A secretive minor human race native to Ghost (Reavers' Deep 3115). Externally, the Ayansh’i appear to be lightly built humans, but with iris’ that cover 95% of the eye, allowing them better vision in the lower light levels of their homeworld. They appear to have a longer lifespan than most of Humaniti, even the long-lived Vilani. Little is known about Ayansh’i reproduction, except that twins seem to be relatively common. The Ayansh’i are also incapable of interbreeding with the rest of Humaniti, due to what appears to have been large scale genetic engineering performed by the Ancients combined with a certain amount of natural selection on their planet. Oddly enough, while the Ayansh’i both recognize and understand these concepts, they claim that neither hypothesis is true. They claim their differences are the direct results of the conscious decisions of their ancestors, but they have not permitted archaeological expeditions on their planet to disprove either theory.
Ayansh’i society revolves around two realms, Ayata, the “world of the living” and In’chata, the “world of the mind” or “spirit.” Everything in the Ayata is seen as a manifestation of the In’chata, but while interpretation of the Ayata is up to the individual, only the Oracle and her disciples can interpret the In’chata. Most of the society is nomadic with only the Patza’itah, the ”disciples of the Oracle” and their highly trained guards, the Inoshans residing in the massive ceremonial centers. It has been noted that the members of both the Inoshan and the Patza’itah are all twins, with one twin being in the Inoshan and the other in the Patza’itah. It is believed that this is a continuation of the basic duality of Ayansh’i life, Ayata vs. In’chata, and the symbolic importance of twins in that system.
Early explorers in the Ghost system determined from orbital surveys that massive structures were present one the planet and that a number of large life forms also existed. However, due to the differences in Ayansh'i physiology they were unable to locate any human life forms. Thus, when the explorers finally made landfall and began to explore the structures they were amazed to discover them remarkably intact. Soon stories began to spread about the Ghost planet and it wasn't until two months later that initial contacts were made with the indigenous peoples. Apparently the local's had been observing the interlopers and only made themselves known when the Scouts were about to begin excavating a series of burial mounds.
The Ayansh’i are possibly best known for their contribution to the fine arts of the Imperium. Nothing on Ghost goes unadorned, from the humblest carving knife to the most impressive structure; everything on the planet is a work of art. These art works are currently exported and collected throughout the Daibei Sector and may one day become as highly sought after in the remainder of the Imperium. Though the Ayansh'i rarely leave their homeworld they have, on several occasions been persuaded to do so by clients they judge worthy. The "Ducal Gardens" on Wariner (Daibei 0507) were created by the Ayansh'i as was “The Scepter of Seasons" possessed by the Archduke of Sol and the "K'sium Matari" in the Imperial Palace on Capital (Core 2118).For more information on the Ayansh'i, see Derek Stanley's Confederation of Nightrim site.