CARNIVONS
(The carnivons were origanlly created for SFB Captians Module Y: The Early Years by Steve Cole. As such I worked the race into the Enterprise era and made one TNG reference, see if you can find it.)
Personality: Carnivons can be an impulsive and aggressive race yet still be able to show signs of nobility and tenderness. They are known to be extremely territorial, both with their own and their friends territory and will easily resort to the use of violence to expel an invader into that territory. They are known for their loyalty to one another and the strong maternal urge among families to protect their young even including that of their friends. They love to hunt and engage in it as a group and not as individuals.
Physical Description: Carnivons use the same basic humanoid form with canine features (including sharp incisor teeth and claws) and range from 1 to 1.5 meters in height when fully grown. When born they are very small ranging from .05 to .15 meters in height but grow to full maturity rapidly in one years time. They are covered in fur which can be either short or lengthy and coarse or silky in texture, colors range from light to dark with hair on the back and tail tending to be darker. Carnivons live to age 25 and most never live longer than 30 years of age.
An individual Carnivon female my give birth after a short two month gestation period, to as many as 5 or 6 ‘pups’ in a litter, males are born with a 1 to 3 female ratio typically, with the last born being called an Unt and usually possessing some marked physical feature (shortness) and/or health related weakness. When born pups are blind, deaf, and unable to move and rely upon there mother for all needs.
Carnivon eat only freshly killed and raw meat with some fruits and vegetables added in to the mix for a healthy diet. Preserved foods are not uncommon only less desirable to fresh ones
Homeworld: There is no known homeworld where the race originated but in myth and legend such a place is referred to as Antica or “The Woods” in the Carnivon language. Most Clas or “Hordes” occupy at least a single world, mostly cooler temperate worlds which are initially settled by there pack and or bre.
Culture: Carnivon Culture is feudal in nature with a rigid but slow changing class structure. Loyalty to a Pha (Lord) is of paramount importance to all members of the society. The Pha is chosen by traditional means, which is by individual challenge, or by more peaceful means such as by elections. The Pha owes his loyalty to the next higher Pha and so forth unless he feels he can make a challenge for leadership and win. However there is no one single Pha who rules all Carnivon as there is no central government of not.
The basic social/political unit is the family who might form a village, with 1- 12 males and 6-48 females. The Family is led by its Pha who is responsible for marking, patrolling and defending his family’s territory, females are responsible for protecting the home, and the young. There is no such thing as marriage in Carnovon culture, males and females mate freely within their family though governed by the Mat, or elder female, who makes sure the bloodlines remain straight and unhampered by crossing. All Carnivons view their young as having reached full adulthood sometime between their third and fifth year. At which point the males are encouraged to leave the family to join or form their own and family’s with females being kept longer in the family for possible selection by other non-blood related males of the family as mates.
Carnivon males do not participate in rearing their children what so ever, that is considered the duty of the females solely as well as protection of the home. Carnivon males are tasked with the duty of marking, patrolling and defending their territory at any cost and at the request of their Pha. When on Patrol they seek out independent males & females so as to bring them into the family either forcibly or peacefully. Though the ideal of the lone warrior is sacred to the Carnivon they only use it to illustrate the best aspects of their culture and discourage lone “wolves”.
The next basic political unit is the pack of 6 to 12 families led by a Pac-Pha followed by the Bre of any number of packs and led by a Bre-Pha Each Bre and/or Cla is more or less its own feudal state with its own commercial/Domestic interests, military forces, and colonies. They may be governed as autocratic, aristocratic or even democratic states. The Bre-Pha and/or Cla-Pha is able to call upon individual members, their family’s, pack’s and Bre’s to advise him and to help mark, patrol and defend the his territory when needed. While generally stable the Bre and Cla is prone to falling into the occasional territorial dispute with other bres and/or clas, civil war, and internal strife caused by succession of the Pha.
Peace between the various families, Packs, Bres and Clas is kept by the Jud-Pha, or judge, who though of a family has no territory or property of his own and owes no loyalty to a Pha. The Jud-Pha is held in total reverence and to attack a Jud-Pha invites retalation by all Carnovon regardless of there place in the society. The Cla Pha’s rely on the Jud-Pha to keep order and peace among the Carnivon so that they can focus on outward expansion in space.
Recent Carnivon history is said to have began five centuries ago when their race rose up in mass rebellion against their evil masters. Even today several taboos exist from this time. There is one against genealogy by individuals save for the elder females of the families and packs who most do so to keep the bloodline straight. It is considered a grave insult to hit any Carnivon on the nose even if by accident and can be punished by death. Captives are forced to wear a permanent collar and are given a two names this too is believed to have originated in the time of slavery.
After the rebellion the Carnivon’s were unable to form a centralized state due to constant disputes over territory, bloodlines and property. Eventually they formed six to twelve cla or hordes and settled on as many worlds. Since then only a few Ger-Pha’s, or Warlords, have risen and attempted to form a state from the divided and constantly warring Carnivon Clas all failed eventually to unit but a few at any one time and their shaky alliances quickly fell apart upon there deaths. As of 2151, there has not been a new Ger-Pha for over 70 years.
Language: Carnivon, (there is also an elaborate language of snarls, growls, howls, wines and barks used for various purposes and is instinctively learned.)
Names: A Carnivon has only one name, nicknames or long names are considered taboo and the mark of a slave. The Carnivons have integrated and use many other words from various cultures encountered as new names hence there are over 37 names meaning brave.
Male Names: Rov, Spi, Ruf
Female Names: Arm, Dai, Lad
Favored Professions: Males prefer to be warriors or diplomats, while females prefer to become diplomats as Jud Pha’s (the only titled position within Carnivon culture were women can be placed.)
Species Adjustments: +1 to vitality, +1 to Willpower
Special Abilities:
Extrodinary Sense: Carnivons posse an excellent ability to hear and smell which is used in defending their territory.
Effect: Carnivons can smell and idenitiy any one who was in a spot prior to their arrival up to three days afterward and follow their sent. They can also hear ultra high frequency and pitch.
Ferocious: Carnovans display great ferocity with regard to killing pry, defending their territory & property or fighting when cornered.
Effect whenever a Carnivon is found in these situations they gain a +3 bonus to any willpower reaction test.
