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| Alien Species: Caitian | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Monday, 28. September 2009, 17:49 (883 Views) | |
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Monday, 28. September 2009, 17:49 Post #1 |
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General Description The Caitians are a felinoid race native to the planet Cait, which they call Ferasa. The Caitian solar system is located in the constellation Lynx, the Caitian sun being Lynx Regulus 2 (Verrral). Caitians are thought to be related to the Regulans, the Kzinti, and the Lyrans. All three of these races claim Cait is a “lost colony” belonging to them. Occasionally, the name “Regulans” is attached to Caitians as well. Caitians are bipedal, but they can revert to quadripedalism if greater speed is necessary. On average they are between 1.5 and 3 meters in height (5'11” to 6'4”) and weigh from 72 to 81 kg (160 to 180 lbs). Like a Terran lion, Caitians have heavy manes and long tails. Their fur is usually a tawny, golden brown, or orange colour, but it can also be nearly any colour that you might see on a Terran cat, with the mane normally darker than the coat. Pure white is rare, with the silver white of the nearly extinct Polar Caitians being the rarest of all. Black is also quite rare and appears to be the only colour that does not follow family lines. White or black Caitians are considered exotic and very beautiful. Caitian eyes are generally amber in colour, though other colours also occur. Caitians have three fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand. The hands and feet have retractable claws, which Caitians keep long and sharp, although most Caitians would not use them on others. Because their feet are heavily padded, Caitians do not wear shoes, even in Starfleet. However, because the throat is very vulnerable and sensitive, Caitians wear collars in public. This collar may be made of any material from simple leather to highly ornate metals. Caitian senses are highly acute. They have excellent low light/night vision, and their vision is very motion sensitive; however, their colour acuity is lower than that of humans. Their hearing is sharper than that of the Vulcans. Sense of taste and smell are more advanced than in humans, but less so than a Terran canine. Caitians cannot track by scent, but they can gain strong scent impressions when in contact with other beings. Their teeth are sharp and needle-like, but, like their claws, are generally not used in combat. A fast and agile people, Caitian reflexes and motor movement is about 2.5 to 3 times faster than that of humans. Like most felines, they are also very flexible, allowing all of their movements to be graceful and fluid. A Caitian's top speed is around 44 to 50 km/h (25 mph), but they can only maintain that speed for short intervals. Because they evolved as predator's, their musculature is built for speed, mobility, and quick snapping motions (like that of a predator's claws), and they are about as strong in lifting terms as a fit human female of similar height. They can increase their strength through specialized diets and an intense exercise regimen. Physiologically designed for a predator's “wait and pounce” hunting strategy rather than long migrations, Caitians are less hearty than humans and tire more easily during strenuous activity. Nearly all Caitians have heart disease, which usually results in strokes and heart failure later in life. Most Caitians above the age of 70 have artificial hearts, but Caitians in Starfleet are engaged in regular cardiovascular activity to compensate. With this additional activity, Caitians can maintain relatively good heart health for a longer period of time. Still, heart surgeries are very common for the species. Average life expectancy for Caitians is from 75 to 105 years of age. As Cait is mostly hot savannah, Caitians are used to warm temperatures and do not handle cold very well. On their home planet, Caitians may wear loose fitting, lightweight “day robes”, but it is not uncommon for them to go unclothed. Every six months (summer and winter), Caitians experience an uncomfortable shedding season. Female Caitians also go into “season” every six months (spring and autumn), and both genders take medication while not on Cait to repress the urges associated with it. Due to an open culture and their highly evolved senses, Caitians very rarely develop any kind of psi abilities, and the few that did had only minimal ability. Caitians are “open books” mentally, with very low psi defenses. Cait has one main language, with differing dialects from region to region, called Caitian or Caition. It is made up of many soft consonants and, to outsiders, often sounds like purring. Though they consider Federation Standard and other non-Caitian languages harsh and guttural, Caitians can, and do, speak Standard when speaking with non-Caitians. Culture The Caitians have a reputation for being one of the most cooperative and intelligent members of the Federation. Caitian names do not follow a gender specific format, so there is no such thing as a “female” or “male” name. Typical Caitian names consist of a capital letter, an apostrophe, and soft consonants (M'rinn, M'ress, etc.), though some Caitians use a three syllable format, sometimes with a second apostrophe (L'mrr'a, M'retta, etc.) The first letter is indicative of the individual Caitian's predominant personality (**add link here**)) Caitian culture has a heavy emphasis on beauty and personal loyalty. Loyalty, within an individual and between individuals, is highly prized among Caitians, possibly due to their closely knit family groups. Since all families and clans on Cait are interlocked, this loyalty is important to the species survival. Caitians also take great pride in their appearance; a well styled mane, a nicely groomed tail, fashionable dress, and well maintained claws are all very important. Failure to maintain this standard is seen as a form of self-mutilation, as is dulling or clipping the claws to the point of uselessness. A typical Caitian greeting takes the form of clasped hands with the claws extending just enough to touch the fur on the wrist. This shows the great trust they have in each other, as a slicing injury to that area is potentially fatal. They are able to trust each other so deeply because the claws are not meant to be used to harm others. Caitian cities are spread out and moderately developed, or built downward and partially underground in order to have less effect on the environment. Xenophobia is nearly nonexistent, with the main cause for intolerance being violence. Compared to most species, Caitians could be described as clinical pacifists. They believe nearly every situation can be settled through negotiation, leaving violent acts as a desperate last resort. Though they are a prideful people and perfectly capable of holding a grudge, and sometimes easily insulted, they are trained from birth to refrain from reacting violently. A societal rite of passage, undertaken at the age of twelve, is an oath forswearing violence. Caitians capable of willful violence are rare, and usually criminally insane or sociopathic. There are a few sane Caitians capable of such violence, but most Caitians doubt their sanity and those few are generally outcasts from Caitian society. Although Caitians do not expect other species to hold to their standards, many Caitians are uncomfortable with all things military. They have had difficulty dealing with “warrior races” such as Klingons and Cardassians because of this. During times of conflict, Caitian senators are among the first to promote resolution through peaceful negotiations. Despite their aversion to war and the military, many Caitians serve in Starfleet in support positions, such as science and communication. Religion Caitians worship the deity Rrikalla. Devout Caitians believe that Rrikalla controls all life in the universe; for every life Rrikalla gives, Rrikalla takes one away. This balances the universe in that there is one death for every birth. Rrikalla also maintains all existing life by providing whatever materials that life needs; plants to feed the prey, prey to feed the predators, and predators to feed the plants. Unlike other deities, Rrikalla has no specified gender, reflecting the total equality of the sexes that the Caitians practice. The Communicator Myth One myth that most of the clans on Cait share is The Communicator Myth. Long ago, when Caitian society was fractured into family based prides, fighting would often erupt when unfamiliar prides met. Even if a pride won such a battle, they were still in danger of attack from other prides, either for vengeance or opportunity. One Caitian eventually realized that this fighting would continue endlessly unless someone did something about it. This Caitian, now known as The Communicator, made stone disks and marked them with the symbol of his pride. He then sent them out to the other prides on the planet with a message. "Make these. Give them to strangers, let them know who you know, and who knows them. "Strangers know you have friends, and are strong. They will look beyond just the pride in front of them. Encourage them to make their tokens, and send it back through the prides they came out of, so that all may come to know each other.." "If they need to hunt, let them know what is yours, and what you can share. If they hunt on land not yours, but on a pride you know, stop them before they hurt the other tribe. Introduce them to the pride you know, so they may share, and you may share in their joy. This way, we will soon all know each other. Who is where, Who can help, Who will need help. Send tokens back to me, so there will be at least one pride who can answer all questions, one place where strangers can come to be friends." "This way we can all hunt and move in safety, knowing that out there are only friends, out there are those who like us, just want to be left alone till it is time to find a new mate, till it is time to get help, till it is time to unite if there is a pride that does not want to be a friend." This practice became popular and continued, and as it continued the story continued to evolve. As the Caitian prides continued to share their stone emblems, they began to cooperate with each other rather than fighting. Thus, when the Caitians began to truly explore their world and visit other continents, they were able to avoid the bloodshed that they had once endured, and that other planets were still enduring during that approximate time. They also found that many tribes shared the same myth about The Communicator, sometimes in different forms. The Caitians discovered that their regional culture differences were actually quite minor, and those differences quickly became unimportant. Celebrations of The Communicator became a way for the prides from different regions to meet peacefully and for warring prides to settle their differences. The Communicator Myth can be compared to the Christian story of Noah and the ark and various other flood myths from Earth because of the psychology the myths shared. It can also be noted that the now extinct Polar Caitians did not share The Communicator Myth. In recent times, archaeologists have uncovered evidence that these stone tokens were traded for much longer than they originally thought. A tomb was discovered, containing hundreds of the tokens, near what is considered the evolutionary birthplace of the Caitian race. The tomb holds a rough sarcophagus of a pride leader. It is now believed that this may be the actual Communicator, and the myths are being reevaluated in the light of this discovery. Government Cait's planetary government exists primarily because it is a requirement to be a member of the Federation. It is not as powerful as its counterparts on other planets; individual provinces and districts handle most of the government work. The planetary government consists of two parts: the k'tarrela and the novirrass. The k'tarrela is the senatorial council, which consists of approximately 500 Caitians from all over Cait. No senator represents any specific region, and they may only run for re-election if they have been shown to work solely for the good of the Caitian race. The k'tarrela creates laws and agencies and controls the planetary militia in times of crisis. The novirrass is the federal court. It is composed of thirteen justices appointed by the k'tarrela and elected to office by the continental courts. The novirrass is the highest court on the planet; appeals may be made to the Federation courts if the parties involved are not content with the novirrass's ruling, but the novirrass cannot accept off world cases. The continental courts are the governing courts for the individual continents of Cait. They are the last step before the novirrass. Under them are several smaller courts to handle particular regions. Centuries ago, most of the courts were abolished due to globalization and acceptance into the UFP. History Cait has only had one world war, with tragic, but ultimately beneficial, consequences. By the mid-1800's (Earth reckoning), the Caitians had circumnavigated their globe, begun peaceful trade, and achieved a late industrial era technology. However, despite these accomplishments, they never ventured into the northern reaches of the planet. The various regions were united in a confederate state and beginning to explore their solar system when terror struck. Myths held that white or silvery demons had descended from the northern area, bringing terror and destruction with them approximately a thousand years prior. In 1853 (Earth reckoning), they again came across the unsuspecting world, steaming down onto their united, but unarmed, southern neighbors, taking material and captives, and destroying whatever cities they could find. The southern regions quickly militarized, fighting back, and a peaceful people unused to war became (temporarily) xenophobic. One Caitian general, M’grram, held them together by broadcasting from the front lines, rallying the invaded continents into the original Caitian Alliance. It took them a year, but eventually the Caitian Alliance drove their new enemy out of their territories. They then proceeded to bombard, and then invade, the northern continent. It didn't take long for them to realize that the northern enemy had begun to die of diseases that were easily treated or minor nuisances to the rest of the planet. On their final approach to the Northern Capital, the Caitian Alliance found a dead city. The Polar Caitians, isolated from the rest of the world, had no immunity to many diseases found in the southern regions, which they had been exposed to during the war. The invasion immediately became a rescue effort. Survivors were given medical help, scholars tried to preserve what remained of the Polar Caitian culture, and mass graves were dug to help stop the infection. Only 1500 of the 2 million Polar Caitians survived. Caitian advancement came to a standstill; culture stagnated and the confederate states began to crumple as they blamed each other for the disaster. M’grram, feeling responsible, committed suicide in the Polar Capital by leaping from the highest remaining building. The cultural backslide accelerated for a time but stopped two years later when the surviving daughter of the Polar leader managed to reestablish global communications and begged the world to stop. Both peoples, the Caitians and the Polar Caitians, had paid for their ignorance in blood, and the time had come again for peace. This marked the first year in the new Caitian calendar. “We have punished ourselves enough. It is time to forgive.” The next ten years saw the Caitian Alliance renew itself, abandoning its military and creating a nominal police force. Technological advancement began again, with emphasis on less impacting technology, the Polar Caitians were integrated into the rest of the world, and a new way of life, based on joy and peace, was born. The Caitians explored their own solar system and, less than two centuries later, ventured out into intergalactic space. Despite efforts to preserve them, the Polar Caitians are now nearly extinct; individuals with Polar Caitian blood in their family may still express their silvery white colour. The Polar Capital was preserved as a shrine to peace, and most Caitians spend a portion of their life living there in an effort to understand how it must have been to be so isolated, lonely, and paranoid, and to help keep the memory of the Polar Caitians alive. Caitians convicted of criminal activity are usually sentenced to maintain the Polar Capital, intended to shame them for their actions. It is a surprisingly effective form of rehabilitative punishment. Cait has been a member of the Federation since shortly after it was founded, and it has been a steadfast member ever since. Their desire to serve the commonwealth drives many of them to join Starfleet, where they normally do such jobs as communications and science. There are also many Caitians in the diplomatic and medical corps, with a smaller number serving as engineers. A small handful hold tactical or security positions, but the majority choose fields that allow them to follow their pacifistic beliefs. As well as Cait, the Caitians live on four other worlds: Havelind, Hochlor IV, Macadarna, and Narval. These planets are thought to have been Caitian colonies; however, they now have their own government systems and are not ruled by the Caitian planetary government. |
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