Vaharran

3D Model by RawArt & Daz3D

Vaharran characters in Star Trek: Theurgy:

• Hassar al-Zaheer

"May you stand unshaken." -A common Vaharran saying from the writings of Monk Zar.

The Vaharrans were a hermaphroditic species that originated from an arid world thousands of lightyears away from the Alpha Quadrant, they were forced to flee their world when the star that it orbited mysterious exploded leaving but a tiny fraction to sail the vast emptiness of space in search of a new home. After three hundred years of hardship they found a new world to call their own and made first contact with the Federation and other Alpha and Beta Quadrant powers. Technologically inferior to their mighty neighbors they seek to trade and prosper to rebuild their civilization its great heights once more.

Physiology

External Anatomy

Medical Database entry on Vaharran anatomy. 3D Model by RawArt & Daz3D

The Vaharrans were a humanoid type species of similar build to a Human; they were hermaphroditic and externally appeared male. On average a Vaharran stood between 1.9 meters (6 feet 3 inches) to 2.05 meters (6 feet 9 inches) and weighed between 100 kilograms (220 pounds) to 140 kilograms (309 pounds). Their bodies evolved to handle the harsh desert climate of their original and current home world.

Their most prominent feature was their cranial ridges, similar to that seen on a Klingon, made of thick, dense, and hard bone that acts as an armored plate. This cranial armor made up much of the upper half of the skull. It was segmented during infancy but became fused together into a single solid piece by adulthood. This armored bone plating extended further down the back, producing visible ridges on the back neck and along the spine. It was theorized that this armored plating was a holdover from an earlier evolutionary ancestor that used the armored craniums as a form of protection from predators by charging and headbutting them. Further the armored spinal cord made it far more difficult for Vaharrans to receive back injuries or have the spinal cord severed entirely. One further area that possessed this armored plate is the Vaharran sternum, which gave the cleft between their pectorals several pronounced ridges as well. This armor plate is believed to protect the heart, though not fully.

To protect from the harmful UV-rays and x-rays their sun produced, Vaharrans evolved to have rather thick skin. Their skin tones typically ranged from a light olive green color to a dark almost grayish green. Areas where the skin is thinner typically had a prominent reddish hue to them due to increased blood flow in those areas, the reason for this is further explained in the Internal Anatomy section of this article.

Other prominent external features included their ears, which were pointed. Their teeth have several sharp incisors due to their semi-carnivorous diet. Their eyes were fairly typical for humanoids with eye colors that ranged from green to brown and even in some rare cases a goldish yellow. Due to their prominent brow, eye color, and darker eyelids, the Vaharrans were particularly adept at seeing in incredibly bright conditions without the need of shaded lenses, however their night vision was rather poor.

The Vaharrans possessed some hair, mostly in the form of body hair. The hair started out as black then turns gray and eventually white with age.

Internal Anatomy

Vaharrans had a rather high muscle mass that gave them enhanced strength compared to that of a humanoid, their strength being about three times greater than an average human. Though they were omnivores they had to consume high amounts of protein in order to maintain their muscle mass and keep their muscles healthy. An issue that affected some elderly Vaharrans was their bodies could not process protein as efficiently and would undergo significant muscle atrophy, this could be treated with medications.

Internally, Vaharran organ systems were not particularly remarkable, resembling in both placement and composition many other humanoids across the galaxy. The only thing of note was their digestive tract is over fifty percent longer than a human’s allowing them to more efficiently break down food and absorb its nutrients into their body. However, again, owing to their increased muscle mass they still required large amounts of food in order to stay healthy and cannot go without food any longer than an average human.

Due to the very hot temperatures of their planet, the Vaharrans had multiple means to maintain their body temperature and not overheat. They possessed some sweat glands for perspiration, the largest of these is in their armpits, however they did not perspire enough to maintain body temperature. The average body temperature of a Vaharran was only slightly higher than a human’s at 37°C (99°F) and were able to handle fevers far better. The most common method for the body to expel extra heat was through several areas of thin skin with increased blood flow. These areas included the ears, nose, tongue, feet, hands, and groin. These areas could be identified by their reddish hue. Due to their bodies having evolved to exist comfortably in high heat environments, Vaharrans were not able to adapt to other climates. The average temperature that most humans found comfortable, 21°C (70°F) , would feel a bit cold to the Vaharrans who were far more used to a comfortable temperature of 40.5°C (105°F). Not being able to adapt or acclimatize to large colder temperature changes meant that Vaharrans required extra protection in colder environments. A world like Andoria or Efros-Delta would be extremely deadly for a Vaharran even with warm clothing, they would require special arctic exploration protection.

Vaharrans had an increased natural lifespan over that of an average humanoid. Typically they would live on average approximately 200 years. It was not exactly known why they live this long, lacking other sentient species to compare to until recently. Research has been done to determine the cause of the increased lifespan and possible ways using the new technologies and medicines they had acquired from Federation, Klingons, and Romulans to perhaps increase it further; but it was in its infancy and required rebuilding a lot of the knowledge that had been lost with the destruction of their planet and the three centuries traversing space.

Reproduction

The Vaharrans were hermaphroditic species, possessing both male and female genitalia.

The Vaharran penis and testicles were of similar shape to an average humanoid, the main difference being that the skin was a bit thicker like the rest of the body and the foreskin more pronounced in order to protect the sensitive and lighter glans from the harsh sun. Further the glans of the penis were pointed and had a ribbed texture to aide in stimulation. The average length of a Vaharran penis was between 20.3 centimeters (8 inches) to 25.4 centimeters (10 inches) and were between 5 centimeters (2 inches) to 7 centimeters (3 inches) in width. Their testicles were also made of slightly thicker skin and extended lower than an average humanoid due to the heat of their environment. When stimulated the penis would become fully erect and the foreskin retracted to reveal the sensitive glands. The skin of the penis is not highly sensitive but glands themselves contained a greater than average amount of nerve endings and was the primary area of stimulation in order to achieve a penile orgasm.

The Vaharran vagina was located directly behind the testicles and like the penis had a similar shape and characteristics to the female genitalia of other humanoids. Also like the penis the skin around the vulva was thicker to protect it from the sun’s rays. The length and width of the vaginal canal was similar in comparison to the length and width of the Vaharran’s penis. Also similar to the penis the exterior skin around the opening of the vagina was not very sensitive but the interior was and could be stimulated to achieve an orgasm.

Vaharran reproduction itself, despite their hermaphroditic physiology, was fairly straightforward and similar to other mammalian humanoids. Utilizing Vaharran terminology, the act of course required two partners, one referred to as the provider and the other the receiver. When the receiver has started to ovulate the provider was able to insert his penis into the receiver’s vagina for sexual intercourse. Once the provider had been stimulated to orgasm he will ejaculate into the receiver’s vagina to fertilize an egg. Vaharrans produced large deposits of semen far above that of a typical human but their actual sperm count was slightly less than that of an average human. Once the egg has been fertilized it will take just over ten months for the fetus to come to full term and the receiver could give birth.

A Vaharran did have the possibility to impregnate themselves, but the chances of success were less than 1%. Further the odds of a child being able to survive to adulthood from such an insemination were approximately 8%. If such a child reached adulthood they would have extremely poor health and a lifespan potentially 60% shorter than an average Vaharran. Such practices of self-impregnation were considered repugnant to nearly all Vaharrans, viewed worse than inbreeding.

Psychology

Vaharrans were communal by nature and lived in large tight knit social groups. Friends were lifelong and families highly devoted to one another. The death of a friend or family member was keenly felt by a Vaharran and their communities at large. Most Vaharrans used their spirituality to temper the pain of loss as they believed in the passing of one soul from the material world to the spiritual world upon death.

These tight knit communities and social groups did have drawbacks in that it spurred factionalism and destructive competition among groups. This has left a violent legacy on the Vaharran past that perhaps rivaled even Humans and Romulans for the destructive wars that took place on their home world. Unlike humans though, the Vaharrans only just managed to escape a full blown nuclear apocalypse but not before nearly half a million people were killed in a preemptive strike on the city of Saratios. Since the destruction of their home world though Vaharrans have embraced the view of the species as one large community; and while factionalism and competition still remained the interests of the now endangered species has brought on unity.

Vaharrans also had a high degree of ingenuity which served them well during the exodus from their destroyed home world and the establishment of their new one. This allowed them to be quite resourceful in maintaining their key ships and equipment for the nearly three hundred year journey through space. It also aided in their ability to adapt the new technology they had acquired from the various new aliens they had encountered after first contact, getting it to work with their own more primitive tech.

Due to their communal nature, Vaharrans have also found themselves to be suspicious of alien outsiders. Not to the extent that they are outright hostile to them but they do keep their guard up whenever they have encountered aliens or have allowed them to visit their world. Certain areas of the home world and capital city were off limits to outsiders without an escort and any temples or spiritual sites barred outsiders completely from setting foot on their grounds. This suspicion should not however be misconstrued as a total dislike of outsiders. In fact many Vaharrans were quite curious about the new peoples they have come across and were very welcoming, provided of course that those outsiders behaved themselves.

Language

Speech

The Vaharran language, known as Tynos, was not particularly complex to understand or translate. Where things got difficult was the sheer number of Vaharran dialects, approximately thirty-nine but before the exodus there were hundreds if not thousands. This large abundance of highly different dialects was influenced by the Vaharrans’ communal nature, communities finding their own forms of speech despite the fact that the language was universal to the entire planet. There were however, two dialects that were considered the definitive forms of Tynos, these were Modern and Classical. The Modern dialect was what was taught in schools and used in all official communications and was the basis for programming the language into the Universal Translator upon first contact with the Federation. The Classical dialect was primarily used for spiritual purposes as it was considered the oldest consistent dialect of Tynos, derived from the dialect of the Akarid tribe of which Monk Zar, considered the founder of the Vaharran spiritual religion, Kyros, was a part of. In order to preserve its important cultural significance, the Vaharrans have refused to allow the Federation or any users of the Universal Translator to program it into its database.

Another dialect that Vaharrans used was what was called Shaa Speech which consisted of a heavy use of slang terminology. While originally Shaa Speech was used by agricultural workers and miners it gradually found use among the military and diplomatic leaders as it could not be translated properly by the Universal Translator, sounding completely nonsensical when directly translated. Vaharrans frequently used this slang dialect to have private conversations among outsiders without as much worry of eavesdropping.

Writing

The Vaharran alphabet was phonetic and consisted of thirty-two letters: five vowels, twenty consonants, and six unique letters for special sounds. Historically the alphabet was derived from ancient hieroglyphs of the Idira but were gradually adapted and simplified by the Tyrodans into the written form of their language Tynos. The alphabet was formally standardized during the height of the Tyodan Empire. It now has taken on three forms: calligraphy, digital, and written. Calligraphy was really only used as a hobby, particularly among Kyros monks as a form of meditation, but consisted of very carefully writing the language in its blocky angular format with great exactitude. Crisp sharp lines were highly desired and a true master’s work could not be differentiated between a modern printed one. The digital format was simply just the calligraphy put into a computer and had a variety of fonts, but Government 10 was considered the proper standard. And finally, the written alphabet, which was meant to be far more simplistic for quick writing and consisted of dashes, dots, and lines in similar but less exacting shapes as the normal alphabet.

When writing in Tynos there was very little punctuation, only the sentence structure and specific words were used to convey what punctuation would be in other languages. The main form of punctuation was a horizontal dash to show when a sentence had ended. There were other marks in the written form but these were not consistent and tended to reflect specific spoken dialects to put emphasis on certain words within that dialect and were most common in novels and scripts.

The number system of the Vaharrans was pretty standard like the alphabet and itself was also derived from ancient number keeping practices. In this case it was from simple tally marks that were used by merchants, but as scientific and mathematical principles were discovered a more formal number system developed to aid in calculations.

Dictionary

-Kyros - roughly translates to an emphasized version of the word balance or kyri.

-Pykaar - the Vaharran word for their head of state, similar to president or prime minister.

-Sorkaar - the Vaharran word for a senior member of the legislative body of the government, similar to a senator or MP.

-Kyrozek - literal translation is life-balance and used to describe enlightenment.

-Vah - is the pronoun that the Vaharrans use to describe themselves. It most closely translates to he/him.

-Vaho - means you.

-Hudika - means fathers or parents.

-Dako - means provider/giver.

-Daki - means bearer/receiver.

-Suri - means child

-Takonos - means abyss or more specifically is used to refer to the void of death.

-Huri - means brother.

-Zahilin - means hardship or a state of being that is undesirable.

-Ehkeem - means endure.

-Hika - means feast.

-Frak - a swear that has a variety of contexts.

-Nyon - means dark.

-Talna - means love.

-Tavo - means sex.

System and Home World

Former Home World: Tyros

Very few records remain of the original Vaharran home world of Tyros beyond a few textbooks, maps, atlases, nature magazines, and travel brochures. The world was a little bigger than Earth with three large land masses separated by oceans. Much of the planet was arid with great savannas and deserts but had plenty of tropical beaches and dense jungles near the oceans and major rivers. Despite the harsh and hot conditions, life flourished. Very little of that life beyond the Vaharrans themselves was able to be saved during the exodus from the planet, but a pair of trees, supposedly from the Forum of Zar, was saved and planted on an agricultural ship before they were moved to the new capital building on Aros.

The Vaharrans themselves on Tyros were at the height of their civilization. Technological advancements that improved lives, a wealth of culture and art, the ability to travel to other stars. Its largest city, Saratios, was home to over twenty-million people, its skies filled with gleaming skyscrapers.

This was all destroyed when in the Earth year of 2072 CE the star, Sektal, went supernova. The planet, the system, and five-billion Vaharrans were wiped out, leaving behind only fading memories of its survivors and a few books to ever remember them.

New Home System: Kyrofala (Omega Carinae)

System map of Omega Carinae. Not to scale.

The Kyrofala System was the location of the Vaharran home world of Aros and consisted of six planets, eight moons, and over a dozen moonlike objects. On Federation Star Charts the system is known as Omega Carinae in the Earth-centric, Carina constellation and was close to the Federation star system of Canopus.

Planets and Moons of the Kyrofala [Omega Carinae (ω Car)] System

Name	Class	Perihelion	Aphelion	Orbital Period	Rotation Period	Radius (km)	Mass (Earths)
Saldin (ω Car I)	J-4	1.1 AU	1.7 AU	271 Days	Tidal Locked	209,733	401
Nydos (ω Car II)	Y	11.6 AU	17.3 AU	25 Years	43 Hours	6,208	0.87
Aros (ω Car III)	M-6	28.5 AU	29.3 AU	70 Years	28 Hours	6,662	1.1
-Zar (ω Car IIIa)	D	359,000 km	365,000 km	23.6 Days	Tidal Locked	3,419	0.025
-Alar (ω Car IIIb)	D	598,000 km	604,000 km	51.1 Days	Tidal Locked	803	0.005
Ahkel (ω Car IV)	D	37.1 AU	38 AU	103 Years	309 Days	3,207	0.51
Zeerkel (ω Car V)	J	49.8 AU	50.3 AU	158 Years	13.6 Hours	71,386	321
-Kintheek (ω Car Va)	D	407,000 km	409,000 km	1.6 Days	Tidal Locked	1,608	0.012
-Ko (ω Car Vb)	D	458,000 km	492,000 km	2.1 Days	Tidal Locked	1,299	0.009
Ushek (ω Car Vc)	A	612,000 km	684,000 km	3.3 Days	Tidal Locked	2,119	0.018
-Odaki (ω Car Vd)	D	1,699,000 km	1,805,000 km	14.9 Days	Tidal Locked	3,089	0.021
Rideera (ω Car VI)	I (Ringed)	57.4 AU	59.6 AU	200 Years	23 Hours	73,501	51
-Isiro (ω Car VIa)	Class K	1,055,000 km	1,205,000 km	19.3 Days	Tidal Locked	2,512	0.31
Eertiso (ω Car VIb)	D	1,763,000 km	1,915,000 km	40.2	Tidal Locked	1,289	0.01

-Kyrofala (Omega Carinae): This was a Class B8 IIIe star located in the Earth-centric Carina constellation approximately 342 light years from Earth. It was a little over seven times larger than The Sun and appeared blue-white in color. On Romulan star charts it was known as Teritus 5 Major and was used as a navigational marker to map the boundaries of the Federation.

-Saldin (Omega Carinae I): This very large gas giant was classified as J4 or more colloquially a hot Jupiter on account of its very low orbit of the star Kyrofala and relatively extremely short orbital period. It is about three times the size of Jupiter and has an orange appearance with multiple dark bands of counter rotating equatorial jets along with large vortex storms. Saldin was also tidally locked with one side of the planet always facing the host star. Research has suggested that the planet was pulled into its current orbit early during the formation of Kyrofala’s solar system and disrupted the orbit of Nydos to where it is now.

The Arosans placed a remote research station in a locked orbit on the far side of the planet in 2372 to study this unique planetary phenomena. The orbit of the station was expected to have decayed to the point the station would be destroyed by the intense heat of Kyrofala in either 2383 or 2384.

-Nydos (Omega Carinae II): This small planet was classified as Y for its extreme temperature, toxic atmosphere, and high levels of thermionic radiation. It had a low orbit over the system’s host star giving it a relatively short orbital period and eccentric orbit. Research has shown that during its transition into its current orbit around Kyrofala the planet Saldin disrupted the original orbit of Nydos to where it is now. It was also theorized that had Nydos remained in its original orbit it might have been able to support life.

Due to its abundance in chemical resources and isotopes, the Arosans, with help from the Federation, started extracting raw materials from the planet in 2377. Because of its close proximity to Kyrofala and eccentric orbit, remote equipment is used for resource extraction.

-Aros (Omega Carinae III): This planet was classified as M-6 with the ability to support life adapted for arid environments. This is the new home world of the Vaharran species and the capital world for the Arosan Republic. For further information on the planet itself please see the section, New Home World: Aros, below for more details.

In orbit around Aros was the moons of Zar and Alar, named after the two founding thinkers of the Vaharran religion of Kyros. Zar orbited closer to the planet and was highly rich in natural resources, especially duranium, a primary component in the construction of hulls for starships and space stations. A permanent habitat settlement was established by both the Arosans and the Federation to aid in mining the surface as well as scientific research. The moon of Alar was much smaller and had a somewhat eccentric orbit. It was used for EVA training by the Arosan Marines.

-Ahkel (Omegae Carinae IV): This Class D planet was quite strange for its large rippling fault lines that spanned the entire circumference of the planet radiating away from a massive crater caused by the impact with a planetoid sized object. It is further theorized that this collision is what has caused the planet to rotate on an axis that is perpendicular to its orbit. Its surface consisted almost entirely of hard volcanic rock with craters filled with a silvery regolith.

An Arosan military and research outpost was built on this planet but no suitable resources have yet to be found for extraction.

-Zeerkel (Omega Carinae V): This was a relatively unremarkable Jupiter sized Class J gas giant. Its most interesting feature was its large storm in the northern hemisphere. In orbit were four moons of roughly equal size: Kintheek, Ko, Ushek, and Odaki. Of these Ko was the most unique, its regolithe appearing almost black from now dormant volcanic activity and was initially undetected by the standard telescopes the Vaharrans used during their initial surveys until the moon had transmitted across the lit face of Zeerkel. The moon was named Ko after a mythological horned black skinned demon that preyed upon unwary travelers.

The other moons were of the standard rocky type found throughout other systems in the galaxy and the Arosans established a military outpost in orbit of Odaki.

-Rideera (Omega Carinae VI): This planet was a very large Class I ringed ice giant. It was fairly typical of ice giants except for its size which was nearly triple that of most ice giants found in the galaxy. It is believed that the planet was formed by the collision of another ice giant during the transition of Saldin from the outer system to its current orbit and could also explain Rideera’s eccentric orbit. The atmosphere of the planet to the naked eye appeared a brilliant blue with several dark and light bands of storms circling the planet. The planet also features a pair of dark spots, massive storms that travelled in tandem around the southern hemisphere. The rings of the planet were of a fairly uniform gray color and were tightly packed to give them an almost uniform density from a distance.

Rideera had two moons, Isiros and Eertiso. Isiros was a very large moon, about the size of an average planet and featured an atmosphere almost entirely composed of nitrogen. The moon even had a large abundance of water ice and even liquid water located deep under the ice in some locations. This has led to a great amount of interest in terraforming the moon into a habitable world and as such multiple Vaharran and Federation research outposts have been built on its surface to research the feasibility.

The other moon, Eertiso, was not so impressive but still quite interesting as it appeared to have been formed by the collision of two planetoids that has left both hemispheres appearing distinctly different from one another. The designated western hemisphere was the more typical rocky moon with gray regolith while the eastern hemisphere appeared to have been volcanic while it was still a planetoid and has left it with many colors of black orange and gray. The eastern hemisphere also featured a large dormant volcano.

-Other System Features: The system was also host to an asteroid belt between the orbits of Ahkel and Zeerkel that is theorized to have been a early planetoid that was torn apart during the transition of Saldin to its current orbit. Within the asteroid belt were a variety of very small planetoids and large asteroids as well as a great abundance of raw materials, namely duranium and dilithium. The system also features a typical Kuiper belt with several planetoid sized objects that have only been cataloged but not studied.

New Home World: Aros

Physical Characteristics

Aros was slightly larger than Earth with a circumference of 41,841.6 kilometers (25,999.1 miles), an axial tilt of 5.08 degrees, and a surface gravity of 10.7 meters per section (1.1 g). Its rotation period was 28.1 hours (shortened to 28 hours on local clocks) and had an orbital period of 56 standard years at a distance of 28 AU from the host star. The surface itself was covered by 62% water with the remaining 38% in two large major landmasses, one in the northern hemisphere and one directly south in the southern hemisphere and five far smaller ones of various sizes.

Climate and Biomes

The climate of Aros was classified as M-6, suitable for a great abundance of life that had evolved to thrive in an arid climate. On the whole the planet’s landmass was dominated by great deserts and savannas, particularly along the equator; some rivers and deltas in these biomes allow for lush plant growth along their banks. At certain latitudes above and below the equator these deserts gave way to great jungles and tropical coastlines. Near the poles the environment became a lot colder with small bands of evergreen forests and tundras. Because the planet had a very small axial tilt much of the planet did not experience seasons except closer to the poles.

The oceans teemed with life and the shallow sea between the two major landmasses was abundant with colorful coral reefs and the many fish that resided there. Due to the bluish light that Kyrofala put off the entire planet had a certain faint blue hue to it that made its already vibrant blue oceans even more vibrant.

Civilization

Having only recently been colonized by the Vaharran species there is very little civilization on the planet. Most of the population was confined to the main capital city of Zahkeed. The only other major settlement was Yamashiro, named after the Starfleet vessel that made first contact with the Vaharran species, located outside the city; it was home to permanent non-Vaharran residents. Other settlements around the planet were mostly military and research outposts.

The city of Zahkeed, had come a long way since it was established in 2366, from a rough grid of tents and colony habitats on the banks of a fertile river delta to a small but fully built city. At its center was the recently completed Idahk Skyscraper, a monument for the future of Aros and the Vaharran people. Nearby were the government buildings and the Forum of Samek along with its large reflecting pool. Around the forum and government complex are the homes and apartments where the Vaharrans live, all traces of cramped habitats and moldy tents replaced with grand architecture modeled after the style of Vaharran New World Modernism. Throughout the city were the various temples, markets and public services; all connected by a recently completed metro system.

Just outside the city is the space port that sees the arrival of people returning from the orbital stations or aliens coming to visit Aros itself. Further beyond that near the coast is the settlement of Yamashiro, built around a Ferengi established resort, it is home to a large portion of the non-Vaharran population. The settlement boasts a wide variety of activities and cultures, mostly Federation, who have come to Aros to help build, for business, for pleasure, or simply because they wanted to live there. Starfleet maintains a small presence in the settlement to protect Federation citizens.

Flora

A few examples of notable or important flora found on the planet of Aros.

-Kyros Bean is a source of plant based protein and one of the few plants to come from the original home world. Used in place of animal protein on the fleet.

-Surida is a type of seed used in the seasoning of food. It has a potent mustard and citrus taste. Because it was easy to grow in abundance it became the primary source of seasoning and condiments on the fleet and is still popular. One of the few plants to come from the original home world.

-Tyldara is a tuber that is most closely equated to the Earth potato, however its flesh is red in color with more of a waxy consistency. It was a great source of starch and grows well in hot arid environments. One of the few plants to come from the original home world.

-Kedros Ridge Mushrooms or Adaratos Mushrooms are a hallucinogenic fungus that grows under rocks. It is poisonous to life forms such as Vulcans and Romulans.

Fauna

A few examples of notable or important fauna found on the planet or Aros.

-Haanas are a type of livestock that provide meat for the Vaharrans. However, because they only were able to keep a handful eggs and sperm in cryogenic stasis it will be some time before they can become the primary source of protein in the Vaharran diet once again.

-Skybreakers are a type of large bird that is able to fly at extreme heights.

-Kadaloks are a type of bird similar to a falcon. They are named after another similar bird from the original home world.

-Soks are a rodent creature that inhabits the mountains. They like to make homes among remnants of rock slides and live in large colonies.

-Gellens are a predatory feline that lives in the jungles on the planet. They are noted for their brown fur with tan spots and large protruding upper canines.

Culture and Customs

The culture and customs of the Vaharrans was a shadow of what it once was, just whatever physical pieces or references to it that were on the ships that escaped or what had been passed down from the Vaharrans that had themselves escaped. Further a new set of cultural norms had developed over the three centuries that the Vaharran species lived on their cramped spaceships transiting the void of dark space.

Art, Literature, and Other Media

A Vaharran playing an akadi.

Much of the original artwork that survived the destruction of the home world was aboard the cruise ship Vitrios along with several private yachts. The style of the art ranged from realistic, typically in the form of statues and paintings of historic events or famous people to the more abstract which featured angular designs and sharp lines typical of a lot of Vaharran designs at the time. Most of these original pieces have been preserved and put on display at Zarkeel's Museum of Art. The traditional techniques still continued even after the exodus but a art style that developed during the years of The Fleet was an impressionist style meant to convey the feelings and emotions of those who had lost their homes and would never see the sky or feel real ground ever again. A lack of camera film and with digital storage at a premium a large amount of still life watercolors and sketches that recorded life in the fleet have also survived through the decades. These are also on display at the Zarkeel Museum of Art as well but the majority are on display or stored at The Fleet Memorial Hall along with many other artifacts of fleet life.

Vaharran literature, like most cultures, was very diverse with many genres. Many classics survived the destruction of the home world including: Ko’s Bargain about the hero Raazod being tricked by the demon Ko to serve him for eternity and how Raazod eventually turned the tables and defeated Ko. There was also Ten Rings, an epic fantasy struggle for ultimate power. Since the arrival to the new home world there was an increase in the amount of poetry and other pieces about the natural beauty of Aros. Another important form of Vaharran literature is their religious texts of Kyros. These included various myths, notably The Trials of Raazod from which Ko’s Bargain was adapted but also the many written works of spiritual philosophers like Monk Zar. Many of these works were saved by Monk Adasu who carried the cases with the thousand year old scrolls to one of the last transports to leave the doomed homeworld of Tyros.

In the modern era things like radio, film, television, and video games also entered the cultural lexicon of the Vaharrans. Like their literature this was quite diverse but what was most popular were the big studio fantasy and war epics from famous directors like Amad al-Zimek. The most popular Vaharran film in history was the adaptation of Ko’s Bargain simply called The Bargain by the visionary and eccentric director Gartos al-Karii. Even while the fleet had limited production resources, some films and television were still produced. The two most popular of these was a weekly comedy sketch show called Live From Nowhere and a medical procedural called Hospital Ship. In 2381 a documentary was completed about the early days of the fleet using hours of footage recorded by contemporary documentarian Hama al-Zula and is one of the only full visual records that recorded the day of Tyros’s destruction.

Video games were also a popular form of Vaharran entertainment but the need for digital storage meant they fell out of favor during The Fleet’s journey. Many of these video games were lost due to deletion but a few popular ones remained on disks and have recently been made available again. The introduction of holodeck technology by the Federation has however stifled any real resurgence of traditional video games.

Vaharran music was also quite diverse but several distinct styles and popular instruments were common throughout. The most popular instrument was the akadi, a stringed instrument with a rather striking similarity to an Earth erhu. Drums were also a popular component of most Vaharran music, typically very bassy.

Cuisine

Vaharrans were omnivores but required high protein diets in order to stay healthy. While originally this was done by the incorporation of animal proteins, specifically the livestock animal haana, while living on the fleet their protein had to be substituted with what was called Kyros bean. Since the establishment of the new home world haanas have been bred once more but it will be some time before their numbers are great enough to form a staple of the Vaharran diet once again. The Vaharrans have also been working with Federation scientists on using protein resequencing to make substitutes for the haana meat that has the same look, taste, and texture, but there has been resistance to this method from a great many Vaharrans. Utilizing replicators for food has also received a strong amount of pushback from the population.

On the whole Vaharran food is very hearty with a great deal of spicy and sour flavors. A dish would typically consist of a large main meat course with a garnish of some sort of grilled vegetable or tuber and accompanying sauce. Each meal was always made with a side of steamed iima (similar to white rice but with a red hue). To drink each meal will have a specific hot tea that compliments the flavor of the main dish. Dessert usually consisted of a bowl of fruits in sour syrup; a frozen version of this has become quite popular with non-Vaharrans when they visit Aros.

Architecture

While the architecture on Tyros was quite diverse and spanned thousands of years of history the new architecture styles that have been seen on Aros are far more simplistic to allow for easier and quicker construction. This was very important so as to transition the population away from living in tents and colony habitats as quickly as possible. Two principle architectural styles have emerged since rebuilding began: New World Modernism and New Classical.

Vaharran New World Modernism - follows a trend of brutalist inspired architecture. The most common aspect of this style is angular designs with sharp edges. The building material is typically smooth bare cement. As a nod to the Classical style these will usually incorporate large water features.

Vaharran New Classical - a reinvention of what is now referred to simply as Classical or Old Classical but with modern techniques and building materials. Featuring pointed arches, stark white materials, and large water features this style is less ornate than its original inspiration but is still crafted with great care. This architectural style is most often found in use for temples.

Clothing

Examples of Vaharran clothing.

Vaharran clothing was made specifically for the wearer to feel comfortable in the hot arid environments in which they dwelled. They were typically baggy and made of lightweight fabrics that allow them to breathe. Vests and sleeveless shirts were common as they were considered comfortable but also exposed arms and torsos were considered attractive. Those of high positions in government typically wore a long robe and sash. Military clothing was much more standardized and less reveling owing to its more utilitarian nature.

Vaharrans prefered to be barefoot, this has cultural and religious significance that stretches back nearly a thousand years. This has led to modern settlements incorporating features of their thoroughfares in order to make them more suitable for walking in general but walking barefoot in particular. This included much smoother surfaces, covered pathways, fountains and pools to kept feet clean of dirt and sand, and public sanitation services that kept the pathways clean. Since modern realities and special work outside of cities still required the use of footwear Vaharrans took to the style of slippers and boots that could be easily slid on and off when entering areas where it would be impolite to wear shoes.

Family

Vaharran family structures were a bit different to other humanoids owing to their hermaphroditic physiology. Parents, or hudika, went by the terms dako, the one who provided the sperm, and daki, the one who bore the child. They were not called these terms by their children who would simply refer to them by Hud followed by the parent’s name. For example, a child born of the hudika Hassar and Adaar would refer to them as Hud-Hassar and Hud-Adaar. A child’s surname was inherited from the daki upon reaching adulthood, but it is not uncommon for a child to hybridize the two surnames of their parents in honor of them. Surnames being more important to the basic family unit than to the genetic lineage as a whole. Other family members are simply referred to as kin or diim.

Mating Practices

In ancient times Vaharran mating was a bit violent, the two partners would fight each other in vicious brawls with the victor gaining the right to penetrate the loser. This practice fell out of favor as time went on and was practically unheard of in the modern era. There are some ultra-traditionalists that still practice this violent form of mating but in most cases it is done consensually for added sexual thrills.

Much of Vaharran sexuality and mating practices were based on strict adherence to mutual satisfaction and that both partners should have the goal of climaxing simultaneously. While obviously each person is different and this could be a difficult goal to achieve, no attempt at all was considered highly selfish and in bad form. To this end though Vaharrans utilized a variety of interesting techniques and positions to achieve mutual and mostly equivalent pleasure. Further to aid in this the Vaharrans also liked long foreplay sessions to help heighten arousal to the point that simultaneous climax.

Another aspect of Vaharran sexuality was the extensive use of body art. This was not so much in the form of tattoos, due to the toughness of Vaharran skin tattooing as a practice did not see widespread adoption like other humanoid cultures, but in various forms of body paint. This use of paint is designed to enhance one's features and appear more attractive to a potential mate. This art can sometimes be quite complex with the use of powders, oils, clay, and fine sand in addition to paint. Several Vaharran television shows were actually devoted to competitions involving the elaborate body art their contestants would come up with.

History

Ancient History and Early Modern History

The Vaharrans originated on the arid desert planet Tyros in the star system they called Sektal, literally translated as The Great Star. On Federation star charts it is FSC-10904-03 in the Vela Constellation; it was not discovered for many years by Earth based astronomers due to it being almost entirely obscured by the IRAS 08544−4431 binary system and its thick dust cloud. The star was recorded by Romulan astronomers around 1850 CE but mistook it as being part of the IRAS 08544−4431 system as a trinary; however a Klingon astronomer, Vochek, did properly catalog the star in 2101, by which point the star had gone supernova nearly thirty-one years before hand, however the light of this explosion would not reach Qo'nos for many hundreds of years.

The earliest Vaharrans evolved in the rolling deserts and savannahs of the southern hemisphere, but as they developed tribal societies and followed the animals they hunted for food, they gradually expanded across the planet. The first known Vaharran civilization was the Adariti who were also credited for being the earliest origins of the myths regarding Vaharran spirituality or Kyros. Other important civilizations of this period included the Tyodans who created the language for which the modern Vaharran language, Tynos, is derived. These early civilizations would go on to form the building blocks of the modern Vaharran nation-states These nation-states frequently would get involved in long and bloody wars as part of the Vaharran species’ violent past. These wars only became more violent and destructive as the Vaharrans entered their own industrial revolution.

This culminated in what was known was The Great Desert War, the first and only world war that the Vaharrans ever faced, seeing the first use of machine guns, modern rifles, poison gas, tanks, battleships and so on. Despite the war having started in the massive desert of Sakira it quickly spread into a global conflict that lasted twenty years and left tens of millions of Vaharrans, both soldiers and civilians, dead or permanently scarred. The war was so traumatic to those who lived through it that it would eventually lead over a century later to the more unified and peaceful world that would turns its eyes to the stars.

Modern History

While the Vaharrans never had a chance to form a unified world like that of many other humanoid species they did come close, The countries of the world worked generally together and avoided military confrontations with one another; but as the Vaharrans entered space a new sort of rivalries began, that between corporations.

Initially space exploration was handled by various government entities that could afford it. Corporations, notably a company called Distant Ventures, started to join in as their own wealth and technological understanding began to rival that of the governments. Distant Ventures would take the lead in this race by being the first to mine an asteroid, initially only as a stunt to say they could but soon it became a big business for them and other companies were rushing to keep up. Soon the entire system saw itself the battleground, in some cases literally, between different corporations hoping to exploit its natural resources. Concerned that this competition could become literally destructive several governments formed a coalition and built the first “Enforcement Cruisers”. They operated as military vessels and were tasked with ensuring that corporate ships did not carry weapons of any kind. These cruisers were highly successful and eventually lead to the formation of the formal Tyrosian Navy.

The technological advancements in this rapid exploration, colonization, and exploitation of their system would soon lead to the Vaharrans discovery of warp technology. This great enhanced the abilities of ship travel within the system that would allow even the common man to go into space. Soon a whole industry of space cruises developed along with a large habitat resort on one of the system’s larger moons. But the Vaharrans were not content to stay in their own system and began the construction of two new large special exploration ships that could warp off into a new era of interstellar space exploration. These two ships would soon be called upon for the most important mission of what would become very long careers.

The Destruction of Tyros

The star Sektal exploding. Image © NASA & Univserity of Illinois

In the Earth year of 2072 CE the Vaharran star Sektal suddenly and inexplicably exploded in a form akin to a supernova. Very little data of the event was taken by the ships that escaped the system but what is known is that just before 0900 on Alato Day, a celebration of the successful end of a harvest, the star suddenly grew intensely bright and changed color. Minutes later it was observed through ground based and orbital telescopes that the star was in fact increasing in size at an alarming rate that was thought to be impossible. Panic took hold of the planet as its inhabitants attempted to evacuate into any ship they could reach.

The star continued to expand for approximately two hours. Temperatures on Tryos rose quickly, even on the far side of the planet, and radiation levels grew in intensity. On the side of the planet facing the star the radiation and heat grew so intense that any Vaharrans caught in the direct light would be quickly overwhelmed and die. Admiral Maled al-Tazani, commanding the Tyrosian Navy vessels in orbit, sent out a blanket radio signal to all civilian ships within the system to immediately warp out of the system if possible and for those that did not have warp to make their best sublight speed directly away from the star. Meanwhile the military ships would remain, their armored hulls able to withstand the heat and radiation far longer than the civilians in order to pick up transports from the planet.

At about 1215, Sektal explosively shed its outer layers. It is believed that at this time nobody above ground on the exposed side of the planet was still alive. The far side was not much better, the atmosphere had heated up significantly and some of the last transports leaving that area of the planet reported seeing the savannahs, jungles, and even some cities, aflame. Officially the last Vaharran to ever leave the planet was Leehad al-Farada who was born only a few hours before. Their daki carried them from the hospital to the nearest transport they could reach, but seeing that there was no more room handed the child to one of the passengers and remained behind.

The military ships warped away moments before the front of radiation from the explosion hit the planet, killing anything that was left alive and setting the atmosphere alight. In total some five billion Vaharrans were killed, leaving the species on the brink of extinction with no other habitable planets within their immediate reach to call home.

Forming the Fleet

In the days following the disaster chaos reigned throughout whatever ships had managed to escape. There was no government authority, all but a few members who had been off world at the time were dead. The sole surviving flag officer of the Tyrosian Navy was Admiral al-Tazani who himself only survived because he did not attend the yearly Admirals Banquette that was being held on the day of destruction because he was ill with a cold. Al-Tazani also came to the conclusion that there was no civilian authority left or at the very least organized enough to get things under control and thus instituted martial law until such time as a proper civilian authority could resume control. After his declaration of martial law, the Admiral then went about gathering the scattered ships from around the system and form a convoy; he also sent in several fast ships to re-enter the system to collect supplies and equipment from mining outposts located in orbit of the outermost planets, having not yet been destroyed by the supernova.

With all ships and survivors that could be found a total accounting was made of what was left of the Vaharran species and their civilization. Of the over five billion Vaharrans only 201,813 survivors remained but within days twenty-eight more would parish due to injuries, old age, or suicide. The fleet of ships that had been gathered amounted to 253 including both of the recently completed exploration cruisers, all but one military vessel, a cruise ship, several agricultural ships, several mining ships, a refinery ship, and even a mobile repair dock; the rest were private transports, cargo ships, and warp capable ferries. While not ideal for a comfortable life in deep space these vessels would allow the Vaharrans to survive almost indefinitely.

Shortly after the fleet was gathered a member of the civilian government was found, Aded al-Samek, a low ranking member of the Pykaar’s Council, the Under-Councilor for Agriculture. However, Al-Samek did not exactly have the full authority to act as the nominal civilian leader. On Tyros the World Coalition Council worked with the countries on Tyros towards general global cooperation, but did not have the authority to issue laws or orders. Even the Navy was not technically a true unified whole, each ship was owned by a respective country that in theory could recall their ship from the Navy. Al-Samek and Al-Tazani both realized that this state of affairs would not do and through several speeches and deals essentially unified the Vaharrans under what was called the Tyrosian Provisional Government. Al-Samek was declared Pyjaar, now given full power as the head of state and leader of the people, while Al-Tazani was placed in command of all military assets and fleet security. This arrangement had a lot of growing pains but would eventually find a comfortable balance of power.

Once these matters were mostly solved the question of what exactly to do next was debated. Everyone knew that the Vaharran species had to find a new home world or likely go extinct but which direction to go to start looking was the main stumbling block. Having never had a chance to use the exploration ships that had been built, the Vaharrans didn’t really have experience with interstellar travel and thus had to learn as they went. It was eventually decided that a course would be set towards the galactic core, the theory being that with the great abundance of stars the greater possibility of a planet that could support life. Granted the Vaharrans were not even sure if there were any planets that support life except their own or if they did have the climate that could support a Vaharran colony. The greatest hurdle to reach the galactic core would be first having to transit the relatively barren space between galactic arms, something that was expected to take over two centuries, possibly more.

Life in the Fleet

With the fleet now underway through the vastness of dark space, life settled into a routine of survival. A census was made to gauge how best to utilize the remaining population based on their skills and a subsequent shunting of people to various ships was undertaken. The most critically important work for the survival of the fleet was on the agricultural ships, built to grow food for mining outposts to save on the cost of importing them from the home world, these ships were at the top of the list for priority and would get just about anything that was requested of them in order to keep them functioning and their hard working crews happy. Mining vessels were used to gather necessary raw materials for fuel and the ability to forge replacement parts. The cruise ship Vitrios was turned into the fleet’s recreation and entertainment nexus as well as the seat of government.

The military was used to keep order in the fleet, manage fleet traffic, fleet navigation, and because their ships were the fastest they also would scout out star systems for potential resource bearing worlds or planets that might support life. A provisional school was set up with a curriculum created by surviving teachers and professors; and a number of academies were created for military training and training in various trades needed to keep the fleet functioning.

As things settled down and their new life sank in, many Vaharrans found life to be hard but comfortable. Everyone received equal and plenty to eat, temporary cots and cloth walls were replaced by small cabins, families were kept together even on military ships, and everyone had the opportunity to go to the Vitrios for a bit of rest and relaxation. Children born in the fleet found themselves able to adapt far easier than those that came from the home world and on reaching adulthood they were much more efficient workers and cared a lot more about the ships they had grown up on.

The Schism

In year 45 of the fleet’s journey Admiral al-Tazani passed away at the relatively young age of 121; he had always had poor health and the early stress of managing the fleet did not help. He was succeeded to the rank of Admiral by former Commander Jalin al-Zahnaad, selected by the third fleet Pykaar, Rutha al-Ibain. Pykaar al-Samek had served his two ten year terms admirably and continued on in an advisory role for several years but ultimately he would return to a more familiar role as Head of Fleet Agriculture. Pykaar al-Ibain’s election had been rather close, he was not seen as particularly charismatic compared to his predecessors, a fact that landed him in hot water several times, but he was highly intelligent and a good organizer. Most importantly however, he had the backing of the military while Admiral Al-Tazani was alive. The transition of Admiral al-Zahnaad was not very smooth, having to fill very large shoes he initially came across as incompetent and unprepared when it was more so an actively hostile staff and a lack of preparation by Al-Tazani that led to several key failures.

These factors combined to give the appearance of weak leadership, something that failed Pykaar candidate, Hasan al-Aleka, used to bolster his own political agenda which was to alter the fleet’s course to where he and several others believed a habitable planet could be found sooner. As such while Al-Ibain and Al-Zahnaad seemed to be publicly floundering, Al-Aleka publicly denounced the government and put out rhetoric in favor of a new election as well as a new course for the fleet. The government attempted to negotiate some sort of deal with Al-Aleka for him to stop these attacks out of concern for fleet morale and the precarious balance of survival it found itself in, but this was to no avail.

Finally Al-Aleka reported that twenty-six ships had declared themselves in favor of his proposals and that if the government did not acquiesce then he would leave the fleet. His expectation seemed to hinge on the belief that if such a thing happened over half the fleet would follow him forcing the rest to as well and pave the way for a peaceful coup of the government. However, Al-Ibain was not waiting idly and knew the key to keeping the fleet intact was the agricultural ships, if they refused to follow Al-Aleka then the ships would stay for fear of losing their access to food. To aid in this Al-Ibain along with Al-Samek spoke with the crews of the agricultural vessels to implore them to remain with promises of extra benefits if they chose to do so.

The day came and Al-Aleka’s flagship and twenty-two other ships warped away. Al-Zahnaad, despite resistance from his new command, had staged a strike force of Marines to storm Al-Aleka’s ships to stop them from leaving but Al-Ibain did not wish to risk bloodshed and believed that only a few ships would leave. Ultimately this belief was proven wrong, with only three of the twenty-six ships staying behind but more devastating was the loss of a mining ship and an agriculture ship, cutting the food production capability of the fleet by a quarter. With these ships went approximately 30,000 Vaharrans. Al-Ibain, hoping that this was a bluff, ordered the rest of the fleet to remain where it was in case the other ships came back but after waiting six months it became clear they were long gone. The Pykaar would resign in disgrace a short time later; Admiral al-Zahnaad was able to weather this storm without a resignation due to his plans to stop Al-Aleka that had been thwarted, but history would remember him as a relatively weak admiral.

As for what happened to the 30,000 Vaharrans that left this was not known, they were never seen or heard from again, but many hoped that Al-Aleka had found them a new home and that perhaps one day they would find another civilization of Vaharrans thriving in their own corner of the galaxy.

Final Years

After what became known as The Schism, life in the fleet adjusted and the people moved on. One by one the last of the original Tyrosian Vaharrans passed away and the Fleet Children took their place. A routine of life formed for them as it was all they had ever known. Talk of the Old World was just something Elders pined for but other than pictures and movies the new generation had little concept of. To them the world was simply the steel decks that they walked and the occasional glimpse of stars. They didn’t pine for what they had once had but rather were grateful for little they did have now while looking into the future to survive and perhaps one day find a world that they could call their own. The last Old World Pykaar left office in the 180th year of the journey and the last Old World Admiral, in the 187th. The first Fleet Child Pykaar was Idriin al-Suiva, a highly popular leader, his time in office was marked by a great abundance of food, working ships, and for the first time since the fleet started its journey, general population increase.

However this would not last. In the 197th year of the journey a disease broke out in the fleet. It was not exactly known where it originated but the theory at the time was that it was some deadly mutation of the Hitua Virus that attacked the respiratory system and the brain. The disease spread rapidly before it could be properly contained and with medical capability always pushed to the limit as it was there was very little that could be done to slow it. Further there was no equipment to properly synthesize a vaccine or produce medications in the numbers that were needed to help people. Quarantine was the only option which lead to several horrible incidents of entire ship’s crews and passengers dying of the disease with no way of helping them at risk of spreading the disease further. By the 201st year of the journey the disease was considered under control and some form of inoculation was developed but not before over 50,000 Vaharrans had perished. This left only about 110,000 survivors to continue on.

The fleet never fully recovered following the plague that overtook it. Many ships had to be abandoned for want of crews. Skilled tradesmen and laborers died without being able to pass on their knowledge. The quarantine of ships lead to supply disruptions that were never fully stabilized. Many ships could no longer continue on, long past the end of their working lives and had to be cannibalized for parts and abandoned. Equipment started breaking down all over and one ship lost its entire complement of 853 when the environmental system failed and they suffocated before they could be saved. Every year would see less and less variety in foods and the overall health of the population declined sharply. The last Vaharran to have been born on Tyros also passed away in the 206th year of the journey, having only been six months old when the planet was destroyed. This marked the end of any living connections to the Old World.

In the 283rd year of the journey the current Pykaar, Givda al-Tanada and Admiral Ahmel al-Zahnod had a secret meeting with several experts to discuss the current situation of the fleet. Their conclusion was that if things did not improve that it only had about thirty years of life left, food would no longer be able to keep up with consumption and it would descend into anarchy. This was a bitter pill to swallow especially as the fleet had only just reached the area of the galaxy where they expected to find habitable worlds. Efforts were re-doubled to investigate close systems, but these turned up nothing more than barren rocky worlds and gas giants if the stars had any planets around them at all.

In the middle of the 290th year of the journey a planet that could support life was discovered via telescope and the fleet moved in to investigate. Upon arrival however, the planet was found to have an extremely cold climate for Vaharrans (what Starfleer would catalog as Class L), but a great many people in the fleet expressed a wish that they in fact establish the planet as their new home world despite the bad climate. Both the Pykaar and Admiral made it very clear that the planet would not be sustainable for their species and the fleet continued on, though its coordinates were carefully plotted as a backup if nothing could be found. But this state of affairs angered a few who perceived the rejection of a hard yet livable home world was in order for Pykaar al-Tanada and Admiral al-Zaheer to hold onto their power, a clause of the Provisional Constitution would see the Pykaar and Admiral give up their emergency powers when a planet was found and settled.

With the belief that the species would be saved by this cold world a group of military officers and civilians led by Commander (2nd Rank) Udin al-Somal prepared a mutiny and coup to remove both Al-Tanada and Al-Zahnod from power. Al-Somal started the coup by attempting to take control of the exploration cruiser Agaros, the Admiral’s flagship, while simultaneously a group would arrest the Pykaar aboard the Vitrios. Admiral Al-Zahnod was captured early in the coup and the Agaros itself was taken only after a bitter firefight in the control room that saw the ship’s commander and most of the senior officers killed or wounded. The attempt to arrest Al-Tanada failed but only due to the fact that he wasn’t even on the Vitrios but had taken an unscheduled trip to the Agaros to visit with his son who was pregnant and due to give birth within the hour.

A group of loyal Marines protected the Pykaar and upon realizing that the mutineers did not know where he was, secretly smuggled him off the ship to a military cruiser. This same group of Marines then made a daring attack that retook the control room and dealt with the mutineers’ second in command. Al-Somal however, had managed to take over the fire control room on Agaros and threatened to not only execute the Admiral but fire on other civilian ships if his demands were not met. In the control center of Agaros the loyalists were unable to maneuver the ship out of the fleet due to damaged systems and thus the Marines along with a handful of armed crewmen attacked the fire control center. In the midst of the fighting, Al-Somal took his own life rather than face capture and the surviving mutineers surrendered shortly thereafter. The group that had been sent to the Vitrios also surrendered. The sole surviving ringleader would be executed by firing squad after a trial while the remaining surviving mutineers were given sentences of hard labor.

A New World

In the aftermath of what became the Somal Coup Attempt, fleet morale was quite low and the thirty year lifespan seemed to be getting shorter and shorter. For the next two years nearly the entirety of the military and whatever fast ship that could be mustered searched nearby systems for habitable worlds only to come up short. In order to cover more ground, small warp capable military transports were also sent out to check possible systems while the mothership would search another.

One of these transports, T-86, was dispatched to search a system that had a blue giant, for possible habitable worlds. The transport proceeded to the system, designated H-902-S, but upon arrival in orbit of one of the planets that showed the most promise the spacecraft suffered a catastrophic failure, most likely due to deferred maintenance because of a lack of parts. The transport entered the atmosphere of the planet and crashed. Two of the four crew were killed but as the survivors emerged from the wreckage they could not believe where they had landed. The planet was habitable, in fact not just habitable it was perfect, an arid world of deserts and savannas, just like in the books of the Old World. After burning their dead, the survivors repaired the transport’s subspace radio and sent out an emergency signal that they hoped would be picked up by the fleet, not just for their sake but for the sake of all Vaharrans.

On Stardate 43026.98 (May 14, 2365 CE) the Excelsior Class, USS Yamashiro was exploring the uncharted space in the Canopus Sector when they picked up a weak subspace signal originating from the star system Omegae Carinae. While the universal translator processed the language it was determined, based on the repeating pattern of the signal that this was some form of distress call and the ship’s commander, Captain John Hawkins ordered the ship to investigate. While the ship was at warp to its destination the universal translator was able to mostly decipher the language in the signal and determine it was in fact a distress call, what was a further bit of interest though was the specific mention of the habitability of the world the call was coming from. Upon arrival the crew of the Yamashiro found the planet was an arid M Class world and the signal was originating from a desert on the north continent. They promptly beamed down an away team.

The team discovered a crashed alien vessel and two surviving aliens who were initially hostile and pointed guns at the Starfleet personnel, the Vaharrans having never knowingly encountered another alien species before, but thanks to the decision to partially translate the alien language ahead of time they were able to quickly diffuse any tensions. The Vaharran survivors reported that they had been there for several months and of the dire situation back on their fleet. Captain Hawkins agreed to help the two Vaharrans and brought them back aboard his ship. Owing to its far superior technology and speed it only took two days for the Yamashiro to find the Vaharran fleet and after another brief standoff informed them of their rescued people and of the habitable planet. Captain Hawkins and his senior staff were invited to the Vitrios for a feast with the Pykaar and other leaders.

After the Yamashiro had departed, having informed Starfleet of the Vaharrans and suggested that they provide humanitarian aid to the beleaguered people, the fleet set a course at best possible speed to the habitable planet.

The Arosan Republic

After a little over 292 years and 2,273 light years traveled, on June 29th 2365 CE, the Fleet arrived over their new home. The planet was immediately named Aros, the ancient poetic word for “new”, and the Vaharrans immediately set about establishing a colony on the surface. The total survivors that reached the new world were 90,201 in 82 out of the original 253 ships.

The first step in the colonization was finding a suitable place to build a city that would have access to fresh water and arable land for immediate crop development. After a week of orbital scans a site was found on a river delta on the western coast of the northern continent. Within another week the first thousand people were landed at the site, known as Zahkeed, and were made up of primarily military personnel to secure it as well as researchers and experts to fully map the site and make it ready to begin receiving daily transports of people and supplies. Within a few months the site had become a tent city with almost ten thousand people living there and the first crops planted. By the end of the year nearly half of the population was on the planet and Zahkeed, officially named the new capital of Aros, had several colony habitats built.

Starfleet returned during this time to offer assistance, and though the Vaharrans as a whole were suspicious they did accept some help, mostly in the form of more pre-fabricated shelters, food, and medicine. Due to the apparent technological level of the Vaharrans, Starfleet was cautious about what they would provide them until they had a better understanding of the Vaharrans themselves. After a year nearly the entire population had been settled on the planet and things began to improve dramatically, especially with Starfleet’s help. Having established their new colony the Vaharrans drew up a new constitution proclaiming themselves as the Arosan Republic and the Pykaar and Admiral ceremonially handed over their emergency powers to the newly elected High Council.

With their world established the Arosans began to establish diplomatic relations with some of their neighbors, with the help of Starfleet who were keen to perhaps one day see the Vaharran people join the Federation. Once durainium was discovered on the moon of Zar the Arosans were able to form some modest trade agreements with a few nearby worlds. As their ability to mine more and more of the alloy grew however the Vaharrans used it to trade for various forms of technology, notably disruptor technology from the Klingons.

By 2370 CE the Arosans were able to start building permanent structures and Zahkeed slowly took on the form of a true city. Also around this time a Ferengi by the name of Rort approached the Vaharrans about building a resort near their city as this would attract outside investment in the form of tourists, the Vaharrans agreed though put in provisions to ensure that the resort didn’t contaminate the Vaharran culture. The resort turned out to be quite the success, tourists from nearby sectors who did not have the time to make the long trip to Risa could enjoy the luxury resort and picturesque coastline. This resort would eventually form the nucleus of what would become the town of Yamashiro, home to many non-Vaharrans who had come to the planet for the many building projects and technological projects and ended up requesting to remain.

The Dominion War saw a further increase in foreign interests on Aros. While the war was very far away the durainium that the Vaharrans mined from Zar was very much needed to help build the massive battle fleets of the Alpha Quadrant powers. The Arosans primarily supplied the Klingons, whose shipyards were far closer, but also sent durainium to the Federation and later the Romulans as well. However this supply was hardly anything massive like other operations across the quadrant, this was due to a lack of mining equipment and none of the major powers were interested in providing them with more. As for the war itself the Arosans dispatched a few Navy officers as observers but they never were aboard a ship that saw combat. The Arosan ambassador to Earth, Alsain al-Indanii, did have a close call during the Breen attack on Earth; he was touring Starfleet Academy at the time and was forced to seek shelter during the air assault on San Francisco. The nearly two hundred year old Ambassador emerged a bit shaken but none the worse for wear.

A year following the War the Federation suddenly made strong overtures to the Arosans about membership to the Federation. This came as a bit of a surprise as over the previous decade it had been made apparent that while the Federation wished to see the Vaharran people become members one day it would not be any time soon. The offer was generous, access to multiple highly advanced technologies, including replicators, transporters, and weapons, as well as the creation of a starbase in orbit of Aros that would be jointly manned by Starfleet and Arosan Navy personnel to help defend the planet. In exchange the Federation requested access to Zar’s durainium mines as well as recently discovered dilithium sources in the asteroid belt of the system. Further, this trade offer could go into effect immediately before any official membership to allow the Arosans time to work with legal scholars and diplomats on integrating Vaharran laws and culture into the Federation without the stress such a transition could have.

Admiral, now Pykaar, Ahmel al-Zahnod accepted the arrangement upon the unanimous vote of approval by the High Council; but the arrangement didn’t quite pan out as planned over the coming years. The Federation was quick to establish large and highly advanced mining outposts on Zar, which they rarely allowed the Arosans to inspect due to “safety concerns” and the mines quickly extracted and shipped durainium to shipyards in the Canopus system as well as back to the Sol System. Replicators were provided but it turned out they were unprogrammed and also lacked power sources or a way to interface them with Arosan power generation. In fact very little but the legal experts and diplomats was given to the Arosans as had been promised. When they asked about it Starfleet, who was handling the arrangement, responded that certain difficulties in sourcing equipment as well as unforeseen legal issues For their part the Arosan diplomats and government was skeptical but begrudgingly accepted these explanations without much protest as they did not “wish to look a gift horse in the mouth” to use an Earth saying. A lot of other figured that since Aros was so far away from the Federation core and the fact that their population was small and so new to this part of the galaxy that the Federation was not so interested in truly helping them as they had originally believed. Further many Vaharrans were reluctant to criticize Starfleet or the Federation considering that had it not been for a Starfleet ship they might have still been roaming space or worse.

In early January of 2381 things came to a head when the Vaharran ship Ibn Lau with over a hundred passengers bound for Vulcan for a big cultural convention, was attacked by an unknown alien vessel and all on board disappeared. The ship was carrying many of the Vaharran people’s best and brightest as well as prospective future Starfleet Academy cadets to meet with members of the Federation Council for final preparations for membership later that year. Among those on board was Pykaar al-Zahnod's grandson as well as the Foreign Councilor. During the attack the Arosans made repeated calls to Starfleet for help and while a ship did respond it arrived at the scene far too late and only found the Ibn Lau abandoned with no trace of the alien vessel apart from strange residual energy readings. The Arosans requested that Starfleet conduct a search and hopefully rescue the missing people but despite assurances by the ship’s captain that they would do so Starfleet Command flatly countered the order. When the Arosans protested Starfleet gave a list of several reasons why this action could not be taken. Firstly the Ibn Lau had been attacked close to the Romulan border and thus quite possibly by the Romulans themselves and thus with the ongoing issues within Romulan space Starfleet did not wish to cause further issues by sending one of their ships. Secondly there was also the possibility that the ship was attacked by Orion slavers and would be even hard to track and find. And thirdly Starfleet was dealing with a recent mutiny and desertion of one of its major ships, the USS Theurgy, which was now causing havoc throughout the Federation.

The Pykaar grimly concluded that the Federation, despite all its early talk of enlightened philosophies, had merely allowed the Vaharran people to play right into their hands to exploit their natural resources. The government quickly became paralyzed with inaction, fearing that any attempt to expel and sever ties with the Federation could result in either retaliation from Starfleet or from some other hostile faction that Starfleet had hitherto been keeping at bay. In either event the Arosan military could not resist for long. There was the consideration of evacuating the planet and fleeing back into space for a new isolated world but this was no longer an option; the Fleet had long since been reduced in number as ships and equipment were used to bolster the colony on the surface. This left a precious few ships that could support even a third of the now over 107,000 Vaharrans. In the meantime it was decided that while the government planned its next moves very carefully that they could at least try to find their missing people. A secret mission was dispatched to search for any clues and hopefully bring them home.

Government and Military

Government

The Arosan Government that represents the Vaharrn people was composed of elements of the old World Coalition Council from Tyros as well as a number of other elements from the various countries of the former home world. After the provisional government that oversaw the fleet a new government was formed upon the settlement of the new home world, Aros; however, this government was in itself still provisional as future expansion of the population and settlement of the planet would require new structures of government to be put in place so that the citizens would have proper representation and a fair vote.

As it stood the Arosan government was considered a form of direct democracy in that all Vaharran citizens of eligible voting age, twenty years and older, would vote on the composition of the High Council and on who would be the next Pykaar. Further they would vote on issues handed down by the High Council.

The High Council was made up of ninety-three members divided into three Sub-Councils, the Legislative Council, the Judiciary Council, and the Executive Council; they are elected on a twenty year cycle and can only serve two terms. To create or modify a law or to enact a great change to the fabric of Arosan society first the issue must be drafted and debated on by the Legislative Council. Once the council has fully drafted and had a majority vote to approve the issue it is then sent to the Judiciary Council. The Judiciary Council will review the issue as pertains to Vaharran Law and if it is found unsatisfactory by majority vote it will be returned to the Legislative Council for review and adjustment. If the issue is approved it will be sent to the Executive Council who will further review the issue then draft language to allow the voting citizenry to make an informed decision. The citizens will then vote on the issue. If the majority votes against the issue it will be sent back to the High Council for the entire process to begin again or for the issue to be dropped. If the majority votes for the issue then it is sent to the Pykaar who will enact the issue to the best of their ability.

The Pykaar is elected by the people every ten years and can only serve two terms. The Pykaar’s job is to enact all issues that have been voted on by the citizens as well as conduct diplomatic relations with foreign states. The Pykaar also advises and guides the High Council but cannot directly control its decisions and actions. Along with their other duties the Pykaar coordinates their own Council that manages the bureaucratic departments within the government through the will of the people.

Military

Arosan Republic Navy

A pair of Arosan Navy vessels on maneuvers near their home world. 3D Model by Ravnheart

The Arosan Navy was organized from the remaining military vessels of the Tyrosian Navy. Its task is to defend the system from any outside aggressors. Unable to build new ships due to lacking the infrastructure the Arosans undertook an extensive modernization program to refit and upgrade their vessels with as many new technologies they could get a hold of from their far more advanced neighbors. This included new warp engines capable of far greater speeds, replacing their kinetic energy rail guns with Klingon disruptors, the addition of shield technology and armor made of advanced alloys, and even new computer systems that allowed for a major reduction in the amount of crew that was necessary to run each ship.

While these improved ships would not be able to stand up to a prolonged fight with any of the major powers in the region they would be able to do some damage and had enough teeth to make lesser threats think twice about attacking. The Arosans have been in talks with the Klingons about negotiating a treaty to build new more powerful ships to replace the old ones but these talks were slow due to the Dominion War and other post war incidents.

Active ships of the Arosan Navy

Name	Hull Number	Class	Type	Status
Task Force 1
Agaros (Flagship)	KZ-1	Agaros Class	Exploration Cruiser	Active
Saratios	K-26	Zaahnok Class	Cruiser	Active
Idarika	K-31	Zaahnok Class	Cruiser	Refitting
Odoros	X-27	Odoros Class	Attack Frigate	Active
Ulon	X-29	Odoros Class	Fast Attack Frigate	Active
Zumko	X-32	Odoros Class	Fast Attack Frigate	Active
Zahkal	X-33	Odoros Class	Fast Attack Frigate	Active
Task Force 2
Karala	K-28	Karala Class	Cruiser	Refitting
Zaahnok	K-25	Zaahnok Class	Cruiser	Active
Xebrek	XA-30	Odoron Class	Fast Attack Stealth Frigate	Detached
Haked	XA-39	Teeko Class	Fast Attack Frigate	Active
Patrol Group 2.1
Pentrios	K-24	Zaahnok Class	Cruiser	Active
Kahkeer	X-36	Odoros Class	Fast Attack Frigate	Active
Siin	X-37	Odoros Class	Fast Attack Frigate	Active
Patrol Group 2.2
Razo	X-40	Razo Class	Missile Frigate	Active
Kano	K-41	Razo Class	Missile Frigate	Active

Arosan Republic Marines

The Arosan Marines in action.

The Arosan Marines were the primary ship defense and special operations arm of the Arosan Navy. Originally when they were the Tyrosian Marines their job was to act as a security and police force throughout The Fleet during its journey through space. With the arrival to the new home world of Aros and the introduction to the galactic community the Marines took on the new role beyond simply providing security to the Navy vessels but also acting as customs enforcement for the variety of new visitors to the home world. Marine combat training has also been revamped to incorporate ground assault tactics and a specialization in marksmanship, precision combat insertion, and rapid response.

Other than those Marines assigned to customs duties and those units currently stationed on Aros most Marines served aboard the Arosan Naval vessels. Each vessel, depending on its size, had either a single company or one to two sections assigned for defense of the ship against boarding or for rapid deployment in special operations. Marine officers are selected from the Navy officer pool and must have a minimum of four years service with good conduct and meet the appropriate skill and physical requirements.

Arosan Republic Army

The Arosan Army was quite small owing to the small remaining population of the Vaharrans. Unlike the Marines it was not designed for major combat operations but rather as a means of defending civilians if the planet was ever invaded. As such if the planet was invaded the first task of the army would be to guide the civilian population into the designated bunker shelters beneath the capital city. This would be done while the Air Defense Squadron would attempt to slow any invading force. Once the civilians were evacuated the army would fall back to defend the entrances of the shelters from any invading armies.

Ranks

Below are a translation of the Arosan Military ranks with their closest Starfleet equivalents.

Arosan Navy	Arosan Army	Starfleet Equivalent
	Officer Ranks
Admiral	General	(No Equivalent)
Commander (1st Rank)	Commandant	Captain
Commander (2nd Rank)	Sub-Commandant	Commander
Commander (3rd Rank)	Captain	Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant (1st Rank)	Captain-Lieutenant	Lieutenant (Senior Grade)
Lieutenant (2nd Rank]	Lieutenant	Lieutenant (Junior Grade)
Lieutenant (3rd Rank)	Sub-Lieutenant	Ensign
	NCO Ranks
Master	Master Sergeant	Master Chief Petty Officer
Chief Specialist	Company Sergeant	Chief Petty Officer
Senior Specialist	Senior Sergeant	Petty Officer (1st Class)
Specialist	Sergeant	Petty Officer (2nd Class)
Senior Rating	Corporal	Crewman (1st Class)
Able Rating	Warrant	Crewman (2nd Class)
Rating	Recruit	Crewman

Technology

Vaharran technology was quite inferior to most other species in the quadrant with its closest comparison being that of Earth in the early 22nd century. In fact before the destruction of their old home world the Vaharrans were only a few decades ahead of Earth in technological development and much fantasizing has been done on what things would have looked like over the past three hundred years had Tyros not been destroyed. Since first contact with their Beta and Alpha Quadrant neighbors the Vaharrans were bartering for new technologies to aid in the rebuilding of their civilization but further to aid in its defense with all of their military vessels and many other ships being completely rebuilt with powerful weapons, shields, strong hull plating, and far faster warp engines.

Religion and Mythology

Religion

The Vaharran religion known as Kyros or, roughly translated with emphasis, meant “balance” was the primary form of spirituality that the Vaharran species practiced for well over two millennia. The basic practice of Kyros was to find balance in the Aspects of the mind, the body, and soul in order to attain enlightenment and true inner peace. The religion was founded by the spiritual thinker Zar, later known as Monk Zar, who, reflecting on the violence of the world and his own observations of Vaharran nature, believed that violence, sadness, anger, and other ills were caused by unbalanced beings. He further experimented on ways to achieve what he viewed as proper balance and then wrote of his results that he then disseminated to his various followers orally from his mountain home. Over the centuries the teachings were continually passed down and soon Kyros became the dominant form of spirituality among the Vaharran people across the planet.

In order to achieve balance those that follow Kyros conduct various rituals associated with a specific Aspect, these are defined below. However it was noted by Zar himself that even a devoted practitioner of defined rituals could not truly find balance as one’s life is defined by more than just rituals and as such should try to improve things in their daily life as well.

-Mind Aspect: This was put simply one’s thoughts and knowledge and was empowered by the attainment of further knowledge while ignorance and stupidity depowered it. It was believed that through a greater understanding of the world and its many facets one could properly understand themselves and have empathy for those around them.

-Soul Aspect: To those that practiced Kyros the soul was the embodiment of all emotions and consciousness; it was the hardest to keep in balance and was empowered by positive emotions as well as good deeds. Negative emotions would of course depower this aspect. Creativity was a big part of this aspect as it was believed that art in all forms came from emotion.

-Body Aspect: The body aspect has had two interpretations depending on the time period. Initially Monk Zar believed that Vaharrans were innately strong in body owing to their physical strength and long life spans compared to that of animals, but that the body must be maintained by eating “foods of purity”. What exactly Zar meant by “foods of purity” had a wide variety of interpretations, from increased consumption of specific fruits to meats eaten boiled to “clean” them, and in one case by the Hathrati warrior tribe, the consumption of enemy prisoners’ hearts. However, in modern times as science and biology became more widespread it has often been interpreted that empowering the body aspect is simply staying healthy with proper diet and exercise.

The perfect balance of these aspects would allow a Vaharran to attain enlightenment. Enlightenment was defined as having total inner and outer peace as well as happiness. While some sects of Kyros attempted to define the exact prerequisites for enlightenment it was truly only known to the individual if they had actually achieved it.

The Vaharrans believed in a form of afterlife that they called The Spirit Realm, where a soul of proper balance would reside upon death. However if one was not balanced enough they could lose their way to the Realm and exist trapped between the Spirit and Material Realms as a ghostly apparition.

Rituals

-Meditation: This was the most common ritual that those who followed Kyros practiced. Not unlike the meditation rituals of other cultures it required a place of quiet to allow the practitioner to focus. The purpose of the meditation was to relax and realign one’s aspects, but it could also be used to help muse on creative endeavors, think through complex problems, or merely to untense muscles. Another form of more deep meditation, typically practiced by monks, required a plant with hallucinogenic properties called kala that was burned and the smoke inhaled by the practitioner to induce a state of deep focus. Those in this deep meditation could remain that way for hours and almost appear asleep. However, those without sufficient training could suffer ill effects from the kala and possibly end up in a coma if not properly treated.

-Jahkura: This ritual had a distinct sexual component and was used as a way to treat depression in adults, though in the modern era only the most traditionalist followers of Kyros used it for that while many other people simply used it for its purely sexual aspects. It was typically performed between a follower and a monk, the monk leading the ritual, while the follower was under the influence of a small amount of kala to help relax their mind. The monk would then perform a variety of pleasurable acts on the follower, the goal was not to achieve an orgasm, though that could occur, but to keep the follower in a heightened state of pleasure for as long as possible to help induce happiness. Whether the ritual truly helps with depression is unknown, no known research on the subject has survived, and while Vaharran mental health experts said it was a good way to relieve stress it was probably better to pursue more clinical options.