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» LCARS » Xenology Database » V » Vulcan (Beta Quadrant)
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Lt. Tuvok, of the USS Voyager.
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T'pol with Captain Archer.
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 Physiology  |
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Vulcan's have greater strength than the Earth norm. They have a second eyelid to protect the retina from the intensity of their sun. Vulcans can use a kind of self-hypnosis to help their bodies heal.
A Vulcan's natural emotions are erratic and volitile. If they do not control their emotions, their emotions will control them. Vulcan's brains have evolved to help them supress their emotions. The psychosuppression system lies in the mesiofrontal cortex of the Vulcan brain. On rare occasions this system can be disrupted after mind melding with a mentally unbalanced individual.
Every seven years, an adult Vulcan undergoes Pon farr, the time of mating. They are unable to control the intense emotions that overcome them during this time. Pon farr causes a neurochemical imbalance in the brain, which will cause death if not relieved by mating or ritual combat. The telepathic bond between two mated couples draws them together during this time. If one of the mates is non-Vulcan, this link causes the non-Vulcan to undergo Pon farr also. Vulcans can experience sexual intimacy outside of Pon farr. Plak-tow means "blood fever" and is used to describe those experiencing Pon farr. The Vulcan libido increases with age.
Bendii Syndrome is a rare illness that affects Vulcans over 200 years old. Sufferers experience gradual loss of emotional control, and display sudden bursts of emotion and irrational anger. It is diagnosed by culturing tissue from the patient's metathalamus. The patient is also prone to telepathically sending his erratic emotions to others. This condition can be temporarily stablized by mind melding with another person.
The Vulcan digestive tract is highly adaptable.
Vulcan neuro-pressure is a medical treatment similar to a massage. The instruction of this procedure is an intimate act. You apply pressure to the neural nodes in a person's body to prompt it to heal itself. There are many neural nodes in the soles of the feet. It can be used to treat insomnia. Advanced Vulcan neuropressure can place great demands on the body. |
| History |
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Vulcan is a founding member of the United Federation of Planets.
Vulcan prehistory suggests that Vulcans may have originated on another planet.
Vulcans were once a passionate people consumed by terrible wars. About 2000 years ago, the philosopher Surak, encourage people to supress their emotions in favor of a philosophy of pur logic. This period came to be know as the Time of Awakening. Those that did not follow Surak's teachings left Vulcan and founded the Romulan Star Empire. Tensions remained between Vulcans and Romulans, and at one time, a misunderstanding caused by the Q philosopher named Quinn ignited a 100 year long war between them.
A Vulcan ship investigated Earth in the 1950s, following the launch of Sputnik. The craft crashed, and three Vulcans were stranded on Earth for several months.
The Andorians and Vulcans were involved in a century long conflict that began in the 21st century. In the 2050s, the Andorians terraformed and colonized a Class-D planet not much bigger than the Earth's moon. The Andorians called this planet Weytahn, but it is known to the Vulcans as Paan Mokar. The planet has a mutagenic pathogen which does not effect Vulcan or Andorian physiology, however, Human immune systems need to be bombarded with analyeptic radiation to protect them on the surface.
The planet is in a strategic location near Vulcan space, and the Vulcans concluded that the Andorians were setting up a military base. The Andorians refused to let the Vulcan High Council inspect the colony, so the Vulcans annexed the planet to protect their territory, and removed the colonists by force. The two races signed a Terratorial Compromise, which was 1200 pages long, and took eight years to work out. A surveillence satellite was put into orbit to monitor the agreement.
In 2063, a Vulcan survey ship was near the Sol System when it detected the warp signature of the Phoenix, Earth's first warp capable ship. On the following evening, April 5, 2063, the Vulcan ship landed in Montana and initiated the official first contact between Earth and Vulcan. Vulcans described this as a first contact with a savagely illogical race. For the approximately the next 90 years, Vulcans discouraged humans from taking up interstellar travel.
The Vulcans initiated the Interspecies Medical Exchange in the mid-22nd century. Denobulans and Humans were among the races participating in the program.
The Vulcan system is neighbor to Andoria. In the mid 22nd century, the Andorians and Vulcans were in conflict. They signed a the Tau Ceti Accords to ease tensions, but the Vulcans broke it by spying on the Andorians. The Andorians discovered the violation with the help of the Human Captain Archer.
In 2152, the Vulcans assisted the Mazarites in rooting out corrupt individuals from their government.
In 2152, Shran, a regimental commander in the Andorian Imperial Guard, landed a force on Paan Mokar, which had been deserted for a century, and occupied the old Andorian settlement. The Vulcans tried to enforce the treaty of 2097, and managed to regain control of half of the settlement, but three Vulcans were taken hostage. The Vulcans requested a cease fire, and Shran agreed, on the condition that Jonathan Archer of Earth be present as a mediator. Archer suceeded in bringing both sides to the table so a cease fire could be negotiated. Diplomatic talks later continued on Andoria.
The Vulcan Isolationist movement is a minor separatist group that appeared in the 2360's. This group believed that aliens had polluted Vulcan purity, and advocated isolation and removal of all alien influences from Vulcan. In 2370, they attempted to reassemble the Stone of Gol to further their cause
Around this same time, a number of Vulcan and Romulan citizens, led by Ambassador Spock, quietly sought reunification of the two worlds. |
| Society |
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Vulcan society is based on logic, and any displays of emotion are socially unacceptable. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (IDIC) is a cornerstone of Vulcan philosophy. The IDIC symbol (see above) is often worn as a pin or other ornament.
Vulcans greet others by raising their hand and separating their middle and ring fingers. They exchange the following greetings: "Live long and Prosper," and "Peace and Long Life."
When Vulcan children are about seven years old, their parents select a mate for them. The children are then joined in a ceremony that links them telepathically. If not bonded as a child, when Pon farr occurs they choose a mate and and perform the Koon-ut So'lik, a ritual marriage proposal. If a one does not wish to mate with the other, they can choose the Kal-if-fee during the Pon farr mating ceremony. They can choose a champion or fight on their own behalf. It is customary for a husband and wife to live together for one Vulcan year immediately following marriage.
Vulcan females add T' to their names after they have been bonded with their future mate.
Vulcans who reach a certain infirmity in their old age sometimes practive ritual suicide.
Kal Rekk is a traditional Vulcan holiday of atonement, solitude and silence.
A Vulcan's katra, or living spirit, can survive after death. If death occurs away from home, it is Vulcan custom to mind meld with a close friend, and merge their minds until the deceased's katra can be returned home. Fal-tor-pan, or refusion, is an ancient Vulcan ritual that reunites a person's katra to the body if it is reanimated. In 2285, it was used for the first time in centuries.
Love is considered the most dangerous emotion of all because it produces other emotions, such as jealousy, shame, rage and grief. |
| Technology |
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| Hexaflourine is a gas used by Vulcans to neutralize an opponent. |
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Vulcans refer to grandparents as foremothers, and forefathers, great grandparents as second foremothers, and grandfathers, and so on.
Kal-toh is a Vulcan game that keeps a person's logic sharp and is a test of balance and concentration. About 20 centimeters in diameter, kal-toh is a construction of short metallic-crytal rods, called t'an. They are joined in a roughly spherical, seemingly chaotic manner. The object of the game is to turn the jumble into a perfect sphere. Each player takes a turn positioning t'an and whoever gets the sphere to appear first wins. If you place your piece correctly, the shape changes. If you place it incorrectly, part of the structure falls apart.
A pleenok is a puzzle used to train Vulcan children in primary logic. All 5 sides are triangles. It is covered in a pattern of black and white triangles.
The lirpa is an ancient weapon with curved blades on one end, and a heavy bludgeon on the other. An ahn-woon is a weapon made of a single leather strip that can be used as a whip or a noose.
The Vulcan nerve pinch is a defensive move which causes unconsiousness in an individual. Pressure is applied to nerves at the base of the neck using one's fingers. The technique works on most humanoids, in a few rare cases, it can cause trauma to the trapezius nerve bundle. Very few non-Vulcans are able to master the technique.
Suus Mahna is a Vulcan martial art that takes years to master. However, one simple evasive maneuver, the Navorkot, is not difficult to learn. The Navorkot involves using ducking, side stepping, and somersalts to dodge your opponent.
Tal-shaya is an ancient form of execution once used on Vulcan. Pressure is applied to a specific area on the base of the victim's neck, causing it to snap and cause instantaneous death.
The Kahswan ritual is a Vulcan ritual in which an individual is taken to the desert, where they must survive for 10 days.
V'lar's Treatise on Negotiating Tactics was the definiteive text on the subject in the mid 22nd century.
The Vulcan Science Directorate is a scientific organization that is reluctant to embrace unorthodox ideas. In the mid-22nd century, they had determined that time travel is impossible.
Cor Coroli IX is a small Vulcan colony with a population of a few hundred.
The Stone of Gol is an ancient Vulcan artifact that dated from the Time of Awakening. It was a powerful psionic resonator that focused and amplified telepathic energy, giving the user the ability to kill telepathically. The Stone was composed of three unterlocking pieces that were covered with ancient gylphs and symbols. Most threatened death to all who opposed the Stone, but one showed the symbols for War and the God of Death separated by the symbol of peace. It was reassembled by members of the Vulcan Isolationist Movement, but later destroyed by the Vulcan government to prevent it's future misuse. |
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Vulcans have green blood. Their blood salts are quite different from those of Humans. (TOS: The Man Trap)
Vulcans have extremely low blood pressure, and a pulse rate of 242 is considered normal. (TOS: The Naked Time)
Vulcans have the ability to mind meld with other individuals. The mind meld is a hidden, personal thing to the Vulcan people, and is part of their private lives. It requires the melder to make pressure changes in the subject's nerves and blood vessels. It only affects the person the melder touches. (TOS: Dagger of the Mind)
The Vulcan heart is located on their left side. (TOS: Mudd's Women)
Vulcan had an aggressive, colonizing period. During this time, they were savage even by Earth standards. (TOS: Balance of Terror)
Vulcan hearing is much more sensitive than Human hearing. (TOS: The Galileo Seven)
Vulcans are incapable of telling a lie. (TOS: The Menagerie)
To Vulcans, to rest is to conserve energy. They found it illogical to run up and down green grass to rest, using energy rather than saving it. (TOS: Shore Leave)
Vulcans do not speculate. (TOS: Court Martial)
Vulcans have limited telepathic abilities. Vulcanian is a seldom-used term for Vulcans. (TOS: A Taste of Armageddon)
Vulcans are much stronger than human beings. (TOS: This Side of Paradise)
Vulcan merchants are not uncommon. Vulcan is a member of the Federation. (TOS: Errand of Mercy)
Limited mind melding can be accomplished without physical contact. (TOS: The Devil in the Dark)
The brightness of the Vulcan sun has caused the development of an inner eyelid that acts as a shield against high intensity light. They tend to ignore it, since it is an instinctive trait. (TOS: Operation -- Annihilate!)
Vulcan Space Central is the Vulcan organization that gives authorization for ships to orbit the planet Vulcan. When Vulcans are seven years old, they enter into an engagement of sorts. It is less than a marriage, but more than a betrothal. One touches the other in order to feel each other's thoughts. In this way, their minds are locked together, so that at the proper time, they would both be drawn to the Koon-ut-Kal-if-fee. By Vulcan law, a Vulcan woman could only divorce her bethrothed through the Kal-if-fee. In Vulcan, Koon-ut-Kal-if-fee means 'Marriage or Challenge'. It is a ceremony that takes place at the time of Pon Farr. In the distant past, Vulcans killed to win their mates. Vulcan families have a place of Koon-ut-Kal-if-fee that is passed down, sometimes for thousands of years. Spock's family held theirs for 2,000 years. By tradition, the male is accompanied by his closest friends. Kal-if-fee means 'challenge' in Vulcan. The Kal-if-fee is the right of a Vulcan woman to chose a champion if she does not want her betrothed. The men fight to the death, and the woman belongs to the victor. If she chooses an outworlder, they are free to decline. A ceremonial gong and bells are used in the Koon-ut-kal-if-fee. When the woman chooses Kal-if-fee, she puts her hand to the gong, preventing the male from striking it. If cowardice is seen during the challenge, a large, masked Vulcan with a deadly weapon acts to enforce the challenge. It begins with the lirpa. If both survive, combat continues with the ahn-woon. Once a challenge is accepted, it must continue, and no one may interfere. (TOS: Amok Time)
The Vulcan Bill of Rights guarantees the fundamental personal freedoms of every Vulcan citizen. (DS9: The Maquis, Part I)
Vulcans can survive without water for several days. (ENT: Strange New World)
The Vulcan digestive tract is highly adaptable. (ENT: Unexpected)
V'tash ka'tur means 'Vulcans without logic' in Vulcan. V'tash ka'tur disagree with how Surak’s teachings are interpreted. They believe he wanted them to master their emotions and integrate them into their lives, not reject them. (ENT: Fusion)
The Fullara is an obsolete Vulcan ritual where the memory of an event is suppressed along with the emotions associated with it. The ritual was still performed at P'jem in the mid 22nd century. (ENT: The Seventh)
Kolinahr is the Vulcan purging of emotion. Kolinahr encourages Vulcans to face their vestigial emotions. The repercussions can sometimes be violent. In the final phase of Kolinahr at P'Jem, the order must remain in silent reflection throughout the lunar cycle. Vulcans practiced mummification to some extent about 3,000 years ago. The extent of the practice is unknown. The mummified remains of the honored dead of P'Jem are located in the catacombs beneath the monastery. Vulcans think Humans smell bad. They use a nasal numbing agent, but T'Pol claimed that you get used to the smell after awhile. In the 22nd century, the Vulcans and Andorians were in conflict. They signed a treaty to eliminate tensions. The Vulcans broke the treaty by spying on the Andorians. Andorian factions believe the Vulcans are bent on conquest. (ENT: The Andorian Incident)
Caffeine has very little effect on Vulcan physiology. It is customary for a husband and wife to reside together for one Vulcan year immediately following marriage. (ENT: Breaking the Ice)
After the destruction of P'Jem, Vulcan and Earth's joint fleet operations were suspended, because of Captain Archer's actions when the Andorians search P'Jem. Vulcans don't negotiate with terrorists. The Vulcans had a mining agreement with Coridan in the mid 22nd century. (ENT: Shadows of P'Jem)
Vulcans meditate each night to control their emotions. (ENT: Fusion)
Vulcans use a diplomatic frequency in a lower band. (ENT: Fallen Hero)
Vulcan's first contact with Andorians seemed promising, but Vulcans claimed the Andorians only honored agreements that didn’t conflict with their own interests. A few decades prior to 2153, border skirmishes between the Vulcans and Andorians were common. The Vulcans would violate the Andorians territory (or so Shran claimed) and the Andorians would retaliate. (ENT: Proving Ground)
Trellium exposure is deadly to Vulcans. It eats away at the neural pathways. (ENT: Damage)
Vulcans cannot reproduce with Humans without medical assistance. (ENT: E2)
There is a Vulcan axiom that states, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." (ENT: The Council)
To Vulcans, certain information is considered intimate, such as age. (ENT: Zero Hour)
Guests in a Vulcan home are expected to prepare the morning meal. The Vulcans keep their ships close to home. A Vulcan marriage ceremony begins with: "What ye are about to witness comes down from the time of the beginning without change. This is the Vulcan heart. This is the Vulcan soul. This is our way." (ENT: Home)
Vulcan hand scanners had a scanning radius of 3 km in the mid-22nd century. (ENT: Carpenter Street)
The Vulcan Genome Registry maintains records of Vulcan DNA. It records the DNA of all Vulcans at birth. The Vulcan High Command was the governing body of Vulcan in the mid-22nd century. The Vulcan High Command initially attempted to throw suspicion on Andoria for the bombing of Earth's Embassy in 2154. The Vulcan Security Directorate investigated the bombing. At one time, the High Command was only responsible for the exploration of space, but that changed. Telepathic evidence was inadmissible in Vulcan courts in the mid-22nd century. Surak brought logic to Vulcan during the Time of Awakening. Vulcans have inner eyelids to protect their vision from bright light. They can go without water for several days. The katra is the essence of a Vulcan mind. It can be transferred from the body before death, and stored in some manner. A mind meld is dangerous under the best of conditions. In the mid-22nd century Vulcans viewed melding as a deviant behavior, and wouldn't risk their careers by publicly performing one. Surak said that mind melding is the heritage of every Vulcan, including those who don't believe in the practice. Syrrannites: Followers of the Vulcan Syrran. The Vulcan High Command claimed they followed a corrupted version of Surak's teachings. T'Pau was a well-known Syrrannite. Syrrannites seeking enlightenment follow the same route into the Forge that Surak supposedly followed 1000 years ago. The Syrrannites hid from the High Command in the T'Karath Sanctuary in the Forge. Syrranites believed that the High Command defiled the monastery at P'Jem when they used it to spy on the Andorians. (ENT: The Forge)
The High Command was responsible for the suppression of dissent. In 2154, Vulcan Intelligence claimed that Andorians were developing a weapon possible based on Xindi technology. Although Ambassador Soval suspected V'Las was using the claim to advance an agenda, V'Las persuaded the High Command to make a preemptive strike. Vulcan neurology is exceptionally resilient. Vulcans do not fire warning shots. In the mid-22nd century, katras were believed to be a myth by most Vulcans. Centuries ago, a set of katric arks were discovered at the monastery at P'Jem. They were polycrystalline vessels used by Ancient Vulcans to preserve katras. They were scanned, analyzed. One of the scientists even attempted to meld with them. They found nothing to indicate they presence of a katra. The Kir'Shara is a Vulcan artifact. Syrran led the Syrrannites to the Sanctuary to find it. Surak would not allow T'Pau to remove his katra from Captain Archer because he wanted Archer to find the Kir'Shara. Archer found the Kir'Shara just before the T'Karath Sanctuary was bombed by the Vulcan High Command. Syrrannites believe that Vulcans have strayed from the teachings of Surak. The Syrrannites believe violence to be antithetical to Surak’s teachings. (ENT: Awakening)
The Vulcan High Command is controlled by the High Council. The Vulcan High Command decrypted the Andorian security protocols, and learned the Andorian forces were hiding in a nebula. V'Las governed with the approval of the Council. When Archer and T'Pau revealed the existence of the Kir'Shara, it helped the Council reconsider their support, and Minister Kuvak called off the attack on Andoria. The High Command was dissolved, and Kuvak pursued a less aggressive policy toward Earth. Vulcan no longer looked over Earth's shoulder. Treason was one of the few crimes still punishable by execution on Vulcan in 2154. Torture is rarely effective against Vulcans. Their mental disciplines allow them to suppress pain. The Andorians use a machine that employs a neuro-synaptic field to lower a Vulcan's emotional threshold. It is used to extract information. Vulcans broken by the device are never the same again. It can permanently damage their emotion-suppression system. The Kir'Shara contains Surak's original writings. It's the only surviving record of his true teachings. Some Vulcans believe that the Kir'Shara never existed. There are scholars who believe it does and that it was hidden in the Forge. The Kir'Shara was found by Captain Archer, T'Pol and T'Pau. It's discovery reshaped Vulcan Society. Most of the Syrrannites were wiped out when the High Command bombed the T'Karath Sanctuary. There were eleven survivors of the bombing, including T'Pol, T'Pau and Captain Archer. (ENT: Kir'Shara)
Vulcans don't have honeymoons. (ENT: Borderland)
Vulcan saying: "One man can summon the future." (ENT: United)
There's a long held belief that when a Vulcan mates, there's a shared psychic bond. Feelings, thoughts, even images can be shared. (ENT: Bound)
V'Shar is the Vulcan intelligence and security agency. It operates independently from Starfleet Intelligence, outside as well as inside Vulcan territory. (TNG: Gambit, part II)
Vulcans are more resistant to radiation sickness than Humans. (ENT: Surak's Soul by J.M. Dillard)
Succor is a Vulcan tradition. A formal request means that the requestor asks that the person they petition oblige themselves to help the requestor with some matter without knowing the nature of it, or what that obligation binds them to. It gives them no option to state that the request is beyond their ability to help the requestor. It gives them no opportunity simply to refuse, for whatever reason. In the opinion of Soleta, It is generally an application made by a fairly wretched and frightened individual who feels that she has no one on whom she can count. (New Frontier: The Two-Front War by Peter David)
Contributed by: Clare Bradley |
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| Non-canon information is shown like this. Use with caution or not at all. |
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