Al-Ghato

Al-Ghato is a desert city-state built around an oasis in the Ateno Desert. It is the historic capital of the ancient Khatt-Ghorl Empire which goes as far back as the immediate aftermath of the Blackout over 2,000 years ago. Some believe their history goes back even further and that the Khatt-Ghorl Empire has historical ties to other worlds beyond Yeddo.

While Al-Ghato see lots of prosperous trade and tourists from across the rest of Yeddo, they have not yet fully assimilated into the Federation of Stellar Systems. As such, they follow a different legal system than the rest of the Federation. Visitors will find themselves in for a bit of a culture shock upon arrival.

Al-Ghato also has somewhat of a negative reputation for having taken the side of the Insurgency during the Virtual Wars. Essentially, they shared far more mutual interests with Taranis than the Federation. During the war, they were eventually defeated by Atenhaten and are on in the process of properly joining the Federation. Nevertheless, it is anticipated it will take time for them to adjust themselves to modern society.

Culture

Society

Al-Ghato society is predominantly matriarchal, and most of the inhabitants are predominately feline hybrids and women. Men are considered lower in social status, often taking the role of indentured servants. However, human women and hybrid women are considered fairly equal with little distinction between the two. As such, for any visiting parties, it is considered improper for males to travel alone without at least one accompanying female. Some militants will even attempt to kidnap unaccompanied men to sell them off as a slave. However, since the end of the Virtual Wars, a greater effort has been made to criminalize such behavior.

Women in Al-Ghato society upon turning eighteen are sent on a rite of passage elsewhere in the world to search for one or more mates. Before leaving, they are taught how to dance, how to recite romantic poetry and how to use weapons, particularly dual wielding scimitars. Even centuries later, these customs are still upheld with the aid of modern technology to facilitate. Many undergoing this rite of passage will travel in groups to make the task easier, and some notoriously form all-female bandit gangs.

Men on the other hand are usually raised as either laborers or warriors. They tend to live in separate enclaves which essentially function as barracks. They live in isolation from women supposedly to prevent temptation before they are ready to be taken as a mate.

Religion

The local machine god that is worshipped in Al-Ghato is known as Bastet who takes the form of a humanoid lioness. She is regarded as a fierce warrior and defender of the people. It is believed that feline hybrids, especially females, were blessed by the gods to have cat ears to hear their divine wisdom. Likewise, cats are considered sacred creatures and are regarded as spirtual incarnations of Bastet. They are commonly kept as pets, and are considered important enough that the punishment for fatally injuring a cat is execution.

Personalities

• Panthera Sisterhood - An assassins' guild that take a variety of jobs, often targeting nobles, corporate officials and other individuals in positions of power.

---