Enorian

## Description

The Enorian are a short, blue skinned alien species from Dunkaii. They have long arms and fingers and stand between 3 and 4 feet tall.

Brilliance and trouble can come in all sized packages, even small ones.  Enorians are proof of just that.

The Confederacy might be named for the Athasians, but it is the Enorians that are responsible for how far-flung it has become.  Nearly all the Confederacy starships exist due to some form of Enorian assistance whether that assistance came in the form of an Enorian designer or an Enorian construction team.  In addition to starships, the Enorians have also made design breakthroughs in regards to weapons, infrastructure, and medical technology.  Even the normally tight-lipped Athasians are willing to share some of their schematics if it means having an Enorian helming the design.  Enorians haven't reached the heights of the Athasians' precursors, but they are taking a running leap.

Enorians are an innately curious race.  They like to figure things out just for the sheer joy of figuring things out.  As such, it's rare for them not to be working on at least one project at any given time.  Many Enorians have several, one that is their devotion and a few side ones they switch to as it suits.  Curiosity does have its drawbacks.  It's not uncommon for an Enorian to follow their projects into unwise places.  Sometimes, that place is the void of space to test a new design for a sealed suit.  Other times, that place is a soon to be ransacked larder to determine what spices made that Drannon dish so tasty.  It's been joked that there's as much a chance of stopping an Enorian from trespassing as there is of the Enorian managing to tear themselves away soon enough to actually get away with it.

This sharing of ideas continues into the home life.  Many cultures consider the young to be the children of the entire community, but the Enorians go about things a little differently than most.  The first roughly two years of an Enorian's life are spent with their biological parents.  Every other vernal equinox, the parents and their offspring in the community gather in a pre-determined area.  All the children twelve and under are placed in a lottery to determine who they will be leaving with.  Their next two years are spent with these new parents, who are considered their full and legal guardians during this time.  When a child turns twelve, they are returned to their biological parents for the remaining two years of their childhood.  Depending on the community, this lottery may be determined by physically drawing lots or determined by a computer that was given data from the previous lotteries to ensure a more well-rounded upbringing.  Enorii has different words for the parents of each stage, but most Enorians consider all six sets to be their parents.

The Enorians share their homeworld with the Dunkeld, a race that is just as intelligent as the Enorians.  Their curiosity and brilliance are two of the few things the Enorians and Dunkeld have in common.  Unlike the ever-seeking Enorians, the Dunkeld are generally calmer and quieter and willing to silently ponder an idea for some time before diving into something.  Even the Dunkeld language is nonverbal and mildly telepathic, though nearly all Enorians are fluent enough to comprehend what is being communicated.

The precise details of how this close relationship first developed are lost to time. The commonly accepted theory is that the Dunkeld originally developed in a small nutrient-poor part of the planet.  Their attempts to thrive made them stand out from the rest of the landscape.  The Enorians, curious even then, came upon the Dunkeld while exploring.  Having never seen something so fascinating before, the Enorians brought some Dunkeld back home with them.  This resulted in other Enorians seeking out Dunkeld and returning with them.

It is quite common for Enorians and Dunkeld to collaborate even off-world, with Enorians carrying their partners with them.  Dunkeld, however, greatly resemble non-sentient plants of varying sizes to the point that it was years before outsiders realized Dunkeld were indeed a race and talking to plants was not just some strange Enorian custom.