Difference between revisions of "Vargr"

Revision as of 23:50, 4 January 2015

Vargr
A typical Vargr "Corsair"
Status	Major Race
Classification	Carnivore/chaser
Size	1.6 m
Weight	60 kg
Homeworld	Lair (Provence 2402)
Multi-world	Empire
Canon	Yes
Extinct	Extant
Reference	Alien Module 3: Vargr

Vargr Synopsis

An caninoid, intelligent Major Race, with a humanoid body plan, derived from Ancient genetic manipulation of Terran carnivore/chaser stock, apparently dating from approximately the same time that Humaniti was scattered to the stars.

Vargr Physiology

The typical Vargr is about 1.6 meters in height and weigh, on average, 60 kilograms. They are upright bipedal carnivores with their legs, or rear limbs, digitigrade.

Physically, the Vargr are not very impressive, by Human standards.

Vargr Senses

The Vargr senses of smell and sight are superior to those of humans.

Vargr Dexterity

On the average their reactions are slightly faster than those of the typical human, but individuals vary widely.

Vargr Manipulators

Vargr hands are very similar in size and appearance to those of a human, although there are significant internal differences.

Vargr Ergonomics

They have approximately the same physical parameters as humans and are able to use the same equipment without modification or additional instruction.

Vargyr Trophics

The Vargyr are evolved from carnivore/chasers, but have also evolved strong tendencies toward omnivore/scavenger foodstuffs, and, a such, will eat nearly anything they can get their hands on.

Some favorite Vargyr foods and dishes include:

Adwuj, (alcoholic beverage).
Agadua, (vegetable).
Akanarzh, (Vargr native dish resembling fermented meat-loaf).
Altmac, (alcoholic beverage).
Astroburgers, (bread, vegetable & meat dish).
Atrake, (alcoholic beverage).
Terran Beef, (meat).
Terran Chicken, (meat).
Chicklizard, (meat).
Kopi Luwak, (beverage).
Pysadian Skymelon, (fruit).
Pysadian Trake, (fruit).
Vilnaf, (alcoholic beverage).
Vilnafku, (meat, vegetable & grain porridge-like dish)
Yakka Juice, (fruit juice).

Vargr History

Inhabiting a region coreward of the Imperium, the Vargr were for years a puzzle to Imperial xenologists. Vargr-controlled space is known as the Vargr Extents.

See Vargr Extents for more information.

Vargr Genetic Manipulation?

Research conducted during the early years of the Third Imperium concluded that the Vargyr are the result of genetic manipulation of transplanted Terran animals of the family Canidae, almost certainly of genus Canis.

The Vargr biochemistry and genetic makeup are almost identical with a number of Terran terrestrial animals, but differ radically from most of the flora and fauna indigenous to Lair, the purported Vargr home world.

The obvious conclusion, supported by archeological evidence, is that the race known as the Ancients was responsible.

Vargr Historical Events

See the following articles for more information:

Vargr Society & Culture

The Vargr have an intensive racial pride and are easily insulted. They are prone to enter into fights without regard to possible consequences.

Vargyr Groups & Institutions

See the following Vargyr cultural groups for more information:

Vargr Social Organization

Vargr social organization is difficult to characterize in Terran terms, but can be most closely compared to the Dakota Sioux of North America in the 1800's AD, if the analogy is not pressed too far.

Even among the most stable Vargr governments, a highly charismatic leader can attract followers for almost anything. The neighbors of the Vargr are constantly the subject of impromptu raids and scattered piracy by bands of Vargr (totally without government sanction, of course) who have been talked into a raid, a battle, or a war by a charismatic leader.

Terran Solomani scientists call Vargyr family units "packs", which tend to be formed around several pairs of attached male-female dyads, single loners of both genders, and numerous "pups" (children). The male-female dyads are organized in an unspoken hierarchy of dominance that is constantly changing as lower-ranked members challenge higher-ranked ones..

Independent Vargr Societies

The key elements shaping independent Vargr societies are a very strong centrifugal force resulting from an emphasis on consensus and informal lines of authority, and an equally strong centripetal force resulting from a deeply ingrained family-clan-tribe-nation loyalty.

Imperial Vargr Citizens

While only a few planets populated completely by Vargr exist within the Imperium, there are millions of Vargr citizens of loyal subject planets. Additionally, Vargr adventurers, criminals, mercenaries and traders can be found throughout the coreward reaches of the Imperium.

Assimilated Vargr Enclaves

Some Imperial Vargr live in Vargr enclaves. Others have adapted to living among Humans and other races. These are often referred to as assimilated Vargr. Assimilated Vargr have all the physical advantages and disadvantages of ethnic Vargr, but many of the typical Vargr mental traits are less pronounced and sometimes completely absent.

Scientists disagree on how much these traits are inborn but suppressed by association with Humans, or not inborn and just not learned in the first place. The comparison between dogs and wolves is highly impolitic, if difficult to avoid.

Assimilated Vargr react very poorly to the suggestion that they have been "tamed" by Humans or, even worse, are just "Humans in Vargr suits" -- claims that ethnic Vargr are quick to make. Assimilated and ethnic Vargr often react very poorly towards each other.

Tetusu-Dene Scale

The Tetusu-Dene Scale was developed in the Imperial Spinward Marches as an aid to recognizing Vargr integration into Human societies on the Imperial Core-Spinward frontier. It has been adopted (in slightly modified form) by the Julian Protectorate to recognize the level of integration of societies within the Protectorate.

See Tetusu-Dene for more information.

Vargr Government

There is no central Vargr government; indeed, there is no governmental type that can be said to be "typically Vargr". Every conceivable form of governmental organization can be found somewhere in the Vargr Extents. The only cohesive force in the Extents is a fierce racial pride which causes a slight tendency towards racial cooperation. The higher the level of the Vargr government, the more unstable it becomes because of the difficulty of obtaining consent of all Vargr involved.

Vargyr Governmental Philsophy

Centralized authority is extremely limited at the upper levels of Vargr society, and action is based on broad coalitional concerns, with a constant splitting and rejoining of dissident factions. Traditionally, this has made it very difficult for more centralized and organized societies such as the Imperium to deal on a meaningful basis with what passes for Vargr states. The Vargr have little respect for formal authority, decreasing as that authority becomes more remote. Vargr generally have more respect for more informal authority figures, and are more likely to obey superiors who are better known to them.

Vargyr Governments

See the following articles to learn more about various Vargr Governments and political organizations:

Vargyr Foreign Relations

Many of the Vargyr governments maintain relation with the following races or polities of sophonts:

Vargr Language

Arrghoun is a now lost Vargr language. It was known widely in the Gvurrdon Sector during the -1300s, replaced by Gvegh and its related family of languages by the -900s.

Vargr language scholars believe the language was largely a trade language, developed as an aid to trade throughout the sector.

Arrghoun is a relatively simple Vargr language which in its development lost such complications as noun declensions, gender differences, or elaborate endings or prefixes.

See Aekhu, Arrghoun, Gvegh, Irilitok, Logaksu, Ovaghoun, Suedzuk , and Urzaeng for more information.

Vargr Calendar

Due to the Vargr penchant to not form large, stable governments, Vargr, as a race, have not developed any one, standard calendar or time-keeping system. Instead, the Vargr have developed dozen of different calendars and time-keeping systems.

Vargr Technology & Trade

Most Vargyr worlds are TL 7 to TL 11 averaging TL 9 to TL 10.

Vargyr merchants and traders are well-known throughout Imperial space and beyond.

Vargyr Megacorporations & Economic Entities

See the following Vargr economic entities to learn more:

Vargr Military

Due to the Vargr penchant to not form large, stable governments, Vargr, as a race, have great difficulty maintaining large, organized militaries on the interstellar level.

Vargr armed forces have a much greater tendency to organize as mercenaries or corsairs (pirates).

However, like empires everywhere, the Vargr also require militaries to apply force to belligerents, and every Vargr empire to date has formed a competent military (...until it eventually fell).

Vargr Military Units & Mercenary Bands

Some Vargr military units include:

40th Squadron Ekhlle Ksafi battlefleet.
Aegzaeng mercenary band.
Fueznuzorg mercenary band.
Oruelaen special forces unit.
Uku military intelligence unit.

Vargr Corsairs

Some Vargr corsairs (pirates) include:

Atueguers corsairs.
Baknaelur corsairs.
Ethueng corsairs.
Gvaekuers corsairs.
Kforuzeng mega-corsairs.
- Gvurknuesurrg, a secret organization of enforcers for the Kforuzeng.
Red Pelts corsairs.
Rrouring corsairs.

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

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Non-Canon Vargr Data

Please feel free to enter further information and/or personal experiences with this race.

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 Some favorite Vargyr foods and dishes include:
-* [[Adwuj]]
+* [[Adwuj]], (alcoholic beverage).
-* [[Agadua]]
+* [[Agadua]], (vegetable).
-* [[Akanarzh]]
+* [[Akanarzh]], (Vargr native dish resembling fermented ''meat-loaf'').
-* [[Altmac]]
+* [[Altmac]], (alcoholic beverage).
 * [[Astroburgers]], (bread, vegetable & meat dish).
-* [[Atrake]]
+* [[Atrake]], (alcoholic beverage).
 * Terran Beef, (meat).
 * Terran Chicken, (meat).