At-YajA system neighbouring Mugorok. At-Yaj is an agrarian vassal planet of the Empire. It is covered by swampland, except for a small artificial clearing on which the only Imperial settlement has been built. The planet's chief export is a fruit harvested in the swamp. The natives also consume a variety of mushrooms, in which there has been little commercial interest—in spite of their many exciting properties. The fauna of At-Yaj is remarkably hostile, and includes many large carnivores such as giant crocodiles, fish and snakes. There are also many venomous insects, spiders and snakes. At-Yaj has no avian life. Humans native to At-Yaj are very pale, with frizzy blonde hair. There is a high incidence of albinism. Apart from the small assimilated population in the Imperial settlement, the natives live in many widely scattered villages of various sizes. They are strictly vegetarian, and hunting is a taboo for perfectly sensible reasons—the smell of blood instantly attracts hordes of vicious predators. At-Yajans only kill animals (or in fact each other) in self-defence, with ranged weapons, and keep their distance from corpses. It is considered highly inconsiderate to die of illness or old age in the middle of one's village. Metal is a rare resource on the planet, and bladed weapons are made from teeth scavenged from long-dead animals. |