Hodurians

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BASIC INFORMATION:
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Official Name in Standard: The Hodurians

National Name:  The United Emirates of Hoduras

Head of State:

Head of Government: Emirate of Abinidu(Figurehead)

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GEOGRAPHY/POPULATION
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Quadrant/Sector/System: The Hoduras system is located in sector
T3291-Epsilon, in the Alpha Quadrant along the Federation -
Ferengi border.

Suns/Planets/Planetoids/Moons:

The planet Hoduras is the fourth planet in the Hoduras system,
and the only territory the Hodurians lay claim to.  In recent
years, wealthy houses have put up supply stations and fuel
depots on asteroids and moons throughout the system: these
installations are private facilities, however, and generally
unmanned.

Population:  1 500 000 000

Capital City: The Cavern of Abinidu

Race(s) of Native Sentients:  100% Hodurian

Largest Cities:

                Cavern of Abinidu: 12 000 000
                Cavern of Lossus:  10 000 000
                Cavern of Zelex:    9 000 000
                Cavern of Sortrini: 9 000 000

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ECONOMIC SUMMARY
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Dilythium is far and away the Hodurian's greatest export; it
exists in abundance on the planet and is almost useless to the
Hoduran people(their power sources are all derived from
exploiting geothermal energy from the planet's core).  Other
exports include copper, iron, nickel, and cyanide.

Some of the major houses on Hoduras have also made a lucrative
enterprise out of the harvesting of Diquato berries, which grow
wild on the planet's brushland.  Although not palatable as a
foodstuff, the berries can be mixed into a paste which, spread
over an open wound, serves as an excellent disenfectant.

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GOVERNMENT/HISTORY
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Member of Federation?  Yes.

The Hodurian planetary government consists of a bicameral
Parliament.  The lower house consists of men and women elected
in the traditional multi-party system.  Traditionally the Lower
House had only limited powers, restricted to brokering inter-
cavern trade agreements; their authority was later expanded as a
condition of Federation membership.

The Upper House was the traditional seat of Hodurian political
authority.  The Council of Emirates is composed of the head of
each of the planet's Houses; a lofty post passed down through
heredity.  This body made all the major legislative decisions
on the planet, until it was forced to give up some of it's power
as a condition of Hoduras' membership in the Federation.  The
body functions today much as a Parliamentary senate; bills
approved by the Lower House are sent to the Council of Emirates
for a measure of "sober, second thought".  The Council has no
authority to kill a bill outright, but it can send the bill
back to the Lower House for another round of debate, up to five
times before the bill is passed.

                                *****

Hodurian myth claims that "The Depths" created the first two
Hodurians, Dorri and Cotus, from a geyser of molten lava;
although modern science suggests that the sentient Hodurians
are descended from a family of eel-like creatures which live
in the planet's subterranean springs.

Most of Hoduras' early history consists of sporadic war
between the Emiracies, most of which are too indecisive to be
given more than passing mention in the history books.  Roughly
seven hundred years ago, an alliance of the Toki, Alivi and
Sortrini Emiracies launched a campaign to consolidate the
planet under one rule.  Their efforts were met with defeat,
but the counteralliance of the Abinidu, Zelex and Lossus
proved so powerful in the aftermath of the war that they were
able to succeed where their adversaries failed.

The Abinidu Emiracy laid out the foundations for planetary
government in the Terran year 1789 AD, electing to keep most
of the old Emiracies intact for reasons of political
expedience.  The Upper and Lower Houses were originally show
pieces, both dominated by Abinidu-friendly representatives.
However, as the years passed and the original Triple Alliance
splintered, the other Emiracies were able to chip away at the
Abinidu stranglehold on power.  There were three civil wars,
in the Terran years AD 1835, 1877, and 1890 respectively,
before the Hodurian government settled into the less
centralized power structure it enjoys to the present day.

Curiousity and a population explosion resulting from
protracted peace prompted the Hodurians to make expeditions
to their planet's surface in Earth's late 20th century.
Their initial attempts at settling the surface all resulted
in failure: colonies were wiped out by lethal sunburns and
outbreaks of madness from seeing the first rays of Hodurian
sunlight.  But by the mid twenty-first century, the Sortrini
Emiracy had established the first Hodurian surface settlement
to last an entire year.

While the Sortrini(along with the Abinidu and Toki) Emiracy
established several more surface outposts, the avenues of
surface exploration and settlement never really captured the
imagination of the Hodurians.  While the twenty-first and
second centuries saw impressive technological leaps on
Hoduras, the "surface sciences" of meteorology and astronomy
were paid only nodding attention.  By the late twenty-third
century, the Hodurians had only begun to make regular
observations of the stars and planets surrounding them, in
spite of nearly modern technological equivalents in other
areas.

First contact was established with the Ferengi, in the year
2279.  A survey ship, come to confirm the spectrographic
data indicating the planet's rich dilythium deposits, first
encountered one of the Abinidu surface settlements.  They
had expected primitive inhabitants, judging by the size and
number of visible urban settlements; much to the Ferengi's
surprise, they encountered a technically sophisticated and
suspicious Hodurian population who quickly took the landing
party hostage.

After a brief showdown with the Ferengi Damon(the Hodurians,
of course, lacking surface-to-orbit artillery capabilities),
an agreement was hammered out whereby the Hodurians would
sell the Ferengi their dilythium in exchange for starship
technologies.

The Hodurians acheived their first manned spaceflight in
2283, making a successful cruise around Hoduras III and
back.  In the early years of the twenty-fourth century, the
Abinidu and Lossus Houses began construction of a standing
space Navy, patrolling the Hoduras system with primitive
warp-capable vessels.  Continually expanding their horizons,
one of these vessels encountered an outlying Federation
colony in 2312.

Initial relations with the Federation were cautious but
friendly; the Hodurians proved to be both curious and
guarded neighbours.  A formal treaty of non-aggression was
signed in 2318, delineating spheres of both Hodurian and
Federation influence.

In spite of peaceful relations with two galactic powers,
and an open door to colonial settlement in several prime
star systems, Hodurian efforts at territorial expansion
soon faltered.  The Hodurian religion, still a potent
force in daily affairs, was based on proximity to the
planet's thermal core, and ritual baths in subterranean
springs.  "Charms" made of igneous rock protected naval
officers on deep space patrol and eased the pangs of
seperation from their homeworld; but few Hodurians were
willing to relocate to a wholly different world, taking
up permanent residence away from "The Depths".  In spite
of several colonial conscription programs brought about
by the Emirates, religious retaliation threatened to
dissolve the planetary government.  The colonial
programmes were eventually dropped, and the Federation
encroached on untouched sectors nominally set aside for the
Hodurians until their home system was virtually surrounded.

In the meantime, the Ferengi continued to up their demands for
dilythium; similarly, their territorial ambitions began to
encroach upon the Hodurian's "safety zone".  In 2328, the
Hodurian and Ferengi navies faced off in the Dracinea system;
after a brief exchange, both sides retreated.  Six weeks later,
the Hodurians cancelled their trade agreement with the Ferengi
and formally applied for Federation membership.  After several
failed attempts, the Hodurians were accepted as full members in
2348.

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RACE/SOCIETY/CULTURE
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The Hodurians are, for the most part at least, humanoid; they
share the same basic anatomy and physiology of humanoids across
the galaxy.  They are tall and lanky beings, however, with
large, elongated heads and long, spindly fingers.  Their bodies
are completely hairless.

The most noticeable departures from the humanoid norm, however,
are their eyes: the Hodurians possess two abnormally large eyes,
set further apart than typically expected.  Their eyes are
universally black.

Hodurians also possess a biolumiscent "node", not unlike the
abdomen of a Terran firefly, which casts a miniscule amount of
light as an aid to sight in their pitch-dark homes.  They have
no voluntary control over this mechanism; the light shines
constantly(although over time, the light dims and has been
known to go out with old age).

Since most Hodurians spend their entire lives underground,
their skin is albino, almost translucent.  They are remarkably
susceptible to sunburn; it isn't uncommon for an unprotected
Hodurian to die of prolonged exposure to light.  To venture
out into the light, they must take great pains to cover their
bodies completely; Starfleet has made special provisions in
it's uniforms to allow Hodurians to wear protective hoods and
gloves for duty.  Most Hodurians find it prudent, too, to
wear protective ointments on their heads and hands.

                                *******

Hodurians are a suspicious species by nature; they are somewhat
xenophobic, and prefer to conduct diplomacy at arm's length.
While not necessarily warlike, the Hodurians pride themselves
on their political pragmatism and staunch defense of their way
of life.  Tradition and ritual are very important in Hodurian
culture.

Their religion is deeply rooted in mysticism surrounding "The
Depths".  "The Depths" are not a god in a conventional sense
of the word; the phrase refers to a nuturing life force which
resides in the deepest reaches of the planet's interior.
According to legend, "The Depths" created the first two
Hodurians from a geyser of molten rock.  Periodically this
same force sends "avatars" to live among their people and
guide them through crisis.  Hodurian history records between
twelve and thirty such beings, depending on the individual
Emiracies' view of history and the people who populate it.

Religious piety means staying at home; those who are closest
to "The Depths" influence are best nourished in the spiritual
sense.  Many people partake in an annual ritual bath in
certain subterranean springs which legend claims are
bottomless.  These ritual submersions allegedly rejuvenate the
soul and bless the participants.  Conversely, those who are
away from Hoduras for too long are believed to be "the living
dead"; their souls are said to be atrophied.   Just to welcome
such a person in one's home is believed to invite their curse.
Officers on deep space patrol wear charms of igneous rock on
chains around their necks, to ward off such an undesirable fate.

Religion and cautious politics have generally hampered Hoduras'
relations with the Federation Council.  There is a staunch
ecclesiastical resistance to cooperation with the UFP; as such
Hoduras is often labelled "The Federations Fair-Weather
Member".  While pronouncing their right to protection from
Ferengi encroachment, Hodurians are scarce among the ranks
of Starfleet officers.  Enlistment was virtually nil until
2387, when the Emiracies invoked a conscription programme
which forces a hundred or so young men and women to apply
for Starfleet every year.  Needless to say, few try very hard,
and fewer still get in.  Those that are accepted serve out
their conscription periods(10 standard years) and retire
permanently to their homeworld.  Of all the Hodurian
applicants over the years, only a few dozen have ever been
commissioned officers.  Of them, only 3 have risen above the
rank of Lieutenant, junior grade.

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Creator/Adaptor                                    e-mail address
James Braun                                 paytenl@cadvision.com

Created for/First Use:

ENS Aaeliv, DivO/Gravitic Systems--USS QUASAR
                                   NCC-1911-E
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_X_ Original - All rights reserved by creator named above.

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