Vlugtan

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Vlugtan
Four Letter Code	VLUG
Federation Status	Neutral
Planet of Origin	Gunervan IV
Encountered	DS9: Rivals
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	L
List of Named Vlugtans
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"From the swamp we are born and to the swamp we will return."

a Vlugtan greeting.

The Vlugtan are a species of intelligent giant slugs who while not isolationists are content to be ignored by the universe so they can live in peace.

Home System

• Quadrant: Beta
• Location: Donatu Sector (coordinates B24-0001-1302) Donatu
• Proper Name: Gunervan system
• Star: It orbits a class A (White) star
• Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 46 million km
• Companions: It is the 4th of 11 planets in the system
• Moons: it has 8 moons.

Home World

• Proper Name: Gunervan IV
• Diameter: 17,989 km (11,178 miles)
• Gravity: 0.92 standard gravity with a density of 3.6
• Axial Tilt: 9.9%, with minimal seasonal changes
• Orbital Period: 393 days
• Rotational Period: 25.8 hours
• Classification: M
• Surface Water: 68%
• Atmosphere: 1.08% is a standard pressure with 74% nitrogen, 25% oxygen, 1% trace chemicals
• Climate: Mainly a temperate planet
• Terrain: It has vast swamps and humid air with forests, rain forests and rough hilly zones.
• Population: Just over 3 billion

History

They evolved in the vast swamps of their home world from giant slugs, eventually becoming the dominant species on their world as there were no predators to prey on them. They also had a fairly peaceful history with no internal conflicts, rebellions, revolutions, wars or social upheavals.

Technological development was slow and steady and the presence of a central government for most of their history also seems to have helped with all forms of development.

Since they are off most of the major transport lanes, in a region of space with no strategic value and have no significant raw resources to temp other species they have been for all intents ignored by most other species until they developed warp technology. Even after they developed warp technology and discovered how to mine the many asteroid belts within their system most other species still tend to ignore them unless they have business to conduct with them.

They are content to be ignored by other species, seeking merely to live their lives and enjoy the bounties of their world.

Government

While they have a central government and have for most of their history it is fairly unusual. They have a council made up of 111 individuals who serve for life. All matters are debated on for lengthy periods before being voted on. What makes this government unusual is that every single citizen on the planet has the right to sit in and add their comments to the debates. They just cannot vote.

Description

As might be expected this intelligent species of giant slugs have no legs as they slither across the ground leaving a slight gleaming slick trail behind them as they do. However they do two arms which allow them to do things. They have no hair on any part of their body, seldom wear any clothes and when they do it is normally simply a hooded garment that covers the upper half of their body in order to protect it from the elements.

Physiology

As with most intelligent humanoid species they have a very complex system with specialized organs, and unique hormones, chemicals and enzymes. They are typical humanoids with most of the physical, mental and biological medical problems that seem to plague most humanoids.

Due to their origins and evolution within the massive swamps of their world it is important that they keep their skin moist at all times otherwise it can and will dry out and crack. While this may not seem to be a big problem it can result in excessive bleeding, severe physiological damage and death if not treated.

Psychology

They tend to be very methodical, taking time to consider everything before making any decisions. They hate to be rushed, it flusters them, upsetting their way of thinking. Other than that they tend to be fairly stable mentally with only a few very rare reported cases of any kind of mental instability and most of those have been within the very elderly.

Religion

The Vlugtan believe in the “Circle of Life”, a never ending cycle of birth, growth, death, decay and rebirth. As such they feel that their life force is connected to their world. As a result most of them will never venture very far from their world and those that do must be transported back to their home world as quickly as possible if and when they die off world.

Mythology

They do not have any true legends, tales or myths, merely a well-conceived monologue that details the truth that is the circle of life and the importance to the spirit of their world to not interfere in its fundamental truths.

Society

Crime is virtually unheard of amongst them and it was only after they started to take part in various trade ventures that they learned the value of forming their own police force. Their cities are designed in such a way as to not disturb the swamps in which they are built. As such their buildings are on pylons suspended 3 feet above the swamp with water forming all of their transportation routes. Bugs and other pests abound within their swamps and most visitors to their world cannot get away fast enough as they are not allowed to kill these pests, many of which feed on most alien species.

Culture

They do not seem to understand or find any interest in any form of artistic expression. As a result they neither create nor import any. They will however politely sit and pretend to find it interesting as they do not wish to seem offensive to other species.

Customs

Their most important custom is the requirement for all their dead to be taken and placed in the swamps so that the natural cycle of decay can claim their bodies and return their spirit to their world for rebirth.

Technology

The Vlugtan have vessels capable of warp 6.6 but do not have transporter or replicator technology. All of these vessels, including their police craft maintain a very damp, humid atmosphere at all times.

Economy

The Vlugtan have a fairly strong economy as well as numerous short and long term trade deals with a wide variety of different species as well there are numerous asteroid belts within their system. Many of these currently have mining operations of one kind or another.

Military

They do not have a true military. What they do have is a fairly strong police force that consists of a dozen frigate class vessels and 3 destroyer class vessels that are used to patrol their system and their sector of space.

Federation Intelligence Files

In 2370, Alsia, a con artist, had apparently gotten word that the Vlugta government had accepted her bid for mining rights in the Vlugta asteroid belt. But according to Alsia, they wouldn't finalize the transaction unless she commissioned a study on the effects the asteroid mining would have on intersystem navigation. Because all her money was committed to the bid, she couldn't afford the study, which she claimed was 10,000 isiks. Once she was able to begin mining, the investment payback would be ten times the original investment, or 100,000 isiks.

Martus Mazur offered Alsia the profits from his own venture, Club Martus, to fund her venture. Alsia took his money and never returned to him to report the results of her bid. After Mazur was arrested for unrelated charges, Alsia later approached Quark with the same scam, which was revealed to Odo, and got her arrested.

Quark later offered to have Mazur released from the holding cell. Mazur then asked Quark to give him 2,000 isiks so that he could book passage off of the station. Quark countered by offering to loan Mazur 500 isiks so that he could book passage aboard a cargo ship. Mazur countered by asking for 1,500 isiks, because he had "expenses." Quark upped his offer to 600 isiks, and Mazur countered with asking for 1,200 isiks, stating that he still had his dignity. Mazur later reluctantly settled for 800 isiks.

Sources

Both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta were mused as references as well as the following TV episode, DS9: Rivals.

SDC

This file was updated and approved by the SDC on 7 July 2014

Content from this article may have
come partially, or entirely from
 Memory Alpha

		SPECIES PROFILE UPDATED This profile was revised by the Species Development Committee.		REV 239401.31
		Please add any new information discovered during the course of a mission or shore leave.
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