Dokkaran

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Dokkaran
Four Letter Code	DOKR
Federation Status	Unknown
Planet of Origin	Unknown
Encountered	TNG: Hero Worship
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N
List of Named Dokkarans
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The Dokkarans are a culture and race characterized by harmony, as reflected in the design of the temple that the orphaned Timothy tried to build with Lieutenant Commander Data's help in 2368 aboard the USS Enterprise-D.

Name

• Proper Name: Arcadian
• Pronunciation: Ar'Cad'ian

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: Nausicaa Sector (coordinates B27-0002-1300 )
• Proper Name: Arcada
• Pronunciation: Ar'Cada
• Star: It orbits a class G (Yellow) star
• Distance from Star: it's orbit is approximately 158 million km
• Companions: 5 other planets. It is the 4th planet in the system

Home World

• Proper Name: Arcada
• Pronunciation: Ar'Cada
• Diameter: 12,749 km (7,968 miles)
• Gravity: 1.06 standard gravity with a density of 5.8
• Axial Tilt: 0.87%, no appreciable tilt and no seasons
• Orbital Period: 471 days
• Rotational Period: 36 hours
• Classification: M
  • Surface Water: 58%
  • Atmosphere: 1.07 is a standard pressure with 75% nitrogen, 24% oxygen, 1% trace chemicals
  • Climate: Warm semi-tropical with tropical at the equator.
  • Population: Just over 750 million

Introduction

Otherworldly and remarkably harmonious, the Dokkarans are amongst the most unique and utterly alien life forms humans and otherwise have encountered. A race of sentient, highly evolved plants, Dokkarans emerged two hundred and thirty years ago after an encounter with the USS Elysium. Dokkarans are born fully mature beneath the branches of the great Vizinyian Trees, which in turn spawned from the lone sentient Vizinyian Tree called The Lady by the Dokkarans. The physiology of these two sentient plants is not well understood and the link between The Lady (And all other Vizinyians) and the Dokkaran is likewise enigmatic save that it appears that The Lady created the Dokkarans to be her ambassadors to the greater galaxy.

History

The events surrounding the discovery of The Lady and the creation of the first Dokkarans is known as the ‘Elysian Encounter’ in Federation records, and as the ‘Awakening’ among the Dokkaran. While on a deep space mission in 2165, the USS Elysium came across the planet now known as Ceata and encountered it’s unique, nebulous atmosphere of vibrant blues and purples. Sending down an away mission consisting of about 25 personnel, the team fanned out across what is now known as The Pale, where The Lady resides. The two crewmen to reach The Lady first were Lieutenant Evangeline Dell, and Ensign Christian Allanzar, where they began to observe strange movements among the plants surrounding the gigantic tree. Ensign Allanzar proposed that the plants were reacting to their presence but Lieutenant Dell dismissed the idea.

Eventually the plants physically uprooted themselves and moved towards the pair, proving that these plants either had some sort of previously unobserved intelligence or were being controlled by another entity. Reporting their findings back to the Elysium, the rest of the away mission was recalled to help observe these strange plants. Lieutenant Dell and Ensign Allanzar would not live to see the arrival of the team however, and just as their transmission ended, they were both mauled to death by a local feline predator, the Hesseragh.

Upon discovering their bodies, the away team also discovered the body of the Hesseragh strangled to death by vines. Eventually the plants surrounding The Lady created a barrier between the rest of the away team and the bodies of their crewmen. Later these plants dragged the bodies closer to The Lady and were apparently absorbed into the bark of the tree.

Astonished by this display, the away team did not even try to reclaim the bodies of their fallen and elected to wait and see what The Lady would do next.

Eventually two ‘seeds’ emerged from the vines of The Lady and opened to reveal two seemingly human life forms (One male, one female), though exhibiting the same features as Ensign Allanzar and Lieutenant Dell though of distinct likeness. These two ‘seeds’ of The Lady were the first Dokkarans and spoke for The Lady in the dealings with the Elysium crew. The Elysium remained in orbit of Caeta for three months as the number of Dokkarans multiplied and their civilization developed. All Dokkarans seemed to hold the experiences of Lieutenant Dell and Ensign Allanzar in their minds and hold the two officers and The Lady in deep reverence, for both gave them life. Eventually the Elysium left and the Dokkarans asked to be left alone while they discovered their existence on their own for a little while. A few years later, the Dokkarans contacted Starfleet through subspace radio that had been left behind and opened their borders to a limited number of visitors. Over time as the Dokkarans evolved as both a species and a civilization, the number of offworlders permitted grew, but as of 2390 is still strictly controlled.

Dokkarans have not expressed an interest in joining the Federation but many believe it is an eventuality, though not one to be fulfilled in the near future.

Description

Dokkarans appear externally human, but are very far from it internally. Externally though, Dokkarans are passable as humans and were modeled after them though there isn’t any natural variance in hair, eye, or skin color, with all appearing as pale, true blue eyed, and black haired (For males) and white haired (For females).

Physiology

It is a commonly held belief among those few scientists lucky enough to study Dokkaran physiology that the layman’s terms used in the biological studies of other sentient life forms would only lead the reader farther and farther away from understanding the Dokkarans, instead of closer to an understanding.

As previously stated, the Dokkarans are plants though are extremely unique plants in that they do not require sunlight and rather operate on a modified version of the Calvin Cycle found within other plants. Dokkarans also have complex dietary needs, requiring them to eat two or three large, highly varied meals a day to maintain themselves. Dokkarans are calcivores, feeding on calcium and bone marrow for most of their nutritional needs and Dokkaran dishes largely consist of different ways to prepare bones and bone marrow. Also requiring large amounts of water, Dokkarans must always be hydrated lest they start to wilt and die just like any other plant.

Dokkaran internal biology is a maze and is unlike anything previously encountered. Dokkaran ‘skin’ is instead a tough mesh of leaves fused together to give the convincing illusion of skin and is supported by a complex structure of stems that function as a sort of skeletal and circulatory system. It is through this ‘skin’ that Dokkarans are able to absorb sunlight and carry out a limited form of photosynthesis. Since the Dokkaran homeworld has little direct sunlight due to a very thick cloud and magnetosphere, Dokkarans and the other plants on their homeworld carry out the process of photosynthesis by in taking large amounts of nutrients to start the process in the absence of strong sunlight. When Dokkarans come into contact with less obstructed solar light, the feeling is euphoric and after a brief orgasmic reaction, the Dokkarans continue to be relaxed as they take in the sunlight that revitalizes them.

Dokkaran neurobiology is one of the few things about them to be remotely similar to other humanoids and Dokkarans have a brain, though this brain has structures, cortexes and synapses that extend throughout their body. Dokkarans also have a minimal amount of natural hormones and chemicals running through their brain and in essence are ‘running dry’ on pure neuron energy. This does not limit their emotions in a sense, but these emotions are rarely brought to extremes via hormones or other natural chemicals found in animals, giving the species its trademark harmonious and ‘Zen’ personality. Dokkarans also exhibit psionic abilities though they are not true psionics like Vulcans or other telepathic/empathic species. Dokkarans are extremely sensitive to changes in the environment around them and can readily sense the release of hormones within animals. Dokkarans can tell if someone is lying, if they desire them sexually, and can sense chemical imbalances that relate to psychiatric disorders, something Dokkarans are ‘immune to’. Dokkarans can also execute a sort of ‘mind meld’ through physical contact with another through the attuning of their nervous system to that of the other. This allows for the unity of minds between the two, allowing for the transfer of ideas, feelings and memories. In the case of sexual or other intimate contact, this experience can be very intense and if the other partner is not Dokkaran, it can be very tiring, and potentially dangerous if the Dokkaran is not careful to control the flow of ideas and emotions.

Dokkarans do not reproduce sexually, nor do they excrete solid or liquid waste (Save for producing oxygen and sugar) so their genitalia (anatomically identical to a human’s) are purely for ‘recreational activities’. Between fellow Dokkarans though, the ultimate joining of minds through their mental abilities is enough to function as a mating ritual by itself, without physical contact.

Another unique feature about Dokkarans is their as yet unknown natural life-span. Dokkarans show little sign of aging, and the only Dokkarans that have ever died expired from disease or conflict, not natural causes. Considering the longevity capabilities of many other complex plant life, it is possible that Dokkarans are either actually immortal (They will never die naturally) or effectively immortal (They have a vastly elongated lifespan compared to other humanoids that might make them extremely long lived). As Dokkarans are not affected by the same diseases, viral or otherwise, that animals are, the best chance a Dokkaran has of dying prematurely is through conflict or some sort of accident.

Notes

Content from this article may have
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 Memory Alpha

		SPECIES PROFILE UPDATED This profile was revised by the Species Development Committee.		REV 239003.06
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