Ormine

Ormine
Base Information
Classification	Omnivore
Status	Minor Race
Locomotion	Swimmer
Terrain	Waterways
Body Form
Confluence	Non-humanoid
Bio-Identenoid	Alien
Size	1.5m
Weight	150kg
Culture
Languages	Thirmone, Anglic
Social Structure	Oligarchy
Technological Epoch	TL:10-12
Psionic potential	Standard
Origin World
Homeworld location	Akhlare (Dark Nebula 1313)
UWP	B577AA6-A Starport B Good: Spacecraft Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel Size 5 Medium (8,000 km, 0.40g - 0.57g) Atmosphere 7 Standard (tainted) Hydrographics 7 Wet World 70% Population A High (50 billion) Government A Charismatic Dictator Law 6 Moderate Law (no firearms except shotguns) Tech Level A Early Stellar (jump drive)
Primary Star	M2 V
Atmosphere	Standard (tainted)
Off-world presence	Yes
Zoetic individuals	Yes
Source
Reference	"Data/Library: Dark Nebula." The Travellers' Digest 17 30-31.
Canon	No
Also see

The Ormine of Akhlare (Dark Nebula 1313) are a technologically sophisticated minor race.

Physiology & Environment (Ecology)

The Ormine are a very long-lived species with some characteristics resembling Terran reptiles. Their metabolism is slow, with a minimal homeothermic response to keep them from freezing.

Ormine are upright, short-legged bipeds with a short, flat tail for balance. The arms are also relatively short and the hands partly webbed. They are covered with jointed plates rather like the armor of a Terran armadillo. Their origin was obviously aquatic and they retain several adaptations that make them at home in the water, including gills which open and activate upon diving.

The lifespan of the Ormine is about 300 standard years, with maturity coming at 30 standard years.

Diet

Ormine are omnivores, though most of their diet consists of aquatic plants. They normally eat once a day.

Psychology

Ormine favour communal decision-making and are highly traditionalist. They prefer to consider all possible consequences of their actions, and would prefer to do nothing rather than act without understanding the ramifications. They are calm in temperament.

History & Background (Dossier)

The arrival of the Solomani in -1884 was a severe cultural shock. Solomani spacers were impatient with the deliberate movements of the councils that negotiated with them, while the Ormine for the most part thought the Solomani rude, impetuous, and thoughtless.

Human technological superiority, however, was undeniable. This attracted some few younger Ormine minds. With every Human visit, some Ormine took passage to new worlds. Colonies grew up on several suitable planets and some unsuitable ones. The technology to conquer the inhospitable worlds was supplied by the Solomani in exchange for work contracts and pledges of loyalty. Thus most of the gerontocracy is deeply in debt to the Solomani and is part of their political sphere.

The Ormine retain their rule by elders, but those elders usually have a Human "advisor". Any who express their disapproval of this too strongly may find themselves exiled to one of the less-pleasant worlds.

Culture & Society (Ethnology)

The elders of a community are its leaders, and serve for life once chosen. Understandably, Ormine culture is slow-moving and very conservative. On their own, they have never developed past TL–8.

Language

"Heavy" sounds give the primary Ormine language -- known as Thirmone -- a ponderous quality that suits their gerontocratic culture. In truth, this quality of the language has little to do with abstract notions of age, but rather is a consequence of the semi-aquatic nature of the Ormine species. Sounds are favoured if they carry well both underwater and in air, meaning low, deep, resonant noises.

The Ormine are the 'Oew in their own tongue, which the Solomani corrupted first to "Orm".

Government & Politics (Leadership)

Gerontocracy of Ormine

The native name for the Gerontocracy is the Gyj-nuah 'Oew. This is a small interstellar government primarily found in the Akhlare Subsector of the Dark Nebula Sector. The citizens consist mainly of Ormine, with a small scattering of Solomani Humans; the latter are overrepresented in positions of influence.

Although nearer to the Aslan Hierate than the Solomani, for historical reasons the Gerontocracy is part of the Solomani political sphere.

Interstellar Relations: 1116

• Aslan Hierate
• Solomani Confederation
• Third Imperium

Astrography

This sophont species can primarily be found in the following areas:

• Dark Nebula Sector
  • Akhlare Subsector
  • Kyaenkha Subsector

Homeworld

The homeworld of this race is:

• Akhlare (Dark Nebula 1313)

Ormine populations

• More than 90% of the 50 billion on Akhlare
• 90% of the 900,000,000 on Papohirme (the remainder being Solomani Human)
• 90% of the 300,000,000 on Hipera (the remainder being Solomani Human)
• 9,000,000 on Meshma
• 9,000,000 on Merpikhnnomi
• 8,000,000 on Sherarehi
• 1,000,000 on Thometha
• 200,000 on Thithmasna
• 80,000 on Chorikhnare
• 50,000 on Othinamor
• 50,000 on Parolere
• 20,000 on Hweshre
• 10,000 on Rormepeni
• 7,000 on Kipelaresh
• 6,000 at Nichekoralo
• 700 on Nishror

Other small populations are found in enclaves on worlds in adjacent subsectors (Human, Aslan and other)

World Listing

The following systems and worlds are associated with this sophont species:

11 of 11 World articles in Ormine

Akhlare  •  Hipera  •  Hopeshre  •  Kipelaresh  •  Meshmo  •  Nichekoralo  •  Othinamor  •  Papohirme  •  Sherarehi  •  Thithmasha  •  Thometha  •  

startbacknext(11 listed)

Timeline

• -2500: By this point, Thirmone has developed on Akhlare as a common trade language.

• -1884: The Solomani make First Contact with the Ormine.

• -1870s: After years of laborious negotiations, the Terrans are able to reach a trade agreement giving the Ormine access to jump drives and other early stellar technology.

• -1082: The aggressive Htiokh clan of Aslan conquer the Human world of Godoro, later known as Tenarna, killing all Humans there. The Godoro Massacre is a wake-up to all nearby Human (and allied) worlds, and in response mutual defence alliances and new federations formed; the Ormine settlements are formally incorporated into the current gerontocracy.

References

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Gary L. Thomas, Joe Fugate. "Data/Library: Dark Nebula." The Travellers' Digest 17 (1989): 30-31.
• Peter G. Celella, James Holden. Solomani & Aslan (Digest Group Publications, 1991), 100.
• Citation Missing - Mongoose 2nd: The Deep and the Dark