The Varni
Physical Appearance
The Varni are a reptilian species slight of stature. They stand shorter than humans at just over one meter in height. They have long, prehensile tails that were used by their ancestors to aid in hanging from the trees. Though their tails resemble chameleons, their heads look more like that of a viper, including spear or spade like heads. Their eyes however are forward facing. Varni have forked tongues that double as taste and smell receptors. On top of their rather flat heads, the Varni have a third “eye” that is sensitive to heat. The IR sensing organ is covered by a thin layer of skin. Their normal eyes have trouble with some reds but can see partially into the ultraviolet, due to their star being bluer than Sol.
Unlike most sentient species, the Varni are cold-blooded. They lack the ability to regulate their own body temperature. In their pre-space days, this did not pose much of a problem since their homeworld is a swampy world, home to more amphibian species than reptilian ones. The Varni’s prefer temperatures of over 40 degrees with humidity of more than 80%. Despite being reptiles, they have evolved a skin thinner than Terran analogs due to their homeworld’s high humidity. As a result, they are in danger of dehydration in a climate that humans find more comfortable.
Life Cycle
Varni are an egg-laying species. In the ancient days of prehistory, the Varni simply laid their eggs and abandoned them. As they developed a more sedentary society, the females began to lay their eggs in common clutches for better protecting them. Much as burial was a convenient means for humans to dispose of the dead, these clutches were simply convenient means of storing the unborn. As they developed more complex cultures and civilization, the common clutches became more and more elaborate. Modern Varni build large communal parks in the center of their cities, where eggs are laid.
The Varni have no fixed mating seasons over all. However, the females of any given city time their egg laying to all happen within two days of each other. As with thin skin, they also have thin egg shells. Eggs are laid in moist areas. The nesting area is patrolled to keep out predators, but aside from that, the hatchlings fend for themselves until they mature enough to develop intelligence. When that occurs, around the age of five, they leave their nesting grounds and venture out into Varni society. The young learn by mimicking any adults they see. By the age of eight, they are rounded up and placed in schools for a more structured learning environment.
Varni are a long lived species, easily topping one hundred years of age by the time of death. Being cold-blooded, they also grow slower than most other sentients, and continue to grow with age. They reach their full length and height by the age of thirty, but will bulk up over the years. This bulk is muscle and in prehistory was used as an advantage in mating. The strongest males would have access to the most females. Unlike Terrans and Kilrathi, the Varni have no concept of family, and could often not care less as to whom their mothers are, much less their fathers.
Diet
The Varni are strictly carnivorous. They have numerous sharp teeth and strong jaws, suitable for tearing flesh and crushing prey. Their primary diet consists of arthropods. As young, they would eat anything they catch. As adults, they could eat the large bugs that existed in their homeworld’s oxygen-rich atmosphere. The Varni refugees inside the Confederation have taken a great liking to lobsters, crabs and other seafaring Terran arthropods. Contrary to popular belief, the Varni do eat eggs. Bird eggs are nothing like their own leathery, wet eggs. They enjoy chicken and other poultry over beef simply because it is easier to tear the flesh of birds with their small teeth.
Social Structure
Varni society has evolved into a direct democracy. All citizens of the Varni Republic, and later refugee camps and settlements inside the Confederation will vote on any law or tax. Any citizen can propose bills, but it is up to the society as a whole to decide upon it. This proved to be a problem inside the Varni Republic and precursor states on their homeworld before the development of instant communication. Lack of familiar structures has left the Varni highly individualistic. Yet, despite this, most Varni put the good of their community over their own immediate gains.
Government
The Varni establish direct democracies wherever they settle. In cities, they have periodic city councils, where issues are discussed and any citizen can propose a bill. The Varni Republic operated on similar principles, though its sheer size and number of citizens limited how often meetings were held. Before instant communication, over a year could pass between the proposal of a bill and the completion of voting, for it took time to deliver the message across continents.
The Varni military selected its leaders on a similar basis. The most successful soldiers were often elected to high positions within their army. Commanders who won battles would be elevated. Failures would be ousted from their commissions. The Varni Armed Forces proved to be a true meritocracy. Despite this, it still was no match for the Kilrathi invasion. Despite their fearlessness, the Varni only managed to damage a few ships and destroy even less. With their homeworld conquered, any Varni able to flee managed to do so.
Many Varni are refugees within the Terran Confederation. They have established communities on wet worlds throughout the Vega and Gemini Sectors. They have adapted somewhat to Terran society. The biggest clash in government comes in the fact that the Confederation is a republic and not a democracy. While the Varni still decide their own issues amongst themselves, finding representation in the Congress of the Confederation has proven difficult. All Varni desire to voice their own opinions and do not like having others doing it for them.
Culture
The Varni have found it difficult to adapt to their new status either as slaves of the Kilrathi or refugees within the Confederation. Their culture lacks familiar bonds of either Kilrathi or Terran, and they often appear more aloft and impersonal to mammals. Since the Varni’s fight-or-flight instinct has shifted far more towards fight in their evolution, they can also be viewed as combative. When cornered they will stand their ground.
Being individualistic, the Varni also have a keen sense of property and property rights. Though they are combative, they are not overly aggressive, and tend to respect the property of others. Theft is uncommon in their society. Refugee camps, however, has seen a black market in stolen food-stuffs appear as Varni attempt to survive and rebuild away from their homes. On Confed worlds without a large Varni presence, they are viewed as vagrants and tend to be harassed more by law enforcement than Terrans or the Wu.
Since they evolved in a warm climate, the Varni never developed the concept of casual clothing. Armor they had developed when in their history city-states started to compete over resources. The most common clothing in the 27th Century is the environmental suits that trap moisture. The suit does not cover the whole body like a standard E-suit, but it more like a wet suit, covering enough of the body to prevent dehydration. They have also taken to wearing shoes when visiting Terran cities and homes, to prevent their claws from tearing up the carpet.
Language
The Varni’s native languages consist of a series of hisses, pops and clicks. When speaking any human language, they tend to put stresses on syllables with the letter F or S in them. Their speech is often slower than that of a human, and they will sound as if they have a heavy drawl when speaking one of the Confederation’s languages. Their lack of lips makes pronouncing some human sounds impossible.
Art
Much of the Varni’s art was destroyed in their war with the Kilrathi. Only a handful of pieces from thousands of years of Varni civilization remain intact. Pieces made of precious or semi-precious material remain largely in Kilrathi hands. Varni artistic styles are slowly decaying as the young Varni are starting to learn more from Terrans than their own kind. Though they will always be biologically different, they are slowly being assimilated into the Terran Confederation and are losing their ancient cultural heritage.
Religion
The Varni never developed sophisticated religions the way Terrans, Kilrathi and Firekkans have. The Varni never advanced beyond simply concepts of elemental and animal spirits. As science advanced and debunked these ancient beliefs, the old religions gradually died out.
Warfare
The Varni military lacked much of the strict discipline of other species, simply because the Varni will chose fight over flight any time. Had they known about retreating, they might have survived long enough to cause the Kilrathi some real damage during the war. Many surviving Varni veterans have found service in the Confederation Navy. Confed refuses to allow them service in either the Army or the Marines, because their fearlessness is seen as a liability and they are not believed to be large enough or reliable enough to fight the Kilrathi up close.
In the Terran Confederation Navy they remain as enlisted personnel or NCOs, and serve with distinction. They follow orders well, but have a far rougher time of Basic Training than Terrans since their species is not use to Terran’s martial discipline. Though not allowed in the Army, the Varni have formed their own militia units and have fought tooth and claw on the Vega Sector worlds that the Kilrathi have conquered. A minority of Varni militia has even overcome their instincts and use Terran hit-and-run tactics in various guerilla wars.