Axans

APPEARANCE

The Axans are a humanoid species, with very similar characteristics of humans. They have five fingers per hand and five toes per foot, with forward-facing eyes, noses and ears. They are distinguished by their flat foreheads and lack of eyebrows, as well as paler markings on the face, usually in the middle of the forehead and/or neck and cheeks, which is shared by all species branch (even if there are other differences) There’s three species branch of Axans with different traits, as listed below.

Axan’ka are the majority species on Axan’na, with skin tones ranging from light orange to black. Their hair is always a few shade darker than their skin. It has been theorised that thousands of years ago they shared traits with Chamaeleonidae and could adapt their appearance based on their surroundings. As Axan’na is an iron-heavy planet and as a result the sand is red, their skin tones settled to reflect it as the Axan’ka hunted primarily in the sands. They are mostly immune to disease but can be carriers.

Axan’e are a minority species on Axan’na, noted by their blue to green skin tones and hair. A sea-faring people, they have webbed fingers and toes, as well as increased lung capacity, making them excellent swimmers and divers.

Axan’hen are a minority species on Axan’na, noted for their pale white to grey skin and hair, as well as the webbing from their armpit to their wrists. Originally thought to be able to glide down from high points, as their ancestors settled in the mountains, they lost that skill but have retained the webbing.

It is worth noting that they cannot interbreed.

LIFE SPAN/IMPORTANT STAGES IN LIFE

The Axans have a lifespan of 60-90 years. They are seen as adults when they turn 14 summers, regardless of when they were born. However, that does not mean they are biologically adults, but rather that society recognises their voice.

The aging process slows down when they hit 20, only to speed up when they enter their mid-50s.

Women who have had a child will often get a piercing to show she has given to the people.

SOCIETY, GOVERNMENT AND CULTURE

The central government of Axan’na is the Aeth, or Council. The Council represents their highest achieving matriarchs, although in the later years male members have also been joining at the lesser role of Advisor. As the population is not very large, motherhood is placed high within the society.

The government is not elected but rotated every five years. The cycle means that the same 15 linages always are in control over the space of 30 years. The Aeth rules on laws as well as any arguments that are brought to them, no matter how small. By law, they have to convene once a month and listen to anyone who stands before them.

Axans are a matriarchal society, where historically the matriarchal line is noted. Historians have surmised it is due to the culture of hunters. The males were out gathering food, so the females minded the home and raised the children, therefore being the leaders and educators. While still prevalent within the society, it has become more focused on equal rights and the removal of gender stereotypes. Males are now able to inherit land and contribute to the raising of children.

The Axans also are polygamous, and it is rare for them to only have one partner. There are often ‘clans’, where a woman is the matriarch (either by age or elected by the other lovers if there is more than one female).

It is seen as bad luck to heal scarring, although a scar does not enhance your standing in society. The body is viewed as a map of experiences and to remove a scar is considered trying to wipe out your past, which will anger nature. This only applies to scars and regenerations of limbs or bones does happen as a regular occurrence.

Their economy is mostly barter-related, with exchange of goods or favours being the accepted currency. This includes trade with off-worlders, as there is technology and materials not available on the planet.

As their main trade and export is mining the rich metals of their planet, the Axans have become more prominent within the Federation. They have applied to join the Federation, although currently they are seen as an ally. As a result of their trade, they have a small fleet of ships they have built, and most educated professions live in Euris’Axan (Belly of the World), the capital city. There are schools for the different professions that is open to anyone who shows the aptitude for it.

Singing is another part of the Axans culture, and most will sing when working, when praying or any chance they get. Music is seen as an expression of the soul, although there are few instruments native to the planet. The official language of the Axans is an artificial language, created by merging words from the three surviving dialects of the planet. Prepositions are not part of the language and instead there is a focus on where you put the emphasis of the sounds on to determine what it should be. For instance, a direct translation of their Capital is Euris meaning belly (coming from Auris, because of the ancient belief that the life force was in the belly, giving it a name sounding similar to the mythical creator of the universe), and Axan, meaning World or Planet.

Due to a short fertility window, males and females are encouraged to have children as soon as they are able to. If the woman does not wish to raise the child she has borne, she can give it to her clan’s matriarch to raise, or to the Fellowship, a government run clan.

RELIGION

The Axans believe that when you die, you go to the stars and become part of the universe, or as they call it ‘Auris’a’. While most believe in the creation by Auris, a star-giant who created the universe, there are no temples. Most Axans pray to the stars or nature, doing rituals such as planting (for new beginnings) or stargazing (for peace and inspiration). There are ritual texts and prayers but those are passed from mother to children and there is no sect leader recognised within their society.

In recent years, other religions from other planets have started to take hold, which the Axans have been welcoming of.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MILITARY

There is a unified armed force on Axan, known as the Spears. Originally created from warriors from different tribes, they now act as the law enforcement of the planet. They are also in charge of the Star-cannon, the set of weapons in orbit to protect the planet from attackers.

Mostly, the villages use Guardian, a local who knows the laws to make sure no one is breaking them. If a law is broken, the matriarch decides if the crime needs to be taken to the Aeth or if local justice can be given. This is often just working the debt off for smaller offences, although harsher punishments, such as exile and imprisonment, can be given by the Aeth.

MARRIAGE RITES AND RITUALS

The Axans do not marry but form ‘clans’ with their lovers. A matriarch is elected to lead the clan and any children had will be considered hers. This ensures they will inherit and always be protected by the plan.

For births, the Axans plant new trees to symbolise giving something back to the planet that nourishes them.

For deaths, the bodies are burned, and their ashes scattered over farmland, to symbolise returning to the planet. The tree planted for their birth (if marked) will be cut down as well. If no tree exists, a stone with the carving of a tree is placed on the pyre instead.

Older generations will smear the ashes from the pyre on their foreheads, although that tradition has only been maintained in the most remote areas.

HISTORY

The Axans have a strong oral history, although most is now seen as morality tales. The story of the planet’s creation goes as follows:

When the sky was dark and no star shone, Auris stood in the great vastness and felt alone. She clapped her hands and from her hands flew sparks, and each spark became a star.

Her older sister, seeing this, said: “They are pretty but quiet” and so she sung to each star. From the notes came the People. But each note was different and hit the different places, so the people were different too.

The Sky people were the high notes, the Wood people the shrill notes, the Sand people the long notes and the Water people the deep ones. Auris saw it all and said: “These songs will sing and return to us once their songs are finished”. And so it was.

Axans historians and archaeologists have surmised that there was a common species, the original Axans, who had the ability to change their bodies depending on their environments. Originally, they were a nomadic species, going where the food was plenty. Over the thousands of years, different groups settled in different places, most likely clan groups that fought to stay and drove off smaller groups. As the different groups settled in different environments, they did not need to change their appearance and lost the abilities.

As they developed and got different tools, they lost a lot of their other traits as they no longer needed them.

The first written record, from the Clan Danur, writes of the Matriarch building houses of sandrock for her people. It is said in this place the capital city was built on the red sand, under a mountain, with sea at one side and woods at the other.

Like most species, conflict or natural disasters drove their development. During the great foods, when the red sand became red lakes, they started building dykes and homes higher up. During the Great Draught, they started developing water filtration and the tools to dig. When they needed material, they started to mine.

This continued with the main highlights, including building flying ships and looking to the stars.

SPACE HISTORY

In 2289, the first spaceship with a crew went to the stars. In 2293 they built a space station. By 2340, they had invented their version of a warp core and first contact happened in 2341.

The Axans were open to trade with the Federation but recognised quickly that the more sophisticated technology meant that they were an easy target. In 2345, they had set up their weapon satellites, to be able to protect their planet should they ever need to. They also had a small fleet of spacecrafts, to travel and trade within the nearby planets. During the Dominion Wars, they declared themselves a neutral party and took refugees from former colonies in the DMC, both Cardassian and Bajoran, but only if they came unarmed.

In 2380, the Axans applied to join the Federation as a member rather than a trade partner. They also offered to have volunteers join Starfleet, as well as an exchange to have people from the Federation join them.

MEMBERS

Each species branch of the Axans have their own characteristics based on sex. It is worth noting that they interbreed.

Axan’ka male are between six and eight feet tall, weighing around 200-300lbs. They are naturally muscled.

Axan’ka females are around 5’5” to 6’5” and weigh around 155-190lbs. They are less muscled than the males but have powerful leg muscles, most likely due to them being natural sprinters.

Axan’e males and females are around 6 feet to 8 feet tall, weighing 300 to 400lbs. The males have longer limbs than the females and the females tend to have longer spines.

Axan’hen males are 4’5” to 5’5”, weighing around 120 lbs. Their webbings are colourful, usually a few shades darker than their hair.

Axan’hen females stand between 4 feet and 5 feet, weighing between 80-100 lbs. Their webbings are transparent, thought to have been to be in order to appear invisible in the skies.

ORGANS AND SKELETON

The Axans have a skeleton similar to that of humans, but their bone density is higher and absorbs the iron in their environment, lacing with the calcium. As a result, the Axans have incredibly strong bones. Their organs are in general like those of humans, as is their placement, with exception to the increased size of the liver (twice the size of an average human’s) and the placement of the heart (underneath the diaphragm).

The Axan’ka are unique to the Axans in the sense that they could be classified as xerocole. They are able to obtain a large percentage of their water from the metabolic processes used to break down their food.

The Axan’e have increased lung capacity, able to stay underwater for hours if needed.

The Axan’hen have hollow bones, which lightens their weight. They also are unable to process carbohydrates properly, relying on high protein diets instead.

The Axans reproduction abilities are similar to those of humans, with similar sexual organs, but with some differences. The males have their testicles inside of them, descending only when aroused. It has been surmised this was due to the planet’s harsh environment. The females are like human females, except for only having one ovary. As only on average four viable eggs are produced by Earth-year, the fertility window is short for Axans females, usually lasting 10 years. Despite this, the Axans do not go through menopause until their 50s, when they start to age rapidly as they become intolerant towards the iron that has gathered in their system.

MUSCLES

Due to the heavier bones, with exception of the Axan’hen, the Axans tend to be stronger than the average Human, with males being around the same strength as an adult Klingon male. Females are not as strong, but fast, able to run 40mph in sprints.

IMMUNE DEFENSE

The Axans have a strong immune defence, making them immune to the symptoms and effects of the majority of illnesses, both native to their planet and from other planets. This however makes them ideal carriers and regular screening happens before and after interacting with other species.

DIET

The Axans, with the exception of the Axan’hen, are omnivores, but also able to process metals for nutrients. This has been thought to have been due to everything on their planet having been contaminated by it, so their bodies started to take from it.