A well known and highly respected species that helped found the United Federation of Planets,
the Vulcan people have a long, fascinating history that stretches back 4.5 billion years
to the Progenitors which which seeded life on many worlds, some of which eventually evolved into the
many humanoid species of the galaxy, including humans, vulcans, klingons and cardassians.
Roughly 600,000 years before the founding of the Federation, the Arretan species, which may also
have descended from the Progenitors, explored the galaxy, colonizing many worlds which may
have included Vulcan. Yet they eventually grew so powerful they considered themselves gods,
leading to a civil war in which they destroyed themselves and their homeplanet.
Adapting to the environment of Vulcan while competing for resources to survive,
their people evolved into a violent, chaotic species in a near constant state of war and
conflict for thousands of years. Worshipping gods of war, death and peace, prehistoric
Vulcans developed their own mythologies like the story that all creation originated in the ancient
paradise of Sha Ka Ree, and celebrated various pagan rituals like the Rumarie (roo marry), where
they stripped and chased each other around covered in rillan(ri – lin)grease.
As technology continued to progress, the Vulcan people achieved space flight by the
4th century Earth Calendar, possessing weapons capable of destroying their
planet. Realizing their volatile society were on the brink of self-annihilation,
a new philosophy quickly spread across the world, rooted in the teaching of Surak,
a scientist and philosopher who brought forth the age of awakening, in which Vulcans learned
to suppress extreme emotion to instead embrace logic as the central tenant of their lives.
Although many accepted these new teachings, others refused to change their way of life leading to an
atomic civil war in which Surak was killed. However his Katra, or consciousness survived,
finding a way to transfer it into a statue, where he remained until found in the 22nd century.
Eventually, the more violent, traditional faction, known as those who marched beneath
the raptor’s wing, were defeated and so they left their homeworld to found the Romulan and Debrune
civilizations. What little contact remained between their peoples the over the centuries,
largely proved hostile, with Romulans and Vulcans provoked into fighting a
hundred year war at some point before the 21st century, by a powerful Q of the Q Continuum.
Although Surak’s philosophy prevailed on Vulcan and took hold across the planet,
his exact teachings were lost over time leading to various interpretations of his beliefs. Even so,
the violence of the past greatly diminished and the population united under a single government.
However as a consequence of witnessing so many positive developments, their people became rigidly
dogmatic in their beliefs, entirely intolerant of anyone who disagreed with the established system.
And so conflicts arose when any individual or group expressed interpretations of Surak’s
teachings that fell outside the mainstream of accepted thought. Like the V'tosh ka'tur
or those without logic, who believed emotions needed to be embraced and controlled rather than
suppressed. Persecuted by other Vulcans, the V'tosh ka'tur went into exile, ready
to find new homes or else to wander the stars, exploring their philosophy in peace. Then there
were the Syrannites who believed the people and government lost their way and no longer followed
the true teaching of Surak. Misinterpreted Despite these minor problems, the focus on
logic and use of meditation to strengthen their minds and mental powers, led them to
become beings of exceptional intelligence, with great physical strength, and resilient bodies,
able to speak telepathically and suppress emotion. Ancient rituals like rumarie were cast aside,
while others like Koon-ut-kal-if-fee, meaning marriage or challenge were kept in tact.
Although Vulcans were capable of mating when they wished, an evolutionary remnant of their
biology meant they continued to experience the Pon Far, desperately driving them to
mate every seven years. If a Vulcan was unable or unwilling to satisfy these urges,
they could lose their mental control to a blood fever, in which they could only mate or kill.
Fostering a culture of arranged marriages, families often chose spouses when children
were still young, and the bond could only be terminated through Kal-if-fee, in which 2 men
fought to the death for the female, or when the female refused to accept her betrothed,
fighting herself or naming a champion. Although marriage rights and others customs
retained a connection to their ancient past, in most other ways Vulcans culture
changed drastically, imposing rigorous academic standards on their children while also teaching
them to meditate and suppress emotion. Thriving in an environment of peace and cooperation,
their people once again made great technological progress so that by the 19th century they were an
advanced, prosperous, space faring civilization. Eager to explore the galaxy throughout the 20th
and 21st century, Vulcans made contact with many other species including the Andorians, Telarites,
Klingons and others, establishing peaceful relation with most of their neighbours. Yet while
Vulcans were often respected for their honesty and intelligence, their serious demeanour made
it difficult for some to embrace their people. Although initial contact with the Andorians
was friendly, relations grew strained over time leading to conflict and war over border disputes.
Based largely on a system of meritocracy, the government of Vulcan, known as the High Command,
was theoretically comprised of the best diplomats and leaders on their planet. Of all
the relationships and alliance fostered by this government, their most productive relationship
developed with the Humans of Earth whom they observed for many years, but did not make first
contact until 2063, when they reached the technological threshold of developing warp drive.
Entering into a partnership the united earth government,
Vulcans helped them advance their technology and become a part of the galactic community,
yet they purposefully slowed humanity’s rate of development so they might mature as a species,
eliminating war, disease and poverty while embracing equality and peaceful cooexsitence.
To the surprise of many, humans proved remarkably quick to learn and adapt,
with Vulcans needing 1500 years to accomplish what humans achieved in less than a century.
Although the High Command continued to keep some technology back from their allies, with their
ships able to reach warp 7 while humans remained at warp 5, by the 2150s they were largely regarded
as equals, with captain Jonathan Archer of the United Earth ship Enterprise NX 01 and his Vulcan
first officer T’pol, doing much to strengthen the bonds between their people, exposing corruption
and treason in the Vulcan government which led to a significant reformation, replacing the High
Command with new leaders who were grateful to Earth for their assistance. Archer also helped
negotiate an alliance between Humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites known as the Coalition
of Planets, originally formed to oppose the aggression of the Romulan Star Empire, who
oppositely were working to undermine this growing friendship between rival powers, even striking
a secret deal with the former High Command to bring their ancient kinsmen into the Star Empire.