Sandemans are motivated primarily by honor, are intensely proud
and ethnocentric, and have an extreme privacy drive. Courtesy is
deeply ingrained and they do not expect non-Sandemans to live up to
Sandeman standards even when visiting Sandeman worlds. In most cases,
that means they will ignore even deliberate insults from
non-Sandemans--but not in all cases. Touching one without permission
will get at least a verbal rebuke; attacking one will in all
probability result in the attacker's death. In Subsector Sandeman, the
offender is at fault; elsewhere in the Empire, that is less automatic
but still the presumption. To paraphrase then-Baron Klaes of Mjolnir,
the first Imperial world to have Sandemans as guests and protectors
instead of conquerors: These people are used to protecting themselves,
rather than relying on police. Their reflexes are exceptionally fast
and strong, particularly if they are under attack; anyone assaulting a
Sandeman may expect to have @'s cause of death listed as suicide.

Sandemans are short and slender, the men averaging 160-165 cm and 62-67
kilos, the women 2-3 cm and kilos less. Skin tones range from dark tan
to dark olive, hair from almost white to not quite light brown, mostly
straight though a few have wavy hair, even fewer curly. Eyes are
pale-to-medium blue, green, or hazel. Children are born covered in fur
resembling a kitten's; it is usually gone by three months of age.

Despite their small stature, Sandemans are stronger and faster than
their creators, with greater endurance and higher average intelligence.
Between twenty and fifty percent (up from about ten percent under the
Shapers) of the males, depending on the clan, are further modified
warriors, whose speed, strength and endurance are increased still
further. (See also Warriors, Sandeman, and Need, Sandeman Warriors'.)

The basic Sandeman social structure is a two-caste clan, with the upper
warrior caste composed of the warriors and warriors'-women, the Other
caste being everyone else. Caste may be determined by the clan-prefix
(warriors are Dar, w'women Dru, Others Den) and often by clothing; the
warrior caste usually wears subdued coveralls, the Others brighter
clothing.

As a rule, Others marry; warriors and w'women do not, fostering their
children with Other families to provide a stable home life. Children
mingle freely regardless of caste, until at puberty the young student
warriors and w'women move into the