Aurians

Note: Little to none of this information is known by anyone outside the species.

Aurians
The Aurians are a species from the planet Auria located far away from the Alpha Quadrant, somewhere nere the boarder of the Gamma and Delta Quadrants and at the outer most edge of the galaxy. Aurians are an extremely long lived species with powerful telepathic abilities more advanced then most known telepathic species. The Aurians also have a sort of Genetic Memory, which allows them to find information in their memories from ages past. Although, the longer the memories are not used the harder they are to find. Aurians like to regularly hone their telepathic abilities and reach deep into their minds to "remember" lost memories. The Aurian home world could be a harsh place with season much like earth but far more harsh, Winters could go as cold as 70 below 0 and summers as high as 200 so Aurians are able to withstand both heat and cold easily, which is odd for most species only preferring one or the other. Auria is a large planet covered with forested areas and oceans, there are areas of large fields. Aurians have extremely sensitive hearing and enhanced vision.

Telepathy
Aurian telepathy work in similar ways to most other telepathic species, though the range and strength is greater then most known telepathic species. As with most telepathic species Aurians have the ability to scan thoughts and detect when other are near them unless they are trained at mental blocking and control it becomes harder to scan or detect them.

Aurians have a special telepathic ability they call "Fusion" it is used to give ones knowledge to another or to take ones when the other is unable to give it. The "Fusion" is a sacred thing that not many know about. It is usually used when one does not have offspring, they can give the memories and knowledge to another close family member or a close friend. It is also used when there is offspring and the Genetic Memory cannot be passed on or in other cases when the Genetic Memory does not take. There are several levels of Fusion; Copy, Selective and Seek are the few that are normally used.


 * Copy: is used when giving all of ones mind to another or when taking all knowledge when the other is unable to give it.


 * Selective: is used when someone want to pass along a selected memory or knowledge about one selected topic. it is also used with the "Seek" level.


 * Seek: is used when the knowledge is known to be in the mind of another, but can not be accessed, this happens when there is injuries or other truama to the head. Seek allows the Seeker to search through the mind of another to help release the lost memories and bring them to the surface.

As with most telepathic species, creating a link with another can be extremely dangerous if not done correctly. During one of the only wars to ever break out on Auria before the technological development Aurians found they were able to Telepathically assault others when they were not protected. In cases against alien species with no telepathic abilities the assault could be deadly in results. After many years of training the telepathic combat abilities it was discovered that proper training could allow one to control a lesser species such as animals or in some cases the weak of mind.

Telepathic assault

 * Telepathic Attack: The most common of all Aurian telepathic assaults it allows the sender to cause great pain to the subject and in some cases the pain is so great it causes the subject to pass out or go into cardiac arrest.


 * Thought Manipulation: Where the thought process is completely rearranged causing loss of concentration and in some cases control of the subject for a short time but the results are unknown as to what actions will be taken.


 * Telepathic Overwhelming: Where the sent telepathic message fills the mind of the other(s) making it nearly impossible to think or act.


 * Emotional Transmission: Where the subject is bombarded by a wave of uncontrollable emotion which is controlled by the sender.


 * Telepathic Hijacking: This allows one to take complete control of a subject for a short time. This ability takes years of training and in some cases can only be done in families that have had a previous member that has mastered it. In other cases some families are unable to obtain this ability.

Familiar Mentality
The Aurian personality differs with the individual as it does with every species. During the development of the Aurian mind at an early age all Aurians feel an urge telepathically bond with a animal familiar. The most common is a animal that is only naturally found on Auria but has been transplanted to all Aurian planets. This animal is most easily described as a cross between a feline and a small primate. It looks similar to an earth spider monkey but with feline eyes and ears. Like most Aurian the familiar also have retractable claws.

The reason for this bond has never been established though it has been part of cultural study for thousands of years. The bond between an Aurian and his or her Litaur is extremely strong. The two are in constant contact and even have share feelings and dreams. The Litaur has been called a little Aurian as the two species are so alike and the genetics between the two are nearly identical. Litaur are also known for being a caretaker for its bonded. They have been observed cleaning after them and also taking care of then while they are injured or ill.

The intensity between the bond has been known to be fatal for the Litaur, nearly 80% of the time the death of the Aurian and the sudden cut of the bond comes as such a shock to the Litaur that it causes cardiac arrest and damaging cerebral effects. In most cases that have been seen when the Litaur survives it usually falls into a deep depression and will eventually die from not eating or drinking. It has been seen is some cases the Litaur will sacrifice itself to save the Aurian by attacking the Aurians attacker. Is cases when the Litaur dies before the Aurian he or she falls into a depression and undergoes a huge personality change. In some cases about 30-40% of the time the Aurian will suffer pain and other problems that will lead to death.

The relationships between them are extremely complex. It is much more then friendship and much more then simply a pet and its master. It is as though the two are one person in two bodies and both spend most of their time together. The two are protective of each other to the point of risking their own lives to defend or save each other even though it may or does cause death.

Physiology
There are three main tribes among the Aurians, those that live in the dense woodland area, those that in in the grassland areas and those that in in or around the water. All Aurians have pointed ears similar to that of Vulcan's. Aurians have a physical strength greater then humans and Vulcan's. Aurians have a fully prehensile tail which when. The tail tip is split into two finger like tendrils and with many years of training can be used as tail fingers. Their feet are also hand shaped which helps with climbing and holding, these hands also have hair on the top and a thick skin on the palm. It is possible for them to wear shoes and boots although it can be uncomfortable for long amounts of time. They would prefer to not wear anything on their "feet". The physical strength comes from centuries of evolution on their home planet of Auria which has a much higher gravity field and so they have a much more dense musculature. While they are not in higher gravity worlds or areas they are able to move much faster and with more agility. Aurians also have a large lung capacity which allows them to work in low oxygen environments for extended amounts of time.

The Grassland tribes are among the tallest reaching as tall as 6ft and are the most "Human" in appearance. Their tail is nearly as long as they are tall and have thick but soft and slightly wavy hair.

The Woodland tribes are generally shorter usually not exceeding 5.5ft and have slightly longer arms and fingers. Their hair is also more sturdy and coarse that protrudes out away from the body slightly which acts as a type of natural armor.

The Water tribes are the shortest of the tribes rarely exceeding 4.5ft. They have slightly shorter arms and a shorter and thicker tail as long of a thin webbing on the feet. Their hair is thick and runs close to the body to help move while in the water and drys rapidly.

Though Aurians are an advanced race both physically and technologically, there are times of extreme stress or when angered to a certain point where they go into a phase know as "The Rage" or simply "Rage". The Rage is a time when thinking becomes clouded and instinct takes over and they become nearly Feral. This happens normally in times of intense battle or war during a hand to hand combat or when injured, this causes the Aurian to attack its enemy with everything it can. Aurian hair grows so fast that it is need to be cut at least twice a week to maintain the same general appearance. The same growth occurs with the claw nails on the hands, they must be cut everyday, during one day the claw nails can grown to slightly over an inch and these claws can be extremely sharp. The claws retract slightly back into the fingers, they are extremely dense and are hard to break. When retracted they look like normal finger nail but denser and slightly longer. When extended they reach about half an inch to 3/4 of an inch long when cut. If the nails grow much longer then that they become brittle and break. The claws are able to easily cut into wood and plastic, they are also able to shave into some metals if the right amount of force is behind it.

Copulation & Courtship
Aurian Mating rituals have evolved with the times, though it can still get purely instinctual. Mating can be initiated by either the male or the female by releasing a pheromone scent from the sweat glands and using the tail to disperse the scent to the surrounding area. Aurians have a special receptor in the nose which allows them to follow the scent and block most others to find the one scent that appeals to them. It has been noted that while one is using the tail to disperse the pheromones some come directly up to the tail and smell it because the scent becomes stuck to it for hours, this results in many tail slaps to the smeller. Every Aurians pheromone is slightly different from others. The Aurian scent lingers for several hours and once honed upon is easily followed. The female pheromones are more potent then that of the males. This caused more male followers then female followers when one decides to take a mate.

Early mating rituals could become extremely violet if more then one person chose to follow the same mate causing death between rivals. But in later years people are able to follow a mate, while violence can still occur if the scent is strong enough the two or more of the males following the scent may become jealous of the others causing fights, but with evolution comes reason. Rivals following mates have been known to fight, trade or bribe other rivals to leave.

Once Aurians mate they usually mate for life, though most of the Aurian culture does not follow the full monogamous path that most follow. Some Aurians have taken 4 or more mates, though most choose to limit their mating interaction to less. When Aurians Mate a telepathic bond is formed between them which links them over several light years. The link is usually formed by both parties opening their minds to each other when mating during which they become permanently connected. Most times the link can be controlled but it has been recorded that the links can sometimes be created against the wishes of the two involved.

Genetics
The few studies that Starfleet was able to do on this species as only a small few have ever been met before. The DNA of Aurians is aggressive there for Aurians are rarely struck by illnesses that are known by the Federation and its allies. Also in one known case of cross breading between Aurians and other species the Aurian DNA becomes the dominate DNA in the host causing the host to appear as full Aurian and leaves only trace amounts of the second DNA.

Aurian System
The Aurian System consists of 7 planets, 4 of which are habitable. Auria also known as Auria Prime, the home planet and origin of all Aurians. Auriandi, the first planet to be colonized in the system. Auriandi is virtually identical to Auria the planet contains large woodland areas and small oceans. Aurius, the second planet to be colonized. Aurius is nearly half the size of Auria cover mostly with water and grass land and only spotted woodlands. Auris, is the last and final planet in the system to be colonized. Auris is larger then Aurius yet smaller then Auria and Auriandi. Auris' planetary structure is close to that of Earth. Over the years minor changes have been noticed in Aurians that come from the said planets. The most common changes are tints to the hair and eyes.

Aurian Technology
Aurian Technology has been evolving for hundreds maybe even thousands or years. Aurians are a warp capable species. Aurian starships are massive compared to Vulcan and Starfleet vessels. It is believed that the sizes of the Aurian ships are due to hundreds of years of defending against the Borg. Aurians are among one of the few races able to succesfully defend against Borg attacks. Several hundred years ago the Borg launched a massive assault of the Quadrant assimilating dozens of systems. The Aurian Confederacy was next on the course for the Borg invasion, and so they began massing every ship they had, they were barely able to defend against the number of ships the Borg were sending. Soon as the surrounding species realized they would be next they began massing everything they could and sent it to aid the Aurians against the Borg, months of Cubes attacking planets and Stations. They were finally defeated buy the alliance, Hundreds of ships were lost to the Borg fleet of what was believed to have been 47 Cubes but is was unclear if it was a different cubes or merely the same cubes after regenerating. After the Borg were stopped the Allied Species requested the Aurians allow them to join the Aurian Confederacy, and they soon did. Through out the Confederacy all Offensive and Defensive research was based apon repelling the Borg. Currently conflicts with Borg ships have begun to last longer and are cause more then normal damage to Aurian ships, it is believed that the Borg have begun to adapt to Aurian technology. As such the Aurian Confederacy has declared all engagements with the Borg be strictly restricted to Home Defense, meaning only when the Borg enter Aurian Space.

Note: Little to none of this information is known by anyone outside the species.