Rigelian (Chelon)

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Rigelian (Chelon)
Four Letter Code	CHEL
Federation Status	Members
Planet of Origin	Rigel III (Chelar)
Encountered	Star Trek the Motion Picture
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N
List of Named Rigelian (Chelon)s
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"The world turtle was the beginning and we are the future."

a Chelon proverb.

The Chelon are a species of humanoid turtles that have large fangs and only one sex. They are excellent swimmers and they prefer to live close to shallow water and swamps in warmer climates.

They are also known by the species name of Rigelian, Rigellian and Chelarian.

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: Kappa Minorius Sector (coordinates B26-0001-1300)
• Proper Name: Rigel
• Star: It orbits a class A (White) star
• Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 44 million km
• Companions: There are 14 planets in the system.
• Moons: it has 3 moons.

Home World

• Proper Name: Rigel III (Chelar)
• Diameter: 19,294 km (11,989 miles)
• Gravity: 1.04 standard gravity with a density of 3.8
• Axial Tilt: 8.6%, with minor seasonal changes
• Orbital Period: 337 days
• Rotational Period: 22.1 hours
• Classification: M
  • Surface Water: 48%
  • Atmosphere: 0.95% is a standard pressure with 72% nitrogen, 25% oxygen, 3% trace chemicals
  • Climate: Mainly a tropical jungle world.
  • Population: Just over 7 billion

History

They are descended from a race of saber-toothed turtles who evolved to walk upright in the tropical swamps of Rigel III. A species that quickly became the dominant life form on their planet. The only thing they had to worry about was a large and extremely aggressive reptile that also inhabited many of the swamps on their world.

They grew in numbers, settled new communities, expanded to other areas of their world, usually close to shallow water but as their population continued to grow and their technological knowledge and needs continued to progress they built near those raw resources that they needed, even if there was no shallow water nearby. It just meant that one of the first community buildings that they built in these communities was a very large pool.

Eventually they learned to build space craft and explored their system. Almost immediately they settled some of their people on Rigel II. Here, they established a large number of steadings in the swamps, where they grew more difficult crops than on the neighboring plantations. They were also able to establish themselves as effective and impartial middle men for trade and other interactions between the local Orions and Vulcanoid Rigelians.

They quickly expanded on this and became traders between all of the different species, worlds and colonies within the Rigel system. This eventually lead to their making contact with the Andorians, Humans, Tellerites and Vulcans.

They became active members in the Rigelian Assembly, a political group that represented all of the species, colonies and worlds with intelligent life inside the Rigel system.

The Chelon became members of the Federation in 2275.

Government

While the Chelon supply representatives to the Federation they also supply representatives to the Rigelian Assembly which governs the Rigel system and all the species, worlds and colonies with in that system.

On Rigel III their own government is made up of a single member from each noble house. While they discuss matters of state, policy and economics the Labour Assembly made up of 25 elected servants handle all of the practical matters such as logistics, infrastructure, work projects, and actually getting things done.

Description

The Chelon are a species of saber-toothed turtles who have to have two distinct groups or classes of individuals. The nobles who make up about 13% of their population are larger, taller and stronger than the servant class. As expected the nobles robes and clothes are usually of a finer, richer and more elegant quality of material. When worn, armor serves a mainly ceremonial function.

The shorter servant class dresses in more practical garments and robes. This is in keeping with their being the ones that do over 96% of all the work among their people.

Every single noble family of Chelon have their own household crest which can be worn as an article of clothing, a piece of jewelry, woven into their garments or displayed as a carved crest atop a standard and carried by a servant. This crest serves two purposes. First to identify who and from what family the noble belongs and their position within their society.

Physiology

As with most intelligent humanoid species they have a very complex system with specialized organs, and unique hormones, chemicals and enzymes. They are typical humanoids with most of the physical, mental and biological medical problems that seem to plague most humanoids.

They are descended from a race of saber-toothed turtles who evolved to walk upright. They averaged in height from about 1.75 meters to 2 meters. They only have one gender and reproduced by laying eggs.

A Chelon's fangs give them a powerful biting weapon and during times of stress or in combat they can emit a deadly contact toxin through their skin, which could be transmitted via a claw strike.

Though they lack agility, they are a hardy species and their shells give them excellent protection. As they evolved in the Rigel system, they are highly resistant to ultraviolet radiation, with a lesser resistance to other kinds of radiation.

As an aquatic species that dwelled in swamps, Chelons are skilled swimmers. They preferred the warm and humid weather of Rigel III and find most other worlds uncomfortable.

Psychology

As a species they tend to be quiet, laid back, patient and less prone to aggressive tendencies than most other species. This has suited them well in their dealings with others. In fact it takes a lot to trigger any form of rage in them.

Religion

In the beginning they believed in the world turtle and that the land that they lived on rested on the back of his shell but as they developed and evolved their beliefs changed. Now the world turtle is the spirit of their world, the essence of nature, the weather and the creator of all that lives on their world.

Mythology

They have a wide ranging and fairly diverse series of myths, fables and tales that explain the origins of their world, the influence of the world turtle on that and them as a species and their early interactions with the world around them and their environment.

Society

The Chelon are broken up into two distinct social groups. The nobles who are larger, stronger and more powerful than the servant class who do more than 96% of all the work. This includes acting as attendants who serve, feed, and care for the nobles of the noble house they are attached to. In some ways the nobles have become more a kind of figurehead, one that is paraded before other species to impress or influence their reactions.

All of their communities are built near shallow water of inside swamps. Most of these communities have at least half of their streets being actually canals so that the people can swim from place to place. Most buildings are low and wide with larger, taller structures in the heart of each community.

Culture

The Chelon as a species tend to prefer sculptures and other works of art that has depth, width and will appear different from different angles. Most experts agree that this may be a reflection of their spending so much time in shallow water among colorful coral formations or in swamps where unusual shapes can be seen everywhere underwater.

While they will listen to quiet, melodious music they do not seem to like most other types. They also have only a basic interest in most other forms or types of the various different kinds of visual arts.

Customs

All Chelon undergo a rite of passage on their 16th birthday. This is essentially merely a test, one that while no longer essential to them as a people has become so interwoven into their traditions and beliefs that it is still faithfully observed and undertaken by all.

Every Chelon on their 16th birthday is taken to one of the nature preserves and left to survive on their own for two weeks. They are constantly monitored and the preserves are constantly being restocked with fish and other marine wildlife to ensure an ample supply is present for these tests.

Technology

Thanks to their very active membership with in the Federation and their extensive trade system they are easily able to maintain a technology level that is just below that of most Federation member worlds. This is not true of the other species living in the Rigel system.

Economy

While they started out acting as the middle men between the various colonies and species living on the different planets and moons with in their own system they quickly realized the potential for growth and economic prosperity that could be theirs if they simply expanded outside of their system.

Now they have an extensive and wide ranging system of trade deals that allows them to travel the width of the Federation as well as outside of its borders. Thanks to this they have the most successful economy in the Rigel system with the best quality of life for their people.

Armed Freighters

The Chelon have never built any real warships. Instead they have always relied on and used heavily armed freighters. In the past these were fairly small vessels with crews of about a dozen. Now they have two types, the first with a crew of 25 which is used for short distances and the other has a crew of 60 and is double the size and travels all over the Federation and beyond.

Military

The Chelon have never had any military or really any need for any. While they have and still do use heavily armed freighters, this is more to ensure the safe arrival of their cargoes than through any need for any military vessels.

Despite their natural weapons, fangs, claws, armor and for their nobles their large size, the Chelon are actually relatively peaceful. Modern, civilized Chelon had very little skill using their natural weapons in combat. Also during times of stress or combat they can emit a deadly contact toxin through their skin, which could be transmitted via a claw strike.

Now days they have developed a training program that can instil the proper skills needed to use their natural weapons to their best advantage.

Federation Intelligence Files

The Chelon became members of the Federation in 2275.

The Federation's 23rd century Vanguard operation was represented by a Chelon, Ambassador Jetanien.

In 2379, a Chelon served as a biologist aboard the USS Titan.

Older sources called the Chelon by the names of Chelarians and "Rigellians", though that name has fallen into disuse to avoid confusion with the other races in their home system that are known by the names "Rigellian" and "Rigelian".

Sources

Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were used as references as well as the movie, Star Trek the Motion Picture.

The following novels were also used, ST - Destiny novel: Mere Mortals, VAN novel: Harbinger, TTN novel: Taking Wing, Tower of Babel and the Star Trek: Vanguard series

Also used were the following references, TOS reference: The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Decipher RPG module: Worlds and the Last Unicorn Games RPG company. An article appearing in the January 2002 edition of Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 9, entitled "Who is that Alien?" and an interview appearing in the March 1980 edition of Fantastic Films, entitled, "The Star Trek Costumes",

Details about this species, including their name, comes from notes created by Fred Phillips and Robert Fletcher for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and can be found in The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Content from this article may have
come partially, or entirely from
 Memory Alpha

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