Andorian

• Appearance: Mammalian; dark- to pale-blue skin, white hair, two antennae
  • Three major races
    • Thalassan: High, knobby antennae from back of the skull (ENT Novel: Live by the Code; Among the Clans)
    • Talish: Forward, tendril-like antennae from high on the forehead (ENT Novel: Live by the Code; Among the Clans)
    • Bish'ee: High, knobby antennae from high on the forehead (Among the Clans)
  • Aenar a telepathic subspecies formerly native to Andor's Northern Wastes (ENT: "The Aenar")
• Homeworld: Andor
  • Major offworld populations: Alrond, Threllvia IV, Weytahn
• Biological notes
  • Cobalt-based blood
    • Skin blanches grey (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
  • Average body temperature higher than that of Benzites (TNG Novel: A Time to Harvest)
  • Four genders: Chan, Thaan, Zhen, Shen
    • Shen source of gametes, chan and thaan contribute genetic material, zhen carries to term in pouch on their back (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
    • Mated foursome known as a shelthreth, or bondgroup (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do; DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
    • Involved individuals biochemically bond with one another upon mating (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
    • Successful reproduction from at least 22nd century onwards requires careful genetic compatibility due to undescribed "biological holocaust" damage to the Andorian genome in this era (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
      • By 24th century, newborn Andorians have their genome mapped into central database within minutes of birth, in order to calculate most compatible bondmates for successful reproduction (ENT Novel: Beneath the Raptor's Wing; DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
      • Andorian window of fertility limited to five years during young adulthood as a result of said genetic damage (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
  • Antennae provide sensation of electromagnetic fields, including bioelectric fields of nearby life (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Live by the Code; DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book One, Mission Gamma: Cathedral)
    • Mobile, responsive to emotional state (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, A Choice of Futures; DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: Cathedral)
    • Able to pick up on emotional states of other Andorians as well, both directly and through body language (ENT Novel: Live by the Code; DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: Cathedral)
    • Andorian technology often uses magnetic signals alongside visual akin to alert lights (ENT Novel: Live by the Code)
  • Andorians require about 4 hours of sleep a night (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book One)
  • Andorian response to teptaline grants heightened focus and concentration, triggering a "fight-or-focus" reaction (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book One, Avatar, Book One)
    • Teptaline an Andorian analogue to adrenaline (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book One)
  • DS9 Relaunch works implied Andorians to be native to tropical climate; invalidated by later Enterprise appearances, maintained for completion's sake
    • 22 degrees Celsius, 18% humidity considered "cold and dry by Andorian standards" (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book One)
• Cultural notes
  • Andorian calendar
  • Andorian faith
  • Andorian language
  • Andorian food
  • Imperial andorian surnames start with gender prefix (ch', th', zh', sh') followed by clan names
    • Andorian formerly heavily clan based
  • Asking for another's opinion without providing one's own is considered a sign of respect (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book One)
  • Though members of the Federation, Andorians generally hold a strong distrust towards Starfleet (DS9 Novel: The 34th Rule)
  • By 24th century, Andorians celebrate the Time of Knowing at age twelve (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
    • Point at which children learn the names of their chosen bondmates (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
    • Such bondmates obligated to return to Andor for bonding, reproduction in late teens or early twenties (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
    • Begin studying for involved rituals at age seven (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
    • Sexual activity with other Andorians outside the context of a shelthreth acceptable in 22nd century, but considered taboo by 24th century due to potential to disrupt overall cohesion of shelthreth (ENT: "Babel One"; DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: This Gray Spirit)
  • In some regions, smiling an uncommon piece of body language (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: Cathedral)
    • Only some due to counter portrayal in Enterprise
  • Generally aggressive culture (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book Two)
    • Quick to anger, long memory for both offenses and favors (ENT)
    • Incredibly structured, serious in compensation (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book Two)
      • Humor, public expressions of pleasure rare (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book Two)
        • Smiling a learned behavior when interacting with cultures which use the act (DS9 Novel: Avatar, Book Two)
    • Ushaan
      • Ritual combat to provide for relief of violent instincts following extreme wrongs (ENT: "United")
      • Fought with handheld ice-cutters known as ushaan-tors (ENT: "United")
        • Common tool in Andorian civilization, easily available (ENT: "United")
  • Blue a signifier of danger in Andorian culture (ENT Novel: Live by the Code)
  • Musical instruments
    • Flabbjellah (ENT Novel: Live by the Code)
      • Also functions as a throwing club (ENT Novel: Live by the Code)
    • Zharen'tara (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
      • Stringed instrument (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
  • Funerary customs
    • Civilians are not to have their bodily integrity violated after death unless necessary for the sake of criminal investigation (DS9 Novel: Mission Gamma: Cathedral)
      • Potentially only applies to suicide victims?
    • Those who die in military service have a small amount of their blood extracted for display at the Wall of Heroes on Andor (ENT: "United")