Zabrak Culture & Biology

This is a rough summary. I did some research through online galactic encyclopedia and medical zoological texts. This is what I found out. And for the best details of information...

http://www.angelfire.com/empire/righteous/sithandthemaiden.html

Planet:
Iridonia (harsh acidic and radiation infested climate)

Species:
Development of heightened senses, endurance and willpower, force predisposition
Cantolerate and withstand extreme pain long beyond the average human
horns denote genetic race, as does skin color and eye color (normally skin and eye colur are a related match. There is very little body hair.
Body produces pheramones for maiting and for Tai'shan.
Species has a high tendancy toward violence and other intense reactions, thus are also extremely passionate. In extreme anger or fight-mode, tend to howl challenges or growl... but this is socially frowned upon al a loss of self-control. Graceful, fluid forms, high intelligence.
Race developed culture and religion and is among the earliest space-faring species.
Tend to make excellent warriors, assassins, swordmen.
Intensely honourable species... loyal... perhaps to a fault.
Passionate (near violent) lovers, though can be very gentle and charming. Tai'shan, or true spirit/body union, is the only kind that will result in a child. Therefore, majority of unions are infertile. Most children of Zabrak are now grown in a lab or via cloning technology.
Aloof wanderers, thus are widespread about the galaxy.

Culture:
Tribal, close-knit families.
Horns denote genetic lineage.
Tattooes are on both the face and body, reflecting personality and stature.
Religious order complex: includes both celibate and non-celibate clergy.
Honour is deeply ingrained.
Pure-race discrimination can be prevalent in some tribes, thus children not like others in tribe may be sentenced to death for their differentness.
Tai'shan is both a physical (pheramonal) response resulting in a union as well as a spirital life/love bonding. (A Zabrak may have many lovers... but only one Tai'shan has a matching pheramonal response... which is intense and induces sometimes confusing or disorienting attraction and desire for coitus)

Courtship - (as quoted from the website above... and includes the consequences of rape)

"Pairing involves the custom of Tai Shan, which is based upon the use of the acute sense of smell to recognize compatible pheromones secreted by a female (and rarely a male) as a subtle scent or musk, which leads to a rapid attraction and then to successful pairing for life. Matched pheromones create chemicals with powerful aphrodisiac properties which lead to very rapid courtship and stable life bonds being undertaken. Under certain conditions, these bio-chemicals cause mind expanding drugs to be manufactured within the bodies of the paired couple. When ingested by each from the other, the drug enhances power derived from the Force and generates a transcendental state of being which reinforces the pair-bond during the mating process. It is the responsibility of the male partner to initiate the activities which create these bio-chemicals and to aid their ingestion.

Such is the immediacy and power of this attraction, and realisation that each is meant for the other, that In very ancient times the 'courtship' frequently consisted of acts approaching 'consensual rape' and sexual violence, which transmuted to a deep and abiding love once the female had submitted. It is the suddenness and violence of the act which is distressing, for the female is less able to resist the violence, even though she is in the same state of need as the male, who often, in his confusion, will heedlessly beat her senseless lest she fail to accept him.
As civilisation gained ascendancy and a social structure formed, techniques of self control were developed and taught to all children, and courtship was formalised to eliminate the more violent aspects. The male generally being more powerful and stronger than the female, the custom arose requiring him to exercise great control over his instinctive responses, and ask the female formally for a decision about undertaking the commitment to be his consort, or Tai Shan, and whether she truly wished to mate with him. Custom requires also that this question be asked just before the final commitment to each other and in a state of extreme sexual excitement. This gives the female the illusion that she exercises some sort of final control although in reality, both partners are almost totally controlled by their biochemistry at this point in the proceedings. The female also has certain responsibilities to perform to the male, including ritualistic expressions of love before the male is able to ask for her commitment.

The custom and ritual surrounding courtship is so ingrained into the young that great restraint is exercised as adults, and the natural violent responses are effectively controlled. Even so, the first experience of it's effects can be overpowering and result in temporary physical disorientation. The punishment for rape, even under these conditions, is final and conclusive. While some may consider such extreme justice to be immoral and unjustified in these civilised days, consider that for the Zabrak, laxity in this matter has the potential to lead to chaos and anarchy within a very close-knit community, and the disintegration of society. It should be noted, also, that there has been no need to invoke such punishment for many millennia of recorded history, such is the success of their education program. "

So... my mother had many lovers... but one Tai'shan... my father.

And does any of this explain the odd ... feelings... between Blimey and me? And how and why we bacame so close so quickly and easily? And can there be more than on Tai'shan? Or is this just stupidity. How DO i feel about him? And... how much do I trust him. Reading the above... I do not think i could remotely dare such closeness... I think I am still far too ruled by fear, even if there was something along the lines of ... this....

Honour is the Law...
Love is the Bond...

I think I understand it some. When I get it a bit more straight in my head, I will try to explore it here in the journal. For now... I will lone-wolf it... and hunt... and let my mind wander. Perhaps I will Go deep into the woods somewhere... and rework the training i had received as a child. i cannot go through life so... effected by the "wierdnesses" that can sometimes grip me as they did the other night. I am "different" enough... I do not need to have this interfering with my judgement and actions.