literal way possible. "You don't have any powers". Are we going to believe it just because Peridot was fooled?

[Manga Shoggoth]

Because at its core, gem society is based on a single, fundamental lie: "you don't have any power".

This lie is told to different gems in different ways. Pearls are told "you're only good for looking prettty". Sapphires are told "you can't change things". Rubies are told "you are so common as to be expendable". But it's still the same lie and it's always a lie. We've met six Rubies, and they're all unique. Sapphire can, and has, changed the future. This is why Pearl is so terrifying to Homeworld forces, not for the fact that she can outfight soldiers, but because doing so reveals the lie that keeps their society running smoothly.

Era 2 gems have been told that same lie in the most literal way possible. "You don't have any powers". Are we going to believe it just because Peridot was fooled?

This is what I mean by adding variables.

Era 2 Peridots have limb enhancers so they can do the same job as Era 1 Peridots. Why go to the extra effort to provide additional hardware if they already have the powers they need? If there is a resource shortage, why are they using resources to produce the hardware when they could just produce Era 1 Peridots?

Of course, we have no idea of the relative costs of these things - it could be that Era 2 Peridot + enhancers is cheaper to produce than Era 1 Peridot + powers. But that doesn't mean that the Diamonds are lying about Era 2 Peridots having no powers - they may well think that Era 2 Peridots have no powers in the first place.

Looking at the other examples:

Pearls are told "you're only good for looking prettty": Peridot certianly thinks so, and Blue Pearl seems to operate this way. On the other hand Yellow Pearl seems to act more as a secretary. There's a certian flexibility there.

We don't know why Pearl is terrifying to Homeworld Gems. It could simply be that she is a "renagade Pearl" - a servant who has become a soldier (Your worst nightmare - a Pearl with a sword...). In a strictly regimented society someone changing their function would be terrifying.

Sapphires are told "you can't change things": I can't comment here as we only see one Sapphire, but her function is to fortell the future. Blue Diamond asks Sapphire to confirm that the future forseen is the one she was planning for - it wouldn't make much sense to do this she believed everything is ordained.

Rubies are told "you are so common as to be expendable": As far as we know, they are. Our Ruby even comments "Who cares? There's tons of me!".

There is no need to invoke "The Big Lie" in any of this. While I certianly wouldn't put it past the Diamonds, I don't see very much of a "Big Lie" on the part of Homeworld so far in the show. The worst is the sort of cult of personallity around the Diamonds (which would be perfectly natural in a heavily casted society).

In fact, the characters who have been shown consistently lying (granted, mostly by omission) are the Crystal Gems, and that's because they are trying to bring up a child whose mother has a background that is, frankly, horrifying. They were really reluctant to explain that the Gem Monsters were originally normal Gems, that there was a whole rebellion and that his mother shattered a Diamond. It's not the sort of thing you want to tell a child. Steven is even getting fed up with this, because he thinks he already knows the worst, but the Gems are still reluctant to tell him things.

[theNater]

Era 2 Peridots have limb enhancers so they can do the same job as Era 1 Peridots. Why go to the extra effort to provide additional hardware if they already have the powers they need? If there is a resource shortage, why are they using resources to produce the hardware when they could just produce Era 1 Peridots?

So, you're asking why an empire which has just suffered a major rebellion might try to convince its population that they are powerless without empire-issued gear? You can't think of a single reason they might want to do that?

We don't know why Pearl is terrifying to Homeworld Gems. It could simply be that she is a "renagade Pearl" - a servant who has become a soldier (Your worst nightmare - a Pearl with a sword...). In a strictly regimented society someone changing their function would be terrifying.

You seem to think you are arguing with me, but this is exactly the point I was trying to make.

Rubies are told "you are so common as to be expendable": As far as we know, they are. Our Ruby even comments "Who cares? There's tons of me!".

And she is wrong. There aren't tons of her. There is one of her. There are other Rubies, but they aren't her. See: the other Rubies we have met.

There is no need to invoke "The Big Lie" in any of this. While I certianly wouldn't put it past the Diamonds, I don't see very much of a "Big Lie" on the part of Homeworld so far in the show. The worst is the sort of cult of personallity around the Diamonds (which would be perfectly natural in a heavily casted society).

A casted society is a lie. It is the idea that one's caste is who one is. It is the belief that Eyeball and Leggy are interchangeable, which is clearly false.

[Keltest]

This is what I mean by adding variables.

Era 2 Peridots have limb enhancers so they can do the same job as Era 1 Peridots. Why go to the extra effort to provide additional hardware if they already have the powers they need? If there is a resource shortage, why are they using resources to produce the hardware when they could just produce Era 1 Peridots?

Of course, we have no idea of the relative costs of these things - it could be that Era 2 Peridot + enhancers is cheaper to produce than Era 1 Peridot + powers. But that doesn't mean that the Diamonds are lying about Era 2 Peridots having no powers - they may well think that Era 2 Peridots have no powers in the first place.

Looking at the other examples:

Pearls are told "you're only good for looking prettty": Peridot certianly thinks so, and Blue Pearl seems to operate this way. On the other hand Yellow Pearl seems to act more as a secretary. There's a certian flexibility there.

We don't know why Pearl is terrifying to Homeworld Gems. It could simply be that she is a "renagade Pearl" - a servant who has become a soldier (Your worst nightmare - a Pearl with a sword...). In a strictly regimented society someone changing their function would be terrifying.

Sapphires are told "you can't change things": I can't comment here as we only see one Sapphire, but her function is to fortell the future. Blue Diamond asks Sapphire to confirm that the future forseen is the one she was planning for - it wouldn't make much sense to do this she believed everything is ordained.

Rubies are told "you are so common as to be expendable": As far as we know, they are. Our Ruby even comments "Who cares? There's tons of me!".

There is no need to invoke "The Big Lie" in any of this. While I certianly wouldn't put it past the Diamonds, I don't see very much of a "Big Lie" on the part of Homeworld so far in the show. The worst is the sort of cult of personallity around the Diamonds (which would be perfectly natural in a heavily casted society).

In fact, the characters who have been shown consistently lying (granted, mostly by omission) are the Crystal Gems, and that's because they are trying to bring up a child whose mother has a background that is, frankly, horrifying. They were really reluctant to explain that the Gem Monsters were originally normal Gems, that there was a whole rebellion and that his mother shattered a Diamond. It's not the sort of thing you want to tell a child. Steven is even getting fed up with this, because he thinks he already knows the worst, but the Gems are still reluctant to tell him things.

The thing is, we don't know that Peridot's ferrokenesis would actually aid her in doing her Kindergarden duties. we don't know what powers Era 1 peridots have, but the Ferrokenesis doesn't seem to do the same things her limb enhancers did for her. It could well be that era 1 peridots can just directly interface with technology or something instead of having to go through devices to do it.