Drell

The **drell** were a reptillian, humanoid species originally hailing from the planet Rakhana. They were close and loyal allies to the hanar.

## Physiology

Drell were reptillian, but humanoid. Despite this similar appearance, their muscle tissue was tightly compacted -- giving them more physical strength than their form would belie. Although each hand had five fingers, the ring and middle fingers were fused together.

Drell had milky white inner eyelids, which closed from left to right. This did not impede their ability to cry. Their skin was infused with mild toxins, which caused mild hallucinations if ingested. This toxin was occasionally served in drinks. Drell hearts had three chambers, equipped with a muscular ridge that could shunt oxygenated or deoxygenated blood as needed. A hyoid bone located in the drell throat allowed them to inflate their throats to produce vocal sounds outside of the normal range of human hearing. This also made drell very difficult to choke or strangle.

Drell had an average lifespan of 85 cycles old. Premature deaths were often the result of Keplar's Syndrome, a non-communicable illness impacting the lungs of drell who spent too much time in humid air.

Drell sexual dimorphism was very analogous to that of humans. Female drell were recognizable by larger frills on their heads, and two protrusions on their chest giving them the appearance of having breasts.

## History

The drell developed on the air world of Rakhana. However, they industrialized rapidly and without recognizing the harm this would eventually do their environment. With no way off their planet, when the impact of their industrialization became irreversible and catastrophic, the drell faced certain extinction until the hanar arrived.

The hanar saw fit to rescue the drell, and spent ten cycles evacuating as many as they could. At total of 375,000 drell were saved from Rakhana and brought to the hanar homeworld of Kahje. The billions of drell who remained behind on Rakhana were doomed to extinction.

Those who left for Kahje were grateful, and devoted themselves to co-existing with the hanar. Many drell served the hanar, performing tasks the hanar were not physically capable of or could not excel at -- such as combat. This was known as The Compact, and it was a cornerstone of the new drell society. Alongside the hanar, the drell became a part of the galactic civilization.

Many drell fought in the Reaper War alongside the other forces rallied by Commander Shepard, although roughly 4,500 drell joined the Andromeda Initiative to seek out a home in the Andromeda galaxy. Following the Reaper War, when the Citadel Council dissolved, the drell remaining in the Milky Way returned to Kahje with the hanar when the period of isolation began.

The drell and hanar were quick to join the United Federation of Planets when they encountered them in the aftermath of the Dominion War.

## Culture

Drell society was focused very much around their new homeworld of Kahje. Although some viewed the drell there as second-class citizens, the drell had become productive members of society on Kahje, found at every level. The few drell who do leave Kahje tend to be adventurers, though some drell integrated themselves in other galactic societies -- tending to leading quiet, unremarkable lives.

Some drell, particularly those serving hanar as part of the Compact, received optical implants that allowed them to see the hanar's bioluminescence at a spectrum normally invisible to other species. These implants did sometimes have the side effect of causing color blindness at the lower end of the light spectrum. Some drell would grow close enough to the hanar that they served that they might be told their hanar's "soul name."

### Religion

The drell were a deeply spiritual people, believing that the body and the soul were separate but came together to make a Whole. They saw death as merely a departure from the body, but noted that trauma or injury could hurt either the body or the soul and in that way one might not be Whole. They also believed, because the body and soul were separate, that a body could be directed separately -- in this way, assassins such as Thane Krios were able to absolve themselves of responsibility for their crimes.

The drell religion was polytheistic, with numerous deities to pray to including: Amonkira, Lord of Hunters; Arashu, Goddess of Motherhood and Protection; and Kalahira, Goddess of Oceans and Afterlife. However, after integrating into hanar culture, many drell began to abandon this religion in favor of the hanar's worshipful view of the Enkindlers.

## Sources

Drell are derived from *Mass Effect*. For canon information, please visit the Mass Effect Wiki.