Caitian: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:BlackCaitian.jpg|thumb|150px|''An entirely black Caitian serving as a [[MA:Starfleet|Starfleet]] Officer''.]]
[[Image:BlackCaitian.jpg|thumb|150px|''An entirely black Caitian serving as a [[MA:Starfleet|Starfleet]] Officer''.]]
==Description==
==Description==
Caitians are [[MA:Felinoid|felinoid]] (feline [[MA:Humanoid|humanoid]]) species, and as such have cat-like features, including long manes and tails. Their bodies are covered in thick fur, which can vary in colour from dark brown to tan. Rarely, a Caitian is born with entirely black fur, and a black mane. This is considered to be highly attractive and exotic by other members of the species. On average they can reach heights of 1.6 meters, and weigh 76kg. Their life-span is approximately 115 years.
Caitians are [[MA:Felinoid|felinoid]] (feline [[MA:Humanoid|humanoid]]) species, and as such have cat-like features, including long manes and tails. Their bodies are covered in thick fur, which can vary in colour from black to tan. This is considered to be highly attractive and exotic by other members of the species. On average they can reach heights of 1.6 meters, and weigh 76kg. Their life-span is approximately 115 years.


==Physiology==
==Physiology==
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As natural predators, Caitians are extremely agile, have excellent hand-eye co-ordination, and are natural sprinters. Their preferred diet is raw or rare meat, and their digestive tract has notorious difficulty in digesting vegetables. They are able to eat grains, such as rice, although many Caitians are not keen on the taste of such foods, viewing their consumption as a dietary necessity rather than a pleasure. Due to the nature of their diet, a common cause of natural death for Caitians is heart disease, although Caitian doctors have been able to use [[MA:United Federation of Planets|Federation]] medical research and technology to adapt efficient artificial hearts for their people. The onset of such a disease is most common around the age of 70, and there are many hospitals on Cait that specialise in this particular affliction.
As natural predators, Caitians are extremely agile, have excellent hand-eye co-ordination, and are natural sprinters. Their preferred diet is raw or rare meat, and their digestive tract has notorious difficulty in digesting vegetables. They are able to eat grains, such as rice, although many Caitians are not keen on the taste of such foods, viewing their consumption as a dietary necessity rather than a pleasure. Due to the nature of their diet, a common cause of natural death for Caitians is heart disease, although Caitian doctors have been able to use [[MA:United Federation of Planets|Federation]] medical research and technology to adapt efficient artificial hearts for their people. The onset of such a disease is most common around the age of 70, and there are many hospitals on Cait that specialise in this particular affliction.


Once every six months a Caitian sheds its fur. This process lasts for one to two weeks. The skin beneath the fur is highly sensitive to touch and temperature, although Caitians have adapted to living in a wide range of climates.
Once every year a Caitian sheds its fur. The skin beneath the fur is highly sensitive to touch and temperature, although Caitians have adapted to living in a wide range of climates.


Caitian young are born in litters of two or three, and suckled by their mother for the first few months of their life. They quickly develop the ability to digest meat, at which point the weaning process can begin.
Caitian young are born in litters of two or three, and suckled by their mother for the first few months of their life. They quickly develop the ability to digest meat, at which point the weaning process can begin.
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==Religion==
==Religion==
Very few Caitians still practise their religious beliefs, the abandonment of which started soon after the Kodom invasion. Faced with considerably advanced technology, much of the populace embraced a more scientific outlook on their existence.  
Very few Caitians still practise their religious beliefs, the abandonment of which started soon after the Kodom invasion. Faced with considerably advanced technology, much of the populace embraced a more scientific outlook on their existence.  
Those who still follow their now ancient religion worship the Goddess, who created the universe and holds all of nature in balance. She is opposed by the Dark Ones, whose goal is to coerce the faithful into making their own lives miserable. Worship is conducted in private at personal shrines. These are kept in the home, and contain intricately carved statues in the image of the Goddess.


==Mythology==
==Mythology==
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===Attire===
===Attire===
Most fully grown Caitians wear a one piece outfit, designed to be as cool as possible in their jungle environment. These can be produced in a variety of colours to suit the individual. Children occasionally wear these robes, but it is not uncommon for them to remain unclothed until they reach puberty, given that their thick fur covers their modesty. All Caitians wear a collar in public, as their neck is considered to be a sensitive area. [[MA:Starfleet|Starfleet]] uniforms cater well for this need as the coloured undergarment that displays their department serves the same purpose.
Beauty is revered by Caitian artists along with the general populace. Every colour holds a different meaning for a Caitian, and their fashion is often individually tailored to reflect their personality. Alien fashions may appear strange, absurd or unfashionable by Caitians, or in extreme cases offensive to the eye. However, the nature of the species is to avoid confrontation rather than create it, and any comment a Caitian may make on this matter is always worded exceptionally carefully.
Beauty is revered by Caitian artists along with the general populace. Every colour holds a different meaning for a Caitian, and their fashion is often individually tailored to reflect their personality. Alien fashions may appear strange, absurd or unfashionable by Caitians, or in extreme cases offensive to the eye. However, the nature of the species is to avoid confrontation rather than create it, and any comment a Caitian may make on this matter is always worded exceptionally carefully.
===Claws===
Day-to-day life necessitates the blunting of a Caitian's claws, a custom that sits well with their non-violent outlook on life. However, no Caitian will ever intentionally trim their claws to the point at which they are completely useless, neither will they voluntarily have them removed. Many Caitians would rather die than endure such humiliation, and an attempt to forcibly remove a Caitian's claws is one of the few occurrences that are likely to produce a violent response.


===Language===
===Language===
The Caitian language is made up mainly of silky vowel sounds, which are pronounced with a resonance of the tongue that strongly resembles purring. When speaking Federation Standard as a second language, Caitians will notably extend and roll 'r' sounds, and elongate 's' sounds. This may sound like purring and hissing respectively.
The Caitian language is made up mainly of silky vowel sounds, which are pronounced with a resonance of the tongue that strongly resembles purring. When speaking Federation Standard as a second language, Caitians will notably extend and roll 'r' sounds, and elongate 's' sounds. This may sound like purring and hissing respectively.
==Customs==
[[Image:CaitianFemale.jpg|thumb|150px|''A Caitian female, ready to undergo the'' bonding.]]
===Bonding===
Once every six months, and three months after shedding, a Caitian female is fertile and ready to reproduce. At this time many Caitians go through a process referred to as ''bonding''. This process entails a physical and psychological bond governed by [[MA:hormone|hormones]] that leads to selecting a mate for life.
Once a Caitian has undergone puberty they begin to give off a [[MA:pheromone|pheromone]] that attracts other unbonded Caitians. Once the bonding has occurred this pheromone is altered, indicating to other members of the species that they have already taken a mate. When two unbonded Caitians meet there is a chance that they can become addicted to each other's [[MA:pheromone|pheromones]], which manifests as a strong physical attraction: they will both feel the urge to be close to one another. The addiction occurs on a subconscious level, and leaves the individual with very little choice about how they feel. Initially this is not an emotional response, but in nearly every case of bonding, the two Caitians involved have eventually fallen in love and wed.
Bonding lasts until the death of one of its members, whatever its cause may be, which is invariably extremely traumatic for the survivor. While it is possible for a Caitian to mate without being bonded, such behaviour is considered to be shallow and unfulfilling, even by the those who pursue such actions. A bonded Caitian may sometimes wear an ankle bracelet to indicate their involvement. This bracelet is never removed, even after death.
On occasion a Caitian may bond with a member of another species. The first recorded case of this occurred in 2278, but many more instances have been recorded since.


==Technology==
==Technology==
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