STELLAR CARTOGRAPHY - BETAZED
BETAZED SYSTEM
SYSTEM INFORMATION
- System Name: Beta Veldonna (Federation Astronomic Catalog), Beta Zeta (UESPA Catalog)
- Traditional Name: Betazed, Hainara
- Location: Alpha Quadrant, Sector L11027 (Betazed Sector)
- Type: G2V (Yellow Main Sequence)
PLANETS
| Position | Name | Class | Diameter | Density (Composition) | Gravity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Hynozad | N | 4,529 km | 5.1 (Medium Iron) | 0.33g |
| II | Merandar | B | 6,143 km | 6.1 (High Iron) | 0.53g |
| III | Keylandar | B | 7,581 km | 6.4 (High Iron) | 0.69g |
| IV | Avandar | N | 10,268 km | 5.1 (Medium Iron) | 0.75g |
| V | Cyndriel (Betazed) | M | 11,187 km | 6.3 (High Iron) | 1.0g |
| VI | Darona | H | 20,317 km | 6.2 (High Iron) | 1.8g |
| VII | Proxon | A | 11,204 km | 5.7 (Medium Iron) | 0.91g |
| VIII | Khrysaros | C | 28,007 km | 4.3 (Low Iron) | 1.7g |
BETAZED
Traditional Name: Cyndriel (Betazed)
- Position in System: V
- Number of Satellites: 1 (Lonita [Class K])
- Mean Density: 6.27 g/cm3
- Mass: 4.59845 x 1024 kg
- Planetary Gravity: 1.0G
- Planetary Size
- Diameter: 11,187 km
- Equatorial Circumference: 35,145 km
- Total Surface Area: 393,167,082 km2
- Percent Land Mass: 22%
- Total Land Area: 86,496,758 km2
- Volume: 7.3306 x 1011 km3
- Planetary Conditions
- Length of Day: 25 hours
- Length of Year: 1.033 Earth Years
- Atmospheric Density: Standard
- Mean Atmospheric Pressure (sea level): 102.3 KPa (1.01 atm)
- Axial Tilt: 5.9°
- Seasonal Variation: Minor
- General Climate: Warm Temperate
- Mean Temperature at 30° Latitude
- Low: 13° C
- Average: 23° C
- High: 24° C
Planetary Profile
Betazed is the fifth world in an eight-planet system and orbits a medium-size yellow star known as Beta Veldonna. Betazed is also the only planet to support life or have a moon. This large body, named Lenita, is Class K and supports a large colony of Betazoids. Known as Cyndriel to the native Betazoids, the Federation name for the world derives from Beta Zeta, the name given to the star system by Sir John Burke, Chief Astronomer of the Royal Academy of late 21st Century Earth.
The lush, blue-green planet Betazed is the home of the telepathic Betazoids. The planet's ecosystem varies from dense jungles to wide canyons and cliffs. Many of the major continents are dotted with lakes. Unlike many Federation worlds, they eschew weather control technologies, which leads to a pleasant, though somewhat unpredictable, climate. It's an ideal world both as a vacation getaway and a place to call home.
The Betazoid people, while as technologically advanced as any member of the Federation, have made a point of living in harmony with nature for centuries. Their cities are built to complement the natural environment, not compete with it. This careful stewardship of their ecosystem has helped them to maintain a huge variety of native flora and fauna.
Betazoid Physiology
Externally, Betazoids were physically indistinguishable from Humans in every aspect but one: the irises of their eyes were completely black. Betazoids had a gestation period of ten months. In mid-life, Betazoid females underwent a physiological change known as "The Phase" during which their sex drive increased by a factor of four or more.
Mature Betazoids could also suffer from Zanthi fever, which caused them to lose control over the projective aspect of their empathy. That could result in people around them acting as if they had experienced the same general emotional state as the affected Betazoid, though they were directed by their own subconscious desires, fears, and other emotions.
Telepathic Abilities
Betazoids are natural telepaths, an ability centered in their paracortex, with psilosynine being a main neurotransmitter. Most develop their telepathic skill in adolescence, but a few are born with their telepathic abilities already active. These individuals are almost always extremely talented and powerful in telepathic terms, but also unable to screen out the consistent "noise" of other people's minds, so they generally suffered mental problems of varying severity depending mostly on when the problem was diagnosed. On the other end of the scale are a few individuals who developed psionic abilities that are far below average for the species. These Betazoids are barely able to sense even strong emotions (empaths) of other people, much less thoughts.
The common psionic abilities of Betazoids extends from sensing thoughts and/or emotions, over projecting thoughts and/or emotions, to manipulating the minds of others. How capable they are in performing any of those feats depends somewhat on their genetically-defined psionic strength, their psionic training, their familiarity with the scanned being, their general mental and physical condition, and the species of the subject race.
Government
Betazoids have a pseudo-religious, semi-matriarchal society. Ruling houses, descended from various legendary figures, make up a planetary council that speaks for all citizens; each house broadly encompasses the interests of millions of people, in rough geographic locations (and along certain familial lines). The system of representation can be complicated by the fact that Betazoids can petition along their matrilineal lines in order to be heard, in much the same way that a citizen might write a letter to a representative in a representative democracy.
History
The ancient history of Betazed remains shrouded in myth and legend, and the Betazoids seem to prefer it that way. The combination of telepathic sensitivity and pleasant climes meant that Betazoids evolved peacefully and rapidly. While their world provided for all of their needs and they felt little need to explore beyond, the Betazoids did eventually develop space travel, although they lagged behind in that area compared to their advances in sociology and similar “soft” sciences.
As Betazoid technology continued to advance, the need for a more secular government became apparent. While the priesthood had succeeded in bringing feuding houses and nation-states together into a unified world governing body, their resistance to social freedoms and technological progress remained a hindrance. Betazed was still primarily a spiritual society, ruled by its beliefs, its ancient faiths, and its strong ethical nature. Although the priesthood did not like the perceived spiritual ramifications of spaceflight, they accepted progress on their own terms—as a way to spread Betazoid teachings beyond their world, possibly to other sentient species among the stars. As it turned out, they wouldn't have to wait long.
Unfortunately, first contact with a new species did not go well. Very early into their expansion to the stars the Betazoid people encountered the Caitians. Due to an unfortunate quirk of biology, Betazoid physiology triggered a hunting instinct in Caitians, and doubly unfortunate the taste of Betazoid flesh also turned out to be a delicacy to the Caitians. What followed was several years of conflict, as Betazoids found themselves prey to Caitian hunters. Peace finally prevailed when a group of Caitian biologists managed to produce a synthetic substitute for Betazoid flesh. Diplomats were then able to work out an agreement between the two worlds.
During the period of conflict with the Caitians, the Betazoid priesthood had seen its power diminish. The negotiation of peace with the Caitians by civilian diplomats began the transition and a provisional council was established until a secular government could take its place. Large-scale reforms were implemented and discrimination based on social class was abolished. The Ruling Council was eventually formed in the wake of provisional rule, and Betazed began the long process of rebuilding.
Betazed resumed its space program and began establishing colony worlds. First contact with the Federation occurred early in the 23rd Century and Betazed soon began the process of admission. Negotiations took several decades, but Betazed finally became a Federation member in 2273. Betazed stayed a peaceful background member of the Federation up until the Dominion War in the late 24th century.
In late 2374 the Dominion decided to conquer Betazed as a staging ground for attacks against the core worlds of the Federation, and as a sign of strength—the ability to penetrate deeply and take even important worlds. Betazoid's outdated and minimal planetary defenses were not enough to fight off the occupation, and millions died from the orbital bombardments and Jem'Hadar assaults. This tactic came back to haunt the Dominion, though. While the Betazoids were not violent by nature, their innate telepathy made it impossible for Founders to infiltrate or cause terror. They didn't count on the willpower of the Betazoid people, however, nor on the difficulty of stifling a resistance movement when nearly all of a planet's inhabitants could communicate telepathically. Betazed was liberated a year later, as Federation and allied forces began a concerted push back towards Cardassian space in the final months of the War.
While much of the planet has recovered thanks to the efforts and resources of the Federation, the impact of the invasion and occupation on the culture and psyche of the Betazoid people could take years, decades, or longer to fully heal.
Culture
Betazoid culture and society revolve in large part around telepathy. Betazoids rarely speak with each other, preferring telepathic communication, so an eerie (to non-telepaths) silence fills many of their buildings and cities. Many forms of Betazoid art consist of images, visions, and themes telepathically embedded in an object, which an observer experiences by scanning it. Many types of Betazoid technology, such as their famed gift boxes, respond only to telepathic probes or the neural waves of specific persons.
Due to their telepathy, Betazoid culture largely progressed to the point where honesty was embraced by overall society, since the idea of hiding information among a race of telepaths would be functionally impossible; nonetheless, honest feedback was almost to a point considered rude by other cultures.
To cement ties between households, the ancient Betazoids practiced a tradition of arranged marriages, in which the betrothed are genetically bonded to each other at birth. In those days, Betazoids distinguished between these marriages of convenience and their imzadi, or beloved (and the term continues to have overtones of "true love" or "soul mate" in the modern day). Weddings customarily required the bride, groom, and guests to go without clothes, to honor the act of love being celebrated and symbolize that all parties entered the agreement openly. Only the most tradition-minded Betazoids hold to these customs in the modern day.
Ancient Betazoid religious lore tells of Four Deities who shaped Betazed. Betazoids believe they were born from the Four Deities' thoughts and populated Betazed. They lived among their thought creations and taught Betazoids how to harness their telepathy. After hundreds of years, the Four Deities grew tired of their time on Betazed and wished to explore the intricacies of the mind, so they traveled into the thoughts of every Betazoid to begin their new journey. To this day they still travel through the dreams, hopes, and thoughts of every Betazoid. Next to the Four Deities is the religious concept of the Great Fire. The Great Fire is not a literal place people go, but a moment before death where a person experiences an endless tortuous fire flaying their soul from their being. It lasts only a moment for those watching the death, but is a never-ending pain for the person who dies, their entire past and present erased in a wash of flame. The Great Fire is gifted to particularly cruel people by the Four Deities as punishment for a life squandered.