posted
So, I was bored at work one day and decided to create a race for the Trek RPG I run with my friends. Thusly, the Kith, or a rough draft thereof.
THE KITH (Report Filed October 14, 2381)
HOMEWORLD FGS 79881 IV (Hylund, in the native tongue) is a world of great mystery and greater danger. Those few who have visited Hylund and returned speak of temperate deciduous forests, grassy plains, and alpine mountains, and some of the most bizarre inhabitants encountered on any world outside pure fantasy. With almost no axial tilt, the planet's seasons are mild, and its three large continents are all inhabited by the planet's major species. By far the most unusual aspect of Hylund it the fact that its star is extremely radiative, and bathes the planet in exotic forms of radiation, many of which have serious detrimental effects on standard humanoid life with even a short exposure.
HISTORY Hylund lies on the outermost spinward boundary of Federation Space, roughly to the "West North West", or south of Dominion and Breen space. When contacted by the USS Pellucidar in 2377, the Kith had just begun exploratory warp flights to nearby systems. The Pellucidar intervened when a small fleet of Kith vessels near their homeworld was attacked by a Breen raiding squadron, and contact was made.
Although currently possessing a planetary government, the Kith had only within the last century risen to this lavel following a large number of conflicts during their equivalent of the Terran Twentieth century World Wars, including three limited nuclear exchanges which had threatened to reduce the planet to the Dark Ages, had they not been contained.
The Kith had only been involved in one interstellar conflict previous to the Pellucidar's visit, with the aforementioned Breen, whom they had soundly defeated in two small skirmishes in their home system, when single Breen vessels came calling. This was likely due to the Breen involvement in the Dominion War, which stretched their already-thin supply lines and required the committment of most of the Breen forces.
The Kith system of government is a representative republic.
CULTURE The Kith are largely a race of moderates, very much like Humans, but highly appreciative of the societies of others. Many institutes and organizations have already sprung up on the Kith homeworld, all devoted to the study of one or another species' cultures. Learning and a 'diversity of thought' are much esteemed among the Kith peoples.
Kith are conceptualists, that is, they like to dream. They are often at the forefront of technological and artistic innovation, although they tend to have an odd inablility or unwillingness to follow through. The Madris Academy on Hylund sponsors a yearly 'design a Starship' contest, in which the contestants are invited to design ships based upon aesthetics, specific mission purpose, or a number of other categories. But, none of the winning entries has ever been constructed, and Kith starships remain utilitarian and rather 'dull' by Federation standards. The Kith explain this contradiction by saying that they are interested in such things for their beauty, and what they can learn from the design process, rather than practical application.
Kith literature is already making inroads into the Federation, and is renowned for its attention to nuamce, characterization, and in the case of speculative fiction, insight and imagination.
The Kith primary religion, a comparatively recent innovation, focuses around the belief that the Kith and all other worlds and races in the galaxy were created by an unknown being as experiments, and that their purpose in life is to dream the universe into being a better place, by learning as much as possible, improving their race so that, eventually in some distant future, they may be able to converse with their 'god' as equals.
PHYSIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY The humanoid Kith are indistinguishable at sight from Terran-stock Humans. Their physical differences are entirely internal, and were staggering when first discovered by the Pellucidar medical staff.
The Kith, as well as the other life forms on their planet, possess several organs in their bodies which seem to have the function of converting the more exotic forms of radiant energy that their sun produces into useful energy, much in the same manner that photosynthesis converts food and sunlight into energy for plant life. For this reason the Kith prefer to spend their days outdoors as much as possible, and dislike being 'in the dark.' This dislike of darkness was the greatest stumbling block in the Kith space program, until they discovered a way to allow their star's radiation to enter their ships while still having the hull protect them from other outside influences. Kith aboard farther-ranging ships must possess a special radiative devise for travelling far from their star.
Two abilities that arose from this unique physiology were even more astounding to Federation scientists.
First, the Kith and a few other species on their world have the ability, should to become necessary, to shed excess radiative energy through their skin, in the form of a shock or bolt of energy. It is believed that the ability evolved as a defensive response against attacks by Hylund's larger predators. Until recently, the amount of energy that could be absorbed by a Kith was minimal, creating only a minor shock or stunning effect. However, with their move into space and subsequent exposure to concentrated radiative effects, some Kith have demonstrated an ability to channel much larger amounts of energy, sufficient to cause heat and flash damage to a small target.
The second ability of the Kith was not discovered until they engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Breen. It was found that, under certain conditions, a Kith is able to absorb phased and directed energy from weapons fire, including disruptors and phasers. This, of course, can give a Kith a decided combat advantage. However, so far it has only been useful against the lower weapon strengths a weapon set at a higher setting will stun or kill a Kith just as effectively as a lower setting would do for most other life forms. But those few seconds while an enemy discovers that might make a difference.
Though essentially peaceful, the Kith are recognized as potentially formidable warriors. After the discovery of the Kith energy absorbtion ability, the Kith military devoted several centers to the study and training of this power in their soldiers. Combining that with their ability to deliver absorbed energy, the Kith soldier could be hazardous indeed.
NOTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Kith are quickly becoming an important species in the Alpha Quadrant, and petitioned to join the Federation even before the Pellucidar's visit ended, so that they now hold the record for quickest time between First Contact and Application to join. Taking notice of their unique abilities, Starfleet has expressed interest in training Kith officers, and the Kith have returned the interest, flooding Starfleet with requests for admission to Starfleet Academy.
(Next report: Hylund Flora and Fauna)
------------------ "Ed Gruberman, you fail to grasp Ty Kwan Leap. Approach me, that you might see." -- The Master
[This message has been edited by First of Two (edited January 11, 2001).]
GARTH One of the most recognizable life forms on Hylund is the Garth, a fearsome beast that reaches a length of 10 to 20 meters when fully grown. Although their closest terran analogues, the mammal-reptile cynodonts, dies off long before the Age of Dinosaurs, the Garth is, for all practical intents and purposes, physically identical to the "Dragons" of Terran myth, up to and including the possession of wings. Unlike Terran dragons, however, the Garths are herbivores, fairly docile unless provoked, and incapable of breathing fire. Due to their size, however, they are still considered highly dangerous.
The Garth can fly due to several factors: One, their bones, though very strong, are hollow and porous, like those of birds, and two, the hydrogen and methane they generate during the digestive process is stored in special sacs in their bodies, enabling them to stay aloft for long periods.
The garth, colloquially known as the "plantdragon" and the "air whale," remains undomesticated, but the late wars among the Kith decimated the population as a side effect, and only a few hundred remain in the wild, with a dozen or so being born each year. Debate continues about whether to attempt to repopulate the species, or to keep the number steady where it is. Although fantasy concerning Garth intelligence abounds, no evidence exists to support any claims of sentience for this magnificent species.
FRAGTOOTH The Fragtooth, so nicknamed by a zoologist on the Pellucidar, is known locally as the Drak-mal, and is the largest predatory animal on Hylund. A large, fast, ferocious and highly intelligent mamallian predator, with a great deal in common with Terran Dinosaur-Age Velociraptors, it was the scourge of the Kith for centuries until hunted to near-extinction several hundred years ago. A large population now exists on several Hylund wildlife preserves, though a few still run wild.
Fragteeth hunt in packs like wolves, and have an organized social dominance structure. As they are the second most-intelligent species (after the Kith, of course) on the planet, a considerable amount of Kith speculative fiction is devoted to them, and what might have happened if they, rather than the Kith, had evolved sentience, or if both species had evolved on separate continents. The Drakkith Trilogy is considered the siminal work on this subject.
Fragteeth have litters of four to six, only one or two of which generally survive into adulthood, every two years. Their primary weapon is their bite, with two large serrated fangs, which are continuously replaced by the teeth behind them, like those of Sharks. Secondary weapons include four two-inch claws on each of their muscular arms, and larger claws on their legs, which are used for pouncing upon and disembowling prey. Pelt color varies from brown to snowy white, depending on climactic conditions and elevation.
SARG The Sarg is the largest ocean predator on Hylund, or indeed, on any known populated world. Growing in excess of 50 meters ong, and rumored to grow up to twice as large in the deep ocean, the sarg dwarfs even the famed Blue Whale of Earth and the Kraken of Nordstral.
In its ceaseless swim across the ocean, the Sarg eats virtually all animals in its path. Indeed, there have been confirmed reports of Sarg actually leaping out of the ocean depths to snag a low-flying Garth. Fortunately, the oceans of Hylund teem with numerous species of aquatic life.
Ironically, Sargs would be a greater threat to the Kith if they were smaller. Due to their size, they rarely come close enough to shore to threaten swimmers, though in the earlier days of sea exploration, before the Kith invented repellant tactics, Sarg attacks on ships and boats were fairly common.
HYLUND CAT The Hylund Cat is a feline predator, most breeds of which are slightly larger that the Terran Siberian Cat, with long, generally grey and brown fur. Hylund cats were domesticated in Kith prehistory, and due to the absence of canines on this planet, largely took the place of dogs. Hylund Cats are highly intelligent, fiercely loyal, and very territorial. When agitated, their howls and snarls can rival those of any Earth dog, although they do not bark, their ultra-low register meows serve just as well.
Among the more exotic breeds of Hylund cat are the FIRIL breed, adapted and trained to fish in ponds and streams, the LARKAS breed, bred for size and reddish pelts, and the FELISAPIEN, a new breed being selected for intelligence.
(More on Hylund Flora later)
------------------ "Ed Gruberman, you fail to grasp Ty Kwan Leap. Approach me, that you might see." -- The Master
SPLOIT FRUIT Sploit fruit grows in abundance on the eastern coastal plain of the largest continent, Krayden. Each sploit, about the size of an orange, has thin, edible skin a purplish color streaked with green radial stripes. Inside, the fruit is reddish with six to eight large white seeds. The sploit is a juicy, watery fruit similar in texture to a watermelon, with a sweet taste. vary rich in nutrients, sploit fruit figures prominently in the diet of the Kith, and sploit farming is a major industry on Krayden, and is expected to become a major export of the planet.
Kith and Federation scientists, noticing the similarities between sploit fruit and watermelon, are attempting to engineer a melon-sized sploit, in the hopes that this hybrid may be exported for use on colony worlds and other planets where high-nutrient value for low gardening effort is especially desirable.
(and now, the one with possibly the most potential for fun role-playing...)
RURU BLOSSOM The RuRu Blossom, or Ruin Flower, when it buds, is a fairly innocuous green flower. However, when it matures and blooms in Hylund's midspring, it not only turns a brilliant electric blue, but also releases a pheromone which is irresistable to the native Skitterbug, an insect which resembles an overgrown Ladybug with diaphanous wings.
This pheromone is also notable for the reaction in provodes in humanoid life. The chemical components of the pheromone released by the pollen are very concentrated, even in a natural state, and tend to provoke a strong, though not irresistable, mating response in most humanoid life, excepting Vulcans. This proved to be a source of great consternation to several DOZEN members of the Pellucidar crew who, embarked on shore leave, chose a field of just-ripened RuRu blossoms in which to have a picnic. Indeed, "RuRu" is a Kith euphemism for an intimate act of love, and the flower figured prominently in ancient rites and rituals concerning sexuality and fertility.
Black market trafficking in concentrated RuRu blossom pheromone is increasingly becoming a problem in local space, as the age-old dream of a 'love potion' seems to here be a reality. If treated quickly, or if preventative action is taken, the effects of even concentrated RuRu are minimal. But a strong enough dose is capable of overwhelming the better judgement of almost anyone, and rumor has it that the Orion Syndicate is already working to refine a concoction that will overwhelm even Vulcans.
------------------ "Ed Gruberman, you fail to grasp Ty Kwan Leap. Approach me, that you might see." -- The Master
Indeed, "RuRu" is a Kith euphemism for an intimate act of love, and the flower figured prominently in ancient rites and rituals concerning sexuality and fertility.
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