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The Yaujta Society

One of the most pronounced differences between humans and Yaujta is longevity, for Yaujta may live as long as 300 years. This longevity suggests that sons live with their mothers for much longer then we would before leaving. It takes longer for them to grow up and fend for themselves, and daughters stay with their mothers for the protected environment to raise their own children and maintain dominance over their clan's territory. It seems reasonable that more females in a clan mean they can control a larger area.

Youth

Mothers during this time would teach their young to fight and survive. They hunt for and protect their own children, and are viciously and relentlessly protective.

A female clan would thus be made of succeeding layers of generations; daughters, mothers, grandmothers etc. It would be easy to consider such a clan would be led by a single matriarch. Considering longevity once more, it takes a lot of energy to raise a child, and so individual females would probably only have a child every decade or two and would be very particular about who was to be the father, and perhaps choose favorites, but do not have permanent pair bonds.

This leads to very high competition among males, and may explain why Yaujta living on earth are so possessive concerning earth women who claim them as life mates.

The Pack

Packs are the common social structure in the Yaujta society. Males live in packs of generally unrelated males and females live in clans of related females and their children. Every pack develops its own unique personality, its own way of doing things within the rules of honor and the Hunt, that differentiates it from others. Whereas humans on earth are/were agrarian, the Yaujta never settled down. Their culture revolves around the concept of hunting and stalking prey. The nomadic nature of males suggests that they have no 'home territory' of sorts, but that their home is what they carry with them. Their ships for example, are the territories that they carry with them. Sons would be more interested in whom their fathers were than daughters, for it may reflect their rank when they leave.

Some packs may last a relatively short time, breaking up after one or two hunts. Others remain together for years, inhabiting the same space, hunting the same territory, and maintaining certain behavior patterns, even after the
founding members have left or died.

Matriarchy

Since females rule over their territory and generally run internal affairs, the Yaujta have a matriarchal society. Rarely is it ever needed to be enforced however, males do not involve themselves with female politics and females are uninterested in male socialization. Males conquer. Females rule. Should the need to enforce this arise however, the male would not only be against a female physically larger then himself, but also her sisters, and their mothers and grandmothers etc. The brethren of this unfortunate male would offer no support, only their derision.

Reproduction*

Yaujta reproduction is largely unknown, and information concerning it was kept from our field reporter, he did, however offer up these theories in a long distance communication shortly before he passed away. Sorry Joe.

Females of nearly all earth mammals are sexually motivated only during a specific time in their hormonal cycle. Their male counterparts know instantly when this time occurs, and at what stage of her cycle she is in. Since the Yaujta can smell the musk of other Yaujta, this might be a possibility. Humans and pigmy chimpanzees differ in this.
These females are permanently in estras (heat) - which means they can be sexually motivated at any moment. With the Yaujta lifestyle, a male might die on any Hunt. Thus, females might need to be able to breed at any moment, and so this also might be a possibility.

Breeding/Mates

Not much is known about their breeding period. It is assumed only one female in a pack becomes pregnant (usually the dominant female) Sometimes two or more females may breed. In other earth animals, including most primates,
copulation occurs in a stereotypical way, with one set of postures and movements for the female and a different set for the males. Humans are hampered only by imagination. considering how ritualistic the Yaujta are, this might be
how they copulate.
There is always the threat of castration for males - not only does it eliminate his chances of continuing his line, but also any rank he may have had in male society. Such males would most likely kill themselves in such a situation. It seems reasonable that only females would ritually castrate males giving each other the respect of killing their opponent instead.

It is known that they are not monogamous. In such an atmosphere of high competition for breeding rights among males (it is the male who must attract the female), there are many males who never get the chance to breed. These frustrated males may turn on their subordinates.
Thus, the Yaujta who do breed have proven themselves by hunting dangerous prey and gaining many impressive trophies. It is not uncommon for veteran warriors to sire hundreds of offspring with multiple mates. A second windfall of this accomplishment is the admiration of their clan brothers, which they spend most of their time.

Hierarchy

So, males hunt for one reason, status. Every member of the pack has a place, or rank, within this order. When a Yaujta with a higher rank has a disagreement with a Yaujta of a lower rank, the lower ranking Yaujta usually gives up without fighting.
The Pack may contain a dominant breeding pair and other adults. These Yaujta retain their leadership until some circumstance forces them out of this position (bad honor, limited Trophies).
The dominant male (the Leader) would determine when the Pack hunts and what prey is taken. Initiating the majority of attacks, the alpha male is sometimes injured due to his boldness. The alpha male also claim first rights to all food.
The role males play in their society, that is postulated, is keeping any outside race from interfering with the internal affairs of theirs. Basically, they intimidate other races into submission to protect their females breeding grounds; in
addition, the fact is very amusing to them.
Very early in life, young Yaujta may start to establish a dominance order among themselves. They may start fighting with each other every day for a number of days. In the end, one of the sucklings will yield to show that it gives up, and the other raises its tail to show dominance.
Each warrior has trophies on their walls on the home world. As proper, a warrior kept only those he thought worthy of his wall. Soft Meat skulls are highly prized, the centerpiece of the wall.
To take a trophy of another Yaujta, living or dead, is considered to be a great insult. For example, two Unblooded go on their first hunt. One Yaujta takes on a kiande amedha and both are mortally wounded. while the wounded hunter is dying, the other Yaujta conveniently finishes off the prey and claims the kill as his own, abandoning the wounded Yaujta. This is the most embarrassing crime, and the hardest to prove.
Yaujta that worry more about their ambitions rather than True Glory would, normally, be found out and dealt with, hoisted on their own petards. That, after all, is part of their nature. Ego was a genetic as well as a cultural development in True Dominators. Ambitious fools tended to get themselves killed at an early stage or warrior hood; however, an occasional hothead would advance to leadership and make a mulch of things, a situation not considered particularly bad, but rather, a challenge.
These creatures do not understand compassion. If a person could sit down and explain it to them, they would be challenged to a duel within five minutes of opening their mouths, as the concept would offend the Yaujta greatly.
Mercy is not given nor expected, but they do understand it and will usually accept it as an opportunity to walk away from a lost duel with honor. The most misunderstood of their codes, the prohibition against killing the young, is not due to any sense of morality. It is simply there because it wastes what could become a real trophy later.

Hatred is not unusual in a Yaujta, but generally reserved for another of their species. Hatred for the hunted usually means fear.

Female Hunters

It is a gray area why females would hunt for trophies. Females do hunt for trophies but it may be for somewhat different reasons then males. Dominance may certainly be a factor yet not necessarily the only reason. Perhaps it is to show their ability to protect their territory, from enemy female clans. Perhaps to show ability in protecting their children, both their own and their sisters. Perhaps just for a laugh. However, this is entirely speculation.

* please note that Yaujta may not reproduce with any race other than their own. There will be no crossbred characters.