Latest revision as of 09:52, 1 October 2022

The Gorn Hegemony is an interstellar government operated by the Gorn from the planet Gornar. Little is known about the Gorn, except that matters of territory seem to be very important since the hegemony reacts very forcefully to any incursion. The Hegemony lies at the Federation's "galactic south," at a position both rimward and spinward from the United Federation of Planets. They share borders with both the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

History

First Contact

The origins of the Gorn Hegemony remain unknown to the Federation. Examination of historic records suggests they have been warp capable roughly as long as humanity, but expanded more quickly from aggressive expansionism and what is suspected to be a high birth rate. Reports of hostile encounters from various powers imply the Gorn have always been territorial and uncommunicative on the galactic stage; many species have likely encountered Hegemony forces but never had the chance to identify their attackers - if they lived to tell the tale.

From the early 23rd century, the Federation had encounters with aliens it would later transpire were the Gorn. Colony ships went missing, border territories were raided, but there were rarely survivors and little information was known about the perpetrators. In the 2250s, Starfleet ships began to have more encounters with Gorn raiding parties, almost all of them violent and never including any substantive communication. At the time, too little was known of the Gorn to establish any formal policy.

This changed in 2267, when the Gorn attacked the Federation colony and outpost on Cestus III, which they viewed as their territory due to ancient traditions. This engagement was ultimately resolved in favour of the Federation, but it was the first demonstrable political act from the Gorn Hegemony, rather than violent encounters with small parties, and it determined relations for decades to come. The Federation had expanded through this rimward region with impunity, but now had some measure of these aggressive and territorial neighbours.

A Cold Front

While the Federation continued to colonise this frontier, they did not venture much further beyond Cestus. The demonstration of the Federation’s might opened diplomacy enough for both governments to to agree on formal borders, which have changed very little over the last century and a half. But formal communication remains incredibly limited.

The Gorn Hegemony have been an unreliable neighbour. A lack of diplomatic access makes their internal affairs opaque, but it is clear the Gorn go through periods of territorialism, aggression, and expansionism, sometimes with little warning. On those occasions Starfleet will reinforce the border, and have learnt that they need to meet strength with strength to rebuff the Gorn. Yet sometimes decades have gone by with almost no contact from the Hegemony.

It has been a particularly fraught fifteen years for Gorn-Federation relations. While there has been no further colonising to antagonise the Hegemony, the border has been left less-defended despite repeated protests by local Starfleet officers. There have been no formal conflicts with the Hegemony, but Starfleet report more military forces on the border, and skirmishes with opportunistic Gorn ships are not uncommon.

Political Structure

While the Gorn government does not seem to have any participatory system that is recognisable to outsiders, diplomats have insisted that the Hegemony is not simply an authoritarian dictatorship. What is known of Gorn civilisation suggests there to be a complex hierarchy in place based on age, fertility, physical prowess, and intelligence, and that while the most powerful may rule by decree, they are also subject to a myriad concerns, constraints, and expectations to keep their authority. The head of the Hegemony is known as the Arhigos, which roughly translates as 'leader' or 'chief'. The Federation has only known there to be female Arhigos, usually in a later stage of life and respected as wise elders.

The Gorn maintain a clan structure, with different clans responsible for different swathes of territory. Due to their position on the trailing border of the Hegemony, the Federation has most often dealt with the Black Crest Clan. It is not known how many Gorn clans exist, but clan leaders are known to answer to, advise, and perhaps keep in-check the Arhigos.

The Gorn view many neighbouring sectors as 'their' territory, though they will not necessarily act on this perspective. It is possible they take a long-term view, assuming all will eventually fall under the Hegemony's rule. There has been little expansion of the Hegemony in recent decades, and their complete uninterest in exploration has seen them rarely extend their interest beyond their region of the Quadrant.

Culture

On the surface, the Gorn are territorial, blunt, and prepared to use violence to get their way. They are prone to expressing their needs openly and appearing resistant to compromise. They clearly have a strong commitment to their culture and their species, and most Gorn encountered are committed to the interests of the Hegemony. They are highly community-minded, valuing strength among their citizens and in their enemies. While this is most commonly martial prowess, many have made headway demonstrating personal cunning, or keen diplomatic insight, or a dogged commitment to one's beliefs or goals.

There remain encounters with Gorn breeding parties that are uniformly violent. These groups of Gorn seek out lifeforms in which they can lay their eggs and either establish a nest or bring them back to a breeding planet. This is the Gorn at their most aggressive and intractable, wholly opposed to communication and only seeking violence to secure and protect their broods. Sometimes, but not always, the ships leading or protecting these breeding parties are clearly and formally part of Gorn Space Command, and it is unclear where the Hegemony stands politically when these parties attack the Federation.

Some Gorn have ventured and built lives beyond the Hegemony this past century, including settling on Federation worlds. They remain tight-lipped about their home or their species, and often live in small enclaves with other Gorn. But they are always noted as hard workers, finding a niche they can contribute to the wider community, and committing whole-heartedly.

The vast discrepancies between Gorn behaviours, both individually and over political history, has been the subject of much conjecture by the Federation. One theory is that different clans hold different attitudes, that the Arhigos may be from any clan, and that changes in leadership explains sudden shifts between diplomacy and aggression. Another, not necessarily incompatible theory, is that individual Gorn go through great changes over their lifespan. There is much evidence for this, such as the wholly violent nature of Gorn hatchlings, the intense and aggressive nature of breeding adults, and the fact other Gorn have engaged with and even lived in the rest of the galaxy.

It is possible that Gorn fulfill very different societal roles in different phases of their lives. Perhaps a single Arhigos will push different policies at different ages, perhaps the Arhigos will change across clans or age or both depending on the needs of the Hegemony. Perhaps young warriors aggressively protect breeding parties, but mature to become the engineers or leaders of society, or become those who venture beyond the Hegemony’s borders.

There is a lot the Federation does not know about the Gorn.

Military

Dubbed by outsiders the "Gorn Space Command", the Gorn's stellar navy is not large, estimated to be less than a fifth of the size of the Federation fleet, but Hegemony vessels are a match for most alien designs in the Quadrant. Like most major powers, the Gorn deploy scouts, frigates and cruisers throughout their space, as well as special envoy ships and colony vessels.

Gorn military technology remains surprisingly sophisticated and the drive for these reptilian beings to keep up with Federation and Klingon technology is poorly understood. Gorn vessels, even in 2399, are the equal of Federation technology. The power output and the robustness of Gorn reactor cores suggests they can maintain maximum warp for longer periods than equivalent Federation designs.

Gorn weapons and shield technology are a match for Federation armaments and they possess a superior ablative armor analog. Once described as, "like phasers but worse," by one Human, Gorn energy weapons are similar to disruptors, yet are obviously of their own design. Their ships have more primitive sensors and communications systems, and their transporters are unusually rudimentary, and their computers are basic compared to Federation systems.

The Gorn navy is deployed throughout its space in what appears to be a preventative measure - they are constantly scouting their perimeters and reinforcing their listening outposts. When an interloper has been identified - especially when it is a large force - the Gorn react with massive numbers. But the navy has also been seen engaging in frequent battle simulations with itself - even on a fleet-sized scale. This suggests they are committed to keeping their combat skills sharp, and their captains show all the hallmarks of a tactical mind at work, demonstrating that the Gorn are immensely clever. They further demonstrate a collective spirit where victory is more important than the individual.

Not all militarised Gorn ships are part of the navy. This is seen most clearly in the breeding parties, which are sometimes led and protected by unmarked Gorn ships. These parties venture outside of Hegemony space to hunt down humanoids in which they can lay their eggs. They then steal these people back to breeding planets or remain in territory they think they can hold. These are the most common encounters with the Gorn by outsiders, and they remain brutal and dangerous.

In Play

Diplomatic relations with the Gorn are limited, and have been even more so these past fifteen years. The Gorn are territorial and guard their borders jealously, but are also unafraid to send breeding parties against their neighbours.
These breeding parties are bands of warships seeking weak targets where they can abduct humanoids in which to lay their eggs, and either bring them back to breeding planets or hold the territory long enough for the hatchlings to be born. They are deeply aggressive groups of Gorn, and often the only solution is escape of violence.
Some Gorn have left the Hegemony and built lives elsewhere, including in the Federation. They do not discuss their species much, but tend to be committed members of whichever community they are a part of.
Above all, the Gorn are poorly understood by the Federation. They can seem inconsistent, violent one moment and cooperative another. The full cultural context of these shifts is unknown even after a century and a half of contact.
With new canon about the Gorn emerging in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Bravo Fleet has updated fleet canon accordingly. However, Trek canon has given us a variety of Gorn depictions, from the violent breeding parties in SNW to background Gorn living their lives in the Federation in Lower Decks. The Intelligence Office currently uses the explanation that Gorn differ greatly depending on the phase of their life and perhaps their clan. However, we advise limiting interactions with Gorn, and absolutely avoiding sweeping generalisations or advancing political storylines. Individual Gorn or groups of Gorn can be very different, while the Hegemony has minimal political contact with the wider quadrant.

External Information

Gorn (species) at Memory Alpha
Gorn Hegemony at Memory Alpha

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{icons|86}}{{Government
+{{icons|bfc}}{{Government
 |name=Gorn Hegemony
 |image= [[File:Gornhegemon.png|350px]]
-|species=  [[Gorn]]
+|species=  Gorn
-|homeworld= [[Gornar]]
+|homeworld= Gornar
-|founded= Prior to 2154 as a Confederation; reorganized in 2381 as a Hegemony
+|founded= Mid-22nd Century
-|warp= Prior to 2154
+|warp= Early-22nd Century
-|language= Gdhari Trade Tongue, Gorn Approximate (for non-Gorn speakers)
+|language=
-|currency= Gorn Hegemony Credit (Szeket), Gold-pressed Latinum
+|currency=
-|government= Clan- and Caste-based Feudal Hegemony; Matriarchal
+|government= Clan-based Feudal Hegemony
-|leader= Autarch [[Masarith]]
+|leader= Arhigos Masarith
 |advancement=
 |military= Gorn Space Command
-}}The Gorn Hegemony is an interstellar government operated by the [[Gorn]] from the planet [[Gornar]]. Little is known about the Gorn Hegemony culture, other than it is based on a caste system with extreme division of male and female roles. Matters of territory seem to be very important since the hegemony reacts very forcefully to any incursion.  The Hegemony lies at the Federation's "galactic south," at a position both rimward and spinward from the [[United Federation of Planets]].  They share borders with both the Federation and the [[Klingon Empire]].
+}}The Gorn Hegemony is an interstellar government operated by the Gorn from the planet Gornar. Little is known about the Gorn, except that matters of territory seem to be very important since the hegemony reacts very forcefully to any incursion. The Hegemony lies at the Federation's "galactic south," at a position both rimward and spinward from the [[United Federation of Planets]]. They share borders with both the Federation and the [[Klingon Empire]].
-==Political Structure==
-The Gorn government has no participatory system that outsiders would recognize as democratic.  The entirety of Gorn civilization- both the female and male aspects- is an established pecking order based on age, fertility, physical prowess and intelligence.
-===Autarch===
-Roughly translated into Federation Standard, the Gorn leader is known as an Autarch; a Hegemon or Queen would also suffice.  The Autarch of the Gorn Hegemony is an absolute ruler and figurehead.  Autarchs are always female and tend to be beyond egg-laying years.  Gorn females of this stage of life tend to become very obese though remain surprisingly strong and resilient.  The Autarch becomes a figure of venerated respect among the other females of Gorn settlements.  The current Autarch is [[Masarith]], the lead female of the Black Crest Gorn.
-Before the Gorn government underwent a coup d'etat in the 2380's, there were three Autarchs- one for each of the three founding worlds of the Gorn Confederation.  [[Masarith]] slayed the other Autarchs in personal combat, and reorganized the government under her direct rule.  She has allowed new Autarchs with diminished power to take their place as clan chieftains with fealty sworn to her.  Both of these lesser chiefs are daughters of the previous leadership.
+== History ==
-===Feudal Vassals===
+=== First Contact ===
-In Feudal fashion, the Gorn system is layered, with vassals pledging loyalty to a superior in return for ruling on their superior's behalf.  The ultimate superior is the Autarch but her inferiors disseminate property, food and other resources to other, lesser leaders who in turn do the same.  These lesser rulers on the Autarch's behalf roughly equate to neighborhood, city, district, regional, state and sector-sized territory- though it is interesting to note that this Feudal system only takes place in the cities and other urban areas.  The comparative wilds and rural zones where male Gorn tend to reside have a similar pecking order to what they create on starships.
+The origins of the Gorn Hegemony remain unknown to the Federation. Examination of historic records suggests they have been warp capable roughly as long as humanity, but expanded more quickly from aggressive expansionism and what is suspected to be a high birth rate. Reports of hostile encounters from various powers imply the Gorn have always been territorial and uncommunicative on the galactic stage; many species have likely encountered Hegemony forces but never had the chance to identify their attackers - if they lived to tell the tale.
-==Social Structures==
-It is both difficult and vital to understand that Gorn society- and Gorn psychology- have little in common with most Mammalian species.  On fundamental levels, the Gorn do not share the same social aspects sociologists find in other civilizations.  The Gorn are uniquely reptilian.
-The Gorn do not hold the same high regard toward sentient life or hold certain conventions of warfare as sacrosanct.  They lack any concept of the importance of history and do not share the same notions of aesthetics found in other civilizations.  To function as a galacto-political power, they have agreed to certain treaties and have proven to be very trustowrthy in carrying out those agreements- but observed through a very concrete, very literal, lens.
+From the early 23rd century, the Federation had encounters with aliens it would later transpire were the Gorn. Colony ships went missing, border territories were raided, but there were rarely survivors and little information was known about the perpetrators. In the 2250s, Starfleet ships began to have more encounters with Gorn raiding parties, almost all of them violent and never including any substantive communication. At the time, too little was known of the Gorn to establish any formal policy.
-===Strict Gender Interface===
-In all Federation-Gorn interactions in space, aboard vessels, the Gorn present are male.  Their crews are all males of various ages.  The senior officers are older, larger males.  There are no females aboard- ever.  The few female Gorn ever seen outside of Gorn space are older females past the egg-bearing life stage and are sent as emissaries to other galactic governments.  No male has ever been seen in a diplomatic role.
-The rare sociologists who have been allowed in to Gorn territory report that the planets of the Gorn Hegemony have females throughout.  In fact their settlements are overwhelmingly female- the few males present have been very young or very old.  This <i>suggests</i> some kind of social contract between the genders.  Male Gorn are present on Gorn worlds, but they seem to comprise a "rural" existence well away from the female settlements.
+This changed in 2267, when the Gorn attacked the Federation colony and outpost on Cestus III, which they viewed as their territory due to ancient traditions. This engagement was ultimately resolved in favour of the Federation, but it was the first demonstrable political act from the Gorn Hegemony, rather than violent encounters with small parties, and it determined relations for decades to come. The Federation had expanded through this rimward region with impunity, but now had some measure of these aggressive and territorial neighbours.
-====Send Only Females====
-A quirk of Gorn diplomacy or any form of major social interaction is that they allow only females of other species on their worlds.  Scientists, engineers and diplomats sent to Gornar <i>must</i> be female.  The few Gorn females sent offworld to act as emissaries have adjusted, with some difficulty, to dealing with male staff and male diplomats.
-Interactions between Gorn and outsider vessels are often tense when the all-male Gorn are confronted with alien female crew.
+=== A Cold Front ===
-===Gorn Hierarchy===
+While the Federation continued to colonise this frontier, they did not venture much further beyond Cestus. The demonstration of the Federation’s might opened diplomacy enough for both governments to to agree on formal borders, which have changed very little over the last century and a half. But formal communication remains incredibly limited.
-The Gorn follow a strict hierarchy based on gender and within that hierarchy are a number of castes.  While deceptively primitive to outsiders, the Gorn's hierarchy makes sense to them and had endured since the evolution of the species.  What is interesting to note is that the Gorn take their hierarchies to extremes- their social structure does not interact with itself except on very specific terms.  They are even expected to live apart for most of the time.
-It is interesting to note that, by birth rates, males should outnumber females almost 3:1.  However, that is not the case: females marginally outnumber males, which suggests a high mortality rate among males.
+The Gorn Hegemony have been an unreliable neighbour. A lack of diplomatic access makes their internal affairs opaque, but it is clear the Gorn go through periods of territorialism, aggression, and expansionism, sometimes with little warning. On those occasions Starfleet will reinforce the border, and have learnt that they need to meet strength with strength to rebuff the Gorn. Yet sometimes decades have gone by with almost no contact from the Hegemony.
-====Females====
-The females of the Gorn species are larger, more aggressively territorial and more protective than Gorn males.  Their intelligence is also wired somewhat differently, with different strengths compared to males.  The females of the Gorn are the "nesters"- the ones that have built a civilization.  It is they, almost exclusively, which live and work in the cities of the Gorn.  They maintain all aspects of government and home life.  To a Federation sociologist's eye, the female Gorn would appear to be the more civilized of the two hierarchies, and certainly more social, more organized of the two.
-====Males====
-Gorn males, by comparison, are the hunters and the territorial acquirers.  They are expected to provide food and resources for the female Gorn.  As opposed to the "settling" instincts of females, males are wild and prefer rural or wild surroundings.  They only form the most rudimentary settlements well away from female settlements.  Their system of governance is more akin to the military hierarchy seen aboard Gorn vessels- an established pecking order based on power and age.
-====Hierarchy in Practice====
-The Gorn Hegemony functions with the two hierarchies working separately but for the same cause- continuing the Gorn species.  Males hunt in the vast wilds of their planets.  Males make up the various hunting parties that also leave their star systems.  Males lay claim to new worlds when it is deemed necessary to expand their food resources or their need to increase population.  The males operate as the main face of the Gorn navy and military.
-Gorn females keep the society running.  They produce offspring, care for their infirm and maintain justice.  It is the Gorn females which dispatch male hunting parties and expeditions when food resources or nursery worlds are needed.  The females rule and declare war and it is they who choose which males will have the right to fight for breeding rights with which females.
+It has been a particularly fraught fifteen years for Gorn-Federation relations. While there has been no further colonising to antagonise the Hegemony, the border has been left less-defended despite repeated protests by local Starfleet officers. There have been no formal conflicts with the Hegemony, but Starfleet report more military forces on the border, and skirmishes with opportunistic Gorn ships are not uncommon.
-Except for children and a select few elderly, infirm males, Gorn females do not allow Gorn males into their cities.  The outer "ring" of Gorn cities is an interface zone where males come to trade food and supplies with Gorn females- and when allowed, to mate.  Otherwise, male Gorn found in Gorn female cities without reason are usually executed and used as food stock.
+== Political Structure ==
-===Gorn Castes===
+While the Gorn government does not seem to have any participatory system that is recognisable to outsiders, diplomats have insisted that the Hegemony is not simply an authoritarian dictatorship. What is known of Gorn civilisation suggests there to be a complex hierarchy in place based on age, fertility, physical prowess, and intelligence, and that while the most powerful may rule by decree, they are also subject to a myriad concerns, constraints, and expectations to keep their authority. The head of the Hegemony is known as the '''Arhigos''', which roughly translates as 'leader' or 'chief'. The Federation has only known there to be female Arhigos, usually in a later stage of life and respected as wise elders.
-The Gorn caste system is unusual in that it is not imposed at birth, and some aspects of it change as a Gorn ages.  Rather, Gorn are conditioned, based on their strengths and peculiarities, to fit certain molds that Gorn society requires.
-====Crones====
-Crones are the female Gorn who are past their egg-laying years.  By this stage, Gorn females become very large and obese, but their territorial and maternal instincts also increase.  Crones are the leaders of Gorn society.  They make the decisions that drive the Hegemony and allow for the interface between the male and female hierarchies.  Crones are sometimes sent as Gorn observers to alien civilizations.  It is also the job of the Crones to drive out young males when they reach their fertile years- a job which they do exceedingly well and with great relish.  Crones are known to be intolerant, even vicious, to fertile males in their presence.
-====Fertile Mothers====
-Young Gorn females out of adolescence become capable of laying eggs- and the years of these females is devoted greatly to that task.  Fertile Mothers are one of the most revered but also most corralled of the Gorn.  Fertile Mothers rear the children and guard the egg nurseries.  Much like a Muslim <i>harem</i>, the Fertile Mothers are under the control of their elders- the Crones.  Fertile Mothers do not choose their mates: Crones initiate competition between males and the victors are allowed to choose.
-====Hunters====
-The vast majority of fertile young and middle-aged Gorn males are of the Hunter caste.  By extension, these males also act as soldiers and the military of the Hegemony.  Rank within the Hunters is determined by merit, age and physical power, as well as how many females a Gorn male has been allowed to inseminate in his lifetime.  The Hunters make up a pecking order aboard their ships, in their hunting parties and in the wilds of their worlds.
-====Makers====
-Makers are a curious phenomena among the Gorn.  They are as close to asexuality as the Gorn seems to get.  They may be the evolutionary fluke that allowed the Gorn to ascend technologically, yet they are among the lower castes.  These unsung heroes of the Hegemony lack high levels of testosterone and estrogen and never reach a fertile stage.  They tend to be unusually intelligent.  Makers can be both male and female, though they still diversify according to the sexual hierarchy.
-Makers are the engineers and artisans, the thinkers, of the Gorn world.  While all Gorn are fairly intelligent, the Makers have a sense of intelligence and creativity that differs.  While no less competitive and aggressive, they lack the desire to reproduce.  And as they age, they seem to become more intelligent and more creative.  And, curiously, like females, male and female Makers tend to grow enormously obese by middle age.
+The Gorn maintain a clan structure, with different clans responsible for different swathes of territory. Due to their position on the trailing border of the Hegemony, the Federation has most often dealt with the '''Black Crest Clan'''. It is not known how many Gorn clans exist, but clan leaders are known to answer to, advise, and perhaps keep in-check the Arhigos.
-====Scouts====
-Scouts are young, newly fertile males which have a keen eye for detail but lack the power of their elders when it comes to hunting.  The Gorn males make little distinction between a Scout and a Hunter in the everyday, but Scouts are usually beta males- they do not have the ability to compete for the best females or the best resources yet.  Not all fertile males begin as scouts.
-The Scouts are the Gorn males with two unique situations: they tend to be the most loner, often preferring to avoid male settlements and gatherings because are in danger there; they are among the males that Crones will (briefly) allow into the cities in order to send messages to the Hunters regarding directives- a job with a high mortality rate as well.
+The Gorn view many neighbouring sectors as 'their' territory, though they will not necessarily act on this perspective. It is possible they take a long-term view, assuming all will eventually fall under the Hegemony's rule. There has been little expansion of the Hegemony in recent decades, and their complete uninterest in exploration has seen them rarely extend their interest beyond their region of the Quadrant.
-====Rememberers====
-Rememberers are considered to be among the lowest rank of Gorn castes.  They are males beyond their years of child-bearing though some are old Makers.  These unusual Gorn have a longer memory than other Gorn (except Crones).  They serve as teachers and historians for the Gorn, the latter which has never been considered a very important task.  Rememberers are unusual in that they cross existing gender lines.  Their numbers are very limited- few Gorn males live this long- but as they are no longer a threat to Fertile Mothers, they are allowed to exist in Gorn cities.
-===Gorn Clans===
-The Gorn concept of clans is loose, and of diminishing importance in the face of the recent coup d'etat and reorganization of the Confederation as a Hegemony.  There are three recognized clans, all of equal importance within Gorn society.  They correspond to which world the Gorn originally came from- the three "nursery" planets in the Gdhar system.  Over the (likely) many millenia that they were separate civilizations, variations in their genetic expression were enough to differentiate one Gorn from another based on their homeworld.
-====Blueskin====
-These Gorn appear to have a vaguely bluish lean to their otherwise green skin.  The ridges around their eyes are somewhat more pronounced than the Pale Crest.
-====Black Crest====
-These Gorn are similar to the Pale Crest: their flesh is green with an olive colored lean.  However, the ridges on their scalp and around their eyes taper to a deep green, almost black and like the Blueskin, their flared eyebrow ridges are more pronounced.
-====Pale Crest====
-The Pale Crest are an olive green color.  Their eye and head ridges are somewhat smaller than the other two Gorn ethncities and appear pale in color- becoming as pale as bone on some individual Gorn.
-===Food, Hunting and Mating Rights===
-The Gorn are frustrating to all parties to trade with.  In the cities, the Szeket, a form of Gorn credit, is used for purchases, most of which are foodstuffs.  The Gorn will use gold-pressed latinum for the few transactions they make outside their society.  But the Gorn "need" and "want" almost nothing from outsiders.  The Gorn do not have the an appreciation for music or art, and wealth in itself is useless to them.  They do seem to respect hunting trophies and Gorn males build reputations around them.
-Access to food, procuring food for themselves and the right to mate seem to be the preferred rewards for Gorn- particularly male Gorn.  The Gorn males seem to enjoy hunting and are known to take trophies from challenging kills.  Gorn males also desire mating rights, though they seem to have no interest in mating with non-Gorn.
+== Culture ==
-====Foe as Food====
+On the surface, the Gorn are territorial, blunt, and prepared to use violence to get their way. They are prone to expressing their needs openly and appearing resistant to compromise. They clearly have a strong commitment to their culture and their species, and most Gorn encountered are committed to the interests of the Hegemony. They are highly community-minded, valuing strength among their citizens and in their enemies. While this is most commonly martial prowess, many have made headway demonstrating personal cunning, or keen diplomatic insight, or a dogged commitment to one's beliefs or goals.
-An immediate concern that arose from the first sociologists that studied the Gorn was the prevalence of cannibalism both in practice and in Gorn legend.  Victorious Gorn may eat their fallen foe, particularly a hard-fought foe or during times of hardship.  The Gorn make no distinction between sentient and non-sentient meat sources.  Both male and female Gorn partake though as usual, males as the hunter caste defer more of a hunt to their females so that they may continue to produce children.
-To the civilizations across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, ritual cannibalism is not new, nor is it rare during times of extreme hardship.  There is anecdotal evidence that [[Klingon|Klingons]] have engaged in the practice.  [[Nausicaan|Nausicaans]] are known to engage in a power-by-consumption ritual over slain foes.  The [[Ba'ul]] consumed [[Kelpien|Kelpiens]] as a stock foodstuff.  However, cannibalism remains an illegal act by several compacts signed on to by the major galactic powers.
+There remain encounters with Gorn breeding parties that are uniformly violent. These groups of Gorn seek out lifeforms in which they can lay their eggs and either establish a nest or bring them back to a breeding planet. This is the Gorn at their most aggressive and intractable, wholly opposed to communication and only seeking violence to secure and protect their broods. Sometimes, but not always, the ships leading or protecting these breeding parties are clearly and formally part of Gorn Space Command, and it is unclear where the Hegemony stands politically when these parties attack the Federation.
-The Gorn agreed to sign on to these compacts but their interpretation has been very literal- they only abide by the conventions with species that have specifically signed the compact.  There is anecdotal evidence that suggests the Gorn continue the practice among themselves, particularly during hardship, and what they are doing on their hunting expeditions is anyone's guess.
+Some Gorn have ventured and built lives beyond the Hegemony this past century, including settling on Federation worlds. They remain tight-lipped about their home or their species, and often live in small enclaves with other Gorn. But they are always noted as hard workers, finding a niche they can contribute to the wider community, and committing whole-heartedly.
-==Diplomatic Relations==
-A deeply territorial and xenophobic species, the Gorn see only limited use for diplomacy with alien life.  The Gorn view mammals with the same full revulsion as mammals tend to view reptilians with.  Neither are the Gorn explorers, save that they send expeditions to hunt for sport and food on habitable worlds.  The few agreements the Gorn abide by are largely designed to prevent another misunderstanding like the surprise attack on Cestus III in 2267.
-For all of their xenophobia and aggressive natures, the Gorn are not particularly war-like or expansionist.  They prefer to be left alone, allowed to expand when their society needs the room.
+The vast discrepancies between Gorn behaviours, both individually and over political history, has been the subject of much conjecture by the Federation. One theory is that different clans hold different attitudes, that the Arhigos may be from any clan, and that changes in leadership explains sudden shifts between diplomacy and aggression. Another, not necessarily incompatible theory, is that individual Gorn go through great changes over their lifespan. There is much evidence for this, such as the wholly violent nature of Gorn hatchlings, the intense and aggressive nature of breeding adults, and the fact other Gorn have engaged with and even lived in the rest of the galaxy.
-Trade is equally difficult with the Hegemony.  The Gorn see little value in alien forms of art, music or culture.  What little they trade for mostly consists of novel meat products, weaponry (primarily hand weaponry) and the occasional piece of technology.  The Gorn only export one foodstuff- an unusual blue-tinted drink known as "Meridor."
+It is possible that Gorn fulfill very different societal roles in different phases of their lives. Perhaps a single Arhigos will push different policies at different ages, perhaps the Arhigos will change across clans or age or both depending on the needs of the Hegemony. Perhaps young warriors aggressively protect breeding parties, but mature to become the engineers or leaders of society, or become those who venture beyond the Hegemony’s borders.
-===United Federation of Planets===
-The Treaty of Cestus III was put in place in 2267 to avoid another massacre.  The Gorn had viewed Cestus III as one of their nursery worlds and reacted violently when they discovered a Human colony there.  The Treaty of Cestus III is hailed by many as an example that two completely different species with alien agendas can still come to coexist peacefully.  And for all their aggressive posturing when alien vessels come near Gorn space, the Hegemony has honored the agreement to the letter (but literally to the letter).
-Trade with the Federation remains both brisk and sporadic.  Meridor is an acquired taste with a limited market.  Despite all the Federation's overtures to give the Gorn better replicator technology so they no longer need hunt, the Gorn have flatly refused.
+There is a lot the Federation does not know about the Gorn.
-====Tellarites====
-A success when it comes to Federation trade, the [[Tellarite|Tellarites]] have somewhat frequent trade with the Gorn.  The Gorn appreciate Tellarite hand weaponry and they share a love of both hunting and meat.  The Tellarites, because of the distance between [[Flaxos]] and [[Gornar]], are the primary middle men for the [[Flaxian]] perfume industry- another product the Tellarites and Gorn have a common love for.
-===Klingon Empire===
-The [[Klingon|Klingons]] and the Gorn have an understanding: leave us alone and we will leave you alone.  They have engaged in sporadic skirmishes throughout the history of their shared border.  The Klingons have learned, like the Federation, to leave the Gorn alone.  Hawkish members of the Klingon High Council point to the Gorn as an "easy conquest"- their fleet is much smaller than the Klingon Defense Forces.  However, the more strategic-minded Klingon generals are of the (correct) opinion that it is unfeasible: the Gorn would rather die as a race than live a subjugated existence.  The cost to the Empire would be enormous- but that doesn't stop eager young Klingon officers looking for glory from proposing it.
-The Klingons and the Gorn do have one surprising feature- trade is common between them, done very carefully at border outposts.  The Klingons are the primary resellers of Meridor in the Quadrant.  Klingons have little taste for it themselves, but the [[Orion]] traders in their part of [[Orion Colonies|The Borderlands]] guzzle the stuff.  In return, Gorn buy Klingon weaponry (mostly blades) and it seems the Gorn have quite a taste for Targ as a delicacy.
+== Military ==
-===Romulan Successor States===
+Dubbed by outsiders the "Gorn Space Command", the Gorn's stellar navy is not large, estimated to be less than a fifth of the size of the Federation fleet, but Hegemony vessels are a match for most alien designs in the Quadrant. Like most major powers, the Gorn deploy scouts, frigates and cruisers throughout their space, as well as special envoy ships and colony vessels.
-The Gorn Hegemony and the Romulan Successor States have no formal diplomatic contact and no trade.
-===Cardassian Union===
-Although the Cardassians have a taste for Meridor as a delicacy, they have little to trade that interests the Gorn.  The Gorn are simply too far from Cardassia to begin with.  Cardassians get their Meridor from the [[Flaxian|Flaxians]] and [[Orion|Orions]].  The Union has no other formal diplomatic contact with the Gorn.
-===Ferengi Alliance===
-Twice, overzealous Ferengi Marauders have tried to penetrate Gorn space to open trade- both times the ships were chased back into Federation space with heavy damage done to them.  The Ferengi protested the treatment of their people which the Gorn never even bothered to reply to.  The Ferengi and the Gorn have no relationship.  The Ferengi, as a whole, find Meridor "foul and musky" but their peddlers resell it from Orion and Flaxian retailers.
-===Tholian Assembly===
-The [[Tholian Assembly]] and the Gorn Hegemomy have no relationship.
-===Orion Colonies===
-The early relationship between the [[Orion|Orions]] and Gorn were poor- the [[Orion Syndicate]] sought Gorn males for combatants in their Tatharoc arenas, and as general, powerful slave labor; the Gorn reacted violently and have destroyed all Orion vessels that have entered their space since.  The current relationship remains much the same, but the Syndicate has learned to leave the Gorn alone.
-The Orions have a deep appreciation for Meridor and resell it to the greater Quadrant through Klingon and Flaxian distributors.  The Orions have otherwise deemed the Gorn as not worth their efforts.
+Gorn military technology remains surprisingly sophisticated and the drive for these reptilian beings to keep up with Federation and Klingon technology is poorly understood. Gorn vessels, even in 2399, are the equal of Federation technology. The power output and the robustness of Gorn reactor cores suggests they can maintain maximum warp for longer periods than equivalent Federation designs.
-===Flaxians===
-The [[Flaxian|Flaxians]] are unique: they have a corner on a market that no one else has quite been able to edge.  Gorn do not appreciate the art and culture of other species- they don't see in color or hear like mammals.  However, Flaxian perfumes are highly prized as aphrodisiacs and muscle relaxants for egg-bearing Gorn females.  It seems the Flaxians have found one art form that the Gorn can't get enough of.
-Because of Flaxos' distance from Gorn space, the Flaxian perfumers use a trusted (and well-compensated) intermediary- the [[Tellarite|Tellarites]].  In return, Gorn Meridor flows like water on Flaxos and through them, to several other systems who have no access to the pungent drink.
+Gorn weapons and shield technology are a match for Federation armaments and they possess a superior ablative armor analog. Once described as, "like phasers but worse," by one Human, Gorn energy weapons are similar to disruptors, yet are obviously of their own design. Their ships have more primitive sensors and communications systems, and their transporters are unusually rudimentary, and their computers are basic compared to Federation systems.
-==History==
-Gorn history is difficult to piece together because they allow few outsiders open access to the sparse records they keep.  Their concept of “history” is further complicated by the fact that the Gorn see only limited use for the concept.  Though Gorn are linear, corporeal beings, the past and the future are more vague concepts to them- and far less important than the present time.  This seems to be both a cultural concept and a psychological one- the Gorn brain has more in common with the Human amygdala than the cerebral mass seen in most mammalians.
-What little that can be gleaned of Gorn history is pulled from archaeological records studied by the rare scientists that have been allowed in Gorn territory.  What is clear is that a few collective moments of major historical events has been passed down, but the authenticity of the claims cannot be independently verified.  Gorn “history” is more akin to saga mythology and ancient propaganda, largely used to reinforce social codes and support of the Gorn clan and caste system.  It stresses the importance of mating and producing offspring.  Gorn history is also quite graphic in its description of hunting and the consumption of prey.  These are stories and legends that, considering the linear nature of Gorn imagination, likely have some truth to them.
+The Gorn navy is deployed throughout its space in what appears to be a preventative measure - they are constantly scouting their perimeters and reinforcing their listening outposts. When an interloper has been identified - especially when it is a large force - the Gorn react with massive numbers. But the navy has also been seen engaging in frequent battle simulations with itself - even on a fleet-sized scale. This suggests they are committed to keeping their combat skills sharp, and their captains show all the hallmarks of a tactical mind at work, demonstrating that the Gorn are immensely clever. They further demonstrate a collective spirit where victory is more important than the individual.
-===Gorn Antiquity===
-Gorn sagas studied by Federation science have pieced together an event that probably dates back a few thousand years, but an exact archaeological timeline is difficult to state- the Gorn almost never allow access to the [[Gdhar]] star system.  The Gorn civilization began at Gdhar but it is questionable if that system too is their native star.  What is clear that the Gorn system of government- at the time, a Confederation- began in that star system.
-Analyzing events from Gorn mythology, a diaspora-like event of proto-Gorn spread the civilization across three systems.  In the mythology, "Great Father" wished to devour his clutch of eggs.  S'Yahazah, the Fertile Mother, spirited away her clutch and hid them from their father until they could grow to adulthood.  She knew to hide them in several locations rather than risk Great Father finding them all.  Great Father hunted for his clutch with endless hunger until, finally, S'Yahazah rose up to fight him to protect the last of her eggs.  Great Father was defeated and exiled into the night- an allegory believed to reference space itself.
+Not all militarised Gorn ships are part of the navy. This is seen most clearly in the breeding parties, which are sometimes led and protected by unmarked Gorn ships. These parties venture outside of Hegemony space to hunt down humanoids in which they can lay their eggs. They then steal these people back to breeding planets or remain in territory they think they can hold. These are the most common encounters with the Gorn by outsiders, and they remain brutal and dangerous.
-At some point prior to 2154 of the Earth calendar, the Gorn of the [[Gdhar]] system encountered one another on three worlds around that star system, one understood by Federation cartographers to be a trinary.  How the Gorn came to understand that they were offshoots of the same progenitor species is not clear and the Gorn have nothing to say on the subject.  But the three civilizations came together in the first Gorn Confederation.  Each world has an Autarch, a single ruling despot, which now cooperated with the other two.
+== In Play ==
+* Diplomatic relations with the Gorn are limited, and have been even more so these past fifteen years. The Gorn are territorial and guard their borders jealously, but are also unafraid to send breeding parties against their neighbours.
+* These breeding parties are bands of warships seeking weak targets where they can abduct humanoids in which to lay their eggs, and either bring them back to breeding planets or hold the territory long enough for the hatchlings to be born. They are deeply aggressive groups of Gorn, and often the only solution is escape of violence.
+* Some Gorn have left the Hegemony and built lives elsewhere, including in the Federation. They do not discuss their species much, but tend to be committed members of whichever community they are a part of.
+* Above all, the Gorn are poorly understood by the Federation. They can seem inconsistent, violent one moment and cooperative another. The full cultural context of these shifts is unknown even after a century and a half of contact.
+* With new canon about the Gorn emerging in ''Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'', Bravo Fleet has updated fleet canon accordingly. However, Trek canon has given us a variety of Gorn depictions, from the violent breeding parties in SNW to background Gorn living their lives in the Federation in ''Lower Decks''. The Intelligence Office currently uses the explanation that Gorn differ greatly depending on the phase of their life and perhaps their clan. However, we advise limiting interactions with Gorn, and absolutely avoiding sweeping generalisations or advancing political storylines. Individual Gorn or groups of Gorn can be very different, while the Hegemony has minimal political contact with the wider quadrant.
-What drove the Gorn from this star system is not clear- but the three Gorn civilizations agreed to resettle on a world known to Federation science as [[Gornar]], in the Gorn star system.  Whether this migration was voluntary or forced by some circumstance is unclear, but the Gorn make no mention of any natural disaster or event that would have required it.  The timeline of this migration is also poorly understood, but the oldest dated buildings on Gornar come in around 2154 CE.
+= External Information =
+* [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Gorn Gorn (species)] at Memory Alpha
+* [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Gorn_Hegemony Gorn Hegemony] at Memory Alpha
-Concurrent to the events of colonizing Gornar, the Gorn spread to several other worlds forming the nascent interstellar body that will become the modern Gorn Hegemony.
+[[Category:Beta Quadrant]]
-==Military==
-[[File:Ahgamas-class.jpg|300px|thumb|left|link=Special:FilePath/Ahgamas-class.jpg]]Dubbed by outsiders the, "Gorn Space Command," the Gorn's stellar navy is not large- less than a fifth of the size of the Federation fleet- but Hegemony vessels are a match for most alien designs in the Quadrant.  Like most galacto-political powers, the Gorn deploy scouts, frigates and cruisers throughout their space, as well as special envoy ships and colony vessels.  Their vessels are smaller than Federation vessels- the largest cruiser in the Gorn catalog is only marginally larger than the Klingon Vor'cha class.
-The Hegemony also possess freighters- which seldom seem to leave Hegemony space- and unusual "hunt-bases" where foodstock are raised and slaughtered offworld.  They have shipyards and a tremendous number of unmanned listening posts that define their borders, complete with tachyon detection grids.  They have incubator ships that remain in Gorn space- essentially automated, floating stasis chambers with hundreds of fertilized ovum, ready to be turned in to new Gorn should a crisis destroy most of their planetside population.
-===Military Technology===
-Gorn military technology remains surprisingly sophisticated and the drive for these reptilian beings to keep up with Federation and Klingon technology is poorly understood.  Gorn vessels, even in 2399, are the equal of Federation technology.  Their engine systems are on par with Federation design and they have been seen making use of subspace corridors.  The power output and the robustness of Gorn reactor cores suggests they can maintain maximum warp for longer periods than like Federation designs.
-Gorn weapons and shield technology are a match for Federation armaments and they possess a superior ablative armor analog.  Once described as, "like phasers but worse," by one Human, Gorn energy weapons are similar to disruptors, yet are obviously of their own design.  Gorn disruptors do not function like Klingon or Romulan weaponry.
-Gorn ships have more primitive sensors and communications systems, and their transporters are unusually rudimentary.  Gorn computers are basic compared to Federation systems.
-===Gorn Military Tactics===
-The Gorn do not show any interest in conquest.  They do not capture alien worlds or subjugate alien populations.  Instead, when an interloper is detected in their space, it is met with overwhelming and deadly force.  The Gorn rarely seem to accept surrender- they either destroy the enemy or the enemy flees (and may be pursed for quite some time).
-When an interloper has been identified- especially when it is a large force- the Gorn react with massive numbers.  Their Captains show all the hallmarks of a tactical mind at work, demonstrating that the Gorn are immensely clever.  The Gorn also demonstrate a collective spirit that victory is more important than the individual.  Damaged Gorn craft have been seen habitually as weapons of last resort: rather than be abandoned, the Gorn will make every effort to ram large enemy vessels with their craft to inflict massive casualties on their foe.
-===Deployment===
-The Gorn Navy is deployed throughout its space in what appears to be a preventative measure- they are constantly scouting their perimeters and reinforcing their listening outposts.  But the Navy has also been seen engaging in frequent battle simulations with itself- even on a fleet-sized scale.  This suggests that the Gorn are keenly aware of keeping their combat skills sharp.  Further, these simulations have been shown to resemble "fox hunts."  Small craft are released and are hunted by other Gorn craft.  The prey-craft seems to use whatever means to last as long as it can before it is captured again.
-The Gorn also send out what can only be described as "hunting parties."  These can be individual ships or small groups.  Much of the time they venture into uncharted space where they have been seen on Federation space telescopes to remain for months.  Occasionally they move through the space of other alien governments, again looking for unaligned or unclaimed systems.  Intelligence, though indirect, is fairly certain that these "hunting parties" locate worlds and then the crews engage in a planetside hunting expedition, often for months at a time.
-==Recent Interactions with the Hegemony==
-*The Gorn coup d'etat in the early 2380's caused Starfleet initial alarm.  It was uncertain at the time if this "reorganization" of the Gorn state would lead to instability in their Empire, or inspire attacks on Federation or Klingon space.  Despite the fear, no threat ever manifested: the Gorn never made any hostile overtures and, in the months that followed, reconfirmed their willingness to abide by previous treaties and agreements.
-*It is very clear that the Gorn are active on their rimward and spinward borders, as well as their "up" and "down" z-axis.  Starfleet hasn't seen any appreciable increase in their fleet's production outputs and there has been no change in the deployment of their fleets near Federation space.
-*In the past ten years, the Hegemony have annexed five star systems, all on their rimward frontier.  None were believed to be populated but may contain Class M or near-M, desert-like conditions.  In accordance with the Treaty of Cestus III, a female Gorn "Ambassador" contacted Starfleet's Ambassador and reported these annexations, complete with the standard Gorn warning that any violation of their space will provoke a lethal and overwhelming response.
-*The Gorn have, several times in the last twenty years, sent "hunting parties" through Federation space.  They have become more common but have not shown any remote sign of hostility toward Federation assets.  In fact they seem to take pains to avoid them.  Instead it is clear that these ships are simply, "passing through."  It has been the practice of Starfleet, at least as of now, to not impede these vessels.
-*The Gorn have shown some interest in passing through the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant, again with all the hallmarks that they are engaging in some kind of hunting expedition.
-==The Gorn in Play==
-*The Gorn are xenophobic of other alien civilizations and will only interact with them if they must.  Gorn do not answer distress calls and seldom send one out for aid- most Gorn would rather die than accept help from aliens.
-*Gorn vessels are staffed exclusively by Gorn males- there are no females present.  The seeking of new foodstuffs (hunting), protecting their current territory and locating new breeding territory are the roles of male Gorn.
-*The Gorn have no interest in conquest but are extremely protective of what they consider their sovereign territory.  Incursions into their space that have not been sanctioned are met with overwhelming and deadly force.  Either the hostile retreats- and is often chased some distance- or is destroyed.
-*Despite their xenophobia, Gorn ships- usually small scouts- are encountered throughout the Quadrant.  They generally keep to themselves and head in to uncharted space.  Intelligence and sociological studies have determined that these Gorn scouts are largely engaging in hunting expeditions on distant worlds.  Gorn have entered the Gamma Quadrant in the past but have not yet shown interest in the Delta Quadrant; that is likely to change.
-*The Gorn dispatch older females beyond egg-laying years as Ambassadors to other political powers- but they do so sparingly.
-=See also=
-*[[ma:Gorn|Gorn]] at Memory Alpha

Difference between revisions of "Gorn Hegemony"