Andorian

SPECIES
Andorian
Homeworld:	Andoria
Quadrant:	Beta
Affiliation:	United Federation of Planets
Biology
Average Male Height:	168 cm (5 ft. 6 in.) to 213 cm (7 ft. 0 in.)
Average Male Weight:	52.2 kg (115 lb.) to 99.8 kg (220 lb.)
Average Female Height:	163 cm (5 ft. 4 in.) to 203 cm (6 ft. 8 in.)
Average Female Weight:	47.6 kg (105 lb.) to 95.3 kg (210 lb.)
Minimum Academy Age:	17
Life Expectancy:	131
Distinctive Features:
Playability
PRC Rated:	Yes
NPC Rated:	Yes

Commander Shran, an Andorian male (2151)

Lieutenant Talas, an Andorian female (2153)

The Andorians are a humanoid species from the moon Andoria, homeworld of the Andorian Empire, and were one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets.

While most Andorian are of the "main" blue-skinned race, there is also a smaller sub-species known as the Aenar, who are white-skinned, blind, and possess very powerful telepathic abilities.

The Andorians cover most of their world, and regarded the Aenar as nothing more than myth until the early 22nd Century, when they re-established contact with the subterrestrial species, who lived in the arctic wastelands of the extreme north and numbered only in the thousands.

To other members of the Federation, this species can appear violent, demanding, and some say bewildering. Andorian culture appears to be shaped almost entirely by their biology, and attempts to reach beyond biology and artificially improve the species are usually met with only partial successes.

Biology & Physiology

A diagram of Andorian anatomy.

Diagram of Andorian brain and antennae.

The species' "homeworld," the moon of Andoria, has a predominantly icy environment with a thin, ozone-rich atmosphere.

Andorians have evolved to live in cooler conditions, but are capable of living in a wide range of climates. One adaptation of the species is a redundant circulatory system, which allows them to survive comfortably in their home's cold environmental conditions. The average body temperature of an Andorian is 102 °F, with a pulse rate of 110, and respiration rate of 28. The average life expectancy for a male Andorian is 129 years, while the average for a female is 134. Andorian females are generally taller than Andorian males.

Bones & Blood

Andorians tend to have a higher cartilage-to-bone ratio in their skeletal structure in comparison to other humanoid species. This serves to compartmentalize organs from any and all potential physical trauma. The Andorian body has a limited exoskeleton, as well as other insectoid-like characteristics. Andorians also have a redundant circulatory system, which allows their blood to seep through tissues, as well as through the usual route through veins. Due to the unusual physiology of the Andorians, intravenous injection is impossible: instead, a doctor must opt for inter-muscular injection. This combined physical hardiness makes this species more resistant to pain, injury, and fatigue. It also means their bodies rarely become sore from over-exertion, or frostbite from cold-weather exposure.

In contrast, their unique circulatory system also means that certain drugs travel through the body much easier than other humanoids. Additionally, both caffeine and alcohol affect Andorians at a faster rate. Andorians have a higher metabolism than Humans. They are very susceptible to high temperatures, and an Andorian can lose 10% of its body weight in as little as two days in climates approaching the boiling point of water. This aspect of their metabolism leaves them especially vulnerable to phase pistol fire; even minor phase injuries can prove fatal. The bones, though more enduring, also take twice the time, if not longer, to heal when they are damaged.

The heavy cobalt base to an Andorian's blood and tissue make them most compatible, on a cellular level, with Bolians. Andorian bloods is blue: their blood displays nonviscous, translucent qualities, and abrasions are dark blue. Andorian tongues and gums alternate from dark blue to pink.

• Bolian blood and tissue can be given to an Andorian with little effort, and vice versa
• Both species' blood are incompatible with Vulcan blood
• Andorian blood requires great effort to make compatible with Humans'

Skin Color

Andorian skin-tints are in the full spectrum of the color blue, and range from "cerulean" to a "blushing purple," while their hair colors are various degrees of white: ranging from silvery to platinum. The spectacular coloration of Andorians is the result of a proteinous dye, analogous to melanin in humans, which is produced by nearly all Andorian animal life. The dye-cells have a comparatively short life span, and must be produced constantly from protein sources in the diet. One of the most common symptoms of a serious illness is insufficient dye production, and a corresponding loss of skin color.

• The sub-species of Andorian, the Aenar, have white skin
• Andorians and Aenar are genetically compatible and can produce offspring

Nutrition

Andorians have unique sensory patterns to their senses of smell and taste. For example, salt is spicy to an Andorian, and "macho" Andorians like to eat hearty Andorian, Human, or Klingon roasted meat dishes sprinkled liberally with salt. Some Andorian Star Fleet officers drink highly salted Margaritas or Bloody Marys once introduced to them by humans at Star Fleet Academy.

See page: Andorian foods & beverages

Antennae

Andorians have two antennae rising from the brow, near the hairline. These antennae are five to eight inches long, filled with fluid, and act as sensory stalks. These antennae extend their perceptions for sounds and vibrations, much further and deeper than a human being's. Some Andorians can recognize familiar footfalls and heartbeats close-up, but this is a skill which takes as much practice as a human recognizing a good friend by their gait. Andorian vision can be described as "quadroscopic," as they have four individual light-receptive organs: two eyes and two antennae, which give them superior depth perception compared to many species.

Andorians have at least four anatomical variations regarding the placement of their antennae. Some have antennae sprouting from the frontal bone of their skull. This formation is called "Jini". Antennae that sprout from the parietal bone is known as "Swooth." Other Andorians have antennae that are thinner, while still others have have some that are much longer.

Andorians can obtain a great deal of sensory information through continually waving their antennae. They can detect electrical fields, changes in air density, changes in temperature, and sub-sonic sounds. They can also sense fluctuations in gravity, most likely from evolutionary-based, as their home is geologically unstable. Extreme gravity disturbances can cause pain or unconsciousness.

The antennae also express emotion, and are the prime indicators of Andorian body language. Polite interest can be expressed with the antennae curving toward the object of attention; fear or excitement by standing rigid and quivering; weariness or depression by drooping; confusion or upset by wringing and lashing; intoxication by wobbling unsteadily in different directions; and rage by pressing back against the skull. These reactions are a mixture of voluntary and involuntary response.

If there is a loss of an antenna, this is considered a mildly traumatic injury, and renders the person in question partially disabled due to pain. Though antennae grow back, it can take up to nine months to do so. Medical intervention, namely, artificial regeneration in the way of electrical stimulation, can cut that time in half. Culturally, the loss of one's antennae is considered a humiliating experience.

The uninvited touching of the antennae is considered an unpardonable rudeness, and the threat of injury to antennae is legitimate grounds for assault and murder in Andorian society.

Because they are thought to be semi-telepathic organs, and are related somewhat to the reproductive process, the antennae are also considered proper sites for valuable jewelry, particularly gifts from friends, lovers and mates. The Andorian version of the wedding ring is worn on the left antenna rather than on a finger. To give an Andorian antenna-rings or antenna-bells is to make a gesture of great friendship, if not of courtship.

Reproduction

The Andorian species is historically composed of four sexes:

• "zhen" - infertile female
• "shen"- fertile female
• "chan" - fertile male
• "thaan"- infertile male

This is also the source for naming. A prefix corresponding with the sex of the Andorian is added to their clan surname (zh' sh' ch' th').

For a long time, these four sexes caused issues for the reproduction and replenishing of their species. The replenishing rates for their species has been continuously documented as precarious. In the 22nd and 23rd Centuries, some Andorians described themselves as male or female, at least in discussion with non-Andorians, and they began to form one-male/one-female relationships. This would eventually lead to a declining birth-rate and fears of a population crash.

By the late 24th Century, the four sexes were used in general conversation, and four-person bonds were rigidly enforced by the dominant Andorian culture, with severe social penalties for non-compliance.

Andorian reproductive organs are naturally completely retracted, and the sex of some Andorians can be difficult to discern to outsiders. In some Andorian societies, Andorians are treated as eunics until they marry.
In others, individuals are treated as gendered individuals from childhood.

True Mating ("Shelthreth")

In order for Andorians to produce a child, one of sex is needed. Each person involved has a specific role to play. Staring with the Thaan (infertile male), the Shen (fertile female)'s egg is fertilized. Then, the Chan (fertile male) 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 within her egg.

Once the egg has developed into a fetus, it has to be transferred to the Zhen (infertile female), due to the Zhen being the only one biologically able to nurse the young. When the Zhen receives the fetus, special glands along the Zhen's spine become active, and they will secrete a membrane that forms a pouch around the lower torso. At this time, the 4 teats on a Zhen's lower abdomen will start to form milk. The inner lining of the pouch produces a thick gel, which will protect the baby while it nurses, until it is mature enough to survive outside of the pouch. Once the baby has emerges from the pouch, the Zhen will come out of protective seclusion, and the infant-protecting pouch will dry up and shed away.

Andorian fertility periods have been slowly getting shorter, and as such, they will try to conceive as many children as possible during their period of fertility. They have also been forced to arrange bondings among genetically compatible members of their society to try and prevent the decline in their species' population. If they are found to be genetically acceptable, they will generally be bonded by the age of 23.

Pair-Bonds ("Tezha")

When a fertile Andorian forms a serious emotional attachment to another, their normal empathic connection deepens into a full telepathic bond.
Known as 'Tezha', this practice is considered taboo among the Andorian people, as it does not lead to the propagation of the species in the way "Shelthreth" does.

The Tezha bond lasts for life, and the death of one partner usually causes death for the other. This is especially true if the death of one partner occurs by violence: the resulting telepathic shock causes sudden and severe stress to the other's heart, often resulting in a fatal heart attack. A widowed Andorian who survives the initial shock is still prey to psychic disorientation, dietary imbalance, and savage psychological depression, akin to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Often, this form of grieving causes a partner to die of heartbreak and grief.

Psychology

Andorians are known as a rough and violence-prone people, but they can be better describe as very passionate. Andorians, like Vulcans, experience incredibly strong emotions, but unlike the Vulcans, Andorians have developed a method of expressing their emotions in short, controlled bursts. This also means that like Klingons, most Andorians are very serious about themselves and their honor, and thus can be easily offended.

In Andorian culture, the actual use of violence upon another person is heavily legislated, and the mindless expression of violence is considered distasteful and offensive. Instead, Andorians as a culture enjoy a past-time of arguing, and those that argue often are most likely good friends. If an Andorian doesn't conversationally argue with you, they probably don't think you're worth their time.

With most Andorians, their sense of pride will keep them from admitting that they are sick, and have been known to refuse treatment until their symptoms have reached to the extremes. While recovery from an illness or injury is important to a hurt Andorian, they can sometimes be demanding to those who are helping to take care of them, and over-estimate their recuperative powers. Andorians hate feeling helpless almost as much as Klingons do, and may attempt to prove health by attempting dangerous acts of physical prowess.

Due to the importance of the antennae, much of Andorian psychology revolves around these organs. Fear of damage to the antennae is comparable to castration anxiety in other Humanoids. Loss of an antennae to an Andorian is the equivalent of deafness, muteness, castration and mutilation of the face to a human, and no Andorian will volunteer such an injury.

Society and Culture

Like Klingons, Andorians have a genetic predisposition toward aggressive and violent behavior. Within their own society, life is extremely structured, which helps to tame their tempers. In the general population of the galaxy, many Andorians bottle up their rage, managing to contain it in public but sometimes having violent outbursts in private. Compared to many other species, Andorians excel under pressure: their bio-chemical reactions induce them to either fight or increase there sensory input levels, which leads to greater abilities at analysis and reasoning.

Andorians are known to outsiders as a militaristic warrior race. This is underscored by the fact that their weapons have no stun setting. Service in the Andorian Imperial Guard is considered honorable, and military ranks have a great influence on social reputations. Andorians never fight without reason and deplore dishonesty. Andorians consider their race to be deeply emotional and passionate, even violent; they aren't known for their charity and have few sympathies, but they place a high value on family. Andorian females seem to have an equal position in Andorian society, being at least as capable a soldier as their male counterparts. Andorian society has little need for lawyers, with those who occupied such a profession being executed at least a thousand years before the Andorian Empire joined the Federation.

Andorians live communally in one of two basic social structures:

• kethni (singular- "keth"):
  A clan of Andorians. The biggest 300 "kethni" form the ruling council of the Andorian people, and clans come and go under strict rules. A keth is ruled by an "atlolla," best translated as 'chieftain', and in modern times, this position tends to fall as much along lines of social and cultural interests as bloodline. kethni do interrelate and intermarry.
• Lodges: Temporary-but-stable communities of Andorians living amongst non-Andorian majorities. In Star Fleet, each station, ship, colony, or outpost with a heavy Andorian complement will combine several living quarters to form a lodge where all Andorians can go and live. Families sometimes do not, but it is very rare for any single adult Andorian to live Outside-The-Lodge, a formal term with deep significance. Andorians in lodges do sleep and dine communally, even in modern lodges where side chambers exist for private study, work, and play.

Additionally:

• Andorians seem to have a belief that within their society, those that suffer from disabilities, such as blindness, are a burden. Such individuals are cared for very little and are only tolerated for what few capabilities they do have, such as breeding.

• If a member of the Andorian Imperial Guard dies far from home, his or her companions carry a part of the body back to the ice of Andoria.

• Andorians have little nudity taboos. Non-Andorian visitors to a Lodge or family home will see much blue skin.

• Andorians have a cultural preoccupation with music, which was the original basis of Andorian language. The traditional Andorian sidearm, the flabbjellah, doubles as a musical instrument.
  • Andorians also seem to have an artistic side. The Andorian Academy is considered by many to be the best art school in the Federation.

Religion

Ancient Andorians once believed in a mystical group of beings simply known as 'the Spirits.' Knowledge of this has become diluted over time, and very little is known about what purpose they were thought to have. Modern Andorians continue to use the term 'Spirits' much as a Human would use 'God' as an exclamation. With only one exception, all of the many Andorian religions view marriage as a secular social contract, honored but not promoted by the religious hierarchy.

Andorian religions include:

• Eila Clahd, a "back-to-nature" faith which decries technological advancement.
• Emasha Yul, a polytheistic faith which is is analogous to what Hinduism is to Buddhism.
• Hastra Bei Hastra, a very common faith that combines beliefs in reincarnation, purification of the soul, and strict scholasticism, with one wild high holiday a year to allow for a break from its relative asceticism
• Umarinism, a popular modern religion that advocates the duty of Andorians to keep their passionate warrior natures alive, and strong to set a holy example for the less passionate races of the Federation.

One thing of note: Seismic instabilities and cold weather make the few freely flowing liquid water seas on Andoria so treacherous that most Andorian religions conceive of watery hells. Andorians are not fond of swimming.

Ushaan

A crucial part of Andorian tradition is the "Ushaan," a code of honor demanding a duel to the death, in which the combatants fight against each other with an ice miner's tool, the ushaan-tor. An enormous body of rules and regulations exists around this code of honor, summing up to 12,000 amendments. The Ushaan can be demanded by someone as a means of personal vengeance, for example, to avenge a personal loss. However, there exists a right of substitution, allowing each combatant to put up a replacement for themselves. Furthermore, each married combatant can postpone a duel indefinitely if there are no children to continue his claim. Additionally, the fight might be called off if one combatant disables the other in way so he cannot continue the duel.

Duels are fought traditionally on white linens over ice floors, so that blood can be seen clearly and the duel ended at the appropriate time. Star Fleet regulations allow Andorian officers and enlisted men to participate in duels. Any death during the Ushaan is considered a suicide in Andorian culture.

Warfare and Etiquette

Modern Andorian and Andorians have never suffered what humans would call a "major war." This may be in part from the stringent restrictions Andorians put on their weaponry, as well as on inter-tribal aggression. They have always restricted their weaponry with their practical attitude toward warfare.

In an Andorian city, a social gaffe is cause for assault, murder or ritual suicide. This is understandable when one considers that the breaching of custom is the equivalent of declaring war upon members of one's own clan, and hence too dangerous to excuse. Outwardly aggressive, rural Andorians are aware of this urban peculiarity, and find it amusing at best.

There are two common Andorian blades. The first is the "chaka," a three-bladed hand-weapon, similar to the Klingon bat'leth, serving a similar honor-blade function. The chaka is too heavy and awkward to carry in day-to-day use, and is reserved mostly for honor duels and ceremonies. The second common blade is the hrisal, a lightly curved, short sword. Most duels of honor are performed with the chaka, while most duty functions are met with the hrisal.

Andorii Language

• aanwato: raised by (female)
• ceara: traditional clothing among zhen
• emvaiir: the word for "hope"
• flabbjellah: a traditional Andorian sidearm, and doubles as a musical instrument
• kheth: the temporary pouch that grows over and around the lower abdomen of a zhen for the final phase of Andorian gestation
• Ushaan: the code of honor involving a duel with the ushaan-tor; there are over 12,000 amendments to the code
• ushaan-tor: an iceminer's tool and weapon; Andorian children often play with them
• shapla: a betrothal symbol; woven locks of hair from bondmates
• shuralan: "gold" or golden in color
• thezuraa: promise