<the ur species was developed in part using the system in SeJ's Uplift 2nd
ed.>
Zhuup ab-Lesh ab-Erbl ab-Kosh ab-Rosh ab-Tothtoon
ul-Zinth ul-Lotip ul-Byldur
The Lesh as members of the Tothtoon Superclan and clients of the Erbl began
their career in Galactic Civilization from a very privileged position. By
the time the Lesh had completed their uplift they had already proven
themselves merchants of the first order. Therefore, the Lesh had every
reason to expect that they could fulfill the Clan Tothtoon ideal of uplifting
three clients, with the third client uplifted to take over the Lesh niche in
Galactic Civilization.
Clan Tothtoon Tradition advises that a young patrons first client should
complement the would-be patron. The Lesh were successful merchants.
Unfortunately, their inherited social structure made it difficult for the
Lesh to form large, stable social groups. In particular, Lesh are touchy.
No one wants to be at the bottom of a social edifice for long. Lesh who find
themselves locked in to roles like private soldier or laborer nearly always
leave to seek greener pastures after a few months. Lesh military units were
small and flexible. Lesh had little heavy industry. The Lesh economy needed
organization men to run industry that would produce goods for Lesh merchants.
The Lesh purchased an uplift claim on the Zhuup from the Thennanin who were
then very active conducting surveys on contract for the GIM. When discovered
their homeworld had been in an ice age for about 12,000 local years. The
proto-Zhuup were ground dwelling, quadrupedal grazers, living in herds on
semi-arid temperate plains. They were moderately large creatures, about the
size of a small pony. Herds could include as many as 96 individuals, though
most were less than half that large. During the mating season males became
territorial. Successful males kept harems during mating season.
Their natural history had left the proto-Zhuup with intelligence, potential,
and an unusually long lifespan and tendency to bear few offspring. However,
the proto-Zhuup no longer exhibited a high level of neoteny. Proto-Zhuup had
camel-like feet and were not terribly fast. When threatened by predators
they formed a defensive circle much like Earth's Musk Ox. They had thick
hides, butting horns that were particularly pronounced on males, and a single
short tusk that pierced their upper lip. The tusk was notable because it was
hollow and was a means for injecting a poison that was very painful to most
of the local fauna.
The proto-Zhuup also had a notable sensory array. Behind their horns they had
a fully retractable set of four eyes on stalks, phenomenal hearing, and an
acute sense of smell.
Uplifted Zhuup are smaller than their ancestors. They are only slightly
larger than Humans. They are fully upright with serviceable hands. They
retain their horns and poisonous tusk (according to the Library the poison
should have little effect on Earthlings); however, horns are not fully formed
until the Lesh are in late puberty to facilitate cranial expansion. The Lesh
opted to reduce the proto-Zhuup sense of smell to free up room for higher
brain functions. Zhuup hearing is still very good, though not quite on par
with their ancestors.
Most of the year the Zhuup are some of the hardest workers in the Galaxies.
However, the Lesh did not alter the proto-Zhuup mating pattern. The Zhuup
home planet of Kppthi'ik has a year that is 1.2 hab-years long. For 1/16 of
that year the Zhuup are on mating season holiday. Female Zhuup are very
engaged during this time but always manage minimal staffing levels for
critical services. Males in critical professions such as physicians are also
on call and capable of performing their duties competently. Zhuup are
seriously annoyed by novelty and surprises, they gravitate toward predictable
industries and plan all their undertakings extensively.
The Zhuup are tremendously successful industrialists who work very well in
large teams. Zhuup are also good, if uninspired, soldiers. They have a
reputation for being mediocre ecologists, however. This is a serious failing
in the Tothtoon Clan, but the Zhuup make the most of it. Many live on
a-class worlds or space-based arcologies. As uplift artists the Zhuup are
unremarkably competent, but prolific. They are already powerful, wealthy
patrons in their own right.
Politically the Zhuup are instinctive conservatives. Nevertheless, they tow
the Lesh diplomatic line. Meanwhile, they actively lobby for more
conservative Lesh Clan policies. The Zhuup exhibit less diplomatic
flexibility and finesse than the Lesh, despite the costs they often go
through mediators when doing business with species that differ from them.
Despite the Lesh policy of promiscuous trade, Zhuup refuse to do business with
the Tandu. There are a few other Inheritor and Obeyor Clans or Species that
the Zhuup embargo. The Jophur are *not* on the list. Zhuup do business with
the Jophur and their clients. Zhuup distrust the Soro but trade actively
with them. Soro-Zhuup contracts tend to be very, very long. Zhuup get on
well with Synthians, but dislike Tymbrimi who make them quite obviously
uncomfortable. Interestingly, the Zhuup have never been hostile to the Human
Clan.
Terragen-Zhuup relations have improved since the Garth incident. Most
notably, after the Siege of Earth the Zhuup used Clan import and development
credit accounts to order a Colony Class Freighter with habitation rings
outrigged on the rotational gravity pylons. A major Zhuup niche is putting
what they call a multi-factory ship in orbit around newly leased worlds. The
Zhuup provide one-stop infrastructure solutions. A Colony Class Freighter
should fill the bill nicely for modest projects.
------------------------------------------
Zhuup clients
Zinth ab-Zhuup ab-Lesh ab-Erbl ab-Kosh ab-Rosh ab-Tothtoon
ul-Eerkarmet
The Zhuup uplifted the Zinth very early in their career. The Zinth are
descended from herbivorous gatherers that lived in tropical scrubland. The
Zhuup understood themselves as having a creativity deficit. The Zhuup
patrons, the Lesh were not academically gifted, but as industrialists the
Zhuup had constant need for Library research. The Zinth were uplifted to
collate and synthesize library data in the service of Zhuup industrial
projects. The Zhuup are also fairly good engineers.
They admire and mildly resent the Synthians who were uplifted for the same
niche. Synthetic research is also a strong point among the Kanten. Many of
the relatively conservative Zinth are uncomfortable around Kanten. Zinth
have been less than enthusiastic about Clan Lesh's warming relations with
Clan Terragen.
--
Eerkarmet ab-Zinth ab-Zhuup ab-Lesh ab-Erbl ab-Kosh ab-Rosh ab-Tothtoon
Lesh are good merchants, diplomats, and salesmen. The Eerkarment are being
uplifted to excel at strategic marketing, psychological warfare, and
psychohistory. They are about ready to advance to Uplift Stage Three.
--
Lotip ab-Zhuup ab-Lesh ab-Erbl ab-Kosh ab-Rosh ab-Tothtoon
The Zhuup uplifted the arboreal and omnivorous proto-Lotip as pilots. The
Zhuup and Zinth have trouble making snap decisions so are poor pilots. The
Lotip are Stage Four clients.
--
Byldur ab-Zhuup ab-Lesh ab-Erbl ab-Kosh ab-Rosh ab-Tothtoon
If all goes well the Byldur will be talented ecologists and arcologists. They
should also be adequate industrialists, capable of running vast, vertically
integrated terraforming and arcology construction firms. Byldur are early
Stage Two Clients.
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