Physiology
At first sight, Vhemm have a terrifyingly dangerous physiology, given their disposition for war.
Vhemm posses large heads covered in a hard, dense chitin. Not only does this protect the Vhemm, it also grants them a pair of chitinous horns that that can use in unarmed combat. This protective chitin makes aiming for the most commonly targeted vital organ, the brain, highly inadvisable.
Where the Vhemm have ample natural protection on their head, they severely lack it over their torso. Vhemm torsos are quite small, and they make room for muscle by having smaller and weaker bones. While this should be an evolutionary weakness for Vhemm, it is remedied by their obsession for large, heavy armours, of which they are some of the foremost smiths.
Vhemm are one of the older galactic species, however their relatively low birth rate, combined with their short lifespans and the danger of much of traditional Vhemm activity, mean they are nowhere near being one of the more populous races in the galaxy.
Vhemm have average life spans of 75 stellar years and reach adulthood at the age of 17.
Early Sapient Life
Developing on the dry world of Zinix, early Vhemm are thought to have been very rarely confrontational to one another. With a large planet and a mostly continuous Pangea to settle, most tribal hunter-gatherer societies enjoyed a migratory life.
Zinix was however filled with large and deadly beasts, and so many tribes began to form larger and more centralised societies, forming enormous hunting parties to tackle these creatures. As time went on and the hunting parties had less and less to hunt, they turned into war parties and the now infamous warlike society of the Vhemm began to develop.
Significant Historical Events
Creation of Keradine, GY 4462 – The Vhemm invented one of the most sought after alloys in the galaxy today, combining titanium and galbium to create keradine. Keradine was, and still is, an extremely useful metal that is both lightweight and able to withstand and create significant impacts thanks to how it diffuses kinetic energy in vibrations. When the Vhemm first created the metal and put it to use in armour and weaponry, it set the stage for the subsequent rapid expansion of their first significant empire.
Rise of the Nix Empire, GY 4480-4512, - The Nix Empire was the first empire to ever claim dominion over at least 75% of the large Pangea continent of Ziwa. They conquered most of the known tribes and societies of the planet, and even gave the planet its name, combining their nation’s name with the name of the continent to form the name Zinix. While the empire grew very rapidly, it was never stable. The Vhemm had no means to control such large swathes of land directly, yet their rulers wished to be sole authorities, refusing to create vassal states or local authorities. The Nix Empire would technically last a thousand years, in name, however there was never a time during that period that the empire actually functioned in any meaningful way.
Ascent of the Gorl, GY 5413 – A small nation, Gorl looked to be doomed to fall under one of the many rebellious warlords of the late Nix Empire. The nation was geographically isolated in a mountainous coastal region, trapped. For almost two centuries the nation did what no other Vhemm nations had done to that point in their history – look to spread tall, not wide. The Gorl built the most centralised city on Ziwa, with the highest population density ever seen. When this was not enough, they looked to the stars. Vhemm had been using substances similar to rocket fuel in their wars for almost a century, but Gorl found another use for it. The Gorl launched several space missions, eventually finding two other planets with liveable conditions in their solar system. The Gorl would develop a drastic technological advantage over the other nations of Zinix over the next century, then soon establish their own, interstellar empire.
The Rise of the Vhemm Empire, GY 5896-6012 - Relatively shortly after the fall of the gods, the Vhemm Empire emerged as significant galactic players. For many historians, they believe the growth and dominance of the empire did not come about by brilliant leadership or exceptional ability, despite how physically impressive the Vhemm are, they feel it came about more from luck. Between The Convergence, The Celestial Wars and The Ravaging, many stellar empires had been wiped out or severely set back, and there was a huge power vacuum left, once occupied by gods. The Vhemm rushed into that power vacuum, never having to fight any even wars and often being able to invade pre-stellar civilisations.
Whether their ascendancy was luck or not, all historians can agree that they maintained their power with ruthless effectiveness for many years, employing harsh slavery practices to maintain their economy and being happy to rule with military might. As effective as this was for a while, the cracks eventually showed once the Vhemm were faced with an even challenge.
Losing the Great Coalition War and subsequent decline, GY 6432 – The Vhemm officially surrendered to the Great Coalition in GY 6432. They lost much of their territory, but more than anything else, lost their access to the many intergalactic slaves they had been harvesting. With the empire on its knees after the war, this lead to one of the longest dark ages recorded, as Vhemm society saw wholesale societal collapse that would take almost half a millennia to recover from, thanks in no small part to their tendency to turn against one another in the turmoil.
Resurgence of the True Vhemm Empire, GY 7096 – almost 1200 years after the rise of the Vhemm Empire, the remnants of that empire, self-titled the ‘True Vhemm Empire’, won their major victory over the republic since the Great Coalition War. After a series of raids on republic space, the republic sent an armada to quash the raiders, led by the ISS Tribunal – a large and politically significant battleship from the times of the Great Coalition War. The Vhemm sent their own armada and not only managed to defeat the republic force, but also to capture the ISS Tribunal. This was seen as a major victory thanks to the outcome, but also because it allowed the Vhemm to study the battleship and get a read on republic military technology.
Organisation
The ‘True Vhemm Empire’ for many years was less so a collective nation and more an alliance of ideas, a coalition against the republic and other stellar races. It never had a single leader, instead being represented by a collection of powerful warlords.
This has changed in the last decade however, as even warlords have come to swear allegiance to a single overlord, or ‘Khad’. This great warlord, Tural Khad, is said to be a military genius who deploys ruthless but effective tactics on the battlefield. For many Vhemm, he represents hope of a new Vhemm Empire and an acquisition of actual power and influence within the galactic community.
Shared Values/Beliefs
Even as a people, Vhemm are extremely warlike. This is most clearly shown in their use of language, or, to some extent, limited use of it. The Vhemm see fighting as a form of communication. To fight someone honourably, in the fighting pits and arenas, you grant them a chance to earn the respect of yourself and others. To fight someone in the streets, or anywhere unsanctioned, is an oath of eternal hatred.
Honourable combat is almost ritualistic, with an etiquette and flow. If one were to rush an honourable combat, they would be seen as dishonourable cheaters and lacking respect for the culture.
During the dark age that followed the Great Coalition War, many Vhemm did migrate into republic space with the hope of finding a new life. To this day however, Vhemm have some of the worst prospects of any galactic species. With no representation on the galactic senate and often being excluded from votes within other stellar empires, Vhemm in the republic have very little means of enforcing political change. Many Vhemm in the republic end up stuck working low wage, low skill jobs and short contracts, or giving up on domestic life and finding work as pirates or mercenaries. Those that take the second route are often afforded far more greatness, with local conflict always rife in the republic.
Significant Figures
Tural Khad – Not his original name, Tural Khad is a Vhemm warlord thought to be roughly 40 years old. He has united the True Vhemm Empire under his rule, being the first to do so since the fall of the old Vhemm Empire. He is a military genius with a ruthless edge, and whilst many officials in the republic like to downplay his threat, it is thought he has become a person of concern for the senate.
Controlled Planets/Population Centres
Zinix (System: Polvus) – The homeworld of Vhemm, Zinix is a mostly dry savannah world that hosts an enormous Pangea, the supercontinent of Ziwa. The world has ample amounts of space and as such there are very few metropolis’ present on the world, one of the few being the capital of Gorl.
Xortesh (System: Polvus) – The first ever colony of the Vhemm, it resides in the same solar system as their homeworld. Xortesh is known for the titanic natural lifeform that reside on its surface, as well enormous titanic mountain ranges that can be seen from space.
Jisht (System: Polvus) – The third habitable world in the Polvus system, Jisht is the smallest of them by far, actually being a moon of a large gas giant. Jisht is primarily used for farming, being the most fertile planet of the three in the system.
Roich (System: Goffia) – The least populated planet controlled by the True Vhemm Empire, Roich was once used as an enormous slave processing outpost. Since the fall of the empire however, it has now become little more than a bandit colony for those brave enough to raid into republic space.
Eoarc (System: Raznum) – One of the more stable and peaceful planets in Vhemm space, Eoarc is a naturally lush and beautiful world mostly untouched by the Vhemm’s warlike ways. This is thought to be thanks to atmospheric chemicals that relax and stimulate inhabitants of the planet.
Comments