In many ways, the public face of the Orion species—even more than the dreaded and very real Orion Pirate—is the Green Orion Slave Girl. Though more pervasive, it is a myth. To have any real understanding of the Orions, one must first discard the concept. Almost all Orions exude a natural pheromone more potent than that of the typical humanoid. The intensity of such pheromones varies on an individual basis, as do the effects they could present. The most common effects of the average Orion's pheromones, when exposed over a period of at least a few hours, could include: mild arousal, relaxation, a raise in metabolic rate, a increase in adrenaline production, lightheadedness, a slight rise in aggressive tendencies and an inability to concentrate. It is comparable in most humanoids to the slight 'buzz' experienced upon consuming alcoholic beverages.

However, some Orions possess far more potent pheromones that had more debilitating effects on those exposed to them. These more potent pheromones are almost exclusive to a small percentage of female Orions, though it's possible for males to possess the same abilities if they have a strong genetic disposition. Whilst the effects also vary depending on the individual, they are generally much more potent than the effects exuded by most other Orions. Increased exposure may result in effects such as disorientation, lethargy, extreme vertigo, dangerous rises in metabolic and adrenal systems and heightened aggressive impulses. The pheromones could also act as a potent aphrodisiac, causing the affected individual to become intensely enamoured to the producer of the pheromone, and even make individuals especially prone to suggestion and manipulation.

As the chemical composition of the pheromones differs greatly between different genetic groups, the effect on other species can sometimes greatly vary. One such pheromone was known to cause headaches in Human females, disrupt the sleep cycles of a Denobulan, whilst not having any effect on a Vulcan or her bonded mate. Yet in other strains, the hormonal rush may sometimes be fatal to young Klingon males.

In 2154, an Orion Syndicate member named Harrad-Sar, under the thrall of the organized crime leaders Navaar, D'Nesh, and Maras, claimed that in Orion society, men were slaves to women. Female members of the Orion Syndicate sometimes posed as enslaved persons in order to use their pheromones to manipulate or even control hapless would-be male slavers from other species. As a means of perpetuating this deception, female leaders of the Syndicate would sometimes allow themselves to be "sold" on Orion slave markets. From the 2150s to the 2250s, it was common for slave traders, smugglers, criminals, and traffickers of women to stereotype Orion women as being "animalistic" in nature, characterizing them as having "extreme" carnal appetites and "certain innate skills." It was claimed that Human men could rarely resist the alluring dance of an Orion slave girl.

Given this reality, it should not come as a surprise that Orions naturally tend towards a matriarchal power structure, where women are dominant and the men, though larger and stronger, are subserviant to the power of biochemical pheromones. This dominance is not only chemical in nature, however—over the centuries it has been heavily augmented by cultural pressures.

However, they do hold slaves—mostly of other species. As a result of the fast-paced individualist strive for pleasure, Orions are notably unwilling to perform any tasks in which they were unlikely to achieve their own goals of pleasure and self-gratification. As such, Orions rely heavily on slavery in order for their society to function. Many Orion slaves are Orions who are willingly or forcibly inducted in order to pay off debts to those with more power than themselves. However, since the advent of warp technology, a vast many of the slaves on Orion belong to other species.

Despite common belief, not all slaves are labourers and physical workers, though the vast majority do tend to be sold into these roles. Orion slavers keep a keen eye for slaves who performtheir duties amicably and who would be easily resold for higher prices to fill more noteworthy positions. Such slaves often find themselves risen in society. Many key positions in Orion society are occupied by those taken as slaves, owned by individuals or organisations who ensure that their slaves are placed into the best positions to fit the needs of their masters. Only Those Orions whom have the means, tended to use their slaves as a display of their own personal wealth; the better treated the slaves, the greater the wealth of the owner. Some slaves are treated as adored pets, and are largely free to explore their own pursuits within the confines of their owner’s estates, others, served as concubines, staff, or managers of the household, filling whichever roles their owners required them to.

The Orion slave trade is also a front to the notorious Orion Syndicate, which is rumoured to be the only form of governing body for the Orion species. The Syndicate use the slave trade in order to deploy operatives into key positions throughout the Alpha and Beta quadrants, as an Orion pleasure slave is easily worth their weight in Latinum for a humanoid interested in sexual exploits…

Internally, Orions are quite different from other humanoid races. Their copper based blood chemistry makes them similar to Vulcans internally, though the similarities end there.

Orion bone structures, though notably similar to other humanoids, do have several notable differences. For example, the joint structure of Orions is slightly different to most other humanoids, providing a wider array of articulation of limbs such as lower legs and forearms, whilst also serving as very sturdy plates featured prominently in Orion martial arts. The unusual, almost avian, qualities of the Orion joints could be most keenly observed when watching the typical dance style of an Orion Slave Girl.

The chlorophyll in their epidermal layers also affects the way that Orions gain energy. Whilst they still rely on the consumption of food and drinks orally to gain nourishment, and have highly efficient intestines with which they absorb the nutrients from food, their digestive tracts are inefficient means of getting energy. Whilst the energy gained from their epidermal chlorophyll is converted handily into sugars stored in the muscles, the sugars created from food consumption are primarily used to sweeten the production of sweat, which in turn makes other beings more susceptible to their pheromone production, due to the sweet aroma their bodies produced. A notable biological feature that distinguished Orions from other species were the potent pheromones naturally secreted within their unusually sweet smelling sweat, which many humanoid races (as well as animals, including insects) found be very pleasant, though the effect is often lessened (sometimes reversed) with non-Orion females. Whilst all Orions possessed naturally strong pheromones when compared to other humanoid species, some Orions possessed far more potent pheromones that were theorised to have evolved as part of a Darwinian defensive mechanism.

The unusually plant-like means of gaining energy also affects the sleep cycles of Orions, who have multiple small sleeps throughout the day, rather than one longer sleep like most other humanoids. This also facilitates the Orion readiness to use stimulants and narcotics much more frequently than other species, which allows them to stay awake for longer periods of time. A typical piece of Orion technology, translated most easily as a 'Sunrise' is used to provide an Orion with high concentrated UV rays when not on their homeworld. These devices take the forms of full beds, lights, and handheld devices.

The Orion brain is notably susceptible to psionic abilities however, and they have no natural means of preventing, or recognising, the presence of psionic intrusion into their own heads. However, as a race they have a predisposition to be extremely charismatic, and Orions are known thought the Alpha and Beta quadrants to be greatly deceptive and untrustworthy, though they often first appear to be very friendly and hospitable. Lie detectors in particular have little effect on Orion physiology, as the usual signs would not be present. Truth serums are also limited in their effectiveness. Whether this is down to their brain chemistry or their societal evolution is difficult to say.

Due to the pheromonal biochemistry of Orions, the species evolved to use sexual intercourse primarily as a means of pleasure for as far back as their recorded history goes. The reproductive system is in fact very inefficient when compared to other humanoid species.

The male reproductive system features a penis and testicles like many other humanoid species. However the nerve endings in the area are almost three-times the amount of a typical Human male, enabling them to get much more pleasure out of sexual intercourse. Their penises are also particularly textural, which maximised pleasure during intercourse to the receiving party. The semen of an Orion male contains very little genetic material and it would take at least twenty five deposits to contain the same amount of genetic material as the average Human male. The semen of an Orion male also contains a high concentration of sugars, which lead to a very sweet taste and smell.

The female reproductive system was also designed for pleasure, with large concentrations of nerve endings throughout the external and internal regions of the vagina. The species does not possess a clitoris, but instead has a fleshy ridge above the vaginal opening which provided great pleasure on contact. The vaginal canal also features ridges that cause great stimulation during penetration. Orion women also experience overwhelming pleasure during childbirth, and very little pain, due to the elasticity of the vaginal canal.

Pleasure centres across both genders included the anus, the tongue, and the index and middle finger, all of which had high concentrations of nerve endings that made it very pleasurable to give, as well as receive, a number of sexual acts considered hedonistic by many other cultures. Orion sexuality is very open, with no consideration as to the gender of their other party when initiatives sexual relations. The same is also true of romantic relations, but whilst Orions do engage in monogamous relationships, these tend to be dedicated to emotional and financial well-being, rather than for sexual purposes. This fact make Orion cross-species relations unusual and typically difficult to maintain without lots of compromise from one party.

As a race, Orions are bipedal humanoids known for possessing a distinctive green skin tone that separates their outward appearance from other races. The green hue of their skin, which varies in tones from olive shades to almost emerald colours, is due to contribution from both their copper-based blood chemistry, and the presence of trace amounts of chlorophyll in their epidermis. Skin shade has little leaning on societal status, apart from a rare mutation that could cause a grey skin tone that was often regarded as inferior.

Aside from this, on outward appearance, Orions are not physically dissimilar to Humans, though there is a more prominent physical gender divide. On average, Orion males tend to be somewhat taller and broader than human males, with larger muscles that are maintained with minimal work and developed as a natural process as opposed to a response to hard labor or exercise. The average female on the other hand, tends to be smaller and more provocative in appearance, usually with ample bosoms and slender waists. Both genders of the species tend to develop a naturally athletic physique at the end of childhood, gaining muscle definition and giving an appearance that ranges from toned to bulging. The natural athleticism however did tend to decline as an Orion aged.

Yet it's not unheard of for Orion gender physiques to be reversed. Whilst uncommon, some males are known to develop lithe and toned bodies more akin to their female counterparts. Some females are also known to become more buxom and broad as they aged, mimicking the appearance of a male. Orion medical scientists have long debated whether this is due to a natural occurrence, a result of upbringing, or a mutation.

As for facial features, Orions are also similar to Humans, though they tend towards more aquiline noses and sharper features, whilst their irises vary between blues, greens and darker shades, along with the occasional gold and yellow tones. As a race they do not possess any physical developments, beyond skin tone, that made them appear outwardly alien, such as shaped ears, facial ridges, or epidermal patterns.

Whilst there is no recorded instance of an Orion developing body hair, well groomed head and facial hair was often seen as a sign of status within society, and evolved primarily as a means to attract others. Hair is usually dark, but it was not uncommon for Orions to dye their hair more exotic colours as a means of standing out. For lower class citizens, it was often considered disrespectful to have longer hair than someone of a higher class, resulting in the workforce and laborers to have short, sometimes forcibly, cropped hair. Within the Syndicate, many male soldiers heads were chemically treated to remove and prevent hair, as a conscious effort to make themselves appear more brutish and threatening.

Grey Orions are one of the species' most closely guarded secrets. Grey Orions are a subrace of the Orions, a scientifically and technically adept caste held prisoner by their array of crippling handicaps. Grey Orions tend to be shorter, slighter, quite frail and much weaker than their racial cousins, and less charismatic, but also a little more dexterous and great deal more intelligent. Their numbers are small, making up at most 5% of the Orion population (though they once numbered nearly 20%).

Their primary difference was their coloration, with skin ranging from a light gray to a charcoal black. In strong sunlight, this would tan with a deep metallic hue. Their hair and eye colors were similar, and usually matched the skin color, though some eldery Grey Orions develope white hair. Their hair is generally straight and stiff, and their teeth are large and naturally yellow. Between their appearance and their disabilities and deformities, Grey Orions suffer a frightful aspect, but the most significant aspect of their biology is their inherent genetic damage, which inflicts a wide range of random mutations, deformities, handicaps and physical and mental disabilities upon them at birth, of varying severity. Though inherited, these are unpredictable, and a Grey Orion can suffer from one to a half dozen such conditions, sometimes minor (though enough to be a problem), sometimes quite major, and sometimes opposing, contradicting or even balancing each other. A very few lucky Grey Orions were born with no handicap at all, or one so minor as to not be a problem, or perhaps a perfect balance of opposing conditions, and were left completely normal. However, most faked a handicap to avoid the attention of their non-Grey masters.

With constant and expensive medical care, most Grey Orions would die outside their guldin. These sealed, controlled environments and life-support chambers, together with supplies of medicines and drugs and regulated diets kept Grey Orions alive and as healthy as they could be. However, Grey Orions were allergic to some treatments, such as ocular compounds like Retinax V, and the destruction of Orion medical knowledge that accompanied the genetic curse on the Grey Orions meant that available treatments are limited or unknown.

 

Vondem (Pi-3 Orionis, π³ Orionis or simply the planet Orion) is the name given to the original homeworld of the Orion civilization. Vondem is one of the many other homeworlds the Orions were forced to settle during their long nomadic history before finally settling in the Rigel System. Pi-3 Orionis, known as the Orion system or 1 Orionis, is a trinary star, consisting of three F-type white stars. It has a brightness of magnitude +3. The Orion system is not a member of the Federation, but is located in the midst of Federation-controlled space.

Another notable feature of Vondem, is that the Orions were not the first occupants of the planet. Orion once harboured a highly advanced civilisation, which served as the basis of the mythology for the Orion people. Scriptures found in Orion ruins have even been examined by Federation archæologists, the information found providing a basis for which to revolutionise modern immunotechnology. However, despite numerous archaeological digs and invitations to the best archaeologists in the Federation, there was not any information found regarding what happened to the ancient inhabitants of Orion, nor were any physical remains discovered.

The Rigel system is an inhabited planetary system. The system consists of the trinary primary Rigel, sixteen planets and an asteroid belt; and is home to the Orion, or Rigellian, colonies. The Rigel system is part of the most densely populated section of the Milky Way Galaxy. The native species living in the system include the Chelarians of Rigel III (Chelar), the Hill People of Rigel IV, the Rigelians of Rigel V, the Kalar of Rigel VII (Kolar), the Orions of Rigel VIII (Botchok) and the trade world Rigel Xiii. The Rigellian hypnoid and Rigellian ox are animal species native to the Rigel system. Ratana trees are also from this system.

With the Orion diaspora from Pi-3 Orionis some 200,000 years ago, the Caju that would come to settle Botchok had been particularly hard-hit by the climate damage done to them on their ancestral homeworld. Native to portions of Orion with a far more delicate ecology, the Bilat Caju in particular intended to see their resources preserved. Botchok was settled in such a way that minimized the damage to the native environment as much as possible.

Orion mythology draws considerable influence from the ruins decorating the equator of the planet Vondem, with whom they associated an omnipotent protector. Early Orions believed that an omnipotent being built a wall to protect the planet from the lethargic darkness that tried to sweep over them. Every half-year, their protector waged a great battle with the darkness, which the Orion’s believed was the rapid day-night cycle experienced half way through the year, before subduing the darkness once again. Upon the advent of astronomy, this mythology fell largely into disbelief.

The Orion people believed that their protector kept them bathed in light in order to look down at the people for entertainment. In response to this belief, Orions would celebrate the protector with great carnal demonstrations, erotic dances, performative sexual demonstrations, depraved and kinky sexual displays and heaving orgies with dozens of participants. As the mythology became redundant, these practices had become so embedded in Orion lifestyle that they continued, despite no longer being in worship of a deity, but instead simply for pleasure.