A Primer for Those Who Wish to Play Nehantites (Updated 7/7/12)

[Halajiin Rabeak]

As there is no information outside of myself about the planet of Nehantish that everyone can just go look up, I figured I'd make a thread about it here. Using information I come up with here, as well as answers I have to sort out to whatever questions are asked here, I'll make a Wiki page after this for canon clarification.

Some things I really don't know the answers to, and thus they can remain delightfully vague until such time comes that they absolutely have to be answered. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them here and I'll answer them as best as possible. First I'll start with the planet itself, then move on to its peoples, kingdoms and cultures. This is here to help better establish Nehantish as a planet and the Nehantites as a viable race in our SW universe and as a PLAYABLE RACE. Yep, that's right, if anyone wants to play a Nehantite, go for it! And if you have questions, either specific or general, PLEASE ASK THEM HERE so that I can further flesh out this article.

Planet name: Nehantish
Biome: Varied, mostly arid with few oceans.
Location: Haven't the foggiest.
Moons: One, named Garamus
Primary exports: Oil, iron, glass and skilled labor.
Primary imports: Water, food, textiles, machinery and electronics.
Dominant species: Nehantites, an anthropomorphic mongoose-like species of roughly common humanoid proportion capable of sentient thought and oral and written communication. Colors and patterns of fur often vary by nationality and georaphical location.

Nehantish is not the original name for the planet, but has become the dominant name for it among the galaxy. Originally known as Auricus, the old name was discarded as the Sultan of the kingdom of Nehantish established military supremacy and controlled the planet's first, and still primary, spaceport.

Unilke many planets whose populace has become spacefaring, Nehantish is not a unified planet, and has no one central government. Instead there are five main kingdoms, and about two dozen smaller ones still in active power. The most powerful of these is the kingdom of Nehantish, with the capitol city of Nehantish as its seat of government. The four other main kingdoms are Munjesh, Kuf, Midloth and Cathay.

While each kingdom has its own space program, the planet as a whole was woefully underdeveloped in its spacefaring technology when they encountered life outside their world less than two hundred years ago. Lacking hyperdrive technology, they posed no threat to anyone, and were often left alone for their first ten years, but the lucrative business of trade brought off-world technology, including advanced spacecraft design, to the planet, where it was quickly studied and reverse-engineered. Through this introduction to advanced technology, a dormant trait found in most every Nehantite emerged, and they quickly became a race of engineers and mechanics possessing an uncanny ability to work on and repair ships and engine systems. Over the course of ten years, the entire planet shifted focus from male work being crop and livestock-centered to becoming skilled spacecraft workers, and food was bought in, instead, while females took over much of the void left in the agricultural and business fields.

Nehantites found themselves so adept at ship maintenance and engineering that it became common for many races and empires to seek out and hire male Nehantites to run the engine rooms of their starships, or man repair facilities on planets or space stations. Being a culture used to division of labor by gender, mechanical work was considered a male task, and therefore Nehantites who were able to make it off-world were almost exclusively male. This led to a misunderstanding among other races about the gender of their species for some time until at last a few female engineers began to make their way off-world. However, the balance of male and female mechanics never evened out, and off-world population currently stands at a male dominance of 96%.

Wildlife: While possessing a primarily arid biome, Nehantish is home to a vast variety of non-sentient species. Insect, reptile, amphibian, mammal and avian species resemble those found on hundreds of other planets, with little deviance in design other than an adaptation for a more arid climate. Until the invention of motorized transport, the horse and camel were primary means of transportation, and are still in wide use in more remote areas of the world to this day. Domestication of animals appears to have taken place much earlier in the development of civilized culture, despite the Nehantite's only more recent rise to civilization itself. Conservation efforts of endangered species does not seem to be a primary concern, unless that species has been prized for hunting or medical purposes.

Genetic Background: Most curious, perhaps, is the diversion of the Nehantite race from its feral roots. Fossilized and otherwise preserved remains have been found of several species of mongoose of normal size and build as known to other worlds, but these creatures appear to have vanished nine thousand years ago, which is coincidentally the same time as the oldest known remains have been found of the Nehantite species itself, with no form of "missing link" between the two. While science has thus far been unable to determine why this is, it is commonly-held religious belief that a creator-god known to them as Garfife elevated his favorite species to the likes of men, converting the mongooses into people overnight. There is no form of scientific proof to validate such a claim, however and genetic testing has shown that the Nehantite race is still slowly evolving into a more advanced species, despite falling far behind humans in the evolutionary scale thus far. Brain volume falls short of most humanoid species, and in testing appears to be driven still more by instinct than higher thought, though Nehantites do classify as a fully sentient race. Reliance on such instinct may be key to the race's considerable life expectancy for such a young species, however, as average life expectancy is estimated around eighty-five years - double that of most other animalistic species in similar state of evolutionary development.

While Nehantites are one species, capable of breeding across their full spectrum, there are considerable differences in appearance, build, fur color, tail length, body proportion, claw size and shape, and in some cases, even the number and size and shape of teeth set into the jaws. A long-held belief from those outside of the race is that the species adapts quickly to its surroundings, and adaptations were due to various biomes, however this belief is not commonly held among Nehantites themselves. Instead, they believe that they were elevated from a lesser species, and they still carry the physical appearances of those they were ascended from. Studies of fossilized remains seems to support similar variations in the now-extinct feral species. The most common fur colors are yellow, brown and grey, though variations exist allowing for stripes or even reddish or near-black hues in some cases. Eyes, however, appear to be uniform in color across the species, typically a pale pink, but when angered or under extreme duress, these irises flood with blood as the optic nerves are stimulated, making their eyes appear red.

When breeding across variation in color or ethnicity, an interesting trait occurs. Instead of a blending of colors as seen in many species, the genetic makeup appears to follow gender lines. Should a yellow male and a brown and striped female mate and produce a male child, the child will be yellow, carrying the traits of his father. Should the child be female, it will be brown and striped. There is no evidence that genetic material blends, other than averaging the build size between the two parents. This is a trait not shared with any other known species, and there is no compelling evidence to explain why or how it happens, other than to retain the full diversity of species appearance. According to Nehantite lore, there were three other colors and patterns which were lost long ago: white with brown paws and tailtip, pure black, and brown with pale golden stripes and golden chest and underbelly. Loss of these genetic variations is said to be due to warfare and genocide during feudal periods in their history. Though there is no proof that they existed in humanoid form, preserved remains of all three of these colors have been found in their smaller, ancient feral forms, lending credence to the belief that they too existed as sentient colorations.

Animal Nature: Even among top Nehantite scientists and scholars there exists the understanding that the Nehantite race is still in its early evolutionary stages, and is closer to its feral roots than most any other race in the galaxy. While clearly a sentient species, evidence of behavior heavily influenced by instinct is commonly present, and physical activity may often resemble that of a feral creature, though primarily in males.

Disagreements between males in Nehantite culture often resort to physical violence, with both sides quickly losing their cognitive thought process and instead allowing instinct to take over their actions. When unarmed, the use of teeth and blunt claws is common in such fights which typically end when one has their jaws locked over the neck or throat of the other, forcing him into submission. Should one male submit, and the victor requires further humiliation, the victor may then bite the loser's ear in order to mark, pierce or even mutilate it before letting him go. Such mutilation is considered a crime among four of the five major kingdoms - Kuf being the exception-, but charges are rarely pressed.

Another curious trait exhibited by most Nehantites regardless of gender is their ability to convert from bipedal to quadropedal movement at will, with seemingly no ill effect. Typically reserved for when rough terrain must be covered at speed, a Nehantite may let themself drop to all fours and run in a scampering fashion. While such movement appears unnatural to a biped form, they manage it with little discomfort, though upright and bipedal movement is the preferred method of movement, and is the socially acceptable norm. In the kingdom of Midloth, to move about on all fours is considered beastly and uncivilized. By contrast, remote regions of Kuf see some tribes using either method of movement whenever it suits them.

Diet: An omiviorous race, Nehantites are capable of eating almost any sort of plant or animal matter, and possess a digestive system which is able to safely digest and process raw meat as well as mildly poisonous vegetable matter. Diet ranges widely across the planet, mostly varying by region, but typical daily intake has been measured to be nearly 20% higher than an average humanoid species due to a faster metabolism. Regardless of culture, protein and complex carbohydrates appear to dominate most Nehantite diets. Diabetes is almost unknown among Nehantites, historically, but since the introduction of off-world and processed foods, it has been slowly on the rise.

Mating and Reproduction: Most cultures on Nehantish practice monogamous partnerships or marriages, though polygamy is still practiced in some regions of Munjesh, Kuf and Cathay. Females typically will choose to bear childen beginning in their early twenties. This is a change from the mid-to-late-teens which had been common before contact with other worlds. Gestation takes on average seven months, with a typical litter of one or two pups. Twins, while incredibly common among the species, are almost always fraternal.

Nearly two thirds of all births occur in late winter as a result of the species instinctual mating season which occurs in spring. Spread over two months of spring, Nehantite males from their early teens into their late fifties undergo a change in hormones which brings on a strong urge to mate. Throughout these two months, males will typically endure one week of intense urges, and during this week their fertility rate skyrockets. Not everyone goes into such a state during the same week, but each male will have the effect be strongest during the same week every season, allowing them to also plan around such urges. While it is not known exactly why these weeks stagger, it is theorized that it is done so that while some males are affected, others are able to continue their normal duties and ensure family and community survival. Females do not appear to have a similar urge strike them, but studies have shown that if a male is at the peak of his season, and they are a good genetic match, she will react strongly to his pheromones, increasing her own desire to mate. However strong the urge to mate may be, a negative reaction is often witnessed between a male and female who are too closely related. The same reaction occurs on a less powerful level when a male and female are too genetically disparate to guarantee healthy offspring.

Introduction to space travel, and employment as mechanics and technicians led to an unforeseen challenge related to mating season, in that those who chose to take work off-world were almost exclusively male. Despite having no females come spring, Nehantite males found themselves still falling victim to their urge to mate. Such desperation has been equated to the plight of other races when long ago they took to the sea, or to the stars, with no female crew. Those who could not resist the strength of their natural urges often found themselves finding relief in the company of a fellow male Nehantite in similar hardship. While same-sex mating and unions are often discouraged or shunned on Nehantish, it became understood that most males who took positions on engineering crews or mechanic teams off-world would find themselves mating with another male, should their ship not allow them back home in sufficient time. Despite this, the lucrative work of off-world employment held an ever-increasing draw on Nehantite males, until nearly a third of working-age male populace found themselves off-world at any given time.

CC30: When such "desperation matings" between off-world males were discovered by other species, Nehantish scrambled for a solution to what was rapidly becoming an embarrassment, and eventually a drug was concocted which, when taken regularly (one injection every thirty days), can delay the onset of mating season indefinitely. The drug was hailed as a miracle, and for years it was distributed to males who took work off-world, but in time the cost of production skyrocketed due to its demand as well as the scarcity of ingredients needed to produce it. Ten years after its introduction, the drug - known as CC30 - ceased being distributed for free and instead was sold as a prescription. While some major employers could afford it, many chose not to, forcing their employees to buy it on their own, or go without. Due to the steep cost of the drug, nearly half of off-world males were forced to return to their previous methods of dealing with mating season.

This change in distribution also revealed a powerful flaw in the drug's behavior. While many believe it had simply let them bypass mating season, it had actually only delayed it, and once the drug had worked its way out of their system, their urges returned, amplified by the amount of time it had been delayed. To this day, Nehantite scientists cannot find a more permanent solution to the problem, or a more effective method of nullifying natural urges. And despite such an intense urge to mate, and the now-widespread method of males partnering with each other in space with little or no protection, Nehantites as a species boast an astoundingly low number of venereal diseases, possibly due to their more feral immune system.


The Ivanova Incident: While most Nehantites were content to be mechanics and engineers for other races, there was growing discontent in the strength of Nehantish's own fleet, and lack of respect their race received in interplanetary politics. Thirty-seven years ago, out of this frustration, a group of fifteen Nehantite engineers from various kingdoms overthrew the staff of the luxury starliner, the Ivanova, and declared the ship now belonged to them and held its wealthy passengers for ransom. While the ship was surrounded and boarded two days later, and the Nehantites responsible were killed in the raid, the incident exploded like wildfire across the galaxy, and hundreds of thousands of Nehantites quickly found themselves unemployed. Despite a massive series of PR projects, and slashing their desired wage requests to undercut other species, the demand for Nehantite engineers has only marginally recovered since the incident.

Kingdoms:

Nehantish: The most arid of all the great nations. Those who hail from Nehantish are called "Nehantite" (Pronounced NEH-HAHN-tite). Nehantish is a true desert superpower and is unrivaled among its peers for its military might and weapons technology. It was because of this that the Galactic Republic chose to deal with the Sultan of Nehantish when they first came to the planet, and the Sultan agreeed to construct a massive spaceport as part of the planet's consideration of admission into the Republic. While the planet was was never fully ratified as a Republic member, they did enjoy Republic trade agreements and Republic protection along major shipping lanes. With the conversion of the Republic into the Empire, Nehantish's primary spaceport was seized by Imperial forces for several months, but eventually released as the Empire found no strategic value in the planet. Officially Nehantish is a neutral planet and kingdom, but is under Imperial monitoring for trade and military regulation. Throughout the kingdom of Nehantish, Imperial law is followed losely, but royal law supercedes it in most cases, as is Nehantish's right as a neutral party.

Formed of vast deserts and rocky formations, Nehantish is primarily a land and air power, with a standing army of over one million soldiers. Despite its power, the kingdom is only the third most populous, behind Munjesh and Meyquan, but it boasts the highest standard of living, and is the de facto representative of the Nehantite race in interplanetary affairs.

(more to come later)

Munjesh: The most populous nation on Nehantish. Those who hail from Munjesh are called "Munjan" (Pronounced moon-JAHN) (rest to be filled in later, basically it's India)

Kuf: The least advanced and least populated of the five great nations. Those who hail from Kuf are called "Kufu" (Pronounced KOO-foo) (restto be filled in later, basically it's Africa)

Midloth: The most technologically advanced of the five great nations. Those who hail from Midloth are called "Midlothian" (Pronounced mid-LOW-thee-ann(to be filled in later, basically it's southern Europe)

Cathay: The most secretive of the five great nations. Those who hail from Cathay are called "Cathanese" (Pronounced ca-thah-NEES), unless they are from the most easterly region known as Kagedo, in which case they would be called "Kaganese" (Pronounced KAH-GAH-nees) (rest to be filled in later, basically it's Asia)

(If you have any specific questions, feel free to post them here and I'll address them as I go along! Trust me, I have a LOT more to cover here, but I've run out of time to type, at the moment.)