[jason taylor]

Fiyftahea:

A rendering from a Ganglic/Aslan Pidgin. Translated as "Man year" it is the currency of choice of many Ihaiti settled human worlds.

It is disputed when the practice started. In the basic system, when a world becomes open by negotiation to Ihaiti settlement a band of settlers is given a lump sum of land for a lump amount of Man Years plus a given amount in periodical tribute.

As time goes on, excess "Man-years" have tended to become available. When for instance a warrior does career service to the planetary government as an individual as opposed to as a member of his clan. This process creates circulating of cash and is often deliberately encouraged by the government. This conversion is also encouraged by the need to gain livestock, tools, seed for fodder, personal arms, or whatever is needed to turn a landhold into a viable economic system.

The denominations of "man-year" are based on a melding of the human and Aslan calendar. For instance on at least one planet a "Man-Year" is an abstraction of an exchange between nine months service (the campaign season in the Terran European continent) and enough of a landhold to support one Aslan family. Smaller denominations are based on factors of time shorter than a year with a year as the base.

This currency is widely respected by Ihaiti, backed as it is theoretically by land and military service, an exchange widely understood. However in worlds that have gained a large population it often exists chiefly as an abstract currency though traces of the original feudal service usually still exist.

In the Imperium it is mutually exchangeable with Imperial credits through agents maintained by the Imperial Treasury. The "Man Years" of various planets have not been standardized as they reflect differing planetary histories and cultures.