Hraktan

Overview

The Hraktan are the founding species of The Hraktan Nations.

Biology and Appearance

Physiology

Despite being mammalian in nature, the Hraktan appear somewhat reptilian at first glance: Their hide is thick, leathery, and gray; their heads are blunt; stud-like osteoderms cover certain parts of their body, appearing like scales; and their mouths are filled with sharp, pointed teeth.   They are bipedal, with two arms ending in five-fingered hands including opposable thumbs.

Physical Variations

Their skin tone varies in shades of gray, most being a dark warm gray, but some with a cooler, more blue shade. Racial differences are minor and not very informative, with most being subtle differences in face shape. Even when it is noticeable and can be traced back to a historic ethnicity, the clan structure has resulted in so much intermixing that there's no relevance to the differences.   There is a highly distinct sexual dimorphism, however. Males are slightly taller on average, with a broader chest, narrower hips, and a wider, chunkier head. Females have wider hips and a more uniform width from shoulders to legs. Their faces are more slender, but are far from delicate. The most stark difference is the natural armor possessed by both males and females. They both have full armor around their calves, but males have studs on the front of their torso, neck, face, knees, and thighs, while females have it on their back, buttocks, the back of their thighs, and from the back of their neck to the top of their head.   For females, the osteoderms create a subtle crest on the top of their head, leaving their forehead bare. For males, they create a crest on their forehead: a row of two to four large, pointed studs starting just above their nose and going up to the armor's terminus.

Society and Culture

Societal Structure

Family ties and intense loyalty rule Hraktan society, which is based around a complicated clan structure. At the base is the family unit, then the clan, above that the house (usually a single large, powerful clan which takes responsibility for smaller clans), and above that the nation, dozens of which are recognized within the Hraktan star-nation or later among the diaspora. A complicated series of checks, balances, political realities, and incentive structures maintain order between the clans and resolve differences when they arise. Sometimes this resolution involves kinetic conflict, but honor duels are a more common method of arbitration when a peaceful resolution can't be reached.   The Hraktan have deeply engrained roles for males and females, finding their origins in the earliest times, when the multifarious predators of Gakhor were a constant threat. When predators attacked, the males would throw themselves into combat while the females fled with the young, both groups presenting their armor to the threat. Different predators necessitated different tactics, with one particularly clever species of predator surrounding camps or setting up ambushes to attack the fleeing females and young. The Hraktan adapted, sending escorts and arming the females.   Because males are considered expendable and had high fatality rates, the Hraktan are matriarchal. Females hold the power in families, clans, and governments, and are groomed from a young age to command their families. Even in the military, females hold most of the power. While many clusteral militaries have a division between commissioned and non-commissioned officers, the Hraktan have always had a split between male and female officers, with male personnel serving tactical roles and female personnel serving strategic roles. Breaks in this split were rare before the collapse of the Hraktan star nation, and females never served in frontline roles, though this changed due to necessity and outside pressure during the diaspora and eventual restoration. Aggression, protectiveness, and strength are prized in males, while intelligence, willfulness, and cunning are prized in females, all inculcated from a young age.

Family Structure

Hraktan mate monogamously and for life, raising children together. In the event of a spouse's death (usually the male) while children are still present in the home, remarriage is expected within two years—less if the children are younger—but remarriage within a year is considered unseemly. However, if death is a long time coming, such as from disease, the surviving spouse may begin the search for a replacement while the dying spouse is still alive and can have a say. This is most common when the couple has young children and their mother is dying, because of how important it is for the mother to know her children will be well-mothered. This process is acutely painful for both spouses and is seldom smooth. A common alternative, though usually considered temporary, is for the surviving spouse to live with a sibling of the opposite sex (preferably already married) or with either spouse's parents, provided the parents are still together.   The ideal number of children per female hovers around four, but this number always spikes during times of crisis. For much of the diaspora, the ideal number stayed around six, but in some areas it had no upward limit because the local population was so desperate for growth.   Extended family is kept close whenever possible, so while single-family households are the norm, multi-generational households are not unheard of. Many single-family households are in neighborhoods or communities populated primarily by a given clan or house, and some clans have their own compounds with small homes and large shared spaces. These often self-sufficient enclaves are considered an ideal, but had become rare on Gakhor as their society became increasingly specialized and mobile. During the diaspora, clan compounds saw a dramatic resurgence wherever they were permitted.

Hraktan in the Cluster

Before the collapse of the Hraktan star-nation, they were rare outside of their own space except as mercenaries. They carried out little interastranational trade and had little interest in tourism. After the collapse, most of their population was displaced from the conquered colonies. [Nation 3], the ÉSeavá, and [Nation 12] divided the Hraktan colonies between themselves. They maintained some of the Hraktan populations, but most were displaced and the remnants were often subjected to strict population controls, condemning them to a lingering decline. Many chose to voluntarily emigrate rather than sacrifice their unborn children, accelerating the local population decline.   The Gauxon Stellar Republic—which regretted participating in the destruction of Gakhor and did its best to make amends—took in the most Hraktan refugees. The Ilgerel Empire and [Nation 9] also took in much of the diaspora. The Hraktan co-settled a series of worlds with these nations and with the United Sovereignties of Khetta, who accepted Hraktan refugees only for their colonization project.   Many Hraktan found their way to [Nation 4], where they integrated without too much difficulty despite the culture clash of a matriarchy with a patriarchy. Within the structure of [Nation 4], Hraktan individuals, families, and sometimes even entire clans are owned by [Species 4] patriarchs, but they accept this condition with little complaint. An acute political sense enables them to adroitly navigate the [Species 4] clan system, where they are both valued and capable of violent resistance. Together, this gives them enough leverage to secure a good degree of freedom within given boundaries. The sacrifices necessary are tolerable, particularly as their strong sense of duty makes many of the obligations redundant to obligations they already recognize.   Any Hraktan who were unable to find a home in the cluster settled lonely planets or asteroid belts, starting unrecognized colonies with no outside support, or accepted the Arbiters' offer of asylum in the Arbitration Zone.   Wherever they go, they are prized for their strength, industriousness, and martial prowess, though there are many cultural struggles. Even in areas where the populations integrate well, the Hraktan tend to isolate themselves, sometimes even living in self-sufficient enclaves and avoiding their neighbors.