TEXT: The Rihannsu
  Narrator's Note:   This species profile 
   is based on data created by Diane Duane 
  for a series of Star Trek novels.   
     Just as D.C. Fontana was responsible for 
  codifying much of what we know regarding 
  the Vulcan people, Diane Duane did the first 
  serious, comprehensive work on the 
  “Romulan” people.  Unfortunately, much of 
  her excellent material was discarded in favor 
  of the two-dimensional cardboard villains 
  presented in Star Trek The Next Generation 
  and later, Star Trek:Deep Space Nine and 
  Star Trek: Nemesis.   
     This profile is an attempt to reconcile the 
  different versions of the Romulan Empire into 
  a coherent whole.  Wherever possible, the 
  data has been weighted towards the on-
  screen evidence, or logically extrapolated 
  therefrom.  Narrator's and players should 
  feel free to use or discard the data as needed 
  for their campaign.
     Ironically, much of this material has been 
  resurrected in the Star Trek Online 
  MMORPG and can now be found in a single 
  volume: Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages.
     Known to the Federation as “the Romulans”, 
  the Rihannsu are a sister people to the Vulcans 
  who left in a diaspora just as the teachings of 
  Surak began to take home on their homeworld. 
  After much trial and error (and some 
  intervention from the Q), the Rihannsu found 
  the sister worlds of Ch'Rihan and Ch'Havran 
  on which to settle- and from which to found 
  their expand their Empire.
  History
     At the Time of Surak, the Vulcan people 
  were divided, fragmented, and at near-constant 
  war with one another.  According to some 
  scholars, during the first part of Surak's life, 
  there was never more than ten year period 
  when more than 30% of the planet was NOT 
  at war.  
     In this maelstrom of death, violence, and 
  blood-debt, two events occurred which proved 
  pivotal to the fate of both the planet and of the 
  Alpha and Beta Quadrants: Surak began 
  teaching a system of ethical and reasoned 
  behavior which Federation translators render as 
  “logic”, and Vulcan was invaded by Orion 
  pirates and slavers
     The Orion invasion had two curious 
  outcomes: it (temporarily) unified the Vulcan 
  people and divided the adherents to Surak's 
  philosophy.  While the rival nation-states 
  banded together to fight the invader, a Vulcan 
  named S'task (Surak's most prominent student) 
  turned away from his master, and adopted a 
  more “the ends justify the means” approach.  
  Even as the war with the Orions came to an 
  end, the rift between Surak and S'task 
  threatened the very unity both men were trying 
  to build.
     Rather than see Vulcan destroyed or their 
  causes reduced to one more justification for 
  war, S'task gathered together his followers and 
  led them into space in seventeen multi-
  generational colony ships.  Because these were 
  (comparatively) crude, sub-light vessels, they 
  and their descendants would be subject to the 
  effects of relativity- and spend nearly 500 (non-
  subjective) years in space.
     Comparatively isolated in the Beta Quadrant, 
  the Rihannsu would spend nearly sixteen 
  hundred years in isolation- though a caprice of 
  the Q caused the formation of a wormhole 
  which allowed a century of war with their 
  mother planet Vulcan.
     By the 21st century, the Rihannsu had 
  returned to space and were busily forming an 
  Empire-including an attempt to corrupt and 
  suborn their Vulcan neighbors.  In response to 
  this and other failures, and alarmed at the 
  rumored founding of an interstellar Federation, 
  the Rihannsu launched a war against the 
  humans of Earth, before being defeated and 
  “confined” behind the Neutral Zone.        
     With the end of the Earth-Romulan War, the 
  Rihannsu entered a period of isolation which 
  lasted nearly a century- and which was ended 
  with unprovoked attacks on the Federation's 
  monitoring stations along the Neutral Zone.  
  Border conflicts with the Klingons had led to a 
  tenuous treaty which was honored more in its 
  breach than its keeping- but which did allow 
  an exchange of technology and intelligence 
  between the two powers.
     Upon their return to the Galactic stage in the 
  2260's the Rihannsu engaged in acts of 
  military, diplomatic, and technological 
  brinkmanship, and establishing diplomatic ties 
  and committing acts of aggression throughout 
  the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.
     In the 2270's Rihannsu researchers began 
  kidnapping Vulcans in order to harvest the 
  
  genetic and neurochemicals necessary to 
  “bootstrap” latent Rihannsu psionic 
  capabilities.
     Rihannsu Commander Ael t'Rllaillieu, fearing 
  that the technology would be used to destroy 
  the last freedom's and nobilities of her own 
  people, allied with a Federation task force led 
  by the Starship Enterprise and destroyed the 
  research facility, and indirectly touched off a 
  Rihannsu civil war.
     In 2276 following the capture and 
  capitulation of the Rihannsu government, Ael 
  was installed as Empress of the Rihannsu 
  Empire, instituting a series of reforms and a 
  rule that lasted through the latter part of the 
  22nd century.
     By the turn of the century, the Rihannsu 
  Empire was again wracked by internal 
  dissension, and Ael's policy of constructive 
  engagement with the Federation was 
  superseded by aggressive military action.  The 
  Norkan campaign and the infamous Tomed 
  Incident in 2311 cost thousands of lives and 
  led to the signing of the Treaty of Algeron 
  (which reaffirmed the Neutral Zone and 
  forbade the Federation the use cloaking 
  technology) and to an almost complete 
  withdrawal of the Rihannsu from galactic 
  affairs which lasted fifty years.  With the 
  exception of the Narendra III attack in 2344 
  and diplomatic overtures toward the 
  Cardassians in the late 2350's, the Rihannsu 
  waited behind their Neutral Zone borders and 
  bided their time.
     By 2364, Rihannsu internal dissent has been 
  rigorously quashed, and the Rihannsu returned 
  to the galactic stage following an attack in 
  2364 against several Rihannsu and Federation 
  colonies along the Neutral Zone.  These 
  attacks were later identified as having been 
  perpetrated by a Borg scout ship on a survey 
  mission in the area.
     As with their return to the galactic stage in 
  the 23rd century, the renewed Rihannsu 
  presence led to a series of acts of espionage, 
  aggression, and (occasionally) diplomacy.  
  Diplomatic ties with the Federation were 
  renewed, while at the same time the Rihannsu 
  attempted to lure the Federation into acts of 
  war, such as the Nelvana III Incident.
     Following the discovery of the Dominion in 
  2370, the Rihannsu allowed a codicil which 
  allowed the Federation the loan of a cloaking 
  device for the U.S.S. Defiant in exchange for 
  information on the new threat.
     Following an abortive attempt to collapse the 
  Bajoran Wormhole in 2371, elements of the 
  Tal Shiar allied with the Cardassian Obsidian 
  Order in order to perpetrate the disastrous 
  Battle of the Omarian Nebula- a Dominion 
  trap which seriously damaged the effectiveness 
  of both organizations.  
     Initially neutral in the Dominion War, the 
  Rihannsu joined the fight in 2374 after the 
  assassination of Senator Vreenak and incurred 
  heavy losses during the war.  
     In 2387, Rihannsu scientists noted the 
  instability of the Hobus star and Spock appears 
  before the
  Rihannsu Senate to warn of the danger of a 
  supernova.  With additional reports of 
  dangerous instability in the Hobus Star, the 
  Rihannsu Senate finally authorized a full 
  evacuation and every available vessel was 
  recalled to ferry residents off-world.  The 
  evacuation was expected to take six weeks. 
  The star exploded seventy-two hours later.
  Personality
     The Rihannsu are (by and large) a 
  passionate, artistic, and often pragmatic 
  people- born to (comparative) poverty and a 
  suspicious, almost paranoid mindset that 
  makes trust difficult and suspicion- particularly 
  of the outsider- a way of life.
     “Classical” or “Old School” Rihannsu are 
  also driven by matters of honor and a religious 
  philosophy and mindset that mixes utter 
  ruthlessness with a passionate affection second 
  to none in the Universe.  
     Suspicion of the outsider- if not outright 
  xenophobia- are bred into the Rihannsu 
  mindset- their rift with their Vulcan cousins is 
  rooted in an alien invasion, and fifty 
  generations have been taught that anything 
  alien is probably bad- and vice-versa.
     Rihannsu strength is forged in unity and 
  cooperation- and service to one's family and to 
  the State supersedes all personal consideration. 
     As a general rule, though, a Rihannsu 
  believes in open, honest dealings- honest 
  loves, honest hatreds.  As a rule, a Rihannsu 
  will keep his word- not for your sake, but for 
  his name's sake.   
     Of course, Rihannsu are no more “all of a 
  piece” than are humans- for every “good” 
  example of a Rihannsu, there is a 
  corresponding exception.  
  Physiology       
     Despite nearly two millennia of isolation, the 
  
  Rihannsu still broadly conform to the Vulcan 
  hominid norm- copper-based blood, green-
  tinted skin, pointed ears, greater-than-standard 
  physical strength and endurance.
     There are minor chemical and physiological 
  differences which differentiate Rihannsu from 
  their Vulcan cousins, though these are more a 
  matter of nurture than nature. 
     Some Rihannsu sport a slightly enlarged 
  cranium, which results in a v-shaped forehead 
  crest.         
     Modern scientists believe that the Rihannsu 
  possess the same raw telepathic potential as 
  their Vulcan cousins, but the techniques and 
  disciplines necessary to harness these abilities 
  were lost during the Rihannsu diaspora.  
  Homeworlds
     The Rihannsu are actually native to Vulcan, 
  but emigrated to the homeworlds of Ch'Rihan 
  and Ch'Havran nearly two thousand years ago, 
  and made these worlds their own, subjugating 
  the Reman population native to Ch'Havran.  
     Ch'Rihan is a large, lush Class M world, and 
  was home to the bulk of the Rihannsu 
  population until 2387.  
     Ch'Havran is also a Class M world, but is 
  considerably harsher than its planetary sister.
  Language
     As the Rihannsu began preparing for their 
  Diaspora, they took deliberate steps to craft a 
  separate cultural identity for themselves: 
  notably and particularly, in their language.  In 
  their own minds, the Rihannsu were recreating 
  themselves as an idealized Vulcan- Vulcan as it 
  should be.  Rather than simply divorcing 
  themselves from their forebearers and heritage, 
  a committee of poets, linguists, and scholars 
  returned to the roots of ancient, Old High 
  Vulcan and "aged" the words and syntax in a 
  different direction.  While the Rihannsu 
  common tongue is grossly similar to Vulcan, 
  human speakers often describe it as sounding 
  somewhat like Latin and Welsh.
  Religion
     While not all Rihannsu share the same faith 
  (except perhaps a near-fanatical devotion to 
  the State), many share in an animistic faith that 
  began largely as a joke during the Diaspora.  
     In this faith/philosophy, everything in 
  existence embodies the four primary elements 
  (Air, Earth, Fire, and Water) to varying degrees, 
  and are endowed with the dignity of their 
  existence.
     Mnhei'sahe- the ruling passion- is a concept 
  of honor primarily occupied with courtesy not 
  only to the people around one, but to the 
  various objects and elements as well.   In one 
  sense, it encompases elements that humans 
  would describe as karma: in short, be kind to 
  the unverse and the universe will be kind to 
  you in return.
     This courtesy, depending on circumstances, 
  may require killing a person to do him honor, 
  or severely disadvantaging one's self on his 
  behalf.  
     The ramifications are complex and often 
  subtle- but generally, mnhei'sahe is satisfied if 
  all the parties to an agreement or situation feel 
  that their "face" or honor is intact after a social 
  (or other) transaction. 
     This concept is sometimes mistranslated as 
  doing things “for the good of another.”  This is 
  incorrect.  In Rihannsu culture, one does 
  things for one's own good- or rather, the good 
  of one's honor- and if properly carried out, the 
  actions in question will have benefitted the 
  other parties in the transaction as well. 
  Names
     Given both the Rihannsu take on religion 
  (described above) and the fact that they speak 
  an artificial language, it is not surprising that 
  names take on a special significance in 
  Rihannsu culture and psychology.  A person's 
  (or object's) name has power- especially their 
  “true” name.  When you call someone's name- 
  they notice- the Elements no less than people.  
  As a result, Rihannsu are chary about sharing 
  their names with others.
     Rihannsu generally have either three or four 
  names: a given name, a second name (usually 
  denoting either clan or place of origin).  
  Rihannsu attached to a noble House or clan 
  also have a House name.  Finally, there is the 
  “fourth name”.
     One's fourth name is not bestowed, but is 
  something one finds for oneself.  It is one's 
  “true name”- deeply private, and shared only 
  with the closest and dearest friends or family.
     One further note- House names are normally 
  modified by an honorific indicating gender: 
  “t'” for females and “tr'” for males.  Aeden 
  tr'Kellian would, therefore, be a male named 
  Aeden of the House s'Kellian.   Lhae t'Tarii 
  would be a daughter of House t'Tarii.
     Honored or particularly trusted servants of a 
  noble House may (in rare circumstances) be 
  granted  permission to use the clan name as 
  
  their own “third name”.  
  Societal Structure
     Rihannsu society is centered around the 
  family or clan, with the hru'hfirh or Head of 
  House acting as clan chieftain.  Loyalty flows 
  upward from the average citizen to their 
  Senator, the Praetorate, and to the Empire as a 
  whole.
     Most Rihannsu are free citizens, but bond 
  servants and even slaves still exist.  Rihannsu 
  in a given territory (or colony) owe their 
  allegiance to their Senator (who is chosen 
  either by Imperial appointment or by heredity). 
     Military service is not only the surest means 
  to both advancement and prestige within the 
  Empire, it is also one of the only means to 
  political power.  As a result, the Rihannsu have 
  a ready pool of talent and can afford to put 
  their very best in uniform.
     Rihannsu society has shifted greatly in the 
  last two hundred years.  For fifty generations, 
  the Rihannsu enjoyed relative peace and 
  plenty as they lived, loved, warred, and died 
  amongst themselves.   Rihannsu personal rights 
  and mnhei'sahe flourished.
     The Rihannsu seem to follow a “classical”, if 
  mercurial, pattern.  Where personal honor and 
  integrity are allowed to flourish, the Rihannsu 
  people prosper.  When their leaders begin to 
  desire what others have- when greed and 
  deeds done in secret replace noble and honest 
  dealings as the currency of the Empire- the 
  people suffer.
     The rights of the people and mnhei'sahe 
  suffered during expansionist period that led to 
  the Earth-Romulan War- only to recover in the 
  reorganization which followed the Rihannsu 
  defeat.  
     Rihannsu treachery (against both their own 
  and their neighbors) of the 2260's was 
  answered with a revolt as the Rihannsu 
  reclaimed their mnhei'sahe.  
     The authoritarian excessed of the 2350's, 
  60's, and 70's were met with war, bloodshed, 
  treachery, and ultimately, with the destruction 
  of Ch'Rihan and Ch'Havran themselves.  As 
  one Rihannsu citizen phrased it, “Perhaps we 
  have not been as kind to the elements as we 
  thought”.
     Despite the excesses of the authoritarian 
  regime, there are still those Rihannsu who 
  remember the rewards of honor and fair-
  dealing- and hope that, with the rotten core 
  removed- that these principles might return to 
  the Empire, and mnhei'sahe might flourish 
  again.
  Government Structure
     The Rihannsu government is, technically, a 
  ceremonial monarchy, feudal in nature, with 
  the central power and control held primarily 
  by the Rihannsu Senate.
     The Rihannsu Senate uses a modified tri-
  cameral or three-house legislative-executive 
  branch.  The Tricameron is comprise of a 
  Senate - evenly divided against itself into a half 
  that proposes and passes legislation, and a half 
  that vetoes it - and the Continuing Commitee 
  or Praetorate, a sort of quadruple troika or 
  duodecimvirate: twelve men and women who 
  implemented the Senate's decrees, declared 
  war or peace, and spent most of the time 
  squabbling amongst themselves for power. The 
  Head of the Continuing Committee (and 
  hence, of the Senate) was called the Praetor.
     “Senator” is a hereditary position associated 
  with a specific geographic region and passed 
  down from father or mother to the eldest 
  sister's-son or -daughter.  The only thing that 
  could remove a Senator from office was 
  abdication or death (which was often 
  disturbingly easy to arrange).
     In 2379, all but one member of the 
  Praetorate were assassinated in a military coup 
  arranged by Shinzon of ch'Havran, and for a 
  time, a human (albeit a Rihannsu-created 
  clone) stood as Praetor of the Romulan Empire. 
     Following Shinzon's death, the Senate and 
  Praetorate were reorganized, with Senator 
  Tal'aura replacing Shinzon as Praetor. 
     In 2387, the Praetor, the Empress and her 
  family, most of the Romulan Senate, and the 
  bulk of the Rihannsu people were killed by the 
  Hobus supernova.  A new Senate and capital 
  were organized on Rator III, but have yet to 
  consolidate their power.
  The Rihannsu Military
     The strength of the Praetor has always lain as 
  much in his control of the Rihannsu military as 
  in his ability to sway the other Senators.  While 
  the Emperor (or Empress) is the titular 
  commander in chief of the Rihannsu military, 
  the orders invariably come from the Praetor.
     The Rihannsu Star Navy is responsible for 
  protecting the Empire against external threats, 
  and represents the “classic” military.  In 
  addition to the bulk of the Rihannsu Fleet, the 
  Rihannsu Star Navy maintains a series of deep-
  
  space installations such as starbases and supply 
  depots, and shore installations such as the 
  Imperial War College.
   
  The Tal Shiar
     The Rihannsu Intelligence apparatus is 
  designed to protect the Empire against both 
  external infiltration and internal subversion, 
  and has waxed and waned in power 
  considerably since the late 23rd century.
     Depending upon the fortunes of its various 
  patrons and the political climate within the 
  Empire, the Tal Shiar has exercised greater or 
  lesser power over the Rihannsu populace.
     The Tal Shiar was at the height of its power 
  between 2360 and 2371- and were largely 
  able to subvert the Senate and dictate Imperial 
  policy through threats of blackmail and 
  intimidation.
     Tal Shiar power was largely broken in 2371 
  after the disastrous Battle of the Omarian 
  Nebula- in which a joint Tal Shiar-Obsidian 
  Order task force were led into a trap over the 
  Dominion homeworld.
     Since then, the vestiges of the Tal Shiar 
  resumed their rightful duties as a security 
  service of the Empire.  In the wake of the 
  destruction of the Rihannsu homeworlds, 
  however, a number of Tal Shiar officers are 
  making a bid to regain their lost power in the 
  chaos and confusion.
   
  Interstellar Relations
     The Rihannsu maintain an interstellar empire 
  roughly 1/3 larger than the Klingon Empire and 
  roughly half the size of the Federation.  
  Unfortunately many of these worlds are either 
  resource poor or devastated by internal (or 
  external) conflicts, or both.  This fact, coupled 
  with limited trade relations, limits their 
  economic impact in the galaxy at large.
     The Rihannsu conduct limited trade relations 
  with a number of minor galactic powers, but 
  most of their economy and production are 
  directed inwards.   
     The Rihannsu are sworn enemies of both the 
  Klingons and the Federation, though the latter 
  relationship has grown less overtly hostile 
  since the Dominion War.
     The Rihannsu treat the Flaxians as a client 
  state, just as they did with the Breen- despite 
  the fact that the latter relationship ended in 
  rebellion and betrayal.  “Never turn your back 
  on a Breen” is a common Rihannsu saying.  
  The Tal Shiar has been known to use Flaxians, 
  Nausicaans, and others for both espionage and 
  assassinations.
  Technological Summary
     The Rihannsu are Tech Level 6/7 society- 
  comparable to the Federation and the Klingon 
  Empire, though are there are a number of 
  technical differences.
     Like the Klingons, a lot of Rihannsu military 
  equipment is powered by power cells 
  containing minute antimatter bottles.  
     The other primary difference is that (due to 
  their sheer size) many Rihannsu starships are 
  powered by quantum singularity generators, 
  which use an artificial black hole to generate 
  power.  
     Technology levels can vary widely from 
  planet to planet and even from city to city 
  within the Empire.
     While it is true that many of the worlds 
  controlled by the Rihannsu are resource poor, 
  it is equally true that the scars of war and a 
  centralized, often punitive bureaucracy biased 
  towards the home worlds has kept the Empire 
  from utilizing its resources- in both personnel 
  and material- to their fullest.  With the advent 
  of advanced replicator technology, the 
  Rihannsu Empire had both the opportunity and 
  the means to end hunger and want in their 
  society- and failed to do so.  
  Projections
     Starfleet Intelligence and the Federation 
  Diplomatic Corps expect little change in 
  Federation-Rihannsu relations over the short 
  term.  Despite the destruction of their 
  homeworlds and the attendant internal chaos, 
  the Rihannsu remain both territorial and 
  distrustful of the other Alpha Quadrant powers. 
  Notes
    The Rihannsu are available for use as Player Characters in either a “Romulan” campaign or with 
  Narrator approval and one heck of a good in-story reason. 
  Favored Profession
     Starship Officer, or Soldier.  The Rihannsu can take up almost any profession, but the heroes will 
  encounter them most often in one of the above contexts.
  
  Species Adjustment
  +1 STR, +1 INT 
  Species Abilities: 
  Bonus Edge (Keen Hearing): Avrius receives a +4 bonus to Observe (Listen) tests. 
  Disciple of D'era:  Rihannsu society overall tends to be regimented and orderly, and Rihannsu 
  work well in organizations and under stress, and receive a +1 to all extended or combined tests. 
  Intrigue: Rihannsu are good at watching others for clues to their true motives, intentions, and 
  feelings, and gain a +3 bonus to Inquire tests from their Observe skills.  
  The Ruling Passion: “Old School” Rihannsu adhere to Mnhei'sahe a concept of honor primarily 
  occupied with courtesy to people around one: this courtesy, depending on circumstances, may 
  require killing a person to do him honor, or severely disadvantaging one's self on his behalf. 
    
     The ramifications are complex and often subtle- but generally, mnhei'sahe is satisfied if all the 
  parties to an agreement or situation feel that their "face" or honor is intact after a social (or 
  other) transaction. 
     In Rihannsu culture, one does things for one's own good- or rather, the good of one's honor-- 
  and if properly carried out, the actions in question will have benefitted the other parties in the 
  transaction as well. 
     So long as a Rihannsu is actively living in accordance with the concepts of mnhei'sahe , he 
  receives 4 Courage points instead of the usual three.  
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Star Trek RPG/Decipher/Species/alien_Rihannsu.pdf