Oolan

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Oolan
Four Letter Code	OOOL
Federation Status	Unknown
Planet of Origin	Marejaretus VI
Encountered	"Manhunt", TNG
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	I
List of Named Oolans
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"The Fiery Eel is a constant reminder that we owe our lives to its charity."

a Oolan saying.

The Oolan are a humanoid species that developed on a world with numerous active volcanoes. As a result they are rules by a caste of priests and believe in a mythical creature that lives with in the molten magma of their world.

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: Novis Epsilon Sector (coordinates A27-0002-1302)
• Proper Name: Jaretus
• Star: It orbits a class F (Yellow-White) star
• Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 58 million km
• Companions: It is the 6th of 12 planets in the system

Home World

• Proper Name: Marejaretus VI
• Diameter: 12,775 km (7,938 miles)
• Gravity: 1.05 standard gravity with a density of 5.8
• Axial Tilt: 12.8%, with normal seasonal changes
• Orbital Period: 526 days
• Rotational Period: 27.3 hours
• Classification: M
  • Surface Water: 51%
  • Atmosphere: 1.06% is a standard pressure with 73% nitrogen, 25% oxygen, 2% trace chemicals
  • Climate: Mainly a semi-tropical planet with temperate and arctic zones.
  • Population: Just over 6 billion

History

The earliest records available to them seem to indicate that there was a lot of volcanic activity during a period either around the time that they first learned to write or prior to that and the stories were passed down in an oral fashion until they did develop the ability to write.

Regardless the sky did rain fire, the air was full of ash and life was difficult. Somehow they survived this period of time and eventually the rains stopped, the air became safe to breathe and they were able to prosper and grow in numbers.

A caste of priests developed, men who were supposedly taught by the wise man Ool. They taught the people to pray to the Fiery Eel. To live in harmony and to observe the lessons that had been brought to them through the hard times.

For countless ages these priests controlled and taught the people. They developed, became more advanced but always the priests were there to maintain a sense of propriety. As a result they never fought any wars, never had any revolutions or even any real internal conflicts.

They lived in peace, showing just devotion to the Fiery Eel, even after their progression through the industrial age and beyond to where they learned to build machines capable of moving between the stars.

Government

As a people they serve the Fiery Eel of Life. Because of this they are ruled by a caste of religious priests who have been touched by the divine power of the Fiery Eel. Position and authority is generally determined by age and spiritual understanding. Experts believe that it is because they have always been ruled by a caste of priests that they have never had any internal conflicts.

Description

This humanoid species has a deep green skin tone. Their head is oval with a thin beak of a nose.

They wear a lot of copper, bronze and gold colored metal adornments. For men it is usually a large metal headdress and a large metal chest plate, as well as arm bands, wrist bands and leg bands. The more metal and the fancier its design the more important the individual wearing it.

Females have their hair done up in large fancy hairdos, ones that are intermixed with copper, bronze or gold headdresses. They also wear a lot of jewelry as well as arm bands, wristbands, leg bands and necklaces.

They use bronze, gold and copper because all three metals have a reddish yellow look to them just like their sun and the liquid magma found in volcanoes, a sure sign to them that those metals have some kind of divine significance to the Fiery Eel of Life.

Physiology

As with most intelligent humanoid species they have a very complex system with specialized organs, and unique hormones, chemicals and enzymes. What is unusual about them is the high levels of certain hormones in their blood. It allows them to filter out dangerous chemicals that they may ingest with their food or breathe in. Experts believe that this may indicate a period of time during their early evolution when there was substantial volcanic activity.

Psychology

They seem to be fairly stable but medical records indicate that they do suffer from a number of mental illnesses. Age may be a factor with some of these and Federation experts believe that environmental factors may be the most common cause. Unfortunately little has been done to find medical solutions to these problems as most of the individuals who become affected chose to leap into the closest volcano.

Religion

They have a complex and evolved belief in the fiery, winged bird of creation called the Fiery Eel of Life. The personification of this deity is the sun where it lives. They attribute the survival and creation of all life to the blessing of this divine being. Unlike most cultures that believe in sun worship they also believe that the messengers of the Fiery Eel of Life live in volcanoes and are in constant communication with the source of their burning flames.

Death

When someone dies or wishes to give their life back to the Fiery Eel of Life, they are taken to an active volcano and tossed or allowed to toss themselves into it. It is believed that in this way the messengers who live in the volcanoes can return the essence of the person to the Fiery Eel of Life.

Mythology

They have numerous legends and tales regarding the numerous instances when the Fiery Eel of Life has in some way taken action with direct results. The earliest of these tales speak of a time when it seemed to rain fire constantly. The god was angry with them. Eventually a wise man Ool, showed the people how to please the Fiery Eel. The rain of fire ended. Ool showed them that these miracles all seem to be part of a larger lesson, one they now strive to try and understand so that they can better serve its glory.

Society

Almost every aspect of their society revolves around their all-consuming belief in the Fiery Eel of Life. The work day starts and ends with the dawn and the dusk. The mid-day meal is the largest and is always celebrated by them giving thanks to the power and glory of the Fiery Eel of Life. Every building, courtyard, park or public place is built to maximize the amount of sunlight that is shone into that area. Every home has a large open courtyard where every meal is enjoyed.

Culture

Almost every aspect of their culture revolves around their all-consuming belief in the Fiery Eel of Life. This includes the creation of all their metallic adornments, many of which are amazing handmade works of art. Paintings, murals and mosaics all depict some version of the Fiery Eel of Life or the light which is its divine gift to them. Even their music and dancing is merely another way to express their devotion and belief in the divine Fiery Eel of Life.

Customs

In Oolan culture thanks are given to the Fiery Eel of Life during a meal, usually the mid-day meal by the striking together of two large stones in appreciation. The stones are struck consistently and the meal must continue until they are broken. The Oolan ceremony is not dissimilar from some Betazoid customs or those used by the society on Artifs IV.

Technology

They are barely a warp capable species having just discovered the technology less than 20 years ago and in many ways this may be the one area in which they have truly excelled. An in-depth examination of their historical records would refute that possibility and prove that if anything it seems to have been a fortunate stroke of luck as they rest of their technology is about 50 to 100 years behind that of their warp drives.

Economy

They are fairly self-sufficient and so far have been able to establish very few trade deals and the majority of those have been to export raw resources in exchange for some luxury goods mostly exotic liquor, foods and rare silks and other clothes.

Military

Due to their location so far away from any of the major shipping lanes and the fact that their system has absolutely no strategic worth seems to be the main reasons why they have so far been able to avoid any external conflicts.

When this is added to the fact that they have never had any significant internal conflict that would require the kinds of violence associated with military actions such as rebellions and wars. As a result they really do not have any true military. Not even a token force and their civil police force is tiny, almost non-existent.

Federation Intelligence Files

The social and cultural habits of the people were known to Lt. Cmdr. Data.

Sources

Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were used as sources as well as the TV episode TNG: Manhunt.

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

		SPECIES PROFILE UPDATED This profile was revised by the Species Development Committee.		REV 239110.13
		Please add any new information discovered during the course of a mission or shore leave.
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