A Founding Member of the:

The Meat Empire is composed of ferocious warriors dedicated to conquest and war. A strict code of honour maintains a semblance of order, but economic and scientific pursuits suffer as a result of the lust for battle.

General

Cultural Modifiers

Racial Characteristics and Aptitudes

Biology
Meat are bi-pedal fleshoids that are divided into two different sub-species, Red Meat and White Meat, differentiated by the colour of their inner skin. They require oxygen for respiration, and prefer to inhabit rock planets with warm climates. Meat vary in size depending on sub-species, but most average 10-12cm in height with a mass of 200-250g. Meat are physically strong and their bodies are built on a rigid bone skeleton with some sub-species having characteristic bony protrusions. Meat physiology is extraordinary redundant making them very robust. They have well developed senses and are highly mobile and dexterous. Meat are sexless and reproduce through a form of asexual budding. A small tissue growth develops on the body and falls off. Over the next 200 days, the tissue growth continues to develop until it becomes a full size Meat adult. A gene selection process during the development stage renders the new Meat different from the tissue donor. Meat reproduce infrequently and most developing Meat never reach maturity. The Meat diet requires tremendous amounts of protein - primary obtained by consuming other fleshoid species or each other. Meat may live for 15-20 years, but most individuals do not make it past 10.

Society
The Meat Empire is under control of the Emperor who is chosen through ritual combat. The Emperor maintains the position for life, which is often too short when ill favored. Honored Meat warriors form the Great Council and serve as advisors to the Emperor. The council is more actively involved in the operation of the Empire and are usually responsible for the installation of new Emperors. The Beef tribe is the foremost of all Meat sub-species and have controlled the Empire for most of its history. Meat society itself teeters on the brink of chaos. Only strong tribal bonds and the Warrior Code form any ruling doctrine with the threat of dishonor - meaning the loss of all rights and claims - as the driving motivation for order. Red Meat occupy most positions of leadership in the government and military, while White Meat are restricted to the labor force and other non-prestigious duties. Strong racial tensions continue to carry over and skirmishes between tribes are common. The emphasis on combat and military service serves to limit economic and industrial development, and also intellectual pursuits. Advancement is often pushed forward by the need to develop weapons or devices by ambitious Meats to gain control. The Meat population is widely spread across the surface of the planet with a few highly concentrated areas near major industrial and cultural complexes.

History
Recorded Meat history began with nomadic tribes that formed the first permanent settlements. Exploitation of plentiful food sources and the development of new resources brought population growth and competition to the Meat. Conflicts were common between the tribes and were most evident between groups of Red and White Meat. Groups of Red Meat banded together and were able to achieve dominance and enslave the White Meat. Rivalries amongst the Red Meat tribes for control nearly collapsed the fledgling empire until the Beef tribe was able to gain control. The Beef began to exert their power and forcefully united the Meat under one flag. Challenges to their authority over the Empire have weakened over time and their power base has continued to expand. The last hundred years have seen the Empire grow stronger and relative constant leadership provide a net of stability that has allowed for advancement. Depleted natural resources has forced the Meat to begin looking elsewhere for the future.

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