Voth
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| SPECIES | |
|---|---|
| Voth | |
| |
| Planet of origin: | Earth, now reside in the Delta Quadrant |
| Affiliation: | Unknown |
| Biology | |
| Classification: | Reptilian biped |
| Environmental requirements: | Class M conditions |
| Distinctive Features: Head crest and ridges | |
The Voth are a bipedal reptilian species who are distant kin to Humans and had evolved from the dinosaurs of their shared homeworld of Earth. A sentient species of reptilian descent, the Voth live isolated and largely nomadic lives in the far reaches of the Delta Quadrant. One of the oldest and most technologically sophisticated civilizations on record, their belief system promotes the understanding that they are the rightful rulers and guardians of that Quadrant, the first people to evolve there. Human relations with the Voth, initiated by the crew of the lost starship Voyager, were complicated by evidence that the Voth species in fact originated on Earth, with the extinct dinosaurs. Voth share 47 distinct genetic markers with Humans and other Earth species, although, being reptilian, their physiology differs considerably from ours. The Voth also view mammals as a less evolved form of life. (VOY episode: "Distant Origin")
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History
Edit
The ancient ancestors of the Voth were the Hadrosaur which were a species of large herbivoral reptiles that inhabited prehistoric Earth. They would evolve until they became a bipedal race and form many settlements on their homeworld. At some point in their time, they discovered that an asteroid would destroy the surface of their planet and began the task of leaving their homeworld. It had been suggested by Commander Chakotay that any settlements that the Voth had on Earth had been buried by natural disasters such as earthquakes or sank to the bottom of the sea.
- The dialogue in the episode makes no mention of how the race left the planet. They could conceivably either have left Earth in primitive sleeper ships or they could have been transplanted by the Preservers who were also responsible for saving the velociraptors which in turn evolved into the Clan Ru.
Somehow, the Voth would later find themselves in the Delta Quadrant where they began to start their life anew. Nothing is known about this period or how the race managed to 'forget' its origins on Earth. They established their new homeworld and began to believe in a new belief known as Doctrine which governed their society.
The race would eventually learn to travel through transwarp space even though Doctrine stated that a great disaster would occur should this happen. Upon using this advanced form of propulsion, a new era of exploration began for the species.
Despite the relative calm within their race, a noted scientist, Professor Forra Gegan, believed in the theory that their race was not native to that region of space. This came after an extend analysis that showed that their race had nothing in common with the species native to their homeworld. They also discovered the remains of a mammalian endotherm that contained genetic markers that were common with the Voth. Gegan would be on the run from his government with his assistant Tova Veer as they searched for the USS Voyager, which was present in the Delta Quadrant. They managed to locate the ship and confirm the theory but were apprehended by the Ministry of Elders who journeyed to the location and captured the starship Voyager.
On board the Voth City ship the Ministry rejected Gegan's arguments for his theory and forced him to retract his statement or the Voyager crew would face detention and the destruction of their starship. He would later be assigned to metallurgy while the Voyager crew were warned not to encounter the Voth again. (VOY episode: "Distant Origin")
BiologyEdit
The Voth evolved from the Hadrosaur, a dinosaur that existed before the extinction of the giant reptiles on the planet Earth. This evolution resulted in a bipedal form with hands and legs present for both movement and manipulation of the environment. Voth skin is adorned with scales and bony plating, and is colored in various shades of orange, brown and gray, with green, yellow and purple streaking. An individual’s skin color is subject to subtle changes; vasodilation is a form of non-verbal communication among the Voth, and much can be gleaned about an individual’s emotional state from the current shade of their skin. Vasodilation is of particular importance during courtship.
Voth hands feature three clawed digits, one opposable. The skull sweeps back into a bony crest, while the nose bridge is protected by bony plates, as are the brows. The nose bridge plating of Voth males is smooth, whereas females have a protruding bone at the top.
The Voth are exothermic, and believe endotherms like mammals to be an inferior form of life. They equate the more rapid mammalian metabolism with the fleeting nature of their civilizations, in contrast to that of the Voth, which has endured in various forms for millions of years. It is certainly true that the Voth brain is more efficient than that of most endotherms; their cranial capacity is twenty-two percent greater than that of a Human. The Voth brain also features a Dilitus lobe, which is responsible for their heightened sense of smell. Again, Voth olfactory capabilities are far superior to those of most mammals. These heightened senses allow them to enjoy the Sulfur Lagoons of Hokath.
Voth are mostly herbivorous, but also feed upon insects between meals. The Voth tongue is lengthy and can be fired like that of a chameleon or some frogs. Voth often place lamps in their homes and aboard their ships in order to attract flying insects, which are then consumed at leisure.
The Voth are not a naturally violent people, although they are brutal in enforcing their doctrine. Descended from herbivores, they are naturally equipped for defense rather than attack. When faced with a severe threat, most Voth can enter into a form of protective hibernation. Their heart rate and body temperature drop and their metabolisms almost completely shut down, although the automatic nervous system remains fully functional. In less extreme situations, they can defend themselves by firing organic needles called “bio-darts”. Special orifices on the Voth forearm fire a natural biological stinger that delivers fast-acting venom. This venom is highly adaptive, and will render most species unconscious almost immediately, although it is not fatal. (VOY episode: "Distant Origin")
Culture and SocietyEdit
The Voth government appears to be led by the Ministry of Elders which serves as the administrative branch of the race and guides them. Another branch was the Circles of Science which is the scientific wing of the race and is divided into many 'sub-circles' such as the Circle of Exobiology.
The Voth religious belief is centered around Doctrine which is their governing principle that states that the Voth originate from their homeworld in the Delta Quadrant. While most believe this, a faction within the Circle of Science began to study this theory and hypothesized the Distant Origin theory. This theory, which is heretical as it opposes Doctrine, states that the race do not originate from their homeworld in the Delta Quadrant but are in fact from a planet in the Alpha Quadrant.
- It is unknown what the fate of this theory is after the events in the episode Distant Origin, though Gegen expressed the hope that eventually all Voth would consider Earth as their ancestral home.
The belief in Doctrine is so rigid that it prevents many developments within their society though there are the odd occasions where Doctrine is proven wrong. One such example was the statement that using transwarp technology would bring about a great disaster but regardless of this warning, one member of their kind did succeed in this task. Despite breaking Doctrine, this was accepted and a new age of expansion began for their race while Doctrine was presumably altered to accommodate the new change in their society.
While many Voth are firm believers of Doctrine, it is known that only Heretics and the Ministry of Elders know of the truth. Heretics would be rounded up and sent to detention colonies while the Ministry would continue to suppress the knowledge as they could not bear to believe that they were a race of nomads pitifully fleeing their homeworld. (VOY episode: "Distant Origin")
The Voth were known to serve the Vothian thunder leek as a form of food.
TechnologyEdit
The Voth had developed a level of technology far above the successors of their original homeworld. They had developed not only transwarp drives but phase cloak devices that could be fitted on individuals as well as starships. Another demonstration of their advanced capabilities was the fielding of a massive Voth City ship, as well as the ability to transport a starship the size of the USS Voyager into the vessel without any difficulty. (VOY episode: "Distant Origin")
ConnectionsEdit
- Voth article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
