Valavirgillin is a Machine People trader student.[1]
She is described as being about Louis Wu's height, which is six feet, stocky with a medium breast size, she has a wider torso than Louis Wu, a muscular back, long black hair bound in a braid and a fringe of black beard along her jaw, a strip of hair running down her spine from her head and an almost perfectly square face. She is pale but not as white as a vampire.[1]
In 2880 she is a student at the trading school in River's Return. While on a field trip to a trade center the group deviates to visit an abandoned City Builder city in the desert. There, they are attacked by vampires. She is inadvertently rescued by Chmeee after his companion Louis Wu is enthralled by them as well.[1]
While originally somewhat hostile to Louis Wu, they make their peace with each other and travel together through the desert in her groundcar. As they travel they get to know each other, Valavirgillin is quite skeptical of Louis Wu's claims of being from outside the Ringworld and his claim that the advanced gadgets he possess are his own at first. She starts to believe him eventually specially after he keeps exhibiting sophisticated and esoteric knowledge. They make a formal truce and Valavirgilin agrees to help him reach the City Builder's city.[1]
During this time she learns the Hindmost's race is responsible for the superconductor plague that caused the Fall of the Cities.[1]
Eventually she and Louis Wu arrived at River's Return and continue on to the Shadow Farm beneath the Floating City, there after fulfilling her objective she leaves Louis Wu thinking she'll never see him again. She is given superconductor material by Louis Wu as part of the truce.[1]
Appears on[]
- The Ringworld Engineers
- The Ringworld Throne
- Ringworld's Children (Mentioned only)