Dokkaran

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Dokkaran
Four Letter Code	DOKR
Federation Status	Alligned
Planet of Origin	Ceata
Encountered	TNG: Hero Worship
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N
List of Named Dokkarans
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Name

• Proper Name: Dokkaran
• Pronunciation: Do-Kaaren (Traditional), Dokk-a-ren (Common Federation Mispronunciation)

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: Sector 010
• Proper Name: Trezire
• Pronunciation: Trez-eer-é (Traditional) Tres-eye-er (Common Federation Mispronunciation)
• Star: It orbits a class F (White) star
• Distance from Star: it's orbit is approximately 185 million km
• Companions: 9 other planets. It is the 5th planet in the system

Home World

Ceata is noted for it's thick, nebulous atmosphere of multicolored clouds and astounding auroras that appear everywhere in the night sky due to the planet's thick magnetosphere.

• Proper Name: Ceata
• Pronunciation: Cé-at-za (Traditional) Cee-ta (Common Federation Mispronunciation)
• Diameter: 9,549 km
• Gravity: 0.9G with a density of 5.8
• Axial Tilt: 33.87%, wild seasonal extremes
• Orbital Period: 370 days
• Rotational Period: 26 hours
• Classification: M
  • Surface Water: 58%
  • Atmosphere: 1.07 is a standard pressure with 65% nitrogen, 34% oxygen, 1% trace chemicals
  • Climate: Varries, wild seasonal changes occur over the entire planetary surface.
  • Population: ~1 Million

Ceata is an M-class world slightly younger and smaller than Earth, and is the homeworld of the Dokkaran species, located in Sector 010 of the Beta Quadrant.

Ceata is perhaps one of the more unique M-Class worlds of the galaxy and hosts a variety of stellar, geographical, botanical and zoological phenomena that make it a stand-out world in the Alpha Quadrant. Ceata possesses a unique atmosphere that heavily filters sunlight first through a thick magnetosphere and then through a dense, nebulous cloud layer, thus preventing the majority of photosynthesis over the majority of the planet’s surface. Instead, all lifeforms on Ceata evolved with a resistance to the colder temperatures and reduced warm that sunlight provides, and all plants on Ceata instead produce oxygen by consuming live prey, or by in taking vastly increased amounts of water and nutrients from the surrounding soil. Many of Ceata’s plants are highly evolved and some have rudimentary intelligence comparable to animals. Some even have animal like shapes and can move around freely (The Dokkarans included), while others are no more advanced than their counterparts on other planets.

Besides it’s unique plant life, Ceata is home to several astonishing animals and an incredible amount of apex predators. Unlike Earth, all of these predators are omnivorous and most animals across the planet are such, with small minorities being completely herbivorous or completely carnivorous. Ceata is also home to two different species of Dragons (Both endangered) who were previously thought to be extinct until several of their nests were found in the northern mountain ranges in 2203. Since then, the smaller (And less aggressive) species has begun to roost near Luzen and Kural Hanesh. The larger of the two species are titanic behemoths that fortunately exist in small numbers, though present a serious danger to those wandering the unexplored North of Ceata. Unlike their counterparts on Maravel and Berengaria VII, these Dragons are feathered and only the larger of the species is still capable of breathing fire, though there is evidence that the smaller species was once capable of doing the same.

Ceata’s surface is largely unexplored and unpopulated, and but a few expeditions have been sent outside the Acasa region, where the Dokkarans are found. They are an estimated 500 wandering Elders that travel Ceata’s surface, occasionally coming back home, though they wander seeking enlightenment and for the most part, do not report any information of value to those wishing to explore the planet. Ceata remains as much a mystery to those who seek to study it, and those who call it home.

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

Dokkarans are born beneath the branches of the great Vizinyian Trees.

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. The Elysium would stay on Ceata for a further three months, both to observe what would be done with the bodies of their dead crewman, and to study the unique and highly complex plant life on the planet.

After three months, two human looking individuals emerged from the roots of The Lady, bearing remarkable likeness to (But not quite an exact replication of) Lieutenant Dell and Ensign Allanzar. These two individuals were the first Dokkarans, sentient plants in humanoid form. Eventually their numbers grew, and by the time the Elysium left Ceata in May of 2166, nine months after their initial landing, there were over 300 Dokkarans.

Since then the Dokkarans have formed an advanced society on par with their interstellar neighbors (Though with help from the Federation), and while they are virtually isolationists as a group, most individual Dokkarans have left Ceata at some point to seek knowledge of the greater galaxy. No more than half a dozen Dokkarans had joined Starfleet by the time of the Dominion War, though since then there have been four Dokkaran students at Starfleet Academy and the first Dokkaran to reach the rank of Commander.

Government

One would assume that Dokkarans would defer to their tangible creator, The Lady, to run their affairs (And assume that The Lady wishes to hold such power) however The Lady is an ancient being, endowed with wisdom of many millennia, and as such, knows better than to micromanage the affairs of her beloved children. Instead the Dokkarans operate on a system of direct democracy in which all citizens vote on the most important issues, but the daily minutia is left to a council of Elders (All of those over 200 years of age at present, due to be amended eventually as the Dokkaran race as a whole gets older). For a policy to be passed, it requires a two-thirds majority vote and the assent of the Elders.

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). The root of this lack of genetic diversity is that Dokkarans stem from only two humans, and while The Lady could create infinite unique Dokkarans, she is bound by two templates, one male, one female. Since Lieutenant Dell had white hair, all Dokkaran females have white hair, and since Ensign Allanzar had black hair, all Dokkaran males have black hair. Since both officers had blue eyes, all Dokkarans have blue eyes. Why all Dokkarans are naturally pale is a mystery since Ensign Allanzar was quite tan, though this is conceivably due to environmental factors (Ceata only receives heavily filtered sun-light) versus any limitation on the Lady's part.

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 plants.

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. Dokkarans also give off a pollen that is light in both particles and smell, so allergic reactions are uncommon among other species though no unheard of. This pollen masks the approach of Dokkaran hunters when they go out in the twilight periods to gather bones and their marrow from deceased animals.

Dokkaran muscular and skeletal systems consist of unique versions of stem and wood materials respectively. The stems merely provide support for the rest of the body and are not like human muscles as they do not benefit from exercise, nor can they be stretched very far. Dokkaran bone-wood is hard and dense, and while the wood is stronger than a human bone, once it is broken there is no medical way to heal it. In order for the bone-wood to regenerate the Dokkaran must take root in Ceata's soil (Or a similar soil on another planet) and wait several weeks (Months if the wound is serious enough) for the bone-wood to heal.

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. Dokkarans are also much lighter than other humanoids and are perhaps not the best physical fighters. Although they have a higher average strength than other humanoids, there is little variation to it and since Dokkaran's cannot exercise normally like other species (At least, they receive no enhancing effects from it) their physical strength cannot be improved. Dokkarans (Like most plants) also heal much more slowly than animals, and while on Caeta they can take root in the soil to absorb healing nutrients, this is not always possible even on other planets (Which may lack the right moisture or minerals), so for most Dokkarans, a simple paper cut might take weeks to fully heal. Dokkaran 'blood' is instead a sort of murky white water full of sugars produced by Dokkarans to energize their systems. Loss of this blood in a localized area is usually not life threatening lest the flow is not restored within a few hours lest necrosis set in. The widespread loss of this fluid however, would lead to the shut down of bodily functions without energy to sustain them, and the Dokkaran would wither and die. It has been noted that the more time a Dokkaran spends off Ceata, the weaker they become. This effect is often muted and was not noticed until Lieutenant Dellan of the USS Churchill began to shut down physically (By this point in her life she had been away from Ceata for more than 7 years). While it is not known if this condition could prove fatal, it does present a unique limitation to the amount of time a Dokkaran can spend away from their world and their people. This effect is possibly due to the fact that Ceata has (Slightly) less gravity than Earth and most Alpha Quadrant worlds.

Dokkaran sleep patterns are highly irregular compared to other species and reflect their botanical nature. Vespertine plants, Dokkarans ‘bloom’ in the evening when most of the animals on Caeta retreat back into their dens and are vulnerable to hunting parties. Dokkarans are most active in this period of the day, performing the majority of their tasks, though they are not truly Vespertine and are also active in the hours before and after dawn. In regards to actual sleep, this process is even more complicated. Dokkarans are plants and naturally respond to changes in the seasons, therefor in the Summer, they will sleep for two, 2 hour intervals surrounding solar and lunar maximums, one at high noon and one at midnight. In the Winter they will sleep for six hour periods, 3 hours before, and 3 hours after noon and midnight. In the Spring and Fall, Dokkarans sleep anywhere in between though they are generally quite active in the Spring. Dokkarans are also naturally sensitive to temperatures and while they are much more tolerant to shifts in the temperature than most plants, they do like like the extreme cold or the extreme heat (the latter of which is usually fatal).

Dokkarans possess a natural grip or ‘root’ in their feet, grounding their light weight bodies to the surface they are walking on. Like the Tzenkethi, Tholians and other species, Dokkarans can rotate their center of gravity to walk on different surfaces without being effected by their normally vertical alignment. This root system also allows Dokkarans to take root in certain types of soil that suit them, allowing them to physically tap into the surrounding environment and heighten their senses. Dokkarans are not able to tap into inorganic material and have difficulty realigning themselves on the surfaces of certain metals (Some of which are common in Starship construction).

Psychology

As a species, Dokkarans are extremely peaceful and harmonious, exhibiting a curious, bright and serene persona throughout the population. Noble and kind, the Dokkarans have a strong sense of altruism and chivalry, having zero tolerance for injustices and the oppression of groups of people. Lacking hormones and many chemicals found within the brains of other humanoids, Dokkarans keep their cool throughout most situations lest they become totally outraged by something though these reactions are not heightened by hormones or other neurochemicals. Dokkarans are also ‘immune’ to most psychiatric diseases caused by chemical imbalances, though many Dokkarans living aboard starships or other instillations find themselves suffering from a version of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The most common treatment is the instillation of special lights and some soil and plants in a room in their quarters to give them something to remind them of home.

Though non-violent towards each other by nature (Not a single Dokkaran on Dokkaran crime has been committed), they are not pacifists as they hunt animals and a few individuals have taken the lives of aliens in defense of themselves or others.

Sexuality among Dokkarans is a complex concept and it is different than other species. In the absence of hormones and bio-chemistry drawing two individuals together, Dokkarans are attracted to the ‘Aura’ of the other. Some are attracted to masculine ‘Auras’ and some to feminine, so in essence Dokkarans display the normal range of sexuality that humans do, though it is less about the physical form and more about the energy of the individual.

Each Dokkaran is endowed with the experiences/memories of The Lady, which includes the memories of Lieutenant Dell and Ensign Allanzar, and as such, hold a certain affinity for humanity. Dokkarans are also endowed with a smattering of life experiences from other Dokkarans who have linked with The Lady. Some of these experiences all Dokkaran share (Sort of a substitute for childhood) and some only a few share. These unique memories are what usually define a Dokkaran as an individual initially, though they later set out on their own to collect their own experiences. These initial experiences are always kept balanced so that no Dokkaran knows all of his or her race's collective memories. Where one Dokkaran might know how to fix a plasma conduit, another might not, but this Dokkaran might know how to speak Romulan whereas the other does not. These differences in memories are what set Dokkarans apart until they make their own way in the world and help to shape who they are. Dokkarans also seek to gather experiences that might prove interesting to them, creating a complex exchange of memories and ideas across an entire species.

Dokkarans don't always live in perfect harmony with other species however. Because they are plants and the majority of sentient species in the Universe are animals, there are often heated exchanges between Dokkarans and ignorant humanoids. As Dokkarans are plants themselves, they staunchly disapprove of vegetarianism (Or the eating of any sort of plant other than fruits and/or vegetables)and the humanoid tendency to just pass off plants as simple lifeforms. Where most humanoids might only see one or two ways, Dokkarans often see a third and do not consider the other two. Harmonious and wise they may be in their natural habitat, but amongst other lifeforms, Dokkarans often come across as 'Zen', but very 'superior', often subtly turning their noses down at ignorant humanoids.

Religion

At first glance it would be easy for the uneducated to simply state that Dokkaran religious believes are centered around trees (Specifically The Lady), though they would be incorrect. Dokkarans highly revere The Lady as their creator and wise mother; and Ensign Alanzar and Lieutenant Dell for their (albeit unfortunate) role in their creation, but do not think they are explicitly Divine. Dokkarans are highly religious and hold their faith quite close to them. Dokkaran religious beliefs are molded by those of Lieutenant Dell (A Wiccan) and Ensign Allanzar (An Anglican), along with the religious views of The Lady herself.

Actual Dokkaran religion centers on the Unnamed Goddess, who is a prominent figure in the mythology of the origins of The Lady and her own religious beliefs. The Lady does not liken herself Divine and refuses worship and instead directs her children’s prayers towards the Unnamed Goddess. The Lady shares through her visions with her children that there were at one time other sentient Vizinyian Trees that covered the surface of Caeta. However at some point before The Lady even sprouted, they vanished, leaving a single seed behind to continue their civilization. Also according to these apparent ancestral memories, the Unnamed Goddess (Who originally did have a name) was the deity of the Vizinyians and bestowed sentience upon them.

Since the Dokkaran awakening two centuries ago, The Lady has had her children plant Vizinyian seeds across Caeta, though to her disappointment, none of these trees are capable of true intelligence.

The Temple of Kural Hannesh is the greatest of the temples devoted to the Unnamed Goddess and located in a grove not far from The Lady. It is the focal point of her worship and displays great architectural harmony. The style of the Temple itself is based off of Grecco-Roman architecture glimpsed in the memories of Lieutenant Dell and Ensign Allanzar though is far more elaborate.

Dokkarans lack true prayer, but instead ‘commune with the Goddess’ through a type of hypnotic meditation that puts them into a deep trance that allows for profound spiritual enlightenment. These trances can last from hours to even days in extreme cases. Dokkarans do not ask for anything material during these trances and instead reflect upon their current situation. Whatever insight is gained is presented as divine, straight from the Goddess herself.

The Clerics

Clerics are the Clergy of the Unnamed Goddess, and may be of any gender. There are four tiers to the clergy, first there are the Cleric-Initiates who are studying to take their vows. The Second Tier consists of the full Clerics who have taken their vows. These Clerics are referred to by their position and task within the Clergy, for instance a temple historian would be known as Cleric-Archivist, a temple physician as Cleric-Surgeon, and a temple guard as Cleric-Protector (Not to protect against other Dokkarans, but the vicious wildlife Ceata supports). The third Tier consist of the Cleric-Superiors, those Clerics who have pledged their lives to the Goddess in their final vows. The fourth tier is the High Cleric, whose selection process remains a mystery, though it is almost always from the ranks of the Cleric-Superiors. The High Cleric serves for however long the Goddess allows and will leave their position when their time has come. Their periods of service have lasted from decades to months, all depending on the machinations of the Goddess. The High Cleric will then choose their successor and leave office. The former High Cleric will then either wander Ceata or retire to one of the outer gardens of Kural-Hanesh and commune with the Goddess for however long it pleases them.

Mythology

Since they are so new a species, there aren’t many myths that are actually Dokkaran. The mythology surrounding The Lady and her own origins is also treated as historical fact and most would find it unwise to question the accuracy of The Lady’s visions in regard to Ceata’s pre-Dokkaran history and her own origins. Through Lieutenant Dell (Who was a cultural anthropologist), the Dokkarans know the myths of many different cultures and enjoy these tales from time to time.

Fables, Parables, and Proverbs

The aforementioned mythology detailing Ceata before both The Lady and the Dokkarans is largely incorporated into the Theology and religious texts of the Dokkarans. These are stories and axiums that make up Dokkaran religious teachings, and while there is always some debate over interpretation (As with many religions), The Lady herself or the High Cleric of Kural Hanesh will resolve these debates between theologians before they become serious.

The Wind and The Mountain

Long ago, a great Wind rushed over Ceata, it knocked down trees and rose the tides. But when the Wind came to the mighty Mountain, the Wind found that it could not bring stone so low, so easily. So instead the Wind howled at the Mountain to bow to it's power, showing it the devastation it had wrought at it's feet. The Moutain did not bow, for it could not, it's Pride too great, and it's stone too thick to see the wisdom in submission. The Mountain believed itself invincible, after all, what could a mere breeze do to solid rock? The Wind again demanded the Mountain's submission, but the Mountain again refused. The Wind retreated and the Mountain believed himself safe. But the wind came back the next day, and this time brought ice, sand and rain along with it, and though it took a thousand years, the mighty Moutain, was brought low...

The Wind and The Mountain is one of the few Dokkaran tales that is still left completely to interpretation. High Clerics throughout the centuries have always had their own spin on the tale, as have other members of the Clergy and other Dokkarans. Most have interpreted the story with the Mountain being arrogant and prideful, and incapable of bending the knee or acknowledging a force greater than itself. Others have interpreted the Wind as the Villain who asked the Mountain to break it's moral code, something it would rather die than do. Both interpretations are relatively non-conflicting, as they deal with two different aspects of the story (The different points of views of the characters)but the first interpretation is the prevailing one.

The Last and The Goddess

A world that is not our own. A star that is not seen... The Last was given shelter upon Paradise by the Goddess, after it had arisen from the ashes of the World That Was. The Last grew alone, such was the way. As age took it, memory was robbed as well, until the Last could not even remember it's own name, even less the name of the Goddess that offered it shelter. When it died, The Last deposited a single seed beside it, and with the help of the Goddess, the seed grew into the grandest of all that know the light of the Goddess, The Lady. A time will come when The Lady too will become, The Last, but her children will know her, and she will live on in them, and so shall the cycle repeat.

Poorly written and all in all a tad confusing, The Last and The Goddess occupies an important if widely ignored place in Dokkaran mythology. It foretells that The Lady is the last of her kind, and that the Dokkarans (her children) are destined to take over her legacy. As Dokkarans cannot as yet reproduce among themselves, it makes little sense that they should live on without The Lady, at least in their current state. The last verse is the most important, as it states that Time is a wheel, and that while certain events and archetypes arise in every cycle, those with individuality have free will, though all (Some way or another) work towards an inevitable end that only The Goddess can know.

Proverbs

• "The Goddess listens to those who listen themselves"
• "All tyrants are kings, but not all kings are tyrants"
• "To have doubt is to have faith, to have faith is to have hope"
• "A Dragon's heart is just as easily broken as a man's"
• "Those who seek to lead must first learn to follow"
• "Freedom is contagious"
• "Some may be superior, but no one is above another"
• "To hold someone's heart is to hold their life"

Society

A noble and free people, the Dokkarans value and embody harmony. Disputes among individuals never end in violence, science and religion exist in tandem and with very few laws governing their highly democratic society, and people are largely free to do as they please. 'Follow your bliss' is a common phrase among the Dokkarans (Lifted from mythologist Joseph Campbell, who Lieutenant Dell admired)and to them means that though many of them share the same memories at birth, it was what one does with these experiences and what new ones they have that define them. All are encouraged to seek their own path in the universe, and make something of themselves that sets them apart from others. The Dokkaran concept of 'Harmony through diversity' is the focal point of their society, which preaches that only through diversity and a free exchange of ideas, concepts and emotions can they as a people evolve.

Culture

Luzen is the capital city of Ceata, and the only true city the Dokkarans have.

A deeply religious people, worship of the Unnamed Goddess is taken very seriously among Dokkarans, something many modern species find a bit peculiar and disturbing. Many would label them fanatics for their universal unquestioning belief in what most would consider nothing more than myth and false memory on the part of The Lady, but Dokkarans strongly believe that they are a part of a divine lineage, the Unnamed Goddess created The Lady and The Lady created the Dokkarans. The Dokkarans also believe that this Goddess has a never ending plan, not just for the themselves but for the Universe. Even Dokkarans admit that their limited perception of a universe encompassing intelligence is lacking and use the 'metaphor' (The Dokkarans would not call the Goddess a metaphor, but rather a simplistic term for an unknowable alien intelligence that drives the Universe and touches all life) of the Unnamed Goddess to personify this intelligence. As such, Dokkarans have a natural respect for the believers of other faiths, seeing the existence of other religions (Monotheistic or otherwise) as further proof of the Goddess' existence. However this religious tolerance does not seem to apply to the practitioners of the Bajoran faith as the Dokkarans see the Prophets as false gods who have lead the Bajorans off the path of the one, true 'goddess'.

Dokkarans do not have traditional families and do not try to form such groups, rather they see all Dokkarans as one family of distant cousins, the same, but totally unique at the same time. Dokkarans do feel a need to be in groups however, and their highly democratic and communal society helps to fulfill these needs. As there is little point to it, Dokkarans don't marry and rarely cohabitate with their lovers, preferring to engage in elongated courtships that can end at anytime, reveling in the chase.

As stated before, the Dokkaran's most defining quality is their harmonious nature. Where most humanoid cultures only see two options for the rule of the universe, chaos or order, Dokkarans see a third way, Harmony, which they define as the acceptance that neither order nor chaos is either true or inherently false as both ideas are delusions made up by primitive minds to boil down the world around them to a singular simplistic view. Rather Dokkarans believe that the universe exists in a state of harmony, with tranquility being the prevailing element of the world around them. Mortals only perceive order or disorder because they have a limited scope of the universe that limits their viewpoint, boiling down their existence to simple absolutions, one way or the other with the proposed balance between the two being an even greater delusion. To see past what one wants to see or what they have been allowed to see is to break the chains of these simplistic and false ideas of mutually exclusive absolutions and see the harmony that prevails in the universe. Billions might die in a supernova, but billions more will be born as the carbon from that exploding star travels to a newly formed planet, planting the first seeds of a new cycle of life. It is all in the Goddess' plan.

The Elders

The Elders of Dokkaran society are those who emerged in the first 10 years after the Awakening, constituting around 2400 individuals, There is a 10 year gap between the first/Elder generation of Dokkarans and the second (And all subsequent) generations of Dokkarans. All of these Dokkarans are entitled, but do not all choose, to sit on the Council of Elders, which handles the mundane running of Dokkaran society and grants assent to laws passed by a general vote. Many Elders drift in and out of Dokkaran politics, with the majority of the Elders choosing (At one time or another) to wander either Ceata or the galaxy. 567 Elders have not been heard from in over a century, 398 on Ceata alone and while some in the Federation speculate them to be dead, the Dokkarans refute these claims, asserting that they would know if one of their own had died. Many Elders also flock to Kural Hanesh to study with the Clerics and commune with the Goddess in serene meditation, forsaking politics. Within Dokkaran society, Elders act as mediators and magistrates, facilitating and organizing their highly democratic society. Dokkarans may chose to show however much respect they believe is appropriate as the Dokkarans as a culture despise the notion of protocol, seeing it as divisive, and talk to each other as equals, no matter what position they may hold in the greater society.

Customs

• Dokkarans do not practice marriage; it serves little purpose to a race of long lived plants who cannot sexually reproduce.
• Communing with the Goddess usually takes place every day after the Dokkaran awakes in the late afternoon, for about half an hour.
• A traditional greeting involves the two meeting individuals placing their hands on the center of the other's ribcage, allowing both to transfer ideas of good tidings and warm welcomes.
• The preparation of the Dokkaran diet of bone and bone marrow is a lengthy process as the bone itself must be cracked open and the marrow scooped out. Then the bone is placed in an acid-oil mix and boiled until it is flexible and able to be chewed apart like any normal meat.
• It is customary to kill the weakest of the herd of the animal a hunter wishes to kill, therefor natural selection is served and the herd is the better for it since the more evolutionary favored specimens will live on and reproduce, passing their traits onto the next generation.
• Rubbing the fore-arms and the heels of the palms together is seen as an intimate gesture.
• The eating of an entire plant is considered taboo (It would be illegal if the Dokkarans didn't value freedom so much).
• Consumed with the notion of equality, no particular sign of respect is showed to any one Dokkaran over another. The only person who Dokkarans will show any kind of difference to is the High Cleric of Kural Hanesh, though it is towards their position, not towards the person.
• It is considered distasteful to speak of violence in any context or setting.

Death and Burial

A careful count is tallied of all those Dokkaran confirmed dead. At present the number stands at 213, a number constantly ingrained in the minds of every Dokkara, as a solemn reminder of those that passed from this life, to heed the Final Call of the Goddess. The current demographics are as follows...

• 105 Dead from accidents or deaths not attributed to violence.
• 44 Dead from The Rot. The Rot is a mutated form of the mortal virus encountered amongst the Selelvians (Also called the Rot), it breaks down the root structure of the Dokkarans, causes their foliage, bone-wood, and later brain lobes to rot. The disease is always fatal and while occurrences are rare, and the disease cannot be passed from one person to another since it develops from environmental pressures that are not yet identified, it presents a very terrifying threat to the entire Dokkaran race.
• 2 Dead from the Battle of Wolf 359. Those two officers present in the battle were confirmed not to be assimilated by Borg records obtained from the journeys of the starship Voyager.
• 1 Dead in the Dominion War (Battle of Cardassia Prime).
• 8 Dead from Dragon Attacks.
• 19 Dead in the destruction of Romulus and Remus.
• 23 Dead in the Breen Attack on Earth (All Civilians).
• 1 Dead in the Klingon Invasion.

The list above only includes those confirmed killed, and Dokkarans will never speak of those declared MIA or otherwise unconfirmed deceased as if there is even the possibility that they are dead.

If the body is able to be recovered, it is returned to Ceata and planted in the Garden of the Beckoned in Luzen. From the dead corpse of a Dokkaran, a small, flowering tree sprouts from the deceased's body, and the garden is one of the holiest sites in Dokkaran culture. The trees are considered an extension of the life force of the deceased Dokkaran, and many see harmony and beauty in the passing of one of their own, even if it is tragic. When recovery of the body is not possible, a seed from one of the other trees is planted in it's place, and as such there are exactly 215 trees in the Garden (Including those planted in memorial for Lieutenant Dell and Ensign Allanzar).

Harmony

Excerpt taken from Doctor Richard Holkar's 'Standing in the Distance: Notes on the Dokkaran People and Their Culture'.

In the twenty some-odd years I've spent among the Dokkarans they still capture my imagination with the same intensity that they did when I arrived in their homeland decades ago. Like the Vulcans, the Dokkarans have a race-wide philosophy called 'Harmony', though unlike Vulcan Logic, Human Emotion or Romulan Passion, Dokkaran Harmony cannot be readily described by our language. This is ironic considering the Dokkarans adopted a heavily evolved form of Romanian as their own language, though even these translations back to the main dialect and into Standard pale to the beautiful words the Clerics sing of the philosophy that has defined a species so completely, and so organically. They strive for a 'third way' point of view, and reject the often polarized versions of the philosophies of other alien races in favor of one true path, that of Harmony. Harmony could be described as 'serenity', 'zen', or 'ethereal', though these words do not quite do it justice. Harmony is not the balance between two opposing forces, rather it is the one true path that is free of all others, as all other paths are the spawn of delusions concocted by weak minds. Harmony is more like peace in a vacuum, High Cleric Hussan once described this view of Harmony aptly as, 'Humans often see War as the constant and Peace as the interim state between conflicts, Dokkarans see peace as the natural, constant state, and war as the intervening period'. To many, Harmony is more easily described by the traits it embodies, such as nobility, altruism, beauty, adventure, and enlightenment. Many have tried approaching Harmony from this angle, and although the Dokkarans find no fault with their application, they correctly point out that these various alien scholars fail to see the reasoning behind their actions and do not make such choices organically as Dokkarans do.

Music, Art, and Architecture

Harmony is also intrinsic to all aspects of Dokkaran expression. Dokkaran architecture is often round, glittering and evokes a certain grandeur in it's shimmering beauty. Dokkaran art mainly consists of two schools, watercolors mixed with pencils, and marble sculpture, both displaying images of grand vistas and the great natural beauty of Ceata. Traditional Dokkaran music is often string heavy, accompanied by a strong choral element and loud drums. More modern and popular Dokkaran music features string like synths, ascending vocals, and catchy choruses. While Dokkaran musicians rarely tour off their homeworld, much of their material has become popular on Earth for both the modern and traditional variety's utter pathos that it brings out in an audience, be it euphoric dance numbers or gripping melancholic opera.

Technology

At first, Dokkarans had little use for technology, prefering to meditate and consider their own existance. But as time went on, many wished to form an advanced society like the others glimpsed in the memories of The Lady. Scientists emerged for the first time, using memories obtained from The Lady (And a little help from Starfleet) to begin building infastructure, buildings and devices. The Dokkarans now boast a vibrant (if small) scientific community, inventing, tinkering and introducing technology gifted by the Federation into greater Dokkaran society. Dokkarans are masters of eco-friendly and zero-emission technology, creating a self sustaining energy source using a mineral found on Caeta. In terms of military technology, Dokkarans have also pioneered imobilizer weapons or other weapon systems designed to disable starships but leave the ship, crew and technology intact.

Economy

The Dokkarans operate on an interesting and unique barter system, goods are exchanged for any manner of other services, even a song or a work of art. Dokkarans do not have communal property in the strictest sense but have a strong sense that what belongs to the one, also belongs to the whole, and believe that money is not particularly useful to them. The exchange rate for different goods for other materials depends on which merchant one is dealing with but there is little in the way of heckling and usually the first offer is accepted. The Dokkarans also maintain a stockpile of gems and precious ores to sell to use in trade with other cultures but do not use currency amongst one another. Dokkaran sculpture is highly valued off Ceata, as are the native flora for their great beauty and incredible resilience.

Military

For years the Dokkarans were a Federation protectorate but gained their independence in 2289 and the defense of Ceata is now the responsibility of the Dokkaran Military Command (DMC). The Dokkaran fleet consists largely of assorted small craft armed with immobilizer weapons. The Dokkarans don't have the manpower to build massive starships more than one at a time and as such, there are but a few Cruiser-Class ships within the fleet. This force of thousands of fighters mixed with a few dozen capital ships (Mostly Frigates and Destroyers)has never been called upon to defend Ceata in earnest as war has yet to touch the planet, but as some scientists have predicted, 'It is only a matter of time before the sin of war is brought unto the heaven that is Ceata'.

Sources

Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were used as referances as well as the TV episode TNG: Hero Worship|

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

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