Tradition, Tradition! Tradition!

Without our traditions our lives would be as shaky as a yoyeaokhtefei [calligrapher] on the roof! —ancient Aslan proverb.

As part of our development of a standard profile to define Aslan clans, we proposed an Aggression attribute to quantify a clan’s general posture toward other clans and sophonts. Another useful attribute to consider would be Tradition, which measures a clan’s outlook toward and acceptance of change or innovation.

A clan Tradition rating is generated by rolling 2D - 2, resulting in a range of 0 to 10 (A). A low Tradition rating indicates a clan open to ignore or relax cultural conventions, particularly if such changes are temporary or effects an improvement. A high Tradition rating indicates a clan unwilling to accept even short-term changes or exceptions to cultural conventions, even if those conventions are demonstrably inefficient or inconvenient.

To Humans on the outside of the Hierate, all clans might seem aggressive and traditionalist. But to Aslan inside the Hierate, there are important gradations within these two categories. Newer clans tend to have lower Tradition ratings than older clans, but new clans need to demonstrate enough conformance to avoid drawing the ire of more powerful, conservative clans. And older clans need to retain enough flexibility to compete with young upstart clans.

Clans that show too little respect for established tradition threaten to corrupt Aslan culture with “incorrect” ideas or practices. But clans that prove too hidebound threaten themselves by refusing to adopt new technologies or failing to adjust to new political realities. On ancient Kusyu, many clans refused to expand offworld even after the star drive was made available to all, and most of these clans died out over the following decades and centuries. Similarly, clans that refused to accept the rule of primogeniture or abide by the terms of new treaties were pushed out or destroyed during the Cultural Purge.

Here is an attempt to assign Tradition scores to each of the ten Tlaukhu blocs, based on the scant information from canon:

Tlaukhu Bloc Tradition

Allegiance	Bloc	Tradition
AsT0	Yerlyaruiwo	8
AsT1	Khaukheairl	7
AsT2	Syoisuis	5
AsT3	Tralyeaeawi	4
AsT4	Eakhtiyho	6
AsT5	Hlyueawi	4
AsT6	Uiktawa	6
AsT7	Ikhtealyo	3
AsT8	Seieakh	7
AsT9	Aokhalte	2

Combining Aggression and Tradition ratings provides a handy way to describe a clan’s “personality.” A clan with both low Aggression and Tradition would be a natural negotiator, willing to converse and trade with a wide variety of clans and aliens. Such clans might be more accepting of new technologies or cultural practices.

A clan with high Aggression and Tradition would be assertive and highly territorial, and would use formal, established mechanisms such as duel wars in order to achieve its ends. A clan with high Aggression and low Tradition would be extremely dangerous and unpredictable, willing to break alliances or utilize new technology in order to gain an advantage over an opponent. A clan with low Aggression and high Tradition might be focused on scholarship or spirituality, urging cooperation and collaboration with other clans.

The following scatter diagram shows where each of the ten Tlaukhu blocs fall along the Aggression/Tradition axes:

Prior to the Cultural Purge, virtually all biological Aslan were considered to be part of the Htoifteirlakht, literally, “the bountiful lands ruled by the lords of honor.” What the Cultural Purge did was draw a hard line between those clans that belonged inside the Hierate, and those clans that belonged without. In some ways, the Purge eliminated clans that were on the margins of the Aggression/Tradition scatter diagram, leaving behind those clans closer to the center.

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