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Dionae Forms

2021-10-31T03:47:59Z

DeadLantern: /* Unathi */

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=Forms=
The merging and separation of Nymphs take much time and energy to complete, sometimes days or even weeks on much larger structures. For smaller collections such as Cyclopes, it typically only takes an hour or so before they are ready to function. This is due to the Nymph bodies fusing together and creating a sturdy body that will be able to reasonably support itself and move, adapting it to the current environment. Before performing a change, Nymphs and Gestalts will gorge themselves on biomatter in preparation. Separation is only ever done in life-or-death emergencies or special situations such as growing a larger Gestalt as it can often be traumatic to Nymphs if done in a hurry, causing the knowledge gathered to be improperly stored in each individual or even lost without the correct precautions taken. With each change, the new form will always take up a new name to represent the new information and experiences collaborated.

'''Note that Nanotrasen only hires Cyclops forms to work on the Aurora. All crew characters must be one.'''

Dionae, being in its very nature a compound creature, comes in several known and theoretical forms with several characteristics:

==Nymph==
[[File:Nymph.png|thumb|alt=Nymph|The humble beginnings for all Dionae, the Nymph stage.]]
Nymphs are the base form of a Dionae, often born separate from gestalts. They begin their life with an intelligence similar to that of the average dog, their cognitive abilities exponentially increase when they merge with other Nymphs, giving them a biological prerogative to merge with one another in order to survive and comprehend the world around them. If exposed to sentient blood and absorbed, they will grow to the intelligence of very young human children.
==Cerberus==

Cerberus are Dionae gestalts who make up more than one nymph, but not enough to be considered a Cyclops form, comprising roughly two to four nymphs. Their intelligence is comparable to the average sentient creature, and are largely unremarkable. It can be difficult for a Cerberus form to find work, as their general size can make it difficult for them to find the equipment they can use unless specialized specifically for them. The majority of long-term Cerberus forms can be found within the Jargon Federation.

[[File:Dionae.png|thumb|left|alt=Cyclops|Bipedal in form, the Cyclops are the most common gestalts to be seen across the Orion Spur.]]
==Cyclops==

The most common form of Dionae gestalts in the galaxy, cyclops-forms, sometimes referred to as “worker forms" are Dionae gestalts who are made up of roughly five to nine nymphs. Most Cyclops resemble other intelligent species, usually having two legs and two arms, although this can differ based on the number of nymphs that are a part of the gestalt. Their intelligence follows the growth of intelligence of lesser forms, comparable to highly intelligent sentient life. They can grasp highly abstract concepts, such as quantum theory, and vastly outstrip the sum of their parts by orders of magnitude. Dionae Cyclops tend to stand anywhere as low as three feet to as tall as eight feet, some even taller. Typically, the majority of the Cyclops will stand at a rough five to six feet.

==Argus==

One of the rarer forms of Dionae, Argus are Dionae made from anywhere from ten nymphs, to a hundred. Due to the sheer size of most Argus forms, work can be extremely tough to find in most unskilled jobs and many find work within specialized jobs, largely with Research or even as Engineers, considering many of them would spend their time on the exterior side of the ships and stations, allowing for the
soaking up of radiation and light.

==Colossus==

Colossus forms are Dionae gestalts that are made up of as little as one-hundred-and-one nymphs to upwards of five-hundred-thousand. Colossus forms are split into two sub-categories, "Trireme", who are gestalts that move through space, and “Echions”, gestalts that tend to stay in one area/system. Most newly discovered gestalts in space are considered a Trireme Colossi. Due to the sheer size of a Colossus, it is incredibly rare if not impossible for one to find work or a purpose. As such most will break up into a myriad of new gestalts to see new and better opportunities.

==Cetus==
[[File:SkrellDionae.png|thumb|alt=Cetus|One of few Cetus' captured by Skrell technology when discovered over Kelo'Hen]]
Cetus forms are a mass of Dionae so immense, in the orders of a million nymphs, that it can be considered a stellar body. Currently, only two have been observed, those being the gestalt above Nralakk, the second being the recent Venter's Cetus. Unknown capabilities - theorized to be more intelligent than most other forms of intelligence, organic or synthetic. It is suspected that the original Dionae gestalt, where it may be, is at least this form if not the form below.

==Titan==

A theoretical form of the Dionae - a planet, or even star-sized Diona form consisting of maybe more nymphs than is currently known to exist, maybe the pinnacle of organic processing and thought. Uncharted intelligence. The Skrell has an order to destroy any Dionae structure that could reach or has reached, this size due to the inherent risk of intelligence singularity and other classified risks.

= Dionae Life Cycle =

The Dionae life cycle is categorized in Basic by the old Greek words of Coeus, Geras, and Penuma.

All Dionae either form within a spored pod, or grown internally within a larger gestalt over time. Those who are formed from the former act almost entirely on instinct from their more limited thinking capacity, those who form via the latter are much more like a neuron that improves the whole until exposed to blood of a sentient species.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Age bracket for Coeus officially being classified as a Geras
|-
! - !! Default Bark (temperate/spacestation grown) !! Lighter Bark (warm planets) !! Darker bark (cold planets/space)
|-
| '''Natural''' || 50-90 years old|| 80-120 years old || 30-70 years old
|-
| '''With treatments''' || 120-140 years old || 150-180 years old || 80-100 years old
|}
==Coeus==
Classified in Basic is Coeus, to mean “youth” in a rough translation. Those who are classified as Coeus are within a rather large age bracket, and have very little bark growth. All Coeus know instinctively if grown from, or are part of a larger gestalt that their purpose is to find experiences in their youth, and provide for the whole.

Without their protective bark, gestalts with a majority of Coeushave what is known as an ‘echo chamber’ by skrell scientists. Their pain echoes violently through the rest of the gestalt, and the others will amplify the pain to a degree also. It is highly unusual for Coeus to ever adapt to the ‘echo chamber’ phenomenon before their transition to Geras due to the sheer intensity.

This phenomenon is also what Solarian scientists posited lead to their pacifistic tendencies, that are far more pronounced in the Coeus of their species. In fact they cannot understand why anyone would inflict pain on another living being, more often than not, due to their capacity for empathy and how severe it is for themselves. It is not uncommon for them to attempt to talk down someone being violent, or using their speed to run away instead. Given their intense fear of the ‘echo chamber’ effect, they will try to avoid fighting until it is the very last resort. This idealistic and intensely pacifistic viewpoint means that they are unwilling and would likely never be employed in any army, security or PMC group until becoming Geras. Due to their high-degree of pacifism, Coeus who join a military will only do so if they can be assigned a non-combat position such as logistics or as a medic.

Providing for Geras and Penuma is part of their biological imperative, and it is not uncommon for Coeus to enter employment in order to provide funds in the modern era to allow their greater Gestalt to be housed, or given appropriate living conditions to not just be living in a box soaking sunlight. Often this supersedes their innate desire to explore and understand the universe, depending on how crucial the support is for their linked gestalt.

Coeus may often be affectionately called Saplings or Sprouts by Geras, and often will refer to Geras as Elders in return.

==Geras==
Geras, or Elders, are older Dionae who have a decent amount of bark grown. As a result of their thick bark, Geras are less mobile, although the bark also offers them an extra layer of protection from most damage. In addition they have finally evolved to negate the ‘echo chamber’ phenomenon, and will likely remember it for a large portion of their life.

Geras are generally looked up to by their younger, less experienced counterparts, viewing them as more experienced. While not as immobile as a Penuma, Coeus still frequently try to aid Geras in tasks their lesser mobility doesn’t permit. Due to their more experienced nature, Geras will more frequently serve as leaders or diplomats compared to their Coeus counterparts, such as the fact that the majority of Dionae translators are Geras.

Skrellian scientists have noted that Geras are quite protective of both Coeus and Penuma respectively, seeing the former as ‘their future’. It is not uncommon for Geras to help Coeus in social disputes, or to stand up for them if there is a perceived injustice. In addition, any Geras who live in proximity to a Penuma are extremely protective of anything that tries to approach them, due to their immobile and largely vulnerable state.

It is known that Geras see themselves as the ‘shepards’ of sorts of all Dionae gestalts, and see it as their duty and imperative to guide the Coeus and protect the Penuma. Unless a Coeus is exceptionally experienced for their age, it is rare to see any in a position of power trying to influence the greater whole of the group. Interestingly they will universally listen and attempt to follow when a Penuma gives advice, even if they disagree on the interpretations among themselves quickly.

Geras approaching their final life stages will often be focused on spawning new Coeus gestalts, and finding an appropriate place to spend eternity. Most often they will return to a similar environment to the one they were first grown from, the most common resting place to drift in space for eternity.

As a result of age, Geras are generally less pacifistic than Coeus. While conflict is still a last resort, Geras are more willing to defend themselves and are more willing to protect others even if it means coming into conflict with another. Negotiations and an attempt to de-escalate a situation are still preferred, and Geras working in a non-security or military field will usually not join into a conflict when there are better-suited individuals around to handle it.

==Penuma==
Categorized as Penuma, Skrellian scientists had no idea that these structures were sentient or even responsive upon their first contact with the Dionae. The reason for this is their bark has grown to such an extent that it cripples them and warps them into strange and alien shapes, the thickness of the bark in addition, almost entirely prevents UV radiation from being absorbed by the entombed nymphs. This leads to an outer casing of tendrils over the thick bark that look almost like a strange form of Ivy.

The biological purpose of those tendrils are to link to nymphs on the outside or eventually form a form of ‘moss’ over the immobilized Dionae in order to absorb the outside environment. It is noted that this process is woefully inefficient, so Penuma end up creating large amounts of mundane growths that can be burned as nutrients during periods of starvation.

Penuma were regarded as actual plantlife until neural activity was detected inside them through invasive probing. It was calculated that they were still fully cognizant of the outside world but were simply deciding to not respond, however due to the invasive probes, the subject Penuma responded by digesting the probes and pulling in the nearby Skrellian before they had a chance to respond, digested on the exterior by a grown sack. Geras explained after the incident that Penuma have no visual way to understand their exterior without linked nymphs, and that as a stress response they are capable of defending themselves by burning their biomass reserves, and that breaching the bark was seen as an attack instinctively.

In the modern understanding of Penuma, Geras explain that while they have the greatest experience and knowledge of them all. The eons of seeing the same things has made them disinterested in the outside world, quite literally thinking for years on end on philosophical or esoteric concepts simply to stave off being bored.

Penuma are seen as the spirits of the Dionae people, the foundation of their knowledge and their past. However due to their responsiveness being quite lackluster, they will offer guidance usually at complete random, leaving the Geras to their own devices unless absolutely necessary.

There has been no documented reports on the memory accuracy of a Penuma when it speaks about the past, and it is very possible that they are beyond the foundational limits of memory for a Dionae, given their size.

While there is little actual data on the pacifism of Pneuma, it is not unheard of for them to protect themselves through calling for nearby gestalts, or if the threat is adjacent as a stress response to entangle it in biomass and digest it remotely. Solarian alarmists see this as a reason that Dionae cannot be trusted, as in their final stages they seem to have no qualms with defending themselves quite lethally.

There is one exception to Penuma's immobility and lack of response, and that is of course those who drift in the void for their final stages. Moving at sunlight speeds and using internal gas bladders to make orbital adjustments, they often will orbit a star for unknown periods of time. These are the only known Penuma with independence, but due to their nature are mistaken as asteroids or space debris. Any attempts to formally contact them thus far have failed, and official funding for projects such as these are hard to find.

= Dionae Minds =
It is erroneously believed that the only format that Dionae can gain sentience- and therefore knowledge- is through the blood of sentient creatures. However this is quite false, and often the shortsighted view of those who are unfortunately subject to ‘anklebiters’. Sapience is instead something that is achieved due to the instinctive behaviour of nymphs to gather together. What they cannot achieve alone or through external DNA, they manage to achieve as a collective, becoming fully sapient and sentient. What is however debated is if they are actually individually sentient or only the greater being, although such collectives will argue it doesn’t matter.

The memories of any individual Diona are linked specifically to their neural strata, and due to how it is imprinted cannot be imparted across neural links to the others in their gestalt. This leads to an unfortunate eventuality in that if a nymph leaves a gestalt, the information it held is gone forever. When one wishes to leave formally, there is a known process known simply as ‘departing’. Where the collective will go to a safe place that they can be assured they will not need to move or be at risk of starvation. During this time the nymph will sing vocally a song of their experiences, of their knowledge and training. In this way they can imprint their knowledge in an abstract way across their collective or even much larger ones. It is not uncommon to go on pilgrimages when the departing is in process, and those who are at witness to it note how varied the emotion in such songs are depending on the histories of such nymphs.
There is also a darker method of obtaining the memories of other nymphs, to devour their neural strata allows the physical repurposing and absorbing of fragments of their memories. This is of course never done to another living nymph, as it would be incredibly traumatic to internalize being eaten alive. The strangest part of forceful integration is that their memories are an absolute void of emotion, when thinking about them or recalling them in any fashion there is never any emotional connotation. This can be incredibly strange and uncomfortable, and can never be reversed once absorbed. There are experimental unbinding surgeries to remove absorbed neural strata to get those experiences out, however the success rate is very minute as the exacts of nymph neurology are largely unexplored.

== Mind Types ==

Dionae do not choose how their internal mind structures work, such things will happen due to circumstances, personalities and environments around them that will cause various structures to develop. The below encompasses some of the myriad of potential structures that exist, and is by no means a conclusive list. Think of these as inspiration and feel free to make your own, although be logical with if your gestalt’s unique mind would be fitting for the job NT has hired them for.

'''Station characters still need to be reasonable, NT wouldn't hire someone who can't work or acts insane. Keep in mind that some of the mind types are restricted to certain roles/may not be allowed to be a station character at all
'''

=== Singular Sound ===

The gestalt has very little individuality within each nymph, with each being akin to a large cluster of neurons working symbiotically.There is little in the terms of an internal dialog within these collectives, usually all acting as relays for their unified consciousness. These are usually from nymphs that have merged without ever consuming blood. The loss of a singular nymph is catastrophically damaging to this kind of network, akin to suffering major brain damage. - They may speak all at once or only use one to preserve neural load, depending on their opinion. These are suggested for those new to Dionae or those who aren’t as interested in roleplaying the more complicated mind types.

=== Competence Choir ===

All skilled nymphs within the collective are in charge of their respective areas, the social nymph does not need to confer with the others and thus speaks with completely normal inflection without any large gaps. However may end up pausing if the collective has pressing issues they want the social nymph to present. This is most often with specialized collectives with utilitarian views. No individual nymph is more important than the others if they are all the same level of skill.

=== Tyrannical Tune ===

This kind of collective is unusual, stemming from a nymph with extreme ideologies or absolute indoctrination with a dogmatic view point. Usually the social nymph will take an authoritarian role over the other nymphs within the collective, and they all act together out of the unity of the singular personality than anything else. The loss of the Overseer nymph itself will utterly cripple this collective, causing a power struggle and internal conflict for quite some time afterwards. Such collectives will not usually have difficulty with speech unless the Overseer is not the social nymph.

=== Harmonious Hymn ===

Within this often complicated and socially conflicted Gestalt is a pure democratic rule, every action it takes will be voted upon internally. This results in gaps in speech either with long silences or a short pause between every word as they decide exactly what the majority of them wish to do. They might mention ‘majority’ frequently when referencing if they voted on something, or ‘minority’ when mentioning freedom of speech. Something frequent within these gestalts is that when returning to a greater such as an Argus they may have new ones replace older ones who cannot successfully get votes to their opinion. No singular nymph is more valuable than another, and the social nymph may be distributed to multiple throughout depending on the collective.

=== Chaotic Cacophony ===

A collection of nymphs who are together merely out of the benefit and added safety of numbers. They may speak all at once, interrupt one another and generally not be particularly easy to listen to. The nymphs could be prone to argue, or they may be quite content with saying what they feel. These collectives are usually quite young and have not settled into a structure that makes it easier for all of them to feel appreciated. (This mind type is restricted to Janitors, Gardeners and Cargo Technicians. Be reasonable with this one, we don’t want to have to remove it.)

=== Seasoned Song ===

These are one of the most common with more ancient collectives that come from the void and space whales. The opinions within them matter most entirely dependent on age, the more bark that has accumulated on your body the more complicated your song must be. These are likely to have traditions, be religious or have other viewpoints that are relayed by the elder. For a cyclops on station this could mean the head is entirely covered with bark to the point that it is immobile from age, as an example. They will often reference songs and the most traumatic loss is the destruction of the eldest among them. Such collectives will have entirely unique structures based around whatever the Elder deems best, but will always submit to the wisdom of the oldest among them. The Eldest will near universally be the social nymph to best represent them.

=== Bloodless Band ===

An extreme variant of the Singular Sound, they are nymphs who have achieved sentience quite similarly to the Singular Sound. However they have become increasingly opinionated against the idea of drinking blood, to the point that they reject anything that could shed blood. Such collectives are considered radicals due to their intense pacifistic approach, rejecting the utilitarian views on conflict entirely. Such collectives usually believe that drinking blood could fundamentally change who they are, and will often not join into an Argus for fear one of them may have drunk blood and could expose them. Their outright refusal to imbibe blood also means that they lose a critical quantity of information that will take potentially decades to relearn because they cannot fast track it. (This mind type is restricted from security roles due to the fact that lethality is something they have to be prepared to do.)

=== Learning Lyrics ===

Uniquely these never are formed from fresh cyclops but split from Argus and upwards. Specifically it is a trained gestalt that alternates one or two young nymphs on a regular basis, the others exist to let the young nymphs safely experience the outside world, working to provide funds for the greater gestalt, social norms, and get blood samples to help them experience the world around them. Such gestalts are usually run by the older nymphs but following on the whims of the younger ones to let them experience things with the safety net of those with more wisdom. The loss of the younger nymphs is more tragic to such a collective than the older ones, to a usual collective they will mourn the fact they failed to protect the very ones they were supposed to protect. (This mind type is restricted from Security roles due to the potential risk of killing the young nymphs.)

=== Voided Vocals ===

The most alien of all the gestalts even to other Dionae, are those known as the Voided, those who are unified in purpose to absorb knowledge of the dead. They speak almost purely in poetic notions and have near to no internal dialog. What is so bizarre about these collectives is their obsession with death, offering to take on even the memories of other species post mortem despite the traumatic experiences. The amount of disjointed knowledge, memories and thoughts have long since made it impossible to tell what is from original minds or what their many memories are. Such collectives experience near to no real emotion due to the expanse of emotionless memories they contain, however, when exposed to grief from losing one of their nymphs, it may be overwhelming over the lack of emotion they have had for so long. Common notions of theirs is that nobody should ever be forgotten to time, or that they can give a form of immortality in themselves to those they can “save”. (This mind type is restricted from station roles entirely.)

=== Emphatic Echo ===

These are a unique gestalt that have formed more in the modern era of Dionae xenos relations. What makes them particularly interesting to the observer is near to all of the nymphs are social nymphs, with expertly trained skills in specific areas of social nuance. This gives them an almost eerie essence when they pick up even your most subtle facial movements and deduce your emotional state. They are renowned for their social skills and patience, however due to the quantity of social nymphs are quite incapable of complex physical tasks. (This mind type is restricted to, Liaison/Rep, Psychologist(includes alt titles), Investigator, Chaplain, Librarian and visitor.)

=Nymph Limbs=
'''Potential Captains and Commanders with nymph limbs are not hired until they agree to replace them with mechanical prosthetics or other alternatives, due to security concerns.'''

A rather rare occurrence is when a living creature lives in direct symbiosis with a Dionae, however it is most common in the version of a prosthetic limb. The nymph attaches to a willing host’s stump, their neural strata growing into the host’s nervous system and stretching their form to the size of a full limb. The nymph will use genetic memory from the host to create manipulable biomass in the shape of fingers from their body, and fill out the rough shape.

The method of the connection is truly symbiotic, the host gaining something that they had thought they lost forever, whereas the nymph gains access to a constant source of blood and knowledge from their host. The amount of experiences such a nymph gains is quite substantial, and can end up having a copy of every memory in the host’s DNA.

They are capable of communicating to their host verbally or sending a vague ‘confirmation and affirmation’ of ideas by making the arm feel hot or cold, or similar sensory manipulations. Although they would never fake pain to the host, as that breaches their pacifistic beliefs and would also be cruel. They do not explicitly speak up against violence, often being partially dormant as they live through their host’s memories. (aka the host doesn’t feel like rping their arms) Although if they wake up and realise they have been used for murder they may be quite upset.

The symbiosis has a unique modularity in that it can be ceased at any time, the singular nymph could detach or the host could just pull the arm off, and put it back on just as easily!

Haptic feedback from the arm is slightly alien, in that it is first processed by the nymph and then translated into something the host can then understand. This leads to sensations being dulled, like wearing a thick leather glove. However pain is quite notable, as the nymph screams into your nervous system like a wildfire. If you fail to listen, the nymph’s fragile body will crack, their tendrils no longer actively wrapped into your nervous system, and it will just fall off, dead.

===Unathi===
Unathi reasons for taking prosthetic: It is not unheard of for Unathi to take a Diona prosthetic, almost always for spiritual reasons. Diona occasionally wander the radiation-laden barrens of the Wasteland, and so certain groups of Wastelanders have developed a reverence for these multi-souled organisms. Unathi who have lost limbs due to warfare or exposure see these limbs as augments for their soul, enhancers to the connection to the spirit realm— rarer, though, is the purposeful dismemberment of one’s body for the sole purpose of soul-melding with a Diona.

Unathi normality of prosthetic: For most Unathi, this practice is an alternative to getting a dreaded prosthetic. While a Dionae can never truly replace a limb, they are considered natural creatures and thus aren’t damaging the soul when used in this manner. Dionae are, by and large, a rarity outside of the Wasteland, so an unfortunate reality becomes apparent: not everyone who wants a limb like this can achieve it. Wherever it is available, it is typically regulated by a medicinal guild.

===Skrell===
Skrell reasons for taking prosthetics: Medical Science within the Federation is superb, with most cases of missing limbs being rectified with cloning a copy of the missing appendage. Though, the further one gets from the Core, the less reliable one’s access to Federation medical facilities becomes. It’s not uncommon for Diona in the traverse to spore a new nymph to replace a Skrell’s limb in emergencies. Additionally, desperate Skrell whose low credit score denies them access to replacement limbs may take up nymph replacements.

Skrell Normality of prosthetic: Possessing a nymph limb as a Skrell is usually a taken as a sign the Skrell has a poor credit score, it’s not uncommon for Skrell to replace their nymph prosthetics the moment their score allows it to escape the social stigma.

Unathi

2021-03-19T02:09:37Z

DeadLantern: /* Politics */

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{{Infobox Species
|Species = Unathi
|Scientific = U. Sapiens / Sinta'Unathi
|Image = Unathi410x320.png
|System = Uueoa-Esa
|World = Moghes
|Language = Sinta'Unathi
|Politic = Izweski Nation / Izweski Hegemony
}}

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== Overview ==
The Unathi (direct plural: Unathi – You-NAWH-thee both singular and multiple) (adjective: Unathite - You-NAWH-thit) 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. 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.

[[File:Unathivillage.png|thumb|alt=Unathi.|Life outside the Untouched Lands remains harsh, with limited or nonexistent Nanotrasen presence.]]

Religion and spirituality play a major role in a Unathi society, and religious differences are the main dividing factor. Conflict between the Sk'akh Church and the Th'akh Assembly, as well as the various [[Unathi Religion#Aut'akh|communes]] and [[Unathi Religion#Si'akh|cults]], have caused conflict and wars between the Izweski Hegemony and the kingdoms that eventually comprised the Traditionalist Coalition. This conflict hit a peak when they entered the intergalactic stage, which is now known as the [[Contact War]]. After this conflict, some Unathi fled the planet through Hephaestus or NanoTrasen shuttle ports. Unathi fleeing to megacorporations like NanoTrasen find themselves working in security and engineering roles, but recently many have been proving themselves as competent surgeons and brilliant scientists, earning opportunities that Moghes would deny them because of its strict feudal hierarchy. However, others are slipping through the cracks and becoming slavers, raiders, or pirates. As the ability for spaceship construction increases in the Unathi home system, so too does space piracy and smuggling.

Moghes has two fiercely different biomes after the Contact War. The fertile Untouched Lands with its great jungles, vast swamps, and lush forests; all of which are protected by massive terraforming equipment kept secure by the Hegemony's wealth and power. Contrast to that are the bombarded Wasteland kingdoms in the ashes of plains and forests, burnt into a massive planet-spanning desert rampant with [[The_Wasteland#Clan_.22Gawgaryn.22_-_The_Punished_Clans|punished kingdoms raiding to survive]] and [[The_Wasteland#The_Reclaimers|part scavengers living in cities on treads]].

To apply to be Unathi, apply [http://aurorastation.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=28 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
* Consular Officer
* NanoTrasen Corporate Liason

== Mechanics ==
Mechanical differences from humans and unique emotes listed below:

'''Passive'''
*Unathi are coldblooded which allows slightly improved heat resistance, but increased sensitivity to cold.
*Unathi have claws, which slash and improve unarmed melee attacks.
*Unathi are incapable of easily digesting alcohol, and ethanol is considered toxic to them.
*Unathi can only drink alcohol from drinks with butanol instead of ethanol. Butanol gets them drunk similar to ethanol but has no effect on other species.
*Unathi get no nutrients from eating fruits and vegetables. They need meat to fill their hunger.
*Unathi can safely eat carp and consume carpotoxin.
*Unathi have the fastest sprint available to any species, but they have low stamina, meaning they can only sprint in short bursts. They also are slower than most other species.

'''Active Abilities'''
*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. "Thisss issss an ekssample." You can also '''Toggle-Auto-Hiss''' to do this for you.
*Unathi can sample the air with their tongue.
*Unique audible emotes: *hiss, *hiss2, *bellow.

== 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.

Humans and Unathi share a lot of similar internal biology with some notable exceptions. Since they are a carnivorous species, their diet mostly consists of meat and animal products, though they do have a tolerance to some plants and fruits. Unathi do receive minor benefits for eating certain fruits, they do not get any nutrition from plants. Due to their carnivorous nature, they also have an increased stomach capacity to help eat larger meals at a time. The typical Unathi usually only eats one meal a day, and for the poorer sinta, perhaps once every two days. They tend towards lethargic and sluggish movements more often than not because of their evolutionary history, so they move slower than most organic species. However, the cyclical period of work for Unathi compared to other species is much faster. Unathi are polyphasic sleepers: creatures that sleep in shorter naps rather than at one time during the night. While they tend towards sluggishness, sinta are often capable of incredible bursts of energy and speed, and their ability to work in three or four hour periods of time compensates for their more sporadic schedules.

The reproductive system of a Sinta'Unathi is very similar to that of Earth reptiles. They lack external genitalia and have cloacas. Females lay eggs, with the average clutch being somewhere between one and three. They have a 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 the ability to walk within hours of hatching. A Sinta'Unathi is considered an adult when they are 16 years old.

=== Physical Appearance ===
The Unathi as a species show a great deal of variation within body types, as well as clusters of smaller physical traits, passed down through clans. Facial and body features range in size and shape, with some having raptor-like aesthetics, serpentine looks, or a more draconic body. Tail length is often genetic; conversely, tail girth is defined by a Unathi's diet as it stores most of the body's fat, with nobles growing some of the largest tails.

Unathi are also often born into one of four major scale color categories: red, black, orange-brown ("sand-colored"), and green. Scales are somewhat tougher than human skin, though they shed off sporadically rather than all at once. More vulnerable and hidden spots, such as the stomach and waist, the backs of joints, and inner thighs are all leathery skin and aren't covered in scales. Alternative colors 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 280 pounds. Female sinta differ from males as they generally have a shorter and more rounded snout. The typical healthy Unathi female weighs roughly 250 pounds. Female Unathi grow to about 5'9" to 6'8, while male Unathi grow to about 6'0" to 7'0". Unusual heights tend to be smaller in scale, as the taller a Unathi is, the more likely it will be marred with health problems and not live as long as others.

Both sexes stand on digitigrade legs, with three toes on each foot and a hooked dewclaw, and have clawed feet and hands. They also have very long tongues, typically black or extremely dark red in color, which may stretch up to a foot and a half long and are forked just like a serpent's. In much the same manner as snakes, Unathi can sample the air around them using their tongue. They blink but can also lick their own eyeballs.

Unathi horns do not naturally regrow, and serious damage tends to remain permanent. Ancient recipes using native herbs known as "horn paste" are commonly made and sold by herbalists and can counter cosmetic scratches or minor chipping. More modern synthetic Horn Gel (based on Bone Gel), developed largely by [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]], can regenerate an entire lost horn, but it tends to be stratified to the upper classes and noblemen due to cost.

[[File:Lizards.png|thumb|Body dimorphism in Unathi.]]

== 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 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.

=== Th'akh ===
The most pervasive and common religion amongst Unathi. It dates back even before the First Hegemony and, as a byproduct of Unathi stubbornness, has remained central to Unathi spiritualism. The basic concept of Th'akh is that all the spirits of past Unathi now reside in the spirit world that exists in tandem with the material world. These spirits exist in objects and nature - bringing either good luck or sorrow. Particularly nasty natural disasters were often attributed to particularly strong groups of spiteful spirits influencing events in the material world. Th'akh, due to its widespread pervasiveness, has a multitude of forms: ancestor veneration, polytheism (worshipping groups of specific and powerful spirits), and almost witch-like spiritualism are just some of the denominations found among this religion. However, Th'akh almost always has the same group of tenets, which can be found [[Unathi Religion#Th'akh|here]].

=== Sk'akh ===
The second most common religion, which is followed mostly by Unathi from the Izweski Nation, and enjoys a status as its unofficial state religion. It still follows the ancestor worship of Th'akh, but with a major notable difference: the spirits of all Unathi who die become part of Sk'akh, the Great Spirit. Sk'akh is a gender-neutral God, being called 'he' or 'she' interchangeably to represent that Ska'kh is a collection of all Unathi. She is often called Three of One because the spirits combine into three minor aspects that are all part of Ska'kh: the Warrior, the Healer, the Fisherman. These three spirits are personifications of the most important aspects of Unathi society. It is said that all three are equally important and that disasters are caused by an imbalance in the Great Three. Priests often stress the importance of balance, both in matters of the spirit as well as in society and personal life. Sk'akh's dogmatic doctrine can be found [[Unathi Religion#Sk'akh|here]].

=== Aut'akh ===
Emerging from the hatred of former warriors, the Aut'akh are a cultish offshoot of Th'akh, comprised of cybernetic-augmented Unathi. They argue the flesh is weak, and something new must be sculpted in its place to strengthen the mind. In the relative safety of their communes scattered across various towns, planets, and systems, they know a rough life, but one easier and more spiritual than those of the cities, they believe. The Aut'akh have yet to truly attain their perfect leaderless society, as their own supposedly-defeated prejudice still runs in quiet circles within communes; meanwhile, society often rebukes and ridicules these fanatical trans-speciests. Their lives are gently guided by the shamans or "paradigms," which act as the religious advisors and sometimes too the biomechanical engineers of these communes. Aut'akh preach the Contact War was the result of sinta being so consumed by the demons within them that they brought the world to ruin, and all powers, whether that of a government, major religion, or corporation, are inherently corrupt due to the influence of evil spirits. The heathen's lifestyle and struggles can be found [[Unathi Religion#The Aut'akh Heathens|here]].

'''Aut'akh, due to their radical views on unathi society and society as a whole, are often associated with anyone who breaks tradition. In light of this, unathi started to develop behaviors and society learned to hate communes and their denizens.''' Anyone caught being unfaithful to their spouse, in a non-monogamous relationship, rebuking their clan, having a prosthetic, or even talking about their discontent with the Hegemony or other rulers was accused of being an Aut'akh. The term to most became synonymous with anyone who was a perceived troublemaker or heretic, more so than even Si'akh.

=== Si'akh ===
Born from the fires of the Contact War, Si'akh is a radical Sk'akh heresy that has rapidly spread across the Wasteland. It is lead by charismatic former Sk'akh priest Juzida Si'akh, who claims to be the Messiah for all Unathi. The doctrine claims the Contact War to have been the Final Judgement for the Unathi species caused by their innate wickedness. He claims that all Unathi that died in the 'cleansing fire' of the atomic weapons were given salvation, and all Unathi that survived are damned to remain trapped on the Hell of Moghes unless the species and Moghes are rapidly purified. The movement has come into immediate conflict with the orthodox Sk'akh church due to Si'akh claiming it to be completely illegitimate. Its followers are ruthlessly hunted down by the Maraziite Order and many of its followers are fleeing into human space as they try to find personal salvation. Their doomsday cult has [[Unathi Religion#The Si'akh Heresy|strict and ascetic principles]] to help Unathi obtain a chance at salvation.

== Social ==
Unathi have a variety of behaviors and customs that other species would find odd and peculiar.

=== Social Behavior and Mannerisms ===
Unathi generally stare at what they are interested in, so their intense gaze moves with a conversation to whoever is talking. Additionally, pointing can be seen as extremely rude in circumstances. If more than just a passing gesture towards someone, prolonged pointing can be a grave insult to one's honor and, in some cases, be the reason for crude fighting or even initiate a duel.

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 relationship with them (like family, a lover, or close friend). Some are more permissive than others regarding this. 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.

Unathi to other species would typically appear sluggish in their movements, though there are some exceptions to this. When working or even when feeling threatened, they typically move short distances with their arms and legs at speeds much faster than normal for other species. This is because they conserve their energy by going slightly slower until they need it for a given task.

Another outstanding behavior that other species would note is an intense gaze. Unathi typically find staring at whoever is speaking to be respectful; however, this intense staring, paired with not blinking often and stooping to look at someone at eye level, is how other species are typically made uncomfortable when engaging with Unathi.

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

Violence can have its place in regular daily life, with playful fighting being commonplace with the peasantry and in the Wasteland. Joking punches and wistful tail flicks that would be normal for Unathi playing around may end up hurting a human, which has led to many jokes about humanity’s weak stature. Shoulder checks and headbutts have their place in more aggressive friendships and is a sign of showing brotherly love.

=== Emotional Displays ===
Unathi exhibit a great variety of emotional body language in ways different from other species. While it is not uncommon for Unathi to attempt to mimic human displays (sometimes with frightening results, for example showing off their large, numerous sharp teeth in a "smile"), they have their own natural, basic emotions that come from biological expression akin to reptiles. It can be very difficult for this species to control their emotionally-linked body language as it is engrained in Unathite culture, but exercising restraint is often seen as a sign of nobility or simply an individual who is attempting to better blend in with other species. Over time, these displays can also change to adapt to a different environment, though this process typically takes many years to come to fruition.

For example, baring the entire throat is the single most meaningful expression that can be displayed to another, often used to show trust or vulnerability to someone a Unathi cares about. However, it is not unusual to do this to also surrender to another (such as in a fight), admit shame, or display extreme compassion (when exposed to twine necks with another). Conversely, tilting the snout far down to protect the throat and better display one’s horns is a fight response or to show distrust in another.

When it comes to intimate gestures between Unathi, they usually twine necks or tails, and touch foreheads and snouts together with the same intent that humans kiss. Such displays are usually only reserved for those that are married or to be wed, but with other cultures such as Ouerea, the smaller colonies, or the Empire of Dominia, this tends to be much more relaxed. Hugging is usually considered to be something done by children and avoided by adults.

Unathi often fixate on their surroundings when interested or excited by someone or something. If there is a conversation of multiple people, they often change their gaze to look at whoever is speaking, or at the person speaking they are most interested in. It is considered rude by Unathi to avert your gaze, for that shows that someone can be aloof, distant, or not paying attention fully. Even if afraid and cowering, they tend to look directly at the source of their fear. For other species, when especially happy or interested, they can even stoop down to look at them directly at eye level, or try to raise themselves as much as possible to look other creatures in the eye.

Other physical displays include the ‘tail stomp,’ a phenomenon common during heightened signals of emotion. Typically, these are done when a sinta is filled with joy or extremely agitated, but can be rarely used when a Unathi is grieving. Other more minor displays are, but aren’t limited to: bristling scales, in response to a cold environment or a ‘chill going down their spine;’ becoming slow and sluggish if extremely comfortable, such as reacting to warmth; swaying, sampling the air, and hissing all are common when in a new environment, with strangers, or even just in certain situations, which shows curiosity, discomfort, or unease.

Verbally, Unathi have some onomatopoeias that they draw on for different emotions. Chuffing, forcefully exhaling air from the throat, can be used to mark mild annoyance in reply to something, or can be used to show amusement. If it comes at the end of a sentence or statement, it can imply that they are being sarcastic or are saying something in good humor. Unathi don’t quite have a laugh; instead, they bark in typically short bursts, in which the sound is often deep, loud, and raucous. Finally, rattling the throat is a fairly common gesture that replaces or accompanies a tail stomp. Sometimes when enraged, throat rattling is accompanied by frills or scales flaring up as well.

As a result of the divide between groups of sinta, some mannerisms are unique to different social groups. For example, nobles tend to tail stomp in response to seeing something that ‘disgusts’ them, whether it be the sight of a heretic or Guwan, something that disgusts olfactory senses, or something else. Peasants on Moghes and most Unathi on Ouerea tend to be ‘overly emotional’ in that they often tilt their snout up somewhat when showing general content or happiness, or down slightly when afraid or unhappy. Dominians often keep their chin tilted up constantly as a sign of pride and even cockiness, showing they aren’t afraid when vulnerable parts are exposed. Of course, this all barely scratches the surface, and there are many gestures unique to cultures and regions that are not enumerated.

=== 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. For stylistic choices, there are some options. For those raised in or by the Hegemony, avoid contractions like ''it's'' and ''they're'', which would be ''it is'' and ''they are''. Formal Sinta'Unathi lacks this concept of contracting words, and thus it is a difficult concept to understand for these speakers. Those that speak Sinta'Azaziba will talk in other languages in short bursts, similar to how Azaziba has shorter sentences due to gesticulating and speaking at the same time. Accents are wide and diverse; replacing 's' sounds with 'th' in a 'forced lisp' or even just omitting the sound is a commonality for Unathi that struggle with certain words in other languages (like 'suspicious'). This way of speaking is also common when singing in different languages, a trend picking up within the Izweski Hegemony.

==== 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 ====
Sinta'Azaziba is 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 from top to bottom.

== Society ==

=== Moghean ===

[[File:Moghes Pre-Contact.png|thumb||A map of Moghes before the Contact War.]]

Moghean Unathi are traditional Unathi with the planet being their homeworld. Historically culture varies across clans that 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 touch their tail or at all before introductions are undertaken.

Unathi place great emphasis on oral traditions. Honor and combat are seen as a man's realm, and women are not held to the same standards of honor. Women are instead expected to be elegant and regal.

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

[[File:PostCitiesNamed.png|thumb|A map of Moghes with the cities and seas labelled.]]

=== Marriage and Relationships ===
Relationships for Unathi hinge on responsibility for both involved as most marriages before the Contact War relied on clan leaders arranging marriages to secure alliances. 'Dating' has only recently been available to young Unathi and is a foreign concept to most above their late-20's in age. A Unathi trying to ignore the ritual of arranged marriage is a great insult to both clans involved, which at worst could lead to a blood feud or war.

Clan alliances are formed when two clan leaders mutually decide upon two Unathi to marry and, depending on who is chosen, certain gifts are expected to be bestowed on the allied clans. When the marriage is proposed, a discussion about which Clan Name will be taken arises. This is done through a form of 'bidding war', where one clan must "buy" the right to keeping the name over the other by giving money or resources to the other clan. Marriages may sometimes end up canceled due to both sides refusing to give up their clan name, and in the worst cases, it has led to duels or even wars fought over who has the right to keep the titles.

Surrogates can be called upon for a marriage that cannot fulfill their duty to have children; however, they must be from a member of one of the Clans. Upon the hatching of a hatchling, the expectation most often is that husbands will raise the boys, and wives will raise the girls. If there is only a husband or wife, more traditional Sk'akh families will choose to have another Clan member raise the hatchling up through their expected path.

Outside of the Hegemony's influence, same-sex relationships are generally not condoned; survival is an important factor in the Wasteland and on budding colonies, so blocking out the means to reproduce and continue a clan's lineage is heavily frowned upon.

=== Ouerean ===
While the Izweski Unathi of Ouerea 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 Humans. Their cultures have managed to influence Ouerean Unathi, embedding different cultural norms that are not found elsewhere. There is a focus on individualism and younger Unathi shy away from the usual responsibilities held to Unathi toward their clans. There is still a struggle with a highly stratified society, but things are moderately progressive compared to Moghes.

[[File:Oureaea Ciites.png|thumb|A map of Ouerea, with cities and major locations labelled.]]

The original colonists started as patriots to the Izweski Hegemony, but many soon found themselves disillusioned with the distant homeworld tearing itself apart in war. Unathi on Ouerea became enamored with the broad ideals of democracy and finding themselves resentful of their old lives on Moghes. Reintegration into the Hegemony proved difficult as both planets had to reconcile these cultural differences. It still remains a minor division among these Unathi to this day.

Ouerean art, in contrast to Moghean pottery and dyed fabrics, has taken on inspiration from Human and Skrell art. Many Ouerean unathi have become renowned glassmakers and craftsmen. The greater access to Human and Skrell universities, many of which still operate on the planet, also give Ouerean Unathi greater chances to work in Human and Skrell systems.

=== Non-Izweski Unathi ===
Unathi of the Hegemony’s territories — the Izweski Hegemony itself, Ouerea, or any of its many colonies — require consent from their clan Lord to make their way out into the greater galaxy, as listed [[Guide to Citizenship#Izweski_Hegemony|here]].

Those that come from outside of the Hegemony and Dominia usually have no official means of recognized citizenship. Wastelanders, privateers, Guwan, and other Unathi must apply for a work visa where they are traveling in order to reside there. This of course carries risks with it: if a Unathi is seen as being problematic, whether committing crimes and misdemeanors or just not living up to the job they’re working, they may have their visa stripped and end up deported to the Hegemony. The Izweski Hegemony does not explicitly ask for these Unathi, especially seeing how they are usually 'undesirable'. As there are no officially recognized governments on Moghes besides the Izweski, however, deported persons get sent there. Guwan and Gawgaryn that manage to make their way out of the system to places such as Biesel will face harsh punishment if this happens, so they are the most incentivized to put on their best outward face.

=== The Zandiziite Games ===
An ancient sport that got its start on Moghes, this sport is best described as a mixture of Olympic- and MMA-style games. 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.

[[Zandiziite Games|A more in-depth description 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.

[[File:Moghes_porposal.png|thumb|The flag of the Izweski Hegemony. It is said the flag symbolizes the wildfires that frequented Moghes.]]

=== Izweski Nation ===
: '''''"Honor, Fire, Burn thy Fear"''''' - ''Izweski Ancestral Words, dating back more than 500 years''
The Izweski Clan is lead by Clan Leader [[Notable_Unathi#Not.27zar_Izweski|'''Not'zar Izweski''']] , a Unathi who has ruled the Hegemony since his father S'kresti Izweski, the previous Hegemon, was assassinated by his son and Not'zar's brother. 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 best thought of being 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.

Not'zar's father, Hegemon S'kresti Izweski, was originally a strong leader of the Izweski clan. Then, after the death of his eldest son in a shuttle crash, the old Hegemon fell into a deep depression, to the point of becoming comatose in the Izweski citadel. After a succession crises, Not'zar took his place as the Regent and heir for three years, over that time developing the Hegemony into a stable empire.
[[Image:Minimap hegemony.png|thumb|A closer image focusing on the factions surrounding the Izweski Hegemony's territory.]]

Three years later, the Hegemon awoke and took back to the throne, however on his tour to get reacquainted with everything, he was spurred into madness and cursed by '''Juzida Si'akh''' which resulted in a civil war to dispute his claim to the throne. In an attempt to destroy his enemies, the old Hegemon attempted to orbitally bombard an enemy city. To stop this dishonorable act, his third son Z'krazi Izweski the Kinslayer assassinated the Hegemon, and after Not'zar's victory in the Battle of Three Hills the civil war ended.

Now, Not'zar is the Clan Leader, Overlord of Moghes, and Hegemon of the Izweski Hegemony. Despite his severe physical handicap forcing him to walk with a cane, many noblemen have made him an ally, especially including the Guilds who enjoy his globalist attitude.

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.

=== Hegemonic Colonies ===
The Hegemony has several colonies as its empire begins to expand. Of these colonies, there are a few [[Notable Unathi Colonies]].

=== Surviving Kingdoms on Moghes ===

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.

While the Izweski are reclaiming the Wasteland, they are ruthlessly uprooting and displacing local cultures in the remaining habitable lands. The Outposts were small, fertile enclaves that survived the Contact War surrounded by the Wasteland. Starting in 2461, Not'zar pushed forward terraforming efforts to expand these green yet hostile oasis.

==== Queendom of Szek’Hakh ====
: '''''"Refuse To Break"''''' - ''Szek'Hakh clan motto, before the war''

A matriarchal region of roughly twenty thousand set in the Wasteland, led by the elderly '''Queen Lazak Szek'Hakh''' and her daughters. In her settlement and a large portion of the region surrounding it, her clan has become the protector of her region known as the 'Queendom'.

For those living in the Queendom, 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 - with the Queen even making connections with pirates, Dominians, and Tajaran smugglers to get her people safely out of the dangerous Wasteland. The Queen is kind under her witty and straightforward attitude, and despite stereotypes, does not actually hate men.

The Szek'Hakh clan's settlement of '''Yu'kal''', originally headed by the Queen's husband, was built around a cluster of small lakes and focused on aquaculture. When 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. The widowed 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, and had taken control of a sizable region of the Wasteland east of Mudki around Yu'kal.

The Szek'Hakh Clan became the leading power in their region following the Contact War. Eventually, Szek’Hakh consolidated control of her clan and the settlement, taking matters of survival into her own hands. As the Wasteland engulfed Yu'kal's lakes, 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 Unathite gender roles. A neighboring nobleman, fearing this rise of powerful women, orchestrated to have her assassinated. In a dramatic confrontation, the assassin was foiled and publicly exiled as a Guwandi, and a mob of angry women stormed the nobleman's estate to 'duel him for his dishonor'. This act put the matriarch in the spotlight, 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 [[Unathi Religion|Sk’akh Church]], the Izweski, and the Wastelander factions - however she is often too straightforward to get far. 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 [[Notable Unathi|Si'akh]] from her realm when he enters her settlement in his travels, though she quietly allows members of his traveling 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 ==
All Unathi in the Izweski Hegemony live under a strict feudal society. It divides most of the species into six distinct castes, each of which usually prevent upward mobility in this society. Men and women often have different roles and responsibilities depending on which caste they are in, and a man or woman jumping into a role that is typically meant for the opposite sex can lead to becoming a social pariah.
[[File:Fuedalism.png|thumb|A visual representation of Unathite feudalism.]]

'''The nobility''' 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. While noblemen often have the duty of leading, a noblewoman's job is to keep up appearances and help support her spouse through social means, generally through [[Unathi Honor#The Matriarch's Code|the Matriarch's Code]].

'''Shaman''' is the general term for any Unathite clergy; priests however are exclusively members of the established Sk'akh Church. Priests tend to own the land of their church which owes its fealty to the local Lord, making them a form of pseudo-nobility. 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. Some shamans have a portion of the protections that priests do because of recent rulings by the Hegemony, and while shamans retain their rank in the caste system, they often do not have the direct power or wealth that priests have. Shamans often spend the better part of a decade studying, training, and gaining clout to get to their position and become independent from their teacher.

'''Healers''' are, as their name implies, doctors. It is the highest position any woman can come to hold as, like shamans, it takes many years studying and learning to become an official healer. A well-studied healer often comes up to have their own practice or "medicine tent" (a traditional term that is holdover from many centuries of use in Sinta'Unathi), and Lords lacking a healer pay really well to gain some in their respective territories. They are also granted special protections and their protections are perhaps the widest and most powerful for a Unathi, barring the most influential Overlords or even the Hegemon himself. Unprovoked violence against a healer can result in a Unathi becoming a Guwan, as well as heavy fines, service to the respective Lord, or, most often, all of the above.

Healers are a growing commodity after the Contact War, as a vast majority of those who participated in the conflict need medical care. Radiation sickness, treating festered wounds, and helping the physically disabled means that more healers are required of this society. The Izweski Hegemony pays to send prospective healers to either the Republic of Biesel and learn under NanoTrasen, or the [[Skalamar University Of Medicine|Skalamar University of Medicine]].

'''Warriors''' are soldiers that distinguish themselves in battle under the banners of their Lords. They are seen as an ideal for 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. Kataphracts, and even most Hopefuls, are at the top of this caste.

'''Kataphracts''', 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 Honor|Warrior's Code of Honor]]. When they are not summoned to do battle for the Izweski, 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 cannot become Kataphracts; only those that claim the soul of a warrior may become one. '''They are referred to as Saa''' 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. Kataphracts as a result 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, yet are not appointed. They typically attach themselves to an existing Kataphracts 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 the goal of "Kataphract-hood", tested against the well known trend of the star system to break down conservative Unathite beliefs. 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.

'''Spies''', or '''Zo'kaa''' in Sinta'Unathi, occupy the same rank as the warriors for Unathi, being the female counterpart to the warrior caste. Similarly, while male Unathi look up to warriors as an ideal, women look up to spies with an equal amount of reverence. Spies, however, are in an often unique position - a majority often serve their Lords for whatever intelligence they are looking to collect, but can also be reached out to by spymasters should they be looking for dangerous elements, especially in outlying territories. Generally speaking, '''spies''' are often what humans consider to be detectives of sorts, and lower rank and file spies work as investigators. Some spies specialize in gathering information through subtle questioning and incentivizing cooperation, while others are masters in infiltration and blending in.

'''Spymasters''', or '''Kaa''' in Sinta'Unathi, are a relatively new class, also generated by Not'zar Izweski (with rumors speculating heavy influence from his interest, spymaster Hizoni Razi, in their development). Spymasters are those that gain a reputation by word of mouth between those that would seek their employment - namely, powerful Lords, merchants, priests, and other figures of influential clans. Such spymasters become operators themselves of other spies, using their experience to give potential leads, offer guidance to newer spies, and take up larger work from the Izweski Hegemony.

'''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 or Guildmaster 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. Guildsmen can be either men or women; men often become the skilled laborers (as they are most notable for being blunt), while women usually are the outward face of any aspects regarding external business. There are a few exceptions, but those that stray from these norms within Unathite culture are shunned and face a more difficult uphill battle in gaining recognition and becoming successful.

'''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.

'''Guwans''' are the absolute bottom caste of Unathite 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. Aut'akh usually end up in this caste as well, as most of them are denounced by their clan or Lord.

Ouerea has a different social system, which has more depth on the [[Notable Unathi Colonies]] page.

== Economy ==
[[File:AAAMercantalism.png|thumb|Colonies are forbidden from selling their wares to any planet or business other than the Capital. Only specially chartered guilds who are granted exclusive rights may barter with the Orion Spur directly.]]
The Unathite 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.

=== Guild Rankings ===
'''Apprenticeship''' is how most started in a particular trade, which they would follow the rest of their lives. Most Sinta choose to enter into the same field as their parents, but it's not unusual for them to go off to seek other fields. It is standard for a Sinta to become an apprentice of a guild or Craftsman at 16, which includes going to university for that particular field. This is often translated to working towards an associates in human space.

After completing an apprenticeship, the appropriate guild would examine his work and see if he could be elevated to a '''Craftsman'''. A Craftsman is similar in a jump from an intern to a worker. A craftsman cannot open a business on their own, they must work for a Guild directly or as a contractor. In modern times this is often translated to a Bachelor in human space.

A '''Master''' traditionally is required to create a "masterpiece" in the presence of guild judges to be elevated to Master status, being given a certificate by the Guild. For non-craft related fields such as medicine or art, the Unathi must complete a physical 'thesis' before the panel, such as a great work of art, or conducting a complex and sensitive medical procedure. This allows him to enter the leadership of his guild, open his own, or otherwise be known as a master of his field. This is best compared to a Masters or Doctorate in human space. In humanspace this would translate to 'Masters' degrees or 'Doctorates' depending on the field. Lawyers - known as Advocates in Sinta space - doctors, chief engineers, etc, would be formally known as Master [Title].

== History ==
[[Unathi History|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 'Hegemon.'

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 mercantalism. 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 with the Izweski Hegemony 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 Unathite city to have a shuttle port constructed. Owned by NanoTrasen, it served to transport people to and from the planet’s surface.

[[Contact War|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.

== Notable Information ==

=== The Guwandi ===
In the event that a Unathi becomes terminally 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. '''To no longer be a Guwan, a Unathi must have an upstanding citizen decide to represent them, and then they must both go to court to explain how the Guwan can return into society under a new clan name, be adopted into another clan, or return to their original clan (at Clan Leader's acceptance.)'''

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.

Some Guwans 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, Guwans 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 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 their clan, or is otherwise estranged with no one to declare them Guwan, then they may still find themselves challenged by other rival clans who lay claim to this Unathi's land, titles, inheritance, or name. If they are 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.

'''Guwans are exclusively a criminal or otherwise dishonorable untouchable class, and it takes a lot to be labelled as one. Because playing a Guwan means you are opting in to being discriminated against by others, a Guwan filing an incident report for anything less than physical assault is a whitelist issue.''' When in doubt, speak to the Maintainer first.

=== 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 fulfill 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 Unathite 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 an orphaned Izweski on the Aurora station!'''

=== Diet and Cuisine ===
Unathite dishes are mostly comprised of meat, eggs, and fish. 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, usually resembling chopsticks banded together near the top.

Unathi generally eat only one large meal a day. The nobility often eat twice a day, while poorer Unathi or those in [[The Wasteland|the Wasteland]] will eat bi-daily: every two days.

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

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Unathi Honor

2021-02-01T23:29:16Z

DeadLantern: Cleaned up bolding and reduced clunky sentences.

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=== Overview ===

Traditional Unathi take honor very seriously, and following a strict code of honor is required by every individual as well as every clan and every nation. Most Unathi clans have different metrics for honor, but there are near-universal themes that have remained consistent throughout history.

Honor is considered to be a clan’s face, similar to the concept of decorum. To lose honor is to lose face, and it can lower a clan’s standing with its peers. A Unathi behaving dishonorably can also lose face, lowering their status, which makes honor as much of a political asset and liability as it is a personal code of conduct.

Honor is distinct from disgrace, in that one can exist outside of the standard system of honor, but still bring disgrace upon their clan due to their actions. For example, peasant women aren’t typically bound by the same honor rules as peasant men or noble women, but are still able to be disgraceful.

=== Universal Honor ===

Common, urban Unathi without feudal obligations aren’t necessarily required to follow the Warrior’s Code, but are still expected to obey their elders, conform to their clan’s wishes, and respect the ancestors.

Typically, male Unathi are incredibly blunt and honest with their business dealings, which makes Sinta-led guilds struggle when competing with more charismatic parties who have no qualms with presenting themselves through rose-tinted lenses. While this can be worked around with female (or even non-Unathi) PR staff, Unathi view guilds that heavily utilize such staff as this as shady or dishonest. This usually leads to the creation of separate positions for Sinta-facing and non-Sinta-facing public relations, with the latter typically (though not always) staffed by women; as non-Sinta are unlikely to know or care about the stigma associated with such, guilds can remain competitive while not tarnishing their image.

=== Honor for the Warrior ===

The romanticized Unathi warrior follows a strict Warrior’s Code. Passed down from master to apprentice, it has only recently been written down by Ouerean sociologists, drawing much ire from traditional warrior guilds. The tenets of the Warrior’s Code [[Contact War|were severely stressed during the Contact War]] due to the realities of modern war, as many on both sides eschewed honor to simply fight for their own survival. Stemming from this, there is a slowly growing concern within the Hegemony that the warrior’s code has become antiquated, but it still remains important to Sinta who consider themselves warriors, or dream of becoming one.

Despite this, the Warrior’s Code and its tenets are societal expectations by and large, with many only following it out of obligation, or only in the public sphere. Many less-devoted individuals may ignore it entirely when it comes to private interactions, as long as they believe reprisal for such actions is unlikely. The Sinta rumor mill can be fierce and swift, however, so even those misdeeds which occur in private can often find their way to the forefront. In fact, it’s a common perception that many Sinta, especially after the Contact War, only care about honor insofar as it allows them to make a spectacle of shaming those they dislike.

==== The Warrior’s Code ====

Each tenet is subservient to the ones before it, with Righteousness being the most important and Loyalty being the least, though all of them should be followed to the best of a warrior’s ability.

A warrior must hold his words to the truth that exists in front of him; he displays '''Righteousness''' in his actions. He is fair and honest at all times in his dealings with others, and does not disguise his motives or obscure the facts.

A warrior must protect the weak from danger and spare the innocent; he shows '''Mercy''' to those in need, and does not abuse prisoners or kill an unarmed foe. Surrendering to an honorable warrior means receiving fair treatment, as if one were a guest; combined with the tenet of Courage, this means warriors have little difficulty with accepting or offering surrender when necessary. It is viewed as respectful, rather than cowardly, to surrender to an enemy.

A warrior’s word is his bond; he must have the '''Integrity''' to carry it through to fruition. As the partner to righteousness, instead of a warrior holding his word subject to the world, he makes the world subject to his own word.

A warrior must not hesitate in the face of opposition; he should have '''Courage''' in the face of hardship, in combat or elsewhere, meeting it with zeal and cunning, and commit his entire being to victory. However, that doesn’t mean a warrior refuses to accept defeat; instead, he accepts it as an inevitability of life. One fights to delay it, but recognises that no matter how hard he tries, he can never banish it entirely. Likewise, he faces defeat with honor and dignity, choosing to acknowledge his loss and the skill of the one who bested him even when confronted by death. A warrior doesn’t compromise his ideals when confronted with defeat or death, instead choosing to uphold them both in word and deed even when he alone supports what he feels is right.

The final duty of a warrior is '''Loyalty''' to his superior, most commonly his Lord or clan leader. A warrior would gladly lay down his life without hesitation in defense of his Lord or clan leader. However, a warrior isn’t expected to blindly obey all orders given to them; if obeying an order would cause them to break any of the other tenets, they are obligated to refuse in order to protect their own honor.

If a warrior finds their honor to be irrevocably tarnished, they must become '''Guwandi''', pledging themselves to a righteous death through combat. A Guwandi’s goal is to die while fighting their hardest in combat because accepting the ultimate defeat of death in a fair battle absolves all past dishonor. One who dies as a result of throwing a fight, however, is permanently dishonored and separated from their ancestors.

=== Honor for Women ===

Traditionally, as women are never viewed as warriors, they have never been expected to follow the Warrior’s Code. As peasant women have relatively few obligations, they are bound primarily by avoiding disgrace instead of exhibiting honor. They have relatively few obligations, especially on Moghes where villages are seen as safe enough for children to explore on their own at an early age. Married peasant women in particular exist almost entirely outside the system of honor, though many outside of Moghes take on or emulate the practices of noblewomen in an attempt to raise their standing in society.

Noblewomen are known to hold to their own traditions, however. Historically, noblewomen once frequently met at gatherings where petty rivalry between clans would be set aside in favor of an atmosphere of levity and camaraderie. These eventually developed into formal meetings, and a standard of decorum was set, though usually shared via word of mouth or watching others rather than writing it down.

Much like with the Warrior’s Code, the Matriarch’s Code was recently written down in at least one form by Ouerean sociologists. However, the Matriarch’s Code differs from the Warrior’s Code in that it is often described in disparate ways by different researchers. This has led to the common outside perception of any sort of formal rules of decorum for noblewomen as, at best, simply playing at the more sophisticated concept of honor that warriors have; at worst, mere cash-grabs by Ouerean scholars willing to fabricate evidence to line their pockets through book sales.

The most common formulation of the Matriarch’s Code supposedly originates from the noblewoman meetings held by Queen Juztia Izweski, wife of a former Izweski Hegemon, which served a vital role in informing her vast network of female spies, known as the Guild of Shadows. In fact, it is believed that these meetings were initially started by her spies as a way to get information inconspicuously, and unsurprisingly enough noblewomen from all across the Hegemony were more than happy to air their grievances in similar company. Many noblewomen who believe this story idolize her as an exemplar of the ‘goal-driven noblewoman’ archetype.

==== The Matriarch’s Code ====

A noblewoman must be '''Loyal''' to her clan, Lord, and husband in that order. This tenet is the most important of all, as a woman’s duties are determined first and foremost by her loyalties.

A noblewoman must be '''Dutiful''' in all aspects of her life. While this often refers to simply keeping the household, children, and servants in check, for those with higher aspirations it means that they are held to a higher standard, both by themselves and others, in whatever they choose to do. A noblewoman who handles the house above all other things must be the best at maintaining the household, while one who chooses to be a diplomat must be the best at diplomacy. Moreso than for men or peasant women, inadequacy and mediocrity are not tolerated.

A noblewoman must be '''Graceful''', representing her household and your husband well. Not only avoiding disgrace herself, she must actively serve as an example of gracious conduct. She must also ensure that those under her are presented in a positive light, usually in the form of controlling what information others hear. Servants learn gossip from the lady of the household, and they will often spread it far and wide; this is a strong boon if wielded by a cunning noblewoman.

A noblewoman must be '''Knowledgeable''', understanding both the world and her role in it. Her knowledge need not be limited to a specific domain, as the more a noblewoman knows, the more she can leverage it to the advantage of her and her household.

A noblewoman must be '''Tactful''', understanding the right time to keep or divulge secrets. Men are honor-bound to tell the truth, but women aren’t. This ability to lie without dishonor must not be abused, however, or one will develop a reputation as a liar and become useless. Many noblewomen therefore choose to reveal harmless secrets in order to temper their reputation, while others instead simply conceal their lies better (and often elaborately).
== Dueling ==

Dueling is a time-honored tradition for Unathi, and Sinta from all walks of life have engaged in it. Typically, this matched combat is a way to settle disputes and matters of honor--though, the sight of blood is always satisfying to the average Unathi.

The procedure for duels on Moghes has historically been simple. An Unathi who would seek to challenge another to combat typically goes by the following procedure:
First, the challenger points directly at the would-be duelist, staring into their eyes and lashing their tail against the ground; an inescapably offensive gesture. This is to signal the demand for a duel. The one who first made the challenge must announce their name and Clan, the reason for the duel, where it will be done, and the weapon they will use, all in a public and formal manner. Ranged weapons can only be brought if it is a duel exclusively using ranged weapons, and energy weapons can only be brought if both are using energy weapons. The challenged will respond with their name and Clan, and their weapon of choice. It is possible to apologize in a satisfying manner and the duel might be stopped, but often these manners of honor can only be satisfied with blood. Denying a duel must be done carefully; it can often result in serious accusations of cowardice, or being perceived as a further insult to the challenger. Participation can be honorably refused on account of major difference in age, difference in sex, severe social inferiority, or the challenger being inherently honorless. Duels may also be honorably declined if they are random, or if one has nothing to prove. It is also poor form for women to duel in public, but arenas are a legitimate place for this.

At the choice of the challenger, the duel can be brought to a number of conclusions; till the first drop of blood spilt, until one of them is too injured to continue, until surrender, or to the death. Requirements are typically requiring a witness and doctor per combatant. However, duels to the death require the knowledge and consent of each Unathi’s Clan Matriarch or a judge. Typically, the setting for a duel is either outside of a city or town, or in a designated dueling area. All cities are typically equipped with dueling arenas in the Duelists Guild’s Arena Hall; where witnesses, doctors, and refreshments can be found in good supply. After both combatants have discussed everything, and have both agreed to the duel, both must wait up to a week in order to train and steel themselves for the battle to come. If one party fails to appear, they are considered to be a coward and the party that appealed would win by default. The resulting reputation for their cowardice can easily affect the individual’s standing in society, perhaps even affecting their Clan.

While most duels are done between the lower classes, and Warriors, it is not unheard of for nobles to engage in a duel. While those of lower birth may enjoy the freedom to use their preferred weapon while dueling each other, and even battles between nobles have the same choice; if a noble chooses to agree to a duel challenge to one of a lower rank, it is the noble’s choice what weapon both combatants will use. This discourages many from even trying, as most of the nobility have been practicing with expensive equipment and expensive training for numerous years. Typically it is an extremely poor move to challenge the nobility without a serious grievance. Nobles also have the choice of sending a chosen Warrior as a champion, a tactic employed by very high Clans, such as the Izweski. While the chances to beat a noble with their chosen weapon are incredibly slim, history shows that the nobility is not unbeatable.

== The Star Code ==
Despite taking up a life of piracy, a large portion of Unathi pirates are dispossessed Traditionalists from Moghes following the horrors of the Contact War that swept across Moghes. Thanks to Unathi stubbornness with their deeply ingrained beliefs about honor, certain ways of behaving stuck around and metastasized into a shared cultural code of honor frequently called the Star Code. It provides rules for discipline, distribution of seized goods, and compensation for injured pirates. While most Unathi pirates follow it only more or less, the [[Grim Compact]] is its most adherent propagators and adherents.

'''The Code'''

A pirate must be '''loyal''' to his Captain. To flee in battle or show cowardice through desertion is punishable by exile or death, at the Captain’s choice.

A pirate must show '''integrity''' when on the ship. Duty and discipline must be maintained until any quarrels can be settled when docked with a duel or brawl.

A pirate must show '''mercy''' to women and the infirm. To steal from such weak and pathetic targets is not worth the scorn of the dishonor.

A pirate should '''spare''' any who raise their hand against them once, but if they raise their hand a a second time, then it must be cut off.

A '''ship should only be captured''' if it is a vessel of war. Unarmed ships should only have a third of its cargo seized, or as much as will keep the freighter's trip profitable, and then be allowed to continue on its way. This way it remains a renewable source of income with repeated seizures.

'''Hostages''' should not be mistreated, but those that attempt to escape should have a single leg dislocated. Broken goods sell for less.

It is fair and reasonable that any '''captive''' be asked to perform housekeeping or other duties to pay back their hosts for their stay, seperate from their ransom.

Any person that shows '''valiance''' and bravery by defeating at least three members of the crew in personal combat, chosen by the Captain, must be allowed the option to join the crew as a full member.

[[Category:Unathi]]