Turian

Known for their militaristic and disciplined culture, the **Turians** come from the planet Palaven. They are best known for their military, particularly their number of starships and their massive fleet. Turians are sometimes seen as imperialist by Humans. There is some animosity between Turians and Humans, largely due to the Turian role in the First Contact War. This bitterness is slowly healing—as shown by the cooperation of the two races on the construction of the ISV Venture Star—but many Turians still resent Humans, and vice versa.

## Biology

Turians typically stand over six feet tall [1.8m], have two long, proportionately thick fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, each tipped with talons, and a set of mandibles around their mouths. The most distinguishing feature of Turians is their metallic carapace, which contains trace amounts of thulium. The Turians evolved this trait as a defense against the greater levels of solar radiation that penetrate their homeworld's weak magnetic field.

The Turian homeworld, Palaven, has a metal-poor core, generating a weak magnetic field and allowing more solar radiation into the atmosphere. To deal with this, most forms of life on Palaven evolved some form of metallic "exoskeleton" to protect themselves. Their reflective plate-like carapace makes Turians less susceptible to long-term, low-level radiation exposure, but they do not possess any sort of "natural armor". In addition, Turian blood has a dark blue coloration. Carapace wounds and subsequent scarring may appear red, however.

Although life on Palaven is carbon-based and oxygen-breathing, it is built on dextro-amino acids. The food of humans, or Salarians (who evolved in levo-amino acid-based biospheres), will at best pass through Turian systems without providing any nutrition. At worst, it will trigger an allergic reaction that can be fatal if not immediately treated.

## History

Turian civilization spans fifteen thousand years of history. The first Turian starship to travel out of their solar system was called the Ravuna in 2002 human year.

## Culture

Turians are noted for their strong sense of public service. It is rare to find one who puts his needs ahead of the group. Every citizen from age 15 to 30 serves the state in some capacity, as anything from a soldier to an administrator, from a construction engineer to a sanitation worker. Turians have a strong inclination toward public service and self-sacrifice, so they tend to be poor entrepreneurs. To compensate, they accepted the mercantile Volus as a client race, offering protection in exchange for their fiscal expertise.

Turian society is highly regimented and very organized, and the species is known for its strict discipline and work ethic. Turians are willing to do what needs to be done, and they always follow through. They are not easily spurred to violence, but when conflict is inevitable, they only understand a concept of "total war." They do not believe in skirmishes or small-scale battles; they use massive fleets and numbers to defeat an adversary so completely that they remove any threat of having to fight the same opponent more than once. They do not exterminate their enemy, but so completely devastate their military that the enemy has no choice but to become a colony of the Turians. It is theorized that another conflict between the rapidly advancing humans and the Turians could annihilate a large portion of known space.

The Turian military is the center of their society. It is not just an armed force; it is an all-encompassing public works organization. The military police are also the civic police. The fire brigades serve the civilian population as well as military facilities. The corps of engineers builds and maintains spaceports, schools, water purification plants, and power stations. The merchant marine ensures that all worlds get needed resources.

Other species see Turians as "men of action," and they are generally regarded as the most progressive of the known sentient races (though some species believe humans are rivalling this position). Since their culture is based on the structure of a military hierarchy, changes and advances accepted by the leadership are quickly adopted by the rest of society with minimal resistance.

While Turians are individuals with personal desires, their instinct is to equate the self with the group, and to set aside all personal desires for the good of all. Turians are taught to have a strong sense of personal accountability, the 'Turian honor' that other races find so remarkable. Turians are taught to own every decision they make, good or ill. The worst sin they can make in the eyes of their people is to lie about their own actions. Turians who murder will try to get away with it, but if directly questioned, most will confess the crime. Nepotism, while present, is rare and looked down upon by the Turians, most of whom instead espouse and practice meritocracy in regards to the handing of positions of power.

## Economy

The Turian economy is vastly larger than that of the Commonwealth, but cannot match the size and power of that of the Asari. For many years, development was hampered by cultural disinterest in economics. When the Turians accepted the Volus as a client race, business development improved. However, The military is supported by a well-developed infrastructure.

## Religion

Turians believe that groups and areas have "spirits" that transcend the individual. For example, a military unit would be considered to have a literal spirit that embodies the honor and courage it has displayed. A city's spirit reflects the accomplishments and industry of its residents. An ancient tree's spirit reflects the beauty and tranquility of the area it grows within.

These spirits are neither good nor evil, nor are they appealed to for intercession. Turians do not believe spirits can affect the world, but spirits can inspire the living. Prayers and rituals allow an individual to converse with a spirit for guidance or inspiration. For example, a Turian who finds his loyalty tested may appeal to the spirit of his unit, hoping to reconnect with the pride and honor of the group. A Turian who wishes to create a work of art may attempt to connect with the spirit of a beautiful location.

Turians enjoy absolute freedom of religion and can practice whatever appeals to them so long as it does not impede anyone's ability to perform their duties. There are many practitioners of the Asari siarist philosophy. Since opening dialog with the human Commonwealth of Man, some Turians have embraced Confucianism and Zen Buddhism.

In the past, Turians believed that titans strode across Palaven, reaching for the heavens. They worshiped these deities and communicated with them at a structure called Temple Palaven. The temple was tended to by a religious order called the Valluvian Priests, who wear special purple robes which obscure their forms. In order for Turians to join this order, they had to be considered worthy enough through some action. When the Turians spread out from Palaven and discovered other life among the stars, however, they sealed Temple Palaven because they no longer needed legends to prod them upward. With the temple abandoned, eventually the Valluvian Priests fell into legend.

## Military

Although they lack the adaptability of the humans, the Turian military has formidable discipline. Officers and NCOs are "lifers" with years of field experience. Enlisted personnel are thoroughly trained and stay calm under fire. Turian units don't break. Even if their entire line collapses, they fall back in order, setting ambushes as they go. A popular saying holds: "You will only see a Turian's back once he's dead."

Boot camp begins on the 15th birthday. Soldiers receive a year of training before being assigned to a field unit; officers train for even longer. Most serve until the age of 30, at which they become part of the Reserves. Even if they suffer injuries preventing front-line service, most do support work behind the lines.

Command and control is decentralized and flexible. Individual squads can call for artillery and air support. They make extensive use of combat drones for light duties and VI-controlled fighters, and practice combined arms: infantry operates with armor, supported by overhead gunships. Strategically, they are methodical and patient, and dislike risky operations.

Tradition is important. Each legion has a full-time staff of historians who chronicle its battle honors in detail. The oldest have records dating back to the Turian Iron Age. If a legion is destroyed in battle, it is reconstituted rather than being replaced.

The Turians recruit auxiliary units from absorbed minor races, like the volus. Auxiliaries are generally light infantry or armored cavalry units that screen and support the main battle formations. At the conclusion of their service in the Auxiliaries, recruits are granted Turian citizenship.

The Turian navy is divided into at least 32 fleets. the Turians possess 37 dreadnoughts in 2352 and 49 as of 2500. The Turians are also known to possess at least ten fighter carriers. The navy is considered as a interstellar peacekeeping force after the Krogan Rebellion.