Major race
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Major Race is a concept used to classify different Alien races in the Traveller series of role-playing games. There is some disagreement about what makes a Major Race and exactly which species are Major races. A Major Race is generally defined as one that developed jump drive technology (allowing interstellar travel) independently. While it is in general agreed there are 6 Major Races, how they are defined varies a little. All races that are not Major Races are Minor Races by default.
Even within the game this is understood to be a somewhat arbitrary distinction and something generally used for promoting the status of ones own race or diminishing another.
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[edit] Commonly accepted Major Races
Seven of the eight Classic Traveller Alien modules (those produced by GDW) focused on this commonly accepted list of Major Races. The eighth module was on the Darrians who at one point claimed to be a major race branch of humaniti but were latter classified as a minor race. The Vilani were not covered in the Alien modules as they are assumed to be the standard humans of the Traveller Core rulebooks.
[edit] Aslan
Aslan are an aggressive, expansionist, bipedal species evolved from carnivore/pouncer stock, slightly larger than a human. Early Human observers saw in them a vague resemblance to the Terran lion, and they have been described as "feline" or "lion-like" ever since.
Their status as a Major Race has been a matter of some debate. At the time of the Third Imperium there was little or no dispute that they qualified for Major Race status. During the Rebellion period (a decade or so later), however, it was discovered that they had reverse-engineered their jump drive technology from a derelict Terran ship, and are thus alleged not to be a Major Race, in the strictest sense of the term. The debate is largely academic, as the Aslan are clearly a force to be reckoned with -- arguably second only to Humaniti in the breadth of their settlement and exploration range, as well as in the cultural impact that they have over these regions.
Aslan society has a strict code of honour and very strict gender roles.
[edit] Droyne (Ancients)
The Droyne are a short-winged, pastoral, bipedal race of reptilian appearance. The presence of large, multifaceted eyes are also suggestive of terran insect life, to some. Droyne are also unique among the Major Races in being capable of unassisted personal flight -- given a dense planetary atmosphere and/or light enough gravity.
Though the oldest of the jump capable races, the Droyne were the last to be recognized as such because they do not have any empires or regions controlled by their race. Droyne are nonetheless scattered across known space, populating a few worlds exclusively, but also sharing some with other races. The Droyne homeworld is unknown even to them, although there are candidates. It is speculated to be in the Spinward Marches sector of the Imperium, as this is where the greatest concentration of Droyne worlds are found.
The Droyne are a highly casted race, dividing themselves along six distinct sociobiological functions. The six castes are: Leader, Technician, Drone, Warrior, Worker, and Sport. Casting is a critical element of Droyne nature; while Droyne need not be casted in order to exist as viable (though extremely limited) individuals, Droyne society cannot function at all without the extensive presence of the castes.
Scholarship late in the Third Imperium confirmed that Droyne were the same race as the Ancients. An additional widespread and semi-sentient class of beings called Chirpers, originally thought to be a separate race, have been identified as Droyne that have lost the ability to caste, and have thus reverted back to a primitive form.
[edit] Hivers
The Hivers are race based on six-fold symmetry. Of all the major races they both appear and think the most “alien” to most humans. Despite their name Hivers actually have a highly individualistic society. They avoid where possible direct violence and war, preferring instead to work behind the scenes via all forms of covert manipulation.
[edit] Humaniti
Humaniti is the spelling used for Humanity in the Traveller Universe. When humans first reached out to travel to the stars most were very surprised to find they were already there. Three sub-species of humans independently developed jump drive technology and are therefore classified as Major Races in their own right.
[edit] Solomani
The Solomani name derives from “Men of the Sol system”. It is generally acknowledged that Terra is the original homeworld of Humaniti and that they were spread amongst the stars thousands of years ago by the Ancients. This, and the ease of which the Solomani defeated the Vilani in the Interstellar Wars are cited as arguments for the supremacy of pureblood Solomani by the Solomani Supremacy movement. In truth very few human gene pools have diverged much and with much intermingling of Solomani and Vilani peoples during the Rule of Man it is almost impossible to distinguish between Solomani and Vilani (and some of the minor human races).
[edit] Vilani
The Vilani developed on Vland. They were the first race of Humaniti to invent the jump drive, and created the First Imperium.
[edit] Zhodani
The Zhodani are known for their high level of psychic ability and its formal integration into their society.
[edit] K’kree
K’kree are a race having 2 arms and 4 legs reminding humans somewhat of Centaurs. They are herd animals and rarely found alone. They are militant and often aggressive herbivores with a disdain for all meat eaters.
[edit] Vargr
Vargr are a bi-pedal canine slight smaller than a human. This species resembles Terran wolves because they are. Wolves taken from Terra were genetically manipulated by the Ancients to a bipedal form in an attempt to create suitable servants.
[edit] Other claimants of Major Race status
Various races have claimed to be Major Races based on their Interstellar travel ability. Some races were later proved to have not developed jump technology themselves but rather found and/or reverse engineered jump drives from Ancients sites or lost modern ships of other races. Other were discounted because their interstellar travel depended on non-jump technologies such as generation ships or sleeper ships using suspended animation.
[edit] Suerrat
The Suerrat claim to be a Major Race as they independently developed interstellar travel. However this was based on generational ships, not jump technology, so the claim is not accepted by other races who classify them as a Minor Race of Humaniti.
[edit] References
- Keith, J. Andrew; John Harshman, Marc W. Miller (1984). Aslan. Game Designers' Workshop.
- Miller, Marc W; Frank Chadwick, John Harshman, Loren Wiseman, J. Andrew Keith (1985). Droyne. Game Designers' Workshop.
- Miller, Marc W; J. Andrew Keith (1986). Solamani. Game Designers' Workshop. ISBN 0-943580-07-2.
