Vorlon appearance

[I, Brian]

Kosh said he had to wear his encounter suit, or everyone would recognise him.

When he left it to save Sheridan at the end of Season 1, many races saw him as an angelic being.

However, after the original Kosh died and was replaced as Vorlon Ambassador on Babylon 5 and Sheridan devised to get rid of it, we saw both Vorlons in a completely different form - almost octopoid.

Question is, why did we not see them as angelic beings when the Vorlons were fighting?

Is it because the Vorlons were purposely trying to look appealing in angleic form and that it took effort, and that Kosh made every effort to create an impact when he saved Sheridan?

[j. d. worthington]

It's been a while, Brian, but ... as I recall, my thoughts were torn between that and that their "appearance" was more of the mind's interpretation of something outside experience of the races involved. Therefore, it depended on the situation and emotional coloring of what was going on as to how they were perceived. If they were almost pure thought-as-energy, then they wouldn't necessarily have a physical appearance, at least, nothing stable. It would be colored, altered, by whatever was going on at the time, including (perhaps) their own mental/emotional state.

[Delvo]

Was that scene shown through the eys of a human or member of another such species? Or was it through the usual convention of the camera being privy to a view that no character actually has? The "angel" scene was definitely showing what the characters themselves saw, not an objective view of what's really there.

[I, Brian]

It was because when Kosh first takes off his encounter suit, we saw "him" from a human perspective then saw what the other aliens saw as well.

When they fought the "new" Kosh, we didn't see any such angel appearance at all, even though we were seeing the human perspective.

I figured it was all part of the manipulation - that projecting an image of their appearance as angelic as a deliberate act, then when Kosh was fought, the Vorlorns no longer had any interest in caring about what they projected.

[cyntax]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

It was because when Kosh first takes off his encounter suit, we saw "him" from a human perspective then saw what the other aliens saw as well.

When they fought the "new" Kosh, we didn't see any such angel appearance at all, even though we were seeing the human perspective.

I figured it was all part of the manipulation - that projecting an image of their appearance as angelic as a deliberate act, then when Kosh was fought, the Vorlorns no longer had any interest in caring about what they projected.

It was a question of psychic suggestion, the original Kosh played on the positive myths of angels from the races legends, what is a more majestic image than someone like yourself - but with the ability to fly? Londo of course didn't see a thing, this image was blocked by Kosh from Londo's mind. Vorlons being Vorlons didn't like their hand being forced, as they we're use to this mysterious demi-god style reputation. It was calcualted by Kosh, the politcial chess game played by the Vorlons and the Shadows using real people as the pieces was quite well done.

[Tangerines]

Hm. The Vorlons and the Shadows were the two races among the First Ones who stayed in the galaxy to shepherd the younger races. That's about 10 000 years ago, right? Then there was this great fight around year 1260, middle ages that is.

The Vorlons and the Shadows, as you know, represented order and chaos, respectively. The Vorlons thought their way was better, and began to genetically manipulate the younger races to better serve their needs in the next war against their nemesis. That is, the war fought in 3rd and 4th seasons.

The manipulations included making more and more telepaths turn up, faster than they'd done if nature would have created them in it's own way. Another thing the Vorlons did was making the younger races see them in a bright and angelic way, to make them seem like the GOOD ones, if not as GODS. Vorlons appearing on Earth (and other planets) from times to times then created the myths about angels and such beings.

The angelic look takes a lot of energy from the Vorlon though, as it's probably not a fully automatic thing. I mean, they can probably switch it on and off, since we've seen a Vorlon without angel-look as well (I don't remember it, but if you say Ulkesh, as the new "Kosh" was named, showed to be a tentacle-guy, I take your word). As such, Kosh get's very tired after saving Sheridan, since he was seen by so many.

Now if I could only remember where I heard this >.<