Databank: Norgdorians—The Mammoth-Men
The native inhabitants of the planet Norgdor are often called Mammoth-Men by human travelers because their wooly hides, long tusks and trunk-like snouts reminded the first humans who encountered them of the prehistoric wooly mammoths that once roamed the Earth.
The Norgdorians have little contact with Outworlders. Their planet’s location in the galaxy at the edge of the Unexplored Expanse means hardly anyone ventures to this system. The fact that its climate remains below zero year-round means the only traders come here in small freighters for the dribble of hydrocarbon fuels the Norgdorians manage to produce for export.
Culture
Much of Norgdorian culture developed out of the pressures of their frozen habitat. With scarce resources, individuals allied themselves to the best hunters or strongest warriors to defend themselves and their families against starvation and frequent raids from rival tribes and clans. This resulted in a harsh and punitive feudal system built around a few powerful warlords.
“How do you expect me to feed my family? I have to rely on the kindness of the warlord of my tribe. I can’t disobey him. What happens to my children when they put me in jail, or banish me from my village, or worse? They will be shunned. No one will take them in. No one will help them or give them food. I have seen it happen to others.”
Since making contact with Bargeerians, Voharians, and now Humans, the Mammoth-Men have adopted Outworld technologies such as laser blasters, electro-lances, and the occasional use of sub-light spacecraft. The Voharians planned and built the first hydrocarbon facility on the surface, but abandoned it when production costs outweighed profit from the fuels. The Norgdorians showed their intelligence when they took control of the plant soon after and built several more through reverse engineering. The tribe which gained the original hydrocarbon plant remains the wealthiest and most successful. They have built the largest settlement on Norgdor and its icicle-covered structures are lit by electricity and heated by hydrocarbon fuel.
Behind the Scenes
“The entire sequence of scenes on Norgdor was inspired by a dream I had of flying over an arctic landscape and seeing a group of primitive nomadic herders discovering the wreckage of a massive starship in the snow.
When writing those scenes, I decided the primitive herders should be aliens and remembered a drawing in one of my sketchbooks when I was in college. I had drawn a humanoid with a thick mammoth-like trunk wearing traditional Innuit-style snow goggles. Don’t ask me where that image came from. These things just pop into my head sometimes. Anyway, I decided to use that character as my primitive herder.”
