Vargr
Intelligent major race derived from Ancient genetic manipulations of Terran carnivore/chaser stock,
which
apparently dates from approximately the same time that humaniti was scattered to the stars.
Inhabiting a region rimward
of the Imperium, the Vargr were a
puzzle to xenologists.
The biochemistry and genetic makeup are almost identical with a number
of
terrestrial animals, but they differ radically from most of the flora
and
fauna indigenous to Lair,
which
is the purported Vargr home world.
Researches during the early years of the Third Imperium concluded them
to
be the result of genetic manipulation of transplanted Terran animals of
the
family Canidae, which is almost certainly of genus Canis. The
obvious
conclusion, supported by archeological evidence, is that the race known
as
the Ancients was responsible.
The typical Vargr is about 1.6 meters in height and weighs
approximately
60 kilograms. They are upright, bipedal carnivores, with rear
limbs
digitigrade and hands very similar in size and appearance to those of a
human, although there are significant
internal
differences. They have approximately the same physical parameters
as
humans and are able to use the same equipment without modification or
additional
instruction.
On the average their reactions are slightly faster than those of the
typical
human, but individuals vary widely. The Vargr senses of smell and
sight
are superior to those of humans.
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.
Vargr have long suffered from an inability to organize themselves (to
any
degree or for any length of time) beyond the star system level, and their empires rise and fall with unsurprising
regularity.
The higher the level of the Vargr government, the more unstable
it
becomes because of the difficulty of obtaining consent of all Vargr
involved.
Vargr in the Imperium: 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.
The Vargr are scattered across most of the coreward edge of the
Imperium
in many splinter empires collectively called the Extents. These
states
war with each other as much as with non-Vargr, and there is a constant
strife
as each tries to establish a position superior to the others.
Some
Vargr have been more-or-less allied with the Zhodani
for several centuries, and have participated in the Frontier Wars. Others have
maintained
a strict neutrality, or even allied with the Imperium.
Society: The key elements shaping 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-clantribe-nation loyalty.
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, and what respect
they
might have decreases as that authority becomes more remote. Vargr
tend
to respect informal authority figures more, and they obey superiors who
are
better known to them.
The Vargr have an intensive racial pride, and they are easily insulted.
They
are prone to enter into fights without regard to possible consequences.
Vargr
social organization is difficult to characterize in Terran terms, but
it
can be most closely compared to the Dakota Sioux of North America in
the
1800s 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.
The Vargr Calendar: Like other Vargr institutions, the Vargr
calendar is in disarray. With no central authority to promulgate
a calendar, many competing calendar systems have appeared; none have
gained wide acceptance. The most widely accepted dating system in
use is the Imperial Calendar,
because it is a universal standard which can be constantly checked.
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