Government: Matriarchy. The Abbai are rules by a Natar (a title roughly translated to Empress-Mother). The current Natar is Yrisha and she will reign until her death, at which time a daughter of her family will take the position. Though supreme authority rests with the Natar, she is heavily advised by a representative body known as the Marti. The Marti has some 200 members from all walks of life who are chosen by the populace once every 3 years. Women hold all positions of power both the public and private sectors of Abbai society. This form of government has been in existence for over 4,000 Earth years.
Religions: The Abbai have 16 different religions, the most popular being Oulai which is the worship of wind and water. Abbai do not worship a divine being, but rather hold natural elements as sacred. There are religions which worship stone, sand, plants, mountains etc. The only exception is Kolai which is the worship of logic and knowledge. Religion is prized on Ssumssha and there is no rivalry between the various forms of worship.
Society: Abbai society is a model of tolerance and respect. Their civilization is over 6,000 Earth years old and has eradicated poverty and inequity in all areas. Women outnumber men by a ratio of 5 to one. Despite the dominance of the females, males are not considered in any way inferior and can participate freely in all areas of society, with the exception of the Matriarchy itself. However most Abbai males prefer academic, scientific or artistic pursuits over politics.
Cities are scarce on both Ssumssha and Tavita. There are only 10 large cities on the Abbai homeworld and most Abbai prefer to live in small villages. Most such villages are built around water and strictly aquatic communities are frequent.
Technology: The Abbai are a very knowledgeable people when it comes to technology and have had interstellar flight capability for over 800 years. They are also very advanced in the fields of agriculture, medicine, communication systems, and computer software.
Military: The Abbai do not believe in violence or conquest and are the most gentle of all the known races. They do however have formidable defensive capabilities, mainly built around non-lethal reactive weaponry. Their ships and planetary defenses are capable of generating massive force shields which can withstand most assaults. They are also adept at fouling or intercepting communications. The Abbai have many interplanetary alliances through which they can muster defenders in case of an attack and have also been known to hire other races as mercenaries when necessary.
Colonies: The Abbai have colonized one other world in their solar system and have extensive orbital factories around the two gas giants, Abba VII and Abba VIII.
