Andorians are natives of the planet Andor (known as Fesoan to the natives). They were one of the founding members of the UFP. Andor is a hot, dry world with very little surface water, and a gravity of 0.90 T.
Physically, they are blue-skinned humanoid bipeds with white hair and knobby antenna on the crown of their heads. They lack visible ears. They have characteristics of both mammals and insects. They are all ambidextrous.
Like mammals, they are warm-blooded, bear their young live, and have an internal skeletal structure to which their muscles attach. Like insects, they have a limited exoskeleton which gives them extra damage resistance from attacks.
While the eyes of an Andorian are actually color blind, their antenna have very good color receptors in them, and also hold their hearing apparatus. Their mechanisms for color vision and hearing are so good, they give Andorians the advantages of infravision and ultrasonic hearing.
The antenna face forward and cannot rotate, causing Andorians to hear better from the front and sides than the rear.
Each of the two antennae stalks are susceptible to damage and injury. Any hit will cause intense pain to an Andorian.
If one stalk is destroyed, the Andorian can still "see" but at a loss of what was before. If both stalks are destroyed, the Andorian becomes deaf and color blind.
The history of this race was once a violent one, based on war and conquest. While they will fight if challenged, or even challenge a foe themselves if they feel it to be necessary, they will never quarrel without a good reason. Also, they tend to remain quiet and listen to discussions until there is something with meaning to say. Andorians are not usually very boisterous.
Andorians believe in family above all else, even public duty. Their marriages consist of groups of four. These marriages are very complicated, and involve a great deal of ritual. Their families are very large, due to the fact that they are very prolific as well. They are exceptionally good at communications and navigation.
Anticans are a large, furry, sentient, humanoid species native to the planet Antica in the Beta Renna system. They are a carnivorous species that prefers to eat live meat, and do not limit their carnivorous nature to non-sentient species.
Anticans appear to be evolved from a race similar to the Terran Mongoose.
Anticans developed combat reflexes due to their long-standing conflict with their sister planet and its inhabitants, the Selay.
Anticans applied to the Federation for admission in 2364. The Federation helped to resolve a long standing dispute between them and their sister planet, Selay.
Natives to the planet Argo (what we call Argoans) call themselves Aquans. They are water breathing humanoid bipeds with webbed hands and feet, several fins, and green hair.
They have a prominent dorsal fin which starts on the crown of the forehead and runs back through the scalp and down the back as far as the small of the back. They also have fins on both of their lower legs and both of their lower arms. Their gills are in their necks.
They can see very well under the water, having developed nictating membranes that allows them as much visual ability underwater as they had on land. They can live at a reasonably great depth underwater, and can swim like fish.
Argoans can live for up to an entire day on land, but must return to water each day for one hour, or they begin to suffer dehydration.
Most Argoans (Aquans) hate airbreathers. The few that do not hate them still dislike them. Argo is not currently a member of the Federation.
Argoans are creatures of science. Once their civilization lived on the land, just like Terrans. A planet-wide catastrophe caused virtually all the land to sink under the waves. Aquan scientists developed a serum that would change their race permanently into water breathers, and administered it to all the population in time to save the civilization. This was hundreds, if not thousands of years ago in Aquan history. Now they are all at home in the sea, and blame air breathers (in essence, their ancestors) for the planetary calamity that overtook them.
The Federation has had only one contact with Argoans, and have placed a quarantine on the world to protect both the citizens of the world from unwanted contact from air breathers and to protect their world from unscrupulous traders wishing to capitalize on the Argoan's advanced scientific techniques. The Aquans, on their part, are quite glad not to have any unnecessary contact from air breathers.
Aurelians are winged bipedal humanoids from the planet Aurelia in the star system Hercules. Their wingspan extends to about 10 feet, and they are excellent aerialists.
Aurelians are very graceful creatures apparently descended from birds. They live in mountainous regions of their world, building their homes in caves that they excavate themselves. They are excellent workers in stone, and some have become famous throughout the Federation for their finely executed sculptures.
Aurelians have feathers on their wings as well as their elbows, knees, chest, and lower torso. They are about as tall as an average to tall Terran. Their bones are hollow, with many cavities which serve the dual purpose of making the bones lighter, but stronger. Their bone structure is still considered delicate by Federation standards.
They are very interested in history, especially Federation history, and make excellent additions to any corps of scientists and/or historians.
Bajorans are a humanoid race from the planet Bajor. Their culture is much older than Terra's and was known to flourish over 25,000 years ago by Terran reckoning. Bajorans are a very spiritual people, and their history has produced many great architects, artists, builders and philosophers. They have only recently been allowed to rebuild their culture, after three decades of Cardassian occupation. Bajor was claimed by Cardassia in 2328. Cardassians annexed Bajor to the Cardassian Union in 2339, and occupied the system until 2369, when the Bajoran resistance finally drove them off. The Bajorans requested Federation assistance in rebuilding their civilization, and in running the space station the Cardassians constructed and left behind. The Federation is currently still operating this station, known as Deep Space Nine.
Bajorans have a small upper nasal ridge on their faces, which is the main difference between them and humans. They prefer to wear earrings on their right ear.
Bajorans developed an intolerance of Cardassians due to the recent Cardassian occupation of Bajor. The Bajoran sense of spirituality is so strong that they have developed a very strong will due to their faith. Most Bajorans have studied their religion fairly extensively. Also, most Bajorans with a highly-developed faith are also devoted to the rebuilding of their world.
Benzites are inhabitants of the planet Benzar, a class-M planet with a small amount of benzene in the atmosphere. The race evolved needing the benzene to survive, but they do not need large quantities of benzene to survive in terrestrial environments. Only a small rebreather with a benzene cartridge is necessary for survival. The odor from the rebreather would become noticeable only if a Terran should came close to a Benzite.
Benzites are not considered attractive to humanoid members of the Federation. They are also noted for their pursuit of knowledge - a pursuit that led them to petition for Starfleet membership as early as possible. Benzites excel at science and engineering during Academy studies. They will even occasionally take foolish risks in order to retrieve a particularly rare bit of data.
Benzites are excellent at games and computer programming.
Betazoids are a race of telepathic humanoids native to the planet Betazed. Their appearance is exactly the same as Terrans. They generally do not start developing their telepathic skills until puberty, when the rush of newly- activated hormones serves to activate previously latent telepathic talents. A few Betazoids are born with telepathic abilities, but they have to go through a different and very intensive psychological experience due to their inability to filter out the "noise" created by normal thoughts.
A few marriages between Betazoids and non-Betazoids have produced children, the best known of whom is Lt. Cmdr. Deanna Troi of the USS Enterprise-D. Children of mixed marriages generally do not get as high a telepathic ability as do full-blooded Betazoids. Lt. Cmdr. Troi only has empathic abilities, although she can communicate telepathically with other Betazoids. Betazoids cannot read Ferengi minds, and there are a few other races with telepathic shields through which Betazoids cannot read anything. Because of their training in the schools of Betazed, they are rarely xenophobic, and can communicate with most any other race at their level.
With the exception of their telepathic abilities, Betazoids are essentially similar to humans in all other respects.
Bolians come from the planet Bolarus IX. They are a race of bald, blue-skinned humanoids with a prominent ridge running down the center of their heads and bodies. Only young females possess any body hair, and that only on their scalps. They evolved from an aquatic race and are still very at home in the water, although they are fully comfortable on land.
Bolians are staunch allies of the Federation. Several have risen to positions of great importance in the Federation and in Starfleet. Many turn their liability of racial curiosity into an advantage by occupying research or investigative jobs. They have only recently made peace with the Moropans, a rival race, although this peace is fragile one.
Perhaps as a consequence for being hairless, a few Bolians display an odd fascination for humanoid hair, and go on to become hairdressers. Mot, on the Enterprise-D, was one such. Of course, the fact that humanoids often tell their hair dressers things they wouldn't tell anyone else hasn't been lost on them...
Borg are cybernetically-enhanced humanoids from somewhere in the Delta Quadrant. Technological implants make them into a cyborg-type race, with all the advantages and disadvantages that implies. All Borg are linked together through cybernetic networks on board each Borg mothership. The motherships are presumed to maintain a link to the homeworld.
There are no individuals (per se) in the Borg Collective. Borg are very intelligent and highly adaptable. Each Borg is specifically modified to perform a specific task. All Borg have had one arm replaced with a multi-purpose socketable implant onto which many different devices can be placed. The usual devices carried by exploration teams are a beam weapon of some type, along with equipment similar in nature to Tricorders.
Borg spend most of their time exploring the galaxy looking for new material for their worlds. They take any type of technological devices they can find, and adapt it for their own use. They also take intelligent species and assimilate them into Borg culture by adding cybernetics to the captured beings. This electronically takes away the free will of the individual and replaces it with a dedication to the Borg.
Borg generally cannot survive for long if separated from the controlling influence of their mothership. The mothership is connected through subspace communications to the homeworld.
Borg are so linked to each other that they are rarely surprised by anything, and are considered to be unfazeable for this purpose. The cybernetic implants also grant Borg the ability to make mathematical calculations with ease.
Borg (whether or not they are converts) are also unaging, immune to poisons, and immune to disease. Borg can be damaged by electromagnetic pulses, but they are -very- adaptable, and can adjust themselves to any form of attack quickly; so much so, that they soon can be virtually immune to that form of attack.
The Borg Bionic Reconstruction gives them several advantages, including a built-in weapons link, an implanted communicator, an interface jack, a cybernetic eye and a cybernetic ear.
These Borg are the same as the regular Borg except that they are individuals that have broken off from the Collective and have free will. One such group of these are "Hugh's" Borg. These are the Borg that were given emotions by Lore, Data's "Brother". There is only one group of these Borg known to exist, although it may be possible for many such Borg to exist with the help of other individuals that have the technology to remove the Borg cybernetics. Captain Picard could be considered a Non-Collective Borg who has regained all his past memories. Other than the above, the description is the same as for the standard Borg.
Bynars are a humanoid bipedal species from the planet Bynaus. They are unique in the Federation, due to their recently revealed link to their homeworld's computer, without which they cannot survive long. Bynars are heavily linked to their computers, and even speak to each other in a form of computer binary language. They always work in pairs for ease of operations. These pairs are electronically linked through a computer network to each other, and they share thoughts to some degree. This computer network, greatly expanded, serves as a framework for their entire civilization.
Bynars are shorter than humans and have paler skin. They have a built-in interface jack to provide them with data directly from most computers. Bynars learn about their interdependence with computers from a very early age. The implantation of the interface jack, which occurs quite soon after birth, is a sort of christening ceremony for Bynars.
Removal of any Bynar from the link to their computer network will cause them injury, and if not replaced within a short period of time, death. They have a very delicate body structure.
Bynars are not very physically strong, but they make up for this by being some of the best computer experts in the known galaxy. They also are some of the best mathematicians known to the Federation. They are organized in psychically linked pairs, in addition to being electronically linked. They are considered to be sexless.
This race walks erect as bipeds, but are descended from creatures similar in some respects to Terran felines. They possess sleek bodies covered with soft fur, which also covers their faces, and hangs about their head like a mane. They have large golden eyes, long tails, and voices with a purring quality. Caitians are extremely dexterous and fast. They are also considered attractive by most humanoid species, and humans seem especially interested in relationships with adult Caitians.
The planet Cait is a normal class-M world within the Lynx constellation. Caitians practice total equality of the sexes, and have throughout their recorded history. Even Caitian names have no gender indicated, so a male child is just as likely to be named after his mother as his father.
Caitians are exceptionally good at communications. They are very cooperative, intelligent, and easy to get along with, as such, they are eagerly sought after as Starfleet crew.
Cardassians are humanoid bipeds from a very warlike planet. Cardassia is the homeworld of the Cardassian Union. It is a planet now very poor in natural resources. Starving Cardassians put the military in power in order to eat. Cardassia has a very rich cultural heritage, but one that has virtually been raped by the military in order to provide funds for conquest and expansion. Most of the older cities on Cardassia are still in existence, and although in a severe state of disrepair, are still considered to be some of the most remarkable anywhere.
Cardassians have a limited exoskeleton, most notably evident on their faces. It gives them damage resistance, and also makes them slightly harder to kill than other races.
An uneasy truce exists between the Cardassian Union and the Federation, which was finally reached in 2366. This truce has been violated, in principle at least, by both sides, but no war has been declared by either side since the truce.
The military training provided by Cardassians to their soldiers provides a slight increase in strength, dexterity, and health. This training also provides their military with combat reflexes and other advantages. These skills and advantages are all learned at a very early age. The training also produces a bond between Cardassians and the government, and also manages to convince them Cardassians are better than anyone else. This makes them tend to be belligerent.
Cardassia has a higher general ambient temperature than Terra, which gives Cardassians a tolerance to heat. The race has also developed night vision. They are generally uncomfortable if the ambient temperature is cooler than they are used to, or if lighting is bright, and especially both. Their sun produces less light but more heat than Terra's.
Changelings are a race of shapechangers from the Gamma Quadrant. They can appear as virtually anything they wish.
They must return to their natural form, a gel-like liquid, once every 16 hours. Without this rest, they will find it increasingly harder to maintain the morphed shape. They only need to stay in this "natural" form for one hour.
Their mimicry abilities give them an uncanny ability to duplicate virtually anyone (or anything) they have ever seen. They can change form, shape, size, and color at will, and can do so in just a few seconds.
Combine the above with their Body of Plasm, and they are a very effective double agent, among other things. You would have to know the victim of a Changeling switch -very- well in order to detect their impersonation at all.
The races of the Alpha Quadrant have recently discovered that pieces removed from a Changeling's body will revert to their natural gel-like form. Blood tests are now standard protocol throughout the Federation and Klingon Empire to weed out Changeling infiltrators.
Members of this race can stretch their bodies even while maintaining a regular form. They do not need to eat or drink, at least not in any known manner, and their need of sleep is quite different from normal humanoids. They do not even need to breathe, but their bodies cannot survive in the vacuum of space without a suit of some type.
Changelings have a fanatical hatred of "solids" and have attempted to infiltrate militaries and governments of several Alpha Quadrant races, including the Federation. It is not known how far this process has gone.
Cheronians are a humanoid race that are most noted for their two-toned skin. All Cheronians are black on one side and white on the other.
What is important in Cheronian culture is which color the right side of a person is. It is this distinction that identifies which of the two breeds that make up the peoples of Cheron. Black-on-the-Right Cheronians (Sprilak) were considered the "superior" breed, whereas White-on-the-Right (Bojh) were considered the "inferior" of the two. In actual fact, what Federation knowledge exists of the race seems to indicate no discernible difference between the two, except for the opposing skin colours.
As of this Stardate, there is only one known Cheronian in existence after a terrible civil war between the two breeds managed to kill off the entire population of the planet. That individual is called Lokeale, a member of Starfleet. But even he is only half Cheronian (Bojh), with a human mother.
However, there is still some speculation that other Cheronians may exist. It is known that the race did attack and conquer other planets, but it is not known whether any of the Cheronians who fought in these wars are still alive.
Biologically, Cheronians are a very powerful race. Aside from incredibly long life spans (tens of thousands of years!) they also have an organ in their body which is able to create great amounts of energy (similar perhaps to a Terran electric eel) which they can control. The creation of this energy gives Cheronians powerful body shields which even phasers are ineffective against. And it also gives Cheronians the ability to control electronics without physical contact (i.e. pilot ships).
Lokeale, being only half-Cheronian, has shown no signs of these powerful attributes, however, his aging process is much slower than a humans, and his strength, endurance and mental abilities are higher, more similar, in fact, to a Vulcan's.
Cheronians were known to be aggressive and warlike, although not barbaric. They were often conquistadors, but not slaughterers. However, their capacity for hate is what drove them out of existence.
The history of Cheron, which is located in the southernmost part of the galaxy, is a sad one. After countless thousands of years of enslavement of the Bojh by the Sprilak, the two breeds eventually destroyed each other when the Bojh, led by revolutionary leader Lokai, revolted and fought with the Sprilak until everyone on the planet had perished. This event occurred nearly 100 years ago.
Before their extinction, the Cheronians had technology that was superior to the Federation's. Included in their technological developments was the creation of starships that were 'invisible' due to the special materials that the ships were coated in. The Federation has never been able to recover information on this technology because of the mass destruction on Cheron.
Deltans are a humanoid species native to the planet Delta IV. All Deltans have a totally bald head, but do have eyebrows. Deltans are also highly developed sexually, so much so that it is said that a normal Terran would be unable to survive a sexual experience with a Deltan. All Deltans wishing to join the Federation on mixed crew ships must take an Oath of Celibacy. This is meant to prevent any unfortunate incidents while on board any Starship. As well as being highly developed sexually, they are also highly developed socially.
Deltans tend to be open and gregarious by nature, and tend to be Sensualists. This can also account for their proclivity towards consensus and cooperation and being team players. They make excellent teachers, athletes, scientists, engineers, Counselors, Helm/Navigation officers, and system specialists.
Due to their overall good nature, they will wish to avoid conflicts unless they see them in a constructive sense. Deltans can and will defend themselves excellently with either bare hands or weapons. They enjoy most sporting forms of combat, but do not make good Security officers.
Deltans generally live in group/line families and are intimately attuned to each other and the psychological whole. This leads to having an empathic dependency, so that Deltans serving on a mixed crew ship always want at least one other Deltan on board. If this number is larger, they prefer to be quartered together, commonly in modified quarters either connected or communal in nature.
Deltans also have a pheromone control system in their bodies which allows them to produce pheromonal chemicals naturally. It is assumed that this system is used during normal courtship rituals between Deltans, but they can also control other pheromones besides the erotic-enhancing ones.
Among the pheromonal abilities of a trained Deltan is the ability to produce a pheromonal chemical which seems to reduce pain in most humanoid races. Deltans generally produce the pheromone associated with sexual arousal on a day-to-day basis. They are usually considered very attractive physically as well. This makes for bad psychological effects on members of a mixed crew ship. Generally, Deltans do not serve on mixed crew vessels in Starfleet. Those that do take the Oath of Celibacy so as to not take advantage of any sexually immature species. Their Oath of Celibacy only applies to species considered by them to be sexually immature (which currently includes Terrans).
Deltans serving with mixed race crews often chemically alter their pheromones with a special chemical application.
_Tursus truncatus_ and _Tursus truncatus gilli_, Atlantic and Pacific bottlenose Dolphins, respectively, are one of the truly rare Federation races which developed to a very high degree of sentience and sophistication as a fully aquatic race with no fine manipulators of any kind. Their story has resulted in considerable embarrassment for the Federation.
By the time Terran Cetacean Protection Acts were enacted in the late 21st century, most of the larger breeds of cetacean were extinct. Surviving cetaceans, such as dolphins, were officially protected, and while some in the scientific community believed they were intelligent, all attempts at communication with them had failed. Eventually, Terrans discovered space travel, and devoted their energies to communication with extraterrestrial humanoids.
This situation changed drastically in 2286 when an alien Probe of unknown origin came to Earth and began broadcasting a signal to its target race, the by-then extinct humpback whale. When no answer was forthcoming, the Probe boosted its signal to such a degree that planetary destruction was imminent. Thanks to the timely intervention of the crew of the Enterprise-A aboard a commandeered Klingon vessel, a breeding pair of humpback whales, "George" and "Gracie", were rescued out of time from extinction, and the Earth was saved from the Probe.
The origins and message of the Probe remain a mystery to this day, but careful analysis of some of its signals proved to be the key to opening communication with some of the cetaceans of Terra. Contact had been previously elusive before due to the great sophistication and highly alien nature of the cetacean mind. Meaningful communication with the now-refurbished race of humpback whales still eludes Federation scientists, but it has been established with Dolphins, who are now full members of the Federation. The fact that the Federation had made contact with hundreds of intelligent species, while overlooking several on its own capital world, has proved a severe embarrassment, and a source of much ridicule and propaganda from the Cardassian Union and the Romulan Star Empire, among other places.
Dolphins neither have nor desire the capacity to manufacture advanced technological items, but they are very keen to work with the Federation and the voice-activated, water-resistant equipment it can provide. Because they are highly sophisticated and live in a three-dimensional environment, Dolphins have proven to be some of the galaxy's most accomplished navigators, surpassed only by the Medusa. However, the practical difficulties of working with Dolphins are only slightly less great than those of working with Medusa, so they do not serve in Starfleet to a degree commiserate with their ability. Nevertheless, an elite group of twelve dolphins comprises the Guidance and Navigation research team for the Galaxy-class starship project. Other Dolphins may be found working for Starfleet in other capacities.
Edoans are a slightly more recent addition to the Federation. They walk upright and are tripedal, possessing three arms and three legs. They have round yellow eyes, and a concave, structured head. Their skin is a strange orange hue, and is completely hairless. Edoans are among the best tool makers in the Federation, due to their sensitive hands and great dexterity. They are very meticulous about detail, and make good scientists and technicians.
The Edoan homeworld is class-M, in a system with a few small terrestrial planets, and no gas giants. Edoans are very reserved, and prize privacy. They tend to be very shy and introverted, and make few close attachments.
El Aurians are a very rare and mysterious race about whom very little is known. In form they are standard humanoids who display a broad range of racial phenotypes, comparable to Terrans. Their homeworld was probably somewhere on the borders of the Beta and Delta quadrants. El Aurians first became known to the Federation in the late 23rd century, after their homeworld was destroyed by the Borg, although there is evidence to suggest that individual El Aurians had visited various Alpha and Beta Quadrant worlds (including Earth) before the founding of the Federation! The few surviving displaced El Aurians have found their way into the Federation and the ranks of Starfleet, although seldom if ever in positions of importance. They seem to prefer to operate quietly in support positions.
Much of this seeming reticence comes from the El Aurian racial character. They appear to be natural lore-keepers, and use their phenomenal lifespans and memories to collect the stories and life experiences of various sentient beings. They preserve this knowledge for their own kind, and only occasionally share it with non-El Aurians. They are a highly personably and empathic race, and as such are very willing to help other sentients work out their problems, especially if the end result is a good story for the "good listener"! Possibly as an offshoot of their prodigious memories, El Aurians are extraordinarily sensitive to disturbances in the space/time continuum, and will usually remember the original version of history if a change is made in time.
Although they can fight when necessary, El Aurians are by and large a docile people. The behavior of Dr. Soran in 2343 which resulted in the destruction of the Enterprise-D should be considered highly atypical. They are actually capable of ageing, but not in any meaningful humanoid sense.
The Ferengi built their entire culture on pursuit of wealth. They are always looking for ways of earning money and rarely turn down a business opportunity - legal or otherwise.
Contact with the Ferengi was first made about twenty years ago, and culminated in a battle between a Ferengi ship and the USS Stargazer, under the command of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard.
However, they remained a mystery until regular contact was established a little less than a decade ago. In that short time, they have stopped being an enigma and have become a regular feature wherever money is to be made in the Federation.
Males are generally the only member of this species to be encountered, because Ferengi women are still in extremely subservient positions. Ferengi males are still shocked by the fact that Federation women wear clothing. They always prefer to deal with males while doing business. They do not live in the same place as their women.
They regard humanoid women as sex objects, and have an extreme lecherousness regarding beautiful women and sex. Often, they can be coerced to give up better judgement in return for the promise of sexual pleasure with a beautiful woman.
Though highly intelligent, there are almost no Ferengi scientists, and no formal schooling system in their culture. Lessons on handling business deals are handed down from father to son. Almost any technological advancement that Ferengi have benefitted from has been bought or traded for from other cultures.
Ferengi have an odd honor system. They feel that cheating and stealing are acts of cunning, and that anyone who was a victim of their scams was not smart enough to protect themselves from them.
The Ferengi are considered ugly by almost all cultures in the Federation, but these traits give them many advantages. Their oversized ears give them very acute hearing, and their four- lobed brains are non-psionic enough to give them psionic resistance. This gives them protection against mental attacks, especially telepathic attacks. This is a definate advantage for Ferengi, especially when cutting business deals with telepathic races such as Betazoids. No Ferengi can ever possess psionic abilities.
Also, the higher gravity of their homeworld affords them a higher base strength. Even with this added strength, the Ferengi believe it is easier to run away from a fight than to risk injury.
A Ferengi who is or has been in the Ferengi military service will have a forehead tattoo.
Gorn are a saurian-based humanoid race that appear to be evolved from some type of reptile (or possibly dinosaur). Gorn are much larger than humans, and have quite a bit more muscle mass in their bodies. They are more comfortable in slightly lighter gravity than Terran norm. Their eyes have a faceted covering.
Gorn are not picky about what (or who!) they eat, and they prefer their food live, although they will eat it raw if live food is -absolutely- unavailable. Most Gorn have a bad (and quick) temper, and can go berserk if enraged. All Gorn are enticed by the smell of blood, and will fight even harder if they 'smell' a kill coming.
Gorn physiology is not very well suited to speaking other languages. The Gorn tongue is forked, like a snake's, and all "s" sounds will have a hissing property.
Gorn have the sharp teeth and claws of their ancestors. Their body is very resilient, and they heal quickly. Their scales give them a form of mild armor plating naturally.
Gorn have high strength. They prefer a much warmer climate than Terrans. Gorn eyes are placed on either side of their head, and gives them excellent peripheral vision, although their field of vision to the front is not limited.
Gorn are extremely long-lived, and have a higher resistance to pain than most humanoids. Gorn will not usually give or receive "quarter" in a battle - they will generally fight to the finish - theirs or their enemies. Gorn are very territorial, but do not appear to be interested in further expansionism - yet.
Gorn are not part of the Federation, nor do they wish to be.
Haliians come from the planet Haliia, and are one of the Federation's few naturally psychic races. In form they are slim, spare, attractive humanoids with dark skin and a slight bony ridge above the eyebrows. Culturally, they are a passionate, artistic, and graceful people inhabiting a world of great beauty. However, most tend to act before they think, and some can be very difficult for other humanoids to work with. Nevertheless, a number have joined Starfleet with great success.
All Haliians are naturally partially telepathic. They can boost this ability through physical contact with large glowing crystals they call Canars. Canars are most frequently used in meditation as a mental focus. However, two Haliians (or one Haliian and another being, even if they are not psychic) who are each in physical contact with a Canar may enter full mental rapport. This is most often, though not exclusively, used by two Haliians to create an emotional rapport preparatory to intimacy.
Some rare Haliians may be psychically skilled enough to have passed beyond the need of Canars.
Histah look like an evolved form of the Terran dinosaur, Velociraptor. They are from an Earth-like world on the other side of the Federation from the Klingons and/or Romulans. Their star is slightly larger than Sol, and their planet is virtually all tropical in nature, except at the poles, where the climate is moderate. The gravity is Terran normal.
Full grown Histah are about 2.5 meters in height. On their head is a tall, fin-like dorsal ridge that extends through the center of the scalp and down the back to the base of the spine. They have sharp teeth and claws, and a large tail that is longer than their legs. They have three fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, and three claws and one dew claw on each foot. Their reptilian appearance distracts most humanoids.
Histah reflexes are sharper than normal Terran reflexes, and they can move quickly for a creature of their size and weight. Their skin provides extra protection from damage. They have nictating membranes to protect their eyes from extremes of light. Their eyes are on opposite sides of their head, giving them peripheral vision in addition to forward vision. They are used to a hot climate, and do not like cold. They have a second sense for dangerous situations. They live much longer than average, and have a very strong will.
Despite their danger sense advantage, they do not like psionic individuals. Their danger sense reacts to psionic use with "psychic static" causing mental discomfort. Other crewmembers with psionic abilities can use their powers outside their range of "psychic effects".
Histah once had a very violent society, with a lot of fighting between families, tribes, and clans. In addition, they had to overcome other predators on their homeworld. Over time, this feuding was replaced with a desire to excel in fields like science, business, or engineering. This was not an overnight conversion, but started with a single family and spread slowly; first to the rest of their tribe, then to the rest of their clan, and finally to the entire race. This has continued up to the current time.
Their Code of Honor devotes them to family first, tribe second, clan third, and race fourth. They still have some clan, tribal, and family feuds, although these have mostly been changed to the "We can do better than you" stage. Enemies" frequently take the form of a different clan, tribe, or family. They also have close ties to the Histah race. Given the choice between anything and another Histah, a Histah always chooses another Histah first. The interrelationships between family, tribe, clan, and race are considered by Federation historians to be similar to Terran Native Americans.
Histah society is now exploration/colonization based. They have finally reached the borders of the Federation. They have several dozen systems under their control, called the Collective. Strangely enough, Histah never had encountered any other intelligent races up to the point when their border met the Federation. The Histah and the Federation are tentatively investigating a union of their borders, in a compact similar to the Klingon peace treaty. This is the first time in Federation history that an intelligent race has contacted them first.
Histah have a three-part name. The example we will use is: Barshen'kas Li'Ar Shan'hadar. (This is pronounced: Bars- hen-khas Lee-Arr Shan-ha-dar.) The first part is really more like a planetary rank than a name. The "Bars" section shows that this individual has been decorated by the government of the Histah more than once. One decoration is indicated by "Bar". No "Bar" or "Bars" would indicate no decorations. The decorations are not given by the Histah government easily or lightly. It is considered a great honor to be decorated once. More than once indicates an exceptional individual. The "Hen'kas" is a rank, in this case close to our "Captain". The "Li'Ar" is similar to our first name. The example would allow friends to call him "Lee", but only in private. The "Shan'Hadar" is a combination of a family and a tribal name, with the "Shan" being the family name, and the "Hadar" being the Tribal name. Clans are indicated by decorations on their clothing or bodies.
Histah prefer to eat their food live, but have made small concessions in their diet since their meetings with the Federation First Contact teams.
Humanoid races include Homo Sapiens Sapiens (Humans) of Earth, Alpha Centurians, the Yonadans of New Fabrina, and all other races which resemble Terrans to any great degree. They have no psionic abilities, except in very rare cases. This uniformity among humanoid races has been assumed to be the work of some progenitor race. In 2369 this hypothesis was proven through the efforts of paleoarchaeologist Dr. Richard Galen and the crew of the Enterprise-D. They discovered that this progenitor race had seeded their DNA into the oceans of proto-Class-M planets throughout the galaxy some four billion years ago. A recorded message of universal goodwill and brotherhood was assembled from coding in the DNA sequences of several humanoid races, and revealed these progenitors to be bald, pale-skinned humanoids with deep-set eyes and vestigial ears, essentially similar to most of the humanoid races familiar to the Federation. No other traces of this civilization has been found.
Numerous humanoid races of primitive cultures have been found transplanted from their homeworlds to other planets across the galaxy. In most cases, these were cultures in danger of extinction. It has been hypothesized that this transplanting was done by a race called the Preservers (or Wise Ones, as some of the transplanted cultures refer to them). The Preservers seem to have vanished nearly a millennium ago. No trace of their civilization has been found either, save the numerous humanoid races thriving throughout the galaxy. The operations of the mysterious humanoid known as "Gary Seven", found living on Terra in 1968, are, in theory, similar to those of the Preservers. What connection Mr. Seven may have had to the Providers, who apparently vanished centuries before his time, are open to conjecture.
The Jem'Hadar were created by the Founders of the Dominion, the Changelings. Their role is that of the shock troops and scourge of the Dominion. Usually, if a Dominion world violates the rules set up for it, the result is a visit by the Jem'Hadar. What ensues is devastation, massacre and other perils. They have an uncanny ability to turn invisible to the naked eye at will, but can be seen by instruments that pick up other ranges of lightwaves. They age to maturity in just above three months, and live for about 35 to 40 years. They are the best close quarters fighters in the Gamma Quadrant, and rival the Klingons for their position in the Alpha Quadrant. They are feared everywhere they are known in both the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants.
The Changelings keep them in line by providing a white dust, a severly addictive drug with unknown properties to them at regular intervals. Disobediance by any Jem'Hadar results in the withdrawal of the drug with severe withdrawal symptoms and often death as a result.
Kaferians are insectoid-based bipedal humanoids about the same height as a normal Terran. Their heads are the most insectoid part of their bodies. They are natives of Tau Ceti.
They have a hard chitinous exoskeleton. Their eyes are located on opposite sides of their heads, giving them peripheral vision, which does not limit their forward vision. Their feet split into two toes - a larger and a smaller - with some extremely limited manipulative ability. They have a protruding spinal ridge, giving them a slightly hunchbacked appearance. If they ever had wings, they were attached here, but Kaferians are no longer a winged species.
They make their homes out of native materials mixed with a natural secretion from their bodies which combines to create a very light, but very strong and durable building material capable of supporting structures hundreds of feet tall.
Kaferians are virtually natural geneticists. They export many bio-engineered plants and animals that have been modified for demanding climates and conditions. They are renowned for this genetic engineering throughout most of known space. It is believed that Kaferian scientists are responsible for the Klingon Tribble predator, known as a "glommer".
Kaferia is not a member of the Federation (otherwise they could not engage in the trade mentioned above) but they have been a staunch ally of the Federation for over 200 years.
Klingons are a warrior race who hold personal and family honor above all else. They are larger than Terrans with a greater percentage of their body weight being muscle.
Klingons are proficient in the use of ritual hand-to-hand weapons and unarmed combat, and will actually prefer to fight using these methods over beam weapons. They frequently train in off-hand weapons training in order to surprise opponents. All Klingons will train in at least the bat'telh and the d'k tahg, and many frequently train in some of the other ceremonial Klingon weapons. Some also train in Mok'bara - the Klingon martial art form.
The Klingon forehead is a major distinguishing feature of this race, consisting of a ridged, bony pattern. This pattern is different for every Klingon, and is as distinguishing as fingerprints. A common curse heard among them is: "Hab Sosil' Quch", which means, "Your mother has a smooth forehead." Also, a bony backbone resembling that of a dinosaur runs up and down their spine.
Klingons have enhanced senses. Two of them, acute taste and smell, and acute vision, are genetic, but the third, combat reflexes, is learned from childhood, and is therefore second nature to Klingons.
By nature, they are hunters, and still practice the ritual of the hunt. They are taught tracking and cooking from a very early age. They hunt using a spear called a Gin'tak. They prefer their food raw, so the Cooking skill actually represents the ability to properly clean their food and prepare it in a traditional manner.
Most Klingons feel it is dishonorable to lie, cheat, steal, or bluff, and dislike those who do. This helps explain their dislike of Ferengi.
Klingons are now blood enemies of the Romulans, despite (or perhaps -on account of-) their former treaties with them.
Klingon warriors pride themselves on their combat abilities and feel the greatest honor that can be bestowed on warriors is to die in combat. These traits have been handed down from the Klingon spiritual leader, Kahless, over two millennia ago.
Kahless used the idea of honor to unite the people of the Klingon Homeworld at a time of its greatest struggle.
Also handed down were several traditional weapons with which to engage in melee.
Lastly, almost all Klingons show a widespread hatred of the cute, cuddly Tribble. Currently, xenoculturalists are unable to account for the source of this hatred. Tribbles are banned from being transported to, or traded in, Klingon space. An old Klingon toast reflects their dislike of this animal. It goes: "QuvlIjDaq yIH tu'be'lu'jaj." Translated, this means, "May your coordinates be free of Tribbles."
Tribbles also share the dislike of Klingons. Instead of the usual purr, Tribbles will shriek if even exposed to a Klingon.
Kzin are a felinoid race similar to Terran tiger with large webbed ears. They walk erect as bipeds, but do have a noticeable slouch as they age. Their bodies are covered with fur, which covers their face and hands as well, and creates a mane-like effect for their hair. They have golden eyes, long black whiskers, a long tail, and a voice with a rasping, but purring quality. They stand on average 8 feet tall, and weigh under 780 lbs. Their fur is orange-red with black markings streaked with white where the fur has grown out over scars. The ruff around the neck bottles out when they are feeling dominant. Most Kzinti have tattoos of various kinds on their ears which represent military awards, decorations, and ranks.
The Kzinti tail is bare and prehensile, looking pink with white and black markings and is very sensitive. Most adults wear their tails in a silk like covering when outside their own culture. No one would ever want to insult a Kzins tail with an unwanted touch or unintentional bump. They have six digits on their hands with two opposable thumbs, and feline sheathable claws.
A stretching motion is the Kzin equivalent of a human relaxed smile, and a grin is a sign of aggression. A waffling twitch of the whiskers is similar to a human grin.
Kzinti originate from the WYN Radiation Cluster which is made up of Kzinti 40%, Lyran 30%, and 15% Orion stock. The rest of the population is comprised of a smattering of ex-Klingon subjects, and a dash of cutthroats, adventurers, and criminals from across the known galaxy. The gravity field of the Kzinti home planet is heavier than Terran normal.
They frequently have the danger sense advantage. They also generally have several battle-related skills.
Kzin generally have these common disadvantages: impulsiveness, overconfidence, bad temper, megalomania, and they do not like prosthetics.
Kzin are a very warlike race, and have had numerous wars with humans, most before the formation of the Federation. They have high strength, which is augmented by sharp teeth and claws. They can see very well in the dark, and have well-developed senses of smell, taste, and hearing.
Kzin Officers carry with them a neutralizing scent bag which they sniff at times to clear thier senses. They typically wear a bandoleer loaded down with pockets and pouches which contain samples of herbs and memory boosting scents. They also carry a rather large engraved metal ring attached to the Bandoleer at their left hip which holds Kzin ears; dueling trophies from dead rivals and a source of much pride if it is quite full. A ceremonial blunt tipped dagger on the same hip, called a Wtsai, completes the usual attire of an Officer.
They consider women to be second-class citizens, and their chauvinistic attitude bleeds over into their dealings with other races. More than once, a female has played an important part in rescues of personnel from Kzin-held territory. This attitude is due to Kzinti females being sub-sentient.
They eat their meat fresh and raw, preferably still dripping with blood. They do not like vegetarians, and will not deal with them if possible.
A very few Kzin have had chemical changes made to them which gives them a limited form of telepathy. Their telepaths can be foiled by thinking of chewing on raw vegetables.
Nausicaans are a race of large, hirsute humanoids with thick manes of predominantly reddish hair, bony facial features, and sharp fangs which fold over a complicated, inhumanoid mouth. Because of the shape of their mouths, they have difficulty speaking Federation Standard and other humanoid languages, which gives them an appearance of stupidity that they do not entirely deserve. However, they are one of the Federations' least socially-redeeming races, being bad-tempered, surly, and violent. Few have made it into the ranks of Starfleet. Most have found work in the Federation as bouncers, thugs, and enforcers - positions where their liabilities are advantages.
A casual bar brawl with some Nausicaans cost Captain Picard his heart, forcing him to make use of a bionic replacement.
Pakleds are a humanoid species that are primarily remembered for their characteristic overweight problem. Pakleds are remembered for being a race that adopts technology from other races whether they know how it works or not. They are very cunning and devious. The Pakleds have yet to be made a part of the Federation. They have already had one experience with the Federation, and there will probably be more.
Phylosians are intelligent plants with five arms, each having an upper and lower pincer, five legs, a tree-trunk-like torso, and a head similar in appearance to a large pine cone with independent eye stalks.
They are from the planet Phylos in the Merari system, which has an abundance of plant life, but no animal life of any kind. Federation scientists speculate that the plants evolved into the ecological gap made by the total absence of animals.
They do not like conflict, and have a strong racial desire to serve the Federation as galactic peace keepers. Fortunately, the Phylosians must first overcome their own problems. The Phylosian race is dying. Contamination in the form of Staphylococcus brought plague to the planet - a plague against which the Phylosians had no defense. The remaining Phylosians have been rendered sterile by the plague, but a Federation team is currently working with them to eliminate this barrier.
Rigelians have a similar physiology to Vulcans, although they are not psionic, nor are they as physically capable.
They are natives of Rigel V, a part of the Rigel star system, which has several inhabitable worlds.
Rigelians have eyes that are widely separated on their heads, which give them peripheral vision, but does not limit their forward vision ability. This gives them a very unusual appearance which most humanoid races find unattractive.
They have excellent schools, and have a higher intelligence than the average Terran. They make excellent teachers, scientists, navigators, helmsmen, and commanders.
Rigelians have a high level of technology on their world, and manufacture many types of Federation equipment. Rigel V possesses excellent pharmaceutical laboratories, which produces many of the drugs used in the Federation.
Romulans are an offshoot race from Vulcans. They left the Vulcan homeworld before the revolution in thinking urged on by Surak had overthrown the old militaristic ways. They are intelligent, cunning, and very commonly ruthless. They also frequently revert to subterfuge in order to complete goals.
Physically, Romulans and Vulcans are very similar. Both have pointed ears, giving the Romulans a hearing bonus, and, like Vulcans, have an inner eyelid that will allow for near- instantaneous adjustments to varying light levels. Romulans are not quite as strong as Vulcans, because the world they chose to colonize, named Romulus by the Federation, has a slightly lower gravity than Vulcan. They also have an extended lifespan. The gravity of Romulus is 1.1 g (T).
Romulan society is ruled by a near-totalitarian military government, and duty to the Romulan Star Empire is required to be placed above personal safety in all circumstances. All citizens are expected to give their lives for their government without question.
They are xenophobic to other races.
The natives of Sauria are a reptilian bipedal humanoid race. They have reddish skin and oversized yellow eyes. They have three fingers and one opposable thumb on each hand, and three toes on each foot. There is a vestigial webbing between their fingers and toes. Neither the lack of a fourth finger nor the vestigial webbing affect their fine manipulation skills.
Saurians have four separate and distinct hearts, which makes them the hard to kill, and makes them very strong and durable. They are about as tall as an average Terran.
The native language of Saurians is sung, not spoken, and is considered a very difficult (if not impossible) language to learn by non-Saurians. Conversely, however, they do not have any trouble learning most Federation languages, including Federation Standard.
They excel at artistic and musical endeavours. Quite a few Saurians have become quite famous in the Federation for their talents. Their production of Saurian Brandy is considered an art form.
Selay are snake-like humanoids from the planet Selay in the system of Beta Renna. They are a sentient reptilian race that appears to be evolved from an animal similar to a Terran king cobra. They are assumed to be cold-blooded.
Selay are bitter enemies of Anticans, who live on a planet in the same system. The Federation moderated a dispute between the two planets recently, seemingly putting an end to their years of hostility towards each other.
Selay are slightly taller than humans, and have a very snake- like head, including a large hood at the back. Because of this snake-like appearance, they are considered to be ugly to most other humanoids.
Also, due to their descent from venomous reptiles, they have an active venom delivery system in their front fangs, also similar to the Terran king cobra. Both the Selay and the Anticans have applied for Federation membership.
Their thick, snake-like skin also gives them added protection from some types of attacks.
Tellarites are natives of the planet Tellus. They appear to have evolved from swine-like animals which are still native to that world.
Tellarites are basically humanoid, but with a pinker skin tone than human caucasians (due to higher blood pressure). They have more facial and body hair than humans, with hair covering all but the frontal face and hands. This hair is not thick, like animal fur, but is more reminiscent of a hairy human.
Their homeworld has a thinner atmosphere than Earth, leading to overdeveloped nasal openings, which have been compared to the snouts of Terran swine. Tellarites take immediate strong offense to such comparisons. They have better hearing than normal, and night vision.
Tellarites are racially suspicious, argumentative and brash, at least by Terran standards. Those who trust too much or give in too easily are considered weak fools in their society.
Tellarites, needless to say, make poor diplomats. They enjoy good arguments, and a merchant's bazaar on Tellus is a lively place.
Tellarites make good engineers, scientists and terraformers, and make excellent legal representatives. They prefer intellectual discourse to physical confrontation.
Tellarites are very fond of good food and drink - and a lot of it. Fortunately, alcohol has little adverse effect on them - it only makes them even more stubborn. Nevertheless, they are capable of going twice as long without food or water as the average Terran, since they carry an extra abdominal roll of fatty tissue. This abdominal tissue makes them look portly, but such is natural for a Tellarite, and they can, in extreme cases, live off of this fatty tissue for quite a while. Generally, though, they'd rather not skip meals.
Tribbles are small furry fuzzballs about 6 inches in diameter. They are warm-blooded bisexual mammals capable of reproducing at an incredible rate. In fact, they are born pregnant. They will not have the energy to reproduce without food, however. A serum to negate their reproductive abilities was discovered by Dr. Leonard McCoy, and now they are quite common pets throughout the Federation. Tribbles enjoy humanoid company, and will purr if content. For some unknown reason, Tribbles do not like Klingons, and will shriek loudly if even exposed to one. Tribbles will return the affection shown them by humanoids by somehow empathically projecting feelings of peace and relaxation.
Note that without a dose of the "anti-pregnancy" serum, they will breed normally - with all the obvious results. They live about as long as the average well-kept Terran guinea pig.
Trill are a symbiotic species consisting of a humanoid host and a worm-like symbiont which lives in the abdomen of the host. The worm-like symbiont is extremely long-lived. An example of this is Dax, who is on his eighth host with Jadzia. The host does not lose any of their memories, and they are capable of accessing memories of the symbiont. If the host body is dying, the symbiont is transferred to another host. After four days, the merger between the host and the symbiont is permanent. Should the host body die without removing the symbiont within 96 hours, the symbiont will also die.
Trill humanoids are very interested in the welfare of their symbiont. They even enter into contests from which the winners become the next class of people honored to become hosts. Trill humanoids are very honored by their selection to become hosts. Some potential hosts who do not make the cut consider suicide.
Occasionally, Trill symbionts may be damaged by Transporter use, but most Trill do not seem to be bothered by beaming.
Trill symbionts remember all the memories of all of their previous hosts. Trill appear very human, except for a slight spotty marking along the sides of the face. These markings are unique to each Trill, and are just as unique as a Terran human's fingerprints. They do not detract from appearance.
A Trill symbiont can access memories from all of its previous hosts. The symbiont can survive for 96 hours following the death of the host. If it is transferred to a new host within that time, it will continue to survive. It cannot survive absolute destruction of the host body. All skills are transferred to the new host, but are based off of the new host's physical and mental abilities.
Vulcans are natives of the planet Vulcan, known as T'Kashi to the natives. It is a world with minimal precipitation, a very hot climate, and a surface gravity of 1.8 G (T). It also has a thinner atmosphere than Earth.
Vulcans are genetically identical to the Romulans, since Romulans are an offshoot of the Vulcan race. The main differences between the two races is the Vulcan Devotion to Logic and the suppression of all forms of emotion from Vulcans.
Vulcans are taught most psionic disciplines from childhood, manifesting themselves primarily in the Vulcan Mind Meld. The Mind Meld is a telepathic power package consisting primarily of the skills Telesend and Telereceive.
Conditions on Vulcan have led to many physical advantages evolving over time. Enhanced Strength, and health help to combat the effects of the heavy gravity and ensure survival on a planet with an environment as demanding as Vulcan. Their Nictating Membranes allow for near instantaneous adjustments to varying degrees of light, and Vulcans do not feel uncomfortable in climates that would be too hot for Terrans. In order to compensate for the decreased distances in hearing ranges, Vulcans have evolved pointed ears, designed to channel more sound waves into the ear canal.
The average lifespan of Vulcans is roughly double that of Terrans. A good example: the honored Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan was born in 2165, and lived 203 years, until his death in 2368. This may not be normal either, due to the fact that Sarek secretly suffered from a debilitating disease which may have caused premature death.
Vulcans are devoted to increasing their mental capacity by controlling their inner actions. To this end, they dedicate their lives to the suppression of emotions and devotion to total logic. Despite Vulcan's founding role in the UFP, there exists a substantial segment of Vulcan society which is extremely isolationistic and wants to have Vulcan free of interaction with "illogical" beings.
Vulcans do not naturally lack emotions; this is a discipline taught starting at the very youngest ages. A few Vulcans, most notably Spock's half-brother Sybok, have given up the devotion to logic in pursuit of other goals that can only come from being an emotional entity. Vulcan's wish to give up all emotions and clear their mental faculties so that they may pursue every matter from the perspective of pure logic. Half-Vulcans generally have a harder time keeping control under moments of duress. Vulcans with the devotion to logic are immune to fear, insults, and all other such attacks.
Vulcans can remember highly detailed information about events, people, and places they encountered during their life. Vulcans can do complex calculations in their minds, and analyze almost any mathematical equation with ease. Vulcans can control their metabolism through concentration. They can even put themselves into a trance-like state, which acts as sort of a mental vacation. This trance can also be used by Vulcans to accelerate their own healing processes.
Pon Farr: This represents the Vulcans' link to their mates. Once every seven years, Vulcans must return home to take a mate (or rejoin one already taken). This drive is very strong, and cannot be resisted long.
Vulcan Mind-Meld: This skill effectively links two minds together and allows one to search the other's motives, memories, etc. After the initial contact, two willing people may freely exchange memories, information, and feelings. Under these circumstances, the mind-meld causes no stress or loss of fatigue.
Vulcan Nerve Pinch: The purpose of the attack is to render a humanoid unconscious by doing as little true damage as possible. To attack with this skill, an attack must be made at the defender's neck. If the attack is successful, the defender will fall unconscious for 5-15 minutes.
Yridians are a gnomish race of aliens whose skin color varies in hue from ochre to lavender. They have deeply wrinkled skin, a vestigial nose, and very large, pointed ears. The skin on their scalps is deeply furrowed down the back of their head. Many are bald, some have a wild shock of lavender hair.
Yridians are a race that deals in information. They have had some dealings with the Federation. All of the ones that have been documented have been about selling information regarding the UFP to other parties. Some members of this race are wanted by the Federation for questioning. Very little other than this is currently known, although an enterprising crew could probably convince the Yridians to sell information about themselves to the Federation.