Turian Hierarchy

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Reliant121
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Turian Hierarchy

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TURIAN HIERARCHY
Some elements are taken from the wiki; all credit due. Thats why it refers to Mass Effect races.

Government type: Democratic republic (blanketed from Meritocracy)
Primary Race: Turians
Homeworld: Palaven
Image

Biology

Turians typically stand over six feet tall, 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 is a result of their evolution. Turian features are avian, making them resemble humanoid birds or raptors, however unlike most Earth avian creatures, turians are viviparous and give birth to live young. In 2165, David Anderson claimed that turians reminded him of the evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs. Turians are also recognisable by their voices, which have a distinctive flanging effect. Males and females do not differ greatly in physical appearance, but female turians lack the crest of horns found in the males of the race. In addition, the lifespan of a turian is comparable to that of a human.
Since the Unification War, turians normally wear elaborate facial tattoos marking their colony of origin, though it is not known which markings distinguish which colony. These tattoos are usually white — particularly on turians with darker carapaces — but can be of various colours. Garrus Vakarian's markings, for example, are dark blue. As a point of interest, the turian term "barefaced" refers to one who is beguiling or not to be trusted. It is also a slang term for politicians.

Turians exhibit the characteristics of predators rather than those of prey species (compare to krogan biology). Their forward-facing alert eyes give the impression that they possess outstanding eyesight and their teeth and jaws mimic the structures possessed by apex predators such as crocodiles or ancient, carnivorous dinosaurs. Needless to say, their talons on both their feet and hands seem capable of ripping flesh. Their slender bodies also seem to suggest that they are also capable of moving at high speeds.

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 skin makes turians less susceptible to long-term, low-level radiation exposure, but they do not possess any sort of "natural armor". A turian's thick skin does not stop projectiles and directed energy bolts. Turian blood has a dark blue colouration, possibly from the presence of hemocyanin rather than hemoglobin, which would fit with the biology of a metallic exoskeleton.

Although life on Palaven is carbon-based and oxygen-breathing, it is built on dextro-amino acids. This places the turians in a distinct minority on the galactic stage; the quarians are the only other sapient dextro-protein race. The food of humans, asari, 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.



Culture

Turian culture is infinitely tied with public service. From the ages of 15 to 30 is practically required for young Turians to seek employment in some form of public service whether as administrators, as teachers, as doctors or as soldiers. They are given opportunities based on their comparative intelligence and are taught everything they need to survive, paid their wages as they need to live and given bonuses for successful work. Turian’s have an innately strong inclination toward public service and self-sacrifice, making them poor entrepreneurs. For many years, this has led to stagnation in the economy and only recently has government intervention to employ specialized economists has improved the situation.
Turian society is incredibly regimented and organised, and the species is known for its strict discipline and work ethic. Turians do whatever it is that is needed, and will always follow through. While not particularly violent, when driven to it they pursue the task of defeating the combatant with clinical precision, just the right level of force at just the right level of power. However, in a declared warfare situation, the Turians consider the end of the war the first priority. To that end, they are not above deploying a massed force that hopelessly overpowers the enemy in order to crush them quickly with a minimum of Turian casualties. Some have equated the Turian tactic as that of the roman empire on earth: arrival of an overwhelming force that occupies its enemy and incorporates them into the clan based system.

The turian government, known as the Turian Hierarchy, is a hierarchical meritocracy. While it has great potential for misuse, this is tempered by the civic duty and personal responsibility turians learn in childhood.
Turians have 27 citizenship tiers, beginning with civilians (client races and children). The initial period of military service is the second tier. Formal citizenship is conferred at the third tier, after boot camp. For client races, citizenship is granted after the individual musters out. Higher-ranked citizens are expected to lead and protect subordinates. Lower-ranking citizens are expected to obey and support superiors. Promotion to another tier of citizenship is based on the personal assessment of one's superiors and co-rankers. At the top are the Primarchs, who each rule a colonization cluster. The Primarchs vote on matters of national import. They otherwise maintain a "hands-off" policy, trusting the citizens on each level below them to do their jobs competently.

Throughout their lives, turians ascend to the higher tiers and are occasionally "demoted" to lower ones. The stigma associated with demotion lies not on the individual, but on those who promoted him when he wasn't ready for additional responsibility. This curbs the tendency to promote individuals into positions beyond their capabilities. Settling into a role and rank is not considered stagnation. Turians value knowing one's own limitations more than being ambitious.

Turians enjoy broad freedoms. So long as one completes his duties, and does not prevent others from completing theirs, nothing is forbidden. For example, there are no laws against recreational drug use, but if someone is unable to complete his duties due to drug use, his superiors step in. Judicial proceedings are 'interventions.' Peers express their concern, and try to convince the offender to change. If rehabilitation fails, turians have no qualms about sentencing dangerous individuals to life at hard labor for the state.

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.

Most turian families are said to keep small arms in their homes and basic training includes instruction on how to create simple firebombs that can be surprisingly effective against armoured vehicl

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 practice combined arms: infantry operates with armor, supported by overhead gunships. Strategically, they are methodical and patient, and dislike risky operations. The turians recruit auxiliary units from conquered or absorbed minor races. 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.

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.


Question/Answers

Where are the Turians? The race have been are down the bottom left hand corner, not too far from the Breen and the CU.

What are they like? In general, they are wary of outsiders. They are expansionist but only because they are paranoid about national security. Prone to emotional outbursts, they are not lightly incensed and angering a Turian is...unwise. of course, these are just generalizations.
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Re: Turian Hierarchy

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DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO THE TURIAN HIERARCHY - An outline by Dr. Kanzai Nakamura

[Okay, ladies and gents; I'm going to chronicle a diplomatic mission to the Hierarchy. Im going to do similar to Staplic's done just because...its easy. And it's useful]


1 September 1983

Arrival on the Turian Homeworld of Palaven was welcomed with grandeur, with pomp and with circumstance. The ruling castes of Turian society had organised a celebratory event to mark the diplomatic mission from the United Federation of Planet's arrival. Fireworks, banquets, street parties; It reminded me of a less colourful version of Mardi Gras. The Turian people's welcome was warm and heartfelt; passers by stopped in awe as the Intrepid used to bring us to Palaven did a low flyby under the glow of fireworks. We were accompanied by Turian frigates.

Palaven is a beautiful world with climates that are as varied as Earth's. Gravity is lacking compared to Earth and is bordering on uncomfortable for Humans. It is never enough to dissuade us from going outside, but is a constant reminder of how alien this world is.

Upon arrival we were quickly directed to the Embassy. It is a typically Turian building with high, vaunted ceilings and logical, ordered layout. The interior is exquisitely designed with numerous expensive furnishings; and many facilities for access to Turian public databases as well as Federation systems. My living quarters as head of the diplomatic mission were large and elegant with wondrous views overlooking the city. it was typical of diplomatic facilities really.


7 September 2383

The Turian race continues to be a curiosity. The first surprise is that almost everyone in the Turian hierarchy serves the government somehow; the society is almost the epitome of a functioning socialist state. Everyone works for the good of one another and all benefit. Of course, there are differing wages for differing jobs but many, somehow, link back to the government. Turian society is built entirely around bureaucracy. And yet, it still seems to work.

The people here are an enigma. One moment I meet a Turian who is fun loving, laughing jovially and full of vigour; the next I meet a Turian who is quiet and reserved. The Turian society could well teach us a lot as a people; they do not have many rules or regulations simply because they do not need them. Turian's know what is acceptable and what is not, that is that. No-one turns an eye to a male-male couple, nor do they turn an eye to couple with a massive age gap. Society is free.

Personnel in the embassy are treated with utmost respect by almost everyone we encounter. Regularly I hear tales of people who become the centre of attention in bars or bistros they visit, and the embassy has entertained hundreds that are curious about our society. Turians are not innately curious; local media has viewed these reactions as premature and perhaps even dangerous. Nevertheless, civilians seem to be fascinated by us.

Our retinue attended a formal dinner with the Primarch's, the elected ruling council of the Turian people. as a group, they command awe. They debated openly and freely with our scientists, they exchanged cultural ideology with us and even taught us some basic Turian (as best as our biology could accommodate). I can see why they were elected to their positions; they combined charisma with strong will and incredible intellect.

13th September 2383

We had an opportunity to see the Turian senate in operation today. Effectively, elected representatives relay and provide input for the Primarch's but they still have overall rule. In a sense, the Hierarchy is...an oligarchy, ruled by few. But the Primarch's appear to genuinely take into account the elected officials views. In Earth's history, people of power abuse their role. This temptation simply doesn't exist for Turian Primarch's. The High Primarch, Akanis, rarely spoke. He simply observed and made subtle nods or head movements to express agreement or disapproval.

Midway through, he stood up and the debate about international policy suddenly halted. Turning directly to the contingent of Federation observers, he spoke.

"We can banter back and forth around international policy regarding various nations and yet no one here has yet taken the time to learn who we are talking about. What do we know of the Cardassians, the Klingons, the Romulans even the Federation we have as guests? We know only what we detect through news, idle transmissions that pour from these respective nations like molten lava escaping a vibrant volcano. In that vein, surely it is worth using the resource before us to learn about one of the premier nations? Tell us, Ms. Nakamura. Explain to us what the Federation is to a Federation citizen."

I was lost for words. Of course, I elaborated on the technical union of the worlds and the prime directive. About how I thought of things, about the democratic process. Took questions. It was enlightening to see genuine curiosity. Today has been a good day.
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Re: Turian Hierarchy

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Palaven News Reporting Agency [PNRA]


Rapidly growing navy conducts naval exercises

In the month of Nakame (equivalent to October), the North Border fleet has begun extensive exercises across the Taruven, Ahena and Rhyl sectors of the Hierarchy. These exercises, comprising the majority of the North border fleet's active deployments are designed to test the operational effectiveness of the newly expanded Turian Defence Fleet in both defensive and offensive operations. Civilian observers, invited to the press releases for the exercises, have expressed surprise at the strength of the new navy. Dr. Tekana, 23rd order, stated "The Turian Defence Fleet has grown leaps and bounds since the last naval exercise strategic review. The ships are faster, more powerful and more impressive than ever before and are competent matches to many ships of other races. I am more than confident that the Defence fleet is up to the challenge of keeping our space safe."

However, many criticisms have been laid at the door of the Senate over the increased expansion of the military infrastructure. Pacifist Groups, such as the Turian Peace Directive and the "Beholders" have vehemently opposed the increased spending on military affairs. "The Turian nation is far from any of the other international powers; we are not a threat. The more we build, the more we build up our military the more at risk of reprisal we are. For all we know as a nation, the Breen or Cardassians may see our development as a direct threat and act accordingly. We should be making friends, not war cruisers." The Government has so far dismissed these claims as absurd.
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