Asishi

Basic Information

Anatomy

The asishi are a mammalian species that closely resemble the striped and spotted hyena species found on Earth. A smaller proportion of the population, approximately four percent, are more closely related to aardwolves. Their fur is typically relatively monochromatic, with the base colors ranging from brown or yellow gray to flat gray and charcoal dark. Their spots, stripes, or other defining features are most often black, but a faded red is relatively common. The fronts of their torsos are typically a lighter shade than their primary color, and lack spots or stripes. Their eyes are normally brown, green, amber or gold, but blue is a very rare possibility.
One of the most blatant physical aspects of the asishi is a rather significant case of sexual dimorphism. Their females are on average about three meters taller than the males and noticeably stronger in build. Otherwise, they look much the same, barring typical secondary sex characteristics.
The species has excellent endurance, third to the neishor. They have the usual claws on each digit, but their jaws are known for being especially powerful. In a fight, the asishi can be exceptionally vicious due to regular use of their mouths, to the point of actually devouring torn off parts of their foes. Asishi who resemble aardwolves have slimmer, weaker jaws, in favor of long, sticky tongues. Their penchant for eating insects is not shared with other asishi.

Genetics and Reproduction

The gestation period for asishi is approximately five months long and typically only yields a single cub, though as many as three can be born with minimal health difficulties for the mother. Males and females are the only naturally healthy gender, however the usual genetic therapy permits healthy hermaphrodites. Due to female anatomy, this actually reduces the chance of pure females, with nearly 22 percent of asishi being hermaphroditic. About 13 percent of hermaphroditic births would have been healthy females otherwise. The asishi have not bothered to resolve this complication with the in-utero therapy, and indeed embraced it.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Their senses are standard fare for predator species, with strong olfactory senses and sensitive hearing. Their eyesight is well evolved, though not exceptionally keen. Despite their great sense of smell, Asishi do not get offended by foul odors as easily as other species. They even enjoy scents that would make other species feel ill upon exposure.

Civilization and Culture

History

An aspect that has long since been accepted as total instinct for the asishi is their matriarchy. Males submit to the females and hermaphrodites and there is no cultural influence to it. It is simply a fact of their existence. However, this only happens within the species. Females and hermaphrodites have no desire to express dominance over the males of other species, and male asishi often even become aggressive when a feminine gender of another species attempts it.
This matriarchy has created a curious dynamic in their modern society. Their males are capable of leading the other genders quite well, as the asishi do not allow gender to blind them to a good leader. However, if that leader tries to aggressively control the other genders, then he is likely to be violently usurped. This has lead to the odd phenomena of male asishi in leadership positions being exceptionally pleasant to work with, despite the species as a whole being known for aggression. During their integration, the military planned training for the genders to accept rank rather than gender. But it proved mostly unneeded. Against all perceived odds, the asishi policed their gender imbalance admirably.
However, despite this somehow functional matriarchy, the species is well known for a violent nature. It’s comparable to the rynar and sissach, however not so easily predictable. Asishi entering integrated society have to go through courses meant to instruct them on how to control their tempers, and how to react without overwhelmingly violent force when those tempers are lost. Many asishi pass these without much issue. However, some require more instruction, while others never seem capable of entering qualifying for prolonged stay with other species.
Examples of asishi aggression include immediately trying to draw blood in a fight, pursuing military reaction to civil unrest, conservative capture of prisoners, and devouring the corpses of their enemies.
Again, against all odds, these issues are not a major problem in the UTO military due to screening and training. It is often wondered how the species is so capable of being aggressive among its own, yet operate well with aliens.
The asishi were actually discovered before the viliti, though at the time they were engaged in a violent civil war spanning multiple systems. While the ashar were still separated from the UTO, an Ishentian exploration vessel wandered into a system that was still littered with the debris of a fresh battle. The ship was disabled through weapons fire and promptly boarded, costing two ashar their lives.
Upon discovering the vessel was alien in origin, the asishi forces decided to simply capture its crew rather than destroy them. After working through a language barrier over the next few weeks, the asishi allowed the Ishentians to send a message home, requesting help. After a small Ishentian fleet arrived, the asishi released the captives and deceased. They immediately closed diplomatic talks. Merely providing star charts of current asishi territories and contested systems, and requesting the Ishentians and the ‘UTO’ they spoke of to stay out until the conflict was resolved.
It took four years, but the war finally ended and the asishi were the ones to then open dialogue with the Ishentians, UTO, and Rynar. The UTO only took a single quarter to decide the asishi were too violently unpredictable to be a member species, having settled for trade agreements and cultural exchange. The asishi demonstrated an immediate understanding of the rynar and both factions promptly sorted out territories and began threatening each other. Yet they only had a few minor conflicts over the years. Interestingly, however, the asishi and Ishentians got along extremely well. The asishi have very blunt perspectives, which fit well coupled with Ishentian honesty, and baffled UTO diplomats.
The asihi went on for 231 years with only the Ishentians as their allies, until the ashar finally rejoined the UTO. A part of the terms for the ashar to rejoin was for the UTO to form an alliance with the asishi. The tordenchi regularly updated the UTO on the asishi, granting a better understanding of the species over the centuries. With their better understanding of the species, it was deemed an acceptable term.
This paved the way for the asishi themselves to become a fully fledged member species, with their request to join the Union having been accepted within eight years. They were the eighth species to join.

Home System: Ek'lishka Homeworld: Lishka

Origin/Ancestry

Hyena

Lifespan

129 years (earth)

Average Height

Females - 1.67 valen (20.63 meters) (67.68 ft) Males - 1.54 valen (19.00 meters) (62.35 ft)

Average Weight

Females - 70.833 kilofaarir (132.77 metric tons) (146.35 tons) Males - 54.113 kilofaarir (101.43 metric tons) (111.81 tons)