Hanar
Hanar (singular and plural) are the native sapient species of Kahje. Aquatic in their natural environment, hanar utilize sophisticated life support systems to venture among dry land species, including mass effect fields to support their bodies and translators which turn their bioluminescent communication into verbal language.
Hanar are known for their worship of the Protheans, whom they call Enkindlers, and credit with bestowing upon the hanar language and full sapience. Hanar interact with one another and with non-hanar according to strict protocols of courtesy; most well-known is the prohibition against referring to oneself as "I", which is seen as an expression of arrogant presumption. Hanar refer to themselves instead as "this one", and refer to other hanar as "the other". Conservative hanar may apply this to non-hanar as well, and in some cases even regard non-hanar as rude if they do not do likewise, although liberal hanar are more flexible, and may refer to non-hanar as "you" or "they" without intending offence.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
The hanar "stand" slightly taller than a human, although most of their height is in their long tentacles. The invertebrate, water-native hanar cannot support their own weight in normal gravity. When interacting with mainstream galactic society, they rely on contra-gravitic levitation packs that use mass effect fields. Their limbs can grip tightly, but are not strong enough to lift more than a few hundred grams each. Hanar also possess the ability to secrete natural toxins.
Hanar are biologically genderless, though others may assign arbitrary gender values to them for convenience. Despite evolving in water, hanar also appear able to breathe air, or use technological means to enable this. Also, despite appearances to the contrary, the hanar do have skulls.
Putting an aquatic species like the hanar in cryostasis presents a considerable challenge, though it has been surmounted by the Andromeda Initiative's technology by 2386 GS.
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The hanar homeworld, Kahje, has 90% ocean cover and orbits an energetic white star, resulting in a permanent blanket of clouds. Due to the presence of Prothean ruins on Kahje, the hanar have developed a religion centered on the ancient species, calling them the "Enkindlers". Hanar myths often speak of them as an elder race that uplifted and civilized them by teaching them language.
Several hundred years ago, the hanar made contact with the drell on their nearby homeworld of Rakhana. Drell society was quickly collapsing due to overpopulation and warring over scarce resources, so the hanar rescued several hundred thousand drell and brought them to Kahje, where they integrated into hanar society with the remaining drell dying out. Now the drell serve as a client race of the hanar, and although to outside observers the relationship can be construed as a form of slavery, the reality is very different. Drell have integrated with every level of hanar society, and most consider it an honor to serve a hanar family in a tradition referred to as the Compact. Many drell become unofficial members of the family, and some even earn the privilege to learn their masters' "soul names".
The hanar communicate using sophisticated patterns of bioluminescence—which other species need machine assistance to translate (though many drell apply genetic modification to their eyes in order to perceive higher frequency flashes which allows them to understand the hanar)—and speak with scrupulous precision and extreme politeness. Most hanar take offense at improper language, and must take special courses to unlearn this tendency if they expect to deal with other species.
The hanar have two names, a "face name" and a "soul name." The face name is used as a general label for use by strangers and acquaintances. The soul name is kept for use among close friends and relations, and tends to be poetic. For example, a hanar known for its cynicism may take a name that means "Illuminates the Folly of the Dancers." That said, hanar are extremely polite, almost to a fault. They never refer to themselves in the first person with someone they know on a face name basis: to do so is considered egotistical. Instead they refer to themselves as "this one," or the impersonal "it." It is only around those who know their soul name that they would ever consider using the first person. Even when flustered or angry, a hanar will still maintain exquisite poise, and will remain formal even with those it wishes dead.
Drell servants usually carry out hanar assassinations, as the hanar are too cumbersome out of the water to participate in a physical fight—though Zaeed Massani mentions that he was once nearly strangled by one. The drell assassin Thane also maintains that the hanar have a strong grip and possess strong natural poison.
Hanar forbid animal fighting in their culture, thinking it makes people less empathetic to others.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Few hanar are willing to deal with other species. Economic contacts are limited to a handful of trade stations on their borders. Due to this self-imposed isolation and the unique physiology of the race, their economy is small and isolated from the rest of the galaxy. Few standard technologies (designed for bipedal and fingered species) are available in their space, and they produce very few goods that are usable by others.
One of the known products they do export is alcohol. Batarian entrepreneur Edan Had'dah was revealed to have a liking for hanar-produced liquors. This is likely to have been procured through the discreet gray-market trade relationships the hanar still maintain with the batarians, despite the latter species' own political and economic isolation from the rest of Federation space.
The hanar equivalence of alcohol or at least equivalent practice is mindfish, a hallucinogenic fish that is a favorite of the species. It is known by 2386 that batches of this product have made its way into Citadel establishments like the Silver Coast Casino.
Possibly due to their physical frailty, the hanar employ robo-miners to excavate valuable resources.
Common Myths and Legends
The hanar practice a religious holiday called Nyahir or "First Cresting Bloom" which lasts a full thirteen days and revolves around celebrating the gift of speech, which they attribute to having come from the Enkindlers. It is a mixture of contemplation and competition, with the faithful engaged in stylized debates, poetry duels, and other traditional hanar art forms. The winners of these events have their names inscribed in bio-luminescence on the side of Mount Vassla, an underwater volcano at the heart of one of the oldest Prothean ruins on Kahje.
Lifespan
150-210 years
Average Height
1.9 - 2.4 m
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
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