Tarn
| |
| Tarn | |
|---|---|
| Classification: | reptilian, humanoid |
| Planet of Origin: | Keth'tar[1] |
| Environmental requirements: | Class H[1] |
| Tech Level: | TBD |
| Warp Year: | 2028[1] |
| Affiliation: | Tarn Empire |
| Typical lifespan: | 170 years[1] |
| Telepathic abilities: | none |
| AIX code: | TBD |
The Tarn are a reptilian humanoid species originating from the planet Keth'tar. Their first major contact with the Federation occurred in the early 2160s during an undeclared conflict later referred to as the Federation–Tarn War, or by Tarn historians as the War of Federation Aggression. The conflict ended in 2164 with the establishment of a neutral zone surrounding the Tarn Empire.
Biology
The Tarn are a tall species (averaging well-over six feet (nearly 2.5 meters) in height). Unlike most lizards, Tarn are endothermic. Like most lizards, however, they thrive in hot, dry climates.
The Tarn have two genders and lay live eggs to reproduce.
In addition to powerful and taloned arms and legs, the Tarn also possess a thick, muscular tail, and a strong line of small spines down their backs which react to strong emotions such as fear or agitation.
Both because of their size, physical power, and reptilian nature, most humanoids find the Tarn imposing and fearful on an instinctive level—impressions which Tarn attitudes and behavior do little to dispel.
Culture
The Tarn are a species whose culture emphasizes ritual, honor, and clan loyalty. Their customs contain a mix of ceremonial gestures, strict social rules, and martial traditions.
Personality
Outsiders generally regard the Tarn as insular, prideful, and suspicious-almost-to-the-point-of-paranoia. Cultural and evolutionary pressures have created a society in which trust is generally limited to one's own “circle” (loosely defined as one's extended family, clan, or organization). This pressure—along with the (literally) cut-throat nature of Tarn internal politics—leaves little room for trust of- or concession to- the outsider.
Tarn social interactions tend to be formal—even ritualized—with an emphasis on dominance and/or submission gestures and honor/status. For example, subordinate Tarn must not allow their shadow to touch a superior, nor address a superior first. The subordinate must keep his or her head lowered and avoid eye contact.
Formal greetings or welcome must be conducted (in as much as possible) peer-to-peer and inferiors must be introduced to their superiors before being addressed or even acknowledged (lest the superior “lose face” in the exchange).
Except among the closest of friends, even peer-to-peer interactions are ruled by clan politics, personal honor, and a quest for (at least the perception of) dominance.
Tarn ethics are supremely utilitarian, defined by the simplest of rules: succeed or die. To a Tarn, there is nothing more honorable than success, and no deeply-held principle can excuse failure.
Greeting and Social Rituals
Exhaling noisily, known as the Harma, functions as a Tarn greeting gesture. This custom originally served to confirm that all members of a hunting circle shared the same scent. Among Tarn, the Harma is considered the equivalent of the Human handshake. In practice, a lower-ranking Tarn performs the Harma with a bowed head when greeting a higher-ranking individual.
The accompanying verbal greeting is: “(title and name), I greet you into our circle as if you are of our blood.” The proper response is: “I accept the greeting as if I am returning to those of my blood.”
Diplomatic protocol required that greetings be initiated between individuals of equal rank before a Tarn could be formally introduced to a higher-ranking official without loss of face. By contrast, the Human custom of a handshake is regarded by Tarn as an aggressive move, since it places individuals at a distance considered too close.
Language
The Tarn language can be spoken by Humans, but it is regarded as harsh and difficult to render accurately.
Clans and Honor
Tarn society is organized around circles, or clans, which function as extended families. The Kala circle represents a royal line, while the Karuuki circle, also known as the First Circle, currently commands the Tarn Empire. Rivalry between Kala and Karuuki has shaped much of Tarn history, with the Kala reportedly forming alliances with powers hostile to the United Federation of Planets.
In Tarn tradition, a clan defeated in battle loses its honor but may regain it through renewed combat. A second defeat casts the clan out of society permanently. Outcasts, known as obduli, are stripped of their Tarn identity and regarded as having brought shame upon the species. Members of a broken circle are forbidden from allowing their shadow to touch any true Tarn and may only beg for forgiveness from what is called the "hell of forgotten names."
Adoption into a circle occurs through a symbolic blood ritual: a clan member wipes their blood onto the forehead of the new member, who repeats the act in return to affirm kinship.
Ceremonial Practices
The Tarn place significant weight on ceremonial killing and weaponry. The Tarn ceremonial dagger is central to such rites. A typical execution involves a swift slash at the nape of the neck to draw blood, thereby fulfilling obligations without the need for further words. Loss of honor within the Tarn Imperial Fleet customarily led to ritual suicide using one’s own ceremonial dagger.
The Tarn also uphold the ritual of the word challenge, a time-honored test of resolve and authority. Their worldview dictates two possible outcomes in warfare: return with victory or die.
Warrior Traditions
A particularly esteemed military order, the Tacig or "Chosen Ones of Glory", consists of warriors who are selected to die gloriously in the service of Tarn ideals. Only unbroken, honorable circles may name warriors to the Tacig.
Psychology and Culture
Observers note that paranoia appears to be a defining aspect of Tarn psychology. To the Tarn, a lineage descending from slaves carries deep shame. Honor can be restored if a slave or their descendant kills a former master, thereby erasing the ancestral dishonor.
Habitat and Distribution
Tarns are a cold-blooded species and prefer hot, arid environments. Their physiological adaptations suit them to such climates, where they can regulate body temperature efficiently.
History
The Tarn originated on a world dominated by predatory life, where survival was an unending struggle. As a smaller species, they were nearly driven to extinction by more powerful predators, but eventually overcame these adversaries and gained control of their planet. Following this victory, the Tarn turned their aggression inward, waging relentless conflict against one another. From this period, they developed a culture of mistrust, placing loyalty only within their own clan. Remarkably, the Tarn were one of only a few known species to achieve interstellar flight while still consumed by internal warfare, yet without destroying themselves in the process.
Before their first encounter with the United Federation of Planets, the Tarn Empire was granted the honor of exploring and mapping unclaimed regions of space. For many Tarn, hostilities with the Federation were regarded as a continuation of this expansionist drive.
The Tarn held the Klingon Empire in high regard as worthy adversaries, valuing the challenge of combat against them. Records indicate at least one notable battle took place at Garamora in 2154.
During the 2160s, the Tarn Empire engaged in an undeclared conflict with the Federation. Hostilities concluded in 2164 with the creation of the Tarn Neutral Zone, a buffer region separating Federation and Tarn space. While the Federation sought a permanent treaty, such an agreement remained elusive as late as 2367. Only in the years immediately preceding that date did the Tarn show interest in opening formal communications with the Federation.
In 2367, the Tarn Neutral Zone was opened to vessels from both sides. The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) was dispatched to survey the area. During the mission, the crew discovered the remains of a battle between the Federation starship USS Verdun and the Tarn vessel Rashasa in the Torgu-Va system. Survivors from both sides had established themselves on the planet Torgu-Va (planet), continuing their conflict in ignorance of the 2164 cease-fire. This revelation initially heightened tensions between the Tarn Empire and the Federation, but thanks to the commanders of the two orbiting vessels, the situation was resolved peacefully.
Example Names
- Gadin
- Harna Karish
- Jarah
- Garu Jord
- Qiva
Additional Sources
- Memory Beta: "Federation-Tarn War"
- Memory Beta: "Tarn"
- Memory Beta: "Tarn Empire"
- Memory Beta: "Tarn Imperial Fleet"
- TardisCaptain's Blog of Holding: "The Tarn"