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Tellarite
Gral, a Tellarite male (2154)
Gav, a Tellarite male (2268)
Tellarites standing next to Humans
Tellarite script

"Tellarites do not argue for a reason, they simply argue."

- Sarek of Vulcan, 2268

Tellarites were a warp-capable humanoid species from the class M planet Tellar Prime. In 2161, their homeworld became a founding member the United Federation of Planets.

Contents

Physiology

Tellarites were a stout humanoid species with distinctive snouts. They wore beards and their hands were sometimes hoof-like in appearance.

For information on their hands and faces see the background section.

On average, Tellarites were shorter than Humans.

Tellarites considered canine to be something of a delicacy. They found Human room temperature to be cold, indicative of a higher body temperature. (ENT: "Babel One")

Whereas the medical condition known as dyspnea is considered a symptom (e.g. the patient notices it him/herself) and not a sign (e.g. only a doctor notices the sign during a medical examination) when affecting most species, it is regarded as a sign when Tellarites come down with it. (DS9: "Inquisition")

Society

Tellarites sometimes took mud baths. (ENT: "Babel One")

If this is a reference to wallowing, it may be intended as an extension of their likeness to pigs.

Tellarites were known to be an impatient people. (ENT: "United") They were also known for their "stubborn pride". (ENT: "The Forge") They had a propensity toward strong emotion. However, they enjoyed a good argument, which was even considered a sport on Tellar. (ENT: "Bounty") Tellarites often began an interaction with a series of complaints; this was how they started arguments with someone they had recently met. If they had nothing to complain about they would simply insult the person. Because of their ability to argue, Tellarites made excellent politicians. (ENT: "Babel One")

One of Elim Garak's suggested wedding dresses for Rom and Leeta was in the style of Tellarite modern. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

Tellarite cuisine seemed to be dominated by raw fruits and vegetables. (ENT: "Babel One")

History

Tellarites were warp-capable and involved in inter-species communication by the 20th century. In 1957, a Tellarite freighter picked up the distress call of a Vulcan ship that had crash-landed on Earth, near Carbon Creek, Pennsylvania. They passed this information onto the Vulcan High Command. (ENT: "Carbon Creek")

Some time before 2154, the Tellarites were also in conflict with the Andorians. Ambassador Gral recalled being aboard a Tellarite cruiser as they drove "those blue demons" back into their own territory by force. (ENT: "Babel One")

In April 2152, a passing Tellarite vessel directed the Earth starship Enterprise, suffering severe damage after an encounter in a Romulan minefield, to an automated repair facility. Subcommander T'Pol then stated that Tellarites are generally considered trustworthy. (ENT: "Dead Stop")

In March 2153, the Tellarite bounty hunter Skalaar, working for the Klingons, captured the Human, Jonathan Archer, captain of the Enterprise. However, he later helped him to escape from the Klingon ship. Skalaar's brother, Gaavrin, who worked on a space station at that time, used to run a freighter, the Tezra, together with him. (ENT: "Bounty")

In November 2154, a Tellarite delegation led by Ambassador Gral was being transported to the planetoid Babel by the Enterprise to resolve a long standing trade dispute with the Andorians. The original conference agenda covered only trade regulations for the sector. However, a Romulan plot to destabilize the region had the opposite effect and created a temporary alliance among the Andorians, Vulcans, Humans, and Tellarites. The proceeding conference later helped bring peace to the strained Tellarite-Andorian relations. (ENT: "Babel One", "United")

In 2155, a delegation of Tellarite ambassadors was sent to Earth to join in talks of forming a Coalition of Planets. Minister Nathan Samuels joked that the new universal translators were working a little too well when it came to talking to the Tellarites. (ENT: "Demons")

The new Coalition of Planets became welded together in 2156, when the conflict with the Romulan Star Empire escalated into the Earth-Romulan War. A humiliating defeat of the Romulans by an alliance of Tellarite, Andorian, Vulcan, and Earth forces at the Battle of Cheron in 2160 effectively ended the war and led to the establishment of the Romulan Neutral Zone between the two power blocs. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II"; TOS: "Balance of Terror")

Some time prior to 2161, Shallash gained notoriety as the second Tellarite liberator. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")

In 2161, Tellar became a founding member of the United Federation of Planets along with its old war allies Earth, Andoria, and Vulcan. (ENT: "Zero Hour") As a result, the Tellarites held a seat on the Federation Council and served as Starfleet officers. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; DS9: "Apocalypse Rising")

TellariteTAS
Tellarite serving on the Elysian Council

In 2268, the planet Coridan sought admission to the United Federation of Planets. However, due to the wealth of dilithium available on Coridan and the presence of illegal mining operations, Coridan's admission was a controversial subject between Tellarites and Vulcans. The Babel Conference was convened to settle the matter and ultimately approved Coridan's admission. Tellarite Ambassador Gav was among the delegates to the Babel Conference but was killed by an Orion infiltrator in Andorian disguise on board the Federation starship USS Enterprise. On the conference, Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan was ultimately credited with achieving the consensus towards admitting the planet to the Federation. (TOS: "Journey to Babel"; TNG: "Sarek")

Tellarite council member 1, TVH
Tellarite serving on the Federation Council

A Tellarite served on the ruling council of the pocket dimension Elysia, during the late 23rd century. It was unknown how long his species had been trapped in that universe. (TAS: "The Time Trap")

In 2286, at least one Tellarite was serving on the Federation Council. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

By the late 24th century, Tellarites were serving in Starfleet. A drunken Klingon at the celebrations for the Order of the Bat'leth in 2373 bragged about having killed the Tellarite helmsman of Laporin's starship. (DS9: "Apocalypse Rising")

During the 2370s, Tellarite freighters occasionally conducted trade through starbase Deep Space 9. (DS9: "Shadowplay")

Following the fall of Betazed during the Dominion War, in 2374, many believed that Tellar could be the Dominion's next target. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")

Mirror universe

In the mirror universe, Tellarites had been subjugated by the Terran Empire sometime prior to 2155, though some had joined the rebellion against the Empire.

Major Malcolm Reed and Doctor Phlox of the ISS Enterprise tortured a Tellarite crewman named Terev in the agony booth as a demonstration of the device for Captain Maximilian Forrest and Commander Jonathan Archer. Reed's philosophy on Tellarites was that they were "all guilty of something". (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly")

At one point, frustrated with a lack of progress while trying to apprehend the rogue Gorn Slar aboard the stolen USS Defiant, Archer raged that "we'd have more luck sending a squad of Tellarites to capture this thing!" (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II")

Technology

In the 2150s, Tellarite technology was considered less advanced than that of Andorians. (ENT: "Babel One")

Though this could be referring only to their combat capabilities. The Tellarites mention that a Tellarite ship is no match in combat with its Andorian counterparts. It is possible that Tellarites have more advanced technology in other areas. Indeed, a Tellarite complains about the inefficiency of Andorian communication codes, though this may simply be traditional baseless Tellarite complaining.

People

Tellarite starships

Appendices

Appearances

Background information

Tellarite nose and cheek appliance
A Tellarite mask from "Journey to Babel"
Tellarite screen test, A Private Little War
A Tellarite from credits
Tellarite screen test, The Deadly Years
Another Tellarite from credits, including the species' hoof-like hands, containing only three digits
Tellarite TVH special features
A Tellarite mask used in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

No female Tellarites have ever been explicitly shown on any of the movies or TV series (that we know of). Still, Worene's species is a possible candidate for a female Tellarite.

The script of "Journey to Babel" includes a note that reads, "Tellarites do not get drunk, just feisty."

Like the Andorians, the outer appearance of Tellarites changed over time. Beginning with primordial masks in "Journey to Babel" from 1967 (which prevented the actor under it from seeing through its lunettes), they received a completely new makeup in "Bounty" in 2003, due to improved makeup techniques as well as a greater budget. Makeup Supervisor Michael Westmore had wanted to create an updated version of the Tellarite ever since 1998, a wish that he had expected would be practical. (Star Trek Monthly issue 46, p. 83) Shortly after completing work on "Bounty", Executive Producer Brannon Braga commented on how the Tellarites had been updated, saying, "We reconceived the makeup a little bit so it's not quite as hokey. They were never really developed, so we also tried to create a little character and culture for them. We [....] wouldn't hesitate to do the Tellarites again." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 145, pp. 31-32)

One thing missing in the Star Trek: Enterprise makeup were the three fingers which some, but not all, Tellarites had in Star Trek: The Original Series. (The Tellarites that had three fingers used the M-113 creature's hands from TOS: "The Man Trap".) A slight reference to that can be seen in their cloven fingernails, though.

Two images taken from apparent make-up tests appeared in the ending credits of the Original Series episodes "The Deadly Years" and "A Private Little War". These tests appear to be for either Gav or his aide.

A Tellarite costume was put up for auction in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction. This auction has revealed that a fat suit was used under the Tellarite uniform to give the appearance of added weight.

The Tellarite councilor in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is wearing robes that were originally created for the white-furred Kazarite from Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Although it is unclear from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country whether an alien species that is present at the Khitomer Conference was intended to be a Tellarite and despite its make-up (a man with a beard and large, upturned nose) only vaguely resembling the Tellarites seen in other incarnations, the alien was indeed meant to be a Tellarite, as confirmed in an interview with Richard Snell. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 34)

Apocrypha

According to the non-canon novel Last Full Measure, Gral is shown to be the Tellarite that signs the Federation Charter.

In the novel Articles of the Federation, Bera chim Gleer was a Tellarite representative in the Federation council in the late 2370s, and early 2380s known for his long speeches, and opposing Federation President Nanietta Bacco's inauguration. He is also referenced by political figures in Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume 2 and A Time to Heal. Articles of the Federation also featured Kav glasch Vokrak, a Tellarite reporter.

A Tellarite named Colv served as an Engineer on a cargo freighter in Star Trek: SCE: Breakdowns. The Tellarite people are later referenced in the novel for their involvement in "the infamous Tellarite bar-fight story," which is popular among the da Vinci crew.

In the eBooks of Star Trek: SCE that are eventually printed as paperback novels, a Tellarite character called Mor glasch Tev takes over the position of Second Officer after Kieran Duffy's death.

In the novel The IDIC Epidemic, Tellarites are listed as composing less than 28% of the Vulcan Science colony Nisus.

In the Star Trek: 25th Anniversary game, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy encounter a Tellarite on Pollux V who describes the Krognik demon – a creature from Tellarite mythology. This creature is the traditional shape of the Tellarite devil and his minions. Its physical appearance is described as being decidedly wolfish, with sharp teeth in a long snout.

Tellarites have made two appearances in comics from IDW Publishing. Christopher Pike encountered some on Babel in 2265 when he was being feted as Fleet Captain. One, Administrator Muso, was a wanted criminal and bounty hunter, and was taken into custody with the help of an Orion slave girl. (Alien Spotlight: "Orions") While investigating a conspiracy in Starfleet, Jean-Luc Picard was fired on by a Tellarite in the shadows on the grounds of Starfleet Academy. (Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Space Between: "An Inconvenient Truth")

The Star Trek Roleplaying Game Starfleet Operations Manual and Aliens supplements characterize Tellarites as having great mechanical aptitude, perhaps due to their greater perception of distance, dimension and depth, as well as being extensively trained in engineering at every level of the education process.

Female Tellarites are a playable race and gender for the Federation faction in Star Trek Online. Females are depicted as having the same pig-like facial features, but with pointed, wide extended ears.

External links

This is a featured article. At the time it was featured (April 2005) it was considered one of the best examples of the Memory Alpha community's work. Even so, if you see a way this page can be improved even further, we invite you to contribute. Please also check the links below to see how the article has changed since it was featured more than two years ago.
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