A an unimportant Vargr Musing

[Chumbly]

After taking my resident small proto-Vargr roomate out for his evening
perambulation, I was hit with a question about Vargr behavior.

When Vargr go into a public restroom, do they spend 10 minutes running back and forth, smelling each facility in the restroom, before deciding which one they will use? Or was removing this instinct one of the genetic modifications the Ancients made?
:lol:

 

[Vargr]

I do not think that Vargr partake in that sort of behaviour anymore than the average Human flings feces at others when he feels annoyed.

 

[Dark Lord Skippy]

I do not think that Vargr partake in that sort of behaviour anymore than the average Human flings feces at others when he feels annoyed.

As much as I personally agree with you and believe you are correct that Vargr wouldnt be doing this, I still feel I should point something out:

Vargr are not evolved. They were "uplifted". Humans evolved and left that sort of behavior behind (for the most part).

I would say the Ancients engineered that out of them..... but its not entirely far fetched (no pun intended) that it would still be in them either.

 

[apoc527]

An excellent and potentially very important point when considering behaviors of animals brought to sentience in a matter of years of work rather than millions of years of evolution...

 

[Elysianknight]

Is this behaviour genetic or environmental? Can it be engineered out?

An excellent and potentially very important point when considering behaviors of animals brought to sentience in a matter of years of work rather than millions of years of evolution...

How long ago did the ancients uplift the Vargr? Even thought the uplifting didn't take long, there have been many generations for behvioural/environmental evolution.

 

[Jacqual]

I dunno I think they still do same as chasing the stick thrown out an airlock. Kills Vargr everytime lol jk I doubt that they would do the sniffing the crapper to find the right spot to releive themselves. All I can say for sure is that they do chase Aslan up as many trees as they can.

 

[AdrianH]

Perhaps we're overlooking something. Why do dogs do this? Is it because they're looking for a potential mate or for someone to fight? Basically, are they using latrines as a means of communication as well as waste disposal?

Extrapolate this to an uplifted, sentient version, and what this means is that the Vargr public toilet is also a public noticeboard.

 

[Dark Lord Skippy]

Extrapolate this to an uplifted, sentient version, and what this means is that the Vargr public toilet is also a public noticeboard.

Now THAT is interesting. Perhaps all of the public notices are posted in the restrooms on Vargr worlds.

I like that. I'll be adopting that.

 

[cbrunish]

Isn't this already being done in human public bathrooms?!? :shock:

 

[Sevya]

Isn't this already being done in human public bathrooms?!? :shock:

If it's a more mainstream form of communication, I would hope that more useful of comments would be left.

I do, however, like the idea of a Vargr checking to make sure he/she has a marker before going to the rest room...

Sevya

 

[kristof65]

Even if the ancients didn't engineer it out of the Vargr, 300k years is a long time for behaviours to change. For all we know, humans could have still been flinging poo at each other 300k year ago.

Since urination and defication directly relates to sanitation and public health, regardless of the species, I would think that as an intelligent species, the Vargr would have modified their behaviour in this area somehow or another.

I do think it's appropriate to take that behaviour and extrapolate it to something else - I, too, like the idea of the Vargr having a marker when they head to the restroom.

There are other dog behaviours that could be extrapolated to Vargr behaviour, like the use of scent. Several common types of situations may be resolved by scent, rather than what we would typically use - for example, a Vargr restaurant may not use menus, expecting their customers to be able to smell what's cooking.

And to bring it back to the restroom thing, Vargr may not need signs on their restrooms, being able to not only find them by scent, but identify which one is for which sex by scent as well.

 

[Jame Rowe]

Actually, I can't help but wonder how Vargr greet each other. Do they shake hands, or sniff each other? If not, then what?

 

[rust]

Actually, I can't help but wonder how Vargr greet each other. Do they shake hands, or sniff each other? If not, then what?

In the only campaign we ever used them in they wagged their tails and
growled ... :lol:

 

[Sevya]

On the subject of other dog behaviors, what about eating habits? I think every dog I've seen eats really fast. I mean practically inhaling their food. Would Vargr still do this?

When meeting, I imagine they would sniff. Probably each others noses, kinda like cats do. They might do a hug and sniff the sides of the necks, too. Kinda like the French custom of kissing the cheeks.

I really like this line of thought. These are some great ideas for how Vargr sense of smell influences their culture!

Sevya

 

[rinku]

IIRC the official line was that Vargr have a keen sense of smell, but that it has declined from the original canine stock due to their eyesight being upgraded. It's also quite probable that the more extreme doggy behaviours have been modified by the upright stance, hands, ability to communicate verbally and ability to communicate in writing. I doubt any normal Vargr is going to bend over and sniff another's arse, for example.

(It's also a bit of a myth that humans have a poor sense of smell. In general animal terms we have an excellent one - it's just not on a par with those for whom it is the primary sense organ. Our eyesight rocks, too.)

I like some of the ideas being mooted here, though. At the very least, Vargr will be a bit more sensitive to scent than their human colleagues. I'd expect their spaceships to have VERY good air scrubbers (though a human may not appreciate this, as odours they would find tolerable may smell rank to us - i.e. do Vargr wash often? And is it worse if they do?).

 

[AndrewW]

I like some of the ideas being mooted here, though. At the very least, Vargr will be a bit more sensitive to scent than their human colleagues. I'd expect their spaceships to have VERY good air scrubbers (though a human may not appreciate this, as odours they would find tolerable may smell rank to us - i.e. do Vargr wash often? And is it worse if they do?).

Do they shake themselves dry¿

 

[rinku]

Hmm... I suspect sonic showers are popular.

And whatever you do, don't mention the B word.

 

[Dark Lord Skippy]

And whatever you do, don't mention the B word.

Breakfast?

 

[AndrewW]

And whatever you do, don't mention the B word.

Breakfast?

Worse, it's when they get wet.

 

[kristof65]

I just got this vision of the hair and personal care product sections of a Vargr store being dominated by shampoos and hair dyes....