Harkonian

The **Harkonian**s are a humanoid species native to the planet Kar'Bodan.

## Biology

Harkonians are an anthropoidal race like humans. Their faces are covered with short, fine hairs that grow longer and thicker around the mouth. A flat stripe of ridged cartilage runs along the tops of their skulls and down the backs of their necks. They have ears pointy at the upper end, though on occasion along the edges as well. The part of their faces commonly associated with the nose among humans and asari is instead an inverted flat triangle symmetrically ridged vertically.

Their most distinctive physical feature is their four eyes, an uncommon trait among other races. One pair is set wide in prominent bony sockets protruding from the corners of their face. The second set of eyes is smaller and closer together, set higher on the face, just beneath the middle of the forehead. The eyes are uniformly dark orbs, with no discernible irises or pupils.

Harkonians exhibit a wide range of skin tones and colors. Most Harkonians have a dark brown hue with pale facial ridges. General Harkonian complexions include reddish-brown, greenish, yellow-greenish to yellow-brownish, light brown, and teal.

Some Harkonians possess striped colorations on their heads. Observed patterns include multiple chin stripes, a single strip running from the lower lip, or a thin dagger of color above the nose. These patterns are usually colored blue, black, or red, while the nose pattern is invariably red.

Harkonian blood has been observed to be red.

## Culture

Harkonians place an extremely high value on social caste and appearance, and overstepping one's place is frowned upon. Casting aspersions on the monetary worth of a social better is considered a serious insult. Harkonians strongly believe that species with fewer than four eyes are less intelligent; they often gain the upper hand in interspecies arguments because other races find it difficult to know which eyes to focus on when speaking to them.

Slavery is an integral part of the Harkonian caste system. The custom is so deeply ingrained in Harkonian culture that Harkonians consider anti-slavery laws by other governments to be alien. Rogue Harkonian slave rings are feared throughout the galaxy, especially among colonists on remote worlds, which are often raided by Harkonian slavers. Victims of such raids are usually implanted with control devices in their skulls, a painful operation since the slavers rarely make use of anesthetic.

The Harkonians are a slightly patriarchal society, with women not being able to be a member of the government or a high ranking member of the military. However, the Harkonian government has no laws forbidding women from joining the military.

Body language is an important part of Harkonian society. For example, tilting one's head to the left is a sign of admiration and respect. When a Harkonian tilts their head to the right, however, it is a sign that they consider themselves to be superior to the person whom the gesture was directed towards. Therefore, this gesture can easily be interpreted as an insult by Harkonians due to the high value that they place on social caste.

### Caste system

In Harkonian society there are four known greater castes. Primacy, intellects, astral and laborer (the lower castes). The primacy is the foremost men and women of the Order, these personnel fill in most of the governmental positions within the Order and usually the ones whom fill in the high ranks of the military as well. Whilst there is no strict ranking or protocol for aristocrats, many choose to take on titles that, in the human language, would equate to “duke”, “count” and so forth. All are equal in the eyes of the Order.

The Intellects are those members of the Harkonian society who have chosen to put their minds to use rather than their bodies. They are numerous and they are useful; intellects work as architects, traders, diplomats, engineers and technicians, analysts, writers, scientist, educators and much more. They are highly valued within the reigns of the Order and are equal in nature with their spiritual 'brothers' the Astral caste, below the Primacy caste.

The Astral cast are that of priests, monks, acolytes and the likes. They devote their life to seek enlightenment in their religion and spread the word of the four soul. Usually living within their own hand built 'monasteries' or 'Primatery' which are city-states which were given to the Astral cast to train in their beliefs in a more peaceful manner. There are a total of sixteen(16) Primatery around Kar'Bodan each individual Primatery housing its own dedicated order to the many branches within the religious order, each and every one devoted to serve one great soul. The Astral caste is regarded the same way as the Intellect caste.

The labor or lower caste includes everything who is not a member of the primacy, who hasn't joined the military and isn't employed in a job considered to fall within the domain of the Intellects or Astral. They are only just above slaves in the eyes of the rest of the society, earning a small living and doing what they can to survive under their oppressive government. When rebellions or riots occur, it generally originates from members of the slave or lower caste.

Finally there are the Casteless. Those whom were exiled from the Order, deserted from the army, failed to live up to their duties or fled from the Order for other (usually personal) reasons. The casteless have no rights within the Order and are considered worse then slaves. A waste of space whom are worthless even for menial tasks. These casteless are usually whom become pirates, slavers or mercenaries outside of the Order. At radical times the Order may use these casteless for occasional skirmishes and raids at potential targets to the government. Since they are not part of the Order anymore the Order could deny any kind of false play on the Hegemony's part.

### Religion

The Harkonians Religion is based around the Pillars of Strength.

Other then the 'Pillar of Strength' the other well revered scripture is the 'Volok Ir'Kash' which would be that of equal to the human bible