SCIFI.COM | Farscape: Lifeform Encounters

The planet Kanvia has a turbulent atmosphere and a rainy climate. [ KANVIANS ]

Its people, perhaps correspondingly, are generally stern, wary and humorless. Particularly where their government is concerned, Kanvians tend to tread carefully.

This is understandable; Kanvia had been a planet of warring states until Rinic Pralanoth united it and became its sovereign. His planetary government has brought about peace, yet it is also somewhat autocratic. For example, Pralanoth retains personal control over all large commercial transactions. He commands a powerful arsenal, which includes missiles capable of destroying Moya. And he makes liberal use of the strannat — a small, clawed creature that, when affixed to the heads of Sebaceanoids, such as the Kanvians themselves, instinctively kills liars.

Most Kanvians are reluctant to antagonize their government for two reasons: first, because it has brought peace to their world; and second, because it is merciless when dealing with threats. Perhaps the only people on the planet willing to oppose Rinic Pralanoth are his two offspring. Rinic Tolven, the security director, and Rinic Sarova, the services director, ostensibly serve their father loyally, but Tolven's aggressive scheming gave Crichton clear cause to question Tolven's allegiance to his father.

Despite the vague sense of tense paranoia around and within their ruling family, Kanvians have a relatively modern, technological society with some interplanetary trade. They even manage to relax at establishments such as their Refreshment Houses. There too, however, the hand of government appears unexpectedly: Rinic Sarova owned the Refreshment House our people visited, and she used it to conduct clandestine political liaisons there after it closed for the night.

In summary, Kanvian society appears poised between prosperity and implosion ... which, compared with most Sebaceanoid civilizations we've encountered, makes it about average.

JOURNEY LOG REFERENCES

Thanks for Sharing