I know it is in GT: Humaniti. It may be elsewhere as well in prior matetial; I do not recall where it appeared first. It might be mentioned in one of the MgT supplements dealing with Floria Subsector.
Polities of the Long Night
- Thread starter TheDark
- Start date
Going back over Humaniti, that book has it as speculation rather than fact (and oddly put it in Physiology and Appearance rather than Origins and History). The chapter does state that scientists speculate they might be "completely artificial genetic constructs," but doesn't contain a statement on whether that speculation is accurate. It also says that their origin is unclear and "biological evidence indicates" they were subjected to substantial genetic manipulation by the Ancients, so we end up with a narrator statement that their origin is unclear, that there's evidence of Ancient genetic manipulation, and scientists speculate they may be Androids, but other than the "origin unclear" statement they're not phrased as unambiguous fact. It's not quite as fuzzy as T4 canon, but it's not a direct statement of fact either.
(The Physiology and Appearance section also claims they're not hominids, which would mean they technically don't belong in the book, since per Humaniti "n the Imperium, the collective term for all intelligent hominids is Humaniti." If they're not hominids, then they're not part of Humaniti by the Imperial definition. It would also mean they're not Homo anything, since when that book was written, all of Homo was contained within hominidae - it's since expanded to also contain orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos, but I think that was still contentious when Humaniti was published.)
Probably the better contemporary term would be Hominins.
Probably, although that term still has enough disagreement on its scope that it would need definition within the game. At its narrowest, it's used basically as a synonym for genus Homo, the way hominid was used when Humaniti was written. At its broadest, it's the (current) hominids except for orangutans, and the broadest definition would presumably include the uplifted apes that are a transgenic mix of gorilla, chimpanzee, and human, since all three are hominins in that definition. Biology doesn't like to fit into neat little boxes, which tends to drive nuts the people who like to come up with organizational systems.
You're correct on the fluidity scope of the term. But I'll just go ahead and make a "GM's Judgment Call" for game purposes based on the similarity of the following terms:
ORDER: Primata (Primates)
INFRAORDER: Simiiformes (Simians)
- SUPERFAMILY: Hominoidea = Hominoid (Lesser [Ponginae/Gibbons] & Great Apes)
- FAMILY: Hominidae = Hominid (Great Apes)
- SUBFAMILY: Homininae = Hominini & Gorillini
- » TRIBE: Hominini = Hominine (Homo & Pan)
- » SUBTRIBE: Hominina = Hominin
- GENUS: Homo
- » SPECIES: Homo erectus
- » SPECIES: Homo floresiensis
- » SPECIES: Homo luzonensis
- » SPECIES: Homo naledi
- » SPECIES: Homo rhodesiensis/heidelbergensis
- » SPECIES: Homo longi = Denisovan
- » SPECIES: Homo neanderthalensis = Neanderthal Man
- »» SPECIES: Homo neanderthalensis (longi) = Mixed archaic man
- » SPECIES: Homo sapiens = Archaic Modern Man
- »» SPECIES: Homo sapiens (neanderthalensis) = Mixed Human
- »» SPECIES: Homo sapiens (longi) = Mixed Human
- »» SPECIES: Homo sapiens (sapiens) = Modern Humans
- »»» SUBSPECIES: Humaniti (various subspecies, and species across Charted Space derived from "Homo-" genus ca -300,000 and subsequently mixed)
ORDER: Carnivora
SUBORDER: Caniformia
- CLADE: Canoidea = Canoid
- FAMILY: Canidae = Canid
- SUBFAMILY: Caninae (Canini & Vulpini)
- » TRIBE: Canini = Canine
- » SUBTRIBE: Canina = Canin (Canis & Aenocyon ["Dire Wolf"])
- GENUS: Aenocyon
- » SPECIES: Aenocyon armbrusteri (Extinct Wolf ca -850,000 to -130,000)
- » SPECIES: Aenocyon dirus (Extinct Wolf ca -125,000 to -10,000)
- GENUS: Canis
- » SPECIES: Canis othmanii = (Extinct Tunisian Wolf ca -700,000)
- » SPECIES: Canis edwardi = (Extinct North American Wolf until ca -250,000)
- » SPECIES: Canis lupaster = African Wolf
- » SPECIES: Canis simensis = Ethiopian Wolf
- » SPECIES: Canis latrans = Coyote
- » SPECIES: Canis rufus = Red Wolf
- » SPECIES: Canis aureus = Golden Jackal
- » SPECIES: Canis lycaon = Eastern Wolf
- » SPECIES: Canis lupus = Gray Wolf
- » SPECIES: Canis (lupus) familiaris = Dog (ca -25,000 to present)
- »» SPECIES: Canis ( ? ) sapiens = Vargr (ca -300,000 to present) - derived principally from various modern and extinct Canin genera (ca -300,000)
Yeah, I was looking at those cladograms for far too long. You're correct.
With a little more detail for Humaniti:
(Technically Australopithecina and Hominina are synonymous, and Australopithecus and Homo divide from it at the "Lower Subgenus" Australopithecus level in my chart, but I am dividing them into separate categories).
- SUPERFAMILY: Hominoidea = Hominoid (Lesser Apes [Gibbons] & Great Apes [Hominids] )
- FAMILY: Hominidae = Hominid (Great Apes) [= Homininae & Orangutans]
- SUBFAMILY: Homininae = Hominini & Gorillini
- » TRIBE: Hominini = Hominine [= Hominina ("Hominins") & Australopithecina ("Australopithecines") & Panina ("Pan")]
- » ( SUBTRIBE: Homininia/Australopithecina )
- »» SUBTRIBE: Australopithecina = Australopithecines
- GENUS: Ardipithecus
- GENUS: Australopithecus
- » (SUB-GENUS): Praeanthropus
- » (SUB-GENUS): Paranthropus
- » (SUB-GENUS): Australopithecus
- »»» SUBTRIBE: Hominina = Hominin
- GENUS: Homo
- » SPECIES: Homo erectus
- » SPECIES: Homo floresiensis
- » SPECIES: Homo luzonensis
- » SPECIES: Homo naledi
- » SPECIES: Homo rhodesiensis/heidelbergensis
- » SPECIES: Homo longi = Denisovan
- » SPECIES: Homo neanderthalensis = Neanderthal Man
- »» SPECIES: Homo neanderthalensis (longi) = Mixed archaic man
- » SPECIES: Homo sapiens = Archaic Modern Man
- »» SPECIES: Homo sapiens (neanderthalensis) = Mixed Human
- »» SPECIES: Homo sapiens (longi) = Mixed Human
- »» SPECIES: Homo sapiens (sapiens) = Modern Humans
- »»» SUBSPECIES: Humaniti (various subspecies, and species across Charted Space derived from "Homo-" genus ca -300,000 and subsequently mixed)
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I went through GT: Rim of Fire, and while there's not a huge amount that's new, there were some additional details on known polities and a few new things. All things in quotes are directly from the book. Things in parentheses other than locations are my speculation/extrapolation from what's in the book.
IISS first entered Solomani Rim around 100, contacting the four major powers (Old Earth Union, Easter Concord, Dingir League, and Vegan Polity) soon after. By 200, trade was occurring between the powers and they were beginning to explore nearby Wilds. Easter Concord in particular is called out as working with IISS to open up new worlds. Easter Concord also most willing to join TI due to having remnants of RoM noble structure (other polities did not). Most early contact is via scouts, since Imperial diplomatic and military interest is directed spinward against Reaver and Aslan states. EC joined TI in 426, DL in 582, VP in 586, and OEU in 588.
Terran Mercantile Community – trade alliance rather than actual government, mostly in Sol and Arcturus. Extended from Lagash to Mirabilis, which would give it some territory in Dingir and Capella as well. Began contracting around -1500 under pressure from Reaver states to spinward. By -1400 trade collapsed to a level that ended piracy due to a lack of targets. Became Old Earth Union in -1110.
Old Earth Union – extended from Ys to Barnard and Dismal to Sirius. Hostile to Dingir League and Vegan Polity. Attempted to conquer Near Bootes Cluster in -400 and failed. Incorporated into TI in 588.
Vegan Polity – survived Long Night “almost unscathed,” but like most Rim nations was isolationist. (It's unclear whether the ten worlds within five parsecs of Dingir were part of the League or the Polity. I lean toward the Polity.)
Easter Concord – settled Quaver (Solomani Rim 1110) around -500, 11 parsecs from Easter. This is slightly outside the EC’s borders from other sources.
Arcturus Federation – created by Banasdan, stretched from Altiplano to Anenerkuk and had “sporadic contact” with Vegan Polity. Fought a civil war around 200, joined the TI in 583. (Probably nine systems total – Altiplano, Noricum, Banasdan, Aqilat, Nyarlathotep, Arcturus, Jael, Tunguska, and Anenerkuk – the wiki leaves out Tunguska, but it’s the only J1 route to Anenerkuk from the rest of the Federation.)
Bootean League – formed around -400 in response to Old Earth Union aggression. Comparing the League to the modern Federation, it did not include Aquitaine, but did include Vantage, Polyphemus, and Hamilcar. (Speculation: it likely covered the eastern part of the northern J1 network of the modern Federation, southeast to Aristotle and northeast to Chernozem. Saxe is also likely, but it possibly didn’t include Sequoyah, since that planet did lose Jump and its history before the -200 civil war is unclear. Excluding everything from Sequoyah west on the J-1 main, Teucer (a recent colony), and the southwestern cluster around Aquitaine that’s J-2 from the rest of the Federation, the League may have been 10 systems. This size or smaller would be consistent with it not being considered a power on par with Easter, Old Earth, Dingir, or Vega.)
(Esperance may not have maintained Jump on its own but should have had at least some access to Jump-capable ships, since settlement by Vegans “continued throughout the Long Night.”)
(Iilike may have had Jump, since it maintained a “buffer state” between the Dingir League and Old Earth Union. This would likely need to include Markhashi, since that system is more directly between the League and the Union than Iilike is, due to Sirius being part of the Union and the League extending down to Enki Kalamma. Shuruppak and Markhashi would be the shortest route between those, with Shuruppak-Iilike the second-shortest.) Iilike joined the TI in 596.
(Lagash may have maintained Jump, since it’s noted as having had conflicts with the Old Earth Union during its expansionist periods. The closest Union world was Barnard, 7 parsecs away via J-2 routes, and those conflicts probably took place around Agidda and/or Nusku.)
Scandia retained spaceflight and contact with Terra throughout the Long Night, but maintained its independence. (This implies deep space refueling posts, since there’s a 3 parsec gap between Scandia and Dismal.) It didn’t join the TI until after the Rim War, having gone from independence to Solomani in 740.
Hathor was able to settle Anenerkuk during the Long Night,. (Presumably it kept Jump, since settling via sublight ship, while possible, would be unusual enough to warrant a mention.)
IISS first entered Solomani Rim around 100, contacting the four major powers (Old Earth Union, Easter Concord, Dingir League, and Vegan Polity) soon after. By 200, trade was occurring between the powers and they were beginning to explore nearby Wilds. Easter Concord in particular is called out as working with IISS to open up new worlds. Easter Concord also most willing to join TI due to having remnants of RoM noble structure (other polities did not). Most early contact is via scouts, since Imperial diplomatic and military interest is directed spinward against Reaver and Aslan states. EC joined TI in 426, DL in 582, VP in 586, and OEU in 588.
Terran Mercantile Community – trade alliance rather than actual government, mostly in Sol and Arcturus. Extended from Lagash to Mirabilis, which would give it some territory in Dingir and Capella as well. Began contracting around -1500 under pressure from Reaver states to spinward. By -1400 trade collapsed to a level that ended piracy due to a lack of targets. Became Old Earth Union in -1110.
Old Earth Union – extended from Ys to Barnard and Dismal to Sirius. Hostile to Dingir League and Vegan Polity. Attempted to conquer Near Bootes Cluster in -400 and failed. Incorporated into TI in 588.
Vegan Polity – survived Long Night “almost unscathed,” but like most Rim nations was isolationist. (It's unclear whether the ten worlds within five parsecs of Dingir were part of the League or the Polity. I lean toward the Polity.)
Easter Concord – settled Quaver (Solomani Rim 1110) around -500, 11 parsecs from Easter. This is slightly outside the EC’s borders from other sources.
Arcturus Federation – created by Banasdan, stretched from Altiplano to Anenerkuk and had “sporadic contact” with Vegan Polity. Fought a civil war around 200, joined the TI in 583. (Probably nine systems total – Altiplano, Noricum, Banasdan, Aqilat, Nyarlathotep, Arcturus, Jael, Tunguska, and Anenerkuk – the wiki leaves out Tunguska, but it’s the only J1 route to Anenerkuk from the rest of the Federation.)
Bootean League – formed around -400 in response to Old Earth Union aggression. Comparing the League to the modern Federation, it did not include Aquitaine, but did include Vantage, Polyphemus, and Hamilcar. (Speculation: it likely covered the eastern part of the northern J1 network of the modern Federation, southeast to Aristotle and northeast to Chernozem. Saxe is also likely, but it possibly didn’t include Sequoyah, since that planet did lose Jump and its history before the -200 civil war is unclear. Excluding everything from Sequoyah west on the J-1 main, Teucer (a recent colony), and the southwestern cluster around Aquitaine that’s J-2 from the rest of the Federation, the League may have been 10 systems. This size or smaller would be consistent with it not being considered a power on par with Easter, Old Earth, Dingir, or Vega.)
(Esperance may not have maintained Jump on its own but should have had at least some access to Jump-capable ships, since settlement by Vegans “continued throughout the Long Night.”)
(Iilike may have had Jump, since it maintained a “buffer state” between the Dingir League and Old Earth Union. This would likely need to include Markhashi, since that system is more directly between the League and the Union than Iilike is, due to Sirius being part of the Union and the League extending down to Enki Kalamma. Shuruppak and Markhashi would be the shortest route between those, with Shuruppak-Iilike the second-shortest.) Iilike joined the TI in 596.
(Lagash may have maintained Jump, since it’s noted as having had conflicts with the Old Earth Union during its expansionist periods. The closest Union world was Barnard, 7 parsecs away via J-2 routes, and those conflicts probably took place around Agidda and/or Nusku.)
Scandia retained spaceflight and contact with Terra throughout the Long Night, but maintained its independence. (This implies deep space refueling posts, since there’s a 3 parsec gap between Scandia and Dismal.) It didn’t join the TI until after the Rim War, having gone from independence to Solomani in 740.
Hathor was able to settle Anenerkuk during the Long Night,. (Presumably it kept Jump, since settling via sublight ship, while possible, would be unusual enough to warrant a mention.)
