Vedran

Vedran
Homeworld:	Tarn-Vedra
Form of government:	Systems Commonwealth

Overview

The Vedrans are one of the most recognizable and revered species ever to inhabit Known Space. The Vedrans were one of the very first races to engage in interplanetary conquest; their successful military campaigns resulted in the founding of the Vedran Empire, which later evolved into the Systems Commonwealth. The first race to discover Slipstream, the Vedrans were seen as the technological and moral leaders for the High Guard; Captain Dylan Hunt explains to Trance that "They made us believe that we could be better than we were." The Vedrans are natives of Tarn-Vedra. Before the Fall of the Commonwealth they were considered by many to be superior beings. During the second year of the Nietzschean Insurrection, Tarn-Vedra was cut off from the Slipstream via tesseract by the Vedrans themselves and would remain isolated for over 300 years until they rejoined the Known Worlds in CY 10092.

Physiology

Physically, the Vedrans resemble centaurs from ancient Earth mythology, possessing four powerful legs and a humanoid upper body; it is for this reason some scholars theorize that centaur myths may originate from an early Vedran visit to Earth. They have blue skin and blue blood and appear to lack hair. Males sport long, brightly colored crests of feathers which cover their heads and spines.

Culture

Vedrans are a matriarchal society, where females act as the leaders of the family unit or herd. A Vedran male first owes loyalty to his mother's herd, then his mate's. Herds are organized into tribes and tribes into nations with all Vedran nations being ruled by an Empress, the spiritual and political head of the species.

Reproduction

They are a sexually dimorphic species, which means that there is a systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. Vedran males tend to be less intelligent and more aggressive than females. Male Vedrans outnumber females by approximately six to one and each female typically keeps several Vedran males in her family unit, with the Prime male having mating privileges, while the other males perform helper functions.

An Empire

Slipstream

Slipstream was first discovered by Vedran physicist Rochinda. Using this form of faster-than-light travel, the Vedrans spread from world to world, conquering the inhabitants and founded the Vedran Empire which would eventually evolve into the Systems Commonwealth. Once an aggressive, warlike people, Vedran society gradually evolved into its present benevolent state. They then expanded from beyond the Andromeda Galaxy to the Triangulum Galaxy and the Milky Way Galaxy. Eventually, they met the Kalderans, who reverse engineered slipstream and began the Kalderan-Vedran War. The Vedrans won and assimilated the planet Kalderash. With thousands of species under their reign, the Vedrans could not control them forever. They soon allowed other species to join the High Guard.

Empire to Commonwealth

With the news of recruitment, the Perseids tried to start an insurrection but were immediately crushed. This prompted a revolution of the Empire's species, which the Vedrans realized they could not contain because of the limited number of soldiers that they had. They also realized that the Commonwealth would forever be in turmoil if a democratic system was not allowed to exist. As a result, elections and causes soon created the Systems Commonwealth.

The Fall

During the Nietzschean Uprising and the Magog attacks, Tarn-Vedra disappeared from all known Slipstream routes. Initially, a few Vedrans survived. One group made it to the planet Ral Parthia and taught the inhabitants on how to use force lances. Over time, the Vedrans numbers dwindled, mainly due to Kalderan raids until only one remained, Admiral Uxulta. She was rescued by the Andromeda Ascendant but wished to use a Nova bomb as a power source to remove the system from Slipstream in a way similar to Tarn-Vedra instead of leading the way back to Tarn-Vedra.

The Long Night

In three centuries, the Vedrans have never been seen or heard from. Several attempts have been made to make the journey to Tarn-Vedra, but no success has ever been recorded.

Eventually, a Vedran was sighted at Ral Parthia, prompting a remaining High Guard ship, the Andromeda Ascendant to set a course to retrieve the Vedran. However, Vice-Admiral Uxulta, the Vedran, was dying from a deadly Kalderan bio-agent and refused to open the route to Tarn-Vedra. She instead use Voltarium to power unknown equipment. Yet, she informs Captain Dylan Hunt that Tarn-Vedra is well aware of his attempts to restore the Commonwealth and they are very proud of him. She then uses her equipment to cut off Ral Parthia from slipstream.

The few Vedrans trapped off-world when their home planet became inaccessible have either blended into their new planets or have died, and it is unknown whether Tarn-Vedra itself remains inhabited. The fanciful accounts of post-Fall Tarn Vedra provided by the so-called "Mad Perseid Navigator" Hasturi are not regarded as reliable.

The Vedrans return

Tarn-Vedra was eventually rediscovered by the Andromeda, but it was known as Seefra 1. At some point in time, the Vedrans evolved into Paradines, time warping beings of great power. They also modified their sun to make a cosmic rendezvous with the evil entity known as the Abyss. Once it was destroyed, the Route of Ages turned into a slipstream portal, reuniting Tarn-Vedra with Known Space. With the Vedrans back, the Restored Systems Commonwealth will return to its former glory.

Known Vedrans

• Huascar nax Yoweri
• Rochinda
• Sani nax Rifati
• Vedran Empress Sucharitkul XII
• Vice Admiral Uxulta
• Vedran Empress Yoweri I
• Vedran Empress Yoweri XXIII

Trivia

• Tarn is from the Middle English "terne", describing a small mountain lake or pool, particularly one in a cirque. It comes from the Old Norse "tjǫrn", a pond or pool.
• Tarn- is a verb core of "tarnen" in German meaning "to cloak".
• Vedra is a municipality in Spain.
• Vedran is a Slavic feminine adjective and Slavic name meaning "clear, cheerful", although the "ved-" root often indicates knowledge in Slavic languages.
• The name may be a reference to Torres Vedras, the secret fortifications built in Portugal by Wellington to resist the invading French army.

Gallery

Vedran blood

Vedran blood