Borealin's live on Alpha Borealis IV a world about the same size as Mars sitting on the Federation side of the Cardassian boarder.
General Description
The people there are characterized as generally humanoid though they have some minor differences. Mentally they learn faster than humans but tend to find the logical and scientific more difficult than the abstract and emotional. They have a strongly stratified society which is largely based on political influence and monetary gain. They are in Federation space but are not a member of the Federation though they do deal with the Federation on a regular basis.
Physical Characteristics
Physically they are not as strong as humans but have a far greater endurance than most. Their joints are stronger and more flexible with more padding between the surfaces of bone and have more tightly woven tendons. A well developed cardiovascular system with a redundant second smaller heart in the low abdomen. They have naturally pale skin due to the planet's naturally low-light environment. Their senses are well developed, especially that of taste where it is said that where a human could tell you if a meal was cooking nearby, a Borealin could tell you if it was going to taste any good before you picked up the scent. Generally less acute eyesight but well developed hearing are also known hallmarks of the species.
Social / Economic
Socially they have very strongly defined classes and are known as strong orators relishing a good debate on nearly any topic. Money and political influence drive society, but the primary factor which separates the classes in political influence. The world enjoys good economic conditions with a very low percentage of people with little means, most of the population sits in a middle political class that has little to do with the political operations of the planet and more to do with influencing business, which those businesses then influence the political parties. Gender equality is hotly debated among Federation worlds as both genders are considered legally equal both able to own land, monetary gain equally distributed between the sexes, rights afforded both males and females equally with one notable exception.
Politics
In noble houses with the most political influence children are seen as political bargaining chips, with females being the most desirable to have to curry favor but males to hold the reigns once control is established in a given area. Children of both genders are trained for their particular area, men are trained to lead, dominate, and be political and economic masterminds, pulling the strings that drive the world. Women are taught to be the prize of men and a trade commodity to link families together. The mind is as desirable as the body in both genders as they are equally educated in all areas of life, but it is where the application of what they known is taught that the major difference occurs and the most controversy in Federation circles.
Gender Roles
Women are taught to be masterminds as well but to assist the man who has chosen them as a wife in whatever way possible. If he needs to debate ideas and be challenged, she should be the best at driving him to succeed. If he needs to be pampered at home to relieve the stress of the day, she should do that for him. If he needs a spy to seduce others and gain information, she should be that as well. Whatever he needs, and intelligence is always prized just as highly as physical beauty.
Men are taught to find opportunities in whatever situation they come to and where there are none present, they should know how to make an opportunity. They are taught to be manipulative and are generally arrogant. An unintelligent man but beautiful man is worth as much as an incredibly intelligent man who is disfigured and deformed.
Relationships and Sexuality
Men and women children are temporarily paired even as young as 5 years old where they are taught to play together, live together, and become friends. Girls almost always stay with the boys family, though the reverse is possible it is unlikely. When a boy begins to mature he is paired with an older girl who has experience in going through puberty and she teaches him about how to treat a woman so she desires to be with him but also to be in control without being cruel or power hungry. As girls mature they are paired briefly with a married man, she is taught how to please and gain a mans favor. This happens perhaps twice before she begins to be paired with younger men to teach them how to be like the men she has just been trained with.
Once a man reaches maturity he is given a few years where he is expected to try many women in rapid succession in generally two or three years he is then expected to choose a wife. A woman once mature primarily then lives with her family again while she also then takes short sprees living with an interested man for a few weeks to a month at most before he moves on to another. Old partners often stay in communication after these short sprees and it is not uncommon for a man to choose to marry one of the first women he was with, be it the older woman who trained him (though this is slightly scandalous) or one of his first girls he tried living with as a matured man.
Marriage and Divorce
Divorce is possible. There are strict laws about things a wife cannot be forced to endure at any time, similarly there are also laws on things that a man is not expected to forgive. Generally breaking a law that results in divorce also results in the guilty party being socially punished these punishments vary from jail time to being found placement in the business world where they will be unable to restore their former position of influence. The innocent party is considered to be desirable as a mate, in cases where the man abuses a woman she is awarded control of his house and all of its assets. If she chooses to remarry after that, she can choose to remain the head of the estate with the man taking on the secondary role. Noble houses can be headed by a woman with the proper talent though it is uncommon, in these cases she too is expected to pick a wife to be whatever she needs to her. She can pick a man from a lesser house to be consort, or even a man from another class to serve her in a similar way, bear children with, etc… In such cases her family name and house retains control of the family until she dies or appoints a successor (almost always male).
A man is always expected to have a wife, however, it is not uncommon for a man to pick a wife who does not prefer men as sexual partners if he has little similar desire in women. In such cases he has a choice if she should bear his children to obtain a male heir or she can be appointed to be his successor. Men are free to find male consorts for whatever needs they may require. It is less common but also occurs that a man desires his wife but she does not desire him, in such cases she too is free to see outside attentions without fear of reprisal but she must be willing to have his children should he wish it. He cannot, however, prevent her from seeing others so long as none of them are of his station or pose a threat to his influence, as his family is paramount.