I do think the Mongoose art has supported the (logical) idea of a majority-Vilani Imperial populace. In a source like Deepnight Revelation, where we see illustrations of a number of crew, the majority have a "default" bronze skin tone (my understanding of Vilani being a mostly homogenous population, physically speaking, with skin in varying shades of bronze, dark hair, and hazel or golden eyes). They're not, to my eyes, a "default Solomani brown", but a "Vilani bronze" (not sure if that was the intent, but it was fitting, and I remember thinking, "yes, this looks like a 'standard' Imperial crew, good call, artist"). Various Imperial Human characters in the Mongoose art have darker or paler skin, etc., and presumably (if we're imagining their extended family history) have higher percentage of non-Vilani ancestry. (An Imperial character has dark skin, our notes might assume they have substantial Solomani, Darmine or Answerin ancestry; pale skin, Solomani or Sylean; etc. Or maybe just some Thaggeshi amongst all that Vilani -- they're as outwardly varied as Solomani, apparently, and from Vland Sector). Obviously, climate and diet on various worlds over the millennia plays a role, too...
If we do get to go coreward into Vargrville, I'd like to see some blueish tones creeping in, since Yilean ancestry would be reasonably common...
Speaking of the Vargr, so we don't get too off topic -- it would be interesting to explore some of their ethnic wrinkles in creating characters -- particularly where regions of space where it matters border those where it doesn't, or a place where assumptions are made versus one where no such neat categories are meaningful. We have a sizeable list of ethnic and culture "blocs" and their overlaps, after all, plus a number of obscure subspecies (or not obscure, for the Urzaeng, AKA Aslan-but-Vargr (big, touchy, territorial). Vargr being even more free-wheeling and confusing than Humans in terms of people moving about, conquering, romancing, etc., there's going to be so many people who aren't easily pigeon-holed and would greatly frustrate the average Hiver (they of the "we are all such unique individuals to the point that we don't really think rules apply to us, only to other people, but also everyone should outwardly look the same". They're like non-murderous, mostly-benevolent Beholders, and not just because of all the eyes).
Anyway, Vargr character traits:
"This person has tawny fur but is actually mostly Aekhu by genetic descent (not Gvegh), and they speak one of the prominent Irilitok languages. None of this is an issue at home, since their starport city and indeed much of their planet is cosmopolitan and there is no 'native' majority, nor does anyone track such trivialities. But it really mystifies another Vargr party member whose upbringing made a big deal of gang affiliation that often had an ethnic bent -- they can't "place" this character, and it bothers them."
"This person is Suedzuk-Gvegh by genetics, and looks it with their reddish-brown fur, but they have such a rigid, formal bearing that Humans (or Vargr viewing them over a screen and not able to smell them) assume they're possibly Ovaghoun. This annoys them, since they moderately resent Ovaghoun (and Irilitok even more so) for being Human-influenced, but they also have political ambitions and on their world it's hard to gain a charismatic following if you're Ovaghoun. That said, their world trades with nearby Vilani-Yilean societies and appearing Suedzuk earns a prejudiced response there, so his crew like to have him play up his normal faux-Ovaghoun traits. This is an irritating position to be in."
Or even, "the community always assumed our sire was Urzaeng but we've never bothered to find out. Personally, I just think we're big."
