Vulcans

Over two thousand years ago, natives of the hot, arid, moonless planet of Vulcan were a violent people whose passionate emotions mired their civilization in a series of ruthless wars.  One man saw an answer--that man was the ancient philosopher Surak, and his answer was logic.  Only by rejecting their emotions and embracing a philosophy of pure logic could the Vulcans hope to save themselves and their world.  Amazingly, the Vulcans listened to Surak, and the shift toward the logic began, carrying the planet forward into a brighter, more peaceful future.

There were, of course, those who did not accept Surak's teachings.  These Vulcans left their homeworld to wander the stars, eventually colonizing the planets Romulus and Remus and establishing the aggressive Romulan Star Empire.  Modern Vulcans tend to regard the Romulans as distant cousins, admittedly realated but certainly not closely linked, especially philosophically.

Vulcans look like humans, except for their pointed ears and upswept eyebrows.  The higher gravity and thinner atmosphere of their planet has given them greater strength and enhanced their senses, especially their hearing.  Their blood is green, being copper-based, and their heart is located where a human's liver is found.  Vulcans have a secondary eyelid to protect the retina from the intensity of the Vulcan sun, and they possess a high pain threshold, perhaps an evolutionary development to help them survive in such a harsh environment.

Vulcans possess telepathic abilities.  The mind meld allows them to merge their consciousness with other intelligent beings, but it requires them to merge their consciousness with other intelligent beings, but it requires touching.  Limited telepathy can be achieved without touching.  Vulcan children are often telepathically linked with future mates chosen by their parents.  The children are then drawn together when they reach adulthood.  When injured, Vulcans turn their phychic abilities inward and heal themselves via a coma-like healing trance.