Kovatii

KOVATII -

Vulcanoids from the Kovatii star system in deep space.

When Surak's reforms of embracing logical principles and rejecting emotions spread rapidly across Vulcan in the 4th century, a minority rejected Surak's ideals and departed Vulcan. Some of their descendants established settlements on different planets - One of these planets was Romulus, another was Kova, an arid, sandy harsh desert of a planet far from Vulcan.

The Kovatii, rather then prizing logic seemed to have embraced problem solving abilities, to the point where they have become almost living computers capable of great cognitive skills. They have created an orders and schools dedicated to the refining of thought and conjecture. (see order of Tenzu below)

Obvious Physical Features: Posses the typical Vulcan features – Pointed ears, angled eyebrows. Due to the unique radiation of their planet their skin color ranges from dusky to blue-black, and their hair and eye color range from black to red, blue, orange or even silver. Tall and slender, the Kovatii, like other Vulcanoids are often described by other worlders as “majestic” due to their height and tranquil bearing.

Other Physical Characteristics: Kovatii blood like Vulcan is copper-based, rather than iron-based, which gives them green blood. When they loose excessive blood their skin tends to turn somewhat blue as the green background leeches from their tones. The increased gravity on their home planet makes them particularly strong. Kovatii’s have a lifespan that is several times that of humans.

Home Planet Characteristics: Kovatii is a hot, arid planet with a thin atmosphere. It has a higher-than-average gravity. Most of its water is only at the extreme poles as ice and is considered as harsh as or even harsher than Vulcan. Much of its surface consists of large deserts or mountain ranges, with almost no precipitation near the equator.

-- The Kovatii posses many of the same physical attributes as Vulcans due to the similar planetary conditions. Increased physical strength and speed, inner eyelid, adapted to arid conditions, increased hearing and smell, the ability to control physiological functions.

-- Like Vulcans the Kovatii do experience a period of emotion destabilization similar to the “Pon farr” every seven years. Since they do not completely give up emotions it is not quite as obvious or compelling but in some rare instances death has occurred if not mated in time.

-- The Kovatii telepathy is every bit as powerful as the Vulcan, although as a culture they lean more towards protections and evasions rather than contact. The order of the Tenzu and the priestesses seemed to have perfected mental shielding, and to many they can appear to be mentally ‘not there’ or invisible to telepaths or empaths.

-- The Kovatii culture is largely matriarchal, although male rulers are not unheard of. They prize technology and learning, but value the power of an adept and well controlled mind then anything else. Although stoic and reserved they have not eschewed emotion like the Vulcans. Through the power of their own minds have retrained themselves, and like Vulcans are quite proud of it. They are deeply philosophical, and see emotions like winds or sands, something to be borne, waded through and experienced.

Order of Tenzu - Adherents through strict training and discipline became near living computers, with mental skills beyond even what the Vulcans have achieved. Cultivating the power of the mind without preconception or prejudice, they can extract essential patterns or logic of data and deliver, with varying degrees of certainty, useful conclusions.

Priestesses of the Kovatii - Taking on some of the ancient philosophies brought from Vulcan as well as what they learned on their own, they have become a unifying force on the planet. Mysterious and silent they strive to merge both mind and body - they are rumored to have strange powers including prescience.