#tali things

Physiology and Appearance

All quarians have black markings upon their face and bodies but these designs vary and are inherited from their family lines.

Quarian skintones come in various hues of purple, pink, blue, and teal. Hair tends to vary among the same shades but it isn't uncommon for a quarian to have black hair. Their eye color ranges anywhere from white, purple, silver and blue. They have larger eyes than humans but, overall, are shorter in stature as a race.

Suits come in all sorts of various colors and styles, but are usually mostly decorated with fabrics alone. Colors and patterns are often influenced by family lines. Their first suits are a refitted hodgepodge of hand-me-downs. They do not get their own personally made suits until they return successfully from their Pilgrimage.

Quarians have modest cybernetics, usually implanted as young adults a few months prior to getting their first suit and leaving for Pilgrimage This is used as an immune system booster but becomes impractical for use beyond moderate implantation.

Quarians have a higher tolerance to heat and tend to prefer warmer climates. Their threshold for colder climates is, comparatively to humans, much lower.

Quarians are more nocturnal creatures and bioluminescent, thus the reason for their eyes glowing. Although there is only a simulated day/night cycle aboard their ships, the lighting is kept to twilight. The exceptions to this being on embassy ships when they are playing host to other species and on their live ships.

Culture and health

Quarians decorate very colorfully, drawn to brighter decor in contrast to the usually duller tones of their ships. But decorating is kept to practical use due to limited space. Quilts and fabrics, mostly, in order to give privacy and mute sound.

Quarians live in their suits, at least aboard the over-crowded Flotilla, more for personal space and privacy rather than for their health. Personal decon units are available for purchase but are generally pricey and take up too much space aboard their ships to be very useful.

Formal education aboard the Fleet is largely done via a community based school system. Once past basic grades and when a quarian reaches adolescence, they can begin to study more specific fields, such as mechanics, tech, or even military based.

However, there are no jobs aboard the Fleet as we would see them, since there is no monetary system in place. Services are instead rendered both for trade and for the benefit of the Fleet as a whole.

Monetary use outside of the Fleet is gained largely through trade when the Flotilla stops within inhabited systems, selling goods and salvage. Some of their supplies and credits are obtained through “gifts” given to them by colony worlds as incentive to leave. Upon occasion, the Fleet will make backroom deals with mining corporations to take undesirable jobs that other species would demand higher pay for.

When going on Pilgrimage, quarians do not tend to have a lot of credits to spend and will instead have to work in order to pay for transport. Basic necessities, like food, can often be found in turian hostels, but are not always in surplus, so any credits earned will also go towards purchasing supplies.

Likewise, while there are various eateries that offer dextro food, the price for sterilizing is often far too expensive for quarians on their Pilgrimage to afford.

If couples have more than one child while the population regulation is in effect, they are issued a fine (paid in extra work)  and may find it harder to trade in the open market for needed goods. They are given no special treatment for extra resources.

Divorce or separation among couples is rare, especially if they have a child. Relationships are not always based upon affection but rather cooperation and trust, for the betterment of the Fleet as a whole. This is especially true if population control is loosened and incentives to have children is given.

Interspecies relationships are mostly uncommon among quarians. A self-imposed isolated society, they are not generally welcoming to outsiders. Relationships are instead encouraged among their own species, both due to a lack of trust in other species and in an attempt to keep the population numbers within the Fleet controlled.

Quarians do not celebrate many specifics holidays, although they do enjoy celebrations in general. Their main days of notice are a child's coming of age, leaving for Pilgrimage, successful return from Pilgrimage and a sort of holiday to pay respects to their ancestors. Gifts are sometimes given but are strictly practical in nature to the recipient, as very little value is placed upon personal possessions.

Ancestor worship, their only form of religion, is only fully practiced by some quarians since their exodus from the homeworld. Rituals and observances have become more tradition than spiritual, such as maintaining the habit of opening and closing hearings with "Keelah se'lai". The wisdom of their elders, however, is still revered.

Quarians tend to be more of an emotionally prone race that enjoys storytelling, music and the arts while valuing scientific advancement.

Quarians are very distrustful of outsiders. This is to the point that they rarely let anyone aboard the Fleet, even if on official business. They keep themselves generally very isolated from the rest of the galaxy, and although they do keep up with pertinent information from outside, they otherwise tend to minimize their exposure to outside influences. As such, many quarians going out on Pilgrimage tend to be very sheltered and can be overwhelmed.

Most quarians will return from their Pilgrimage to rejoin with the Fleet. Those few that do not tend to still send resources back to their people in the form of money, supplies or information.

Food and dietary habits

Quarians tend to be more herbivorous. If they weren't when they lived on Rannoch, then certainly their stay on the Flotilla has altered this. There are meat based pastes available, but they are more of a delicacy and tend to make quarians ill when eaten without caution.

Alcoholic beverages are more of a risky delicacy for quarians. Alcohol is not easily absorbed within their systems, thus the need for their suits to often help with filtering it out and making it difficult for them to remain drunk for long. Also, alcohol can and will interfere with medications, the various immuno-boosters and injections the quarians use are no exception. Not to mention that it can lower immune systems if consumed too often.

Quarians can eat more than just refined edible paste but this is often impractical to mass produce aboard the Flotilla and is only used for special occasions or celebrations. Since their bodies are often unaccustomed to the richer non-processed foods, eating something other than paste carries the risk of making them ill.

Quarians do not eat many sweets, instead tending to consume mostly protein rich foods. Their bodies can no longer easily process such foods, making it harder for them to eat.

Tali specific head canons

Tali’s omni-tool is purple and, thanks to a gift, she has two. Omni-tools come in many varieties of color and customization options.

Tali has never gotten drunk in my canon of her. In part due to that she is set pre-Thessia and also in part that alcohol is not allowed aboard the Normandy she serves on. Granted, that could change, but she remains one not prone to casual drinking. Excessive alcohol consumption would especially not be healthy for a quarian. 

Tali’s discomfort with spiders stems from her perceived association of the earth animals with the Rachni. She still remembers her encounters with the species set during ME1 and how they were one of the few threats that were able to effortlessly bypass her shields.

Tali has never seen her father's face. For reasons left unsaid to her, he did not take his sick days to allow her to see.

Tali’s mother, Alina’Zorah, passed away from complications with an airborne virus in 2178. Much like with her father, Tali has never seen her mother’s face, only knowing that she has inherited her markings. Alina’s death was further motivation for Rael’Zorah in his zealous attempts to retake the homeworld.

Drifting from canon, Tali joined up with Jace Shepard prior to Sur’kesh but did not disclose just how serious the conflict with the geth was quickly becoming until later.

Tali'Zorah was romanced by Jace Shepard starting during the events of the third game. This was, in part, made possible due to the fact that Tali's feelings towards Shepard had not only remained but matured.

Jace Shepard has purchased and installed a personal decon unit within his cabin. This has, over time, allowed Tali to freely remove her helmet and suit while there, if she chooses.