Andorian

Andorians are a curious blending of mammalian physiology with insectoid-like characteristics. They are humanoid in appearance with blue skin, white hair and a pair of knobbed antenna that are unnervingly active during interaction with other people. They are a comparatively tall species, averaging between 1.7 and 2.1 meters in height. This often gives them a misleading appearance of fragility, which is belied by their remarkable physical strength. Due to the extreme density of bone and muscle tissue, the average Andorian is quite capable of lifting an object of twice his or her weight. With a higher metabolic rate than Terrans, Andorians are especially vulnerable to phase pulse infection; even minor phase injuries could prove fatal. However, they have demonstrated resistance to a wide range of environmental conditions.

Females (shen and zhen) enjoy an equal position in Andorian society, and as soldiers are as capable as the males (thaan and chan).

Physiology

The most notable of the Andorian physical features are the antennae, which are set slightly higher on the head than ears on a human. These antennae are actually extensions of their sinus cavities, giving the Andorians a great sensitivity to minute variations in atmospheric pressure and temperature. They have an elevated aural sensitivity and an enormously enhanced sense of smell. The actual receptors are situated within the depressions at the tips of the antennae and are protected by the hard cartilaginous tissue that keeps the antennae rigid. The proximity of hominids can produce a "pins-and-needles" sensation in the antennae.

The antennae also express emotion, far more than do the facial muscles, and are the prime indicators of Andorian body language, such as:

• Polite interest by curving toward the object of attention,
• Fear or excitement by standing rigid and quivering,
• Weariness or depression by drooping,
• Confusion or upset by wringing and lashing,
• Sexual arousal by slow writhing,
• Intoxication by wobbling unsteadily in different directions,
• Rage by pressing back against the skull,
• Amusement or a shrug by facing each other. (The degree and intensity determine the intention.)

Because of the importance of the antennae, much of Andorian psychology revolves around these organs. Fear of damage to the antennae is deeper and more widespread than castration-anxiety in humans. Loss of antennae to an Andorian is the equivalent of deafness, muteness, castration and mutilation of the face to a human, and few Andorian warriors will voluntarily choose to live after such an injury. However the antennae do regenerate themselves in time, but the Andorian warrior is at a major disadvantage during the ensuing nine months. The uninvited touching of the antennae is considered an unpardonable rudeness, and the threat of injury to antennae is legitimate grounds for assault and murder.

Their senses are also more acute than those of humans, partly due to the function of antennae in sensing the environment around them. Andorian visual acuity is well above human standards. They listen by slightly bowing their heads, which gives them a false submissive demeanour, but they are actually positioning their antenna to get a better "view" of surrounding occurrences.

The spectacular colouration of Andorians is the result of a proteinous dye, HZB-41, analogous to melanin in humans, which is produced by nearly all Andorian animal life. The dye-cells have a comparatively short life span and must be produced constantly from protein sources in the diet. One of the most common symptoms of serious illness is insufficient dye production and a corresponding loss of skin colour. Andorians blush purple when embarrassed.

Like other mammals, they have an internal skeleton. However they also have plates of cartilage under their skin that act as a partial exoskeleton, providing added strength to their muscles and additional protection to the compartmentalised vital organs. Furthermore, Andorians can subsist on three or four hours of sleep during the 32-hour Andorian day. They are neither diurnal nor nocturnal and can even eat comfortably at midnight and then attend to duties.

Four Genders, two superficially “male” and two superficially “female,” make up the Andorian species. These are thaan, chan, shen, and zhen. Sometimes it is difficult for an outsider to determine what gender an Andorian is on sight, as a chan can appear somewhat feminine and a shen can appear somewhat masculine. All four genders constitutes a bonding, equivalent of a wedding, and are also required for reproduction - the act known as shelthreth.

Gender Characteristics	Organs	Functions
Thaan	Internal testes, retractable penis	Produce sperm, fertilize shen
Chan	Internal Testes, retractable penis	Produce sperm, fertilize shen
Shen	Vagina, ovaries, uterus, lesser breast tissue, retractable ovipositor	Receive sperm, produce egg and embryo, deposit embryo in zhen’s pouch
Zhen	Vagina, more breast tissue than shen, seasonal pouch	Incubate and nourish embryo to term

When the fertile period is upon the bonded quadruple, they emit certain pheromones that stimulate the gametes of the thaan, shen and chan. Meanwhile the zhen begins to grow the embryonic pouch that will eventually cover the lower torso. The lining of the pouch produces a thick gel that protects the baby while it also nurses from the gel. While the pouch is growing and the embryo is in early development, the zhen stays in seclusion.

The thaan and chan genders have internal testes and retractile penises. The gametes of each “male” gender contain one quarter of the number of genes necessary to produce offspring. The shen has an ovipositor. During the fertile period, the shen produces a haploid (containing half the genes required to produce offspring) egg, which - once fertilized by both a thaan and a chan - develop into a tiny immature embryo. She then passes the embryo through the ovipositor into the zhen’s waiting pouch. A loose analogy would be the immature birth of marsupials such as kangaroo. The zhen also has a vagina, though the zhen’s plays no part in conception, only pleasure during the shelthreth. At fertility, the zhen’s glands along the spine become active. These glands will secrete a membrane that forms a pouch around the lower torso in which to nurse and gestate the embryo to maturity. Once the offspring is mature enough to survive outside the pouch, the zhen’s pouch will dry up and flake away. The other bondmates take turns rubbing the zhen with oils and peeling off the remains of the pouch. The breasts of a zhen will lactate and only the zhen is capable of nursing the young.

Psychology

Andorians are a hard-working and serious people, who are often but incorrectly viewed as humourless and irritable. The harsh history of early Andorian civilization has left a strong taboo against the appearance of frivolity or wasted effort, but it is more easily acceptable when not enjoyed in public. Andorians often feel uncomfortable when invited to pursue purely recreational activities like parties or social games. Their curt refusals often make them seem prudish or unsociable, while in fact they simply don't have a strong cultural reason for engaging in such activities. They also don’t engage in idle chit-chat. Conversations are to the point with only introductions given as a matter of courtesy.

The race has a genetic predisposition toward violent behaviour. Imminent danger causes a biochemical reaction to danger, resulting in either physical violence or an increase in sensory input levels, which, in turn, can enhance analytical and reasoning skills. Andorians do not succumb easily to pressure and actually get calmer in a crisis - until they get violent. Andorian history is one of conflict, though they do not battle without reason. The martial spirit is still alive in Andorian culture. Andorians are extremely disciplined, possessing a strong sense of duty and personal honour, and so they make excellent military officers. Andorian commanders take the time to study pros and cons of strategy when conditions of battle permit. However, in the heat of combat when Andorian lives are at stake, they will strike quickly and ferociously. This patience in a historically warrior culture is opposite from the mindset of warrior cultures like the Klingons and the Kazon, who embark on a course of action before having all the facts.

An Andorian smile is a soft, liquid gaze. They’ve adopted a tentative human-like smile because of familiarity with humans and will attempt the expression around other humanoids whose custom is to show friendliness by smiling. Andorian equivalent of a handshake among themselves is touching palms, fingers up. It is not a casual greeting to be used with newly introduced acquaintances, but an acknowledgement of trust or mild affection between two Andorians. When introduced to strangers or greeting personages of title or of age, an Andorian will execute a small bow. The Andorian bow is made from the shoulders rather than the waist or the neck.

Language

Andorian speech is often, but not always, soft and sibilant due to their differing hearing apparatus. Some undertones of their communication are not immediately perceptible to other races and cultures. The ability to sense vibration and pitch has led to a cultural preoccupation with music, which was the original basis of Andorian language. The universal translator, however, amplifies their Federation Standard for ease of hearing.

The four Andorian genders are signified by prefixes used with the gender name, such as ch' and zh' for chan and zhen. The family name is prefixed with the gender of the individual and that the given name can be shortened conversationally. For example, KevaLen ch'Rhane, is a chan which is represented by the ch', a member of the Rhane clan and he often shortens his name to Len. In contact with other species, either the given name or the shortened version of it can be used in place of a surname, i.e. Lt. KevaLen or Lt. Len. Some Andorians who have been exiled may resort to other naming conventions, like using their last name with their rank.

Home World

Andoria is an “M” Class icy “moon” orbiting a ringed planet (Andor). In winter, a large portion of the planet is covered with snow. The Northern region remains icebound year-round and is the home of the sub-race of Aenar. Andoria is located close to Vulcan, which led to a series of conflicts between the Andorian Empire and the Vulcans. Andoria is also relatively close to the Sol system and Regulus. Andorian cities are mostly underground except for the uppermost floors and derive their energy from geothermal activity. The cities are connected to each other by thousands of kilometres of tunnels. Only during rare heat waves will the average temperature on Andoria rise above freezing, and even then only for a few weeks at a time. During mid-summer, a temperature reading of minus 28°C is not uncommon. Laibok is the Capital City of Andoria. But most Andorians call it simply the Capital City.

Andorian oceans are rich sources of food, industrial energy and scientific inquiry, not recreation. In spite of the cold climate of Andoria, large portions of the oceans remain open due to their salt content. These cold waters are fertile with sea life. In spite of its inhospitable surface, Andoria supports over 30 million people. At one time, Andorians numbered in the billions, but declining birthrates have reduced their numbers to 90 million in all of Andorian space. Andoria supports a thriving tourist industry. Its rugged terrain features several famous mountain ranges and spectacular glaciers. The view of the planet Andor in both the day and night sky is astounding, even to a space traveller.

Culture & Customs

Andorians serving in the military wear their hair short. Civilians wear their hair long, usually braided in a mass of braids and pinned up or hanging loose as suits the wearer. During sacred ceremonies, the hair may be worn unbraided and loose down the back.

The Andorian family includes all relatives of the four bondmates (one of each gender) and is called the Clan, or a Keth. A Keth may be quite extensive and number in the thousands. Keth still inhabit the underground caves (keeps) of their ancestors. A Keth will gather in a dedicated meeting hall known as Sanctuary. The meeting itself is called an Enclave. When the term is used, that indicates to all participants that ceremonial protocol must be observed.

Keth traditionally live and hold clan meetings in keeps, huge underground fortresses, most of them natural caves formed from volcanic or water action. The underground keeps take advantage of both subterranean heat and hot water to provide the hot and humid atmosphere that Andorians prefer. The meeting room of a clan has a large pool of naturally heated water in which those present immerse themselves.

All who are invited to the clan meeting (Enclave) must divest themselves of all clothing and don a provided one-piece garment called a shield, basically an oval of cloth with an opening for the head and something to tie the shield around the body like a poncho. Now considered a courtesy, changing into a shield garment is a carry over from clan warfare days when visitors had to divest themselves of all armour and weapons. Attendees enter barefoot, then slip into the pool, clothed in their shields.

All Andorians are screened from birth by the Keth for genetic fitness. This information is used to select the best four youth for marriage and procreation. A genetically inferior Andorian is not likely to be chosen for shelthreth. They will engage in shelthreth as long as they are together and only as a four-some. Engaging in sex for pleasure without the participation of all four is thought to be selfish, not living for the Whole.

In the few short years of fertility, Andorian will try to conceive as many children as possible to replace those who die. Unfortunately, fertile periods have been becoming shorter and fewer viable offspring have been born. The declining birthrate has forced the Andorians to arrange bondings among genetically strong members rather than let the young people choose their own love matches.

Andorians are renown for their artistic talents in both two and three-dimensional art. They also express themselves in literary and performing arts such as poetry, literature and music.

History

By year 1154, Andorians developed warp flight. With the advent of space travel, Andorians began to think seriously of themselves as a species rather than a collection of clans. The discovery of semi-intelligent life elsewhere compelled Andorians to consider the existence of other intelligent species and the possibility of interplanetary warfare.

This led to the concept of all Andorians as members of one super-clan, faced off against other such super-clans. First contact between the Andorians and the Vulcans took place 1953, leading to a prolonged period of hostilities. Their first contact with the Vulcans was promising, but relations sour in time. The threat of mutual annihilation exists as early as the 1950s. In the 2060s, the two species held eight-year-long territorial negotiations. At year 2105, the Vulcan and Andorians finally agree to a territorial compromise. Despite the agreement, tensions remained high and the two sides almost went to war twice over the next 92 years.

The immediate result of such thinking was that a planetary government consisting of a council of representatives, one from each major clan, became feasible. Thus did Andor jump from a fragmented, clan-based monarchy to a fairly unified, planetary parliament, without going through the stage of nationalism. This unique case of rapid social evolution proved remarkably successful for the Andorians, although it did cause some problems with early contacts between the Andorian Empire and the other Federation co-founders (Earth, Alpha Centauri, Vulcan, Tellar).

Government & Military

At first glance, one might wonder how such an aggressive species managed to keep from destroying itself when technological progress made super-efficient weaponry possible. Surprisingly, Andoria has never suffered what humans would term a major civil war. The fact is that ancient Andorians placed stringent restrictions on their fratricidal weaponry, as well as on their inter-tribal aggression. Andorians have always restricted their weaponry with their practical attitude toward warfare.

Specifically, they never lost sight of what they are fighting for: hrashklain (food-land). Being painfully aware of their dependency on their herds, and the herds' dependency on the fat-grass, Andorians are much more solicitous of the welfare of their beasts and lands than they are of each other. They are, by nature, the most passionately concerned ecologists in the Federation and not even Vulcans outdo them. In fact, the Andorian word for "criminally insane" is derived from the words for destroyer of grasslands.

To an Andorian, the whole point of warfare is to seize the prize, which prolongs the life of the victor; therefore, nothing could be more insane than to destroy or injure the prize. As a result, all weapons that could in any way damage the lands or herds are fiercely banned. This is why, despite their warlike nature and long technological history, Andorians still fight duels with spear, sword, axe, knife, and bow.

In an Andorian city, a social gaffe is cause for assault, murder or ritual suicide. This is understandable when one considers that the breaching of custom is the equivalent of declaring war upon members of one's own clan, and hence too dangerous to excuse.

Andoria is legally a constitutional monarchy, in spite of the fact that no single ruler has reigned over the planet in centuries. The last ruler, Thalisar the Last, deliberately died childless and abolished clan warfare. She brokered peace on the site of what is now The Plaza of Freedom in Andoria's capital city. This is an octagonal public space that contains fountains, towering leaves of translucent green mica from the Archipelago and a cerulean blue obelisk to the memory of Shran. During her reign she instituted the parliamentary system that would succeed her, and which has governed Andoria ever since. However, her throne “The Empty Throne” still exists in the room in which parliament meets, an honoured relic of the Andorians’ past.

The Andorian Imperial Guard is the primary military force of the Andorian Empire, and maintains both starships and infantry. It has ranks of general, captain, commander, and lieutenant, and is staffed with both male and female personnel. The standard sidearm issued to Imperial Guardsmen is an assault-rifle-sized weapon that fires blue energy beams. It does not have a stun setting. When a Guardsman died far from home, it was his compatriots' duty to take a piece of the fallen back with them to Andoria (e.g. a vial of their blood). This item was to be taken to the Wall of Heroes. Commanders who lose ships under their command are seldom reassigned to the command of another starship. After the founding of the Federation, many Andorians served in Starfleet, although Andoria continues to support its own military forces for the protection of Andorian space.

Am Tal is the Andorian equivalent of Section 31 of Earth and the V’Shar of Vulcan. Their operations are not confined to Andoria and are known to engage in black ops. They sometimes provide vital information that advances the interests of Andoria through “anonymous sources” to Starfleet Intelligence.

Technology

Andorians are fond of technology, but they insist on its use with respect for nature. For this reason, their early wars of conquest were fought with a regard for planetary environment, and so the Andorians avoided much of the ecological devastation suffered by other cultures.

Mythology

A commonality in Andorian myths is that Andorians lack a piece of self-knowledge, which makes them unworthy of evolving beyond who or what they are. Nothing in the natural animal or plant biology, or fossil record, of Andor indicated an origin for sentient Andorians' unique four-gender paradigm. Until recently, a growing number of theorists have speculated that Andorians may not have evolved on the planet they consider to be their home world. Were they originally space-faring refugees from a dying planet?

Belief in the First Kin permeates all of Andorian culture and is especially important in the family.

The Star Guardian guides and protects the thaan gender. The Guardian’s attribute is Wisdom. The thaan is the member who initiates the consummation of the shelthreth with the shen. It is highly symbolic that a deceased Andorian’s soul and body are offered to the stars at the Sending. The soul is on a journey, to the wisdom beyond.

The chan gender is guided by the Fire Guardian. The Guardian’s attribute is Passion. It is the chan who completes the shelthreth with the shen after a good deal of foreplay amongst all four bondmates. Passion within the shelthreth is as sacred as the begetting of offspring.

The shen gender is guided by the Water Guardian. The Guardian’s attribute is Blood. The shen is the giver of life, the gender that produces the egg from which the Andorian is formed. During the season of the worst storms, the shen will paint the icon of “her” gender on the gates of Clan Keep in “her” own blood as a sacrifice to the Water Guardian and in preparation for the Spring Water Festival. This period of prayer, fasting and sacrifice is to plead with the Guardian for protection against the storms. Once this rite is performed and the Andorians are assured of the Water Guardian’s protection, feasting, dancing, and celebration follow.

The zhen gender is guided by the Earth Guardian of the zhen gender. The Guardian’s attribute is Strength. It is the zhen that nurtures the infant Andorian to independence and guides the young child in the ways of the people and the clan. Once the children are grown, the elder zhen of the clan often assume important political and societal roles, such as Clan leader, Party chieftain, Counsellor to the Federation, Priestess of one of the guardians or deities. This is not to say that other genders do not take on some of these roles, but zhen are particularly suited for these professions.

Each gender takes its duties within the bond very seriously. The attribute becomes a spiritual path, but of course not all thaan are wise, not all zhen have inner strength, etc. After the first shelthreth, the members of the bond become very close emotionally and spiritually each gender a part of a spiritual Whole within each of the other bondmates. Andorians believe that in the bond, the Whole becomes greater than the four of them singly. One’s life belongs to the Whole and the lives of the Whole belong to the one. Wisdom, Strength, Blood, and Passion. Without all Four, the Andorian is incomplete.

To lose a member of the bond to death is like losing a part of one’s soul. The surviving members are no longer Whole and soon after the Sending they look to replace the lost member. To live for the Whole extends into Andorian society. Reminders of the First Kin are everywhere, represented by symbols, carvings, and statues. It is with these reminders that Andorians approach their meetings, whether of the Keth or of the Parliament, with ritual and respect so that nothing they do or say will harm the Whole.

Special Notes

Ancient legend tells of female clan leader and scholar-warrior Lor'Vela who created the famous Andorian duelling rituals. An Andorian custom maintains "For blood of mine, I shed blood of yours." It is derived from The Rite of Kanlee, which was an old Andorian tradition and involved killing another individual in order to balance out good and evil in the universe. Most ritual duels are called over a matter of honour or the breaking of a social taboo. Some are ended when first blood is drawn, but some duels such as the Ushaan are to the death. At any time one of the participants may stand down from the duel and concede the contest. Duels are conducted using non-energy hand weapons.