TRILL

 

CLASS: M   OFFICIAL NAME: Trill Symbiosis   GOVERNMENT: UFP (admitted 2285)   CAPITAL: Leran Manev   DOMINANT SPECIES: Trill and Symbionts   POPULATION: 650 million Trill.                             11 million Symbiont   COLONIES: Shal- Tul, Kurl (Ancient)

 

TRILL HOMEWORLD

 

The Trill Homeworld also known as Trillius Prime is a class M planet in the Alpha Quadrant. Located on the edge of Federation Space close to Caldik and Klaestron. Trill is in a sector close to both the ‘northern’ border of the Cardassian Union and the Tzenkethi Coalition.

The planet is known for its unique purple oceans. The land masses are covered by hundreds of lakes and pools.

 

Leran Manev

The Capital of Trill is Leran Manev. Originally the nominal capital of the planet was Mak’ala the small city close to the Caves of Mak’ala, however in line with the services available in Leran Manev the capital was moved there.

Leran Manev is a sprawling city graceful copper towers and pools. The city is located on Manev Bay and close to Trills tallest Mountain – Bes Manev.

The City boasts many attractions including the Senate Tower, Manev Central Hospital, Symbiosis Commission, Najana Library and a Shuttle Dock on Maran Avenue.

 

Other Cities:

 

Gheryzan – in the East. With a Hospital

New Scirupo

Bona

Tenara – Site of the famous Tenarian Ice Caves and Tenaran Music Academy.

Mak’ala – Site of the Caves of Mak’ala the primary Symbiont pools on the planet.

 

Other Sites:

Lake Devritane

Lake Ogralo

Hoobishan Baths

 

TRILL PHYSIOLOGY

 

The Trill are a joined species, they live in a symbiosis with a vermiform slug like native creature.

The Trill are humanoid in appearance and have a similar anatomy. There are two races of Trill, the result possibly of convergent evolution or a stable mutation. The two races are labelled Alpha and Beta. Alpha Trill are more sensitive to joining. They have low cranial ridges on the forehead that rise in a ‘V’ from the bridge of the nose. Beta Trill the more common (90%) of the two races have facial markings, twin lines of irregular brown/tan spots that run from the temples down the back.

All Trill have a vestigial brood pouch that was ancestrally used to protect young infants, it is in this pouch that the symbiont can attached.

 

As a joined species both Symbiont and Host gain great benefit. The host derives the advantage of access to a multitude of memories and a chance to live in perpetuity. Symbionts also lend the host vastly superior regenerative abilities. The symbiont gains nutrition and protection as well as the ability to travel outside the breeding pools.

 

Trills have a more complicated inheritance system than humans with RDNAL being the coding factor. This complexity leads to the variation between Alphas and Betas which no doubt arose far back in their genetic lineage. Neurologically the Trill seem highly adapted for symbiosis. The connection between host and symbiont is on a certain level telepathic and relies heavily on the neurotransmitter Isoboramine.

 

Symbionts are aquatic worm/slug like creatures that dwell in nutrient rich pools often in caves. The symbionts communicate to each other via electrical impulses. There appears to be no differences in sex.

Older symbionts that remain unjoined can grow to incredible sizes but a rarely seen, remaining in the depths of the underwater cave networks.

 

The symbiosis is the most fascinating aspect of Trill biology. A symbiont once a suitable host is chosen can be implanted via simple surgery into the hosts pouch. The symbiont then binds with the host both mentally and physically. The joining very quickly becomes irreversible, for a long time the longest time a joined host could survive without a symbiont was 93 hours, however recent developments have led to the development of a drug that enables a symbiont to be removed to no detriment to the host.

When a host dies the symbiont can be passed to another. The memories and experiences of the deceased are then passed on.

 

 

TRILL HISTORY

 

In Trills ancient prehistory the symbionts gained sentience first, they lived at that time in all water courses on the planet. They quickly realised that they were able to join with other creatures that had a suitable enough physiology. This enabled the symbionts to explore the ‘above world’ something a kin to the revolution of man first taking flight or the first moon landing.

Symbiosis to a humanoid host is attributed to Hodak. Hodak realised that by placing ‘riverworms’ in the pouches of the ill helped their recovery. The First Symbiont to experience the merging with a humanoid was Sef.

It was quickly apparent that joining between the two species was highly beneficial. Quickly being joined with a symbiont became a status symbol and something of great value. Only those found the most worthy and suitable were ever joined.

 

When the Trill spread out into space they attempted to set up other colonies, at the same time there was a lot of unrest from a faction of Trill who wanted an exclusively joined community. 15 million trill left Trill to found such a community on a planet named Kurl. At first the colony did well but Kurl was home to a number of deadly viruses pretty soon 10% of the inhabitants had been killed. In an effort to survive the colonies leaders turned to enhancing the symbionts immune system. They tinkered with their genetics in the hope of boosting their resistance. The side effect was an additional change in morphology and the nature of the joining. Whereas as true joining is a merging of personalities, the new symbionts dominated their hosts and were increasingly malevolent. Appalled that the sacred bond had been abused so much the Trill Government quarantined the planet, unsure how to rectify the problem it was decided it better to remove the problem completely before it spread and destroyed the colony and everyone in it.

This act prompted the Trill to become insular and they withdrew to their homeworld. All evidence of the Kurlan Colony was removed and over time Trills first space expansion was forgotten.

 

The Trill remained ever cautious of their bond to the symbionts and despite continuing contact with other races, first contact with the Vulcans, allowing aliens to live on the homeworld and joining the Federation in 2285 they worked hard not to reveal their joined status. They maintained this secrecy at all costs, security agents were hired to keep track of the secret and ensure it was never revealed. Even when they joined the Federation only a handful in the Council and Starfleet were ever made aware.

 

In 2367 the secret of Trills joined nature became more widely known when Ambassaor Odan was injured and required a new host whilst aboard the USS Enterprise. Within a few years the secret was no more and it was common knowledge that the Trill were a joined species.

 

In 2373 the secret that in fact half the trill population where suitable for joining was exposed by Commander Sisko and Dr Bashir. Up till then the Symbiosis Commission stated only 1 in 1000 was suitable. They perpetuated the lie as there were not enough symbionts for all and feared establishing a black market for them. The facts were suppressed oncemore.

 

Such secrecy often has a way of getting out and it did so in spectacular style in 2376. As Bajor joined the Federation First Minister Shakaar was assassinated by Hiziki Gard. Gard was under orders from the Commission. It was revealed that Shakaar had been infected by a parasite, the same parasites that had infested StarFleet Command in 2374. Shakaar was infected on a visit to Minos Korva and was part of a plan to use the USS Gryphon to attack Trill itself.

Staff at Deep Space Nine discovered that the parasites were the corrupted form of the symbionts though destroyed on Kurl. The parasites are intent on destroying the symbionts and trill for what they did.

The assassination and the following political implications created much disturbance on Trill and led to an uprising by the growing Neo-Purist group. The Neo-purists suspected that the joining rates were untrue and that something else was behind the cover story given for the Gryphons failed attack on the homeworld. The Neo-Purists wanted an end to all symbiosis, in particular the class divide that existed. Trills reverence for the joined meant that often medical treatment was prioritised to the Joined to the detriment of others. The unrest erupted in to a semi-organised terrorism campaign. A key Senator – Rylen Talris was killed and electromagnetic bombs were set off across Trills main cities. The electromagnetic pulses disassociated the symbionts from their hosts and killed them. In a series of bombings one particularly close to the spawning grounds at Mak’ala killed upward of 90% of all the symbionts on the planet at the time.

Such an act devastated the planet nearly tearing it apart. President Maz however was able to calm the situation by taking bold steps, she herself gave up her symbiont. Maz was returned to the pools to reproduce, she ordered that no more Trills would be joined and when hosts dies the symbionts likewise would be returned to the pools until such time as their numbers were recovered enough to sustain joining oncemore. Now President Durghan showed that she was willing to return to live like a normal unjoined trill and enabled a dialogue to be opened with the malcontents.

 

 

TRILL SOCIETY

 

Trill society is incredibly complex, understandably so when some individuals have memories stretching back centuries. The Society is regulated by a strict reverence for the symbionts and the joined. Most key places in Government and in fact any organisation are held by the joined.

The Symbioisis Commission is a very powerful organistaion and controls strictly the allocation of symbionts to hosts and ensuring all matches are suitable. In some cases such as when Joran Belar was joined to Dax the link can lead to mental instability, agents like Hiziki Gard work tirelessly to prevent this.

If not joined perhaps the most honoured position is that of Guardian. The Guardians are responsible for the care of the symbionts and their pools. They have an intimate link with the symbionts and are devoted to their protection.

Trill is a beautiful planet and has a highly developed cultural aspect. There are many concert halls and galleries. A key instrument if the Synlara a stringed instrument and Dal’s Requiem Trio an acclaimed masterpiece.

 

Trill society for the joined is further regulated by strong taboos intended to enable new hosts survive the memories of past ones. Trill are not permitted to re-associate with past lovers or partners. Such a thing is punishable by banishment.

 

Among the symbionts society is reflected above ground by their joining but in the pools there is a simple hierarchy of Elders, these elders or Annuated are the oldest symbionts, it is they who receive the memories of dying symbionts who return to them to die. In this way they store the entire experiences of all symbionts and all joined rightback to the very first symbiosis.

 

TRILL ECOLOGY

 

Trill is dominated by the unique symbionts. Originally they dwelled in all water courses but over time they retreated into nutrient rich caves where the walls are lined with fistrium and bioluminescent micro-organisms.

On the surface there are a variety of four legged animals and other creatures including Fenza birds and Yilga Moths. Vegetation is temperate in nature and one of Trills finest exports is the Lida fruit.

Trills purple oceans are probably a result of unique planktonic lifeforms and micro-organisms.

 

KEY PERSONNEL

 

Government

President Lirrise Maz (Durghan) (J)

Councillor Jerella Dev (J) – Representative of the Federation Council

Senator Rylen Talris (J)

 

Symbiosis Commission

Director – Dr Renhol

Hiziki Gard – Special Security Agent

 

Guardians

Timor

Rantic Lan

Pran Sevos

Nelenne Lef

Aylim (Banished 1000 years ago for wanting to join)

 

Starfleet

Lt.Co Ezri Dax (J)

Lt Ranal Keru (USS Enterprise, former Guardian)

Lt Kel Perrim (USS Enterprise)

 

Trill Defense Ministry

General Taulin Cyl (J)

Colonel Behza Rianu (J)

Captain Doya

Trebor

 

Trill Security

Officer Sagado

Officer Asal

 

Others

Dr Lenara Kahn - Scientist

Dr Hanor Pren – Scientist

Dr Bejal Otner – Scientist

Dr Bethan Roa – Doctor

Dr Torvin – Doctor at Manev Central Hospital

Jirin Tambor – Neo-purist

Nas Ditrel – Neo-purist

Dapo

Arijin – prospective initiate

Verad

Lev – Science Officer on quarantine ship

Private Memh – Officer on quarantine ship

Odan

 

Symbionts

Dax (9 hosts – Lela, Tobin, Emony, Torias, Joran, Curzon, Jadzia, Ezri)

Vod (At least 1 Jayvin)

Cyl (At least 2 Neema, Taulin)

Roa (At least 1 Bethan)

Gard (Many – latest is Hiziki)

Odan (At least 3, Odan, Riker, Kareel)

Vos

Kahn (At least 2 Nilani, Lenara

Maz (At least 1, Lirisse

Dev

Tem (At least 1, General Grala)

Dal

Sef

Dhej (11 hosts)

Liak (14 hosts)

 

In S47

Lin (2 Hosts – Toya, Magellan)

Jira (7 Hosts – Tendu, Nerki, Mazaria, Marcos, Tacita, Edana, Harrias)