Suerrat

The Suerrat are a minor human race transplanted to Ilelish (Ilelish 2907) by the Ancients. The Suerrat claim to be a Major Race as they independently developed interstellar travel. However this was based on generation ships, not jump technology, so the claim is not generally accepted by other races.

Much of Suerrat prehistory is obscure. Many xeno-archaeologists have been at work on Ilelish, unearthing ancient Droyne remains and other artifacts of what some conjecture was a battleground for the The Final War. While this theory is popular with many, there is still considerable dissent within the academic community.

Biology: Anatomy & Physiology

The Suerrat exhibit several genetic traits that are dormant in Solomani or Vilani, producing what many Solomani think of as "ape-like" features. They are small but heavy for their size, very broad across the chest, and quite muscular. Their feet are slightly prehensile and Suerrat shoes are soft and mitten-like. On the right surfaces they are likely to go barefoot. They are comfortable with a much lower light level than a Solomani would be. Their retinas are more sensitive, their eyes are larger, and their pupils larger still. The Suerrat grow a coat of fur over most of their bodies, missing only on their palms, soles, and from the neck up. This fur is usually red and quite long. Curiously, they cannot grow facial hair. Suerrat don't have more hair than Solomani, it's just that Solomani "fur" is much finer and shorter than Suerrat fur.

History

The Suerrat developed sub-light drives to colonize nearby worlds and had established a small interstellar state by the time they were contacted by the Vilani.

The Suerrat were trade partners of the Vilani for many years, but eventually their worlds were conquered during the Consolidation Wars, and the Suerrat became a grudging subject race to the Vilani.

The Suerrat finally revolted in the late Interstellar Wars period, following the Battle of Three Suns (-2224). Their uprising is often seen as one of the final blows to the First Imperium.

Following the Long Night, Ilelish was swiftly absorbed by the growing Third Imperium and became the sector capital.

The Ilelish Revolt (418-435) was a popular independence movement that began on Ilelish, but rapidly spread to other worlds with significant Suerrat populations. The region affected by the Revolt had been going through an economic depression, and it was felt that the Imperium was more interested in conquering new worlds than in supporting those worlds it already had. Worlds in Ilelish Sector petitioned the Emperor, Martin III, to establish an autonomous district on the model of the League of Antares, but the petition was refused. Following this, Ilelish and several other worlds seceded.

The Imperium defeated the revolt, essentially by encircling it, containing it, and squeezing. To create an example, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Navy to sterilize a large portion of the Ilelish equatorial region, which still bears the scars to this day.

Government & Politics

Social and economic egalitarianism defines most Suerrat governments. This is most often displayed by public ownership of city and world infrastructure through the government. Public voting is common on Suerrat-majority worlds regardless of the overall form taken by the planetary government. The Suerrat Republic government (which technically doesn't exist, as the Third Imperium restricts Suerrat autonomy) is characterized as having a high degree of centralization, which sets uniform policies that direct the entire multi-system state and largely disregards local/planetary differences. The Suerrat Republic government is usually classified as a Parliamentary Republic, a form of a Unitary State.

Religions

Suerrat religions include the following:

• Spirit Children: A relatively new religion promoting a more pastoral way of life, like that from before the Suerrat industrial revolution on Ilelish.
• Temple of the All-Mother: Also known as Shidhism, this religion is very old, with some claiming that it existed in some form since Suerrat prehistory.
• The Inward Eye: A religion rapidly attracting followers among the Suerrat, claiming that the divine can be experienced only by using psychoactive substances.
• Several Terran religions have found favour among the Suerrat, introduced late in the Interstellar Wars period and during the Rule of Man. Shintoism and Daoism in particular have Suerrat followers.

Culture

Suerrat clothing tends to be simple, albeit brightly coloured, and in hot weather most Suerrat are happy to go without clothing entirely. They also prefer to go barefoot when able, and their shoes are often fashioned like mittens, leaving the opposable toe-thumb free for gripping. Suerrat aren't fond of jewellery, save for gems worn inset into the teeth, held in place with cement which has healing and antibacterial properties. Lovers often give each other such gems as a sign of affection or commitment. Suerrat also enjoy styling their hair, both on their heads and bodies, be it dyeing, braiding, beading, or the addition of small pieces of decoration. Both sexes wear makeup frequently.