Cosmic Wayfinder: Vulcan, the World of Ash

Vulcan, the World of Ash

Vulcan, the first planet from the Sol, is often called the “World of Ash” due to its permanently charred surface. It is a small rocky planet with a blisteringly hot surface temperature is 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit due to its lack of atmosphere. Gravity on Vulcan is so strong that spacecraft have yet to complete a successful landing on the surface, forcing travelers to use teleportation. Its surface is covered with volcanoes, lava rivers, and magma craters. Clouds of ash permanently hang in the lower atmosphere, causing days and nights to be virtually undifferentiated. 

An image of Vulcan from orbit

The Vulcans

 Due to their world's violent conditions of gravity and heat, the Vulcans have evolved into organisms of pure energy. While Vulcans live on the surface of their homeworld, they exist as supercharged clouds of plasma that communicate telepathically. Vulcans do not need sustainable and are known to be immortal. However, they only reproduce every few centuries, leading to a small population. Direct exposure to a Vulcan will destroy most organisms due to their energy output, but they can contain themselves with metal chassis that they are then able to puppet.

A Progressive Schism

Traditional Vulcan society lacks any sort of infrastructure or economy. Vulcan collectives are large clouds of thousands of individuals who move and act as one. Some Vulcans, however, prefer their physical forms and establish small villages fitted for life on Vulcan. Disdain from ordinary Vulcan society has led some to travel elsewhere, shedding their gaseous forms in order to live among others permanently.

Beyond the Flames

A lack of a physical form did not stop the Vulcans from exploring the stars. Because of their biology, Vulcans can survive in the vacuum of space. Traveling alone or in groups, they fly past the atmosphere of Vulcan to visit planets and stars. The first Vulcan cosmonaut, Lausfrier, encountered a Republic vessel in 2353 and later became the ambassador for Vulcan within the Interstellar Republic.