Vargr

The Vargr are a major race in the Far Region

Appearance[]

The Vargr are Humanoids who bear a startling resemblance to a Terran Wolf, but as a humanoid. The Vargr have many variations in terms of fur colors, sizes, styles and appearances. Many such variations might seem to suggest Terran canines, but it seems unlikely.

The Vargr haven't encountered a lot of Earth people to be made aware of the resemblance, but it is probably not a good idea to offend their pride. This should be avoided.

Location[]

Roughly -10 to -4 / -12 to -17. The Vargr are west, northwest of Oz. They border The Balmoran Sector , the Kogari Region and the Zhodani Consulate . They are spreading to the south west in between the Giant Magical Snakes and the Nadrizeny Sector

Culture[]

The most important thing to remember about Vargr Culture is that there isn't one. The Vargr was ten million subcultures flying in close formation.

Psychologically the Vargr like to make packs. Their magic number is between 24 and 50, and so they'll tend to naturally form groups this size. Vargr packs can interact and cooperate wityh each other well, so complex efforts are built of networked, cooperating packs. This is how Vargr have built a technologically advanced warp drive culture.

Vargr tend to look for leaders, especially charismatic ones. A Charismatic Vargr can sway other Vargr to to see things his way and influence their decision making process in his desired directions.

So Vargr nations are a very, very fluid concept, often changing and very dependant on context.

Vargr love to wander. They see borders as suggestions and statements about where a nation thinks it has control today. The Vargr find the idea of a stellar nation that wants to keep all outsiders out period to be perverse and difficult to understand. Sure a nation has enemies and wants to keep enemies outside of it's borders, but in the Vargr frame of mind, Borders should be utterly open to neutral parties. this is the Case in the Vargr Extents - and the Vargr are slowly winning over their neighbors to this point of view.

Vargr Pirates[]

It must be said that Vargr was prone the developing Pirates. Since there is no strong cultural unity, some Vargr see no problem with raiding and robbing folks, so long as they aren't pack mates. A Vargr Starbase usually doesn't see the problem with docking a pirate ship -the Pirates aren't members of the Base, the Base aren't members of the Pirates.

So, where many Vargr wanderers are packs with free traders or explorers, or even mercenaries hiring on to fight for a client - just as many Vargr wandering packs are liable to become pirates.

Some Vargr worlds and nations, when beset by pirates, field a space navy and battle back aggressively against Pirates who raid them.

Vargr neighbors must adjust to the idea that the Vargr aren't good at dissuading their own people, either from wandering, or from turning pirate. They must prepare to resist piracy.

History[]

The Vargr history is one of a long, brutal climb up from paleolithic societies into a warp drive culture. The Vargr have been doing this for 40,000 years. An insane number of social structures, nations, religions and factions have come and gone in the long history of the Vargr. Progress has not always been in the positive direction. To date they have one more rise than fall. They have no imperative to remember the past. In many cases the new Alpha has plenty of reason to not remember the past as it actually was. Of their history little has been preserved well or at all. (It could drive Ane to drink)

Working backwards

The Pythonomo Conflict[]

This was sparked due to a mismatch between the Pythonomo telepathic-bias and the Vargr disregard for borders. The Pythonomo considered any non-Telepathic people to be non-people, smart animals at best, dangerous animals at worst. Vargr kept encroaching on Pythonomo territory, getting viciously attacked and provoking the Pythonomo almost to the point of a genocidal war.

This conflict was moderated by the Federation, which was able to introduce the Ane to the Pythonomo. The Pythonomo considered the Ane real people, and negotiated with them

The Ane were able to describe the decentralized and free wheeling Vargr culture to the Pythonomo - the Pythonomo were able to see the random and occasional incursion as a bother, and not the beginning of a Vargr invasion. Now the Pythonomo just exterminate any Vargr who violates their territory and otherwise consider it settled. The Vargr are quickly learning to leave the Pythonomo alone and go find someplace else to visit.

The fact that the Zhodani Consulate was not so subtly influencing the Pythnomo was not unnoticed. It has not been laid in front of them yet. The Federation is holding its council on this matter, for now.

The Zhodani Conflict[]

Much the same as the GMS Conflict - the Zhodani are telepathic humanoids who are running a Psion-ocracy based on total control.

When the Vargr came along and began just randomly wandering around, the Zhodani chased them away, destroyed them, or worse- dominated them. As the process reached it peak, fleets of Dominated Vargr and Zhodani Consulate forces made a concerted attack on the Vargr Extents. The Zhodani were clearly aiming to take over and dominate the Vargr extents in order to control the Vargrs uncontrolled random wandering impulse. The Vargr are good at antagonizing control freaks.

This conflict led the Federation , many of the Kogari Powers and and the Klingon Empire to step in on the Vargr side. No one wanted to be next up on the Zhodani "Control you for your own good." agenda. The Zhodani Consulate was thrown back behind it's own borders. The Vargr were equipped with psionic shields, and now avoid trespass in Zhodani territory.

A population of Vargr now live in the Zhodani Consulate, happy members of Zhodani Society.

The Balmoran Federation Conflict[]

Sj1b-vargr — A Vargr runs a combat Machine

The Vargr treated the Balmoran Federation borders like anyone else's - as suggestions. The Balmoran Starfleet over played the piracy angle in order to secure a larger mission and budget for itself. The Zarians took on a stereotyped and racist view of the Vargr. The Vargr, seeing free traders and explorers treated like Pirates for the crime of being Vargr, copped a resentment too.

This built up into a cold war between the Balmoran Federation and the Vargr, as each side prepared to fight a war they were sure was coming.

This ended when the Federation absorbed the Balmoran Federation. the new Federation exercised more tolerance of Vargr Wanderers and peaceful travelers. They also requested and got more cooperation from Vargr worlds in working to discourage pirates.

this was successful and has led to much better relations between the Federation's Zarian Sector (Formerly the Balmoran Federation) and the Vargr.

Planets[]

Den: The Vargr home world. Den has a population of several billion Vargr, a heavy space infrastructure and a social complexity to make brave men weep and courageous social scientists go hide under their beds.
Korgr: The Vargr world closest to the Zhodani extents. It is a very large fortress, armed to the teeth and capable of supporting large battlefleets. It's in the midst of a reorganization now.

Relations[]

Wolf s Rain Anthro Hige by arania — Vargr are Omnivores

The Zarian Sector: Now, after the reunification of the Balmoran Federation with the main one, Zarians and Bykaler are now more tolerant of Vargr free traders, wanderers, adventurers and mercenaries. And the Vargr mercenaries join into battles against Vargr Pirates happily.
The Kogari Region: Many powers in the Kogari region will use Vargr mercenaries happily. Several gladly or grudgingly allow Vargr trading ships. But Vargr are not players in their dominance games. Something experienced Vargr appreciate. Vargr come and go from Pogue and Akbara casually. The Ix'tor are grumpy about it, but let Vargr free traders in. Knowledgeable Vargr don't go to Ix'tor very much. It's not worth the bother.
Mongo Mongo loves Vargr, and gives them plenty of trade traffic. This has not changed since Mongo Joined the Federation.
Nar: The Nar don't like Vargr, except as targets for piracy. Vargr are not too fond of the Nar, either.
Othned Sector:Until recently Othned went to cracy lengths to hide themselves from anyone. Since they made the mistake of starting a war with the Federation that has ended.
Oz Sector: Oz is not only happy to see Vargr coming but Vargr mercenaries, spacemen and engineers can always find work at Oz, helping them fill up the bottomless hole of people they have. Vargr quickly learn that with the Ane agreements are agreements and boundaries are boundaries. Stay inside the generous lines and you are good.
The Klingon Empire: Vargr Tradeships are generally welcome in Klingon areas. The Vargr and the Klingons teamed up to fight a war against the Zhodani Consulate and so Vargr are regarded as allies and honorable foes.
Federation/Trantorian Frontier: Out here, Vargr trade ships are welcome if rare. It's a long haul from the extents. Mercenaries can find anti-pirate work, but it's not all that common.
Federation Special: Vargr often Immigrate to Federation worlds - many high traffic areas have growing Vargr communities. The Vargr cheerfully swear allegiance to the Federation, since it means they don't have to worry about which warlord is up to what. So the Federation is growing more Vargr colonies and colonists

Origin[]

Wolfcrouch — Say "Nice Doggy" one more time

About 40,000 years ago, unknown Rishans took Terran wolves to the world now know as Den and the used the People Maker machine on them. This resulted in Humanoid Wolves with hands nearly identical to human hands - and brand new brains capable of Sophont thought.

The Vargr of Den began their long climb towards Civilization at that point. The Vargr have no history of their Rishan origins. They seem to just appear one day on Den, being paleolithic.

Meta[]

The Vargr are borrowed from the game Traveller, Altered to Suit the Starbase 600 Game

More info Here