Ktarian
| Intelligent Lifeform Index |
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| Ktarian | |
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| Four Letter Code | KTAR |
| Federation Status | Neutral |
| Planet of Origin | Ktaria IV |
| Encountered | TNG: "The Game" |
| T/E Rating | T0/E0 |
| Current Tech Level | N |
| List of Named Ktarians | |
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Full ILI Gallery • Permitted Species Gallery | |
Ktarian is pronounced kuh-TAR-ee-uhn. Semi-feline humanoid race. In appearance, Ktarians are mostly humanoid and are from a fairly advanced culture. Their distinguishing features include a slightly enlarged front cranium formed into two circular halves, separated by a shallow crease in the skin, which makes them appear almost cat-like. Their enlarged frontal skull bones and large cat eyes gives them latent feline features. It is often said that Ktarian eyes are exquisitely feline, and the enhanced bone structure lends them a certain elegance.
Key Info on Ktarians
This race is renowned for advancements in neurology, this led to their recent censure and embargo by the Federation. A Ktarian game distributed on Risa in 2368 had the neurological effect of rendering the player a tool of the Ktarian government. With this they planned a take-over of the Federation and other galactic powers. While Ktarian biotechnology is prized on the black market, the exotic technologies are banned as a sanction for their plot.
Damage between Ktarian-Federation relations does not seem to have lasted: the marriage of the U.S.S Voyager's Xenobiologist (Ensign Samantha Wildman,) to a Ktarian named Greskrendtregk does not harm her Starfleet career and the Ktarian's have been present at a large number of interstellar conferences suggesting the race is not considered an enemy.
Ktarian's grow at a faster rate than other humanoids. Half of Naomi Wildman's physiology caused her to grow very quickly; by the age of two, she resembled a four-year-old human child. Ktarian's also grow to be very tall.
The Ktarian homeworld are covered by spectacular glaciers which makes the planet a spectacular skiing resort (and setting for skiing holodeck programs). However, Ktaria VII is evidently not an entirely glacial world since Ktarians are quite comfortable visiting warmer climates, such as those on the pleasure planet Risa.
As seen with the antique plasma coil on display at Deep Space Nine, they had interstellar flight 300 years ago (2060s), before the invention of warp drive by Zephram Cochran. They were known to mainstream Federation at least 80 years ago, circa 2293.
Ktarian natives lay thousands of stones, each representing a separate prayer, around the tomb of their dead loved ones. Because of they are prayers for the dead, it is desecration to remove stones from a Ktarian tomb and is in fact illegal. Ktarians appear to be quite open about their culture, and trust outsiders to carry out expeditions to even their most sacred sites; Starfleet expeditions have been allowed to visit the famous Ktarian burial grounds.
Ktarians hold festivals to celebrate their musical accomplishments; these are open to off-world visitors and are sometimes held on other planets. Ktarian food has worked it's way into the diet of Federation races, and in some cases has proved immensely popular. Fried Ktarian eggs are considered to be a breakfast delicacy. The eggs are large, with shells of a mottled brown and orange hue, although the yolk seems to be a rather unpalatable looking green. Ktarian desserts are rather indulgent; the Ktarian Chocolate puff contains at least 17 varieties of chocolate and is Counsellor Troi's favorite dessert.
Ktarian Physical Appearance
Ktarians are humanoid but share one or two distinctive features:
- Enlarged frontal lobes or a vertical line of ridges down the centre of their forehead.
- "They have cranial ridges running from the middle of their forehead over to the back of their head, and scales on some parts of their body", Deadlock [VOY]
- Ktarian eyes are exquisitely feline. This along with their enhanced bone structure lends them a certain elegance.
(Also. See Conflicting Canon Facts section.)
Canon Facts
- Ktarians are renowned throughout the galaxy for their music and play host to a wide variety of alien races at their Music Festivals. (In 2372 Harry Kim met his future fiancee, Libby, while he attending a Ktarian music festival) [Non Sequitur VOY]
- Ktaria VII is covered by spectacular glaciers, which make the planet popular throughout the Federation as a holiday Ski resort.
- Source: "Ktarian glaciers, renowned for excellent skiing" [Macrocosm VOY]
- Ktaria VII is not an entirely glacial world, as the indigenous people are quite comfortable visiting warmer climes, such as those on the pleasure planet Risa. [The Game TNG]
- Seeing the Moonrise on the Ktarian homeworld is one of the most beautiful sights in the galaxy.
- Source: "We'll run the Ktarian moonrise simulation. It's beautiful.", [Revulsion VOY]
- Dr. Mizan was a Ktarian. He is a specialist on interspecies mating practices who met Counselor Troi at a three-day psychology conference. The Interspecies mating expert is a notorious womanizer. This Ktarian scientist used a three-day psychology conference to ask Troi to join him for some empirical research. [Timescape TNG]
- The Ktarians did officially join the Federation (after the TNG episode The Game.) We know this because they supported the Maquis despite being a Federation member.
- Source: "The Ktarians were officially with the Federation but they sympathized with the Maquis," [The Voyager Conspiracy VOY].
- (Since Joining the Federation) Many Ktarians live on Earth.
- Source: "And hundreds of different humanoid species live there: Vulcans, Bolians, Ktarians..." [Hope and Fear VOY]).
- Few details are known of Ktarian biology, in particular childbirth (the most facts on this, were gathered by the USS Voyager's EMH when Ensign Wildman was pregnant with her half-ktarian daughter Naiomi. [VOY (re. Ens.Wildeman's pregnancy.)]
- During a Ktarian pregnancy periods of gestation can be up to 18 months. Ktarian pregnancy produce cravings and the actual labour can be extremely long, difficult and painful.
- Source: "Female ... half Ktarian, as a matter of fact; which should nearly double the infant's gestation period", [Fury VOY]
- Ktarian Children develop extremely rapidly; their infants grow five centimetres over a period of three weeks.
- Ktarian's grow at a faster rate than other humanoids. Half of Naomi's Wildman's physiology caused her to grow very quickly; by the age of two, she resembled a four-year-old human child. Ktarian's also grow to be very tall. [Mortal Coil VOY]
- Ktarian biology is not completely compatible with other humanoid species, and this can present difficulties for inter-racial marriage. It is however possible for Ktarians and other species to have children together with medical help. [Mortal Coil VOY]
- Ktarian mammary glands are protected from the sharp teeth of infants by a layer of scales.[Mortal Coil VOY]
- (Linked to the above) Ktarian infants have protruding incisors up to three or four weeks after the birth) [Deadlock VOY]
- The Antique store on Deep Space 9 was run by a Ktarian.
- Source: Birthright, Part I" TNG
- Ktarians are quite open about their culture, and trust outsiders to carry out expeditions to even their most sacred sites. Starfleet expeditions have been allowed to visit the Ktarian burial grounds. [Emanations VOY]
- Like many other cultures, Ktarians ritualise death, burying their dead in tombs filled with thousands of stones. Each stone is sacred, as it symbolizes a prayer for the deceased. It is forbidden to remove these stones from a Ktarian tomb. [Emanations VOY]
- Source: On an away mission to the planet a young Chakotay once took one of these stones as a souvenir, and was later horrified to find that he had desecrated the mans resting place by his actions.
- There are eight chambers in a Ktarian heart. This means a Ktarian heart beat sounds similar to the sound of a ship’s hull being vibrated by the EM fields of a pulsar cluster.
- Source: [Body and Soul VOY]
- Ktarian starship technology is not as advanced as Starfleet's. When the Enterprise-D was challenged by a small Ktarian ship in the Phoenix cluster the starship was not threatened ad easily secured the smaller vessel (taking it in tow to a starbase.) However they are advanced in other technologies [The Game TNG]
- This race is renowned for advancements in neurology; this led to their recent censure and embargo by the Federaiton. A Ktarian game distributed on Risa in 2368 had the neurological effect of rendering the player a tool of the Ktarian government. With this they planned a takeover of the Federation and other galactic powers. While Ktarian biotechnology is prized on the black market, the exotic technologies are banned as a sanction for their plot. [The Game TNG]
- As seen with the antique plasma coil on display at Deep Space Nine, they had
interstellar flight 300 years ago (2060s), before the invention of warp drive by Zephram Cochrane. They were known to mainstream Federation at least 80 years ago, circa 2293. Source: Deep Space 9
- There were Ktarian Borg drones Species (6961) as early as the Hansens (7 of 9s Family) studied the Borg on behalf of Starfleet in 2354. [VOY]
Canon Ktarian Cookery & Food
Ktarian cuisine is renowned throughout the federation for being outstandingly exquisite. (And very tasty!) The following dishes/food types are all canon:
- Ktarian Chocolate Puff -a Sweet dish that Uses 17 different varieties of Chocolate (a favourite of Deanana Troi)
- Source: Liasons TNG & Body and Soul VOY
- Ktarian Merlot.2282 a very Fine Wine that clearly lasts a long time as a bottle from 2282 is not only still drinkable but also high quality.
- Source: Scientific Method VOY
- On Ktaris they brew an alcoholic beverage commonly known as Ktarian beer. Best served cold.
- Source: Paris & Kim drink cold pints of Ktarian beer after spending 9 hours searching through Boirg debris in 2375 VOY: Dark Frontier
- "One Ktarian Pudding" -A Desert
- Source: Someone to watch over me VOY
- Ktarian eggs Breakfast Delicacy "a favourite of Antonia" (Kirk's Fiancee in 2284) popular fried. The egss are large with shells of mottled brown and orange hue although the yolk is a rather unpalatable-looking green. -a sort after breakfast delicacy.
- Source: Kirk cooks them in Star Trek Generations
- Ktarian Spice Cake
- Source: Admiral Nakamura: Incidentally, Captain... the banquet really won't be as bad as you might expect. The key note speaker is going to address Bajoran aqueduct management. And I hear they're serving Ktarian spice cake for dessert this year.
- Picard forces a smile.:: Picard: Yes, I know... it sounds...delightful. [Phantasms TNG]
Conflicting Canon Facts:
- Homeworld Name? Ktaria VII or Katurus ?
- Problem: The home planet of the Ktarians is, according to Chakotay, Ktaria VII (Emanations VOY), speaking of "Ktarians" in general. In the sixth season, however, "Katurus" is named as home planet with regards to Naomi Wildman ("It's Katurus" - "Your father's planet", [Child's Play VOY]).
- Possible Explanation: The Ktarians have two homeworlds in close proximity to each other.
This is supported by the fact that the Ktarians have had warp technology for a lot longer than other races (see canon facts.)
- Political affiliation and relations to the Federation
- Problem: The TNG Ktarians are described as a neutral, non-allied, independent species, which apparently hasn't had much to do with the Federation before. However, in 2368, they tried to take over the Federation with an insidious invasion plan [The Game TNG]. In view of the size and power of the Federaiton, it is improbable that only Etana Jol or a small faction is responsible for this Expansion".
The VOY Ktarians, however, are a member of the Federation ("The Ktarians were officially with the Federation but they sympathized with the Maquis", [The Voyager Conspiracy VOY]). Many of them even live on Earth ("And hundreds of different humanoid species live there: Vulcans, Bolians, Ktarians...", [Hope and Fear VOY]).
- Possible Explanation: Damage between Ktarian-Federation relations does not seem to have lasted: the marriage of the U.S.S Voyager's Xenobiologist (Ensign Samantha Wildman,) to a Ktarian named Greskrendtregk does not harm her Starfleet career and the Ktarian's have been present at a large number of interstellar conferences suggesting the race is not considered an enemy.
Other Conflicting Factors:
- Names
- Problem: The TNG Ktarian has a melodious name consisting of first name and surname: "Etana Jol" [The Game TNG]. Ensign Wildman's Ktarian husband [Dreadnought VOY], [Fury VOY], on the other hand, has a virtually unpronouncable, one-piece name: "Greskrendtregk" [Dreadnought VOY]
- Possible Explanation: Just as people from different parts of the Earth have different styles of name so do the Ktarians. This is increased by the fact they have two homeworlds. (i.e. people in china have different styles of name than people in England. The same is true on Ktaria.)
- Appearance
- Problem: The TNG Ktarians have a quite alien physiology ([TNG] The Game): Etana Jol has a reddish skin colour, feline eyes and two characteristic bulges on her forehead, with a fissure between them. Naomi Wildman, on the other hand, has an almost entirely human appearance, apart from three small horns on her forehead. According to the doctor, these "cranial ridges" are running from the middle of the forehead over to the back of the head.
This problem is increased in [VOY] Dark Frontier, since obviously a third type of Ktarians is introduced there: the tactical drone classified as "Ktarian... species 6961" neither resembles the VOY Ktarians nor the TNG Ktarians. Apart from an oddly shaped chin, he is completely human.
- Possible Explanation: Part of the reason Naiomi Wildman looked different to other Ktarians is due to the fact that she is only half Ktarian.
Also, Given that the Ktarians have two homeworlds it is likely that on one homeworld (Katuria) the race's appearance is one with ridges over the forehead (as in voyager) whilst on the second homeworld (Ktaria VII) the race's appearance is one of enlarged frontal lobes (as in TNG.)
[In the UFoP, Captain Rocar's mother is one kind of Ktarian whilst his father is from the other planet. He therefore has a mixture of the two appearances, with slight ridges and less distinct cranial lobes.]
References
Ktarians or aspects of Ktarian Civilisation are referred to in the following:
Episodes:
- The Game TNG
- Liaisons TNG
- Phantasms TNG
- Deadlock VOY
- Macrocosm VOY
- Emanations VOY
- Mortal Coil VOY
- Non Sequitur VOY
- Once up on a Time VOY
- Dark Fronteir VOY
Films:
- Star Trek Generations