Tellarite

The Tellarites are a sturdy humanoid species from the planet Tellar. They are a porcine species whose facial features are somewhat pig-like. They have black pupils set in deep eye sockets and large snouts. Tellarites are very hairy; besides having beards and large bushy hair, they also have coarse pinkish-brown skin. Tellarites are one of the founding races of the United Federation of Planets.

History & Culture
Just like Humans, Tellarites very nearly killed themselves, but in a rather interesting way. Tellarites are a very technically apt people, almost a race of engineers. And, as engineers, they like to put a process on everything, and make everything as efficient as possible. So several centuries ago, many Tellarites went to the process, separately, of streamlining language, trying to find the most efficient way of communication. This then led to engineering a process figuring out the best way to think.

Soon after this was begun, many of the separate nations declared that they had, in fact, figured out the best way to speak and think, and that everyone should conform to their standard. The world was then quickly engrossed in The Voice Wars, as each nation tried to get everyone else to conform to their standard. The Wars were ended, however, from the inside out. Various groups of people within the warring nations saw the devastation the Voice Wars were creating, and thought "Well, this surely can't be the most streamlined way of thinking, it's leading to genocide!"

They reasoned that diversity was, in fact, the most efficient process, and any one mode of thinking would lead to stagnation; machines need parts that do different things. Resistance against the Voice Wars grew, until those who tried to force their methods on others were either gone, or realized just how foolish they were.

As a result, a new ethic grew out of the aftermath of the Voice Wars; Tellarites are profoundly argumentative. They value other ideas and other points of view, and love argument and discussion so much that they will often take the devil's advocate position even when they believe in what they are arguing against. They believe that without ample discussion, Voices may be quieted, and this must not be allowed to happen again. Tellarites are noted for their rotund bodies and their porcine features. They still make some of the best engineers in the Federation.