Bajaarn
The Bajaarn were once a peaceful and spiritual people prospering in generally agrarian pursuits on Miranda, orbiting Saturn. That was until the Cartassians invaded and conquered Miranda causing half the population to flee as refugees. Bajaarn can be found in small groups on many planets in the system. The largest organized collection of Bajaarn refugees has gathered on Enceladus scratching out a living and awaiting their time to take revenge. Many more Bajaarn remained on Miranda as prisoners and slaves of the Cartassians. The Bajaarn as a race are very similar to humans. The foundation of their society is a Theocracy whose priests have the ability to communicate with their long dead prophets and interpret the dictates of their pantheon of divine entities. Like the Klinkons the Bajaarn have reawaken a long dormant warrior caste that may build in numbers until when sufficiently strong, they will return to Miranda and reclaim their lost homeland.
Detail:
Origins:
There exists paleontological and archeological evidence that the Bajaarn arrived on Miranda some two million years ago through some yet undiscovered agency. Many believe that they may have been a colony of the forerunner races that spread their young among the stars. It is known for certain that they did not evolve on Miranda due to the absence of any parallel characteristics of native Miranden life forms.
Physiology:
Bajaarn life processes are very similar to humans with some notable differences. The Bajaarn digestive system consists of a series of sacs each of which performs separate processes to break down and extract nutriments from the Bajaarn diet. Many of the digestive sacs are but vestiges like the human appendix but this system allows the Bajaarn to eat a much wider variety of food stuffs when compared to humans. For instance a Bajaarn can subsist on a diet of leaves and grass if the situation called for it.
Bajaarn skin is also unique in that it has the ability to produce a variety of sebaceous oils that can have a variety of effects. While living in a desert environment Bajaarn skin produces a waxy oil that retains moisture while allowing sufficient cooling through vaporization of more complex chemicals. In a marine or rainy environment Bajaarn skin can produce oils that prevent saturation of the dermis and has antibiotic properties to ward off fungus growth.
Language:
Bajaarn as a language has remained virtually unchanged since the earliest discovered Bajaarn text. This may be due to the orthodoxy of their traditions and the religious nature of their source material. Casual, spoken Bajaarn tends to be considerably rapid with little or no gesticulation whereas ceremonial, spoken Bajaarn has a slower rhythmic cadence and tonal quality and includes extensive postures and gesturing. Written Bajaarn also has secular and religious aspects with the religious texts using a great many glyphic ideograms and symbols whereas the secular texts stick to a 44 character phonetic alphabet.
Society and Social Order:
The religious teachings of the Bajaarn provides the infrastructure for their society. The doctrines of the Bajaarn gods are numerous and mystifying but through the agency of the prophets the will of the gods is made clear. Because the prophets are ancient yet timeless demigods access to their wisdom is interpreted by means of the Bajaarn priesthood. The priest caste of the Bajaarn people are chosen from any group in Bajaarn society based on an undisclosed quality of spirit referred to as Bah. The rest of Bajaarn society is designated their castes and roles based on the divination of their local priest when the Bajaarns are young. The divinations of any of the clergy can be overturned by getting a second opinion from a more senior priest. Once a person is assigned a vocation they go to live with a local family like group that performs the function to which they were assigned.
Before the Cartassian invasion the Bajaarn population was enormous. Bajaarn society was based on an agrarian foundation with a hierarchy of castes who’s task it was to honor the gods and nurture the Bajaarn people. The absence of a standing army or a caste of vigilant warriors made the Bajaarn home world of Miranda a ripe target for invasion by the Cartassians. The assault by the Cartassians devastated every aspect of Bajaarn society. The Bajaarn were not weak but none had been trained in any aspect of military strategies or even defensive tactics. The occupation of Miranda was completed very rapidly and the Bajaarn people were relegated to the status of slaves. Although their mind-set was not militant the Bajaarn were anything but cooperative. The stubborn and defiant attitude of the Bajaarn people infuriated the Cartassians to no end. Unfortunately the Cartassian remedy for disobedience is death.
The current plight of the Bajaarn people is fractured. Those who have escaped Cartassian occupied Miranda are either coalescing in small groups trying to survive in an alien environment or have moved to Enceladus which is the focal point for Bajaarn refugees. The reason many have tried to make their way else where in the system is that the refugee center on Enceladus is busting at the seams from the flow of refugees and can barely generate enough resources to feed their expanding numbers. On Miranda a growing resistance movement is organizing to throw off the oppressive control of the Cartassians. Bajaarn outnumber Cartassians on Miranda by at least 100 to 1 so a revolt could definitely be successful but the number joining the resistance is usually less than the number of Bajaarn that are submitting to Cartassian rule. Any Bajaarn that are suspected of being sympathetic to the resistance are shipped to Neptune where they used as slave labor in the mines or worse. Those suspected of being in with the resistance are publicly executed. Joining the resistance is a life or death decision which requires a level of courage and self sacrifice that is not inherent in the majority of Barjaarns.
On Enceladus the resident priests have reactivated a long dead Bajaarn warrior caste to grow in numbers to eventually take back Miranda. Many Bajaarn diplomats have petitioned the United Kingdom of Planets for assistance but many factors have conspired to deny or delay any intervention on behalf of the Ukp. The threat of the Romlians looms greatly in the diplomatic arena.
Costume:
Traditional Bajaarn costume is typified by lively colors and artistic patterns but these types of costumes can only be found on Miranda were the attitude of the people donning them are equal to their lighthearted guise. Refugee Bajaarns and the costumes of Bajaarn free agents has shifted to simple and practical garments although even some of these include Bajaarn stylings and ornamentation.
Bajaarn are most often identified by their elaborate and a symmetrical ear jewelry which often includes multiple piercings, chains and even illuminated fobs. These accoutrements are intended to radiate, enhance or focus one’s Bah for religious reasons known only to the individuals and their priests.
Mechanology and Ætherfaring:
Bajaarn technological level is equal to mainstream within the system but Bajaarn religious reticence and conservative attitudes did not actively promote technological innovation. Their mechanisms and techniques have been static for the last 200 years. Most of their technology is focused on agricultural methods and Environmental efficiency and technologies such as weapons, communication and even transportation are sorely lacking.
Before the invasion Bajaarns relied on other cultures coming to them for trade. Therefore their ætherfaring technology still relied on Æther propeller driven vessels. Since their diaspora from Miranda they have been quick to adopt and gain skill in the system standard æther compression and torque drives. Most of Bajaarn vessels are old and used vessels which other races have discarded. These are the only ships the Bajaarn can currently afford.
Economy:
Prior to the invasion Miranda was self contained and quite independent. Bajaarn jewelry and agricultural delicacies were traded infrequently but no identifiable resources existed as major exports.
Currently the Bajaarns will trade in any commodity that they can procure cheaply and wring some profit from. Commodities most prized are any technologies that can be used to improve their output from any of their limited resources.