Aslan

The Aslan are a race of intelligent beings; their starfaring culture is relatively young among the galactic Races, having had star flight for less than 200 years. Despite their youth, their spread through space has been rapid, driven by the instinctive territorial desires that are central to the Aslan male. An expansionist species of feuding clans and predatory warriors, Aslan are eager to seize all the universe has to offer. True to their pouncer ancestry, Aslan are capable of short bursts of speed somewhat greater than that manageable by humans. They also have slightly superior hearing and night vision.

Aslan Travelers

Characteristcs Aslan Travellers have the following modifiers applied to their characteristics: STR+2, DEX-2.
Traits Aslan Travellers all possess the following traits:
Dewclaw: All Aslan have a dewclaw, which can be extended to make for a vicious close combat weapon. The dewclaw uses the Melee (natural) skill and does 1D+2 damage.
Heightened Senses: Aslan have better night vision, hearing and sense of smell than humans. All Aslan receive DM+1 to any Recon and Survival checks they have to make.

Gender
An Aslan’s gender and clan have far more bearing on the Traveller’s career choices than those of a human. Male Aslan Travellers have an additional characteristic, Territory (TER), which starts at 0, and SOC for all Aslan is determined by Ancestral Territory, described below. Aslan sex and gender are bimodal, typically either male or female, althoough there are some rare exceptions. Aslan biology dictates there are approximately three females born for every male. As a result, males are in the distinct minority. In Aslan society, males are permitted to be warriors, rulers and diplomats; females are the scientists, technicians, merchants and managers.
Clan, Family, and Pride
To determine if a Traveller comes from one of the 29 Great Clans of the Tlaukhu or a minor clan, roll on the Clan table, or the Referee may choose to dictate which clan the Traveller comes from. Note that if any Travellers are kinfolk with one another, they will share a clan and possibly a family.

1D	Clan
1-3	Minor Clan
4-6	Major Clan. +1 DM to Ancestral Deeds roll

There are hundreds or thousands of families in a clan. To determine the SOC of the Traveller, roll on the Ancestral Deeds table and twice on the Past Deeds table to work out what Territory his forebears acquired. Ancestral Territory starts at 0. The first Past Deeds roll is for the deeds of their grandfather and the second is for the deeds of their father.

1D	Ancestral Deeds
1	Your ancestor shamed the clan and you come from a branch long dishonered. +0 Ancestral Territory.
2	Your family’s glory days are long gone, all that is left is the tales of great landholdings now lost to upstarts. +0 Ancestral Territory
3	Your family made its fortune in the great expansion after the discovery of jump drive; most family holdings are on distant worlds. +1 Ancestral Territory
4	Your family are the descendants of an ancient hero forgotten by most Aslan. +1 Ancestral Territory
5	Your family’s ancestor was a trickster who deceived his enemies. +2 Ancestral Territory
6	Your ancestors were conquerors and great warriors. +2 Ancestral Territory
7	Your family is one of the most influential and wealthy in the Hierate. +3 Ancestral Territory

2D	Past Deeds
2	Dishonored! Your forebear committed some dishonourable act that caused the clan to strip your family of all territory. Gain Independence 0 (if male) or Profession 0 (if female). Lose all Ancestral Territory
3	Your forebear was beset by many foes, one of whom conquered much of your land. Gain an Enemy and Gun Combat 0. –4 Ancestral Territory
4	Your forebear was a fool who gambled away much of your land. Gain Gamble 0 or Carouse 0. –3 Ancestral Territory
5	Your forebear suffered from a degenerative genetic disease that you may have inherited. Gain Medic 0. –2 Ancestral Territory
6	Your forebear barely managed to hold onto your landhold. –1 Ancestral Territory
7	+1 Ancestral Territory
8	+2 Ancestral Territory
9	+3 Ancestral Territory
10	+4 Ancestral Territory
11	+5 Ancestral Territory
12	+6 Ancestral Territory

Travellers have SOC equal to their Ancestral Territory. If you have SOC 10+ and are male, gain Leadership 1. Only the first son in the family inherits the family Territory. Next, determine your Traveller’s place in the family. In the case of multiple Travellers from the same family, only the eldest need roll on the Family Inheritance table – all other Travellers in that family are automatically younger.
Family Inheritance

2D	Male	Female
2-3	First Son	Eldest Daughter
4-10	Second Son	Middle Daughter
11-12	Third Son	Youngest Daughter

Finally, at the start of Traveller creation, the Traveller has left their parent’s pride. The Traveller may become part of another pride through Life Events or form one during a campaign.
Starting Age Aslan Travellers begin their careers at 16 Aslan years of age (about 14 standard years). Careers are resolved on the basis of Aslan terms of service which are four Earth years (4.5 Aslan years) each.
AKUAEUHREKHYEH (RITE OF PASSAGE) At the age of 15 (Aslan years), all Aslan Travellers undergo a rite of passage, the Akhuaeuhrekhyeh. This rite tests the individual’s fitness to enter society and has an impact on careers. The actual rite is a test that examines the Traveller’s abilities and qualities, and males and females undergo different rites.
A male Aslan rolls 2D, which is compared to each of his characteristics apart from TER. A Rite of Passage score is created by adding +1 for each characteristic greater than the roll.
Example: Two male Aslan siblings, Hwelryr and Karinvyr both have the same characteristics: STR 10, DEX 7, END 8, INT 6, EDU 5, SOC 7. Hwelyr rolls a 6 for his rite of passage; Karinvyr rolls a 10. Hwelyr’s Rite of Passage number is +4 (+STR, +DEX, +END, +SOC). Karinvyr’s Rite of Passage number is +0.
A female Aslan rolls 2D which is compared to INT, EDU and SOC. A Rite of Passage score is created by adding +2 for each characteristic greater than the throw.
If doubles are rolled for the rite of passage, consult the Rite of Passage Events table.
Rite of Passage Events

Roll	Event
1+1	You are believed to have a great destiny, and the clan looks for great things from you. You must excel or disappoint your ancestors. He gains 1D Clan Shares.
2+2	Impressive Performance. You are given Cr5000 as a reward for your exemplary performance in the rite.
3+3	You befriend one of the other young Aslan undergoing the rite that day. Gain a Contact.
4+4	One of the other Aslan undergoing the rite tries to outdo you. Gain a Rival.
5+5	You are wounded in one of the tests, leaving a distinctive scar across your fur.
6+6	I Will Not Fail! Your rite tests you to the limit, but you are determined not to give in. Gain END +1.

Skills The Aslan deal with skills primarily on a gender basis – males feel that some skills are dishonourable and beneath them; females feel that some skills are shallow or simply unsuitable. As a result, Aslan perceive and identify skills as common (available to both sexes) male (suitable only for males) and female (suitable only for females). In addition, there are a few skills that a non-Aslan would classify as rare (generally unknown or unappreciated in Aslan society). On the rare occasions that an Aslan learns a skill inappropriate for his or her gender, that fact will usually be kept secret; for the fact to be revealed would be shameful. Further, Aslan society is rigid enough on the subject of skills that no respectable Aslan would hire someone for a job that required a skill inappropriate to the employee’s gender.
At times, Aslan are forced to learn what they consider inappropriate skills in order to survive. For example, it is widely known that Wanderers often learn Engineeringnon the small ships they commonly use; polite society ignores this breach of propriety and a former Wanderer with Engineering skill would never discuss it and never expect to be hired as an engineer.
Male Skills: Some skills can be learned in Aslan society only by males. Females consider such skills naturally the province of males and rarely try to learn them. In some extreme circumstances, females may learn them but will almost never admit to it in polite company. Most direct combat skills are the province of males. Independence is a uniquely Aslan male skill in that it indicates the degree to which the male has overcome Aslan cultural and psychological barriers to the comprehension of money. Females do not need Independence since they are not faced with these barriers.
Female Skills: Some skills can be learned in Aslan society only by females. Males consider such skills dishonourable for them to learn and will avoid learning them if at all possible. If they have learned them, honour forbids them from admitting it.
Rare Skills: These skills may be learned by Aslan but are extremely rare.
The Aslan Skills table indicate which skills various Aslan might consider distasteful or unacceptable to learn. The rare Aslan skills table shows skills that very few Aslan would learn. Skills not shown as male, female may be considered common skills.

Male Only	Female Only
Art (epic poetry)	Art (all except epic poetry)
Gunner	Astrogation
Heavy Weapons	Broker
Independence	Electronics (all except sensors)
Leadership	Engineer
Tactics	Mechanic
Melee	Profession
Firearms	Science

New Skills for Aslan The following two skills are unique to Aslan.

• Independence: The Traveller is capable of dealing with the concepts of money. In Aslan society, money is traditionally a female responsibility and males (particularly upper-class males) rarely understand such matters, a fact that handicaps them in a technological society. Independence is an Aslan male skill, acquirable only by males; females have no need of it. When Independence skill appears, males must roll 2D and score higher than their SOC to acquire the skill. Independence is a guide governing the Traveller’s ability to function without supervision. Lack of the skill indicates no concept of money at all; the Traveller must be looked after by a wife or companion who can pay for things and generally see that he has his financial needs cared for. Realising a Price is Extortionate: Average (8+) Independence check (INT or EDU) Understanding an Economics Treatise: Difficult (10+) Independence check (1D x 10 minutes, INT)
• Tolerance: The Traveller is accustomed to dealing with non-Aslan and has learned to ignore lapses in propriety on the part of such persons. It should also be used to help determine the degree to which an Aslan is capable of getting along with others outside of the family, pride, clan and race. An Aslan without Tolerance is unlikely to be found in the company of non-Aslan. In any Aslan’s dealings with others, Tolerance offsets the negative DM called for under the reaction rules.

Aging Aslan aging is slower in its onset but more severe in effects than in human Travellers. The first roll on the Aging table is not made until age 40 (after six terms of service have been completed thereafter, it is checked every term and twice the Traveller’s number of terms served is applied as a negative DM to the roll.

Careers

Aslan careers, in general, are used in the same way as described in the Traveller Core Rulebook. However, there are exceptions, which are noted here. Note that some Aslan careers are restricted to a specific gender.
Ceremonial: The Aslan have a rich cultural heritage. Those involved in ceremonial tasks occupy a position of great importance within their clans.
Envoy (Males Only): Interclan relations are often entrusted to specific Envoys empowered to arrive at agreements and commit clan resources. The term Envoy (rather than diplomat) is used because the individual represents a clan rather than a government.
Management (Females Only): Many female Aslan opt to enter a business-oriented career, rather than pursuing marriage and family. Such females may rise to positions of importance within the structure of various corporations. The career gives a variety of skills concerned with commerce, finance, and relations with others.
Military and Military Officer: These careers are equivalent to both Army and Marine in the Traveller Core Rulebook. They represent clan military forces that may be employed in interclan warfare, on Hierate service, as mercenaries or as adjuncts to a corporation’s activities where the military force is needed for security or other purposes. Males in Military service are fighters or combatants; females are support personnel. Male Military Officers are commanders and leaders; females serve as staff and advisors.
Outcast: Outcast Travellers, for one reason or another, do not fit within normal Aslan society. Generally scorned as misfits, they tend to pick up an unusual assortment of skills; frequently such Travellers will be more independent but also nurse a fierce desire to improve themselves and thus rejoin the society that has scorned them.
Outlaw: Some Outcasts become Outlaws, travelling between the stars raiding other clans or other races. Such activities represent a deviant subculture within Aslan society; normal standards for male and female pursuits have broken down to some extent, with each learning and performing tasks of the other. Pirates, like Outcasts, privately nurse a desire to return to normal Aslan society but see little chance for success.
Scientist (Females only, with the excetion of Healer): Travellers involved in the pursuit of the sciences (whether biological, physical, or social) can become Scientists. In Aslan practice, most scientists are actually technicians, adept at the creation of mechanisms to accomplish specific tasks.
Spacer and Space Officer: These two careers embrace all forms of interplanetary and interstellar service which may be carried out by a clan, including operation of all forms of spacecraft. Thus, the career is similar to both the Navy and Merchant (and to some extent, Scout) in the Traveller Core Rulebook. However, members of this career are strictly concerned with the operation of ships; a clan vessel involved in trade would also carry Travellers of a management background for the conduct of business. Spacer males are primarily gunners; females are technicians or support personnel. Male Space Officers are pilots, gunners, and leaders; females are navigators, engineers, and staff advisors.
Wanderer (Males Only): Many ihatei are given vessels by their clans and then use them for exploration in the hopes of discovering new landholds. Wanderers are much like the Scouts of the Traveller Core Rulebook, exploring in a lonely, risky way which provides a wide range of skills but also great chance of disaster. It should be emphasised that most careers (except Outcast and Outlaw) are governed on a clan level. The Hierate has no integrated Army or Navy; individual clans maintain forces which may be contributed to the service of the Hierate, or not, as the situation and attitudes of the clan dictate.
Qualification Once a career is selected, the Traveller attempts t qualify for it. For Aslan careers, the Rite of Passage score is used as a DM to qualify for all careers except for Outlaw and Scientist instead of the standard characteristic check. If the Traveller fails to qualify, they are immediately reduced to SOC 2 and become Outcast. If any event during creation indicates the Traveller has become Outcast, they must either take the Outcast career in their next term or attempt to qualify for the Outlaw career. Alternatively, they may instead leave Aslan space and attempt to become a Rogue or Drifter from the Traveller Core Rulebook. Aslan who have spent time as Outcasts or Outlaws may only attempt to qualify for other Outcast or Outlaw assignments while in Aslan space, as their past is too dishonourable to allow them to enter a more respectable career (such Travellers may be best served by either leaving Aslan space or mustering out and starting the campaign).

Career	Assignment	Gender	Qualification	Survival	Advancement
Ceremonial			Rite 10+
	Poet	Male		EDU 7+	INT 7+
	Clan Agent	Either		END 8+	INT 6+
	Priest	Either		SOC 6+	EDU 8+
Envoy			Rite 10+
	Negotiator	Either		SOC 7+	INT 7+
	Spy	Either		SOC 8+	INT 6+
	Duelist	Male		END 6+	DEX 6+
Management			Rite 8+
	Corporate	Female		INT 7+	INT 7+
	Clan Aide	Female		EDU 8+	SOC 6+
	Governess	Female		SOC 6+	EDU 8+
Military			Rite 7+
	Warrior	Male		END 8+	STR 6+
	Cavalry	Male		DEX 7+	DEX 7+
	Flyer	Male		DEX 8+	INT 6+
	Support	Female		END 6+	SOC 8+
Military Officer			Rite 10+
	Leader	Male		END 7+	INT 7+
	Executive Officer	Female		END 6+	EDU 8+
	Assassin	Male		END 8+	DEX 6+
Scientist			INT 7+ (10+ for Males)
	Healer	Either		END 6+	SOC 8+
	Researcher	Female		EDU 7+	INT 7+
	Explorer	Female		END 8+	INT 6+
Spacer			Rite 8+
	Pilot	Male		DEX 7+	INT 5+
	Gunner	Male		END 6+	INT 6+
	Engineer	Female		END 6+	INT 6+
	Crew	Either		EDU 5+	INT 7+
Space Officer			Rite 10+
	Commander	Male		SOC 8+	INT 6+
	Shipmaster	Female		EDU 7+	SOC 6+
	Navigator	Female		INT 6+	SOC 8+
Outcast			None
	Labourer	Either		STR 8+	STR 7+
	Trader	Either		END 8+	INT 7+
	Scavenger	Ei		END 8+	EDU 7+
Outlaw			STR 6+
	Pirate	Either		END 7+	INT 7+
	Raider	Either		END 8+	STR 6+
	Thief	Either		DEX 7+	INT 7+
Wanderer			Rite 8+
	Belter	Male		END 6+	INT 8+
	Nomad	Male		DEX 7+	INT 7+
	Scout	Male		END 8+	INT 6+

Mustering Out

Aslan receive mustering out Benefits when they leave the service as normal.
Kinships Kinships are secret societies and trade guilds within Aslan society. A Traveller given membership in a kinship may ask other members of the kinship for aid, learn skills or obtain funding for further studies related to the kinship’s purpose. There are scientific kinships, engineering kinships, warrior secret schools and so forth.
Pensions There is no pension system for Aslan. An old Aslan should have accumulated Clan Shares to have enough money to live on.
Cash Benefits Females, being more skilled in handling financial matters, may consult the Cash column any number of times. Males are restricted to consulting the Cash column no more times than they have levels of the Independence skill; in addition, males receive only half the amount rolled for.
Brotherhood of Stars: This grand kinship of starfarers grants the Traveller one free Low Passage per month and one free High Passage per year.
Ceremonial Kinship: A Traveller who is a member of a ceremonial kinship gains D3 Allies within the Aslan hierarchy.
Scientific Kinship: A scientific kinship is a school of experts on a topic. A Traveller who is a member of a scientific kinship may make a Difficult (10+) SOC check once per year; if successful, they obtain the use of a kinship laboratory ship for six months.
Scout Ship: This is as detailed on page 45 of the Traveller Core Rulebook, but will instead be an Ihateisho scout ship.
Clan Shares: Aslan Travellers do not receive Ship Shares. Instead, they receive Clan Shares, which represent the clan placing an increasing amount of trust in the Traveller’s abilities and the Traveller gaining more control over the assets of the clan. A Traveller may trade Clan Shares for any of the following benefits. Travellers from the same clan may combine Clan Shares.
Secret School: A secret warrior school teaches secret combat techniques. In addition to being part of this brotherhood of warriors, the Traveller may obtain DM+1 to attack rolls in any one of the following situations:

• Melee (Natural): When dueling
• Gun Combat: After aiming for at least two rounds
• Heavy Weapons: After aiming for at least two rounds
• Gunner: when engaging a target at Adjacent range

A Traveller may trade Clan Shares for any of the following benefits. Travellers from the same clan may combine Clan Shares.

• Cash: A Traveller may trade Clan Shares for simple cash. Each Clan Share gives the Traveller Cr10000.
• Corporation: The Traveller owns an operating corporation. It has MCr500000 in assets per Clan Share spent and produces gross profits equal to 1D-5% of its assets per year. The Traveller need not do anything to administer the corporation but may become involved if desired.
• Favors: Clan Shares can be kept in reserve, and used to apply political pressure to the clan in the future. A Clan Share can be spent to acquire a Contact in the clan’s upper echelons, or turn such a Contact into an Ally.
• Land: This option can only be taken by a male Aslan with SOC 9+. The Traveller receives a landhold. Owning lands is the dream of all Aslan males, the chief ambition which drives them. To determine the landholding’s quality and size, first select or generate the world where the landhold is located. The size of the holding on that world is then determined based on the number of Clan Shares invested in the holding. Three Clan Shares grants TER +1.
• Shipshares: Clan Shares may be converted to Ship Shares directly on a one-for-one basis.

Aslan Life Events

Outcast Aslan must use the Life Events table on page 44 of the Traveller Core Rulebook, reflecting their disconnection from Aslan society. All others use the Aslan Life Events table.

2D	Event
2	Sickness or Injury: You are injured or become sick. Roll on the Injury table
3	Birth or Death: Someone close you dies, like a friend or pride member. Alternatively, someone close to you gives birth (or is born!). You are involved in some fashion (father or mother, pridekin, honour guard).
4	Territory Challenge: A rival attempts to claim some of your Territory (or your sire’s or mate’s Territory, if you have none of your own). Make a Diplomat, Broker, Melee (natural) or Gun Combat check and increase or decrease your TER (or SOC, if you have no Territory) by the Effect of the roll.
5	Change in Marriage Status: If not married, you are now married (either to an existing Ally or Contact, another Traveller, or a mate arranged by your clan). If already married, roll 1D. On 1–4, another female is added to the pride. On a 5–6, your mate is slain.
6	Clan Event: Roll on the Clan Event table.
7	New Contact: You gain a new Contact.
8	Clan Event: Roll on the Clan Event table.
9	Travel: You move to another world. Gain DM+2 to your next qualification roll.
10	Duel: You are challenged to a duel over a matter of family honour. If you refuse, lose SOC –1. If you accept, roll Melee (natural) 8+. If you succeed, gain SOC +1; otherwise, lose SOC –2.
11	Dishonoured: You are accused of a crime. Roll Advocate 8+ or Melee (natural) 10+ to defend yourself (if you have any Contacts or Allies in the clan, you gain DM+2 to the Advocate roll). If you cannot defend yourself, you drop to SOC 2 and become Outcast.
12	Unusual Event: Something weird. Roll 1D. Psionic: You have an encounter with a psionic phenomenon, such as a human psionic institute, a Zhodani agent or a telepathic plant. Aliens: You travel extensively with non-Aslan. Gain Tolerance. Alien Artefact: You come into possession of a curious piece of alien technology or an archaeological relic. Amnesia: There is a gap in your memory. Contact with Clan Leaders: The elders of your clan entrust you with a mission or a secret. Ancient Technology: You have an item that is older than the Aslan race.

Clan Events

1D	Event
1	Prosperous Times: The clan acquires new Territories or trade routes. Gain an extra Benefit roll or DM+2 to your next advancement roll.
2	Rising Fortunes: Your clan’s political standing improves. Gain SOC +1.
3	New Ally: A member of your clan rises to an influential position. Gain him or her as an Ally.
4	Feud: Your family is now feuding with another Aslan family. Gain the enemy family as an Enemy.
5	War: Your clan goes to war. If male, you suffer DM-2 to survival rolls next term. If female, lose one Benefit roll.
6	Hard Times: Your clan suffers economic hardship. You suffer DM-4 to advancement rolls this term, and gain no Benefit rolls for it.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Aslan are descended from four-limbed carnivorous pouncer stock which was originally near the top of the food chain in the forests of their homeworld, Kusyu. About 1.8 million years ago Kusyu’s climate shifted, with the result that the extensive forests of Tafohti (Kusyu’s largest continent) almost completely disappeared. As the forests dwindled, so did the small fauna upon which the Aslan had preyed, forcing them to venture out into the expanding grassland plains. The large grazing animals in these regions were too much for a lone Aslan to kill and they began hunting in ahriy (prides) of several families. The strongest male became the leader and his family received the best parts of kills, choice sleeping places and were first in line at any waterhole.
The Aslan that has evolved from those beginnings is, like a human, an upright biped averaging two metres in height and 100 kilograms in mass. Aslan are sexually dimorphic, male and female, of which the most notable external difference is the male’s increased size and more impressive mane. Females outnumber males by a ratio of three to one.
The Aslan hand has three fingers opposing one medially-placed thumb and all have retractable claws. In addition, Aslan have a single highly specialised claw under each thumb; this dewclaw folds back jackknife fashion into a horny covering in the base of the thumb and palm. The presence of these claws and the general nature of their body structure make the Aslan somewhat clumsy by comparison with humans but what they lack in dexterity they more than make up for in strength and endurance.
Aslan all have tails, although the length of this appendage has diminished over time and is now little more than a vestigial stump in some bloodlines.
Aslan sleep about one-third of the time; shaped by their homeworld’s rotation period, their sleeping time is roughly 10 to 11 hours (one-third of Kusyu’s 32-hour day). Like humans, lack of sleep degrades their abilities drastically.
The Aslan gestation period is roughly one ftahea, or 10 months in human terms. Most are single births – twins are virtually unheard of and are almost always female. Male twins are rare enough to be virtually unknown. The young are born encapsulated in tough embryonic cauls, which are then cut away by the mother using a claw (or in modern times, by a surgeon’s laser). Cubs mature quickly, learning to walk in only two months.
True to their pouncer ancestry, Aslan are capable of short bursts of speed somewhat greater than that manageable by humans. They also have slightly superior hearing and night vision.
Aslan develop faster than humans and are considered adult at 15 years. A male Aslan is in his prime from the age of 20 to around 40, whereupon he begins to decline rapidly. Males live naturally into their 60s; females reach the mid-50s on average. Gerontology is not a priority for Aslan medical science, so aged Aslan who wish to prolong their lifespan unnaturally must seek out alternative sources of medical treatment.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Aslan are almost exclusively carnivorous. They consume a few nuts, fruits and berries but scorn root vegetables, grains and other plant-based foods as being fit only for ‘herd animals’. The Aslan practise extensive agriculture to maintain their vast herds of livestock and there is some archaeological evidence to suggest that early Aslan had a diet higher in vegetable matter but cultural emphasis on predation and carnivorous behaviour means no modern Aslan would willingly eat plants.
The Aslan have the technology to produce synthesisedmeat but it is consumed only by the poorest members of society or on worlds too scantly populated or inhospitable to support agriculture. Even frozen meat is considered extremely poor fare – in any civilised Aslan house or restaurant, the meat is slaughtered right on the spot and rich Aslan even hunt their own food on a regular basis, stalking prey across private estates. As a single herd animal provides far more meat than even a teenage male could eat, almost all Aslan dinners are communal affairs. A whole family plus guests will dine together. Aslan normally eat one large meal a day and sleep after eating.
Small animals are eaten raw, while larger cuts of meat are lightly cooked and heavily spiced. The Aslan have an astonishing repertoire of spices and chemical preparations both subtle and bold. Aslan try to maintain such culinary practices even on spacecraft, using mouse-sized robots covered in a meaty sheath to mimic live prey and carrying herd animals in cryoberths for later consumption.
Aslan cannot naturally digest Terran-derived meats but adding a few genetically-engineered stomach bacteria corrects this. Some Aslan take pills when visiting human worlds to adjust their biochemistry, although many clans now include these bacteria in medical treatments given to all children soon after birth.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

All Aslan (with the exception of a few lost colonies) share a common language and culture. However, this culture is highly complex and custom-bound, and individual names and words can become rather unwieldy. 
The clan head of an independent clan (vassal to no other clan) is known simply by the clan’s name; where differentiation is necessary, the particle ko (himself) is added. For example, the head of clan Hlyueawi would be known as Hlyueawi or Hlyueawiko. At the opposite extreme, an Aslan lower in the social order (but still a noble) might be named HlyueawifiyAhroay’ifiyWahtoiLayeauiwahfeaktelihlalikhtyeiteyahahtateisiyu, roughly meaning, ‘unmarried first son of the third son of the grandfather of the head of the pride which holds the valley in the fork of the Iwahfeal River, part of clan Wahtoi, which is a vassal of clan Aroaye’i, itself a vassal of clan Hlyueawi.’
Females are named for their husbands, fathers or brothers, depending on circumstances. Non-nobles are named for the nobles of whom they are vassals or clients. Needless to say, while formal or ritual speech (which is frequent) calls for Aslan to use their full names, nicknames are commonly used among intimates. Nicknames usually commemorate some supposed virtue or achievement and can be chosen and discarded whenever the holder desires.
In coming up with names or words for Aslan Travellers, places or things, a simple system for generating random, Aslan-sounding words is provided. This neatly avoids all considerations of syntax and vocabulary. Simply generate a word as desired and assign a suitable meaning to it, such as ‘Killer of Ten Thousand’ or, less bloodthirstily, ‘He Honours His Ancestors’ or ‘Place of the North Wind’. Since Aslan does not translate well into English (most Aslan words are an entire phrase of meaning, much like written Chinese ideograms), meanings can vary considerably. Tehleikhoi is the name of an Aslan mercenary regiment; it can be translated as ‘Soldiers of the Falling Night’, ‘Knights of the Setting Sun’, or ‘Warriors of the Evening Star’. There is a great deal of latitude in the development of Aslan words and names.

Major Organizations

Each clan maintains its own armed forces to defend and protect it and many companies own mercenary forces, which are hired out to clans–or to groups outside the Hierate–for profit. The necessity for such forces is demonstrated by the fact that clan warfare is constant in the Hierate; somewhere there is always a clan war in progress. Although such wars are formal and governed by elaborate rituals, they are no less deadly for the combatants.
External threats to the Aslan are infrequent and also are handled on the clan level.
One problem Aslan sometimes have is recognising that non-Aslan are less likely to fight by the strict set of rules that govern Aslan-Aslan conflicts. Until realised, Aslan often fight at a disadvantage. When they do recognise the enemy is not abiding by the supposed rules, Aslan tend to over-react and begin all-out warfare.
Military organisation for the Aslan military places males in leadership and fighting positions, and females provide administrative or technical support. Unit commanders are male, assisted by a female executive. The commander leads the troops and determines tactics, while the executive oversees logistics and has a strong influence over operations through her creation of battle plans. Maintenance and supply units are staffed by lower-class males and females. Fighting units are staffed mostly by males, support units mostly by females, although there is some crossover. Males of low social level in combat units have some chance of social (and hence military) advancement, while those in noncombatant arms have virtually none.
Mercenary units are typically organised as business ventures by a female (often as part of a corporation). The owner, or a female relation appointed to act as representative of the owner, negotiates tickets and generally sees to business. This individual accompanies the unit headquarters and is the ultimate source of decisions regarding the employment of the unit. In practice, however, she lets the (male) commander make the combat decisions, intervening only when the male’s lack of a balanced viewpoint threatens the best business interests of the unit.
The profession of mercenary is an honourable one, since there are usually more landless males (lowerclass and ihatei alike) than there are positions in a clan’s military force. Mercenaries win land, honour and glory through their actions and females have run mercenary units as a source of wealth since long before the Aslan went into space.
Some mercenary units are composed of highly trained assassins; skilled less in mass warfare than in individual or small unit combat techniques. These units need fewer females, since logistics and similar operations are less a part of a war of assassins. There is nothing dishonourable about such assassinations, as long as they are part of a prescribed clan war. Such units might be comparable to the ninja of Japan but without the stigma attached to ninja by contemporaneous samurai society. All in all, however, assassins and wars of assassins are far less frequent than more orthodox warfare and military forces.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The Aslan common language is called Trokh. Humans find it difficult to learn but quite beautiful to listen to. For the most part, Trokh is a lyrical tongue, although there is the occasional dissonant growl or roar. There are several dialects of Trokh; all of the major clans have their own version of the language and Trokh has been greatly expanded by the females to cover scientific and economic topics. Common Trokh can be understood by all Aslan but males are quickly left behind when females start talking in the technical dialects. A male dialect of Trokh exists; this is a highly formal language, used in legal and political circles. A few ultra-conservative clans preserve older Aslanlanguages, such as Trow or Haeto.
The common Aslan writing system is composed of hundreds of glyphs called Tao. These glyphs were originally pictorial, coupled with several symbols that are clearly derived from claw-marks but have become greatly stylised. Common sentences can be understood with knowledge of only three dozen common Tao. A scientific form of Tao is used by females for technical purposes. On board an Aslan ship, consoles used by males will use simplified, traditional Tao, while female controls will be labelled using the female glyphs to provide more accurate information.

Aslan Mathematics

The Aslan have four fingers, so they naturally use base 8 mathematics (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20 and so on). Powers of 8 are therefore nice round numbers to the Aslan. An Aslan epic poem might say that 4096 warriors died in a battle or that a warrior took 64 wounds before dying; these are not precise measurements but the equivalent of a human saying 10,000 people fought in the battle or that the warrior took a 100 wounds.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The Aslan have long been a warrior race; they are noble and proud, devoted to those in authority above them and responsible for those who owe fealty from below. Aslan society is based on family and its relationships.
An individual Aslan is usually a member of a family (ekho) of 2–12 persons under a patriarchal leader. This family will generally include the male family head, one or more wives, plus children and various blood relatives of the leader (unmarried brothers and sisters, aged surviving parents no longer maintaining separate families, adopted orphans of blood relatives). The Aslan do not distinguish between mothers – all cubs sired by a male are cared for equally by all the male’s wives. Patrilinear descent is all that is important in Aslan society. Cubs are more capable than human infants andgrow more quickly. A cub can walk by the age of three months and can speak within five or six months.
A child is considered part of the father’s family until:

• She is married off to a male (if female)
• He acquires Territory (if male)
• The father dies

In the latter case, the father’s Territory passes to the eldest son. The eldest son may choose to include his siblings in his family but is under no formal obligation to do so. Several families combine into a pride (ahriy), with one family dominant. The leader of that family is also the leader of the pride. Other families owe him and his family their fealty. A number of prides form a clan (huiha), with one pride dominant. Again, prides in the clan owe fealty to the clan’s leader. The clan’s leader is expected, in turn, to protect and provide for members of the clan settling disputes between prides within the clan, and administering his holdings wisely and well. Clans may, in turn, owe fealty to more powerful clans, particularly where blood relationships exist. The Tlaukhu consists of the Twenty-Nine pre-eminent Aslan clans, the strongest within the Hierate; many other clans owe them fealty, either directly or through a chain of other clans. Overall, however, clans owing fealty to one of the Tlaukhu are in the minority; most clans are independent and function accordingly.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Aslan pride makes them a touchy race and it is quite easy for Aslan to give or take offence. This behaviour originated in the struggles for dominance within families and prides, and remains a basic part of the Aslan personality. Over the centuries, Aslan touchiness has grown formal and extremely ritualised; this rigid pattern of behaviour has been necessary to reduce conflict and injury in the settlement of personal disputes. It should be noted that this struggle for dominance is so deeply embedded into the Aslan psyche that it cannot be unlearned. An Aslan can no more ignore an infringement on his Territory or challenge to his authority than a human could ignore the urge to breathe. Non-Aslan who do not understand these ritual forms of conduct find it difficult to get along with individual Aslan. For their part, most sophisticated Aslan have learned a certain amount of tolerance towards those who do not fit into the Aslan cultural pattern but the cultural patterns are deeply ingrained and offence is still taken from time-to-time.

Dueling and Honor

Aslan society generally categorises abrasive, uncultured or offensive behaviour into three classes; familiarity, impoliteness and discourtesy. Familarity is the treatment of social superiors as equals; it involves social interaction, extreme friendliness or condescending treatment by a lower class Aslan toward an upper-class Aslan. Touching an Aslan without permission is an instance of familiarity. Impoliteness stems from a lack of proper education or upbringing; it might include failure to address a social superior by the correct honorifics, failure to respond promptly when addressed or losing one’s temper in public. Discourtesy is a deliberate insult and springs from contempt, a lack of respect or malice; outward actions may often be perceived by Aslan as discourtesy although not meant to be so by someone alien to Aslan culture. Failing to immediately apologise for familiarity is impolite; failing to apologise for impoliteness when corrected is discourteous. An Aslan may apologise verbally or by making signs of submission (offering one’s throat to the offended party or abasing oneself). Without an apology, any of these three behaviours can give offence and an offended Aslan becomes an enemy.
Discourtesy, however, is grounds for duelling. Duelling is a common way by which insults and slights are resolved, especially if rituals and other tension relieving forms fail to defuse the problem. Duels follow well-established rituals and are fought to the death only rarely. The rules of conduct and protocols that govern them clearly state what is allowed and not allowed. A challenge to duel is never made lightly. At the same time, reluctance to challenge is seen in Aslan culture as weakness, a trait few Aslan wish to exhibit. Most challenges are issued in response to discourtesy; elaborate but informal rituals have evolved wherein one party is discourteous and actually gains stature if the other does not reply with a challenge. Much of this behaviour seems incomprehensible to individuals not steeped in Aslan culture. The rituals for duelling, however, are strictly segregated by gender. Males and females never duel; insults and slights by the opposite sex are dismissed with the excuse that males (or females) do not understand female (or male) honour. When a transgression becomes too blatant, too extreme or too unacceptable, then a member of the insulted Aslan’s immediate family (and of the correct sex) will respond to the discourtesy with a challenge.
The barriers against certain duels within a family are almost as strong as those for cross-gender duelling. Children never duel with their parents (which socially includes any adults in their family of the previous generation, not just their biological parents).
To issue an informal challenge, the offended party need only bare his or her claws and roar a challenge to the other Aslan. Informal challenges are resolved as quickly as possible and often fought on the spot. Formal challenges are more involved and reserved only for the most important disputes, such as legal arguments. To make a formal challenge, the offended party must contact the clan head or a sanctioned representative of the clan head. The clan head will then decide whether or not to permit the duel and state the time and place of the contest, which will usually be in a clan duelling arena.
Duels between Aslan take place as personal combat. Combatants use only their hands (and dewclaws combat continues until one side receives a wound. In the case of grave insult, the fight may continue to unconsciousness for one participant. The winner has his or her honour satisfied; the loser is required by social and ritual standards to apologise (even if he or she was the one originally insulted). Duels to the death are not unheard of but are sanctioned only in the rarest of cases. Armour other than light armour is banned, as are combat drugs and other temporary augmentations.
Those too sick or old to duel may appoint a champion in their place but this is extremely rare. Traditionally, there is a clan champion whose responsibility it is to fight for those clan members who cannot duel but in a pinch, any Aslan of the correct gender can be nominated as champion.
For non-Aslan, one way to gain an Aslan’s respect is to be willing to challenge when required and to duel if challenged. Aslan consider those who do not embrace their culture to be tahiwihteakhtau (barbarians). Willingness to behave in the honourable fashion is an indication that one is not a completely ignorant barbarian.
Since Aslan respect prowess in battle, upholding one’s honour in a duel is especially respected. However, if both parties agree, the duel can be replaced by a contest of a different kind, such as a debate, board game or even the roll of a dice. Such substitution is frowned upon in most circles, as it is seen as degenerate and weak but is common in places like the scientific community, where females will debate the validity of different theories with logic and mathematics, not claws.
In space, Aslan fighter pilots have been known to duel. Such fighter duels have even decided the outcome of whole fleet engagements, where both sides agree to abide by the results of the duel instead of fighting. Fighter duels are fought to the first successful hit.
A duel ends when the loser is wounded (or slain, in the case of duels to the death). The victor may not deliberately slay the loser but (if male) is within his rights to scalp the loser. Duels can also be fought challenging one party’s right to breed (this is normally done in response to one Aslan male having sex with the wife of another), in which case the victor may geld the loser.
Duels and SOC Most duels are over trivial matters and do not affect the Aslan’s SOC. However, formal or especially notable duels can make or break the reputation of an Aslan. A Traveller who wins a formal duel against another Aslan of equal or higher SOC gains DM+1 to any SOC-based check with Aslan; a Traveller who loses a formal duel suffers DM-2.
Honor Honour among the Aslan is primarily a male concern. Females are expected to be honourable but it is the males who are obsessed with their honour (or, to quote the poet Tarelriylr, only males have the greatness of soul to be truly honourable).
The Aslan concept of honour rests on three pillars. The simplest form of honour is respect, specifically, respect for the territory of another. An honourable Aslan does not trespass on the territory of another without permission or without intent to conquer. Territory, in this case, covers all the possessions of another person – land, money, wives, everything. An Aslan does not walk on the land owned by another unless the other Aslan allows him access or unless he intends to take it openly from the other Aslan. Conquest is honourable; theft is not. Aslan do not work in secret (even Wars of Assassins should first be declared openly).
From this concept of respect for territory, the Aslan have built a whole system of feudal honour. Lords respect the territory of their vassals, vassals respect the territory of their lords. A good Aslan respects the privacy of another and does not gossip, as this is a form of social trespass, leading to strange situations where an Aslan might studiously ignore the questionable actions of a neighbour for years, never mentioning it to another soul, and then violently intervene without warning. An honourable Aslan takes everything he can hold and keep but does not overreach himself, nor does he fail to live up to his potential. An honourable Aslan, therefore, is boastful to human ears – his boasts show the limits of his strength and ambition, and show his neighbours how far they can push him.
Respect even informs how the Aslan conduct their wars. An Aslan ‘respects’ his neighbour’s territory by taking as much of it as he can in times of war. Whatever the neighbour manages to hold onto, however, is sacrosanct. An honourable man holds everything he can and not a square inch more or less. Only males can hold territory; all others are worthy of respect only when they are associated with a territory-holding male. During the Border Wars, this tenet of Aslan honour confused many humans – an Aslan warrior might bomb a human city indiscriminately, then tend to the victims with great care. What had changed was that now the city was conquered by the Aslan, the humans were now chattels of a landowning male. The Aslan warrior now respected the humans, as part of his respect for the conquering lord.
The second pillar of honour is tradition. The ways of ancestors and heroes are the correct ways for an Aslan to behave. This does not mean Aslan are slaves to the old ways – new technologies make life easier and better, and Aslan must adapt to new worlds – but it does mean any new developments must be viewed through the eyes of tradition. The teachings of the priests and poets must be obeyed, especially those relating to war and duelling.
An honourable Aslan keeps to the traditions of his sire and his sire’s sires. He fights their feuds and helps their allies. He fights duels fairly and makes war according to the limitations agreed on by both sides in the presence of an earleatrais. He keeps his word when he gives it and obeys the commands of his clan elders.
The third and final pillar of honour is harmony of action, or khoafteirleao. This is the hardest of the pillars to master and difficult to even explain to non-Aslan. Of human beliefs, perhaps zen comes closest. The Aslan believe the universe is a thought in motion and that perfect actions can move in accord with that thought. An Aslan who attained khoafteirleao is expressing the will of the universe. Khoafteirleao can be reached in any context or deed but is most commonly found in combat, poetry or speech.
Feuds Disputes between families or prides usually take place because of slights, insults, mistreatments or problems that have not been resolved to both parties’ satisfaction. The families may back different scientific theories; one family member may have won a competition which the other family had traditionally won; a family may have rejected a proposed marriage between it and the other family. Feuds are an intermediate step between duels and wars. Strangely for Aslan society, they are unstructured and lack rituals to control them. If kept at a low level, a feud is a pretext for discourteous behaviour and sparks many duels. If allowed to get out of hand, it involves the vassal prides and families of each side and can erupt into war.

Common Myths and Legends

Aslan are spiritual without being especially religious; they honour their ancestors and ask for their blessings but do not worship them per se. Every Aslan home has a Shrine of Heroes, containing relics of important ancestors; most Aslan will also carry a pouch containing other keepsakes or some other heirloom. Honourable behaviour comes from obeying the traditions of the ancestors.
The Aslan do not recognise any supreme being or divine plan but believe the universe is alive in some fashion. Perfect actions – actions unfettered by doubt, by fear, by irrelevant worries or concerns – can bring an Aslan into accord with the universe for an instant. Such moments are called aokol.

Lifespan

125 years

Average Height

2 m

Average Weight

100 kg