Lemente Ezva Har'Tez
The theocratic government and interstellar society of the Tezcat.
In A'Prur, the name translates to "Solar Hegemony of the Sacred People".
Tezcat believe in a creator deity they call the Kn-krutak -- the Absolute. The Absolute is an abstract entity, a harsh and unforgiving deity, a personification of entropy which must be appeased and pacified so life may continue as usual.
Government[edit]
Priests of the Shaper Church are essentially a gang of philosophers, scholars, bureaucrats who have used the priesthood as means to power, and fanatical zealots. The Church is a democratic organisation, with leaders nominated from among the priesthood, after which the membership confirms their position through voting.
Government committees represent areas of interest and comprise at least one member of the lower house and several experts within the field the committee represents.
- Committee for Business and Trade
- Committee for Interstellar Affairs
- Committee for Religion
- Committee for Military
Law[edit]
Tezcat are presumed guilty until proven innocent in a court of law. Trials are led by a Shaper priest who has specialised in the relevant branch of law. Sentencing is harsh by the standards of other species, often involving amputation of a limb or execution. Crimes which often earn the death penalty include showing contempt for the Absolute, speaking against church doctrine, stealing sacred objects, disfiguring the holy Tezcat form, and murder.
Relations[edit]
The Tezcat are known for their xenophobia.
There is a faction among their Shaper theocracy known as the Seekers, who wish to send a combination pilgrimage and scientific expedition to the nearest black hole. They are also very interested in the stories they have heard of the Zhodani Core Expeditions. Additional information regarding either black holes or the route taken to the galactic core is one of the few things which could convince Shaper priests to cooperate with other species.
Locations[edit]
The Shaper Church has full authority over the Tezcat homeworld, Aum-Rhar. The Lemente Ezva Har'Tez also governs settlements on five other worlds in the Great Rift, most of which also support Human, Droyne or Aslan settlements -- either in conflict with or far removed from the Tezcat colonies.
- Arnorac (Reft 2509)
- Gordon (Reft 2609)
- R'Bak (Reft 1314)
- Undrelyn (Reft 1812)
- Zamoran (Reft 2108) (once known as Draykoysap)
References[edit]
- Steve Jackson, Loren Wiseman. Alien Races 4 (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), 116-123.
- Darren Bulmer. Aliens of Charted Space: Volume 4 (Mongoose Publishing, 2023), 179.