Vulcan (planet)
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An arid world known both for its stoic people and its own natural harshness, Vulcan forged a culture of survival, logic, and complex mysticism. The world stands as proof that species can evolve peace and prosperity in spite of their planet’s limitations and their own terrible urges.
Vulcan orbits 40 Eridani A, a trinary star system with an orange dwarf, a white dwarf, and a faint red dwarf star. This system lies a mere 16.5 light-years from Earth — a hop, skip and jump in warp distances.
As a founding world of the Federation, Vulcan’s central position is crucial to the well-being of that organization. Vulcan is an important point strategically (on the way to Earth, the Federation headquarters) and spiritually (as a founding world and the home of the diplomats who first introduced Humanity to so many other species).
Solar System
Vulcan - or Ti-Valka’ain, to give its name in the Vulcan tongue - is a Class M world orbiting a trinary star. Its three suns are referred to by the Vulcans as Vulcanis A (Ko'vel) a Type K1 V orange dwarf; Vulcanis B a Type D VII white dwarf; and Vulcanis C a Type M4 V faint red dwarf. Vulcanis B and C orbit each other at a distance of 400 AU from Vulcanis A. Over the last two millennia, the standard scientific names of Vulcanis B and C have been replaced with Surak (for B) and Sudoc (for C). However, for ease of discussion with other Federation citizens, Vulcans tend to use the standard scientific nomenclature for their home planet and system planets, instead of their traditional names for them.
In addition to Vulcan (Vulcanis II), there are five other planets in the Vulcanis System: Ket-Cheleb (Vulcanis I, Class F), Valdena (Vulcanis III, Class K), Telalep (Vulcanis IV, Class K), Kal-ap-ton (Vulcanis V, Class J), and Kir-alep (Vulcanis VI, Class J). There are also two asteroid belts, one inside the orbit of Vulcanis I and one between Vulcan and Vulcanis III.
Climate
Arid, hot climes on Vulcan are exacerbated by the planet’s lack of water and its thin atmosphere. The atmospheric pressure is 0.74 times that of Earth, equal to Earth's air pressure almost 2.5 kilometers above the surface. Human visitors find themselves sweating profusely and gasping for breath all at the same time. Some geological evidence indicates that Vulcan was not always so desperately close to inhospitabilitiy; scientists theorize that a stellar ejection or a cataclysmic tectonic action led to the shift in Vulcan’s climate at some point thousands of years ago.
Regardless of the reasons behind Vulcan’s climes, the planet only marginally supports life. Even the sehlat, a popular housepet, is dangerously predatorial. The ecosystems of Vulcan are threadbare but robust: There are few different species, but they are all very well adapted to the harsh conditions of the planet. Plant life in particular thrives in cactus-like forms.
Without protective lotion or regular pseudomelanin injections, humans living on Vulcan can develop skin cancers within a decade. Vulcans, of course, long ago adapted to the conditions on their homeworld; they have a second eyelid to reduce the glare caused by three suns, skin tone and biochemistry which tend to prevent the formation of skin cancers, and sufficient physical strength and lung capacity to overcome the thin atmosphere.
Geography
Vulcan boasts three enormous continents: Na’nam, Han-shir, and Xir’tan. Each is divided into several provinces whose boundaries date back to the Age of Antiquity. Na'nam is the home of ShirKahr (Vulcan's capital), Vulcana Regar (well known to most visitors as the site of Vulcan's primary spaceport), and several other important locations, such as Mount Selaya. Han-shir contains three major cities (Kwil'inor, Vulcinis, and Da-leb) and the enormous T'ralor Preserve (which contains many examples of otherwise extinct Vulcan wildlife).
The third continent, Xir-tan, is and island (much like Australia on Earth, but slightly larger). Xir'tan is the most tectonically unstable area on the planet; it has over forty active volcanoes and is frequently wracked by seismic quakes. For this reason it is only sparsely inhabited; most of the "residents" are in fact geologists, other scientists, or personnel from the Vulcan Mining Institute or private companies.
The Voroth and Sanar (Thanor in another dialect) seas surround and separate these continents—barely. The oceans themselves are shallow and join at the south pole. Beyond these oceans, running or freestanding areas of water are extremely rare on Vulcan; ancient city sites almost always spring up around a rare natural spring. Only 28% of the Vulcan surface is covered in water. Most of the water is concentrated in the two warm, relatively shallow oceans.
Because of its desertification, Vulcan’s mountain ranges experience little erosion. This leaves them tall and forbidding (and often containing extensive cave networks). In many places, only rocky cliff falls underscore the passage of the elements; strong wind blows cutting sand, making jagged and oddly-colored formations like those found in the deserts of Central America on Earth. There are also rocky, cindery, semibarren plains and many active volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and similar geologic phenomena.
A few lush, fertile areas dot the planet along the shores of the two great seas. These areas not only include virtually all of Vulcan's farmland, but also contain vast nature preserves where old-growth forests and jungles, along with the creatures inhabiting them, can survive and thrive. Many of Vulcan's cities are also located in these fertile regions and/or next to the oceans; the population in the deep deserts and mountains is, understandably, relatively light.
Civilization
Modern Vulcan civilization is a curious amalgam of the Federation’s highest technology and ancient Vulcan artifice. A Vulcan with a computer PADD in one hand and an archaic musical instrument in the other is not an uncommon sight, and the Vulcans think nothing of having engineering stations and science academies next door to elegantly-carved stone temples and ancient statues.
The Vulcan civilization’s dual architecture reveals their dual nature: While Vulcans learn from a young age to suppress their emotions and engross themselves in logic, they also ascribe to strongly supernatural codes of behavior and ritual. Ceremonies of marriage, funeral, and coming of age all mark Vulcan growth. While there may be little logical reason behind such ceremonies, the Vulcans retain these as part of their cultural identity.
As a result, Vulcan society is a study in contrasts. Logic, order and science are the rule of the day in casual society. Under this veneer, however, many Vulcans continue to practice traditions handed down for generations, even if such traditions have no “logical” basis. Some sociologists observe that these traditions go hand-in-hand with the Vulcan practice of emotional suppression as ritual expressions of order; they provide a centering task, a sense of serenity akin to the Human pursuit of Zen or clarity. Others point to the strong Vulcan tendency toward psionic expression and argue that the rituals descend from ways of channeling psionic power. Both probably have some truth.
An outsider will rarely be at a loss in Vulcan cities; the layout is almost always uniformly logical, and Vulcans themselves are courteous (if distant) to visitors. Nevertheless, Vulcans also do not go out of their way to make visitors comfortable. Even as Starfleet cadets jockey for postings at the prestigious Vulcan Science Academy, offworlders find themselves unable to put up with the pressure of moving among a perfectly orderly, passionless society.
History
The civilization of Vulcans steps back over two thousand years, although at its outset it can hardly be considered civilized. Vulcans evolved as lean hunter-gatherers in small communities that sprang up around natural water sources. The combination of powerful emotions and harsh conditions made early Vulcans a hardy but mercurial people: They took pleasures and agonies to heart with great ferocity, often in wild combinations. The hostile conditions of the planet left little opportunity for introspection, or for quiet.
Over the course of centuries, Vulcan tribes spread across the continents. Minor feuds erupted into blood wars, and territorial disputes over all-important water led to the extermination of entire clans. In the background of all of this rose the mindlords — powerful psionic adepts who learned to control minds and turn their burning, raging emotions into weapons that could consume their enemies. Vulcan warfare accelerated their development of weapons and architecture, leading them to create massive stone fortress-monasteries where the mindlords could study in secret and train their armies.
Over time, the wars of the mindlords and the savage tribes soaked the world in green blood. As Vulcan technology improved, so too did the specter of total destruction rear its head. Eventually, two world-spanning forces eyed each other bloodthirstily from a détente that existed only as a pause between testing battles.
The most notable even in early Vulcan history was the longstanding conflict between Sudoc, the tyrant ruler of the city of Jaleyl who conquered virtually all of Vulcan, and the city of ShirKahr. Vulcen has always been wracked by interclan strife and warfare, but the wars between Jaleyl and ShirKahr were the most violent the planet had ever seen.
In the midst of this destruction, Surak came. A natural philosopher and orator, Surak posited that Vulcan society must change radically to survive its own violence. Building on the philosophical underpinnings of his predecessors, Surak advocated a radical shift: The use of religious disciplines as a focus for total logic. Surak hoped to banish emotion from the Vulcan consciousness, and to force people into peace by removing the bitter contentions and the spark of anger that flared too easily among his kind. As a natural speaker, he gained many converts, especially due to his passive resistance — his complete unwillingness to resort to violence to spread his doctrine.
Surak was born in ShirKahr to one of the great houses. As a child of privilege, he possessed all that he desired and could do just about anything he pleased. However, his outlook on life changed when assassins sent by Sudoc murdered his entire family, and his best friend Senet was killed on the front lines of the war. Surak came to realize that rage, sorrow, and other emotions blinded his people and led them toward destruction. Only the path of logic and emotional control could lead them away from such a fate. He began writing and lecturing on logic, even infiltrating the forces of Jaleyl to lecture to them, too. He spent years preaching his new doctrines, gradually winning followers all over the planet. Slowly the Vulcans began to convert to the Tu-Surak, the way of life Surak spoke of and exemplified. The collapse of Sudoc's empire only sped the ascendancy of Tu-Surak. Vulcans today call this period the Time of Awakening.
Surak and his students succeeded in transforming Vulcan society, although not completely. Many Vulcans gave up their violent lifestyles, hoping at last to find a peaceful, or at least less anguishing, mode of existence. Surak’s philosophies spread through his students and his works, and the pull of logic made powerful orators. Even when his students died at the hands of mindlords or generals, Surak stood by his philosophy. It seemed that critical mass was reached: The Vulcan populace was tired — tired of bloodshed, tired of always living in fear, tired of being controlled and dominated by psionic lords who sought nothing more than venal world conquest.
In addition to the clarity of total logic, Surak brought the strength of conviction. His followers, though not powerfully psionic by comparison to the mindlords and their psionic weapons, could easily resist the influences of outside minds. Over the course of a few generations, the psionic techniques of the mindlords fell into disuse, some because they could no longer sway the majority of the populace, and others because paranoid mindlords took them to the grave. Many Vulcan telepathic disciplines fell into disuse in this time, kept only by a few renegade Vulcans or secret monastic orders. The era of Vulcans forcing their will on others through telepathy or weapons was over. The new era of Vulcans forging their own destinies through logic and self-discipline had begun.
Of course, not all was well in this new paradise. Many Vulcans refused to heed this call. The would-be warriors could not sway the populace — thousands embraced Surak’s ideals for each remaining soldier. One group were followers of Sudoc who were disgusted with these new ways and commandeered a fleet of primitive interplanetary space ships. Instead of becoming obsolete in a culture that advanced without them, these die-hards set off hoping to find a home of their own. They succeeded… although it would not be for several centuries that either party knew what became of the other.
One the renegades left, Vulcan was united in thought and belief. Following the Theorems of Governance developed by Surak's follower Selok, they founded Vulcan's first true world government. Each of the old nations became a province under the rule of the Vulcan Council.
Thus dawned Vulcan's "Golden Age." After the Time of Awakening, the pace of technological advance initially slowed, to allow the inhabitants to understand fully the technology they already possessed. However, scientific progress soon began again at a suitable pace. The Vulcans developed interplanetary ships and began slowly and carefully to explore their solar system; they also developed and enhanced their psionic powers.
In the Earth year 1270, Vulcan was attacked by its former brothers, the Romulans, who brought a fleet of ships to the planet by means of a wormhole. They Vulcans fought back - although pacifistic, they were quite capable of defending themselves - and managed to defeat the attacking Romulans. Thanks to technological developments brought about by the war, the Vulcan scientists T'Vran developed warp drive technology shortly after the war's end. The Vulcans carefully and cautiously began exploring the universe around them.
Guided by logical exploration and a new dedication to peace, Vulcans rapidly advanced in technology. They kept an eye toward renewable resources of their world, and the limited resources proved only to make them more tenacious in their quest. By the time of Earth’s 20th century, Vulcans had constructed warp drive and traveled to many neighboring stars, including Earth’s; they found Earth too primitive for their interest up until a passing vessel spotted Zefram Cochrane’s warp signature from the Phoenix in 2063. The scientific survey ship Vesaya followed the Phoenix back to Earth and initiated first contact with the human race on April 5, 2063.
After making first contact with the Humans, Vulcans proceeded cautiously. They had no desire to find themselves embroiled in another species-wide war, this one not of their own making. Humans reminded them of their own violent and brutal past; many Vulcans considered Humans to be nothing more than shortsighted children. Still, Humans forged ahead as best they could with the help of (and sometimes in spite of) Vulcan tutelage, first making a world government, then building a Starfleet to explore the Galaxy. While the Vulcans felt that Humanity was not ready, Humans would come to surprise the Vulcans again and again.
By the 22nd century, Vulcans had become a stifling figure to Humanity. While they clearly felt superior due to their embrace of logic and their comparatively advanced technology, the Vulcans also felt no shame in withholding information, meddling in the affairs of other worlds, and denying aid to the less fortunate. Although pragmatic, the Vulcans were insular, suspicious, and not wholly devoted to the true cause of logic.
It was only with the formation of the Federation that the Vulcans finally took their final steps toward the munificent race that they later became. With their outlook tempered by Human compassion, the Vulcans learned to trust that younger species might be able to face the universe on their own terms, instead of having to follow the Vulcan way. The formation of the UFP finally united Vulcan interests with those of other species, declaring their future a mutual one of equals, not a matter of Vulcan parochialism over “young and foolish” races. Vulcans acceded that logic stems from truth, and in a century went from a reputation as spies to a species said to be unable to lie. Interestingly, their devotion to logic only improved over this time. Imperturbable and calm, the Vulcans settled into a position as dispassionate and reasonable mediators, willing to accept that the Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations represented by the Federation could only bring more and better possibilities for the future.
Government
Vulcan has had a unififed world government for the last 2,000 years. The planet is divided up into fifteen provinces, whose boundaries are based upon those of the ancient Vulcan nation-states. The planetary government is referred to simply as the Vulcan Council.
The Vulcan Council, the smallest planetary government in the Federation, consists of seven members: the Ministers of State, Defense, Security, Trade, Thought, Science, and Health. These seven individuals are elected for ten-year terms. Anyone is eligible to run for this office, but in truth the system is a meritocracy - only the best and wisest are chosen to lead Vulcan. Each of the seven seats is elected separately, and every citizen of Vulcan votes for each of the seven members. The Vulcan Council makes all decisions by consensus, and debate continues until one is reached.
The Council is in charge of all major governmental decisions on Vulcan. It typically meets on a weekly basis; at these meetings each of the Ministers reports on the conduct of his department during the previous week and brings any significant matters to the Council's attention. The actual passage of new laws or revision of old ones is relatively uncommon; the laws Vulcan needed were established long ago, and do not usually need to be changed or updated. Political infighting, jurisdictional squabbles, and bureaucratic inefficiency are all extremely rare, though intense debates are frequent when important issues are raised. The Minister of State is generally regarded as the "leader" of the Council, though all ministers are equally powerful.
On the local level, each province has a governor. However, the old ruling families of the fifteen provinces still exist. Each "great house" has an aristocratic leader who often possesses significant influence or political power )either locally or globally), even if he does not hold formal office.
Vulcan is one of the founding worlds of the Federation. Its scientists and diplomats have been indispensable to the Federation's continued prosperity and even it survival. Vulcan's value to the Federation is often considered to be second only to Earth's. Vulcan is also the original homeworld of the Romulans. In 2368 the Romulan Star Empire made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Vulcan and reunify the Vulcan and Romulan peoples, under the direction of the Romulans. While the Federation has now been warned of these plans, many political analysts assume that the Romulans are likely trying to conquer Vulcan again.
Present Conflicts
The most well known conflict on Vulcan involves the Vulcan Isolationist Movement. This group is composed of a small number of radicals who believe that contact with alien cultures has polluted Vulcan culture and destroys the purity of the Vulcan way of life. While widely regarded as a fringe movement, the VIM's membership has grown in recent years. Some Federation officials worry that the Vulcan Isolationist Movement may have ties to the Romulan government.
Even if they have no contact with the Romulans, the more extreme members of this movement have proven that they are quite willing to perform terrorist activities to further their cause. Many Vulcans worry that if the Movement continues to grow, violence on Vulcan could increase. Vulcan is one of the founding worlds of the Federation, so any serious attempt to secede would have profound affects on the entire Federation. Vulcan leaders currently treat the Isolationist Movement as a purely internal problem, but Federation observers are concerned.
The reunification movement with Romulus continues to grow. This movement, based upon the recent writing's of Ambassador Spock, supports sending teachers and covert aid to rebels in the Romulan Star Empire to help the Romulan people reclaim their Vulcan heritage. While recognizing its noble goals, several Federation military leaders are concerned that these people might secretly be controlled by Romulan agents.
Economy
Vulcans abandoned most forms of ordinary commerce among their own people after the Time of Awakening. On Vulcan everyone is expected to perform the tasks he does best and/or "enjoys" the most. Vulcan education teaches how to lead a good life and helps Vulcans discover their particular calling. Once a Vulcan finds a possible calling he is apprenticed to a recognized master of that trade. He performs this task to the best of his ability, which is seen as an end in itself; attracting clients, making a profit, and similar goals are regarded as wholly irrelevant.
While the internal economy of Vulcan does not involve conventional commerce, Vulcan engages in active trade relations with numerous other worlds. Many offworld traders come to Vulcan and some Vulcans consider trade their true calling. Most trade between Vulcan firms and outsiders is entirely non-monetary. Instead, merchants and traders barter for local goods with nonreplicable items brought from distant parts of the galaxy.
Many Vulcans enjoy owning art, especially nonreplicable handmade works. Large trees are quite rare on Vulcan, so works made of exotic woods are especially popular. Most Vulcans also love music and musical instruments. New music and unusual instruments are well liked on Vulcan, and exquisitely made Vulcan lutes and other fine musical instruments are in great demand throughout the Federation.
Vulcan cuisine is also highly advanced. Its rare and delicate spices and other ingredients will always find a ready market. Similarly, Vulcan drinks, especially Vulcan port and Vulcan spice tea, are especially popular commodities all over the galaxy. While Vulcans consider strong perfumes and other overpowering scents uncivilized and rude, delicate scents (especially pure, nonreplicated, botanical scents from plants unavailable on Vulcan) are in high demand. While holonovels are not widely used, actual novels and books, whether in physical or digital form, are always popular.
Along more practical lines, precision scientific and medical instruments made on Vulcan are in high demand, and many users consider Vulcan-made sensors and navigational gear to be the best available in the Federation. Vulcan medicine is among the most advanced in the Federation, and Vulcan-made medical equipment is also preferred on many worlds, especially on Andor and Earth.
Places of Interest
The entire world of Vulcan qualifies as a place of interest to most Federation citizens. Vulcan ranks as a top spot on most Humans’ list of “places to visit someday,” and scientists especially often travel to Vulcan in order to participate in the logical, regimented debates and forums of its academies.
The more mystically-oriented visitors (and natives) consider Mount Seleya the spiritual center of Vulcan. Legend holds that it is here that Surak and many of his followers had the visions and meditations that led to the discipline of total logic. It is here, too, that the most prominent monastic orders remain, and refine their feats of logic and psionic skill.
On the continent of Na'nam lies the Vulcan capital city of ShirKahr. With its mathematically precise geometric buildings, ShirKahr is the essence of the ideal Vulcan city. It is home to many artists, scholars, and scientists in addition to Vulcan's political leaders. In order to facilitate the ideals of IDIC and the goodwill of the Federation, the Vulcans of ShirKahr are a cosmopolitan lot, among the most willing to deal equitably with outsiders. Here a Human and an Alpha Centauran can rub shoulders with Bolian traders and Trill scientists, all without drawing any raised eyebrows or expressions of disfavor at their emotional outbursts. Here, too, Vulcan offers up a wide range of its cultural experiences for visitors, in the form of shows, museums, and artistic displays ranging from crystal statuary to live musical performances.
The Vulcan Science Academy, home of many of the Federation's finest scientists, is located in the Raal province, in the mountainous border city of Vulcana Regar. This institution has become especially famous for its departments of comparative biology and subspace studies.
The Vulcan Institute of Defensive Arts, the world's chief school of military tactics and martial arts, lies in the small city of Pakil Nosa in the arid Kir province. Several monasteries which teach exotic psychic disciplines are also located in the rugged mountains of Kir province.
Vulcan is home to Starfleet's Space Systems Command and headquarters of the Fifth Fleet.
Creatures
In spite of Vulcan's harsh conditions, numerous lifeforms exist there. Perhaps the best known Vulcan animal is the sehlat.
The sehlat is a popular Vulcan pet, especially with children. Caring for a pet is regarded as a task which teaches children responsibility and compassion, so most Vulcan parents encourage their children to own pets. The sehlat is a furry quadruped with tan or brown fur, a short muzzle, and blunt claws designed for climbing; it fills the same ecological niche on Vulcan as bears do on Earth (though it sometimes runs in packs like wolves). Many humans refer to the sehlat as the "Vulcan teddy bear;" visitors are often surprised to discover that the sehlat is a 70-350 kg animal with 15 cm fangs. In the wild the sehlat lives in temperate forests and mountains (some varieties can also thrive in desert mountains). It is an omnivore which uses its long fangs to help it dig up roots, grubs, and burrowing animals.
Vulcan has many well known forms of desert flora as well. These include the cir-cen, a cactus-like plant which stores water (the plant's name is said to derive from the ancient words for "traveler's savior"), and the g'teth, a desert bush whose berries are used to make the delicious Vulcan mocha drink.
Reference(s)
- Burns, Eric, Kenneth A. Hite & Doug Sun. Star Trek Roleplaying Game Book 7: Worlds, Decipher, 2005. ISBN: 1582369097.
- Cambias, James, et al. Planets of the UFP: A Guide to Federation Worlds, Last Unicorn Games, 1999. ISBN: 0671040065.