DS9 Stories/News: Bajoran Life Part (4)

Bajorans are a humanoid race from the planet Bajor. Bajorans are a very spiritual people, and their history has produced many great architects, artists, builders and philosophers.

Bajoran civilization has existed for over a half-million years. A contemplative and spiritual people, the early Bajorans saw little need in reaching to the stars. It is known, however, that the Bajoran people held limited interstellar abilities via primitive solar sail space craft.

Site: http://www.ussgalaxy.net/database/species/members/bajoran.htm

Bajoran culture declined greatly during the Cardassian Occupation, from 2328 to 2369 (was formally annexed in 2339), during which time the Cardassian Union dominated the Bajoran people. 10 million Bajorans were killed, but despite the brutality of the government implemented massacres, freedom fighters in the mountains of Bajor never ceased their struggle for independence. The Cardassians made heavy use of forced labor camps and attempted to strip the Bajorans of their cultural identity. Cardassian strip mining of Bajor lead to planet-wide ecological devastation. It was the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor that forced the Bajoran people to throw off their strict caste based culture and actively fight against their oppressors. They have only recently been allowed to rebuild their culture.

The Bajoran people successfully repelled the Cardassians from their world in 2369 and a provisional government was established. The United Federation of Planets was called upon to provide assistance during this time of chaos and turbulence. The Federation assumed control of the abandoned Cardassian mining station Terok Nor (which the Federation renamed Deep Space Nine) and acted as a deterrent to future Cardassian reprisals against the Bajoran people.

The discovery of the Bajoran wormhole (which the Bajorans called the “Celestial Temple”) made Bajor a site of scientific importance. Later, Bajor became a strategically important location when the Dominion began their invasion of the Alpha Quadrant.

Bajorans developed an intolerance of Cardassians due to the recent Cardassian occupation of Bajor. The Bajoran sense of spirituality is so strong that they have developed a very strong will due to their faith. Most Bajorans have studied their religion fairly extensively. Also, most Bajorans with a highly-developed faith are also devoted to the rebuilding of their world.

Bajor

The entire planet, or at least its largest continent, is known by geographic areas such as the Northwestern District, Northeastern District, etc. Those in turn, are divided into provinces such as Tozhat, Dahkur and Hedrickspool, each having its own administrative centre and council of Vedeks but both as subservient to the Capitol. The planet is larger than Terra and so its gravity is about 1.4g. A classical model of a Class M system, the planet has a number of large oceans breaking up the land mass, the water is said by many to be unusually green, probably due to a high concentration of microscopic plant life. The weather on Bajor is tropical over most of the planet, with periods of storms during certain seasons of the year. There are a number of desert areas, although most of the barren wasteland left by Cardassian mining has been reclaimed.

A massive system of aqueducts over the land mass provides both irrigation and an established transit system. Transport centres in major urban settlements often combine water and air transport, to the amusement of many off-world visitors.

The Capitol City is the center of Government, Military and Religion on Bajor. Most of the other settlements have now been fully rebuilt after the destruction of the Cardassian Withdrawal. There are few other large cities as Bajorans prefer small communities to large Urban sprawl.

DS9 Stories/News: Michael Westmore’s Aliens (2)

DS9 Season 2

The Skrreea from “Sanctuary“, whose ‘bumpy skin’ design was created by combining little bags of pumice, found in a hobby train shop, with a liquid latex, which was then stippled onto the actors faces and dried. Westmore also discusses how when the makeup was applied to one single individual, it simply looked like someone with a lot of pimples, but when applied to a group, it became an alien race

The Dosi from “Rules of Acquisition“, whose facial art designs are based on colorations found in tribes from Borneo and in the South Seas. Westmore also discusses the continuity problems that arise when using elaborate paint designs

Melora Pazlar from “Melora“, whose makeup was designed under the guideline to keep the actress beautiful

Cardassian women, specifically Natima Lang from “Profit and Loss“. Westmore explains that the blue coloration of the ‘spoon’ design on the forehead of Cardassian females came about due to a concern that people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the males and the females. He also discusses that because the producers wanted some of Mary Crosby‘s chest exposed, a large breast plate had to be designed which Westmore says must have been uncomfortable for Crosby to wear, but he never heard her complain once. He also discusses how the love scene between Lang and Quark is one of his all-time favorite Star Trek scenes, because despite the heavy makeup, it is still just a simple, touching romantic scene, and the makeup is completely unimportant

The Cardassian voles from “Playing God“, which were mounted on radio-controlled cars. Westmore explains that the teeth are made from acrylic, and the eyes are glass, and he notes that it was more complex to build a vole than a facial appliance. He also points out that because the voles are Cardassian, they too have the spoon design on their foreheads

Fenna and Nidell from “Second Sight“, with their unusual ear designs, which was again, based upon the desire to have the actress look alien, but not compromise her beauty

Maihar’du, whose makeup was based upon that of Pruneface from Dick Tracy

Fallit Kot from “Melora“, whose makeup was based upon the fact that Westmore had never had the opportunity to bridge the face of an alien

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Nine Races – The Dominion (3)

Cont.

Vorta

The Vorta are telekinetic humanoid race, which are genetically engineered or enhanced by the Founders, and they are also the administrative arm of the Gamma Quadrant business power called the Dominion. They are basically the link between the Founders, or the Changelings, and the rest of the Dominion.

In addition, the Vorta are also often in charge whenever the Dominion elite soldiers, the Jem’Hadar, are out on a ruthless mission. In fact, there are usually a Vorta stationed on the Jem’Hadar Attack Crafts along with 42 Jem’Hadar soldiers, and several are believed to be stationed on the larger Jem’Hadar Battle Cruiser.

Female Vorta

Female Vorta

Male Vorta

Male Vorta

When an important Vorta dies, the Founders simply clone another one, which continues the work of it’s predecessor. This is quite in ingenious way of becoming almost immortal. Also they are immune to most poisons, which comes quite in handy when out on a diplomatic mission.

Their telekinetic abilities, enables them to send out a blue glowing sphere, capable of sending someone hurling towards the ground.

Site: http://www.belgarath.net/?FramePage=/v5/xeno/founders.asp&

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Nine Races – Cardassians

Cardassian Logo

Cardassian Logo

The Cardassian people are a ruthless race of humanoids in a military dictatorship, which rules their empire with a fist of iron. They have been involved in a bitter, extended conflict with the United Federation of Planets. An uneasy truce between the two adversaries was finally reached in 2366. Then in 2367, a historic peace treaty established a fragile armistice between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. Among other things, the treaty provided that captives of either government would be allowed to see a representative from a neutral planet following their incarceration.

http://www.belgarath.net/?FramePage=/v5/xeno/bajorans.asp&

Cardassians prefer a darker, hotter, and more humid environment than Humans. (DS9: “For the Cause“) Like other humanoids, their evolution was influenced by the Ancient humanoids. (TNG: “The Chase“)

Courtesy of Memory Alpha.org

The Cardassians were allied with the Dominion during the Dominion war. Their hatred of the Federation is known throughout the galaxy

Ships

GALOR CLASS

Notes:     The Galor class is the largest part of the Cardassian military, but it isn’t the strongest ship in the galaxy.  A lone Galor class is easily out classed by most other Alpha Quadrant ships. To make up for this shortcoming Galors can often be found in large wolf packs.  It is believed that until the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion, the Galor class was the most technologically advance ship Cardassia could build.  Now the Galor class serves in a supporting role to more powerful Dominion ships.

KELDON CLASS

Notes:     The Keldon class is an enlarged and more powerful version of the Galor class.  It can be identified by the new upper decks and different tail section.

HIDEKI CLASS

Notes:   Hideki class ship are designed to patrol the Cardassian boarder and raid neighboring solar systems for resources.  The Hideki class has also been known to support larger Cardassian warships and Dominion fleets.

http://gostartrek.webs.com/cardassians.htm

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