Idiosyncratic Method
Elmarath (Kiros IV)
Elmarath, or as the humans have dubbed it, Kiros Four, is an average-sized temperate world and the fourth planet from the star known as Kiros - hence the name.Elmarath is what is known as a Goldilocks Planet, a world smack dab in the middle of a solar system's habitable zone, perfect for supporting life. It is a planet remarkably similar to Earth, barring the fact that it developed its own separate ecosystem and other smaller details.
Being that Elmarath is a temperate world, it supports a massive amount of both flora and fauna. Nine continents are separated by saltwater oceans, each continent housing different plants and animals that have adapted to their environs.
With an oxygen based atmosphere, carbon-based life, and plenty of dihydrogen monoxide (water), it would have been a blissfully perfect place for a human colony. Unfortunately, someone was there first.
You see, Elmarath is the home planet of a people known as the Kunari, a very sentient and technologically advanced race of humanoids that the humans have taken to calling "space elves" due to their physical appearance.
Population: 6.8 Billion
Orbital Distance: 1.05 AU
Orbital Period: 1.36 Earth Years (Approx. 496 days.)
Radius: 9,892 km
Day Length: 28 Earth Hours
Atmospheric Pressure: 1.08 Earth Atmospheres
Surface Temperature: 23 Degrees Celsius (On average.)
Surface Gravity: 1.14 G
The Kunari
The Kunari, or "space elves" as they have been dubbed by humans are a humanoid species of the planet Elmarath.
Physiology
"They look like ... elves, Sir."
- Major Robert Mogen, quoted in First Contact Report.
The Kunari, or "space elves" as they have been dubbed by humans are a humanoid species of the planet Elmarath.
Physiology
"They look like ... elves, Sir."
- Major Robert Mogen, quoted in First Contact Report.
Though they are genetically similar to humans, they did not evolve from apes. Instead, they evolved from large simian felines that lived in the jungles around Elmarath's equator. Like humans, the kunari are virtually hairless when compared to their bestial ancestors. But when set side by side with humans, kunari are generally taller and thinner, more lithe and agile. Other physiological differences include larger canines and elongated ears, ending in points. These, coupled with their overall grace as a people are what earned them the slur "space elves." And, if there was need for more fuel, the kunari are an incredibly long-lived race, their maximum lifespan being around seven-hundred and fifty to one-thousand years with current advances in medicine. This is why there are only half as many as there are humans.Another trait that the kunari share with humans is diversity. They are not all the same picture perfect vision of the fantasy race they are mocked for being. Aside from just plain old differences in features, kunari come in a variety of colors, though their possible skin pigments are far more chromatic than humans. Some are caucasian pale, while others are ashen gray or even purple or pale blue. Generally it has to do with where they are from. Purple means they hail from the equatorial regions, while caucasian means they are from more temperate zones. Blue kunari generally hail from icier and mountainous regions while gray ones are from deserts and savannahs.
In addition, kunari hair is generally bright, varying in a number of shades and hues from plain white to fiery red back down to powder-blue. It is unknown whether this was a natural occurrence or a choice of style. Kunari with brown or black hair are uncommon, but not rare or unheard of.
Lastly, the kunari are psionic. Unlike humans, who had access to only a single hemisphere of their brains, the kunari have always had access to both, giving them plenty of time to gain an affinity with psychic powers. These psionics should not be confused with clairvoyance. Kunari cannot see the future (though some have claimed), and while the more learned can speak telepathically, they cannot read minds. The mind is not a book to be opened and paged through, it is a complex maze of thought and emotion. Those who attempt to read minds never come out of it sane. Assuming they come out of it at all.
However, there are some among the kunari who excel in planting seeds of doubt, fear, and even pain into the minds of those with lesser wills. These individuals are aptly known as warlocks, and are trained in the art of mental warfare in specialized academies.
But, psionics are not simply limited just to the brain itself. Kunari also practice psychokinesis, manipulating mass and/or energy with their minds. Kunari can use psychokinesis to shield themselves, charge their tools and weapons (like their trademark energy-edged blades), or throw bursts of kinetic force. Generally, training in the use of such power is reserved for the kunari military.
Society
"The Kunari are a strange and fickle race. They hold out gifts with one hand while preparing to strike with the other. They live in a system that we humans gladly outgrew long ago with a government so ancient they may as well be writing on sheets of papyrus. How these creatures ever got to be a leader in galactic commerce is beyond my cognizance."
- Damion Grant, Human Xenosociologist
"The Kunari are a strange and fickle race. They hold out gifts with one hand while preparing to strike with the other. They live in a system that we humans gladly outgrew long ago with a government so ancient they may as well be writing on sheets of papyrus. How these creatures ever got to be a leader in galactic commerce is beyond my cognizance."
- Damion Grant, Human Xenosociologist
The kunari are a cultural giant in the Milky Way, having a number of colonies in different systems, officially making them an empire. As such, they are a diplomatic, peace-loving people and are generally civil no matter who they talk to. Anyone or anything can be a potential investment, and filling people with munitions is usually bad for business. To some, this is perceived as only a mask, as the kunari have a large and well-equipped standing military. Not exactly something one would expect from peacemongers.
A very popular misconception is that kunari are a mystical race of star children; medieval fantasy creatures in space age trappings. In reality, they are a modern society with their own pop culture and counter-culture. Like any people they have their share of saints and sinners, dreamers and rebels. Upon first official contact with humans and the cultural exchange that followed, it came as a shock. When most people think of aliens, they think of hideous, man-eating tentaclebeasts or pale, freaky martians with bulbous heads and black, soulless eyes that want to probe you. What the humans found was a similar people, a reassuring impression of extraterrestrial life.
But similar does not necessarily mean the same. Despite their advances in science and technology, the kunari remain a traditional people, putting a great deal of stock in honor and propriety. Their longevity has made them slow to change certain things, while strangely impatient with others.
Unlike humans, they have not separated themselves by skin color, and are a totally unified race that live under a feudal constitutional monarchy. Laws are voted for, but the ruler's line will remain in power until it either dies out or is ousted. Generally, the amount of power these constitutional monarchs have is about equal to that of a president, though they are granted a great deal more freedom, and are respected as a ruler rather than a figurehead.
Under the monarch is a council of lords and ladies that preside over predetermined areas of the planet, who then can split up their own holdings among state governors. It may seem an unnecessarily complicated system, but it has worked for the kunari since they unified.
Being that the kunari are to some extent a democracy, they as a people enjoy a full roster of civil rights. Anyone is free to oppose any institution that they deem unfit or unjust. Within reason of course. This freedom of speech also means that one can even speak out against the royal family and its positions without fear of reprisal. This goes for both men and women, as gender equality is at a maximum. Both sexes hold equal sway in politics and can hold the same jobs without prejudice.
The kunari are not a very religious people. Originally they were polytheistic, believing in an entire pantheon of deities related to natural phenomena. However as time wore on, and more and more was explained by science, piety diminished. While some households still keep religious items and practice the faith, most are understandably lax in their devotion. Of course, there are still fanatics, but it doesn't usually get too far out of hand. Some tensions have sparked among a few with the advent of human religions among the kunari people from cultural exchange. But just as before when interacting with other races and accepting their religions, the extremists will calm down and accept it eventually.
As for language, the kunari have two, both of which are written and spoken; high speech and low speech. The differences between them are not many from a technical standpoint, but they are vast. Low speech uses all of the same words from high speech. However, low speech is used in day-to-day life and is colored by slang and loanwords. It is a language used when speaking with friends, family, or co-workers or chatting on the extranet. Low speech also has a sentence structure remarkably similar to english.
As for high speech, it is more akin to latin, this is especially strange because again, many of the words are exactly the same. High speech is completely free of slang and jargon, and words are only added or removed with very careful consideration. The prevailing thought among outsiders is that high speech is the language of the rich. This is merely a half-truth, and only by circumstance. High speech is reserved mostly for government procedure, bills, and legal documents. While it sounds more beautiful to aliens, it is viewed by kunari to be an incredibly tedious way of speaking, and the total disparity in sentence structure between high speech and the much more versatile low speech hardly helps its case.
Technology
"Tired of having other ovens break down or having your food come out blackened or even uncooked, and then having to clean up the mess afterward? Well, Amara-Tovarian is proud to present the XT-400 Ultra Chef, made with lightweight, durable materials and installed with our patented Cookrite AI system. Never eat a shoddy meal again..."
- Translated Excerpt from a Kunari Holo-Advert
"Tired of having other ovens break down or having your food come out blackened or even uncooked, and then having to clean up the mess afterward? Well, Amara-Tovarian is proud to present the XT-400 Ultra Chef, made with lightweight, durable materials and installed with our patented Cookrite AI system. Never eat a shoddy meal again..."
- Translated Excerpt from a Kunari Holo-Advert
The kunari are a very technologically advanced people, having developed into a modern society and achieved space flight millennia before humans. For this reason several laws were set in place to limit contact with pre-space age civilizations. However, the kunari enjoy scouting and leaving traces of their existence, just on the chance that when that civilization does reach the stars, the kunari will have first contact. This practice has slowed down however, as other races are beginning to catch on to their maneuverings.But despite the fact that the kunari are psionic, they still use their hands. The use of their minds to manipulate energy and matter has not changed this, but it has been reflected in some of the tools and weapons they use. They have developed several different ways to psychically interact with objects on a more specific level. One of these ways is called a focusing crystal. These focusing crystals can be used for both domestic and military purposes, and do exactly what one would guess: focus psionic energy. Depending on the grade (grade is judged by facets, not by quality) of crystal, it can be either used as a battery to power a tool or appliance, or it can be used as a beam projector, as in the trademark energy-edged blades, or more recently, military grade rifles. Generally kunari projectile weapons fire superheated particles or magnetically accelerated slugs. However, if a certain grade of focusing crystal is installed in the gun, the kunari soldier can use his or her own psychic energy as ammunition. This is especially useful in long firefights or tight situations where ammo is running low.
Another innovation is psyche-locks, a security system based on an individual's psychic imprint used to lock doors, protect computers and handheld devices, and access accounts and personal information. This is very popular among the more well-to-do kunari. If one is willing to dish out the money - the cheaper systems tend to be faulty and obtuse - the PLSS is perhaps the strongest form of security in the galaxy. Unfortunately, it can only be used by psionics, giving it a rather limited consumer base.
The PLSS also opened up the door for other ideas such as psionic interfacing technology which would grant the ability psychically link up and interact with computers of all sorts, PCs, handhelds, vehicular computers; imagine surfing the web with your mind. But, despite how popular one would think such an idea would be, it is being met with very mixed opinions. To many it seems very dystopian, especially to those studying human literature and happened across books like 1984.
Other than these specific tailor-made technologies, the kunari are not a people without. They have their own technological indulgences, such as phones, televisions, video games, computers, and the internet - their own versions, of course. They also have various appliances, similar to those of humankind's, that all serve specific purposes.
Military
"Soldiers practice until they never miss."
- Motto of the Kunari Armed Forces, shortened from an old proverb.
"Soldiers practice until they never miss."
- Motto of the Kunari Armed Forces, shortened from an old proverb.
The kunari may be a peace-loving people, but that hardly means they cannot enforce that peace. They did not become an empire by being pushovers, after all.What the kunari lack in numbers, they gain in skill and discipline, their psionic abilities notwithstanding. Their incredibly long lifespan allows for centuries more training than most other races. However, this long lifespan is a curse as well as a boon. It takes at least a century for a kunari to come of military age, meaning a much longer wait for fresh soldiers.
To balance for this, they make up with technology. Good soldiers alone are simply not enough.
Their armor is state of the art, equipped with kinetic barriers, recoil dampeners, power amplifiers for their psionics, and in some cases hidden weapons. Special operatives even come with stealth field generators. The armor also doubles as an HEV suit, resisting corrosion from acidic atmospheres or radioactive fallout, keeping the wearer's body temperature regulated in extremes of 250 degrees Celsius. In addition, their suits contain filtration systems and enough oxygen to breathe in vaccuum for 120 minutes if properly sealed.
In terms of weaponry, the kunari grew out of gunpowder weaponry long ago. Military-grade weapons generally fire slugs propelled by mass acceleration. The amount of force is generally dependant on the type of weapon. Recently, the kunari military R&D is working on designing weapons that fire superheated particles. This innovation would eliminate the need for specific caliber slugs completely. However, in testing, these weapons have the tendency to explode if not properly vented and cooled, something that is very hard to do in the heat of battle. No pun intended. These indev weapons actually see more use by pirates and slavers than the kunari military.
Perhaps the most quaint aspect of the kunari military is the use of blades. Whereas the human military only keeps swords and sabers for dress purposes, the kunari still actively use bladed weapons such as swords and polearms, and all soldiers are trained in their use. However, through the use of focusing crystals, these blades are given an energized edge, allowing them to cut through most materials.
Navy
"Have you ever seen what a Kunari battleship can do to the surface of an unshielded planet? Stones run like water and sand turns to glass."
- Unknown
"Have you ever seen what a Kunari battleship can do to the surface of an unshielded planet? Stones run like water and sand turns to glass."
- Unknown
As a race with stakes in many systems, it's only logical that they have the navy to keep order. Being that they are not the most populous race, they have learned from past conflicts not to overstretch themselves, and so maintain space superiority in their holdings, generally not going any further. This policy has made them look suspiciously defensive, and really they can be, but obviously with good reason. Despite this, they still maintain open borders.
Kunari ships can easily be picked out in a lineup. In appearance, they are generally smooth. In some cases bulbous, in other cases, streamline. Sleek and shiny with a clear otherworldly look to them. The kunari enjoy beauty in all things, even WMDs. But don't let the aesthetics fool you, kunari ships are well armed. Missiles of all flavors, mass accelerator cannons, lasers, and fighter squadrons, all with their own neat little weapons. Kunari ships can range from sizes as small as twelve meter one-man fighters to one-and-a-half kilometer dreadnaughts.
Certain ships that the kunari are famous for using are small, heavily armored medical corvettes to swoop in and scoop up the deceased and wounded for possible resuscitation and/or treatment. Every soldier brought back from the brink of death is one more that they do not have to wait a century to replace.
Nothing is ever certain in battle, and that's why the kunari have armed their ships and their soldiers to the teeth with the best they have to offer in the hopes that it might turn the odds in their favor. It's also a preventative measure, something that humans coined in the fourth or fifth century BC: "Si vis pacem, para bellum." Or, "If you wish for peace, prepare for war."
