Paelian

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Paelian
Four Letter Code	....
Federation Status	Member
Planet of Origin	Nera
Encountered	{{{encountered}}}
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N (spacefaring)
List of Named Paelians
Full ILI Gallery • Permitted Species Gallery

Paelians (Paelian: tʊpæl) are amphibian humanoids native to three worlds: Paelia in the Pael System, Nera in the Nera system and Nemea in the Nemea system. In 2298 they joined the Federation together with another allied species, the Ranjeen.

Name

• Proper Name: Paelian
• Pronunciation: pælɪən

Home Systems

Pael

• Quadrant: Alpha-Quadrant
• Location: -Sector (coordinates B27-0002-1300)
• Proper Name: Paelia
• Pronunciation: pæl
• Star: A G-type star called Pael
• Companions: 11 planets

Nera

• Quadrant: Alpha-Quadrant
• Location: -Sector (coordinates B27-0002-1300)
• Proper Name: Nera
• Pronunciation: ˈnɪəra
• Star: A T-Tauri-type star called Nera
• Companions: 8 planets

Nemea

• Quadrant: Alpha-Quadrant
• Location: -Sector (coordinates B27-0002-1300)
• Proper Name: Nemea
• Pronunciation: ˈnɪmɪə
• Star: A G-type star called Nemea
• Planets: 3 planets

Home Worlds

Paelia

• Proper Name: Paelia
• Pronunciation: pælɪa
• Distance from Star: Its orbit is approximately 183 million km
• Number of Natural Sattelites: 4
• Diameter: 14,949 km (9,289 miles)
• Gravity: 1.1 G with a density of 5.8 g/cm³
• Axial Tilt: 16.5° tilt and two seasons
• Orbital Period: 471 days
• Rotational Period: 34 hours
• Classification: M
  • Surface Water: 73%
  • Atmosphere: 1.7 p is standard pressure with 71% nitrogen, 28% oxygen, 1% trace chemicals
  • Climate: 7 major different climate zones, tropical around the equator
  • Population: around 7,9 billion

Nera

• Proper Name: Nera
• Pronunciation: ˈnɪəra
• Distance from Star: Its orbit is approximately 103 million km
• Number of Natural Sattelites: 7
• Diameter: 10,009 km (6,219 miles)
• Gravity: 2.1 G with a density of 5.9 g/cm³
• Axial Tilt: 1.87°, no appreciable tilt and no seasons
• Orbital Period: 471 days
• Rotational Period: 27 hours
• Classification: M
  • Surface Water: 91%
  • Atmosphere: 1.07 is a standard pressure with 81% nitrogen, 18% oxygen, 1% trace chemicals
  • Climate: 4 major different climate zones, tropical around the equator
  • Population: around 800 million

Nemea

• Proper Name: Nimea
• Pronunciation: ˈnɪmɪə
• Distance from Star: Its orbit is approximately 163 million km
• Number of Natural Sattelites: 2 Planetary rings
• Diameter: 11,721 km (7,283 miles)
• Gravity: 1.8 G with a density of 6.8 g/cm³
• Axial Tilt: 49,2° tilt resulting in six seasons
• Orbital Period: 471 days
• Rotational Period: 19 hours
• Classification: M
  • Surface Water: 44%
  • Atmosphere: 1.07 is a standard pressure with 63% nitrogen, 36% oxygen, 1% trace chemicals
  • Climate: Tropical
  • Population: around 1,8 billion

History

See also: Paelian history

Ancient history

From their beginning onwards the Paelian people lived in rather small tribes. Some of them lived as nomadic peoples maintaining some communication between those who had settled down on the various islands of Paelia. Those settlements were located at coasts of all kind. River banks were places as good as the ocean's coast. In the security of flooded caves and earliest huts they developed to become a culture of hunters and foragers.

Already in the very beginning it became one of the basic principles almost all Paelian peoples shared was the concept of absolute freedom. If people wanted not to go hunting or collecting wild berries, they didn't have to. Nobody asked why they wouldn't do so and still they were allowed to take what they need from the food storage of the tribe. Some of those staying at home invented the earliest scripts, others became philosphers although only few pieces survived the following centuries. Most important was another invention, though. Some of the earliest farmers were Paelians not going to hunt or collect fruits and vegetables.

Starting at that point Paelian peoples grew larger. Tribes were becoming communities, existing communities became small towns and in the end almost everywhere on the planet Paelian towns existed. Their growth in numbers came along with a growth of profession. Still the principle of absolute freedom was strictly maintained. Everybody was allowed to do what he is best at and what he likes most, nobody was restricted from anything.

The more productive the technology behind growing and hunting food became, the more the Paelian peoples cultivated. Communication between them was no longer only available through by-passing nomads but people went to see other towns as well. An exchange of ideas took place that would eventually change the Paelian society forever. It took some thousands of years until the first electrical machines were established. But when it was the preconditions for spacefaring were set.

Early space travelling

The first Paelian colony ship was only able to run at half impulse at maximum. Its leave was followed by brutal attacks on the orginal Paelian homeworld by marauding Klingons. Although no Paelian resisted Paelia was dramatically devasted causing some people to doubt if space was the right place for them to be. The construction of a second ship was stopped until the colony ship returned and reported that they were successful on populating an uninhabitated world which they called Nemea. Almost immediately another space ship was built to travel twice as fast as the first one while being smaller.

The second colony ship set off for another world and established another colony where Paelian culture would develop from that time on. This world they called Nera. Even though Klingon marauders came back some times after their initial attack Paelians never lost their pacificistic attitude. They did not even passively resist the invaders and thereby got them to lose interest after a while. About a century after the foundation of the colonies and the Klingon attacks Paelians made once more first contact with a spacefaring species, the Ranjeen, which proved to be more fertile. One of the technologies exchanged was warp-drive which enabled the Paelians to travel to their colonies in some weeks instead of decades. Nonetheless the three worlds would continue to exist as three different Paelian subcultures.

Entering the Interstellar community

When the Klingons, at this time at war with the Federation, looked for ressourceful planets they could occupy, they heard about Nemea. Rumours of them being great hunters and constantly fighting their world's unkind envrionment. Their interest in conquering a more honourable opponment's world was great and so they decided to launch an invasion on both the Ranjeen homeworld and Nemea. In 2267 (Old World calendar) the United Federation of Planets intervened into the conflict that was about to start. Both, the Ranjeen and the Paelians had applied for membership in the Federation. The Klingons knew that if the two worlds joined the Federation Starfleet's strategical position in the war would be improved by far. To avoid this they agreed to declare all three Paelian worlds, the Ranjeen homeworld and its single colony a Neutral zone for the duration of the war. After 2293 when the relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire changed for the better, the Ranjeen and the Paelian people were allowed to join the Federation. At the end of 2297 the Ranjeen got the status of a full member shortly followed by the Paelians in early 2298. As citizens of the Federation Paelians and Ranjeen were allowed to apply for Starfleet. Some time passed before anybody liked to do that but in the end individuals of both species decided to join Starfleet.

Physiology

Paelians resemble Bolians in appearance, and are distinguished by their ears, barbels around the mouth and their distinctively smaller palms and feet, which exhibit longer fingers. Actually the length added to their fingers is coming from the missing metacarpal and metatarsal bones. Between their fingers and toes remained some interdigital webbing which isn't tensed all the time.

=Ectotherm circulatory system

Paelian bodies don't generate enough heat by themselves. Paelians rely largely on external heat sources such as sunlight to achieve their optimal body temperature for various bodily activities. Accordingly they depend on ambient conditions to reach operational body temperatures. They also have lower metabolic rates than other endotherm species. Paelians need much less food than other species of similar body mass.

Because Paelians depend on environmental conditions for body temperature regulation, tradition made them a diurnal species. Even though they have special clothing to go out by night it is not common for them to do so even today. Most culture's hunting strategies consisted of "wait and hit"-strategies to avoid overexaggerating. On other world than Paelia and Nera it can be hard for Paelians to find proper sources of heat. While being stationed on a Starfleet starship they usually wear special thermal clothing that keeps them warm enough to perform their duty.

Organ system

The internal structure of the Paelian body is completely different from Bolians. Gills allow Paelians to breath under water while they have lungs to breath on land. Instead of lots of organs Paelians possess a very decentralized structure of innards. The removal of waste products from breathing or drinking is performed by the veins and arteries. Paelians also do lack a heart which is compensated by hundreds of small muscles placed at crossings of blood vessels. A complex network of nerves performs all functions usually covered by a brain. Unlike most other systems of the Paelian body their digestive system is quite normal regarded by other Humanoids' point of view.

Paelian sexes

Although Paelians share the same tones of blue which they go through between their moultings there is a range of different patterns which helps identifying the sex. The distinctive patterns, more easily felt by touch than by eye sight, are even more distinctive. They become obvious when Paelians bluesh, though. In addition the colour of their eyes differ slightly. While "male" Paelians have eye colours ranging from red purple to blue green, "female" Paelians' eye colours range from blue green to yellow orange and "xemale's" eyes are coloured something in the range between yellow orange and red violet.

Reproductive System

Paelians evolved to a species with three different sexes that mostly differ by their reproductive organs. Due to a certain ambivalence every Paelian can bear a child and fertilize other Paelians. The three sexes were named "male", "female" and "xemale" by Federation scientists. Males are able to fertilize females, females can fertilize xemales and xemales can fertilize males. The children of those couples are always belong to the sex not involved in the reproductive process. Rarely homosexual couples are also able to give life to a baby. In that case the child would be of the same sex.

Unlike most humanoid species Paelians have two genitals. Very much like most humanoid species their sexual organs are openings that do also cover functions of the digestive system. While urine is poured out through the frontal genital, the posterior sexual organ expells faeces, too. All three sexes transmit the semen through the frontal genital and receive it by their posterior genital.

Paelians lay eggs which exit the Paelian body through the posterior genital. Once their offspring hatched, they need to be breast-fed by at least one of their parents. For this purpose, all sexes posses breasts. It totally depends on the culture only whether both, mother and father, feed their children with breast milk or only one of them.

Moulting

After a certain amount of years, Paelians shed their skin. When they feel that their former skin is rejected by the body, their new skin was generated already. If not a second skin will be formed within short time. The new skin is very lightly blue almost white. It takes some weeks until it reaches a light blue. In the course of the next years it changes to a very dark blue until it is shed and replaced again.

Psychology

Psychological diseases and different hormonal balances exist amongst Paelians as amongst any other species. There are no social stigma regarding the consultation of a psychologist. On all three Paelian homeworlds it's as usual as seeing a pediatrician, dentist or any other physician.

One of the greatest problems of psychologists on Paelian worlds is the belief in absolute freedom. Locked wards do not exist which is obvious because Paelians never invented doors at all. Therefore some psychopaths have caused very much trouble in the course of history. At some times people would simply kill someone like a serial killers to have peace at last. At other times people would wait until the poor soul realizes what he has done and asks the tribunals of conscience of a trial.

Although it was widely discussed if mental disorders might be a reason enough to interfere with a Paelian's right of absolute freedom. It is up to the psychologist's opinion and judgement if he is willing to do something if necessary against the patient's will. Since there is no law to act upon psychologists will only have to face their own conscience and ask themselves for which steps they can take the responsibility. This did result in some tragedies but also in a generally quite impressive integration of disabled people into society.

Culture

Paelians have always been a multicultural people. Their pluralistic attitude prohibited a linear development of one singular culture. Although often challenged, one principle was kept by some part of the population during their history: Absolute freedom.

While other peoples tried to introduce power, laws, money and other ways to eliminate personal freedoms somewhere on the planet the conecept of absolute freedom endured. And in the end other forms of society failed in competition to the free peoples. Even during the times when alien invaders took many thousand lives the Paelian way of life wasn't challenged.

Arts

Paelian arts have developed of the people's needs. Wherever people start building houses they'll get to a point at which they want some aesthetic elements, too. The same goes for tools, early furniture and other objects. In the course of time, Paelians started to paint pictures on land and under water or composing music. But most of it still had a function. Only when Paelians increased the crop some people started painting pursued for their own sake. Others started to write fictional stories or compose songs.

In the course of time, artists emerged as a new profession. They dedicated their lives to art. But when more ressources were available art became an activity for other people than artists, too. Drawing or painting to music became a very popular party activity. Most of Paelian literature was contributed to by more than one Paelian. Otherwise they treat art like many other peoples of the galaxy.

architecture

Paelian have always appreciated accommodations partly flooded by water. Earliest settlements were placed at river banks which were enlarged by creating canals parallel to the river. Each Paelian house was not just build by the water but in it. The basement and sometimes even more floors beneath the ground floor were filled with water completely. To ensure that the water keeps fresh, each of house was build in the river's current. Two openings in the walls opposed to the river's current functioned as a water supply and as drain. Most houses also featured a ground floor that was waist-high filled with water.

Because Paelians never came up with private sphere, nobody thought of doors. Openings in the walls were supposed to let sunshine as well as other people in. To defend against wild animals Paelians erected palisads, or digged deep, dry ditches. Against predators entering the settlements through its river, Paelians used fishing nets.

Interior design

Inside a Paelian house there is usually a lot of water. To avoid mildew Paelians learned early to prefer metal for their furniture. On higher floors wood was used, too. Living on these dry levels has lead to the invention of the halajao, a cylinder filled with water, which worked as a sleeping accommodation.

Another problem was caused by the ground floor. On this floor water was usually waist-high. The river's current, which ran through the houses, too, was felt here at most. Therefore Paelians invented furniture that consisted of one or more boards which were connected by four ropes to the ground floor's typically high ceiling. Whenever something lying on those "shelves" were needed, one could lower those boards easily. A single board was often used as a liftable table.

Languages

For a long time there was not a single language identifiable as the Paelian language but several ones. Since the introduction of warp-drive to the Paelian peoples one these languages has emerged to a language understood by all Paelians. Most of the other languages degenerated to mere dialects of the Paelian "lingua franca". The language that became accepted had no name of its own since Paelians didn't find names for their peoples. All names ever used for language mean translated nothing else but "language".

Paelian language includes a by far higher use of vocals than in many other languages. Vocals are regarded as the more pleasant sounds while consonants are a necessary evil. As a rule most Paelian words never place another consonant after a consonant. At the same time vocals are following other vocals quite often. There are a few words, though, that use consonants following consonants. Expletives and insults for example.

An important aspect of Paelian language is that it completely lacks grammatical genders. In fact no Paelian language ever came up with this idea. Since no genders exist in the Paelian society, Paelians don't understand the necessetiy of grammatical genders at all. Instead they seperate between things and human beings. If Paelians are speaking of other persons, they will simply call them by names and don't have pronouns. If speaking of items, they can use a pronoun for it. Technically this seperation between Paelian beings and things is the closest to a grammatical gender.

Due to Paelian nature of sharing their goods with everybody and only believing in a very limited way into possession - as in case of art for example - their language doesn't provide possessive pronouns or a genitive case. In special cases - like explaining someone's degree of kinship - they would use a case similar to Human dative. However there are Paelian subcultures instinctively not using these forms either because they do think that e.g. the phrase "the husband of" includes the thought of one partner possessing another. To all Paelians this thought is absurd of course but some use this phrase to make clear who is in a partnership with whom.

The three main dialects are Nemean, Neran and Paelian. They differ when it comes to pronounciation, certain words but in general communication between the three of them works quite good.

Neran dialect

Paelian	English	Meaning
Asay(pronounced æsaj)	-	Question tag
Eilibio (pronounced eɪlɪbɪo)	Paper	Eilibioa is a thin paper-like material made from a plant on Nera. It's blue-coloured.
Halayao (pronounced hɑlajao)	Bed/ Bathtub	Sohn Stephans II.
Yasas (pronounced jasas)	-	Positive answer towards a question tag
Moy (pronounced mɔʏ	Well	This word can basically mean anything and nothing. If used without additive words it's similar to the English "well", the French "alors" or the German "also".
Moy atalomo (pronounced mɔʏ ætɔlomo)	-	The word "atalomo" is turning the word "moy" a positive reply.
Moy sideov (pronounced mɔʏ sideɔf)	-	The word "sideov" is added to moy to represent disappointment or sadness.
Moy nanao (pronounced mɔʏ nanao)	-	The word "naono" adds an expression of amazement, astonishment, surprise or confusion to the word "moy". In most cases, it can be considered like "wow".
Moy, moy, moy (pronounced mɔʏ, mɔʏ, mɔʏ)	-	Just like "moy" generally can mean anything, this expression can be used to mark very much joy, a huge surprise but also savere sadness and many other extreme feelings.

Body languages

Paelian body language differs highly from that of other humanoid species. Their anatomy allows them gestures and facial expressions impossible for other species but also prohibits them from some. Just like their languages, all three homeplanets have constructed their own body languages, too.

Neran gestures and facial expressions

Gesture/ Facial expression	Meaning
Blinking eyes	Since Paelians naturally don't blink, opening and closing eyes is a indication for a high level of stress (although the very opposite can happen to: Eyes staying widely open). It appears oftenly in combination with shaking one's head and breathing fast. In this case it would indicate that the Paelian is 'crying'. Physical and mental pain both can be cause to this reaction which is hard to control.
Bloating	Paelians can bloat their neck (especially the "soft" part where the carotid artery and the throat are; not the part around the spine). When a Paelian bloats the neck/throat, it basically looks like a frog's vocal sac but smaller. It is also seperated by the ridge which is situated vertically upon a Paelian's body.
Bluesh	Almost like blushing, Paelians "bluesh", which means that their faces become blue instead of red (due to the color of their blood). The word was made up by the Starfleet Captain that was present at first contact with the Paelians. It is used by others to describe Paelians blushing ever since.
Cheek-rub	The gesture roughly translated as cheek-rub is a gesture of trust and relatedness. As a romantic or erotic gesture it was initially used by Paelians that were unable to kiss non-Paelians (mostly Humans demanding that) due to their toxic salvia. When those aliens demanded an alternative gesture, many Paelians started to use the cheeck-rub. In the long run, the original meaning of the gesture was forgotten and its meaning changed amongst Paelians, too.
Closing eyes	This is a gesture oftenly considered equal to human sighing. It can be used to stress relief, sorrow or pity. But the similarity between the two gestures goes even further. Just like humans don't need to sigh, Paelians do not need to blink either. They close their eyes only to sleep.
Covering torso	Like most Humanoid species, Paelians instinctively try to cover their vitally important organs assembled at the torso when they feel threatened. It takes a lot of training to lose this instinctive behaviour.
Ducking head	Like most Humanoid species, Paelians instinctively try to duck their head when they feel threatened. Although ducking the head limits the field of view very much, it can save the head and thus the brain from injury. It takes a lot of training to lose this instinctive behaviour.
Fast Breathing	Increased frequency of breath might show exhaustion. But in company of blinking eyes and shaking one's head, this resembles the Paelian version of 'crying'. It can be caused by mental or physical pain and is hard to control.
Kissing	Kissing has originally never been a Paelian gesture but was slowly becoming a part of their body language when Terranisation took place (after First Contact and establishing a membership in the Federation). However, Paelians can only kiss each other. Kissing someone not belonging to their species might kill the other one due to the toxic salvia of Paelians. A species with mucous membranes as robust as Paelian ones might be able to kiss a Paelian, though. However, they would need to make sure before that their spittles don't react with each other.
Loosening/Stiffening the neck	Paelians can also simply make their throat/neck appear stiff, loose or waving. They have very much control of their skin at this area, far more control than they have of their facial expressions. Basically you can say: The stiffer the neck, the less open/ happy/ good/ etc. is the Paelian's mood. The looser, the better/ more comfortable/ accepted/ welcome/ etc. the Paelian feels.
Nodding	Paelians nod to greet other people. 5 times is very impolite, 4 or 6 times is okay when greeting foreigners, 3 or 7 are used to greet superiors or authorities (but also to show respect), 2 or 8 is a greeting for friends and colleagues as well as subordinates, 1 or 9 times is reserved for close friends. As one can imagine, the long-lasting greetings are used rarely; mostly at very, very formal occasions. Beloved ones like husband or wife or life-long friends are not greeted with a nodding but by some kind of body contact (some Paelian subcultures have adopted shaking hands or hugging each other from humans as their greetings; there are also other native Paelian greetings).
Rubbing someone's cheek	The gesture roughly translated as cheek-rub is a very traditional gesture of trust and relatedness. As a romantic or erotic gesture it was initially used by Paelians that were unable to kiss non-Paelians (mostly Humans demanding that) due to their toxic salvia. When those aliens demanded an alternative gesture, many Paelians started to use the cheeck-rub. In the long run, the original meaning of the gesture was forgotten and its meaning changed amongst Paelians, too.
Shaking head	General expression of confusion. It resembles the Human gesture of shrugging one's shoulders. It is used oftenly in combination with the Paelian word Moy in a tone that illustrates confusion (Humans and other peoples might not notice the tone that is exclusively for confusion because it is very close to the speaker's normal voice.). In combination with fast breathing and blinking eyes, this gesture would indicate that the Paelian is 'crying'. Physical and mental pain both can be cause to this reaction which is hard to control.
Smiling	"Smiling" is an expression of seriousness. It looks very similar to the human expression but is used seldomly by Paelian. Paelians in general are rather looking at someones neck/throat than his face to look for expressions.
Stiffening/Loosening	Paelians can also simply make their throat/neck appear stiff, loose or waving. They have very much control of their skin at this area, far more control than they have of their facial expressions. Basically one can say: The stiffer the neck, the less open/ happy/ good/ etc. is the Paelian's mood. The looser, the better/ more comfortable/ accepted/ welcome/ etc. the Paelian feels.
Tipping at someone's shoulder	Since Paelians from Nera are very reluctant towards body contact, it is a very special gesture to tip a Paelian's shoulder. A Paelian would touch with his/her right hand (or some fingers of the hand, depending on the place of birth) the left shoulder or reversed. If done correctly, it can be regarded as a gesture of great gratitude. If done wrongly, it can be considered very rude. A social code defining if this gesture is used only amongst friends or could also be used to thank strangers was never established. Therefore this gesture causes misunderstandings from time to time. Another problem with this gesture is that it has stayed unclear how to respond. In some communities on Nera and elswhere people just wave their neck to "accept" this gesture, in others they return the gesture (in some regions Paelians would tip the shoulder they were were tipped at; at others the reversed one).
Vibrating	If Bloating is often said to be a Paelian laughing, the waving of the neck's skin and vibrating are often interpreted as grinning. There are at least as many varieties of waving/vibrating the neck as there are smiles. Sometimes the meaning varies a bit like human smiles vary in its meaning (which does not mean, that the variety of meanings is the same).
Waving	If Bloating is often said to be a Paelian laughing, the waving of the neck's skin and vibrating are often interpreted as grinning. There are at least as many varieties of waving/vibrating the neck as there are smiles. Sometimes the meaning varies a bit like human smiles vary in its meaning (which does not mean, that the variety of meanings is the same).

Scripts

Earliest Paelian scripts needed to be able to be used under water, too. Very soon Paelians came up with incredibly thin stone plates. The script used on these based upon circles of different sizes representing sounds, not just letters. Paelians used metal cylinders 0,1 millimeter to 14 milimeters in diameter and a small hammer to perforate the stone. The range of 144 circles were being coded differently in the societies but usually Paelians were able not just to describe which words they meant but also the sound and pitch level. The plate's thickness of only 2 to 4 millimeters allowed texts to be copied easily by putting more than one stone plate on another.

With the innovation of computers, stone and paper stopped to be the preferred writing material. Slowly new scripts were developed using lines and circles. Instead of simplifying their script the Paelians complicated it. Now their alphabet's letters could be used to resemble an exact sound. Parallel to this development easier scripts were used for fast notes, too. In the end these simplified still phonetic phonetic alphabets replaced the more complicated onces with more than 3,000 letters each.

Sciences

Lika many other cultures Paelians came up with concepts of research and education. Those concentrated at certain places which led to these commencement of scientific research and education of new scientists.

Chronology

Instead of history in a traditional Human understanding Paelians came up with a science relatively unique. Chronologist's field of work could be considered a combination of Human historians and archaeologists. But they do not just dig up ancient items and artifacts and determine their age but thereby determine the current Paelian year. Paelians believe strictly in the importance of the year one to be the real year one of the Paelian people. Whenever chronologists reveal that their history has started some Paelia years earlier, all the dates of Paelian history do change. Although nobody enforced this system of course, about 99% of all Paelians were absolutely fine with it.

Technology

The Paelian development of technology is relatatively close to that of Humanity's. While it took them far more years considering wisely which technology to put into practice saved them from the worst consequences of pollution. It also prohibited them from reaching space in very long time but finally Paelian scientists achieved success by offering plans for giant colony ships. Those consisted of large spheres with decks arranged like the composition of their homeplant. Three rings equipped with impulse drives orbited the ship's core connected only by a fragile tunnel that could be cruised on the sphere's surface.

Society

Like Humanity and many other humanoid peoples Paelians developed from a clan structure of nomadic tribes to small settlements that grew bigger in the course of time. Even beside the idea of the absolute, individual freedom some norms were established. People had to agree on certain things to live together. Most of those were norms anyway. Young children would be educated according to the norms but of course those changed nontheless. The very loose concept of people living together and agreeing on certain aspects of how to live together became the basis for Paelians to define a people.

Politics

In many cases Paelians did develop certain hierachies similar to monarchies or oligarchies or representative democrazy. But all of them failed in the end because all those peoples that had left the traditional ways were convinced of the necessity of absolute freedom. This led to a society that doesn't know any kind of laws, any state-run power or any kind of state at all. If problems arose, someone who felt like proposing an idea could do so in public. All the Paelians he could convince of his ideas would try to put them into practice. Others, not seeing the problem or not liking the solution, would not do so. In cases where a clear decision was needed it was not enforced but rather delayed until all would agree.

Of course in practice some people did not like the solutions others came up with and did not follow their ideas willingly but in lack of a better one. In some cases, the delay of important decisions caused many tragedies like deaths by pollution, mistreatment of epidemies and worse. This was the very high price paid for the concept of absolute freedom.

Customs

A diversity of regional cultures such as the Paelian people do have lots of different, sometimes contradicting customs. On the large island of Lagoa families would bury their beloved ones under some plant in the countryside. Paelians from the Iajiij archipelago would take their decendents to deep places under water where the stream is quite extreme and let them pass away on it. People from Paelia and Nera would eat their meals with 6 wooden chopsticks putting them between their fingers. Nemean Paelians would eat their food with their fingers.

There are some customs that are shared by all Paelian peoples. However this does not imply that every individual follows them. Most important for all Paelians is a ritual of receiving water and soil. Two small phials, one filled with soil and one filled with water from the Paelian child's hometown, are given to newborns on all three Paelian homeworlds. What is done to the phials if a Paelian dies is not the same everywhere, though. On the colony worlds exist not so many phials, so they very often put the dead Paelian's water and soil at a small memorial and use the phials for the next generation. Other colony peoples do store the phials of their deceased ones for centuries to honour their memory. On Paelia the phials are often buried with the persons.

Another common ritual is a feast that is given on all three worlds simultaniously. This ceremony was invented to celebrate the warp-drive given to the Paelians by a friendly species. It was this technology that allowed them to coordinate having a meal at the very same time on all three worlds. Most people will take a day off after the festival if their job allows them to do so. Many Paelians that joined starfleet or travel around the Federation do also cook and eat some comfort food from their homeworld.

The only other custom known to all Paelians was a festivity called a welcoming party. Those were celebrated aboard the first Paelian ships which were driven by impulse drive. During the long and dangerous voyages, Paelian crews usually grew together and founded families. Therefore the Paelian Trading Fleet established a trend. New crewman were expected to host a welcoming party for their fellow crewmates. After all, in a society where anyone could give and take what one wanted or needed, those parties were always well attended and people had lots of fun inventing funny party activities.

Religions

Religion has always been a personal matter on Paelia, Nera and Nemea. All religious communities, faith groups and such have been very small and often organzied regionally. Although most of them do work on the fields or in some other area next to their spiritual work some priests, philosophers and other ethic professionals decided to spent their whole life in their god's service. Almost all kinds of spiritual beliefs can be found on Paelia, Nera and, to a far lesser extent, on Nemea where most Paelians are atheists or agnostics.

Economy

Paelian economy is based upon the free sharing of what everybody produces. Every Paelian, including even strangers, were allowed to take what they needed or thought to need from the town center's stockpile. It was not expected for them to bring anything there but 95% of people did produce goods and share them without being foreced to do so. Although this philosophy of not forcing anybody to do anything every time when additional workers were needed enough Paelians would offer their help. Most Paelians had always felt a certain respondsibility towards tasks necessary for their community's survival.

Military

Paelians never maintained any form of military. Some historians from the Federation have judged the Paelians to be lucky for facing only Klingon invaders. They argue that had there been Romulans or Cardassians next to them the species and its planets would probably have been opressed and exploited. Paelian historians later pointed out that it was quite a dangerous bluff of Starfleet assigning ships to the Paelian and Ranjeen worlds during the war with the Klingons. Had the Klingons decided to continue their attack - so their argument - it may have caused massacres amongst Paelians and Ranjeen alike.

Public institutions

Since the Paelian history declined the idea of a state, there can be no governement or executive branch found. Yet there are some institutions founded by Paelians that could be considered as public. Their influence differs between the different peoples on Paelia, Nera and Nemea. Never has any of these institutions claimed political might. As the Paelian society in general, they work on the basis of complete individual freedom.

Town center watch

Beginning as a family clan's storage of goods that were willingly exchanged, these storages developed soon to the centers of early settlements. Any Paelian (and later any alien) is allowed to hand over what he/she/xe likes to give to the community or take whatever he/she/xe thinks to need. All kinds of goods could be delivered and later even services (e.g. cooking fresh meals)could be performed. Since the life period of some goods differ very much and Paelians would not like to waste e.g. decayed food, in many cultures some Paelians volunteered to watch out for the goods stored at the town center. This way they ensured that goods that could no longer be stored were used either by the watch or by people to whom the watch delivered these goods.

When the range of Paelian goods increased the town center watch changed, too. Instead of central storages the Paelians developed smaller storages for specific types of goods. The watch had to specialize to understand their storages' goods' qualities and life periods. Soon they started to offer advise for the 'customers' coming to their store. Although Paelians never developed any kind of currency and the exchange managed by the watch was absolutely non-capitalistic, Starfleet officers at first contact mistook the watch for Salesmen.

Political debate circles

The political debate circles resemble the closest thing to a government or to a parliamentary. Many Paelian peoples have developed such fora of exchange on pressing matters. In most cases these circles met originally near the town centers and simply discussed social issues. In early times people randomly discussed how to stop e.g. a famine or how to expand the town. They had no power to put their ideas into practice than their own. Therefore they invited other people that were not interested in those discussions themselves. To handle these masses of people, they couldn't meet at the town centers and often they built assembly halls. Many public institutions originate are the result of a circle's discussion.

At first contact, Starfleet thought those circles to be either parliamentary or government of the Paelian people. It took some time until they realized that they didn't encounter basic democrazy but just people discussing common problems. Federation scholars needed very long to understand how such institutions could work without any political power.

Tribunal of conscience

Another important element of many Paelian cultures are institutions which Starfleet translated as tribunals of conscience. In these very special courts, judgedment would only be passed on people on basis of their own conscience. Believing in absolute freedom, nobody could be commited to a trial. Without any specific defintion of crime anybody who think to have acted badly could come here.

In ancient times, the methods how to get an idea of someone's morality differed very much from culture to culture. At some places, long questionnaires would have to be filled in, at other places people had to judge case examples. Science opened new ways, though. Nowadays, special scans would be arranged to find out almost without any kind of inaccurateness.

Only if someone had come freely to the tribunal, introduced his/her/xer conscience to the three judges, he/she/xe could confess his/her/xer crimes. Afterwards, the three judges would decide what would be the appropriate punishment according to the committer's conscience. Depending on the culture, it would be left to the committer if the judgement would be executed or not. Some Paelians argued that the knowledge of the punishment could change someone's mind and that it would only be fair that he must freely decide it to be executed. Others countered that only because someone is scared by the punishment, his/her/xer decision to attent a trial should not be disrespected. Therefore the punishment would be executed even against someone's free will.

Schools

Instead of an educational system, Paelians preferred a lose concept of different institutions. Anybody thinking themselves capable to teach could become a teacher and anybody willing to come to the lessons, could come. Although no courses were obligatory, attending school became usual for most Paelians. The free choice of courses caused some problems but it allowed Paelians also to specialice in their professions very much.

Everybody could hand in papers at all kinds of courses, everybody could present those to class, everybody could ask for a talk with the teacher. But there were no class exercises of any kind. Teachers did not test their students trusting in their decision to freely intensify their studies.

Until now it is a very common problem for Paelians to attend Starfleet Academy. Acceptance tests for Starfleet Academy are quite challenging for someone coming from a culture that didn't have tests at all. The diversity of knowledge tested by Starfleet proved also quite stressing for Paelian applicants. After 30 years without any succeeding applicant for Starfleet Academy, on all three Paelian homeworlds special schools were founded to prepare Starfleet Academy applicants for the acceptance tests. In the beginning these institutions had a hard time but became accepted in the course of time.

Religious places

Temples, shrines, churches, cathedrals, sacred groves and far more places are usually kept in good order by the religious group responsible for the very same place. In most cases every Paelian was allowed to enter such a place if one liked to do so. However some religious Paelians preferred to stay amongst themselves and had secret places.

Hospitals

Like any culture Paelians invented medicine at some point. To stop the earliest physicians and healers from having to go from one home to another, medical facilities similar to practices or hospitals on Earh were created. Those places developed like hospitals on Earth but maintained dependant on the medicine they could produce by themselves or that would be delivered by professionals.

Media

Already in the earliest stages of Paelian history nomads did deliver messages between the settlements and also shared news they picked up. Modern media evolved when communication became easier due to new writing materials. From that point onwards there were daily messengers on Paelia, later also on Nera and Nemea, that worked much like newspapers on Earth but without competing each other.

Federation Intelligence Files

Secret Federation files include various information on the worth of Nemea's and Nera's ressources. Those two planets were the main reason why the Federation could not allow the Klingons to successfully invade even one of the planets. Especially not while the Federation was at war with them. These ressources were also a reason to allow a species with a social structure like the Paelian's to join the Federation. Some preconditions were clearly ignored to enable the Paelian's long-term membership.