Unathi

Overview
The Unathi are a race of tall humanoid reptiles standing from six to seven feet tall on average, with females slightly smaller in stature. They possess a mixture of snake-like and crocodile-like features, resulting in hard and plate-like scales, excluding the ones on the belly, armpits and groin. Unathi live in their home system of Uueoa-Esa with their homeworld being Moghes. The planet's history can be summarized as being divided up between various Hegemonies; names they give the most powerful Clans on Moghes throughout time. The Clan system is deeply entrenched in Unathi society, with everything else revolving around it. It forms a major part of their code of honor, which stresses the importance of martial abilities and loyalty to the Clan.

The Unathi code of honor also has them frown on ranged weapons, with many Unathi preferring melee combat.

After the Contact War, many Unathi which fled the planet through Nanotrasen-built shuttle ports slipped through the cracks and became slavers and raiders, gaining fearsome reputations.

Many Unathi in Nanotrasen find themselves working in security and engineering roles, but recently many have been proving themselves as competent surgeons and brilliant scientists, earning opportunities unheard of on Moghes.

To apply to be Unathi, apply here.

Heads of Staff
Unathi can be the following Heads of Staff:


 * Head of Security
 * Chief Medical Officer
 * Head of Personnel
 * Research Director
 * Chief Engineer
 * Internal Affairs Agent

Mechanics

 * Unathi have slightly improved heat resistance, but increased sensitivity to cold.
 * Unathi have improved unarmed melee attacks, which slash and have the possibility of knocking someone down.
 * Unathi can devour monkeys, rats, spiders, carp, and other small mobs by clicking and dragging from the mob to themselves. The animal must hold still for it to work.
 * Unathi hiss when speaking Tau Ceti Basic. You achieve this by typing multiple s's during speech. This can also be pronounced through x's if their accent is thick. "Thiss iss an exssample."
 * Unathi have drastically reduced tolerance to alcohol. Ethanol is toxic to all Unathi.
 * Unathi can only drink alcohol from drinks with butanol instead of ethanol. Butanol gets them drunk similar to ethanol but has no affect on other species.
 * Unathi can safely eat carp and consume carpotoxin.
 * Unathi can safely devour spiders and space bears.
 * Unathi get no nutrients from eating fruits and vegetables. They need meat to fill their hunger.
 * Unathi have the fastest sprint available to any species, but they have low stamina, meaning they can only sprint in short bursts.

Autakh Subspecies Mechanics

 * Aut'akh have fair resistance to cold and reduced resistance to heat.
 * Aut'akh have mechanical limbs which can be detached at will. Some of these limbs have additional functionality such as department-appropriate tools.
 * Aut'akh have mechanical eyes that allow them to access department HUDs, but which can be shut down by flashes.
 * Aut'akh have the ability to exchange nutrition and hydration for emergency life-saving chemicals.
 * Aut'akh have a slightly elevated stamina and a slightly slower sprint.

Biology
Their average life expectancy is around sixty years for most Unathi. However, they tend to live for seventy or eighty years when given advanced medical care available to the other space-faring species. As a cold-blooded species, they suffer fatigue and even short comas when exposed to extremely low temperatures.

Since they are carnivorous species, their diet mostly consists of meat, though they do have a tolerance to some plants and fruits. However, they do not get any nutrition from plants, so they are mostly used as garnish or decoration.

The reproductive system of a Sinta'Unathi is very similar to that of Earth reptiles. Females lay eggs, with the average clutch being somewhere between one and three. They have an six month gestation period, after which they are laid in a humid, warm area. After two months, the fetus is fully developed and hatches from the egg. Unathi are born with their claws and ability to walk within hours of hatching. A Sinta'Unathi is considered an adult when they are 18 years old.

Biologically the Unathi of Moghes and Ouerea are identical.

Aut'akh Unathi, when not fully mechanical, are biologically identical as well.

Physical Appearance
The Unathi as a species are born into one of four major scale color categories Red, Black, Orange-brown ("sand colored") and Green. Alternative colours are rare, with dark blue and even albino Unathi being reported in very small numbers. Traditionally these off-colored Unathi are met with prejudice, though some clans outside the Izweski may feel different. The typical healthy adult male Unathi weighs roughly 260 pounds.

The females differ from the males in that they generally have a shorter and more rounded snout. The typical healthy Unathi female weighs roughly 200 pounds.

Female Unathi tend to grow to be between 5'9" to 6'8.

Male Unathi tend to grow to be between 6'0" to 7'0".

Both sexes stand on plantigrade legs, jointed backwards, and have clawed feet and hands. They also have very long tongues, which may stretch up to a foot and a half long, forked just like a serpent's. In much the same manner as snakes, the Unathi can sample the air around them using their tongue. This tongue is usually black or an extremely dark red, and usually a foot in length. They blink but can also lick their own eyeballs.



The Aut'akh Unathi are identical save for their mechanical bodies being heavier and more robotic in appearance, using weighing an average of 270 pounds.

Social Mannerisms
When speaking to superiors, it is considered formal and respectful to refer to them by the extended name of their command. A clan leader would be referred to by the name of their clan, a squad leader by the name of their squad. Intimate gestures between Unathi include twining necks, twining tails, and touching foreheads/muzzles. Hugging is usually considered something done by children, avoided by adults.

Unathi should always be addressed by their last name in most situations. It is offensive to use a Unathi's first name unless you are family or have a close friendship with them, but some Unathi are more permissive than others. In a situation where there are multiple Unathi with the same last name, it's generally accepted to just get more and more specific in your address to make it clear who you are speaking to.

For most Unathi being seen speaking to a Guwan is embarrassing. A woman associating with a Guwan is extremely improper and indecent, and they can lose social standing by doing so.

Baring the throat is the single most meaningful expression of trust in a lover or superior, often used as shows of extreme trust, compassion or admittance of shame, and within honorable contexts, clawing or biting the exposed throat is perfectly allowed.

Relationships for Unathi are, suffice to say, not one of equality, but responsibility. Males who request and admit attraction to a female will go to the male who is responsible for their well-being and tell them this, usually boasting or offering tributes to the female's caretaker as well. Trying to ignore the ritual of arranged marriage is a great insult to the female's clan, and at worst could lead to a blood feud and/or war. Divorces are also only possible by the male, with the female given no legal rights or ability to inherit property. However, a Unathi abusing or neglecting his wife is deeply insulting to the female's family and clan and can lead to dangerous feuds.

Emotional Displays
Unathi feel emotions just like humans feel, but with different cues. Irritation or heightened emotion is expressed by thumping the tail against the ground. Verbal exclamations are also common, as are short barks, rattling of the throat, or 'chuffing' (forceful exhalations of air from low in the throat). Anxious or worried Unathi might sway (similar to snakes), rattle the heavy scaling on their neck, hiss, or sample air more often than necessary. When cold, Unathi will usually bristle their scales in a manner analogous to human goosebumps. When overly warm, Unathi usually become sluggish and drowsy.

Language
Individual languages are described by the prefix 'Sinta' followed by the identity of its native speakers.

Speaking mannerisms remain the same when speaking Sinta or another language, but for a stylistic choice, avoid contractions like it's and they're, which would be it is and they are.

Sinta'Unathi
While Pre-Contact Moghes had hundreds of unique languages and their own histories, Sinta'Unathi has been and remains the primary language spoken by most Unathi. It is an evolution of an older Moghean trade language, Sinta'Izwe.

The written language has 30 letters, with 5 of them being vowels. The language is written left to right, though this was an attempt to emulate humanity, as informal Sinta'Unathi still write top to bottom.

Sinta'Azaziba
A language of Moghes consisting of a combination of spoken word and gesticulation. While waning since Moghes entered the galactic stage, it enjoys popular use by Unathi that never fell to the Hegemony's cultural dominance.

Sinta'Azaziba writing has 27 letters, 4 of which being vowels. The language is written top to bottom.

History of Sinta
Modern Sinta'Unathi began in the 1990's Galactic Standard Time as the primary language of the Izweski Nation, and spread across the globe for merchants seeking to do business in foreign Kingdoms. It became the main language of global trade, and eventually began to trickle its way upwards to become the primary language of the upper classes. By the late 2100's the Izweski Hegemony passed several laws attempting to increase imperial nationalism in its extremely diverse population. All Hegemonic citizens were required to be fluent in the language, and speaking foreign languages in public carried threats of imprisonment. Imperial authorities also carried out mass-kidnappings of ethnic Unathi, raising the young in boarding schools that instilled in them proper Hegemony values and Sinta'Unathi language lessons. Children were often beaten if they were discovered speaking their native language.

The earliest forms of Sinta writing come in the form of hieroglyphs that scribes literally scratched onto wooden tablets with their talons, with the earliest dated around 600 CE. These early tablets were predominately inventory records, consisting of nouns and tally marks. As society grew more interconnected and complex, scribes and impatient merchants decided they had better things to do than spend hours making thousands of tally marks, so writing continued to evolve until taking their modern form.

One of the first things to go was literally scratching wooden tablets, with scribes eventually dipping their talons into pulped Peizi Berries, which left stubborn, persistent stains on almost anything it touched. This meant scribes or writers could be identified by having stained talons; a trend that became more style than practical after the printing press came into use. But even in modern times, Unathi that want to appear intellectual often paint their talons. However this has become embarrassing for Unathi as humans view it as girly, so it's become an embarrassing faux pas to be caught with stained or painted talons, leading to skyrocketing sales of pens across Unathi space.

Moghean
Moghean Unathi are traditional Unathi, with the planet being their homewold. Historically culture varies across Clans which exist on the planet, but some customs and norms arch over nearly all Unathi universally.

It is a social faux-pas to use a Unathi's first name if not family or extremely close to the Unathi in question. Generally a Unathi will tell someone when they feel comfortable with the person using their first name. It is also distressing to Unathi to touch their tail, or to touch them at all before introductions are undertaken.

Unathi place great emphasis on oral traditions. Writing and reading are seen as men's work, with most Unathi women discouraged or even banned from learning.

Outside the formal schools of the Untouched Lands, village and town shamans often remain the only source of education for many young unathi.



The Zandiziite Games
An ancient sport that got its start on Moghes, this sport is best described as a mixture of olympic games and Mixed Martial Arts. Competitors within the Zandiziite Games are called Zandiziites, or colloquially an individual wrestler is called a Zandi. Clans send eligible men (and only men) to their Lord in the hopes that they are chosen to represent their city or community in the Zandiziite Games.

A more in-depth description can be found here.

Ouerean
While the Unathi of Ouere follow most of the same social beliefs as their Moghean counterparts, they tend to be less volatile towards outsiders who are ignorant of their customs, especially since their world was formerly ruled by the Skrell and Humanity. The culture of humanity and Skrell have managed to influence Ouerean Unathi, embedding different cultural norms. There is a focus on individualism, with most Unathi being given the same chance as anyone else. There is still a struggle with a highly stratified society, but things are much more progressive than on Moghes. Many of the original colonists started as patriots to the Izweski Hegemony, but many soon found themselves disillusioned with the distant home world tearing itself apart in war. Many of them became enamored with human and Skrell culture and ideals of democracy, equality, and liberalism; finding themselves resentful of their old lives on Moghes. Reintegration into the Hegemony has proved difficult as both planets try to reconcile these cultural differences.

Ourean art, in contrast to Moghean pottery and dyed fabrics, has taken on inspiration from human and Skrell art. Many Ourean Unathi have become renowned glass makers and craftsmen. The greater access to human and skrell universities - many of which still operate on the planet - also give Ourean Unathi greater chances to specialize with human and Skrell systems.

Aut'akh
The Aut'akh are a radical religious commune of cybernetically-augmented Unathi. In the safety of their ships and bunker complexes they know a remarkably efficient life, with few accidents and a smoothly running society despite relatively poor conditions. Their society is guided by their living god, Oss, who dwells in a given colony's computer network, usually called Mesh. The Aut'akh are highly emotional but very friendly, approaching others with a sort of serene contentment.

Women
Women are very much a subjugated underclass in traditional Unathi society. The legal differences between Unathi women and "property" is vague. They are discouraged from reading or writing, can't join the military, and are expected to cook and clean the household while looking over the children of the clan. They legally cannot divorce from their husbands, and their marriages are often arranged by the male elders of their clan. They're political tools used to create alliances between Clans.

Women still do hold power in some ways. They are responsible for raising the children and can hold influence over their husbands. When married, their former clan can lose a lot of face or honor if she's mistreated or divorced. Entire wars have broken out over divorces or accusations that the husband is mistreating the female. Unathi women are also in charge of the education of Unathi children until they're 5 years old, when they go to formal schools. Outside the Izweski Hegemony on Moghes, women are often tasked with the education of their children until adulthood, aided only by the local shaman's teachings.

Often times, 'Wife Competitions' are held to encourage young, unmarried women to be competitive against each other and be the best suitor they can be, while fathers and unwed sons from various clans watch. Formal events are often made to have young women test their skills of cleaning, cooking, likability, formal etiquette, beauty, or other feminine skills. Dances are traditionally held at the beginning and end of these events with the women wielding tracerblades, which are still-hot metal knives or swords that were just removed from a fire, or coated in oil and set aflame. Women will sometimes learn how to fight with knives and swords and disguise it as a dancing technique, but it is none the less still beautiful and encouraged by many. Successful women who win these contests are lauded by their entire communities and enjoy great prestige, and often enjoy the luxury of several suitors pining for their hand.

Religion
While various faiths exist on Moghes, many of which are as old as any other, there are two major religions of the Unathi that pervade in nearly every aspect of their lives. Th'akh and Sk'akh, both of which predominately focus on ancestor worship and connections with the spirit world. More information can be found here.

Politics
Moghes is divided between the Izweski Nation, which exists in the Untouched Lands, and the hundreds of other Clans and nations who claim their own land across the planet's surface. The only real difference in their political systems is the scale. Many of these other clans are modern nations or pre-industrial, ruled by various kings or leaders. However with the expansion of the uninhabitable Wasteland and the brutal decimation Izweski forces committed on foreign leadership many institutions of Non-Hegemony government across Moghes are rare or extremely fragile.



Izweski Nation
Izweski is lead by Clan Leader S’kresti Izweski, a 56 year old Unathi who ruled the country since he was 38 after his father Kitaskis Izweski, the previous Hegemon, died from liver failure at 61. He lives in the Izweski Citadel in Skalamar, and under him are the Lords who rule their own subjugated clans. They live in a feudal system, with the Lords usually being clan leaders or important clan members themselves who pledge themselves to Izweski in exchange for land and protection.

The Hegemon is the Emperor, and under him are the Overlords, who are the Kings. Under the Overlords are the Lords, who are then broken up between the Clan Lords, and then the Clan Leaders. Clan Leaders are a mostly ceremonial title and make up (usually) the eldest male ruler of a specific family clan.

After the death of his eldest son in a shuttle crash the Hegemony fell into a deep depression to the point of becoming comatose. In his place S'linzar Ickza, his eldest son in law, declared himself regent and heir to the empire. After a brief succesion crisis, Not'Zar Izweski, the second eldest son, took his place as the Regent and heir. Despite his severe physical handicap forcing him to walk with a cane, and the resulting assumption from the upper nobility that he is weak and incapable of ruling, Not'Zar Izweski has proven a shrewd diplomat, with many powerful allies within the government that keep his position tenuously secure.

Overlords rule an entire planet in the name of the Hegemon. Under them are Lords, who can rule huge tracts of land and multiple cities, or just a single city; there is no distinction between a Count and Duke level of Lordship like in most human feudalism.

There are two different kind of major lifestyles In Izweski. There is the city, which is ran by a Lord and a small council of lesser clans. City life is less harsh than life in the country, especially with opportunities provided with shuttle services to the rest of the galaxy. Life in the rural areas is harsher, with cities being rare and life mostly determined by the size of a Clan's village and how well they can hunt, fish, or in desperate times, raid their neighbors. It's the traditional Unathi life, made harsher by the growing Wasteland encroaching on once fertile lands.

Ouerean Confederation
Ouerea was originally settled in 2438 and was intended to be the Hegemony's first planetary colony. The growing discontentment on the planet Ouerea, the first colony settled by the Hegemony, erupted into a large-scale grassroots movement after the rocky re-integration back into the Hegemony. Clans across Ouerea came together under the banner of the Confederation of Ouerea. This revolutionary movement was unsuccessfully suppressed by the alarmed aristocracy, but it became unstoppable. Despite the objections from the Overlord of Ouerea, who went as far as to assassinate rebel negotiators, they were granted limited self-rule by Not'zar Izweski. Angry with this, the Overlord Yiztek tried and failed to assassinate the Lord-Regent, and was summarily deposed and his entire clan made Guwans.

More information on the politics and history of Ouerea can be found here.

Gwim’zala
A moon world in the Youthstone star system, it was originally a large headquarters for raiders and pirates. In May of 2459 a joint operation between the Empire of Dominia and the Hegemony | destroyed the pirate headquarters before the two allies turned on one another in a short, viscous war. The fighting itself was a draw but the Hegemony gained the system while Dominia gained its loot. The liberated world of C-19B was renamed Gwim'zala and was opened to settlement by enterprising Sinta'Unathi. It's Overlord is the elderly Zutazki Gwim'zala of which the planet gets its name.

The planet is sparsely populated with 12,500 Unathi. Most colonists are hardy frontiersmen who are living in a wild, untamed world. Outside the Overlord and his family within the sole city of Oyutazi the planet is notably absent of a landed nobility, as the young colony has still not been partitioned.

The entire system the colony is in faces intense and repeated attacks by marauding pirates and raiders, and there are nearly twice weekly skirmishes between them and the Izweski Navy. It is an open secret that the Empire of Dominia is offering large rewards to marauders that attack the system, but there is no firm proof that would allow the Hegemony to honorably retaliate. Because of this, many Unathi within the navy find that battle in Youthstone can be where they prove themselves in battle.

Surviving Kingdoms
Despite the destruction of most of the known world from the Contact War, some desperate survivors managed to weather the storm and remain nominally free of Izweski dominance - either from the Izweski's weariness for war on Moghes, or arrogant indifference.

Queendom of Szek’Hakh
A matriarchal settlement of roughly ten thousand set in the Wasteland, led by Queen Szek’Hakh. After the Contact War’s nukes wiped out the vast majority of men, they adapted to using women as protectors, while using men to keep house.

For the Kingdom, the gender roles of Unathi are inverted, and many of its people thusly struggle to find opportunities on Moghes and seek employment in Tau Ceti.

The Szek'Hakh Clan became the leading power in their region following the Contact War. With almost all of the men dead and the once fertile lands become a barren Wasteland, the matriarch Lazak Szek’Hakh convinced the shell-shocked and wounded survivors of her clan that she was the only one capable of ruling during this terrifying time.

Eventually Szek’Hakh consolidated control of her clan and the settlement. As the Wasteland engulfed her settlement she coordinated a renovation of aquaculture farms and lead expeditions to bring their highly valuable fish products to the distant surviving city of Mudki. Women took prominent roles in all of these, with the necessities of survival in the harsh wasteland fraying Unathi gender roles. A neighboring nobleman, fearing this rise of powerful women, orchestrated to have her assassinated. In a dramatic confrontation the assassin was foiled an publically exiled as a Guwandi, sparking Szek’Hakh’s rapid rise of being named Queen by her people.

Queen Szek’Hakh now leads a struggling wasteland settlement in a precarious situation. The traditional Izweski leaning Unathi find her position an affront to customs, and she struggles to find allies. She tries to walk a delicate tightrope balancing the relations of the Sk’akh Church, the Izweski, and the Wastelander factions. Her settlement is primarily Th’akh, and she herself follows the faith. She complies (though unwillingly) with the demands of Izweski representatives to expel the prophet Si'akh from her realm when he enters her settlement in his travels, though she quietly allows members of his travelling flock to rest in secret when they pass through her settlement. For the same, she does not tolerate the cult of the Aut'akh, and her people ruthlessly hunt down their unaugmented proselytizers.

Feudalism and Society
All Unathi in the Izweski Hegemony live under a strict feudal society. It divides most of the species into eight distinct economic and social classes. Noblemen can include Lords, Clan Lords, and even distinguished Clan Leaders. These are the landed elite of the Sinta'Unathi and typically own a castle and surrounding land. They have many special laws protecting their status' and privileges. You become a Nobleman when you are granted a tract of land by the Izweski to rent in their name.

Priests are exclusively members of the established Sk'akh Church. They are granted many special protections that protect them from violence or land seizures. Priests own their respective churches and Lords are forbidden from collecting tax from them, pressing them into armed service, or seizing their lands. Their influence rivals that of secular Lords, and many Priests are active participants in local politics and intrigue.

Warriors are soldiers that distinguish themselves in battle under the banners of their Lords. They are seen as an ideal for all male Unathi to strive for. They are expected to provide martial service to their Lord, and in turn are expected to be paid regularly. They are exempt from menial labor, as their Lord is expected to provide for them.

Kataphract, or Saa’Izweski in Sinta’Unathi, are an ancient class of warriors that has recently been revived by Not’zar Izweski. A kataphract is the epitome of a warrior’s ideals and the best of the best of the species. They are sworn to serve and defend the Hegemony and strictly follow the Unathi code of Honor. When they are not summoned to do battle for the Izweski, many kataphracts seek to maintain their status as brave and honorable warriors by participating in martial games or going on adventures throughout the galaxy. Kataphracts are appointed by the Hegemon, an Overlord, or another kataphract if they prove themselves in battle to be especially brave and worthy. Women can not typically become kataphracts; it is incredibly rare and has only happened a handful of times. They are referred to as Saa (gender neutral) when referring to their rank, or Saa’Izweski when formally referred to. Kataphracts are only paid by the Hegemony when they are summoned for war. Many Kataphract take to adventuring across the galaxy to earn credits and make their name - and some even seek employment within Tau Ceti, waiting until the day they are summoned to do proper battle.

Kataphract-Hopefuls, or Zo’saa in Sinta’Unathi, are Unathi that have pledged themselves to the life of a kataphract but are not yet appointed. They typically attach themselves to an existing kataphract and shadow them on their adventures, attending to them and learning all that the kataphract can teach. Other Hopefuls, after making their intentions known, are sent out across the galaxy to be tested in various ways. Many kataphract-Hopefuls come to Tau Ceti for the challenge of holding true to their ideals and goal of kataphracthood against the well known trend of the star system to break down tradition and reject conservative Unathi traditions. Kataphract-Hopefuls that spend a few years in Tau Ceti and still hold true to their commitments of honor and bravery, or who engage in incredibly brave deeds and do the same, can easily find themselves anointed a kataphract. They are referred to as Zo’saa.

Guildsmen are merchants, businessmen, and entrepreneurs striving to make a name for themselves and earn a nice profit while doing so. This social class includes both Guildmasters and independent salesmen. You are required to purchase the title of Guildsman from a local lord before being considered as such, and are legally barred from conducting business without one. Guildsmen are only required to pay rent to their Lord and are exempt from taxation, so this group forms the closest thing Moghes has to a middle class.

Peasants are the bottom rung of society, and are by far the largest. This group comprises of traditional tenants on the land of a Lord working aquaculture farms or in the mines, to urban Unathi living a more modern and regimented life in a big city. While Unathi have the freedom to move if their Lord displeases them, they have barely any resemblance of legal protections. Strong social norms and tradition are what keep Lords from outright abusing their peasants en-masse. They work for the Guilds and provide the Guilds the fruit of all their labor, keeping meager earnings of which they must surrender half to their Lord for the privilege of living on his land.

Guwan are the absolute bottom caste of Unathi society. They are Untouchables and are given absolutely zero protections, and are actively subjugated, persecuted, and barred from all aspects of public life and hopes of ever advancing upwards.

Ouerea
Ouerea operates slightly differently from the regular feudal model with the additional of Elder-Chiefs and Clan-Mothers. For the purpose of social ranking, they are usually given the same esteem as noblemen.

Elder-Chiefs are originally male Chiefs appointed to the Grand Council by a Clan-Mother already on the Grand Council. The title is not hereditary. Elder-Chiefs serve for life on the Grand Council but can retire or be removed by a Clan-Mother. Typically they are elder, wise, and Th'akh.

Clan-Mother is a heriditary title that passed down a Clan matrilineally. They are usually esteemed elders of the most prestigious Ouerean Clans Clan-Mothers are responsible for overseeing the behavior and actons of Elder-Chiefs. Removing Elder-Chiefs is left to their Clan-Mother, and can be done only if she believes a Chief is not acting for the benefit of the people. They are typically elder, wise, and Th'akh.

Many humans and Skrell still reside on Ouerea, and there are periodically human or even Skrell Mayors and Chiefs.

Economy
The Unathi economic system is mercantilist in nature. Access to ports are restricted to specific guilds given a royal charter, which is a bill of exclusivity over shares of trade to protect them from competition. It is best thought of as being given a lease by the Izweski to handle a specific amount of interstellar trade coming to and from the Hegemony.

Trade guilds then sell their trade goods to the other guilds and to the general populace of the wider galaxy. In exchange for exclusive trade rights, the chartered trade guilds offer the Hegemon the first pick of goods and reduced prices. This means that the royal family gets massive discounts on whatever they want to purchase. Historically Hegemons extend this privilege to loyal lords in the form of a special seal. Those with this seal then get cheaper arms, armor, ships, or anything else they need, which has been a powerful tool of manipulation.

For example, the Hegemon would tell one of his subordinates to go down to the merchants guildhouse and tell them to purchase 900 mittens. The listed price would be 900 credits, but with the royal seal the subordinate can purchase all of them for only 450 credits. It's a form of tax; they lose that amount of the money they'd normally get selling it, but the Hegemon is guaranteeing them a greater amount of credits in trade a year. Hephaestus Industries has the most generous charter to operate on Ouerea and brings its goods directly to the galactic market directly. Other mega-corporations have their efforts throttled and frustrated. NanoTrasen retains recruitment offices in the star system but very little else.

History Overview
More in-depth information on the history of the Unathi can be found on their history section.

The history of the Unathi is predominately a history of each Hegemony that has existed throughout their history. There have only been three clans that have managed to create an empire worthy of the title Hegemony.

The Kres’ha’nor Hegemony lasted from roughly 920 CE - 1500 CE Galactic Standard Time. It is most famous for being the first empire to dominate Moghes and creating what was then a modern feudal state. Their empire saw rise of walled cities, steel weapons, centralized taxation, and other innovations. It ended in a brutal succession war, with Moghes once again being shattered into hundreds of individual Kingdoms with no true global power.

In the 16th century the power of Guilds began to grow, forming an early form of capitalism. Guilds formed for bakers, butchers, grocers, millers, smiths, carpenters, weavers, mason, shoemakers, in fact, nearly every trade had its own guild. Standards such as just weights and measures evolved from the guilds, and guild inspectors would inspect shops to ensure rules were being followed. Guilds would help members that were sick, or in trouble, and would sometimes take care of families after the member died. This time also saw Guilds building the first major universities. While incredibly exclusive, these universities began to create a new era of specialized labor and intellectuals.

The 19th century saw rise of the Second Hegemony, ruled by the Sarakas Clan. Their clan ruled harshly, and forced technological advances into the cities and towns. In the 1930's they ruthlessly modernized their empire in The Great Endevour, spreading electricity, radio, paved roads, modern plumbing, and other modern innovations.

In 1994 the Izweski Clan violently deposed the Sarakas and slaughtered the entire surviving dynasty, declaring the Third Hegemony. After they won an incredibly destructive global war to defend their claim, the Izweski have ruled Moghes until modern times.

In 2433, a human exploration team discovered Moghes. Shortly after, first contact was made. Sol Alliance merchants and scientists flocked to Moghes, living under very careful observation and guard in Izweski cities. Skalamar, the second largest city in Izweski, became the first Unathi city to have a shuttleport constructed. Owned by NanoTrasen, it served to transport people to and from the planet’s surface.

The Contact War, which has more information here, was a cataclysmic global war that lasted from 2437 to 2449. The fighting was between two global powers, the Izweski Hegemony, and the Traditionalist Coalition. The war was fought over the very future of the Unathi and their relationship with the rest of the galaxy. The Izweski demanded Moghes submit to a one world government ran by themselves and embrace the influence of humanity. The Traditionalist Coalition rejected this. The war went nuclear on September 5th, 2439, causing immense suffering across Moghes and directly leading to the creation of The Wasteland, which is set to engulf Moghes within a hundred years.

‘Guwandi’
In the event that a Unathi becomes mortally ill, or finds themselves lacking the pride or honor to continue to live, or simply become tired of their existence undergo a ritualistic suicide and take the title of 'Guwandi' (which is translated to Gladiator/Galdium). They will give up their possessions to their clan leader and make their journey into the Moghes desert. The only things they keep are their weapons which they use to fight animals or other Unathi so that they may die in honorable combat. In the event that two of these Guwandi meet, they will first draw their weapons and adopt a passive stance, which is followed by them telling each other their stories in turn, as well as the reasons behind their choice of adopting the mantle of 'Guwandi' and how they wish their remains to be dealt with. When both sides understand the other, combat will begin with a mutual wish of luck that the more worthy of death lose with pride. The winner of the battle is responsible for taking care of the corpse in the way they were instructed to. Renouncing the deathseeking life of Guwandi isn't easy. Some may wish to return after having been granted a second outlook, or hope, after they had spent time wandering and risking their life. Their clan may see their decision as cowardly and refuse to accept them, or be overjoyed they had learned a lesson in their time.

The Guwan
In some cases when a Unathi is exiled from their clan, they do not take up the formal title of Guwandi. This can be through fear of death, unwillingness, or simple stubbornness. In this case, they are marked as 'Guwan' by their clan leader, and must take this as their last name. It is a variation on Guwandi, which is translated directly as 'exile'. Guwans are clanless Unathi, and form an underclass. Guwans find it difficult if not impossible to advance socially or politically, and in many cases are oppressed or mistreated by other Unathi who view them as troublemakers or criminals. The only way of returning to a clan after banishment as a Guwan is to be adopted back into the Clan, which happens very rarely.

On August 29th, 2459, the Lord-Regent Not'zar Izweski passed an edict that required clans to send a petition to an imperial court when they want to banish a clan member as a Guwan. The court must side with the petitioning Clan Leader or the Unathi in question is not marked as a Guwan. This has caused backlash as the courts have gained a reputation for being incredibly arbitrary in their decisions.

In the past, all orphans were automatically Guwan unless they are adopted into a Clan. This changed with yet another edict by Not'zar Izweski in December of 2459, which required all orphans, including adults still connected to their orphanage guild via debts or otherwise without parents, to take on the surname of that orphanage. Many Guwan have been forced off of Moghes by their clans with the growing ease of space travel, and Nanotrasen has a long history of exploiting this subgroup of Unathi, coercing them into employment contracts.

Guwans are not permitted to petition their local Lords to express any grievances, and are not permitted to social services provided by private enterprise or state entities. They are not full citizens of the Hegemony but are considered residents, which additionally bares them from many services.

Notably, Guwan are the only social class of Unathi allowed to serve in the personal guard of the Hegemon and his family. The strategy relies on the fact that the guwan of the Guwan Guard are despised and envied by decorated officers that would otherwise serve in traditional guard duties. They are socially isolated and unable to advance politically, which means that their survival depends on the safety of the Hegemon and his family, which means that they wouldn't try to launch a coup or replace the Hegemon without themselves being slaughtered. Similar to an old-Terran Janissary, they're a slave soldier, and unable to have children or hold any sort of political or military position.

If a Unathi is the last of his clan, or is otherwise estranged with no one to declare them Guwan, then a Unathi may still find themselves challenged by other rival clans who lay claim to this Unathi's land, titles, inheritance, or name. If a Unathi is unable or unwilling to defend their claims (which would involve lengthy court trials on Moghes) then they would be stripped of them and declared Guwan. This means that a Unathi hiding in human space can still be named Guwan if their past, or rivals, catch up with them.

'''Guwan are exclusively a criminal or otherwise dishonorable untouchable class, and it takes a lot to be labelled as one. If you want to simply play an orphan who is otherwise an upstanding Sinta, you can't be a Guwan!'''

Orphans and Orphanage Guilds
Orphans in the Hegemony in the past were all labelled as Guwans, but an edict by Not'zar Izweski in December of 2459 changed all that. Hatchlings, child, and teenage Unathi without parents are put in the care of one of the many orphanage guilds on Moghes. These are private run guilds with little to no government oversight. While they fufill a necessary social service in caring for Unathi that would otherwise be on the streets, orphanage guilds in the Hegemony are incredibly exploitative. Unknown to the children the guilds track all the expenses and charge their wards throughout their life until they turn 17, when they are presented with the bill and are forced to work to repay the crippling debt, and many can be trapped by the fact that their debt would fall on any prospective parents.

Two of these guilds have expanded into large corporations that have found a lucrative method of gaining money from their wards. The Gukuzan and Kuhwinla Guilds coerce or persuade their wards to accepts contracts for NanoTrasen if they reach adulthood without being adopted.

The Gukuzan clan is lead by a Priest Kiazoi, and he ensures that those that enter the care of his guild are given a proper religious education and instilled with the values of the church. Children raised by the Gukuzan are also taught valuable lessons in obedience and the importance of duty and respect to their betters. Its wards are moderately well-off and treated well, but the comforts of a happy childhood in the orphanage is rather soured by the fact everything from bedding, food, and even air conditioning are things each child has added to their growing debt. Gukuzan orphanages are scattered across Moghes and there are three on Ouerea. They are all exclusively managed by a priest on the payroll of the Gukuzan.

The Kuhwinla clan is lead by Guildmaster Ioaza Kuhwinla, an infamously frugal woman. She refuses to spend any more than she has to on her wards, meaning that those under her care are given the most basic of education. Children raised by her Guild are taught valuable lessons in thrift, obedience, and how to stretch meals to the absolute limit. Its wards are generally barely better than they would be on the street, but they live with a roof over their heads, semi-reliable food, a basic education, and their debt at the end of their life under the Kuhwinla is generally lower than it would be in other orphanages. Kuhwinla orphanages are in nearly every major Unathi city, and they are unique in that they are managed by matriarchs that answer to Ioaza.

These two surnames are the only ones you may take if you play a non-guwan orphan Unathi on the Aurora station!

Diet and Cuisine
Unathi dishes are mostly, or all made up of meat, eggs, and fish, as they are a carnivorous species. It may be cooked, or even still raw and bleeding. Vegetables in meals are often just for decoration or flavor, but by no means ever make up the majority of the dish. Unathi do not take any nutritional value from plant matter, only from meat. Desert flowers may also be placed on the plate to make it seem well presented, and are also edible. The tools Unathi use to eat are very unorthodox to humans.

Important meals like dinner and breakfast are meant to be consumed while surrounded by family and/or friends, and as such there are no designated utensils. Food will be cut and picked up in strips or portions with their claws. Females are expected to do the cooking.

To support their civilization, fishing has developed on a scale similar to human agriculture. Since the War, fishing yields have fallen, and hunger has become a fact of life for many Unathi.