Niemz
Fleet Admiral
[M:-817]
"If I were human, I believe the correct response would be 'Go to Hell'" -- Spock
Posts: 2,282
|
Post by Niemz on May 7, 2006 23:04:58 GMT -6
Roughly humanoid in appearance, Klingons typically sport long manes of luxuriant hair, and males, moustaches, and beards. Perhaps their most prominent external feature is their ridged forehead. These intricate, bony patterns, which are also visible on their feet, vary by family line and are an 'evolutionary' remnant of their prehistoric crustacean forms, when Klingons had a more extensive exoskeleton.
Most body functions incorporate multiple redundancies, such as redundant stomachs, lungs, livers, an eight-chambered heart, and twenty-three ribs. This characteristic, known as "brak'lul," makes Klingons incredibly resilient. According to visual effects producer Dan Curry, Klingon ribs are arranged in a latticework; the structure might be compared to chainmail. The character Mr. Spock once said Klingons lack tear ducts, although Klingon myth states that Kahless once filled the ocean with his tears. The Klingon expected lifespan is at least 150 years. However, it is typical that male Klingons die young while in battle and not of natural causes.
Klingon mating rituals involve limited domination and combative attitudes. Par'machpu' (singular par'mach) are chosen mates for dedicated recreational sexual congress, equivalent to fiancées among Terran humans. Lieutenant Worf, when questioned in this area of Klingon lore, said (perhaps obliquely) that females scream, are very aggressive, and throw furniture – the males, conversely, read poetry aloud and duck a lot.
Klingon females reportedly search for their own partners, whom they deem worthy of copulation. Normally this has to be a male of great strength, valour or who at least possess great courage. The mating process can be a very wild and sometimes violent affair. When Worf was questioned by Guinan while still onboard the Enterprise-D, as to why he had not taken a par'mach, the Klingon said he was only chaste in concern for the "safety" of his fellow female crewmates. Guinan joked that many would find a male Klingon "tame," producing a rare laugh of pleasure from Worf. Later aboard Station Deep Space Nine, Worf engaged in romance with Jadzia Dax, a Trill with deep connections to Klingon society. Their first night of relations produced a surprising number of contusions and broken limbs for Doctor Bashir to treat. As they arrived, the Klingon woman Lady Grilka was already in the infirmary with a very injured Quark in tow. Bashir stated that "he did not want to know what had happened."
Klingon pregnancies run 30 weeks. The Process of giving birth can sometimes take days. Interbreeding is possible with Betazoids (Worf's and Troi's alternate-timeline children), humans (B'Elanna Torres and K'Ehleyr), Romulans (Ba'el), and Trill (Yedrin Dax). Klingon traits remain dominant over several generations. Klingon females can apparently lactate. Evidence of this can be seen in the TNG episode "A Matter of Honor," where Commander Klag, ridiculing Commander Riker's aversion to eating live gagh, makes the offer, "if Klingon food is too strong for you, perhaps we can get one of the females to breast feed you."
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country depicts Klingons having violet blood (based on the metal ion manganese according to some unofficial sources) similar in appearance to Pepto-Bismol, but all other depictions of Klingon blood have been red, like human blood. In Star Trek universal terms, this may have resulted from a unique atmospheric gas mix on the Klingon vessel - as suggested by the renegade boarding party's need to wear environmental suits, rather than merely wearing disguises. Another widely discussed possibility is that the color change was a side-effect of the Augment Virus. (The mundane reason behind the issue is that violet blood allowed Star Trek VI to maintain a PG-13 rating rather than something more restrictive. It also facilitates discerning Klingon blood from other species' blood without the aid of a tricorder or similar means; Colonel Worf makes this distinction during the movie's dénouement.)
By the 24th century, Klingons abandoned racial distinctions within their own species. Although there are a wide variety of skin tones and eye colors, and some variation in hair colors, these differences are generally ignored by Klingons. However, the lack of prominent cranial ridges is ridiculed, with "your mother has a smooth forehead" being a common insult.
|
|
Niemz
Fleet Admiral
[M:-817]
"If I were human, I believe the correct response would be 'Go to Hell'" -- Spock
Posts: 2,282
|
Post by Niemz on May 7, 2006 23:05:41 GMT -6
Human looking Klingons
From the year 2154 until sometime after the events of Star Trek: The Original Series about a century later, Klingons had external features resembling Humans' and wore their hair in a more conservative fashion than that seen later (and previously), which in actuality was due to the limited budget Gene Roddenberry had to work with.
There appeared to be four distinct "races" of the "original" Klingons, based on both canon (Star Trek broadcast or filmed) and non-canon material. In TOS, there appeared two "races": some who were pale with neatly groomed hair and others much darker (a greenish-brown), with thick, bifurcated eyebrows. The two never appeared together. The differences in the two phenotypes may explain, in part, Dr. McCoy's immediate lack of knowledge of Klingon anatomy when he tried to save Chancellor Gorkon in 2293.
The four "races" are discussed in detail here. These races were based on the various makeup forms viewed during the run of TOS, the TOS film series, and the "Next Generation" Klingons. In TOS, the Klingons shown lacked ridges on their heads, were greenish brown (a minority were "caucasoid" pale; see last paragraph). The second "race" were the "Mark Lenard" Klingons, shown in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. They were tall, thin in build, with a single crested ridge extending over their partially bald heads, to the occipital bun on the rear of the skull (Some fans refer to these Klingons as either specially bred "Battle-Class" Klingons, or derisively as "Duck's ass" Klingons, based on their haircuts). The third Klingon was represented by General Chang in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country. This Klingon was only slightly ridged in the center of the forehead, lacking the "normal" side ridges. They were largely hairless except for a small wisp at the back of the skull and (in males) a small goatee. The fourth, and most common shown in Star Trek, are the triple-ridged or "Worf"-type. These Klingons have individualized or clan-based ridge patterns, ranging from the slight "webbed" ridge pattern of Colonel Worf of Star Trek VI, to the craggy triple ridges of the Emperor Kahless (clone).
The Worf-type Klingons were first portrayed by Lady Valkris and Lord Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. They became retconned as the main type of Klingon with The Next Generation, and in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Worf explained the confusion of the different-seeming "races", in Trials and Tribble-ations. He stated in answer to Dr. Julian Bashir's and Chief Miles O'Brien's questions that no, the smooth-headed Klingons observed were not human hybrids; no, they were not the results of an unknown plague, and the Klingons were not geneticaly nor surgically engineered. Worf stated in an exasperated manner that the Klingon warriors seen were, in fact, real Klingons, but the reason for them lacking forehead ridges was simply something Klingons never spoke of with outsiders (non-Klingons). Bashir and O'Brien ponder possible causes, genetic engineering and mutated virus, both of which were later shown to be the cause in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise.
|
|
Niemz
Fleet Admiral
[M:-817]
"If I were human, I believe the correct response would be 'Go to Hell'" -- Spock
Posts: 2,282
|
Post by Niemz on May 7, 2006 23:07:09 GMT -6
As a distant branch of the Vulcan species, Romulans have pointed ears, upswept eyebrows, and copper based blood. Like Vulcans, their blood is green when oxygenated in the arteries and is copper or rust colored when deoxygenated in the veins. The Romulan heart is gray. In addition, many have a small chevron-shaped ridge above the bridge of their nose, uncommon to Vulcans but is inherent to certain members of the Romulan species. It is important to note however that some Romulans do not possess the forehead ridges, as evidenced by Romulans seen in Star Trek: The Original Series, and as Spock was able to travel across Romulus without raising suspicions regarding his heritage. (TNG: "Unification, Part II") This may simply be a genetic deviation caused by the natural progression of the species. They generally have dark hair as well.
While Vulcans are three times stronger than humans and have natural touch telepathic abilities, thousands of years of divergent speciation (or perhaps the lack of Vulcan mental discipline) not only has caused differences in physical traits, but seems to have also stripped Romulans of these mental abilities in general. From what can be seen in the various Star Trek series, Romulans tend not to be telepathic, however "The Enterprise Incident" showed that the female Romulan Commander (in non-canon literature, called "T'Rael") was able to commune telepathically through the two-fingered "couples" gesture, made by Spock. Later in the episode, the Commander asked Spock if his feelings he shared were real, and he said yes. Romulans also tend to be no stronger than average humans, though they apparently seem to share the longevity common to their Vulcan cousins. In "Unification (TNG Episode) Parts 1 & 2", the Romulan Senator Pardek shared a friendship with Ambassador Spock lasting at least 80 years.
The Remans are another offshoot of the Vulcan species via being a Romulan subspecies, adapted to the rigors of the marginal existence in the mines of Remus, the twin planet of Romulus. For more on this subject race of the Romulan Star Empire, see the main article Remans.
|
|
Niemz
Fleet Admiral
[M:-817]
"If I were human, I believe the correct response would be 'Go to Hell'" -- Spock
Posts: 2,282
|
Post by Niemz on May 7, 2006 23:09:18 GMT -6
In the Star Trek universe, the Gorn are intelligent reptilian humanoids from the Gorn Hegemony.
The Gorn had contact with the Orion Syndicate as early as 2154 (ENT: "Bound"). They made first contact with Starfleet at Cestus III in 2267 when a misunderstanding nearly led to war (TOS: "Arena"). Although the Gorn made territorial claims, the Federation had a settlement there in 2371, indicating tensions later softened (DS9: "Family Business").
Despite limitations in make-up technology which made it obvious the Gorn Captain in "Arena" was simply an actor (Bobby Clark) in a lizard suit (see picture), the Gorn have nonetheless become one of the most popular aliens to ever appear on Star Trek. "Arena" is also considered one of the series' classic episodes and was the template for a similar, critically acclaimed episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation entitled "Darmok".
For years, "Arena" marked the only live action appearance of the Gorn, although the race was "name dropped" from time to time. In 2005, an episode of Star Trek Enterprise featured a Gorn (albeit in the Mirror Universe) in the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly Part II". In that episode, the Gorn was a leader of a group of slaves belonging to the mirror universe's Tholians in an attempt to steal technology from the USS Defiant (NCC-1764) which had been discovered in the alternate universe. The Gorn hid in the ship's corridors and killed several crewmembers until it was killed by Jonathan Archer. For this appearance, the Gorn was recreated using computer animation. Since "In a Mirror, Darkly" takes place entirely within the Mirror Universe, the contact seen between Starfleet and the creature does not contradict the first contact seen in "Arena".
|
|
Niemz
Fleet Admiral
[M:-817]
"If I were human, I believe the correct response would be 'Go to Hell'" -- Spock
Posts: 2,282
|
Post by Niemz on May 7, 2006 23:10:26 GMT -6
Tholians are a starfaring and extremely territorial race in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Tholian home nation is the Tholian Assembly, which inhabits an area of space in the Alpha Quadrant, in close proximity to the Klingon Empire and the Badlands.
The Tholian Assembly is located rimward of the Cardassian Union and the Breen Confederacy, and the homeworld of Tholia is a Class Y planet, similar to the planet Venus.
Tholians have crystalline bodies, two arms, and six legs. They dwell in an environment of extreme heat, their comfortable living environment being 480 kelvins (404°F/207°C). Temperatures below 380 K (224°F/107°C) will kill Tholians, causing them to shatter into tiny crystalline shards. Each Tholian has both male and female sexual organs.
Natural Tholian speech is a series of shrill squeals and clicks, similar to the sounds of a dolphin. Their speech is difficult to parse through the universal translator.
Tholians have little tolerance for deception, and are insistent on punctuality.
Tholian silk is highly prized and difficult to obtain. It is an urban legend that Tholian silk is actually made from Tholians, not by them, although there is no actual evidence of such a thing.
|
|
Niemz
Fleet Admiral
[M:-817]
"If I were human, I believe the correct response would be 'Go to Hell'" -- Spock
Posts: 2,282
|
Post by Niemz on May 7, 2006 23:13:05 GMT -6
Orions seem to have originated from an unknown planet in the Orion or Rigel system.
First contact with humans occurred in 2154 when the Enterprise NX-01 encountered The Orion Syndicate following the kidnapping of T'Pol and eight other crewmembers to be sold as slaves.
Orions have green skin, and the males of the species can be larger and stronger than humans. The females are smaller and publicly dismissed as less intelligent by Orion males, but are renowned for their wiles and sexual appetites. An illusory Orion Slave Girl (see Appearances by Orions, below) was one of the very first aliens to be seen in Star Trek when one appeared in the first Trek pilot episode, "The Cage".
Not much has been revealed of Orion culture. It appears that they have a strong reliance on organized crime (see The Orion Syndicate, below), and it is implied that trafficking of illegal goods, including slaves, is a major part of the Orion economy.
Orion females are in particularly high demand as consorts and entertainment. Stock for the Orion slave trade is obtained mostly through kidnapping of other species. If slaves don't command a high enough price at auction, they can be sold as food.
Despite the appearance that the females are under the control of the males, the women actually manipulate the males as a covert method of conducting business. They secrete powerful pheromones that make males open to suggestion and give other females headaches. Vulcans seem to be immune to these pheromones.
|
|
Niemz
Fleet Admiral
[M:-817]
"If I were human, I believe the correct response would be 'Go to Hell'" -- Spock
Posts: 2,282
|
Post by Niemz on May 7, 2006 23:14:48 GMT -6
In the Star Trek universe, the Andorians are a species of humanoids native to the planet Andor, placed in Star Trek: Enterprise in the Procyon System. Their defining traits are their blue skin, two cranial antennae, and characteristically white hair.
Andorians have several variations, which have been seen on TOS (Star Trek, the Original Series), and on the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise. As originally portrayed, Andorians were pale blue, thin in stature, usually tall, deceptively soft-spoken (possibly lisping), sported "Prince Valiant"-style white hairdo's, and were represented as having no ears, in favor of their large bony antennae located on the crown of the skull.
However, this point was retconned in Enterprise, where the cranial antennae were small, movable, and on the forehead, with ears visible. Non-canon sources made the case that the "eared" Andorians were in fact a separate species called the Threllvians, supposedly a subservient and conquered race the "Antennae only" Andorians had brought into their sphere of influence centuries ago.
A 1970s technical fiction book, The Starfleet Medical Manual, made the further assertion explaining that the antennae of Andorians indicated that the species were the only known semi-insectoid race in Federation territory. The antennae functioned as both "quadriscopic" vision receptors and for focussed hearing. However, none of these points were ever shown on a Star Trek film or series. Furthermore, the assertion that they were the only semi-insectoid race seems untrue based on the later series Enterprise as the Xindi had an insectoid race (although it could be argued these were a wholly-insectoid race, not a semi-insectoid race, and so may have been excluded).
Hailing from an icy world, Andorians are prone to lose weight in warm climates if they are not properly hydrated. Andorian cities are built underground, to take maximum advantage of geothermal vents in the planet's crust. Andorian military officers routinely carry with them an ice cutting blade similar to those used by ice miners; soldiers routinely use such blades in combat (they disdain the use of beam weapons, as Andorians are vulnerable to infections caused by such weapons).
There are at least two subspecies of Andorians, the "blue skins" who make up the majority of their population, and the reclusive Aenar, who were long considered a myth until contact was first made with the blue skins about 2104. Aenar are blind and have telepathic and telemetric abilities.
Andorians have blue blood. Their antennae are used for gesturing as well as for balance. If cut off, an antenna will grow back after several months. Aenar appear to use their antennae also as telepathic receptors.
Andorian females seem to be taller on average than Andorian males.
Andorian culture
Andorians describe themselves as a violent and warlike species; in the 2150s, their hand weapons did not have a 'stun' setting. Andorians have a concept of a superior being; one portrayal of which was glimpsed at the planet Sha Ka Ree.
Aenar culture is pacifist. There are no formal rulers and leaders are appointed as the need arises.
The Andorians have made several cultural contributions to the Alpha Quadrant. The Andorian Academy of Art is considered the best school of its type. Andorian ale is a potent blue alcoholic beverage. 'Andorian blues' is a style of jazz music that was apparently inspired by this race.
Andorians seen in the background of Star Trek: The Motion Picture wore jewelry featuring prominent geode stones. Women wore kimono-like clothing. They carried a flabbjellah, a combination of weapon and musical instrument.
|
|
Niemz
Fleet Admiral
[M:-817]
"If I were human, I believe the correct response would be 'Go to Hell'" -- Spock
Posts: 2,282
|
Post by Niemz on May 7, 2006 23:19:29 GMT -6
The main external characteristics that distinguish Vulcans from humans are arched eyebrows and pointed ears. Vulcans, like humans, display different archetypal phenotypes which are comparable to several human phenotypes. Although most Vulcans have pale skin with a subtly greenish hue, and straight, glossy black or occasionally dark brown hair, some Vulcans have dark brown skin, tightly coiled black hair, and physiognomic features similar to those found in humans of African descent (an evolutionary trait also present on Vulcan). Others share physiognomic features similar to those found in humans of East Asian descent. However, most Vulcans have a vaguely Eurasian appearance.
Vulcan blood is copper-based and is green when oxygenated in the arteries and is copper or rust colored when deoxygenated in the veins. In general, Vulcans are three times physically stronger than humans, and live three times as long—Sarek lived just over two centuries and it has been suggested that Vulcans have a life expectancy of at least 250 Earth years. A Vulcan of less than a century in age is still considered young. The strength of Vulcans is often attributed to Vulcan's gravity being significantly greater than Earth's. It has also been attributed to their superior mental discipline. Vulcans prefer higher temperatures than humans do. In the original series episode "The Deadly Years" when Spock was affected by rapid aging he noted how cold the ship seemed, and he responded by turning the temperature in his room up to well above 100 °F (38 °C). They are also able to breathe a much thinner atmosphere than humans, due to the atmospheric conditions on the planet Vulcan.
Vulcan females have a strong sense of smell, and Vulcans serving on Earth vessels initially required medication to lessen their sensitivity to the odor of humans. (It has not yet been established whether Vulcan males have the same sense of smell.)
Vulcans possess an inner eyelid, possibly analogous to a nictitating membrane, which protects their vision from bright lights, a physical adaptation that evolved due to the race's long-term exposure to desert conditions. Spock's inner eyelid was activated in the Original Series episode "Operation: Annihilate!". Although the intense light Spock was exposed to caused temporary blindness, his inner eyelid prevented the blindness from being permanent. It is also mentioned in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "The Forge"; during a journey across desert terrain, T'Pol says her inner eyelid protects her eyes in lieu of wearing sunglasses.
The internal layout of Vulcan organs differs somewhat from that of humans, with the Vulcan heart located roughly where the human liver is situated.
Although descended from the same ancestors as are Vulcans, the Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcan species. They differ both in physiology and in behavioral customs. Over the centuries, Vulcans have developed a culture dedicated to the complete mastery of logic, learning to suppress their once-violent emotions in nearly every aspect of their existence. Romulans, on the other hand, have kept their violent natures.
A minority of Vulcans have a small V-shaped ridge above the bridge of their nose, similar to Romulans (among whom this attribute is common)
Vulcans, as a matter of custom and policy, suppress all emotional influence by living lives of rigid emotional self-control through meditative techniques and training of mental discipline. It is incorrect to say that Vulcans have no emotions; although they themselves make this claim, Vulcans are in fact a very emotional people; they have however learned to suppress these emotions because of the damage they can cause if unchecked. In a Voyager episode Tuvok explains that Vulcans' natural emotions are "erratic"--if Vulcans don't strongly repress emotions they can get violently angry in an instant. The advanced ritual of Kolinahr is intended to purge all emotion. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Spock was unable to complete this ritual. Some Vulcans, such as T'Pol, Ambassador Sarek (in his later years), and Ambassador Soval, carry their emotions close to the surface and are prone to emotional outbursts, even without outside influences or illness; there is some evidence to support the hypothesis that Vulcans in close contact with humans for an extended period of time may become more emotional than Vulcans who do not (i.e. T'Pol and Soval), but established canon has yet to make a definitive case for this.
Some Vulcans have chosen not to follow the path of pure logic, and have instead chosen to embrace emotions. A group of renegade Vulcans who believed in this was encountered in the Enterprise episode "Fusion", while Spock's half-brother, Sybok (seen in the film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) was also fully emotional. An episode of Enterprise entitled "E²" featured an elderly T'Pol in an alternate timeline who had embraced emotion and allowed her half-human son, Lorian, to do likewise.
Many Vulcan children have pets, most notably domesticated sehlats, which are ferocious man-eaters in the wild. Both T'Pol and Spock had sehlats as children. Although one might consider keeping pets an emotional or even sentimental practice, it isn't viewed as such on Vulcan, and may instead be viewed as a practice to instill a sense of responsibility and maturity.
The speed at which a Vulcan matures "emotionally" (for lack of a better term) seems to vary. It has been established that, with a lifespan of more than two centuries, a Vulcan as old as 100 Earth years will still appear, and be considered, relatively young. Vulcans as young as their 30s and even 20s have been shown in mature roles in their society and acting older than their apparent ages (i.e. T'Pau, Mr. Spock). T'Pol, a Vulcan in her 60s, on the other hand, is still somewhat naïve and innocent compared to other Vulcans and acts very much like a rational human woman in her late 20s or early 30s.
|
|
Decind
Captain
[M:-49]
Posts: 695
|
Post by Decind on May 9, 2006 0:35:41 GMT -6
Very good info, thank you Niemz...
Timmy
|
|
|
Post by earthcrusher on May 13, 2006 12:32:36 GMT -6
good info!
|
|