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Capellans

The Capellans are a humanoid species native to the planet Capella IV. As of the 23rd century, their civilization was divided into ten tribes, all led by the Teer. The position of Teer was normally hereditary, but could be taken by the winner of a successful challenge to the death. Sometimes such challenges involved large numbers of people fighting on both sides of the question.

In the later 23rd century, Capellan men wore tight fighting garb that covered nearly their entire bodies, generally leaving only the face and hands exposed. The hair was pulled into a kind of topknot through an opening in the top of the headgear. Male attire is very colorful, but there is no indication that color connoted status. More important Capellans added subdued ornamentation to their clothing; typically, this consisted of fringes or ruffs of fur. Capellan women wore long, flowing dresses and bound their hair.

Capellans are tall and large; seven feet is not unusual. They are also fast and strong.

Capellan society is bound by a wide variety of rules and strictures, violation of which can have consequences as severe as death. A few of these include:

  • No other man may touch the wife of a Teer. Doing so is punishable by death.
  • The heir of a deposed Teer is traditionally killed by the usurper; if the heir is not yet born, then the mother is killed before birth can occur.
  • If a woman offers a man fruit, and he accepts, her nearest male relative must try to kill the recipient. This form of challenge is considered an honor; the Capellans value combat even over love.
  • Capellans value honesty, and accept the word even of strangers. But if one's word is proved valueless, the offended Capellan will try to kill the offender. To say that someone's word is unimportant, and that you do not hear him is equivalent to accusing him of lying.
  • Capellans value hospitality, and demonstrate it to anyone who does not give them reason to consider him an enemy.
  • Capellans value the courageous, and disdain the fearful.
  • Capellans believe that the strong should survive, and the weak and sick die. They have little use for doctors or medicines.
  • When aroused to anger, a Capellan acts quickly; he does not stop to ponder his course of action, but usually simply attacks whoever has angered or offended him.

Capellan language and names often contain a double vowel combination; this often breaks the word into extra syllables. For example the title Teer is often, but not consistently, pronounced "tee ear". The name Akaar is pronounced "ak a are", with a stop between "a" and "are".

Capellans fight hand to hand with swords and knives. At ranges of up to one hundred yards, they can accurately throw a three bladed disc called a kligat; this weapon, in the hands of a skilled user, is deadly.

The Capellans have been aware of space-going society since at least the 23rd century, when Leonard H. McCoy visited their homeworld as part of a medical assistance team. In 2267, a series of events involving a Klingon agent, Kras, and Captain Kirk led to the signing of a mining treaty between the Federation and the Teer of the Ten Tribes -- at that time, the infant Leonard James Akaar was born. (TOS: "Friday's Child")

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