World info -The Kundi
Jun. 2nd, 2009 07:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
palmedfireWell, my post yesterday for ArtSlam was some sketches of the non-human species I'm working on for my world building project. They're called kundi, and drawing them inspired me to actually get around to writing up at least some of the information I've had bouncing around in my head about them. So, here y'go:
The kundi are the other sapient species that shares the Ceruin with humanity. While commonly held mythology states that the Kundi were created by the supreme god Utaru, unlike humanity, which claims creation by the Golden Dragon and Silver Phoenix. Thus, the kundi are often referred to as the children of the Earth. It is also commonly accepted that they were created sometime after humanity, though still before the recorded history of either species so such claims cannot be substantiated. First contact between the two species also appears to have happened before recorded history, so the early patterns of interaction are unknown.
Appearance-
Compared to humans, kundi have an animalistic appearance, and are often called ‘cat-folk’ by humans. Reactions to this particular nickname run the gamut from mild amusement to murderous rage depending on the individual kundi, though those who live near/in human controlled lands usually resign themselves to it. They are covered in a pelt of thin, fine fur ranging in color from jet-black to light cream depending on region. Fur is usually solid color, but faint striping is not uncommon, and spotted patterns crop up rarely. Their ears are larger than human, pointed, and placed higher on the skull. They can also swivel in a limited arc, giving kundi better hearing than human norm. Unlike cats their vision is no better than human norm, though they do see certain colors, especially in the green/blue part of the spectrum in greater precision than humans.
Kundi appear shorter than humans, but that is mainly due to the forward tilt of their torso. If they stood completely upright (possible, but uncomfortable), they would be on average only a hair shorter than an average male human. There is little size difference between male and female kundi, though females tend to be a bit slighter of build with fuller tail tips.
The kundi walk digitgrade, which, along with the tilt of their pelvis accounts for their forward leaning posture. They have non-prehensile tails that help with balance. A kundi usually needs a cane or other mechanical aid to walk around easily. Their legs and feet are designed for running, much more so than humans, and kundi can achieve much faster speeds running, especially over short distances. They can drop to all fours to run, but due to the difference in leg vs. arm length, this gives them an awkward clambering gait that most consider mildly embarrassing.
Reproduction-
Unlike human females, who are potentially fertile every month, kundi females go into heat once a year, usually some time in the spring. Heat lasts approximately four weeks and is the only time kundi females are sexually receptive. If a female gets pregnant during heat, the young gestate for around seven months before being born, usually in litters of two or three. Large litters are very rare, as are single births.
Because of the heat cycles and such, sex is far less important to kundi socialization than it is for humans. The kundi do not equate sex with either love or intimacy, and are often amused at the importance humans place on it.
Young are raised communally, with all adult kundi in a community (or neighborhood in larger settlements) participating at least tangentially in the process. There is no legal requirement to do so in most places, but there is serious social pressure to do so. It is possible to be a full time caregiver, and doing so is considered an honorable profession, and the community usually helps support such a kundi.
Social-
Kundi do not share the human attitudes towards marriage and family. Instead of the family, the basic unit of kundi social structure is the aincho or pairbond. A pairbond consists of two kundi who have chosen to share their lives with each other. They usually share strong ties of love and intimacy, but are not necessarily or even commonly sexual partners. Pairbonds can and do form regardless of gender, or relation. As reproduction has little to do with pairbonding, there is no stigma to pairbonds being between siblings, or kundi of the same gender.
The kundi are the other sapient species that shares the Ceruin with humanity. While commonly held mythology states that the Kundi were created by the supreme god Utaru, unlike humanity, which claims creation by the Golden Dragon and Silver Phoenix. Thus, the kundi are often referred to as the children of the Earth. It is also commonly accepted that they were created sometime after humanity, though still before the recorded history of either species so such claims cannot be substantiated. First contact between the two species also appears to have happened before recorded history, so the early patterns of interaction are unknown.
Appearance-
Compared to humans, kundi have an animalistic appearance, and are often called ‘cat-folk’ by humans. Reactions to this particular nickname run the gamut from mild amusement to murderous rage depending on the individual kundi, though those who live near/in human controlled lands usually resign themselves to it. They are covered in a pelt of thin, fine fur ranging in color from jet-black to light cream depending on region. Fur is usually solid color, but faint striping is not uncommon, and spotted patterns crop up rarely. Their ears are larger than human, pointed, and placed higher on the skull. They can also swivel in a limited arc, giving kundi better hearing than human norm. Unlike cats their vision is no better than human norm, though they do see certain colors, especially in the green/blue part of the spectrum in greater precision than humans.
Kundi appear shorter than humans, but that is mainly due to the forward tilt of their torso. If they stood completely upright (possible, but uncomfortable), they would be on average only a hair shorter than an average male human. There is little size difference between male and female kundi, though females tend to be a bit slighter of build with fuller tail tips.
The kundi walk digitgrade, which, along with the tilt of their pelvis accounts for their forward leaning posture. They have non-prehensile tails that help with balance. A kundi usually needs a cane or other mechanical aid to walk around easily. Their legs and feet are designed for running, much more so than humans, and kundi can achieve much faster speeds running, especially over short distances. They can drop to all fours to run, but due to the difference in leg vs. arm length, this gives them an awkward clambering gait that most consider mildly embarrassing.
Reproduction-
Unlike human females, who are potentially fertile every month, kundi females go into heat once a year, usually some time in the spring. Heat lasts approximately four weeks and is the only time kundi females are sexually receptive. If a female gets pregnant during heat, the young gestate for around seven months before being born, usually in litters of two or three. Large litters are very rare, as are single births.
Because of the heat cycles and such, sex is far less important to kundi socialization than it is for humans. The kundi do not equate sex with either love or intimacy, and are often amused at the importance humans place on it.
Young are raised communally, with all adult kundi in a community (or neighborhood in larger settlements) participating at least tangentially in the process. There is no legal requirement to do so in most places, but there is serious social pressure to do so. It is possible to be a full time caregiver, and doing so is considered an honorable profession, and the community usually helps support such a kundi.
Social-
Kundi do not share the human attitudes towards marriage and family. Instead of the family, the basic unit of kundi social structure is the aincho or pairbond. A pairbond consists of two kundi who have chosen to share their lives with each other. They usually share strong ties of love and intimacy, but are not necessarily or even commonly sexual partners. Pairbonds can and do form regardless of gender, or relation. As reproduction has little to do with pairbonding, there is no stigma to pairbonds being between siblings, or kundi of the same gender.
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