 August 24, 2013 - 4:55pm | This is an update for the races. This deals with new information (based on a interview in Frontier Explorer #02) about how the old races where originally going to be represented, as well as the S'sessu if they where included as a core race, with the complete omission of the deliberately mysterious enemy known as the Sathar. Changes from the published works will appear in italic. Pardon any spelling errors. Be mindful that this list could be subject to change.
DralasitesSociety and CustomsDralasites are philosophical and thoughtful. Their communities are small, and many Dralasites prefer to live alone. Dralasites do not care about wealth, power or status symbols. They judge themselves by the quality of their ideas and their ability to discuss important ideas wisely. Dralasites often hold large public meetings to discuss new ideas. Discussions and debates are among their favorite ways to relax. Steam baths are another favorite Dralasite recreation. They mix perfumes and intoxicants with the steam. These effect Dralasites the same way alcohol does a Human or Yazirian. Dralasites are widely known for their strange sense of humor. They love old jokes and puns that make Humans groan. Many Human comedians who could not find work in Human cities have become rich performing on Dralasite worlds. Do to their pliable nature, they also have humor related to shapes. Such humor defy the understandings of other races, as something like an ordinary, nondescript flexible tube could be the source of a great deal of humor, depending on how it is arranged. In the same way, they can take great offense to an unusually shaped or arranged object. Dralasites do not normally wear clothing, because it makes breathing difficult and interferes with their sense of smell. They usually carry their equipment on web belts. When they must wear clothing to protect themselves, they use special materials that let air reach their skin. Attitudes Dralasites are very fond of Vrusk and S'sessu, because they think they have funny shapes. They get along well with Humans but are careful not to upset Yazirians, who they consider too violent. HumansSpeechHumans speak by forcing air from their lungs through a larynx or voicebox and shaping sounds with their lips and tongue. They can create a wide range of sounds, and have no difficulty speaking Pan-Galactic, S'sessu and Yazirian languages. Society and Customs Human society centers around the family. A family generally consists of a father, a mother and 1 to 10 children. Families usually group together into communities for mutual support and protection. Community size varies widely; several Human cities are known to have populations above 5 million. Of all the star-faring races, Humans are the most varied. As a race they are not as warlike as the Yazirians, as businesslike as the Vrusk, as competitive as the S'sessu, or as thoughtful as the Dralasites. Yet, individual Humans can be found who surpass even the most violent Yazirians, the most dedicated Vrusk, the most self-serving S'sessu and the most philosophical Dralasites. Humans tend to value individuality and personal freedom more than anything else, but they do not hesitate to work together to reach a common goal or to protect themselves from attack. To members of the other races, the most puzzling aspect of Human behavior is their curiosity and love of adventure. Many Humans are willing to put themselves in great danger simply to see something new or go somewhere no one has ever gone before. Some Humans (a very small percentage) seem to actually enjoy being in danger, thriving on the excitement of a life-or-death situation. This type of behavior has never been observed in normal members of the other races. Even the Yazirians, known for their violence and fits of rage, try to avoid taking unnecessary risks. This spirit of adventure has served Humans well, however, as most major exploration missions organized by local governments or private companies are led by a Human. Many alien biologists have wondered how the Human race could have survived long enough to build a civilization and colonize new planets; compared to other creatures in the galaxy, Humans are not especially strong or quick, and are no smarter than the other races. However, Humans are very inventive and adaptable. They manage to survive and even flourish in areas other races consider uninhabitable, by adapting themselves to the new conditions with surprising speed. This and the Humans' love for gadgets and hardware led to the appearance of a popular saying among Vrusk, Mr. Human and his Indestructible Junk Show. Despite this condescending attitude, Vrusk and the other star-faring races have learned to respect Humans. Attitudes Humans are one of the most open and accepting of the known races. They get along very well with Dralasites, and their similarity to Yazirians usually is strong enough to overcome the usual negative reaction to a Yazirian's pushiness. They are vary wary of the S'sessu, as they view them as being inherently untrustworthy, but despite that, they learn work with (or take advantage of) their greedy, self-serving nature, and even recognize the lengths they will go to achieve their goals. Many Humans, however, are mildly nervous around Vrusk. Human psychologists blame this on the Vrusk's resemblance to a giant insect. (Many Humans dislike insects, and some are actually afraid of them.) VruskSociety and CustomsVrusk are hard-working and practical. Their society is organized around independent corporations. To a Vrusk, the company he works for is his family and his nation. The company determines everything about the Vrusk's life; who he lives with, what his job is, where he travels, etc. Vrusk give their company name before their personal name. Vrusk have two types of corporations: conglomerates and trade houses. Conglomerates have business interests in many areas. A single conglomerate might have divisions that build computers, operate farms, train lawyers and set up colonies. A Vrusk that works for a conglomerate usually works for only one division, and might not even know what other divisions the company owns. Trade houses, which are more common in the Frontier, specialize in one type of business. Because all Vrusk working for a trade house do the same work, trade houses usually work together. For example, a trade house that builds farming equipment would hire accountants from an accounting house to keep their financial records. Business between companies is regulated by laws that are so complex no one besides Vrusk have ever fully understood them. Vrusk also love beauty, harmony and order. The goal of most Vrusk is to become wealthy, collect art, and live in peace. Their love for beauty makes them unwilling to get into fights that do not involve their company. However, Vrusk that are defending their company will do anything to remove the threat permanently. Their obsessed with order and aesthetics can also drive them into an "artistic frenzy." In this case, if they encounter something they consider ugly, they would fly into a mindlessly rage and seek to destroy the offending object or being. Naturally, this makes them the worst - if brutally honest - kind of art critic. Vrusk adventurers, however, do not belong to a company. Some are independent businessmen, some are company employees who were fired and some are just too rebellious to put up with company rules. A few start their own companies and eventually become leaders in their communities. Attitude Save for the S'sessu, Vrusk get along well with the other three races. They have no respect for the S'sessu. They see them as untrustworthy and without any sense of order or governance. They respect the Yazirian custom of choosing a life-enemy, and feel at ease around Dralasites because they are careful and skillful planners (though they are annoyed by the Dralasites' sense of humor). They understand Humans the least because, to a Vrusk, Humans seem unpredictable and a little lazy. YaziriansSpeechYazirians have no trouble speaking Human and S'sessu languages or Pan-Galactic. Their own language is a combination of Human-type sounds and snarls and growls. Attitude In general, Yazirians like Vrusk, S'sessu and Humans. They occasionally lose their patience with Dralasites, because they are slow and would rather discuss ideas than act on them. |
