Ligonian

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Ligonian
Four Letter Code	LIGO
Federation Status	Allied
Planet of Origin	Ligon II
Encountered	TNG: Code of Honor
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	G
List of Named Ligonians
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"What is life without honor, merely a delusion, a living hell, one to be avoided at all costs."

a Ligonian proverb.

The Ligonian are a species of humanoids who have a highly structured society and live by strict codes of honor; they show great respect for patience and have a passion for ritualistic displays.

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: Vodaris Sector (coordinates B24-0002-1301)
• Proper Name: Ligona
• Star: It orbits a class A (White) star
• Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 284 million km
• Companions: It is the 2nd of 6 planets in the system
• Moons: None

Home World

• Proper Name: Ligon II
• Diameter: 16,152 km (10,036 miles)
• Gravity: 1.04 standard gravity with a density of 4.5
• Axial Tilt: 9.9%, with minor seasonal changes
• Orbital Period: 398 days
• Rotational Period: 29.1 hours
• Classification: M
• Surface Water: 48%
• Atmosphere: 1.04% is a standard pressure with 73% nitrogen, 25% oxygen, 2% trace chemicals
• Climate: Mainly a semi-tropical to temperate planet with small arctic regions.
• Terrain: Primarily vast rolling savannas broken up by vast mountain ranges and dense rainforests as well as extremely rough foothills.
• Population: Just over 10 billion

History

Their earliest recorded contact with another species is the Andorians with whom they eventually were able to establish their first long term trade deal. This took many years but their mutual adherence to rather strict codes of honor eventually was the determining factor in their trusting each other. Remarkably that trade deal is still in effect, even though it has undergone numerous changes over the years.

In the year 2364, the Federation starship USS Enterprise-D was dispatched to Ligon II to discuss with Lutan, the leader of Ligon II, the release of a rare vaccine for a deadly disease that had broken out in Styris IV. During Lutan's visit to the Enterprise he kidnapped Lieutenant Natasha Yar in a ritual show of strength.

The situation was resolved, and the vaccine released, when Yar and Yareena, Lutan's wife, engaged in a fight to death over Lutan's affections. Yar defeated Yareena in accordance with the traditional rite, but Yareena was then immediately beamed aboard the Enterprise and revived.

At some point in late 2375 or early 2376, the USS da Vinci visited Ligon II, in order for its Starfleet Corps of Engineers team to affect repairs to their orbital control station.

During the Dominion War they managed to remain neutral, however this was almost fatal to them as a species as the Tal Shair attempted to release a plague virus on their world as a viable test location. Fortunately this failed but it was more a result of an accident encounter between the Romulan scout ship that was transporting the virus and a Klingon Bird of Prey that just happened to catch sight of it and track it once it cloaked. Regardless of how it happened the scout ship was destroyed.

Since then they have worked hard to maintain their neutrality even as they try to develop and construct a more proactive defense system for their home world.

Government

The males make up the ruling council but the women hold the property. The women own the land and so convey power (and partnership) to the men they choose to protect it.

Ligonian Centerplace

The Ligonian Centerplace is an imposing structure that overlooks a nearby village. It was the place where the ruler of Ligon II, Lutan and later Hagon in early 2364 resided. The Centerplace was located on the northern hemisphere of the planet, close to an ocean.

It was characterized by a large tower in the center of the structure and a large open courtyard, with a small fountain in the center. Lutan's throne was located on one end of the courtyard, a large wall of hand-held weapons, including crossbows and spears was located on the other side. Two sentries were often standing guard next to two giant gongs, which were located close to the fountain.

The Centerplace was adorned with many different plants and the characteristic, hexagonal shape of the Ligonian logo was present everywhere, including doors and the weapon wall.

A fighting range consisting of different levels of steps, lights and metal rods could be installed in the middle of the Centerplace. Yareena, Lutan's first one, fought Natasha Yar on this structure in a fight to the death. Several seats were arranged around the fighting range for spectators to attend the ceremony.

Description

The Ligonians are a humanoid species from Ligon II with dark skin. Their average life span is 94 years and their clothing is very brightly colored with men wearing baggy pants and a vest while the women wear more form fitting garments, usually some kind of dress or sarong.

Some experts have compared them to the Zulu tribes on Earth as they generally resembled Humans of the Sub-Saharan African continent physically.

Physiology

As with most intelligent humanoid species they have a very complex system with specialized organs, and unique hormones, chemicals and enzymes. They are typical humanoids with most of the physical, mental and biological medical problems that seem to plague most humanoids.

Psychology

Ligonians had a highly structured society and were an extremely proud species. They valued their honor above all else, and as such lived by strict codes of honor. They also valued patience highly and were always apprehensive about strangers.

Religion

They tend to lean towards an unusual form of ancestor worship, one in which each family has a central guardian animal spirit that cares for and protects those that have passed over into the next life.

Mythology

They have a wide range of fables, tales and stories that seem to be fixated on the heroic image in all of its many different possible versions. This includes the possibility of animals being the heroes and man, the villain or the other way around.

Society

Ligonians have a highly structured society and live by strict codes of honour; they show great respect for patience and have a passion for ritualistic displays.

In Ligonian society, the females owned all the property and land. When a man married a woman, he gained control of her wealth, and it passed to him when she died. A man could take a number of wives, and similarly a woman could have a number of husbands. The favored spouse was referred to as the "First One ". If a man wished to take a new First One, the current First One had the right to challenge the newcomer in a fight to the death, although this was rare.

Culture

Rhythmic melodies with deep vibrating drum sounds and either a simplistic mimicry of natural sounds or accompanied by a repetitive chanting seem to be their most common and preferred style of music.

Other than this they have numerous poets who compose heroic, narrative or fable like tales that need to be performed verbally, usually with some form of musical accompaniment.

There other forms of visual art work tend to lean towards earthy or bright colors and abstract images that blend together.

Makkus

Makkus was the First Sovereign of the planet Ligon II at some point in that world's history. In works of literature, he was the subject of the Ascension of Makkus.

Customs

Ligonians tapped together two carved ivory-like sticks to signal applause or approval.

The standard Ligonian greeting consisted of both parties raising their hands while facing each other from a safe distance of more than 5 feet to reveal that they were not holding or concealing a weapon.

Ligonian necklace

Many Ligonian males wore necklaces consisting of a golden strap and a red jewel. Lutan's necklace contained a hidden transporter device. When he pressed the red jewel, he would be beamed away by a Ligonian transporter beam. He used the device to escape from the Enterprise-D with security chief Natasha Yar as his hostage, exercising a form of counting coup. The necklace also had a ceremonial meaning. When Yareena, Lutan's First One, was killed (and later revived) in the fight between her and Tasha Yar, her mating agreement with Lutan had dissolved. She chose Hagon as her new mate instead and gave him the necklace, thereby stripping Lutan of all his powers and making Hagon the new ruler of Ligon II.

Technology

Although they possessed transporter technology, they were extremely antiquated in other ways and were not as technologically advanced as the Federation.

Data noted that the Ligonian transporters were similar to early Starfleet efforts, but they used the Heglenian shift to convert energy and matter. Federation technology was unable to trace the source of any transporters utilizing this attribute.

Economy

They have managed to develop a few long term trade deals but the majority of their trade is normally brief and infrequent deals with various species, based on their needs and their ability to negotiate a fair and to their mind honorable trade deal.

Very few members of their species ever leave their world and those that do tend to have become part of a nomadic wandering sub-culture that spends most of their lives on cargo ships transporting goods between worlds.

Military

Ligonian weapons

The Ligonian guards used long spears while guarding people or objects. As seen on the centerplace of Lutan on Ligon II they also used bladed weapons including axes and knives and other hand-held weapons such as a crossbow.

While they preferred using primitive yet highly effective types of weapons they do have energy based weapons technology. They just seldom ever use them on their own planet, preferring the traditional ones instead.

Ligonian battle forms

Ligonian battle forms ARE a type of martial arts that originated with the Ligonian society of Ligon II. These battle forms proved helpful to Ranul Keru on the planet Orisha.

Federation Intelligence Files

By the 2320s, at least one Ligonian participated at a Starfleet Academy wrestling match. This was while Jean-Luc Picard was still a cadet at the Academy. He once wrestled a Ligonian and caught him "with a reverse body lift and pinned him down in the first fourteen seconds of the match," according to gardener Boothby, who was very much surprised by the feat at that time. Picard stated that it "was all in the legs, from all the running he used to doing."

In 2364, Ligon II was orbited by an orbital control station and the source of a rare vaccine that was needed on the Federation planet Styris IV. The USS Enterprise-D visited the planet to attempt to secure some of the vaccine, and in the process Lieutenant Yar was kidnapped.

In 2364, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise-D stated "we are aware of many of the achievements of Ligon II, and its unique similarity to an ancient Earth culture we all admire.", thus implying social parallels between the Ligonians and a historical Earth culture.

Yareena

Yareena was the "First One" to first Lutan and then later to Hagon. She was a woman of wealth, which gave great power to any man that she married. She was Lutan's first one until 2364, when Lutan tried to have her replaced by Lieutenant Natasha Yar, whom he had kidnapped. As a point of honor, Yareena challenged Yar to a fight to the death. Lutan hoped Yar would kill Yareena, and he would have her wealth and Yar. She was "killed" by Yar but immediately revived by Dr. Beverly Crusher. As a result, her marriage to Lutan was dissolved and she took Hagon as her First One instead.

Hagon

Hagon was a subordinate to Lutan, the leader of the Ligonians in 2364. He was also Yareena's Second One, as opposed to Lutan being the First One, which gave Lutan the power and wealth on the planet. He accompanied the Ligonian delegation to the USS Enterprise-D during negotiations for a vaccine that his people possessed. Lutan planned to arrange the death of Yareena by kidnapping Natasha Yar and using her to kill Yareena in a ritual death match. During the match, Hagon showed his emotions when Yareena was almost killed by Yar. The plan failed when Yareena was transported to the Enterprise and revived. Hagon's feelings for her were noticed by Yareena and she made him her first one instead, giving him control over her wealth and power.

Lutan

Lutan was the ruler of Ligon II until 2364. He negotiated the supply of a rare vaccine to the Federation in that year. He became enamored with Lieutenant Natasha Yar, not only because of her beauty, but also her strength. He kidnapped her from the USS Enterprise-D, which was conducting the negotiations on behalf of the Federation during the talks. He announced at a banquet that he wanted Yar as his first wife, or "First One ", and to save her honor, his first wife, Yareena, challenged Yar to a fight to the death. If Yar did not accept, Lutan stated he would not give the Enterprise the vaccine.

He planned to use Yar to kill his First One in a Ligonian ritual and gain all her wealth. His plan failed when Yareena was revived by Dr. Crusher after her death. As a result, he lost power and was forced to become Yareena's Second One, behind his former subordinate Hagon.

Alternate universes

In one permutation of the mirror universe in which the Terran Empire survived into the 24th century, the ISS Enterprise-D was also dispatched to Ligon II to obtain a vaccine. But in this mirror reality, Captain Jean-Luc Picard subjected the southern continent of the planet to lethal levels of gamma radiation and forced them to give up the vaccine.

Sources

Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were used as references as well as the following TV episode, TNG: Code of Honor and TNG: The First Duty.

Also used were the following written sources, TTN novel: Sword of Damocles, TNG novel: Dark Mirror, CoE eBook: Turn the Page, Creating the Next Generation: The Conception and Creation of a Phenomenon, p.39, Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion 2nd ed., p. 34 and the FASA RPG module: Star Trek: The Next Generation First Year Sourcebook.

Finally the ST website: Startrek.com was used as well.

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Ligonian logo

Emblem of the Ligonians BETA