Betazoid

Created by Captain John "Apollo" Barstow, M.D. on Tuesday 25 September 2018 @ 00:14

Version 1 by Captain John Barstow


Welcome to the Betazoid culture course.  This course will teach you the basics about the Betazoid culture and touch on how to play them effectively.  Betazoids are probably the most misplayed race in Star Trek sims.  Now, most of the time, it’s not intentional, it’s just very easy to go overboard as they are strong telepaths.  I’ve also seen very good Betazoid players as well and this document will touch on both.




Introduction

Betazoids are pretty much the same as Humans except for their telepathy and the solid black irises of their eyes.  Generally, they do not start developing their telepathic skills until puberty, when the rush of hormones activate their latent abilities.  There is an exception to this, while in the womb, after about four months, mother and child develop a telepathic bond that allows both to sense and what the other feels, this bond lasts even after birth (explained in a later section).  After birth, a few retain these abilities, but have to undergo intense psychological training to be able to filter out the “noise” from everyone around them.

Betazoids are able to have children with other humanoids, such as Humand, Klingons, and Vulcans, however they are only empathic, able to read feelings but not minds, unlike full blooded Betazoids who are able to read minds as well.  There are exceptions, however, such as with the Ferengi, where they can not read anything at all.

Betazoids, because they share their thoughts openly, value honesty above all.  They will be honest with people and expect it back.

*NOTE – Betazoids, as most telepathic races, sign a form upon joining Starfleet that they will not invade their cohorts minds or thoughts without permission.  For this reason, most Betazoids go into a ‘passive mode’ where they keep telepathic shields up to block out the stray thoughts of crewmates.*




Betazed

Betazed is a remarkably lush, beautiful world, sometimes described as "the jewel of the outer crown" by traders and other visitors. Its gravity and atmosphere are comparable to Earth, and water covers 78 percent of the planet's surface.

The planet has five continents and hundreds of islands.

High mountain peaks of multicolored crystal catch the rays of the Betazoid sun, throwing delicate layers of color upon the landscape. The soil possesses crystals of a faceted green mineral called versina. (Worlds of the Federation)

The Betazoid sky is blue with pink clouds. Climatic zones range from tropical to arctic, with temperatures averaging 23 degrees Celsius in summer and 13 degrees in winter. The majority of the time, the weather is calm and pleasant in most areas, but when atmospheric conditions shift, they do so with startling speed. Average rainfall in all zones is roughly one and a half times that of Earth, though some seasons are wetter and some drier. No weather-control technology is employed.

There is much farmland on Betazed, and many cities devoted to philosophical studies.

Great expanses of natural wilderness cover much of the planet, varying from dense jungles to wide canyons and cliffs. Much of the major continents are dotted with lakes, and the planet is home to thousands of forms of native wildlife.

The majority of the time, the weather is calm, pleasant, and bordering on tropical. But when the atmospheric conditions shift, they do so with startling speed. Betazed has a blue sky with pink clouds. There is a lot of farmland on Betazed, and cities that are devoted to philosophical studies.


Oceans, Seas and Lakes

    * Opal Sea
    * Thaxan Ocean
    * Alarmante Sea
    * Indar Ocean
    * Lake Cataria
    * Lake El-Nar
    * Bacarba Lake
    * Great Whirlpool

Continents (and Provinces)

    * Tharazad
    * Kharazad
    * Hedaya
    * Dalar
    * Arandel
    * Thalzed
    * Semizad

Regions

    * Loneel Valley
    * Valley of Song
    * Jalara jungle
    * Hedayan Archipelago
    * Khara Archipelago

Cities

    * Medara
    * Rixx
    * Dalaria
    * Arar
    * Melfi
    * Dekoa
    * Iscandar

Mountains and Volcanoes

    * Loneel Mountains
    * Veliko Mountains
    * Vathax Mountains
    * Cataran Mountains

Places of Interest

    * Amick Hall
    * Dalaria Spaceport
    * Enaren University
    * Janaran Falls
    * Plaza of Contemplation
    * University of Betazed
    * YloTrap


Society

Betazoids have a religious, matriarchal society. Ruling houses, descended from various legendary figures, make up a planetary council that speaks for all citizens; each house broadly encompasses the interests of millions of people, in rough geographic locations (and along certain familial lines). The system of representation can be complicated by the fact that Betazoids can petition along their matrilineal lines in order to be heard, in much the same way that a citizen might write a letter to a representative in a representative democracy. Each house claims its mandate from its legendary founder, an acolyte of the Betazed mythic hero Krystaros.

Fortunately for them, the Betazoid telepathy and empathy meant that warfare was a largely foreign concept for much of Betazed history. The earliest records of conflict in Betazoid history indicate a spiritual war with noncorporeal entities—described as demons in ancient religious texts. Betazoids presumably evolved their telepathic abilities to combat such beings, and in the process created a society whereby honesty and compassion were paramount: Few Betazoids could bear to feel the pain or discomfort of fellow citizens, especially on a large scale.

Betazed wholeheartedly contributes to and partakes in Federation science and technology projects, and this shows. Their cities are built with large mushroom-shaped structures that rise up on thin spires, leaving more of the ground open for natural growth. Betazed contributes its telepathic expertise, psychological experience and philosophical developments to Federation civilization, and in return the Federation's strongly technical members help with advanced replication technology, engineering, and land reclamation. The result is that the average Betazoid has a very high and enjoyable standard of living, while the citizenry have little fear of discontent; an unhappy Betazoid is often quickly discovered and counseled by friends, neighbors, and family, all of whom want to re-establish the pleasant environs.

Houses of Betazed


The Houses of Betazed are the topmost social classes of Betazed society. All of the individuals in these classes are considered to be actual descendents of ancestral Betazoids. The Houses of Betazoids are numbered, and they can also be classified in the qualities that the Houses are supposed to hold. There are a total of about 13 known separate houses, based on ancestor and qualities. The houses hold the traits Betazeds hold most dear to their world.

    First House - House of Honesty and Truth

    Second House - Unknown

    Third House - House of Health

    Fourth House - House of Natural Art

    Fifth House - House of Nobility

    Sixth House - Unknown

    Seventh House - House of Courage

    Eighth House - Unknown

    Ninth House - Unknown

    Tenth House - House of Perseverance

    Eleventh House - Unknown

    Twelfth House - House of Balance

    Thirteenth House - House of Peace and Protection


Telepathic Bond

A Betazoid can develop a telepathic bond with someone they are very close to, even nontelepaths.  This bond can not only allow communication, but also the exchange of feelings.  This bond is also held by the Betazoid children, with the mother. 


Imzadi

Imzadi means beloved and is normally used to describe ones first true love, not neccisarily the first sexual partner.  It is commonly used to as a term of endearment for the person truly loves, it is never used in casual relationships

Notes

The biggest thing to remember is do not invade thoughts or telepathic conversations while simming.  This is something that is bad form unless you have permission to be doing so.  Telepathy isn’t like a radio signal, it’s more like a phone call and you wouldn’t hear it unless it’s directed at you or you force in.

Telepathy won’t work in times of high stress, such as combat.  When the adrenalin get’s going it blocks out everything, so you probably wouldn’t sense that other pilot in the enemy fighter going to make a left turn or that tango around the corner ready to jump you.

Above all, be respectful and only “detect” what would be logical, high anxiety before a fight, for example, and don’t go around just communicating in telepathy unless you’ve asked.


Credits

Memory Alpha
Memory Beta
Captain John Barstow

Categories: Science