Theodore

by Marcus LaGrone

  The Highlands of Afon: the Highlanders are unique compared to most of the rest of the Taik on almost all levels. Physically, they are universally shorter: the males average 1.75m (5’9”) while the females, shorter yet at 1.55m (5’1”). They also tend to support longer tails than the other Taik. While most Taik realms average a near even male-to-female ratio, the Highlanders are once again unique with an average of only one male to every four females. As a result, most families are polygamous with between three and five adult females being the norm. Almost all politics are matriarchal with policing and other functions left to the males. The Lady Mayor speaks for the town as a whole and while there do exist “barons,” this is a military title given to the male leadership of the militia as there is no standing army. The head of any family is the First Mother and she is expected to run the family business. The Second Mother’s position is almost exclusively to raise and educate the children of the household. Third and Fourth Mothers usually support the First Mother in the family business. Twins are rare and always female in the Highlands, and are considered good luck. It is most common that both twins would marry into the same house and are afforded the same position as a pair. Thus one may have two Third Mothers, or even two First Mothers. The family name is referred to as the “House” name and comes from either the First Mother’s line, or a mutually agreed upon name. Males tend to have a second name, a “Clan” name, that is used only among themselves. An unmarried, but adult male will usually only use his Clan name rather than his old House name. Highlanders tend to a simple life, low on overt technology, choosing instead to rely on an ancient system referred to simply as Live Steel for their protection as well as the aid of the Guardians left by the Ancients. Much is still not understood about Live Steel, even less about the Guardians and the Ancients…

  Shukurae: Shukurae are a mighty people with a confused past. They stand on average 2.75m (9’) with 3.00m (9’10”) tall being not too uncommon. They have tough leathery skin, pale iridescent eyes, a plethora of narrow triangular shark-like teeth, minor horns on their heads and great tusks jutting from their face. The only overt difference between males and females is the length of their torso, a feature that is easily lost under clothing. They speak in a deep baritone chord, two tones at once being either a major fourth or fifth apart. They were a warrior-slave race for over a thousand years to the Gelkin and have lost most of their cultural identity. Two hundred years after the start of their rebellion against the Gelkin, they are mostly a free race. A race whose home world and culture is lost to the past, they have a unique relationship with the Taiks of the Highlands of Afon. It was the Highlanders who first helped them in their rebellion, and they still have a close military bond with their diminutive furry friends. It is not uncommon for Highland Taiks, off looking for adventure and to explore the galaxy, to serve alongside the Shukurae.

  Gelkin: The Gelkin are a short, squat race who are roughly ursine (bear-like) in appearance. Averaging only 1.60m (5’3”), they are shorter than most other races. A point that didn’t use to bother them when they held a tight grip on long arms of the galaxy. They are a feudal society with no appreciable gender bias. With the major source of muscle, the Shukurae, now long since gone from their control, their empire is in rapid decline. Nowhere is this more true than the edge of the frontier with the human worlds.