Betelgeusian
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Betelgeusians occupy all three of the Class M planets in the system orbiting Betelgeuse, a Type M2 Ib star, although they call Betelgeuse II home (known as Hav'a'halar to the Betelgeusians). The planet Hav'a'halar is a terrestrial world comprising a wide range of climates and environments.
Personality
Betelgeusians dislike change and look to the past for answers to life's conundrums. They are introverted as a rule, focusing on their own behavior and concerned primarily with how others perceive them. They are not especially empathetic.
Betelgeusians are unable to distinguish between fiction and history. To them, stories like Hercules and the Seven Labors, or the Epic of Gilgamesh, are as true as Zefram Cochrane's invention of the warp drive. Every Betelgeusian chooses a hero from their mythology to emulate. The Betelgeusian becomes the quasi-fictional character, typically adopting the hero's personality traits, interests, and quirks. It has been appropriately said that Betelgeusians have only seven personalities that they use over and over.
Physiology
Tall, thin humanoids with apparently delicate bone structures, Betelgeusians look fragile. In fact, all Betelgeusians possess unusually strong skeletons, perhaps the result of high concentrations of bilenium in their environment. They stand approximately 1.5 to 2 meters tall, though their slight frames make them look taller. Their skin is bluish in color, ranging from pale to cerulean. Their eyes are deeply set, and they lack both hair and noses (they breathe through two nostrils set behind their ears).
History
Betelgeusian history begins with the Age of Heroes, when gods walked among them, ordering the world, healing the sick, building the cities, and leading the masses.
Then came the Dark Age, when the heroes retreated to the realm of imagination. They left behind them only mortals - the Betelgeusians - who did not know what to do. It became clear that Cordban - the embodiment of strife - remained to plague the now-leaderless Betelgeusians. The deceptions and conflicts of the Dark Age pushed the entire planet into sporadic warfare. Without Lahile to heal them, though, and without F'ter to make them weapons, the Betelgeusians learned to channel the power of their lost heroes, in a period known as the Age of Finding. They banished Cordban and set about remaking their world.
The Vulcans introduced Betelgeusians to Earth in the 22nd century, in the form of several Lahilites who participated in the Interspecies Medical Exchange program. Although a few went on to serve on human starships, Betelgeusians remained reclusive. To them, the humans were too mercurial, changing their personalities and refusing to hew to their chosen tasks; they were too much like Cordban. Betelgeuse did not join the Federation until the year 2230, after a long period spent observing the organization and its members.
Society
Like all societies, the Betelgeusians have their own government and laws, their own scientists and artists, their own mores and customs. What distinguishes them among the many species in the galaxy is their unusual practice of embodying the personalities of their cultural myths. This is a quasi-religious way of life called the Path of Emulation.
At the age of six, a Betelgeusian decides which of the Heroes (there are seven major ones, but numerous minor heroes) he will strive to emulate:
- Altaa the Warrior - He who slew the beasts and cleared the land. Followers of Altaa collect weapons and practice contact sports. They like to hunt. They tend to be hot-headed and reckless.
- Cordban the Trickster - He who tried to tear things down, because he didn't like them. This rogue often troubled Altaa, Doban, and Slichez, as he believed that he was more deserving of accolades, could rule better, and could profit from hidden knowledge. His followers tend to be jealous, scheming, and devious, and often pose as devotees of other heroes.
- Doban the Ruler - He who made the world and created the beasts and ordered the land. Followers of Doban typically become diplomats and politicians. They often discuss little with other Betelgeusians, and keep their contacts infrequent. His followers tend to be haughty, noble, and wise.
- F'ter the Clockmaker - He who set time in motion. Followers of F'ter like to tinker, play board games, and collect mechanical devices of all sorts. They are often inquisitive, thoughtful, and optimistic.
- Ost the Vagabond - She who laughed and played all day, while the others worked. She brought joy into the world, and the sadness that comes afterwards. Her followers are joke-tellers, magicians, and actors. They are typically mischievous, light-hearted, and cunning.
- Lahile the Mother - She who could not be beaten, because she was first. She plowed the first field and sowed the first crop. She bandaged Altaa after his many battles. Followers like to dance and sing, and create beautiful works of art. Her followers are often nurturing, kind, and outgoing.
- Slichez the Thinker - He who gathered the knowledge of the world and stored it in his great library. Followers of Slichez play complex, abstract board games when not performing scientific experiments. Followers tend to be quiet, reserved, and narrowly-focused.
As they grow up, Betelgeusians study the myths of their heroes, and undergo tests designed to encourage them to respond as their heroes would. They join tightly organized groups called naccords made up of followers of a particular hero and led by a master. Although they once fought wars against one another, with each nation's Altaa naccords joining in battle, today Betelgeusians recognize the importance of all heroes equally.
Betelgeusians look at life through the prisms of the heroes they embody. When a devotee of Altaa does something, Betelgeusians believe the original Altaa of legend is responsible. They take up professions appropriate to their heroes, and even adopt his or her personality and quirks. When they meet, Betelgeusians expect each other to behave according to their chosen roles. A Betelgeusian in need of medical aid, for instance, expects the help of a disciple of Lahile, and disciples of other heroes won't intrude - even if skilled in medicine.
Betelgeusans speak j'Tai, a highly stilted and symbolic language. They use given names in combination with the name of their chosen hero.
Reference(s)
- Bridges, Bill, et al. Star Trek Roleplaying Game Book 5: Aliens, Decipher, 2003. ISBN: 1582369070.