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The Vorlons are a fictional alien race in the Babylon 5 universe. The Vorlon race is a member of the First Ones, a group made up of the earliest species to gain sentience in the galaxy. When in the presence of other races, Vorlons wear encounter suits.

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Homeworld

Little is known of the Vorlon homeworld other than its name, which is also Vorlon. The atmosphere inside Ambassador Kosh's quarters is unbreathable to humans.

Only two humans are known to have ever gone into Vorlon Space and return. One is Lyta Alexander, Babylon 5's first commercial telepath. After being touched by the Vorlons, she travelled to the borders of Vorlon Space to find them again. She was picked up and taken to the Vorlon homeworld, from which she returned as the assistant to both of the Kosh Ambassadors. A small part of Lyta's experience on the Vorlon homeworld is revealed, along with the secret that the Vorlons had been manipulating many different races to produce telepaths that could be used in the war against the Shadows.^[1]

The other human is Sebastian, formerly known as Jack the Ripper, whom the Vorlons took from 19th century Earth in order to employ him as an Inquisitor. His ultimate fate after the Vorlons left is unknown, though Sebastian himself hoped that after centuries of "penance and service" he would finally be allowed to die.^[2]

Physiology

When in the company of aliens, Vorlons wear encounter suits that conceal their physical form. The stated reason for the use of encounter suits – that they provide the specific environmental conditions their users need – is a front. The race is capable of functioning in an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere; even a vacuum seems to produce no ill effects. The true purpose of the suits is to hide the Vorlons' forms.

It is only under very exceptional circumstances that a Vorlon abandons its illusion and shows its true form. When a Vorlon appears outside its encounter suit, observers will usually perceive it as a being of pure light. That many, if not all, of the younger races associate a white-clad, winged figure as a benevolent, supernatural guardian is a product of Vorlon manipulation. For example, a Christian human might see an angelic form such as the Archangel Michael, a Drazi might perceive a being known as Dro'shalla, a Narn G'Lan, and so forth.

When Ambassador Londo Mollari of the Centauri Republic observed an unsuited Vorlon, he claimed to have not seen anything at all. Show creator J. Michael Straczynski has said about this that "Londo saw what he said he saw".^[3] It is not clear whether Londo alone saw nothing (perhaps because of his relationship with the Shadows) or if Centauri generally cannot see Vorlons, perhaps because they have not been manipulated in the same way as many of the other races. At least one Babylon 5 novel contradicts Straczynski's statement, instead stating that Mollari saw a very bright ball of energy.^[4]

Little is known about Vorlon evolutionary history. Although a number of humans have undergone complete physical change into beings of light, such as Jason Ironheart who transformed due to the tampering of the Psi Corps, this evolutionary process does not otherwise happen for millions of years. The Vorlons' true form was seen only once in the series, when the second Vorlon ambassador to Babylon 5 is forcibly ejected from the station.

The Vorlons are very nearly immortal, are able to fly, and can pass through solid objects.^[5] However, Vorlons are physical beings capable of physically striking objects with their bodies.^[3]

They supposedly are heavy methane, sulfur, and carbon dioxide breathers, however, being outside of the encounter suit in a nitrogen/oxygen environment does them little or no harm. Nutrient circulation is carried out by "blue cells." Vorlons are susceptible to the poison Florazyne (a rare poison only found in the Damocles Sector).

Among themselves, they seem to communicate telepathically, or using some form of communications built into their suits. This is implied when Kosh Naranek and Kosh Ulkesh are together in the TV movie, 'In the Beginning' and the novel 'To Dream in the City of Sorrows' where both look at each other pointedly during pauses in conversation.

Mental capabilities

Vorlons appear to be extremely powerful telepaths and telekineticists. They have enough strength to violently push an adult man against a wall and strangle him. Vorlons have also been known to tap into the minds of sleeping beings and communicate with them in this way. When "seen" outside their encounter suits, their projected form has been known to be taxing for them, especially when presented to multiple beings at once; Kosh Naranek, who was seen by thousands of people from the majority of races present at Babylon 5, took weeks to recover.

Kosh's death was instantly known to the Vorlons, which suggests that all the Vorlons are linked together in some fundamental way. Their subsequent, excessive even by their own standards, reaction, likely comes from this emotion; no Vorlon had died for a long time before this. Their intellectual capabilities can only be guessed at. They are capable of breaking off parts of themselves and storing them in other beings.

Government

Vorlon territory is known as the Vorlon Empire. Despite being called the Vorlon Empire, it is unknown if there is a Vorlon Emperor, though there is a High Command. The Vorlon Empire maintains a strict policy of isolation. No ship entering Vorlon space returns; the Vorlons claimed attempted expeditions had met with accidents and suggested that no more expeditions be sent into their territory.

Nature

While almost all the other species of First Ones left the galaxy, the Vorlons stayed behind to act as guardians and guides for younger races. Vorlons shepherded these worlds, the inhabitants were enthralled by their appearance and some worshipped them as gods.^[7]

The Shadows took on the same mantle with a diametrically opposed philosophy. In this conflict, the Vorlons represent Order. They act as architects, building alliances, encouraging the rule of law and inspiring cooperation. In reality however, Vorlons enforce strict adherence to their rules and unquestioning obedience to their authority. Their philosophy is embodied by the question "Who are you?" Sometimes called "The Vorlon Question", it encourages introspection, patience, and places identity as the proper motivator over personal goals. The Vorlon characters shown on the series tend to be enigmatic, usually speaking only brief, cryptic phrases to beings from the younger races.

By the time of the series, both the Vorlons and Shadows have long since lost sight of the original goal. Originally, the intent of both elder races was to encourage the growth of younger species through the competition of order and chaos. The conflict metamorphosed into a game for ideological, rather than military, dominion. The Vorlons began to treat the younger races as pawns. This outlook took a more extreme shift following the death of the first Ambassador, Kosh Naranek.

History

Before recorded history

Over a million years ago, the Vorlons decided to build a jump gate to open a doorway to what they believed was the well of souls, the source of life. The gate which was built travels neither to normal space nor to hyperspace but to a "third" space. Thirdspace was inhabited by a violent telepathic race that posed a threat even to the Vorlons. The purpose of the Thirdspace Aliens was simply "wiping out all life that is not their own". They took control of many Vorlons with telepathy and in the ensuing battle, the Vorlons forced the aliens back into their own dimension, and sealed the portal. A group of Vorlons, still under the control of the Thirdspace aliens, captured the artifact and jettisoned it into hyperspace, hoping to recover it later.

10,000 years ago

By this time many of the First Ones moved beyond the Galactic Rim to explore the vast emptiness between galaxies, and to allow the younger species to evolve on their own. Several of the First Ones decided to stay behind and shepherd the younger races until they were fit to control their own destiny. The primary care takers were the Vorlons and the Shadows.

At first there was a balance between the two sides. Then the Vorlons began tinkering with races on a genetic level, in an effort to make the younger races evolve more like them. Among this genetic dabbling, the Vorlons manipulated the younger races to make them see the Vorlons as angelic prophets. Through this action the Vorlons were able to control the perceptions of the younger races. Finding the actions of their fellow ancients appalling, the Shadows and the Vorlons began to fight amongst themselves and those who tried to mediate, like the Walkers of Sigma 957, left the conflict embittered.

Circa 1260

Over the course of the centuries that passed, the wars between the Shadows and Vorlons persisted. Then at some unknown point in time they decided to have the younger races fight for them, in an effort to prove which side was right. This led to the Great War.

The exact date of this war is unclear, but it first began roughly one thousand years before the founding of the Babylon 5 station. This war raged between the Shadows and the combined forces of the Vorlons and many younger races such as the Minbari. The Vorlons were eventually forced to ask the other First Ones for assistance in curbing the Shadows' advance. The war was so bloody and so violent that virtually all of the younger races except the Minbari were wiped out or bombed back to the literal stone age. In the aftermath of the war, there was no clear winner to decide if the Shadows or Vorlons had been right.

Despite these tremendous losses, the Vorlons and Shadows continued to squabble. As the Shadows went into their thousand-year seclusion, the Vorlons began to once again tinker with the DNA of young races all across the galaxy, creating telepaths to use in the next war against the Shadows.

Years 2260-2261

The final Shadow War occurred one thousand years later in 2260. In this war the Shadows battled the combined forces of Babylon 5, the Minbari Federation, the Narn Regime, the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, and the Rangers. The Vorlon Empire originally consented to aid this combined force. However, following the death of the Vorlon Ambassador Kosh Naranek at the hands of the Shadows and Captain John Sheridan's trip to Z'ha'dum, the Vorlons became convinced that the only way to stop the war was to destroy all the planets that had been touched by the Shadows. The Shadows decided to pursue the same policy following the destruction of one of their major cities. Billions of sentients died when the two forces began destroying the planets influenced by the other.

Sheridan brought the two forces into direct contact at Corianna VI, and then launched a suicidal assault on both sides at once. An armada of allied ships and the remaining First Ones managed to stop the Vorlon planet killer, but more importantly demonstrated that the younger races were in open defiance against their "protectors," that both the Shadows and Vorlons had failed to act as guardians, parents and teachers to the younger races. Faced with either letting them go or exterminating them completely, the Vorlons and Shadows finally stepped down and left the galaxy with the remaining First Ones to join the others beyond the rim.

After the Departure

After the Vorlons left the galaxy, their homeworld was left abandoned, but they left their defense systems on their homeworld. As a result, several expeditions to the planet were destroyed. The Vorlons also left a message with Lyta Alexander that the planet was not for the younger races. The Vorlon Homeworld was not to be theirs until they were ready; at least another million years.

Lyta Alexander was also left with other information as well. She was left with a command to activate the self-destruct systems on Z'ha'dum, which was destroyed when she arrived there.^[8] In the movie Thirdspace, she was able to give information on the Thirdspace aliens. When the Drakh used Shadow control pods to operate Centauri vessels during their war with the Alliance, Alexander was able to identify the devices as such due to information left with her.

Finally in 2262, it was revealed that the Vorlons had modified her to be a living telepathic superweapon - a doomsday machine to be used against the Shadows if the Vorlons lost the war.

They made her into the most powerful human telepath in existence, with the possible exceptions of Jason Ironheart, who had already transformed into something similar to a First One; and Kevin Vacit, former Director of Psi Corps, who had carried a Vorlon fragment inside himself.^[9]

One million years after the events of Babylon 5, the humans had become like the First Ones. The humans had left the solar system and left for a planet called "New Earth." J. Michael Straczynski indicated that New Earth was in fact the old Vorlon homeworld in the DVD commentary for the episode "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars".

It should be noted that the Vorlons and all the other first ones have left the galaxy, and gone past the rim of that galaxy. Although it should be pointed out that no non milky way races were ever witnesed in the B5 universe with the exception of "third space", it was hinted all the way through the series that strange things have been seen beyond the rim and it is possible that the first ones are doing something out there, perhaps meeting others from different galaxies leaving us behind protected or sheltered from the rest of the universe.

Spacecraft

Vorlon spaceships are organic in nature and at least partially sentient. Vorlon transports at least have a skin that can change color and an external shape that is pliable enough to allow passengers in and out. It was mentioned that Vorlon transports "sing", and can have an unnerving effect on non-Vorlons around them.^[10] Vorlon ships use jumpgates similar to those of the younger races. Vorlon technology was also used along with Minbari technology to help create the White Star spacecraft.

Transports

The most frequently seen Vorlon ship is the Vorlon transport. According to the Babylon 5 video game, Into the Fire, Vorlon transports are 131 metres long and heavily armed^[11] There is a strong bond between a Vorlon and its transport.^[12] When its pilot is in danger, the transport becomes extremely agitated and will try to help its Vorlon escape.^[3]

Should its pilot die, Vorlon transports are said to grieve. When the first Kosh died, his ship cremated itself and the Kosh's remains in a nearby star. Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski put it thus: It was made for Kosh, as Delenn points out, was almost a part of him; it wouldn't function as well, if at all, for anyone else. There was nothing else to be done.^[14]

One Man Fighters

Little is known about Vorlon fighters. According to the Babylon 5 video game they are about 25.5 metres long.^[11] Externally, they lack exhaust ports of any kind, suggesting that they use some type of gravimetric drive similar to that used by the Minbari. In groups they perform very effectively, being able to destroy a Shadow vessel.^[14]

Unlike other small fighters in the Babylon 5 universe, Vorlon fighters appear to have independent jump capability, where large numbers come out of hyperspace without the apparent need for a capital ship's support.^[17] Vorlon fighters have a much weaker bond between themselves and their pilots than Vorlon transports.^[14] Indeed, it is not at all certain that they are even manned.

Capital Ships

These large ships, called Star Dreadnoughts are said to be over 1300 metres long and capable of destroying a medium sized Shadow Battlecrab in a single hit.^[11] They likely carry a large number of Vorlon fighters, and, according to J. Michael Straczynski, carry a full crew of Vorlons.^[14]

Planet Killers

The biggest ships in the Vorlon fleet appear to be the Vorlon Planet Killers, huge starships capable of destroying entire worlds.^[21][22] They are said to be 3-4 miles (5 to 6 km) long. The first planet to be hit by a planet killer along the course of the series is called Arcata 7. It is utterly destroyed, killing 4 million people who inhabited it.^[23]

Bioengineering

It is implied throughout the series that they have interfered with the evolution of many races, including humans, Minbari, Narns, and Drazi, in various ways. In particular, each of these races "see" Vorlons outside their encounter suits as a some religious or mythological character particular to their culture. The Centauri, or at least Londo Mollari, apparently see nothing when looking at Vorlons directly. It could imply that they have not been influenced or altered by the Vorlons, or be an indication of Londo's status as an ally of the Shadows..

The Vorlons also have the ability to alter alien species to better serve their purposes. Lyta Alexander was given "gills" on her neck that allowed her to breathe the atmosphere within the Vorlon ambassador's chamber, though the Narn can do much the same.^[24] Vorlons also use other beings as receptacles for a fragment of their personality, allowing them to travel widely without being notice.

References

Ardwight Chamberlain Benjamin Kyle Civilizations in Babylon 5 Comes the Inquisitor Excalibur (Crusade)

Falling Toward Apotheosis First One Interludes and Examinations Kosh Londo Mollari

Lorien (Babylon 5) Lyta Alexander P scale (Babylon 5) Secrets of the Soul Shadow (Babylon 5)

Thirdspace Aliens Victory class destroyer Walkabout (Babylon 5) White Star (Babylon 5) More results