(by MRall)
GEOPHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
PLANETARY SYSTEM
• Galactic Position: Cait's around 200 LY's from Pafica
• Gravity: 1.25g
• Diameter: 10,100 km
• Equatorial Circumference: 31,730 km
• Percent Land Mass: 50%
• Total Land Area: 160,250,000
• Rotation standard 27 hours
• Atmosphere: Thick
• Climate: Temperate/Tropical
• Normal Metals 40%, Radioactive 20%, Gemstones 20%, 10% Dilithium and trace Industrial Crystals.
PLANET
Fressa
DESCRIPTION
A medium-sized, class M planet that is the origin of Caitians. It orbits Verrral, a Type G3 V star; yellow, slightly brighter than Sol, main sequence. There are six other planets in the system. Cait is the 3rd planet in the system. The others are, starting closest to Verrral, N'rrrap, Sotarr, Missat, Torrel, Kezarr, and Arrrot. N'rrrap is a class F planet of molten rock. Sotarr is similar to N'rrrap but has a choking atmosphere of noxious gases. It falls under the class K category. Cait is the next planet in the system. Sotarr is a class H planet. It has similar dimensions to Cait, but not much of an atmosphere. Currently there are terraforming projects and a few colonies on its surface. Between Sotarr and Missat is the system's asteroid belt. It divides the system directly in half, three planets on one side, three on the other. Missat is an extremely rocky world. It is a class F world that was created by asteroids from the belt that collided and were fused together. Torrel is a fairly large, class J gas giant. Kezarr is a small gas world, but also falls under class J. Arrrot is a frozen waste at the edge of the system, class G.
The planet Cait isn't anything too unusual. It has five continents, three are very similar, one is far south and quite frozen, the other is right on the equator and has thick vegetation. The rest of the planet is ocean. It has a population of 4.2 billion people. The largest continent is Larrrtov. It is almost completely tall grass savanna. It is the perfect environment for hunting. Our fur tends to blend in quite well with the grass. There are several rivers that flow through the flat, open spaces. The annual rainfall is enough to encourage the growth of several types of trees and keep the grass tall in most places. There is a small forested strip that spans the southern coast. The continent of Pirrrem is the second largest. It is, for the most part, a smaller version of Larrrtov. The only difference is size and shape. There is evidence that, at one point, there was a land bridge from Pirrrem to Larrrtov. It is suspected that the original Caitians migrated from one continent to the other, similar to the Terran migration from Asia to North America. The last of the savanna continents is Canrral. It has a dry season that lasts for about 3/4 of the year. It doesn't receive enough precipitation to allow grass to grow as tall as on Larrrtov or Pirrrem. It wasn't heavily populated until domestication of animals made hunting unnecessary. The only heavily forested continent is L'narrr. It is located directly on the equator and is covered in tropical forest. It was never, and still isn't, heavily populated. It has never come as much use, except a few resorts which attract off-world visitors. The last continent is Virrrtam. It is located near Cait's southern pole. The only vegetation is a small area of tundra at its northern-most point. It is uninhabited, but at one point it was the destination of exiled citizens from Canrral. It does not cover the south pole, but the icecap does extend and join with it. The boundary of actual land wasn't known until orbital scans were conducted in the early phase of Caitian space exploration.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
APPEARANCE
The Caitians are a feline race. They possess sleek bodies covered in soft fur, which is of a golden coloration, similar to Terran lions. Caitians are extremely agile, dexterous and fast. They are bipedal, with a thick mane (darker color than the rest of the fur, but it can range in color), long tail, and large golden eyes that provide excellent low-light vision. On extremely rare occasions, a Caitian is born with completely black fur and mane. There has never been a discovered pattern to this, as it does not follow familial lines. It is considered very attractive and exotic by other Caitians.
PHYSIOLOGY,
MATING
The bond lasts for the rest of the Caitians life, and is only broken upon the death of one of the Caitians. Breaking a bond is extremely traumatic for a Caitian. Only in instances where a bond is broken shortly after it is form is future rebonding to another person possible, and even then it is extremely rare. The first known instance of a Caitian bonding with a non-Caitian occurred in 2178 and more have happened since that time. A Caitian can mate without being bonded, but such activity is considered "shallow" and "unfulfilling" compared to bond-mates.
DIET
Caitians are Carnivorous hunters, by nature. They prefer their meat raw (blood temperature) or rare, and find it difficult to digest vegetables, although grains are easier.
LANGUAGE
The Caitian language consists of multiple soft tones, spoken with a deep purring resonance; this style of communication makes it difficult for the Caitians to adapt to phonetic languages. When a Caitian speaks Standard as a second language, it is usually punctuated by purring "R"s and hissing "S"s.
NAMING
Caitian female names typically start with M', while male names typically start with S'.
WORDLIST
SOCIETY
Caitian culture has, over the years, become more similar across the planet. There was never a planet-wide movement towards any particular way of life, expect for the fact that all societies in history have sprung from hunting groups. The reason that there seems to be a planetary pattern of behavior is because most Caitians have reacted to the galactic community in very similar fashions. Most modern societies have common histories. The first communities of Caitians, other than family units, were hunting parties. They were typically nomadic, following whatever game animals they had a taste for. Eventually, animals were domesticated, and hunting bands became, over time, exceedingly rare. Animals could be raised in larger numbers in one place. Caitians began to settle in larger numbers, centered around a local herd. These were essentially communes, each person helping to maintain the herd and, in turn, getting the food they required from it. There was no hierarchy, though. Each family was, more or less, independent of the others. This has been the basic model for Caitian society, though it has been extensively modernized. Now, people live around an economic hub of a city or town. All business is done in the commercial center. When business is done, they return to their homes, which are still spaced away from each other but within short distance of the economic center. The largest cities have come along only recently. They were made mostly for the purpose of accommodating offworld visitors and regulating planetary issues.
At the age of fifteen most Caitain's under go the 'R'alnana, it is simply a ordeal of survival, something along the lines of the Vulcan's kahs-wan. The Caitian undergoing the ritual is given a spear, a distress beacon and enough water for four days and taken to the T'Raln desert, they are then expected to cross the desert in six days from one side to the other. The becaon can only be used in an emergency and those that do use it may have to wait for another year to be classed as a full adult within Caitian society. There are many taboos' still with a strong grasp on Caitian society. These are mostly about sex and the killing of another being. Thought Cait has had it's share of wars, it has only had a single world war.
GOVERNMENT
The planetary government is not as powerful as its counterparts on other worlds. For the most part, individual provinces and districts govern themselves quick effectively. A planetary government exists mostly because it is required to join the United Federation of Planets.
The government consists of two branches. First, is the k'tarrela. This is the senatorial council. The k'tarrela is composed of 500 members from around Cait. They do not represent any particular region and are allowed to run for election only if they are shown to work solely for the good of Caitian society. They create laws, agencies, and control the planetary militia in times of crisis.
The other branch is the novirrass, our court. It is made up of 13 justices that are nominated by the k'tarrela and elected to office by the a vote of the continental courts. The novirrass is the highest court on the planet. Appeals can be made to the UFP if parties are not satisfied with the court, though the court cannot accept off-world cases. Any dispute with another world must be made to a UFP court. 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.
RELIGION
The religion of Cait is the worship of our deity The Goddess. The Goddess controls all life in the universe. For every birth, there is a death. The Goddess maintains existing life, as well, by providing the material things to sustain it; plants for the prey, prey for the predators, and finally predators feed the plants.
MYTHS
A myth common to different communities on Cait is that of the Communicator. Thousands of years ago, while Caitian society was composed of family based prides, fighting would break out when prides unfamiliar to each other met. When a pride won, it might still come under attack from other prides, either out of vengeance or opportunity. One Cait realized this would continue ceaselessly. He made stone disks, tokens of his pride, and sent them out to each pride he knew, saying "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 continued, and grew, as did the story. Gradually, cooperation grew, and when Caitian’s began to travel their world, and find other Caitians on other continents they avoided the immediate bloodshed found on other worlds. Also, variations of the Communicator myth existed in different forms through world.
The differences between regional cultures were muted, and became less important. Celebrations of the Communicator became the basis for inter-regional meetings, and the forums for settling differences. Academics came to think of the myth as something similar to the prevalence of flood myths among humans… a result of their shared common psychology. They also pointed out that no mention of the Communicator could be found among the Polar Caits. Within the past 50 years, though, archeological evidence has been mounting that the trade of tokens went back for longer than expected, till a tomb was found near what is considered the evolutionary birthplace of the Cait race, containing hundreds of tokens, built into a rough sarcophagus of a pride leader. It is believed this is the actual Communicator, and the myths have been reevaluated in light of this information.
RELATIONS TO THE FEDERATION
HISTORY
WARS
The Caitians have had only one world war, with tragic, but ultimately beneficial consequences. By (in Terran calendars) the mid-1800’s, the Caitians had successfully circumnavigated their globe, engaged in peaceful trade, and managed to achieve a late industrial era technology.
However, for whatever reasons, they never made a concerted effort to explore their northern seas. The various regions and phenotypes were united in a confederation states, and had made their first attempts at exploring their solar system, when a great terror struck. Myths had held that pure white or silvery demons had come down across the northern sea, bringing terror and destruction in their wake in what would be the Terran 8th century CE. In 1853, they came again across an unsuspecting world, steaming down on the united, but practically unarmed southern neighbors, taking material, captives, and destroying whatever cities they could find.
A rapid militarization began at a great environmental and social cost. So used to peace, the Caitian states retreated to a state of xenophobia. The only thing holding them together was M’grram, a charismatic General, whose broadcasts from the front lines rallied the invaded peoples into what would become the original Caitian Alliance. He came to be known as the One Cait. After a year of failing to beat back the enemy, CA forces succeed driving them away. Then, after a prolonged period of ballistic missile bombardment, they engaged in massive invasion of the unexplored northern continent.
It was only two months into the invasion that CA intelligence realized that the Northern enemy was weakening, dying of diseases which were either easily treated or minor nuisances to the rest of Cait. On the final approach to the Northern Capital, they found a dead city. The Polar Caits, isolated from the rest of the world for thousands of years, were killed by infections caught from their captured slaves, and unknowingly carried over on the CA’s missiles. What had started out as an invasion became a rescue operation. What survivors could be found were immediately given medical help, a crash effort to save what was left of the Polar culture was undertaken, and massive graves dug to keep the disease from spreading.
1500 Polar Caits out of 2 million survived. Caitian cultural advancement stagnated, environmental distress plagued the planet, and the CA states began to break up, blaming each other for the genocide. In 1857, M’grram threw himself from the highest building in the remains of the Polar capital. The backslide accelerated, but was stopped two years later. In what became the first year of the new Caitian calendar, the surviving daughter of the Polar leader, S’rreen, managed to restore the global communication network, and begged the peoples of the world to stop. Her people had paid for their crimes of ignorance, the rest of the world for theirs.
"We have punished ourselves enough. It is time to forgive." The next 10 years saw the CA renew itself, abandoning its military and creating a nominal police force. Technological development was focused on less impacting technologies, the remaining Polars integrated into the world proper, and a culture based on joy grew. They spread out into the system, and 170 years later, broke out of their home system, and into the larger Universe.
EARLY HISTORY
Early Caitians first began to form hunting packs on the plains of Larrrtov, the largest and flattest continent. At that time, the "proto-Caitians" as they are known had spread across the continent, and into the northern regions of Pirrrem before the two continents were separated by the ocean. The Caitians on Pirrrem developed separate from those on Larrrtov. This would set the stage for the planet's bloodiest conflict which would pave the way for the adaption of a more peaceful lifestyle that has led the race to where they are today.
In 103 A.D., the first major settlement on Cait was founded. Named "Barana" which roughly translates to "Permanent" in ancient Caitian-Heltic Language, it was intended to give the Caitian people a base in which to call home. Up until this time, semi-permanent settlements and shelters had been the only infrastructure on the planet.
By the year 803, the Baranic Empire, a confederation of settlements on Larrrtov extended from the continent's western shores to the northern edge, and the southern edge of the continent, to halfway across its length to the east. It was the largest piece of the planet under the control of one governing body. Also at this time, the "Polar Caitians" as they were called for their mostly white fur had expanded to cover the entire continent of Pirrrem, but had no major governing body. They were a group of small states and trading partners.
The two continents of Caitians had little to no contact with each other, and due to the vastly different environments of the cool Pirrram and arid Larrrtov had developed a largely different appearance. Most if not all Caitians from Pirrram had white fur and most from Larrrtov had more tan and brown colored fur.
Unbeknownst to either group, a third smaller group of Caitians that migrated over former land bridges had settled on L'narr which was and still is heavily forested and tropical in nature. Most Caitians there had developed a "spotted" fur pattern that was mixed with dark, light, and all manners of colors that you may see on a contemporary Caitian. The vast differences in fur coloring and marking that existed then that now are intermixed heavily are a primary reason that today you may see a Caitian with almost any combination of the three main colors/patterns.
MODERN DEVELOPMENT
With memories of the bloody war in their heads around 1500, Caitians on Larrrtov and Pirrram began to intermix on both continents. New governments were established on both continents, and Polar Caitians were a major minority. Even to this day, a pure white Caitian is very rare. Most will have black or dark grey spots intermixed on their coats.
In 1533, an exploration ship from the Barana Province of Larrrtov landed on L'narr as rumors of other lands on the globe were spreading. Initially the explorers were looking for new lands to colonize. What they found was a completely isolated group of Caitians that were about 500 years behind them in technological development. Relations went far better with them then with the Polar Caitians however, and with memories of conflict being passed down generation to generation, the last thing the Larrrtov Caitians wanted was more war. They respected the native L'narran Caitians and their land and began to trade with them rather then found new cities or invade the continent.
It was at this point in history that Cait began to shape itself into the peaceful planet that it had been since the great Polar wars. Over time, the L'narran Caitians began to adapt the knowledge of the rest of the planet's population, and by 1700 they were as much a part of the global community as any other Caitian.
Cait continued to develop into an industrial society and by 1750, all the continents on the planet had been explored and colonized to some degree. Governments on Cait had began to see the benefits of peace, and although minor conflicts occasionally broke out, memories of the terrible Polar War period kept them from escalating.
SPACE EXPLORATION
Society continued to develop into a technological one with the first orbital satellites being launched in 1862. Called K'assira, the first orbiting satellite led to development of the CSEI (Caitian Space Exploration Initiative). An international organization that was funded planet-wide.
In 1885, Cait got its first view of itself from orbit. The planet was mapped in high detail for the first time in history from orbit. Within the next 20 years, space probes were launched to explore the rest of the Caitian star system, and regular space missions were performed to experiment and research.
Technology was developed somewhat rapidly, as Caitians began to want to explore the stars. The first major target was Sotarr, the 4th planet in the Caitian system. Similar to Mars in the Sol system, it was believed that Sotarr may contain life in one form or another. The Caitian moon is a small chunk of rock, half the size of Earth's moon. As a result, Caitian tides are not very spectacular. The Caitian moon is simply called Rir Assi, or "Sky Rock" and is not held in much regard on Cait. Sotarr however was viewed as a major stepping stone for space exploration.
As such, most space development was geared only towards the Sotarr landing. It took about 30 years to plan, develop, and implement, but in 1921, Cait landed on Sotarr successfully. This achievement led to colonization in 2024 of Sotarr.
The Sotarr landing sparked even greater interest in exploring space, and before long it because almost all the Caitian people were doing. Starting in 1925, Cait was mapping the stars and trying to find out if they were alone from the orbiting group of 3 space based telescopes.
They discovered and named many now familiar star systems including Vulcan, Sol, Andoria, Tallar, Romulus, and saw the same galaxies that others found such as the Andromeda Galaxy, the Spiderweb Galaxy, and many others found in most astrological texts of other worlds.
WARP DEVELOPMENT
Theories from as far back as 1850 postulated about different ways to travel vast distances in space at fast rates. One in particular had a theory that would revolutionize Caitian society. The author had written down the calculations on a whim, thinking they would not make any sense, but when he crunched the numbers, he found that while he was far from a workable solution, his calculations had not been disproved as the same time.
For decades, Caitian scientists worked on this theory, and by 1976, they finally had the technology to attempt to develop a workable dilithium powered warp engine. Many prototypes failed, and the program suffered setbacks, but finally the design was refined enough to provide for a workable long range test.
In 2010, Cait broke the warp barrier. In a 60 second flight that took the Caitian warp craft "P'ellam" to the asteroid belt, then a successful return trip, Cait finally had the means to explore the galaxy at the speed of light and faster. In coming years, the design was refined the refitted, and in 2058, Cait broke the Warp 5 barrier to Warp 5.1. Warp 5 remained the standard for Cait for the next 80 years.
Located in a rather barren region of space, the closest star system to Cait is 138 light years away. This alone caused Cait to take longer then normal to make contact with anybody.
Still, Cait began to expand outward into Space with small craft similar to Earth's NX fleet and developed a military chartered with exploration of the galaxy, and defense of Cait in the event of hostile contact. To this point though, no contact had been made with another species.
FIRST CONTACT
In 2120, Cait made first contact with another species. The first race they encountered were the Khintzi. Finding the race similar to themselves in appearance, it was common belief that most intelligent species would share a similar appearance to themselves as well. Of course scientists believed otherwise, knowing that it was probable that under different conditions, life evolved much differently then Caitians did.
Cait and Khintzi relations were stable, as both species were new to space, and the Khin even attempted to have Cait join them in establishing a government over the territory between their worlds. Cait though, declined and remained trading partners with the Khintzi for many years.
Cait finally achieved first contact in 2204 with a Vulcan scout ship. At this point the Caitian fleet was substantial for a species as "young" in space travel as they were. Vulcan had not explored the region within the last 200 years, and did not know that Cait had achieved warp travel.
Using the Vulcans as middlemen, Cait eventually made contact with the Federation starship USS Horizon. Finding the Federation to be very similar to themselves, IE: relatively new to space, and friendly, Cait opened trade negotiations with the United Federation of Planets in 2210.
Shorty thereafter, relations improved further when the Federation did not try to put pressure on Cait for more dilithium production, which their asteroid belt is rich in, and was a major source of trade. Unlike the Khintzi, the Federation respected Cait as having its own free will. Cait was pleased by this, and when they were offered a chance for Federation membership, they accepted the offer in 2214.
Notes:
- To convert to Caitian years, add 1083 years to the given Earth year
- Also, some details were excluded
