<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. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l