Gaoian

Gaoians are a species of furred mammalians native to the cold Class 10 planet Gao. They evolved as ambush predators prior to discovering agriculture and animal domestication, and retain their hunting instincts, predatory physiques, sharp teeth, and claws.

### Language

Gaori (trade language)Note: Clans often have their own complex jargons which in some cases are developed into fully independent languages

## Physical Characteristics

### Average Weight

Most breeds: 95–150 lbsMartial breeds: highly variable, often over 250+ lbs in strong specimens. Depending on the breed, male degree, and individual merit, these numbers can be considerably higher.

The lightest HEAT Gaoians are by this point well over 350+ lbs, with Regaari being weight-competitive with the smaller human members of the team and Thurrsto outmassing them, including Costello.

### Skin/Fur Color

White, brown, grey, silver, or black in any combination

## Species Characteristics

### Colonized Planets

GaoGorai

Guen Ha

## Physiology

Gaoians are equally capable of bipedal or quadrupedal locomotion. Bipedalism allows for tool use and thus is preferred as being "more civilized," but when moving "on four-paw" they are able to run further and faster, and pull or carry heavier loads. A Gaoian on all fours outpaces even the fastest human, though cannot maintain a sprint for nearly as long.

To Human eyes, Gaoians have many features in common with Earth's caniforms, particularly raccoons and especially in the markings on their face.

Height and weight varies considerably by breed, and there is also a pronounced sexual dimorphism. Most males are modestly larger than females, and a rare few can grow into truly impressive physical specimens; Regaari at this point would dominate all but the most impressive super-heavyweight human athletes, while Thurrsto and Genshi are big and strong enough to tackle *any* human unassociated with the HEAT and win. Daar can count on *one paw* the number of sapient beings who match him: Yan and Adam are the only two at the moment. Such is his prowess, it is debatable who amongst those three is the “bestest.”

Those rare physical gifts come at a cost, however.

Owing to their unique genetics, Gaoian males come in “degrees” of “maleness” that determine both how extreme their morphology will develop, and how inversely likely they are to sire females. A sixth-degree hypermale like Daar may have a size and strength exceeding that of a Kodiak bear from Earth, but he has only sired three females out of many hundreds. Near-feminine and highly gracile first degree males, on the other hand, may be born with a slighter frame and much less aggression, but in Gaoian society they are highly valued; nearly all their cubs are female.

The two extremes are extremely rare, however. Most males are somewhere in between. Combined with male competitiveness, risk-taking and its higher mortality rate, the realized gender ratio is normally anywhere between three to six adult males for every female.

Gaoians are proportionately one of the strongest and toughest species in the galaxy, though most of their kind never achieve Human-like physicality. This may have been at least in part due to Hierarchy control of many cultural traits, as the martial Clans often have more physically imposing specimens among their ranks. Nevertheless, their ability to function equally well as bipeds or quadrupeds effects their build, particularly in their upper body. Their bones are sturdy but generally lightweight, and their overall frame is meant for explosive speed on all fours. As a consequence, they are in general significantly less robust than humans overall. Like most species, their more average members are vulnerable to Kinetic Pulse Weaponry, though even here it’s more likely to be an extremely painful case of blunt force trauma than a guaranteed kill.

### Ethnic Groups

Gaoians have two major ethnic groups: Silverfurs, and Browfurs or "brownies," the latter of which in some contexts can be understood as a pejorative term. Unlike human ethnic groups, it is often difficult to tell which ethnic group a cub belongs to until they reach adulthood.

All cubs have soft dark gray underfur with a silky, silvery outer coat of longer fur. Silverfur Gaoians are those who retain this fur coloration and texture into adulthood, while Brownies shed during adolescence and grow in a coarser, shaggier coat of thick fur in shades of brown.

Less common ethnic groups include Gaoians who don't grow an outer coat of fur and whose undercoats are pure black, and "russet" Gaoians whose fur is a shade of reddish-brown that would normally mark them as a Brownie, but remains soft and silky.

## Culture

### Historical

Throughout most of their medieval history, Gaoian society was dominated by male Clans which controlled territory and city-states, built on a foundation of Clanless vassals and serfs.

Females were a rare resource and lived cloistered lives in the Clan harems, where access to them for breeding was retained for the Clan's Brothers and Fathers, or as special payment to useful Clanless or mercenary Clans.

#### Great Father Fyu and Great Mother Tiritya

Fyu was a senior Father of the ancient mercenary Clan Stoneback. History does not record exactly how he first met Tiritya, though it is known that Stoneback had no Harem of their own, and were dependent on access to the Harems of other Clans. Tiritya was most likely Fyu's payment for some services.

Whatever the circumstances of their meeting, Fyu and Tiritya fell in love, and soon hatched a conspiracy to emancipate Tiritya and her sisters. Their plot was successful, and led to the establishment of an independent Clan of Females who would be free to choose their own mating partners and would retain their independence.

While many male Clans—especially the many small or independent Clans which had never had a Harem of their own—went along with the idea, the powerful territorial clans with Harems resisted it vigorously. The largest and most comprehensive war in Gao's history ensued.

Tiritya and her Sisters fought in many of the defining battles of the war, aware that they would most likely be executed if captured. This prediction came true after a failed raid on the city of Wi Kao, when Tiritya and her sisters were captured. While her Sisters were executed, Tiritya was skinned alive and her pelt was sent to the Stoneback stronghold of High Mountain Fortress.

Fyu retaliated by razing the city of Wi Kao and castrating every male of the Wi Kao clan. With their strongest Clan destroyed, the remaining traditionalist Clans surrendered or were quickly surrounded and beaten.

According to his legend, Fyu marked his final victory by throwing his armor and weapons into the battlefield mud and returning to High Mountain fortress, where he devoted himself to a life of intellectual pursuits and founded the new Clan Highmountain. He spent the rest of his life as Grandfather of both Highmountain and Stoneback, and is reputed to have lived to more than a hundred years old.

### Modern

Modern Gaoian society is dominated by the newly-installed Great Father at the unassailable apex of their civilization, with the Clan of Females and a handful of powerful planet-wide Clans such as the Stonebacks, Highmountains, Whitecrests and so on forming the core of Daar’s noble court. Unlike Human feudal societies, the Gaoian concept of nobility is not as formal, nor is it inherited. Clan membership is strictly on merit. There are hundreds of Clans all told, most of which function much like function-oriented nation-states, though with less clearly defined borders.

Most males are Clanless, which is not usually an impediment to their life progress. Clanless males can be successful businessmen, artists, freelance professionals, starship crews or anything else they turn their mind to. While they lose some of the prestige and opportunity afforded by Clan membership, they are also not burdened with public responsibility, nor are they tested in the harrowing experience of the First Rites.

Clan membership is earned on merit, and is a slow process. Prospective members must first prove that they have the skills, attitude, potential and genetics that the Clan is after before becoming an Associate. After a period of education and training they may then undergo trials to attain higher rank, which might include Officer, Brother, Father, and for exceptional leaders the possibility of Grandfather and Champion.

Not all Clans treat the titles the same. Stoneback retains all its ancient ranks and degrees, while Whitecrest in particular does not use Brother as a rank; for them it is merely a title given to its more martial agents. Some Clans have a system of initiation for certain ranks, particularly the rank of Brother. Again, this tends to be a martial tradition and often incorporates ancient traditions whose meaning is largely lost to the younger Clans still performing them.

Genetics are not a make-or-break aspect of an individual’s success in Clan recruitment, but it is nevertheless a factor that most Clans—particularly the martial ones—carefully consider. All of the major Clans have breeding programs, preferring to admit males with particular traits and promote them to the Females.