Name The Kin
Lifespan 150-180 years on average
Physical Characteristics
Facial Ref
The average individual is between six and seven feet tall, with fur that can be any shade of white or gray, with a few individuals having a distinctive silver sheen to their fur. They are a slender, athletic race, their tall, lean bodies rather distinctive due not only to the fur that covers their bodies, but also their form. Their faces are distinctly dragonlike, their necks proportionally longer than most humanoids. Their upper bodies are far more humanoid, however, their lower bodies are not. The bones of their legs and feet are greatly enlongated, ending in a solid, horselike hoof. They have tails as well, just as slender as the rest of their bodies.
Despite being pacifists, Kin are stronger and more agile than most humanoids of similar size. Most of their physical prowess is developed in The Games, a series of competitive sports played by most of the species.
Special Qualities
All members of this race possess the ability to switch between genders as they please, though due to the amount of energy their body requires to make the change, most remain in a genderless state, and all require a few days between shifts.
The Kin also possess a form of telepathy that seems to work among their own kind only.
Homeworld
Delta Quadrant. The Kin are remarkably secretive about the exact whereabouts of their homeworld, and frequently refer to it simply as Home. There are a few colonies in the Alpha Quadrant. They are rumored to use wormholes for travel between the quadrants.
Affiliations
The Kin are entirely neutral, refusing to take sides in conflicts. Friendly relations have been maintained with the Federation, and a few individuals have joined Starfleet.
Life Cycle
Before the Kin developed space travel, it was firmly believed that the stars were the spirits of the deceased, watching over their living descendants. The dead were always cremated, and rather than mourning the deceased, the ceremonies were a bright celebration of the life lived, with families and friends gathering to share memories.
While space travel has largely dispelled their beliefs about the afterlife, there are still a few that believe that although the stars themselves aren't spirits, perhaps they are windows through which the ancestors watch over them. Cremation is still in use, as it is still believed that the spirit must be freed from the physical form after death. Burial and preservation are abhorrent to them, looked upon as a cruel entrapment, denying the dead their release to the next life.
Romance and Family Life
Among the Kin, truly monogamous individuals are rare. Once maturity is reached, many individuals will begin experimenting with their ability to switch genders, and frequently end up in short term relationships. While many of these relationships end in failure, many of the youths retain a sense of deep respect and affection for their partners. This is viewed as a normal part of life.
Eventually, they settle down with their life partners, and this is another unusual aspect to their society. Couples are rare, family groups usually consist of three or more adults. This helps in raising children, for the Kin are a prolific species. Singles and twin children are rare. The average pregnancy results in three to seven children, thus the extra help is often necessary.
However, there are individuals who settle with an alien partner. These relationships have never produced children, however. They may be biologically compatible with many humanoid species, but there are too many genetic differences for successful crossbreeding.
Children are raised and taught by their family group, often having just as close a bond with the other adults as with their biological parents.
Children
As many as seven children may be born at once, gestation taking around eleven standard months. Smaller litters are usually born earlier. First time mothers generally have only three or four, subsequent pregnancies will yield more children.
Among most families, only the biological parents will interact with the children for their first few days, with other adults and children of the family gradually taking on care responsibilities as the birth parent recovers.
For a humanoid race, the Kin are slow growing, and long-lived.
Young Adults
Around the second decade of life is when young Kin begin to search out their place in the world, most having reached their adult size at this age. After finding a vocation that attracts their interests, a mentor will be sought out and a period of informal training begins. This lasts however long it takes the youth to decide whether or not they are truly interested in the field. It's expected for youths to go through several vocations before settling on the one they want.
Once they have chosen, they enter an apprenticeship with their mentor, and begin learning all they need to know for their chosen vocation. Once they have a job secured, most Kin move into the communal living areas, and most do not move out until they have settled down with their mates and are all ready to move into a private home.
Elders
Around the age of 130, Kin begin aging. For most individuals, this involves the fur thinning, the color often fading. The senses dull, and many choose this time to retire from more active fields of work, and return home.
Elders living with their children is not unheard of, especially if their mates have already passed on. These individuals often spend their time caring for their grandchildren.
The Games
The primary form of recreation for Kin, the Games are a series of competitions stressing athletic ability. While official planet-wide competitions are held every four years on the homeworld, individual provinces hold their own competitions more frequently. Competitions over speed, agility, and strength are held, and though the specific games favored vary from region to region, competing directly against one another is discouraged as it can led to violence.
Military
The Kin do not have an organized military force, due to their inherent dislike of violence. In provinces that see many alien visitors, specific individuals will volunteer for guard duties, although for the most part, hired muscle is used.
Life is sacred, even alien lives, thus the racial distaste for violence. For one individual to deliberately bring harm to another is unthinkable.
