Speculation re: The Breen

[Knightsfyre001]

Here's an interesting thought that came out of a brainstorming session for my gang's upcoming Romulan campaign:

Based on the similarity of names, what if the Breen are really the remnants of the Debrune species (or perhaps the Debrune spun off from them) ??

Haven't had a chance to work this up much, but it seems to me that this would fit in nicely with the long-standing dispute between the Romulans and the Breen, and maybe also why the Breen wear full 'protective' armor -- they don't wish to be associated, by virtue of appearance, with their "cousins", the Romulans...

Any thoughts?

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by Knightsfyre001

Any thoughts?

Debrune? Who the hell are they? Was the first thought.


The second thought is that both Kira, Dukat and by default the Pah Wraiths, if not also the crew of DS9, Bajor and Starfleet Command (depending on Kira's report), would all know this by now, considering that they had to have seen a Breen when taking their environment suits! So if total secrecy is a factor of plot, that is lost...

[General Velal]

Knightsfyre001

Your doing a Romulan campaign featuring Breen as well?!

Thats great! Did you read my confusing summary of my planned Romulan Campaign Sourcebook-under "Velals Romulan Campaign"
In the Narrators Ready Room.

Its set in 2378 (After Nemesis) and involves a Romulan military offensive against the Breen! Have a look/any suggestions would be helpful-plus I will gladly share what little info I have aquired on the Breen.

The Debrune idea is interesting/I belive in DS9 Weyoun indicated once that the Breen can exist normally without the suits-hinting at some cover up.

Good luck

[Knightsfyre001]

Dan --

First of all, the Debrune were mentioned in the "Gambit" episodes of TNG as being an ancient offshoot of the Romulans. Since the Romulans are presumed to have split from the Vulcans about 1000 years ago, I'm making the assumption that the Debrune are an offshoot of the 'parent race' that spawned the Vulcans/Romulans -- to me, 1000 years is not 'ancient'; if there are significant biological differences, more time would be needed (though it's possible the Romulans were already biologically distinct from the Vulcans BEFORE they diverged over philosophy and left the planet...)

Secondly, it's true that Kira at least -- I don't remember Dukat or any of the others you mentioned actually wearing Breen environment suits) would've seen what a Breen looks like -- but that's not a major issue, since we've never seen it established just what a DEBRUNE looks like. They may look similar to Romulans/Vulcans, in the similar manner to the Mintakans, who were described as 'proto-Vulcanoid' -- (meaning they share some but not all features, and presumably some sort of common heritage) -- so it's not impossible that the Debrune look similar to the Vulcans/Romulans. I'm banking on the mystery of the Debrune as a key point here -- there's mention of the Debrune as ancient relatives of the Romulans, and some archaeological evidence left behind by the Debrune, but no mention of the their ultimate fate...

Adding to the connections between Breen/Debrune/Romulans is the fact that the Breen use cloaking devices and disruptors -- technology they may have 'inherited' from the Romulans, or stolen. And, of course, there's the "species-specific warp color theory " -- the visual identification of ships of major races by the color of their warp nacelles (Federation = blue, Cardassians = yellow/orange, Ferengi red/orange, and Romulans/Klingons green(the reason the Klingons and Romaulans both use green is because of the common heritage in ship design that arose out of the Klingon-Romulan alliance in the 22nd century). If I remember correctly, Breen ships also had green-glowing nacelles, possibly supporting a link to the Romulans (it's a strectch, but I think I can make it logical in gameplay).


Velal --

Haven't had a chance to look at your campaign stuff yet, but I will certainly do so. Any Breen-related info you care to share would also be appreciated. Thanks.

[General Velal]

Knightsfyre001

I like your thinking on the Debrune link.

Will you utilise the Way of D'era info regarding the Debrune?

Just one nipicking point-it was 2000 years ago that the Vulcan dissidents left their homeworld and establish the "Romulan Star empire"
TNG Episode Unification 1 and 2. If your going by the TV show.

Still with what your intending, its too short a time frame.

I get the distinct impression you have got what there is out there on the net regarding the Breen.

The Biological ship tech is definantly unique to them.

[Knightsfyre001]

Actually, Velal, I hadn't really dopne much 'Net surfing with regards to the Breen -- what info I have comes almost entirely out of the episodes of DS9 and the St: Encyclopedia, as well as the LUG core books.

As for using the Debrune info found in The Way of D'era, I'd love to -- except I never got a copy of that book. Local game shops offered only the TOS, TNG, and DS9 core books, plus The Price of Freedom, before LUG went under -- the Romulan book was nowhere to be found.

And yes, I realized after i posted my original note here that it was 2,000 yrs, not 1,000 -- D'oh!

[General Velal]

Knightsfyre001

I found a Breen devoted website that has been on the net for a long time-not updated since Deep Space Nine aired!

Its called the "The Breen System" and the guy loved Breen- breakdowns of what episodes featured Breen-even just the mention of Breen and the episode gets listed! There was some new stuff besides what the sources you mentioned revealed-good pics/screen captures.

May I ask where you are? Here in the back of Beyond and to the left -also called Australia-to be precise the city of Melbourne-we are considered 2nd largest/famous to the internationally recognised Sydney (Its a dump

We have hmm.....One really dedicated RPG Store-Mind Games (Part of a sadly shrinking franchise) And they got in too many Way of D'era Box sets! I think they still have 4 left. Belive me they had a lot initially.

Anyway-The LUG Trek Spin on the canon Trek Romulan History Tellus led the Vulcan dissidents in the search for a new home, and during the long journey some abadoned the quest-tired of seeking some "Promised land" Rebels under Admiral Debrune sought their own worlds-Draken IV, Yadalla Prime and Barraut II.
In the next 10 years other followers of Debrune and other leaders settled Barradas III, Calder II, Dessica II, Jollan IV.

This is a rough summary-There is alot there and It fits with the canon Rom Background (Up to TNG/DS9) well. As you can see the "Debrune" in this background are named for their leader-if this helps I will gladly tell you more-just wondering if you knew about it intially-I understand why now!

Have you read my campaign yet?-I would love some feedback!

[aelius]

I'm afraid the Breen can't be related to the Romulan's because in the DS9 ep "By Inferno's Light" they could not do blood screening's on the Breen in the cell with them in the Dominion POW camp because "Breen have no blood".
Romulans may be cold blooded . but they certainly have blood.
And it' green!

[Knightsfyre001]

I'd forgotten about that scene, aelius... but I'm prepared to ignore it -- it seemed absolutely ridiculous that they'd have "no blood" -- I'm reading it is "no blood as we understand it" -- which is still something of a stumbling block, but not insurmountable. Also, remember that not everything we 'know' about the Breen makes sense -- in one story, it's firmly established that they come from an icy world and NEED the environment suits to survive, while in another it's mentioned that the Breen homeworld is a lush, warm world-- suggesting that the Breen wear the suits form entirly other reasons.

I'm thinking that, at least for my campaign, the Breen are semi-nomadic -- they have outposts in various locations, such as in the Black Cluster (do we ever really learn where the BC is?), and obviously some close to Romulan space... but maybe thanks to an intermittent wormhole, they've also been seen in other, farther locations, such as in the 'southwest' rimward corner of the Galaxy, close to Cardassian space (see the Map of the Galaxy found in TREKRPG's Computer Core/Handouts section).

I'm still just playing around with this -- don't know if it'll go anywhere. I recall seeing a website that suggested the Debrune were an entirely new species that interbred with the Romulans -- the result being the distinct Romulan appearance we know and 'love' (distinct from Vulcans, that is) -- more pronounced cranial bones, a greener tinge to the skin, and a genetic code that is apparently incompatible with Vulcans. So maybe these Debrune are related to both the Romulans and the Breen ,but the Rommies and Breen are not directly related, just 'half-brothers' of a sort...


Velal -- I'll look for "The Breen System" site straightaway. As for where I am, I'm in Canada. My local shops got maybe one or two copies each of the D'era books, but they sold out immediately, and never got reordered (even after I asked!). Oh well.

[Victory Leo]

Here's a thought I got about the Breen from a GURPS Space campaign book. Don't ask me which one as I borrowed it from the library and returned it...

The idea goes something like this. The Breen homeworld's orbit is very ellipitical... And it has a very long year. Thus, most of the time, the planet is out deeper in space away from its star and thus COLD!!! Then, every whatever years the planet comes around and thaws out for a few decades and live flourishs as Wyoun described it.

Before the advant of technology, the Breen people just migrated to the poles to keep at a temperature they were comfortable with... OR maybe they ever dug into a cave and slept, like reverse hibratation. Who knows. Anyways, technology comes along and they make their suits so they can be about their planet anytime of year. Of course, they prolly hate the warm season.

Food for thought.

[Knightsfyre001]

Great minds think alike, Leo. I had been toying with the very-elliptical orbit idea myself as an explanation of the discrepancies in describing the Breen homeworld.

Haven't worked out all the details yet, and probably won't for a while, since my next campaign setting will likely be Sector 441, the "Briar Patch" seen in ST:Insurrection ... I'm placing that sector close to Bajoran and Cardassian space, so it's possible the Breen may show up on occasion, in which case I'll drop hints of their origins...