Appearance:
Humanoid species native to the planet Trill.
Physiology:
A small proportion of the Trill population co-exists with a sentient
symbiotic organism known as
a symbiont inside their bodies. The resulting joined Trill have
personalities which are a synthesis of the
two beings.
Culture:
On average, only 300 symbionts are available for hosting each year.
Because there are many more
humanoid Trill than symbionts, prospective hosts are weeded out by a
demanding selection procedure,
overseen by the Symbiosis Commission. (DS9: "Equilibrium")
The competition for the few symbionts is fierce and attracts the
brightest and most highly
motivated of Trill society. Often the would-be hosts excel in their
chosen fields and it is not uncommon
for them to hold several degrees or distinctions prior to their
joining. Prospective hosts may eventually
become initiates under the supervision of a field docent, a joined
Trill who evaluates the prospective
host's suitability for joining and makes a recommendation to the
Commission. A negative
recommendation usually means the initiate is cut from the joining
program.
(DS9: "Playing God")
Common knowledge in Trill society dictates that only 1 in 1000 trill
make acceptable hosts; in fact, this
figure is vastly inflated, and is closer to 1 in 2, but the myth is
perpetuated very carefully in order to
avoid the widespread chaos which would arise if the information were
made public.
(DS9: "Equilibrium")
Unless the joined Trill objects, a prospective host may request a
specific symbiont. If a host is weak,
the personality of the symbiont will overwhelm it. The joined Trill has
several tools at their disposal for
dealing with various aspects of their previous hosts. The
ceremony of Zhian'tara allows a current host to
divest the symbiont of all memories of previous hosts, which are
temporarily hosted in volunteers. The
ceremony creates a chance for closure by having the new host direct the
previous hosts directly as a means
of distinguishing their voices and cementing the sense of finality of
its latest transition. Similary, the
Rite of Emergence can focus the voice of a single previous host among
the memories of the other,
allowing for a more direct converse in times of need for the current
host.
(DS9: "Invasive Procedures," "Facets," "Field of Fire")
History:
2367: The joined nature of the Trill seems to not have
been a widely known fact in 2367.
"The Host" [TNG]
Individuals of
Note:
Ezri Dax () - female.
Jadzia Dax () - female.
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