Another take at the Centaurans
This is basically an attempt to convert the Centaurans, as presented by LUG, to Dec Trek. No FASA centaurans, no Greeks in outer space, just a rehash of a species I always liked and used in my ICON games.
As I am at work right now I'll add some stuff later on that's on my PC at home, including names and notable Centaurans.
CENTAURANS
Personality: Artistic, calm and composed. Sometimes accused of intellectualism and excessive debate, Centaurans always think before they jump and favor a careful and meticulous approach to any problem they are faced with.
Physical Description: Outwardly indistinguishable from Humans. Centaurans dress in a wide of fashions, but now and then a fashion trends emerges that follows the patterns of Vulcan clothing styles.
Homeworld: Alpha Centauri IV, thought by some to be the most beautiful planet of the Federation, has a warm climate carefully monitored by a large weather control system. Twelve small continents and numerous islands dot the surface of Alpha Centauri IV and the largest cities are found on the shorelines of the otherwise mountainous continents.
Alpha Centauri IV is one of the very few M Class planets with a ring system.
Culture: Early Centauran civilization was marked by numerous conflicts between the many city-states dotting the planet's small continents. Over time many city-states banded together in alliances, yet conflicts continued, some fueled by a desire for global unification, some by a desire for land, resources or honor. Only during the so called Plague Years when rampant diseases, caused by the use of biological weapons, had killed hundreds of millions of Centaurans a true world government emerged from the Emergency Medical Council that had been established to deal with the plague.
Today every city-state has its own form of government, some ruled by monarchs others by elected leaders, but the ultimate authority is the Centauran Parliament. Every city-state appoints members to the Parliament that appoints one of its members to serve as President of Alpha Centauri. The Parliament also chooses the Centauran delegates to the Federation Council, but these delegates do not have to be members of the Parliament.
As a people Centaurans tend to have a more long-term and pacifistic outlook than humans. They place great value on art and the value of the individual. But these are only generalizations, as every city-state has its own unique culture and cultural values.
Languages: Centauran, Federation Standard
Common Names: Centaurans place the given name first, the family name second.
Family Names: Aacra, Asephas, Jascar, Leikan, Marson, Myrrin, Ray, Skaelas
Male Names: Gan, Gideon, Kulei, Severin
Female Names: Arinda, Dana, Filice, Jasmyne, Sherei
Favored Profession: Scientist and Starship Officer (Counselor, Medical Officer and Science Officer). Tireless researchers and thinkers, many Centaurans gravitate towards the sciences, be it as a civilian researcher or taking to the stars as a science officer. Some of them pursue a medical profession remembering the lessons Centaurans learned from the so-called “Plague Years”, a time when biological warfare agents killed hundreds of millions on Alpha Centauri IV, and feeling compelled to help others avoid the same mistakes.
Species Adjustments: None
SPECIES ABILITIES:
Bonus Edge: Likeable: Being calm and collected Centaurans have an easy time putting others at ease.
Artistic Tradition: Centaurans receive a single skill of the Craft or Entertain groups at +1 and treat this skill as a professional skill for purposes of skill acquisition and advancement.
Slow But Steady: Once a Centauran applies himself to a task they seem to forget anything else around them and work tireless for hours on end to satisfy their desire for thoroughness. Centauran characters receive a +2 test modifier for any stamina test to resist fatigue from academic and social tests, the academic use of physical skills and to resist falling asleep while engaged in these tasks.
Steady But Slow: As much as their meticulousness can work in their favor it can just as well proof to be a shortcoming. Even when faced with obvious solutions to a problem Centaurans double-check everything before doing anything. Consequently a Centauran receives no base time modifier with a Complete Success and only x1/2 base time (instead of 1/4) with an Extraordinary Success.
CENTAURANS DURING THE NX-01 ERA
Humans made first contact with the Centaurans only a few years after Zefram Cochrane’s historic first warp-flight. Many Centaurans hailed their contact with humanity as the reunion of long lost brothers and readily applied their skill in terraforming to help rebuild Earth after the devastation of World War III. Humans in turn shared their warp technology with the Centaurans, spurring a wave of interstellar exploration and colonization by Centaurans. At the same time diplomatic relationships were established with the Vulcans. The methodical and thoughtful ways of the Vulcans appealed even more to the Centaurans then the sometimes rash and careless Humans and Vulcans and vice versa.
When European and South American ships clashed near Alpha Centauri in the early years of the 22nd century (2107) the Centauran government ceased diplomatic relationships with the nations of Earth, a step readily supported by the Vulcans.
Only after all nations of Earth joined together in one unified world government did Centaurans resume diplomatic relationships with Humanity (2150). As this happened only a year before the launch of the NX-01 Enterprise there only a few Centaurans living (or regularly visiting) Earth.
Being physicaly indistinguishable from humans, yet having a markedly different outlook on life, a Centauran character can serve as a constant reminder for an otherwise human group that there is more to aliens than just their appearance.
