Efrosian

"Efros"

Efrosians are a species of humanoids native to the planet Efros. (Also known as Efros Delta or Efros IV.)

Efros is the fourth planet of the Flarset system.

The Efrosians are a humanoid species with red/orange skin, forehead ridges and white/blonde hair. They are members of the Federation, serving both in Starfleet and Federation government.

Racial Characteristics:

Efrosians are very similar in appearance to Klingons save for a slight cranial ridge and a copper skin complexion. Their faces contain fatty deposits inherited from their primitive ancestors neglecting to cover their faces from the harsh cold of the planet. Efrosian males all seem to have fair hair and complexion; some almost look like albinos. On the other hand, Efrosian females are usually raven-haired. Studied have not yet indicated if this is the result of selected breeding early in Efrosian history or if it is some natural phenomenon. It is interesting to note that giving birth to a boy with dark hair brings shame upon a family. To most people, such a male's coloring brands him as a female. Studies have not yet indicated if this is the result of selective breeding early in Efrosian history or is it is some other naturalphenomenon. It is interesting to note that if a female is born with fair hair or a male with raven hair,that it is considered a shame to the family and most people assume that the girl is a boy and visa versa.

Due to their unique evolution, a majority of Efrosians are born blind to most of the visual spectrum of light. Efrosian eyes have a second faceted cornea that protects their eyes from their planets harsh winds, as well as allowing greater reception of the infrared and ultrviolet spectra of light. This results in mild to severe color and contrast blindness. Efrosians sometimes uses optical aids called Ba'alyo to help. These glasses have very dark lenses, and aid in shifting the visual spectrum into the red end of the spectrum. The use of Ba'alyo is completely dependant upon the visual acuity of the user and is not always required. The Efrosian species has an inherent, limited sensitivity to electromagnetic and subspace fields. An inherent side-effect is their uncanny sense of direction. This is believed to have originated as a survival mechanism to deal with their world's often blinding snowstorms.

Physically Efrosians tend to be shorter and stockier than humans,averaging about 1.5 meters and 70 kilograms.

Efrosian Culture:

Although not widely known throughout the Federation,many Efrosians live and work as teachers and philosophers on other worlds as part of cultural exchanges. Efrosians serve in Starfleet as well, especially many of the lower grade warrior priests. Navigation, Helm and Medicine are their most popular choices in Star Fleet. The warrior-priests perform excellently in medicine because of their innate, almost instinctive ability to intuitively diagnose a patient’s problem and treat them with the minimal amount of medicine or equipment. Efrosians who do not choose to join Star Fleet are often pressured to join the Merchant Academy.

Efrosian culture is the result of living on the harsh, frozen world of Efros for generations. Both technological and social development were minimal during the millennia-long ice age that ravaged the planet. Close-knit tribes formed out of a need for survival. Once the immense glaciers began to break up, the planet eventually united.

The Efrosians do not have a written language. Although introduced to the concept by other civilisations, the Efrosian culture is still based on memorising oral history, with libraries resembling other worlds' music archives. Furthermore, the Efrosian language is music-based, which is more common among aquatic species than mammalian humanoids.

Perhaps as a result of the strains placed upon social groups in their early histories, Efrosians lack the concept of monogamy found in many other humanoid cultures. The are not known to create social family groups, similar to the Parent-Spouse_Offspring Model found in most cultures. Instead Efrosians form a higher-level social bond of clans, adopting entire groups and even crews of ship's that they serve with as serrogate clan groups.

Efrosians prefer to specialize in one area of expertise. This is a result of social specialization that dominated most of Efrosian early history. This allows greater overall expertise in a chosen field of study which is believed to increase ones value to the clan as a whole.

• Other races are known to refer to Efrosians as Ateniods or Atenids, the same way some races call humans "Earthers" or "Terrans".

Efrosian music is very unique among all the known species of the quadrants. It is composed entirely of chimes and stringed instruments. Efrosians do not use wind instruments or precussion as they consider them to be garish and unsophisticated. many Efrosian stringed instruments are comprised of multiple staged necks each bearing strings tuned to different octaves. The most complicated instruments are said to have a range of 8 octaves or more.

Government

Each tribe during the ice age had at least one warrior-priest, an individual capable of exceptional combat as well as great healing. When the ice age ended, the warrior-priests soon united Efros under a religious oligarchy led by the still-revered S'skotomz.

As members of the United Federation of Planets, an Efrosian delegation sits on the Federation Council. In 2289, Ra-ghoratreii was elected President of the United Federation of Planets and served until 2300.

Religion

The Efrosians are a deeply spiritual people from the windswept planet of Efros. Their world is almost constantly shrouded in fast moving windstorms, and can be a deeply disconcerting place for non - Efrosians. Efrosians can be found serving in all branches of Starfleet. It is known that the majority of Efrosians are religous but the actual details of their religous practice are not discussed with off worlders leading to much speculation on the part of other species.

All that is known about the faith common to all Efrosians is that it is non-traditional and mystical. Their faith is rumored to obligate their names not to be spoken aloud, on Efros. And while it is rumored that addressing Efrosians by name is an insult to their religion, those in the public light obviously don't always follow this. They are extremely open and friendly about every other aspect of their culture, but they guard their religion jealously claiming that it was their religion that helped them survive the ravages of the ice age, and they refuse to even share is principles with others. This guarded secrecy very much remains in place in the 24th century.

Most Federation races understand and respect this need for such privacy. Unfortunately, this has been the subject of speculation and some Tellarites believe child-sacrifice and ritual murder are common religious practices.

History

For the Efrosians, life in the past was harsh to the extreme. While the surface of their planet was encompassed by ice, the Efrosians’ technological and social development was minimal. They remained in close knit tribes, and subsisted on animals that they cold bring down with stone knives and spears, but once the massive glaciers began to break, both technology and unity swiftly developed. The most esteemed members of the tribes were warrior-priests, who were respected not only for their prowess as warriors, but also for their abilities as great healers. The warrior-priests ruled Efros as a religious oligarchy. Technological development did not suffer (as it often has under religious leadership elsewhere in the galaxy), but actually increased due to the priests belief that technology and invention would make their lives better, and preserve and further what was so precious to the race. On the contrary,the Warrior Priests would make life better for all Efrosians. Thus life was improving quickly on Efros. As the climate warmed somewhat, the Efrosians discovered previously hidden energy and mineral resources that boosted their technological progress.

Efrosians were originally a Barrier Allance member race, prior to joining the Federation. This loose Allience was originally seen as a co-prosperity sphere between species that were all indiginous to a specific sector of space on the edge of Federation territory. Some members of the Alliance feared the the Federation planned to absorb their culture and were therefore particularly aggressive in the defense of what they saw as their sovereign territory.

The Eforsians wishing to act as intercessors between their Barrier Alliance allies and the United Federation of Planets, attempted a series of peace initiatives. These initiatives were strained by the actions of key members of the Barrier Alliance, which in turn caused the Efrosians to be embargoed by the Federation, during the 2280's. Only the Vulcans objected, but were outvoted and so the motion carried.

First contact was made with the Federation in 2274 when the Vulcan crew of the USS Surak visited Efros. The crew of the Sarak detected powerful sensor emissions from the cold world. By the time the Federation discovered them, the Efrosians had developed radio telescopes, fusion power and long range sensor equipment. The Efrosians were overjoyed to learn that there was an abundance of intelligent life in the universe.

The Efrosian President to the UFP

Delighted to learn of other intelligent life, the Efrosians soon began educational and philosophical cultural exchanges with other worlds, both unlike and like themselves. This led them to make contact with their stellar neighbors, who shared warp technology with them and invited them to join the Barrier Alliance. Many serve in Starfleet and the Merchant Academy as helmsmen, navigators, and medical personnel (some warrior-priests have become Starfleet doctors).

By 2286, the Efrosians had ended thier affiliation with the Barrier Alliance and were invited by the Vulcans to join the UFP. They accepted this offer of friendship, and joined the UFP soon afterward. As a measure of their willingness to fully embrace the cultures found within the UFP, by 2289, the Federation President was an Efrosian.

Some Federation anthropologists claim there is some evidence that the Efrosians did not originally evolve on Efros. Other anthropologists suggest that the race was seeded on the planet before its ice age by the Preservers.

In the 24th century, many Efrosians have protested the Integrated Officer concept in place at Starfleet Academy due to their cultural preference to specialize in one knowledge area.

Important People:

Ra-ghoratreii - One of the most famous Efrosians of all time was Federation President Ra-ghoratreii, who served from 2289 to 2300. In 2293, as Federation President opened negotiations with Klingon chancellor Gorkon, following the destruction of the Klingon moon Praxis. The President was to meet Gorkon on Earth for a peace conference, but Gorkon was assassinated en route by a pair of rogue Starfleet non-commissioned officers. Enterprise captain Kirk and Doctor Leonard McCoy were arrested by the Klingons under the rules of interstellar law and charged with Gorkon's assassination; when the Klingon ambassador defended his government's actions and demanded that Kirk and McCoy stand trial, he conceded, "This president is not above the law." Ra-ghoratreii granted extradition of Captain James T. Kirk and Doctor Leonard H. McCoy to the Klingon Empire to stand trial for the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon.A short time later, Starfleet Colonel West proposed a military offensive (code-named Operation Retrieve) aimed at rescuing the "hostages", Kirk and McCoy. Although West was confident that the prisoners could be retrieved, the President rejected his plan because of the probability that such an act would cause a full-scale war. At the Khitomer Conference, the President was targeted for assassination by the Starfleet and Klingon conspirators, but the plot was foiled by the crew of the Enterprise with assistance by the crew of the USS Excelsior. Colonel West, the trigger man, was killed in the attempt and others involved were arrested. Despite the difficulties he faced, soon afterwards, he handled the signing of the KhitomerAccords In 2293, which ushered in a new era of peace and unity between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire.

• Xin Ra-Havreii - starship designer and chief engineer of the USS Titan.
• Ra-mhvlovi - 23rd century Major in the Starfleet Marines
• Hu 'Ghovlatrei - 24th century Starfleet lieutenant and engineer, responsible for the innovative designs of the Defiant class Starship.
• Lieutenant Chitirih Ra-Dreii who in 2286 was helmsman aboard the USS Saratoga when it encountered the Cetacean probe along the Klingon Neutral Zone.

*Ra-Yalix - Foreign policy advisor, to three Federation Presidents in the late 24th century, beginning with Jaresh-Inyo's administration.

• Tollian Yalix - Assistant Chief Operations Officer presently serving aboard the USS Boudicca. He was involved in the Federation Civil War and has served with distinction. He is the son of Ra-Yalix.
• Hu'Ghrovlatrei- Late 24th century Starfleet admiral.
• Ra'toralreii - The most highly decorated Efrosian in Starfleet captain of the USS Amazonia during the 24th century.
• Commander Xin Ra-Havreii- worked as the head designer of the Luna-class Project at Utopia Planitia.