Romulan

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  • Appearance: Mammalian; skin tones range from sallow green to dark brown, ears slightly pointed
  • Homeworld: Romulus
  • Distantly related to the Zami
  • A distant branch of Vulcans, having departed the homeworld centuries ago following the Time of Awakening
  • Biological notes
    • Copper-based blood
    • Largely identical biology and biochemistry to Vulcans
      • Genetic drift has made them differentiable with careful scanning
      • Most significant difference is that Romulans lack the telepathic talents of Vulcans
      • Prominent brow ridges also common amongst Romulans, very rare amongst Vulcans
    • Chocolate functions as a mild intoxicant (TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
      • Chocolate often imported by aristocracy as a minor vice as a result (TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
  • Cultural notes
    • Romulan calendar
    • Romulan faith
    • Romulan language
    • Romulan food
    • Romulan games
    • Romulans, as with Vulcans, consider danger associated with green, safety with orange (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
        • Derived from the fact that their blood is naturally green, and plant life was extremely rare on Vulcan, giving little-to-no innate association between nature and green
      • As a result, status displays use a green/orange color scheme rather than the more common Human red/green scheme (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do)
    • Romulan citizens expected to carry an honor blade (dathe'anofv-sen), with which they are to take their own life (or the life of another) should honor demand it of them (ENT Novel: The Good That Men Do, Kobayashi Maru, To Brave the Storm; TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
    • Most Romulan products illegal in the Federation due to trade sanctions
      • Sanctions lifted during Dominion War during Federation/Klingon/Romulan alliance (DS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges")
      • Sanctions restored by 2379 following the end of the war, end of normalized diplomatic relations (Star Trek: Nemesis)
    • Non-Romulan citizens of the Romulan Star Empire unofficially referred to as "redbloods" (TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
      • Considered offensive, in official disfavor, but widely used amongst the populace (TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
    • Class divisions
      • Aristocracy known as Noble Born (TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
        • Noble families known as the Hundred (TNG Novel: Death in Winter)
          • The one hundred clans whose lineage and wealth date back nearly to start of the empire (TNG Novel: Death in Winter)
        • Regardless of position, members of respected families, when in the presence of highly-positioned figures, expected to be introduced as a matter of dignity (TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
        • Engineering study generally discouraged amongst Noble Born by Romulan Senate (TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
          • Pushed so as to avert feuding clans in the Empire from having detailed knowledge of dangerous technology that could lead to civil war (TNG Short Story: "Turncoats")
    • Musical instruments
      • Eolh iarr'voi (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
        • Palm-sized equivalent similar to a harmonica (ENT Novel: To Brave the Storm)
    • Funerary customs
      • The deceased are to be cremated within one eisae (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
      • Remains stored in tibulec (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
        • Ceramic vessel approximately 0.5m tall (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
      • Public "ceremony of respect" (animaur'olhao) serves to memorialize the deceased (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
      • Those especially close to the deceased may perform the right of pizan'ris (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
        • Quiet series of particular motions and chants (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
      • Those who gave their life in service to the Praetor have that fact indicated on their tibulec with a military seal fused to its body (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
      • Custom descends from similar funerary customs from old Vulcan traditions (ENT Novel: Kobayashi Maru)
    • Adages
      • "Appearances are the glimmer of sun on water" (TNG Novel: Death in Winter)

History

  • c.4th century: The subculture that would become Romulans voluntarily exiled themselves from Vulcan, traveling across space and eventually reaching Romulus and Remus
  • c.19th century: "First contact" with Vulcans
  • 2152: First contact with Humans; Enterprise NX-01 (ENT: "Minefield")