Perhaps a different viewpoint of the Vilani.
OK, just remember…you asked.
(You know? Only in
Traveller have I seen it necessary to include humans in an “alien module.” And not just once, but three or four times.)
It's hard to drum up interest in the Vilani because canon material, both GDW written and stuff written by other parties like that DGP guide to the Vilani (which I personally felt was pretty criminally bad in how they decided to portray the Vilani - how some players think that DGP stuff was great baffles me) have pretty much gone out of their way to make them as bland as possible.
I’m sorry epicenter00 feels that way. In contrast, I felt the two alien modules Digest Group Publications wrote, the
Vilani & Vargr, and the
Solomani & Aslan, were some of the best writing that has ever been produced for Traveller. If you ever have, (or had,) a chance to read them, they are written from the viewpoint of a Vilani, or a Solomani. I felt reading the text from this perspective gave me quite an insight on these fictional races. Both alien modules struck quite a cord, with me at least.
Granted, I tend to run my games in the Spinward Marches, not the Solonomi Rim, so I have put far more serious thought into the Vilani than the Solomani. And the ideas that were presented in the
Vilani & Vargr have served as quite a springboard for my imagination.
Most of the concepts of how I run the Vilani in Classic Traveller/MegaTraveller game are based on three ideas:
1) The human races are genetically distinct. The Valani and Zhodanti’s DNA is based on those specimens that were lifted from earth 400,000 years ago by the Ancients. But looking at the fossil record, we weren’t 100% “human” yet. Homo erectius was the dominate human ancestor at that time. I have also decided in my games that the Ancients modified the Vilani and the Zhodanti’s DNA, which is what gives the Vilani such long life spans as described in the
Vilani & Vargr, and which gives the Zhodanti a predisposition for psionics. Because of this DNA manipulation, the three major human races cannot interbreed. (Frankly, I use this “excuse” to help define to players that the three “species” are distinct, and it helps clarify my thinking between them.)
(I understand that there are statements to the contrary in some of the Traveller sourcebooks.)
2) Most of the humans in the Imperium are descended from the Solomani during the Rule of Man. The Vilani are a minority, concentrated mostly in the Vland sector, spreading outwards. Again, from some of the writing in the
Vilani & Vargr, I got the impression survival on Vland was difficult because the native flora and fauna were not easily digestible by humans. Once the Ancients destroyed themselves, and the Vilani were forced to fend for themselves, food production became paramount, because they had to learn how to chemically alter the native foodstuffs so their bodies could process and derive energy from it. Similarly, the native bacteria and viruses could not derive energy from the transplanted humans, so the early Vilani never suffered from sickness, disease, or plague. They did not even understand these concepts well, until they contacted the Solomoni, and earth’s entire ecosystem of deadly bacteria and viruses were released upon them all at once. The reason the First Imperium collapsed, and the Vilani were conquered so quickly by the technologically inferior Solomoni, was due to a biological warfare that none of the combatants expected. This almost wiped out the Vilani. And then, just as vaccines were developed and inoculations became widespread, the Rule of Man collapsed, and the Long Night descended.
(I understand that, particularly in T4, there are statements saying the Vilani are the “dominate” human race in the Imperium.)
3) Which brings us to the Third Imperium. Once again conquered, and once again under the rule of “aliens,” the Vilani have turned back to their traditional governing bodies, the four Bureaux, now operating within Imperial society as the MegaCorporations Makhidkarun, Enshii, Sharushid, and Naasirka. These corporations, with offices, factories, plants, and influence spread across the Imperium, act as a “shadow government” in Vilani space, complete with police powers and fleets of ships. These MegaCorporations may play lip service to the Imperium. And the sector fleets may be deployed, and commanded, by officers of the Imperium. But the sub-sector and system fleets are, in fact, controlled, (if not directly commanded,) by the Bureaux. The Bureaux cannot act like the Solomoni, with its oppressive SolSec security force. And they certainly cannot launch Rim War after Rim War against the Imperium. The Vilani have already lost the war, and are now completely occupied. But they can influence the Imperium government from within. And if anything should ever happen to upset the stability of the Imperial government, then they are ready…!
It is from these ideas I usually try to influence anyone wishing to play a Vilani. In the game I am writing for WorldCon, the characters are the crew of a TJ Imperiallines “transport,” tasked with missions of intelligence gathering and subterfuge. There are three captains aboard this ship, one “Imperial,” one Vilani, and one Vargr. All three are imperial citizens. But in Deneb and the Spinward Marches the “Imperial” captain is in command. If the ship should need to travel to the Vland sector, where the Vilani, and the Bureaux, hold sway, the Vilani captain would take command. And if the ship should need to travel to the Extents, then the Vargr captain would take command. It is my hope I can impress upon the Vilani player the importance and influence “corporations” like Naasirka play in that region of space. They are not just a corporation, they are a government. They have a fleet, they have intelligence services, and they provide basic government services. They are not in rebellion. But they are biding their time. Vilani, if nothing else, are patient.
You asked how you could interest players in playing Vilani. Solomoni are overt. Vilani are covert. A Vilani’s first duty is not necessarily to the Imperium. It may be to the Bureaux. Especially if they are an employee of one of the four Vilani MegaCorportations. If so, they work for the Vilani government, and could easily be an agent, a spy, or a sleeper.
o:
