Than-Thre-Kull

The Than-Thre-Kull, commonly abbreviated to Than, are a fictional sentient species from the television series "Andromeda".

Physical characteristics

Than are humanoid, in the sense that they have two arms ending in hands, and two legs. Than are also insectoid, in that their bodies are covered in a hard carapace, they have compound eyes and ant-like mandibles.

Than are slightly smaller than humans on average, standing approximately 1.5 metres tall.

Reproduction

The method by which Than reproduce is probably their most alien feature. All Than are hermaphrodites, and mate "en masse". Up to 100 individual adult Than gather and lay a clutch of eggs together, and then fertilize those eggs. The resultant genetic mixture produces tens of thousands of larval Than, called "grubs".

These larvae reach maturity after spending months eating a specially cultivated fungus, and going through a chrysalis phase. The mortality rate for grubs is around 99%.

Society and culture

Than society and culture is not at all like the terrestrial insects they resemble. Rather than functioning as a centrally controlled "hive mind", the Than are a highly individualistic people. They are proud and protective of their traditions.

A Than's full personal name in Common is a haiku, and to make conversation easier they choose a short form, consisting of a key phrase from their full name.

History

The Than society was, and is, one of the strongest of all the members of the original Systems Commonwealth. Beginning on their homeworld "San-Ska-Re", they are the only race to have developed slipstream technology independently of the Vedrans, and had already expanded onto nearly one hundred worlds when they encountered — and joined — the Commonwealth.

The Than were long-standing and productive members of the Commonwealth, contributing substantially to scientific and military endeavours.

After the Fall of the Commonwealth, the Than were one of the few societies to pass through the Long Night relatively unscathed. They fell back to the security of their home systems, and continued to exist in much the same way they had before joining the Commonwealth. Dylan Hunt and his crew made them candidates for a new Commonwealth. At one point, the Than seemed hostile towards "Andromeda", because she was carrying parasitic creatures called Bokor, which takes over dead bodies to "preserve their shells". When the crew found a way to kill the Bokor with electricity, the Than called off the attack.

At the beginning of Season One of "Andromeda", the Than Hegemony is probably the most stable and cohesive civilization, and possesses the most powerful fleet remaining in known space.

Family

Than breed in large numbers (see Reproduction), and concordantly their family structures are vast and complex. For a Than, every one of the individuals who participated in its spawn is considered a "parent", and every other Than who grew from that spawn, a sibling.

Caste system

Each Than belongs to a caste, according to the colour of its carapace:

* Amber — the worker caste. Most Than are amber, and can be considered a kind of "general-purpose" member of Than society.
* Green emerald — the warrior caste. Emerald Than are larger and stronger than the other castes, and so are best employed in military roles.
* Red ruby — the builder caste. Ruby Than are especially good at engineering and construction.
* Blue sapphire — the academic caste. Sapphire Than are most effective as scientists and scholars.
* Diamond — the ruling caste. The Diamond Than are the fewest in number, and are most suited to leadership roles. They comprise the royalty and priesthood of Than society, and are themselves ruled by a single Than called the Overdiamond, the supreme ruler of all Than.

Characters

Than characters appearing in "Andromeda":

External links

* [http://www.saveandromeda.com/allsystems/lifeforms/than.htm All Systems University]