Jneril

Jneril
Greater Magellanic Cloud Sophont
Base Information
Classification	Carnivore/chaser
Status	Minor Race
Locomotion	Walker
Terrain	Desert
Body Form
Confluence	Non-humanoid
Bio-Identenoid	Alien
Size	1.65 meters
Weight	80 kg
Culture
Languages	Ossiyaisaand
Social Structure
Technological Epoch
Psionic potential	Standard
Origin World
Homeworld location	Jnerkassh
UWP	A864A45-E Starport A Excellent: Starship Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 8 Large (12,800 km, 0.80g - 1.08g) Atmosphere 6 Standard Hydrographics 4 Wet World 40% Population A High (10 billion) Government 4 Representative Democracy Law 5 Moderate Law (no concealable weapons) Tech Level E High Stellar (anti-grav cities)
Primary Star	K4 V M7 V
Atmosphere	Standard
Off-world presence	No
Zoetic individuals	Yes
Source
Reference	Andrea Vallance - Jneril
Canon	No
Also see	Greater Magellanic Cloud Campaign

The Jneril of Jnerkassh are a Minor Non-Human Race with a non-humanoid appearance and technologically sophisticated sophonts.

Description (Specifications)

The Jneril are a major race native to the Milky Way, they migrated to the Greater Magellanic Cloud during the Early Terran Imperial Period. The Jneril are fierce warriors with a culture based on honour, individualism and stoacism.

Physiology & Environment

The Jneril are descended from bipedal poikilothermic gonochoric (individuals are either male or female) carnivore/chaser stock. They stand approximately 1.65 meters tall and mass about 80kg. They have a pair of manipulatory limbs with four fingered hands similar to those of a human. Around their neck is a collapsible membrane of skin (termed a “frill”) used to absorb heat and regulate their temperature. They have a closed respiratory system with a four-chambered heart, in response to extreme cold they can enter a state of semi-hibernation with greatly reduced metabolic requirements. They have a short vestigial tail which probably acted as a balance in the pre-sentient Jneril, but now serves little purpose. The Jneril have a pronounced snout with four prominent canines in the front of the mouth.

The average Jneril is stronger and has greater stamina than the average human, but their reactions are on average slightly slower. Their no appreciable physical differences between males and females other than that the males “frills” are coloured red through orange while the females are coloured green through yellow. Female Jneril lay a single egg and the young hatch after about 32 weeks. The young are feed regurgitated food by either parent. Traditionally the egg and young were tended by both parents, but most Jneril now prefer to use modern incubators and prepacked baby food. The average Jneril lifespan is around 100 years and they reach sexual maturity at about22.

Jneril Homeworld

The Jneril homeworld (Jnerkassh A864A45-E) is Jnerkassh, located in the Milky Way. It should be noted that the most recent information on Jnerkassh is over 1,000 years old and must be considered to be totally inaccurate with regard to social data. Jnerkassh orbits Kar’iskel a K4 V with an M7 V companion (Sisshinal) orbiting at a distance of 1,500,000,000Km. Jnerkassh orbits Kar’iskel ata distance of 60,000,000km. Jnerkassh has an orbital period of 296.875 standard days and rotates on it’s axis once every 19 hours. It has an albedo of 0.25 and an average surface temperature of 28.57° Celsius. Jnerkassh has an axial tilt of 3° and an orbital eccentricity of 0.02. Approximately 32% of Jnerkassh’s surface is covered with water in the form of two large land-locked oceans, 4% of Jnerkassh’s surface is covered by ice caps. Aroundthe two oceans is a coastal strip of fertile land, but the bulk (some 45%)of it’s surface is rugged desert.

Evolutionary History

The Jneril were originally desert-dwelling chasers living in small packs, which hunted the sparse game there. It is these presentient packs which form the basis of Jneril society. Around 3 million years ago the Jneril developed rudimentary sentience enabling them to dominate and expand their range. With these came the slow development of language and cultural forms that would ultimately allow the development of a technological civilisation. Fossil evidence indicates tool use and primitive shelters by approximately 1.5 million years ago. The first major breakthrough was the development of fire around 1 million years ago. This only appears to have occurred when the Jneril expanded into the fertile coastal regions. With the development of fire, the cold-blooded Jneril could exist in habitats previously closed to them and were no longer totally dependent on their star for their body heat (it is theorised that much of prehistoric Jneril technology was developed to provide warmth). Now able to prey on the far more plentiful game ofthe coastal regions the Jneril prospered and expanded. The modern Jneril (Jnerilia jenosaurus) had evolved by approximately 400,000 years ago.

Jneril Psionics

The Jneril appear to have no ability for psionics, nor are they susceptibleto psionic influence. There are myths and legends amongst the Jneril which appear to indicate that they may have had an aptitude in prehistoric times; and occasional rumours surface which indicate that these abilities maybe not totally absent from the Jneril. However none of these rumours orlegends have ever been proven to be more than fantasy.

History & Background (Dossier)

The Jneril remained a simple hunter gather society until approximately 20,000 years ago when the domestication of a number of large herbivoresallowed the development of a more advance culture. By about -12,000T therewere extensive pastoral settlements throughout the sub-tropical coastal zones, by -8,000T there developed on the Eastern shores a civilisationbased on a number of city states. Termed the Waring Cities, it was initially dominated by various local priesthoods. These city states vied with one another for dominance over the next 1,500 years, slowly advancing in technology and sophistication in response to the continual wars between them. It was during this period that the crucial elements that would form the basis for all future Jneril civilisation evolved.

The priesthoods which controlled the cities based their power on the control of certain technologies (medicine, metalworking, construction etc.), but the precise technologies controlled varied from city to city. So gradually these technologies leaked to the general populous and the power of the priesthoods waned. With the decline of the priesthoods the concept of democracy grew to replace them and by the end of this period virtually all the city states had become citizen democracies.

During the wars between the city states over resources a strict code of honour evolved and came to be the basis of society. This code was later formalised into the Dekisshal (Jneril Code) and remains the basis of Jneril society even today. The Dekisshal emphasises loyalty, duty to family, state and race, and stoasim in the face of adversity.

The Waring Cities civilisation came to an end in about -6,500T with the development of a form of writing, the Hrakajner. With this came the expansion of the city states into proper nations and empires. There appear to have been between six and eight of these nations, each with its unique culture and language, but all based on the Dekisshal and all using the Hrakajner. It was during the Hrakajner civilisation that the Dekisshal was formalised and codified. By -6,000T the Eastern Hrakajner civilisation had become a vibrant iron age culture based on a strict interpretation of the Dekisshal.

In approximately -5,800T a disaster struck the Hrakajner civilisation. The Eastern coastal region entered a period of intense volcanism which was to last for the next 2,500 years. This utterly devastated the region, destroying the civilisation. The last Hrakajner state collapsed under the pressure in -5,412T. The refugees from the Hrakajner civilisation fled into the vast inland deserts and into the less hospitable coastal regions to the north and south. The Hrakajner volcanic episode also had severe effects on the entire planet's climate, triggering a global drop in temperature of up to 3° Celsius. Unable to maintain their civilisation the Jneril reverted back to a primitive pastoral culture. However the fleeing refugees brought advanced technology to the primitive Jneril cultures they met. They also caused the spread of the Dekisshal and it is from this time onwards that it became the dominant worldview of the Jneril.

For the next 1,000 years the Jneril struggled to survive, developing new technologies to cope with the drastic climatic changes. However in around -4,700T a new Jneril civilisation arose in the interior deserts to the West of the former Hrakajner lands. This new civilisation was the Grenazz civilisation. An aggressive warlike culture, the Grenazz expanded and formed an empire which at its height in -4,200T encompassed as much as 20% of Jnerkassh. Like the previous Hrakajner civilisation Grenazz society was based on the Dekisshal, and the spread of the Grenazz furthered the acceptance of the code, though by now it had become more of a religion than a simple philosophical system.

Naturally the expansion of the Grenazz spurred the development of rivals. The first of these was the Trasshiv civilisation. The Trasshiv started as an alliance of tribes, formed in about -4,550T to defend against the expansion of the Grenazz. The Trasshiv Alliance was located in the temperate regions to the North of the old Hrakajner civilisation. The Trasshiv had absorbed much of the old Hrakajner ways, including the Hrakajner itself (the Grenazz had evolved their own writing system). The Trasshiv remained a relatively minor civilisation until about -4,300T when they perfected the skill of riding and developed cavalry. With this military advantage the Trasshiv expanded rapidly into their neighbours territories.

In addition to the Trasshiv, the Grenazz are believed to have spurred the development of the Orammanis civilisation. Like the Trasshiv the Orammanis started as an alliance to counter the expansionist Grenazz in approximately -4,400T. Based on a feudal elite, the Orammanis developed in the great desert. The Orammanis are credited with being the first Jneril culture to develop a regular military force. However their cultural achievements far outweigh their military innovations. The Orammanis were the first Jneril culture to possess a written code of laws. Unlike the Grenazz and Trasshiv, the Orammanis culture was not based strictly on the Dekisshal (though elements of their culture were clearly derived from it). The Orammanis held the same values of loyalty, honour and stoasim as the Grenazz and Trasshiv; however they did not follow the Dekisshal way in regards to democracy. The Orammanis based their culture instead on a hereditary oligarchial system,

By approximately -3,800T the three Jneril civilisations had reached a situation of rough balance. None was strong enough to overwhelm either of the others. By this stage several other cultures had started to emerge as portions of the three major cultures split off from their parent civilisations. This process of slow decline of the three great cultures continued for perhaps 500 years as the concept of the nation state evolved. The prime mover in this would appear to have been the prophet Wasshiras. He taught that the Dekisshal required those who rule to be close to those they rule (an attitude shared by the early Hrakajner civilisation). Curiously his teachings found the most fertile ground in the Orammanis, who did not at this stage follow the Dekisshal. The invention of the printing press in -3,535T is believed to have played a crucial role in the spread of Wasshiras’ teachings. With his teachings the great imperial civilisations gradually broke up into many nation states and the Orammanis came to follow the Dekisshal (though even today their remain a few Orammanis sects who do not).

By -3,300T the Jneril had achieved a solid tech level 2 and perhaps as many as 65% of the Jneril lived in civilised states. By this stage the volcanic episode in the old Hrakajner lands had come to an end and the climate was starting to recover. With this recovery the Jneril were able to concentrate far more on science and technology not required for immediate survival. The various nation states continued to exist for the next 2,500 years as technology slowly advanced and civilisation spread. By -700T the Jneril had reached tech level 7 and were starting to reach into space. The Jneril ability to enter a semi-hibernation state proved to be very useful in the exploration of space and by -500T the Jneril had colonised at least 53 other worlds using sublight ships.

By -217T, when the Jneril discovered jump drive, they had reached tech level 10 and colonised over 100 worlds using sublight travel. There was not however any single Jneril state. The Jneril never appear to have developed the concept of a single racial state. Instead the Jneril worlds were fragmented into many different nation states, with only a handful of nations holding territory on more than one world. With the coming of jump drive and its consequent improvement in communications the first true Jneril interstellar states started to emerge; though decentralisation remains a major factor in Jneril governance even today.

The Jneril first came into contact with the Terran Confederation in 102T, though considerable debate still rages today as to exactly who contacted whom. By this stage the Jneril had expanded to encompass approximately one and a half sectors and most Jneril worlds were formed into small interstellar states. The initial contact with the Confederation was peaceful, but with the formation of the Terran Empire in 292T the situation started to change.

With the formation of the Empire, the Terrans moved into an expansionist phase. Initially this was not directed towards the Jneril, but inevitably the small Jneril states came to be seen as suitable targets for expansion. The First Terran-Jneril War broke out in 356T with the Terran conquestof a minor Jneril state. The direct assault of a Jneril state by an alien race seemed to spur some degree of racial unity with in the Jneril; and the Sikalass Alliance was formed to oppose this expansion. There followed a period of on and off warfare which lasted until 672T when the Treaty of Damask ended the Eleventh Terran-Jneril War and established a mutual buffer zone between the two races. Curiously, it was during this period of conflict that the first Jneril crossed into the Cloud. During the Wars several Jneril states allied themselves with the Terrans for a variety of reasons; and it was refugees from these states who formed the bulk of the Jneril colonists in the Cloud. With the Treaty of Damask, tensions between the Terrans and the Jneril slowly cooled as the thrust of Terran expansion focused in other directions. The buffer zone established by theTreaty was to remain stable, respected by both races.

Jneril in the Greater Magellanic Cloud

The first Jneril crossed over into the Cloud in 546T. These were refugees from a Terran aligned state which had been defeated during the Seventh Terran-Jneril War. It became Terran policy to settle all Jneril refugees in the Cloud until Empress Cloe II issued the Gateway Edict banning non-Human colonisation of the Cloud. During the Cloe suppressions many Jnerilin in the Cloud chose to actively resist. Those who chose that path were defeated and even more severely restricted. As a result many Jneril in the Cloud chose to flee the Empire altogether and the Jneril states outside the Terrandomains in the Cloud date from this period. Even though the Gateway Edict was rescinded by her successor, Arthur V in 687T, it was to leave a tragic legacy of mistrust and resentment between the Terrans and Jneril that would last well into the Diadochi period. From this time until the Second Mwoah War, the Jneril remained hostile to the Terran (and later Magellanic) Empire.

The first major Jneril state to form in the Cloud was the Koril Na’rl (Naral Union). This state formed from Jneril refugees fleeing the Terran Territories in 649T. Initially consisting of five Jneril colonised worlds, the Naral Union expanded only slowly, eventually coming to dominate the Verass subsector in the Eyakhri sector. In 741T the Naral Union signed a defensive treaty with the Second Akhrini Commonality, essentially becoming an Akhrini client state. The Naral Union remained an important Akhrini ally throughout the Imperial period, participating in the Third and Fifth Akhrini Wars. The Naral Union survived the onset of the Second Dark Age relatively well, but still suffered from the breakdown in interstellar communications. However they were able to retain some limited degree ofcommunications between the member worlds and emerged into the Diadochi period intact. In 2320T the Naral Union renewed its alliance with the Third Akhrini Commonality and entered a new phase of expansion which continues today. This new expansion is characterised by the absorption of human worlds rather than the colonisation of new worlds by Jneril. The Naral Union currently consists of 45 worlds in the Eyakhri sector and is the largest single Jneril state.

No other Jneril state can rival the Naral Union in either longevity or size. Most of the Imperial period Jneril states succumbed to the Second Dark Age, which generally affected the Jneril as badly as it did Humans and Dk’arek. However the Jneril suffered far less cultural drift during this period than both other races. With the dawning of the Diadochi period the Jneril started to recover. Many small Jneril states come into existence around the new Magellanic Empire. Most initially failed to differentiate between the new Magellanic Empire and the old Terran Empire and were hostile to it. However, with the Second Mwoah War and the intervention of the Magellanic Empire to aid the Jneril world of Hrali, a profound shift appears to have occurred in Jneril attitudes to the Magellanic Empire. Most Jneril bordering the Magellanic Empire saw this intervention as a heroic noble act and tens of thousands of Jneril joined the Imperial forces during the war (the elite Eiahya Legion has its origins in these volunteers). Whilst only a handful of Jneril states actually aligned themselves with the Empire during the war, astute diplomacy after the Magellanic victory has transformed relations with most of the Jneril states on the Imperial border. The Empire now enjoys friendly relations with most of these states and is formally allied witha number; two Jneril states have actually chosen to accede to the Babylon Accords and are now members of the Empire.

Language & Letters

The most frequently encountered Jneril language is known as Ossiyaisa and has its origins in prehistoric Jnerkassh. This language is curious in that very few Jneril actually use Ossiyaisa as a first language, but virtually all can speak it. Ossiyaisa is an artificial language createdin -3523T on Jnerkassh. It was originally intended as a simple tongue to disseminate the Dekisshal, but rapidly came to be accepted as the common language of trade and diplomacy; there would now be few Jneril children who do not learn the Dekisshal in Ossiyaisa. Most sophontologists agree that the remarkable stability and acceptance of Ossiyaisa is one of the prime reasons for the remarkable uniformity and stability of Jneril culture.

Calendar & Timekeeping

Most Jneril in the Cloud now use either the Terran or Akhrini calendar and temporal systems, but there does exist both a unique Jneril calendar and temporal system. The Jneril temporal system is based around Jnerkassh’s local day of 19 standard hours which is called a wimarr. Each day is divided into 16 weri (hour), each weri is divided into 64 utssir (minute) and each utssir is divided into 64 ekarr’l (seconds, each equal to approximately 1.044 standard Terran seconds). When rendered in the traditional Jnerilbase 16 numbering system, this system becomes quite elegant (regrettably, many Jneril have abandoned their traditional numbering system in favour of the human base 10 standard). The Jneril calendar is based on Jnerkassh’s local year of 375 local days (approximately 296.875 standard Terran days). The Jneril year or larisk is divided into 46 esarhil, each of 8 wimarr; with a 3 wimarr long festival termed the Nera’ssk inserted between each larisk. The Nera’ssk is not considered to be part of the larisk, but rather falls between them; thus one larisk ends and then three wimarr later the next begins.

Image Repository

No information yet available.

Astrography

This race is primarily located in the following areas:
Greater Magellanic Cloud

Homeworld

The homeworld of this race is:

• Jnerkassh

World Listing: 1105

Significant communities of this race are known to dwell within the following systems and worlds:

No world articles for Jneril

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Andrea Vallance, Greater Magellanic Cloud Campaign - Jneril