TEXT: Genara
     The Genara Union is an alliance and trade consortium of five space-going societies spread over 
  six systems.  They are confirmed to have sprung from a common mother society which apparently 
  disappeared without a trace more than 700 years ago.
     The daughter colonies regained space-flight at roughly the same time and re-established trade 
  and diplomatic ties.  They formed a “stable” interstellar union in Earth year 2089.
     Generally peaceful, the Genara maintain a small, but powerful defensive fleet (with a small 
  exploratory arm)- but the vast bulk of Genaran vessels are built for trade and commerce.  
     The Genara have become economically interdependent and have begun a lucrative 
  import/export with neighboring systems and empires- notably the Romulans, Ferengi, and 
  Cardassians.  Their primary industry at the moment is technical and diplomatic experts.  The 
  Genara serve as advisers, technical experts, and “troubleshooters” on more than a dozen worlds 
  other than their own, and are highly sought after.
  Physical Description
     The Genara meet most humanoid norms, but 
  trend toward the tall and willowy, especially 
  when compared to humans.  Their appearance 
  is deceptively fragile, though there is 
  considerable strength- both of body and will- 
  in the Genara genotype.  Skin colors trend 
  toward the pale, and hair and eye colors 
  generally match human norms.
     One notable difference is that Genara lack 
  external ears- having four timpanic membranes 
  instead (located at the four “corners” of the 
  head), which gives them exceptional hearing 
  and situational awareness.
  Culture
     Genara society is divided up along 
  matriarchal clan lines.  Family- both the 
  nuclear and extended- are the central units of 
  Genaran society, and a Genaran's first loyalties 
  are to his House and blood before any other 
  (not unlike Klingon practice).   
     Clan rivalries and feuds are an ever-present 
  fact of Generan life, and can range from an 
  exchange of cat-calls and insults to blood-
  feuds involving tens of thousands.
     While dueling is officially forbidden by 
  Genaran law, it is almost inextricably 
  interwoven into their society, and is often used 
  to settle matters of personal honor.  The 
  Genaran dueling code is unwritten but explicit- 
  with emphasis on a straightforward, above-
  board, and fair fight.  
     Duels are personal matters- one person 
  against another- rather than clan against clan.  
  Weapons must be evenly matched (knife 
  against knife, sword against sword, etc.).  
  Ranged weapons (such as pistols) and 
  poisoned weapons are strictly forbidden.  
     The Genara divide themselves by blood and 
  familial ties into hundreds (or thousands) of 
  Greater and Lesser Houses (again, not unlike 
  the Klingon model).  Rather than controlling 
  specific geographic regions, however, the 
  Houses influences and populations are heavily 
  intermingled.  The Eldest Mother (generally, 
  the oldest and most capable woman in the 
  House) serves as clan judicial and executive 
  authority.
     The two hundred Houses with the highest 
  membership (or with a total allied population) 
  are granted seats in Parliament, which in turn 
  elects the Prime Minister and cabinet.  The 
  Houses propose and write legislation, but can 
  be overruled by majority vote of the general 
  population.
     Genara justice systems vary from province to 
  province and world to world.  Intra-clan justice 
  is usually handled by the matriarch or a 
  designated representative.  Justice between 
  clans (where a member of one clan has 
  wronged another) is usually handled by 
  designated negotiators between the two clans, 
  or if necessary, by third-party mediators either 
  agreed to by the litigants or appointed by the 
  Matriarchal Council.   
     The  Matriarchal Council (comprised of the 
  Eldest Mothers of the twelve largest Houses) 
  serve as a supreme judiciary, interpreting the 
  law or overturning it as necessary.  
     Genaran men enjoy full suffrage and legal 
  rights, but are bound by both tradition and law 
  from holding seats in either the Matriarchal 
  Council or Parliament.  Genara males can (and 
  do) serve as cabinet ministers, emissaries, 
  military officers, advisers, counselors and 
  nearly any other posts- but cannot serve as the 
  legislative or judicial representatives in their 
  own right.  Males routinely address the 
  Parliament and Matriarchal Council, but do so 
  only in the name of their Matriarch.  
  
  Language
  Genara Common, Federation Standard, Any
  Homeworld
     The Genara share five main colonies- each 
  with populations of a billion or more people- 
  and a dozen lesser colonies founded within the 
  last hundred years. 
     The original “parent” world still exists but 
  lies fallow and abandoned.  The ruins of once-
  populous cities stand in silent witness to the 
  inhabitants of the world, but no other trace- 
  has been discovered.  No evidence of 
  chemical or biological holocaust has been 
  found, and background radiation levels are 
  normal.  Several Genaran expeditions have 
  attempted to re-colonize this world, but each 
  was withdrawn within the first year of 
  founding.  A final expedition- the Seventh- also 
  disappeared without a trace in 2377.
  Interstellar Relations:  
     The Genara guard their neutrality carefully, 
  but generally adhere to interstellar law, and 
  enjoy robust trade relations with the Romulans 
  and Ferengi, and are expanding ties with the 
  Cardassians (and through them, with the 
  Federation).  The Genara trade primarily 
  among themselves, but are expanding an 
  already robust trade network with markets 
  sufficiently to come into direct confrontation 
  with the Ferengi- which has led to increasing 
  tensions between the two powers.  
  Technological Summary
     Genaran society is rated as Tech Level 6/7- 
  roughly comparable to the Federation in Kirk's 
  era, though many older cities and enclaves 
  retain a more archaic standard.  
  Projections
     Starfleet Intelligence and the Federation 
  Diplomatic Corps expect little change in 
  Federation-Genara relations over the short 
  term.   A number of trade treaties have been 
  inked, but the Genara are currently too far 
  from the edge of Federation advancement and 
  from primary Federation shipping lanes to 
  merit much attention.  
     Genaran leaders continue to push various 
  trade and cultural exchange projects with 
  various foreign powers, but these are not 
  expected to produce significant changes in 
  technology or foreign relations in the near 
  future. 
  Favored Profession
     Diplomat, Rogue, Merchant, or Starship 
  Officer.  The Genara can take up almost any 
  profession, but will be most often encountered 
  in one of these roles.
  Species Adjustment
  +1 INT, +1 PRS
  Species Abilities:
  Conspiracy-Minded:  Intra-clan rivalries and 
  influence are the lifeblood of Genaran 
  society- and trading upon one's name 
  and reputation are the key to success. 
  When making Social tests against other 
  Generans, the character adds his 
  Renown modifier (for better or worse) 
  to his test result.    
     Genarans are also adept at picking 
  up subtle clues and information from 
  even casual conversations, gaining a 
  +2 bonus to Inquire tests.
  Dueling Culture:  The Genara tend to settle 
  many matters of honor great and small 
  with the blade- and gain the skill 
  Armed Combat: Simple Weapons +1 at 
  character creation.  This is considered a 
  professional skill for the purposes of 
  advancement.    
  Genara Conservation:  Approximately 2% 
  of the females within Genara society 
  possess the ability to biochemically and 
  telepathically impress memory engrams 
  and thought patterns from a dying 
  “donor” onto their unborn child.  
     The “conservation” process has two 
  major side-effects: first, the child will 
  always be female (no matter the gender 
  of the person impressed) and second, 
  the birthing process strips the birth-
  mother of vital neurochemicals, killing 
  her in the process.  
     Despite the fact that this is very much 
  a “seller's market”, the selection 
  process for “conservators” is quite 
  rigorous- with extensive tests for 
  intelligence, grace, charm, and genetic 
  purity- and the best and brightest 
  commanding the highest prices.    
     Being chosen as a “Conservator” is 
  considered a great honor, but also 
  greatly enriches the young woman's 
  family.  
     Once born, the “impressed” child 
  ages rapidly- reaching a rough physical 
  age of about nine years within the first 
  week.  After the first week, the 
  
  accelerated growth eases, and the child 
  ages normally from there.  
     The “impressed” child is believed to 
  be the reincarnation of the donor- and 
  usually possesses all of memories and 
  personality traits of the donor as well.  
  Subtle changes attributed to becoming 
  accustomed to the new body are not 
  uncommon, but are overlooked unless 
  they become problematic.  The child 
  also frequently possesses a portion of 
  the memories of her birth-mother, as 
  well.   
     The child possesses all of the legal 
  rights, privileges, and properties of the 
  deceased progenitor, and upon 
  reaching her majority (age 14) is 
  usually granted the authority of the 
  donor- including “Eldest Mother” status 
  for her House.
     Needless to say, the process is 
  expensive and painful for all involved, 
  and occurs only at the highest levels of 
  Genara society.
     Given the cut-throat nature of 
  Generan internal political and 
  economic warfare, Conservators are 
  often targeted for murder, or 
  kidnapping.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Star Trek RPG/Decipher/Species/alien_Genara.pdf