Andorian/Psychology
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Physiology
Muscle & Bone Density
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.
Circulatory System
Image of Heart.
Andorians turn a deeper blue when they blush.
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.
Antennae
They also have increased senses of smell and hearing thanks to their ability to receive addition information with the use of their antennae. This information is usually superior to that which they can receive 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.
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 grow back, 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.
Races
There are 3 races and 1 sub-race among the Andorians. These are the Thallassan, Talish, Bish'ee and the Aenar (a sub-race of the Bish'ee).
| Image | Race Name | Description |
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Thalassan | The Thallassan race are the most common and numerous of the Andorian races. They can be identified by their bumpy antenna that stick up from the top of their heads, but then curve forward so that the tips face forward. These tips tend to look like a flower because they flare out right at the tip around the opening. |
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Talish | The Talish race can be identified by their thin, smooth antenna that stick out from the tops of their foreheads and extend out forward with a slight bend in the antenna. The tip is smooth, does not flare out and ends with a small tiny opening that they use to hear and smell with. |
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Bish'ee | The antenna of the Bish'ee are straight, standing up from their heads about halfway between where they would be on a Talish or a Thallassan. They are smooth and end in an almost unnoticable flare right at the tip around the opening to the internal sensory organs. |
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Aenar | The Aenar are a sub-race as they are closely related to the Bish'ee but they are also radically different from any of the other Andorian races. They are blind, albino cave dwellers that live in the far north in underground cities that exist under the polar cap. They were considered to be a myth for many years but since have been proven to exist. Still very few people have ever seen one as they are isolationists who value their carefully guarded privacy.
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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.
Sleep
Andorians are neither nocturnal nor 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/Integumentary
They prefer high levels of humidity, give off a sweet floral smell when exercising and
The remarkable blue colour 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 cannot produce enough dye to maintain their normal skin colour.
Sexes
Andorian zhen and shen may be taller than thaan and chan, if Tarah and Talas, seen next to their "male" companions, are any indication.
Andorians have 4 genders, 2 of which resemble males and 2 of which resemble females. These are called Thaan, Chan, Shen and Zhen. This can result in some confusion among outsiders. Sometimes it is difficult to tell what gender an Andorian is on sight. This is especially true as a chan can appear to be feminine and a shen can appear to be masculine.
Thaan
A Thaan has internal testes, retractable penis and produces sperm to fertilize the egg of a Shen.
Chan
A Chan has internal testes, retractable penis and produces sperm to fertilize the egg of a Shen.
Shen
A Shen has a retractable ovipositor which they use to transfer the fetus from their uterus to the pouch of a Zhen. They also have a vagina, ovaries and uterus. They receive the sperm, produce the egg which then develops into a embryo and then transfer it to the Zhen's pouch once it has developed enough to make the transfer safely.
Zhen
A Zhen has a vagina which is only useable for pleasure, not reproduction. They also have 4 teats on their lower abdomen and the ability to produce a pouch that is used to house the transferred embryo while it grows.
Reproduction
In order for Andorians to produce a child it takes 1 of each gender. They each have a specific role to play. This starts with the Thaan fertilizing the Shen's egg. Then the Chan has to fertilize it next. The reason for this is that the 2 males, the Thaan and the Chan each have 1/4 of the necessary genetic material needed to create a child. The Shen has the other half with in her egg.
Due to the fact that Andorian fertility periods have been slowly getting shorter they will try to conceive as many children as possible during this period and since fewer viable children have been born the Andorians have been forced to arrange bondings among genetically compatible members of their society. This has replaced allowing the young people to pick their bondmates.
As with most humanoid races most Andorians will experiment with sex at puberty.
Pregnancy and Birthing Process
Once the egg has developed into a fetus it has to be transferred to the Zhen. This is because only the Zhen can nurse the young. When the Shen becomes pregnant special glands along the Zhen's spine become active. They will secrete a membrane that forms a pouch around the lower torso. At this time the 4 teats on the Zhen's lower abdomen will start to form milk. Unlike Humans these do not result in rounded breasts. The inner lining of the pouch produces a thick gel that will protect the baby while it nurses until it is mature enough to survive outside of the pouch.
Once the baby has emerged from the pouch the Zhen will come out of protective seclusion. Her pouch will dry up and flake away. The other 3 bondmates will then assist by rubbing her with oils and help to peel off the remains of the now useless pouch.
Exoskeleton
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.
Digestive System
The Andorian digestive system cannot tolerate chocolate.
Psychology and Behaviour
Deploring dishonesty and never fighting without reason, Andorians are nonetheless capable of duplicity. They consider themselves deeply emotional, passionate, even violent; not known for their charity or sympathy, they place a high value on family.
Emotion
The Andorian race has a genetic tendency towards violent behaviour. The cause of this is a biochemical reaction to possible danger. The result is an increase in sensory input levels, enhanced analytical, reasoning skills and usually physical violence depending on the source of the danger.
Andorians have a greater ability to handle stress and pressure. They usually become calmer and more focused in a crisis until they finally allow themselves to resort to violence if the situation calls for it.
The Andorian people are a complex and often puzzling race for others to try and understand. One reason is that most non-Andorians think that they are humorless and irritable. This is not true. They have a unique form of humor that most other races find almost impossible to understand. They also have trouble understanding the humor of other races.
As for being irritable this may be because they have a strong cultural taboo against frivolity or any activity that that may be a waste of time. They are very serious and hard working and tend to avoid activities that others enjoy. Since they tend to avoid all most all recreational activites or social gatherings this has resulted in many thinking they are unsociable or snobbish. Another aspect of this problem is that they do not take part in small talk. All conversations tend to be very business like.
Andorians almost never create strong personal friendships with anyone who is not bonded with them. This is due to their cultural concept of the whole that can only be achieved by bonding with the other 3 members of their bondgroup.
Andorians have a long history of conflict. While it is true that they do not tend to enter into combat without a good reason, when they do they fight they can attack quickly, fighting with extreme skill and savagery. However they prefer to take their time, thinking out all the pros and cons of a strategy if the battle permits. It is because of their strong martial spirit, personal honor and strong sense of duty that they tend to make excellent military officers.
Another aspect of their nature that has and probably will continue to cause them problems with other races is their concept of privacy. They do not use doors and tend to have communal sleeping and living areas. For them privacy is a personal concept. They avoid seeing or hearing anything that happens within someone else's personal space. For them to listen in or observe something of a personal nature would be considered incredibly rude and culturally unacceptable.
Should anyone happen to wrong an Andorian it is likely to provoke an extreme reaction, often resulting in violence, depending on the nature of the misdeed.
Among Andorians a smile is convayed by a soft, liquid gaze. It is only because of their exposure to humans and other races to who facial expressions are the custom that they have learned to mimic and make a reserved human-like smile. In many different situations an Andorian's emotions can be read by looking at the position of their antennae.
Antennae
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 facing 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.
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SPECIES PROFILE UPDATED This profile was revised by the Species Development Committee. |
REV 239309.12 | ||
| Please add any new information discovered during the course of a mission or shore leave. | ||||
| SB118-SDC | ||||
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| Andorians |
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