Geritocracy
Age is the mark of leadership in the Hyach culture and all rule is by the elders of the race. The foremost ruler of the Hyach is the Ssshba, a title meaning Oldest of the Old. The Ssshba represents the tradition and spirit of his race, as he or she is literally the one who has the deepest range of experience. Advising the Ssshba is a Grand Council of Elders, numbering almost a thousand. These represent the various towns, cities and rural areas of the planet. Though there are struggles for power at times, in the main the Hyach have a very stable and effective government.

The worship of Oshi-ta, the Seed and the Egg, is the only religion on Shri-Shaba. Oshi-ta is a serpentine figure incorporating both male and female aspects in balance. He/she is the creator of the Hyach. Oshi-ta tells the Hyach to live long, be wise and die happily so as to continue the cycle anew. Though there are a few fringe cults holding different opinions, none have had significant effect on the Hyach.

Hyach Civilization has existed for 7,000 years. It is a very peaceful civilization, simple and at the same time terrifically complex. The Hyach have a profound sense of history and tradition. Their rules of order number in the thousands, covering every situation conceivable to the Hyach mind. Every facet of life has its time-honored rituals and these have not changed significantly in 4,000 years.

Marriage is very important to the Hyach, as is parenting. Elders of the involved families always arrange marriages. The criteria include first and foremost love, then a very careful scan of family history to judge compatibility. Engagements are in effect for one Hyach year while the marriage is discussed among the elders. If they approve the marriage is then carried out and celebrated. Polygamy is approved of and many Hyach families consist of several sets of husbands and wives. Male and female are considered equal in all aspects of Hyach culture.

The Hyach are not great travelers and most of their race who are seen off-world are there only for a specific purpose, trade, diplomacy, exploration etc. They generally prefer the company of their own kind or of the Drazi. They do permit visits to their homeworld but outside of embassies, they allow no off-worlders to take up residence there. Exceptions are made for a select few Drazi.

The Hyach consider currency vulgar. They do everything on a barter or credit system. When traveling off-world they use trade goods and precious gems to pay their way. Some precious gems are more common on Shri-Shaba than other worlds, giving the Hyach a ready export.

The Hyach population has been in a steady decline for over a millennia, since the Hyach banned intermarriage with the Hyach-doh for religious reasons, and began to hunt the Hyach-doh to extinction. The Hyach-doh are a second sentient race which developed on Shri-Shaba alongside the Hyach. Apparently the Hyach-doh provided some crucial genetic component to Hyach survival. The Interstellar Alliance has begun research aimed at discovering what the Hyach need to survive. The existence of the Hyach-doh was only made public recently. It is an extremely delicate subject among the Hyach.

The Hyach have had interstellar flight for almost a thousand years. Their technology level is very high though this is not always apparent. Their rather simple lifestyle hides much of the genius of the Hyach. They are adept in technologies for computer, genetic engineering, agriculture, medicine, robotics, communications and exploration.

The Hyach have no interest in conquest nor do they value force. This is good for the rest of the galaxy for the Hyach have formidable weaponry and ships and brilliant tacticians to back them up. They are a peaceful people but the soldiers are strong and fierce when they must be.