Talarians are characterized by a distinctive hairless enlargement of the coronal area of the skull extending in two lobes to the back of the head. Talarian blood is red, and Talarians are prone to radiation burns and respiratory distress. (TNG: "Suddenly Human")
Society and history
Xenophobic tendencies among Talarians were hinted at by Jono's revelation in 2367 that Talarians wear gloves when touching aliens. Removing the gloves and touching someone with the bare hands is a sign of affection and respect.
Talarians are very competitive; games, tests and competitions are an important part of their culture, and children regularly engage in contests and challenges, sharing victory is an important part of the games. Furthermore, when undertaking the tests, pain is not a consideration as passing the tests is what matters.
Bowing is considered a sign of respect, affection and solidarity. When meeting a close person, the bowing is extended by touching arms and gently pressing foreheads.
When a Talarian boy has reached the age of fourteen, the Age of Decision, he undergoes a ceremony of initiation and after that has the freedom to make his own choices.
The B'Nar is a Talarian ritual of mourning. When Talarians are in distress, they perform the B'Nar, which consists of a high-pitched shriek and rocking back and forth.
Talarian men often wore full beards. Talarian males, young and old, wore a short thin braid of hair, originating between the two hairless lobes at the back of their head.
During the mid-24th century, the Talarians were involved in a series of small skirmishes with the United Federation of Planets, most notably the Galen border conflicts, which lasted at least until 2357.
In 2367, the USS Enterprise-D discovered a small Talarian observation craft (likely used as a training ship for young Talarian warriors) adrift in Sector 21947. The craft had developed a serious radiation leak in its propulsion system, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's team evacuated the survivors, including a Human youth named Jono, to the Enterprise. Soon after, the Talarian warship Q'Maire, commanded by Endar, along with two sister warships, intercepted and surrounded the Enterprise in the hopes of forcing the release of Jono, Endar's adoptive son. An armed conflict was averted when Captain Jean-Luc Picard decided to return Jono to the Talarians. (TNG: "Suddenly Human")
Technology and militia
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In 2367 Talarian military weaponry was inferior to Federation standards, consisting of neutral particle weapons, X-ray lasers, and merculite rockets, and thus did not represent a serious tactical threat to a Template:ShipClass starship. They also employed subspace proximity detonators and self-destruct devices that were installed on their ships. Though their technology was inferior, they were known to have employed guerrilla tactics, such as booby-trapping an observation ship and sending out distress call, luring would-be rescuers to their deaths. (TNG: "Suddenly Human")
Attacking a superior officer, like a captain, is considered the highest offense and is punishable by execution, usually carried out by the offended officer.
Talarian uniforms reflect a militaristic culture. Talarian officers and boys having passed the Age of Decision wore a similar brown padded uniform-vest and black trousers. Large black helmets and black leather gloves are a standard part of the uniform, and a ribbed silvery-black undergarment was worn under the brown vest. Large rifles are worn on a shoulder strap on the right side of the body.
Golden insignia are worn on the right side of the uniform vest; two different kinds were observed: captains and senior officers wore badges with rounded ends, where young Talarians wore badges with pointed triangular ends. Additionally, only captains wore a second golden insignia, consisting of three diamond-shaped metal pieces positioned centrally on the chest. (TNG: "Suddenly Human")
Talarians were first mentioned in "Heart of Glory", but not actually seen until "Suddenly Human".
In the Star Trek: Destiny novel trilogy, the Talarians are described as being one of the major superpowers in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Talarians contributed a number of ships to the abortive attempt to engage a Borg force in the Azure Nebula in Mere Mortals. In the follow-up A Singular Destiny, they are invited to join the Federation-Klingon alliance in an expansion of the Khitomer Accords.