Shoomari

[Kenneth New]

The Shoomari are bipedal reptilians with an honor culture. Their empire is run by noble houses that compete fiercely but honorably with one another. The Shoomari emperor is a well-respected figurehead. The real power lies with the military and the nobles who control it. Since the end Shoomari war, there's been an uneasy peace between the Earth Alliance and the Shoomari. It was more of a cold war until the signing of the New Lexington Treaty. Now there is grudging competition.

[Kenneth New]

The Shoomari are bipedal humanoids with beaded skin like a reptile. They have no body hair and their heads are covered by a bony frill that grows out of their thick skulls. Their culture is caste based, run by a hereditary group of aristocrats, some warriors and others with priestly powers. It's difficult for outsiders to fully comprehend this system. It appears that the priest-aristocrats have more prestige and rank, but that the warrior-aristocrats hold all the power. Although the Shoomari have a level of technology equal to the Earth Alliance, their noblemen are never seen without their curved swords (which these days have a monomolecular edge).

Shoomari space sits rimward and below the Earth Alliance. First contact between the races didn't go smoothly and several small border wars broke out between them. The Shoomari wars led directly to the formation of the Earth Alliance, as the core worlds found it necessary to join together into a military alliance. It was violent first contact with the Chumakh that convinced Earth Alliance and the Shoomari Empire to make peace.

Shoomari and humans still have little love for one another. Many humans refer to Shoomari as "dragons" and the Shoomari often use the term "Grassla Uiben" (which means flabby-face) to refer to humans. The New Lexington Treaty has brought toleration but not affection.

Shoomari warrior-aristocrats are always addressed with the prefix Ku- attached to their named (e.g. Ku-Sharis). Priest-aristocrats are addressed with the prefix Gan- attached to their name (e.g. Gan-Burindo). The exact meaning of these terms is unknown, but their importance is unmistakable.

Traditional Shoomari clothing consists of loose trousers and a tunic of stiff cloth. Warriors wear a resinous breast-plate with elaborate bas-reliefs covered in gold foil. Among the ku-nobles, this breastplate depicts family heraldry. Among common warriors, the breastplate depicts the symbols of the family whom they serve.