| Description: | 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 Ancients were 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. |