Crenduthaar

Starport	B	Good: Spacecraft Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel
Size	A	Large (16,000 km, 1.14g - 1.48g)
Atmosphere	8	Dense
Hydrographics	6	Wet World 60%
Population	6	Moderate (3 million)
Government	9	Impersonal Bureaucracy
Law	D	Extreme Law (paramilitary law)
Tech Level	8	Pre-Stellar (superconductors)

Primary Star

K7 V

Atmosphere

Dense

Off-world presence

Yes

Zoetic individuals

Yes

Source

Reference

"Races of the Domain: The Creduthaar." MegaTraveller Journal 3 34-39.

Canon

No

Also see

The Crenduthaar of Ghatsokie (Deneb 0902) are a Minor Non-Human Race with a Non-humanoid appearance. They are technologically primitive sophonts.

Physiology & Environment[edit]

The Crenduthaar are massive, powerfully built, scale-armored hexapods, who average 2.5 metres long and can weigh up to 500 kg. Having evolved on the planet of a dim star, they are blind to the upper reaches of the human visual spectrum, but their large, light-sensitive eyes can instead see well into the infrared spectrum. They also have a keen sense of smell.

They have long necks and double rings of teeth surrounded by a ring of narrow tendrils up to 20 centimeters long. These tendrils are used to supplement their hands for fine manipulation. Their tough, leathery scales are largest and thickest on their back and head, and both thin and small on their limbs and underside. These scales evolved to protect them from their world's frequent sandstorms and from the occasional solar flares that increase both radiation levels and temperatures. The outer edge of both of their forelimbs has a ridge of specially evolved scales that form a razor-sharp blade that hunting Crenduthaar once used to bring down running prey.

The Crenduthaar are nomadic omnivores, that can run on four legs or stand on two. Their middle limbs can be used for either running or as high-strength manipulators. They are equally comfortable standing on two or four legs, but spend most of their time on four.

Diet[edit]

Crenduthaar evolved as predators, but can sustain themselves easily on protein rich plant matter; indeed, vegetarianism is common.

Very young Crenduthaar drink blood, excreted from glands on their parents' bodies.

History & Background (Dossier)[edit]

The Crenduthaar have been enslaved by the Vargr, who also occupy their homeworld.

Expatriate Crenduthaar are found offworld in Deneb and Vargr space.

Culture & Society[edit]

Crenduthaar are peaceful, philosophic, and self-assured. Most are stone-age, TL–0 by choice, but they learn the use of technology easily.

Many have been enslaved by the Vargr occupying their world, which they hate. Many Crenduthaar are willing to kill Vargr, the one exception to their general pacifism.

The Crenduthaar farm a type of beetle (Gozurbug), that can reach several kilos in size (occasionally the size of Terran watermelon). Those that are not vegetarian often eat them raw, but will on occasion use the various steam vents, hot springs, and such freely available on their homeworld to cook the gozurbugs in their own juices. This process invariably creates a somewhat alcoholic slurry inside the gozurbug's shell. The alcohol content varies wildly.

Language[edit]

The species name "Crenduthaar" is often translated as "Philosopher Kings of the Thaar"; the thaar being the flat, open spaces near their tidally-locked planet’s twilight zone, where they live. Their self-description as "philosopher kings" advertises both their self-assured role as apex lifeforms and their cultural preoccupation with abstract thought and contemplation.

• Abak: "Lightning". Storms on Ghatsokie are serious things, and fatal lightning strikes are frequent events. The word abak is a common exclamation, meaning "it's up to fate now" or "it's out of my hands." An equivalent Earth expression is the Arabic inshallah, "God wills", or "it's in God's hands".

• Blet: "Eye"

• Bravyerrta: Literally, "eyes closed." Used in the sense of “you must be blind!” Often an expression of astonishment: "Incredible!" or "I don't believe it!"

• Chegash: "Fire"

• Chegashblet: "Fire eye." Crendu name for chagas gems, which they believe fell from their star and hold captive a small part of that star's soul. Corrupted by Humans to "echagas blood".

• Crendu: "Philosopher kings"; the culture's self-descriptive concept.

• Dzhan: "Run". Crenduthaar evolved as pack hunters, so associate running together with basic cooperation and companionship; thus dzhan is as commonly found in words to do with social bonds as in words to do with movement.

• Dzhanarr: A word usually translated as "clan." It refers to the extended family or "herd", which is the basic unit of Crendu society. By implication, it means safety, security, or contentment. Literally, it means something akin to "those you run with".

• Dzhanarrik: Loosely, "my family." Long-term travelling companions might be labelled this.

• Dzhangeest: Literally, "I run with you." Used in the sense of "I understand" or "I'm with you."

• Galyagis: A small, creeping animal which ambushes larger predators from the cover of rocks or vegetation and steals their kill. Used as a Crendu metaphor for a coward or sneak-thief.

• Gnagash: Roughly "vermin", a word derived from the Crendu term for soulless creatures lurking in the Darkness. A disgusting creature that doesn't deserve life, even within the tolerant Crendu view of things.

• Kotu: A type of large herbivore hunted by primitive Crendu. Like a Brachiosaur, but more fleet-footed.

• Kyegaa gurrryak: Literally "ice climber". Originally this referred to individual Crendu who -- because of age, sickness, or insanity -- withdrew from the clan and wandered into the twilight regions to die. The expression came to refer to someone who was incapable of understanding or who deliberately chose an empty or foolish path. Used like the Russian nye kulturnii (noculture, barbarian) it can be an insult. Spoken sadly, with the Crendu equivalent of a shrug or a shake of the head, it implies a kind of fatalistic acceptance of stupidity: 'You're making a bad choice, but there's nothing I can say to make you change your mind.'

• Nyadrek: "Elevated." Also used in the sense of "educated." A common term for those Crendu trained by the Vargr of Ghatsokie and assimilated into their technological society.

• Schuvraadah: Violent storms, as are common on Ghatsokie.

• Shgaurrv'vrr'brzgs: "The Place Where the Sun Never Shines"; the Nightside of Ghatsokie.

• Shuvaah: "Darkness". Often used as an expression of shock or dismay, or as a curse.

• Thaar: The Crendu word for their home planet (labelled Ghatsokie or Ghatsoki on star charts, from the Vargr name). Also "plain", "steppe", or "wide-open space." By implication, any place of freedom, beauty, and wonder.

• Ushagrid: An aspect of the environment Crenduthaar claim to "taste" with their facial tendrils.

• Uvridyi: "Way", physical or philosophical. The metaphor of travel for living by a particular ideal or set of values is shared by Humans and Crendu.

• Uvriyaashgis: Literally "way through difficult terrain." Originally a path that migrating Crendu could use to reach the open thaar, it now has the meaning of any philosophy (uvridyi -- "way")

• Vadik: "Unmixed" or "pure." A common term applied to "wild" Crendu still living among the Great Clans of Ghatsokie's Sunside, at TL-0.

• Vrcheda: "In my teeth". Refers to prey caught in the dextrous outer mouth. Used in the sense of "I've got it", or "I understand." A common exclamation similar to the Human "aha!"

• Zhagshuvaan: "Dweller-in-Darkness". A demon in Crendu mythology, a kind of formless evil that devoured souls. Now applied to Vargr and to any insidious, vicious, or cunning foe.

Technology & Trade[edit]

While the Crenduthaar prefer a stone-age existence for ideological and philosophical reasons, many Crenduthaar have shown mastery of TL–9 and TL–10 technologies.

While the Crenduthaar trade hand-crafted items, foodstuffs, and novelties among themselves, they had little idea about interstellar trade until the Vargr began enslaving them. Offworld Crenduthaar have now seen and understood what trade entails and what technological societies are like. Sometimes, the Vargr have returned servant-slaves to the homeworld, who have escaped and spread this knowledge, to free Crenduthaar populations living in the Ghatsokie wild. Some have even stolen technological items, which they have shared with their free brethren along with knowledge of the outside world.

Chagas Gems[edit]

To make their way among the human worlds, Crenduthaar have learned that they need a medium of exchange. They have found that medium in Chagas Gems, a crystallized mineral salt from Ghatsokie's sunside Thaarlingst Plateau. Ranging in size from kernels of rice to a human fist, chagas gems are blood-red in color, deeply translucent, and appear to contain a pulsing inner light. Possessing a hardness of 9 (diamonds are 10) they are useful in certain industrial processes, but their greatest value lies in human appreciation of their beauty as gemstones. A small chagas might be worth Cr1,000, while a very large one might bring Cr100,000,000 or more. Crendu will offer such gems for perhaps ten percent of their market value. A few merchants and traders have become wealthy hiring their ships in exchange for "chagas bloods" or star hearts".

Anyone who owns a chagas gem is thought to have his soul linked to the destiny of Thaar. Thus, Crendu think it highly appropriate that traders or smugglers hired to run the Vargr blockade, be paid in these stones.

They also tend to be deeply disturbed by those who take chagas gems for a promised action, then go back on that promise. The Crendu term for such creatures is Gnagash.

Military & Intelligence (Force Projection)[edit]

The Crenduthaar are a peaceful race living in low-density societies with little weaponry past an individual, tribal level. The Crenduthaar rarely fight among themselves and have never required large-unit tactics, mechanized warfare, or any of the halmarks of more advanced militaries. When the Crenduthaar do fight, it is often single combat between champions rather than the more wasteful types of mas combat. With enslavement by the Vargr, the Crenduthaar are learning modern warfare and guerilla tactics, but it is a slow process.

Astrography[edit]

This race is primarily located in the following areas:

Homeworld[edit]

The homeworld of this race is:

Ghatsokie (Deneb 0902)

Expatriate Communities[edit]

Known offworld communities:

Antra (Deneb 1808),
Deneb (Deneb 1925),
Ghatsokie (world),
Inar (Deneb 1213),
Pretoria (Deneb 0406),
Regina (Spinward Marches 1910).

World Listing: 1105[edit]

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

6 of 6 World articles in Crenduthaar

Antra • Deneb • Ghatsokie • Inar • Pretoria • Regina •

startbacknext(6 listed)

References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]

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 Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

Rob Caswell. "Races of the Domain: The Creduthaar." MegaTraveller Journal 3 (1992): 34-39.
Robert Eaglestone. Deneb Sector (Mongoose Publishing, 2012), 52-53.
Samuel Budak. Ol' Doris (608 Publishing, 2016), .