Main Intelligent Species and Factions

Main Intelligent Species / Factions

Humaniti (Human) -- Dominant species of the Third Imperium

Humaniti Exactly when ‘Humanity’ became ‘Humaniti’ is no longer known. While the word ‘humanity’ has various meanings, ‘Humaniti’ has only one – it is the name of the dominant species in the Third Imperium. 

There are three Major and many Minor (by the definitions above) human races. All are offshoots of the same basic genetic stock and most, but not all, can interbreed. There are also vast numbers of cultural groups who may seem very different from the rest of Humaniti but are in fact genetically identical. Sometimes these are mistakenly identified as minor human races. 

To truly be a minor race rather than a social or cultural group requires some significant genetic difference from the rest of Humaniti. This can occur gradually, as a result of a restricted gene pool over many millennia, or as an adaptation to harsh conditions. It can also be deliberate. Some minor human races have been deliberately altered, and in a few cases, this was quite radical. A few altered themselves, some were adapted as part of colonial programs and some were changed by outside influence. 

It is generally thought that the ancestral homeworld of Humaniti in all its many forms is Terra or Old Earth. Other locations have been postulated, but currently the most widely–accepted theory holds that humans originated at a single point, which was most likely to be Terra, and spread across the galaxy in the distant past, becoming disparate racial and cultural groups before the modern period. 

The spread of Humaniti is generally attributed to a group known as the Ancients, a powerful and technologically advanced species or group which dominated the region 300,000 years or so in the past. Some claim that these Ancients were in fact humans; others suggest that humans were servitors or allies of the Ancients who were left behind when the Ancients disappeared. 

Whatever the reasons, modern Humaniti displays an amazing diversity of cultures, philosophies, religions, and personalities. As a result, some of the most alien cultures encountered are humans. Humans are also amazingly adaptable, many times even able to fully integrate into alien-run societies. Despite this diversity, all human races are amazingly similar in their physiology, even those who have been genetically engineered, such that most Human races are capable of interbreeding with each other.

There is considerable variety in skin tone, eye and hair color, height, build, and similar physical characteristics. Presumably, this is because the originally transplanted humans were very diverse. It does mean that it is not possible to tell by looking at someone whether he or she belongs to any given racial group unless there are cultural clues. Dress, mannerisms, accents, and such will usually indicate a person’s cultural origin

Vilani (Human) -- First Imperium 

The Vilani are more culturally homogenous than the Solomani or most other large human groups. According to the best current theories, the Vilani are descendants of humans who were transplanted or made their way to the world of Vland during the Ancients period. After a long and troubled period struggling against their homeworld, which was only borderline–habitable to humans, they eventually made their way back into space. 

The Vilani were probably the first humans to regain the stars after the Ancients departed. They gradually built an empire that is said to have included 15,000 worlds. Known as the Ziru Sirka, or Grand Empire of Stars, this Vilani empire is sometimes referred to as the Vilani Imperium or the First Imperium. It was highly conservative and restricted the development of many worlds in the name of stability. This seems to have worked; the Ziru Sirka lasted for over 7,000 years. 

Vilani tends to be highly conservative in outlook. Tradition is a powerful force in society, and traditional methods are applied to most problems. Of course, 7,000 years is long enough to have developed an effective traditional response to most situations. 

Vilani society is a very group–oriented and is built around guilds and bureaus that run the various services needed to keep society working. Some of these are today Imperial Megacorporations with fingers in many pies all across the Imperium. However, the very nature of Vilani society is such that cultural Vilani are not as widespread as Solomani. Small groups can be found almost anywhere but the main concentrations are located in the region around Vland.

Pure–blood racial Vilani tend to live very long lives. However, this trait is heavily diluted by interbreeding. Mixed–blooded Vilani will tend to live only marginally longer than Solomani or any other mixed–race human. Most cultural Vilani are not pure–blooded members of the Vilani ‘race’.

Typical Vilani views scientific and technological progress with disdain. Stability is more important than progress, and societies dominated by Vilani culture will be very resistant to change. The Vilani culture is dominant in a fairly large area of the Imperium. In these areas, new initiatives from Capital tend to meet considerable resistance. Conversely, Vilani regions tend to be stable, orderly, and, usually, prosperous. 

Within the Spinward Marches, the Vilani culture is not dominant except in small areas on a few worlds. Most humans in the region do not hold traditional Vilani views.

Solomani Confedereration -- Second Imperium (Human)

The Solomani often claim to be the true ‘root stock’ of Humaniti as they developed on Terra itself. Others point out that these are the people who were left behind when humans went or were taken to the stars during the Ancients period.

Culturally, the Solomani tend to towards being explorers and inventors and are highly individualistic. Their societies tend to be in a constant state of change and development, which is not always positive. However, as a result of this the Solomani have expanded far out from their distant home and their cultural enclaves can be found almost anywhere, often melded with local societies. 

There is a Solomani state, named the Solomani Confederation, which broke away from the Imperium just over a century ago and retained its independence, more or less, in what became known as the Solomani Rim War. Although Terra and the surrounding regions were retaken by the Imperium, the subsequent peace settlement created the Solomani Confederation, which has its own cultural outlook.

Most humans of Solomani descent feel little sympathy for the Solomani Confederation. It is physically and culturally distant. Indeed, the Solomani Confederation is sometimes seen as ‘the bad guys’ by Imperial citizens as it fought a war against the Imperium in recent history. 

Solomani Confederation influence is low to non–existent in the Spinward Marches, though there are many Solomani cultural groups. These Imperial–Solomani are first and foremost Imperial citizens, though they may display elements of old–earth cultures. Sometimes these are vastly distorted or idealized versions of a pre–interstellar Terran culture; often they are a product of local conditions.

Zhodani Consulate (Human) -- Psionic gifted

The Zhodani are the third major human race. Their home region is to Spinward–Coreward of the Spinward Marches and has never been part of the Imperium. Indeed, four major wars have been fought between the Zhodani Consulate and the Third Imperium. 

The Zhodani Consulate is the largest of the human states and also the oldest. It is extraordinarily stable by human standards, and according to available evidence, internally peaceful. The Consulate has remained stable in terms of size for many hundreds of years; it is claimed that further expansion was curtailed when the Consulate reached the maximum size that could be effectively governed.

Relations with client states along the borders are reportedly good, though the distances involved mean that little information is available to Imperial analysts. It is known that the Zhodani are active in one area. Several large and many small expeditions have been launched over the centuries, all aimed down a corridor of space leading directly toward the Galactic Core. The purpose and result of these ‘Core Expeditions’ remain unknown. 

The Zhodani are the only major human group to make extensive and open use of psionic powers. Testing for abilities is routine and apparently mandatory and is central to the Zhodani system of government. The upper echelon of society are nobles, are the only class entitled to vote in what is ostensibly a democratic system. Most of the work of governance is undertaken by the Intendant class, with the majority of the population being Proles. Imperials view the open use of psionics with distrust and distaste and dislike the idea that there is little upwards mobility for the average Prole.

The only route is via psionics. All Prole children are tested for potential and if they have a suitable talent, they are taken away from their parents and placed with an Indentant family. The new Intendant will be raised in what amounts to the middle classes and can even hope to be elevated to the nobility.

Becoming a noble can be achieved by service or by victory in the three–yearly Psionic Games. Nobles wield real power in Zhodani society. They both lead and govern and elect from among their number the Consuls that rule all of Zhodani space. 

This all seems very unfair to the typical Imperial citizen, who is used to at least the concept of upwards mobility by various means. The idea that a Zhodani might be reading his mind is also unsettling. However, to Zhodani this is the natural order of things. The Proles are well looked after and are given fulfilling tasks to do; their happiness and welfare are important concerns of the Intendants and Nobles.

Here, too, the average Imperial finds Zhodani society a bit sinister. Not only are social sciences developed to a high level but there is an organization named ‘Tvarchedl dedicated to finding unhappy people and ‘curing’ them of what is seen as a disease. Although their name translates as Guardians of Morality, most Imperials refer to the ‘Tvarchedl as ‘thought police’. 

To the Zhodani, unhappiness is a disease and it is a comfort to know that there are people whose job it is to find out what is making the person miserable and either help him adjust his life to eliminate the cause of his unhappiness or else to make the mental adjustment needed to overcome him. 

Most often, ‘Tvarchedl operations take the form of helpful advice and psionically–assisted counseling. Mind–altering is actually much less common than Imperials imagine. It is usually reserved for those who are resistant to the gentler processes, such as those who have a mental illness, or those who request it because they feel it is the only way to deal with their problems. 

Most Zhodani is appalled by Imperial society, which they see as a chaotic mess of deceit and lies in which people are permitted or actually forced to live in a way that makes them miserable. To the Zhodani, this is neglect or abuse of the common populace and no amount of rhetoric about the free pursuit of happiness or advancement can conceal the fact that most people never find either and are forced to make the best of a fairly unpleasant set of circumstances.

 An Imperial citizen who is unhappy in his office job is theoretically free to get a different one but may find it impossible. He or she might also not realize exactly what it is that is causing their distress and end up pursuing pointless goals in the mistaken belief that this will help. A Zhodani in the same position would receive a visitor from the ‘Tvarchedl, who would help him or her figure out exactly what was causing the unhappiness. The ‘thought policeman’ would then either offer advice on how to eliminate that factor from the person’s life or would actively help the person find a different job where they would be happier. If that required retraining, then the ‘Tvarchedl would fund or even provide it. 

It might be that wider factors were at work, in which case a troublesome colleague might be reassigned or offered advice on how to better fit in with the work environment and stop upsetting his or her colleagues. Alternatively, if the office worker requested it, he or she might be offered therapy to adjust his or her viewpoint such that the aspects of the job or colleagues causing the problem might seem more palatable. 

The Zhodani claim that their approach is very different from the sinister mental reprogramming many outsiders believe they engage in. They suggest that their methods are more enlightened, better for the unhappy person and all–round more effective than the Imperial system of simply letting people get on with it since nobody cares anyway. Imperials often shudder and start talking about the sanctity of personality at this point. 

Given these huge cultural differences and the Zhodani lack of interest in expansion, there is little interbreeding between Zhodani and other humans. As a result, there is a fairly distinct Zhodani physical appearance, which is an exception to the general trend. Zhodani tends to be tall and slim and seems to exhibit psionic talents more commonly than other humans. This, however, may be due to the fact that these are actively tested for and accepted in Zhodani society, which is not the case elsewhere.

Hive Federation (six-armed starfish)

The Hive Federation, which also bears some properties of a Confederation, is as close to a stateless society (anarchy) as can be found in the major states of Charted Space. The Federation is characterized by a very low degree of governmental centralization that gives local (planetary) governments great freedom while suffering from an extremely poor ability to establish unified policy.

The Hive Federation government is a collection of embassies, councils, and "interest" clubs. There is no central leader and Hivers, quite prefers, a non-transparent government anyway. Most HF citizens have little to no idea exactly how the government functions or exactly what structure it possesses. True to Hiver's character, the actual form and structure of the HF is constantly changing and evolving to fit local demands. Hivers, and their client races, tend to prefer non-centralized governments anyway. Some Federation scientists call the Hive Federation a form of Anarcho-capitalism.

The Hivers are the ‘first among equals’ (or so they claim) in the Hive Federation, leading a wide assortment of other races. The Federation is far to Trailing–Rimward of the Marches on the far side of Imperial space, with a neutral area in between. Hivers are thus rare in the Marches, though they have been sighted.

Aslan Hierate (Lion)

They are spread across 7,000 worlds in 17 sectors.

The first human explorers to encounter this humanoid race thought they looked somewhat lion–like and used the name ‘Aslan’ (Turkish for lion) to describe them. The label stuck and has been in use ever since, though the similarity is vague and Aslan has no connection with any Terran species, let alone the great cats. 

The Aslan have a clan–based martial society, with over 4,000 clans making up the Aslan Hierate, a region of space located to Spinward of the main Imperium. Relative to the Spinward Marches, the Hierate lies to Spinward–Coreward across the Great Rift. The Aslan have considerable holdings on this side of the Rift, however, and are not uncommon in the Marches.

Aslan society is divided along strict male/female lines. Males are leaders and warriors; females are businesspersons, scientists, and technicians. The divide is so ingrained that some Aslan males are unable to understand the concept of money (or so they claim) and will address a female human soldier as male (fighting is a ‘male’ preserve) or a male scientist as a female (since the individual is in a ‘female’ role).

Aslan culture holds that only the first son inherits, so landless second sons (Ihatei) often go adventuring in search of land and glory. This can lead to friction with neighbors who do not appreciate the activities of the Ihatei.

Vargr Extents (Wolf)

The Vargr were genetically engineered from Terran carnivores (the word Vargr means ‘Wolf’) in the distant past, presumably by the Ancients. 

The Vargr dwell mainly to Coreward, in the Vargr Extents. This is a large area of Vargr and mostly–Vargr worlds forming large numbers of great and small polities that rarely remain stable for long. Many Vargr live in the Imperium; they are the second commonest species in the Spinward Marches. 

Vargr are pack creatures whose culture and civilization are based around the concept of individuals with ‘Charisma’; that is Alpha individuals. Vargr will give their loyalty to charismatic individuals and thus gain reflected glory, but a leader who loses face may find himself without followers rather quickly. Vargr society tends to be somewhat more fluid and turbulent than human civilization, though Vargr is capable of deep loyalty to an individual or ideal that has earned it.

Two Thousand Worlds (Centaurs)

The K’Kree, or Centaurs, also dwell far to Trailing of the Marches across the entire Imperium and also a region of independent space. They are even more rarely seen in the Marches than the Hivers.

K’Kree are militant herbivores who have never made any secret of their ‘manifest destiny’ to wipe out all meat–eaters in the universe. 

This puts a strain on relations, though there is some trade and diplomatic contact between the Imperium and the 2000 Worlds of the K’Kree.

Droyne Oytrip Yatroy (Bird/Reptilian)

The Droyne are something of an oddity. They have enclaves scattered all across Charted Space. Some are stone–age primitives while others possess advanced starships mounting fearsome weaponry.

Vaguely humanoid with both reptilian and bird–like features, the Droyne are divided into six castes. Members of different castes have considerably different physical and mental characteristics depending upon their role in Droyne society. 

The Droyne never explain their actions. At least, not in a way that makes sense to humans. At times they are quite active, with trade ships visiting many ports and other vessels sighted all over Charted Space. There have been many unexplained lulls in Droyne activity as well.

The Ancients (our makers?)

Little is known with any certainty about the Ancients, and it is probable that most of what is known will turn out to be inaccurate. Various theories have been put forward about them, most of which have insurmountable flaws. 

Most scientists agree that the Ancients reached the height of their power several hundred thousand years ago and that their disappearance coincides with a fair amount of damage to this region of space. There are several asteroid belts and devastated worlds dating from that period. The most likely explanation is that they fought each other or someone else to mutual destruction.

Various Ancient devices and sites have been found, along with larger numbers of mistaken and outright fraudulent finds. Trade in Ancient artifacts is heavily restricted but there are always those who will pay top dollar for a working item. 

The Ancients are thought to have been responsible for transplanting many species including humans and Vargr. They may have terraformed worlds or seeded them with life, and are probably responsible for the presence of Terran plants and animals on worlds only now being charted by humans.

The wonders of the Ancients are mostly lost, and those that can be found are often incomprehensible. Devices turn up that have no known function, and even those that can be used remain mysterious. The Ancients and their technology are something of a modern superstition; any unexplained phenomenon tends to be blamed on the Ancients.