Andorian
| Intelligent Lifeform Index |
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| Andorian | |
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| File:Andorian.jpg | |
| Four Letter Code | ANDR |
| Federation Status | Member |
| Planet of Origin | Andoria (Epsilon Indii) |
| Encountered | Encountered by the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (TOS: Journey to Babel). First enountered by Enterprise (NX-01) (ENT: The Andorian Incident) |
| T/E Rating | T0/E0 |
| Current Tech Level | N |
| List of Named Andorians | |
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The Andorians are a humanoid species from the moon Andoria, homeworld of the Andorian Empire, and one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets. The Andorian people have white hair, blue skin and 3 to 4 inch antenna sticking up out of their heads. On the average they tend to be a very tall, slim race. They tend to be 1.7 to 2.1 meters tall. While obesity is not unknown among them, it is culturally condemed by the majority of them.
Physiology
While their tall slim forms can seem to be frail and slight this is completely incorrect. They have very dense bone and muscle tissue that gives them incredible physical strength. In fact the average Andorian can easily lift twice their body weight with little effort.
They prefer high levels of humidity, give off a sweet floral smell when exercising and turn purple when they blush due to embarrassment.
While they have a normal skeleton like any other humanoid race they also have cartilage plates under their skin that act as a partial exoskeleton. This gives added protection to their vital organs, but it also provides addition strength to their muscles.
Andorian zhen and shen may be taller than thaan and chan, if Tarah and Talas, seen next to their "male" companions, are any indication.
Circulatory System
Due to the frigid, ozone-rich environment in which they live in which they live, Andorians have evolved a twin-layered circulatory system. This system makes intravenous injection impossible, and therefore physicians must administer medication through intermuscular injection instead. Andorians are true bluebloods, their blood being based on cobalt as opposed to the iron-based red blood of humans or the copper-based green blood of Vulcans. Andorian tongues and gums alternated from dark blue to pink.
Senses
Andorians have heightened senses. Their visual ability is astounding and well above that of what is considered as generally accepted levels for normal humans. They also have increased senses of smell and hearing thanks to their ability to recieve addition information with the use of their antennae. This information is usually superior to that which they can recieve from their nose or ears. Antennae are linked to the sinus cavity, and can detect (among other things) temperature change, change in air pressure, subtle variations in air flow and sub-sonic sounds.
Antennae
Andorians have two supercranial antennae that aid in balance as well as the sensory enhancements mentioned above. If one is lost an Andorian's balance is temporarily disrupted, rendering them unable to fight, but they could adapt to its loss within a day. Antennae take up to nine months to regrow, though electrical stimulation and cranial massage therapy can cut regeneration time in half. While it is true that if they lose their antenna they will grow back in about 9 months, most Andorians prefer not to survive the loss. The loss of an antenna is very similar to being mute, deaf, castrated and mutilated all at the same time in human terms. It is because of this that most Andorians suffer from a deep and wide spread fear of antenna loss. There is also the fact that while waiting for their antenna to regenerate that they are at a severe disadvantage in situations that require their balance to be unimpaired such as physical combat.
Antennae are moved by muscles that can be controlled separately from one another. Such movement can express feelings in much the same way as other humanoids use their facial muscles to the same effect. They easily convey such emotions as fear (by quivering), excitement (by standing rigid), confusion (by lashing about), rage (by pressing back against the skull), amusement (by the antenna faceing each other), interest (by curving towards object of interest), tiredness (by drooping) and sexual arousal (by slow writhing). Andorians often point their antennae at potential mates to signify attraction, in fact the most erotic caress or intimate kiss among Andorians involves the touching of the tips of their antennae together. Antennae are considered to be more than just a sensory organ, in fact they are so important to Andorians that touching them without permission is considered to be the ultimate act of rudeness and any threat of injury to their antennae is considered grounds for assault and murder.
It is believed that because they can sense subtle variations in pitch and vibration that Andorian speech is soft and sibilant. This is also believed to be partially due to their language originating from music and partially due to their hearing being different from other races. This theory is lent support by the fact that as a culture Andorians have a great interest in music.
Metabolism
Andorians, with a higher metabolic rate than Humans, were especially vulnerable to phase pulse infection; even minor phase injuries could prove fatal. However, they have demonstrated resistance to a wide range of environmental conditions. In a climate where the temperature is near the boiling point of water, an Andorian could still thrive, despite losing 10% of their body weight in two days.
It is theorised that due to Andorian metabolism being higher than that of Humans they are quicker to tire during periods of physical exertion.
The Andorian digestive system can not tolerate chocolate.
Andorians are neither nocturnal or diurnal and can function just as well at any time of the day or night. In fact they can easily survive on 3 to 4 hours of sleep during a standard 32 hour Andorian day.
Skin
The remarkable blue color that everyone has come to associate with the Andorians is due to a protein dye called HZB-41 that is very similar to melanin in humans. This protein dye is produced by almost every form of animal life on their homeworld. The dye has a very short life span and as such Andorians need to constantly replace this protein. The most common method is through their diet. When an Andorian becomes ill their skin coloration tends to fade. This is because their immune system is fighting off the illness and can not produce enough dye to maintain their normal skin color.
Known Military Information
Ships
As members of the United Federation of Planets, the Andorians have access to many different types of Starfleet Vessel. However, Andorian Battle-Cruisers are used as the mainstay of the Andorian Imperial Guard.
Federation Intelligence Files
- The Andorian Merchant Fleet is the largest in Federation space.
- Andorian Volna Viria gangsters are often involved in the affairs of the Orion Syndicate.
- No members of this Federation race were aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) when Data's offspring, Lal, was "born." Lal rejected an Andorian female as one of four final choices for a racial type, instead opting to become a human female.
- Andor is among the many planets providing a registry home to numerous ships that use Deep Space Nine.
- Chirurgeon Ghee P'Trell, an Andorian, was nominated for the Carrington Award in 2371.
- It is said that Andorian renegades, in the Triangula system, once embarrassed a Starfleet admiral's supposed search when they hid their ship by dismantling it.
- This Federation member-race was the subject of some kind of gender-swapping joke by Quark but MA:Morn was slow to catch; the punchline was "and the Andorian says, 'Your brother? I thought it was your wife!"
- Interestingly, Andorians are amongst the only aliens who are approved as alien partners by the Deltan people as regards their policy on Deltan partnerships on starships. This is possibly due to the Andorians' four gender reproductive system and the nature of the sensitivity of their antennae, which would safeguard them from the same levels of emotional trauma that could potentially be caused to other species.
Sources
- Star Trek: Enterprise ("The Andorian Incident", "Shadows of P'Jem", "Cease Fire", "Twilight", "Proving Ground", "Countdown", "Zero Hour", "Kir'Shara", "Babel One", "United", "The Aenar", "In a Mirror, Darkly", "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II", "Demons", "Terra Prime", "These Are the Voyages...")
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ("Prodigal Daughter")
- Memory Alpha (various pages)
- Memory Beta (various pages)
- http://www.geocities.com/therinofandor/fish.html
- http://www.70disco.com/andorian.htm
- http://www.StarTrek.com
- Andor: Paradigm – Jarman, H.(Worlds of Deep Space Nine, Book 1, Pocket, 2004)
- Avatar, Book 2 – Perry, S.D. (Pocket, 2001)
- Section 31: Abyss – Weddle, D. & Lang, J. (Pocket, 2001)
- Gateways: Demons of Air and Darkness, DeCandido, K.R.A. (Pocket 2001)
- Star Trek Roleplaying Game: Aliens (Decipher, 2003)
- Invasion!: Time’s Enemy – Graf, L.A. (Pocket 1996)
- STARFLEET Star Trek Fan Club, Andorian Orientation College documentation.
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