Rethians
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
Rethians are bi-pedal reptilian humanoids from the planet Nadea Rethia in the To’Renak System. They have fur on the outer edges of their face and hair running from their head down their back forming a mane. They are on average 1.7m and 2.1m in height with a weight anywhere between 54-104kg for males and 40-63kg for females.
Rethians possess a slight empathic ability that is more tuned to their own race then other humanoids. Therefore it is really only at it’s full power on Rethia while only provides the barest of surface thoughts and feelings from any other humanoids.
Most Rethians possess a sense of honor and devotion to duty. However, this can sometimes lead to an overwhelming sense of pride resulting in periods of perfectionism. Rethians also have a fierce idea of loyalty and once you earn it, it is nearly impossible for them to abandon it. Making an enemy of the Rethians is unwise, though, as they will most likely never forgive you.
GEOPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
PLANETARY SYSTEM:
To’Renak System. Six planets orbit a binary star. The middle two, Nadea Rethia and Ters Rethan are the only ones capable of supporting life.
PLANET:
The primary world of the Rethians is Nadea Rethia. The second habitable world, Ters Rethan had small, isolated colonies on it primarily for research purposes before the discovery of warp flight allowed them to begin proper colonization.
DESCRIPTION:
Nadea Rethia, or simply Rethia, is a sea of flat, grassy plains dotted with tall hills. In the center of this grassy sea is a large landlocked saltwater ocean. It is both from and to this lake that most of Rethia’s water flows. A massive silver mountain rises from the center of this ocean.
There are only four major cities on Rethia and are spaced evenly apart. The largest and capitol, Keresh, is the center of Rethia’s science and manufacturing. Keresh’s sister city, Karnear is a boon of culture and the arts. The other two cities, Kirves and Kyarth are manufacturing capitols that specialize in construction. Kirves has become the main shipbuilding center for the Rethians while Kyarth remains focused on terrestrial endeavors.
Scattered around the face of Rethia are hundreds of smaller communities, most of these located within a short distance of the cities. About 3/5 of Rethia’s population lives in these communes and supply much of the workforce for the cities.
Ters Rethan consists of a much harsher environment then Nadea Rethia. Its surface is mostly a large desert with scattered oases. Mountain ranges divide the planet into sections and it’s in the shadows of these mountains that most of Rethan’s life thrives.
Until warp flight made supply runs near instantaneous, only small, isolated pockets of scientific research stations could be found. In modern times, however, Rethan has been developed into a complex planetary mining operation along the mountains and rocky portions. The Rethians are very careful and their mining operations are some of the safest, best-organized efforts in the sector.
The desert is currently used in terraforming experiments. These have been somewhat successful and are slowly turning areas of Rethan into small green paradises. It is around these paradises that some of the larger inhabited cities are located, including the two largest, Tialkes and Tekrah.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
APPEARANCE:
The average Rethian height is between 1.7m and 2.1m with a weight anywhere between 54-104kg for males and 40-63kg for females.
Their skin tends to range from light orange to brown with a variety of facial and body markings that are usually similar within the various clans.
Their hair is usually back and runs down the back of their head. Most Rethians pull their hair back into a tight ponytail.
They have a dual row of spines running from right above their eyes to the back of their head and neck. The longest of these are about three inches and the shortest a quarter of an inch.
Additional shorter spines run along their backs, becoming three rows. The middle of the back has the longest at approximately 1.5 inches and the shortest 1/4 of an inch.
Their hands and feet have large, black claws on the tips of long fingers and toes.
Rethian females are noticeably more lithe then the males, though both tend to be equal in strength capabilities.
Their eyes are usually black with gold corneas, becoming slits in low-light situations.
PHYSIOLOGY:
At the age of five months, Rethian young are ready to begin learning about the world outside of their mother’s pouch. At the age of three a Rethian child is about equal to a human teenager and at five years they are considered fully-grown. It is at this age that virtually all physical development ceases and their metabolism slows down.
The average Rethians live between 80-140 years with a select few reaching 200.
Their internal anatomy is not too different from other standard humanoids. Their organs are smaller and more spread out, helping to minimize critical damage in any one area. They have two hearts and three lungs, a redundancy that allows most Rethians an endurance not known by many other races.
Rethians also have a reputation for their speed. While even at their maximum, their strength is only average; the land speed of most Rethians out-paces even some Federation ground vehicles.
A unique ability of the Rethians is their focused telepathic abilities. Believed to be a relic of their early days as pack hunting predators, the ability has evolved to almost fully connect each Rethian with every other Rethian, creating a massive mental chain.
While this ability peaks when near other Rethians, it does have a bit of an empathic ability when near other humanoids. This has been proven to be equivalent to someone possessing about one third of Betazoid genes.
MATING:
While Rethians mate for life, these pairings tend to be carefully planned by the clan elders due to the Rethian’s ability to produce many offspring. The older method was for Rethians to only marry between clans, this would help to minimize the possibility of an in-breeding occurring. Modern Rethians use laboratory tests to determine compatibility usually before a young Rethian reaches adulthood. This leads to pre-planned marriages, however this practice is slowly going out of style by all but the more pre-eminent clans.
When two Rethians decide to come together, they partake in a merging of the minds. Using their instinctive telepathy, the two Rethians link their minds together in a powerful and deep connection.
Biologically, it's been found that during this bond, the brain of the secondary mate, usually the female but in multiple cases the male, is programmed to alter the DNA of the primary mate. Between Rethians, this results in the secondary mate adopting the body markings of the primary mate.
This linking is so deep that when a mate dies, the survivor is usually thrown into a deep, brooding depression that causes many to actually commit suicide. While this link is not essential for mating, it has made itself an important part of Rethian structure.
All Rethian females have the ability to give birth and the males do not physically provide anything to them to begin the process. The male sends a telepathic impulse into the female's brain. The impulse is a conscious one, so accidental Rethian pregnancies are extremely rare.
The first impulse tells the female's body to begin egg production. A second impulse informs her body to fertilize the eggs.
When a female Rethian is impregnated, she carries the young in her uterus for approximately three months before they're born. Rethian female give birth to live young, however the babies emerge within a soft shell, the last remnant of a bygone era when babies were born in eggs. It is most common for Rethians to have twins and triplets, and in many cases quadruplets, while single births are rare.
It is not yet known if Rethians are able to mate outside of their own species.
DIET:
Rethians are primarily carnivores but are able to eat fruits and vegetables when necessary, though they tend to be not very happy about it.
NAMING:
Rethian names are a combination of a given name and clan name. The first name is the given name. The number of letters in the first part of the given name is equal to how many were in your particular litter. For example: Tr’kehry had a twin while Reh’Varth is a triplet.
Second names are the name of the tribe from which the member hails. There are dozens of tribes on Nadea Rethia, but only six of note. These are clans Lehryer, Quelnah, Verneth, Etarudbo, Berthaur and Marthetok. (Update Note: As of 2400, there is a seventh clan, the Yekteb, meaning ‘Isolated Ones’.)
A Rethian’s accomplishments are fully attributed to the clan from which they hail, rather then the individual. Most Rethians see it as an honor to propel their particular clan up the social ladder while a few isolated groups dislike and in some cases rebel against this system.
SOCIETY:
Rethian society for the most part is built around furthering the glory of the clan and by extension all of the Rethian people. The Rethian’s ancestors, the Rathiah (See: Early History), focused primarily around the advancement of one clan over the others. This led to a lengthy and brutal civil war that ultimately ended in the complete destruction of the Rathiahn Empire.
On modern Rethia, clan progression is encouraged but only with scenarios that benefit the race as a whole.
On an individual basis, Rethians value personal honor above anything else. Being true to your friends, family and clan is seen as the greatest achievement a Rethian could obtain, while pursuit of personal glories and goals is frowned upon. Although a Rethian is never truly ostracized from his people as long as he continues to represent the race as a whole in an honorable and devoted way.
GOVERNMENT:
The head of Government is the Council of the Noble Ones, a body of the eldest representative of each of the six clans. In 2400, the Yekteb clan, having grown in size, was allowed a representative in the Council in order to give voice to a growing segment of Rethian society that did not want outside involvement. The Council oversees the Rethian people with the help of the Senate, which contains three members from every Rethian clan on the planet.
While the Senate does most of the Governmental grunt work and many see the Council as an obsolete figurehead, the Senate regularly turns to the Council for advice and guidance.
RELIGION:
Having come from an already evolved race, the Rethians do not adhere to religion in the typical sense. One could look at their devotion to honor as a sort of religion.
However, many Rethians are turning to a somewhat shamanistic belief in the planet and universe. This belief stems from the idea that the survival of their race was through an act of a powerful being, dubbed Tor’akhal or She Who is All, and that she chose Nadea Rethia as a place from where the re-born Rethians would rise again.
This belief steers many Rethians to a feeling of preservation of Rethia. It is because of this that any industry on the planet is carefully regulated and safety is constantly maintained. There was much concern when the Rethians decided to return to the stars that Rethia would eventually lie forgotten and Tor’akhal would be disappointed with their shunning of her gift.
Many followers of Tor’akhal have become members of the Yekteb clan, whose fight for complete Rethian withdrawal from other galactic powers is drawing many supporters, especially among the youth.
MYTHS:
The biggest myth among the Rethians stems from the writing of the First Scripture that is actually a copy of a copy of the only history that remained in the Keresh’s memory banks. (See: Early History) This myth revolves around determining the identity of those referred to as the Many-Who-Are-One and why they descended upon the Rethian ancestors with such a determination to destroy.
RELATIONS TO THE FEDERATION:
During the time of First Contact, the Rethians maintained a cordial, yet distant relationship with the Federation. However, once ideas and people were exchanged, the Rethians found themselves growing to like the hodgepodge of species that the Federation represented.
As of 2400, despite increasing protest from members of the population, the Rethian Senate, upon advisement of the Council, applied for membership in the Federation. This application is presently pending.
HISTORY
EARLY HISTORY:
“In the beginning of time, we were known as the Rathiah. In the vast space far from here we thrived. World upon word was brought into the fold of the Rathiah Empire and we lived for four centuries under the noble rule of the Empress. All was united under a Rathiahn banner and all routes lead to our beautiful home world of Kaltar.
“Then came the time of strife. The seven clans, each seeking glory only for their own selfish reasons plunged the once proud empire into a civil war that lasted forty-five years. It was this war that doomed us, that blinded us to the true threat.
“There came a time when the lesser, but shadowed clan of Narinek (Translator’s Note: Those of Shadows) sought a way to overcome their larger and more organized brethren. They found a way when they encountered the Many-Who-Are-One (Translator’s Note: This is the only way this race is referred to by the Rethians). The Narinek signed a pact with the Many-Who-Are-One and led them to our Empire.
“It was then that the Many-Who-Are-One betrayed the Narinek and began to cut a swath of destruction through the Empire. Had we not been locked into our own selfish struggle, we may have been able to hold strong against the Many-Who-Are-One. Instead, we were overwhelmed and consumed by them.
“For every world the Many-Who-Are-One took, their numbers would increase and they would push further until they sat on the very doorstep of Kaltar.
“During the last days, a secret meeting was held by the leadership of the remaining six clans and there it was determined that the empire was lost. These Noble Ones saw that there was only one way for the Rathiah way of life to survive was for them to flee.
“Many disagreed and saw that the only way to truly die with honor was to die fighting the Many-Who-Are-One. Despite this, the Rathiah prepared twelve colony ships for long-term, deep space travel. Each was loaded evenly with representatives from the six tribes before departing Kaltar for pre-determined worlds suitable for habitation.
“We cannot say what happened after the Great Exodus. We do know that all communication with Kaltar ceased shortly after our flight.
“Our ancestors traveled for many, many years. They alternated their hibernations so that at any one time three-quarters of the ship was dormant. Then came the second great betrayal.
“The ship our ancestors flew on, the Keresh (Translator’s Note: “Hope”) was to stop at a small, habitable world only a few light-years from Kaltar. But one of the last Narineks sabotaged the flight and the Keresh continued into unexplored space for another seventy years.
“As the Keresh’s life support began to fail, it made orbit with a terrestrial world that was determined to suit their needs. The Keresh was landed on what was deemed the best location and dismantled to make a new settlement.
“Those early settlers met and decided that this new world was where they would start over. They determined that what had lead to their people’s downfall had been an overconfidence that they would not dare to repeat, should it lead the Many-Who-Are-One to their new home.
“The settlers decided to name this new world Nadea Rethia, the home for the fallen. They then were no longer Rathiah, but Rethians, the Fallen Ones. It was then, with the first holes dug into this new world, that they new life would continue. It always would.”
-- From the First Scripture of Noble One Tal’Karin as read to the First Federation Ambassador during First Contact
MODERN DEVELOPMENT:
When they landed the Keresh and stripped it down for habitation, the early Rethians began living an almost tribal lifestyle until they could once again utilize some of the technologies left behind by their ancestors. Essentially, they were a Modern people living like a pre-Modern people.
Once the ores the needed to advance were discovered and utilized, the Rethians began a slow but steady climb back up the technological ladder. Their apprehension to develop quickly and expand like their ancestors stemmed a bit from their fear of again attracting the attention of the Many-Who-Are-One.
It took approximately two hundred and fifty years for the Rethians to achieve a level of technology equal to Earth in the early 21st Century.
SPACE EXPLORATION:
Early Rethian space exploration centered around habitation and exploration of Nadea Rethia’s moon, as the Rethians saw that as the prime launching point for future excursions into their solar system and possibly beyond.
WARP DEVELOPMENT:
Once the moon was on it’s way to full habitation; Rethian space engineers were given the blessing of the Council and Senate to actively pursue the creation of warp technology.
The team, led by Vr'Elneth Etaurudbo, worked for almost a decade. Utilizing unique designs mixed with whatever records they could dig up about old Rathiahn designs, they eventually achieved their first warp flight from Nadea Rethia to the very newly colonized world of Ters Rethan in 2370.
After this discovery, Rethian ship construction was rapidly increased and they created a small fleet of warp-capable exploration ships and had just started development of warp-capable fighting ships when First Contact with the Federation occurred.
-Summary of First Contact log of Lt. Gragio Bolnari. Information based off of historical records and stories told.
FIRST CONTACT:
USS Victoria Captain’s Log
Stardate 52642.8 (January 14, 2375)
Captain Carrell in Command
We are approaching a planet in the Duxos System. My science officer, Lt. Bolnari, picked up several warp signatures from this world. As this planet was most recently mapped 56 years ago when its inhabitants were still in a pre-warp stage, we are intending to determine what we can from scans then, with permission from command, initiate First Contact.
Supplemental (January 14, 2375)
While we were approaching the planet, three small ships took up positions to prevent us from getting any closer to it. The ships’ weaponry, despite their perceived primitivism, is surprisingly advanced though still no match for the Victoria.
When hailed, these ships identified themselves as members of the Rethian Defense Force and asked us if we would be escorted to their orbiting space station. I decided to comply with their request in the interest of maintaining peace. After docking, a delegation consisting of Commander Derik (Archive Note: Executive Officer), Lt. Bolnari and Lieutenant Commander Kavik (Archive Note: Security Officer) departed the ship half an hour ago to speak with the station leaders.
Supplemental (January 14, 2375)
Initial discussion between our delegation and the “Rethians” is going very smoothly. They have agreed to an official meeting between the Council of Clans, the planet’s leadership, and us. Lt. Bolnari and Commander Derik are making the appropriate plans. Everything is set to begin tomorrow.
USS Victoria Captain’s Log
Stardate 52647.25 (January 15, 2375)
Captain Carrell in Command
I have just returned from what many of my crew, including myself, is calling an amazing ceremony. I have to go on record that this is probably the best first contact scenario I have ever been involved in.
It began with three of our shuttles getting an escort from a flight of Rethian aircraft. The honor guard guided us into the Rethian’s capitol of Keresh where we landed in front of a massive building that upon analysis is the outer shell of a very old spacecraft.
Upon exiting, we were greeted by six very old-looking Rethians who led us up the steps at the base of the large structure and into the very ornate entry hall. The entry hall opened up into a large dining area where we sat and spent a few hours eating the local food and listening to something they called the “First Scripture”. This was a reading of their early history as has apparently been passed down over 400 years or so.
After dinner, we were led to a vast courtyard behind the structure and watched a series of performances and speeches from just about every facet of Rethian life.
I am recommending to Starfleet that we help to build up relations with these people and work towards possible inclusion into the Federation.
-Starfleet Log Archives
Rethians in the Mirror Universe:
The Rethian race began similarly to how they did in the Prime Universe, however the main difference is the survival of the Narinek clan, the ones who betrayed the Rathiah to the Many-Who-Are-One, rather then their bloodline dying out. When the Keresh arrived on the new world with the battered Rethiah, the Narinek rallied the still grieving survivors together.
They claimed the reason the Rethiah had been overthrown was that there was not enough focus on power. If they had focused on their defense, rather then trivial things like art, they would have been able to fully defend themselves from the Many-Who-Are-One.
Thus the world was named Nadea Rathiam “Home of the Vengeful” and the Rethiah took the new name of Rathians. The Keresh was stripped down of all useful material to help speed along the Rathian’s recovery.
Over time, the Rathians spread across the face of the world rapidly. The salvaged technology from the Keresh allowed them to pinpoint any useful materials they could find and within 100 years the Rathians returned to space. They began colonization and mining of the moon and launched expeditions to the only other habitable planet in the system.
During this period, the Narinek seized almost full control of the Rathian government, primarily through the will of the people. Anyone that spoke against them were dispatched.
In 2156, a schism rose among the Rathian people. Half of the clans saw the destruction the race to power was causing to the planet and sought to curve back this rampant corruption. The resulting civil war was swift and brutal. The Bret-tal forces, led by the Narinek utterly crushed the Kal-vet forces led by the Etarudbo. This resulted in the complete absorption of the Etarudbo, Quelnah and Verneth clans into a new, lower class clan that was mockingly given the name Kal-vet.
Over the next 100 years, as the Rathians worked to achieve warp flight once again and start stretching their arms back towards the stars, the Kal-vet slowly became more equal among their fully clanned peers, even holding positions in government, though the Narinek still controlled almost all aspects of Rathian society.
The Rathians achieved their first warp flight of the new society in 2237, rocketed to the newly colonized world of Ters Rethan and back to Nadea Rathan. This flight attracted the attention of a passing Romulan frigate and the system was noted for possible future exploration.
The next 50 years brought a rapid expanse of technology and military prowess to the Rathians, eventually allowing them to expand to two nearby star systems. They subjugated two races, the Lucarhem and the Rellith and expanded their fledgling empire.
It was in 2294 that the Romulans officially made first contact with the Rathians. While the Rathians were extremely cautious to the point of near violence, their stayed hand allowed them to see the similarities between themselves and their new contacts.
The two forces slowly grew in friendship until the Rathian Imperium signed a document bringing them formally under the Romulan Empire in 2347. This partnership has fully benefitted both parties. The Romulans gained a hardy and stubborn ally in their ranks and the Rathians are allowed the range and technology they need to expand further past their borders.
It is through this alliance that the Rathians hope to achieve the goal dreamed about by the first to set foot upon Nadea Rathiam: to eventually regain their fallen empire’s glory and to one day destroy the ones that had destroyed it in the first place.
