Servus

"The scumbags and dictators of the human domain. But, they are OUR scumbags and dictators." - Earth President

"The fact that they even created a standing civilization is unbelievable to one who pays attention to history." - Anonymous

Servus
Servus are the race of humanoids similiar to Humans, and the inhabitants of Serva.

Similiarities

Both Humans and Servus have two legs, two arms, 1 head, 2 eyes... etc. They look human to the point one has to look more closely to distinguish the two. The Servus and Human brain are both the same size, and are roughly the same in power. Servus muscle mass is generally the same. The similiarities end there.

Differences

However, Servus have another color that their eyes can be: Red. Servus with red eyes are sometimes mistaken by Humans to be crazed or insane. Its a stereotype between both races that Red-eyed Servus are astray from reality. Servus have a much stronger skeletal structure then humans, as Serva is about 4x as big as Earth, and they require stronger bones to support their bodies. Servus, are, as a result of their stronger bones, typically taller and more durable then humans. But that doesn't really matter much when bullets are involved. They are less flexible than humans though. Their eyes have better nightvision, and see less color but more detail. Bright lights or their Sun can more easily damage Servus eyes. Some suggest that this is because Servus were meant to be nocturnal animals, but something screwed up over time and they started living in the day as well.

Servus, in general, have a belief that warfare can solve all problems. Most Servus are selfish, natonalistic, and usually act before they think. This is not so much society but biology. They evolved along a different path than humans. Servus also believe in technology and methods that are practical, not theoretical. The laser gun and plasma rifle may work, but does it work well? It must impress the Servus or have been in existence long enough to become a reliable device before the Servus accept it. They think more along the lines of reliability and performance than flashy lights and intimidation. Though, those things are nice too...

Culture and Society
The Culture of the Servus is somewhat different and still archaic by comparison to a similiar Earth time period. War is still seen as a glorious and honorable thing to do, to the point that the more nationalistic soldiers fight not so much for pay, but for glory and honor. Soldiers recieve more Rights -- after serving for a set amount of time -- over their citizens back home. The Servan salute is not a flat palm against the forehead, but the right hand's fist punched up against the heart. Typically, Servus are selfish and exploit the lower classes to make their own lives better, at the cost of the lower class. Governments are usually oppressive.

It is common practice for families to kill their own children if they do not meet up to the expectations of their parents. The Servus mindset is described by humans to be "twisted and cruel, beyond recognition" the Servus response is usually an insult or even a challenge.

There are 3 social classes, as of the Planetary Age, that exist in Servus culture. The lowest on the rung is the "Civvie" class. Civilians are generally given the most labor intensive jobs, longest hours, and lowest pay. Next up on the ladder are the Military and old veterans. This class comprises of those who are currently serving and those who have served. As Servan culture is very militaristic, soldiers are respected and given more rewards. Soldiers don't work(unless, of course, there is war) and instead recieve a pension. The more glorious the soldier, the greater the pension. They are the only social class with a right to speak their mind, and are able to do whatever they want outside of military doctrine. Finally is the Royal rung, comprising just 5% of the population. Royalty are descendants of ancient and medieval royalty, perhaps even industrial. Only one person in the royal class is in total control of the planet: The Queen. The rest are her council, the generals and admirals, the Praetorian Guard, and a small few scientists.

Despite the cruelty and militaristic culture, the normal people accept this lifestyle as normal. They've known nothing else, and have nowhere else to go.

Relations with Humans
Servus' first encounter with humans was welcoming. Humans were more advanced, and taught the Servus many things. However... things went downhill from there. The Earth and Servan War began, leaving both species with bad relations to the other. Numerous times have humans insulted Servus, and vice versa. Philosopher Jameson Crane, comments, "A bunch of pointless feuds over a bunch of tiny differences, sums up the last 40 years nicely." However Jameson was human. The Servus point of view on the human race, as portrayed by a sociologist in the Rubiyat desert, Lacus Aemili, states, "Humans are kindhearted and careful of every action. But they are also fearful, looking forward to and dreading events in the future. Interestingly enough, they have technology but never use it for the right things." Nonetheless, Humans and Servus generally get along pretty well, though more so before the Earth and Servan War.

Possible Origins
Some theories suggest that Servus are the remnants of the same stardust that humans are theorized to come from. Servus deny this, wanting nothing to do with human roots. Another possible origin for the species of Servus is the Enossi seeding of planets with the same basic blocks of life, leading along very similiar paths of evolution. However, this is a rather late theory, though one that both races generally agree too. Another recent theory is that ancient humans found the teleport to Serva and went through it, founding the Servus race.

See Also:

 * Serva
 * Earth and Servan War
 * Timeline of Serva