Aslans

Aslan
Status	Major Race
Classification	carnivore/pouncer
Size	2.0m
Weight	100kg
Homeworld	Kuzu (Dark Nebula 1226)
Multi-world	yes
Canon	yes
Extinct	{{{extinct}}}
Reference	Alien Module 1: Aslan

The Aslan are a Major Race. Their name for themselves is Fteirle.

Aslan stand roughly human-sized, averaging 2.0 meters in height and weighing about 100 kg. They are descended from four-limbed, upright, bipedal carnivore/pouncer stock originally adapted to a solitary arboreal existence.

The earliest Terran explorers saw in them a vague resemblance to the Terran lion, and they have been described (by Terrans) as lion-like ever since, although there is very little true similarity. The derivation of the word Aslan is unknown. There are two sexes, male and female. The most notable external difference is the increased size and mane of the former. Females outnumber males by 3:1

Aslan have a single highly specialized dewclaw under each thumb which folds back jackknife fashion into a horny covering in the base of the thumb and palm.

Established interstellar empire

A vast Aslan-dominated empire (the Aslan Hierate) lies to spinward and rimward of the Reavers' Deep, but Aslan themselves have ranged well beyond its borders, with many settling on the independent worlds of the Deep and the Imperium. Aslan have fought with the Imperium in the Aslan Border Wars

Aslan Society

The Aslan are a warrior race, proud, noble, and devoted to those in authority above them. An individual Aslan is usually a member of a family of from 2 to 12 individuals under a patriarchal leader. Several families will combine into a pride with one family dominant. A number of prides form a clan, again with a top pride. Aside from military organizations and the ruling council (within the Hierate), the clan is the highest social-political organization among the Aslan.

A deep-seated territorial instinct causes the Aslan to have an inordinate (from a human standpoint) concern with land. For male Aslan, owning land is a major goal in life. An Aslan's stature is determined by the amount of land he (or her husband) controls, or by the amount of land owned by any higher lord the Aslan may be vassal to. The lowest classes of Aslan are landless, and provide the farmers, laborers, craftsmen, and factory workers. A holder of a large territory will often grant authority over it to vassals (usually sons, brothers, or male relatives by marriage) who administer the land in his name.

The sexes have very different roles in Aslan society. Males (in all but the lowest classes) are concerned mostly with military operations, acquisition of territory, and political affairs. Females are concerned with trade, industry, and the accumulation of knowledge. Upper class males have little conception of money and are literally incapable of functioning in a technological society without aid, so they are thus seldom encountered without the supervision of a wife, mother, or other female relative or employer.

For instance, a typical Aslan mercenary unit will be organized by a wealthy married female, who will then assign its operation, for a share of the proceeds, to an unmarried female relative. The battle commander and most of the troops will be unmarried males (many of them also relatives) hired with the promise of land grants (and the opportunity to gain honor and reputation in combat); however, staff, operations, supply, and intelligence officers will generally be female.

The extremely deadly nature of any combat between Aslan has led to a rigid, ritualized pattern of behavior designed to reduce conflict. Aslan are very polite, and while most have learned to be patient with non-Aslan, accidental fights still occur. Disputes between individuals are handled by the patriarchs; disputes between families are handled by the pride leader; disputes between prides are handled by the clan leader.

Aslan Calendar

The Aslan calendar is based on the period of the Aslan homeworld, Kusyu (Dark Nebula 1226) around Tyeyo, its star. The Aslan ftahea (year) is 319.98 standard days in length.

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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.

• Supplement 8 Library Data (A-M)
• Alien Module 1: Aslan
• Best of the Journal Volume 2
• GURPS Traveller: Alien Races 2

This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Aslan. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. The text of Wikipedia is available under the Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.