There are several different branches of canon when it comes to the Romulans, or the Rihannsu as they are known among themselves. Indeed if our knowledge was based purely on what has been seen on screen we might be forgiven for having such a narrow perspective on this multi-dimensional and passionate people.
Whilst the basis of the Rihannsu within Obsidian Fleet comes from the screen the details which add life to those few appearances are gleaned from three main written sources. The first, set in the TOS era is provided by Diane Duane’s ‘Rihannsu’ novels (recently reprinted in a handy, if slightly chunky, omnibus edition!), from this source comes the basis of the language and culture as we know it and establishes among other things the history of the Rihanssu, the twin planets ch’Rihan and ch’Havran, the delightfully feudal oligarchy of society and senate and the inexorably complex and attractive concept of mhnei’sahe.
The second is the TNG era ‘Way of d’Era’ RPG failed to displace these established ‘facts’ in the minds of fans but did provide useful and believable details regarding the organisation of the Galae, the Senate and the Tal’Shiar. This source also established a feasible structure for military service and training.
The final source is the FASA game rules that were superceded by the 'd'Era' rules but which retain an enduring influence on the Rihannsu mindset.
The information on these pages comes from a variety of sources including:
The out of print FASA rpg rulebooks that were superceded by LUG's 'Way of D'Era', a rather dog eared set of ''The Way of D'Era'' sourcebooks ''Last Unicorn Games (May 1999)'' (Out of Print) - in many cases text is excerpted directly from these books.
The 'Rihannsu' books of Diane Duane
The Central Institute of the Romulan Language
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