The Romulans

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Originally posted by Aedh Rua:
We could start a whole thread on how the Klingons started out as the sneaky bad guys, and the Romulans as the Noble Enemies, but then traded places sometime during TNG.

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Who ever said all the Romulans are sneaky or honorable, we have so seen few Romulan personalities to make that kind of judgement. We have seen several underhanded tricks used by a number of Klingons, even Worf has tricked people on screen (Hacking into the E-D's computer to make them think a Romulan ship was attacking), I believe the term was "Klingon guile". One Romulan that I just rembered, the female that was assigned to the USS Defiant, seemed noble and honorable to me, she had just heard too much propoganda about their enemey (IMO the character should've remained on DS9, at least as a reacurring role).
Just remember, all of the cultures in the ST universes (save for Borg) are individuals, no two should be alike.

Phoenix...

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"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."
-Napoleon

The Romulans...
my favourite species!
I loved the LUG Box and i designed my Homepage in "romulan style". The Romulans will always be the great threat in my next RPG season and my nickname is romulan.

I deeply hope that the Romulans will play an interesting role in Star Trek X. I also hope that they will be used as they are.

Maybe the Romulans will play a special role in Enterprise.

we will se.



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www.StarTrek-AlphaSquad.de -
"United they stand"

Senator Vreenek got a raw deal from the writers as well.

"Look we got a really interesting Romulan character here now, lets have her arrested for treason and write her out of the story in one episode!!?!?!?!?! http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/mad.gif http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/mad.gif http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/mad.gif http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/mad.gif GRRRRRRRR!

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In the Praetors Name!

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Originally posted by Aedh Rua:
Of course, my vision of the Romulans has travelled quite a way from canon, if all of my speculations are taken into account. For example, where in canon does it say that Romulans HAVE to be non-psionic? We don't see any psionic Romulans, but then we don't see many Romulans, period.

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This is meant only as an answer to a question, i'm not trying to punch a hole in anyones ideas here.

Depends what you consider canon. Do you consider the LUG based info canon? If so then it states in the Way of D'era that .00001% of the Romulan population has any kind of Psi abilities. If they do, then rarely is it above level one. Besides if anyone shows that kind of talent the Tal Shiar Mind Warfare Division (these guys have issues) usually jumps all over them.

Like I said AR this is only an answer to your question above. I think the lines that you have taken the Romulan race is incredible, awesome, excellent, great, fabulous...should I continue or is that enough accolades? http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/smile.gif You have come up with more credible info then any of the Romulan novels...which I can't stand btw, those writers seem to think the Romulans are some kind of space elf or something. Anyway, off topic. I look forward to anything else you might post in the future.

For myself I shall be sharpening the Ra'Tars talons by posting my ideas on the other ships listed in the Way of D'era.

Jolan Tru.



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In the Praetors Name!

Personally, the Romulans in my series are mostly non-psionic, having abandoned much of the teaching of Vulcans.

This is far more by disuse and inability than anything, and for the secretive Romulans, this reduction in general abilities is fine.

However there are a few strong Telepaths and Psions born into the Romulan population, these individuals are identified at a young age and brought into the fold where they learn to serve the state as an elite group within the Tal Shiar.

Basically, the Romulan Psions are B5's Psicops, and are that rare and scary, they are also a large part of the reason the Tal SHiar remains successful, even though it has become so well known (usually a bad thing for a secretive intelligence agency).

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Dan.

"Hi, I'm Commander Troy McClure, you might remember me from other academy training holo-simulations as, Abandon Ship, the quickest way out, and I sense danger, 101 things you dont need a Betazoid to know..."

http://www.theventure.freeserve.co.uk

I like your idea of Romulan psions, Dan. I may find a use for them........

I guess I am including old-Vulcan-style Akhinahru among the Romulans only for their possible later dramatic utility. Mostly, I consider LUG material as canon, except when I disagree with it! But in this case, given the likely size of the Romulan population, the percentages given by LUG would still allow for a secret monastary or two to introduce as a source of something interesting, as well as the dreaded Tal Shiar psions. So, I suppose I can sork with the LUG percentages.

As far as honor goes, I think the canon materials in TNG and DS9 are all over the map. I don't reject everything after TOS completely, as witness my using the Tal Shiar. It is more a matter of emphasis. I just think the Romulans are better as idealists and traditionalists than as an old-Earth-style totalitarian state.

In my Trek universe, the existence, and power, of the Tal Shiar comes from the very rigidity of Romulan traditionalism. To the Tal Shiar, anything that isn't justified by several centuries of Romulan history is worthy of constant surveillance, at best, and outright suppression, at worst. The other big Tal Shiar roles are to spy on native independence movements, of which there are naturally quite a few, and to stop other people's spies, including the Feds.

On ship names: my favorite method is the two part compound name. That is -- take an adjective or emotionally loaded noun (ie. "blood" or "fire" or something like that); now take either a name for a bird body part (ie. beak, claw, talon, wing, whatever), or a name for a bird species, preferably a raptor; now put them together.

Voila! Instant ship name! To make it more "authentic", go to the Vulcan Language Institute and find the Vulcan translation for the name you have invented. Now, put it through the "Romulan sound shift" which I described earlier in this thread: that is, vowels broaden, i becoming e, e, a, and so on, and many consonants aspirate, particularly k, while f become vh, and v sometimes becomes w. Also, hyphenations tend to fuse, with the hyphen disappearing, so Vulcan Fulag-ul, "leader", becomes Romulan Vholagol, "leader/Praetor".

To make it even more authentic, use the VLI page to pick an ancient Vulcan bird-species which has no Terran analogue. Or, use the "Way of D'era" to pick a Romulan or Reman bird-species which has neither a Terran nor a Vulcan analogue.

Oh, and thanks for all the praise, Phantom. From the sheer number of adjectives used, I detect a bit of irony, but I suppose I deserve it for running on so.........

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Slan agat!

[This message has been edited by Aedh Rua (edited 07-05-2001).]

You are welcome, wasn't trying to make a point only giving the credit I thought was due. I like the way you describe your outlook on the Empire, not all that far from the way I picture it. I have always thought that the little bit of Romulan life they have shown was far too parnoid. I view the Romulans, and I hate to state the obvious, as Romans. The whole citizens continually looking over their shoulders for the Tal Shiar is a little over board. I see an Empire where the people are allowed a fairly free lifestyle, if you can afford it. Sure you had to worry about the Praetorians in ancient Rome, but usually only when you did something seriously wrong, or were considered a political rival of the Emperor (Praetor) or powerful Senator, something the average person isn't too likly to be.

I see the Empire as Totalitarian, IMO any "large" Empire has to be, but you still have races actively seeking admission into the Empire, much like those looking to join the Federation. A whole sector of space freely joined the Empire so they wouldn't have to live under the brutal conditions set down by the Klingons, and now the Klingons are federation allies what does that say? And the Empire leaves them alone to run their lives as they see fit, under Romulan Law of course.

I guess it all depends on your outlook and what type of villians you are looking for. I still see the Romulans as "the noble enemy", but I also like the political side of them as well I think it adds "flavour" to the Race.

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In the Praetors Name!

AR I was wondering if you might be able to give me the Romulan translation of "nova". I'm thinking of designing the Praetorian-class dreadnought from the Way of D'era. I was thinking of linking it to the old Nova-class BB and wanted a proper Romulan term to use in the description.

Thanks in advance.

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In the Praetors Name!

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Originally posted by Aedh Rua:
I wish there was something which we could do with all this, other than campaign. Maybe I should think about writing a novel.......

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I'm not a writer by any means, but if you need any assistance I'm here. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/wink.gif



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In the Praetors Name!

Hey, AR just found another similar "Canon" Romulan word, if it means what you have come up with then you are quite the linguist. I was again going over the different security clearance codes used by the Tal Shiar (in Way of D'era) and the code for the Chairman of the Tal Shiar is Shaya. Pretty close to your "Khaya" I would say.

Any ideas?

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In the Praetors Name!

Well spoken , Phantom. Yes, I definitely see a Roman aspect to the Romulans, though I also emphasize the Vulcan origins a bit.

The political aspect does add flavor to the race, and, given that Khaya, or power/authority, is literally one of the aims of Romulan life, I suppose some intrigue is inevitable.

Also, if they are anything like the early Vulcans, then they are a passionate, easily offended people who are likely to get into a variety of often tragic internal struggles. I imagine one could include a variety of tragic themes in a Romulan campaign without too much trouble. A people like this might literally forget all morals and codes of honor in the heat of the moment.

I wish there was something which we could do with all this, other than campaign. Maybe I should think about writing a novel.......

BTW, we should be really glad that the Romulans chose to settle on Romulus, instead of Remus. If they hadn't, then the Feds would be facing off against the Reman Empire, across the Reman Neutral Zone.

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Slan agat!

Well, the word means "neck" according to the VLI. Why "neck" would be a security clearance, I don't know, except maybe it is a vulnerable part of the body. It would be oddly in character for any warrior race to name its security classifications after the places you can really hurt somebody by hitting.......

Who knows, maybe the term "Tal Shiar" really is somehow connected to a term meaning "neck breaking". "Neck breakers"?? Maybe the Tal Shiar started out making people offers they couldn't refuse.......

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Slan agat!

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Originally posted by Aedh Rua:

Who knows, maybe the term "Tal Shiar" really is somehow connected to a term meaning "neck breaking".

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Well, considering that Spock describes The Tellarite Ambassador Gav's broken neck in TOS' "Journey to Babel" as what might be tal shaya, I think you're onto something. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/wink.gif

"Neck breakers" lacks elegance, though. Perhaps the translation is "swift death" or "quiet death"? http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/cool.gif

Something like "Swift Death" might work. "Death" is tevakh in Vulcan, tavhakh in Romulan. Now, "deadly" is teval, which gives us tavhal. Remember that the vh sound is almost an f in how its pronounced. So, what we have is about one lost syllable away from tal.

I could not find "swift", but I did find "fast", the adjective. Guess what, it is sahr. So, just how close is that to shiar, anyway? And there are one or two Romulan words in my list which did turn an s in Vulcan into an sh, though it isn't common.

If we assume slight dialect differences before the Romulans even left Vulcan, because most of the emigrants were from Jaleyl, and not Shihr Kahr, I think we have our word.

"Swift Death", sounds right, and makes sense.

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Slan agat!

AR, I am most impressed, sir. At this rate you will do for the Romulan language what Tolkien did for the Elven language. http://www.trekrpg.net/Board/ubb/biggrin.gif

Keep up the good work.

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In the Praetors Name!