Gorn
The GORN are a reptilian race from planets with greater gravity than Earth
and with a harsher climate, which perhaps accounts for their greater endurance.
Though battle is not the overwhelming preoccupation with them that is for
Klingons and Romulans, the Gorn prize physical strength and endurance over
intellect. Gorn individuals and Gorn Society as a whole are not given to
sublety, and thus they prefer to persuade by physical domination. Even Gorn
engineering is of the 'push hard until it moves' variety...
The government of the worlds controlled by the reptiloid race known as the
Gorn is called the Alliance . The Gorn evolved on the planet S'sgarnon, a
temperate, warm Class M planet with a local gravity of 1.4 G. The Gorn, a
strong, hardy race of fierce warriors, developed a culture that stresses
strength, courage, and the natural dominance of the fittest. The Gorn Alliance
is controlled by two Autarchs, one who represents the Gorn home world and
the other who represents the Gorn colony worlds. No state of war exists
between the United Federation of Planets (UFP) and the Alliance, thanks of
negotiations begun after the initial contact (ref. TOS episode "ARENA").
Peace negotiations have progressed on Clanhaven, a UFP world close to the
frontier. The Frontier Accord limits the buildup of military shipping in the
disputed space, and a joint commission has been working slowly at building up
an agreeable boundary, though no final agreement has been reached. Negotiations
progress slowly because the Gorn are split between those who would negotiate
peacefully with the UFP and the "actionist" faction who believe in direct
confrontation. Both factions agree on the premise that the Federation must
not hinder Gorn expansion and fulfillment of their "Manifest Destiny", but
they differ on the methods to be used.
