When trying to play a native of the island nation of Klinráh, the first things that should come to mind should be aloof, insular, isolationist, with just a touch of racial pride and prejudicial bitterness towards "outsiders".

That being said,..all the bats of the Klin are not THAT bad, once you get to know them... The problem is,..that dubious potential applies to few who live outside the national borders of their distant, misty, and mysterious archipelago. And if one lives ON the islands of the Klin,..you are either a bat (part of the "in" crowd), or a servant or slave (meaning all other racial jenu-types). Temporary visitors or "guests" of the Klin are never really accepted or treated "normally" by either masters OR servants,..and sometimes find themselves feeling like they are always on the outside edge of some thinly-veiled conspiracy at their expense,..and always worried that in actuality there are even deeper intrigues and machinations happening that are more thoroughly concealed beneath the suspicious varnish of the "obvious" conspiracies. These are the "lucky" guests,..since they get to leave to spread their tales. The unlucky ones vanish on the island to become a part of the Machiavellian tapestry of Klinráh; a slave, a servant, a corpse,...all light and amusing subjects to be discussed over tea taken between scheming lord-lings in some private garden upon some little island hidden in the mists.

The faces of the smaller Klin (those based on nocturnal bats that use echo-location), are often considered somewhat "gargoyle-ish" and hard to read, by other jánah who ever meet them. Their faces give little indication as to their current state of mind,..and besides,..most jánah who see them find them somewhat alien and hard to look at. These Klin are often found in the higher levels of Klin society,..for even among their own kind they are often seen as inscrutable, shrewd, and "cold-natured".

The larger Klin (based on fruit-bats and such), are comparatively more approachable, but by no means gregarious. Their faces can actually show a broader range of emotion, and their lives within Klin society are often less complex, since they generally have stations of less prominence, serving as guards, councilors, chamberlains, etc,..though this is not ALWAYS the case, as some have risen to positions of greater stature, and have involved themselves with the common intrigues revolving around the clans of the Klin.

The separation between these two groups exists for three reasons, the ratio of comparative population (there are far more smaller bats than there are larger bats), their aggressiveness (the smaller bats, though not as "tough and big" as the larger, actually have more of a predatory streak about them,..and there are rumors that special slaves are kept by some who exist to slake the sexual as well as blood-thirsts of the vampire-bats. They are not killed,..supposedly,..merely "drunk-from" on occasion.), and finally their sleeping patterns (the smaller bats are mostly nocturnal,..while their larger brethren mostly move about during the day,..making their cities seem somewhat "dead" during daylight hours due to the fewer numbers of the larger bats, and their respective servants, who share the sleeping patterns of their masters.

Because over a thousand years have passed since the Wars of Twilight,..the prejudices of most are no longer fueled by direct anger, but instead by the awkwardness of maintained traditions based on those ancient grudges, as well as the differences in cultural values and behaviors that have evolved over many generations of insularity. In addition, many of these behaviors are fueled by the inherent lack of trust that comes from a thousand years of secrets kept from outsiders, as well as from the many petty rivalries of their inner courts. no Klin has ever been known to have the "gift of gab", so-to-speak,..and their general demeanor of their society is that of ancient Japan meets Melnibone mixed with a touch of the Romulans and/or Cardassians of Star Trek, though more soft-spoken,..with words laced with veiled sarcasm and a hint of menace.

Scottie