Tzenkethi (Ithassa Region)
| Intelligent Lifeform Index |
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| Tzenkethi (Ithassa Region) | |
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| Four Letter Code | TZEN |
| Federation Status | At War |
| Planet of Origin | Ab-Tzenketh |
| Encountered | The Adversary, DS9 |
| T/E Rating | T0/E0 |
| Current Tech Level | N |
| List of Named Tzenkethi (Ithassa Region)s | |
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Full ILI Gallery • Permitted Species Gallery | |
- "We only raid the weak and inferior."
- a Tzenkethi saying.
- "We only raid the weak and inferior."
- The Tzenkethi are a unusual species that considers all others to be fair game as they are so obviously inferior. As a result they delight in raiding and interfering in other species affairs.
Home System
- Quadrant: Beta
- Location: Kinark Sector (coordinates A27-0002-1300) This is located in the heart of the Ithassa Region
- Proper Name: Keth Felas system
- Star: it orbits a class F (Yellow-White) star
- Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 83 million km
- Companions: It is the 2nd of 4 planets in the system
- Moons: none
Home World
- Proper Name: Kethi
- Diameter: 23,292 km (14,473 miles)
- Gravity: 1.03 standard gravity with a density of 3.1
- Axial Tilt: 14.3%, with normal seasonal changes
- Orbital Period: 462 days
- Rotational Period: 28.3 hours
- Classification: M
- Surface Water: 39%
- Atmosphere: 0.94% is a standard pressure with 72% nitrogen, 24% oxygen, 4% trace chemicals
- Climate: Mainly a very warm tropical planet.
- Terrain: It has numerous rain forests and jungles as well as mountain ranges and rough hilly zones.
- Population: Just over 9 billion on their home world but with another estimated 22 billion scattered among their colonies.
Tzenkethi (Coalition)
As unusual as it seems there are 2 groups of Tzenkethi over 9 sectors apart. They have the same basic appearance, language and biology. However they seem to have never had any physical contact and have evolved into completely different societies.
Certain experts with in the Federation have examined all the available data and have come to the conclusion that at some point in their past a large number of them were transported from their original home world to the Ithassa Region.
History
The Ithassa Region Tzenkethi have been involved in a number of border wars and skirmish’s with all of their neighbours. In fact it is very rare for them to not be at odds with some one. Most of the time these conflicts are small minor border wars with raids and quick strikes. Occasionally it will escalate into full out war.
The Federation has not been immune to these border clashes. In fact they have twice escalated into real wars. Fortunately the Ithassa Region Tzenkethi do not seem to be interested in full out war, just minor battles. As a result these wars ended rather quickly with no positive long term results evident from the point of view of the Federation negotiators.
Tzenkethi raiding parties are known to attack ships on the trade route from DS17 to Wheeler Colony. In fact they tend to raid any and all other species and trade routes with no regard for borders or political alliances. Inside the Ithassa region they can and often are a potential threat. Appearing out of no where to hit and run, almost like it was a game to them.
Government
The Ithassa Region Tzenkethi government seems to be some form of semi-militaristic entity with distinct ranks and organization. All contact has been with individuals who identified themselves based on their position. This includes negotiators, doctors, engineers, soldiers, etc.
Unlike the Tzenkethi Coalition, the Ithassa Region Tzenkethi do not have an Embassy or any other form of permanent or semi-permanent delegation in place to negotiate with the Federation. For the most part their borders are considered to be closed to all outside species.
Description
Tzenkethi skin tones range from pale green, through yellow and orange, to bright red. Unlike their distant cousins they do not give off a faint glow. This is most likely due to the differences between the two homeworlds.
They have ovoid-shaped eyes, voices that sound like bells, and are described as being very tall and visually attractive to most other races, even non-humanoid ones.
Their skin carries a slight electric charge, giving other individuals a tingling sensation upon physical contact. This charge can be intensified at will to painful levels for the receiver. They are also capable of carrying and transmitting diseases to others while remaining unaffected themselves.
Language
Both species of Tzenkethi use a language that they call Tzikaa!n. For the most part they are very similar with only minor differences. However the Coalition Tzenkethi version also includes dialects for different castes. This is not true of the Ithass Region Tzenkethi.
Physiology
Their physiology is externally humanoid, but internally quite different. Their skeleton is made up of several fluid-filled sacs, which can be contracted and expanded at will. This allows an unusual flexibility for a humanoid body. Their customary sitting position involves wrapping the legs around the main body, giving them the appearance of having been cut in half.
There are a few slight differences between the genetic makeup of the 2 different Tzenkethi species. Experts agree that the main reason for this would most likely be as a result of at least 15,000 years of development under different planetary conditions.
Psychology
Just like the Tzenkethi of the Coalition, the Tzenkethi of the Ithassa Region also have an innate discomfort with open spaces, preferring to work in small, enclosed rooms.
However unlike the Coalition they have developed a different means to create gravity on all surfaces. For all intents and purposes it does the same thing as an artificial gravity envelope, enabling them to make use of all surfaces within a room. Using only the floor of a room is considered wasteful and uncomfortably vulnerable. Unlike the Tzenkethi of the Coalition the Tzenkethi of the Ithassa Region do not have any preference for which surface they use.
Religion
Starfleet Intelligence has been able to retrieve and translate some data that seems to confirm that unlike the Tzenkethi Coalition, those that live in the Ithassa Region do have something that could be considered a form of religion.
They believe that once one dies they go to re-join the Heart of Infinity. In olden times this meant burning the body, now it means setting it adrift in space with in the gravity well of a star so that it can be pulled in and consumed. There does not seem to be any formal ceremony for this procedure.
Mythology
Starfleet Intelligence has been able to retrieve and translate some data that seems to confirm that unlike the Tzenkethi Coalition, those that live in the Ithassa Region do have a limited set of creation myths.
Roughly translated the text indicates that in the beginning there was a brilliant white light. One that seemed to call them forward, summoning them to step into the light. It’s caress tingled and they found themselves falling into the light. They seemed to fall forever, cradled within the heart of infinity. Eventually they stopped falling, dropping out of the light and back into the world. Then the light went away. They had touched the heart of infinity and it had blessed them.
They describe the “Heart of Infinity” as a brilliant all, consuming white light. One that left them feeling warm, safe, relaxed and complete. The rest of the data seems more religious in nature and as such has been filed elsewhere.
Society
They have a very strict, almost ridged society where everyone knows their place and stays with in it. There is no crime, no civil unrest, no dissention and no resentment of government, superiors or their place in society.
They are all part of a larger community and the needs of society as a whole take precedence. As a result there society runs very smoothly. Everyone has access to education, medical treatment and anything else they may require.
Unlike the Coalition Tzenkethi who are tested in utero to determine their life occupation the Tzenkethi of the Ithassa Region undergo a lengthy testing process at age 9. After this their education is altered to best reflect the strengths and needs of the individual.
Culture
Almost nothing is known at this time regarding their cultural specifics. In fact there are no records available to show that any outsiders have ever been allowed with in their home system. There have been a few recorded instances where outsiders have been allowed onto one of their ships or even one of their colonies.
Those that have gone have returned with stories of unusual music. They describe melodies where sound and light have been blended together to form a single cohesive entity. Most people have described these lights as having a very unusual bioluminescence quality. These lights have been mixed with extremely complex and perplexing notes. The final result seems to be both calming and relaxing.
Customs
When one of them dies great effort will be used to reclaim the body so that it can properly be disposed of. In some cases this has resulted in prolonged hostilities and in one case resulted in what was a defeat being turned into an astounding victory. Regardless of the circumstances involved they will do whatever it takes to try and release their dead back into the Heart of Infinity.
Most ships and all city centers have gathering places where they can go to relax amid the melodies and lightshows of their greatest composers. It is not uncommon to find almost every available section of space on all surfaces in these spaces filled by the form of one individual or another.
Technology
Their planet-bound architecture is designed with graceful, smooth, flowing curves, the same as their war ships. In most cases many buildings will flow together to form one enormous, massive city complex that can stretch for kilometers and incorporate structures many hundreds of meters tall.
The Tzenkethi (Ithassa Region) are technologically advanced and are technically the equal of most Federation member worlds.
Economy
For the most part they are completely self sufficient, relying on their colonies and allies for those rare resources they do not have available or in large enough quantity.
Military
Tzenkethi (Ithassa Region) warships are all flowing curves, looking a lot like 2 falling water drops that have linked in midair. They present seemingly unbroken, featureless surfaces with numerous small panels with in the design that can and will retract open to reveal weapons, sensors and other devices.
They normally operate in small groups and the 3 most common such groups are the assault squad with 1 cruiser, 2 destroyers and 4 frigates or the raider squad with 5 frigates or the patrol squad with 3 destroyers.
While they do have a number of larger class war ships these are normally reserved for major battles and defensive roles.
Federation Intelligence Files
Based on numerous conflicts between the Federation and both branches of the Tzenkethi, Starfleet Intelligence has determined that they are both about equal when it comes to threat level.
Regardless of the many, minor differences between these 2 groups they both tend to allow frequent raids of nearby systems and other harassing activities. This has resulted in them normally being either at war or in a heightened state of aggression with someone.
They do not seem to seek out or value long term peace with anyone.
Source
While this species is based on the original (Tzenkethi) found in numerous book and TV references they are in reality a completely new and different species created by members of the Starbase 118 community. They have been developed, used and continue to evolve through use as a completely unique new species.
