FERENGI

Ferengi are humanoid, but dissimilar to humans in many ways. The Ferengi brain has 4 lobes instead of 2, a trait that makes them unreadable by empaths and telepaths, and which also makes their appearance unique. Ferengi are usally between three and four feet tall, with large ears that Ferengi call 'lobes'. The ears are generally at least as large as the head, and are a well-known erogenous zone. The practice of stimulating the lobes is called 'oomox' and is a sure way to get the attention of a Ferengi male. The Ferengi also have ridged noses. All Ferengi are bald and their forebrains bulge out from their bulbous, bald skulls. Most Ferengi wear traditional brown robes which are their business suits, but have been known to don other apparel in private.

While Ferengi have no telepathic powers, they do seem to have a certain extra-sensory perception: the power to smell Profit in the air. Ferengi are born businesspe people. The Ferengi have institutionalized the drive for wealthin their religion, and they believe in a Divine Exchequer who provides the industrious and successful with a place in the afterlife. Those who are lazy and unproductive go the Vault of Eternal Destitution. So central is the drive for self-reliance, that charity is considered a crime among Ferengi. They are not above acts of great generosity, but always, the recipient of largesse has earned it in some fashion. Still, the heartbeat of the Ferengi soul is trade.

Ferengi may regard poor bargaining skills or business acumen as a sign of moral turpitude. Thus, they are fond of the views represented by "caveat emptor: let the buyer beware" and "whatever the market will bear" in their dealings. While those are human sayings, Ferengi have collected their aphorisms into the "Rules of Acquisition" which guide them in the pursuit of profits.

Liberation of the female of the species is a recent event. Many Ferengi males are still nostalgic for the old order, in which "feemales" were not permitted to wear clothes or engage in economic activity. Mothers generally pre-chew the food for their children, something they later recall fondly while dining on tube grubs. Ferengi males often have uneven interactions with the females of other species as a result of their history.

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