Ketherids: Six Months in the Hydal Sovereign Hotel.

Quote from: Carillon on September 14, 2006, 02:55:09 PM

Nifty...Since they're using atomic power already I presume most of the smog mentioned early on is from industrial work. Other than being hyaeniform, how do they differ from a Terran hyena, physically? Are there any strengths and weaknesses that differentiate them from a Terran hyena? Differences in the five senses? Resistances (Possibly due to the extreme seasonal change they might be very cold-resistant when in winter-pelt...Or not if not?)? Susceptibilities?

They don'tlike cold much at all, and tend to wrap up very warm. Fortunately, Ketherid fur insulates heat surprisingly well. It's an odd little evolutionary quirk Federation ANthropologists have never yet worked out the reason for, but it's postulated (Ketherids don't have much time for pre-Ketherid Ketheria) that their star is a super-long term nova, brightening up and cooling down again every sixty million years or so. Research is ongoing.

They are extremely gregarious and not as territorial as Terran hyaenids. Does this affect their behavior around other species? Do they have trouble understanding, say, the concept of 'personal space'?

If you say something's uncomfortable to a Ketherid, like they're standing too close or doing something that annoys you, unless it actively inconvenienvces them, they tend to stop. This occasionally leads to peculiar social responses if they've been told something 'unusual' by another- they might persist in standing very far away ffor conversations etc. Yes, they can be susceptible to a bit of an overload if they're given many conflicting requests.

Their homeworld has one hell of a temperature cycle. Does this show at all in their lifestyle/behavior? Do they have explosive shedding every half year or so? Do they have cyclic seasonal claustrophobia/agoraphobia (It's summer! Must get outside! It's winter! Must be in a cave!)?

Not really, their orbit's not very elliptical at all. No greater seasonal variances than say, California or Italy.

Does their lack of inhibition cause them difficulties in dealing with other alien races? It strikes me that a Ketherid commander would probably not be a very good bluffer...And unless heavily trained to 'suspect' such, would be easily bluffable.

Vulcans don't lie, but they end up through the command ranks all over the place. Just because they tennd towards preferring something doesn't imply that they are a logical extreme all the time. Ketherids can be paranoid as all hell at times, especially when they hit something of a sensory oveerload (you never get ligthing effects at Ketheird nightclubs, they hit sensory overload very easily. They also tend not to interrupt. Unless it's funny. Oh, their sense of humour should be outlawed...

This confuses me: "It is a common belief that the reasons for doing something are not as important as the actual action itself; like a diluted 'end justifies the means'." This seems more like an inversion rather than a dilution. The act is a justification in itself, the destination is not as important as the journey. To do is to be...But I may be misreading it.

I'm probably just being confusing. Ugh, now I come to read it I don't understand either. But they tend to be somewhat praghmatic in their dealings at times, not idealistic. It's visible in such things as their architecture- it's not something of great beauty, but it's something which does everything it needs to very, very well. Yes, the Ketherid mindset is peculiar. Pragmatic hedonism, essentially.

"...Ketherid society has been historically matriarchal." Is it still? To what extent? Will Ketherids consider it alien and bizarre to see males in command/leadership positions? Would they 'Ma'am' a superior regardless of the superior's gender in the same way that 'Sir' tends to be used regardless of gender in some modern armed forces? Will a Ketherid be reluctant to follow a male superior if there's also an 'alpha female' type around?

Initially, when they first branched into the Federation, the fact that males tended to be more common was alittle interesting and disconcerting, but again, their mindset was more inclined to an 'Oh, that's how they do it. Fair enough.' And no, they don't call male officers Ma'am. The first time one did that, well... I'd imagine Ketherid society's more gender--equal than human society is these days, actually. The Males don't have to spend long times off doing work to have kids, and that more than makes up for any real problems they might have. They also tend to be better at logical calculations and such, females tend towards more emotional responses.

Do Ketherids have any tendencies towards religious or belief systems? Given that the 'act is more important than the goal', how do they deal with what the average Terran would consider 'morally grey' activities that can be shown to have some benefit? Societal tabus?

If someone wants to do something, and it isn't hurting anyone else or killing themselves, then why the hell stop them? Interestingly, they try applying that to others elsewhere. A ketherid will absolutely not stand any kind of discrimination towards people based on their opinions or such. You are what you are, and changing that is silly. Oddly, that's the cornerstone od a chuink of their second biggest religion. And they don''t tend towards being particularly fervent religious followers. Again, the pragmatism. They see proof of something, there we go, proved,. If it's not proved but makkes a hell of a lot more sense, and is prettty much detailed up, so be it. They don't like conspiracy theories one bit. Oddly, Ketherids also tend towards ehaving religions and cultural details from other worlds becoming mainstream these days to. Hydal's first Synagogue opened in 2365, and an Ketherian Orthodox Cathedral's under construction. They're also applying for entry to FIFA (Federation of Interplanetary Football Associations) and the FHL.

Do Ketherids have any behavioral patterns that they tend to manifest that would be unusual or noteworthy in 'mainstream' Federation society?

They tend to seem a bit less inhibited. More carefree. They might attempt to get a bit too 'friendly' with people, dropping rank referennces, using personal names rahter than 'Lieutanant Bridges' they might just say 'Simon'. They also don't like being referred to directly by a rank identifier themsellves- they feel it lessens them a bit- reduces them from their status as an individual. Again, what other people do, as long as it ain't hurting anyone, isn't a problem to them.

I'm not kicking holes here at all, I'm just asking questions that I think might help flesh stuff out in case someone else wants to play a Ketherid other than yourself.

I also answered Aspera's question there. Their seasonal vvariation's a lot less pronounced than you all assumed.