Species appearance:

Dreshayans are a humanoid species.  They have the standard, two legs and two arms; however they have five fingers in addition to two opposable thumbs.  Their height ranges from four to five feet for a fully grown adult.  They do not have a protruding nose like Humans, Bajorians, Klingons, etc; instead they have skin flaps in a similar position to that of a human nasal passage.  Skin tone is similar to humans in varying degrees from a fleshy pink/white to tan, no darker. Dreshayan have glands along their necks, starting below their ears, continuing to the tip of their 'collar bone', which excretes pheromones.  Hair colour is brown to black, (with age tainting it with white/silver) no blond or red pigments or any other variation can be found naturally.  Dreshayan eyes are typically black or brown, considered small and beady in comparison to Human eyes and protrude slightly from their sockets.  To the common observer both males and females appear the same; females of this species do not have breasts. The educated can tell them apart by what is commonly called the 'strip' – this is a coloured stripe that runs up the centre of a Dreshayan face, from the bottom of the nose flaps to the bridge, where it parts and ascends around the eye socket, similar to the Human eyebrow, this 'stripe' continues under the eye to encompass the entire socket, males: black, females: white/silver.

Religion:

The Dreshayan are atheistic.  They do not believe in an after life, or divine intervention.  They regard species that do believe in such entities as deluded and misguided.  Dreshayans believe that they make their own way in life, they make their own choices and for others to feel a need to place their lives in the hands of 'god/s', simply lack the ability to take responsibility for their actions and if they do not possess the backbone to own their life they don't deserve to have it in the first place!

The Dreshayan's do however have an idol.  And that idol is 'Quaygarth'.  'Quaygarth' is typically depicted as a large black bird with sharp talons, large eyes and a large pointed beak; Humans have likened him to an eagle.  Most Dreshayan homes will display a large black jewel encrusted egg on their mantelpiece/altar, called an Ou'nK'ta, in respect of Quaygarth.  Many legends centre around Quaygarth, the most common being that of the Dreshayan struggle to claim their land.  It is said that many years ago when the Dreshayan evolved from forest dwellers to the 'Children of an Empire', they had to leave their forest home in search of a place in which they could build their empire without destroying the habitat that had nurtured their growth for centuries.  It was then that Garth, the tribal leader, transformed from a Dreshayan into a magnificent Quay bird in order to lead his people out of the forest and onto the planes where they would build the foundations of their empire.  Quaygarth was last seen soaring towards the heavens and the stars beyond, showing his people which way to grow and develop.  Many Dreshayans feel that to this day they are still caught in that struggle, with many other species encroaching upon their sacred land, the land of Quaygarth, the fight is not over and their empire is still at risk.  The Dreshayan claim any land/planet that the Quay (a bird similar to that which Quaygarth transformed into) is present.

Dreshayan Cuisine:

Dreshayans eat only seasonal fruit, seeds, nuts and insects.

Mating customs and child development:

Dreshayans bond for a term of five to six years, having multiple partners, up to 13 in any one life time.  The details of their mating rituals have not been disclosed, however it has been determined by Federation scientists that the female produces three to five eggs once she has been stimulated, these eggs are then transferred to the male where they are fertilised within an abdominal pouch, there they gestate for four weeks.  The fertilised eggs are then removed from the abdominal pouch of the male, the foetus are contained within an amniotic sack which hardens once it is placed in a maturation chamber.  This chamber is typically concealed beneath the hearth of the Dreshayan home; the fire is continuously stoked to warm the eggs beneath and speeded their growth for the cold will kill them.  The parents then await the day of the Ra-ta-ta-tA, usually twenty weeks later, when the first sounds of movement are heard beneath the hearth.  The eggs are then removed as the young emerge, their first meal will be the remnants of the shell from which they emerged.

The young are then nurtured, eating their parents regurgitated food, though nowadays the Dreshayan tend to liquidise solid food rather than partially digesting it themselves prior to feeding their young. Dreshayan children enter the schooling system aged one, their bodies maturing faster than that of many other humanoid species.  They will live with their parents for approximately five years, give or take, before striking out on their own.

Some Dreshayan are known to mate for life, though that is preference rather than custom.

Naming Principal:

Dreshayans have only one name, no family name.  Males of the same line will all take the first letter of their fathers in their own, e.g. Sati will father Som and Siras.  Female children are not held to this principle.  This tradition however is being broken by the latest generation as a rebellion to orthodox rule.

Dreshayan Architecture:

All Dreshayan buildings follow the same principles of domes, circles and egg shaped ellipses, no tower blocks will been seen adorning their sky lines!!  Each home has a hearth/fireplace in its centre; all family members will share the same space to eat sleep and for recreational activities.

Dreshayan Sovereignty:

Dreshayan law is strict, so much so that they claim there is no crime on any of their planets, all citizens are law abiding, however they have never produce documented codes of conducts or details of their judicial system to the Federation, for the main reason that they are not part of the UFP, nor do they wish to be.

The Dreshayan governing body appears to be democratic in nature; they have a High Court on a central planet in which all items of national rule are discussed by leaders of the local settlements and those from neighbouring planets.  Its location has never been detailed.  Rumours suggest that the location of the High Court changes to reflect their once nomadic way of life, that, or to keep the location hidden from prying eyes.

Only Dreshayans over the age of ten may take a seat on the High Court, after their second litter/family.

The courts do not discriminate between males and females.  Both genders are respected within society.

There are rumours of a 'Cast' system within Dreshayan culture, however this has never been proved and it has been suggested that is purely a rumour to escape ever being invited to join the Federation.

The Dreshayan have a well equipped and trained military compromising of the 'Supreme Imperial Home Guard'; these will defend local space from intruders and guard National Forests as well as other key ground facilities, the 'National Imperial Army'; this compromises all Dreshayans, fit and able, between the ages of 10 and 50, the standing army is only called to action when and if the Dreshayan suffer a full on attack, every member of society is trained in military tactics, the 'Supreme Imperial Firsts'; details of their location and purpose has not been revealed, however it is speculated that the 'Supreme Imperial Firsts' man exploration vessels.

Several centuries ago the Dreshayan had a burst of space exploration and expanded their boarders to include several of their neighbouring planets.  However due to domestic issues on the Home World they were unable to sustain trade routes to these colonies and many of them were abandoned.  (This is the basis of their claim to adjacent territories such as the Vered Cluster.)

Dreshayan Ships and Technology:

Dreshayan ships tend to be small in size, packing a variety of weapons.  The most common being that of the 'Dart'.  While compact in size they do not lack in maneuverability or fire power.  Previous ships of the Federation have encountered mainly attack/interceptor crafts which have a low propulsion system, these vessels are the Supreme Imperial Home Guard, and will often be found near Dreshayan space and/or outposts.  The Dreshayan also have larger exploration vessels, however these are undocumented by the Federation and little is known about their size, capabilities or missions.

The Dreshayan Dart weapon is a medium range, heavily armed weapon, balanced by smaller fuel cells; it has weak maneuverability and thin shields however it has excellent acceleration and fire power for its size.

Cultural notes Do's and Don'ts:

Their greeting gesture: arms wide spread (like birds wings) palms front, fingers spread and legs slightly apart, similar to the 'at ease' posture of the Human military, accompanied by a low guttural groan that sounds like BAAAAAAN.

Hugging is not something that Dreshayans do, as their reproductive organs are located on their lower abdominal cavity, therefore this behaviour is classed as a sexual advance.  Similarly hugging is not something one should partake in whilst in the company of a Dreshayan.

Dreshayan language is very different from most other Humanoids; the universal translator interprets well considering the language is not just verbal but incorporates body language as well as facial expressions and chemical signals.  For example the term 'affectionate' simply does not exist in the Dreshayan language.  Misunderstandings are quite common with relations between this species and others.

As the Dreshayans began to develop warp technology and explore space they became rapidly aware of first impressions and due to their size, being shorter than many of their neighbouring species, they were seen instantly as pushovers, small and insignificant.  Because of these first contacts they began to overcompensate, appearing brisk, rude, pompous and arrogant.  This attitude combined with the failure of most translators has often lead to less than cordial relationships with others.  Dreshayans prefer to be left alone; they have little intention of mixing with other species and find the Federation to be an insipid organisation to be avoided at all costs.

It is said that a Dreshayan will cut its nose off to spite its face, for even if they are wrong, and know this themselves, they can not bare to be seen to be wrong, or to give ground to any one else for fear that any compromise will be seen as a weakness on their part.  To that end they will undoubtedly fight their corner, even if they know they are in the wrong.  The comment could never be more accurate for the Dreshayan has no protruding nose, however this analogy, and comments such as 'flat face', are best left to ones self, for the Dreshayan are feisty little creatures with vicious teeth that lock instantly!

CURRENT FEDERATION STATUS: NEUTRAL