Confused about the Ihatei

cunningrat

Banded Mongoose
The Trojan Reach said:
"While a male may claim any unoccupied territory on any world he wishes, he must prove his ability to defend and develop the territory. A clan has no interest in defending a territory far outside of its sphere of influence."
Torpol Cluster said:
"Whenever an Ihatei toehold is established, it is hard to dislodge without causing conflict with the parent clan."

How do these statements work together? Let's say Doofus the Ihatei claims a territory on a world, but is booted off it a few months later. Doesn't that constitute proof he cannot defend this territory? Why would his clan interfere, in that case?
 
A potential answer is simple politics and human (well, Aslan) weakness. The codes of moral behaviour might well insist that if an ihatei can't defend his landhold he doesn't deserve it, and tough luck -- and maybe many clans do take that seriously and refuse to interfere for a son who doesn't show himself worthy -- but others might not be so willing. Aslan ihatei Doofus Jones, of a prominent clan and with more enthusiasm than actual skill, might over-extend and try to seize territory on the planet of another faction that proves too much for him. Then he might run home to daddy and complain that he did everything right, but that those dishonourable folk on [planet] cheated him or behaved in a fashion at odds with fteir. In which case, the Jonesko gets worked up and vows to avenge this slight, and insists on sending forces to take the planet anyway.

Honour and moral fortitude are one thing, politics (especially family) is another :wink:
 
I think it's also a question of who is doing the dislodging, since Aslan culture and rules treat them differently: if the ihatei can't defend their territory from another male Aslan, that's weakness on the ihatei's part. If a human military operation kicks them out, that's an invasion of Aslan territory by outsiders and an affront that can not be allowed to stand.
 
Could be deliberate.

If there's push back, you cut your losses, but retain your territorial claim, and use that to legitimize another attempt in the future.

Aslan will now publish charts marking that territory within the Dew Claw Line.
 
There's text in The Glorious Empire that describes ihatei expeditions as if they were entrepreneurial ventures. Second sons develop their own plans — some of them shrewd and some harebrained — and then go off to try to establish a colony. If the colony is successful, they receive significantly more backing. That might come from their parent clan, but it might also come from other clan sponsors. The ihatei venture must prove its worth before it is assisted. This is one of the main ways the Aslan expand.
 
The question is, what does the aspiring clan lord need to do to prove his capability? Defend the claim for a few months, a year, ten years? What kind of development does the young lord need to accomplish? I think once a new clan is considered established because it has met the Ihatei's standards, it is recognized and assistance can be expected when it is threatened.
 
Shadows of Sindal (pg 28) has a story of a Ihatei landing on a planet, followed by a couple of shiploads of kin (which were women and children).

So the point of Ihatei becoming a bigger claim to territory might be when women and kids are brought into a settlement? Up until that happens a site could simply be a hunting camp. Once there is a settlement it may bring in a higher level of ownership of a territory.
 
If you bring in the wives and kids, you just upped the stakes considerably.

If they get wiped out, the males are going to look stupid.

On the other hand, the wives have relatives, and that might ignite a war.
 
G'Naakbusters said:
A potential answer is simple politics and human (well, Aslan) weakness. The codes of moral behaviour might well insist that if an ihatei can't defend his landhold he doesn't deserve it, and tough luck -- and maybe many clans do take that seriously and refuse to interfere for a son who doesn't show himself worthy -- but others might not be so willing. Aslan ihatei Doofus Jones, of a prominent clan and with more enthusiasm than actual skill, might over-extend and try to seize territory on the planet of another faction that proves too much for him.
One could refer to "The Borderland Run" for that scenario. There is also the problem that the ihatei and his gang might have enjoyed support from another clan or entered mercantile treaties later with third parties. So now you attack not only an ihatei and his gang, but also the business interest of a third party Aslan corporation.

In the end, Aslan are political animals as much as humans, and they will defend their interests.
 
They could deliberately link and interweave interests.

Which would either act as a deterrent to rivals, or drag them all into conflict.
 
Actually, found an explanation within "Shadows of Sindal". Psitraveller and Condotierre had it mostly right.

Shadows of Sindal p.48 said:
"As a general rule, an incursion that is quickly ousted will be taken as a ‘good fight, fair enough’ by the sponsoring clan – the Aslan respect strength and whilst defeating their ihatei will displease the clans, it is acceptable. However, once a settlement has ‘taken root’ as it were, attacking it is often seen as an attack on the parent clan and may trigger a forceful response."

So it's mostly a matter of time and how entrenched the ihatei are.
 
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