A Small Treatise on Caitians, Part I
As I'm writing this in the morning, still trying to wake up, I thought I'd mention that, yes, Caitians have developed a fondness for Terran coffee, and have adapted the word to their language...kafe, anyone? ;)
Khytanun ta Kayt: The Children of Cait
The planet Cait offered no real predatory competition for ancient proto-Caitians, which allowed them to concentrate less on survival and more on culture. They developed their civilization early, and nations were forged around the clans on the southern jungles and northern deserts of the tropical world. (Also note that Caitians seriously dislike the cold. They can tolerate it -- hey, they have fur, you know :) -- but they certainly will avoid it when possible.)
Their territorial nature produced many conflicts, although Caitian history is also littered with examples of nations uniting to form vast empires that covered the globe under one leader. The last war was fought hundreds of years ago, and have purposefully never been named. The death toll of the war was catastrophic; nearly a third of the population died in the thousand-day-long conflagration.
The survivors were so devastated by the effects of the war, they immediately began a process that resulted in the unification of the entire planet under a single constitutional monarchy, and in a generation (which is about 15 years on Cait) had brought about a peace that lasts to this day.
Every one thousand days, Caitians follow a day-long ritual called Uhar Kirokar, the Blood Atonement. It is sometimes called the Day of the Blood Sun, as legend states that the Caitian sun (also called Cait, btw) shone red on the last day of the war, as Mother Cait wept for the loss of so many children.
On the Blood Atonement, a Caitian is not allowed to eat or speak from sun up to sun down. At sundown, they meet with others where the sunset can be clearly seen and recite a ritual prayer of confession to Mother Cait. Once the sky is completely dark, the clans go home and prepare a spartan meal, always setting an extra plate for their deceased ancestors.
Government
Caitian still have the same parliamentary system developed after the last war. The leader of the Royal clan is considered the Head of State, but has few real powers. The government is led by a Prime Minister, who heads the Clans Assembly, but is selected from the ranks of the CA by the monarch (although the assembly has veto power over the Royal selection). Each of the 326 clans are represented in the Assembly, and have one vote each. Clan power is often measured by their influence in the Assembly. Only the monarch can accept or expel clans in the assembly. The procedure involves a lengthy judiciary review to determine the validity of the application or charges.
Local and Provincial governments follow the same model, with local clans within the region participating in the legislature. A provincial leader is called a Governor, and local leaders are called by a number of titles, depending on local traditions.
Cait has been a Federation member since 2260, and many Caitians serve in Starfleet both in the TOS and TNG eras.
Culture
As I've stated above, Caitians are a peaceful people, bordering on hedonistic, with an often optimistic view of the universe around them. They follow the romantic ideals of "warrior-poets," and many leave Cait to satisfy their innate curiosity and wanderlust.
Clan ties are all important, as they often determine a Caitian's career and standing in society. (i.e, Members of Clan Fekiista Kalir of Vastayn Province are traditionally engineers and technicians, and are one of the most prominent clans in Starfleet. One Fekiista Kalir clan son was one of the first Caitians in starfleet and served on James Kirk's USS Enterprise in the 2260's and 70's. Originally a security officer, Karlinarsti eventually rose to the rank of Admiral in the 2290's, commanding Starfleet's Frontier Exploration Command at the time of the Enterprise-B incident.)
Part Two to follow, focusing on Caitian philosophy and physiology, planetary geology and system astrography, and a quick look at a day in the life in the capital city of Rorgr'zz.
A Small Treatise on Caitians, Part II
Physiology
Average male and female Caitians stand about 175 cm, and weigh 80-82 and 60-62 kg respectively. An average Caitian's tail is about 60 percent of his/her height, or about a meter long (although a certain utlra-religious clan in northern Ssalat Province bob their tails at birth). Caitian skin is covered by fur, the color and length of which is as broad and diverse as Terran domestic and great cats.
Caitians have lion-like heads and manes; male manes encircle the face, while female manes do not cover the jaw and chin. Caitians style their manes in a variety of ways, although the "flat-top" has only become popular since Caitians entered Starfleet.
They have retractable claws on their hands and feet, which they use in unarmed combat with lethal efficiency. A Caitian is never truly considered unarmed. Their legs are digitigrade, with the tarsal bones extending up a third of the length of the Caitian's leg (like a Terran cat's hind legs). This contributes to Caitian agility and quickness; when sprinting, Caitians often drop to all fours. This is a natural thing that most Caitian's don't even think about.
Also, many Caitians have an innate aversion to arachnids of all kinds. Many believe that this is because the only creature proto-Caitians truly feared was a rare 10-legged, six-meter high "spider" that hunted them. The creature has been extinct for several millenia.
Caitians are born in small litters; it is common for a Caitian to be a triplet or quadruplet, and quints are not rare at all. An average Caitian family has between eight and 12 kittens in two to three litters. Caitians reach the age of majority at 15, and have a life expectancy of just under 90 years.
Caitians have different sleep patterns from most humanoids. They still get in 6-8 hours a night, but it is broken up into a main sleep period and a few "cat naps" throughout the day.
Philosophy and Religion
Caitians follow a nature-based religion. Mother Cait is their sole deity, and is represented as "star and planet, earth and sun, life and death, body and spirit. She is within the rock we stand on, and in the air we breathe. Her voice calls to us on the wind, and her tapestry guides us at night. And it is our duty to take care of her as she takes care of us."
All Caitians are considered equal, regardless of career, clan or gender. The more prestigious and influential clans are always considered "first among equals," which is probably the only remaining tie to the ancient caste structure.
Caitian life revolves around the tenets of their faith; cities are built as part of the surrounding ecology, not in place of it. There are no great farms cutting a swath across the land. What is grown is grown within the existing natural landcape. Homes are often built in the steel-like trees of the jungles themselves -- almost literally grown -- virtually invisible from above and below, but spacious and comfortable wihin the canopy.
The nucleus of Caitian life is the clan and the family. Clans are often tightly knit, with regular assemblies and get-togethers to share stories, enjoy feasts and decide the clan's political strategy in upcoming votes. "The individual family is the bond that holds Cait herself together," an ancient philospher once said. While kittens attend public schools for their academic learning, all of the "important" learning is done at home. Respect, loyalty, clan history and equality are all passed down from parent to kitten
As the clan is such a strong part of a Caitian's identity, she always wears clan colors or emblems on her clothing (although Caitians in Starfleet are not required to do so, since they have essentially made Starfleet their "adopted" clan for the length of their service). Formal clan outfits are reserved for special occasions, and are always very colorful (and sometimes mesmerizing to off-worlders). Semi-formal occasions (like the Blood Atonement) require the wearing of the clan sash.
As Caitians have always been predators, "The Hunt" is a quasi-religious experience. All Caitians hunt, although never for sport; everything a Caitian kills, he uses (even bones are bleached and ground down, to be used for various purposes). However, the hunt is part of the bonding between parent and kitten, and is often used to teach the younger lessons that can be used later in life.
Kayt-no-Kayt: Heaven and Earth
Cait is a lush, tropical moonless planet that is the second in orbit around the star of the same name. Slightly smaller than Earth, Cait is dominated by a single super continent, with two small island continents, and a variety of island chains dotting the rest of the ocean.
Gravity is Earth normal, and the oxygen rich atmosphere is also very similar to Terra.
The supercontinent covers almost the entire longitude of the planet in one hemisphere. The central area is a super-tropical region that is dominated by sweeping jungles teeming with life.
A massive mountain chain rises up along the west coast of the continent, just south of the super-tropical region. The Caitian capital of Rorgr'zz sits at the base of inland side of the mountains, near Karn't, the tallest mountain on the planet (some 9,000 meters high). Just northeast of Vastayn Province (where Rorgr'zz sits) lies a tropical savannah and desert region that forms the bulk of Utsat Province. The southern sub-tropical zones are dominated by light jungles, giving way to forests and great plains in the polar "antemperate" zone.
The northern part of the continent includes a vast inland sea that dominates the western half of the tropical and subtropical regions; savannahs and scrub plains in the east give way to a great temperate desert in the polar region.
A Day in the Life of Rorgr'zz
Rorgr'zz is a bustling city that would be considered a mid-sized metropolis on 23rd Century Earth. It is the largest city on the planet, boasting a population of seven million Caitians and alien residents, and is the center of commerce and entertainment.
The average Caitian awakes just before dawn, hops in the sonic shower (a Caitian invention from the early 2230's -- water is for drinking, not dowsing oneself in....at least that's what civilized beings think :) ), spends about a half-hour grooming himself, then heads off to town.
On the flitter ride into town, he is greeted by the merchant district, the shopowners selling their wares inside buildings that are colored in a special electrosensitive paint that allows the owner to program his own personal designs in. As Caitians see motion better than color, the paint schemes are often swirls of impossible combinations of colors that spin and dance about, catching the Caitian's eye...it's enough to make a human ill just looking at it (and enterprising merchants make good money at the spaceport selling goggles that tones the images down into something not so stomach churning for off-worlders).
The Caitian passes into the Corporate District, the nerve center of trade and commerce for many Caitian and several interstellar corporations. From some of the taller buildings, he could look over at the Assembly District and the government at work.
Further to the Southwest and some 6,000 meters above the canopy of the jungle, priests and monks of the First Temple of Cait look down upon the city. Off-worlders would have a hard time distinguishing the city from the surrounding jungle, and the Caitians prefer it that way. The monks go about their business of caring for the ancient temple, including the breathtaking balcony that sits "on top of the world." From this vantage point only 1,546 meters from the summit of Karn't, the Caitian is reminded of how close he is to Mother Cait as he stands "between Heaven and Earth." Of course, to climb any higher would cause the Caitian to be burnt by the Mother's glory, according to ancient legend.
The balcony is reached by a long, ancient staircase. The stairs themselves have a religious significance, and the Caitian ascending them sings an old prayer asking for clarity of vision to find what he seeks when rising to "meet Cait." At the top of the stairs, a priest sprinkles holy water on the visitor, which is an oily compound that also serves to counter the effects of the high altitude.
About three times a day, the city comes to a standstill as Caitians take hour-long "cat naps" at mid-morning, just after lunch, and mid-afternoon. Caitian's generally head home about an hour before sunset to prepare for the evening.
Rorgr'zz by night is just as busy, as artistic exhibits and performances dominate evening activities. Many Caitians will often take in an exhibit just before dusk, then head off to dinner in one of the many specialty restaurants and take in a theatrical or holo-vid performance, or finding their way to the arena for the nightly Rakun competition (they use blunts on the end of the blades to prevent injury....it's not a bloodsport by any means) or other sporting event (baseball became popular on Cait in the mid-2360's, brought over from Cestus III, and the first planet-wide league started up in 2374). The evenings end just before midnight as most Caitians head to bed for their lengthy sleep period, although, naturally, after-hours clubs cater to the night owls.
There it is, as comprehensive of a write up on Caitians as I can come up with in 3+ hours. Feel free to use it for your campaigns, although if anyone puts it onto a website, please credit Davy Jones. Thanks. :) Also, if anyone wants the lastest version of my Caitian Language write up, please PM me with your email addy and I'll be happy to send it out.
The caitians is now on the web
with the permission of Davy Jones, the CoDA Caitians is "On-LINE" at
www.simsherbrooke.com/strpg in the "Close encounter section"
A 4 pages document with arts and Lcars design ... ready to print :D
Theko