Observations Concerning the Subterranean Humanoid: A Preliminary Examination of Vansernic Physiology, Social Behavior, and Inter-Species Attraction

By Candidate of Science Parask Leatherback
Professor of Biology, College of Biology, Southern Cortia

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The Vansernic present an unusual problem to the comparative biologist, owing principally to the unfortunate scarcity of reliable specimens available for direct examination. The people themselves are, by all accounts, somewhat reluctant to permit prolonged observation by scholars, although whether this derives from cultural reticence or an entirely understandable suspicion of academics remains uncertain.

 

I have personally had the opportunity to converse at length with an actual Vansernic merchant, whose name I unfortunately failed to record during my interview, as we were constantly interrupted in our conversation by passersby who found his display to be eye-catching in the extreme and his wares to be irresistible in their quality of craftsmanship. Nevertheless, the conversation, combined with observations of other Vansernic encountered in Southern Cortia, specifically, the campus in which I lecture, permits several preliminary conclusions.

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I emphasize that this is preliminary, although I expect subsequent scholarship will largely confirm my observations as a matter of course.

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Physical Proportions and General Configuration

The first characteristic one notices about the Vansernic is their apparent contradiction of ordinary humanoid proportions. They are not particularly tall. In fact, the average adult appears to stand only slightly above five feet when fully upright, yet their bodily mass is considerably greater than that of a Human of comparable stature–in some cases by as much as one hundred pounds.

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This mass is not attributable to corpulence. Indeed, describing a Vansernic as "fat" would be approximately as useful as describing a castle as "a rather large house." Their extraordinary mass is distributed through a remarkably robust skeleton, powerful musculature, substantial joints, and, most notably, the series of enormous articulated structures occupying the back.

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The resulting silhouette is unusual. The upper torso is markedly broad and deep, particularly across the shoulders and back, while the lower body, though extremely substantive, is proportionally less massive. The Vansernic consequently possesses what I shall refer to as a top-heavy anatomical configuration, but this should not be confused with physical instability.

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The lower body is exceptionally well-constructed for weight-bearing. The pelvis, legs, knees, ankles, and feet are all sufficiently robust to support the enormous upper body without apparent difficulty. Their feet are broad and stable, and their musculature appears adapted to physical labor rather than ornamental display.

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Their posture is similarly distinctive. A Vansernic naturally maintains a moderate forward inclination of the upper body. This should not be construed as evidence of age, weakness, or poor health; rather, the enormous skeletal structures of the back appear to push the shoulders somewhat forward, producing their characteristic hunch.

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One might therefore expect such a creature to move with considerable stiffness.

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In this, one would be mistaken.

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Vansernic are capable of bending, twisting, crouching, climbing, kneeling, running, and performing delicate manual tasks with a range of movement surprisingly close to that of Humans. Their bodies are heavy, but they are designed for that heaviness rather than burdened by it. The effect is rather like observing a very large mastiff demonstrate the unexpected athleticism of a terrier.

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The Vansernic Garment Problem

Their peculiar dorsal anatomy necessarily influences their clothing. Human shirts, tunics, and similar fitted garments are poorly suited to the Vansernic back. The articulated spinal structures occupy substantial space beneath the skin and move in relation to one another. Consequently, garments designed to lie closely against the upper back would be restrictive, uncomfortable, or in danger of being stressed or torn from normal everyday movement. Vansernic therefore tend to favor harnesses, aprons, and other garments which either accommodate the dorsal structures or leave them unrestricted.

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This is worth emphasizing because several Southern Cortian observers have mistakenly described these garments as evidence of an unusual Vansernic fashion sensibility. They are not. They are clothing designed to fit the Vansernic body. I mention this distinction because the shape of a body seldom consults tailors when emphasizing functionality.

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The Socially Puzzling Vansernic

The physical impression created by a Vansernic might reasonably lead an uninformed observer to anticipate a correspondingly formidable temperament.

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Again, one would be mistaken.

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Vansernic culture places considerable value upon politeness, generosity, patience, kindness, and personal improvement. Their broad faces and remarkably expressive eyes further reinforce an impression of good humor and approachability. This has resulted in an unfortunate tendency among Humans to mistake Vansernic kindness for intellectual simplicity.

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I have found no evidence supporting this conclusion. Indeed, I would suggest precisely the opposite. A Vansernic who has been exploited may respond with disappointment or sadness rather than immediate anger. This response does not necessarily indicate an inability to recognize exploitation. Rather, Vansernic philosophy apparently permits them to regard the exploiter's behavior as evidence of an unfinished character.

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If I may give an example, the person who steals from a generous Vansernic female has not, in the Vansernic interpretation, demonstrated superiority over her; he has only demonstrated that he is a thief. This is a surprisingly sophisticated distinction. It also explains why the Vansernic may continue to behave courteously toward someone they have correctly identified as untrustworthy. Their kindness appears to be an ethical discipline rather than a spontaneous consequence of trusting everyone they meet.

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There is, in short, considerably more going on behind the smile than a casual observer might suppose.

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The Matter of Vansernic Musk

It is here that I must address one of the more persistent subjects of Southern Cortian speculation: Vansernic musk has long been known to exert an unfortunate influence upon human judgment. I have been assured by several individuals who claim greater familiarity with Vansernic society than I possess that the musk is responsible for the extraordinary attraction some Humans experience toward Vansernic.

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This is, in my estimation, substantially correct but biologically imprecise.

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The musk does not appear to manufacture attraction where none exists. Rather, its effect seems to be considerably more subtle. An individual who already finds a particular Vansernic appealing may experience that attraction more intensely in the presence of the musk. More interestingly, an individual who ordinarily experiences little attraction toward another species may, under its influence, discover that the particular Vansernic before him or her is unexpectedly appealing.

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This distinction is critical. The musk does not compel behavior, nor does it incapacitate or deprive the recipient of judgment. It simply allows a neutrally-inclined person to ruminate upon possibilities they wouldn’t normally consider, or to perhaps lead someone who was already tempted by the alluring fruit to tip-toe into the garden of delights when they had only planned to admire a well-developed blossom from afar.

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I have, naturally, not personally tested this proposition as my heartmate of many years would, perhaps, have Something to Say about such scientific inquiries, fascinating as they may be.

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The phenomenon has nonetheless contributed to the exoticization of Vansernic by certain Human communities. Interspecies relationships involving Vansernic have occasionally been treated as unusual status symbols or objects of fascination. It is unclear whether Vansernic themselves perceive the magnitude of the phenomenon in the same manner as Humans do.

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My personal suspicion is that they do not. A Vansernic, after all, is accustomed to being a Vansernic. To her, the intoxicating fragrance that beckons like a sensual whisper is simply her scent.

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A Final Observation Regarding Their Disposition

There is an additional characteristic of Vansernic society that deserves considerably more scholarly attention; they appear to possess a peculiar resistance to the common Human assumption that kindness and strength are opposing characteristics.

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Among Humans, particularly among those accustomed to military or mercantile hierarchies, generosity may be interpreted as an exploitable weakness. The Vansernic appear to regard this interpretation as profoundly confused. Their physical construction certainly gives them little reason to regard themselves as physically helpless. As previously documented, their bodies are extraordinarily strong, their skeletons unusually durable, and their backs possess a degree of natural protection that would be enviable in any mining population. Yet their social philosophy appears to place greater value upon self-improvement than upon dominance.

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This may explain the peculiar interactions I have observed in the two other Vansernic I have noted but been hesitant to open a discourse with. They smile easily, exhibit an unusual degree of patience, appear genuinely interested in other people…and yet there is nothing particularly submissive about them.

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At one point, I asked my aforementioned merchant whether Vansernic were simply unusually trusting. He politely considered the question for several moments before answering in the negative, then returned to arranging the collection of his well-received copper vessels.

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I ruminated upon this response for a lengthier time than he had pondered my own interrogative before concluding that he was probably correct. The Vansernic represent an intriguing combination of apparent contradictions: short but broad, physically formidable but socially gentle, and extraordinarily hospitable without being especially naïve.

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Their clothing accommodates their bodies rather than disguising them. Their social customs appear to accommodate individual imperfection rather than excuse it. Even the much-discussed musk seems less a mechanism of domination than an amplification of attraction already present.

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It is therefore my provisional conclusion that the Vansernic should not be regarded as a primitive subterranean variant of the familiar humanoid form. They are, rather, a distinct biological and cultural expression whose apparent incongruities become considerably less contradictory when examined together.

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Whether further study will confirm this conclusion remains uncertain.

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I expect that it will.

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Candidate of Science Parask Leatherback
Professor of Biology
College of Biology, Southern Cortia