Barrayar
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Barrayar is a fictional planet in Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga series of science fiction novels and stories.
- Capital City: Vorbarr Sultana.
- Size/population: Barrayar itself has a very small population relative to many other planets in the universe.
- Economy: Barrayar's planetary economy is mostly based upon agriculture, though the role of industry has grown since the Cetagandan Invasion. The Barrayaran Empire draws most of its revenue from trade passing through the wormholes in Komarran space. It is important to note that Barrayar's economy is weak by the standards of many other planets. The currency of the planet is the "Barrayaran Imperial Mark".
- Government: Barrayar is the main planet of the Barrayaran Empire, an Empire with hereditary succession. Its governmental system is largely unwritten, and is largely based on oaths. It is led by an Emperor, with supreme and absolute power. There is also a legislative body known as the Council of Counts, which largely controls the Barrayaran Empire's finances and is somewhat parallel to the traditional British House of Lords. Each member of the 60-man Council of Counts controls a District, or a large-sized slice of the planet. For instance, Count Vorkosigan controls the Vorkosigan District. There is also a Council of Ministers which controls the executive functions of the government, and other formal and informal advisors to the Emperor.
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[edit] Geography
Barrayar is Earth-like, but its native vegetation is inedible for humans and Earth-descended life; terraforming is necessary for settlement. It has two major continents, as well as islands in its oceans. Since there are areas of Arctic-like climate, as well as temperate zones with winter snow, it has to be assumed that there are also polar oceans and/or land masses under icecaps. Geographical diversity is similar to the Earth, with flat plains, high mountains, swamps and river valleys.
[edit] Culture
Barrayaran culture is feudal, dominated by a military caste known as the Vor, headed by an Emperor and sixty Counts each governing a district. (On Barrayar the title of Count is derived from accountant, since the original Counts were tax-gatherers.) Counts and their liege-subjects have reciprocal duties and obligations to each other. Members of the Vor class have the syllable "Vor" prepended to the original surname. The original surnames were mostly Russian. The result is somewhat similar to the use of "Von" for the Junker class in Prussia in the 19th century.
The entire setup is not unlike early-Meiji-era Japan, particularly since Barrayar was isolated from the rest of the known galaxy for many centuries, and devolved into a quasi-medieval level of technology. Modernization is proceeding rapidly at the time of the Vorkosigan Saga, but at the price of a great deal of culture shock. While the cities are modern, much of rural Barrayar is still not too different from conditions in the "Time of Isolation."
[edit] Ethnic groups
There are four major ethnic groups on Barrayar, descended from Russian, French, English, and Greek-speaking forebears, presumably to be found among the original colonists.
The Greeks are an explicit minority on Barrayar, and it appears that Russian is the predominate culture, based on the number of Barrayaran cultural aspects that mirror, or are derived from, Russian culture. An example would be the prevalence of Baba Yaga in Barrayaran folklore.
[edit] History
Not much is known at this time about Barrayaran history, but it appears that some time after the first colonists arrived, the wormhole that allowed them contact with the rest of the galaxy closed, isolating them on Barrayar. During the "Time of Isolation," wars were frequent, with the Vor fighting among themselves, until Emperor Dorca the Just united Barrayar under his rule. These centuries of warfare made Barrayaran culture very militaristic, as did the invasion from Cetaganda that occurred about twenty years after the end of the "Time of Isolation." The occupation period continued for around twenty more years, costing about five million Barrayaran lives. After the Cetagandans were defeated, Barrayar was determined not to allow this to happen again, and conquered Komarr, the planet that controlled the only wormhole that allowed access to Barrayar; the Komarrans had accepted bribes from the Cetagandans to allow their invasion fleets to pass through the wormhole. This gave Barrayar a very militaristic reputation in the rest of the civilized galaxy, not unlike Prussia or pre-1945 Japan.
[edit] Important Locations
[edit] Vorbarr Sultana
The Capital of Barraryar, and the entire Imperium. A good deal of the story takes place here. Each Count maintains a residence in the city and this is also where the Emperor generally resides. It was occupied by the Vorkosigan family during the regency, which took place after the death of Emperor Ezar Vorbarra, and the coming of age of Emperor Gregor Vorbarra.
[edit] Imperial Residence
The Emperor's Official Palace in the city of Vorbarr Sultana. The building's architecture is very new in some parts, yet old in others. This is because as one emperor succeeded the previous, new rooms and wings were built. It features a main ballroom, stables, Imperial quarters, a large courtyard style garden, and a system of secret underground tunnels. The underground tunnels act as an escape route if the building comes under attack.
[edit] Vorkosigan House
This is the official residence of the Vorkosigans when in the city. This is the default residence since the Vorkosigans spend much more time involved in Imperial politics than in District politics. It is a large stone mansion, situated near the Vorbarr Sultana University.
[edit] Vorhartung Castle
This is where the Council of Counts meets, as the main legislative body on Barrayar.
[edit] Imperial Security Headquarters
Imperial Security's (otherwise known as ImpSec) headquarters are situated in the middle of Vorbarr Sultana. The building was designed by a paranoid and maniacal architect under the employ of Mad Emperor Yuri. It is described throughout the series as a very ugly building, mostly made of a cement-like substance. However, its design, while ugly, is very effective, and very secure. It is described in the novel Memory as having spaceship grade (or better) air filtration systems and secure water and food supplies.
ImpSec is the branch of the the Imperial Military primarily concerned with the security of the emperor and the imperium. Mostly, ImpSec consists of Analysts and Covert Operatives. However, since ImpSec is the Emperor's Last Resort, they can requisition whatever forces they need.
[edit] Caravanserai
Near the center of the old part of Vorbarr Sultana, this area used to be a pit of poverty but during the timeline of the series has undergone much renovation.
[edit] Vorkosigan's District
The District that the Counts Vorkosigan administer, as all Districts on Barrayar, is named after the family surname. There are a number of cities and a great multitude of towns and villages in the District.
[edit] Hassadar
Hassadar is the capital of Vorkosigan's District, and contains the administrative offices of the Count's government, as well as higher educational and medical facilities. The Count's official Residence in the District is found there, but the Vorkosigans spend more time at Vorkosigan Surleau when in the District.
[edit] Vorkosigan Surleau
Vorkosigan Surleau is a small village situated in the Vorkosigan District. The Vorkosigans maintain a summer home nearby, on the shore of The Long Lake. The Vorkosigan home was originally an outlying barracks for a castle dating from the Time of Isolation. That castle is now a burnt out ruin on a headland overlooking the lake.
[edit] Silvy Vale
Silvy Vale is a typical Dendarii Mountain village, and the location of a significant event in Miles Vorkosigan's life, described in The Mountains of Mourning, when he acted as his father's Voice in an infanticide-for-mutation just after his graduation from the Imperial Service Academy. Profoundly impacted by the experience and the people he met, he returns there from time to time to rest and recuperate.
