Species Index

[WHULorigan]

So Darrian Aslan would be Cultural Darrian, despite being Political Darrian Confederation? And despite being Aslan as species? And Sword Worlds would be Cultural Sword World with a species of Solomani? Now I have to figure out how to show that. ::sigh::

Not sure if the Darrian Aslan are Culturally Darrian (though they are certainly not traditional Aslan). There is probably a hybrid culture.

DGP: Solomani & Aslan identified Aslan as belonging to one of three broad groups (from the Aslan perspective):

1. "True" Aslan
2. "Other" Aslan
3. Barbarians

"True" Aslan are those who practice the Aslan Way of Life (independent of species - it is a cultural / lifestyle term, though it is of course used as a racial term by humans).

"Other" Aslan have made accomodations in lifestyle in order to deal with outsiders - Border Merchants, Trans-Rift Colonials, etc.

Barbarians no longer practice the core tenets of the Aslan Way - they are "foreigners", "Imperials", outcasts, deviants, etc.

Darrian Aslan would be in category 2 or 3.

 

[Condottiere]

They'll tolerate a lot, as long as you feed them.

 

[WHULorigan]

Ok, fixed Jonkereen. Anything you've seen that needs to be fixed?

Most of the entries listed in the Wiki Table on the Variant Human Races Page had to be fixed.

Essentially, there are no clear examples of "Human Chimeras" on the table.

The definition of Chimera (corrected, from the Wiki and T5) is as follows:

​

A ''Chimera'' is a hybrid of two or more distinct species, produced naturally or through Genetic engineering. In general, the term Chimera has a higher standard-defining threshold (and is thus narrower in scope) than the terms variant race or variant species in that the term specifically refers to a creature or species that was geneered from 2 or more distinct species, or that a single species was used as a base to which were added significant genetic modification sequences from one or more additional species. Simple engineered genetic modification of aspects of existing species does not generally qualify a creature or species as a Chimera -- it must be a hybrid or fusion of two or more distinct, independently viable species in some way. Thus the term Variant Race is broader in scope. In all cases the result is a new, unique species.​

​

If I can, I'll take a look over your document more closely later tonight.

OK. I did a thorough search of the wiki for all supposed examples of "Chimera", and there are in fact only TWO clear examples of Chimerae in the entire Wiki:

1. Pinin - Semi-humanoid Human Chimera (Human / Seal)
2. Koyn - Non-Humanoid Chimera

All other supposed "Chimerae" are only speculative at best (and can only be clearly identified as "Variant Races"), and flat out wrong or mis-defined at worst.

I have corrected all of the associated wiki articles. If you go to the Variant Human Races page, the table lists the best match as to type.

1. Acheron - Variant Human Race
2. Aquan - Variant Human Race
3. Bo'daan - Variant Human Race
4. Fervoriani - Variant Human Race
5. Ginsharian - Android
6. Iziri - Variant Human Race
7. Jonkeereen - Variant Human Race
8. Lamura Teg - Minor Human Race
9. Mermani - Variant Human Race
10. Morlock - Variant Human Race
11. Neiikhi - Variant Human Race
12. Nexxies - Variant Human Race
13. Otrai - Variant Human Race
14. Scania - Variant Human Race
15. Selenite - Variant Human Race
16. Urpayan - Variant Human Race
17. Weregre - Human Ethnic Group
18. Wuans - Variant Human Race

 

[Tom B]

OK. I did a thorough search of the wiki for all supposed examples of "Chimera", and there are in fact only TWO clear examples of Chimerae in the entire Wiki:

1. Pinin - Semi-humanoid Human Chimera (Human / Seal)
2. Koyn - Non-Humanoid Chimera

All other supposed "Chimerae" are only speculative at best (and can only be clearly identified as "Variant Races"), and flat out wrong or mis-defined at worst.

I have corrected all of the associated wiki articles. If you go to the Variant Human Races page, the table lists the best match as to type.

1. Acheron - Variant Human Race
2. Aquan - Variant Human Race
3. Bo'daan - Variant Human Race
4. Fervoriani - Variant Human Race
5. Ginsharian - Android
6. Iziri - Variant Human Race
7. Jonkeereen - Variant Human Race
8. Lamura Teg - Minor Human Race
9. Mermani - Variant Human Race
10. Morlock - Variant Human Race
11. Neiikhi - Variant Human Race
12. Nexxies - Variant Human Race
13. Otrai - Variant Human Race
14. Scania - Variant Human Race
15. Selenite - Variant Human Race
16. Urpayan - Variant Human Race
17. Weregre - Human Ethnic Group
18. Wuans - Variant Human Race

I always thought the Chokari (Behind the Claw P 34) were chimera. I've just been rereading it and it's not clear.

It says... 'The Chokari of Foelen share a common heritage with the Dolphins of their world but their distant ancestors were subjected to a much more radical programme of genetic manipulation.'

Whether these count as chimera or not is up for debate.

 

[Endie]

Not sure if the Darrian Aslan are Culturally Darrian (though they are certainly not traditional Aslan). There is probably a hybrid culture.

DGP: Solomani & Aslan identified Aslan as belonging to one of three broad groups (from the Aslan perspective):

1. "True" Aslan
2. "Other" Aslan
3. Barbarians

"True" Aslan are those who practice the Aslan Way of Life (independent of species - it is a cultural / lifestyle term, though it is of course used as a racial term by humans).

"Other" Aslan have made accomodations in lifestyle in order to deal with outsiders - Border Merchants, Trans-Rift Colonials, etc.

Barbarians no longer practice the core tenets of the Aslan Way - they are "foreigners", "Imperials", outcasts, deviants, etc.

Darrian Aslan would be in category 2 or 3.

From the AoCS Darrian section, it's suggested that the Aslan of Darrian space celebrate at least some Aslan traditions but are increasingly culturally Darrian in key aspects, leading Hierate Aslan to classify them as your category 3: "Barbarians" who "no longer practice the core tenets of the Aslan Way":

"The Aslan, with their more alien society, continue to follow Aslan traditions but have been slowly and voluntarily adopting Darrian characteristics such as monogamy, prohibition against unnecessary killing and pursuit of intellectual rather than militaristic pursuits. Non-Darrian Aslan see this as a betrayal of traditional ideals, considering their brethren to be barbarians and traitors to the true Aslan way." [Aliens of Charted Space 3, p.6]

 

[WHULorigan]

I always thought the Chokari (Behind the Claw P 34) were chimera. I've just been rereading it and it's not clear.

It says... 'The Chokari of Foelen share a common heritage with the Dolphins of their world but their distant ancestors were subjected to a much more radical programme of genetic manipulation.'

Whether these count as chimera or not is up for debate.

The burden of proof is to demonstrate that there is a significant infusion or splicing with genes from one or more different species (named or otherwise). The above statement does not specifically do so. Those genes could have been artificially manufactured or modified. Without more information, "Variant Race" is the best category.