Tajaran

The Tajaran (ᴛᴀʜ-jaw-run, singular ''ᴛᴀʜ-jaw-rah') are a species playable in BayStation 12 whom posses cat like features. They hail from Ahdomai, the smaller of two twin planets. Due to Adhomai’s climate, they have evolved fur and have naturally higher stability than other species.

Basic Game Information
Like all (or most) species, Tajaran possess their own abilities based on their species. These include:
 * Tajara possess a species language, called Siik’mas, accessed by using the key :j.
 * All Tajara have claws, and will scratch with them instead of punching, dealing extra damage.
 * Tajara are less vulnerable to harm from cold due to their fur, but more vulnerable to harm from heat. This has minimal effect in-game, but is something to remember while roleplaying.
 * Tajara cannot use human gloves or shoes due to their claws and digitigrade limbs. They are only able to wear hardsuits and hardsuit helmets designed/modified for their anatomy. Using wirecutters on gloves and shoes allows them to be worn, but not all shoes and gloves may be modified. They are able to wear 'softsuits' (such as non-hardsuit space suits, biosuits, and fire suits). In order to wear hardsuits, the suit must first be modified in a machine able to do so.
 * Tajara are forbidden by NanoTrasen mandate from being heads of staff, barring exceptional circumstances, and only can be promoted during their shift to be an acting head.

Biological Classifications
Cunabula:       Ahdomaris

Kingdom :       Animalia

Phylum :        Chordate

Class  :        Mammalia

Subclass:       Eutheria

Order  :        Primacreodonta

Family :        Coetidae

Genus  :        Tajara

Species :       T. Sapiens

Naming
In order to communicate with multi-species crews better, most Tajara have taken Arabic first and last names to allow for better communication. Due to their facial anatomy, sharp lip-based mora (placement of stress or timing) tend to be less present.

Biology
The Tajaran are a species of omnivorous, bipedal mammals with features that strongly resemble Terran felines in structure. Their body is covered almost entirely with a fur coat with thickness dependant on their home region, the only exceptions being the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet, directly around their various orifices, and their eyes. On many individuals the fur near their neck and head grows into a shaggy "mane", not unlike a lion or horse's mane, which is made of tough, wiry hairs. Tajaran fur colours tend towards monochrome, with the mane generally being significantly darker than the rest of the fur. Dying of the fur is exceedingly expensive and is usually not considered socially acceptable. Patterns of all types have been observed: flat, spots, stripes, and many variations in-between. Tajaran males on average range from 145 cm (58 inches) to 185 cm (74 inches) in height and 55 kg and 90 kg in mass, while females on average range between 135 cm (54 inches) and 180 cm (72 inches) in height and 35 kg and 75 kg in mass. Tajaran have two fairly large and well-developed eyes set above a short muzzle. Their pupils are slitted and usually larger than those of other species, and can contract significantly faster. Their eyes also possess a refractive layer very similar to a tapetum lucidum which greatly enhances their night vision and causes their eyes to shine when illuminated in dim light. Tajaran teeth are sharp in the front and slowly grow thicker towards the back. The closest analogous animal to their tooth structure would be a large terran cat, such as a tiger or a lion. On the top of their head Tajara possess two normally erect ears. These ears have a wide range of motion, and are capable of rotation up to ninety degrees and folding entirely back to the skull. Because of the structure and wide range of motion, Tajara have a noticeably more fine range of hearing than other crew species. The Tajaran hands and feet both have five digits and are somewhat stubby and thick compared to human extremities. A set of retractable claws originate from the second knuckle are always visible and are always visible at least slightly from the tips of Tajaran fingers and toes. Tajaran are digitigrade, and most equipment that interacts with the feet requires modification to fit. All Tajaran also possess a flexible tail. This appendage is muscled and is capable of an exceedingly large range of movement. Tajaran have a notably longer sleep cycle than humans, the average wake period for a Tajara is between 36-48 hours with a subsequent 20-28 hours of sleep. This wake period is often punctuated by short (15-30 minute) naps. Naps can be forgone, but a general “sleepiness” is seen when a Tajara has been awake without a nap for too long. The Tajaran body is generally lithe, slender, and extremely flexible. Secondary sexual characteristics, except for overall size, are rarely seen at all, the only real exception being the presence of mammary glands which externalize slightly while the mother is caring for her children. Internally their gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and lymphatic systems are highly similar to terran species, allowing for medical treatment similar to treatment given to human crewmembers.

Behaviour
Tajaran have a strong tendency towards loyalty and cooperation from living in what was overall a collectivist society. Younger Tajaran tend to be significantly more forward and expressive than older adults as the world and education have expanded for most Tajaran - The current generational gap in education and so forth is fairly enormous. Overall, however, they have been observed to have as wide an emotional range as humans, by extensive neurological investigation, although some reports from dubious sources state otherwise. Stimuli may vary compared to humans. It is advisable for staff to make use of this mindset. NanoTrasen does not openly advocate for non-human command staff, although often times workers from Ahdomai are enticed with the prospect of upward mobility, as it is not a full lie - there are no direct regulations that prevent this. However, such is heavily frowned on as a corporate liability and PR move - A Tajaran would have to work twice as hard and be willing to bow and scrape his way to a head of staff position. A Tajaran would never be appointed Captain beyond an interim move.

Clothing
While uniform is an important part of employee unity, Tajaran are authorised to forgo the need of shoes and gloves in most cases, due to physiological differences. Gloves and shoes may be modified to fit their anatomy, and Tajaran crew are authorized to perform such alterations as long as they remain within the standard uniform. Sandals and Fingerless gloves are also acceptable alternatives for Tajaran crewmembers. Many ear mounted items also prove difficult, for reasons that should not need explanation. Tajaran should also be excused from duties which require contact with increased temperatures, due to an increased susceptibility from heat. As Ahdomai is still a fairly arctic planet, most clothes are heavy and cloaks are common, and almost always split back, to allow for freedom of tail movement. Pants and skirts are common as well, often very wide cut and puffy looking. Skirts are usually worn by females over pants or other legwear for protection. Boots tend to be of an open-toe design and appear to be more of a Greek sandal than a traditional Terran boot. Strips of cloth are used for decoration, and are worn tucked into clothing or tied around limbs. Layering tends to be almost universal in Tajaran fashion, no matter the clan or region. This is due to the frigid climate of their planet. Aside from an underwear layer, usually consisting of tap pants along with some form of loose fitting undershirt for both male and females, most Tajaran clothing consists of some sort of scarf and jacket, usually a cloak for outdoor wear, and about 3 proper layers of clothing. Clothing in areas warmer than Adhomai follow the same pattern although scarves and jackets are still common, as inner layers of clothing are forgone. Tail accessories tend to be used by individuals within a relationship, although this has changed since 50 years ago, and tail décor is less taboo for just anyone to wear. Historically, it was generally a way of showing off courting favours, the less bound up version of wedding rings. Small strips of cloth like the ones worn as decoration are common, and tend to be made from scraps of old clothing. This represents a spiritual bond between the two Tajara. Rings and bands are also used as decoration, and range from simple iron bands to incredibly expensive items made of precious metals and gems.

Language
In order to have been accepted as an employee, all crewmembers must have taken and passed a Galactic Common literacy/fluency test. Said test is administered as part of the hiring process. Tajaran regularly speak Siik’mas when conversing with other Tajaran, and prefer this to communication in other languages. Siik'mas is the primary language of the Tajaran. It was instated as the official language of Adhomai while the Slavemasters were still in power. Siik’mas can be spoken by humans, albeit with much difficulty as the structure of a human mouth is not able to make most of the sounds found in the language. Siik'mas is the primary language of the Tajaran, but other old languages such as Nal'rasan, Devahhi, Ya'ssa and Resheha existed and are still spoken in small areas. Siik'tajr was formerly an informal pseudo sign language employed by the lower class prior to the revolution as a variant of Siik'mas with old Nal'rasan equivalents mixed in for the less educated at the time. It relies heavily on body language with many homophones differing only by tail or ear movement, allowing it to be spoken quietly. It is incredibly unfriendly to non tailed speakers, almost unable to be replicated due to the factor of tails by human and skrell. Siik'tajr is an informal, lowbrow method of talking, common for the older members of the newly established clans who were heavily involved in the rebellion. Cyrillic/Latin characters are the most common in use as a transcription of spoken Siik'tajr and Siik'mas, rather than the old Siik alphabet. The old alphabet is rarely used anymore, if at all, due to its enforcement by the Slavemasters and the attempt to remove all reminders of the Slavemasters from Tajaran culture. Note that Tajaran extend the "R" sound of words due to their facial anatomy, and all Tajaran generally adopt the third person in referring to themselves (Example: Rather than "I have completed my work", a Tajara would say "He has completed his work".) A Tajara speaking in first person is considered to be giving a display of extreme trust, although due to the stresses of space, Tajaran can 'slip up' occasionally when speaking languages other than their own due to the examples of first person used around them from human crew. This is not considered an act of trust.

Background
For hundreds of years, Ahdomai was simultaneously united and oppressed by a ruling class, referred to in the modern day by the epithet 'the Slavemasters', although in their day they went by terms that roughly translated to 'The Overseers'. The Overseers ruled with a heavy hand. Speaking when not spoken to first by an Overseer would be potentially punishable by severe beating or death. Nonetheless, their united front managed to bring an unpreceedented fruition of knowledge... For the ruling class. A relatively younger civilization than humanity, under various clans of Overseers, prior to human intervention, the first world era rulers had an approximate technological basis to the late nineties, with their communications equipment on par with the late 2000s, having had ample encouragement to cement their government with unified comms. Much of the methods used by the Slavemasters are lost, as during the revolution, taking down towers and sabotaging equipment they no longer had the blueprints for was strategically key to the rebellion. Meanwhile, the average Tajaran lived on par with the early 1900s in terms of tech for the lower/middle class, with illiteracy rates incredibly high. Fifty years prior to present day, a small academic exploration funded by Sol Central, unaffiliated with megacorps, discovered Ahdomai and the Tajaran. The exploration team spent five years learning the Tajaran language and culture, taking samples, with their efforts guided towards a positive reaction by the Overseers, showing them the sort of peaceful society they had attempted to cultivate, trying to have them gloss over the class disparity and poverty. Eventually, the team returned to Earth with their findings. Soon after, multiple megacorporations took interest in Ahdomai, as the planet had much usable mineral wealth. Aid in the form of multiple mining outposts was quickly dispatched to Ahdomai in an attempt to gain the trust and cooperation of the indigenous species. Over the next ten years various megacorporations set up small laboratories and outposts to map Ahdomai geologically, biologically, and economically. Not long after the first laboratories had been set up, one of the intellectual revolutionaries of the oppressed majority escaped from confinement and found asylum off-planet on a NanoTrasen facility for five years. During his time in the facility, he saw how a truly collaborative effort could improve everyone's living conditions and wrote a manuscript on his ideas called "Gazing Upwards". While his original name was lost, as he abandoned it in interests of not being targeted by Slavemasters for immediate censorship, his pen name was Harimah Ranjiira. After his return, Ranjiira began to distribute his manuscript, and the few literate Tajaran spread his ideas around the planet, sparking a revolution. The Slavemaster response was swift, uncompromising, and harsh and soon the rebels found themselves in a full-blown war with their masters. The megacorporations with facilities on Ahdomai, interested in maintaining their investments and seeing a chance to profit, began to provide the two factions with monetary and military aid. The rebel forces, with their superior numbers and a technological boost from their supporters, began to overtake the Slavemaster forces. However, the final blow to the Slavemaster forces was the defection of the Hadii. The Hadii, seeing the cracks in their regime, turned on the Slavemasters and provided the rebels with needed reinforcements and munitions. While several rebel clans opposed this, the Hadii support network, records, and tactical knowledge were the final push that won the war for the rebellion. A provisional government was propped up by the various megacorporations that supported the rebels, and over time Ahdomai naturally re-splintered with it's primary central government gone into Clan alliances. Medical corporations focused around the equatorial region, while mining and production corporations focused on land near the northern and southern areas. The largest corporate influence on Ahdomai is NanoTrasen, due to their affiliation with Ranjiira, who have supported the Hadii clan- Although they are by no means alone. Aggressive mining operations have started on Ahdomai by the megacorps, and in a century it will be long on its way to mirroring Earth. a somewhat unpleasant prospect. Many prominent scientists, doctors, and a few political groups on both Earth and Ahdomai have protested this action.

Culture
Tajaran Culture The arts are held highly in Tajaran culture, with music being the most prominent, a renaissance coming in the post slavemaster era. Older Tajaran are generally more accomplished in the arts while younger have turned to newly-available education.

Ethnicities
Much like humans, Tajaran have various "sub-species", which differ in some form in physiological traits.

Hharar

Zhan-Khazan

Njarir'Akhan

More ethnicities soon

Home Planet
Ahdomai

Tajarans hail from Ahdomai, the smaller of two twin planets. It is very cold and icy, and they possess fur for the purpose of self-heating and feline attributes for stability in their environment.

Current Day
See: Tajarans and Humans

Tajara currently exist in a limbo between being accepted into the galactic community and a source of cheap labour used by the megacorps. They are seen as newcomers and as somewhat backwards, ignorant, and (especially) easily exploitable. They are second-class citizens for the most part, due to their dependency on other more advanced races for the technology that allows them to even get off of Ahdomai. Despite this, there are groups both on and off Adhomai that are attempting to integrate Tajara into society. Human smothering is a legitimate danger to Tajaran society, as quiet as it is, and several corporations do their best to 'humanize' Tajara in behaviour and imprint on them. A lot of corporate and independent activities taking advantage of and brutalizing Tajaran are still present in the modern day, with several outposts on Ahdomai being condemned for atrocities and straining relations on occasion. Corporate-sponsored border skirmishes still occur frequently on Ahdomai between various clans, both sides supported by various megacorporations. Travel alone over long distances is discouraged because of this.