Jala'Lak

Starport	A	Excellent: Starship Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel
Size	5	Medium (8,000 km, 0.40g - 0.57g)
Atmosphere	7	Standard (tainted)
Hydrographics	9	Wet World 90%
Population	5	Moderate (800 thousand)
Government	4	Representative Democracy
Law	6	Moderate Law (no firearms except shotguns)
Tech Level	E	High Stellar (anti-grav cities)

Primary Star

M2 V

Atmosphere

Standard (tainted)

Off-world presence

No

Zoetic individuals

Yes

Source

Reference

"Contact: Jala'lak." Signal-GK 01 40-43.

Canon

No

Also see

A Minor Race of Dagudashaag Sector. The Jala'Lak are slow-moving giants of the forests of Uaam (Dagudashaag 0940).

Jala'Lak can also be found on Giirakh (Dagudashaag 0325) where their temperament is vastly different -- much more savage, even cannibalistic. Clearly they are not native to Giirakh and consequently their presence there is the subject of much debate.

Physiology and Ecology[edit]

Jala'Lak are believed to be descended from brachiator primates but have adapted to their larger size by becoming ground-dwelling bipeds. They manipulate with arm-like appendages but can also grasp with their small, thick, prehensile tail. The mouth is encased within a hard beak and the eyes are located at the front of the face. They do have external ears but these are hidden under the head fur.

The entire body is covered in several layers of thick, curly fur which varies in colour from white to a dark grey. The feet are broad and circular with five toes, while the hands consist of two fingers, an opposing thumb and two striking claws. The sex organs are retracted in both sexes.

The average male stands 2.2m high in a semi-erect stance and weighs in at over 80kg. The average female is slightly shorter at 1.98m but weighs over 85kg. The additional weight is located in an extra fat layer on the chest.

Archaeological Sophontology[edit]

Jala'Lak apparently developed sapience about 200,000 years ago as the forests in the north of Uaam died and forced the proto-Jala'Lak southwards, where they found a comfortable niche at the top of the food chain and stopped developing further. Recent studies point towards the Jala'Lak addiction for the Jhawa bud, which seems to cause a mild euphoria, as a possible cause. They never evolved beyond the ability to produce crude stone tools and to make fire using flint chippings.

Archaeologists believe the Jala'Lak are descended from a common ancestor with the dwarf Hala'aak since it is the only other known arboreal species on Uaam with a prehensile tail. Unfortunately, due to the carnivorous nature of Uaam fauna (which digests bone) there are no known fossil deposits containing the remains of mammals until relatively recent times.

Linguistic Sophontology[edit]

Of the 342 words known in their extremely limited vocabulary it is believed that over 124 make reference to their rites.

Cultural Sophontology[edit]

On first impressions the Jala'Lak of Uaam (Dagudashaag 0940) may look extremely fierce, but they are normally very passive. They are a shy yet inquisitive race much given to mimicry. Territorial disputes are settled by displays of aggression rather than aggression itself. The Jala'Lak live in harmony with the jungle. The forests they live in are filled with temples (consisting of standing stones) apparently erected to their various gods. They are a non-threatening people.

The same cannot be said of the Giirakh Jala'Lak. On Giirakh where the Jhawa bud does not exist, the Jala'Lak are faster, more vicious, and are extremely aggressive -- including with other tribes. They are faster, more agile and extremely savage and feral in comparison. All attempts to contact the Giirakh tribes have met with extreme hostility. In addition, the race has begun to adapt to the longer summers and milder seasons of Giirakh by shredding several layers of fur. They have also exhibited a tendency to decorate their head fur with small twigs and bones, while some tribes have taken to dyeing their fur in deep purple or red. It is believed that the Jala'Lak have only been on Giirakh for about 3,000 to 4,000 years.

Societal Sophontology[edit]

The Jala'Lak live in small family clans consisting of 3 adult males and 9 - 12 females and up to 6 pups. They are territoriality nomadic, moving around within a 50km area that the females mark out with their urine. They dwell in weaved huts made from dead branches which they refurbish every time they return to that area.

Jala'lak Social Organization[edit]

The Jala'Lak appear to have primitive rites which centre around the 250+ 'temples' spread throughout the forest. These temples are perhaps the greatest mystery of the race -- each is identical: two 0.5 tonne Myer stone pillars from the Northern Atlas mountain range 2,500km distant. These hand-hewed stones are set at a slant facing inwards, exactly 5.32m apart, a single one-tonne blue stone pillar is set in the middle of the mound in an upright position. The two Myer pillars have been cut into a rectangular shape, with the central pillar tapering slightly towards the top. Incisions have been carved into the inner face of both Myer pillars of three intersecting circles.

These temples can also be found amongst the Giirakh Jala'Lak, where local stones from a mountain range 560km distant were used. How the race were able to transport the stones such a distance, how they measured the settings, how the incisions were made and why are still mysteries.

A basic translation of their language (a variation of which is common to the Giirakh Jala'Lak) has discovered that the race identifies the temples with an entity best translated as the 'God-Creature'.

There is also the mystery of why such a primitive race was transported to another planet many subsectors away, and who by. Both populations practice a form of crisis monotheism centred on the temples.

Government and Law[edit]

Jala'Lak are a protected species. Visitors are warned that injuring or killing a Jala'Lak carries an automatic death penalty on both planets.

Research and Technology[edit]

Chipped stones and fire making only.

Astrography[edit]

This race is primarily located in the following areas:

Dagudashaag Sector
- Argi Subsector
- Zeda Subsector

World Listing[edit]

2 of 2 World articles in Jala'Lak

Giirakh • Uaam •

startbacknext(2 listed)

References and Contributors[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.

Steve Hatherley, Jae Campbell. "Contact: Jala'Lak". Alien Realms (fanzine) Volume 2 Issue 1. (1992): 10-12 via HIWG
Jae Campbell, Leighton Piper. "Contact: Jala'lak." Signal-GK 01 (1989): 40-43.
Jae Campbell. Encyclopaedia Dagudashaag (Signal-GK, 2017), 171.
Artist: Tim Osbourne