Tavleks

Tavleks (or Tavloids, as John Crichton often refers to them) are a race of ruthless aliens that first appear in the Farscape episode "Throne for a Loss," in which a group of them kidnap Rygel for ransom. Notable Tavleks include Bekhesh, Hontovek, and Kyr.
Tavleks are known for their use of a gauntlet weapon, which Crichton compares to a Green Lantern ring. The gauntlet works on willpower and can be used to create a shield or a short-range pulse gun, whose intensity is determined by the user (e.g. kill or stun).
Many Tavleks are addicted to a stimulant, which is injected via the gauntlet, that increases their "aggression, strength, endurance, and fighting prowess."Farscape: The Illustrated Companion, p. 23 Although some Tavleks are able to kick the habit, the withdrawal process is painful.
Farscape costume designer Terry Ryan described the Tavleks as "a nomadic species going from one place to another, just looting and getting everything they can." Other species, including Sheyangs and Vorcarians, hold Tavleks in low regard. In "With Friends Like These...," Teurac describes them as "treacherous scum" and "criminals."
In the Farscape comic book, Tavleks are among the many species who are conquered during the Kkore's invasion of the galaxy.
==Farscape Roleplaying Game==
2002's Farscape Roleplaying Game gives insight into the Tavleks' culture.
Tavleks are described as hominids with a natural lifespan of 80 years, although most don't die of natural causes. They have little body hair and their skin color is typically a tanned orange. They originate from the planet Tav. Due to Tav's poor medical services, many of the Tavleks' injuries "go untreated save for rudimentary stitching and stapling." The scars they receive are considered marks of a warrior.
Personality-wise, "most Tavleks are extroverted, hard-headed realists, less concerned with intellectual pursuits or emotional inner peace than survival." However, they have developed some religions and philosophies, although none have proved prevalent.
Their society has a "loose military structure," wherein older and stronger Tavleks are dominant over the weaker ones. They have no global "military, religious, or legislative authority." Tavleks organize into "family-based clans," which are broken down into "smaller tribes and raiding parties." Tavleks receive their gauntlet when they reach adulthood, quickly becoming addicted to the stimulant "krycel."
The gauntlet is a major aspect of Tavlek culture. It was developed during their war with the nearby Sisk, the Tavleks' first off-world conflict. The gauntlet enabled the Tavleks to attain victory.
==Appearances==
*Farscape
**Episode 104: Throne for a Loss
**Episode 220: Liars, Guns and Money (2): With Friends Like These...
**Episode 221: Liars, Guns and Money (3): Plan B
*Farscape Roleplaying Game
*Farscape comic book
**"Leave It to Crichton"
**"Undercover of the Night"
**"Knives at a Gunfight"
**"Pleas and Bargains" (cover only)
**"Crawling From the Wreckage" (cover only)
**"Stark Contrasts"
==Sources==
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Category:Farscape Culture