Orion


 * "Empires may come and go, but Orion gold is eternal." -- Orion proverb

The Orions, also called Green Orions were a race from the Beta Quadrant famous for their involvement in many criminal endeavors: piracy, slavery, and the Orion Syndicate. They primarily inhabited the Orion Colonies.

In their own language, they were referred to as Ur'eon or Kolari

The Orions had a number of sub-races, including the Green Orions (covered here), the Ruddy Orions, the Grey Orions, the rare halfbreeds and muni, or 'blends', consisting of other colors and races. They absorbed a number of other races into their culture, also known as Orion but of limited numbers or presence. These absorbed races might include the Etoshans and Duthulhiv, a grey-skinned reptilian variety and a slimy purple variety. 

Biology

 * The following information is either specific to Green Orions, or assumed to be without evidence otherwise. However, with different subraces and gender differences, and various contradictions, some of the following information could apply to one or another of the subraces, or be specific to a gender.

Orions were humanoids that possessed the same size and build of an average Human, though they could range from slightly smaller to somewhat taller and more massive, or more slender. Average heights ranged from 1.8 to 2 meters, with average mass ranging from 75 to 80 kilograms. Males averaged at 1.7 meters and 70 kilograms, while females averaged at 1.5 meters and 60 kilograms. 

Their external physical characteristics were close to humans, though their features tended toward aquiline noses and sharp chins. However, Orion physiology and copper-based blood chemistry were more similar to that of a Vulcan, with skin tones ranging from to emerald and dark olive greens, due to both the copper blood and the chlorophyll in their skin cells. This green skin darkened in strong sunlight. As such, they had green blood, though some apparently have orange blood. 

Black was the most common eye-color, followed by lighter shades of green. Some Orions (called "erratics") had very different eye colors: blue, brown, gold, yellow, even pink and silver. Ocular compounds to treat vision disorders, such as Retinax V did not work well on Orions. 

Some Orions tended to be hairy, with body hair common among both men and women, which was seen as a mark of distinction, though baldness in older men was not uncommon. Generally, they had thick black hair with metallic green highlights. Hair was generally black or chestnut brown. However, a great many Orions were seen to be practically hairless, with even young men bald and lacking body hair. 

The Orions evolved under a blue-white sun with a similar spectrography to Rigel, with that system possibly being their home system. Their green-pigmented skin absorbed ultraviolet radiation, keeping them relatively immune to its harmful effects and somewhat resistant to radiation in general. They were possibly "naturalized stabilized" against radiation. 

They were also physically stronger than most other humanoid races (save Vulcans), though their musculature and powerful builds may have been due in part to a life of manual labor. They had metabolic ratios different from that of a human and a 10 degree difference in body temperature 10 degrees different  (whether higher or lower is not known), and Orion gourmands tended toward obesity, with no member of the species enjoying the concept of being underweight. 

They lived about 90 standard years. 

Pheromones
Orions tended to smell, not due to lack of hygiene as some believed, but due to their natural skin oils. Distinctive, though not unpleasant, the scent was unnoticeable after a few minutes of exposure. However, it was heavily laden with pheromones that affect the subconscious of most humanoid races. The effect was soothing, and ten minutes in a sizeable group of Orions drained tension. Orions found it hard to stay angry in a group, but a strong emotion, such as rage, fear or desire, altered the scent, and though it did not compel others, it did make them susceptible to that particular mood. Unless a humanoid was aware of this, they could find their emotions subtly altered. It was hazardous to be among a group of angry, frightened or panicky Orions, as their mood was contagious. 

Orion females possessed a unique aspect of their biology that provided them an advantage over male members of other species. They produced a highly potent pheromone that accelerated the metabolism of males as well as raised their adrenaline to dangerous levels causing aggression and, ultimately, a form of delusion. These abilities allowed them to easily dominate the crews of entire starships by subverting and enthralling the males. By selling themselves on the slave market to unknowing males, Orion women were capable of influencing their "owners" who slowly became susceptible to the suggestions of their "female slaves" with the effects being cumulative resulting in the exposure to the pheromones being more pronounced as time went on. This could mean that male captains and crew began to follow the commands of the Orion females that they had purchased.

While males suffered from the effects of exposure to the pheromones, human females suffered a different, more negative effect - they experienced headaches from the encounter. Denobulan males also found that their sleep cycles tended to be interrupted while Vulcans were immune to the process entirely. Human males that were telepathically linked to a female Vulcan could also become immune to the pheromones exposure. Doctor Phlox of the Enterprise postulated in 2154 that the pheromones were a natural part of Orion females physiology which acted as a defensive mechanism against competition. 

Orion males apparently had similar pheromones to their women, though they were much less pronounced. 

Orion pharmacologists developed a pheromonal treatment that vastly increased the user's sexual appeal at the risk of some degradation of the superego and other higher brain functions (resulting in, for example, animalistic impatience, blood-lust, reduced intelligence, inability to concentrate, a vulnerability to psychic assault, or a decreased will). This only worked on Orions. It may be the origin of the myth of the Orion animal woman, or may been developed to fulfill the myth and satisfy the resulting market. 

Orion women
Orion women were famously irresistibly sexually attractive, and though some of this reputation may have derived from marketing hype by dealers in Orion slave girls, most Orion women were considered beautiful and charming seducers. They were known for their extreme "appetites" and very few men were known to be able to resist their approaches. They had a heat cycle that drove their mating instincts, which increased when they were 'in heat'. 

Though it appeared that Orion females were slaves to their males, the opposite was in fact true - the males were subservient to the females. The Orions perpetuated this deception to other species; the males would maintain the facade that their females were simple slaves sold on the market to other races. 


 * The depiction in "Bound" of Orion male masters being subservient to their Orion female slaves is at odds with a great many sources that suggest otherwise. This state-of-affairs may only apply to certain Orion communities, be almost unique to the Orions seen in that episode, or be much more complicated or simply another deception.

There was thought to be a subcaste of the Orion race that possesses animalistic qualities, giving rise to the legend of the "Orion animal woman". It is unknown whether these traits indicated a subspecies or genetic alteration or are simply a myth based on their legendary sexual appetites and savage Orion behavior. 

Orion men
Orion males could shrug off a low-powered phaser hit (such as from a hand- or Type-1 phaser) with only minor injuries, unless a vital organ was struck. 

Psychology

 * "There are three kinds of people I don't want to face while making a deal: Vulcan bankers, Tellarite lawyers, or anybody Orion." -- Carter Winston

The Orion mind was complicated and thought in complicated ways, making them difficult for others to understand. There were five basic facets to the common Orion’s way of thinking: opportunism, egocentricity, materialism, hedonism, and barbarity. They also had four primary motives: profit, loyalty, revenge, and spite. 

Orions had a skill and reputation for finding advantages and comparing chances and risks, and the drive to seize an opportunity, no matter how unusual the means, and either profit or get away safely. This opportunism could make them very dangerous, but it was balanced by their flaws. 

Their egocentricity made them confident and proud of their abilities and plans, of their cunning, strength, wealth and connections, and they weren’t afraid to show off and let everyone else know about it. This extended beyond themselves, making Orions proud of and loyal to their families, their companys and other groups they belonged to, their ships if they were spacefarers, to their stations in Orion society, and to the Orion species in general. These attitudes however could lead to overconfidence and showing off more than they should. 

Materialism was a dominant factor. An important, never-ignored ethical principle of the Orions was that value had to be given for value received, or in other words, that one can’t get something for nothing. Everything had a cost, not just in money, but in time, effort, reputation or blood. Everything gained had a purpose, whether it was for personal enrichment, the sake of one’s leader, revenge or other motives, though in the 23rd century there was a growing trend for Orions to trade value for intangibles that had little to do with seeking profit. These habits made them quite efficient and practical. Thus, material value was a universal language, a necessary standard to rely on and the foundation of business and diplomacy. This was comfort and sincerity to the Orions. They were talented at estimated value, and cared deeply for material things. Everything had a price, even things that most others took for granted – a common Orion joke was the value of sunsets, clouds and dust. Orion mothers even sold cookies to their children (albeit with a loving kiss). Meanwhile, Orion slaves bartered their labor for food, shelter and protection.

As a result of this materialism, Orions were a hedonistic race, who lived as well as they could within their means and aimed to enjoy life as much as they could afford. There was no virtue in being or acting impoverished. Orions pursued extremes of luxury, comfort, fineries, entertainment, indulgence, and great displays of wealth and used these things to outdo and impress each other. They tended to delight in partaking in the more civilized vices. 

They were often called barbaric by members of other races, even Klingons, presumably for their practice of slavery, piracy and general hedonism. In return, some claimed to be merely decadent; they could not be barbarians after their long history, when they’d travelled through space when other races couldn’t cross their oceans. The Orions did not disagree with any negative portrayal of themselves; instead, they enjoyed their reputations. Being deceitful and treacherous had made them rich and helped them conquer worlds, and that was all they’d desired. They had no great racial destiny and thought it pointless to argue about it, even if they seemed stagnant and purposeless as a result. Their decadent, ancient culture and history both overshadowed and liberated them, leaving them cynical and materialistic, looking out only for themselves, seeking wealth and enjoying it, and leaving dreams of conquest, glory and utopian visions to others. The Orions called it being practical, tending to be realists and pragmatists who scoffed at all ideologies  and felt that life was too short to waste on rules or morality. 

Orion customs and traditions encouraged group loyalty and mutual protection, and they were loyal to family, company and anything else they were a member of. They believed that true friends could never be bought, and that loyalty was bound to blood alone, and that while money could not replace love and devotion, it was more reliable. The strength of their loyalty was according to the responsibility and care the object of it took for them, the size of the group and the understanding its members had for one another. Greatest of all was one’s own family, which took total care of its members and demanded absolute loyalty in return, and small groups were almost as close-knit. Last was government, where loyalty and responsibility were both nearly nonexistent. In the middle lay companies and corporations. In general, the larger a group was, the less loyalty and responsibility was shared. 

Because of this loyalty-spectrum, Orions had a reputation for treachery, selfishness and deceit. But while Orion society was fast-paced, turbulent and filled with twists of fortune, such behavior was not random or only selfish, but followed certain standards of conduct, with specific goals and ideals, in which they frequently rearranged their limits and obligations to one another. Orions did not work at being treacherous; it was a byproduct of their self-centered world-view. However, they were not anarchists, nor completely uncoordinated and uncooperative, but had a fine and often-used sense of compromise, negotiation, and give-and-take. When (not if) arrangements changed, new arrangements were made to suit the new situation. 

Despite being individualists, Orions admired and respected talented and charismatic leaders, particularly tahedrin (patriarchs) and rhadamanen (captains and archexecutives), people who stood for an ideal, who could not be swayed, bought, or shamed, who proved their cluros. Such a person could undermine or even win over their foes, and get others to follow them. Orions trusted such a leader and would do almost anything for them, ignoring personal gain and ambition: workers and slaves labored hard for a good boss, pirates would die for a respected captain. Rather than surrendering their individualism or personal feelings to such a leader, they saw through them a greater goal, a shared profit, or a better future for everyone. But too many mistakes or too little gain would break the spell, and the leadership would collapse, with Orions reverting to plotting and selfishness – at least until the next great leader came along. Otherwise, Orions had little faith in government or impersonal authority. 

Whatever the group or their loyalty, wearing uniforms and badges was not common, and Orions did not ask for another's affiliation, family or employer, and if they were asked they were under no particular compulsion to reveal it. Orions rarely went even by their family names, unless they were particularly powerful. However, imposters falsely adopting a famous or powerful name risked a heavy punishment from actual members, who didn’t like being mocked and wished to protect their good name. 

Revenge and spite were important to the Orions, though they could go to great lengths to hide the depths of their loss, grief or rage from their foes, in keeping with their code of cluros, which encouraged self-control and a cool head. They could even join or become apparent friends with their hated target. All of this was to avoid alerting a foe until it was too late. Making an effort simply to spite another went against typical Orion greed and hedonism – there was no one word for 'spite' – but it held an attraction for that reason, and was easily rationalized. Instead of treating these vendettas as matters of life and death, Orions played them as amusing games; only some held actual grudges. Orions were known to swear vengeance oaths on their enemies. They could also hire ganzu, or revenge societies, to get back at their enemies. 

Said by some to be the highest expression of Orion culture, the code of cluros, meaning 'cold' or 'coolness', was a code of conduct that encouraged self-control and a cool head, and attempted to curb their excesses. By cluros, an Orion would attempt to hide their hurts, stay calm and even grinning in the face of danger or loss, and remain charming and polite to even their enemies and victims, no matter the provocation, all while attempting to get another to break theirs. Thus, Orions were typically known for their charm and influence, with a ready tongue and a good attitude, and they’d project a personality somewhere between a stylish devil-may-care humor and cheerful self-confidence at their best, and a tired cynicism and brash arrogance at their worst. They enjoyed mocking and taunting helpless foes while charming powerful allies.

Nor were they above convincing both sides to fight against each other instead, as they were always happy to risk others for their own cause. They were equally willing to run from a fight that they could not win. They watched others instead, plotted and waited to backstab the victor at the right moment. They were also shrewd and savvy, good at sensing lies, motives and subterfuge while masking their own intentions. They had a talent for conspiracy, intrigue and navigating a criminal underworld. Orions enjoyed misleading both each other and non-Orions about their true motives. No Orion who could still speak was considered powerless, and all were talented at wielding power behind the scenes. 

A high ideal of Orions was to become so successful that they could care for others; this manifested in owning slaves, starting a family, founding a colony, and in a wealthy corporation taking good care of its employees. It was a mark of ostentation that one’s people were well cared for; the better they lived, the better one looked. 

Orions believed that true love lasted forever, whether it was between friends, partners or life-mates. This love lasted past death or when another partner entered the picture, and was respected and honoured. When a friend or lover died, this continuing love honoured their memory. 

Society

 * "How do you tell an Orion merchant ship from an Orion pirate ship? If you have phasers, than it's a merchant ship." -- Old Starfleet joke

Orions had no governments above planetary bodies, and these were a hodge-podge of different forms. Instead, their society was loosely organized by caju, or great families, also called merchant houses and clans , which were led by clan lords, chiefs and chieftains. Each caj acted as a merchant house that organized trade networks and inter-clan marriages, funded explorers and mercenaries, and conducted trade and crime as each chose. Each caj took care of its own, and local Orion governments more closely resembled loose patchworks of individual subcontractors paid by the local caju to negotiate with foreigners, construct public works, run court systems and so on. The functions of these ranged from business organizations to criminal gangs to ruling governments.

The family model was the basis for all Orion society, their oldest and most resilient form of organization. Where government, law and other institutions were weak, families were flexible and personal, and Orions admired individuals with authority and personality. The tahedri, or patriarch, was the dominant force in the family. Carefully arranged marriages and business dealings constructed networks of families with thousands of members, all interdependent and self-supporting, with a great deal of strength and influence. Many Orion worlds were governed by a handful of ruling families whose name meant law. 

The system was patriarchal and male-dominated at every level. Women only had a say in the home, though the influence of the tabadi, or matriarch, was technically minimal, and a matter of negotiation and compromise. However, there were exceptions, and skilled females could rise to positions of authority, and were typically very good at what they did. There was no evidence that Orion women were less capable than the men, and they were just as talented at wielding power behind the scenes. However, the Orion privateer Harrad-Sar would claim to Captain Jonathan Archer in 2154 that it was, in fact, the men who were slaves to the women, apparently due to the effect of their pheromones. 


 * The depiction in "Bound" of Orion male masters being subservient to their Orion female slaves is at odds with a great many licensed sources that suggest otherwise. This state-of-affairs might only apply to certain Orion communities or at certain stages in Orion history, or be a much more complicated arrangement or simply another deception on Harrad-Sar’s part. The above information may represent the apparent gender relations.

Orion society was quite stratified and discriminated between its members based on color, gender, wealth, power, family and profession, and attention was paid to social class, ranks, titles and a person's "honour", with many fine distinctions. Those who had more were more respected and better off than those who did not. Having connections with those who did was also useful. The divisions were firm, but not absolute, and people could rise upwards with effort and skill. Those who rose from poverty and obscurity to riches and fame were admired, but those who fell so low or consorted too much with their inferiors were scorned. Uppermost were the nobility, the leaders of industry and trade, and starship captains (characterized by Ruddy Orions). Below them were the middle-class workers, the laborers, the soldiers and the slaves (mainly Green Orions), who comprised the vast majority of the population. At the very bottom were the lower-class poor, the outright impoverished and those who lived on the streets, while outside and off the social scale altogether lay Grey Orion scientists and technical experts, slave girls and halfbreeds.

These social classes affected an Orion’s education opportunities and employment prospects. Those lower down typically had to work longer, while those higher up with the connections could call in enough favors to advance through the ranks quickly. Traders, diplomats, spies and starship captains, helmsmen, navigators, and tactical officers were more likely to be upper-class. Meanwhile, those in the fields of engineering, security, technology, communications, medicine, and science were more likely to be middle- and low-class – if they could get the education for their fields (thus, skilled work fell mainly in the middle-classes). Conversely, upper-class members were limited in such areas, and practically banned from security and medicine. These divisions were stricter in the Orion Space Navy. 

A fundamental component of Orion society was the practice of Orion slavery, which supported much of their economy and culture, and was governed by customs, contracts and laws. The practice dated back to their very earliest history, when the Orion species was a slave-race. Specific forms of slavery were Orion slave girls and Grey Orions. They were also known to capture and sell alien slaves. 

Space inspired the Orions, and exploration provided opportunity for wealth, power and fame, and space travellers were well-respected. Even the captain of a single small ship was held in high regard, with even wealthy and powerful business leaders honored to be his acquaintance. For their adventure and resistance to foreign powers, even Orion pirates were cool and popular. 

The long history of their species meant that Orion merchants, criminals, mercenaries, pirates, and settlers had carried their kind across worlds through the Alpha and Beta Quadrant. On these many worlds, they worked to corrupt and co-opt market traders and other underworld figures for their own ends. This made them run into the Ferengi on some occasions; the Orions considered them to be nothing more than ridiculous stereotypes with no sense of class, as well as a species in possession of ludicrous habits. Unlike the Ferengi, the Orions possessed no 'rules of acquisition' and would not be caught dead following any form of law.

The great merchant clans commonly hired mercenaries and privateers in their feuds and wars over markets and trade routes. However, when the wars were over, these mercenaries and privateers turned to piracy until the next one. Those Orions that became soldiers tended to drift into a career of piracy or mercenary work, as they possessed little patience for a regimented life, nor did they enjoy taking orders or wearing dull uniforms. )

Orions found the idea of banning certain products to be incomprehensible, on the basis that someone, somewhere, was willing to pay for it. Merchant ships would carry anything if they could trade it, and didn’t see smuggling as a crime. Some merchants supplemented their income with piracy against alien ships. Telling a pirate from a merchant could be a difficult task and entirely depended on which way the weapons are pointing - if one was armed, then the Orion was a merchant. They eagerly sought shady business ventures to afford more of their vices. 

Opportunistic and with a skill for finding advantages and comparing risks, Orions made formidable negotiators and clever diplomats, who enjoyed matching wits with their opponents as if it were a game. Their politics were full of intrigue, bluffs, concealed motives, and outright confidence trickery, and delaying and being annoying for the sake of it. They played games of double- or even triple-crosses to increase their own profits, and saw not a conflict of interest but an understandable compensation for their efforts.

Many diplomats served dual roles as spies, producing both real and invented secrets, and Orion women in the bedchambers of important officials on frontier worlds gave them an extra edge in information and influence. ) Due to their neutrality, Orions could work as spies for the Klingons and other Federation rivals, for the Federation itself, or for both.

Some of the more ancient Orion civilizations produced amazing scientific and technological wonders, but few Orions in modern times still practiced in the fields of science. There were however a number of archaeologists who scoured the ruins of other worlds. Most Federation archaeologists would call them tomb raiders, but either way they often had otherwise unobtainable information or artifacts from Tkon, Debrune or Iconian ruins. Ancient Orion ruins were also a prime target, with no shortage of funding for an excavation, in the hope of recovering lost arts and technology. Rumors persisted of still-functioning machines lying in deep ruins. Unfortunately, these ruins were at the mercy of time and the elements, and fell prey to treasure hunters and art thieves who hacked and blasted their way through, obliterating records, archaeology and Orion history alike. 

Technology

 * " If you want to see the future of Orion, go to Federation laboratories. If you want to see the past glory of Orion, go to the kitchen." – an unnamed wit

The Orion habit of stealing the ideas of others and putting them to practical, profitable use was a survival skill from the very beginning of their history, and continued to be vital to their civilization. Almost all their technology and knowledge was copied from others now forgotten, including antigravity, antimatter manipulation, warp drive and terraforming techniques. Thus Orions were on par technologically with their neighbors.

However, most Orion technology and products tended to be cheap imitations, forgeries and knock-offs, with cut corners, inferior parts, falsified quality, and a complete disregard for durability, copyright or patent laws. It was cheaper and more profitable to do this, and surprisingly, the forgers were less expensive and in greater demand than genuine artisans. The very best forgers, when well paid, could produce excellent products indistinguishable from the originals, but most only wanted cheap, crude copies to make a bigger profit. Thus, Orions had a reputation for cheap, short-lived, low-quality, high-gloss products. This was tolerable in basic items, but vital components in life support, transportation and spacecraft were downright dangerous.

This was an irritating problem for the Federation, but not one easily policed by Starfleet. It had mixed benefits however; technology crossed the Klingon Neutral Zone between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, and potentially the Romulan Star Empire too, enabling each power to learn of the other technological advances.

Despite the close resemblance, Orion products were distinguishable by their over-wrought design, intended to catch a buyer’s eye. They featured elaborate decorations, filigrees, stylish trim, showy ornamentation and racing stripes, all of it useless and tacky. There were native Orion designs as well, which over equivalent Federation technologies were notable for their simpler design, smaller size, and greater efficiency, as well as their high price, great rarity and nigh-uselessness. These curious novelties were designed for comfort, entertainment, and indulgence, and most such items tended to be closely guarded museum pieces, with only research value. These devices were surviving examples of techniques lost to modern Orions, and sometimes unknown even to 23rd century Federation science. Some were still in limited use and production, found in furniture and kitchens, implying that someone, somewhere, was still manufacturing them, but trading them only to Orions. These neat gadgets were rarely available to outsiders. 

Culture


Orion culture during their time as a slave-race had been little more than folk art and "gypsy" culture. Following their liberation, the New Days saw Orion culture blossom into hundreds of forms and entirely new schools of design, almost overnight, with music, literature, dance (including forms of ballet, holovision and more. Modern Orion culture of the 23rd century echoed proudly back to this time, with themes and traditions of their mighty, majestic, graceful people coming into their own.

A materialistic and hedonistic people, Orions – those who could afford it – spent all they could afford on luxury items, comforts and displays on wealth. These included expensive clothing and jewelry, ornate furniture and decorations, grand mansions and fancy vehicles, and any other way could to enjoy life. Orions also tended to delight in partaking in the more civilized vices. 

They also enjoyed entertainment on a large-scale, from concerts and holomovies to street circuses and festivals, all of which offered a chance to dress up and be seen in their finery. Wealthy and noble Orions took great pride in putting on grand banquets, with feasts of food from many worlds, and musicians, dancers, and other forms of entertainment. Such a banquet concluded every business meeting and deal, and every Orion corporation had an entertainment division for this. The purpose of all this was to impress and outdo each other.

During the 23rd century, Orions experienced a craze for the culture of Earth’s 20th century, after the Earth trade ship Marco Polo opened trade relations with them, a huge commercial success. Orions fell in love with Westerns, historical pirates, fast food, baseball, rock and roll, The Three Stooges, the Kledani brothers and historical fashions such as Western wear and Levis. Orions also adopted slang words from Earth, particularly American and Russian. Orions grew to like humans as a result, and considered them kindred spirits, but this was based on their practices of centuries before. This lead to cultural confusion, with Orions believing that Earth was ruled by Godfathers and Shoguns, where cowboys murdered Indians, while humans found all this an uncomfortable reminder. 

Orions enjoyed games of skill and cunning – even more so when only they knew the rules, not their opponents. Even a game of chance could turn out to be really a game of skill and cunning. 

A business contract was regarded as precious and secure, not something to be easily broken. Due to the Orion value system, a contract between them might not have even concerned money. A slavery contract was one example where labor was bartered for food, shelter and protection. 

Orion mothers sold cookies to their children, though they gave them with a loving kiss. 

were noted for treating wing-slugs as delicacies, a range of strong liquors, hot spices (some of which are classed as illegal drugs), and many things said to be aphrodisiacs.

Beliefs
Orion myth resembles or distorts aspects of the history of the Rigel system, of the Rigellians and the Masters. One legend said that the gods once lived on Botchok, until they fought a war, changed their ways and left to protect other worlds from their folly. Others stated that the star Rigel was an ancient, powerful life-form, and that the Orions were created in the image of the Masters to take their place as rulers of the Orion Arm. Others thought of the Rigellians themselves as their Makers. These legends derived from the accounts of Talduk Sik and of faithful Orion servants allowed into the depths of Rigel IV to meet Rigellian elders or surviving Masters and being gifted with wisdom (mainly financial advice) or confused accounts of Rigel's history. These ideas formed the tenets of various Orion religions. 

One group, the Earthly Brothers even revered Humans as the natural and perhaps even divinely appointed successors of the Orions. 

Some Orions typically swore on the Thousand Gods but seldom worshipped them. Others have prayed to and sworn by a Mother Goddess. Some Orions believed in - or at least, swore by - nine hells. There was also an afterworld for the evil that was a scalding pit of torment. 

There were Orion sects that (in common with Clan Ru and some Native American tribes) considered only their own tribe to be the only life-forms with souls and thus others didn't exist morally. As such, laws, rights and supernatural considerations only extended to their own species. 

Orion mystics were known to make use of elaborate con operations, sometimes with advanced technology to give them supposed powers, in order to achieve their goals and lend verisimilitude to their words.

There were ancient Orion sculptures that were considered religious relics. Two had been thought long lost, but turned up in the possession of the Romulan smuggler Achernar in 2281. They were illegal to trade. Scenes from Orion mythology could be found embossed on Orion firepots, a type of cooking cauldron. These could be crudely erotic. 

Some Orion commanders were apparently superstitious about killing the captain of a ship directly, if they were taken prisoner in a pirate raid. Instead, they chose, for example, to beam them into a dangerous environment likely to kill them anyway. (However, as this was from a lie by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, it might not be true.)

Fashion
Orions of either gender were fond of dyeing or oiling their hair in unusual colors, and styling it accordingly, though hair dyes usually remained subtle in order to highlight the glossiness of black or chestnut coiffures. They could also paint their lips, eyelids and other conspicuous body parts.

They typically enjoyed wearing jewelry, small daggers, and other ornaments. They preferred items that were elegant, beautiful, expensive and had tiny compartments to hide sensitive items such as poisons or black mail tapes. Almost no Orion would dress badly if they could help it. 

History

 * See main article: Orion history

The Orions had an ancient history, filled with slavery, empire, and decay, and confused, contradictory and often false. Their origins were wrapped in mystery and alien interference, yet they outlasted almost all other interstellar civilizations, and survived being caught between superpowers.

Language and names

 * See main article: Orion language

Throughout their history, the Orions developed several different languages, which included Orion, Yrevish ), Kolari and Trader's Tongue.

Orion names typically came in three parts: a given name first, a family name second, and an honorific or nickname. The first name tended to be short; though older and prouder families might give longer names, they preferred names that were memorable and easy to pronounce. Unless very well-known and respected, family names were rarely mentioned in public, since they could identify relations, allegiances and enemies. As such, an Orion was typically known by their first name, plus any honorifics and titles they might have.

An Orion male, by the time he was an adult, would probably acquire a nickname that marked a prominent characteristic or accomplishment. A neutral or flattering honorific would generally follow the name (e.g. Nallin the Unconquerable, Hubin the Burned), while a negative one usually came first (Half-a-Man Sooris, Crazy Drelk). Orions also enjoyed any titles and distinctions that they might have earned. 

In addition, an Orion might adopt other names as required, for local custom, an alias or pseudonym, a pet name, a false name, or just on a whim. 

Background

 * The FASA role-playing game represented Orions with a color-coded caste system, of which Greens were the worker caste, Ruddies the nobility and Greys an untouchable science caste. The original script for also implied that the Orions came in other colours than green. However, due to their prevalence in all other sources, this article assumes that Green Orions are the default variety. Information specific to other varieties is presented with those varieties.


 * The pale blue Orions seen in were a result of animation problems rather than deliberate choice.