Zhodani

The Zhodani of Zhdant (Zhodane 2719) are a technologically advanced Major Human Race with a humanoid appearance.

The Zhodani inhabit the Zhodani Consulate, a sphere approximately 70 parsecs in radius about the world of Zhdant immediately to core-spinward of the Imperium, believed to include in excess of 80% of all racial Zhodani. Much of the remainder inhabits the Zhodani client states, although other sub-species of Humaniti are also to be found in the client states and the consulat

Description:

Biology: The Zhodani are a discrete, though interfertile, sub-species of Humaniti, independently descended from human stock transplanted by the Ancients. In general, they tend to be taller than Solomani or Vilani, and lithe of build. Averaging 2.0 meters in height and massing upwards of 90 kilograms, they tend to be swarthy in complexion and dark-haired.

The Zhodani gene pool is much less variegated than that of Terrans although thanks to the size of the Zhodani Consulate, and the intermixing of human gene pools, considerable variation exists in physical appearance.

The Zhodani have blood types F, G, P, Q, R, V, and Z, with F, Q, V, and Z dominant.

General Appearance: Zhodani have a strong tendency to be significantly taller than the average Terran and often have olive-brown complexions with dark eyes and hair. Some have noted that platinum-haired Zhodani seem to have an unnaturally high prevalence.

Belief System and Philosophy

Zhodani Religion & Philosophy: The Zhodani Consulate promotes a quasi-religious philosophy called Morality's Path, in which adherents (...virtually the entire Zhodani population within the Consulate) strive to pass through various life cycles and eventually unite with the universal energy field by leading virtuous lives.

Rights and Common Philosophies

With rare exceptions, Zhodani are extremely patriotic. Zhodani citizens possess a high degree of personal honesty. Indeed, the Zhodani feel uncomfortable in most places outside the Consulate, where "liars and thieves are allowed to wander around loose."

Privacy of thought is highly respected among the Zhodani upper classes, although proles have no such right. Nobles have almost complete personal privacy rights, and intendants nearly as much.

Non-Zhodani Rights in Zhodani Society

Rights of foreign nationals vary with whatever treaty is in effect between the Consulate and the foreign power. The treaty with the Imperium is unclear in its protections. Most visitors have no protections for mental privacy, but diplomatic personnel and some selected commercial representatives are provided visas which allow psionic shields to be worn.

Belief System

The Zhodani Consulate promotes a quasi-religious philosophy called Morality's Path, in which adherents (virtually the entire Zhodani population within the Consulate) strive to pass through various life cycles and eventually unite with the universal energy field by leading virtuous lives. Zhodani are prohibited from subscribing to other faiths.

According to Morality's Path, the "good" of a personality is recycled into new living beings for fulfilling its duties in life, while the "bad" of a personality is permanently lost. Quixitlatl Path

Culture and Society

The Zhodani give the name Driantia Zhdantia to their interstellar community. The name is commonly translated in Anglic as Zhodani Consulate. The consulate consists of about 6,500 systems spread through more than 175 subsectors. It is located spinward and coreward of the Imperium.

The most important difference between the Imperium is the acceptance and use of Psionics within the Zhodani Consulate.

Smaller differences include the greater homogeneity of the Zhodani phenotype, while Imperial Humans have a wide variety of phenotypical appearances, Zhodani are nearly uniformly of swarthy complexion, dark-hair, and of significantly greater height than Solomani, Vilani, or most other Humans. Zhodani nobles often wear a turban-like headdress which serves to accentuate their height.

Psionic Games

One of the most enduring institutions of Zhodani life are the Psionic Games, which are a continuing series of competitive (sport) games held by the Zhodani Consulate for excellence in psionic achievement. Competition is staged in nearly all fields of psionics, including telekinetic weight-lifting, distance and accuracy teleportation, and many other events.

Because the Zhodani system provides psionic training to all nobles and to the intendant class, the psionic games are a popular device for the masses to see the powers of their rulers in action.

Social Organization

The Zhodani Society is, first and foremost, a Psionic Society. The use of Psionics informs nearly every aspect of life in the Zhodani Consulate. Life revolves around psionics among the Zhodani.

Zhodani society is divided into three hereditary groups:

1. Nobles are the enfranchised ruling class. They perform all high governmental functions, and receive extensive psionic training from childhood.
2. Intendants are the managers and administrators of society. They comprise most business executives, military officers below the ranks of admiral or general, and fill most non-elective governmental positions. Intendants are rewarded for great diligence, service to the state, or victory in the Psionic Games through the granting of noble titles.
3. Proles (or proletarians) constitute the masses, are forbidden the use of psionics, and do not receive training. Proles include all members of the military below officer grade, most merchants and scouts, supervisory and junior management personnel, technicians, craftsmen, and laborers.

Societal Efficiency

Zhodani society is generally a happy one. Individuals are members of a functioning whole, with each making a contribution to its success. The relative lack of upward mobility for the proles is offset by the possibility for their children to move upwards if they have the proper potential. The burden of responsibility imposed on the intendants is lightened by the ever-present possibility of reward through elevation to the noble classes. The nobles themselves temper their burden of authority with comfort derived from their station in life.

The presence of psionics in the hands of those in power means that many aspects of society work at a highly efficient level, especially in comparison with the Third Imperium. Psionics benefit Zhodani society in may ways, including the following:

• Psychology, behavioral science, communications science, and education are more refined and exact than in other societies.
• Educational methods are finely tuned, and capable of teaching concepts rapidly and accurately.
• Mental deviance or criminal tendencies can be detected early and corrected easily.

Social Mobility

There is no upward mobility for proles unless psionic powers are detected in them as children, in which case they will be inducted into the intendant class. Intendants who perform well in their positions can be elevated into the ranks of the nobility. In this way, proles can have some hopes for an improved lot for their children; Intendants are encouraged to strive hard, and there is a constant infusion of new blood into the nobility. Extensive psionic ability among the ruling classes permits the Zhodani government to weed out subversives early in life, and re-educate them as useful members of society.

Morality

The Zhodani have a general distaste for other human races that do not practice psionics. Effective indoctrination and the ever-present possibility that one's mind is being read have removed dishonesty and deviance as commonly seen. Disagreements still occur, competition thrives, passions flare - but all takes place in an atmosphere of honesty and truth. Individuals can express their feelings openly and problems are dealt with.

In non-psionic societies, much is kept secret within the mind. A Zhodani visiting the Imperium would be appalled by the deviousness and dishonesty that pervades society.

Imperial distaste for the Zhodani is based on two facts.

• First, the Zhodani practice psionics, and an Imperial cannot be sure at any time that a Zhodani is not invading his mental privacy. Imperials feel exposed and uncomfortable in the presence of Zhodani.
• Second, because of their psionic abilities, the Zhodani have the most effective authoritarian rule in history. Imperial citizens, used to a great degree of local autonomy, fear Zhodani conquest because of the loss of freedom it would entail.

History & Background

The Zhodani date their empire from the traditional date of the first organized use of psionics on Zhodane, -6731 Imperial, the year of the first olympiad. They achieved jump drive about 1300 years later, in -5415 Imperial. The expansion of the Zhodani was gradual and uneventful. Although some states on the fringe resisted absorption into the Consulate, most were annexed peacefully.

The First Frontier War

The Zhodani first came into conflict with the expanding Third Imperium in the 6th century of the present era. The First Frontier War (589 - 604) marked the beginning of open hostilities, involving all eight coreward subsectors, and lasting for fifteen years.

The Second & Third Frontier Wars

Subsequent wars (the Second Frontier War in 615-620 and the Third Frontier War in 979-986) saw tremendous Zhodani incursions into the Spinward Marches. Mishandling of the Third Frontier War caused the abdication of Emperor Styryx in 989.

The Fourth Frontier War

The Fourth Frontier War was little more than a skirmish, compared to earlier conflicts. Neither side was prepared for the war, and an armistice was quickly worked out.

The only lasting effect of the war was to shift Esalin (Spinward Marches 0204)from Imperial control to neutral world status.

Species

Humaniti