Vaurca

Overview
Vaurca, (Vore-Kah, Vaurca in singular term and Vaurcae in multiple) are a bipedal insectoid species that originate from the Sedantis I|first moon of Sedantis. They have a complex caste system consisting of the lower caste called The Bound and the higher, free-thinking caste of the Unbound. Since factions in known space made first contact with one of their hive-ships on the 21th of December 2456, they have started to spread throughout human space. Although tolerated on Nanotrasen Corporation stations and in Tau Ceti, they are often discriminated against and are unwelcome in most human-owned sectors in the Sol Alliance. Unfortunately, even in Tau Ceti they face troubles integrating with society, with many Vaurca of the Zo'ra hive forced to live in refugee camps as the Biesel government struggles to accommodate them all.The C'thur hive finds a new beginning under the Jargon federation, but did they trade one form of servitude for another? Meanwhile, the Lii'dra Hive-Ship continues to strike systems from deep space, and the Vaurca in the K'lax's malfunctioning Hive-ship has had success in finding a new home, questioning why they should continue to be servants to the Zo'ra, especially while their former masters live in refugee camps and the rest of them live in systems far, far away, if they still live at all...

To apply to be one of the insect-like Vaurca, apply here

Heads of Staff
Vaurca can't be any Heads of Staff.

Mechanics

 * Global hivemind, accessible via :9 and heard only by other Vaurcae and stationbound synthetics.
 * Pressure & Cold resistant, allowing them to survive in space with internals.
 * Unaffected by Phoron gas.
 * Have natural insulation.
 * Immune to slipping.
 * Can only healthily consume food consisting of K'ois paste and byproducts.
 * Require phoron to breathe. They spawn with an internal phoron tank they can refill by consuming phoron reagent.
 * Cannot wear normal shoes or gloves.
 * Cannot wear normal helmets. (Can wear hats.)
 * Cannot wear many spacesuits.
 * Do not self-heal.
 * Takes 2x the toxin damage.
 * Suffer from additional bloodloss.
 * Minorly vulnerable to EMPs.
 * Can be permanently rendered blind by flashing them several times in a row.
 * Cloners will not clone their non-organic organs.


 * Vaurca Warriors are more resistant to fire than their Worker brethren.
 * Vaurca Warriors are faster than their Worker brethren, and can sprint for longer.
 * Vaurca Warriors can bite.


 * Vaurca Workers are more resistant to brute than their Warrior brethren.
 * Vaurca Workers are more resistant to radiation than their Warrior brethren.
 * Vaurca Workers are more resistant to suffocation than their Warrior brethren.
 * Vaurca Workers are slower than their Warrior brethren.
 * Vaurca Workers cannot bite.

Non-mechanic traits:
 * Dislike light.
 * Generally very specialized, often no inter-department knowledge.
 * Face severe discrimination in human space.

Base Coloration:
 * Vaurcae exoskeletons are typically coloured depending on the type and hive of the Vaurca specimen in question, color can also influenced by the Lesser Queens who birthed them.
 * Zo'ra Hive basic coloration
 * Unbound of any type: (RGB 51, 0, 0)
 * Bound Warriors: (RGB 71, 0, 21)
 * Bound Workers: (RGB 71, 21, 21)
 * K'lax Hive basic coloration
 * Unbound of any type: (RGB 51, 51, 0)
 * Bound Warriors: (RGB 51, 71, 21)
 * Bound Workers: (RGB 71, 71, 21)
 * C'thur Hive basic coloration
 * Unbound of any type: (RGB 0,10,80)
 * Bound Warriors: (RGB 10,0,80)
 * Bound Workers: (RGB 0,50,80)
 * Lii'dra Hive
 * Lii'dra can be any colour, to permit them to masquerade as Vaurcae from other hives.

Playable Factions/Types/Castes
Vaurca can come from the Zo'ra, K'lax, C'thur or Lii'dra hives. The Lii'dra are exclusive to antagonists and events, though an antagonist Vaurca can be from another hive, or pretend to be from another hive while being from Lii'dra.

Playable Vaurca can be either Bound or Unbound, and their playstyles are drastically different.

Playing Bound
Drones have a lot in common with station synthetics in personality and playstyle. They are lobotomized members of a slave caste trained to obey orders without question. They have no concept of the self and can only act independently in matters of personal survival, maintenance, or self-defense. The Vaurca drones often probably speak slowly, and have trouble speaking Basic.

Bound are barred from security and science jobs. They are free to take civilian, medical and engineering jobs. They are also free to be menial lab assistants.They do not need to be formally promoted before taking these jobs.

Bound typically focus on performing their duty.If asked to do something outside of the scope of their duty a bound will always use their duty as a reference to the task at hand.Because they are working under the decree of the hives queen, only with good reason would a unbound Vaurca ask a bound from its respective hive to deviate from their duty. Otherwise, bound are taught and expected to follow station protocols to the best of their ability as it is their duty to do so. Only their hives unbound, and heads of staff can order a bound to deviate from its duties.

Playing Unbound
Unbound are the human-like part of the Vaurca species and are capable of playing any non-command role in terms of ability. They can either be unique individuals having spent time out of their Virtual Reality for some time, or can be similar to drones; fresh off a hive birthing chambers and or from their Lesser Queen's virtual heaven, barely knowing anything. They almost universally hate being outside of VR, as the extended stay within an environment free of strife, hunger and death has sensitized them to the presence of such things in the real world.

Unbound are currently restricted to only civilian-level jobs, including lab assistants, security cadets, medical interns, and engineering apprentices. NanoTrasen has introduced a "Peer Review" system to accommodate promotion to higher positions - Read the "Avowal of Responsibility" form available in form dispensers for more information.

Speaking like a Vaurca
Unbound Vaurca may have augments that can allow them to have an easier time speaking Basic, combined with a potential greater time spent training themselves to speak it naturally. Otherwise, Vaurcae typically express an unfamiliarity with the language, preferring to use basic words and sentence structures over more complex ones, and often may be unaware of the exact meaning of words, or the names of objects, instead describing them.

Unaugmented Vaurcae can expect difficulty pronouncing certain sounds due to their stiff mandibles. Many Vaurca have difficulty producing sounds related to the letter "s", and instead substitute with a harsh buzzing in the throat. ("Phoron gas is fine!" becomes "Phoron gaz iz fine!"). Some Vaurca may have difficulty producing soft consonant sounds such as those produced by "f" or "ph", and instead substitute them with a more guttural "vh". ("Phoron gas is fine!" becomes "Vhoron gas is vhine!". Some unfortunate specimen may even be plagued with both impediments at once. (Phoron gas is fine!" becomes "Vhoron gaz iz vhine!"), or even further, more exotic impediments.

Help with naming
The traditional naming system is complex, with first names being made of three parts. The first part is either Ka for workers, Za for soldiers, or Ta for breeders. The second syllable is Viax for Bound, or Akaix for Unbound.

Finally, the last syllable of the name is a masked number, however players are free to choose how this may be represented, with the only restriction being that it should not be longer than a single syllable - at the very most two syllables. For a worker Unbound it might be: "Ka'Akaix'Siith Zo'ra." With 'Siith' being created by the player. The surname is the hive that the Vaurca is a part of, in the example's case "Zo'ra".

Biology
To the average human, the Vaurca seem to have the appearance of terrestrial prawns. However, they act closer to ants or termites. Their biology follows a similar structure to something like a termite; scientifically, this description is largely superficial. The most obvious and striking feature of this species is their exoskeleton. It is composed of a complex polymer chain involving sulfur as a key catalyst with silicon, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen forming a much stronger polymer chain than similar exoskeletons found on earth. A kind of biological vulcanization process also occurs, again facilitated by the abundant sulfur within their biochemical makeup.

Life Cycle
The cycle of life and death in Vaurca society is at first glance relatively simplistic. Each stage of a Vaurca's development is clearly regimented by either biological developments or the introduction of augmentations.

When a larva is hatched, its purpose is determined by a Type CB. Larvae destined to become Bound are lobotimized and begin augmentation immediately, reaching maturity within six months. Once they fully mature, they are implanted with a neural socket, and begin work immediately. Bound lifespan is theoretically infinite, provided that the Hive keeps its Bound labour force well-maintained. In this modern world however, where the Vaurca tend to be held as refugees, Bound are rarely maintained and thus can expect an operational lifespan of ten years, provided they experience no work-related injuries. Upon the death of a Bound, the augmentations they possessed are removed and repurposed, and the body is typically incinerated.

If a larva is destined to become Unbound, it is given six months of organic development, which allows for its brain to mature fully. After this six month period, it is implanted with a neural socket, and is filled with information at a steady rate by the hive for another six months. At the conclusion of this one year period, the Unbound is fully matured, and prepared for whatever purpose it may have been given by the hive. It will receive several augmentations depending on circumstance throughout its life, unlike the Bound who receive all their augments at birth. Unlike Bound, Unbound are always more flesh than augmentation, and thus they cannot simply be "maintained". An Unbound experiences a lifespan of twenty years on average, at the conclusion of which their augmentations are reclaimed by the hive, and their body is incinerated. Years spent in VR tend to not subtract from this lifespan, meaning that an Unbound could be several decades old, if it spent most of its time in VR.

If a larva is destined to become Type C, whether it be CA or CB, it is fed special hormones that inspire organic growth that diverges from the typical model. Type CA are lobotomized much like other Bound, however they are not augmented until the end of their growth period. Their sexual organs fully develop, and their carapace hardens in several places, forming ceremonial crests. Wing growths sprout along their back, which will fully develop during periods where the Type CA is fertile. The CA is then augmented to fulfill their role as consort, breeder, and representative of a Breeder. A Type CA will live as long as it remains virile. Once it become sterile due to natural or artificial causes, the Type CA dies and a new one is bred to replace it.

A Type CB will be nurtured for a whole year organically, allowing the royal growth hormones to take maximum effect. Their carapace will harden in several places, becoming generally thicker and growing further ceremonial crests. Wings will sprout along the entirety of its back - unlike the Type CA, CB wings are fully developed for the entirety of their life, however during designated breeding periods the CB will typically be to heavy to generate lift. Throughout their growth period they will be given all the information they need to act as representatives and leaders of the hive. Type CB's will then have neural tubes implanted along the back of their head, allowing them to interface with the neural sockets of any Vaurca assigned under them. A Type CB will typically live for twenty years like most Unbound, excluding years spent in VR. When a Type CB dies it is incinerated along with its augments.

Whenever it becomes necessary, a Type CB larvae can be morphed into a Lesser Queen through the injection of additional royal hormones. A Lesser Queen is biologically different from most organic Vaurca in that it naturally has several limbs and a clearly distinct thorax and abdomen, permitting the creation of several eggs at a time. A Lesser Queen is typically created when another Lesser Queen dies, or the hive needs to undergo massive expansion - to the point where a retinue of governing Type CB is not sufficient. For this reason several Type CB larvae are typically kept in cold storage, should an emergency arise. A Lesser Queen will fulfill many roles in its lifetime, typically overseeing millions of Vaurca at any given time. They are responsible for directing any Type CB under their command, and typically manage entire hive complexes when possible. A Lesser Queen is also expected to relay the whims and orders of a hive's High Queen. A Lesser Queen can also live for a very long time under the proper circumstances - all Lesser Queen's present in human space are the same that embarked from Sedantis I 2,000 years ago. When and if a Lesser Queen does die, however, its body is preserved and stored away for posterity.

Internal Organs
Internally, Type A are very similar to that of an Earth insect. They have an open circulatory system, with their blood covering their digestive system, dual hearts, lungs, and other organs. Their two hearts provide a significant sloshing motion to prevent the blood from stagnating. The Vaurcae's blood is a copper-based hemoglobin, with a high dependency of sulfur, which causes their blood to adopt a yellowish color instead of the red prevalent with other species. It also emanates a very potent stink. This open circulatory system, however, can lead to wounds that pierce the exoskeleton and minor layer of skin to bleed out quickly unless treated.

Vaurcae lungs are totally organic. However, they cannot naturally process oxygen without there being phoron present in the mix. Additionally, Pure nitrogen is toxic to the Vaurcae, and pure phoron will suffocate them. As such, most Vaurcae in human space are equipped with a filtration bit above the lungs, which injects phoron gas into the oxygen they breathe, allowing for safe respiration.

Vaurcae posses in their head a neural socket that allows interface with the hive network FTL communications. The exact mechanics of a neural socket, and how it processes data and keeps information secure is based off of biological processes in the regional Queen, who possesses instead of a neural socket a neural rod.

Limbs
Vaurca have two large insect-like eyes with two smaller ones underneath, which are hyper-sensitive to most forms of light. While they can function in light-heavy environments perfectly fine, most complain about frequent migraines and tendency to get frustrated after long exposures to light like the sun, or even general station lighting. This hyper-sensitivity, however, leads to greatly increased eyesight in dark areas. Their eyes are completely black in terms of colouration, with no variation between the castes. They also have large, insect-like antennae that protrude from their head. These antennae are used for greater perception of their surroundings and to communicate with each other through subtle movements, or rubbing them together with another. Also acting olfactory sensory and nerve database, when these antennae are lost, they can cause confusion, dizziness, nausea, communications problems, and extreme pain.

Their mouthparts are similar to a prawn's, in that they have two large mandibles, with small feelers and chewing parts that come out of the bottom.

Vaurca Worker and Warrior may possess vestigial arms below their main limbs, genetic remnants that serve little purpose. Some Vaurca may remove them for practicality while others are decorating them for fashion purposes. The latter is quickly becoming a fad for Vaurca who regularly interact with aliens.

Augments
While virtually all Vaurca look identical in an augmented state, aside from various shifts in colour, virtually all Vaurca are augmented in some manner, the degree to which depending very much on their caste and purpose.

Bound Vaurca typically undergo the most augmentation. Much of their organic mass will at some point be replaced with machinery, so they can fulfill one specific task to the best of their ability. Worker Bound will at the completion of their development look more like construction machines than Vaurca, with variable amounts of limbs and a plethora of tools at their disposal. Warrior Bound will assume a variety of forms, varying from simple infantry with weapon and targeting augments to assault vehicles. The more complex the caste name of a Bound, the less recognizable it is as a standard Vaurca.

Unbound however will never undergo such severe augmentation. The great limitation of such heavy modification is that it eliminates versatility, the entire purpose of the Unbound caste. Their augments will typically be performance enhancing instead of alterations of the form. Most Unbound are today equipped with at least basic communication augments which make them versatile assets to communication with extra-hive entities.

Ultimately, all Vaurca currently employed by NanoTrasen aboard the NSS Exodus or NSS Aurora are of the least augmented tier - either Type AA or Type BA. Their carapace is almost totally unmodified. Bound and Unbound alike will have a neural socket and oxygen filtration system, and may utilize full-limb prosthetics. Bound may have several augments designed to increase work efficiency or general survival, while Unbound will typically have very few augments to ensure that they can fulfill any task assigned to them by NanoTrasen.

Sleep Cycle
The sleep cycle for bound is a very hard to one to predict. Their natural sleeping cycle seems completely random and is more in line with SSD that plagues other species. They simply go into an inert state and remain unresponsive for a few minutes or hours at a time before suddenly being roused and getting back to work. The sleep cycle for unbound is very predictable. Unbound Vaurca averagely spends 98 hours active, before going to sleep. Some Vaurca may change this sleep cycle depending on their work or needs, and they are adaptable enough to change it in ways similar to humans. To sleep, Vaurca adopt a leaning position that uses specialized joints and hinges in their exoskeletal plates to sleep standing upright.

The Bound
Bound Vaurca are chosen the moment their eggs are laid. Eggs designated to be Bound are put in a warm, moisture rich enviroment while Worker drones oversee their care. Larva that hatch from the eggs are then taken to another specialized, moist environment to be raised and slowly augmented before the drones are then quickly and efficiently lobotomized and sterilized.

Workers (Type A)
Type A are the most common and can be seen as the 'backbone' of Vaurca societies. Their most prevalent feature is their hardened exoskeleton, varying in colors in accordance to their hive. It is approximately half an inch thick among all Type A Vaurca. This exoskeleton provides protection against harsh radiation, solar and otherwise, and acts as a robust pressure-suit to seal their soft inner core from the outside world. This allows most Type A Vaurca to have extended, several day-long EVA expeditions, assuming they have internals. They can be bipedal or quadrupedal, with bird-like talon toes. Their hands consist of two middle fingers with small talons at the end, and two opposable thumbs, a left and a right, on either side of their hand. Type A ranges from 5ft to 7ft tall on average, though outliers of both spectrums are not unheard of for the more specialized tasks.

Warriors (Type B)
Type B are the second most prominent of Vaurca society, taking the form of heavily augmented warriors. Type B can range in size from 6ft tall to 8ft tall, with Za Bound rising to as much as 20ft tall. They can be bipedal, quadrupeds, or hextopeds, which are called types BA, BB, and BC respectively. They usually have weapons physically attached to their bodies, making them unwieldy or impractical for any situation other than combat.

Warriors, unlike other types of Vaurca, are not typically passive. This means that they tend to be more suitable for combat orientated positions, while worker and breeder types tend to be poorly suited for the disposition these types of occupations demand. Unlike workers, their exoskeleton is not as well equipped for such extended EVA expeditions, however it can withstand a few hours long excursions.

The majority of warrior caste Vaurca employed by NanoTrasen are drone tier type BA, meaning that they are deprived of most advanced augments and mostly differ from other types simply in that they are more mentally suited for combat or are involved in the function of something that could be considered a weapon.

Breeders (Type C)
Type C are rare among Vaurca, in that they make up around 2-3% of their entire species. They are the only individuals in Vaurca hives that are fertile except for the Queens and Lesser Queens themselves. The males are raised as bound while the females are raised as unbound, and both of them historically served little practical purpose in a hive except to fertilize eggs or to replace a dying Lesser Queen or to even become an additional Lesser Queen if the hive needs more growth. The males are considered CA and the females CB. Lately, Breeders have been used as representatives for their respective queens, a departure from their traditional duties of overseeing eggs and maintaining the numbers of the hive cells they oversee.

Cephalon (Type D)
The Cephalon is the strangest of all Vaurcan beings, if it can still be considered such. They are bombarded from birth by special hormones designed to expand their brains. In this case, however, their bodies are bombarded with special treatments designed to hypercharge their thyroid and pituitary glands. This results in a brain that will continue growing far, far beyond the needs even of the Unbound - it will grow so much that they the Cephalon's handlers can cut live samples, spread them across trellises and racks, and treat them with more hormones and chemicals to keep them growing further. After a decade of pruning, racking, and tanning, and some cybernetic wire-work besides, the end result is a new Cephalon - a biomechanical supercomputer that houses a large portion of the Virtual Reality Network, and will live for hundreds of years. Its processing power is somewhere in the tens of zettaflops, if it can even be measured that way. Each Lesser Queen tends to keep several of these, acting as servers from which their Virtual Reality is hosted. Cephalons are not generally considered Bound or Unbound, but inert, motionless equipment. As such they hold no name or designation to any hive at large.

The Unbound
The Unbound make up the upper castes of Vaurca society and form the only sentient and self-aware parts of its greater population. Their eggs and larva are given more graceful care by bound workers and they are spared the lobotomy, though Unbound not meant to become Lesser Queens are still sterilized. They are perfectly capable of making rational, thinking decisions, and are naturally intuitive and curious, much like a human. However Unbound are not raised in a traditional manner. While in its early years VR was meant as an escape from reality, for modern Vaurca in known space it's become every aspect of their lives and supposed afterlife.

Although Unbound are sentient and self-aware, they still typically maintain unwavering subserviency to the respective hierarchy of their hive, due to a combination of pheromone excretion and indoctrination methods imposed during the growing process of an Unbound. However when they are not under the direct instruction of a Lesser Queen, they will typically pursue their own interests.

Unbound disconnected from VR can still connect themselves to the 'internet' of a hive, called the Hive Network, where the Unbound all connect their consciousness. Unbound Vaurca can share their knowledge, memories, and even feelings through the Hive Network. The Bound are barred from most non-utilitarian aspects of the Hive Network, due to biological constraints.

The Unbound take up jobs that require more critical thinking skills or greater abstract thought than simple worker drones. Unbound Vaurca can simply be considered on the same level as any human. Integration in Tau Ceti or other limited human communities has some of them living alone in their own apartments like any other citizen, and work to support themselves, rarely having monetary aid from their Hive.

In a move worrying to human authorities Unbound make periodic trips back to the aging Titan Prime to upload information or experiences gained and learned in Tau Ceti into the Hive Network, and secondary sources have verified that the Vaurca are attempting to transfer their Hive Network into a new facility on New Gibson, in a formerly abandoned biome granted to them to use. After sealing the holes the bound Workers have been constructing complex machinery and computer networks. While the specifics of these machines confound visiting officials sent to verify that none of them can be use to send communications back to Sedantis I, it's nevertheless proven extremely difficult to reverse engineer the technology and the Vaurca have proven unwilling to share blueprints on them.

The Unbound can be any of the types mentioned above except for Type D.

Language
With the learning of Tau Ceti Basic and other languages, some Vaurca have been forced to simplify their names. Naming is based of a numbering system, determined after birth. This name includes a caste and biological designation, the number they are, and finally what hive they are from.

Vaurcae language structure, to non-Vaurca ears, sounds extremely archaic and cryptic, like simple clicks and grunts more than a language. However, to a creature that knows the language, all types of Vaurcese is extremely complicated and each syllable has many thousands of different connotations it could convey. Combined with subtle antennae movement and pheromone release, it is not hard to say that it is a language that can never be spoken or understood by another species. While each hive has their own small variations of Vaurcese, the language can be universally understood.

It is produced by clicking the mandibles and mouth pieces together, while sending air through the mouthpieces as well as the vocal chords. It is described as sounding like clicks and high pitched squeals. The Vaurca, however, utilize synthetic throat implants that synthesize a very alien-sounding, but intelligible, Tau Ceti Basic or any other language.

Inter-caste Relationships
Relationships between each type and each caste tend to be a universal constant among Vaurcae hives. The Bound are thoroughly exploited by the Unbound whenever an opportunity for such arises. It is typical for an Unbound to delegate any menial labour to the nearest Bound whenever possible. While especially "lazy" Unbound are not prevalent on human stations, all Unbound tend to display this mindset towards the Bound to a degree. When encountering a dangerous situation, the response is similar - the Bound are expected to attempt to make the situation safer for the Unbound in any way possible. Bound are perfectly subservient to the whims of the Unbound, and do not begrudge this exploitation.

Worker Vaurcae tend to be esteemed more highly than Warrior Vaurcae, especially in Unbound circles, and especially in these difficult times when the value of labour to the Vaurca is more important than the value of defense. Unbound Breeder Vaurcae are esteemed very highly, especially those at the top of the hierarchy. Bound Breeder Vaurcae tend to rarely interact with other Vaurcae, except for Bound caretakers.

As for different types of the same caste, Unbound Ka or Za of the same 'duty' tend to organize themselves into hive-cells. For example, a worker who works in construction may live, sleep and work with the same people within their hive-cell. A hive-cells size can vary drastically, but ultimately, they tend to organize the labor of Ka and Za into the most efficient means, with each hive cell reporting to a particular Ta, usually their birth mother. Vaurca tend to be closest to those that they work with, and so many Vaurca consider their hive-cell their closest relatives.

Inter-hive Relationships
The Zo'ra and K'lax hives maintain warm relations, while officially the diplomatic tension between the C'thur and K'lax hives is tenuous at best. The Lii'dra hive is universally hated. The Zo'ra percieve themselves the rightful rulers of the K'lax and C'thur, and the K'lax have thus far made no official statement against this. While the C'thur changes their announcements constantly. The Bound of each hive serve other Vaurcae of their hive firstly and are completely subservient to the will of their hive's rulership. The K'lax Bound however will also serve Zo'ra Vaurcae should there be no conflict with the desires of K'lax hierarchy. The same can be said to a lesser degree with the C'thur. Zo'ra Bound will rarely ever service K'lax Vaurcae, and only when instructed to do so by Zo'ra Unbound. Zo'ra, C'thur and K'lax Unbound typically do not intermingle except on an individual basis and remain subservient to the desires of their respective hierarchy.

Inter-species Relationships
Due to most Vaurcae hiveships being present in human-space, most inter-species relationships Vaurcae have are with humanity. Zo'ra and K'lax Vaurcae tend to be co-operative with humanity out of necessity, but on an individual level the opinions vary between each Unbound, depending on what the specific Unbound has experienced. Unbound rarely if ever esteem any human higher than a Vaurcae, due simply to biological constraints. Bound Vaurcae are completely subservient to the whims of their master hive, and it is only because of this that rented Bound workers obey their human owners. The hierarchy of servitude that a Bound abides by is a topic of concern among humanity, because Bound are hard-wired to satisfy the needs of other Unbound Vaurcae of their hive firstly, creating the possibility for complex situations should the interests of a Bound's human owner ever conflict with the interests of an Unbound Vaurcae of the same hive. However, such situations are unreported if they do occur, and the cheapness and effectiveness of Bound labour tends to surpass the potential dangers.

Queenless
The Queenless are simply Vaurca that do not fall into the lineage of any current queen or lesser queen but remain from the same hive.For whatever reason, these Vaurca were sourced for the hiveship outside of the lineage of the lesser queens, perhaps for different traits only found within their line or brood. In the case of the four hives, The Queenless is only an issue within the K’lax and Zo’ra hives. Cut off from the high queens, these 'Queenless' Vaurca may believe that the lesser queens currently in command of the hive have gone outside of what the High Queen originally intended for them. Other broods view the Queenless generally with pity and foreign superstition. Others still see them restless servants of the hive without a queen to call their own. In general, they are often ignored by the larger hive populations, with many having little to no oversight by the other hive-cells or broods within their own hives. Despite this, the Queenless are still given access to the hives VR when available, though, they are the most likely to be denied access, if limited. It's partly because of this that most Queenless Ta tend to hide within the interstice, VR worlds hewn from the vast data streams of the hive. These VR realms are small in comparison to the queens, and vary in their multitudes.

Instead of the queens, these communities of Vaurca tend to build themselves around their mother Ta, and try to be as self-sufficient as possible. They may idolize Xakat'kl'atan brought with them when they first left Sedantis. Indeed, it is these two pillars, the Ta and Xakat'kl'atan, that define the Queenless Vaurca populations. No matter which hive however, the Queenless recognize the authority of only the true high queen or their own nonexistent lesser queens, and to that end, seek above all else to recontact Sedantis.

In reality, the Queenless of Tau Ceti’s Zo’ra hive are amongst the poorest, and secretive of the Vaurca upon Tau Ceti. Some may resort to crime, drugs and other less than legal means to maintain any comfortable standard of living they might possess. Typically the mother Ta of a Queenless Vaurca is the highest authority one can go to, but there has been documented cases of multiple Queenless Ta working together, though for what purpose, none can say. As for the Ta themselves, they are comfortable with ignoring and being ignored by the lesser queens as a whole, recognizing the shadow that they live under, and the roles that they must carve out for themselves and their spawn if they are to survive. Above all else, they believe that the light of Mother Zo'ra will never truly be lost, that out of the horrible illumination of the unknown, Mother Zo'ra will return to right the direction of her wayward daughters, and to align all surviving hives under her will.

Values
Vaurca values tend to be very simple and singular, compared to the diverse values experienced in human culture. All Vaurcae considered civilized respect the authority each Hive has over its own Vaurcae, for example in times of war the abduction of other Vaurcae is frowned upon, and the killing of another hive's Lesser Queens or ultimate Queen is especially taboo. In concerns of war, Vaurcae society is not martial in any respect. Warriors are a tool and little more to the Vaurcae, and combative prowess is not regarded highly among Unbound Vaurcae. Vaurca society has no concept of dueling or wrestling, or really any competitive sportsmanship. As a result of this, Vaurcae tend to be rather passive. Aggression between Vaurca from the same hive tends to be rare and subdued, while aggression towards outsiders tends to be masked if it exists at all. Vaurca do not typically go around 'picking fights' unless they are extremely offended, or in danger. The Vaurcae concept of loyalty differs from humanity's in that it is not ideological in any respect. Loyalty to one's hive is not considered unique, and is not flaunted, due to the simple fact that all Vaurcae are loyal to their hive - disloyalty is an anomaly. Loyalty is furthermore purely biological, the result of pheromone excretion, augmentation, and indoctrination. As mentioned above, while Vaurca Bound are exploited by their Unbound brethren, they are not typically discriminated against. Their value is apparent to the hive, and except for extreme and rare cases of excess Unbound Vaurca will treat Bound with the same regard one might treat a hammer - a tool and nothing more, nothing less.

Bound Vaurcae do not have any complex values or morals beyond serving the interests of their hive.

Lii'dra tend to follow a perversion of typical Vaurca ethical codes, if they obey an ethical code at all.

Entertainment
Unbound entertainment almost exclusively consists of frivolous, activities within their respective VR heaven's ever since it was made widely available. However, due to recent prolonged separation from VR experienced by Unbound, many Unbound must now find new ways to entertain themselves. The most basic means of accomplishing this is rendering service to their master-hive, which is considered pleasurable by most Vaurcae. For Unbound this can take various forms, depending on their mission. For Vaurcae instructed to assist humanity with labour-projects, the accomplishment of these projects is satisfactory. For Vaurca instructed to learn as much as they can, likewise. Essentially, the basic unit of Vaurcae entertainment is work. In moments of leisure, however, Unbound enjoy socializing with their fellow Unbound. Despite the fiercely regimented nature of Vaurcae society, they remain a communal species, and there are very few Vaurcae introverts.

The Bound are completely derived of pleasure and have no desire to entertain themselves.

Fashion & Cuisine
Throughout Vaurca history, fashion has remained nearly non-existent. Lacking any kind of genitalia they have nothing to be embarrassed about. Often going nude or with small garments covering their mouth. However, some Vaurca prefer to wear thin blindfold-like cloth over their eyes to prevent the 'extreme light' from giving them headaches or discomfort, and human fashion has exploded into a major fad for Unbound Vaurca.

Vaurca that venture EVA, despite their natural tolerance to high/low/vacuum pressure environments, are usually seen wearing soft-suits that allow them prolonged times in space for construction, operations, and other EVA activities.

Vaurca cuisine is viewed upon as extremely bland and tasteless to the other species. Generally consisting completely of their genetically engineered fungus that they grow en masse, it is grinded down into a paste, boiled, or eaten raw. It is described as tasting chalk-like or like iron to Humans. For Vaurca themselves, because taste is rarely an issue with their cuisine, many traditional Vaurcan dishes often have wildly different textures, the more different it is, the more fancy the meal is considered.

The fungus, K'ois ('The Substance'), is a translucent, bulbous mushroom that thrives in any environment it is placed in, apart from overly wet. While it appears this fungus is genetically bred to be so adaptable, it is also presumed it was naturally abundant over the Vaurcae home planet. It glows a sickly yellow, and this gives the entire plant a yellow hue.

The Arts
Art is a strange subject when it comes to the Vaurca. While not possessing any form of written art - that we currently know of - their art comes in a virtual sense. This art-style goes hand in hand with the Vaurcae caste system. They view their Virtual Reality as a paradise that can simulate anything and everything. Due to this Virtual Reality, they have never had the need, since uploading themselves to it, to draw, write, or anything else.

This Virtual Reality also acts as an information data hub, so as long as the Hive-Network remains active, all unbound Vaurcae knowledge can still be accessible without the need for written or typed documentation.

Beyond Virtual Reality, and perhaps as a result of it, Vaurcae tend to express themselves through sensory language and with elaborate imagery and oration. This oral tradition is typically lost upon humans due to Vaurca ineptness with human languages.

According to Vaurca sources and records, they've allowed human researchers to, art took a more important role in their pre-VR history, mostly in the form of grand works of masonry and architecture in subterranean projects.

It is considered heavily Taboo to take a picture of or depict the Queen or Lesser Queen of a hive in non-VR media as it is considered a disgrace to their spiritual beauty. Because of this, they rarely make public appearances to humanity or any species outside of VR.

One of the highest honors a Za or Ka can normally receive in their respective hives is to be bestowed the title of Xakat'kl'atan or Master of Ideal Forms. Usually achieved after death, this title can only be bestowed by a Queen or Lesser Queen. It recognizes the recipient as an authority in their particular field of study, and it is these respective Za and Ka that are approached by those newly born or training, seeking to benefit from their mastery. To become a Xakat'kl'atan while still alive is rare, but when it does occur the Ka or Za in question becomes something akin to a celebrity amongst their hive, or even others. Regardless of what they choose to do, living or dead, they remain staunch advisors of their hives Queens.

Religion
The Bound Vaurca have no concept of religion, faith, or a belief in the afterlife. They are focused entirely on fulfilling orders given to them with no capability of abstract thinking.

Unbound Vaurca often view their Virtual Reality as a literal heaven, with each iteration of this heaven hosted by separate Lesser Queens.Upon death, in one of the few ritualized events in an average Unbound Vaurca lifetime, the deceased Unbound's neural socket,(A device which microscopically replaces the functions of their organic brain over time) is removed and permanently has its data moved onto its respective Lesser Queen's VR before being reused once more in a new Unbound Vaurca.Indeed the conceptual form of this VR heaven is largely dependant upon the Lesser Queen who runs it. A Lesser Queen responsible for a hive's warriors may create a VR heaven where the achievements of Warriors are forever documented, idolized and studied.While another Lesser Queen might focus its VR upon more accurate simulations of the real world or even try to simulate other, Non-Vaurcan lifeforms for amusement or study.

Between all hosted VR constructs, there is an interstice connecting them.The primary purpose of this interstice is to transmit the massive volumes of data between all members of the hive. Entire perceptions can be shared with individuals by its use.With it, a Vaurca could share its entire life's history from its own perspective in no time at all. Within the interstice itself, the physicality of simulations tend to break down, becoming less indicative of reality at all. Will and thought are the only tools needed by Vaurca who dwell here.These tools are used to create structures and worlds not constrained by 3 dimensions,to create what their minds choose to. Yet most tend to merely use the interstice to communicate, or travel between each Lesser Queen's VR. Those that do choose to live out their afterlife here are often seen as eccentrics.

Alongside this, Vaurca venerates the great thinkers and heroes from their past, yet above all else Vaurca have a universal adoration and mystical reverence for the Queen of their respective hives. Ranked higher than the Lesser Queens who's duty is to keep the populations of Hive-Ships stable, the highest Queen of the Hive functions as a living deity with a cult of personality around them. Beginning with Vaurca in their early history viewing their queens as bringers and keepers of blossoming life in their otherwise dead world, thousands of years of separation from this High Queen has allowed the Vaurca of the Hive-Ships to elevate her to the status of bringing life to the entire galaxy. To many Unbound Vaurca their queen is the Primordial Goddess of Life, and the Lesser Queens are direct extensions of her power of bringing life, making them important religious and political figures.

One important day for Unbound Vaurca would be their Vata'keilvetk translating roughly into basic as,Transubstantiation-day. Typically occurring at or close to half of an Unbound's lifespan. This day is significant in that the Vaurca's neural socket has taken over the functions of their brain, thus cementing their place in the virtual afterlife. Many Unbound celebrate this day, and go to great lengths to celebrate the Transubstantiation-day of their peers.

By request, and if approved by their hive-cells overseeing Ta, an unbound may forgo incineration upon death for a far older practice of Reclamation. In this practice, the deceased unbounds implants are removed, and their body is specially prepared for consumption by their hive-cell. It is the belief that by consuming the physical remains of the deceased, they may move on into the Virtual without worry of what they leave behind. Skrellian historians believe that this practice likely came around between the Era of Agriculture and the Era of Augments, and probably served a purpose for the hives then. Regardless of its history, this practice had fallen out of favor for the more efficient methods, but it has recently found a resurgence within all Vaurca hives. Whether this is to curve a mounting famine that the hive faces, or if it's because of some nostalgic dream of the Sedantis of yore, none can say.

The number three has a religious, mathematical and cultural significance to Vaurca. It is the basis of all forms of math and written language for their species, as well as influencing science, social and architectural systems throughout their history. It is religiously significant in that it represents the unification of the hive, in all its disparate parts, as a single integer.

Technology
Vaurcae technology on a whole is very advanced, owing to their venerable age. While inhospitable life on Sedantis I and fierce hive rivalries tended to inhibit technological development severely, over the past 60,000 years it has developed to a level believed to be superior to that of humanity, especially in a few specific areas. However most of this technology was left behind on Sedantis I, and most technology utilized by Vaurcae in known space tends to be deteriorated. The most prevalent and advanced Vaurca technologies are of course their readily accessible Virtual Reality systems. Beyond this, they possessed robust industrial technology, allowing them to conduct extreme feats of construction and excavation in a relatively short amount of time - this is visible in how rapidly they developed their Ark-ships. Most of the time spent in creating the Ark-ships was consumed by research into the specifics of long term space-travel. The actual construction of the vessels was relatively simple once the specifics were ironed out. Vaurcae are the undisputed masters of biotechnology, with almost all Vaurcae possessing basic biomechanically systems and augments. Some Vaurcae, especially warriors, possess very exotic augmentations that are currently unmatched by human technology in that field. Small arms weaponry is another field which Vaurcae have developed extensively, owing to their intrinsic desire to make conflict a simple and quick affair. Heavier ordinance is rare due to the cramped fields of battle which Vaurcae armies engaged in, typically in hastily excavated tunnels, and similarly Vaurca technology tends to be short-range and relatively simplistic in operation. Vaurcae research into artificial intelligence is virtually nonexistent, due to their expansive Bound labourforce rendering themselves without the need for AI slaves.

As stated above, Vaurca technology available in known space tends to be lesser to the reported technology enjoyed by Vaurca on Sedantis I. Most of it has deteriorated due to 2,000 years of neglect, and there are currently no means available to Vaurca to produce equipment of similar calibre. As such, most advanced Vaurca technology is defended fiercely by the respective hive hierarchies, and any technology fielded tends to be the most decrepit and least valuable of its kind. While Vaurca technology is comparable perhaps even to Skrellian technology in theory, in practice Vaurca are still limited by their dwindling supply.

Major Hives
More in-depth information on each Vaurca hive can be found in the hive section

There are four major Vaurca factions present in human space, and it is presumed that these hives were the most capable of producing Ark-Ships. It is currently unknown how many hives there were on Sedantis I at the time of the Great Evacuation.

Zo'ra
Zo'ra - "Unstoppable."

Zo'ra, the largest and most powerful hive, and also the first one discovered by Humanity following their Hive-ship 'Titan Prime.' Information gained through contact with Vaurca present in Tau Ceti has lead to unconfirmed projections putting their population in Vaurca space at 77 billion (17.1 million in known space). Zo'ra believe themselves to be the Alpha of the Vaurca and the face of their species. They make up the majority of the Vaurca present in Tau Ceti and human space.

Zo'ra have cold relations with other hives. In Tau Ceti, this has lead to confrontations between them and other hives arriving in the system.

They are ruled by 5 Lesser Queens who organized a ruling caste shortly after contact with humanity, due to the necessity of someone representing the Vaurca in the Hiveship. They each had claimed to be direct representatives of the Zo'ra High Queen,but ever since the revelation of her death,Ta'Akaix'Vaur'skiyet'sca Zo'ra was made the new High Queen.

K'lax
K'lax - "The Deceivers."

K'lax, the second most powerful hive and second faction discovered by humanity after an additional Hive-ship Klo’zxera appeared in the Jargon Federation system Glorashi. The K'lax hive is a client state to the Zo'ra, but since contact with the Vaurca homeworld has been lost, both factions in known space are completely cut off. This has lead to a sort of fuel for independence, with many K'lax outright rejecting the claims of leadership the Zo'ra in known space have over them. Based on secondary accounts it is believed that they have 33 billion individuals in Vaurca space. (24.3 million in known space.) After arriving within Skrell space, the Klo’zxera or the Fortoken as it is called by the Unathi, quickly moved into Izweski Hegemon space. Following a tense first contact situation, the K'lax became the newest vassal of the Izweski Hegemony and settled Tret, the second planet of Uueoa-Esa system. They maintain a subtly warm, if terse relations with the Hegemon as a whole, and have committed to its terraforming agenda, being instrumental in the implementation of such a monumental undertaking.

Similar to the Zo'ra, the K'lax Hiveship is represented by three Lesser Queens who once claimed divine connection to the High Queen of K'lax.This claim is disputed by most of the Zo'ra, who claim to be the only rightful rulers of the K'lax.

C'thur
C'thur - "The Weavers"

The third hive that the species of the Orion Spur have been able to communicate with, the C'thur and their arrival has been a closely guarded secret of the Jargon Federation for the last few years. The revelation of their survival has re-ignited diplomatic disputes between the K'lax and Zo'ra, with outright hostility met by some K'lax towards the C'thur.Historically a minor hive, the C'thur were instrumental in developing inter-hive diplomacy upon Sedantis, often acting as neutral third parties to delegate issues. Indeed for much of their history, the C'thur wove complex political alliances to protect themselves as well as acting as a sort of information broker for many of the larger hives. Prior to their exodus from Sedantis, they maintained relations with both the K'lax and Zo'ra but were often seen as calculative manipulators amongst both.

The C'thur arrived within Glorashi, a system within skrell space only two weeks after the Klaxian hiveship, the Klo’zxera left the area. It is now known that C'thur hiveship, the Kloxa'xia was originally A Klaxian hive ship meant to rendezvous with the Klo’zxera within Glorashi, but left soon after detecting incoming Jargon Federation vessels. The C'thur continue to report that they secured the hiveship in diplomatic negotiations with the K'lax upon Sedantis, but the validity of this claim is yet to be proven. The C'thur have quickly integrated into Skrellian colonies within Glorashi and are predominately accepted in skrellian socioeconomic systems.Unlike all other hives, the C'thur are led by their original hive queen, who, with a council of three other Lesser Queens leads the hive in this new age.

Lii'dra
Lii'dra - "The Scourge."

For hive Lii'dra, their populations are unknown, though it is assumed that their numbers within the Orion spur remain below 12 million. Despite this, they match Zo'ra military might with cunning and tact in Vaurca space. Based on information gathered from Vaurcae in human space the Lii'dra and Zo'ra were engaged in a devastating war that seems to have followed the Zo'ra to known space. The Vaurcae present are currently unwilling to divulge the reasons for this war, but it's become apparent that reconciliation between the two hives may be completely impossible. The Lii'dra were encountered after their own Hive-ship Klo'xzai arrived in the Sol Alliance system of Lalande. Original contact became open hostility almost immediately as the Hive-ship's automated defenses opened fire on investigating Alliance patrol ships, sparking a brief skirmish that claimed the lives of 12 Alliance servicemen. Since then the Klo'xzai moved into deep space, and similar to Vox and Unathi raiders the Lii'dra in known space operate as feared raiders.

The rulers of the Lii'dra are suspected to be Lesser Queens similar to other Hiveships, but this has yet to be verified.

History Overview
More in-depth information on the history of the Vaurca can be found on their history section.

Vaurca civilization traces its roots to at least 500,000 years ago. They developed on Sedantis, a violent and barren moon where life struggled to survive. Vaurca lived underground in diverse and productive hives.

Vaurca successfully cultivated k'ois 160,000 years ago, growing it en masse and causing explosive growth.

Cybernetic augments entered Vaurca society over 15,000 years ago. The hives augmented each caste of their hive extensively, leading to the modern caste systems. Around this time Vaurca also discovered and perfected early Virtual Reality, allowing them to withdraw from their harsh daily lives into a virtual paradise.

2,000 years ago Vaurca came to realize that their world would soon come to an end from the ozone layer being completely stripped away. The Vaurca showcased their astonishing skills in adaptation and engineering by constructing the venerable Hiveships that carried entire Hives off-world in the Great Evacuation.

The Vaurca first encountered our known species in 2456 CE. Their arrival has become a source of tension and growing problems as the refugees continue to arrive in their huge ships by the millions. Each major galactic government has struggled to respond to these refugees adequately.