Vulcan

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			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Vulcan
Four Letter Code	VLCN
Federation Status	Member
Planet of Origin	Vulcan
Encountered	Part of the crew of the USS Enterprise, NCC-1701, (TOS: Where No Man has Gone Before). First Contact occured on Earth in Bozeman Montana, April 5, 2063, (Star Trek: First Contact). An earlier and undocumented first contact, however, is hinted at having happened during October of 1957 (ENT: Carbon Creek)
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N+
List of Named Vulcans
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The Vulcans are a humanoid race located in the Beta quadrant. They are a founding member of the United Federation of Planets.

Home World

See also: Vulcan (planet)

History

In ancient times, Vulcans were a war-like race, leading to their near extinction. Their ancient ancestors believed in gods, such as war, peace, and death.

Over the centuries, Vulcans have developed a culture dedicated to the complete mastery of logic, learning to suppress their once-violent emotions in nearly every aspect of their existence. In the mid-22nd century, Vulcans still carry remnants of their more emotional selves. The captain of Enterprise NX-01 had frequent dealings with the Vulcan High Command during a period of their history where they were secretive and in conflict with the Andorian Empire.

Government

The government on Vulcan is a representative democracy. Individual political advancement is based on meritocratic principles.

Description

A humanoid race, Vulcans are notable for their slightly green-tinted complexion and pointed ears.

Psychology

Vulcans are known for their high degree of honesty. They are extremely reluctant to tell a lie, and indeed it is said that "Vulcans cannot lie". However, they will do so for what they perceive as logical reasons, though they rarely refer to their dishonesty as "lying."

Religion

For an intensely logical race, the Vulcans do have spiritual beliefs. Though little is known about the details, their religious system is polytheistic. They also believe in the katra, the soul and consciousness of a person, which can be transferred psionically prior to death.

Mythology

Vulcans consider death to be the completion of a journey. Therefore, they do not fear it happening, however the loss of one's katra is to be avoided if possible, since the katra lives on beyond the physical death.

Society

The essence of their logical society is in arriving at the truth through logical process. Emotions are illogical, thus making them impure, and deterrent to truth. Vulcans are born with the same emotions that afflicted their violent ancestors, but continual mental conditioning gives them the impassivity they seek.

Though not all can arrive at the ultimate pure logical state, the exacting process of mental control gives Vulcans enough to conform to the ideals of Vulcan society. The ultimate level of logical thought is achieved through the attainment of kolinahr, which is said to purge them of all remaining emotions.

Ethnic Diversity

As with most species there are a range of ethnic groups with different ways of life, located in different geographics regions of the planet, and several groups who have left their homeworld to form colonies elsewhere.

• Golic
• V'tosh ka'tur
• Nel-Gathic
• Romulan
• Rigelian

Culture

Vulcans are generally non-violent, but logic dictates that combat is sometimes necessary. Vulcans can and do use weapons and practice martial arts called "tal-shaya", and "Suus Mahna". Most modern Vulcans are vegetarians.

As parents, Vulcans never shield their children from the truth. Doing so would only hinder their ability to cope with inevitable difficulties. A Vulcan parent's attachment to their children cannot be described as an emotion. They are part of the parent's identity and the parent is incomplete without them.

Vulcans believe knowledge to be the best defense against unknown dangers, and pursue them with the intellect and logic that makes them some of the finest scholars in the Federation.

Customs

Development of a Vulcan's life of logic begins at a young age. Vulcan parents will utilize learning tools, such as pleenoks, to train their infants in primary logic - it should be noted, however, that despite this early training in logic, Vulcan children in nursery school are allowed to dance.

Vulcans sometimes have mates chosen for them by their parents at the age of seven. During the 2200s, the mates would be joined in a ceremony that links them telepathically that is "less than a marriage, more than a betrothal". When the two come of age and undergo the pon farr, the link compels them to follow through with full marital rituals, which cement their relationship. If, for whatever reason, the female did not wish to go through with the marriage, then the ceremony of koon-ut-kal-if-fee ("Marriage or Challenge") was invoked. The male would fight for the right to keep his mate against a challenger of her choosing. The female becomes the property of the male who won the contest, unless he chose to release her. The koon-ut-kal-if-fee is generally considered a fight to the death, though there have been instances where a victor can defeat a challenger without fatality.

The timing of Pon Farr (every seventh year of a Vulcans "adult life"), would suggest that Vulcans marry either in the equivalent of their early/mid teens (just after the onset of puberty) or in their early/mid 20s (7 years after puberty).

See Also

• Vulcans on Memory Alpha: More canon information on the species.
• Vulcans: An Introduction: UFOP: SB118 specific, non-canon information on Vulcans and their world.