Physiology and Appearance
Only slight physical differences separate Romulans from their Vulcan cousins. Outwardly, the two are virtually identical, with the same pointed ears and upward-sloping eyebrows, though over the centuries, the Romulans have developed a prominant brow ridge. The average Romulan stands 1.8 meters tall. They possess the same straight black hair and green-tinged complexions of their Vulcan forebears.
Homeworld
The Romulan homeworld, Romulus, lies in the Beta Quadrant, anti-spinward of the Federation and coreward of the Klingon Empire. It is the third of ten planets orbiting the Romulan sun, a Type F1 V (bright, yellow-white dwarf) star. They also occupy Remus, the fourth planet in the system. Both worlds are considered home to the Romulan people, so much so that both are usually talked about together
Romulus is a model Class-M world, with a variety of ecologies and environments (similar to Earth) ranging from arctic to temperate to tropical. Its gravity, atmosphere, and climate are the same as Earth's. Remus, also class M, is smaller than its sister world. Its gravity is slightly heavier (1.1 G), its oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere has a slightly greater Earth-normal pressure. The planet is almost a wasteland, with most of its inhabitants living below ground and working in the dilithium mines. One side of the planet is extremely hot and constantly faces the system's sun. The other side is extremely cold and never faces the sun.
History
Millenia ago, Surak sought to bring peace to the Vulcan people by encouraging them to reign in violent emotions and persue logic. Some Vulcans disagreed. They claimed that the Vhorani created the Vulcan people at Vorta Vor, the wellspring of creation, and placed them in Vulcan's harsh environment to strengthen them for their ultimate destiny -- to one day rule the stars. Those who believed in these legends saw the Time of Awakening as abandoning their birthright. At first, they persecuted Surak's followers, executing those who infiltrated their lands to spread his teachings, sending his followers to the arena to defend their lives with lirpa qne ahn-woon. But as the tide turned against them, these "true Vulcans" fled their world to preserve their way of life, the Way of D'era. thus the Romulans were born.
Crammed into generation ships equipped only with impulse drives, those who fled Vulcan traveled at near-warp speeds looking for a planet to call their own. The trip would take the proto-Romulans decades to complete, as they searched for the perfect world. As time passed, some abandoned their quest, choosing to settle on other worlds. Some of these pocket empireswould go on to be fairly successful, surviving for a few centuries, while others descended into barbarism. This may explain the origins of the Rigelians of Rigel V, who share a physiology similar to Vulcans, the proto-Romulan empire known as the Debrune, and the Mintakans. After 190 tears if searching the proto-Romulan colonists located the world that would become their home -- Romulus. Uninhabited by higher life forms, they began to tame the planet. They built their cities, cleared their farmland, and gradually put their imprint on the land.
Throughout their history, the Romulans demonstrate a pattern of feceit and tenacity as they probed their ever-expanding borders for conquests in the name of D'era.
After settling Romulus, they turned their eyes toward Remus, the neighboring planet in the star system, defeating the native inhabitants and claiming it as their own. They continued to fan out from their home system, crushing any oppostion and conquering dozens of worlds.
Astoundingly, the Romulans eventually made it back to Vulcan, this time with a battle-tested fleet. Though ultimately their efforts failed, the two sides fought a hundred-year-long war for control over the world of their birth.
By 2156, the Romulans became aware of Humans, and Earh, and the Romulan-Earth War began. Abloody conflict fought with primitive atomic warheads, both sides fought to a stalemate. In 2160m they concluded the Treaty of Cheron by subspace radio, with established a neutral zone one light-year wide to separate the combatants. Throughout the war and negotiations, neither side ever actually laid eyes upon the other.
For the next 100 years, the Romulans isolated themselves behind their border until they developed a prototype ship combining two new technologies -- the cloaking device and the plasma weapon. In several sneak attacks, the Romulans tested their prototype by attacking Federation outposts along the Neutral Zone.
Suspecting the Federation of developing their own cloaking technology, the Romulans suddenly attacked the science colony on Tomed III. This Tomed Incident cost the Federation thousands of lives and resulted in the Treaty of Algeron, which reaffirmed the security of the Neutral Zone and prohibited Starfleet from developing cloaking technology.
After the Tomed Incident, the Romulans once again retreated to their own territory. A fter 53 years of seclusion, they returned with a vengence, ending their isolation to investigate the disappearance of several Romulan outposts for which they blamed the Federation, though it was later discovered that the Borg were responsible.
Four years later, they attempted a coup of the Vulcan government by hiding their invasion behind the veil of a reunification with their long-lost cousins.
Their relations with the Klingon Empire faired little better. In 2268, the Romulans entered into an alliance with the Klingons, trading starship designs for cloaking technology. The Romulans use the alliance as a cover for sneak attacks on the Klingon spaces, culminating in their humiliating defeat at athe Battle of Klach D'kel Brakt in 2270. By 2292, the alliance collapsed and, and the period of open warfare began, including attacks on the Klingon outposts at Narendra III and Khitomer. Finally, the Romulans attempted to overthrow the Klingon government in 2367 by supplying the Duras family in the bid for the Chancellorship of the Klingon High Council in the hopes of then exerting influence on Klingon politics.
In late 2373, the Romulans signed a nonagression pact with the Dominion, significantly affecting the balance of power in the Alpha Quadrant. The Romulans, nominally allies with the Dominion, remained uninvolved in the ensuing Dominon War while the other major powers in the area suffered trememndous losses in the conflict. By late 2374, the Romulans enlarged the war against the Dominion after the Tal Shiar discovered evidence that the Dominion was planning to invade Romulan territory. Romulan authorities did no realize that the "evidence" had in fact been falsified by Benjiman Sisko and Elim Garak in a successful effort to persuade the Romulan Senate to reverse its decision to ally with the Dominion. The Romulans were soon a significant force in the war, driving the Dominion from the Benzar system. Romulan forces were instrumental in the dramatic defeat at the Chin'toka System. They also in participated in the Battle for Cardassia Prime, which brought about the end of the Dominion War.
Four years later, the Romulan Star Empire faced its most trying time when Shinzon, a clone of the Human Captain Jean-Luc Picard arranged for the assassination of the majority of the Senate with a new weapon. This lead to his rise to the position of Praetor and liberation of the Remans, who had raised him after he had been abandoned in the dilithium mines of Remus. Shinzon was defeated by the combined forces of the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire, which led to greater ties between two of the regions most important powers.
Culture
Central to Romulan society is the Way of D'era. According to legend, the Vhorani created the Vulcan people at Vorta Vor, the Wellspring of Creation, and promised them the stars. All Romulans are taught to believe that it is their destiny to rule the Galazy. Whatever their accomplishments, Romulans believe there is always something new to conquer, and they plan to conquer it.
D'era forms their worldview, calling them to a higher purpose, encouraging them to put aside individual desires for the shared destiny of all. Social rites of passage such as the Pylanazi, in which a Romulan reaffirms his allegiance to the state, and the Serona, a period of universal conscription, reinforce this message. Families teach their children of the sacrifices and heroic deeds of their ancestors. Through devotion to the Praetor, allegiance to the Romulan people, and obedience to the state, the average citizen takes part inthe glory of the empire.
The ruling body of the Romulan Star Empire is the Senate. It determines public policy, debates, and passes laws, and appropriates resources for the good the empire. The Senate is the conscience of the republic, speaking on behalf of their constituents, who do not actually vote for their representation; the Senate appoints its members from a pool of worth, and influential, candidates. The Senate is also a hotbed of intrigue, as senators vie to be seen as more loyal to the empire than their peers, while garnishing public resources for their districts and stone-walling the intiatives of rival senators.
The Praetor is the leader of the empire, in whose name Romulan soldiers swear their oaths, and for whose honor they fight. He embodies the virtues of Romulan citizenship, and personifies the Way of D'era. Although the Senate governs the empire, the Praetor leads. Under strong Praetors, the Senate is a rubber stamp for his policies. Weak Praetors become puppets dancing to the whims of powerful factions. He (or she, for Romulans do not practice gender bias) commands the Romulan legions and their might Star Navy, and is expected to expand the empires borders.
The elite Romulan intelligence service, the Tal Shiar, enforces loyalty among the citizenry and military, while spying on the empire's enemies. Agents have broad discretionary powers and can overrule military commanders in the field without fear of reprisal. Aboard starship, great and small, Tal Shiar operatives serve as "political officers" ensuring the captain follows his orders, and the crew remains loyal to the Praetor; it is not unheard of for Romulan captains to face arrest for failing their mission. In addition, they have the authority to commandeer vessels for covert missions. Meanwhile, rumoirs of agents hidden among them, reporting on their trustworthiness, keep Romulan crews in line. Often brutal, those citizens who express dissatisfaction disappear in the night. Alien operatives are quickly picked up for interrogations, and much worse. Lastly, Tal Shiar agents spread throughout the known Galaxy, gathering data on potential invasion targets, supplying rebels with weapons, and destabilizing governments. On at least one occasion, a Vulcan ambassador to the Federation Council turned out to be a Tal Shiar sleeper agent.
Family is important to a Romulan, most notably among the uppoer echelons, the pseudo-aristocracy that rules Romulan life. Family is a source of pride. It is a way to amass great wealth and power within the empire. Notable Romulan families control entire fleets and worlds, and most often send a family member to sit on the Senate. They are patricians in the classic sense, believing they have a right to rule, but caring for their subjects as though they were beloved children.
Romulan speak Rihansu and generally refuse to learn other languages unless they are in the Tal Shiar.
