 April 4, 2008 - 8:27pm | My take on the Humans is that they are just like us, only several centuries into the future. Advanced medicines and gene therapy developed longer lives and a world effort to get off of the planet was launched. Trillions of dollars (credits?) of research, industrial development and robot assistance. A key leap forward in Human space exploration was the construction of cheap, safe rocketry through a crude ion engine. Eventually, the space station turned into a zero gravity shipyard. With advances in space suit technologies, combined with new NanoProcessors, mankind began to manipulate space itself to facilitate spaceship construction. Meanwhile, better and better probes fanned out. Each one faster, seeing farther, poking deep into the Cosmos. Fortunately, habitable planets were eventually discovered in the millions of probe scans. It was time for the Human Race to breathe at last! Zero-gravity launches made for great increases in speed and efficiency. Finally mastering the Void is a story told better somewhere else. But it happened, and here they are, spread amongst a couple of worlds. Think about how diverse we are here on Earth and you have an idea of what Star Frontiers humans are like. The whole rainbow of nations, language and culture is still among the Humans. Humans mainly fall into two large personality types - specialists and generalists. No one admits that they are this way, but most sociologists theorize along these lines. Some humans prefer to master a particular skill. It constantly amazes the other Three Races that frequently you will have a genius human running a faculty of Yazirian scientists at any local Galactic University! These specialists do Humanity proud with their tenacity and skill, but unfortunately they don't know too much more than their chosen endeavor (passion). As a result, most of the specialist folks are rather, ahem, ignorant of many Frontier goings on. Politics really does not interest them at all, and they are often swayed by charismatic demogogues if they get riled up over some emotional issue. Specialist humans prefer human worlds. Some of them go outside because they have to. They will normally visit the other worlds and complain a lot and miss home. They can't wait to go home and go to the game and drink beer. Some hack it better than others, but most specialist humans will take their vacations on their homeworld, if not home town. Many dream of transfers back home by the UPF or corp that they work for. Generalist humans have a more wide/open minded approach. They are awed by the majesty and mystery of the other Races and the areas of the Known Galaxy. Some of them manage to excel as much as the specialists do, but make sure that they remain keenly aware as to what is going on with the Federation Government. Most also have a keener knowledge of art, history, culture and the other Races. Generalists "work to live". Specialists "live to work". Most generalist humans are fascinated by the other Races and curious about other worlds. They do their best to adjust to racial norms and quirks - but hey - talking to some guy who looks like a huge bug who is breathing out of his ass would freak all humans out! So the inevitable faux pas occur, especially with the Vrusk. Some humans just can't get over the Vrusk form. Many humans don't like bugs or anything that looks like a bug. Sad, but true. Add that to the fact that the Vrusk are cunning, ruthless, almost-mind-reading businessmen, and discomfort and suspicion of the Vrusk is commonplace. Some Humans admire the Vrusk and vice versa, but in most cases the attitude is mutual disdain. Dralasites and Humans get along very well. Dralasites know that Humans are freaked out by their appearance (Dralasites think this is funny), and try to make jokes and contort their bodies in wacky ways to amuse humans when they first meet them. Human children love when Dralasite friends come over as they will contort their bodies into the craziest shapes while continuing their conversations with the adult Humans! This serves as a great ice-breaker, and after that the Human is usually more than comfortable with Dralasites. Humans love to laugh too, and some actually are VERY amused by the slapstick comedy that the Dralasites love to perpetrate. Good natured practical joking and betting contests on mundane things and events are other ways that Dralasites and Humans connect. Vrusk shake their heads and wonder if "these people ever get any work done around here." Yazirians frown and threaten to beat the crap out of anyone who plays a practical joke on them. Dralasites and Humans are probably the closest two Races in the Frontier. There is probably not a single Human in the entire galaxy who has met a Dralasite and not had a good laugh AT LEAST once. Dralasites have long fuses and are not easily insulted, yet they are very polite and sensitive to others. Humans greatly appreciate this and admire the Dralasite's ability to contort their personality just like they contort their bodies - based on the local/social circumstances of the moment. Dralasites are very good listeners, and many Humans are very good talkers. Humans and Yazirians can also form very strong bonds. More serious humans such as military men enjoy Yazirian company. Yazirian Battle Rage is a wild sight for a human. They respect and admire the warrior ethos just under the skin of every Yazirian. However, many Humans find Yazirian concepts of "honor" very perplexing. Not touching a Yazirian unless in their Clan is also odd to Humans, who often kiss, hug, or shake hands as a greeting. Yazirians will often get insulted over the slightest faux pas and storm out of the room/party/event in a huff. Often the Human will have to then profusely apologize, usually offer some alcohol or other intoxicant, which the Yazirian then consumes. At this point the Yazirian usually tells the Human what a great guy he is, that he overreacted, etc. etc. and then everything is cool. Quite the emotional roller-coaster. Humans and Yazirians will often get into nasty brawls and fights with each other, especially when alcohol is involved. Ugly Race-based violence does take place from time to time between Yazirian and Human, though more in a swarming mob way than anything acutally organized. Clan membership, of course, makes up for all of that. Humans are the most often invited race into Yazirian Clans. Some Humans enjoy the experience so much that they live among the Yazirians for the rest of their lives. Most Humans like to party, at least on some level - plus a Yazirian would probably not invite a Human that did not party into their Clan in the first place! A few humans have abused their Clan privileges, but the thing that reassures all is that many of them were caught/stopped by other, loyal Human members of the Clan. Very powerful, very famous, and very esteemed Humans are sometimes members of multiple Clans. Fleet Admiral Morgaine, for instance, was a member of 16 Clans! Such honors are reserved for Humans that awe the Yazirians. These kinds of Humans get all of the benefits, but not any of the burdens of multiple Clan membership. However, most Clans will avoid admitting members of Clan rivals into their midst, unless it is someone like Morgaine. In that case it is done as a symbol of Yazirian unity and fellowship with Humanity. Humans admire Yazirian courage. Yazirians admire Human bravado. There is no better place where Humans and Yazirians get along than on the battlefield. A very common reason for a Clan invitation to a Human is because of the Human saving the Yazirian's life in battle, or sharing the glorious nectar of a huge military victory. More than any other Race, Humans live among the other races. Human Clan members thrive on the Yazirian worlds (as long as they get to cook the meat!) Even non-member Humans can get by reasonably well on the Yazirian worlds. Many Humans live among Dralasites as well, as their stoa are among the safest communities in the galaxy. "Going off to the Dralasites" is a common phrase meaning retirement. Even among the Vrusk the business seminar entrepreneurs and their supporting industries and other businessmen can strike a home. Humans also form large percentages of the population on the mixed race planets. By contrast, relatively few of the other races live on Human worlds. One thing that Humans seem to possess more than the other races is the thing that gets them into the most trouble - Charisma. For some strange reason, Human politicians and speakers, more than anyone else, seem to connect with all Races better than politicians with the other Races. Not that the Humans always win elections, etc., but Humans are very adroit politicians. Vrusk particularly will underestimate Human politicians and businessmen, often with disastrous results for the Vrusk scheme. Human politicians get the support of the other races easier than any of the other races do. As a result, many of the mixed Race planets' leaders are Human. Many studies have been done to figure this out, but there are only theories at this point. "Something about those Humans..." is what the other Races say. Humans are the most, best and worst all at the same time. They can be bigger clowns than Dralasites, bigger bean-counters than Vrusk, more proud and courageous than Yazirians. They may not be dominant, but Humans are at least strongly represented in every worthwhile endeavor in the Known Galaxy. |
 April 4, 2008 - 8:44pm | "Something about those
Humans..." is what the other Races say. Humans are the most, best and
worst all at the same time. They can be bigger clowns than Dralasites,
bigger bean-counters than Vrusk, more proud and courageous than
Yazirians. And they breed like rabbits. Heheh. Nice writeup. Time flies when your having rum. Im a government employee, I dont goof-off. I constructively abuse my time. |
 April 6, 2008 - 2:17pm | For once in a RPG someone as taken time to write about HUMANS as a species. I'm usually disappointed by the run of the mill 50 word paragraph about humans. Great work Imp! «Language is a virus from outer space» William S. Burroughs |
 April 6, 2008 - 4:35pm | Amoung other things... you do great write ups! I loved the Sathar write up as well. Did you ever determine the History of the Sathar? (Official or Un-official) |
April 6, 2008 - 7:40pm | Well, I would like to stick with the Humans here, Larry... But I will say for the Sathar that in my view they were divided into numerous clans (as referenced in the books and modules) and long before the current conflict with the UPF, two clans (X and Y) emerged dominant. To prevent all-out war between these two camps, they developed a kind of affirmative-action program in their empire, administered by a neutral SuperComputer. This enabled them to put forth their three Caste system, their brainwashing, their evil policies, and everything else described in the thread and elsewhere. There were once pacifist/nice Sathar, but they were completely obliterated by the triumphant X/Y Clans. They are long forgotten. Not a single vestige of them is left in this savage race. ***** And thank you, everyone, for your kind feedback. Please feel free to join in with your own discussion questions and write-ups. |
 May 5, 2008 - 7:59pm | But something worse could always be around the bend that may even make the Sathar shake in their boots (of slither) and completely change even their culture.....muhuhahahaahhaaa |
 February 8, 2012 - 10:08pm | Imperial Lord, I joined this project and was looking over it trying to find stuff on humans.Well, I really like your profile for humans. It seems very well rounded. I am not sure where to put this next idea, but I have been thinking about the human's homeworld. I really enjoyed the setting in Gamma World's 3rd edition, where the modules had the pc's find a piec of a long lost shuttle and put it together. Humanity had devestated earth in a war with aliens. There were hints of colonization going on before this. In GW11 a fan made module, a colony ship is found and returns to earth. This is a loose summary, but I wondered what ever happened to those colonies. I enjoyed SF too so I had thought about connecting them somehow. Back then I was no good at conversions, but I thought, How about humanity actually coming from earth and settling in the Frontier. Of course they meet the other races and all, but the alien threat to destroy the earth was something too. So The Frontier is far enough away as to keep it safe from whatever happened back home and time went on and everyone forgot where it was they actually came from. I started thinking about it again a few years ago when I found a copy of Gamma Dawn online. Maybe the characters from GW could somehow travel to the Frontier for a whole new adventure? Maybe the aliens that attacked earth were somehow related to the Tetrarchs or Klikks? Maybe they were allies with the Sathar and the Sathar are really trying to wipe out humans, but the other races are in the way so tehy are included in the task of destroying them too. Just throwing an idea out there. |
 February 26, 2012 - 5:53pm | First off Karxan, some peeps like the cannon statement of co-evolution of humans in another spiral galaxy. I like the idea of earth being out there and while I'm developing an interest if gamma world not sure if I want to write that into the setting for a visit back to earth, though perhaps a toned down gamma world mixed with Mad Max and Road Warrior setting and the sathar in control for the past century or two with a cult of worm worshiper among the humans and less fantastic mutations would work for me. Well maybe the sathar have turned the earth into the Island of Dr. Moreau so perhaps some really freaky mutations are possible. Any way Beowulf had a PBP game that explored the return to earth theme when I get home tonight I'll email the link to you. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 February 9, 2012 - 3:12pm | Beowulf's PBP game is the Lost Worlds, New Frontiers thread on the http://starfrontiers.org forum. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
February 26, 2012 - 5:33pm | Bringing in Earth is always a sticky situation. On the one had, you get the context of our own history and background. This can be useful as a story foil, and convienient in terms of taking for granted certain elements of knowledge. (I.E. Space Nazis are eeeevil!) However, on the other hand, there is also a certain "purity" to NOT having Earth involved in a SF campaign at all. The desire to bring in Earth is understandable, perhaps even irresistible, but there is also something to be said for building a vast Human civilization, in the context of the Frontier, from scratch. Personally, I prefer to avoid Earth. I enjoy the opportunity to create from the ground up, to be free of the shackles of our history - let alone explaining everything that takes place beyond today's era. |
