Planet
The name 'Efros' means 'ice' in the Efrosian tongue. The planet is a cold, harsh world that only in the last thousand years emerged from a millennia-long ice age. Few native animals live on Efros, as the climate makes it extremely difficult for plants to thrive. The abundance of metal on the planet, however, makes it valuable nonetheless.
Race
The Efrosians are among the newest members of the Federation, having first been contacted in the late twenty-third century. There is some evidence suggesting that the race did not originally evolve on Efros. Perhaps the Efrosians are yet another of the races that the Preservers seeded throughout the galaxy.
The most striking feature of the Efrosians is the sculpted look of their features. This particular development was the result of exposure to the cold, harsh winds of Efros. Although the primitive Efrosians wrapped their bodies in warm furs, they neglected such protection for their faces. As a result, the fierce winds scorched their faces, and later generations developed thick layers of fatty deposits beneath their facial areas. These deposits protected their faces from the harsh, cold winds and the features have since become an inherited racial trait.
Another distinguishing mark of Efrosian physiology is the difference in coloration between the sexes. Efrosian males all seem to have fair hair and complexions, many of them resembling albinos. On the other hand, Efrosian females are usually raven-haired. Studies have not yet indicated if this is the result of selective breeding early in Efrosian history or if it is some natural phenomenon. It is interesting to note that giving birth to a boy with dark hair or a girl with fair hair brings shame upon the family. To most people, this cross coloring brands the child as being of the opposite sex.
History
While the ice age raged across the surface of their planet, the Efrosians' technological and social development was minimal. They remained in close-knit tribes and subsisted on animals they could bring down with stone knives and spears. Once the massive glaciers began to break, both technology and unity swiftly developed.
The most esteemed individuals of the tribes were the warrior-priests, respected not only for their prowess as warriors, but also for their abilities as great healers. The greatest of these warrior-priests was S'skotomz, who brought the entire planet under his benevolent rule, and who is still revered today. Although the warrior-priests ruled Efros as a religious oligarchy, technological development did not suffer as it often has under religious leadership elsewhere in the galaxy. On the contrary, the warrior-priests viewed it as furthering what was so precious to all Efrosians. As the climate warmed somewhat, the Efrosians discovered previously hidden energy and mineral resources that boosted their technological progress.
By the time the Federation discovered them, the Efrosians had developed radio telescopes and atomic power. It was the Vulcan-crewed USS Surak that first detected the presence of an intelligent race on Efros. The Efrosians were overjoyed to learn that there was an abundance of intelligent life in the universe, both like and unlike themselves. They accepted the Federation's offer of friendship and joined the UFP soon afterward.
Place in the Federation
Although not widely known throughout the Federation, many Efrosians live and work as teachers and philosophers on other worlds as part of cultural exchanges. Efrosians serve in Starfleet as well, especially many of the lower-grade warrior-priests. Navigation, helm, and medicine are the most
popular choices in Starfleet for Efrosians. Warrior-Priests perform excellently in medicine because of their innate, almost psychic, ability to diagnose intuitively a patient's problem and treat him with minimal medicine or equipment. Because of their abilities and status, Starfleet allows Efrosian warrior-priests serving in the medical sciences to wear their native priestly finery while on duty.
Efrosians are also very adept as navigators and helmsmen due to their highly developed sense of direction. They seem to have developed this survival mechanism to deal with their world's blinding and disorienting snowstorms. They instinctively know correct courses and can make adjustments to stay on course even without the aid of a computer. Efrosians who do not choose to join Starfleet are often pressured to join the Merchant Academy.
The one aspect of Efrosian culture that other Federation members find annoying is the secrecy about their religion. All that is known about Efrosian faith is that it is very esoteric and mystical. Although extremely open and friendly about every other aspect of their culture, the Efrosians guard their religion jealously. They say that it was their religion that helped them survive the ravages of the ice age, and they refuse to even share its principles with others. Fortunately, most Federation races understand and respect the need for such privacy, and the Efrosians can benignly ignore Tellarite speculation about 'child-sacrifice' and 'ritual murder'.
