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Vaurca

2026-07-21T02:50:56Z

Carver: Per discussion w/ Megacorp Lore, C'thur can now be employed by Nexus mirroring their options to work for NT elsewhere.

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{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Infobox Species
|Species = Vaurca (Vaur'uyit'zir)
|Scientific = V. esseli / V. sapiens
|Image = Vaurcaduo.png
|System = Sedantis (Sc'theth'stak, "Blinding Light.")
|World = Sedantis I (Vaur'avek'uyit, "Home Afar.")
|Language = Vaurcese, Hivenet.
|Politic = [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra Hive]], [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax|K'lax Hive]], [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur Hive]].
}}

Vaurcae, (''Vaurca'' in singular term and ''Vaurcae'' in multiple) are an arthropodous species that naturally organize themselves into eusocial groups. The Vaurca are one of the oldest surviving civilizations in the known galaxy, with a '''[[Vaurca History|history]]''' that can be traced back 730 000 years ago. Now they arrive in the [[Orion Spur]] as colonists, reluctantly taken in by other civilizations.

Their eusocial organizations are referred to as Hives, led by a High Queen, typically named after the Hive itself. Below the High Queen, Lesser Queens govern specific Hive functions. Both Lesser and High Queens, as well as Surrogate Breeders, are the exclusive types of Vaurcae capable of laying eggs for the generation of new individuals. Birth under a particular Queen or Surrogate Breeder assigns a Vaurca to her brood, resulting in distinct traits and a variant carapace color compared to others. Further details on these structures and broods can be explored on the '''[[Vaurca Hives]]''' page.

Vaurca civilization is separated into several castes, with members of each caste having their biology, psychology, and education determined before they are even born. Each individual Vaurca is made often for a specific function pertaining to their caste. Vaurcae are separated further between two groups, known as psyches: '''Akaix''' (Unbound) and '''Viax''' (Bound). Akaix are no less of a person than any human, whereas Viax are incredibly simple-minded, running on no more than a desire to do what they are told, designed for their function rather than versatility. More about the castes can be read on the '''[[Vaurca_Biology|Vaurca Biology]]''' page.

Vaurcae have mechanical extras such as extensive xenowear loadout and their homeworld's flag. [[K'ois]] as a product is available in-game and they have a rather grand set of unobtainable event-spawn objects and mobs. Massive Vaurcae Breeders are playable as [[Consular Officer|consular officers]], and their lore can further be explored through artifacts and merchant items.

Vaurcae can come from the Zo'ra, K'lax, C'thur, or Lii'dra Hives. The Lii'dra are exclusive to [[Lii'dra guide|antagonists]] and events, though antagonist Vaurcae are not limited to Lii'dra.

To apply to be one of the insect-like Vaurcae, apply [https://forums.aurorastation.org/forum/13-whitelist-applications/ here].

'''Important notes:''' Vaurcae cannot be any Heads of Staff, bridge crew, or be elevated to an interim command position. Vaurcae used to require an Avowal of Responsibility to work any position higher than an intern level, but as of 4/24/2463, Avowals were abolished in [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] facilities.
{{TOC Hidden}}

==Mechanics==

*Can only healthily consume food made of k'ois, a yellow fungus originating from the Vaurcaesian home planet. K'ois is deadly to other lifeforms.
*A long-distance language in the form of Global Hivenet. It is accessible with ,9 and can only be heard by other Vaurcae, ship-bound synthetics, and augmented warriors of the [[Vaurca_Organizations#Ve'katak_Phalanx|Ve'katak Phalanx.]]
*Immune to phoron gas, and require it to breathe.
*Have a third arm to hold small objects.
*Can survive in space without a voidsuit.
*Do not take damage from electric shocks.
*Immune to slipping.
*Do not self-heal.
*Can toggle night-vision to see in the dark.
*Take x2 damage from toxins.
*Bleed out faster.
*Can be permanently rendered blind by flashing them several times in a row.
*Vaurca '''Warriors''' can bite and are more resistant to burns.
*Vaurca '''Workers''' cannot bite but are more resistant to radiation.
*Vaurca '''Bulwarks''' are slow but immune to radiation and can fireman carry two people at once.

Non-mechanic traits:
*Dislike light.
*Be raised in virtual reality.
*Generally very specialized. Born to serve a specific role.
*Face severe discrimination in human space.
*Be incredibly sensitive to smells.

==Relationships with Megacorporations==
The following is an updated table listing which megacorporations employ Vaurcae. All playable characters must adhere to these specifications; failure to do so may result in administrative action.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Vaurca Hives' Relationships
|-
! Corporations
! Zo'ra
! K'lax
! C'thur
|-
! [[Nanotrasen Corporation|NT]]
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Preferential
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-
! [[Hephaestus Industries|Heph]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Exclusive
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|-
! [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|Zavod]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-
! [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|ZH]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Preferential
|-
! [[Idris Incorporated|Idris]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|-
! [[Private Military Contracting Group|PMCG]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/NT
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/NT/DPF
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/NT/Eridani
|-
! [[Orion Express|Orion]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-
! [[Einstein Engines|Einstein]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Exclusive
|-
|}

==Biology==
''See also: [[Vaurca Biology]]''

The Vaurca appear as humanoid insects with a unique biology that sets them apart from the rest of the Orion Spur. The species is also known for its wide variety of Bioforms—unique subtypes of Vaurca with distinct anatomy. The most basic Vaurca bioforms possess four arms, with two of them being vestigial and smaller. Their hands showcase four digits, evenly distributed between thumbs and fingers. Their legs culminate in feet perfectly adapted for scaling the tunnels and caverns of their homeworld.

Their heightened sensory perception is channeled through antennae, particularly tuned to an exceptional olfactory sense. Pheromones play a pivotal role in Vaurca communication, acting as a nuanced language, much like words intertwined with delicate scents. This acute olfactory ability enables them to decipher subtle nuances within the intricate tapestry of pheromonal expressions.

All Vaurcae are highly dependent on their specialized augmentations, which may be considered vital organs for their survival. These organs are installed shortly after birth. The most important augmentation for Vaurcae is the neural socket, which allows each member of the species to connect to [[Virtual Reality]] and communicate via [[Hivenet]]. These two technologies are considered the backbone of Vaurca society.

As Vaurca become more specialized, differences between bioforms are greater. For example, some subtypes of Vaurca may possess more limbs or have been engineered to withstand harsher conditions. Advanced bioforms may also have more unique augmentations, not readily available for the common members of the Hive.

===Ka, The Workers (Type A)===
[[File:Vaurcaworker.png|left|64px]]
Type A are the most common Vaurca. Their most prevalent feature is their hardened exoskeleton, varying in colors in accordance with their Hive. 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 Vaurcae to have extended, several day-long EVA expeditions, assuming they have phoron. 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 range from 5ft to 7ft tall on average, though outliers of both spectra are not unheard of for the more specialized tasks.

It is important to note that Workers explicitly avoid violent situations wherever possible. This is not their function, and they are always more used to the Hive in peak conditions. Nearly all Workers are designed to find violence almost abhorrent—the sight and smell of blood instilling fear and worry for most.

===Za, The Warriors (Type B)===
[[File:Vaurcawarrior.png|left|64px]]
Type B are the second most prominent of Vaurca society and some of the most varied. They can range in size from 5ft tall to 8ft tall. Other types of Warriors, known as Warforms, rise to as much as 20ft tall. They can be bipedal, quadrupeds, or hexapods, 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 Vaurcae, are not typically passive. This means that they tend to be more suitable for combat-orientated positions, while Worker and Gyne 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 Vaurcae employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate are type BA, also known as '''Myrmidon'''. Myrmidons are deprived of the 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. Unlike Workers, type BA possesses longer, more powerful mandibles. These can be customizable on the character creation screen.

===Ta, The Breeders (Type C)===
[[File:Vaurcabreeder.png|left|64px]]
Type C are rare among Vaurcae and make up around 2-3% of their entire species. They are massive and larger than any of the other castes.
Female Breeders, also known as '''Gynes''', are the ruling caste of the Vaurcae and are the only available type of Breeder on the ship. Type CB, Unbound Gynes, occupy all leadership positions amongst the species and share in the same biological immortality enjoyed by them, many being born in generations long gone.

Queens, lesser and high, are the only types of Vaurcae capable of producing eggs. It falls to specialized Gynes, known as Surrogates, to fertilize, genetically shape, and nurture these eggs to maturation. Being born under a specific Queen places a Vaurca in her brood, with each brood pushing the Vaurca towards distinctive traits reflective of her will and a variant carapace color. Not all Ta are Queens, but all Queens are Ta.

Male Ta are raised as Bound while the females are raised as Unbound. Ta differ substantially from other castes in that they do not have recognized subcastes and instead are separated by ranks. Additionally, unlike the remainder of the Vaurca species, Ta are possessed of great social intelligence, making them ideal candidates for negotiating with aliens on economic and political matters. They easily grasp the nuances of social context, contracts, and systems that other castes have difficulty navigating.

Ta can only be played as [[Consular Officer|Consular Officers]].

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
====Playing a Hive Representative====
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
As a Ta aboard the Horizon you are one of the venerable leaders of the Vaurca species and more valuable than any individual Worker or Warrior, a fact you are deeply cognizant of. Vaurca of your Hive are biologically compelled to follow your orders except where they directly contradict a Ta of their own Brood and many Vaurca of other Hive's will do so in ordinary circumstances out of respect, though they are not strictly required to. Your position places you as a representative of the Court of Queens or the state you represent. As such, your diplomatic duties consist primarily of representing your brood in a positive light, advancing the political goals of your Hive, and providing emotional support and advice.

Below are the rules for playing a Ta. Any bends of these rules must be clarified with the species maintainer prior to playing the character. Failure to adhere to the guidelines may result in punishment.

*No height taller than 11 feet tall.

*As a Gyne, you are allowed to have a three-syllable name instead of the usual monosyllabic.

*Auto-hiss basic (s becomes z or more frequently not at all). You have been assigned to work on a ship full of aliens, so you would have a vocal implant aiding this significantly due to your status.

*Avoid combat and avoid doing any labor or specialized work except where absolutely necessary. Ta may and almost always do have hobbies, often developing talents in line with the skills of their brood, and they are expected to be extremely good at them owing to their incredible age. Despite this, they are leaders and politicians, not Warriors or Workers, and they should have no intention of changing this. On matters of strenuous labor, Gynes ultimately prefer delegation and inspiring others to do something.

*Avoid social ignorance. Gynes possess a high social intelligence thanks to generations of evolution, being literally made for it, so they would be knowledgeable on whether trying to clean a Unathi's horn would upset them or not.

*Ta are biologically immortal, many having lived through what would to other species be recognized as entire eras of history. Each brood has different customs regarding the age at which a Gyne is ready for diplomatic duties. Few broods trust Ta under 100 years old with any serious positions. The absolute upper limit on playable Ta age is thirty-five-thousand years, born not long before the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]]. Gynes older than this are very rare and typically Queens, Surrogates, or hive-cell Aliates, not finding work aboard the Horizon. Despite this extraordinary range, the average Hive Representative will fall between 500 and 3000 years.

*Gynes, as important members of the Hives, are entrusted with an administrative neural socket, a tool that gives them greatly increased power over the [[Hivenet]] and [[Virtual Reality]]. Mechanically, this is reflected in a series of Hivenet verbs, giving them the ability to mute, shock, ban, and even void lesser Vaurca. Despite having access to such with a thought, Ta employ them rarely, and to do so against another Hive's Vaurca without good reason is equivalent to a hostile attack, a major diplomatic incident. Voiding, the act of destroying a Vaurca's neural socket, is an absolute last resort and should never be employed lightly.
</div></div>

===Ra, The Bulwarks (Type E)===
[[File:Bullywiki.png|left|64px]]
The newest caste of the Vaurca, Type E are heavyset industrialists who specialize in jobs involving hard labor, engineering, and maintenance. Average specimens stand at 8-10 feet tall and require special clothing due to their unique shape. Type E Vaurca are the least prominent population-wise in the species, due to the fact they were only recently conceived. Bulwarks were unveiled at the first session of the reformed Court of Queens in 2463 before specimens belonging to the other Hives began appearing.

Bulwarks tend to be strictly defensive in their temperament, meaning they will fight to defend themselves and those in their immediate surroundings, before escaping when presented the chance. They will not chase down threats or run into situations they are not already involved in.

Bulwarks are only employed in select locations as of now, due to their relatively recent appearance. Notable locations include the NTCC Odin, the NSS Upsilon, the NSS Aurora, and the SCCV Horizon. Outside of these locations they are heavily monitored in where they go and are typically kept in more secure locations. There are no [[Queenless]] Bulwarks.

===The Unbound===
The '''Unbound''', or Akaix, are the sapient and self-aware parts of Vaurca society. Their eggs and larvae are given specialized care by Surrogates and Bound Workers. The Unbound are born with fully developed brains and are perfectly capable of making rational decisions. They are naturally intuitive, curious, and capable of understanding abstraction, much like a human. However, Unbound are not raised in a traditional manner. Instead, Unbound Vaurcae are trained in Virtual Reality, where they learn to fulfill their tasks for the real world. Depending on the specialization of the Vaurca, this training can widely differ.

Although Unbound are still thinking, sapient beings, they still typically maintain unwavering subservience to the respective hierarchy of their Hive. This is 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 or High Queen, they will typically pursue their own or their own hive-cell's interests.

The Unbound typically take up jobs that require more critical thinking skills, the ability to learn or adapt, and greater abstract thought than simple Bound. In this respect, Unbound Vaurcae can simply be considered on the same level as any human. Integration in the Orion Spur and other alien communities has some of them living alone or in small groups in their own apartments like any other citizen or family, working to support themselves. However, all Vaurcae are required to provide a tithe to their hive-cell, which takes most of their paycheck.

=====Playing Unbound=====
Unbound are the human-like part of the Vaurcae species and are capable of playing any non-command role in terms of ability. The uniqueness of their upbringing, combined with the millennial history of the species, provides interesting types of personality not seen in any other species. Unbound can spent thousands of years inside Virtual Reality, either kept in cryogenic storage or resleeved to return to the real world. They can also be freshly birthed, barely knowing anything besides the basics of their trade. Any other variations, as long as they are possible within the lore, are also acceptable. Likely because of their biology, many Vaurcae are generally passive and hold more value in a group's opinion rather than their own, disliking isolation.

Depending on the Hive, the personality of the Unbound can change. This is mostly true among younger Vaurcae. For example, a young K'lax Warrior might understand the military structure of the [[Izweski Nation]] and have a good grasp on [[Unathi]] traditions. For this reason, Vaurca players are encouraged to read the lore of overlapping cultures.

===The Bound===
[[File:Bound working.png|thumb||While all Bound are specialized for a specific job or instruction, all are still capable of simple labor.]]

'''Bound''' Vaurcae, Drones, or Viax, are members of a lobotomized slave caste trained to obey orders without question, chosen even before their egg is laid. Eggs designated to be Bound are provided with certain hormonal mixes designed to neutralize brain function critical for higher thought and are then put in a warm, moisture-rich environment while Surrogates and Workers oversee their care. The larvae that hatch from the eggs are then taken to another specialized, moist environment to be raised and augmented. Bound are highly capable in their positions but are incredibly simple-minded; most Vaurcae consider them less sapient than they would an [[IPC]]. The result is a very effective worker but one that struggles to adapt to unusual circumstances and has minimal ability to learn or think in abstractions.

=====Playing Bound=====

Bound have a lot in common with stationbounds in personality and playstyle. They have no concept of the self and can only act independently in matters of personal survival, maintenance, or self-defense. Vaurca Drones typically speak slowly and have trouble speaking Basic.

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 Hive's Queen, only with good reason would an Unbound Vaurca ask a Bound from its respective Hive to deviate from their duty. Otherwise, Bound are taught and expected to follow standard 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.

Bound can be easily dismissed—or culled—if their performance is unsatisfactory.

'''IMPORTANT:''' Drones are not meant to be stupid. While your Bound Vaurca is expected to be oblivious to most of their surroundings, this does not mean that Viax should be incompetent in their job. A Viax should never show ignorance towards their area of expertise or disregard for basic social conventions.

They can '''only''' take the jobs listed here. If a job title is not on this list, you cannot play them as a Bound.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Jobs playable by Bound
|-
! Department !! Jobs Available
|-
| Security || None
|-
| Medical || [[Surgeon]], [[Physician]], [[Pharmacist]]
|-
| Engineering || [[Engineer]], [[Atmospheric Technician]]
|-
| Science || [[Scientist|Lab Assistant]]
|-
| Operations || [[Hangar Technician]], [[Machinist]], [[Shaft Miner]]
|-
| Service || [[Chef]], [[Bartender]], [[Gardener]], [[Librarian]], [[Janitor]]
|-
| Civilian || [[Assistant]]
|}

==History==
''See also: [[Vaurca History]]''

Vaurcae have a rich and complex history spanning over 730 000 years. Because Vaurcae play on the fallen civilization trope, history is very important to them. As such, most Vaurca characters will have a grasp of relevant historical events. Below is a summary of Vaurca history, but you are encouraged to read the complete wiki page.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===History Summary===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
The Vaurca evolved within the harsh environment of [[Sedantis I]], the innermost satellite of the gas giant Sc'theth'stak. Survival beneath the surface demanded constant adaptation. Competition for limited resources fueled millennia of brutal warfare among the emerging Vaurca Hives. However, a pivotal event was the domestication of the k'ois fungus. This agricultural breakthrough spurred population growth, codified the current Hive hierarchy, and laid the foundation for the rise of powerful empires.

Though the exact chronology remains debated, a vast period of Vaurca history stretches back over 500 000 years. This era, often referred to as the '''Age of Death''', was marked by territorial conflicts and aggressive expansionism. It is also the era prior to the Vaurca Virtual Reality technology. Three major powers consolidated their influence: the [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax|K'lax Hive]], based in the [[Sedantis_I#Mya'kt_Fault|Mya'kt Fault]] and known for their technological innovation; the [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra Hive]], settled in the [[Sedantis_I#Veii'kt_Plate|Veii'kt Plate]] and famed for their military prowess; and the [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur Hive]], located within the [[Sedantis_I#Lei'kt_Caves|Lei'kt Caves]] and with noted diplomatic influence.

The Zo'ra Hive, through relentless conquest, established a vast empire. Their rule extended over much of Sedantis, subjugating numerous Hives—including the technologically advanced K'lax. Zo'ra's dominance would shape Vaurca society for millennia to come. Eventually, Zo'rane rule turned from ruthless to enlightened, establishing a revered organization known as the '''Court of Queens'''.

On January 5, 27 547 BCE, the small Lii'dra Hive attacked the Xtykt'lotec Rift, home of the Court of Queens. What followed was the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], a gruesome conflict that decimated the population of Sedantis. Although only lasting 80 years, the consequences of the Great Hive War deeply impacted Vaurca culture until today.

The aftermath of the Great Hive War brought to Vaurcae the Virtual Reality technology. Virtual Reality reshaped many aspects of Vaurca identity, particularly because it introduced a novel concept—the consciousness of the deceased could now be uploaded to [[Vaurca_Biology#Cephalons_(Type_D)|Cephalons]], meaning Vaurcae would never face death again. Sedantis, however, was wrecked, and although Virtual Reality was meant to be a gift for all hives, many smaller factions fell into despair, battling for the remnants of a now shrunken Zo'ra Empire. For millennia, the main Vaurca Hives were on the decline. Innovation was feared and diplomacy was kept to a minimum, out of fear of a new war and tensions.

In 412 BCE, the main Vaurca Hives entered a period known as the [[Hives Renaissance]]. This epoch saw a great increase in technological advancements and revitalized many aspects of Vaurca society, including [[Vaurca Religion|religion]]. The Hives Renaissance reinvigorated the Vaurca desire for knowledge and innovation. The most notable, however, was the [[Hives_Renaissance#The_Pon'kana_Engine|Pon'kana Engine]]. Pon'kana was a novel method of seizing the energy inside Sedantis's core, similar to a localized Dyson sphere. Although the Pon'kana Engine was initially successful, it destabilized the orbit of Sedantis, ultimately leading to its possible demise when a crash was predicted.

With this new knowledge, the Zo'ra Hive decided to evacuate the satellite. Although the K'lax Hive was not originally considered for the Exodus, their Hiveship design was favored. Ultimately, the K'lax were invited to join the Zo'ra. The C'thur reverse-engineered the Hiveship design, joining the Zo'ra and the K'lax among the stars.

Vaurcae wandered for over 2 000 years in space. At first, they established some temporary settlements, most notably [[Vaurca History#The Celis Conflict|Celis]]. However, the Hives continued to search for a new home until their arrival in the [[Orion Spur]].

The C'thur Hive made [[Vaurca History#The First Contact With Skrell|first contact with Skrell]] around '''2448-2450'''. The Zo'ra Hive made [[Vaurca History#The First Contact With Humanity|first contact with humanity]] in '''November 2456'''. The K'lax Hive made [[Vaurca History#The First Contact With Unathi|first contact with Unathi]] in '''March 2459'''.
</div></div>

===Modern Day===
Since arriving in the [[Orion Spur]], the Vaurca have strategically adapted to their new environment. To become indispensable, they have integrated themselves into the [[Republic of Biesel]], [[Izweski Hegemony]], and [[Nralakk Federation]], even providing military manpower. However, their limited resources after the [[Vaurca History#The Exodus|Sedantis Exodus]] have hampered their military readiness. Not all factions feel the same about the presence of Vaurcae in the Orion Spur. For example, the [[Republic of Elyra|Elyrans]], scarred by the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra incursion]], might be warry of all Vaurca Hives.

Though diminished from their former glory, the '''Zo'ra Hive''' remains a formidable power in the Orion Spur. Their military might is unmatched among the Vaurca Hives, boasting a vast force of warriors and specialized warforms. The military and political finesse of the Zo'ra is mostly evident in the [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], where they assisted the young republic by filling their ranks. This move granted them influence within the military structure and a path into the intricate political web of the Spur. The Zo'ra's focus on hybridizing weapons technology has also allowed them to strike deals with megacorporations, such as the [[NanoTrasen Corporation]] and [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]. While they have successfully revived the Court of Queens in their capital, New Sedantis, a significant portion of the [[Flagsdale|Zo'ra population on Biesel]] live in great squalor. For more information, visit [[Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel]].

While the Zo'ra focus on military and political influence, the '''K'lax Hive''' has proven most adept at harnessing advanced technologies for the Orion Spur's realities. This comes as little surprise to the K'lax, the brilliant inventors whose contributions were often overshadowed by the Zo'ra. Their collaboration with the Unathi on [[Moghes]] saw the ingenious adaptation of ancient terraforming machines to the Spur's materials. This expertise fueled their transformation of the desolate colony of [[Tret]] into a sprawling factory planet—the new industrial heart of the Izweski Hegemony. Tret's vast production capabilities have significantly boosted the Hegemony's economy, fueling military expansion and technological development. While the K'lax also provide Warriors to the Hegemony, their numbers pale in comparison to the Zo'ra's contributions to the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Despite this, unfavorable external deals with [[Hephaestus Industries]] limit the full financial rewards the K'lax reap from their industrial prowess. For more information, visit [[K'lax in the Izweski Nation]].

Economically, it is only the '''C'thur Hive''' who have truly profited. While the other Hives are reliant on collective money pools brought in by employed Bound and Unbound or the leftovers of their own factory exports, being harbored by the generous [[Nralakk Federation]] has opened up a large amount of opportunities, to say nothing of the C'thur Hive's historical inclinations. The C'thur have bought a significant portion of [[Einstein Engines]], opening a connection to the [[Eridani Federation|Eridani Corporate Federation]], and many job opportunities. These factors have resulted in the C'thur being in a financial and corporate advantage. Money that is received by Hives is typically distributed between the Queens, each given the discretion to use their share however they wish within certain limits. For more information, visit [[C'thur in the Federation|C'thur in the Nralakk Federation]].

====Individuals====
For many Unbound, adapting to their new lives has been a tough ordeal, but one that is short suffered. Once settled, most hive-cells are capable of sharing a single-bedroom apartment due to their preference for confined spaces and their tendency for practicality over personality. Personal possessions are not uncommon, Unbound are welcome to spend what little money they typically receive on hobbies.

'''Workers''' mostly shifted from serving the Hive to employment well, with only a few incredibly specialized Unbound finding difficulty. While confusion was apparent at the complicated process of the simple act of going to work, once clarified, many Vaurcae brought their specialized knowledge and pragmatism into like-minded fields, typically able to share their intricate knowledge with great practical success. On a social level, however, many Unbound are prone to varying levels of discrimination. Such acts can be extremely discreet, such as being made to do a less desirable task. On the other hand, some overtly voice their dislike, often showing their ignorance of how Vaurcae operate and live. More obvious examples of dislike include incidents such as [[Little Adhomai|Tajara gangs]] having feuds with Vaurcae in Mendell City.

'''Warriors''', however, did not have such an easy transition. While there were some who could transition as well as most Workers, many of the Unbound purely bred for combat struggled to find applicable work. Some of these soldiers slowly managed to trickle into work as private security, bodyguards, and alike, while others found trivial work doing menial or laborious tasks. K'lax Warriors mostly serve in the Hegemony. Meanwhile, many others, especially from the Zo'ra Hive, have found a place doing what they do best in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Much of this situation was recently alleviated by the founding of the Pan-Vaurcaesian military the [[Private_Military_Contracting_Group#Ve'katak_Phalanx]] which draws in a large percentage of what would be the otherwise unemployed Vaurca Warriors, giving them a place in service to the Court of Queens.

'''Bulwarks''' are somewhere in-between. As the newest mainstream caste, they have been specifically bred for specialized purposes. However, there are still many limitations. As many Bulwarks were a novelty when they were first unveiled, their uses were diverse. Currently, most Bulwarks are still employed in heavy industries such as mining or engineering. Some outliers remain, working in other fields as unique and valuable assets.

==Culture==
''See also: [[Vaurca Culture and Society]] and [[Vaurca Religion]]''

As the oldest sapient species in the Orion Spur, Vaurca history and culture are incredibly rich and diverse. However, the dominant understanding of Vaurca culture stems from the traditions of the Zo'ra Hive and their historical empire. While the K'lax and C'thur Hives possess their own cultural variations, the influence of the Zo'ra permeated their vast domain for centuries.

Prior to the invention of [[Virtual Reality]], Vaurca artistic expression prioritized physical mediums. One of the main art forms was grandiose architecture, often carved directly into the caverns of Sedantis. These sculptural and architectonic feats demonstrated both skill and devotion. Intricate sculptures and elaborate rhythmic music were other cornerstones of their culture. These enduring art forms have seen a revival among Vaurca in the Orion Spur seeking to differentiate themselves and showcase their unique heritage to other species.

Today, much of Vaurca culture exists within the digital landscape. Each Queen maintains vast virtual temples dedicated to knowledge, arts, and crafts. This shift towards digitalization has shaped the core of modern Vaurca cultural expression. Within Virtual Reality, Vaurcae find an unlimited canvas for artistic pursuits, collaborative learning, and the preservation of history.

[[Vaurca Religion|Religion]] plays a significant role in the lives of many Vaurcae. While individuals or hive-cells often choose their faith, it remains one of the few aspects of an Unbound Vaurca's life not wholly dictated by the Queens. Virtually all Vaurca faiths revere the Queens, particularly their own. This reverence, reinforced by pheromones and immersive Virtual Reality experiences, contributes to the stability of the Hives and strengthens the Queens' rule.

===Language===
Before the invention of the Hivenet in the [[Vaurca History#The Era of Augments|Era of Augments]], Vaurcae would communicate by distributing pheromones from mouth to mouth for complex messages, and vibrations with their antennae for simpler messages, sent via larger distances. Since Vaurcae do not possess a vocal tract, spoken language was unknown to them until their arrival to the Spur. The invention of the Hivenet allowed for a better and more long-range method to communicate with each other, making cooperation more efficient. While to a stranger Hivenet might just sound like rhythmic vibrations, for a Vaurca the received message—which is encoded pheromones coded and transmitted as signals—"sounds" in their head, which is how the Vaurcese vocabulary has been incorporated in Human, Skrell, and Unathi space.

These encoded pheromones can also transmit emotions and other kinds of warnings. Because of the lack of facial expressions available for Vaurcae, it is common for individuals to express themselves by sending a message such as this on the net. Other simple encoded messages such as small onomatopoeic sounds, reactions like eye-rolls, and basic "images" may also be sent. "Videos" are too heavy to be encapsulated by pheromones in the way other species would understand it, instead coming across as a collection of feelings and basic information.

Since the species' arrival in the Spur, they have been forced to develop augmentations known as voice synthesizers which allow for speech and the translation of language. The majority of these voice modulators are cheap, which is responsible for much of the species possessing a peculiar buzzing accent. Without this augmentation, no Vaurca is able to audibly receive or reproduce a xenolanguage. Additionally despite the species not having used a written language commonly since the invention of Virtual Reality, Vaurcae are able to learn to read and write in Basic, and for an employee on board the [[SCCV Horizon]], part of their education would have consisted in such.

====Speaking like a Vaurca====
Vaurcae working in alien space have augments that allow them to have an easier time speaking the languages of the Orion Spur. However, due to the desperate times the species is in, speech augments tend to be of variable quality. Vaurcae typically expresses an unfamiliarity with most alien languages, 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. This tends to happen most to those who are not used to alien cultures.

Many Vaurcae and their vocal augments have difficulty producing sounds related to the letter "s", and instead substitute with a harsh buzzing in the throat. For example, "May I please have some k'ois?" becomes "May I pleaze have zome k'oiz?" The sonorization of the "s" is less prevalent in K'lax Vaurcae, as they usually have a more refined voice modulator that allows them to mimic the voiceless fricative so present in Unathi languages. Because of this, K'lax players are encouraged to set the '''auto-hiss to "basic"''' in the game settings. This is a recommendation and K'lax players are by no means required to do this.

Most voice modulators have difficulty producing soft consonant sounds such as those produced by "f" or "ph", and instead substitute them with a voiced "vh". For example, "Phoron gas is fine!" becomes "Vhoron gas is vhine!" Some unfortunate specimen may even be plagued with both impediments at once. For example, "The phoron in these k'ois lets me breathe." becomes "The vhoron in theze k'oiz letz me breathe." These speech impediments are commonly found in Vaurcae of the Zo'ra and C'thur Hives. As a result, players are encouraged to set the '''auto-hiss to "full"''' in the game settings.

The speech impediments of your Vaurca can be pushed even further, and you are encouraged to experiment with what works best for you. If committed to it, the voice modulator of a Vaurca can make their Basic almost unintelligible. However, keep in mind that some jobs have [[Stellar_Corporate_Conglomerate_Occupation_Qualifications#Communication:|regulations for speech impediments]]. As such, you are encouraged to try to maintain your Vaurca characters relatively easy to communicate with.

Depending on the specialization of each hive-cell, the voice modulator might be of better quality. Some Vaurcae employed in more "prestigious" roles usually have little to no difficulty producing sounds in Basic. Vaurca Breeders almost always have high-end voice modulators that do not distort the sound. In some cases, such as representatives of the Izweski Hegemony or the Nralakk Federation, the Gyne might imitate the usual speech patterns of their host species.

====Naming System====

Vaurcae have first names made of three parts. The first part is their '''caste''': '''Ka''' for Workers, '''Za''' for Warriors, '''Ra''' for Bulwarks, or '''Ta''' for Breeders. The second syllable indicates whether they are Bound or Unbound; '''Akaix''' for Unbound, '''Viax''' for Bound.

The last syllable of the name is unique and decided by the player. In Vaurcese, this segment would translate to a unique identifier, representing a natural number. This serial identifier can repeat between Hives, but you are discouraged from copying the name of another character. All identifiers should be short, at most two syllables. Gynes in the ship usually have longer names, consisting of multiple segments. Unlike the names of other castes, the names of Gynes are usually meaningful. They can be divided into multiple apostrophes.

A Worker Unbound Vaurca, for example, may be named '''Ka'Akaix'Siith Zo'ra'''; "Siith" is their personal identifier. The surname is the Hive that the Vaurca is a part of, in this case, "Zo'ra". A Zo'rane Gyne could be named '''Ta'Akaix'Nil'scyet'maak Zo'ra'''; "Nil'scyet'maak" is their personal name.

In summary, the name is your Vaurca's caste, whether they are Bound or Unbound, and their personal, unique name. Their surname is their Hive.

===Vaurca Augmentation===
While many Vaurcae look identical in an augmented state, aside from various shifts in color, virtually all Vaurcae are augmented in some manner, the degree to which depends very much on their caste and purpose.

The most augmentation is typically seen in Bound Vaurcae. 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 weapons 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 rarely undergo such severe augmentation. The great limitation of such heavy modification is that it eliminates versatility, which is a significant part of the purpose of the Unbound caste. For many their augments are performance-enhancing instead of completely form-altering. The majority of Unbound are today equipped with at least basic communication augments, which make them versatile assets to speak with extra-hive entities.

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

==See also==
* [[Vaurca Hives]], where you can find information on each brood. There is a portal available to navigate between broods pages easily.
* [[Vaurca Biology]], to learn more about the specifics of each caste and the many bioforms.
* The [https://discord.gg/mtCq7VpaqB Vaurca channels on the lore Discord], where you can learn and ask more about the species.

{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
[[Category:Vaurca]]
[[Category:Species]]
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New Blades Old Wounds Arc

2026-07-08T15:29:04Z

Carver: K'laxian to K'laxan

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<div style="font-size:162%; border:2px solid #dca200; margin:0; background:#29870e; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">New Blades, Old Wounds</div>
<center>
{{Template:2024 Event Timeline}}
<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #dca200; margin:0; background:#29870e; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">This is the overview and timeline page for the '''New Blades, Old Wounds''' Arc which began on '''April 20, 2024''' and pertains largely to '''[[Unathi]] and [[Skrell]] lore.'''</div>
<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #dca200; margin:0; background:#29870e; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">It is centered around the relationship between the [[Izweski Hegemony]] and the [[Nralakk Federation]], and their joint humanitarian efforts on the planet [[Moghes]].</div>
<div style="font-size:110%; border:2px solid #dca200; margin:0; background:#29870e; padding:.1em; color:#fff;">Below is a summary of the arc's applicable news articles, and additions.</div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Hegemon Announces Talks With Skrell!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

20/04/2466

''"Awake, dear heart, awake."''<br>
-The Tempest, Act I Scene II

Hegemon Not'zar reaches out to the Nralakk Federation, hoping that [[Change on the Horizon Arc|recent upheavals]] will allow old grudges to be laid to rest.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

In a surprising announcement from Skalamar today, Hegemon Not’zar Izweski announced that he intends to hold a diplomatic summit with the Nralakk Federation, which will be led by High Speaker Seleta Sarnac. The office of the High Speaker followed up on this, stating that Hegemon Not’zar understands that there is a long and often-troubled history between Sinta and Skrell, and he hopes that the two nations can enter into a more prosperous relationship in future.

The talks are set to take place on Ouerea, in several weeks’ time. Many have speculated as to the Hegemon’s choice to invite the Skrell delegation to Ouerea rather than Moghes - while some believe it is simply due to the planet’s large Skrell population, others believe that the Hegemon intends to call the Skrell to account for the planet’s occupation during the Contact War.

The Skrell delegation’s agenda, as well as who their representative will be, remains to be seen. The office of the High Speaker confirmed to us this morning, however, that the Nralakk Federation has accepted the Hegemon’s invitation. Their envoys will likely be en route to Uueoa-Esa already, and many wait apprehensively to see what the Federation hopes to get from these talks.

Some among the nobility have been outspoken against the Hegemon’s decision, however - with many protesting the inviting of Skrell to Izweski space, blaming them for everything from the Ouerean Rebellion to the Contact War itself. Perhaps the most outspoken of these was Lord Juyzi Izaku of Mudki, who invited representatives of Sinta Articles to a press conference in the city to issue his statement.

Lord Izaku was certainly passionate on the matter, claiming that ''"The Skrell, they get inside a man’s thoughts, to twist his mind and strip his honor! You see them, small and weak as they are, and you think they are harmless, but they can manipulate your very spirit - look at the slaughter on Ouerea, barely more than five years ago! It was driven by them, twisting innocent Sinta to anarchy and murder, and now the Hegemon wishes to treat with them? He must be careful, lest he find himself dancing on their vile and twisted strings.”''

While the Lord of Mudki is certainly the most outspoken, he is not the only one of the nobility to object to these talks. Several among the nobility have petitioned the Hegemon to turn away from this plan, citing the occupation of Ouerea and subsequent rebellion as proof that the Skrell cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith.

We at Sinta Articles hope for a resolution that is beneficial to the Hegemony and its people. As always, we shall keep our readers updated on these talks as they develop.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Ormish Jrolk Departs For Alien Stars=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Warble Enquirer'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix, Brotendo'''

26/04/2466

''“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act II Scene II

The Federation's representative departs for Ouerea.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Grand Advisor of Economic Development Ormish Jrolk has announced their temporary departure from Federation space today - leading a delegation to the planet Ouerea, a warm and hospitable world currently under the rule of the Izweski Hegemony. The ruler of the Hegemony, Hegemon Not’zar Izweski, extended formal invitations to the Nralakk Federation to send a delegation to Ouerea, in the hopes of laying to rest past hostilities between Unathi and Skrell.

The Unathi, for those of our readers who are not aware, rapidly descended into global nuclear warfare following first contact with the Federation and the Solarian Alliance - during which a delegation of Federation diplomats was sent in the hopes of brokering peace between the two warring sides, and preventing needless loss of life. These delegates were murdered, their shuttle shot down by the group known as the ‘Traditionalist Coalition’ (Unrelated to the Homeworld Traditionalist Coalition party), a radical collection of Unathi micro-states opposed to further dealings with the Federation and humanity.

Since that day, the Federation has had little contact with the Unathi - though for several decades, Federation officials administrated the colony on Ouerea, due to the Hegemon’s inability to do so during wartime. Following the end of what the Unathi have come to call the ‘Contact War’, the Federation graciously returned control of Ouerea to the Unathi, though a substantial Skrell population remains on the planet.

Reportedly, the delegation was approved with an overwhelming majority by the Grand Council, with only the Homeworld Traditionalist Coalition voting against. Coalition leader Overseer Nalo Gir-Roq referred to the delegation as “a mistake” during an address to the Council, claiming that for the Federation to involve ourselves further in the affairs of the Spur at large only serves to weaken our position on the interstellar stage. The Coalition was thoroughly outvoted, however, with all other parties standing in favor of the Ouerean talks. Grand Advisor Jrolk and the Federalist League cited the dangers of pirate and Marauder activity on the Federation’s southern border, claiming that forming stronger ties to the nations of the Sparring Sea is a proactive measure to ensure our national security against such threats in future - while voices from the Free Skrell Union cited establishing further connections to Hephaestus Industries as a key reason for building diplomatic ties to the Hegemony.

The talks are scheduled to begin in several weeks' time. Questions of whether these talks will lead to future involvement in Unathi affairs, or further connection with alien nations, remain unanswered for now - though the Federation watches eagerly to see what will come of the Ouerean summit.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Nralakk Delegation Arrives, Talks Begin=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

30/04/2466

''“Yet, with my nobler reason 'gainst my fury''<br>
''Do I take part; the rarer action is''<br>
''In virtue than in vengeance.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act V Scene I

The talks on Ouerea begin, and speculation abounds on what each side hopes to gain.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The delegation from the distant Nralakk Federation has arrived, entering the Uueoa-Esa system early this morning before landing on Ouerea properly. Led by Ormish Jrolk, their ‘Grand Advisor of Economic Development’ - a role similar to a Master of Rivers - the delegation was promptly shown to a hotel in New Skalamar’s Founding District, where the talks are set to take place.

High Speaker Sarnac was present to welcome the delegation, along with her entourage. To the clamoring of spectators Unathi, Skrell and human alike, they entered the hotel, where the talks have begun in earnest. Though it is very early in the process, our correspondent on the scene was able to glean some insight as to the agendas from both sides.

It appears that the Hegemon, via the High Speaker, has demanded reparations from Nralakk for the occupation of Ouerea, claiming that they had no right to meddle in that world’s affairs and that it was shameful that his father was forced to resort to drastic measures to reclaim what is rightfully an Izweski colony. The Skrell have not taken this well, with their delegation claiming that the Federation was the only reason Ouerea survived the Contact War at all, and that Hegemon S’kresti’s actions were an act of rash bravado, where he could have instead negotiated with the Federation to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. The Skrell delegation also mentioned a shuttle of their diplomats destroyed by Traditionalists during the Contact War, claiming that as the ruler of all Moghes, Hegemon Not’zar bears an obligation to make amends.

So far, neither side seems to be bending on their demands - though the diplomatic process can be a lengthy one, and negotiations have only just begun. Rumors abound on the streets of Ouerea, however, with many claiming that Guildmaster T’zakal of Hephaestus Industries may be invited to the talks. As yet, Hephaestus Industries has not made any statement on the matter, and these rumors may have little merit to them.

As always, we at Sinta Articles will keep our readers updated on these talks as they progress, and we express our deepest hope for a mutually beneficial resolution.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Talks Continue On Ouerea; Hephaestus, K’lax Invited=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix, Desven'''

5/05/2466

''“The hour's now come;''<br>
''The very minute bids thee ope thine ear.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act I Scene II

The talks continue, and new faces are seen at the table
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The diplomatic talks on Ouerea seem to be making swift progress - while we do not have any further information on how both parties’ agenda is shifting, word from the inside is that attitudes have begun to soften, and that both sides are moving closer to an agreement. What that agreement is, and what it will entail for the Hegemony at large, remains to be seen.

Hephaestus Industries has also announced that they will be attending the talks at the Hegemon’s request, with Guildmaster T’zakal issuing a statement that due to the guild’s strong ties to every part of the Hegemonic economy since their recent reorganization of the major Hegemonic guilds, the outcome of these talks is of deep importance to Hephaestus.

Guildmaster T’zakal arrived on Ouerea yesterday morning, and spent the day touring the recently-completed Aquacultural Center One - before arriving by shuttle in New Skalamar last night, and traveling straight to the site of the talks. What role Hephaestus may play in this negotiation is as of now unknown.

The K’lax Hive have also announced that they will be in attendance at the talks. As one of the largest and most influential vassals of the Hegemon, the Vaurcae of Tret are instrumentally positioned within our nation’s economy, with one of the Hive’s representatives stating that ''“Since our arrival, the K’lax and the Sinta’Unathi have held a shared destiny - and if the Nralakk Federation is to be involved in that destiny, we will be included in the discussions.”''

The K’lax delegation at the talks is reportedly being directed by the Queen Vedhra, with representatives of her brood having arrived on Ouerea this afternoon. Sinta Articles reporters attempted to get in contact with the K’laxan delegation in order to elaborate on why the High Queen elected not to send a representative from her own brood, but were unable to clarify. Our correspondents contacted Lady Ta’Akaix’Maz'roth'isek K’lax, the leader of the K’laxan delegation, who stated ''“The High Queen trusts in her servants’ ability in a matter that will affect the Hive in its entirety. Though I serve the Queen Vedhra, my role at this summit is to stand for all the K’lax.”''

With the talks soon to enter their second week, we eagerly await further information. As always, we will keep our readers updated as the situation develops.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Senator Trang Condemns Hephaestus Role in Nralakk Summit=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sol Alliance News Network'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

12/05/2466

''“The truth you speak doth lack some gentleness''<br>
''And time to speak it in.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act II Scene I

The Ouerean summit gains attention from across the stars - and not all are happy to see Hephaestus take such a role.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Senator Le Hanh Trang has issued a public statement with regards to recent talks between the Nralakk Federation and the Unathi-ruled Izweski Hegemony, condemning the invitation of Hephaestus Industries. In a live statement from Unity Station today, the senator stated that ''“It is a dark day for the Spur when a megacorporation sits at a table with two nations, and negotiates as an equal. We in the Alliance know too well the damage that these corporations can cause - the actions of NanoTrasen have been devastating to the Alliance and its people, and Hephaestus themselves have exploited my homeworld and its people for generations. While this is not unexpected of the Unathi - a species new to the interstellar stage, who do not understand the danger that unchecked corporate power poses - I would expect more wisdom from our long-time allies in the Nralakk Federation than to allow such a predatory force to influence their affairs. I hope that both sides of these Ouerean negotiations realize the foolishness of their actions, and reconsider inviting Hephaestus to their discussion.”''

Senator Trang has often made such statements against the megacorporations of the Spur, having been a leading figure in the implementation of the Solarian Corporate Authority and the nationalization of corporate assets across the Alliance. SANN reporters reached out to the Nralakk Federation consulate on Unity Station, and received an official response informing us: ''“The Nralakk Federation is well aware of all risks involved in these negotiations, but we do not make our decisions based on fear. Rest assured that our representatives shall act with the wisdom that we pride ourselves on, and that we extend our hopes that ill-founded fear is not allowed to jeopardize the friendship between our two great nations.”''

SANN has also reached out to staff at the Alliance embassy on Moghes for comment, but we have only received a fax informing us that the Alliance has yet to take an official stance on the matter. Time will tell whether or not Senator Trang’s words will reach our allies in the Federation, however - or whether Hephaestus will keep its seat at the negotiating table.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Agreement Reached on Ouerea!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

20/05/2466

''“And as the morning steals upon the night,''<br>
''Melting the darkness, so their rising senses''<br>
''Begin to chase the ignorant fumes that mantle''<br>
''Their clearer reason.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act V Scene I

Old grudges are settled, and new accords are struck.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The High Speaker has announced that the talks with the Nralakk Federation, which have been ongoing for nearly a month, have reached an end, with both parties finally reaching an agreement. She was photographed with the Skrell representative, Ormish Jrolk, proudly announcing the signing of the newly-named Nralakk-Izweski Mutual Prosperity Agreement.

The agreement is a lengthy one, but our correspondents have gathered the main points that are most likely to impact our readers, and what they may mean for the future of our own nation and our newfound friends in the Nralakk Federation. The agreement entails the following:

* The Nralakk Federation will formally acknowledge its unlawful occupation of Ouerea - while both parties recognise the difficulties the Contact War posed to colonial administration, the Federation will formally acknowledge that control should have been returned immediately following the end of the war on Moghes, and that Hegemon S’kresti should not have had to resort to military action to see our colony returned to us. The Federation has declined to comment on the Sol Alliance’s role in the Ouerean affair, stating that it lies outside the purview of the summit.
* As a form of reparation for their interference in Sinta affairs, the Federation will offer the assistance of its scientists in combating the spreading of the Wasteland, as well as assisting in medical treatment of those harmed by radiation.
* The Hegemon has made a formal trade agreement with the Federation, and is set to begin exporting raw materials to Skrell space soon via Hephaestus Industries. Guildmaster T’zakal has strongly endorsed this announcement, welcoming the opportunity to expand further into alien markets.
* The Hegemony will permit the ships of the Federation’s ‘Qukala’ (their primary military force) to dock at any Izweski colony, station or port. This will allow our new trade partners to assist the Izweski Navy in ensuring that cargo vessels are capable of safely traveling through the Badlands and Sparring Sea without threat of piracy.

While some still remain skeptical of the Nralakk-Izweski Mutual Prosperity Agreement, the mood across the Hegemony overall is one of celebration, as the Federation’s commitment to the restoration efforts on Moghes has been declared.

An initial group of Federation scientists and healers is set to arrive within the month, to begin working to both treat radiation-related disorders among the population and to work with the brightest minds of the Hegemony in accelerating environmental restoration efforts on Moghes. High Speaker Sarnac made a public address from Skalamar, having seen the Skrell delegation safely depart from the system, bound to return to Federation space. From the Izweski keep, the High Speaker addressed the assembled press, stating:

''“It has been a long and arduous negotiation - but both the Hegemon and myself are pleased at this outcome. The rabble-rousing of some who believe the Skrell hold some sort of nefarious agenda can be safely dismissed - and on behalf of myself and Hegemon Not’zar, I wish to welcome the aid of our new allies in the Nralakk Federation in the restoration of our world. May the Great Spirit bless this new agreement, and the wisdom of our Hegemon in seeking such a powerful ally.”''

The Nralakk Federation has also made plans for the reopening of the embassy in Skalamar, having made an agreement with Hephaestus Industries to begin construction on new premises immediately. Though an ambassador has yet to be appointed, Grand Advisor Jrolk did make a brief statement to Sinta Articles earlier today, stating on behalf of the Nralakk Federation their satisfaction with the agreement reached - and that they look forward to the age of future cooperation between our two nations that this agreement heralds.

We at Sinta Articles strongly congratulate the Hegemon for this alliance, as well as the offer of assistance from our new friends in the Federation. As always, we will keep our readers updated as the situation develops further.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Event I: Strange Bedfellows=
'''Server Event'''

'''Host: RustingWithYou'''

02/06/2466

Via Hephaestus, the SCC is invited to participate in the humanitarian program. Fresh from their recent successes on Konyang, the SCCV Horizon is deployed to the Uueoa-Esa system.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The Horizon crew was invited to the Grand Ouerean Hotel in New Skalamar, while humanitarian program representatives inspected the vessel. While the crew enjoyed the hotel's many amenities, command met with representatives of the Hegemony, the Federation, the K'lax Hive, and Hephaestus Industries, who briefed them on the significance of their mission. The Horizon was informed that their first major mission would be to assist the town of Kazseres, located in the southern Tza Prairie.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Event II: Brave New World=
'''Server Event'''

'''Host: RustingWithYou'''

09/06/2466

The Horizon crew deployed to the town of Kazseres to provide aid and survey the region alongside Federation staff. Though some difficulties emerged, the mission was overall a success.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The Horizon crew landed in Kazseres, located in southern Tza. After exploring the town and meeting the locals, the Horizon crew began working to provide food and medical aid, while the ship's engineers worked on infrastructure repairs and the research team surveyed the region with the Nralakk Federation personnel. Eventually, the crew encountered a pair of Gawgaryn who had been stealing humanitarian supplies, and found themselves in a tense standoff. Though the hostage perished, the two Gawgaryn were captured and sentenced to death by the local lord. Engineering was able to partially repair the Kazseres Hydroelectric Dam, and a comprehensive survey produced by the science team indicated that the region could recover from the damage of the Contact War. With their mission a success, the crew departed Kazseres.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Humanitarian Mission to Tza "Major Success"=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Lent23, CaptainGecko'''

16/06/2466

''“O brave new world, that has such people in it!”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act V Scene I

The humanitarian mission to Kazseres is well-received, despite some minor setbacks. Locals of the region are hopeful for what may come.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Following the signing of the Nralakk-Izweski Mutual Prosperity Agreement, the newly-launched humanitarian program has made its first major stride in the town of Kazseres, located south of Kutah in the Tza Prairie. Following the assistance of a team from the Nralakk Federation, aid was provided by the crew of the SCCV Horizon, a foreign corporate vessel brought to assist by Hephaestus Industries.

Our reporters visited Kazseres shortly after the Horizon’s crew departed, and locals tell us that the difference is already noticeable. The artificial Lake Kazseres which the town is built around has been restored to its former glory, with a team of Horizon engineers having made initial repairs on the grand Kazseres Hydroelectric Dam - once the pride of the region. Reportedly, former residents in the wider Tza Prairie are considering returning home, as both the dam and the area’s rich mines are scheduled to reopen towards the end of 2466.

Hephaestus Industries repair crews are set to begin work on the dam and mines, and reportedly fish populations are to be reintroduced to the lake thanks to Hephaestus aquaculture centers on Ouerea. Our correspondent in the field spoke to Lord Khuzar Mogarakh of Kazseres, who was present for the corporate mission. Lord Mogarakh was unable to speak for long due to his duties, but informed us that in his eyes: ''“The mission went well, and I am pleased to hear the dam may one day returned to working order. I am told by our honored guests from Nralakk that this land can be healed, and that my Kazseres can be restored to the peace and prosperity it once knew. Some of the aliens were rowdy and disrespectful - but others showed great honor and wisdom. If the rest of the Hegemon’s program goes as the mission here did, then I have high hopes for the future of our world. The spirits have blessed not just me, but all of my subjects upon this land today.”''

The leader of the Nralakk Federation team, one Qu’vesi (Nral’malic: “Star Graduate”, a highly accomplished scholar) Aqaz'Par Maqzi, seemed to agree with Lord Mogarakh’s optimism. They informed us that while the full report on the region’s wellbeing is still being put together, the data that they acquired alongside Horizon scientists indicates a bright future for Kazeres and the region as a whole. Qvs. Maqzi gave their warm thanks to the corporate research team who aided the Federation personnel in their efforts, stating that ''“The research done by the scientists of the Horizon will be invaluable in the future of the restoration efforts here. I cannot thank them enough for their work, and I hope that they see such success elsewhere.”'' Federation staff are scheduled to remain in Kazseres, and are reportedly preparing to work with Hephaestus Industries on restoring the Kazseres Hydroelectric Dam to working order.

The mission did not run completely unhindered, however - reportedly a group of Gawgaryn from the Wasteland to the south had approached Kazseres, looking to steal humanitarian supplies from the locals in need. When discovered, the Gawgaryn kidnapped a Horizon employee and attempted to flee, before they were captured by corporate security and local law enforcement - though tragically, their hostage was murdered before the criminals were apprehended. The Gawgaryn were found guilty of theft, murder, banditry, and dishonorable behavior, and sentenced to execution for their heinous crimes. Though we could not reach him for comment at this time, Overlord Hutay’zai has reportedly deployed his own sworn warriors to several towns in southern Tza to protect against further incursion from these dishonorable raiders.

The humanitarian efforts across the Tza Prairie continue, with plans reportedly being made to expand operations to similarly afflicted regions of Moghes in the days ahead. We were unable to receive any information as to the program’s next major endeavor at this time. For further news on the humanitarian program, and for all Sinta news Spur-wide, remember - stick to the source you know you can trust. Stick to Sinta Articles.

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=Event III: This Thing of Darknes=
'''Server Event'''

'''Host: RustingWithYou'''

30/06/2466

Fresh from their successes in Kazseres, the Horizon's crew were deployed to assist Federation humanitarian workers in the town of Izilukh, in the northern [[Zazalai Mountains]]. Upon arrival, they found several dead Federation crew, with signs of a prolonged battle nearby. As the crew aided Izilukh, they worked to discover what had happened to the Federation team - eventually learning that they were killed by Lord Izaku's warriors. After a brief battle between the crew and Izaku's men, the crew evacuated the region.
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Upon learning that the Federation team had been killed, the Horizon found Izaku's escort attempting to steer them away from investigating further. While some of the crew carried out the aid mission, others sought to discretely learn the truth of what had happened, and potentially locate any survivors. One surviving Skrell, seemingly delirious and confused, appeared in the Srom, allowing the Horizon's Skrell to speak with them and gain more information.

Eventually, Horizon scientists discovered a long-abandoned Izweski military bunker, prompting Izaku's warriors to attack out of fear of their crimes being discovered by the Hegemony. Within the bunker, the crew was able to negotiate the release of the surviving Skrell and flee as reinforcements arrived. Returning to the Horizon, the crew left the ruins of Izilukh behind - waiting to see what would come of the tragedy.

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=Hegemon Condemns Izaku!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

01/07/2466

''“This thing of darkness I''<br>
''Acknowledge mine.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act V Scene I

The Hegemon responds to Izaku's betrayal.
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Yesterday, tragedy and dishonor struck the Zazalai Mountains, with several members of the humanitarian programme murdered by the warriors sent to protect them. A corporate vessel landed near the town of Izilukh discovered that several Nralakk Federation workers had been abducted and killed, and were soon betrayed by their escort, forcing a retreat from the area. One Federation worker was rescued from captivity by the crew of the SCCV Horizon, and has reportedly been moved to Skalamar General Hospital for treatment.

Eyewitness testimony indicates this savage and honorless attack to have been conducted at the order of Lord Juyzi Izaku of Mudki. In response to this, the Hegemon has issued an official public statement in response, addressing both Sinta Articles and interstellar news correspondents from outside Keep Izweski in Skalamar. A full video excerpt of the Hegemon’s speech, recorded by our correspondents, is visible below.

''The camera pans upward, displaying the logo of Sinta Articles. An Unathi man is standing at a podium, clad in simple yet fine robes of red and gold - instantly recognisable as Hegemon Not’zar Izweski. Izweski banners hang in the background, and two heavily-armored Unathi carrying what look like some kind of energy spear or glaive flank him, their distinctive insignias marking them as warriors of the Guwan Guard.''

''After a long silence, the Hegemon looks up - his right claw gripping his cane. He pauses a moment, as the camera closes on his face. He begins to speak in Sinta’Unathi, with Tau Ceti Basic subtitles scrolling across the bottom of the screen.''

''“I speak now to Juyzi Izaku, Lord of Mudki. Once, you were known as a great champion of the Hegemony, who turned back assault after assault from our enemies to the east. It brings shame to me and my clan, to see the traitor that you have become. For years, you have beseeched me and mine for aid, and when aid is provided, what do you do? The hand of friendship was extended to you, Izaku, and you acted in a manner more befitting of a Guwan than a Lord of this Hegemony - my Hegemony. You have shown nothing but dishonor and cowardice, seeking to slaughter those who came in friendship! It shames me, and if you have any honor left it should shame you too.''

''I offer to you a choice. You may open the gates of Mudki and surrender yourself, to face justice for your crimes. You may face me with the honor befitting one of your position. I offer you three days to do this, and to show some degree of contrition for this betrayal not only of our allies, but of me.''

''Should your gates remain closed in three days, you will know my anger. If it will take tearing your city down around you to make you face your crimes, that is what I shall do.''

''You have three days to decide.''

''To our friends in the Federation, and the corporate workers who suffered this atrocity, I offer my deepest of apologies. It is my shame that such harm was allowed to come to you. Rest assured - this slight shall not go unanswered. Justice will be done.”''

''The Hegemon looks out over the crowd, pausing for a moment. His claw is trembling on his cane - he seems furious.''

''“And to all citizens of the Hegemony - I promise you this. The humanitarian efforts will continue - and with the help of our allies from across the stars, we will see our world restored to glory!”''

''The crowd erupts in cheers, with an aerial camera panning over the citizens of Skalamar, many of them waving Izweski flags proudly. The logo of Sinta Articles appears again, before the broadcast fades out.''

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=BREAKING: Izweski Forces Confront Izaku Rebellion!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Article'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

05/07/2466

''“At this hour''<br>
''Lie at my mercy all mine enemies”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act IV Scene I

The Hegemony's forces clash with Lord Izaku's, as the Mudki Rebellion begins in truth.
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After his ultimatum to Juyzi Izaku has gone unanswered, Hegemon Not’zar has remained true to his word, with Izweski military forces moving into the northern Zazalai Mountains and marching towards Mudki. The warriors of the Kataphract Guild within immediate reach have been summoned, and the armsmen of the Izweski clan are providing the bulk of the assault force, alongside forces from Res’karum and veterans from Camp Integrity. The Hegemon himself has issued a formal statement, condemning Izaku as a traitor to the Hegemony. From this day forth, his lands and titles are stripped from him as punishment for his cowardly and dishonorable deeds.

Izweski forces have made significant progress in the northern Zazalais already, though the harsh climate and terrain is projected to slow the campaign at current rates. Many of the remaining nobility of the region have already renounced their treacherous liege, and have allowed the Hegemon’s warriors to pass through their lands. Those nobles who have chosen to join the Mudki Rebellion have largely fled to the safety of the city

The former Lord’s men have rallied around him, however, and the city’s legendary walls may well prove a challenge for the Hegemon’s warriors. The city’s sophisticated anti-air and anti-spacecraft defenses are reportedly still operational, preventing significant assistance from the Navy without causing severe damage to the city and its people. However, Izweski troops have the advantage of numbers, equipment and training - though our military analysts have stated that, in such a well-defended position, the warriors of Mudki may hold out for an extended siege.

Izaku himself has issued a public statement, which was sent to Sinta Articles. We do not condone his words, but it is our journalistic duty to publish them. The former Lord’s words are thus:

''“Myself? A traitor? What twisted joke is this, Hegemon? You have sold our very nation to aliens - first for the wealth of Hephaestus, now for whatever your new Skrell puppetmasters offer you? You spit on the legacy of the Clan Izweski - you are not worthy to bear the name of your forefathers! You dishonor their very spirits every moment you continue to draw breath! I will not bow and beg your mercy, Not’zar, and I will not bend the knee to your alien masters! These mountains are littered with the bones of those who thought to take Mudki, and your warriors shall soon number among them! Bring your armies, you wretched coward. I will be waiting.”''

Hegemon Not’zar, in his wisdom, has not dignified these mad ramblings with a response.

We will keep our readers updated on the Mudki Rebellion as it develops. Spirits bless the Hegemon, and we express our strongest hopes that the traitor Juyzi Izaku is brought to justice soon.

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=Hegemon’s Forces Advance Into Zazalais=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

08/07/2466

''“O, I have suffered''<br>
''With those I saw suffer”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act I Scene II

The campaign in the Zazalais continues, as a once-prosperous city surrenders. The Izweski army prepares to advance on Mudki.
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The campaign in the Zazalais continues, with Izweski forces making steady progress towards Mudki. Several of the settlements in the lower foothills between Mudki and Res’karum have surrendered, and Izweski troops have reportedly encountered little resistance in capturing the city of Isekas - once a prosperous stop on the Mudki-Res’karum railroad line. Though some resistance from Izaku troops was encountered, reports from the front are indicating low casualties from the Hegemon’s forces.

Footage from Isekas indicates severe neglect from Lord Izaku’s leadership. Representatives of the humanitarian program have shifted efforts, with Nralakk Federation personnel assisting military forces in deploying food and water to the local population. Hephaestus Industries has reportedly inquired with local leaders as to the status of the rail line, leading to speculation that they may plan to restore the Mudki-Res’karum connection once the Izaku Rebellion is defeated.

Footage from our coverage of Isekas, and the overall status of the campaign in the Zazalais, has been attached. Viewer discretion is advised.

''The camera fades in on a city street. The buildings seem to be in various states of disrepair - some from simple neglect, others bearing signs of more recent damage. A banner bearing the Sk’akh symbol of the Healer hangs over one of the intact buildings, and an Unathi woman in a House of Medicine mantle stands outside. A short line of Sinta is queued before her, though most of them do not seem to bear visible injuries.''

''Standing in front of the camera is a brown-scaled Unathi man holding a microphone, clad in a himation cloak and a mantle bearing the symbol of the Keepers of Heirlooms. A small box at the bottom of the screen identifies him as Kas’van Risek, Sinta Articles military correspondent. He begins speaking in Sinta’Unathi, Tau Ceti Basic subtitles rolling across the bottom of the screen.''

''“Good afternoon, viewers. I am speaking to you now from the city of Isekas, a few days’ travel south of Mudki, where the former Lord Izaku still hides from the Hegemon’s justice. Early this morning, Izweski forces entered the city, driving the Izaku armsmen out after a few hours of battle. What we found here, however, has shocked us.”''

''The camera pans around, showing further crumbling buildings. The city looks to be half-ruined. The shot lingers for a moment on a rusting and inactive streetlight, before returning to the reporter.''

''“Since the destruction of the Mudki-Res’karum railroad during the Contact War, Isekas has been neglected by the region’s leadership, left to fend for itself. When we arrived, we found contaminated water, entire districts left without electricity, and a population living in a state of appalling poverty. Though it was known that settlements near the Wasteland had suffered greatly, the conditions here are far worse than anything official reports had indicated. The city has been placed under military command, and troops have been working alongside agents of the humanitarian program to restore order here.”''

''The camera fades out to Risek in a new location, standing before what looks like a tent housing a large kitchen. Several Unathi workers appear to be handing out bottled water and bowls of a steaming stew to locals. A pair of armored Hegemony troops seem to be standing guard near the tent, laser rifles slung as they assist in handing out the meals. A group of Skrell, clad in Nralakk work uniforms, stand near a recently-excavated hole in the road, seemingly examining a water pipe.''

''“The city’s lord, an Izaku loyalist of Clan Zurosk, was slain during the fighting. His heir, Lady Uhzo Zurosk, assumed rulership shortly after the battle concluded, and has since issued a surrender to Hegemony forces. Though it remains too soon to be certain, it is likely she will maintain her position once the rebellion has been brought to an end. Overall, the locals seem to be largely grateful for the Hegemony’s intervention here - though there’s been some apprehension about the Skrell and Vaurca here. For many of the locals, this is their first time seeing an alien in-person - but the general sentiment I’ve gathered is hope that this will mean an improvement for Isekas.”''

''The red-and-gold banners of the Hegemony snap in the breeze as Risek continues. A squad of armored Hegemony soldiers marches past, locals and humanitarian workers clearing the way.''

''“Isekas is being used as the Hegemony’s new command center for the ongoing campaign. From here, the path to Mudki is largely unobstructed along the old railway, though the line is in no shape to be used for transport. Hephaestus Industries surveyors have been examining the condition, and believe that the rail lines can be restored - but likely not in time to be of use in taking Mudki. I’ve spoken with officers on the ground here, and the general consensus seems to be that the army will set out for Mudki in a matter of days. Hephaestus engineers are currently working to restore the Isekas airport, to allow for resupply and reinforcement via air and spacecraft - but ultimately, this rebellion will be decided at Mudki. I will be moving with the army as they advance on Mudki, providing first-hand coverage as the conflict continues.”''

''The camera fades out to a black screen and the Sinta Articles logo.''
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=Rebels Defeated At Fort Ozi!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

10/07/2466

''“He that dies pays all debts”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act III Scene II

The campaign in the Zazalais continues.
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Earlier this morning, Izweski warriors under the command of Ozur’saa Kuzwe Sirax engaged Izaku rebels at Fort Ozi, located to the south of Mudki. After a swift battle, the rebels were defeated, with a few survivors fleeing north from the fort. Since then, Izweski forces have established a command position in Fort Ozi, and are reportedly working alongside Hephaestus engineers to restore the fortress to working order in preparation for the final phase of the Zazalai campaign.

Humanitarian program representatives have also landed near Fort Ozi, with Nralakk Federation healers working to establish field hospitals for wounded warriors and civilians, and beginning preemptive studies for long-term aid in the region. When asked for comment, one Skrell representative informed us that the Federation had no plans to take part in the battle, but would continue to offer their aid and support to those seeking to bring the Izaku rebels to justice.

The captured commander of Fort Ozi, along with his warriors, has been charged with high and dishonorable acts of treason and sentenced to death. The prisoners are scheduled to be executed by firing squad within the next few days, serving as a warning to those who would continue to fight with this rebellion. Ozur’saa Sirax issued his own statement on the matter, calling for rebel warriors to “stand down or face a traitor’s death”. The rebel zone of control has decreased dramatically already, though Mudki remains a significant challenge ahead. Though Izaku’s rebels are no match for the warriors of the Hegemon, the city’s impenetrable reputation is a daunting task for even the most skilled of commanders.

What many have called into question, however, is what the fate of the region will be when this conflict is finally over. Juyzi Izaku has no heirs, and his once-esteemed line will end with his death, leaving the greater Mudki region leaderless. Whether the Hegemon means to raise new lords of the northern Zazalais, or simply abandon the region to its ruin, remains uncertain. Some voices have called for a proactive aid in restoration, chiefest among them being High Priest Azandar - who has been vocal in the Church’s position on this rebellion, declaring that “Sk’akh will see justice done for Izaku’s crimes”. The High Priest has also stated that the innocents of Mudki deserve compassion in a public announcement, closing with a quotation from ''Dedications of the Three-Faced God.''

''“For as the Warrior, He shall strike down His foes with the strength of nations, and suffer no insult or injury to His own. Yet as the Healer, She calls for wisdom and kindness, that the wounds of war may not scar. As the Fisher, They temper ruin with love, rage with wisdom, and let peace be a thing of glory. Blessed are they triumphant in war, honorable in peace; blessed are they who let old wounds not fester, but heal; for they are the champions of Sk’akh in Their threefold glory.”''

Though few have claimed Mudki should be abandoned, many among the nobility have raised concerns as to the expense of maintaining and restoring the region. Lord Karkatus of S’th has publically speculated that the damage may be too far gone to restore, and that the Hegemon should concentrate his efforts on lands which can be stabilized rather than investing in a “lost cause”. The Hegemon himself has made no comment on these remarks at this time.

We will keep our readers updated on the situation in the Zazalais as it unfolds. Remember, for Sinta news Spur-wide, stick to the source you know you can trust - stick to Sinta Articles.

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=BREAKING: Mudki Under Siege!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

13/07/2466

''“What seest thou else''<br>
''In the dark backward and abysm of time?”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act I Scene II

The Hegemony's forces reach the walls of Mudki, with assistance from an unexpected source.

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Reports coming out of the Zazalais indicate that Hegemony forces have encircled Mudki, and have dug in for a prolonged siege of the city. Troops from Camp Integrity arrived earlier this morning along the city’s old highway, and have joined forces with the warriors who recently captured Fort Ozi to the south. The city’s eastern highway has also been captured, blocking off any avenue of retreat into the Wasteland for the rebel forces.

How long the siege will take remains uncertain, particularly if the Hegemon in his wisdom wishes to avoid collateral damage. Mudki is a shell of its former grandeur, but the city stood as the shield of the Hegemony for centuries, and its defenses - and the experience of its remaining warriors in holding those defenses - remain unmatched. As the rebel forces prepare for a prolonged siege, it remains increasingly apparent that the former Lord Izaku has no plans to surrender himself to face justice.

However, as the city has begun, something unusual has occurred, as large numbers of warriors from Zazalai clans have made the long and difficult journey to Mudki - seeking to join with the Hegemon’s forces in crushing the Izaku Rebellion. Flying proudly above the army camp is a standard depicting the Hammer of Iala - a popular image among Zazalai warriors, and the emblem of the Mudki 52nd Infantry, a distinguished regiment which served under the Izaku clan during the Contact War.

The Mudki 52nd disbanded after the war’s end, and most of its surviving warriors left the city behind to seek greater prosperity elsewhere. The majority wound up in Res’karum, from where the bulk of their assembled host has come - alongside a significant host of warriors from both the city itself and the mountain clans. Upon their arrival, Ozur’saa Sirax rode out to meet the approaching host, fearing that rebel reinforcements had emerged, and was greeted by the regiment’s former commander, bannerman Yaret Utuzi. Though we were unable to capture footage of their conversation, the 52nd and the assorted Zazalai warriors soon joined with the Izweski host, making camp nearby.

Correspondent Kas’van Rizek sought to interview Lord Utuzi, as well as several of the warriors who arrived. Footage has been attached.

''The camera fades in on the familiar features of Kas’van Rizek, Sinta Articles military correspondent. He stands in a dusty canyon of red-brown stone, surrounded by tents and a swarm of Unathi soldiers going about their business. Before him stands an old Unathi man, leaning on the haft of what looks to be an inactive energy glaive. Subtitles identify him as Armsman Hrok Relzi, Mudki 52nd Infantry. Rizek nods to the camera briefly, before beginning to speak.''

''“Good afternoon, viewers - we are live from the Hegemony’s war camp, within sight of the legendary walls of Mudki. This is the final push of the rebellion, and the forces here have been bolstered by an unusual arrival - several once-disbanded regiments from across the Zazalais, as well as many volunteers from the mountain clans. At the head of this host is the Mudki 52nd Infantry Regiment, who once fought under Juyzi Izaku - I’m here today with Hrok Relzi, an armsman with the 52nd. Armsman Relzi, would you mind sharing why your regiment chose to come here?”''

''The old warrior flicks his tongue, looking at the camera. He hisses softly, before speaking in a slow and thick Zazalai accent.''

''“You ever been in a battle, Rizek? Not with a camera, I mean down there, in the mud and the fire. There’s a thing that happens sometimes, with warriors after fighting too long. Go mad. We had a… rule, back in the old days. One of your own goes bad, you put him down, afore he does it to someone else.”''

''Relzi pauses, tail swishing across the stone.''

''“Our Lord was a good man. When the Aeikizo Kingdom marched for Mudki, he wasn’t hiding behind the walls. He was down there, with us. He understood. He was a warrior. This?”''

''He gestures up behind Rizek. The walls of Mudki loom high in the distance, casting the land below in shadow.''

''“These are no warrior’s deeds. Cowardice, murder, treachery. One of your own goes bad, you put him down. Simple as that.”''

''Rizek nods, leaning closer to the microphone. “Is that what all of your fellows feel? It must have taken quite something, to bring a regiment twenty years disbanded back together.”''

''Relzi flicks his tongue. “Some of us. Some just miss having a good fight, I think. Sitting around in Res’karum or S’th or… wherever, pushing crates or guarding doors… no life for a warrior. And some?”''

''He pauses, hissing. “We’re old men, Rizek, but we’re men of the Zazalais. A man should die with his home and his ancestors in sight.”''

''Rizek nods, a somber expression on his face. “Thank you, Armsman Relzi. It is most honorable of you and your regiment to join this fight.”''

''Relzi chuffs, flicking his tail. “Don’t start talking like we’re already dead. Bad luck.”''

''As Relzi leaves, the camera focuses back on Rizek, Mudki’s walls still looming in the background. The reporter turns, looking up at the distant city for a moment.''

''“Soon, it seems that the Izaku Rebellion will be decided - though it remains uncertain what exactly the Izweski forces plan. I will do my best to stay safe, and to keep viewers at home updated on the battle to come.”''

''The camera fades out to the Sinta Articles logo.''

How the Hegemon intends to approach this siege, and the challenge of capturing a city which has never fallen, remains to be seen. We will, as always, continue to update our readers as this situation develops, and express our hopes that justice is done.

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=BREAKING: Mudki's Walls Fall!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

14/07/2466

''“Hell is empty''<br>
''And all the devils are here”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act I Scene II

One way or another, the end begins, as the assault on Mudki begins.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Breaking news from Mudki, as it appears the city’s ancient walls have been breached by a combined effort from Izweski armsmen, Naval vessels, and the warriors of the Kataphract Guild. Footage of the assault was captured by our military correspondent, Kas’van Rizek, and has been attached. Viewer discretion is advised.

''The Sinta Articles logo is displayed for a few moments, before the camera fades in to an Unathi man, wearing a traditional himation cloak and a mantle of the Keepers of Heirlooms under an armored vest. He is standing in what looks like a mountainous environment - all around him are soldiers in the armor of the Izweski Hegemony, as well as what looks like several enormous artillery pieces. A small box at the bottom of the screen identifies him as Kas’van Rizek, Sinta Articles military correspondent. He begins speaking in Sinta’Unathi, with Tau Ceti Basic subtitles displayed across the bottom of the screen.''

''“This just in - I am hearing that mere moments ago, the warriors of the Kataphract Guild have moved into position, and are commencing their role in the assault on Mudki - I’m not sure of the specifics, but-"''

''In the background, several soldiers in the armor of the Izweski Hegemony are pointing up. Rizek turns to look, the camera panning up. The peaks of the Zazalai Mountains stretch into the blue sky, and as the camera zooms forward several small dots can be seen falling.''

''Rizek begins speaking again, the camera remaining focused on the tiny dots - it’s hard to make out at this distance, but a vaguely humanoid outline is visible.''

''“I- I’m getting reports that those are the Kataphracts - they’re dropping in from low-Moghes orbit. Sk’akh’s scales…”''

''The dots continue to fall, the camera zooming in on one of them- the hulking silhouette of an Unathi in a breacher hardsuit can be barely made out now, with some kind of maneuvering jets halting their fall. The helmet’s eyes glow a menacing red.''

''With a roar, the city’s anti-aircraft guns begin firing, Rizek flinching slightly - but the Kataphracts are too small a target, descending too fast. A few of the falling specks are struck, vanishing from the sky in seconds - but the rest continue their descent. The first of the falling warriors vanishes from sight, behind the city’s walls - with dozens of others following suit. The guns continue to fire, as Rizek begins speaking.''

''“I’m trying to get patched in to the radio channel the assault force is using - hopefully, we will be able to get a live update on what’s going on behind the wall-”''

''With a crackle of static, new voices cut in, the subtitles still scrolling.''

''“All Saa’Izweski! This is Knight-Captain Kssighriss speaking! You know our mission - see to your duties! Our Hegemon has given us a task, and even should the stars themselves fall upon our heads we shall see it completed! Honor! Fire! Burn thy fear!”''

''A chorus of voices repeat the Izweski ancestral words, as the camera lingers on the city walls, before cutting back to Rizek.''

''“It appears the Kataphracts have breached the city through a drop from low-Moghes orbit - though in such small numbers, it’s unclear at this time what their mission is. They don’t have the manpower to capture the city, or seize the gates from within, but-”''

''The radio cuts in again, silencing the reporter abruptly.''

''“This is Knight-Captain Kssighriss to HMV Glory of the Dead! Reporting all targets down, you are clear to move in!”''

''A long and pained silence, before finally the radio cuts in again.''

''“Knight-Captain, this is HMV Glory of the Dead, acknowledged. Target confirmed.”''

''Rizek seems confused for a moment, before a strange mood begins to pass over the battlefield. All around, the soldiers are looking up at the sky, seemingly shocked. Rizek follows suit, gazing up and letting out a whispered “Sk’akh almighty…”''

''The camera pans upwards, focusing on a dark silhouette in the sky. Details cannot be made out at this distance - likely the vessel has just entered the upper atmosphere.''

''Rizek regains his composure, turning to the camera. “Viewers, it seems that the Izweski Navy has joined the battle - the Glory is with the First Fleet in orbit. Looking at it now, it seems that the Kataphracts have struck Mudki’s anti-spacecraft defenses, letting vessels move into position. It looks like they’re-”''

''The screen explodes with light, a golden spear striking the city walls - and then another, and another, like the fists of an angry god. All around the battlefield, soldiers shield their eyes, the camera barely able to capture the strike. The walls of Mudki are a black silhouette against the light, the tiny shapes of soldiers atop the walls vanishing in the glare. The silhouette grows more intense, the light brighter, until even the camera can no longer capture it fully.''

''After minutes of this, the light fades. As the dust clears, the camera pans to the city walls - now left in ruins, piles of rubble the only remnant of the Untaken City’s pride. Plumes of black smoke the size of buildings drift upwards from the desolation, as if attempting to grasp their destroyers from the sky. Silence grips the battlefield - all around, Izweski soldiers are staring ahead, each one seemingly unable to speak a word. Rizek slowly dusts himself off, seemingly regaining his composure - but not before the radio crackles to life again. A familiar voice - Hrok Relzi, armsman of Mudi’s 52nd Infantry.''

''“Warriors of the Izweski, forward! Today, we show the Spur the price of treachery!”''

''The soldiers around Rizek begin advancing, and the silence is broken by a sound like rolling thunder - their own artillery firing on the now-defenseless city. Whatever muteness had gripped the warriors vanishes, as a thousand battle cries are called out. Rizek looks back to the camera, clearly shaken from the bombardment.''

''“The walls have fallen- I repeat, the walls have fallen. I’m moving into the city with the Izweski armsmen present - I will do my best to keep you updated, and to stay safe.”''

''The camera fades to the Sinta Articles logo, before the broadcast ends.''

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Izaku Rebellion Brought to an End!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

15/07/2466

''“Full fathom five thy father lies,''<br>
''Of his bones are corals made;''<br>
''Those are pearls that were his eyes,''<br>
''Nothing of him that doth fade.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act I Scene II

The rebellion is concluded - but the fate of the region remains uncertain.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

The Izaku Rebellion has come to an end, after hours of intense and bloody battle within the city. Earlier today, after fierce fighting from his followers, several Kataphract warriors were able to breach the Izaku keep, and confront the traitor Juyzi Izaku directly. We have confirmed reports that though he fought ferociously, killing at least one Kataphract in his bloodlust and injuring several more, Izaku was captured by the valiant warriors. We were able to receive a brief statement from a Kataphract warrior being treated for injuries, who stated that despite Izaku’s cowardice and dishonor, “he faced us as a warrior.”

The city of Mudki remains occupied by Izweski armsmen, as members of the humanitarian programme will be moving to provide assistance to soldiers and civilians injured during the fighting. Thankfully, casualties among the Izweski armsmen assaulting the city were minimal, in no small part thanks to the heroism of the Kataphracts and the in-depth knowledge of the city’s defenses provided by the warriors of the 52nd.

The future of Mudki and the surrounding lands remains unclear. Though the population was already greatly diminished, the region is now left without a ruler, as the once-storied line of Izaku will likely soon be extinguished when the disgraced former Lord stands trial. Whether Hegemon Not’zar will appoint a new Lord of Mudki, or allow the city to be abandoned entirely, remains to be seen. Reports have come in of humanitarian program vessels landing in the city and providing assistance to those injured in the fighting.

We at Sinta Articles would like to offer our gratitude to the warriors of the Kataphract Guild, the Navy and the Izweski levies, who have fought bravely to keep the peace of our great nation intact. We also offer our condolences to those harmed by the fighting, and hope that the humanitarian program will be able to assist.

As always, we will keep our readers updated on the situation in Mudki as it develops. Spirits bless the Hegemony, and our friends and partners from both the Nralakk Federation and Hephaestus Industries.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Event IV: Hell is Empty=
'''Server Event'''

'''Host: RustingWithYou'''

21/07/2466

Following the Battle of Mudki, the humanitarian program provided aid to the people of the damaged city. With the aid of the Nralakk Federation team and the Hegemony's occupying force, the SCCV Horizon was able to restore power and water to a portion of the city, allowing for further stabilization efforts to proceed.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

After the defeat of the Izaku Rebellion, the humanitarian program was deployed to the city of Mudki, left sundered by the fighting between Izweski forces and Izaku troops. The SCCV Horizon's crew was deployed alongside Nralakk Federation personnel to a district in southeastern Mudki, near the city walls, and began working to restore district utilities and provide aid to the locals. Though some difficulties arose, the crew were able to restore district power and water, as well as providing food and medical assistance to several of the district's residents who were injured in the fighting.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Humanitarian Program Sets Sights On Mudki!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

23/07/2466

''“Let us not burthen our remembrance with''<br>
''A heaviness that's gone.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act V Scene I

A glimmer of hope among the ashes, as Mudki seems to be recovering from the latest in a long line of miseries.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Following the Mudki Rebellion and the capture of the traitor Juyzi Izaku, many worried that the city and surrounding region would be left to ruin, given the difficulties of maintaining the city due to the encroaching Wasteland and the damage left by the battle. Fortunately, however, it seems that this is not the case, with the Hegemon declaring that Mudki, and the wider Zazalai Mountains, will form the beginnings of a true restoration for Moghes, with the aid of our allies in the Nralakk Federation.

Corporate and Federation vessels have already sent aid to Mudki following the battle, with medical assistance and supplies being provided to the locals. Though the city remains under military occupation for now, the office of the Hegemon’s Claws has reassured our correspondents that this is a temporary measure, until a new lord can be properly appointed over Mudki.

''Attached is a photograph of a medical tent. Several Skrell workers in Federation uniforms are gathered outside, with an Unathi leaning on a cane standing next to them, waving happily at the camera.''

The corporate assistance in humanitarian efforts in Mudki cannot be understated, with Hephaestus providing millions of credits in material aid, and pledging to see the city rebuilt to what it once was prior to the devastation that the Contact War, and years of mismanagement from the craven and corrupt former Lord, have wrought upon the region. Workers from the wider Stellar Corporate Conglomerate were also present, providing medical, food, and supply aid to the people who have suffered long enough under the former Lord Izaku’s misrule.

''Attached is a photograph of a long table, with what looks like food cooking in the background. Several corporate workers, mostly human and Unathi, are handing out meals to a long line of Unathi. The flag of the Izweski Hegemony is flying proudly in the background.''

Though the first weeks of the humanitarian effort have been fraught with danger, it seems that the kindness of our friends across the stars has persisted. We at Sinta Articles offer our deepest thanks to the members of the humanitarian programme, and their efforts in restoring order to the region.

As always, we will keep our readers updated on any new developments.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Juyzi Izaku Found Guilty, Executed=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

28/07/2466

''“If thy greatness will''<br>
''Revenge it on him - for I know thou darest”''<br>
-The Tempest, Act III Scene II

The guilty are condemned.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Following his capture and trial, former Lord of Mudki Juyzi Izaku has been found guilty of the charges laid against him. For the crimes of murder, sabotage of vital national resources, dishonor in the gravest of forms, and high treason against his liege lord, Izaku was sentenced to death by order of the Hegemon earlier today.

The execution was carried out in Mudki - despite his titles being stripped, Izaku was granted execution by beheading, rather than hanging or firing squad. The execution was not public, due to concerns about remaining rebels attempting to mount a rescue. Lord Izaku did not attempt to mount a defense during his trial, electing to remain silent throughout the proceedings.

With his death, the once-honored Izaku clan is extinguished. Discussions among the nobility have reportedly already begun as to who Hegemon Not’zar intends to elevate to rule Mudki, as it seems increasingly unlikely that the city will be abandoned. The Hegemon himself has made no comment on the matter yet - whatever he plans for Mudki remains a mystery.

For now, Mudki remains under military occupation. Trials are continuing for rebel warriors - most of the levied and conscripted men have been granted some measure of clemency, though they are forbidden from taking up arms until the military occupation ends. Most notably, the captured perpetrators of the Izilukh Massacre have been found guilty of murder and dishonorable deeds.

Several of the Izilukh murderers were hanged this morning, with the remainder likely facing execution later this week. The Nralakk Federation delegation declined an interview, but offered a brief statement describing the executions as ''"A conflicting conclusion to what has happened. The Federation mourns those we have lost, yet we cannot condone executing those responsible. The Grand Council appreciates that the laws of the Hegemony are not our laws, however, and is grateful to the Hegemon for bringing these criminals to justice."''

Mudki itself has remained largely peaceful so far - a madman such as Izaku seems to have inspired few to true loyalty. Though the cost of this rebellion has been bitter, it seems that a resurgence of fighting is thankfully unlikely, in a land which has already seen too much death. We will keep our readers updated on the situation in Mudki as it develops - remember, for Sinta news Spur-wide, stick to the source you know you can trust. Stick to Sinta Articles.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Event V: Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On=
'''Server Event'''

'''Host: RustingWithYou'''

11/08/2466

As thanks for their efforts, the crew of the Horizon is invited to a dinner at the estate of Overlord Azui Hutay'zai.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Following their contributions to the Tza Prairie, and efforts in the restoration of Mudki, the crew of the Horizon were invited to a celebratory banquet in Kutah, at the estate of Overlord Hutay'zai. Though the Horizon's part in the humanitarian program was concluded, Overlord Hutay'zai and the Nralakk delegate present indicated that the Hegemony has grand future plans for restoration efforts on Moghes.

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
=Mudki Restoration Efforts Begin!=
'''News Article'''

'''Publisher: Sinta Articles'''

'''Writer: RustingWithYou'''

'''Editors: Triogenix'''

5/09/2466

''“As you from crimes would pardoned be;''<br>
''Let your indulgence set me free.”''<br>
-The Tempest, Epilogue

The Hegemon announces grand plans for the future.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

A historic day today, as a joint effort between the Hegemony, Hephaestus Industries and the Nralakk Federation has been announced in Mudki, the site of the cowardly rebellion of Juyzi Izaku. Skrell scientists, Hephaestus resources, and Hegemonic oversight have come together, with Hegemon Not’zar making a public speech in Mudki declaring the beginning of ‘a true restoration’. A transcript of the speech is available on our Extranet page, as well as full video footage of the event, which has been attached below. Subtitles are available in Sinta’Unathi, Tau Ceti Basic, and Nral’malic.

''The camera displays the Sinta Articles logo a moment, before fading in to a shot of Not’zar Izweski, standing on a stage with the recognisable silhouette of the Izaku keep rising in the background. The sun appears to be setting, giving the entire scene a pale golden glow. Standing beside the Hegemon are three other figures - two immediately recognisable to those familiar with Unathi politics as Overlord Azui Hutay’zai and Guildmaster Yukal T’zakal respectively. The third figure is a pale green Skrell, with shoulder-length headtails and a neatly-braided set of tuux growths on their face.''

''The Hegemon steps forward, looking out over a crowd of Unathi. A few Izweski flags can be seen waving in the crowd. He rests one claw on the podium, pausing a moment before beginning his address.''

''“My citizens. My vassals. My friends. We have endured much in the past years - war. Famine. Economic depression. It has been a dark time not just for the people of Moghes, who have suffered greatly - but for all Sinta, and all citizens of this great nation, the Hegemony of my forefathers. The aid of our friends at Hephaestus was invaluable in bringing an end to rationing - but it is now, with the implementation of the humanitarian programme, that we can truly begin to declare a return to peace and prosperity.”''

''He gestures to T’zakal as he mentions Hephaestus, before turning to the Skrell.''

''“Allow me to introduce Qriixi Vol’Kluu - the Nralakk Federation’s newly-appointed ambassador to the Izweski Hegemony. They will be instrumental in the future of our nations’ mutual cooperation, and have taken up residence in the recently-completed embassy in Skalamar. With the aid of Overlord Hutay’zai, my Master of Rivers, we can work to ensure that restoration efforts are properly supplied and equipped.”''

''He pauses a moment, silence gripping the crowd.''

''“I have said that word a lot - ‘restoration’. I do not speak figuratively. With Sinta innovation, Skrell and Vaurca research, and Hephaestus resources, we will redouble our efforts to mend the wounds of the Contact War at last - and that will begin right here in Mudki. Your lord may have been a traitor, but your Hegemon will not abandon you, or the people of this land. Mudki will not be left as a ruin, but as a shining monument to our victory - the place where the Sinta’Unathi took back their world!”
The Hegemon’s words are met with applause, and he waits for it to die down before continuing.''

''“The brightest scientists from the Hegemony and Federation alike will be headquartered here, working to restore this city and region to life - a blueprint for what is to come! I will say this, here and now - we will see the Wasteland bloom once again, and this is where it starts! It starts here, with each and every one of you - not solely a project of mine, or even of the nation’s - but an effort that spans the stars themselves!''

''The crowd cheers, louder this time, as the Hegemon gestures out at the citizens of Mudki.''

''“These have been dark years, even before the Izaku Rebellion. Some have said to me that this could be the fall of the Izweski Hegemony in its entirety, and in my moments of greatest weakness… I could not help but consider that they may be correct. But I have stayed the course, and I see now that this is not our fall, but our rise!”''

''He lifts one hand, gesturing up to the sky.''

''“The adversity we have faced has been a crucible, and from it we shall rise to claim our destiny - to restore our world, and to claim an empire that spans the stars! The days ahead will be days of hard work, and they will require great diligence from each of us - but they will be days of glory! When the scholars look back on these years, to chronicle my rule when my bones are dust - they will call this a golden age for the Unathi people, as we claimed our place in the universe!”
''
''The crowd erupts with cheering, as the Hegemon looks out over his people. As the camera pans over the crowd, a chant begins, several of the more enthusiastic citizens beginning it, and most others joining in - though a few faces, notably, remain silent.''

''“Long live the Hegemon!” cries the crowd, the words repeating ever louder as the delegation stands there, the dim twilight bathing the entire affair in an ethereal glow. The words repeat, called out over and over, as the camera fades out to the Sinta Articles logo - before the video ends.''

Already, scientists from the Nralakk Federation have arrived, alongside the finest of Sinta and K’laxan researchers working on Wasteland reclamation projects. Hephaestus Industries has been expanding operations in Mudki enormously, working to repair the city’s ancient walls, as well as the historic buildings destroyed in the battle.

It seems that Mudki is poised to be the linchpin of future reclamation efforts, and only time will tell for sure whether the Hegemon’s efforts will succeed. We at Sinta Articles wish the best of fortune to those working to reclaim our world, and pray that they are successful.

As always, we will keep our readers updated on further news of relevance to Sinta affairs.

</div></div>

C'thur in the Federation

2026-07-08T15:02:58Z

Carver: K'laxian to K'laxan

{{Outdated (Phoron Scarcity)}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Skrell Lore}}
{{toc_right}}

= Overview =

[[Vaurca]] are still a recent arrival to the Federation, and while they have begun to branch out towards the Inner systems, the truth is there is still a lot of skepticism to trust them as full citizens of the Federation, particularly by the older Skrell generations. This weariness, however, is in contrast with fascination towards the species and the unarguable benefits they provide to Skrell society. Unlike humanity, who sees the species as a nuisance, grotesque, or a threat to greater society when taking into consideration the Lii'dra Hive, Skrell as a whole view the Vaurca as an ancient civilization worthy of their appraisal and a position in Skrell society.

[[Vaurca#The Unbound|Unbound]] can be seen as citizens and like the [[Dionae]] of the [[Nralakk Federation|Federation]], may face hardships as a result of their status within the Social Compatability Index system and Federation law, but ultimately their place in the Federation gives them opportunities that they would not see elsewhere in the Spur. As all other Vaurca, their role is determined prior to birth by the Breeders, but unlike the other Hives the Vaurca from the C'thur Hive are less likely to be forced to find other means of employment if their niche in the Hive cannot be fulfilled outside of it. A warrior from the C'thur Hive will rarely be excluded from military or security work in the Federation, and there are less restrictions overall on what kinds of work a Vaurca would be allowed to pursue in the greater society they live in. However, this comes with increased monitoring by the State and extra caveats that are expected to be followed as Vaurcae maneuver through both Skrell customs and the [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Credit_System|Social Compatability Index]]. This can cause some issues, as the system by its nature disfavors non-Skrell, and the eusocial nature and loyalty seen in Vaurca society puts them at odds with having to prove their allegiance to the Nralakk Federation.

Bound, on the other hand, are seen as a synthetic analogue, causing bound forms to be seen as highly controversial by the Federation and monitored closely. Efforts have been made by the Federation for the Hive as a whole to reduce their Bound workforce, and [[Xetl, The Voracious Queen|Xetl]] in particular, mostly due to the pressure of her mother and sisters, has now begun to produce plenty of Unbound. While bound are begrudgingly accepted by the Federation to alleviate its manpower issues, they are strictly regulated and the population of bound in a hive cell is capped at "necessary" numbers.

== Vaurcae and Loyalty ==

Education of Federation values is a problematic issue. Due to how Vaurcae are raised and schooled in [[Virtual Reality]], the Federation has little to no control when it comes to the actual contents of the teachings and must trust what is reported by the Hive officials. A new system has been introduced to middling effect where periodical evaluations are held, often by surprise to the hive-cell as a whole. While most hive-cells are successful during these inspections, this can be seen as unfair if a single individual of the hive-cell is deemed too problematic as it lowers the score of every other member of the cell.

== Living Conditions ==

Outside of [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C’thur]] dominated population centres, hive-cells might have trouble adapting to the Nralakk lifestyle. Unlike in [[Republic of Biesel]] or in [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Tret|Tret]], the C’thur are not limited to ghettos and while their living conditions are often poorer than most, they are not comparable to the chaotic [[Flagsdale]] or the wastelands of [[Moghes]].

Life on [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#The C'thur|Diulszi]], in particular, is often regarded as of the highest quality for Vaurcae across all the Spur, with [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Caprice|New Sedantis]] coming to a close second. Those that have been sent to remote areas for work, however, are not as fortunate. Many hive-cells have been separated due to differing demands of the workforce, especially when it comes to infrastructure or mining. A Vaurca may even lose much of its contact with its Hive if shipped alone to a strange system, with Skrell less eager to interact with the alien being a common occurrence. While Virtual Reality and Hivenet are never cut for Unbound, it can still be traumatic for a Vaurca to live on its own, especially if they are unfortunate enough to not have a high-quality voice modulator to allow for proper conversation in Nral’Malic.

[[Qerr'Malic]] is seen as an outlier of C'thur living conditions in Federation space; most C'thur work there in the '''Second Surface''' region, deep underground. The general darkness and cramped conditions may not affect Vaurca as much as they would a Skrell or Diona, but the general lack of amenities and barely held-together infrastructure make it much more similar to the deplorable conditions found outside of the Federation. Crime is rampant here, with C'thur on Qerr'Malic being stereotyped as grifters and con artists as they try less than legal avenues to help support their hive-cell; this reputation is so prevalent that posters warning tourists on Qerr'Malic to avoid the Second Surface and C'thur-run establishments are common in the more touristy parts of the moon.

== C’thur in the Kala ==

Vaurcae, especially those from [[Vytel, The Just Queen|Vytel’s brood]], are no strangers to serving in the Federation military. The former [[Skrell_Enforcement#Defence|Lukala]] subdivision of the Federation's Qukala was dominated by C’thuric Warriors, and with its dissolution, these Vaurca Warriors have found themselves becoming welcome additions to the Qukala. C'thur in the Qukala are loyalty chipped, ensuring that orders given by Federation superiors and those given by their queens are considered equal, forcing the Vaurca to go into hibernation in the event of conflicting orders. Now full members of the Qukala, the veteran C’thur Warriors who formerly served in the Lukala have shown eagerness to prove themselves in their new station, and are adjusting well to the hierarchical change.

While less common, C'thur also serve in other Kala branches, with the Nlomkala benefiting the most as their support staff are augmented by C'thur data analysts, surveillance monitoring teams, and other auxiliary roles. Although less common, there are some Vaurca Qekala enforcers, but these are typically used more to liaise with and police C'thuric communities. Due to the mixed feelings regarding non-Skrell policing Skrell, the other Kala branches see similar situations where the C'thur are nominally relegated to support staff and auxiliary roles much the same way they were utilised in the Lukala.

== Government Interactions ==
=== Citizenship ===

Unlike Zo’rane and K’laxan Vaurcae that have been accepted universally as citizens in exchange for their contributions to the workforce of the States they are subservient to, C’thuric Vaurcae are required to pass an interview in order to acquire Nralakk citizenship. This is attained similar to Dionae, with new Vaurcae being given basic residency until they leave Virtual Reality fully and are ready to begin their careers in the real world. Once out of VR, they are given a brief interview where their views on the Federation are evaluated, with those who pass being given citizenship and an Index rating based on their answers.

The interview process is fairly straightforward, with the questions being specifically designed to invoke a response in the Vaurca, and their reaction being what is analyzed. For example, a Vaurca that responds aggressively to the suggestion that they may need to accept orders from someone who is not from their own Hive would be immediately rejected. The aim is not to have a Vaurca who shows more loyalty to the Federation than their own Hive, but to gauge their responsiveness to working within Federation space. Vaurca who fail this process are returned to VR, and Federation officials provide a list of issues to the Brood's teachers that need to be addressed before they are able to re-take the test. If a Vaurca subsequently fails the interview they will no longer be considered candidates and are returned to the Hive. While the Nralakk Federation officially condemns culling of Vaurcae, they turn a blind eye when these undesirable Vaurcae are removed from the populations as their organs and augmentations are recycled.

Older Vaurcae that were already alive when arriving at [[Notable Skrell Systems and Locations#Glorashi|Glorashi]] required a similar education in Virtual Reality. However, many personal opinions of the Federation may vary within them, since they are not as malleable as new-born Unbound. The process of interviewing every Unbound has been slow due to their sheer numbers, with some still waiting to be able to apply. These Workers or Warriors basically have residency status, however, they are not allowed to leave Federation space. Some older Vaurcae may resent the younger ones as the process is more straightforward or may romanticize their pre-Federation lifestyle.

Unbound Vaurcae were able to vote in the 2463 elections to the controversy of some. Regarded as much as a vote as that of a Skrell, they may have played a role in boosting the vote count of [[Notable Skrell#Weashbi Jrugl|Weashbi Jrugl]], because the C’thur Hive was supportive of him. The question of how the Federation should deal with the Vaurca vote, as well as how much influence of their Breeders is acceptable in the process is currently a debated topic in Nralakk politics. As it stands, Vaurca are allowed to vote in local and national elections, which by and large generally results in the Hive voting as a singular bloc for a chosen official. It is believed that the Federation will "gently nudge" Ta into convincing their cells to vote for a specific candidate when deemed necessary, which has resulted in many running for public office trying to curry favour with their local hive-cells.

Due to the uniqueness of [[Vaurca#The Bound|Viax]], they are not considered citizens, nor do they interact with the Social Compatability Index.

=== Vaurca within the Social Compatability Index ===

Since their arrival to the Federation, Vaurca have been subjected to the same Social Compatability Index as Skrell, rather than be placed in an alternate system with its own processes. This is due to the critique made by officials regarding the way that the Dionae Social Compatability Index operated before their full integration; the byzantine nature of which was noted as inefficient and ultimately unneeded. The population difference between the C’thur Hive and the initial Diona population was also a factor in skipping the secondary system, foreseeing the large number of Vaurcae having to migrate to the main system later on as a bureaucratic nightmare.

Vaurca as a whole tend to be in the mid-secondary numerical range, and their Index rating is almost entirely based on the hive-cell’s performance. A hive-cell with its members performing well or above average will find all of its members holding a respectable Index rating, while cells with underperforming will find their members having significantly lower ratings than what would be expected.

This system is unique in that credit score is more dependent on who you associate with as a Vaurca, compared to other species in the Federation. While a Skrell may find their Index rating lowered slightly for associating with particular individuals, a Vaurca may lose a significant amount of their rating based on the performance of another member of their hive-cell.

Vaurca crime is often prevented in the Federation; like those Skrell with a low rating, the Vaurcae under 3.0 are in observation. However, unlike the Skrell, Vaurcae rarely have a chance to run away or hide from the Federation enforcement, thus keeping their offense rate low. There are, of course, exceptions to this, especially in poorly connected colonies where a hive-cell's performance can be left unreviewed due to distance from officials.

The Bound Vaurcae are not considered citizens and do have a [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Compatability_Index|Index rating]], however, hive-cells may receive a lower score if they have Bound forms within their cell.

==== Vaurca Idols and Queens in the Social Compatability Index ====

The collective nature of SCI calculation is not true however for '''Vaurca idols''', members of the species that are designated model citizens and exemplars of what the Federation expects of members of the species.

C'thur idols generally consist of Ta, mostly the lesser queens of C'thuric broods but also those of well-performing hive-cells. This is mostly used as a means to impact the internal beliefs of the Hive, who will see their Ta being treated well by the Federation, promoting positive associations of the Nralakk Federation and the C'thur. While still in the experimental stages, regular forms are also elevated to idol status; these C'thur are showcased much in the same way a Skrell idol would be, and is preliminary results show that they have a similar impact on promoting conducive behaviours thanks to the Skrell's competitive nature.

The highest rating registered in a Vaurca is 9.25 and belongs to Queen Vytel, with her sister Mouv coming close at 9.15. High Queen C’thur, despite being bedridden, sits at a comfortable 9.22, while Queen Xetl’s Index rating is undisclosed. The most successful Vaurca idol, for example, is an [[Aliose]] scientist called '''Ka’Akaix’Nonetz C’thur''' who is working to use the techniques that promote fertility and egg production with Breeders in Skrell. Nonetz’s rating, however, is "only" 7.24 despite its large contributions to solving the Skrell's infertility crisis. The other few that have elevated to idol status may be anywhere between 7.2 and 8.1.

=== Vaurca and Employment ===

Vaurca are hyper-specialised in their role, and are utilised extensively by the Federation in many industries. Viax tend to be used for simple labour such as mining and agriculture, or working in factories, while Akaix may find themselves in almost any industry, with some even found in low-ranking managerial roles in workplaces with mixed species employees - making them technically a superior to a Skrell professionally - a concept almost unheard of outside the Federation.

The C'thur Hive's ability to produce legions of workers, warriors, and other forms to the benefit of the Federation has cemented their place in Skrell society. The ability for Vaurca to solve the labour crisis in the Federation, however, is limited. Regulations regarding the Viax population of the C'thur Hive are strict; there are limits to how many Viax can be working the same shift together if the project is sensitive, such as military installations or facilities that are vital to the Federation, and their Hivenet connection is jammed so that only local, close orders can be sent.

Due to their synthetic-analogue nature, combined with their ability to work long hours and requiring little maintenance, the state has been forced to regulate Viax on multiple fronts; many Skrell believe Viax are too similar to synthetics, their use by the Skrell being seen as poor taste if not abhorrent. Others, specifically [[Nralakk_Federation#Tertiary_Numericals| Tertiary Numericals]], see Viax as stealing opportunities for social advancement, as their ability to outwork Skrell and the sheer number that can be produced causing fear that Skrell will no longer be able to easily advance in the Social Compatability Index. Viax are seen with suspicion and mistrust by their Skrell coworkers, and regardless of how the individual may feel about the C'thur Hive, many Skrell do not look fondly at the role Viax have in the Federation.

The two most lucrative career paths for a Federation Vaurca are in law enforcement and scientific research. Like elsewhere, Vaurcae are not rewarded the same pay for their work, but there is a considerable ‘loophole’ when it comes to science, as grants do not discriminate between species. However, the more their salary the more they have to pay their brood, and whatever may be won in a grant is usually returned to their Queen.

The C'thur make great use of bioforms to the benefit of the Federation as well, both in industry and warfare. The '''Freighter''' is the most notable addition, a large isopod-type creature designed in collaboration with the Nralakk Federation specifically to assist in underwater transport. The form has seen success, but current animosity towards the form's largely Viax crew complement along with issues pertaining to gestation time prevent it from seeing large-scale use. The '''Cultivator''', in comparison, is seeing greater success in the Traverse. The tiny, arachnid-like form is used heavily in agriculture, being able to maintain and even pollinate crops on planets that struggle with large-scale food production. The C'thur have also designed the '''Mangler''', a decapod Warform roughly the same size as an average Skrell. The Warform's primary armaments are its large, scythe-like claws and deadly pincers, while also being able to mount light weaponry for ranged combat. The Mangler's most interesting design feature however is its low phoron consumption, which is considerably less than other Warforms. The C'thur designed the form specifically in response to the Phoron Crisis and the Nralakk Federation's lack of domestic phoron deposits, making it an ideal replacement for other Warforms while still allowing the Hive to contribute militarily to the Qukala.

Cephalons, a Vaurca form utilised as large computational bio-machines and as servers for the Vaurca's expansive Virtual Reality space, have also begun to see use in the Nralakk Federation. This form's massive potential for processing power would allow the Federation to completely bypass the need for Artificial Intelligence, if not for pushback by the Skrellian academic and scientific communities. The Skrell by and large have had their interest in Cephalons piqued after one was used by the Ruupkala to [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/4674-warble-enquirer/?do=findComment&comment=159155 analyse and accurately predict] the location of a smuggler base out in the Traverse, but many have raised concerns about the Federation itself utilising them; some have drawn comparisons between Cephalons and Viax and Artificial Intelligence, while others raise ethical concerns over using a technically living being as a supercomputer. Other scientists have even gone so far as to say that using Cephalons in this manner is on par with Glorsh-Omega using Skrell as slave labour during its reign - although this radical opinion has largely been admonished by most. Regardless, the usage of Cephalons for data analysis in law enforcement and other fields is currently being explored by the Federation.

=== Broods and Support from the State ===

The Federation government provides resources to each brood based on need and their ability to contribute to the State. Assistance can come in the form of monetary aid, housing, or any other request the Queens make. Broods such as Vytel’s or Mouv’s are overall treated better by the government, similar to high secondaries, while others such as Xetl's brood are treated more like Skrell tertiary numericals.

In Mouv’s case, the creation of the Bulwark caste has ensured that the Federation is more amicable in providing her Hive with what she needs. Vytel’s brood, similarly, has always had a unique relationship thanks to her contribution to the military, with most warriors in the Qukala coming from her hive in particular. Conversely, Xetl’s brood has mostly been given the minimum amount of assistance it requires from the State, with it being seen more as a necessary burden by officials thanks in part to their general disposition towards hedonism, a trait that is considered unseemly and unconducive to Federation society.

Unlike Skrell, Vaurca are not given a stipend on top of their pay. Instead, UBI that would normally be given to an individual is instead paid directly to the hive-cell or brood they are a part of, which usually adds up to being significantly less than if it was the same number of Skrell. These payments can fluctuate as the performance of a specific brood or hive-cell changes, with Mouv and Vytel seeing significant payments thanks to their contributions to the Federation.
====Skrell Caretakers====

In late 2463, Qrra’Myaq-Kaax or “Caretakers” were announced for the C’thur Hive. These five-hundred officers of Skrell origin serve as liaisons between the Vaurca and the Nralakk Federation, divided regionally across the Federation's territory.

Some have raised concerns about their implementation. The divisions between the Caretakers are geographical and a single officer may supervise hive-cells of different broods. Their welfare checks are also considered too spontaneous, as their general surveillance of the hive-cells and their activities. While this is all said to be in good faith, as to ensure their safety, the measure to prevent crime may be considered too drastic by the public.

== Virtual Reality and the Federation ==

Virtual Reality is often seen as a barrier for the Federation, with their progress to crack it being slow and tedious. The VR logs are often regarded as junk data, but the [[Skrell Politics#Sromkala|Sromkala]], which has taken over to investigate Virtual Reality affairs, thinks there may be something valuable in those records. Currently, no brood has assisted in the aid as much as they have had with the Hivenet logging.

The biggest relay tower is in Diulszi, which has much more capability than the Flagsdale or New Gibson relays. Unlike the ones placed by the Republic of Biesel, the Diulszi relay tower uses the infrastructure of the Nlom relays to reach everywhere across the Federation. While the Virtual Reality logs themselves might say nothing, the data they leave behind has proven to not be as random as originally thought. In early 2463, the Nlom relay of Qerr’Malic received information that has provided a limited understanding of the C'thur realm for the Skrell. While an important topic, the advances of Virtual Reality deciphering are undisclosed with the Queens and Hive representatives, as it may sour their relationships. It is unknown how the C’thur Hive may react if more progress is achieved.

Skrell, as humans, have a limited understanding of Virtual Reality, and are only aware of what either the Hive’s wish to share or have formed an idea of these Realms through small revelations found during conversations with Vaurca. Mouv’s Realm is one of the least understood, as her data flow is interpreted quite differently by those that have read the logs. No Vaurca has been able, or even willing, to properly explain what happens there. If discovered, however, the Federation most likely may disapprove of her methods, with the exact reaction being speculative.

== C'thur and Government ==

=== The Queens Views on the Federation ===

All C’thuric Queens generally have a positive attitude toward the Nralakk Federation, although how positive differs depending on which Queen is in question.

Mouv and Vytel are, by far, the most in support of the Nralakk Federation. Mouv benefits greatly from the technological expertise of the Federation’s Scientists, and works with them to produce new wonders regularly, including the recently created Bulwark caste. Vytel on the other hand admires the Federation’s strict rules and laws, seeing them as a just order of things, highly valued by Vytel herself as well as her brood.

C’thur’s brood has an attitude more bordering on Neutral towards the Federation. They admire all the Federation has done for them since they arrived, as well as their relatively good position in comparison to the other Hives, but still feel the pressure from the predicament of their High Queen at all times, with some viewing her as a hostage of Nralakk, although they would never publicly claim as such.

Xetl’s brood varies vastly in how they see the Federation. Some have great admiration, while others may be indifferent to it and only see it as a contractor. It mostly depends on which areas they are specializing and how much the Federation has impacted them. While some of her Unbound are too strange and hedonistic to put overtime in a Skrellian project without proper incentive, it is in the Xetl brood where Skrell idol culture has impacted the most, and many may be motivated by their favourite idols alone.
=== Unbound and the Federation ===

Unbound Vaurcae typically hold similar views to the Federation as their Brood Queens, with most being pragmatic to the relationship; the Federation provides security and stability for the Hive in exchange for labour and typically stays out of Hive politics and affairs unless it involves the Federation. Generally speaking, a C'thuric Vaurca will follow what their Ta believes, with some small variations depending on individual circumstances. Most if not all C'thur genuinely believe that the Federation is the Hive's best hope to survive and thrive in the Spur.

Some Unbound, despite this general view, find the relationship to be unacceptable and see the Federation as an oppressive force preventing the C’thur Hive from being able to achieve its potential in the Spur. Unbound that hold this belief tend to be the more under-performing individuals of a hive-cell, and are typically responsible for delinquent behaviour such as what can be seen on [[Qerr%27Malic#Sub'Quleq|Qerr'Malic]]. Despite the low-level disobedience and crime, however, these Unbound will still follow orders from their Queens and by extension, the Federation.

=== The Queens Views on Loyalty Implants ===

The Queens as a whole have an odd fascination with the concept of loyalty implants. Since Vaurcae have biological loyalty hardcoded into their psyche, the concept of needing to reinforce that same loyalty towards external organisations is seen as novel.

However, this interest can wane when the actual usage of the implant is considered. The ethics of loyalty implants are often debated between scientists of different broods. The general consensus is that they can be a good thing, a tool to disrupt unwanted behaviours without the use of culling, and helps further the goals of the Hive. On the other hand, they are regarded as inferior technology, and some have raised concerns of what may happen in the long term when paired with the neural sockets, fearing it might disrupt them as the loyalty implants are not as ‘pure’ as their Vaurcaesian augmentations.

=== Ta and their Interactions with the Government ===

Despite the particular respect a Skrell may have to a Worker or a Warrior, they are not seen as their equals. They are much more accepting of [[Vaurca#Ta, The Breeders (Type C)|Ta]], however, despite their monstrous size, mainly due to their intelligence and longevity. A regular Breeder may live much longer than a Skrell, with most Tas having been around since before the species' exodus from Sedantis. The Ta of the C’thur Hive coordinate with the Government for any bureaucratic process their hive-cell might require, and they often have good relationships with local officials.

Due to the eusocial nature of the species and their unwavering loyalty to the Hive first above everything else, a Vaurca in Federation politics is seen as impossible. Nevertheless, Breeders may often give speeches in universities or address their local politicians, especially to raise concerns the common Vaurca may have. It is not uncommon to see a rally being attended by local Ta and their entourage, either to press politicians on issues pertaining to the Hive or to show their support.

==== Ta Consulars ====

Ta who find themselves representing the C’thur Hive abroad have been tasked with assisting Nralakk Federation Citizens as well, albeit in a small capacity. Although unable to authorise paperwork specific to the Federation such as citizenship or visa applications, they have been given the authority to act as a liaison for Federation affairs. Faxing and receiving paperwork necessary for applications, providing consultations, and assisting Nralakk citizens abroad are all common duties given to Ta Consulars.

==== Ta Consular Assistants and Psionics ====

One of the main challenges faced by Ta representing the Nralakk Federation, is biological. Despite nearly universally possessing Psionic Receiver augmentations, they are not in of themselves true psionics. This difference can be problematic as psionics and psionic technology are major elements of the Federation and Skrell in general, with a Representative lacking the ability to interact with such handicapped. To alleviate this state of affairs, it's not unusual for Ta to be assigned an assistant by the Nralakk Federation. These assistants are frequently pulled from the ranks of the Federation's Sromkala or Ruupkala, with their specific kala affiliations being unknown to the general public.
The most common day-to-day duty of these assistants is to serve the Ta as any executive assistant might. Other more unique responsibilities involve speaking on her behalf when it would be impractical for her to do so due to size, safety, or local customs; interfacing with devices that she cannot, psionic or otherwise; reporting on unusual matters regarding the Nlom; and perhaps most importantly, handling matters regarding the Srom.

Assistants drawn from the ranks of the Sromkala are charged with not just watching the Srom for the Vaurca Diplomat but tutoring her regarding it, not unlike one might an apprentice. Much like all Vaurca, the Ta naturally lack a Zona Bovinae and so rely completely on their guides in the shared-dream, even more so than a human or other such species may. Interestingly, some prospective Ta students pick up the ability to manipulate the shared dream to an extent; however, unlike a human, this capability is derived through channeling the psionic potential of the guide already present in the Srom. This is a tiring process for both parties but allows a practiced Ta to make small environmental changes within the Srom, such as warping the shape of small objects, broadcasting emotions or rudimentary visions, creating slight variations, and other such tricks as might be learned by a young Skrell. Though this pales in comparison to all but the least capable Skrell in the Spur, some Ta still never quite pick up the ability, struggling for years with little gain, much to their frustration, and those Ta that can have been unable to explain what is different about them. Theories include the ability for a Ta to re-contextualize the Srom in some sense within their minds to be not unlike their own virtual reality, a deeper relationship with their assistant on a physical or metaphysical level, or simply pure cosmic luck.

It is no secret to the C'thur Hive that these assistants are as much operatives of the Nralakk Federation sent to watch over them and ensure the Ta remain loyal as they are beholden to the Diplomat herself. It is rare for this to cause much strife, and conversely, it's not uncommon for assistants and Ta to develop quite a close relationship, at minimum one of begrudging respect. Both don't just rely on the other but share a considerable amount of time doing so, and the Ta have someone with whom they have to keep few secrets compared to many they interact with.

[[Category:Skrell]]
[[Category:Vaurca]]

Vytel, The Just Queen

2026-07-08T15:02:24Z

Carver: K'laxian to K'laxan

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Infobox broods
|Queen = Ta’Akaix’Vytel’hyr’tkud C’thur
|Alt title = The Just Queen
|Image = vytelbrood.png
|Color Akaix = <span style="color:#141437">(RGB 20,20,55)</span>
|Color Za'Viax = <span style="color:#000019">(RGB 0, 0, 25) </span>
|Color Ka'Viax = <span style="color:#0a2337">(RGB 10, 35, 55)</span>
|Color Ra'Akaix = <span style="color:#191937">(RGB 25, 25, 55)</span>
|Color Ra'Viax = <span style="color:#0e0e2b">(RGB 14, 14, 43)</span>
|Locations = [[Qerr'Malic|Qerr’Malic]], [[Republic of Biesel#Corporate Reconstruction Zone|Corporate Reconstruction Zone]], [[Eridani Federation]], Nralakk Federation
}}
A gregarious queen, Vytel’hyr’tkud and her brood maintain the C’thur Hive Warriors. Vytel was lauded as a champion amongst smaller Hive vassals upon [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]]. She crafted an image of neutrality and fairness that remains to this day. The youngest of the lesser queens brought with the C'thur Hive, little was ever expected of Vytel beyond her peacekeeping missions, who maintained her brood in such numbers more as an afterthought in the consensus of the Hive Queens.

Historically a small brood, as C’thur made a point of using as little force whenever possible, in what her brood lacked in numbers Vytel made up for it with profound charisma. Her brood’s duties typically concerned peacekeeping and as such many of her spawn interacted regularly with other Hives.

==Background==
Ever since the [[Vaurca History#The Exodus|Exodus]] from Sedantis, however, Vytel’s brood has been pressed the hardest. For the length of their two-thousand year journey to the Orion Spur, Vytel and her brood would be tasked with investigating the function of unknown devices and areas of the massive K’laxan Hiveship. Through trial and error, as well as many Bound and Unbound deaths, she was able to approximate the functions of every device and room upon the Kloxa’xia. This unexpected use that the Hive has called her for has colored her perceptions of the other lesser queens, sanitizing their relationship.

Her issues worsened when the [[The Lii'dra|Lii’dra]] boarded their Hiveship, as it was Vytel’s brood primarily that was mobilized to expel them. Indeed, it was her brood that succeeded in doing so, despite several other Lesser Queens refusing to mobilize their own smaller Warrior forces. When it was found out that her mother, [[C'thur, Queen of Masques|High Queen C’thur]], suffered a mortal wound in the attack, Vytel took it badly. She blamed herself and her brood for the failure of the High Queen’s defense, helped along by similar accusations from other Lesser Queens.

Her situation changed somewhat when they came in contact with the [[Skrell]]. In saving the High Queen, Vytel has pledged more of her brood to the Nralakk Federation than any other Queen and has redoubled her efforts in expanding her brood. Always fascinated by other cultures, she and her brood have adapted well to their current situation, working with the Skrell rather than simply using them in some cases.

The complexity of her relationship with the other broods of the Hive has somewhat diminished, but an animosity still lingers amongst some of her kind. Other broods tend to view Vytel’s spawn with some trepidation, seeing them as pretentious, and too used to lectures on political and moral correctness.

==Her Realm==
Her Virtual Reality is understood as a recreation of Xtykt’lotec, a city founded upon old Sedantis that housed the Court of Queens, a type of inter-hive diplomatic body. Housed equidistant from all major Hives upon Sedantis, Xtykt’lotec was an important neutral ground that housed the progress of Vaurcaesian diplomacy for over 8.000 years. The city was situated near the edge of several tectonic plates, necessitating that most of the city be suspended from cavern ceilings and giant rock formations while roiling lava bubbled below between fault lines in the crust of Sedantis.

However, Vytel’s aim is better understood as the concept of justice itself, and some may even describe it feeling less of a place and more of a manifestation of the old legal codexes that resonate when entering, as if they were music with their vibrations. She is said to reside below it, as she does not believe that even Queens themselves are above the law.

==Her Brood==
Most of Vytel’s '''Warriors''' have been repurposed for both the [[Skrell_Enforcement#Defence|Qukala]] forces of the Federation and as [[Eridani Federation Military|military contractors for the Eridani Federation]]. For them, the Queen has developed rules of warfare and civility known as the Yu’tjtuk’tia or The Prime Means. This set of rules justly covers any situation one would find themselves in within a war and politics and that all Warriors are expected to know. It is this strict adherence to principles that give her brood their respect amongst other Hives. From all the C’thur Hive, the Vytel Warriors are provided the best voice modulators that allow clearer and better speech.

The '''Workers''' of her brood have been mostly in charge of any civilian jobs involving the [[Qerr'Malic|Qerr’Malic]] attractions, other needs required by the [[Nralakk Federation]] and, most recently, shipped to the [[Republic of Biesel#Corporate Reconstruction Zone|Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] as of lately, used by the megacorporations in either aid for establishing infrastructure or as neutral parties that may be used as the corporate rule tries to establish order.

The '''Bulwark''' has given Vytel the opportunity to use her Warriors smarter, with many Ras just acting as ‘the muscle behind the law’, as it has become common for her to say, with the new caste employed mostly as righteous, law-abiding personal assistants of lawyers or lawmakers, having their size fool anyone who may wish to do them harm. The demand for this job, however, has not been as high as she first expected, and thus some Bulwarks are now employed in service jobs.

==Xakat’kl’atan==
Just like the Queen herself, her Xakat’kl’atan share much of her personality. The following are two examples, acting as ideal teachers for newborn Vaurcae.

===Ka’Akaix’Eon C’thur===
Eon is, for a lack of better word, a legal scholar. One of the brightest minds and in full support of the Court of Queens, Eon is highly respected by all Hives, and still remains an authority in regards to this period in Vaurca history. Especially to those Zo’ra in human space, a few have been required by their respective broods to fill in as lawyers, paralegals and any other jobs in the Biesellite Courts. Eon has accepted, as an act of inter-hive diplomacy, to teach those Zo’ra, and has become a legal scholar in skrellian, human and Unathi law too.

===Za’Akaix’Tzel C’thur===
Tzel was made a Master of Ideal Forms for strategy. Tzel has formed valid and viable strategies for all combat scenarios that come to mind; from how to flank in the most efficient manner, to how to cause worthwhile damage in multiple scenarios. From suicidal close combat strategies to naval operations, Tzel is still forming military tactics to this day, reimagining warfare to include the new species. Every weapon, every odds, every psyche of every combatant is taken into consideration. It is said that Tzel has formed strategies that include bizarre tactics such as driving the opponent insane, though these are yet to be confirmed. Victories achieved by one of Tzel’s strategies are commonly studied by those seeking to learn.

==Weavemakers and Notable Subrealms==
Vytel's [[Virtual_Reality#Weavemakers|Weavemakers]] typically apply for the position and are scrutinised per a codex of criteria, covering topics around correct conduct, such as a guarantee that subrealms will not intentionally spread misinformation. It is rare for applicants to be denied, though not unheard of for controversial members of the brood. Her Weavemakers are known for their attention to detail, especially when ensuring accuracy in conducting extensive research on topics they plan to integrate.

===Chambers of tranquillity===

The '''Kla'Rea'Xenda''', or "Chambers of tranquillity," were designed amidst an attempt to reestablish the Court of Queens. High Queen Zo'ra requested the realm and the project was ledby Queen Vytel, with aid from a Weavemaker of each Hive, a profession much rarer at the time due to how novel Virtual Reality was. Of the three designers—Ka'Akaix'Lep C'thur, Ka'Akaix'Pena Zo’ra, and Za'Akaix'Etr K’lax—only Lep remains to tend the realm, Etr having perished after the great loss of K’lax Cephalons, and Pena having ceased Weavemaking altogether. The Chambers resemble an absolutely gargantuan and majestic courtroom. It is from within its walls that legal disputes are resolved, overseen by scholarly Vytel judges or, on rare occasions, even the Queen herself.

During the Hives Renaissance, the rulings handed down by the Chambers carried a great deal of weight, and although they were still subject to being vetoed by Zo'ra, they were generally considered the final authority. This political power has greatly diminished since the Exodus. The Chambers now serve to arbitrate disputes internal to C'thur Hive and are yet to have officially been integrated back into the reformed Court of Queens as the legislative body, although rumors of this changing soon are rife.

===Enforcement Directive===
Enforcement Directive, known as '''Tren'taka''' in Vaurcese, began as a training programme for integrating Vytel warriors into the Qekala. Designed by Za'Akaix'Poal C'thur, it soon became a well-known source of entertainment amongst the brood and beyond. Due to popular demand, it was split into two separate modes known as realistic and simplified. In both versions, participants take on the position of Qekala officers through procedurally generated scenarios, fighting crime in locations across the Federation.

Where the two modes differ is in ease of access. Simplified is more like a game and is far less punishing for Warriors who make errors, whereas realistic expects Qekala procedure to be followed to the letter, with mistakes penalised harshly when receiving the final grade after a scenario. The Nralakk Federation was made aware of this subrealm when inquiring into the nature of Vytel's Qekala training regime and has strongly praised it, even going so far as to work with Queen Vytel to offer a leaderboard with slight Social Compatability Index rating improvements for those reported as being within the top ten every month.

==Recent Events==
As much as Vytel can pledge loyalty to Nralakk, she knows that she will always remain on the side of C’thur. Because of such, slowly but surely she has ventured to fulfill the demands the megacorporation employers of C’thur make in human space. Vytel’hyr’tkud has also expressed interest in K’lax diplomacy, as the relationship has become tarnished again in the past few years.

{{Vaurca broods}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Xakt, Queen of Corpses

2026-07-08T15:01:55Z

Carver: K'laxian to K'laxan

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Infobox broods
|Queen = Ta’Akaix’Xakt’yagz’isk Zo’ra
|Alt title = Queen of Corpses
|Image = xaktbrood.png
|Color Akaix = <span style="color:#5b1f00">(RGB 91, 31, 0)</span>
|Color Za'Viax = <span style="color:#794700">(RGB 121, 71, 0)</span>
|Color Ka'Viax = <span style="color:#511500">(RGB 81, 21, 0)</span>
|Color Ra'Akaix = <span style="color:#51230a">(RGB 81, 35, 10)</span>
|Color Ra'Viax = <span style="color:#491d05">(RGB 73, 29, 5)</span>
|Locations = [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Luthien|Luthien]], Tau Ceti
}}
Placed upon the desert planet of [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Luthien|Luthien]], Xakt’yagz’isk’s brood has quickly monopolized the planet’s cheap labor workforce. Xakt'yagz'isk originally oversaw all matters concerning tech and tech implants aboard the Hiveship. She also supervised Reclamation, the process of reclaiming the implants of dead Vaurca, making many Zo’ra associate her with death.

Xakt herself is uncharacteristically distant, often too busy or wrapped up in her own projects to care about what the rest of the galaxy is doing. Her current focus has been ramping up industrial capabilities for Luthien and pouring over ancient schematics and technical data from Titan Prime. She sees the overall suffering of Unbound Zo’ra throughout Tau Ceti as distractions from the primary goal of fixing the Hiveship. Her efforts in this are not in vain, and over the years has made measurable progress in repairing the damaged Titan. To her, the events of the last few years were a failure of planning, one that must be fixed quickly if the Hive is to succeed. The Unbound of her brood largely share this approach and rarely attempt to make personal attachments to any of the alien inhabitants of Tau Ceti. This thinking is exacerbated further by the loss of Sedantis, and the disappearance of the High Queen Zo'ra. To Xakt, they are the last of their kind, and she cannot suffer the unknowable intentions of humans to decide the fate of Zo’ra.

Xakt’yagz’isk was the first Lesser Queen of the Zo’ra to denounce K’lax independence. She knows better than any Zo’ra alive the nature of K’laxan innovation and why they were worthy to be vassalized in the first place.

==Her Realm==
Xakt’s VR is scarce at first glance compared to all other Zo’ra Queens. The few Unbound here inhabit a blank slate, a type of physics and engineering program that models reality to exactness. Here, ancient and new technologies are built, virtually. Complex mechanisms and constructions are laid out in organized grids, littering the featureless void with countless engineering projects. Each a ‘working’ solution to the overall problems that the Zo’ra face. Xakt’yagz’isk rarely manifests herself here, with the few notable times when a Zo’ra claims to have built something ‘K’lax-like.’

==Her Brood==
Upon Luthien itself, her brood has thrived, creating massive k’ois fields that pose little risk to their surroundings. The fungus burrows into the silt-like sand of the desert, and finds little purchase, but grows all the same. The sands make it harder for the plant to grow uncontrollably, allowing large-scale cultivation. Armies of Bound Workers work tirelessly in the sweltering heat of the blooming desert, exporting tons of k’ois throughout the system.

Both Unbound '''Workers''' and '''Warriors''' also find work with several exotic florae, or weapons testing labs scattered throughout the planet, respectively. Others may field massive scrap yards, full of debris from across the galaxy, searching for exotic tech that may catch the Queens’ eyes. They are also known to cooperate with the human outposts at Luthien, and have prevented recent mycosis outbreaks, as well as developing newer methods to prevent the spores from quickly adhering to the human lungs.

The single largest employer of Vaurcae, however, would be the Getmore Corporation, who source their refined k’ois products here. The massive plantations that cover the desert sands of Luthien are dwarfed only by the processing plants themselves. Since landing, Xakt’yagz’isk, with support from her [[Nanotrasen Corporation|Getmore]] suppliers, has created several ''Uta’ka’yat'' or ‘All-Factories’. According to Vaurca claims, these All-Factories can fabricate any complex or simple part using revolutionary mass production techniques and are limited only by their size.

Many of the '''Bulwarks''' have found a place in the All-Factories, as they can speed up the process. However, those that are not posted in Luthien usually will take miner or botanist jobs, as their training may be directed towards the acquisition of raw materials and goods.

==Xakat’kl’atan==
With her large Bound numbers, Xakat’kl’atan are scarce among her brood. However, a few remain relevant today.

===Ka’Akaix’Rytzk Zo’ra===
Ka’Akaix’Rytzk Zo’ra was the mind behind many ergonomic implants used by Vaurca today. Often regarded as the forefather of the modern Hivenet implant, it is said that Rytzk also developed the prototypes for many of the modifications that have become quintessential for the modern Vaurca.

Many seek to learn from Rytzk and master the natural and ingenious methods of implementing technology into the regular Unbound while retaining their signature versatility, as well as perfecting the Bound parts so their maintenance costs become cheaper. Its current research has led it to innovate the storage capacities of the [[Vaurca#Cephalon (Type D)|Cephalon]], if their current storage ever becomes insufficient.

===Za’Akaix’Cimm Zo’ra===
The Vaurca responsible for a number of the more practical vehicles employed by all Vaurca hives. Known to some human historians as the Vaurca Nikola Tesla, Cimm battled [[Vetju, Iron Queen#Ka’Akaix’Yix K’lax|Yix of K’lax]] when the challenge came to designing the first hiveships. Ultimately losing, Cimm faded from inter-hive prominence before dying under mysterious circumstances just before the Hiveships were first launched.

Cimm became a master of ideal forms while alive, and is credited for the creation of nearly all practical designs of earthmovers as well shuttlecraft and larger dropships. It is particularly famous throughout the hives for the creation of ''Da’loks'', a one-wheeled vehicle that maintains a personal gravity field around itself. This allows the Da’lok to travel across land and sea with little difficulty and is employed by Vaurcae to this day as a personal and commercial transport in their colonized worlds. Cimm is infamous among the Zo’ra Hive for its sour disposition, yet this does not stop new Vaurcae from seeking tutelage under it.

==Weavemakers and Notable Subrealms==
Placing scarce little value on entertainment, Queen Xakt has few [[Virtual_Reality#Weavemakers|Weavemakers]] appointed, and those that she does have focus instead on realms that help her practical activities. Members of her Unbound searching for entertainment typically do so by going to another Queen's realm.

===Titan Prime===
Titan Prime, like the real Zo'rane Hiveship, also goes by '''Klo'xryek'''. It is a near-exact replica of the gargantuan vessel before it left Sedantis on the great Exodus. It was "designed" by Ka'Akaix'Yrt Zo'ra with instruction from Queen Xakt, using teams of Bound to map out areas on the real ship with specialist tools and then recreate them with as much accuracy as possible in Virtual Reality.

The brood uses this model to assist in their repairs of the vessel, ensuring they match it as close to the original designs of Ka’Akaix’Yix K’lax as possible. Yix is even rumoured to have personally contributed to the project, but this remains unconfirmed. Visitors from Zo’ra Hive and beyond are welcome but often receive a cold reception from Xakt's brood, who regard their work as more important than mere nostalgia or virtual tourism.

===Resurrection===
One of the few subrealms that can be seen within the niche of entertainment for Xakt Unbound, Resurrection, also known as '''Ghe’myk''', is an experience where participants attempt to give an artificial second life to reclaimed corpses. The creator of this subrealm remains unknown, as it is regarded as a collaborative project by Xakt scientists. Because the Frankensteinian revived Vaurcae decay much as in real life, the Unbound of the brood have seized the simulation to further experiment with the conservation of organic matter.

==Recent Events==
The beneficial partnership with Getmore has pushed Xakt to strike a deal to produce the Zo’ra Soda branch, which has become famous all across the galaxy. The brand has proven successful enough that even the other Hives have attempted to produce their own versions, with the few K’laxan and C’thuric flavors being popular mostly locally. While Xakt herself sees the cooperation with Getmore as only a means to acquire capital and fulfill the needs of her Hive, her sisters have pushed her to continue the partnership.

{{Vaurca broods}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Vaurca Culture and Society

2026-06-23T01:23:49Z

Carver:

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}

==Values==
Vaurcaesian society values and respects the authority each Hive has over its own Vaurcae. This is considered one of the highest values, and the golden rule, so much that an individual that deviates from this norm will be considered defective. While unique ethos and understandings of how to serve the Hive are as plentiful as there are Vaurcae, they mainly resonate that, especially when working in human space, an individual Vaurca takes the role as the representative of the Hive and thus should act accordingly.

===Loyalty and Bound treatment===

The Vaurca 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, and disloyalty is an anomaly. Loyalty is furthermore purely biological, the result of pheromone excretion, augmentation, and indoctrination.

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.

===Competitiveness and individual conflict===
While Vaurcae have their own understanding of sports, some broods are rarely competitive, as sport is often seen as a leisure or part of one’s training. Despite such, many have adopted and enjoyed human sports and activities of the sort, though they will rarely be seen as upset as a human may be if their team loses.

Certain individuals may have feuds with each other. This is rarely taken as anything other than friendly banter, and enemies have a passive relationship. Aggression between Vaurcae is rare if not in the context of war, and not often will one see Vaurcae picking a fight. If the situation leads to that, however, it will mainly happen between Warriors, and sorted in Virtual Reality —fights that do actual damage being uncommon. Workers and Warriors alike, however, often sort their differences, if too great, with their respective hive-cell Breeders.

As busy as the Hivenet is, with many voices and thoughts coming together all times, Vaurcae learn to ‘ignore’ those they disagree with, and filter out conversations that are not their concern. There is an implement block option in the Hivenet, which allows users to cease to listen to others they deem too troublesome. This, however, requires the permission of a Breeder and is seen as a final measure.

===Death and afterlife===

While the normal Vaurcae may claim to not be scared of death, as their afterlife is the Paradise molded by their own Queens, natural instincts are hard to suppress, and survival is seen as a priority, whether the Hive culture has intended for that to be the case or not. Individuals are often mourned, but there is more joy in death than what would be common in human societies, as they remain assured they will meet again. However, the loss of an alien friend can be painful, since they do not form part of the Virtual Reality the Vaurcae have available.

The deceased Unbound’s neural socket 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. The loss of a neural socket before this ritual is a high offense, and stealing one’s socket after death, no matter from which Hive, is considered one of the lowest actions an individual can do. An offense of this magnitude does not go without retaliation, even if the culprit was not Vaurca.

===Wars and honor===

Vaurcae, like humans, are tribalistic when it comes to their own surroundings. Hive pride is common, and the history of conflict with each Hive has led to many clashings. After the [[Vaurca History#The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], due to the death toll, there has been a great effort by some of the broods to reduce their military strength and avoid such a catastrophe again. Once a war is engaged, however, there are strict honor codes a Warrior should engage in, as war crimes are a huge offense to all parties. The abduction of Unbound Vaurcae is frowned upon, and the killing of another Hive’s Lesser Queens or ultimate Queen is especially taboo.

Warforms and other types of Bound Warriors are regarded as tools, but they are also valued as important assets. As such, while the battle will aim to overcome the strength of the opponent, even to the point of killing their Bound Warriors, the vandalization or sabotage of these assets is also frowned upon, and not honorable.

These rules and values are understood and enforced by Bound Vaurcae too, even if they may fail to grasp the concepts behind such. Punished communities, individuals in exile or Queenless hive-cells may have acquired different notions of values, or even dropped them altogether, as their conditions are poor in their environments. [[The Lii'dra|The Lii’dra]] do not follow these ethical codes.

==Taboos==
Perhaps unlike other sophonts in the Orion Spur, Vaurcae are the most ashamed about their evolution, and would rather pretend that they were always augmented and biologically engineered. Even at Sedantis, the [[Leto, The Seeker|Leto brood]] would be shunned for their interest in pre-Augment archeology. One of their highest taboos, however, would be references to trophallaxis or their natural language, which relied in mouth-to-mouth hormone distribution for more complex messages. While an Unbound will likely shrug off slurs that superficially link them to Terrestrial insects, if someone were to imply that Vaurcae practice trophallaxis, they would likely take great offense, akin as a human offending a Queen.

Mouth-to-mouth contact is regarded as gross and primitive. A Vaurca would find humans kissing to be disgusting. The pre-contact fashion of covering one’s mandibles was common with some groups that considered showing the mandibles in public to be indecent, but the new filter ports and contact with other societies has rapidly changed their views. Nowadays, only a few older Vaurcae are prudish enough to hide their mandibles.

Tas will often cover their faces with shrouds in public, but for the followers of the [[Vaurca Religion#Modern Pantheon|Modern Pantheon]] this is particularly required. While a regular Worker of this religion would never force a Breeder to cover her face, it would believe that staring directly into her face would be immodest and blinding, and thus the Worker would turn away or cover its eyes.

A High Queen, if she has begun a Hive of her own, will shed her old name and take the short form only. Any mention of it is the highest of the taboos, perhaps in an attempt for other hives to not link the High Queen with her mother. The full birth names of Zo’ra, K’lax and C’thur are considered hidden words. Even with High Queen Lii’dra, despite their hatred of the Hive, the name would not be mentioned. As much as some of the K’lax may despite C’thur, mentioning her full name would be grounds for voiding by their own Queen.

==The Ta and Hive Leadership==

Outside of the Queens themselves, the Ta are the most important figures in Vaurca society and are responsible for filling a brood's upper echelons of power. Free from the ravages of age with sufficient access to treatment, an individual Ta has no real need to hurry. This gives them plenty of time to settle into a position they find satisfactory or, in a rare privilege for Vaurca, aspire to something greater.

The highest position a Ta may reach in the leadership hierarchy is that of the Surrogates, who have the honored duty of helping the Queen lay eggs and acting as her advisory council on matters in which they specialize. Surrogates are almost always among a Hives most ancient Ta, expected to possess wisdom, charisma, and guile in equal measure. A recent phenomenon begun by Zo'rane [[ Athvur,_The_New_Goddess |Queen Athvur]] since the Exodus is that of a Queen taking a young Ta as Surrogate to advise regarding matters more familiar to the youth of this strange new generation.

Directly below the Surrogates are the Supervisors or Alates, who are Ta entrusted with the management and mothering of a hive-cell. A hive-cell is a group of Vaurcae that are considered a single unit by the Hive, comparable to a very large human family. A hive-cell is usually established for economical, cultural, or historical reasons, with some hive-cells being ancient and serving more-or-less the same purpose they did back on Sedantis. When a Worker refers to "their Ta", they are likely speaking about their Alate. The size of a hive-cell may vary between half a dozen and a thousand individuals, though hive-cells of Unbound Vaurcae are harder to manage and tend to be much smaller.

In some instances, Alates are subservient to a regional supervisor, a Ta, who does not have a hive-cell of her own but rather serves as a liaison between the Queen and her Alates. Although traditionally this was unrequired, the expansion of Vaurcae in the Orion Spur has raised the need for regional supervisors to help organize the brood.

The other type of Breeders are usually referred to as Diplomats. Diplomats have a wide variety of duties within the Hives but are generally responsible for representing the interests of their brood and acting as its face. Some Diplomats are tasked with handling internal Vaurca politics by their broods, acting as messengers or representatives for the Court of Queens. Others instead handle external matters, such as speaking for the Hive in Spur politics. Many do not have a permanent hive-cell of their own but may be given one as a temporary measure when Vaurca are traveling abroad.

==Ta Society==

Whenever the Spur speaks of the Ta it is almost always in reference to the Type CB. The Type CB have for the species entire history acted as the leaders of the Vaurca, each playing a part in pushing them forward through time. With each of these Ta being near immortal, wielding a much greater degree of independence then the other castes and having a tendency towards holding increasingly strong views as they age, a curious society has arisen amongst them independent of Vaurca society at a large. To an outsider, the social structure of the Ta has a tendency to appear flat or even simplistic but nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that Ta typically only possesses one of a small handful of "ranks" in a traditional sense (Diplomat, Alate, Surrogate, Queen), behind each of these titles is an ancient bewildering and byzantine social hierarchy built up over untold generations and which varies not only from Hive to Hive but even within the same Hive.

For every action a Ta wishes to take, there is a delicate protocol, with the first challenge being even working out who or what to approach for permission. Actions that, for another species or even another Vaurca caste, would be completely innocent may present a delicate challenge. For example a Ta wishing to enter a realm, request aid from a Cephalon protocol, apply for funding, or even view a work of art, can find themselves swarmed with centuries-old bureaucratic mazes and an army of social gatekeepers who battle with reputation and seniority. This is to say nothing of the innumerable rivalries spanning generations and layers of hierarchical nuance long forgotten to all but a few. With Ta particularly unlikely to be susceptible to traditional bribery or threats, many outside the system would find it near impossible to navigate.

Fortunately, however, by the time Ta are considered of sufficient age to begin involving themselves in Hive affairs properly, all but the most inept have already established themselves with what, to a shorter-lived and less socially engineered species, would be an impossibly wide array of connections. Each can manage hundreds of delicate relations spanning everything from contacts, friends, and favors to the less openly discussed blackmail. It is these social tools, not firearms or blades, that form the weapons of the Ta.

Queens rarely involve themselves directly in the great game of internal Hive politics and bureaucracy beyond their direct court of Surrogates. With each Ta subservient to their will, even if sometimes a particular Ta will stretch their interpretation of exactly what the Queen's will is close to breaking, they can easily cut through these structures. It is considered a great honor for the Ta if a Queen takes a direct interest in them or a project they are overseeing; however, the Biology of Vaurca makes this less unusual than direct contact with the rulers of many other species. The Hivenet keeps a Queen in constant informational contact with her lesser kin and whilst not frequent due to an innate preference for delegation, she can easily pass praise, orders, or admonishment to whomever she wishes.

==Vaurcaesian law==

The Vaurca legal system reflects the sometimes harsh realities of the Vaurca social structure and is intrinsically linked to it. A proper legal code regarding the behavior of Ta, Queen's, and Hives was established by [[Vytel,_The_Just_Queen | Queen Vytel The Just]] generations earlier on Sedantis as one of the first and most important acts of the reformed Court of Queen's. Simply known as "Vaurcaesian law" the treatise she proposed to the Court was exhaustive and written to replace the nearly uncountable number of inefficient conventions, underbaked treaties, and confusing jurisdictional limitations that the Court's members were privy to at the time. While it has been modified over generations, her original structure is still largely present. This legal code was for centuries enforced by Queen Vytel from her realm, the Chambers of Tranquillity. Since the Exodus, however, it has been handled internally by Hives, where it has been applied at all. Vytel's attempts to re-establish herself as the legislative arm of the Court of Queen's are yet to bear fruit.

While each Hive has concocted their own statutes, interpretations and reforms since the Exodus, Vaurcaesian law almost universally deals only with Ta. Offenses committed by the other castes instead tend to fall on whichever Ta was responsible for them to resolve. If the breach in question could have been reasonably prevented or was done on order of the Ta, it falls to her to bear the consequences of any legal breach.

The trials of Ta are always overseen by another of her kin, typically a panel of three. For a Hive to have a Worker or any other caste oversee such would be an unacceptably grievous offense. Cases are relatively uncommon due to the nature of the species, but the more common breaches include a Ta not following treaties, acting against another Hive without permission, indirectly acting against the best interest of the Hive, acting dishonestly towards her sisters, knowingly circumventing Cephalon regulations, or misusing resources. Much of the legislation covers rare edge cases, especially the ever-complicated sections regarding the application of the law and Virtual Reality. Sanctions if a breach is discovered to have occurred typically range from warnings to removal from positions of importance. The majority of the actual damage to a Ta found guilty tends to be reputational.

While the above is true for the majority of cases, there are exceptionally rare breaches from time to time. In theory, statutes regarding permissible violence between Ta of the same Hive exist; however, in nothing but the most extraordinary circumstances is it considered acceptable for a Ta to move against another of her own Hive with violence, and the conventions regarding such are completely exhaustive. To use violence against another of her kin without following the conventions would bring social damnation with the strictest legal sanctions. A Ta committing the near unthinkable act of moving to intentionally kill another of her sisters permanently, soul and all, would almost invariably result in her being completely cast from the Hive and forbidden from returning under penalty of voiding. To be voided is indeed a very taboo sanction for Ta, and each instance constitutes a major historical event in its own right. Even Ta captured from other Hives during acts of aggression are expected to be treated as respected hostages and, if possible, integrated into the victorious Hives' retinue. The punishment for not doing so may not be as extreme as killing one's own sisters, but it is still very punitive.

==Holidays and calendar==
Like other sapient societies, there are days deemed special for Vaurcae. The traditional Vaurcaesian calendar did not follow the moon or the sun, or even agricultural cycles, but rather predictable tectonic movements that were timed and repeated. Because time in [[Virtual Reality]] follows a different logic, often seeing as if there was no time at all, keeping track of time in Virtual Reality is not a common practice in those that reside or remain linked in it. However, [[Vaurca#Cephalon (Type D)|Cephalons]] and traditional Vaurca clocks (Bound Workers meant to count time ever since they left [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]]) have allowed for the notion of time to not be lost in Vaurca society. The Sedantis calendar has become a niche as of late, since Vaurcae quickly adapted to the calendars of the cultures they now interact with.

===Individual Celebrations===
A regular Vaurca will have some celebrations they may wish to commemorate. One that is universal among Unbound is Transubstantiation Day, or Vata’keilvetk. Typically occurring at or close to half of their lifespan, this day is significant in that the Vaurca’s neural socket has fully mapped the functions of their brain. The importance of having this complete map originates from the fact that Vaurca who die before their Transubstantiation day and reach the virtual paradise are considered to be at higher risk of "corruption" or personality "glitches" than those who have passed, though this is still considered uncommon. The completion of Transubstantiation is considered by the Hives to demonstrate that a Vaurca has matured in both mind and body. Many Unbound celebrate this day and go to great lengths to celebrate the Transubstantiation Day of their peers.

Vaurcae do not keep track of birthdays, but they may celebrate the day they left their training. This is a common practice with younger individuals that were born after they were introduced to other cultures. Some broods, such as [[Vetju, Iron Queen|Vetju]], reject this idea altogether. Others, such as [[Athvur, The New Goddess|Athvur]], have embraced it and it has become almost universal.

Additionally, there are several milestones a Vaurca may wish to celebrate in their life. This can be any kind of accomplishment, and more often than not are decided among a group of individuals. An example may be a group of Unbound Workers, celebrating together their architectural feat every year. Schools of thought, groups and cliques may produce these days for anything they deem worthy of remembrance.

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 [[Vaurca Religion#Hive Pantheon|the Aether]] without worry of what they leave behind. [[Skrell|Skrellian]] historians believe that this practice likely came around between the [[Vaurca History#The Era of Agriculture|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.

===Hive Celebrations===
Some other holidays, such as [[The Lii'dra#29930 BCE|the victory of the Zo’ra over the Lii’dra]], are commemorated every year. While some broods may adopt the end of the Hive War as a celebration too, it is only in the Zo’ra Hive that is deemed official. In the human calendar, the 27th of August is when this is celebrated. Since 2461, the Zo’ra Hive has had a parade in [[Flagsdale]] to commemorate it.

A popular holiday among K’lax is Technology Day, which in the human calendar is celebrated every second Sunday of October. This is a mass event that celebrates and remembers the great individuals of each brood, as well as their technological advancements. Originally called [[Vetju, Iron Queen#Ka’Akaix’Yix K’lax|Yix Day]], Technology Day has spread to broods such as [[Mouv, The Recondite Queen|Mouv]] and [[Scay, The Hidden Queen|Scay]].

C’thur celebrates Independence Day every February 1st, which is when the Zo’ra recognized them as an autonomous Hive. Ever since the injury of High Queen C’thur, however, the celebration has become more solemn, as her future is uncertain. However, [[Xetl, The Voracious Queen|Xetl]] is known to be even more excessive this day, and other broods try to avoid contact with Xetl’s spawn as they can really misbehave.

==Entertainment==
Within the VR, many various activities are performed, and leisure is a vast category. Things from sports and physical activities, to what can be understood as video games, to even esoteric and strange pastimes are what Vaurcae tend to do when connected. However, many working Unbound have become more separated to their Virtual Realities, as the changes in their lifestyle in these past years has required for them to remain in the real world more often than not. Unbound have found new ways to entertain themselves, be it simply socializing with coworkers, performing different activities or just consuming alien media. While seen primitive in some aspects, Vaurcae are known to enjoy human or Skrell media, and find the methods of storytelling in holovision to be novel. Many other hobbies, often considered of other species, have been adopted too.

The strong work ethic in Vaurca society means a Worker will often find pleasure in rendering service to their Hive. While other forms of entertainment are widely sought, many broods will not find themselves bored when performing their designated duties.
The Bound are completely deprived of pleasure and have no desire to entertain themselves.

==Fashion and Cuisine==
Throughout Vaurca history, fashion has remained nearly non-existent. Lacking any kind of genitalia, they have nothing to be embarrassed about. Traditionally, they would often go nude or with small garments covering their mouths. Since the Hiveships were built, some Vaurca prefer to wear thin blindfold-like cloth over their eyes to prevent the light from giving them headaches or discomfort.
Recent human fashion, however, has had a huge boom in the Vaurca society. While some prefer to remain as naked as possible, the recent surge in robes and clothing built for Vaurcae are some examples of clothes they have adopted. Others prefer the saggy look of human-tailored clothes on them, sometimes even to show their affinity to alien lifestyles.

Vaurca cuisine is viewed 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 like boiled cabbage to humans that lived to tell. For Vaurcae themselves, because taste is rarely an issue with their cuisine, many traditional Vaurcaesian 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 being 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.

A dying breed of Sedantian flora, the Skye’mok is a bioluminescent fungus that can be fermented into mead. Unlike humans, Vaurcae don’t get drunk from alcohol but fluoride. Since the Vaurca arrival to Spur, '''Skye’mok''' has been mostly forgotten because toothpaste has proven to be a better drink for the Vaurcae. However, this doesn’t stop some traditionalists from making their own Sye’mok breweries, advocating that while not as strong as toothpaste to get somebody drunk, the taste is better.

==Math and numbers==
While math is deemed universal, the Vaurca understanding of numbers goes beyond the other species’ conception. A proof of this is how Vaurca are named, as each number can have a long connotation, and Vaurcae are known for being able to count to high numbers. Because of such, non-mathematicians have misinterpreted Vaurcaesian numeration as simplistic, often regarding that all the numbers assigned to the common Workers translate simply to ‘infinity’. This is untrue, as they are quantifiable.

Base ten and binary systems are seen as primitive to Vaurcae, and the success of their computers depends greatly on their overcoming of this. The complex calculations and immense storage capacity are what made the Cephalon caste possible.

==The Arts==
Besides their mathematics, Vaurcae have no written language anymore. Instead, all that can be deemed literature is stored in the same Virtual Reality and retold by priests or authorized individuals. The way a Vaurca can consult the data stored in the VR is with an advanced peer-to-peer protocol that allows information to be absorbed and shared easily. Because of this, there has been no need to write or type.

Art still remains an important subject today, with new masonry and sculpture subterranean projects. The word ‘art’ in Vaurca society is similar to the classical understanding of it in human societies, involving technique too. As such, a Vaurca highly knowledgeable in their field of study can be deemed an artist or artisan.

Reliefs and rock gardens are also popular means, and have been the supplement for painting or photography. As Virtual Reality advanced, however, digital art, with its complex avatars that have more dimensions and are seen as ‘beyond real’, has been considered a noble medium through which an artist can develop.

Music is an important part of Vaurca culture, with unique instruments that rely heavily on vibrations and rhythm. As their calendar and antennae, these patterns are deemed superior to any sound. However, introduction of Skrellian and human instruments to the Vaurca repertoire has opened new veins for Vaurca music to follow.

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 their Realms. Queen Athvur is an exception to this.

==Politics==
Up until 2463, Vaurcae politics between Hives was at a standstill due to each Hive's distanced location relative to one another, and due to the fact that each was dedicated to recovering from the exodus. On the date of May 10th, 2463, The Zo'ra invited both of the other Hives to a diplomatic summit, reviving the ancient Court of Queens inside of their "Capital", New Sedantis. This new council was designed to discuss the next steps to move the Vaurca up the ladder in modern society, but has a tendency to devolve into squabbles between individual Queens, especially after the alleged theft of the Bulwark caste by the Zo'ra not too long after the original summit was called. More about this particular event can be found on the [[Court of Queens Arc]] page.

The Court of Queens meets intermittently to discuss all things relating to the Hives, usually at the request of a member. Queens can choose to either make an appearance physically or send a Ta as a proxy if they are busy with other projects, freeing up precious time. Notably, certain Queens tend to not make an appearance at all, including Xetl and Scay, with neither providing consistent reasonings as to why, although Scay's brood is typically present in some capacity regardless in the form of worker caste Vaurcae operating as observers.

Although tensions between the Hives are higher than they ever have been before, no one Hive has deviated from making regular appearances to the Court, regardless of the topic. The Court of Queens is often seen as the Vaurca's singular political edge in a world where the species is in the minority, and nobody wants to be left out, even if it could mean yet another accusation or embarrasment. Despite being revived by the Zo'ra, each Hive has equal say in Court matters.

A notable achievement of the Court of Queens is the abolishment of Avowals on 4/24/2464, covered [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16567-caprice-sun/#comment-156052 here].

==Xakat’kl’atan==
One of the highest honors a Worker or Warrior 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 masters 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 Hive Queens.

{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Vaurca Religion

2026-06-23T01:23:08Z

Carver:

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
==Overview==

The Vaurca possess one of the oldest civilizations within the Orion Spur. Vast stretches of their history sought, like humans, to explain the world around them, as well as themselves. Countless religions have formed across the ages of their history, but only a few remain in any significant practice today.

Because of their eusocial nature, Vaurcaesian theology arose out of an unconscious system. Some of the oldest schools of thought are leaderless and without a figurehead. Some others, however, take advantage of their high organization to guide their followers.
==Hive Pantheon==

Hive pantheons are the most prominent religion amongst Vaurca. To put simply, it would be the veneration of a Hive’s own Queen and Lesser Queens. Not unlike deities, Vaurca commonly beseech their queen for guidance, or in shock. All Vaurca of this faith call Virtual Reality the Aether and often view it as a literal heaven, created by each Queen and Lesser Queen to house the souls of their progeny. It is the belief of adherents to this doctrine that every Queen, greater or lesser, works in a kind of hive pantheon that ultimately serves to continue the Hive’s existence.

There are two main schools of thought in regards to the Hive Pantheon. One, which can be considered the ‘Natural’ or ‘Classical’ Pantheon, and the other often called ‘Zo’rane’ or ‘Modern’ Pantheon. Both can be followed by any Hives, regardless of their political affiliations, though some K’lax and C’thur have rejected the Modern Pantheon, seeing it as imperialism or domination from Zo’ra.
===Classical Pantheon===
Having ties in their biology as eusocial creatures, the Classical Pantheon can be understood less of faith of attributing a force or concept to each and every queen or lesser queen as humans did with their pantheonic gods, but more of worshiping a Queen's capacity to perpetuate life. The Queens are the harbingers of blossoming life, sowing it in their otherwise hostile homeworld with a hives High Queen chief amongst all others as a Primordial figure, with Lesser Queens direct extensions of her power to bring life.

Little can be said about the guiding principles of the Classical Pantheon, especially as there is no one single Pantheon, and would depend on each brood’s philosophies. Followers of the Classical Pantheon may try to imitate their own worshipped Queen, whether it be in markings or following her customs.
===Modern Pantheon===
Simply called ‘Modern’ because it emerged after the [[Vaurca History#The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], the Modern Pantheon is a Zo’ra attempt to systematize their religion. As all other faiths, the Modern Pantheon has never been enforced by any of the broods, though there is some sort of official support in their organization, and it is often believed that the Queens themselves uphold these beliefs.
While, as the Classical Pantheon, one can say there are many distinct iterations, given the interpretations it has had over the millenia, the Modern Pantheon’s teachings will be almost uniform by their followers. Also unlike the Classical Pantheon, the Modern Pantheon does not limit to one’s brood or Hive, but rather, to all the Hives. As such, while an individual Vaurca may have a beef with a particular member of a different Hive, they acknowledge that the Queen in their guidance is a divine figure. Insulting any of the Queens is often considered a bad omen.

For the followers of the Modern Pantheon, there is a hierarchy of Queens. The Higher Queen, either original or elected, is considered a higher deity than the Lesser Queens. The Queens possess divine qualities in this reality, but they’re not omnipotent outside their own Aether. Very few believe in an Aether unity, and are tribalistic in the sense that the Aether of each Queen is reserved to her children alone.

Also unlike the classical pantheon, some religious figures exist for guidance. Most notably are the called Helper Queens, by their followers, which are Tas that are not assigned a hive-cell, but instead serve as spiritual guides, oracles and high priestesses. Both workers and warriors can also achieve priesthood after long endurances in virtual reality, where they study their faith and prepare to spread it. These priests have surged in popularity ever since the Vaurca arrival to human space, as they can visit and guide those at the workspace. Described sometimes as hermits, or even prophets, they’re often responsible for carrying the [[Vaurca Culture and Society#Religion|feast of Transubstantiation]] or even overseeing the process of Reclamations, regardless of the faith of who is participating.

There has also been a recent demand, by cultural researchers, to seek these priests, as they are sometimes one of the few that are willing to put their mythological stories in words, thus helping both Human and [[Skrell]] to understand Vaurcae better.

==Preimminence==

The faith of the Preimminent Goddess is another religion that is relatively uncommon to find amongst Vaurca populations. Unlike the Hive Pantheon, adherents to this faith believe that God, or Goddess, does not exist but could exist, should all parts of themselves align in their predestined roles. They believe that all members of a Hive or in some cases, several Hives, are pieces of a greater entity that would be god. Queens and Lesser Queens are still seen as important, but only in that they are a larger part of the Goddess than others.

This faith used to be the primary religion for all Vaurca, Queens included, before the Great Hive War. The war’s survivors blamed followers of this religion as a primary instigator to the war and culled those that kept the faith out of fear of another conflict. The religion has not recovered since then, but its status as a taboo has faded. Any Vaurca that follows this faith believes that it is their duty to help others align to their designed shapes, using their feelings, skills and psychology to determine their destiny.

Unlike other Vaurca faiths, the Preimminence, long before human contact, pondered the existence of aliens, and believed that and teaches that they too have a part to align themselves to allow for the existence of god.

Extensive writing has been accredited to this religion, often citing the harmonious checks and balances of the universe as evidence of some divine agency. While also attempting to explain that such uniformity did not always exist in the past, more entropic universe.
===Shapers===

Shapers are those followers of the Preimminence who believe it is their duty to help others fit into their destined shapes. They are typically seen as the religious figures of the Preimminence, similar to a priest. They often wear a special set of robes and a helmet, obscuring their hive affiliation, as they deem it an obstacle to the goal of the Preimminence, since it can often cause conflict. Shapers are often very tolerant of other religions, though still push to convert unbelievers.

The Brood a Shaper comes from can also lead to changes in how they go about their work. For example, a [[Zoleth, The Herald of Scars|Zoleth]] Shaper would likely have a heavy emphasis on shaping soldiers or reforming criminals, and would likely see violence as a tool, whereas a Shaper hailing from [[Mouv, The Recondite Queen|Mouv's]] brood would likely focus on those who practice medicine, especially genetics related medicine. The main consistency among all of them is their desire for everyone to fit their pre-destined roles, however they go about it.

==Pilot Dream==

The newest major religion amongst Vaurca, Pilot Dream Theory, or Simulation Theory believes that all things that exist in the universe are simulations. They believe that reality itself is holographic, using the hidden information of particles to hide simulated interactions that would otherwise reveal the simulation to the simulated beings. They believe that the universe beyond this simulated universe may also itself be simulated, a factor of information compression that follows an infinite algorithmic scale only dependent on how much observed information must be observed at any single moment. They attest the proof of their theory by the very nature of [[Vaurca#Cephalon (Type D)|Cephalons]] themselves.

Adherents to this faith believe that it’s their duty to continue the nested iterations of simulations and show their faith by continuing development of ever newer methods of information compression with the ultimate goal of simulating a universe that may once again, continue the cycle of nested simulations.

This particular faith is seen mostly in Vaurca that have already died. They largely ignore the happenings outside of their own virtual reality and see their existence within VR as the ‘more real existence’. Some [[Vaurca Culture and Society#The Arts|Xakat’kl’atan]] have become proponents of the Pilot Dream, often actively developing its theology by participating in the Interstice for debates.
===Mother Dream===
A branch of belief stemming from the Pilot Dream faith, adherents to this faith exclusively belong to the K’lax Hive. Like Pilot Dream theory, K’lax adherents to this faith believe the universe to be simulated, possibly itself existing in nested simulations. Unlike the religion it mutated from however, believers in the Mother Dream think that the nested simulations are escapable and that by living a life of useful action to their Hive, they may advance to higher simulations.

The belief in this is validated by the knowledge that a person knows that they are real, and if a person meets criteria set forth by Mother K’lax, they may advance in the nested simulation with the ultimate goal of living with her physically in the real world, instead of a simulated avatar. Even amongst the K’lax, this religion is seriously followed by [[Zkaii, The Sleepwalker|only one brood]].

The recent [[Sk'akh]] missionnaires have influenced some syncretism between the two faiths. Thus, it is not uncommon for those of the Zkaii brood to understand Sk’akh as Mother K’lax herself, and that once escaped these simulations one may become part of her again. The spirits of Mother K’lax are the three main castes of Vaurcae: Worker, Warrior and Breeder. Mother Dream priesthood has been established, with the priests often called Sleepwalkers themselves even by [[Unathi]]. So far, there has been little success in preaching to other K’laxan broods.

==Mythology==
As any other cultures, Vaurca have developed different myths. While some, as the Pantheon followers, may take these more literal than others, they are still shared and are referenced by Vaurcae from all over the Spur.
===Creation===
All faiths understand the creation differently. While those in the Pilot Dream may claim understanding creation is perhaps impossible, as they’re entrapped in simulations, followers of the syncretic Mother Dream instead believe that as a consequence of Mother K’lax’s creation, ‘quakes’ of reality have degraded her realm into these simulations. On the other hand, followers of the Preimminence may approach the subject in a more scientific understanding, though there are some that believe the Universe would only start once god is possible.

As the oldest surviving faith, however, the Hive Pantheon has a whole creation myth. The earliest versions, perhaps before the Era of Augments, claim that a nuptial dance formed Sedantis, creating its phoron and stone. This first Queen, simply known as '''Ta’nyek''', the Idle Queen, would bury herself in a chamber, where she laid the eggs of those Queens from the ancient Hives. From the dirt of the tunnel, the queens would create the first workers that gathered food. One of these Queens, '''X’aq''', would betray her sisters by creating warriors out of stone, and thus winning the first conflict. The revised version of this myth, and the current one, believes the nuptial dance to have created both [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]] and the Aether, and that in the early Aether the queens resided while their early workers would have no access to it.

===The taming of K'ois and Queen S'ilq===
It is often believed by Vaurcae that what complicated the change to an agricultural society was that the food, while abundant, was not suitable to be cultivated. In traditional Vaurcae mythology, the fungi would often 'die' once touched, as a preventive measure to ensure the Vaurcae wouldn't be able to domesticate it. '''Queen S'ilq''', often referred as the first modern queen and the founder of the oldest hive known by name in records, was said to 'tame' the k'ois after a battle, in which her army defeated the mythological creature known as the '''Raii'sky'au''', or Queen of the [[Sedantis I#Sky’au - White Worms|White Worms]], removing the barren curse and effectively converting the Vaurcae into the new caretakers of the sustenance.

Curiously enough, however, Raii'sky'yau is not believed to be a white worm herself, but something more akin to a demon in human mythology, which would have control over the environment, flora and fauna of Sedantis. She is said to have attempted to exterminate the Vaurcae with various methods, and even poisoned entire supplies of k'ois before her defeat. The views of Raii'sky'yau have changed since the introduction of augments and Virtual Reality, now also believed to have powers akin to a computer virus, able to disrupt the hivenet if intentioned.

This process of domestication and the importance of Queen S'ilq in the early Vaurcae History has led many of the Hive Pantheon followers to consider her as one of the highest divinities. The Zo'ra hive, in particular, claims to trace High Queen Zo'ra to Queen S'ilq herself, who handed over the progress of civilization and the military prowess to the Zo'rane Hive. The other hives, however, share similar views regarding their connection to S'ilq.

The K'lax hive, in particular, believes many of their ancient technology to be traced to the S'ilq hive, with ideas of Zo'ra either hiding or using inferior designs from S'ilq surging after their independence. While it is undisputed that the VR surged after her time, proponents of these ideals often believe S'ilq developed superior VR which would remove the need of physical functions during stasis, effectively cutting costs in phoron and k'ois. This is likely a hoax, however, but it has not stopped some K'lax scavengers from attempting to acquire these designs.

Ultimately, the fate of the S'ilq hive is unknown. It is often said her great empire fell before the time of the Zo'ra, who were once marveled with the ruins of her megalopolis found in Sedantis. For those who don't believe in her divinity, as well as human and Skrell researchers, it is likely a millitary siege, which would have razed their k'ois plantations, led to her dismissal. It is speculated that the Queen S'ilq herself died while holding the city, after years of preventing the takeover. The conquerors are unknown, even if some propose, out of ideological principles, that it was [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra]] who caused her fall.

===The Hive War Myth===
Often called '''The Vaurcaesian ''Illiad''''' by human scholars, the Hive War Myth is a story some priests of the Modern Pantheon have recited. It’s often said by them that translation to words ruins it, and that it is better experienced when shared inside the virtual reality. The Hive War Myth is curious in that it follows Za’Akaix’Reusk Zo’ra and its participation in the siege of Illuau'tia, as well as something priests can only describe as ‘a poem, but better’, in regards the speech and scenes where High Queen Zo’ra gifts virtual reality to the surviving hives.

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Sedantis I

2026-06-23T01:21:47Z

Carver:

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Sedantis I, also designated '''Vaur'avek'uyit''' ("Home Afar") in Vaurcese, was the innermost moon of the gas giant Sedantis ('''Sc'theth'stak''', or "Blinding Light"). Its surface was a harsh, irradiated wasteland, but life flourished in vast subterranean cave systems beneath. The Vaurcae evolved within these intricate caverns, where predatory creatures posed a constant threat. These dangers shaped Vaurca culture, leaving vivid imagery preserved in their collective memory, folklore, and artistic representations.

Information on Sedantis is often contradictory and incomplete. Historical records predating the [[Vaurca History#The Era of Augments|Era of Augments]] are scarce and considered semi-mythological. While subsequent events are more thoroughly documented, they have been significantly romanticized in the centuries following [[Vaurca History#The Exodus|the Exodus]]. Consequently, obtaining an impartial and reliable historical view of Sedantis is extremely challenging. The human understanding of the Vaurca home planet thus relies heavily on conjecture and extrapolation from surviving records.

== Astronomy ==
While the orbit of Sedantis has been extensively studied, particularly during the [[Hives Renaissance]], the exact position of Sc'theth'stak relative to its star, '''Th'stii'stak''' ("Pure Light"), and the overall composition of the Sedantian solar system remain unclear. Some human researchers have theorized that the descriptions of the supposed gas giant Sc'theth'stak actually correspond to a dwarf star (either red or white) and that Th'stii'stak could be another star, a highly reflective planet, or might not exist at all.

Vaurca astronomers reported the presence of multiple celestial bodies within the system, but their existence was uncertain. The proposed sizes of these potential planets varied significantly, with some speculated to have been asteroids. While the possibility remains open that Sc'theth'stak was a gas giant in a close orbit around its star (known as a hot Jupiter), this classification is still considered a hypothesis.

== History ==
Life on Sedantis likely originated on the surface during a period when the moon was farther from the gas giant, resulting in reduced planetary activity and radiation levels. The earliest organisms were bacteria that thrived near geothermal vents, eventually evolving into the first multicellular creatures. These primordial forms were simple and colonial. While some scholars theorize the first arthropod-like creatures also arose on the surface, evidence is insufficient to confirm this hypothesis.

Approximately 7.5 billion years ago, two major events dramatically altered Sedantis. First, orbital changes brought it closer to its gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. Secondly, increased radiation levels from Sc'theth'stak transformed the surface into a barren wasteland. Though extremophiles may have survived, the majority of life on Sedantis was forced to adapt to subterranean existence within the planet's extensive cave networks.

Despite the harsh conditions brought upon by planetary shifts and intensified radiation, life on Sedantis persisted. This adversity fostered highly competitive ecosystems with elaborate food chains, where species were locked in an evolutionary arms race to secure their place within the hostile environment. Through countless geological eras, organisms evolved unique adaptations to thrive. Some creatures developed ways to exploit geothermal energy, finding sustenance near volcanic vents and fissures while drawing warmth from the planet's turbulent core. Others evolved varying degrees of radiation tolerance, either by shielding vital organs or incorporating radioactive elements into their metabolic processes.

Unique among these adaptations was the emergence of kinosynthesis in many flora. These plants harnessed energy released from tectonic plate movements, converting vibrations and seismic activity into usable energy. This allowed them to thrive in areas devoid of traditional light or geothermal sources, creating micro-environments of stability within the volatile landscape. Additionally, those species capable of bio-mineralization, hardening their exoskeletons with unique minerals found throughout Sedantis, also gained a distinct advantage in this unforgiving world.

Amid this struggle for survival, the Vaurca emerged. Initially unremarkable, with numerous natural predators, their eusocial nature proved key to their eventual dominance. Coordinated efforts allowed them to overcome larger threats and secure scarce resources. Over time, they began harnessing the planet's unique elements, developing rudimentary technology, and manipulating their environment.

Through their relentless pursuit of mastery over nature, the Vaurca rose to the top of the Sedantian food chain. Their technological prowess, driven by a deep-seated fear of succumbing to their planet's harshness, fueled an aggressive campaign of extermination. Predating species were systematically eradicated, seen as obstacles to their expansion or threats to their dominance. This relentless drive, coupled with their burgeoning genetic manipulation capabilities, drastically reshaped Sedantian ecosystems, shattering the delicate balance forged over countless millennia.

The Vaurca's ecological conquest reached its disastrous climax with the development of the [[Hives Renaissance#The Pon'kana Engine|Pon'kana Engine]]. This audacious endeavor sought to tap into the core of Sedantis, an unlimited energy source. However, the project destabilized the satellite's fragile orbit, drawing it inexorably closer to its gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. Faced with impending destruction wrought by their own ambition, the Vaurca were tragically forced to abandon their ruined world.

== Environment ==
Sedantian subterranean ecosystems exhibited a range of adaptations, from bioluminescent fungal forests to desolate caverns sustained by geothermal vents. However, geological instability was a constant threat, with frequent seismic shifts reshaping cave systems and altering both subterranean water flow and air circulation. This volatile environment resulted in a patchwork of micro-biomes—isolated havens within the surrounding hazards, as well as vast expanses of nearly uninhabitable terrain. Evidence suggests these ecosystems were once far more diverse, but the Vaurca's relentless expansion decimated many of these natural wonders in pursuit of civilization.

Sedantis' caverns held valuable minerals and ores. The satellite had significant deposits of phoron, existing both in gaseous form and as dazzling phoron crystal formations. A uniquely valuable resource was '''khy'maak''', a metal found within fused rock or hardened magma. Khy'maak's adaptive hardness and resonance-dampening properties made it vital for structures designed to withstand seismic activity. An alloy of khy'maak and iron, known as '''khy'liik''' or '''quakesteel''', is the foundational material of most Vaurca technology, used in everything from Hiveships to advanced weaponry.

== Seasons ==
Sedantis' climate and the behavior of its subterranean biomes were dictated by three major seasons, primarily tied to the satellite's proximity to its gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. This proximity influenced tectonic activity, oceanic tides, and the intensity of radiation reaching Sedantis.

Due to the planet's unstable nature, these seasonal shifts were largely beyond the Vaurca's ability to control. Altering the dangers posed by each season was considered the ultimate frontier—a testament to the limits of Vaurca biological mastery. This remained unchanged until the development of the Pon'kana Engine. The megastructure's impact on Sedantis' gravitational field caused a temporary but catastrophic disruption of the established seasonal patterns.

=== Seasonal Length ===
Days in Sedantis were measured by different factors, depending on the Hive. The two main competing time measurements were the geothermal vents and resonance cycles. Ancient Hives, who lived closer to the vents, favored the geothermal day, tracking the intervals between eruptions or steam releases. Alternatively, the resonance cycle day, standardized by the [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra Hive]] and its dominion, tracked the rhythmic vibrations emitted by specific crystals. This system was more accurate than the geothermal day, as it was less dependent on seasonal changes. However, the crystal vibrations were only consistently detectable in the Veii'kt Plate, the Zo'rane capital. A resonance cycle day lasts around 98 hours, mirroring the modern awake cycle of an Unbound Worker.

The three main seasons of Sedantis were standardized by the [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax|K'lax Hive]] and later adopted by the Zo'ra Hive. It is speculated that ancient Hives counted up to six or seven seasons, including transitional periods. The three-season scheme was helpful for Zo'rane colonization, as each season served a military purpose.

A standard Zo'rane year lasted 928 resonance cycle days. The Season of Tremors lasted 116 Sedantian days (~464 Earth days), the Season of Shadows 232 Sedantian days (~928 Earth days) and the Season of Stillness 464 Sedantian days (~1856 Earth days).

=== Sc'fex'kii - Season of Tremors ===
The Season of Tremors was a direct consequence of Sedantis' elliptical orbit around the gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. During its closest approach, an increase in gravitational pull exerted immense stress on the moon's internal structure. This intensified existing geological instability, resulting in heightened magma flow, violent seismic events, and widespread tectonic shifts. These could reshape the landscape and even trigger subterranean tsunamis.

Kinosynthetic flora, uniquely adapted to harness energy from seismic vibrations, flourished during Sc'fex'kii. The tremors also fractured subterranean formations, releasing vital minerals and nutrients, thus fueling rapid growth. This temporary surge of plant life attracted herbivorous fauna, followed by increased predator activity. While harsh, these conditions created a seasonal ecological boom. However, this cycle, along with most native Sedantian species, was tragically disrupted by Vaurca expansion.

The Season of Tremors posed a significant threat to Vaurca infrastructure. While their structures incorporated seismic resilience, the most intense periods of Sc'fex'kii necessitated modular designs for rapid repair. Paradoxically, the tremors could also reveal previously inaccessible regions, providing opportunities for mining new resources and urban development following stabilization.

=== Sc'thr'axi - Season of Shadows ===
The Season of Shadows was a transitional period between the intense Season of Tremors and the prolonged Season of Stillness. While Sedantis moved away from its perihelion with the gas giant Sc'theth'stak, it entered an orbital alignment where frequent eclipses drastically reduce radiation exposure. Both Sc'theth'stak and its own moons frequently obscured Th'stii'stak, the star of the system. This, combined with a shift in the type of radiation emitted by Sc'theth'stak, created an overall less intense environment compared to the Season of Tremors.

Many migratory species, including some types of [[Sedantis_I#Macrobacteria|macrobacteria]], exploited the calmer conditions of Sc'thr'axi to venture closer to the surface. However, this season was still marked by unpredictable magnetic shifts, causing meteor showers and powerful electromagnetic storms. These storms brought disorientation, technological disruptions, and increased risks to underground infrastructure and naturally formed cave systems, including the collapse of paths opened during the Season of Tremors.

After the development of the [[Hivenet]], Sc'thr'axi brought frequent communication blackouts, pushing Vaurca scientists and engineers to continually improve their systems. Additionally, this season was the preferred time for Vaurca surface expeditions due to the relative respite from the harshest radiation.

=== Sc'kli'sk - Season of Stillness ===
The Season of Stillness marked the period when Sedantis reached its aphelion, the furthest point in its orbit from the gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. Seismic activity lessened significantly, providing the most extended period of relative calm for the Vaurca. However, Sc'theth'stak's flares intensified during this season, maintaining elevated temperatures in Sedantis and leading to unique environmental changes.

The specific type of radiation emitted during solar flares stimulated the growth and bioluminescence of many fungal species on Sedantis. This created visually striking environment with unforeseen dangers. Some geophages and herbivores hibernated during Sc'kli'sk, triggering an increase in scavenger populations and opportunistic predators. This delicate ecological balance was disrupted by Vaurca activities.

Vaurca expansion during the Season of Stillness, driven by the reduced geological threats, often led to the overexploitation of native species. The extinction cascades that followed, particularly among scavengers, resulted in the accumulation of toxins from fungal spores. This transformed the Season of Stillness into a hidden hazard, despite its apparent tranquility.

== Regions and Landmarks ==
Regions of Sedantis were divided and controlled among [[Vaurca Hives#Overview|Vaurca Hives]]. Their center of operations was known as a '''Hivehold'''. This territory encompassed multiple settlements and cities, including large metropolitan areas known for their complex networks of roads and tunnels. These settlements were considered relatively equal in status, and the Hive's governance operated within this interconnected network. The Hivehold typically contained a strategically located palace for the reigning High Queen.

Powerful Hives, such as the Zo'ra, often controlled additional territories beyond their core Hivehold. These regions could be managed in two ways: '''vassaldoms''', where regions retained some autonomy but remained subservient to the dominant Hive, or '''broodhearts''', colonized and controlled by specific broods belonging to the larger Hive.

The territories of major Hives were often vast, with strategic construction and settlement patterns designed to avoid overcrowding. While the Hivehold had no singular "capital city," some settlements and tunnelspires were more significant than others due to factors such as resource concentration or proximity to the Queen's Palace.

=== Veii'kt Plate ===
The Veii'kt Plate was the Hivehold of the Zo'ra Empire and the most important region in Sedantis. It was a complete tectonic plate and one of the longest regions of Sedantis. Before the Zo'rane colonization, Veii'kt was one of the most biodiverse areas in Sedantis, hosting multiple ecosystems not found elsewhere in the satellite. The uniqueness of the plate was gradually wiped by Zo'rane colonization.

The Veii'kt Plate was considered the capital of Sedantis. It held strategic importance due to an extensive network of tunnels connecting it to most of Sedantis' major regions. The Zo'ra maintained tight control over the plate. Foreigners were rarely granted entry and those who were permitted access were closely monitored due to potential threats or a fear of rebellion. Foreign embassies were also carefully escorted and overseen by Zo'ra guards.

While certain areas within the Veii'kt Plate exuded wealth and extravagance, allowing residents ample time for entertainment, philosophy, and the arts, it also contained harsh industrial districts. Furthermore, large swaths of the plate were dedicated to mining and agriculture, although the most intensive exploitation of resources occurred within other Zo'ra-controlled territories.

==== Ta'raii'xkiit - The Empress' Reach ====
The Empress' Reach was not merely a singular palace, but a vast complex of fortresses, basilicas, and specialized chambers forming a unique metropolis within the Veii'kt Plate. It served as the Royal Chambers of High Queen Zo'ra and was considered the most sacred site within Sedantis. The Empress' Reach also housed the High Conclave of the Zo'ra Hive—a powerful council of [[Vaurca Biology#Type CB - Gynes, Female Breeders|Surrogates]] who advised the Queen on matters concerning the Hive and its vassaldoms.

Surrounding the Empress' Reach were settlements known as the Ta'raii'skerr, or the Empress' Favored. These districts were populated by some of the wealthiest and most influential hive-cells within the Zo'ra empire, particularly those with strong ties to the Zo'ra military apparatus. The Empress' Favored also served as a hub for Zo'ra culture and science, hosting prestigious institutions and influential figures within those fields.

=== Mya'kt Fault ===
The Mya'kt Fault was the Hivehold of the K'lax Hive and the main vassaldom of the Zo'ra Hive. It is revered as the cradle of Vaurca civilization and the oldest continuously inhabited Hivehold by the time of the Exodus. The K'lax likely established themselves in this challenging location due to its abundance of natural resources and strategic defensiveness against large-scale incursions.

The K'lax Hive swiftly transformed the Mya'kt Fault into a technologically advanced region. Their innovative use of quakesteel to stabilize and redirect seismic activity, along with the development of the first kinetic engine in Sedantis, revolutionized life within the fault.

Despite its natural defenses, the Mya'kt Fault eventually [[Vaurca History#The_Rise_of_Zo'ra|fell under the dominion of the Zo'ra Hive]]. Following the mysterious death of Queen Neiim and the collapse of the K'lax's powerful Warrior brood, the Hive was relegated to vassaldom. Under Zo'ra control, the region underwent drastic changes, becoming a major center for mining operations and intense resource exploitation.

==== Tata'kree'xt - Mother's Nest ====
The Tata'kree'xt served as the royal palace of High Queen K'lax. Though modest compared to the Zo'ra's grand Ta'raii'xkiit complex, the Mother's Nest was notable for its constant illumination with incandescent lights. This feature was intended as a "beacon of civilization" to visitors. Unfortunately, the lights were likely the fire hazard that tragically led to the [[Tupii, The Surrogate Queen#Background|demise of Mother K'lax]].

During the vassaldom, Tata'kree'xt transformed in a facility full of Zo'ra activity. Zo'rane diplomats managed many functions, with even Zo'ra Bound guarding the area. The increase of Zo'rane activity in the districts surrounding the Tata'kree'xt led to many of the K'lax to flee to the outskirts of the Hivehold, where they considered to be under less surveillance.

=== Lei'kt Caves ===
The Lei'kt Caves, a small cave system, served as the modest Hivehold of the [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur Hive]]. It is believed High Queen C'thur chose the location for its labyrinthine nature. The interconnected tunnels of the Lei'kt Caves were filled with kakras—traditional C'thuric bazaars and some of the main centers of bartering in Sedantis. This led the Lei'kt Caves to be a vibrant mix of Vaurca cultures, and one of the few places in Sedantis where individuals of multiple Hives could interact.

The C'thur did not focus on expanding their own Hivehold territory. Instead, the Hive preferred to establish "diplomatic cities" within the broodhearts of other Hives. While these outposts required tribute payments, the C'thur viewed them as opportunities to strike new deals, gather intelligence on rival Hives, and establish new diplomatic missions.

==== Na'tyut - The Cathedral of Ideas ====
The Cathedral of Ideas, the C'thur Hive's unique royal palace, stood in stark contrast to the fortified strongholds of other Hives. Designed with openness and grandeur, [[C'thur, Queen of Masques#Her Realm|Na'tyut]] aimed to be the cultural heart of Sedantis. The structure itself was a captivating architectural wonder, a tapestry woven from building techniques and materials sourced from across the satellite. Its design defied categorization—a harmonious blend of styles, where illusions blurred reality and captivating spaces beckoned visitors to explore.

The Na'tyut's primary purpose was to attract visitors from all corners of Sedantis. This provided the C'thur with a perfect platform to forge new alliances and gather intelligence on other Hives and their political schemes. This strategy proved successful, as it is believed the Zo'ra Hive first took notice of the C'thur due to the curiosity the Na'tyut instilled within the Empress herself.

=== Illuau'tia Grotto ===
The Illuau'tia Grotto served as the Hivehold of the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra Hive]] and was widely considered one of the most enigmatic regions in Sedantis. Few historical records detail visits to the grotto, adding to its mystique. Reports describe bioluminescent seas within the grotto that appeared during the Sc'fex'kii and then ebbed once the season ended.

Contemporary scholars believe the Illuau'tia Grotto was far more extensive than initially presumed, potentially concealing many secrets. During the final stages of the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], the Zo'ra reported encountering a seemingly defenseless High Queen Lii'dra within a surprisingly modest Hivehold. While conflicting accounts make this difficult to verify, some theorize this display of vulnerability was a strategic deception by the Lii'dra.

Following the Great Hive War, the Zo'ra Hive [[The Great Hive War#The Battle of the Ryitu'kya Abyss|intentionally sank the Illuau'tia Grotto]] into the depths of Sedantis. The extent of the damage caused by this act remains unknown. After their defeat, the Lii'dra were largely dismissed as irrelevant until their unexpected resurgence within the Orion Spur.

=== Xtykt'lotec Rift ===
The Xtykt'lotec Rift was a highly contested region of Sedantis, known as the [[Vaurca History#The Rise of Zo'ra|birthplace of the Zo'ra]] and C'thur Hives. Its strategic location, bordered by the Xt'erm'aak and Vy'kaur rivers, made it a frequent battleground for ancient Warrior Hives. The Xtykt'lotec Rift witnessed the rise and fall of many Hives over millennia, earning a reputation as the deadliest region on Sedantis.

Following the Xtykt'lotec Rift conquest, the Zo'ra Hive emerged victorious. However, they relocated their Hivehold to the distant Veii'kt Plate. The remnants of the C'thur Hive fled to the Lei'kt Caves, where they eventually recovered and became a regional power. Despite this, Zo'ra maintained dominion over the Xtykt'lotec Rift, which became the broodheart of [[Zoleth, The Herald of Scars|Queen Zoleth]]. While other Hives remained in the region, they paid tribute to Zoleth.

Under Zoleth's rule, the Xtykt'lotec Rift experienced a period of unprecedented peace, order, and cooperation between Hives. This was in part due to the establishment of the ancient '''Court of Queens'''. The Rift remained a crucial hub of Sedantian society until the Great Hive War, when the [[The Great Hive War#Xtykt'lotec Invasion|Lii'dra Hive attacked]]. The Lii'dramachy transformed the once peaceful region into a war zone, leaving major institutions fractured or destroyed.

After the war, the Zo'ra attempted to repopulate the Xtykt'lotec Rift. Queen Zoleth invested in establishing new settlements, but these efforts ultimately failed. It seemed as if the conflict had left the land scarred. The region remained mostly in ruins until the Exodus.

=== L'yok Ravine ===
The L'yok Ravine was the primary waste disposal site for Sedantis. From everyday debris to intensely hazardous materials, its depths were a chaotic mix of refuse. The sheer volume of discarded resources, including decaying organics and lingering traces of usable technology, made the ravine a haven for scavengers, both animal and Vaurca. Exiled, defective, and eccentric Vaurcae often gravitated towards the L'yok Ravine, drawn by the opportunity to salvage and the lack of oversight. These individuals forged their own unique society within the wastelands, sometimes ruled by disgraced Breeders.

All major Vaurca Hives strictly forbade their subjects from entering the L'yok Ravine. Its dangers were well known: toxic fumes, unstable terrain, and the potential for encountering feral creatures or unpredictable outcasts. Despite the risks, the ravine teemed with life. Smaller creatures adapted to the harsh environment, feasting on the decaying matter and forming a complex, if sometimes unsettling, ecosystem. The L'yok Ravine thus existed as a simultaneously repulsive yet fascinating anomaly within Sedantian society.

=== The Depths ===
The deepest reaches of Sedantis remained a realm of speculation and terror. Only the bravest or most desperate Vaurca ventured beyond the known tunnels and Hiveholds. Stories circulated of immense pressures capable of crushing a Vaurca carapace, toxic fungal blooms releasing mind-altering spores, and geological anomalies that warped space and time.

The absence of familiar bioluminescence was replaced by bizarre, unsettling forms of illumination. Phosphorescent veins streaked through the rock, pulsing with an unknown energy. Patches of faintly glowing moss clung to the cave walls, radiating a sickly luminescence some swore could induce hallucinations. Pools of unknown liquids shimmered with an oily sheen, reflecting distorted forms and casting a sense of otherworldly wrongness.

Reports of creatures in these depths went beyond the merely monstrous. Blind, contorted forms with extra limbs or misshapen sensory organs slithered through tunnels too narrow for Vaurca to follow. Whispered rumors told of creatures that appeared as flickering shadows or disembodied sounds mimicking familiar voices, yet sounded uncanny. Some even claimed to have encountered bioluminescent creatures who were barely visible, creating a phantom-like presence that could unsettle even the bravest of Vaurca.

== Flora ==
=== K'ois ===
[[K'ois|K'ois]] is an indigenous fungal species native to Sedantis, easily recognized by its distinctive yellowish-green coloration. Early ancestors of k'ois were smaller and slower-growing, likely surviving by hiding within cracks and crevices of Sedantian cave systems. Over time, the Vaurca digestive system evolved a unique ability to process k'ois, making it their primary food source and establishing a deep symbiotic relationship.

Domestication of k'ois was a complex and lengthy challenge, spanning millennia of selective breeding and later genetical manipulation. This transformation dramatically shaped Vaurca history and technology. K'ois critical role in Vaurca survival and development makes it an undeniably vital cornerstone of their civilization.

Modern strains of k'ois exhibit rapid growth patterns and pose a significant threat to non-Vaurca species due to their harmful spores. While k'ois naturally contain trace amounts of phoron, scientific research has failed to develop a viable method for extracting this resource. The presence of k'ois spores, even at the atomic level, irrevocably contaminates the phoron, rendering it unusable for bluespace science. Consequently, k'ois cannot be utilized as a potential fuel source to address the ongoing phoron crisis.

=== Raii'kois ===
Raii'kois is a prized subterranean fungus known for its unique culinary and mild hallucinogenic properties. It is considered safe for human consumption. When consumed, Raii'kois induces feelings of energy and a sense of enlightenment. Despite numerous attempts, Raii'kois has never been successfully domesticated, resisting all efforts at genetic modification. The fungus has a slow growth cycle, potentially taking years to mature, and remains buried underground.

Some areas in Sedantis were believed to harbor rich Raii'kois deposits. Prior to the development of modern techniques, a specialized animal known as the [[Sedantis I#T'kuxi - Truffle Hound|T'kuxi]] was trained to locate mature Raii'kois for harvesting.

While cultivation techniques remain inefficient, Raii'kois has been successfully transported off Sedantis. Due to its rarity and cultural significance, it is considered a delicacy, and a Breeder's blessing is required for Vaurca to consume Raii'kois or products containing it.

=== Skye'mok ===
Skye'mok is a species of bioluminescent fungus native to Sedantis. It is notable for its ability to be fermented into a traditional Vaurca mead. The unique preparation process requires a [[Sedantis I#V'krexi|V'krexi]] to ferment and mix the fungus within its gastric juices. Skye'mok's intoxicating effect on Vaurca is attributed to its fluoride content.

Within the [[Orion Spur]], Skye'mok mead was largely replaced by toothpaste, which possesses a far more potent intoxicating effect on Vaurca. However, Skye'mok has recently experienced a resurgence and reintroduction into the mainstream Vaurca culture.

=== Kinosynthetic Flora ===
Unlike the familiar photosynthesis of terrestrial plants, some Sedantian flora evolved a distinct process known as kinosynthesis. Rather than relying on light, these plants utilized the ambient kinetic energy generated by Sedantis' intense seismic activity. This adaptation enabled them to thrive in areas of high movement or vibration, often hidden beneath the surface or within geologically unstable formations.

Kinosynthetic flora flourished in several unique biomes on Sedantis. The Tremor Canyons, riddled with deep cracks, hosted vibrant networks of these plants, nourished by the constant tremors. Subterranean fault lines and geologically active vents also attracted these species, where they clung to cave walls or surrounding rock to benefit from the seismic energy. Some cave systems acted as echo chambers, amplifying vibrations from the surrounding earth. These chambers provided a niche for flora adapted to utilize amplified sound waves as an energy source.

The unique energy source of kinosynthetic flora led to remarkable diversity in their forms and strategies. Some species developed pulsating membranes, delicate tendrils to maximize surface area. Others made use of intricate crystalline structures to enhance their absorption of kinetic energy. Bioluminescence was rare in kinosynthetic flora, as their energy conversion was independent of light.

=== Chemosynthetic Flora ===
Some Sedantian flora evolved the unique process of chemosynthesis. Rather than relying on sunlight, these plants derive their energy by metabolizing the chemical compounds released by geothermal vents deep underground. This adaptation allowed them to thrive in environments devoid of light, often centered around these geological phenomena.

Chemosynthetic flora flourished in specific biomes directly linked to Sedantis' geothermal activity. Within the planet's vast cave systems, vents spewed forth mineral-rich fluids, nurturing vibrant networks of these plants. They also colonized the surrounding rock formations, where they absorbed the chemical compounds released through fissures and cracks. Some cave systems with specific mineral compositions also fostered the evolution of flora that could directly metabolize these elements.

The diverse array of chemicals released by geothermal vents resulted in a wide variety of chemosynthetic flora with distinct adaptations. These plants might develop specialized root systems to maximize absorption, form symbiotic relationships with bacteria to break down complex compounds, or possess unique filtering mechanisms to selectively extract the chemicals they require. Unlike photosynthetic lifeforms, they were not likely to exhibit vibrant pigmentation, as their energy conversion processes did not involve light.

=== Bioluminescent Fungi ===
The subterranean world of Sedantis harbored a dazzling array of fungi that exploited bioluminescence for diverse purposes. Some species, clinging to the walls of echo chambers, emitted gentle pulses of light that amplified the faintest of sounds. This adaptation helped them attract tiny insects that relied on echolocation to navigate, providing a steady food source in the darkness.

Other bioluminescent fungi thrived near geothermal vents where warmth and noxious gasses would deter most life. These fungi emitted a flickering, spectral glow, mimicking the appearance of distant stars or celestial phenomena. It is hypothesized that this display aided in spore dispersal. The unique conditions near geothermal vents might have created air currents that carry the spores, while the bioluminescence attracted insects that could further spread them. These fungi were often found clustered in specific zones within the cave networks, supporting the dispersal theory.

Perhaps most fascinating were the bioluminescent fungi that formed symbiotic relationships with larger creatures. Some species grew in vibrant patches upon the backs of slow-moving, armored herbivores. The fungi received nutrients and dispersal benefits, while the creatures, glowing brightly in the dark, used it as a defense mechanism to ward off predators.

== Livestock ==
Over millennia, the Vaurca domesticated a select number of Sedantis' native lifeforms, adapting them for various purposes. These creatures represent a significant portion of Sedantian fauna found in human space. Through extensive bioengineering, these livestock species were often heavily modified from their original forms to better serve Vaurca needs. Some notable examples include:

=== V'krexi - Tunnel Wasps ===
V'krexi are among the most ancient organisms on Sedantis, sharing a distant biological lineage with the Vaurca. This familial connection likely explains the historical practice of V'krexi domestication, similar to the relationship between canines and ancient humans. V'krexi are one of the few Sedantian fauna capable of sustained flight and were recently discovered in significant numbers on the Zo'ra Hiveship Titan Prime, allowing for closer study by human scientists.

Ancient Vaurca utilized V'krexi for reconnaissance within unexplored cave systems, as their primarily carnivorous diet and venomous stings made them effective at eliminating potential threats. Their vibrant coloration and noxious flesh likely served as deterrents against their own predators. V'krexi were also a food source for the Vaurca, with their rancid but chewy meat considered a prized delicacy. As Vaurca civilization advanced, V'krexi continued to be valued for their practical uses and later became subjects of scientific study.

V'krexi play a unique role in the production of Skye'mok, a traditional Vaurca beverage with potent stimulant effects. Vaurca artisans utilize specialized techniques involving the V'krexi in the creation of this culturally significant drink.

V'krexi live in complex social structures known as micro-colonies. These colonies exhibit a hierarchical system with specialized roles for breeding, defense, and resource gathering. Despite their structured social organization, V'krexi are known for their playful nature.

=== Sky'au - White Worms ===
Sky'au are albino, grub-like creatures native to Sedantis. They inhabited cavern ceilings, maintaining a low profile as geophages. These creatures feed on mineral sediments and excrete a thick, pus-like substance called '''ne'miik'''. This excretion is composed partly of mineral residue and serves to confuse potential predators. The Vaurca discovered that ne'miik is a consumable substance, serving as their primary analogue for milk.

Vaurca ranchers extract ne'miik by forcibly squeezing Sky'au. This process is notoriously difficult and psychologically taxing, as the Sky'au emit horrifying screams when under pressure. While distressing, these screams serve as an indicator for ranchers to gauge the remaining ne'miik supply. Some Vaurca believe that Sky'au producing the loudest, most intense screams yield the highest quality ne'miik.

The Sky'au are also of [[Vaurca Religion#The taming of K'ois and Queen S'ilq|religious significance]]. Tradition claims that in ancient times, the Sky'au were the custodians of the k'ois, preventing their spread. Following the domestication of k'ois, Sky'au are believed to have shifted their role, instead maintaining optimal conditions for k'ois cultivation. Because of this, the Sky'au are revered by for their perceived subservience to Vaurca needs and their indirect role in sustaining Vaurca society.

=== T'kuxi - Truffle Hound ===
The T'kuxi is a hexapodal insect-like creature. T'kuxi are equipped with a long, specialized proboscis allowing them to sense the subtle presence of mature Raii'kois deep beneath the ground. This ability, combined with their geophagic diet, made them invaluable partners to Vaurca foragers.

Beyond their foraging skills, T'kuxi are also prized for a unique silk-like fiber they produced during specific stages of their life cycle. Vaurca learned to carefully process this fiber into several valuable textiles. The fine, breathable nature of T'kuxi silk made it ideal for mouthpiece coverings. Heavier weaves of T'kuxi silk could be fashioned into tunnel capes.

The development of advanced Raii'kois detection technology led to a decline in T'kuxi domestication. However, the creatures remain valued for their unique silk, which has found new applications within [[Unathi]] culture. Prized for its breathability and lightweight properties, T'kuxi silk is widely used in Unathi textiles. These garments offer vital protection from the harsh desert heat and sandstorms of Moghes.

=== Kex'au - Glowing Worms ===
The Kex'au are small, silky worms known for their bioluminescent properties. These herbivores primarily consume chemosynthetic flora in the environments they inhabit. Although the Vaurca possess excellent night vision, Kex'au served as a convenient additional light source during expeditions into darker regions. On occasion, they were also be consumed by the Vaurca as a supplementary food source. Kex'au are sometimes kept as pets by the Vaurca, and some have been successfully trained to perform simple tricks.

=== K'oiik - K'ois Aphids ===
K'oiik were small, aphid-like insects that shared a symbiotic relationship with the k'ois fungus. They possessed specialized mouthparts that allowed them to pierce the tough outer layer of k'ois and consume its nutrient-rich sap. During digestion, the K'oiik excreted a sugary, honeydew-like substance. This secretion contained a concentrated mix of nutrients that the k'ois could readily absorb, acting as a potent fertilizer and stimulating rapid growth. Additionally, the K'oiik often became covered in k'ois spores during feeding, inadvertently spreading the fungal network as they moved.

The K'oiik are now extinct. However, Vaurca bio-engineers have successfully extracted and integrated K'oiik genetic sequences into modern strains of k'ois. This modification allows k'ois to self-generate the nutrient-rich honeydew, eliminating the need for K'oiik and enabling the k'ois to spread and grow at an accelerated rate.

=== Tro'ok - Shelled Behemoth ===
The Tro'ok is a large, heavily armored arthropod native to Sedantis. With its segmented body, broad shell, and multiple limbs, it bears a resemblance to a cross between ancient Earth trilobites and beetles. This robust creature has served as the traditional beast of burden for the Vaurca for centuries. Tro'ok can grow to immense sizes, capable of carrying significant loads of cargo or multiple Vaurca riders. Their thick, chitinous shells offer protection from falling debris, tremors, and the abrasive environment of Sedantis. Adapted to low-light conditions underground, the Tro'ok also possesses specialized sensory organs for navigation and potentially detecting vibrations.

The Vaurca have domesticated Tr'ook, selectively breeding them for size, docility, and increased endurance. Their primary role was in long-distance transportation of both goods and Vaurca across Sedantis' complex network of tunnels. Even with the advent of advanced travel technology, the Tro'ok's value persisted. Vaurca bioengineers developed augmentations, incorporating motors and mechanical enhancements that significantly increased the Tro'ok's speed and hauling capacity. The form and function of the augmented Tro'ok are believed to have served as inspiration for the design of the [[Vaurca Biology#Ka, The Workers (Ka, Type A)|Freighter Vaurca bioform]], emphasizing their continued importance in Vaurca transportation and technology.

=== Xk'tiik - Mine Weevil ===
The Xk'tiik is a large, herbivorous creature native to Sedantis. Characterized by its elongated proboscis, the Xk'tiik traditionally inhabited areas around geothermal vents. Before domestication, it subsisted primarily on flora found within the vents, using its proboscis to forage in the heated depths. The Xk'tiik possesses a specialized gland that produces a highly corrosive acid, capable of dissolving rock. This adaptation serves both as a defense mechanism when cornered and a means to access kinosynthetic flora growing within stone crevices.

The Vaurca eventually domesticated the Xk'tiik, recognizing the utility of its acid and proboscis. Through selective breeding and training, they developed techniques to redirect the acid spray from the creature's proboscis for targeted rock excavation. The Xk'tiik remain a vital tool in Vaurca construction, playing a significant role in major projects such as the building of [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Caprice|New Sedantis]].

== Predators ==
Sedantis, in its ancient past, harbored hostile environments teeming with dangerous predators. Many of these species preyed upon early Vaurcae, becoming deeply ingrained in their cultural memory and mythology. Over time, the lines between documented fact and fearful exaggeration have been blurred. Contemporary scholars find it difficult to distinguish between genuinely monstrous creatures and those embellished by tales of terror. Regardless, it is clear that these predators posed a significant threat to the survival of the Vaurca.

The Vaurca dedicated significant effort towards exterminating these predators, driven by a need for safety and expansion. Consequently, some species were eradicated even before the [[Vaurca History#The Era of Augments|Era of Augments]]. Despite this, myths and reported sightings of these creatures persisted for millennia.

=== Graz'tal - Molting Mantises ===
The Graz'tal were an early competitor of the Vaurca, sharing a common genus with the insectoid ancestors of the Vaurca. Notably larger and more aggressive, the Graz'tal possessed a thick protective carapace and utilized sharp forelimbs in combat. Ancient Vaurca records claim that Graz'tal underwent extremely rapid molting, allegedly even shedding their exoskeletons mid-battle to regenerate additional limbs. While this phenomenon is likely exaggerated or mythologized, the concept of rapid regeneration through molting may have inspired early Vaurca experimentation with bioengineering.

Graz'tal were solitary predators, primarily targeting vulnerable Vaurca settlements for sustenance. Their solitary nature limited their cooperative hunting strategies. As Vaurca civilization advanced, the Graz'tal's ability to successfully attack settlements declined significantly. This dwindling food source likely contributed to their eventual extinction.

=== Vaur'akar - Vaurca Mimics ===
The Vaur'akar were a diverse group of species on Sedantis that evolved strategies to resemble Vaurca in appearance, behavior, or pheromones. This mimicry provided a competitive advantage, often serving as protection against the numerous predators of Sedantis. Most Vaur'akar were primarily docile, mimicking Vaurca to avoid confrontation and resorting to aggression only if directly threatened. However, more sophisticated Vaur'akar species could imitate Vaurca closely enough to infiltrate settlements, often disguised as Workers to scavenge from k'ois farms or egg nurseries.

The most notorious Vaur'akar was the '''Rai'zzaki''', also known as the False Queen. Unlike other Vaur'akar, it did not physically resemble Vaurca. Instead, the Rai'zzaki was a large, grub-like creature that emitted pheromones mimicking those of a Vaurca Breeder. This deceptive pheromone trail would begin faintly, growing stronger as prey ventured closer to the Rai'zzaki's nest. Vaurcae caught in this trap would feel a powerful urge to continue towards the source, eventually compelled to march into the Rai'zzaki's open mouth where they would be slowly dissolved over several months. The Rai'zzaki was greatly feared by the Vaurca until the invention of the Hivenet, after which its threat diminished and it faded into obscurity within Vaurca historical records.

=== Xir'au - Cavern Crawlers ===
The Xir'au were a species of colossal, multi-limbed worms that burrowed through the depths of Sedantis. Possessing extraordinarily long lifespans, they were voracious consumers of minerals, leaving vast tunnels in their wake. Prehistoric Vaurca viewed the Xir'au as malevolent forces of destruction, responsible for the collapse of countless early Vaurca settlements. During the [[Vaurca History#The Age of Death|Age of Death]], as the Vaurca sought any advantage to gain dominion, they systematically hunted the Xir'au to extinction. However, in a desperate bid during the Great Hive War, the Lii'dra attempted to revive the Xir'au as a bioweapon but ultimately failed.

=== Xir'riix - Giant Mandibles ===
The Xir'riix were insectoid pack predators resembling large, crab-like spiders with powerful mandibles. They were highly territorial and aggressive. Xir'riix hunted by ambush, often concealing themselves in narrow tunnels and overwhelming any creatures that passed through. They possessed a sophisticated pheromone-based communication system, allowing for coordinated hunting tactics.

The Xir'riix posed a significant threat to the Vaurca, particularly scouting parties and those caught venturing into unexplored cave networks. Their sharp claws and mandibles were capable of swiftly incapacitating and even decapitating Vaurca victims. During the aggressive expansionist period of the Zo'ra Empire, Xir'riix infestations were a major obstacle and a leading cause of casualties.

Due to the threat they posed, the Xir'riix were targeted for extermination during the [[Vaurca History#The Commonwealth of Zo'ra|Commonwealth of Zo'ra]]. This campaign was ultimately successful, making them one of the last natural predators to be eliminated from Sedantis.

== Pests ==
Pests on Sedantis primarily consisted of small creatures considered a nuisance for the Vaurca. Most were geophages or fungivores, competing for k'ois cultivated by the Vaurca for sustenance. While generally bothersome rather than outright destructive, some pest species posed genuine dangers. Larger Vaurca settlements tended to have effective pest control measures, but miners, explorers, and those on the fringes of Vaurca territory frequently encountered them. Due to the abundance of pests and the prioritization of other threats on Sedantis, only a few specific species faced targeted extermination efforts by the Vaurca.

=== Ak'au - Venomous Creep ===
The Ak'au is a fuzzy, worm-like creature. It is a major pest for the Vaurca, notorious for its insatiable craving for quakesteel. These insects possess specialized mouthparts capable of breaking down the incredibly strong alloy and often infesting mines, storage facilities, and even Vaurca technology. Ak'au infestations could jeopardize Sedantian infrastructure, as their relentless gnawing weakened crucial quakesteel supports designed to protect structures from seismic activity.

Attempts to exterminate the Ak'au have been largely unsuccessful due to their venomous spines. While not lethal to Vaurcae, their sting delivers a highly corrosive substance that can cause permanent damage to a Vaurca's chitinous carapace. Additionally, Ak'au colonies are known to burrow inside quakesteel structures, consuming the alloy from within and becoming almost impossible to eradicate.

=== Kal'kok - Chirping Mites ===
The Kal'kok are small fungivores native to Sedantis. Resembling translucent arachnids, they primarily feed on k'ois. While mostly harmless, Kal'kok can significantly damage k'ois reserves if left unchecked, presenting a challenge to Vaurca farmers.

They are known for their distinctive chirping sound. Some Vaurcae find this endearing enough to keep Kal'kok in captivity. However, the majority consider them a pest and discourage their presence within major settlements. Despite these efforts, Kal'kok populations persist in the Orion Spur as exotic pets.

=== Ak'aya - Venom Grass ===
Ak'aya, also known as Venom Grass, was a toxic flowering plant notorious for its rapid spread and contamination of Sedantian ecosystems. While not directly lethal to Vaurca, consumption of Ak'aya induced severe emetic reactions. K'ois supplies and water sources in contact with Ak'aya were rendered unusable. Extensive eradication efforts significantly reduced the presence of Ak'aya within cave systems, but it remained a persistent threat in underwater environments.

=== K'yxt - Fungal Amalgam ===
The K'yxt is a parasitic fungus hidden deep within the crevices of stone and even quakesteel. Rarely encountered but highly present, it is a persistent threat to the Vaurca. The K'yxt utilizes a unique method for dispersal and predation, releasing an enormous, adhesive bubble that drifts like a tumbleweed. This bubble ensnares small insects, carrion, and occasionally mandibles of deceased Vaurca Warriors. Over time, these amalgams accumulate absorbed matter, appearing to develop a rudimentary sentience as they actively seek out additional prey. Due to their tenacity, the Vaurca have never successfully exterminated the K'yxt. Unfortunately, the Hiveships inadvertently introduced this dangerous pest to areas within the Orion Spur.

Disturbingly, there appears to be no upper limit to the size a K'yxt bubble can reach. Vaurca scouts have reported sightings of bubbles reaching twelve feet in diameter, containing a horrifying mixture of absorbed biomass. To combat this threat, the Vaurca have developed specialized weapons designed to puncture these bubbles from a safe distance. However, this action often triggers a volatile reaction from the accumulated substances within the bubble, making the process immensely dangerous and potentially lethal.

== Lithomorphae ==
The Lithomorphae are a unique phylum of Sedantian creatures characterized by their remarkable resemblance to rocks and other inorganic matter. This adaptation likely evolved as a camouflage mechanism or defense against predators. Due to their potentially dangerous nature and deceptive appearance, many Lithomorphae species were poorly understood by scientists.

Despite the challenges in studying them, Lithomorphae hold significant value. Their mineralized exoskeletons or secretions often possess remarkable strength and durability. Vaurcae historically utilized certain Lithomorphae species or their byproducts in construction, creating structures capable of withstanding Sedantis' harsh environments.

=== Rux'ora - Stonemaw ===
The Rux'ora, also known as stonemaws, were one of the most infamous terrors of Sedantis. These creatures possessed the remarkable ability to camouflage themselves as seemingly ordinary cavern walls. Upon sensing prey, the stonemaw revealed its hidden maw—lined with multiple rows of teeth—capable of swallowing Vaurca whole. In some cases, the pheromones of consumed victims and mandible clacks of distress could be detected, although rescue attempts were invariably unsuccessful. There are no recorded accounts of stonemaw survivors.

The Rux'ora likely employed a form of subterranean locomotion to change hunting grounds. Occasionally, explorers returning to previously documented stonemaw locations would find nothing but an unremarkable cavern wall. The mechanism behind this movement remains poorly understood and continues to be a subject of scientific fascination.

=== Zess'val - Living Stalactites ===
The Zess'val were small Lithomorphs resembling stalactites, native to the cave systems of Sedantis. These carnivorous creatures fed on insects venturing near cave ceilings. Upon sensing prey, a Zess'val would secrete a sticky, entrapping substance. Over time, the insect would succumb and decompose, allowing the Zess'val to consume the broken-down organic matter.

Vaurca scientists extensively studied the Zess'val life cycle, but their reproduction remains poorly understood. It is theorized that a Zess'val, if detached from the ceiling, would regenerate as long as it remained in contact with the cave roof. Zess'val that died would fall to the cave floor, posing a potential hazard to unwary explorers.

=== Nyx'vook - Crevice Tendrils ===
The Nyx'vook were a unique Lithomorph species found within the cavern walls of Sedantis. While initially mistaken for plant-like life due to their tendril form, they were extensions of a centralized, stone-like organism. The Nyx'vook extended vast distances through the rock, foraging for gem deposits. Their tendrils possessed specialized sensory nodes capable of detecting trace amounts of different minerals, guiding them towards the most valuable ore clusters. Nyx'vook were largely harmless, defensively retracting upon contact. However, their consumption of gems occasionally created competition with Vaurca miners, especially those seeking valuable khy'maak. It was theorized that Nyx'vook colonies might become large enough to destabilize cave systems if left unchecked.

=== Rux'zkera - Sanguilithum ===
The Rux'zkera, also known as the sanguilithum, is a significant Lithomorph for the Vaurca and the only prevalent in the Orion Spur. In the wild, this creature resembles a boulder. However, when cut open, the Rux'zkera reveals a fleshy interior filled with blood. This bleeding stone is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It moves slowly using concealed tendrils. The sanguilithum possesses multiple mouth-like openings for feeding.

Vaurca extensively utilize sanguilithum as a building material. Their fleshy interior is ideal for seamlessly connecting biomechanical components within walls and structures. Additionally, the sanguilithum's mouth openings can conduct electricity, serving as sockets for Vaurca technology. Modern Vaurca breed sanguilithum specifically for continued use in construction.

== Macrobacteria ==
The extreme environment of Sedantis fostered the evolution of complex bacterial lifeforms known as macrobacteria. Unlike their microscopic counterparts on Earth, these organisms displayed unusually large sizes and adaptations to survive in harsh conditions. These extremophiles originated on the surface, developing remarkable resistance to the gas giant's intense radiation over time.

Macrobacteria exhibited a seasonal migratory pattern. They retreated underground during periods of extreme radiation and resurfaced during the Season of Shadows. Primarily fungivores, they played a vital role in decomposing the vast fungal blooms that proliferated on Sedantis. Additionally, some macrobacteria species possessed specialized mechanisms to absorb and metabolize low doses of specific radiation types.

Vaurcae studied macrobacteria with a mixture of fascination and caution. They recognized their ecological importance but were wary of the dangers certain species posed. Research into macrobacteria offered potential advancements in medicine, bioengineering, and perhaps even radiation resistance technology. Colonies of macrobacteria were kept alive by Hiveships and remain in study in [[Skrell]] and human space.

== Aquatic Creatures ==
Sedantis harbored vast oceans and seas teeming with diverse life, much of which remains poorly understood. While Vaurca did not intentionally target aquatic species for extermination, extensive littering and unsustainable resource extraction severely damaged many underwater habitats. A vast majority of Sedantian aquatic creatures likely went extinct before they could be studied or even observed, lost forever without any documentation.

=== Ee'kyk - Writhing Eels ===
The Ee'kyk were herbivorous, eel-like creatures that populated the numerous underground lakes and oceans of Sedantis. Relatively docile, they preferred to deliver a single bite and flee when threatened. Remarkably hardy, Ee'kyk fed on underwater Ak'aya growths and could thrive in bodies of water considered otherwise uninhabitable.

The Ee'kyk mating season was a spectacular sight within their subterranean water bodies. To attract a mate, they would emit pulses of bioluminescent light while vibrating their bodies rapidly. This created an intense shimmering effect throughout the water. Once paired, Ee'kyk would excavate elaborate burrows into soft sediment where they laid their eggs.

The Vaurca viewed Ee'kyk as more of a curiosity than a threat or food source. Young Vaurca, particularly those from daring lineages, developed the sport of "claw-catching." This involved luring an Ee'kyk close with agitated movements and tempting them to bite an outstretched limb. The challenge was to yank their limb free at the last moment, leaving the Ee'kyk momentarily baffled. Skillful claw-catchers gained prestige among their peers.

=== Kla'izzkar - Petrifying Crab ===
The Kla'izzkar was the most widespread aquatic predator in Sedantis. Its unique physiology centered around a constantly growing, immensely durable carapace. This heavy armor offered protection from most natural threats within its environment. The Kla'izzkar's eyes were vestigial, eventually becoming fully encased by its exoskeleton. To navigate, it instead relied upon a form of echolocation.

To compensate for the immense weight of its carapace, the Kla'izzkar possessed remarkable strength. Its powerful claws could tear through most materials found within its habitat and were capable of snapping with enough concussive force to disorient nearby creatures. However, this unique defense mechanism carried a fatal flaw. An exceptionally long-lived Kla'izzkar would eventually become entirely immobilized by its own carapace, likely leading to death by starvation or suffocation.

=== Ki'kirex - Sedantian Urchins ===
The Ki'kirex were a diverse group of sea urchins native to Sedantian oceans. Their primarily gemphagous diet consisted of calcite formations and, on occasion, phoron crystals. As Vaurca expanded into underwater mining operations, the Ki'kirex became a minor nuisance, although they were easily deterred.

Ki'kirex species possessed sharp spines as a primary defense mechanism, capable of inflicting minor carapace damage when threatened. However, most of the Ki'kirex species' reproductive organs, referred to as "roe," held a surprising medicinal secret. These gonads, when processed into a potent salve, possessed remarkable healing properties. The Ki'kirex roe salve became a key ingredient in many traditional Vaurca medicines, valued for its effectiveness in treating wounds and ailments. Despite attempts at domestication, the Ki'kirex primarily remained a harvested resource for their valuable roe salve.

=== Krox'krox - Collector Crabs ===
The Krox'krox was a crustacean species found throughout Sedantis, known for its highly opportunistic scavenging habits and wide variation in size. The largest specimens were recorded within the L'yok Ravine, with smaller Krox'krox found underwater. True to their scavenger nature, Krox'krox feasted on the remains of any creature carcasses they encountered.

Beyond opportunistic feeding, the Krox'krox were unique in their habit of collecting debris and discarded objects. Collected materials were incorporated into their shells, providing additional protection, and used to construct rudimentary dens for shelter.
Due to their scavenging and collecting habits, Vaurca settlements often attributed missing items to Krox'krox activity. Whether this reputation was fully deserved or stemmed from Vaurca superstition remains a topic of debate among Sedantian researchers.

=== Ry'tiik - Spectral Jellyfish ===
The Ry'tiik was a bioluminescent, translucent jellyfish native to the Sedantian oceans. Its delicate tendrils concealed a potent, fast-acting paralytic toxin, making it an effective predator. The Ry'tiik's internal anatomy appeared to be in constant flux, mesmerizing Vaurca researchers for millennia. The creature's most peculiar trait was its tendency to decompose moments after death, dissolving into an amorphous puddle of shimmering goo. This rapid decay made the Ry'tiik remarkably difficult to study. Primary prey included the Ee'kyk, along with other small marine organisms.

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Vaurca Biology

2026-06-12T08:04:14Z

Carver: Hegemony to Karszekani

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{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}

=Biology=
[[File:Bio_1.png|200px|thumb|right|A diagram of Type A Biology from the Vaurcaesian Research Journal.]]
Vaurcae are eusocial insect-like sophonts stemming from the distant [[Sedantis I]]. To humanity, Vaurcae bear most a resemblance to terrestrial ants. The species’ similarities to the Formicidae family have led human scientists and media to use traditional insect taxonomy to classify the Vaurca species. While the Vaurca understand themselves under distinct biological terms–something that has, in recent years, interested xenoanthropologists–the efforts made by the Xavier Trasen Medical School in Biesel permeate all current biological discussions. Thus, this article is written following the perspective of the most recent taxonomy accepted by the ''Vaurcaesian Research Journal'', a human publication vouched by the Zo’ra Hive.

==Taxonomy==
Vaurcae are a polymorphic species with radically different forms, known as Bioforms. Each Bioform is described by various observable characteristics (such as unique phenotypes), physical traits, and ecological niches.

Bioforms are diverse and divided into four traditional castes: '''Workers''' (Ka), '''Warriors''' (Za), '''Breeders''' (Ta), and '''Cephalons'''. In 2463, a new Vaurca bioform was introduced to the public: the '''Bulwark''' (Ra). However, Bulwarks are not a traditional caste, and scientists still debate whether they can be formally classified under the Worker caste. More information on the Bulwark discussion can be read [[Vaurca_Biology#Bulwarks,_(Ra,_Type_E) | here.]]

Furthermore, some Vaurcae are lobotomized during their development. To state the type of ‘freedom’ each individual has, the Vaurca use two terms: '''Bound''' (Viax) and '''Unbound''' (Akaix). In human taxonomy, the two types are known as the '''psyche'''.

Unbound Vaurca are sapient beings with a similar sense of identity to any other living being in the [[The Orion Spur|Spur]], but Bound are considerably different.
Bound Vaurca are popularly called "lobotomites", but this is known to be inaccurate. The environment and unique pheromones that Bound eggs receive from birth induce what is more or less a deliberate birth defect. The brain of a Bound Vaurca is largely atrophied, and they are docile, simple-minded workers who will prioritize orders they are given above their own well-being.

Besides their biological differences, caste, and psyche play an important part in Vaurca society, as reflected by the Vaurca naming system.

==Morphology and Physiology==
'''Exoskeleton'''

Vaurcae are best characterized by their exoskeleton, also known as carapace. It is composed of a complex polymer chain involving sulfur as a key catalyst with silicon, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen forming a strong bond.

The exoskeleton itself is very tough. Depending on the bioform, it can be more tightly packed. This exoskeleton provides the Vaurca with numerous benefits, such as high radiation resistance and strong structural support against a vacuum.

'''Blood and Respiration'''

Vaurcae have an open circulatory system, allowing the free flow of their sulfur-based blood. Unlike other sapients, Vaurca blood does not require oxygen but phoron. The dependency on phoron has been one of the greatest challenges the Vaurca race has faced in recent years.

In Sedantis, oxygen was found in small traces in the atmosphere. Unlike pure phoron, which is highly volatile in contact with oxygen, the common phoron compound in the Vaurca home planet did not react to any basic elements. In nature, Vaurcae inhaled phoron with oxygen and exhaled carbon monoxide with remnants of phoron. The current filter ports used by Vaurcae in human space use minimum oxygen to power their internal phoron tanks. In exchange, the filter ports exhale carbon dioxide as humans do, fully repurposing all phoron.

'''Dangers in Human Space'''

Because humans require oxygen to survive, Vaurcae must wear a filter port at all times. While filter ports cause no phoron leakage, there is a record of some incidents occurring during the early days of Vaurcae integration to Biesel which caused spillage. However, despite the adverse reaction caused by media and local politics, and the remaining misconception among many Biesellites, the leaks were not a result of a faulty design but rather improper use by individuals who were unfamiliar with the technology. Alongside k’ois outbreaks, both problems have been solved in recent years.

==Castes==
[[File:Biolore3.png|200px|thumb|right|Biological sketches of some prototypical Zo'rane Bioforms.]]
Shortly after making [[Vaurca History#First Contact With Humanity|first contact with the Titan Prime]], Vaurcae were divided into four castes—the Workers, the Warriors, the Breeders, and the Cephalons—each assigned a letter of the alphabet. In 2463, the Bulwark lifeform was introduced and marketed as a new caste, assigned the letter “E.” However, xenobiologists disagree that the Bulwark is a “true” caste, but rather a subtype of Worker. While the same argument has been made for the Cephalons, most literature still considers them to be their own caste.

In Vaurca xenobiology, the definition of a caste remains debated. Many components are considered, including each caste’s echelon and behavior in Vaurca society. Thus, a caste can be loosely defined as an established bioform, reinforced by hormones and augmentation, that serves a specific niche that cannot be interchanged. This means that a Breeder Vaurca will always retain its function and may not act as, instead, a Worker.

Subcastes are defined as specialized bioforms with similar behavioral patterns and ecological functions as the larger, all-encompassing caste. Some subcastes have incredibly specific niches, only manufactured for one particular industry and rarely seen by the public. Nonetheless, all Vaurcae, regardless of their caste or subcaste, are restricted by their same biological constraints. The more creative subcastes, which are imaginative and have no limitations to their forms, exist only in Virtual Reality.

In general terms, high-ranking Breeders and Cephalons are amongst the largest Vaurcae. Some highly-specialized subcastes, such as the so-called Warforms, may achieve similar heights. Nevertheless, due to their open circulatory system, maintaining larger bioforms is incredibly difficult. For example, Queens require various augmentations to ensure their blood is properly pumped—a problem a regular Worker would not have with their stand dual-heart system.

===Ka, The Workers (Ka, Type A)===

Workers are the most abundant caste in Vaurca populations. These types of Vaurcae can be defined by various characteristics. Physiologically, most Workers have a characteristic thick exoskeleton composed of tightly knit polymer chains. The robustness of their exoskeleton allows them to be very versatile, providing moderate protection against radiation and high tolerance to the vacuum of space. Workers may be bipedal or quadrupedal, equipped with bird-like talons that provide a strong grip. Furthermore, their hands include two middle fingers and two opposable thumbs–a left and a right on each. All of these features ensure that Workers are the best caste for manual labor and other similar tasks.

Perhaps more important are the psychological attributes of the Worker. The caste is notable for being mostly pacifistic, avoiding any danger when possible. As subjects to the Breeder caste, Workers are also known for their unquestioning loyalty.

This does not mean that Workers are literally incapable of violence; if seriously pressed, or very agitated, they may lash out. How comfortable they are with scenes of bloodshed or fighting likely depends on the individual Worker, though in the case of fighting, they tend to make poor combatants regardless. A construction Worker might become sick at the scent of blood, while a surgeon Worker may simply hate the thought of fighting or be a staunch pacifist. Fear of violence also does not preclude Workers from being verbally belligerent, snarky, or teasing.

Average Workers traditionally range from 4’3” to 6’3”. Depending on their niche, they may be taller or even a bit shorter. The recent stability of the Hives has also allowed newer Workers to be 7 feet tall, especially in human and Unathi space.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Examples of Type A Vaurca Bioforms'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:typeaa.png|200px|thumb|right|A depiction of a Type AA Bioform.]]

'''Type AA - Retainers '''

AA Type Workers or "Retainers" are small, and fill similar roles to that of maintenance drones. They are all exclusively Bound and deal with the more trivial repairs to ships, systems, and structures utilized by the various Hives as well as fulfilling extremely simple jobs such as the transportation of small objects.

'''Type AB - Bearers '''

Type AB or "Bearers" are Workers similar to that of the Type AA, both being extremely simple, inexpensive utility drones. However, they are more suited to transporting heavy loads. Ranging in size anywhere from a dog to a bear, they possess small, robust legs and a strong flat back, forming a large surface area to bear weight. They see extensive use by the K’lax, in particular across Tret, transporting materials and goods to and from the multitude of warehouses.

'''Type AD - Burrowers'''

The Type AD Workers, or “Burrowers,” are one of the oldest Worker subcastes, believed to have been created during the rise of the modern Hives. Burrowers are large hexapods, ranging from 5 feet to 8 feet depending on the project, created to assist in mining and excavation. During the Era of Augments, the Burrowers were first equipped with a plethora of installed tools including an industrial-sized thermal drill–an identifying feature the subcaste retains today. Despite this, the modernization of the Era of Augments and later the Hives Renaissance, saw this bioform fall out of favor, surpassed in usefulness by larger machinery.

Since the Exodus, the Type AD Workers have seen a resurgence in the planification of the new Vaurca colonized planets in human space, especially by the Zo'ra Hive on Caprice. Nonetheless, they remain unfavored by the Hive, with many of the active Burrowers outdated and belonging instead to Queenless hive-cells that cannot afford modern industrial equipment.

'''Type ABD - Freighters'''

The Type ABD Worker is a recent bioform, first developed by the C’thur Hive in 2461 in collaboration with the [[Nralakk Federation]]. Freighters are a similar design to the Bearers, equipped with resilient extremities like an isopod and used for underwater freight transportation. These Workers provide auxiliary aid to the deep-ocean cargo vessels found in the underwater cities of [[Qerrbalak]] and [[Aweiji]].

Freighters remain a controversial subject in the Nralakk Federation. Some [[Skrell]] question the use of Bound Vaurcae for the transportation of goods, while others are skeptical about their practicality, as they are time-consuming to grow. As a result, the production of this bioform remains limited until a change in public opinion occurs.

'''Type AEA - Orb'''

[[K'ois#Phorogenesis|The Orb]], known as the Zk’reii by the Vaurcae, is a special subtype of Cultivator that is used as a live storage for phoron. This bioform has gained recent attention during the phoron crisis and has been subject to some political controversies.

The subcaste hangs upside down along constructed railings where a mix of k'ois and other various nutrients are transferred to the Orbs. Being able to remove what phoron they need, even down to the molecular level with excess, they are able to store this in a form of trophallaxis; where Vaurcae can then extract this excess phoron for themselves.

'''Type AE - Cultivator'''

Type AE Workers are a subcaste resembling a large arachnid. They are equipped with special tools to aid in k’ois agriculture. The Cultivators are believed to be modeled after the Zk’ois, a mythical creature often depicted as the guardians and harvesters of k’ois by early Vaurcae. Despite their remote origin, most Vaurca believe the bioform was not invented until after the Technological Revolution. The design of the Cultivators has been constantly modified by the Hives that use them and shaped by the evolution of k’ois agricultural techniques.

The most unique usage of Cultivators in the Spur is by the C'thur Hive, who have added to the Type AE, introducing a social stomach to pollinate plants, pesticide and fertilizer dispensers, a detailed plant scanner, and a unique probiotic injector that permits small adjustments to the genome of crops. These additional tools have provided the C'thuric Cultivator with the ability to perform its job with nearly unmatched intricacy. These modified Type AE have been deployed by the C'thur Hive in aid of the Nralakk Federation, primarily to Aweiji and other agricultural locations. Federation Colonies that struggle to produce their own food are frequently given Cultivators in exchange for funding and increased phoron supply from the local governments, making the Type AE one of the Hive's most significant contributions.
</div></div>

===Za, The Warriors (Type B)===

Warriors are the second most prominent caste in Vaurca society. They are also some of the most diverse, especially when considering augmentation. Because of this, it is hard to define Warriors physically. Some notorious trends include modified exoskeletons that favor agility in combat and a usually higher size – a notion challenged by some niche Worker bioforms. Warriors are also known for their increased amount of limbs. While some basic Warrior morphs may be bipedal, more advanced Warrior types can be quadrupeds, hexapods, and even decapods.

The biggest defining factor in a Warrior is their psychology. Unlike Workers, who are typically passive or averse to violence, Warriors are considerably more aggressive. This can range from being better-suited to high-stress combat situations to outright bloodlust. Warrior personalities tend towards the straightforward or brutish, though it would be incorrect to assume Unbound Warriors are unintelligent. Despite the stereotype of aggression, many Warriors are perfectly capable of more diplomatically-focused officer positions, and have taken on such roles in the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], [[K'lax in the Karszekani#K’lax_in_the_Navy|Karszekani Navy]], and the [[C'thur in the Federation#C’thur_in_the_Kala|Kala]].

Breeders may raise Warriors for a variety of non-combatant positions, especially with regards to medical positions. Most Queens prefer Workers for peaceful doctoring and Warriors for first response but are unwilling to run the small risk of a completely blood-averse batch of Workers. As a result, it is standard procedure to grow the number of Warriors alongside.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Examples of Type B Vaurca Bioforms'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
The following bioforms are some of the most relevant Unbound Warrior types. However, it does not consider the many augmentations some Warriors may receive. For example, a highly decorated Warrior may be equipped with huge fire machinery or full-body prosthetics. Often, these exaggerated modifications are considered medals of honor by the traditional Vaurca military structure.

'''Type BA - Myrmidon'''

The Myrmidon is the basic Warrior bioform and the most well-known to humanity, mainly because they are employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Vaurca archeology suggests that the current Myrmidon was engineered during the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]] and that ancient Warriors were more robust and had more physiological differences when compared to the Common Worker. The modern Myrmidon was designed as a flexible and agile unit that works best in a team. The Type's lean shape allowed the Myrmidons of the Great Hive War to traverse Sedantis's spelunking warfare with ease.

The adaptability of Myrmidons allows the Hives to introduce small differences between individual Type BA to cater to the specific environment they are designed for. A logistics officer, combat overseer, or commander may not be suited for a firefight but may possess a mind capable of processing data rapidly. Likewise, Vaurca designed for engagements would be built for the job. A guard may be observant and attentive, with plenty of patience, whilst a soldier is capable of reacting faster and communicating clearer.

'''Type BB - Attendants'''
[[File:typebb.png|200px|thumb|right|A depiction of a Type BB Bioform.]]
Type BB Warriors or "Attendants" are digitigrade bipeds, built to be agile and quick. They are primarily made to be scouts or serve in support positions and they excel at guerilla tactics. They can possess the same roles as regular warriors, but their speed-built forms are not as hardy. They are commonly attributed to the role of combat medics–providing medical assistance on the field, or removal of the neural socket if the individual cannot be saved.

'''Type BC - Endurers'''

BC variants of Warriors, also known as "Endurers," are typically hexapod Bioforms used in extreme environments, being made to withstand the fiery surface of Sedantis. While not capable of handling a full-blown firestorm, they are the closest the Hives have to a bioform that could. They are slow but durable and relentless. Not many Endurers have been seen, and it is thought that this type has died out due to lack of maintenance as well as a lack of need.

'''Type BE - Marshal'''

A critical backbone of any Vaurca military, Type BE Warriors, or "Marshals," as they are commonly known, are one of the oldest surviving Warrior Bioforms, with the Zo'ra Hive going so far as to claim Zo'ra herself invented them during the Age of Death, a claim which other Hives frequently dispute as mythology. What is not in dispute, however, is the role this Bioform has to play in matters of war strategy, each being an expert in tactics, planning, and shaping the flow of conflicts. Historical artworks depicting Zo'ra Ta concocting plans of subjugation with Marshals at their side are abundant. To this end, the Marshals have undergone extensive genetic and augmentative modifications before assuming their role as military advisors to the Ta, and perhaps most notably, they have developed an unusual connection to the Cephalons as a result of their neural enhancements.

The Cephalons, immensely powerful supercomputers that they are, are utterly invaluable in conflict, providing statistical analysis of outcomes, logistical planning, and troop deployment suggestions to maximize the user's tactical position. However, without the use of complicated and slow protocols, much of this data has to be output in its original raw format. During combat, this pure flood of information can be streamed in real-time to a Marshal over the Hivenet, who, thanks to their neural augmentations, can avoid collapsing into immediate insanity from the seemingly endless flow of numbers and information now overwhelming their senses. Instead, they process this mass of mathematical predictions and suggestions and seamlessly integrate them into their own plans, making split-second decisions on what to prioritize and what to discard before sending updates back to the biocomputers and repeating the cycle.

As a result, the Marshals, more than any other Bioform, tend to come to see themselves as extensions of the Cephalons, nodes of the great intelligences tasked with carrying out their "will" in service of the Queens. It is rare for this to bother all but the most puritanical Ta due to the amount of help the Marshals are capable of providing, with even the most military-minded Breeders battling to effectively direct the masses of Warriors placed at their command in times of conflict without these advisors. Since the arrival in the Spur, the Marshals have had to adapt and have worked tirelessly alongside the Queens to restructure the military structure of the Hives in a way that is both effective and, much to their chagrin, cheap enough to not drain the economy. The Marshals of [[Zoleth, The Herald of Scars|Zoleth's brood]], numbering significantly more than any other, are plentiful throughout the newly formed Vek'tak Phalanx and even sometimes the upper echelons of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, providing advice and direction, though rarely with respect to the TCAF viewing themselves as anything other than consultants. It is not unheard of for the Hives to turn a Warrior of another Bioform who demonstrates a strong understanding of strategy or tactics into a Marshal.
</div></div>

===Za'Kax, Warforms (Type BD+)===
[[File:Bio_2.png|200px|thumb|right|An artistic depiction of the K'lax Type BDE Warform.]]
Warform is the title given by human languages to Bound Warriors, constructs of war heavily augmented and outfitted with in-built weapons. They come in a variety of heights and forms, ranging from as small as 2 feet to towering behemoths standing at heights of 20 feet.

The basic Type BD are the Warforms that the majority of the public in places that know of Vaurca have seen or heard about. It is from them the caste derives its name. They are tall bipedal Vaurcae designed by the Zo'ra Hive that have been augmented and induced with large amounts of growth hormones to reach heights of 10 to 20 feet. Many possess large scythe-like blades in place of their claws, capable of cutting through reinforced steel, and they can be equipped with a varied arsenal of in-built weaponry, with the most infamous and perhaps terrifying being a strong napalm-like compound known as Zo'rane flame, expelled through the Warform’s mouth. Those in the Spur who have seen the rare occasions the Zo'ra Hive has deployed Warforms for actual warfare rather than simply parade duty, most prominently members of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion during the second Solarian Invasion, have witnessed the Zo'rane Flame in action and tend to speak of it grimly. To be covered with the substance is almost invariably to die slowly, painfully, and utterly, skin dripping from bone and ligaments melting away until all that is left is a dissolved puddle where man or vehicle once stood.

Many other types of Warform exist or have existed in the past but were destroyed in events such as the Great Hive War, where creative Warforms were deployed in the thousands, and its conclusion, in which a return to traditional cultural combat replaced many of the underhanded tactics employed by the Bioforms led to the loss or outlawing of many designs. The Zo'ra Hive poses both the most Warforms in the Spur by numbers and the most designs, having long mastered them.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Examples of Type BD+ Vaurca Bioforms'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''Type BDE - Batteries'''

Type BDE or "Batteries" are among the largest of the Warriors. They are frequently hexapods or decapods made to be durable and load-bearing, with heavy artillery typically installed on their backs. Despite having been designed by the Zo'ra Hive during the Great Hive War to act as a siege weapon that could still maneuver through the cramped caverns of Sedantis, they are most often deployed by the K'lax Hive, who are known to arm the Type BDE with everything from jury-rigged Karszekani artillery pieces to accurate long-range cannons that fire not shells, but concentrations of deadly acid drawn from internal biological sacs. Type BDE are most often used to complement large military formations but have yet to be mass-produced due to high maintenance costs. Rumors abound that geneticists under the K'lax and C'thur Hives have begun separately looking into methods to reduce how phoron-hungry the Type BDE is but are yet to turn up results.

'''Type BDF - Vanguard'''

A quadrupedal Bioform designed by the Zo'ra Hive standing at 9 feet tall and filling in the lines for heavy infantry, Type BDF Warriors, or "Vanguards," have been used by almost all Hives at some point in their history of conflict, dating back generations. A modified version of the traditional Vanguard was most recently seen being used by the Lii’dra during their incursion with Elyra. Their quadrupedal form, aided by climbing augmentation in the form of mag-claws, allows them to traverse various terrains quickly, and they are frequently seen carrying anti-armor weapons.

'''Type BDG - Flock'''

Type BDG or "Flock" are one of the most common military Bioforms and are only about 2 feet long. They are not dissimilar to Type AB Workers but adapted for military use. Possessing wings, they are deadly when deployed in swarms, as demonstrated by their use by the Lii'dra Hive during the Elyran invasion. When used, the Flock Warforms are typically employed to scatter defensive lines or attack structures. Their mobility and speed also mean they’re excellent at surveillance.

'''Type BDJ - Mangler'''

The Type BDJ or "Mangler" is a decapod Bioform resembling that of a crab or Qerrbalak crustacean. They are roughly a Skrell tall, with thick reinforced carapaces, large sharpened claws, and a central light-mounted weapon. They primarily operate in small groups and utilize high mobility to close the gap between themselves and a target lying down, covering fire, and getting near enough to utilize their deadly pincers, mutilating the foe in a brutal fashion. They are an invention of the C'thur Hive, which utilizes them exclusively and were developed as a method of fielding smaller less-phoron intensive warforms in support of the Nralakk Federation's Qukala, as well as assisting in aquatic operations, being capable of operating under the water for extended periods of time.

'''Type BDNB - Ripper'''

The Type BDNB, or "Ripper" is the latest arthropod Warform from the C'thur Hive. Modeled after a variation of a [[Diuslzi|Diulszian]] creature known as a "Rhixea," the Type BDNB possesses 6 legs, several sharp talons, and, thanks to an amalgamation of the Rhixea's natural defenses and C'thuric technology, a sonic scream loud enough to deafen, hurt, and disorient listeners. It appears almost like an isopod, not unlike the Hive's earlier Freighter design; however, the Ripper is instead deployed for warfare in support of the Qekala. Only a small handful of these Rippers exist so far, plans to create more being currently stalled due to the phoron crisis. Despite the small number however in testing they have exceled at breaking up large groups of combatants, mostly pirates, and shattering their morale. Queen Vytel originally intended to use the Ripper as a form of riot crowd control, arming them with a weakened sonic weapon; however, negotiations with the Federation have been largely unsuccessful, with Federation officials citing their "terrifying appearance" as too much for civilian anti-riot squads, not to mention the requirement of developing special ear-plugs to protect the Riot Teams' own hearing.

'''Type BNZ - Exterminator'''

Type BCZ or "Exterminators" are an arcane and banned Warform design from the Great Hive War, now only seen being deployed by the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra]]. From reports by the Vaurca Hives, it appears some of these Exterminator Warforms still remain active inside the Spur. They were most commonly used in terror tactics and assassination, taking out key personnel and vehicles. They are 15 feet of pure terror, resembling most closely terrestrial centipedes. Type BCZ are able to burrow into most natural surfaces and have been seen taking out combat mechs due to their speed and the incredibly acidic venom, which they can spray if need be. To this day, only three of them have been successfully killed, mostly by being bisected—the method of cutting the spinal cord to sever the Warforms link to its Hive. According to the Vaurca Hives, it is not immediately clear why severing the Warforms link to the Hive immediately disables it, whereas other Lii'dra maintain a limited level of self-control. Theories range from it being a safety mechanism to a necessary biological function.
</div></div>

===Breeders (Ta, Type C)===

Vaurca Breeders are considered the most important members of Vaurca civilization and amount to a tiny percentage of the whole Vaurca population. The only Vaurca that retain their sex organs after birth, they are the species' only fertile members. The male Breeders (Type CA) are all raised as Bound, while the females (Type CB) are all Unbound. The species Euosoecial nature has Breeders as the top members of Vaurca hierarchical society.

Perhaps due to their importance as individuals, the scientific literature does not recognize different bioforms or subcastes of Breeders. Nonetheless, female Ta fulfill different important social functions and can be distinguished by size and other unique features. The debate on profiling the Breeder caste with similar nomenclature used for the other Vaurcae still persists.

====Type CA - Consorts, Male Breeders====

The Type CA, also known as Consorts, are the only male representatives of the Vaurca race. The Consorts are huge, with a fuzzy carapace and lightly-patterned wings. On average, a modern Consort can live up to 500 years.

The role of the Consort has radically changed throughout the history of the Vaurca. In ancient times, the Consorts were not mentally stunted but rather important children of the Vaurca Queens. As late as the early Agricultural Revolution, male Breeders were known as “Princes” and served as representatives of their respective Hives. They were highly educated members of the Vaurca society and, as evidence suggests, may have held administrative roles in the earliest large-scale Hives.

The royal courtship was also different than in modern times. Typically, when ready to mate, a Queen would secrete powerful hormones to summon Prince Vaurcae into her chambers. The farther one of these Princes traveled, the better suitor they were considered. Once they arrived, the Princes had to prove themselves by completing a series of challenges. Usually, these tasks included mortal fights against the Queen’s Warriors and complex puzzles to prove their intellectual capabilities.

As the Vaurca Hives became more complex, this old system became problematic. The Consorts once helped create primitive alliances between smaller Hives, but the large-scale empires that emerged during the [[Vaurca History#The Age of Death|Age of Death]] had different political needs. Additionally, the short natural lifespan of a Consort (around 70 and 90 years) when compared to a Vaurca Queen made long-term political pacts harder to maintain.

It is also believed that the Princes eventually threatened the political power of their sisters. Though the actual motives are varied, the male Breeders fell in grace and the royal courtship system was dismantled. In turn, the Consorts were traded as chattel by the Hives and kept uneducated. By the Era of Augments—the time when the modern psyche system was developed—the male Breeders became fully Bound.

'''The Modern Consort Trade'''

Today, Consorts are prized commodities that are still exchanged between Hives. Historically on Sedantis, the main Hives maintained a sufficient supply of male Ta to avoid inbreeding through trade or conquest. The Exodus and modern technologies have necessitated a change in this system with some Consorts now “cloned.”

These expensive procedures restructure the DNA of young Consort larvae into copies of male genomes that each Hive keeps as a reserve.
Since their introduction to the Spur, the Vaurca have drastically improved their methods of cloning and trading Consorts. These new processes are responsible for the large new numbers of Vaurca populations.

====Type CB - Gynes, Female Breeders====

The Type CB, or Gynes, are the leaders of Vaurca society. They have huge bodies with prominent gasters, 6 elongated legs, and four thin large arms. Female Breeders additionally have long, non-functional wings, often adorned with intricate cultural patterns. Unlike other castes, the carapace of female Breeders is sturdy yet highly flexible, allowing for an increase in size. Such a change may occur for any number of reasons throughout the Gyne's lifespan, a lifespan that is theoretically unlimited as a result of modern medicine. Those Ta unfortunate enough to find themselves without access to such life-extension technologies, such as many Queenless, would either be beholden to the historical lifespan of 1000 years or forced to rely upon extensive augmentation to sustain themselves.

All Gynes are female and, while they are technically all born fertile, most are sterilized as larvae to prevent the formation of rivaling Hives. This sterilization may be reversed by the Hive if a Ta advances to an Alate or if it is otherwise required. Alongside their individuality, the unclear biological distinctions of Gynes make scientists doubt the existence of Type C subcastes. Instead, their preferred nomenclature for the different subtypes of Gynes is '''ranks'''.

The following information is not a complete overview of each rank. Instead, it only aims to explain the general cues in size and physical appearance between the Gynes. For more information on the social functions of each Gyne rank, read [[Vaurca_Culture_and_Society#Ta_Society | here.]]

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Gyne Ranks'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''Queens'''

Traditionally, Vaurca Queens fought to keep their brood and were ranked this rank during adulthood. However, in modern Vaurca society, Vaurca Queens are select candidates, groomed from birth to be able to perform royal duties. Despite each brood having a pool of candidates to pull from, the choosing of a new Queen is a rare event—only two have been elected recently ([[Athvur, The New Goddess|Athvur]] and [[Tupii, The Surrogate Queen|Tupii]]).

To display their new rank, Vaurca Queens are fed special royal hormones to increase their size. Lesser Queens usually double their size, while High Queens may triple or even quadruple it. The process can leave their carapace more vulnerable, as it expands until it becomes thin. This is usually not a problem for Queens, as they have Bound Workers tending to all their needs. Despite this, some Queens undergo augmentations or special treatments to harden their carapaces if they are concerned about them.

Vaurca Queens possess a markedly different physiology from their subjects, appearing significantly larger even in comparison to imposing Diplomats. Their most striking feature is a swollen abdomen, giving them a segmented, almost worm-like appearance. This enlargement is theorized to be a consequence of their prolific egg-laying capabilities. However, the biology of Vaurca Queens remains shrouded in mystery, as they maintain strict seclusion from both public and private scrutiny.

'''Surrogates'''

Like Queens, the Surrogates are immense fertile Gynes. Because of their social importance as representatives of the Queens, Surrogates are often modeled as smaller versions of the Queen they serve—this may be through acquiring similar augmentations or even trying to match their body build.

Surrogates share a similar morphology to Vaurca Queens, albeit on a smaller scale, though still imposing by most standards. Like their Queens, they possess distinctly swollen abdomens, a trait attributed to their egg-laying functions. As with Vaurca Queens, the biology of Surrogates remains enigmatic, as they largely remain concealed from public view.

'''Alates'''

Alates are medium-sized Gynes. Alates are recognizable for their luxurious-patterned wings. While traditionally a biological feature, today most Alates enhance their wings through augmentation or decorative garments.

Some Alates may increase their size. While they never become as big as Queens or Surrogates, the size increments allow Alates of important and historical hive-cells to distinguish themselves.

'''Diplomats'''

Diplomats are the smallest of the Gynes. They share a similar build to the Alates, the rank from which they stem. The size of Diplomats allows these Gynes to travel and tend for themselves without the aid of any Bound Workers. Diplomats are always sterile and do not lay eggs of their own.

</div></div>

===Cephalons (Type D)===
The Cephalon caste is perhaps the least understood of all Vaurcae. The Cephalons serve as biological computers; immense hardware that makes full use of the Vaurcae brain and their biological augmentation.

This artificial caste was first constructed during the [[Vaurca_History#The_K’lax_Bonanza_and_Technological_Revolution|Technological Revolution]] and originally consisted of modified male Breeders with special wires connected to their brains. Eventually, the Cephalons became a caste of their own. They have soft carapaces that never harden, allowing their brains to keep expanding. The body of a Cephalon becomes limp; it is not rare for the gestating modern Cephalon to require augments to keep its other organs working.

In order to protect a Cephalon’s body, a group of Bound and Unbound Workers is dedicated to each bio-computer. These handlers encase the Cephalon in solid iron cabinets. Newer Cephalons are encased in cybertronic cabinets that serve similarly to full-body prosthetics.

====Type DA - Cores====
The Type DA Cephalons are hyper-computers that function as the main database servers for [[Virtual Reality]] and Vaurca computing operations as a whole. Part exceptionally powerful computer, part server, part "artificial" intelligence (if a massive brain augmented with quantum substacks and an array of biomechanical enhancements can be called artificial), part oracular prediction machines, the researchers of the Spur have struggled endlessly to properly categorize or even begin to understand the Cephalon. This is despite the caste having pervaded every element of Vaurca civilization, arguably as much as their magnum opus Virtual Reality, with the two being intrinsically linked. Few Spur scientists have begun to understand the extraordinarily convoluted structure of the Cephalon, with each one a monumental archive in and of itself. The Spur's Hives seemingly do little to alleviate the existing state of confusion outside of correcting the occasional misconception or perceived fear. From what little can be gleaned, it would appear, at least to outsiders, that the amalgam design of the Bioform takes the best of both worlds for wetware and quantum computing, making use of an organic brain's incredible pattern recognition, memory, and decision-making, then incorporating a quantum system's incredible speed, accuracy, and parallel processing.

The creation of Cores is complicated. They are bombarded from birth with special hormones designed to expand their brains. These special treatments hypercharge their thyroid and pituitary glands, which results in a brain that will continue growing far, far beyond the needs even of the Unbound. It will grow so much that 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 wirework 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 millennia. Each Lesser Queen tends to keep several of these in specially designed mainframes, acting as servers from which their [[Virtual Reality#Realms|Virtual Reality Realm]] is hosted. These mainframe rooms are almost always stored near the queen's quarters under exceedingly heavy guards, eclipsed only in protection by the rulers themselves. Cephalons are not generally considered Bound or Unbound, but inert, motionless equipment.

====Type DB - Terminals====
Type DB Cephalons, known as Terminals, vary in size, though all are smaller than Cores. Terminals primarily function as relays, connecting Cores, Virtual Reality, and the outside world. Slices of Cephalon brains are grafted into Terminals, granting them rudimentary processing capabilities. Terminals serve as a physical link to Virtual Reality and the [[Vaurca#Language|Hivenet]], allowing one the ability to modify Virtual Reality externally, initiate neural socket uploads, and monitor the Hivenet. Additionally, Terminals were used as an equivalent to shipboard AI on Vaurcaesian vessels. Smaller spacecrafts only used one Terminal for all operations, larger ones may have several Terminals, each dedicated to a specific function aboard the ship. The smallest Terminals, also known as “Nodes,” are even found inside high-end Vaurcaesian equipment in order to amplify their capabilities, providing such items with a degree of self-referential decision-making and problem-solving.

===Bulwarks, (Ra, Type E)===
The Bulwark is the most recent Vaurca caste to be developed. There is some controversy over whether they count as an entirely new caste or are simply a bioform of a Worker. Motivated by politics, the Biesellite scientific community is inclined to classify the Bulwark as a unique caste.

Bulwarks are the second-largest caste, with a height ranging from 8' to 10'5. They are slower than Workers but are excessively strong, able to lift up to a metric ton in each hand. They are completely immune to radiation due to the thickness of their carapace and complex hormonal secretion that neutralizes ionizing radiation in their bloodstream. As a result of their hormonal structure, they are very vulnerable to conventional toxins and illnesses.

Bulwark temperaments are typically purely defensive. Unlike the passive Worker or the aggressive Warrior, Bulwarks are somewhat averse to fighting but are capable of defending themselves with powerful blows if they or their fellow workers are threatened. Nevertheless, they do not have a Warrior’s instinct for killing.

==Life Cycle and Expectancy==
The lifecycle of a Vaurca is fairly complicated when compared to other species. Each stage of Vaurca development is clearly regimented by biological developments or the introduction of augmentations.

Vaurca eggs are laid by a Hives high or lower Queen, and naturally enter a state of suspended animation when they are outside of the ovipositor, locking the egg in its initial stage until it is received by its surrogate Ta. This is compounded with cryogenics to effectively transport a vast amount of eggs between the Queen and their surrogate Ta. Every Ta within a Hive specializes in the creation of many different types of Vaurcae.
Without cryostasis, the Worker and Warrior castes have a life expectancy of 20 years. Meanwhile, the Breeder and Cephalon castes can live indefinitely. For human scientists, the process by which Vaurca Breeders can live forever is not yet fully understood. The scientific consensus is that it consists of multiple factors: constant maintenance, augmentation, a slower metabolism, and some form of biological immortality.

==Imagotis==
Imagotis is a powerful process in which each Vaurca egg is assigned its function to the brood. The Imagotis consists of an imaginal stage in which Surrogate Breeders hold in their minds the image of their completed offspring. The Imagotis vision is imprinted into the Vaurca egg by a special saliva, providing a cocktail of pheromones that controls the development and gene expression of each Vaurca. These Imagotis pheromones decide the caste of each egg, radically altering their anatomy by the time the larvae hatch.

Beyond simply altering gene expression, the Imagotis pheromones provide a "recipe" for each Vaurca to the Bound Vaurca responsible for nursing the eggs. This recipe determines the type of augmentations, diet, and even Virtual Reality education each Vaurca is to receive.
The strength of the Imagotis pheromones is such that, even after death, they remain impregnated in the neural sockets. This way, even without any specific markings, the reclaimers of neural sockets can identify individual Vaurcae by name.

==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 Vaurca's blood is a copper-based hemoglobin, with a high dependency on 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 layers of skin to bleed out quickly unless treated.

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

==Limbs==
Vaurcae 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.

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

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

Bound Vaurcae 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 weapons 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 for communication with extra-Hive entities.

Ultimately, all Vaurcae currently employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate aboard the [[SCCV Horizon]] 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 '''Bound''' follow a predictable sleep pattern. Specialized augmentations control the chemical precursors that induce sleepfulness within Bound and cause them to sleep. While predictable, the times that a Bound sleeps typically depend on its duty within the Hive, with the most physically demanding jobs having the longest periods of sleep.

'''Unbound''' Vaurcae spends 98 hours active on average before experiencing drowsiness. Some Unbound may change this sleep cycle depending on their work or needs, similar in scope to how humans change their habits. To sleep, a Vaurca adopts a leaning position that uses specialized joints and hinges in their exoskeletal plates to sleep standing upright.

==Mannerisms==
Vaurcae typically express emotions, thoughts, and feelings over Hivenet—their keen sense of smell allows them to secrete certain complex pheromones and emit specific vibrations with their antennae that indicate their emotional state. Hivenet cannot transmit actual images, but it can transmit sensations; a Vaurca in pain from being crushed by a rockfall cannot transmit an image of their suffering, but they can project the feeling of being crushed.

This is not to say that Vaurcae have no mannerisms outside of Hivenet projections; quite the opposite. Their large, sensitive eyes set on the sides of their head can see somewhat behind them, so a Vaurca may flick their antennae in the direction of new stimuli rather than turning their head the way a human might. Vaurcae typically chitter in acknowledgment of another, similar to a human’s humming or nodding. Clicking is akin to a human clicking their tongue; it can range from an expression of thought to aggravation.

Expressions of pain, frustration, or anger outside of Hivenet usually involve soft hissing or grinding their mandibles, but mandible-grinding can also be a gesture of deep thought. A particularly startled or suffering Vaurca may let out a shriek, which has been described in several circles as sounding like nails on a chalkboard.

Warriors in particular have a tendency towards restlessness and may pace or jump to attention quicker. It is not uncommon for Warriors to do laps around their place of work if they are out of Virtual Reality, or are constantly on the move.

{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Vaurca Biology

2026-06-12T04:16:58Z

Carver:

{{Outdated (Phoron Scarcity)}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}

=Biology=
[[File:Bio_1.png|200px|thumb|right|A diagram of Type A Biology from the Vaurcaesian Research Journal.]]
Vaurcae are eusocial insect-like sophonts stemming from the distant [[Sedantis I]]. To humanity, Vaurcae bear most a resemblance to terrestrial ants. The species’ similarities to the Formicidae family have led human scientists and media to use traditional insect taxonomy to classify the Vaurca species. While the Vaurca understand themselves under distinct biological terms–something that has, in recent years, interested xenoanthropologists–the efforts made by the Xavier Trasen Medical School in Biesel permeate all current biological discussions. Thus, this article is written following the perspective of the most recent taxonomy accepted by the ''Vaurcaesian Research Journal'', a human publication vouched by the Zo’ra Hive.

==Taxonomy==
Vaurcae are a polymorphic species with radically different forms, known as Bioforms. Each Bioform is described by various observable characteristics (such as unique phenotypes), physical traits, and ecological niches.

Bioforms are diverse and divided into four traditional castes: '''Workers''' (Ka), '''Warriors''' (Za), '''Breeders''' (Ta), and '''Cephalons'''. In 2463, a new Vaurca bioform was introduced to the public: the '''Bulwark''' (Ra). However, Bulwarks are not a traditional caste, and scientists still debate whether they can be formally classified under the Worker caste. More information on the Bulwark discussion can be read [[Vaurca_Biology#Bulwarks,_(Ra,_Type_E) | here.]]

Furthermore, some Vaurcae are lobotomized during their development. To state the type of ‘freedom’ each individual has, the Vaurca use two terms: '''Bound''' (Viax) and '''Unbound''' (Akaix). In human taxonomy, the two types are known as the '''psyche'''.

Unbound Vaurca are sapient beings with a similar sense of identity to any other living being in the [[The Orion Spur|Spur]], but Bound are considerably different.
Bound Vaurca are popularly called "lobotomites", but this is known to be inaccurate. The environment and unique pheromones that Bound eggs receive from birth induce what is more or less a deliberate birth defect. The brain of a Bound Vaurca is largely atrophied, and they are docile, simple-minded workers who will prioritize orders they are given above their own well-being.

Besides their biological differences, caste, and psyche play an important part in Vaurca society, as reflected by the Vaurca naming system.

==Morphology and Physiology==
'''Exoskeleton'''

Vaurcae are best characterized by their exoskeleton, also known as carapace. It is composed of a complex polymer chain involving sulfur as a key catalyst with silicon, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen forming a strong bond.

The exoskeleton itself is very tough. Depending on the bioform, it can be more tightly packed. This exoskeleton provides the Vaurca with numerous benefits, such as high radiation resistance and strong structural support against a vacuum.

'''Blood and Respiration'''

Vaurcae have an open circulatory system, allowing the free flow of their sulfur-based blood. Unlike other sapients, Vaurca blood does not require oxygen but phoron. The dependency on phoron has been one of the greatest challenges the Vaurca race has faced in recent years.

In Sedantis, oxygen was found in small traces in the atmosphere. Unlike pure phoron, which is highly volatile in contact with oxygen, the common phoron compound in the Vaurca home planet did not react to any basic elements. In nature, Vaurcae inhaled phoron with oxygen and exhaled carbon monoxide with remnants of phoron. The current filter ports used by Vaurcae in human space use minimum oxygen to power their internal phoron tanks. In exchange, the filter ports exhale carbon dioxide as humans do, fully repurposing all phoron.

'''Dangers in Human Space'''

Because humans require oxygen to survive, Vaurcae must wear a filter port at all times. While filter ports cause no phoron leakage, there is a record of some incidents occurring during the early days of Vaurcae integration to Biesel which caused spillage. However, despite the adverse reaction caused by media and local politics, and the remaining misconception among many Biesellites, the leaks were not a result of a faulty design but rather improper use by individuals who were unfamiliar with the technology. Alongside k’ois outbreaks, both problems have been solved in recent years.

==Castes==
[[File:Biolore3.png|200px|thumb|right|Biological sketches of some prototypical Zo'rane Bioforms.]]
Shortly after making [[Vaurca History#First Contact With Humanity|first contact with the Titan Prime]], Vaurcae were divided into four castes—the Workers, the Warriors, the Breeders, and the Cephalons—each assigned a letter of the alphabet. In 2463, the Bulwark lifeform was introduced and marketed as a new caste, assigned the letter “E.” However, xenobiologists disagree that the Bulwark is a “true” caste, but rather a subtype of Worker. While the same argument has been made for the Cephalons, most literature still considers them to be their own caste.

In Vaurca xenobiology, the definition of a caste remains debated. Many components are considered, including each caste’s echelon and behavior in Vaurca society. Thus, a caste can be loosely defined as an established bioform, reinforced by hormones and augmentation, that serves a specific niche that cannot be interchanged. This means that a Breeder Vaurca will always retain its function and may not act as, instead, a Worker.

Subcastes are defined as specialized bioforms with similar behavioral patterns and ecological functions as the larger, all-encompassing caste. Some subcastes have incredibly specific niches, only manufactured for one particular industry and rarely seen by the public. Nonetheless, all Vaurcae, regardless of their caste or subcaste, are restricted by their same biological constraints. The more creative subcastes, which are imaginative and have no limitations to their forms, exist only in Virtual Reality.

In general terms, high-ranking Breeders and Cephalons are amongst the largest Vaurcae. Some highly-specialized subcastes, such as the so-called Warforms, may achieve similar heights. Nevertheless, due to their open circulatory system, maintaining larger bioforms is incredibly difficult. For example, Queens require various augmentations to ensure their blood is properly pumped—a problem a regular Worker would not have with their stand dual-heart system.

===Ka, The Workers (Ka, Type A)===

Workers are the most abundant caste in Vaurca populations. These types of Vaurcae can be defined by various characteristics. Physiologically, most Workers have a characteristic thick exoskeleton composed of tightly knit polymer chains. The robustness of their exoskeleton allows them to be very versatile, providing moderate protection against radiation and high tolerance to the vacuum of space. Workers may be bipedal or quadrupedal, equipped with bird-like talons that provide a strong grip. Furthermore, their hands include two middle fingers and two opposable thumbs–a left and a right on each. All of these features ensure that Workers are the best caste for manual labor and other similar tasks.

Perhaps more important are the psychological attributes of the Worker. The caste is notable for being mostly pacifistic, avoiding any danger when possible. As subjects to the Breeder caste, Workers are also known for their unquestioning loyalty.

This does not mean that Workers are literally incapable of violence; if seriously pressed, or very agitated, they may lash out. How comfortable they are with scenes of bloodshed or fighting likely depends on the individual Worker, though in the case of fighting, they tend to make poor combatants regardless. A construction Worker might become sick at the scent of blood, while a surgeon Worker may simply hate the thought of fighting or be a staunch pacifist. Fear of violence also does not preclude Workers from being verbally belligerent, snarky, or teasing.

Average Workers traditionally range from 4’3” to 6’3”. Depending on their niche, they may be taller or even a bit shorter. The recent stability of the Hives has also allowed newer Workers to be 7 feet tall, especially in human and Unathi space.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Examples of Type A Vaurca Bioforms'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
[[File:typeaa.png|200px|thumb|right|A depiction of a Type AA Bioform.]]

'''Type AA - Retainers '''

AA Type Workers or "Retainers" are small, and fill similar roles to that of maintenance drones. They are all exclusively Bound and deal with the more trivial repairs to ships, systems, and structures utilized by the various Hives as well as fulfilling extremely simple jobs such as the transportation of small objects.

'''Type AB - Bearers '''

Type AB or "Bearers" are Workers similar to that of the Type AA, both being extremely simple, inexpensive utility drones. However, they are more suited to transporting heavy loads. Ranging in size anywhere from a dog to a bear, they possess small, robust legs and a strong flat back, forming a large surface area to bear weight. They see extensive use by the K’lax, in particular across Tret, transporting materials and goods to and from the multitude of warehouses.

'''Type AD - Burrowers'''

The Type AD Workers, or “Burrowers,” are one of the oldest Worker subcastes, believed to have been created during the rise of the modern Hives. Burrowers are large hexapods, ranging from 5 feet to 8 feet depending on the project, created to assist in mining and excavation. During the Era of Augments, the Burrowers were first equipped with a plethora of installed tools including an industrial-sized thermal drill–an identifying feature the subcaste retains today. Despite this, the modernization of the Era of Augments and later the Hives Renaissance, saw this bioform fall out of favor, surpassed in usefulness by larger machinery.

Since the Exodus, the Type AD Workers have seen a resurgence in the planification of the new Vaurca colonized planets in human space, especially by the Zo'ra Hive on Caprice. Nonetheless, they remain unfavored by the Hive, with many of the active Burrowers outdated and belonging instead to Queenless hive-cells that cannot afford modern industrial equipment.

'''Type ABD - Freighters'''

The Type ABD Worker is a recent bioform, first developed by the C’thur Hive in 2461 in collaboration with the [[Nralakk Federation]]. Freighters are a similar design to the Bearers, equipped with resilient extremities like an isopod and used for underwater freight transportation. These Workers provide auxiliary aid to the deep-ocean cargo vessels found in the underwater cities of [[Qerrbalak]] and [[Aweiji]].

Freighters remain a controversial subject in the Nralakk Federation. Some [[Skrell]] question the use of Bound Vaurcae for the transportation of goods, while others are skeptical about their practicality, as they are time-consuming to grow. As a result, the production of this bioform remains limited until a change in public opinion occurs.

'''Type AEA - Orb'''

[[K'ois#Phorogenesis|The Orb]], known as the Zk’reii by the Vaurcae, is a special subtype of Cultivator that is used as a live storage for phoron. This bioform has gained recent attention during the phoron crisis and has been subject to some political controversies.

The subcaste hangs upside down along constructed railings where a mix of k'ois and other various nutrients are transferred to the Orbs. Being able to remove what phoron they need, even down to the molecular level with excess, they are able to store this in a form of trophallaxis; where Vaurcae can then extract this excess phoron for themselves.

'''Type AE - Cultivator'''

Type AE Workers are a subcaste resembling a large arachnid. They are equipped with special tools to aid in k’ois agriculture. The Cultivators are believed to be modeled after the Zk’ois, a mythical creature often depicted as the guardians and harvesters of k’ois by early Vaurcae. Despite their remote origin, most Vaurca believe the bioform was not invented until after the Technological Revolution. The design of the Cultivators has been constantly modified by the Hives that use them and shaped by the evolution of k’ois agricultural techniques.

The most unique usage of Cultivators in the Spur is by the C'thur Hive, who have added to the Type AE, introducing a social stomach to pollinate plants, pesticide and fertilizer dispensers, a detailed plant scanner, and a unique probiotic injector that permits small adjustments to the genome of crops. These additional tools have provided the C'thuric Cultivator with the ability to perform its job with nearly unmatched intricacy. These modified Type AE have been deployed by the C'thur Hive in aid of the Nralakk Federation, primarily to Aweiji and other agricultural locations. Federation Colonies that struggle to produce their own food are frequently given Cultivators in exchange for funding and increased phoron supply from the local governments, making the Type AE one of the Hive's most significant contributions.
</div></div>

===Za, The Warriors (Type B)===

Warriors are the second most prominent caste in Vaurca society. They are also some of the most diverse, especially when considering augmentation. Because of this, it is hard to define Warriors physically. Some notorious trends include modified exoskeletons that favor agility in combat and a usually higher size – a notion challenged by some niche Worker bioforms. Warriors are also known for their increased amount of limbs. While some basic Warrior morphs may be bipedal, more advanced Warrior types can be quadrupeds, hexapods, and even decapods.

The biggest defining factor in a Warrior is their psychology. Unlike Workers, who are typically passive or averse to violence, Warriors are considerably more aggressive. This can range from being better-suited to high-stress combat situations to outright bloodlust. Warrior personalities tend towards the straightforward or brutish, though it would be incorrect to assume Unbound Warriors are unintelligent. Despite the stereotype of aggression, many Warriors are perfectly capable of more diplomatically-focused officer positions, and have taken on such roles in the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], [[Tau Ceti Armed Forces]], [[K'lax_in_the_Izweski_Nation#K’lax_in_the_Navy|Hegemonic Navy]], and the [[C'thur_in_the_Federation#C’thur_in_the_Kala|Kala]].

Breeders may raise Warriors for a variety of non-combatant positions, especially with regards to medical positions. Most Queens prefer Workers for peaceful doctoring and Warriors for first response but are unwilling to run the small risk of a completely blood-averse batch of Workers. As a result, it is standard procedure to grow the number of Warriors alongside.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Examples of Type B Vaurca Bioforms'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
The following bioforms are some of the most relevant Unbound Warrior types. However, it does not consider the many augmentations some Warriors may receive. For example, a highly decorated Warrior may be equipped with huge fire machinery or full-body prosthetics. Often, these exaggerated modifications are considered medals of honor by the traditional Vaurca military structure.

'''Type BA - Myrmidon'''

The Myrmidon is the basic Warrior bioform and the most well-known to humanity, mainly because they are employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. Vaurca archeology suggests that the current Myrmidon was engineered during the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]] and that ancient Warriors were more robust and had more physiological differences when compared to the Common Worker. The modern Myrmidon was designed as a flexible and agile unit that works best in a team. The Type's lean shape allowed the Myrmidons of the Great Hive War to traverse Sedantis's spelunking warfare with ease.

The adaptability of Myrmidons allows the Hives to introduce small differences between individual Type BA to cater to the specific environment they are designed for. A logistics officer, combat overseer, or commander may not be suited for a firefight but may possess a mind capable of processing data rapidly. Likewise, Vaurca designed for engagements would be built for the job. A guard may be observant and attentive, with plenty of patience, whilst a soldier is capable of reacting faster and communicating clearer.

'''Type BB - Attendants'''
[[File:typebb.png|200px|thumb|right|A depiction of a Type BB Bioform.]]
Type BB Warriors or "Attendants" are digitigrade bipeds, built to be agile and quick. They are primarily made to be scouts or serve in support positions and they excel at guerilla tactics. They can possess the same roles as regular warriors, but their speed-built forms are not as hardy. They are commonly attributed to the role of combat medics–providing medical assistance on the field, or removal of the neural socket if the individual cannot be saved.

'''Type BC - Endurers'''

BC variants of Warriors, also known as "Endurers," are typically hexapod Bioforms used in extreme environments, being made to withstand the fiery surface of Sedantis. While not capable of handling a full-blown firestorm, they are the closest the Hives have to a bioform that could. They are slow but durable and relentless. Not many Endurers have been seen, and it is thought that this type has died out due to lack of maintenance as well as a lack of need.

'''Type BE - Marshal'''

A critical backbone of any Vaurca military, Type BE Warriors, or "Marshals," as they are commonly known, are one of the oldest surviving Warrior Bioforms, with the Zo'ra Hive going so far as to claim Zo'ra herself invented them during the Age of Death, a claim which other Hives frequently dispute as mythology. What is not in dispute, however, is the role this Bioform has to play in matters of war strategy, each being an expert in tactics, planning, and shaping the flow of conflicts. Historical artworks depicting Zo'ra Ta concocting plans of subjugation with Marshals at their side are abundant. To this end, the Marshals have undergone extensive genetic and augmentative modifications before assuming their role as military advisors to the Ta, and perhaps most notably, they have developed an unusual connection to the Cephalons as a result of their neural enhancements.

The Cephalons, immensely powerful supercomputers that they are, are utterly invaluable in conflict, providing statistical analysis of outcomes, logistical planning, and troop deployment suggestions to maximize the user's tactical position. However, without the use of complicated and slow protocols, much of this data has to be output in its original raw format. During combat, this pure flood of information can be streamed in real-time to a Marshal over the Hivenet, who, thanks to their neural augmentations, can avoid collapsing into immediate insanity from the seemingly endless flow of numbers and information now overwhelming their senses. Instead, they process this mass of mathematical predictions and suggestions and seamlessly integrate them into their own plans, making split-second decisions on what to prioritize and what to discard before sending updates back to the biocomputers and repeating the cycle.

As a result, the Marshals, more than any other Bioform, tend to come to see themselves as extensions of the Cephalons, nodes of the great intelligences tasked with carrying out their "will" in service of the Queens. It is rare for this to bother all but the most puritanical Ta due to the amount of help the Marshals are capable of providing, with even the most military-minded Breeders battling to effectively direct the masses of Warriors placed at their command in times of conflict without these advisors. Since the arrival in the Spur, the Marshals have had to adapt and have worked tirelessly alongside the Queens to restructure the military structure of the Hives in a way that is both effective and, much to their chagrin, cheap enough to not drain the economy. The Marshals of [[Zoleth, The Herald of Scars|Zoleth's brood]], numbering significantly more than any other, are plentiful throughout the newly formed Vek'tak Phalanx and even sometimes the upper echelons of the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, providing advice and direction, though rarely with respect to the TCAF viewing themselves as anything other than consultants. It is not unheard of for the Hives to turn a Warrior of another Bioform who demonstrates a strong understanding of strategy or tactics into a Marshal.
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===Za'Kax, Warforms (Type BD+)===
[[File:Bio_2.png|200px|thumb|right|An artistic depiction of the K'lax Type BDE Warform.]]
Warform is the title given by human languages to Bound Warriors, constructs of war heavily augmented and outfitted with in-built weapons. They come in a variety of heights and forms, ranging from as small as 2 feet to towering behemoths standing at heights of 20 feet.

The basic Type BD are the Warforms that the majority of the public in places that know of Vaurca have seen or heard about. It is from them the caste derives its name. They are tall bipedal Vaurcae designed by the Zo'ra Hive that have been augmented and induced with large amounts of growth hormones to reach heights of 10 to 20 feet. Many possess large scythe-like blades in place of their claws, capable of cutting through reinforced steel, and they can be equipped with a varied arsenal of in-built weaponry, with the most infamous and perhaps terrifying being a strong napalm-like compound known as Zo'rane flame, expelled through the Warform’s mouth. Those in the Spur who have seen the rare occasions the Zo'ra Hive has deployed Warforms for actual warfare rather than simply parade duty, most prominently members of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion during the second Solarian Invasion, have witnessed the Zo'rane Flame in action and tend to speak of it grimly. To be covered with the substance is almost invariably to die slowly, painfully, and utterly, skin dripping from bone and ligaments melting away until all that is left is a dissolved puddle where man or vehicle once stood.

Many other types of Warform exist or have existed in the past but were destroyed in events such as the Great Hive War, where creative Warforms were deployed in the thousands, and its conclusion, in which a return to traditional cultural combat replaced many of the underhanded tactics employed by the Bioforms led to the loss or outlawing of many designs. The Zo'ra Hive poses both the most Warforms in the Spur by numbers and the most designs, having long mastered them.

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'''Examples of Type BD+ Vaurca Bioforms'''
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'''Type BDE - Batteries'''

Type BDE or "Batteries" are among the largest of the Warriors. They are frequently hexapods or decapods made to be durable and load-bearing, with heavy artillery typically installed on their backs. Despite having been designed by the Zo'ra Hive during the Great Hive War to act as a siege weapon that could still maneuver through the cramped caverns of Sedantis, they are most often deployed by the K'lax Hive, who are known to arm the Type BDE with everything from jury-rigged Karszekani artillery pieces to accurate long-range cannons that fire not shells, but concentrations of deadly acid drawn from internal biological sacs. Type BDE are most often used to complement large military formations but have yet to be mass-produced due to high maintenance costs. Rumors abound that geneticists under the K'lax and C'thur Hives have begun separately looking into methods to reduce how phoron-hungry the Type BDE is but are yet to turn up results.

'''Type BDF - Vanguard'''

A quadrupedal Bioform designed by the Zo'ra Hive standing at 9 feet tall and filling in the lines for heavy infantry, Type BDF Warriors, or "Vanguards," have been used by almost all Hives at some point in their history of conflict, dating back generations. A modified version of the traditional Vanguard was most recently seen being used by the Lii’dra during their incursion with Elyra. Their quadrupedal form, aided by climbing augmentation in the form of mag-claws, allows them to traverse various terrains quickly, and they are frequently seen carrying anti-armor weapons.

'''Type BDG - Flock'''

Type BDG or "Flock" are one of the most common military Bioforms and are only about 2 feet long. They are not dissimilar to Type AB Workers but adapted for military use. Possessing wings, they are deadly when deployed in swarms, as demonstrated by their use by the Lii'dra Hive during the Elyran invasion. When used, the Flock Warforms are typically employed to scatter defensive lines or attack structures. Their mobility and speed also mean they’re excellent at surveillance.

'''Type BDJ - Mangler'''

The Type BDJ or "Mangler" is a decapod Bioform resembling that of a crab or Qerrbalak crustacean. They are roughly a Skrell tall, with thick reinforced carapaces, large sharpened claws, and a central light-mounted weapon. They primarily operate in small groups and utilize high mobility to close the gap between themselves and a target lying down, covering fire, and getting near enough to utilize their deadly pincers, mutilating the foe in a brutal fashion. They are an invention of the C'thur Hive, which utilizes them exclusively and were developed as a method of fielding smaller less-phoron intensive warforms in support of the Nralakk Federation's Qukala, as well as assisting in aquatic operations, being capable of operating under the water for extended periods of time.

'''Type BDNB - Ripper'''

The Type BDNB, or "Ripper" is the latest arthropod Warform from the C'thur Hive. Modeled after a variation of a [[Diuslzi|Diulszian]] creature known as a "Rhixea," the Type BDNB possesses 6 legs, several sharp talons, and, thanks to an amalgamation of the Rhixea's natural defenses and C'thuric technology, a sonic scream loud enough to deafen, hurt, and disorient listeners. It appears almost like an isopod, not unlike the Hive's earlier Freighter design; however, the Ripper is instead deployed for warfare in support of the Qekala. Only a small handful of these Rippers exist so far, plans to create more being currently stalled due to the phoron crisis. Despite the small number however in testing they have exceled at breaking up large groups of combatants, mostly pirates, and shattering their morale. Queen Vytel originally intended to use the Ripper as a form of riot crowd control, arming them with a weakened sonic weapon; however, negotiations with the Federation have been largely unsuccessful, with Federation officials citing their "terrifying appearance" as too much for civilian anti-riot squads, not to mention the requirement of developing special ear-plugs to protect the Riot Teams' own hearing.

'''Type BNZ - Exterminator'''

Type BCZ or "Exterminators" are an arcane and banned Warform design from the Great Hive War, now only seen being deployed by the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra]]. From reports by the Vaurca Hives, it appears some of these Exterminator Warforms still remain active inside the Spur. They were most commonly used in terror tactics and assassination, taking out key personnel and vehicles. They are 15 feet of pure terror, resembling most closely terrestrial centipedes. Type BCZ are able to burrow into most natural surfaces and have been seen taking out combat mechs due to their speed and the incredibly acidic venom, which they can spray if need be. To this day, only three of them have been successfully killed, mostly by being bisected—the method of cutting the spinal cord to sever the Warforms link to its Hive. According to the Vaurca Hives, it is not immediately clear why severing the Warforms link to the Hive immediately disables it, whereas other Lii'dra maintain a limited level of self-control. Theories range from it being a safety mechanism to a necessary biological function.
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===Breeders (Ta, Type C)===

Vaurca Breeders are considered the most important members of Vaurca civilization and amount to a tiny percentage of the whole Vaurca population. The only Vaurca that retain their sex organs after birth, they are the species' only fertile members. The male Breeders (Type CA) are all raised as Bound, while the females (Type CB) are all Unbound. The species Euosoecial nature has Breeders as the top members of Vaurca hierarchical society.

Perhaps due to their importance as individuals, the scientific literature does not recognize different bioforms or subcastes of Breeders. Nonetheless, female Ta fulfill different important social functions and can be distinguished by size and other unique features. The debate on profiling the Breeder caste with similar nomenclature used for the other Vaurcae still persists.

====Type CA - Consorts, Male Breeders====

The Type CA, also known as Consorts, are the only male representatives of the Vaurca race. The Consorts are huge, with a fuzzy carapace and lightly-patterned wings. On average, a modern Consort can live up to 500 years.

The role of the Consort has radically changed throughout the history of the Vaurca. In ancient times, the Consorts were not mentally stunted but rather important children of the Vaurca Queens. As late as the early Agricultural Revolution, male Breeders were known as “Princes” and served as representatives of their respective Hives. They were highly educated members of the Vaurca society and, as evidence suggests, may have held administrative roles in the earliest large-scale Hives.

The royal courtship was also different than in modern times. Typically, when ready to mate, a Queen would secrete powerful hormones to summon Prince Vaurcae into her chambers. The farther one of these Princes traveled, the better suitor they were considered. Once they arrived, the Princes had to prove themselves by completing a series of challenges. Usually, these tasks included mortal fights against the Queen’s Warriors and complex puzzles to prove their intellectual capabilities.

As the Vaurca Hives became more complex, this old system became problematic. The Consorts once helped create primitive alliances between smaller Hives, but the large-scale empires that emerged during the [[Vaurca History#The Age of Death|Age of Death]] had different political needs. Additionally, the short natural lifespan of a Consort (around 70 and 90 years) when compared to a Vaurca Queen made long-term political pacts harder to maintain.

It is also believed that the Princes eventually threatened the political power of their sisters. Though the actual motives are varied, the male Breeders fell in grace and the royal courtship system was dismantled. In turn, the Consorts were traded as chattel by the Hives and kept uneducated. By the Era of Augments—the time when the modern psyche system was developed—the male Breeders became fully Bound.

'''The Modern Consort Trade'''

Today, Consorts are prized commodities that are still exchanged between Hives. Historically on Sedantis, the main Hives maintained a sufficient supply of male Ta to avoid inbreeding through trade or conquest. The Exodus and modern technologies have necessitated a change in this system with some Consorts now “cloned.”

These expensive procedures restructure the DNA of young Consort larvae into copies of male genomes that each Hive keeps as a reserve.
Since their introduction to the Spur, the Vaurca have drastically improved their methods of cloning and trading Consorts. These new processes are responsible for the large new numbers of Vaurca populations.

====Type CB - Gynes, Female Breeders====

The Type CB, or Gynes, are the leaders of Vaurca society. They have huge bodies with prominent gasters, 6 elongated legs, and four thin large arms. Female Breeders additionally have long, non-functional wings, often adorned with intricate cultural patterns. Unlike other castes, the carapace of female Breeders is sturdy yet highly flexible, allowing for an increase in size. Such a change may occur for any number of reasons throughout the Gyne's lifespan, a lifespan that is theoretically unlimited as a result of modern medicine. Those Ta unfortunate enough to find themselves without access to such life-extension technologies, such as many Queenless, would either be beholden to the historical lifespan of 1000 years or forced to rely upon extensive augmentation to sustain themselves.

All Gynes are female and, while they are technically all born fertile, most are sterilized as larvae to prevent the formation of rivaling Hives. This sterilization may be reversed by the Hive if a Ta advances to an Alate or if it is otherwise required. Alongside their individuality, the unclear biological distinctions of Gynes make scientists doubt the existence of Type C subcastes. Instead, their preferred nomenclature for the different subtypes of Gynes is '''ranks'''.

The following information is not a complete overview of each rank. Instead, it only aims to explain the general cues in size and physical appearance between the Gynes. For more information on the social functions of each Gyne rank, read [[Vaurca_Culture_and_Society#Ta_Society | here.]]

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'''Gyne Ranks'''
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'''Queens'''

Traditionally, Vaurca Queens fought to keep their brood and were ranked this rank during adulthood. However, in modern Vaurca society, Vaurca Queens are select candidates, groomed from birth to be able to perform royal duties. Despite each brood having a pool of candidates to pull from, the choosing of a new Queen is a rare event—only two have been elected recently ([[Athvur, The New Goddess|Athvur]] and [[Tupii, The Surrogate Queen|Tupii]]).

To display their new rank, Vaurca Queens are fed special royal hormones to increase their size. Lesser Queens usually double their size, while High Queens may triple or even quadruple it. The process can leave their carapace more vulnerable, as it expands until it becomes thin. This is usually not a problem for Queens, as they have Bound Workers tending to all their needs. Despite this, some Queens undergo augmentations or special treatments to harden their carapaces if they are concerned about them.

Vaurca Queens possess a markedly different physiology from their subjects, appearing significantly larger even in comparison to imposing Diplomats. Their most striking feature is a swollen abdomen, giving them a segmented, almost worm-like appearance. This enlargement is theorized to be a consequence of their prolific egg-laying capabilities. However, the biology of Vaurca Queens remains shrouded in mystery, as they maintain strict seclusion from both public and private scrutiny.

'''Surrogates'''

Like Queens, the Surrogates are immense fertile Gynes. Because of their social importance as representatives of the Queens, Surrogates are often modeled as smaller versions of the Queen they serve—this may be through acquiring similar augmentations or even trying to match their body build.

Surrogates share a similar morphology to Vaurca Queens, albeit on a smaller scale, though still imposing by most standards. Like their Queens, they possess distinctly swollen abdomens, a trait attributed to their egg-laying functions. As with Vaurca Queens, the biology of Surrogates remains enigmatic, as they largely remain concealed from public view.

'''Alates'''

Alates are medium-sized Gynes. Alates are recognizable for their luxurious-patterned wings. While traditionally a biological feature, today most Alates enhance their wings through augmentation or decorative garments.

Some Alates may increase their size. While they never become as big as Queens or Surrogates, the size increments allow Alates of important and historical hive-cells to distinguish themselves.

'''Diplomats'''

Diplomats are the smallest of the Gynes. They share a similar build to the Alates, the rank from which they stem. The size of Diplomats allows these Gynes to travel and tend for themselves without the aid of any Bound Workers. Diplomats are always sterile and do not lay eggs of their own.

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===Cephalons (Type D)===
The Cephalon caste is perhaps the least understood of all Vaurcae. The Cephalons serve as biological computers; immense hardware that makes full use of the Vaurcae brain and their biological augmentation.

This artificial caste was first constructed during the [[Vaurca_History#The_K’lax_Bonanza_and_Technological_Revolution|Technological Revolution]] and originally consisted of modified male Breeders with special wires connected to their brains. Eventually, the Cephalons became a caste of their own. They have soft carapaces that never harden, allowing their brains to keep expanding. The body of a Cephalon becomes limp; it is not rare for the gestating modern Cephalon to require augments to keep its other organs working.

In order to protect a Cephalon’s body, a group of Bound and Unbound Workers is dedicated to each bio-computer. These handlers encase the Cephalon in solid iron cabinets. Newer Cephalons are encased in cybertronic cabinets that serve similarly to full-body prosthetics.

====Type DA - Cores====
The Type DA Cephalons are hyper-computers that function as the main database servers for [[Virtual Reality]] and Vaurca computing operations as a whole. Part exceptionally powerful computer, part server, part "artificial" intelligence (if a massive brain augmented with quantum substacks and an array of biomechanical enhancements can be called artificial), part oracular prediction machines, the researchers of the Spur have struggled endlessly to properly categorize or even begin to understand the Cephalon. This is despite the caste having pervaded every element of Vaurca civilization, arguably as much as their magnum opus Virtual Reality, with the two being intrinsically linked. Few Spur scientists have begun to understand the extraordinarily convoluted structure of the Cephalon, with each one a monumental archive in and of itself. The Spur's Hives seemingly do little to alleviate the existing state of confusion outside of correcting the occasional misconception or perceived fear. From what little can be gleaned, it would appear, at least to outsiders, that the amalgam design of the Bioform takes the best of both worlds for wetware and quantum computing, making use of an organic brain's incredible pattern recognition, memory, and decision-making, then incorporating a quantum system's incredible speed, accuracy, and parallel processing.

The creation of Cores is complicated. They are bombarded from birth with special hormones designed to expand their brains. These special treatments hypercharge their thyroid and pituitary glands, which results in a brain that will continue growing far, far beyond the needs even of the Unbound. It will grow so much that 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 wirework 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 millennia. Each Lesser Queen tends to keep several of these in specially designed mainframes, acting as servers from which their [[Virtual Reality#Realms|Virtual Reality Realm]] is hosted. These mainframe rooms are almost always stored near the queen's quarters under exceedingly heavy guards, eclipsed only in protection by the rulers themselves. Cephalons are not generally considered Bound or Unbound, but inert, motionless equipment.

====Type DB - Terminals====
Type DB Cephalons, known as Terminals, vary in size, though all are smaller than Cores. Terminals primarily function as relays, connecting Cores, Virtual Reality, and the outside world. Slices of Cephalon brains are grafted into Terminals, granting them rudimentary processing capabilities. Terminals serve as a physical link to Virtual Reality and the [[Vaurca#Language|Hivenet]], allowing one the ability to modify Virtual Reality externally, initiate neural socket uploads, and monitor the Hivenet. Additionally, Terminals were used as an equivalent to shipboard AI on Vaurcaesian vessels. Smaller spacecrafts only used one Terminal for all operations, larger ones may have several Terminals, each dedicated to a specific function aboard the ship. The smallest Terminals, also known as “Nodes,” are even found inside high-end Vaurcaesian equipment in order to amplify their capabilities, providing such items with a degree of self-referential decision-making and problem-solving.

===Bulwarks, (Ra, Type E)===
The Bulwark is the most recent Vaurca caste to be developed. There is some controversy over whether they count as an entirely new caste or are simply a bioform of a Worker. Motivated by politics, the Biesellite scientific community is inclined to classify the Bulwark as a unique caste.

Bulwarks are the second-largest caste, with a height ranging from 8' to 10'5. They are slower than Workers but are excessively strong, able to lift up to a metric ton in each hand. They are completely immune to radiation due to the thickness of their carapace and complex hormonal secretion that neutralizes ionizing radiation in their bloodstream. As a result of their hormonal structure, they are very vulnerable to conventional toxins and illnesses.

Bulwark temperaments are typically purely defensive. Unlike the passive Worker or the aggressive Warrior, Bulwarks are somewhat averse to fighting but are capable of defending themselves with powerful blows if they or their fellow workers are threatened. Nevertheless, they do not have a Warrior’s instinct for killing.

==Life Cycle and Expectancy==
The lifecycle of a Vaurca is fairly complicated when compared to other species. Each stage of Vaurca development is clearly regimented by biological developments or the introduction of augmentations.

Vaurca eggs are laid by a Hives high or lower Queen, and naturally enter a state of suspended animation when they are outside of the ovipositor, locking the egg in its initial stage until it is received by its surrogate Ta. This is compounded with cryogenics to effectively transport a vast amount of eggs between the Queen and their surrogate Ta. Every Ta within a Hive specializes in the creation of many different types of Vaurcae.
Without cryostasis, the Worker and Warrior castes have a life expectancy of 20 years. Meanwhile, the Breeder and Cephalon castes can live indefinitely. For human scientists, the process by which Vaurca Breeders can live forever is not yet fully understood. The scientific consensus is that it consists of multiple factors: constant maintenance, augmentation, a slower metabolism, and some form of biological immortality.

==Imagotis==
Imagotis is a powerful process in which each Vaurca egg is assigned its function to the brood. The Imagotis consists of an imaginal stage in which Surrogate Breeders hold in their minds the image of their completed offspring. The Imagotis vision is imprinted into the Vaurca egg by a special saliva, providing a cocktail of pheromones that controls the development and gene expression of each Vaurca. These Imagotis pheromones decide the caste of each egg, radically altering their anatomy by the time the larvae hatch.

Beyond simply altering gene expression, the Imagotis pheromones provide a "recipe" for each Vaurca to the Bound Vaurca responsible for nursing the eggs. This recipe determines the type of augmentations, diet, and even Virtual Reality education each Vaurca is to receive.
The strength of the Imagotis pheromones is such that, even after death, they remain impregnated in the neural sockets. This way, even without any specific markings, the reclaimers of neural sockets can identify individual Vaurcae by name.

==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 Vaurca's blood is a copper-based hemoglobin, with a high dependency on 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 layers of skin to bleed out quickly unless treated.

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

==Limbs==
Vaurcae 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.

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

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

Bound Vaurcae 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 weapons 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 for communication with extra-Hive entities.

Ultimately, all Vaurcae currently employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate aboard the [[SCCV Horizon]] 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 '''Bound''' follow a predictable sleep pattern. Specialized augmentations control the chemical precursors that induce sleepfulness within Bound and cause them to sleep. While predictable, the times that a Bound sleeps typically depend on its duty within the Hive, with the most physically demanding jobs having the longest periods of sleep.

'''Unbound''' Vaurcae spends 98 hours active on average before experiencing drowsiness. Some Unbound may change this sleep cycle depending on their work or needs, similar in scope to how humans change their habits. To sleep, a Vaurca adopts a leaning position that uses specialized joints and hinges in their exoskeletal plates to sleep standing upright.

==Mannerisms==
Vaurcae typically express emotions, thoughts, and feelings over Hivenet—their keen sense of smell allows them to secrete certain complex pheromones and emit specific vibrations with their antennae that indicate their emotional state. Hivenet cannot transmit actual images, but it can transmit sensations; a Vaurca in pain from being crushed by a rockfall cannot transmit an image of their suffering, but they can project the feeling of being crushed.

This is not to say that Vaurcae have no mannerisms outside of Hivenet projections; quite the opposite. Their large, sensitive eyes set on the sides of their head can see somewhat behind them, so a Vaurca may flick their antennae in the direction of new stimuli rather than turning their head the way a human might. Vaurcae typically chitter in acknowledgment of another, similar to a human’s humming or nodding. Clicking is akin to a human clicking their tongue; it can range from an expression of thought to aggravation.

Expressions of pain, frustration, or anger outside of Hivenet usually involve soft hissing or grinding their mandibles, but mandible-grinding can also be a gesture of deep thought. A particularly startled or suffering Vaurca may let out a shriek, which has been described in several circles as sounding like nails on a chalkboard.

Warriors in particular have a tendency towards restlessness and may pace or jump to attention quicker. It is not uncommon for Warriors to do laps around their place of work if they are out of Virtual Reality, or are constantly on the move.

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K'lax in the Wasteland

2026-05-28T15:43:33Z

Carver:

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== K'lax in the Wasteland ==
Since the K'lax arrival in the Karszekani many disenfranchised members of the Hive for one reason or another have drifted into the inhospitable Moghes wasteland. Whilst there are doubtless others roaming the wastes, the two most notable groups of drifters are listed below.

== The Mi'kuetz ==

A band of K’lax, consisting primarily of Queenless Vaurca. They roam the Wasteland scavenging and surviving in the ruins of what once was Unathi kingdoms. They make use of a combination of Klaxan and Unathi gear. While they are Wastelanders, they practice the same tenets the Unathi of Moghes do. The Karszekani recognizes them, sometimes hiring them to do tasks that Sinta’Unathi cannot.

Due to their work in the wasteland and their population primarily being made up of Queenless, they do not have a specific coloration. However, they maintain the green tint the rest of their hive have, with some being darker and some being lighter in color.

==== History ====

These Vaurca were among the many to arrive at Uueoa-Esa. However, when the K’lax were vassalized by the Unathi, the need to have Queenless within the hive grew less and less, and more of them were resigned to live and work on Moghes, as part of an independent workforce.

As the Karszekani Unathi population viewed the K’lax in a negative light at first, a major case of discontent brewed within the ranks of the K’lax Queenless. Many banded together to their own communities, where games were played, social events were hosted, and police forces formed to self-govern the population.
[[File:Mi'kuetz_vaurca.png|200px|thumb|A Mi'kuetz worker lounging upon a beanbag in the shade.]]

Eventually, they realized that life in the wastes might not be as bad as some of the Unathi have told them. When they ventured out into the wastes, they discovered that the inhospitable nature it holds towards Unathi affected them to a lesser degree. They quickly developed nomadic tendencies, and began calling themselves The Mi’kuetz.

==== Way of Life ====

In contrast to the minor oppression and difficulty these Vaurca faced in the past, their personalities are bright, cheery. They find it easy to connect to people, after the discomfort over the bug-like looks have passed. Workers have the best attitudes of the subtypes that exist. Happy-go-lucky, they work while singing tunes of custom-made songs praising the Queens and their community, derived from Unathi folk-music. Warriors are cocky, but good-natured. While they exude happiness and joy, their personalities do not interfere with their combat ability.

They are nomadic, roaming the wastes from site to site, in search of salvageable technology. They developed large bound that can be used as pack-animals, called the Vizk'tul. These bound are capable of holding many tents and supplies needed to survive on the wastes. They can also carry injured Mi’kuetz who are incapable of moving themselves. They find their use beyond what normal-sized bound can do by pulling large sleds. These sleds can contain a variety of useful things, a storage sled for transporting scavenged technology, or a mobile forge or kiln for working in the field. Some bound have large saddles upon which snipers and scouts perch to detect threats and possible scavenging sites.
Their technology is catered primarily to their lifestyle. Their most well known to be a chemical substance engineered to burn in any environment, even underwater, much like Zorane Fire. This chemical is used in flamethrower-like weaponry, but can also be used to melt down scrap for recycling purposes.

Their food consists of genetically altered k’ois which does not spore when fully grown, but instead creeps along the surface of wherever it’s planted. While it cannot survive in the sands of the wasteland, the soil underneath contains enough minerals to allow farming. As farming while roaming is quite difficult, Mi’kuetz engineers developed soil beds that can be placed on top of traveling Vizk'tul.

==== Diplomatic Status ====

The Karszekani population grew to get used to the Mi’kuetz presence on their homeworld, but the Wasteland factions, with the exception of the Dorviza, tend to see them as intruders upon their lands, desecrating and salvaging ruins which are rightfully theirs. The Karszekani contracts these Mi’kuetz for jobs other Wastelander factions refuse to do, or Sinta’Unathi simply cannot do, due to environmental hazards or otherwise.

The Mi’kuetz also keep good relations with the main K’lax hive, having kept close contact with them even after venturing into the wastes. Their expertise are often sought by Klaxan chroniclers and researchers, who wish to learn more about Moghes and the technology that can be recovered to augment and advance their own.

They do not have a good relationship with the Aut’akh, as both factions have caught spies stealing technology from eachother, the Mi’kuetz being marginally more successful due to backing from the Karszekani. Some of these K’lax have been nicknamed Bunker Busters for their uncanny ability to penetrate Aut’akh dens, having remembered underground tunnel warfare doctrines from Sedantis.

Outside of Uueoa-Esa the Mi’kuetz aren’t very well known, but are recognized to be part of the K’lax hive. Nanotrasen and Hephaestus both are known to hire from this group, mainly as a way to find cheap labour to explore hazardous away sites.

== Yiaa’mak’tzut ==

Commonly shortened as ‘Yiaa’, and referred to throughout the wastes by many titles such as; Spirit Walkers, Drifters, Metal Mi’kuetz and more, this group of K’laxan Queenless are known for their eccentric and often mysterious behavior as well as frequently their extensive augmentation. Little is known by the Karszekani about the hive-cell and officially the K'lax Hive denies their existence on the rare occasion they're pushed, preferring to maintain a healthy distance from the line of questioning. Many denizens of the wastelands however know a different story, one tied into myth, of a group of roving sorcerers possessed of great power, alien to the land in which they reside and adorned in obscuring dark cloaks. Though they all differ in the exact story, two ideas have persisted throughout most renditions. The first tells that these beings journey great distance through the deserts and scour ruins top to bottom in search of arcane materials and artifacts of exceptional potency. The second is that they offer pact or boons to those lucky or unlucky Unathi who they cross paths with. One of many key points where the mythology varies is what toll these supposed gifts demand. In some renditions they are offered for free, others in exchange for esoteric payment, from seemingly useless crystals to gold, to even taking Unathi as apprentices, those selected matching some strange inscrutable criteria and rarely returning home.

These myths which found themselves rapidly spreading throughout the wasteland since the K'lax arrival are possessed of some truth, though it can be difficult for someone investigating to determine where fact begins and story ends. The Yiaa operate a great deal of Vaurca technology, especially for a Queenless hive-cell. They scour the Wasteland for the materials required to repair or continue operating the potent tools and weapons which provide them their edge, frequently through a trade in which the Yiaa exchange for a helpful service. Whilst this is the preferred method, peace does not always work, and if a group proves particularly unfriendly, they have also been known to seize their goal with overwhelming force.

The Yiaa have developed a particular affinity for Aut'akh communities and in many cases the two have developed a somewhat strange symbiotic relationship, some few Aut'ahk groups even going so far as to proclaim them to be the surviving members of the Sinta'Mador.

The Yiaa vary greatly in their coloration, capable of appearing as any K'laxesque color. It's not unheard of for the occasional Vaurca or Unathi acolyte to leave to the greater Spur, typically with the goal of securing support, financial or otherwise, for the isolated hive-cell. Their enigmatic behavior does not deter megacorporations like Hephaestus, Zavadoski, and the PMCG from hiring them, with many Yiaa workers being very capable machinists, engineers, and scientists, and Warriors stripped of sensitive augmentations serving as corporate security and mercenaries.

==== History ====
The Yiaa'mak'tzut are reluctant to share their history with outsiders, but that reluctance is not entirely political. Simply put, most of them don't know the full story.
What is known is that the Yiaa'mak'tzut were one of the few loose groupings of Queenless that were taken aboard the K'lax Hiveship during the Exodus, but owing to the group's reputation as capable engineers, political disputes ensured they were never entirely integrated into one brood or another. Rather, the Yiaa'mak'tzut under Ta'Akaix'Ilk'urker had a position similar to vagrants aboard the Hiveship, drifting from place to place and fulfilling work orders for favours. Given the majority of these work orders consisted of helping keep the ship functional, they were able to mostly avoid any of the normal retributory action that the broods often demonstrated towards Queenless Vaurca aboard the Hiveships during the journey.

This all changed when the Yiaa'mak'tzut Ta, Ta'Akaix'Ilk'urker, was accused of having her group intentionally sabotage the Hiveship on multiple occasions to further her own political ambitions. Whilst the evidence was undeniable, the motive was not, and Ta'Akaix'Ilk'urker argued that it wasn't spite against the Hive but rather coercion which had forced her actions. She claimed other Ta had on several occasions threatened consequences to the Yiaa'mak'tzut if they failed to sabotage their rivals. Whatever the ultimate truth, this defence was sufficient in the eyes of the Queens to stop the Yiaa'mak'tzut from being culled but not to stop them from being labelled traitors. Whilst they would continue to be kept around for their utility, they would never be looked at positively by the K'lax again.

Shortly after the end of the exodus and the K'lax settlement on Moghes, the Yiaa'mak'tzut, no longer needed for their utility, were exiled into the Moghesian wasteland. The Yiaa'mak'tzut were abandoned with minimal resources and eggs, left to fend for themselves by the greater Hive and ordered to never return.

The first months of the exile were gruelling. The Yiaa'mak'tzut unfamiliar with the harsh wasteland were exposed to the elements, starving, and constantly harried by wild animals and curious bandits alike. Travelling at night was just not a preference but a necessity to survive. Still this precaution did not help them when they were dealt their biggest blow to this day, a Gawgaryn raid on their encampment which saw Ta'Akaix'Ilk'urker shot. Whilst the raid was repelled, the Gyne was left critically wounded and without access to the advanced lifesaving medications typically available to the Vaurca it seemed likely she would die in spite of her best engineer, Ka'Akaix'Rail's, attempts. It was several days after this that the Yiaa’mak’tzut would achieve their lucky break.

One of the Queenless who had taken up monitoring communications detected an unconventional radio signal. Deep within a local mountain range was what sounded to be screaming. What was less perceptible was that it was actually a scrambled coded message, which, when the group decoded, signalled the location of an old nuclear fallout shelter. The group with minimal hope for anything else set out into the mountains in search of this supposed bunker. It was there, deep in the isolated mountains, that the Yiaa’mak’tzut would erect their permanent encampment and establish themselves.

==== Way of Life ====
To be one of the Yiaa’mak’tzut is to live a life of contradiction unique amongst the Vaurca. It is to be both uniquely powerful, wielding technologies of potency few in the scorched wasteland can imagine, yet to simultaneously teeter on the edge of extinction. It is to be revered and to be feared in equal measure. It is to wish for exposure and support, but remain secret for fear of retaliation.

Under the guidance of the ailing Ta'Akaix'Ilk'urker K'lax, the Yiaa have embraced their mythological status. Whilst it was originally a by-product of typical Vaurca behavior appearing alien to the eastern wastelands denizens, it has afforded the Queenless group a degree of protection they may otherwise have lacked, secrecy hiding both the dire peril they face, their homebase, and the true extent of their capabilities. The mystique of their reputation has allowed them to negotiate, coerce, threaten, and obtain trade and favors where they may otherwise not have been able to do so.

In truth the Yiaa are stretched thin. The chance discovery of a wartime bunker built by the Traditionalists before Moghes was engulfed in nuclear fire has given them somewhere to operate from and call home but a general lack of numbers and phoron alongside their Ta's injuries has restricted their operations massively, debatably for the best. Few want to chance drawing the ire of the greater K'lax Hive more than they already have, for any serious effort from the Queens would doubtless see them hunted and exterminated. For now the K'lax, embroiled in conflict and politics of their own, appear satisfied with simply pretending they don't exist.

The Vaurca of the Yiaa typically fall between one of three archetypical positions, either 'Home Watch', 'Survey' or 'Guardian.'

The Home Watch are responsible for managing all the affairs of the Rakaris Mountain Base, with Warriors guarding and patrolling the local region for bandits or the occasional prospective explorer, whereas Workers tend to the health of the Ta, grow K'ois, prepare expeditionary kits, assemble tools to grow the facility, and other such home-making duties. Conversely, the Survey perform the tasks the Yiaa are best known for: traveling the wasteland scavenging, recruiting, trading, responding to distress calls, and building the group's reputation. Occasionally if a settlement is of particular value to the group they may station a Vaurca there permanently, often a Warrior. This "Guardian" both acts as eyes and ears for the Yiaa as a whole, connected to the whole via Hivenet, and acts as a military advisor. The knowledge of their presence alone discourages raiders and they're armed well to make good on any threats. This position is exceptionally rare and there's only a handful of Guardians across the domains which the Yiaa stalk.

Vaurca can and will switch which duty they fill at the request of the Ta.

===== The Survey =====

The Survey are what one almost certainly thinks of when picturing the Yiaa and they are essential for the groups survival, as without the necessary components they collect the hive-cells already failing technology would doubtless complete its decline into obsolescence.

The Vaurca and occasional Unathi of the Survey often wear dark cloaks which serve both to shroud their alien forms, lending further to their general air of mystery, and allow them easier travel under the cover of darkness. Typically they move across the wasteland in small caravans of three or four atop strange augmented Threshbeasts, though exact numbers vary. As to avoid bandits and other opportunistic scavengers they tend to travel at night, the cold and darkness posing little obstacle to the biologically robust Workers and Warriors. It is a foolhardy group of Gawgaryn who seek to rob from a Survey expedition however, as the group's reputation and stories of horror from those few who've survived making such conflict a rare occurrence. This is by design. The Yiaa have too few Warriors to waste upon fighting and certainly too few weapons to lose any in what they view as pointless conflict. A Survey expedition will almost always seek to negotiate a peaceful solution to a matter before resorting to open violence.

==== Technology ====
It is likely that the Yiaa, with their largely diminished numbers, ostracization from the K'lax Hive at large, and difficulty moving with an injured Ta, would have perished after only a few months or years in the harsh Wasteland if not for one critical element: technological superiority. Though lacking in numbers, the Yiaa possess abilities that, to many in the Wasteland, appear to be done as if by magic. With a wave of the hand or the tap of a staff, grievous wounds are healed, radiation burns become manageable, scales grow or change color, and walls of steel crumble and break, not to mention the potions and relics or seemingly prophetic abilities possessed by the mysterious wanderers. In truth, these capabilities are not derived from some outside entity but are largely down to a Vaurca worker known as Ka'Akaix'Rail K'lax, those disciples that work with them, and the limited access to the processing powers of the Cephalons which the hive-cell possesses.

Ka'Akaix'Rail K'lax is mysterious and dismissive about their origins when confronted, with supposedly no one outside of Ta'Akaix'Ilk'urker knowing the full story, and even basic details such as how old they are prove elusive to those that interact with them. Despite this, the prevailing theory amongst the hive-cell is that Rail was not always Queenless, perhaps even having been a Xakat’kl’atan at one point. Whatever the truth is, Rail's engineering and scientific capabilities are undeniable. Much of the technology fielded by the Yiaa is based on K'lax designs, which have undergone heavy modification by Rail so that they can be created and maintained with extremely limited resources. Under their deft hands, mundane crystals are turned into laser weapon foci, rare catalysts are substituted for more abundant flora, and once-destroyed mining equipment is revitalized into deadly weapons of war. These tools are almost always inferior, if sometimes only slightly, to the real equipment and weapons, but this matters little somewhere like the Wasteland. Members of the Yiaa’mak’tzut have long argued about whether Rail's capabilities involve simply pulling these blueprints from memory or if they perhaps have a grand repository stored somewhere hidden in the Interstice, and the Worker, for their part, is slow to share these secrets.

Despite this, Rail is chiefly aware that even with their best medications, they will not live forever, and the engineer is rapidly aging. With no small amount of pressure from Ta'Akaix'Ilk'urker, they have begun teaching other engineers and scientists and stockpiling blueprints for when they do inevitably return to the Aether. While the majority of those who have received their tutelage are Vaurca, a few very promising Unathi acolytes have been granted the honor of being a part of these lessons and often leave as very resourceful, if slightly odd, engineers, machinists, scientists, or pharmacists.

==== Acolytes ====
The relatively small Yiaa’mak’tzut have developed a unique method of alleviating their manpower shortage, that of supplementing their numbers with the occasional Unathi. These Unathi, called Acolytes, are given basic tutelage on matters such as Vaurca augmentations, chemistry, technology, diplomacy, and a variety of others before being assigned to a specific Yiaa’mak’tzut Vaurca who they'll serve under, even accompanying them on Survey operations. The presence of an Acolyte on a Survey team not only frees up the need for a manual-labor Viax, with them being expected to fill the more menial jobs, but also can smooth over negotiations with the variety of clans and dwellings they expect to come across. When a Yiaa’mak’tzut Vaurca departs the wasteland for whatever reason it's generally expected their acolyte will follow, though sometimes they're left at the bunker.

==== Aut'akh ====
The Yiaa have developed a novel relationship with many of the Aut'akh underbelly groups on Moghes. This relationship first came around as they discovered these outcast Unathi possessed a superior understanding of the cities, and their fascination with augmentation, a trait shared by many in the hive-cell, meant they not only tended to get along well, but the communes could offer them "miracles" in exchange for services that couldn't be obtained elsewhere. One such service they can offer is passage off-world. Often, a Yiaa going off-world will go alongside a smuggled Aut'akh commune, travelling with them for several months or years before leaving to pursue interests more relevant to the Hive, such as corporate hire. Despite this close working relationship, Aut'akh tend to view the Yiaa with much the same superstitions their wasteland kin do, which can leave a degree of emotional separation between the two parties.

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Diulszi

2026-05-28T15:40:12Z

Carver:

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{{Infobox Planet
|Name = Diulszi
|System = Glorashi
|Image = Cthurflag.png
|Sector = [[The_Orion_Spur#Inner_Systems|Inner Systems]]
|Species = [[Vaurca]], [[Skrell]], [[Dionae]]
|Languages = Nral'Malic, Rootsong
|Demonyms = Diulszian
|Nation = [[Nralakk Federation]]
}}
Located in the distant Glorashi system, '''Diulszi''' is the capital of the [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur Hive]], hosting a diverse biosphere and breathtaking natural vistas. Originally a hotspot for [[Nralakk Federation]] xenobiological research until the hive’s arrival in 2448, with High Queen C'thur's rapidly worsening condition forcing the Federation to find a nearby location for her to land, which ended up at the then Xevrax Research Outpost on the surface of Diulszi, the same secretive facility the High Queen now directs her hive from.

In the years since their arrival, the C'thur Hive has been given extensive freedom over the planet, and has seen it expand operations under its oversight, with the Queens personally involving themselves in the plan to turn the focus of Diulszi away from just research, and into a resort destination. While not as popular as [[Qerr'Malic]] to foreigners due to the presence of Vaurca and its relaxed nature, the hive manages to attract a growing number of domestic tourists. This growth has come at a cost, both in the increasing number of disgruntled Federation researchers who feel sent to the wayside, and in the ecological damage from C'thur expansion, though a balance is slowly being achieved with respect to the environment.
{{TOC Hidden}}
==History==
Diulszi’s lush tropical rainforests, profound oceans, alien landscapes, and distinctive biodiversity led the planet to be declared one of the first Federation National Parks just before the [[Skrell_History#Synthetic_Age_and_Era_of_Synthetic_Oppression|Synthetic Age]], with hostels, restaurants, zoos, and safaris erected, allowing the average skrell to see its vistas. Tourism was very successful, drawing citizens from every corner of the Nralakk Federation's territory. With the reign of Glorsh-Omega, the Federation's park system was shuttered alongside most other government systems, and Diulszi was closed to the public.

Glorsh-Omega moved drones to work on Diulszi soon after its rule, building outposts, laboratories, and other structures. Most notable of these structures were dozens of large, esoteric pillars made of an unknown metal that served no obvious use, with these pillars’ ultimate purpose still debated to this day. By the Reunification, Diulszi was only reopened to researchers, with no effort made to restore its original operations out of fear of remnant drones or synthetics in the system, with the pillars were slowly destroyed over the next dozen years, though rumors persist that some still exist, buried deep in the jungle or underground. Eventually, the planet faded into obscurity, before the arrival of the C'thur Hive.

While research on Diulszi was initially carried out by Inner Systems skrell, after the Reunification, xenobiologists from there preferred to study plant life closer to the Nralakk system, with the reformed Diulszi scientific outpost becoming a popular option for researchers on the Federation's outskirts. Traverser culture became staple within the scientific bases on Diulszi, with this cultural shift and low status of the planet eventually leading to the adoption of a moderately anti-Federation outlook. This culture shifted again when the planet was leased to the C'thur, with more pro-Federation skrell returning. Anti-Federation sentiments persist in a rarer capacity on Diulszi, due to the intentional emplacement of loyal skrell, as well as the treatment of High Queen C'thur also playing a major part.

Following the discovery of the C'thur near Glorashi, the Hiveship was to be transported to a secure dock. As communications progressed, however, the Nralakk Federation soon learned of High Queen C'thur's critical state, with the Hiveship transported to one of Diulszi's surface research outposts, Xevrax Research Outpost, where a team of medical researchers could treat the monarch's wounds.

Xevrax was retrofitted over the next few days, the facilities repurposed to accommodate an extensive life support system for High Queen C'thur, with the secrecy surrounding the initial arrival of the vaurca hive causing it to be militarized. Currently, Xevrax exists as a small, closed city, housing authorized security members, medical officials, and their families. Most of the original scientists present were relocated to other, more remote facilities.

Before the arrival of the C’thur, Grand Councillor Tiipis Yla drafted plans near the end of their term to redevelop the tourism industry on Diulszi, hoping to boost the economy of the Contingent Systems. These plans remained unused by the discovery of the Hiveship, being largely ignored by the time High Queen C'thur landed on the planet. In spite of her condition, High Queen C’thur arranged for her hive to develop Diulszi based on these drafts, being brought to her attention by Federation officials as a means for them to begin settling the planet.

After the discovery of the Zo’ra Hive in Tau Ceti, Grand Councillor Weashbi Jrugl allowed news of C’thur’s presence in the Federation to be released. This information became mainstream in the Nralakk Federation, and the C'thur Hive used their reveal to promote their newly developed resorts on Diulszi. The vaurca, while still widely unknown to the skrell, slowly saw the arrival of skrell tourists soon after their reveal, and has steadily grown over the years as they are further integrated into the Nralakk Federation. The C'thur Hive's tourism industry on the planet, while not explicitly skrell-only, remains unpopular with foreign tourists due to their presence on the planet.

Diulszi now exists as a popular domestic location for holiday travelers for those who cannot afford to visit [[Qerrbalak]], but remains eclipsed by destinations like [[Qerr'Malic]] when courting foreign tourists. Dionae, both citizen and non-citizen, plan trips to the lush greens of Diulszi for its unnatural lighting over the barren moon of Qerr’Malic, making them a common sight compared to other species.
==Environment==

Diulszi maintains an extremely diverse environment, with striking, varied landscapes visible from orbit. The majority of the planet is covered in a mix of oceans colored a characteristic turquoise due to exotic salts dissolving on the ocean floors, and expansive tropical rainforests not unlike those present elsewhere in the Spur. Many regions of Diulszi’s wilderness have uniquely distinct characteristics, with vibrant lavender or apricot-colored trees and grasses. Within these regions are large beasts, tall enough to pick the normally deadly fruit from trees, and exist beside overgrown hexapods, which camouflage in a kaleidoscope of colors to hide from predators. These locales are the most popular tourist destinations, even more so at night due to many of the local plants possessing bioluminescence to attract nocturnal insects, causing the local vegetation to glisten in an extravaganza of colors.

The fruits in these habitats, which are lethally poisonous when consumed by non-native life, have become an interest to the C'thur Hive, with many of Mouv's brood seeing their lethality as a challenge to overcome. In 2462, the Hive launched the Moon Lychee, a genetically engineered version of the fruit that is safe to consume. Moon Lychees have only seen recent popularity after Mouv’s brood was granted allowance by the Federation to distribute them commercially after being deemed safe to eat by federal safety researchers. The fruit now remains extremely popular, with many visitors describing the soft-skinned fruit as zesty and refreshing. Orders have since been placed on [[Qerrbalak]] for shipments of Moon Lychee for sale to the wider Federation and beyond. Rumors persist that the [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax Hive|K'lax]] on [[Tret]] have begun attempting to design their own competitor product, and Hive Mouv guards the genome of the product carefully to prevent such thievery. Currently, the K’lax have only been able to produce a synthetic flavor similar to the Moon Lychee, sold as a flavored drink mix, “Stars Lychee.”

===Flora and Fauna===
The wildlife of Diulszi exists in a delicate ecosystem, with millions of unique species currently catalogued. Specimens range from: the deadly Crex, which are small, furry, four-legged creatures that hunt in huge packs; the avian Avol, who resemble Earth birds except for having an inverted placement of their wings and feet; the communal Sigmatis, which are small, furred mammals with sharp bristles, living in plains and communicating across long distances through intense vibrations from humming. A further creature of note is the deadly Fasun, averaging roughly nearly as tall as a house, and utilizing projectile acid. Speculation towards further undiscovered species remains likely.

These creatures live alongside one another in delicate harmony, which the [[Nralakk Federation]] is keen to maintain. Strict rules and robust bureaucracy exists around the treatment and conservation of Diulszi's native life, a fact of life that the C'thur Hive found deeply frustrating. It was not uncommon for Viax workers to be ambushed by Crex during the Hive's initial period of expansion. Guards were assigned to these convoys after the initial losses, but they were not allowed to be equipped with anything heavier than tranquilisers, sleeping gas, and a sidearm as a last resort. This was deemed untenable, and in the years following, the C'thur Hive has begun to adapt to the new situation, hoping to live in harmony with the creatures instead of fighting against them.

Unfortunately, maintaining this balance remains challenging. The increase in tourism and established settlements remain extremely logistically daunting. Land development projects put forward by the Hive are delayed by months as ecological impacts are examined and measured. Each new development must have a demonstrated recycling plan, and a Nralakk Federation committee dedicated to pollution often mandates the use of more environmentally friendly chemicals in the name of conservation. They are quick to remind the C’thur of the strict sanctions that exist if these rules are violated.

This new arrangement has hampered hive expansion on Diulszi, with the Queens devoting a significant portion of their resources to the administration of the planet. This is most clearly seen with Mouv's brood expanding its training of xenobiologists, and with Vytel mandating a new wave of paralegals, bureaucrats, and lawyers dedicated to real estate, environmentalism, and government policy, with her brood responsible for much of the planet's managerial requirements. The C'thur Hive has reaped benefits out of their approach, with the study of the planet's lifeforms' unique physiology illuminating new biological facts that can be applied to the vaurca themselves.
==Economy==

The primary industry of Diulszi is its tourism sector, with the C'thur Hive and Nralakk Federation operating large amounts of hotels, resorts, zoos, and exclusively permanent residences. Diulszi’s other industries remain propped up by its tourism, much to the chagrin of researchers.

===Tourism===
Diulszi’s pre-Glorsh tourism has since been revitalized by the C’thur Hive. While the previous attempt to turn Diulszi into a holiday destination remained small in scale, the Hive has completely transformed the planet in the hopes of creating a galaxy-class venue. These changes have completely deforested many regions of Diulszi, particularly across its shores.
Diulszi’s skyline is dominated by tall, pristine buildings with unique shapes, covered by windows as various hotels and tourist resorts. However, despite Diulszi’s high influx of visitors, hotels remain rarely overbooked. While guests may find this positive, the excessive number of Diulszi’s hotels vastly overshadows the demand. Thus, many of the buildings have underdeveloped middle floors, serving only as disorganized, musky, and perilous storage areas. To promote competition between the establishments, Diulszi hotels are often branded as if they were adversaries, in spite of being owned by the C’thur Hive.

One of the signature additions made by the C’thur Hive was the introduction of commercial zones and souvenir shops. Here, trinkets like Crex teeth and fluorescent potted plants known as Casfedil are sold at extravagant prices. These facilities are almost exclusively staffed by the C'thur Hive’s Viax and Unbound, with Xetl and Mouv's brood being the most common. The sudden influx of jobs has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of vaurca trained for service jobs within the broods, with the occasional job shift resulting in excess service vaurca being sent out into the wider Spur in service of the Hive.

Recently, the Hive has introduced amusement parks to attract more visitors. While most venues are simple boardwalks with a few rides, other parks are fully-fledged themed experiences, promising fun to all families and sapients alike. The two best known parks on Diulszi are the Quo’roshi Gardens and Kervasii World.

The Quo’roshi Gardens is the largest zoo and waterpark on Diulszi. Many of the animal exhibitions are far away from each other, allowing patrons to visit them in their original habitats. Quo’roshi Gardens is also notable for having a caged zoo area housing animals native to other planets, including species from unathi and human regions. The inclusion of non-Federation species has sparked some outrage among conservationists, who believe that the Federation, less so the C’thur Hive, have the available means to foster these species. Nonetheless, Quo’roshi Gardens remains one of the most beloved tourist attractions on the planet.

Kervasii World has a long history as an amusement park in Diulszi. The plot of land where it stands was originally developed as a small apartment complex near the Kervasii Outpost, where families of skrell scientists traveled and spent time with their loved ones during the holidays. Eventually, the complex grew to accommodate all the families of the Diulszi staff. New amenities were also added, including a roller coaster and rides for younger skrell.

The Kervasii park closed after the beginning of Glorsh-Omega’s reign. After the return of researchers to Diulszi, the park expanded to include more amenities. It had no admission fee, and was open for all scientists to enjoy during their free time.

The lease of Diulszi to the C’thur Hive has radically changed the pleasure ground’s operation. As the park was not technically part of the Kervasii Outpost, the C’thur came to control the destination. Despite appeals made by Kervasii scientists, the C’thur Hive continued to operate the venue, now under the name Kervasii World. Kervasii World has radically expanded across the next few years, with the Hive planning to eventually operate the largest amusement park in the Spur. In 2462, the C’thur Hive finally convinced the Kervasii Outpost to relocate elsewhere, with the previous research facility now transformed into a science-themed area. The current price of admission remains only a handful of sqiips.
===Real Estate===
As per the Hive agreements with the Nralakk Federation, all of Diulszi’s land, outside of the research outposts, are available for the C’thur Hive to develop and profit. However, this process requires an extensive survey by the Federation to approve any project. Once the land modifications are sanctioned, the Hive has a full permit to do with the land as they please, as long as each project meets ecological criteria. These lax rules have provided the C’thur Hive an opportunity to profit under shady circumstances.

The C’thur Hive “sells” the land to skrell that wish to build cheap holiday homes, though neither the buyers nor the Hive own the land, technically still belonging to the Nralakk Federation. The legality of this practice is often questioned, but due to development laws and the Hive’s legal finesse, most sales are in a gray area. Technically, C’thur sells their development permits to outsource the construction, with the promise that the property, once completed, will be of the owner of the deeds. While the Hive has kept its word on the matter, the newly-built private homes could potentially be reclaimed as federal property in the future.

To “sell” much of this land, the C’thur Hive hire opportunistic skrell, usually Tertiary Numericals, who came to Diulszi to live a life of luxury. In reality, very few achieve their dreams, with most of them constantly hustling new victims.
===Science===

Beyond tourism, Diulszi contributes significantly to scientific endeavours, particularly in biomedical and botanical research. Mouv and High Queen C'thur's broods perform much of the Hive's research in the laboratories spread across the planet, the largest of which is Orbital Research Platform Kevren, second only to [[Aliose#Qamlok|Qamlok on Aliose]] for research output. Diulszi's native life serves as a catalyst to advance the Hives' understanding of how unfamiliar flora and fauna can be modified for use in the Spur, such as the development of Adrascorn, a fast-growing, radiotrophic plant, much to the jealousy of the K'lax Hive, whose own attempt at developing such a terraforming plant for use on Moghes is still in its early design phase.

The planet also has high-quality genetics research facilities, which were previously used for genomic sampling of native species but have since been retrofitted by the Hive and serve to develop both gene-treatments for disease, with C'thur virologists having contributed extensively to combating epidemics in the Traverse, and to assist with fertility research, examining possible genetic similarities between the X'Lu'oa and species on Diulszi. Such fertility research is closely monitored by the Federation and has yet to turn up significant results, with Glorsh-Omega having designed the X’Lu’oa in such a way that it seems nearly incurable even with the C'thur Hives' advanced genetics knowledge. This has not discouraged them from investing significant effort into trying.
==Culture and Demographics==

While not perfect, life on Diulszi for vaurcae is far superior to that of the majority of their species within the Spur. The C'thur Hive reinvests much of the money it makes from the planet back into the facilities, both for its own benefit as well as to ensure it appears wealthy to visitors. The presence of a growing tourism and science industry has resulted in no shortage of supplies from the Nralakk Federation. The majority of the species on Diulszi are employed in the service industry, and live within large, subsurface habitation complexes situated near major work hubs. The nearby logistics centers and integrated hydroponics ensure a steady stream of k'ois and the complexes are normally well maintained.

Vaurca working in the sciences are the second most prevalent, and will live in special quarters established near or retrofitted to whatever lab they are assigned to. Occasionally, a group of vaurca will trek into the untamed wilds for a scientific expedition, at which point the quality of life depends on their location on the planet. The most isolated location for vaurca on Diulszi is within Xevrax. Those of the High Queen's personal guard and assistants live in lavish spaces compared to the majority of Vaurca, though the stress of tending the wounded High Queen can often make even the most stoic of workers uncomfortable. Elite Warriors maintain constant watch, ever vigilant for threats to her life.

Many [[Skrell|skrell]] on Diulszi are Federation representatives, observers, bureaucrats, and liaisons managing communication with the Hive. These civil servants are all Primary or Secondary Numericals, and are given expensive apartments, luxury goods, and ample time off to enjoy the scenery, with discounts on local areas included. Many in the Grand Council's employ consider an assignment to Diulszi to be a reward, as the broods are mostly self-sufficient and rarely break any rules. To ensure this image, the Xetl brood is usually kept away from the public.

The second-largest permanent skrell population are researchers. While many researchers have living conditions comparable to those of the representatives, others were kicked out of their laboratories during the C'thur Hives’ shuffle, and have ended up working in less impressive facilities and expedition labs deep within the wilderness. Many of these skrell have grown disillusioned with the Hive and the Federation, having been reassigned to less prestigious positions with little notice.

The majority of these self-titled "exile researchers" keep to themselves, working away on personal projects with angry vigor. Those who have retained their positions, on the other hand, are frequently frustrated by the Federation's and the C'thur Hives' apparent shift into a focus on land development and tourism, which they see as diverting attention away from more valuable pursuits. Those researchers that file complaints are assured the taxes from the developments and guests will be reinvested into the sciences long-term, but do little to reassure them when all but a few, primarily C'thur-dominated laboratories, receive these grants.

A third, growing group of skrell migrants are lured by the Diulszi’s eccentric atmosphere. Despite their apparent simple lifestyle, these skrell are usually very well-off, and can afford to live in a state of permanent vacation. The bohemian skrell usually only interact with each other, with some going as far as to avoid all contact with the vaurca residents. A general idea among this population is that vaurca damage the planet with their resorts and industrial activity, while they do not consider themselves tourists, but rather as colonizers. Unbeknownst to them, however, is that their land is sold by the same Hive they claim to dislike.

==Notable Locations==
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===Xevrax, the Forbidden City===
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Once a modest xenobiology research facility nestled within a southern archipelago, Xevrax was picked as the destination for the C'thur Hive, and its critically wounded High Queen, to touch down due to its relative isolation. In the years that followed, it has taken on a completely new role and importance, a necessity that has seen Xevrax rapidly bloom from unpresuming research laboratories into an amalgam of a closely guarded fortress and an immense hospital, all dedicated to the treatment of a single individual, the High Queen.

Little is known by the greater Spur about exactly what goes on in Xevrax, with the Nralakk Federation and C'thur Hive keeping details confidential and non-essential entry being granted only to a select few with high level security clearance. What is public knowledge, however, is that Xevrax has grown considerably from its humble roots, and the life support system sustaining C'thur has grown from taking the space of a room to an entire underwater complex, with massive wire bundles running through a dizzying array of guarded pipes and tunnels, providing power and more exotic materials to the biologically critical Vaurca and Nralakk systems, many of which have been haphazardly built atop one another since the Hives arrival. Many in the Spur suspect the buildup is a sign of the High Queen's worsening condition, but the Hive is quick to dismiss this as baseless rumours instead, insisting that the construction is a sign that she is growing closer to a full recovery.

Skrell that work in Xevrax are carefully vetted, and it is required that they, and if they wish, their families, live on-site. This skrell population is composed of members of the Kalas, who typically live in garrisons throughout the outer edges of the facilities, as well as medical professionals, researchers, and representatives who are permitted to live in the facility itself. The facilities provided to those groups are often seen as luxurious by the vaurca and Federation engineers who find themselves sequestered to living within mediocre “bunker” facilities installed within the tunnels and pipes, pressed for space and cramped.

The city of Xevrax has a small economy of its own, completely insular to the rest of the planet. It mainly consists of amenities and services to accommodate the skrell residents. These businesses are run by the C’thur Hive—as they reside there on a permanent basis—but vetoed by the Nralakk Federation. Skrell in Xevrax are not allowed to leave the city while on duty, and many that serve there have never seen what the greater Diulszi has to offer.

Xevrax is closely guarded by elite C'thuric Warriors. These Warriors are empowered to dole out harsh punishments, including voiding, to any vaurca found breaching regulations within the Forbidden City. The closer one gets to the High Queen herself, the more frequent and highly augmented these Warriors become, including Warforms. Exactly what the Royal Guard of C'thurs innermost quarters look like is a matter of public speculation.
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===Orbital Research Platform Iolan===
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Located in geosynchronous orbit above the planet, Orbital Research Platform Iolan is the largest surveillance facility associated with Diulszi and typically regarded as the premier monitoring facility for the C'thur Hive.

Connecting to an extensive network of planetary nodes and orbital satellites, Iolan was once utilized by skrell researchers to survey the ecosystem of the planet, monitoring wildlife migrations, weather patterns, and ecological growth. Since the arrival of the C'thur Hive, many of these same researchers have been relegated to secondary roles and replaced by the Vaurca of Hive Mouv. Under Mouv's guidance these same monitoring networks have turned towards watching the planet and its denizens, satellites once dedicated to the weather having been modified with C'thuric technology, and time put towards the careful study of migration patterns shifted into collecting and sorting through extranet signals or unbeknownst to the greater Spur, even transmitting them to Mouv's realm. The platform's main antenna, already a powerful transmitter to ensure that messages could reach Qerrbalak despite the Glorashi nebula, now doubles as an immense Hivenet tower.

Through Iolan, each visit to the planet and every possible threat is done under the watchful eye of the Iolan's new spymasters and, when deemed necessary, passed on to planetary authorities, the Hive, or even the greater Federation. This shift in direction has caused no small amount of strife for those Skrell once responsible for the planet. Many of these researchers believe that the changes have placed protecting the ecosystem as a secondary goal of the Platform and the cooperation between the C'thur and Federation scientists stationed here is often felt as begrudging.
Iolan houses the biggest Hivenet surveillance center in the whole Spur. It has a direct connection to the Owanqaas Relay Tower, a huge structure in Diulszi that sinks deep into the ocean and serves as the main Hivenet relay in the Federation, with all other skrellian Hivenet towers serving as satellites to the Diulszian colossus. Owanqaas is constantly upgraded with hopes of finally “breaking through” Virtual Reality. Nonetheless, the Mouv brood is tasked with upgrading its security protocols, constantly undermining any possible progress made by the Federation.
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===Fortress Gelpen===
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A modest headquarters near Xevrax run by Queen Vytel, Gelpen serves as the C'thur Hives center of military operations throughout the Spur. Whilst a facility with respectable military capability and the C'thur Hives primary depot for storing Warforms, the C'thur's extensive integration with the Nralakk Federation's Kalas (which maintains a recruitment center on the systems moon of Oyepiit) and a continuation of its historical focus on less directly militaristic pursuits see Gelpen pale in comparison to the might of the Zo'rane fortress of Dis on [[Caprice]]. Vytel is well aware of this, and instead of serving as a citadel of military might, the Just Queen has seen it take on the role of a coordination center. It is from Gelpen's meeting chambers and increasingly numerous representative offices that negotiations regarding her brood's distribution across the Spur are performed, and that she walks the diplomatic and bureaucratic tightrope of responsibilities between the Federation, EPMC, SCC, and, more recently, the Court of Queens.
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===Watch Domes===
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Watch Domes, originally conceived by the Nralakk Federation shortly before the C'thur’s arrival on Diulszi, are floating hotel rooms surrounded by a large glass dome. Powered by hover technology, the Watch Domes are placed in exotic locations throughout Diulszi and allow tourists a more immersive (and expensive) way to explore the alien environments. Most Watch Domes are relatively self-sufficient, including living structures such as rain-catchers and purifiers and even small areas set aside for hydroponics. The C'thur Hive has been making extensive use of Watch Domes in an attempt to draw more tourism than just core-system skrell looking for a quiet destination. As part of this Watch Domes with environments and decorations modified to match those found on other planets have been produced, ranging from [[Biesel]] to [[Earth]], [[Europa]], and dozens of other locations, going so far as to include a small handful for [[Moghes]] and [[Adhomai]]. Much to the disappointment of the Hive, the success of this is highly arguable, but for the moment, they appear to remain dedicated to using Watch Domes to draw in visitors.
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===Kervasii World Amusement Park===
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The Kervasii Amusement Park is the largest attraction on the planet, and combines a high-tech water park with more traditional rides, including the Nralakk Federation's longest roller coaster, known as the "Pendulum of Thrills" which takes riders throughout the entire park and is kept suspended by anti-gravity technology. This same anti-gravity technology is used extensively elsewhere throughout the park, creating a vista of floating structures that is strikingly visible from kilometers away and gives the park a certain level of unique verticality.

Additionally, generous subsidies from the C'thur Hive and Nralakk Federation see the Kervasii World Park regularly host mid-tier idols from across the Federation, whose performances help build publicity for the park and draw in dedicated fans.

Kervasii is also notable for maintaining a section with pre-Glorsh rides. This area was inspired by the original Kervasii park run by skrell researchers. Among the vintage attractions is the oldest operational miitoq, an early type of carousel that suspends tadpoles in small spheres of water, moving forward and backward at a low speed.
The Kervasii Amphitheatre is also notable for its large presentations of musical acts and other Federation entertainers. As Idols seldom tour outside the core and elemental systems, Kervasii concert dates present the perfect opportunity for the Traverse Skrell to meet the superstars.
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===Everlasting Sphere===
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The Everlasting Sphere is a section of Diluszi on the northernmost peninsula set aside for use by dionae inhabiting the planet. While dionae are encouraged to make themselves at home across the entire planet, this large glass dome built by the C'thur Hive features thick jungle and, most importantly, highly intensive radiation generators that coat the area with intense rays. This intensive radiation makes the everlasting sphere the premier destination for dionae visiting or inhabiting the planet permanently. These inhabitants have further customized the sphere over time, with some of the Dionae present having over time integrated into the ecosystem, forming structures and intertwining with the local fauna unlike what's seen anywhere else across Diulszi.
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===Zo’virox===
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Considered the center for the counterculture skrell in Diulszi, Zo’virox is a small surf town near the planet’s equator. The place was first named by some Traverse vacationers shortly after the planet was reopened for tourists, who discovered the beach while sailing from a nearby lodge. In their Traverse dialect, Zo’virox means ‘Milk Rock Beach’—a reference to the milky white sand of the shore. Zo’virox first gained attention as a secluded and peaceful beach, an oasis reward for travelers wishing a rest from the populated resorts. Eventually, the hideaway became populated by a community of Weishii misfits who took particular interest in the beach’s night sky.

Zo’virox is notable for the apparent lack of presence of C’thur. Outside from the odd Xetl Worker selling Qwei’Paqui beads. Most of the town's inhabitants consist of Skrell with mossy, tangled headtails and of few dionae “calypso revival” bands.

All houses in Zo’virox are made of wood and a bamboo-like material sustainably sourced from local forests. Some neighborhoods—locally known as villages—go as far as to aid others with surplus construction materials. Similarly, many of the two-story houses double as hostels, attracting many like-minded individuals from all corners of the Federation.

Despite its status as a communal utopia, Zo’virox has become expensive and dangerous for tourists. The bicycle rental shops and the kombucha bars are highly priced, competing with some of the best five-star resorts in other parts of the planet. Furthermore, there are criminal gangs that prey upon lonely visitors at night. As the C’thur Hive does not want to increase its local presence in order to not scare away potential holidaymakers and residents, Zo’virox may become more dangerous until C’thur Warriors are allowed to police the area.
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===Qaqo’qao Ecological Reserve===
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The Qaqo’qao Ecological Reserve is the most biodiverse area in Diulszi. It consists of the Qaqo’qao Archipelago and the nearby Moqvaas Peninsula. The latter takes its name from Qu’xelli Moqvaas, the Skrellian scientist who sailed from the peninsula to the archipelago. The findings of Moqvaas were published in a volume titled “The Many Species of Diulszi”, which introduced many skrell from the Core system to the biodiversity of the planet. Despite the modest success of the book, the detailed explanation of Moqvaas inspired odes, poems, and dramatized retellings of the islands, often depicted as dangerous. While the source material became more obscure, the popularity of the fantastical-adventure genre exploded, inspiring many derived motion pictures and novels.

By the time Diulszi first opened its natural parks, Qaqo’qao gained notoriety for its importance in fiction. However, the archipelago was slightly transformed to accommodate visitors. This, in turn, had adverse effects, as the connecting bridges unbalanced the delicate ecosystems of each island. Just prior to the Glorsh-Omega era, all artificial structures were planned to be removed, and the Qaqo’qao Ecological Reserve was meant to be left undisturbed, with only a small scientific outpost at the peninsula. However, as the AI expelled all scientists from the planet, the bridges were left derelict.

At the return of the skrell to Diulszi, the scientific consensus was to leave the structures of Qaqo’qao as is, and to study the biodiversity from a distance. However, upon the control of Diulszi by the C’thur Hive, the Qaqo’qao Archipelago fell into a gray legal area. The statutes allowed the Hive to take control of all modified, non-scientific areas. As a result, the Hive argued that the archipelago was fair game to reopen to the public, and did not count as a real ecological reserve or a scientific outpost.

While the legal battle continued, a group of conservationist Dionae traveled to Diulszi and took control of Qaqo’qao. Currently, the Qaqo’qao Choir continues to reside in the archipelago, claiming they are the rightful keepers of the planet’s nature. The Qaqo’qao Choir has expanded to other areas of the planet, impeding the development of some of the Hive’s projects.

The ecological impact of the Qaqo'qao Choir is still debated. While they believe they do not harm, but rather protect the Diulszian environment, some scientists claim any sapient activity is enough to disrupt the ecology of the place. As a result, the choir is a divisive subject among the public.
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K'lax in the Karszekani

2026-05-28T15:17:48Z

Carver: Izweski Nation to Izweski/Karszekani

{{Outdated (Phoron Scarcity)}}
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With the [[Vaurca Hives#The Zo'ra|Zo’ra]] remaining shaky allies to the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] in [[Tau Ceti]] and the [[Vaurca Hives#The C'thur|C’thur’s]] position as partners to the [[Nralakk Federation]], the [[Vaurca Hives#The K'lax|K’lax]] follow the most radical form of relationship with their benefactors in that they are a vassal to the feudal [[Karszekani Moghes]].

Vassalization is leagues different from the other forms of partnerships that the other Hives have adopted, and whether or not it benefits Vaurcae or [[Unathi]] more is still up for debate.

==Vaurcae and Loyalty==
The concept of loyalty is often brought up when in reference to vassalization, and many questions whether or not the K’lax will ever truly be loyal to anything but their own Queen. Vaurcae are raised in [[Virtual Reality]], somewhere that, like the [[Nralakk Federation]] and the [[Republic of Biesel]], the Karszekani has no control. Anything can be taught to young Vaurcae here, and their masters would have no say in it.

To that end, not much is known about how new K’lax are conditioned to operate in this relationship. In most cases, K’lax follow the orders of Karszekani superiors as if they came from one of their own Ta— and to the same standards. Sentiment-wise, a Vaurca typically follows similar beliefs to that of their Brood’s Queen. There have been next to no cases of outcry or disobedience outside of [[Queenless]] broods, leading the Karszekani and the K’lax Hive to warm relations, despite whether the contact is forced or not.

==Living Conditions==
Most Vaurcae in the Karszekani live on [[Tret]], a planet in [[Uueoa-Esa]] gifted to the K’lax to colonize, and its satellite, Pid. To this extent, living conditions tend to vary in both quality and architecture. Settlements on Tret, are sprawling industrial complexes, whereas Pid is known for its rapidly growing tunnel networks, constructed with adequate flooring, roofing, and ventilation in mind; rooms along with the network functioning as different facilities. As a rule of thumb, the quality tends to go up the closer in proximity the settlement is to a Queen.

In other instances, Vaurca settlements are constructed similarly to towns on [[Moghes]] or [[Ouerea]]. Architecture almost identically similar is common in these settlements with the insides of structures instead resembling rooms on-board the K’lax’s fallen Hiveship in the capital city of Tret, '''Ksyne'kizar''', otherwise known as '''Kizar’s Crater'''. Settlements in this example are typically newer than others, as the designs became popular with Ta following urbanization efforts on Ouerea.

Outside of Tret, K’lax mostly exist in buildings designated as residences by Karszekani officials, and largely serve the sole purpose of housing Warriors or Workers (separately, never combined) for work details and related duties.

==Bound in the Karszekani==
Part of the K’lax Hive’s obligations to their masters is the contribution of resources and labor. Bound Vaurca are often sent en masse to fulfill these requests, whether it be removing polluting materials from the Moghesian sea, or mining Tret’s bountiful resources to fund the Karszekani’s endeavors.

Of all the broods, [[Leto, The Seeker|Leto]] contributes by far the largest number of bound Vaurcae, often to perform agricultural and construction duties on the outskirts of the Untouched Lands. Their expendable nature and high durability mean that they can either survive the harshness of the Wasteland or be cheap enough to replace in the event they cannot.

==K’lax in the Military==
The K’lax’s role in the Karszekani’s military is derived from their status as a Vassal. For the most part, the K’lax are free to do with their Warriors what they wish, only needing to send them to aid the Karszekani once explicitly requested. Despite this, several K’laxan Vaurca go further, opting to become Kataphract Hopefuls or to enlist in the Karszekani’s military proper.

Vaurca in the Karszekani’s military often assume one of two roles. One is being soldiers, equipped with Glaives and energy weaponry, often in their own formations outside of Unathi battlegroups due to their unique physiology and tactics.

The few warforms the K’lax possess also fall into this category, often being the centerpieces of K’lax formations. Despite being fewer in number, K’lax warforms are formidable, often appearing as hexapod behemoths with artillery pieces integrated into their biology, and steel claws adorning their legs. This makes them optimal for bombarding enemy locations whilst the Warriors surrounding act as bodyguards.

The second position K’lax are often found in is the role of an Engineer. From simple firearms to breacher suits, K’lax mechanics work tirelessly to maintain and improve upon the technology of the Karszekani’s military. Typically these jobs are performed by Workers, with a minority of displaced Warriors taking on the trade having not found work elsewhere for one reason or another.

==K’lax in the Navy==
The most notable K’laxan military achievement comes in the form of the 3<sup>rd</sup> fleet. A battlegroup of space-faring vessels under the Cataclysm-Class HMV Annihilation Super-Dreadnought, Captained by '''Admiral Za’Akaix’Xitac K’lax''', a Vaurca from [[Vetju, Iron Queen|Vetju’s brood]]. This fleet is mostly held in reserve, dealing with pirate issues and occasionally jumping at [[The Lii'dra|Lii’dra]] scares, mostly due to [[Vedhra, Princess of Configurations|Vedhra’s]] paranoia.

While the K’lax Admiral is a considerable show of power, especially in the eyes of the Zo’ra, command of the fleet still falls under the Karszekan, and not the K’laxan Queens. This conflict of interests is often brought up in calls for the removal of the Admiral from the Navy structure, as it could potentially be catastrophic in the albeit unlikely event the K’lax would rebel.

==K’lax Kataphracts==
The [[Karszekani Moghes#Feudalism and Caste|Kataphracts]] are an ancient class of warriors recently revived by '''Not’zar Izweski''', the current Karszekan. They are hardened fighters known for keeping to a very strict Warrior’s Code of Honor, traveling to distant places in search of adventure to keep up their reputation as brave and stalwart combatants.

In recent years, the number of K’laxan Kataphracts has been on the rise. Though these individuals are limited by the structure of the Kataphracts, being stuck in the low position of Kataphract Hopeful for what seems like infinity. K’lax hopefuls often struggle to understand the sense of honor their Sinta comrades possess, following the rules but not knowing the logic behind them without a significant amount of experience as one.

Despite their lack of understanding, K’lax hopefuls are typically seen in a positive light by Karszekani citizens and are viewed as honorable warriors all the same. Until called upon to fight, a substantial number of hopefuls find employment in locations across the [[The Orion Spur|Orion Spur]], notably Tau Ceti.

==The Mi’kuetz==
The [[Queenless#Mi’kuetz|Mi’kuetz]] are a band of Queenless Vaurca that roam the wastelands of Moghes, living a nomadic lifestyle and occasionally being hired by the Karszekani to perform jobs that Sinta cannot. They are recognized as being a part of the K’lax Hive and even maintain warm relations with them, often being sought out by scholars and archivists looking for information about Moghes.

The Mi’kuetz are well adapted to life in the [[The Wasteland|Wasteland]], being much more tolerant to the harsh weather and terrain than most. They have also developed large Bound lifeforms to suit their nomadic lifestyle, serving as gargantuan pack animals of sorts.

Whilst the Mi’kuetz maintain a positive relationship with their Hive and the Izweski, they have a near hostile relationship with just about every other faction in the Wastelands, finding conflict with the [[Aut'akh|Aut’akh]] in particular.

More information about the Mi’kuetz can be found [[The Wasteland#The Mi'kuetz|here]].

==The Yiaa’mak’tzut==
Although not as prominent as the Mi’kuetz, part of the Yiaa diaspora can be found within the Aut’akh of Moghes. They are not recognized as part of the K’lax Hive and thus are often undocumented. The Yiaa endorse this isolation, and some hive-cells are known to act hostile towards strangers, particularly other Vaurcae. In a short span, they have become subject to various folk legends due to their eccentric behavior.

More information about the Yiaa’mak’tzut can be found [[Queenless#Yiaa’mak’tzut|here]].

==The Queens and Feudalism==
Despite their title as Queens, the place of K’lax representatives in the Izweski Karszekani’s Feudal structure is similar to that of Lords, with [[Zkaii, The Sleepwalker|High Queen Zkaii]] being the Overlord of Tret.

Under this system, the Ta among the K’lax population are the closest analog to the Nobility that can be made. The land they ‘own’ is typically the settlements on Tret they are assigned to oversee. In the event of multiple Ta in one settlement, the area is divided amongst them. While they technically own this land, it is often treated and seen as, the Queens owning all of it and having the final say.

Warriors of the K’lax hive often do not enjoy the same pleasures Sinta warriors do, as they are vast in number and don’t fit well into the Feudal structure. Most Sinta see K’lax warriors on par with the peasantry, alongside the workers. As of right now, there are very few guildsmen amongst the Vaurcae. This is due to the Queens preferring to trade resources with the Karszekani directly rather than buy and sell from the rest of the Galaxy. The one exception to this is a small number of merchants from Leto’s brood, as they attempt to search for historical items in exchange for goods.

=== Ta Consulars ===
Breeders have recently begun to be given permission to act in an auxiliary role as Karszekani diplomats in locations where they are sent due to their status as nobility. This means that, whilst they are still primarily representatives of the K'lax Hive, they may also manage and approve paperwork for the Izweski and handle other Consular affairs such as providing consultations, and assisting Karszekani citizens abroad. This announcement came with no small bit of controversy, with many Sinta denouncing the concept of allowing aliens to represent them altogether.

==K’lax Citizenship==
Much like Unathi, K’lax are considered citizens and have the same rights and obligations, with some key differences. For both Bound and Unbound of all castes, they [[Unathi#Non-Izweski Unathi|require the consent of their Lord to travel to the greater galaxy]]. The Hive Queens are legally considered Lords of Tret, and the Tas in charge of hive-cells are considered Clan Leaders. In the case of Mi’kuetz requesting to leave Karszekani territory, the consent must come from High Queen Zkaii. The process for all Vaurcae, however, is similar in that individual Tas will raise these matters to the Queens for them to approve.

Although the Mi’kuetz are tolerated within the Wastelands, for most Vaurcae traveling to Moghes or Ourea requires a special permit, often understood as a ‘work visa’, by the Unathite Clan Lord of their territory to settle. This measure was placed to contain Vaurcae in Tret, in order to prevent k’ois outbreaks in Unathi-dominated territories.

Though Karszekani law technically allows for Vaurcae to become Guwan, this in practice never happens, and instead, those deemed defective by the Hive are either culled or voided with impunity.

==Queens and the Government==
The Queens of the K’lax Hive are divided in their opinions towards their Status as a Vassal. Some are extremely positive towards the Izweski and make it a point to further relations, while others are less content with being under someone that is not their High Queen, instead preferring a truly independent K’lax Hive, with no benefactors, or to at least reunite with the Zo’ra.

High Queen Zkaii maintains a warm attitude towards the Karszekani, being the Overlord of Tret. Of the K’laxan Kataphracts, the largest number are from Zkaii’s brood, hoping to act as the face of the K’lax Hive to the galaxy at large. In addition to this, the concept of the Mother Dream is a topic the [[Sk'akh|Sk’akh Church]] have taken note of, seeing some parallels in both religions in that Mother K’lax herself could be interpreted as Sk’akh. A small [[Vaurca Religion#Mother Dream|Mother Dream]] priesthood has developed in Zkaii’s brood as a result of this.

Vetju, often seen as the opposite of Zkaii, resents the Hive’s relationship as a Vassal, despite seeing the reasoning as sound. To her, the K’lax can never prosper, and it never will under anyone’s rule but their own. To this end, Vetju holds a much more intense hatred of the Zo’ra, seeing similar issues on top of the injuries Vetju has sustained at their claws. Despite Vetju’s opinion of the vassalization, she makes no attempt to undermine it (though her spawn tends to be rather vocal about their dissent at times), and there is even a Vetju-born Admiral commanding one of the Karszekani’s fleets.

Leto has, by far, the largest population of workers out of all K’lax broods, and thus most work involving hard labour, agriculture, and terraforming the Karszekani requires will be requested from Leto rather than the other broods. This has led to a positive relationship between the two, with most being able to find jobs and the Izweski getting all of the labour they could need readily.

Vedhra has an outlook that can only be described as neutral when it comes to the Karszekani. This is largely due to their feverish hunting of the Lii’dra scourge, with most of the the brood’s actual contributions coming in the form of weapons research. Many Sinta find Vedhra’s spawn to be distasteful due to the excessive augmentation they often possess, and also find conflict in religion as Preimmenence can clash with Unathi faiths. Most of Vedhra’s offers to “perfect” the Unathi’s biology has been rejected by the Karszekani.

[[Tupii, The Surrogate Queen|Tupii]], the newest Queen, is one of the most supportive voices behind the Vassalage. Knowing that separating from the Karszekani is currently futile, Tupii has worked with her benefactors in the hopes of revitalizing the K’lax brood. The extent Tupii’s brood can actually contribute to the Izweski is fairly limited due to their diminished size and authority, but this is gradually changing for the better.

==Hephaestus Industries==
[[Hephaestus Industries]] has a large impact on the Karszekani Moghes, and the K’lax are no exception. The megacorporation finds keen interest in the activities of the K’lax, seeing them as relentless workers that are invaluable when it comes to cheap, hazardous labour.

To that end, the K’lax and Hephaestus have made great strides in constructing a working relationship, with an Orbital Factory above Tret being constructed and operated almost entirely by Vaurca personnel, as well as swathes of Vaurcae being employed in mining and engineering jobs across parts of the galaxy Hephaestus has influence over.

==Gene Clinics==
Constructed in 2460, the K'laxan gene clinics are facilities that provide free treatment to Unathi suffering from radiation related birth-defects and other genetic afflictions. The gene clinics are situated in the nine largest cities on Moghes and were erected by the K'lax Hive as part of their contribution to terraforming and restoring the former lush planet. Due to Karszekani laws surrounding land ownership and business, the facilities are run through the Tretian Medical Guild, which was established by the K'lax Hive for the clinics and is completely supplied with pharmaceuticals manufactured on Tret. They are staffed primarily by Karszekani medical officials with heavy K'lax oversight due to the complicated nature of their work. Since their original establishment, the number of gene clinics throughout the planet has been steadily increasing, leading to a noticeable decline in preventable deaths and an increased life expectancy in many urban areas. Despite this, they face heavy skepticism from a majority of the population, who vastly prefer to trust traditional medicinal solutions. Many of the patients within clinics are modernized urban nobility, or Sinta who have no other options left to them and wait-times for the facilities in more populated locations can be extremely long depending on the measured severity of the issue. Unathi nobles and notable guildmembers are given priority to bypass these waiting lists.

{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
[[Category:Vaurca]]

Virtual Reality

2026-05-26T09:02:03Z

Carver:

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
Their signature technology, known to have influenced every aspect of their lives, Virtual Reality is a complex series of [[Vaurca]] mechanisms that create alternate reality settings, experiences and emotions beyond any technologies other species from the Orion Spur can recreate. These simulations are often seen as esoteric because of their long cultural importance and their own composition, which tests the limits of perception. Since the discovery of Vaurcae, their Virtual Reality has caught the attention of researchers and [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|megacorporations]] because of its entertainment value, cultural importance and even possible means of reincarnation.

==History==
The earliest forms of virtual reality were created by a small, uncredited Hive. This primitive virtual reality, formed around 40 000 BCE, was very much like the human conception of virtual headsets and holographic entertainment. However, even then the main purpose served a diplomatic and religious need, where many could congregate in environments formerly unthinkable due to the barren nature of [[Sedantis I]].

Modern Virtual Reality was developed in 36 670 years ago, as a major breakthrough of [[The Lii'dra|Lii’dra]] scientists and artists. Unlike its current form, the Lii’dra Hive was then a small force with leading technologies. The adoption was nothing but gradual, with the members of the Court of Queens adopting Virtual Reality rapidly. Unlike the earlier versions of the technology, this technology no longer had the same limitations of before. Major Hives, such as Zo’ra, restructured their mythology and philosophy around the novel technology. In a few thousand years, universal concepts such as [[Vaurca Religion|the Afterlife]] and the Realms were formed.

After the [[Vaurca History#The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], High Queen Zo’ra made Virtual Reality freely available to all surviving Hives. Its Lii’draic origins have since been concealed, with Zo’ra claiming to have developed it themselves. Multiple origin myths have also surged, as it is understood to the Vaurca that Virtual Reality is almost a natural technology, with the same foundational importance as that of the wheel or the control of fire.

==Technology==
Like many of the Vaurcaesian advanced technology, Virtual Reality has a biological component. Unlike other species, which seek to develop artificial intelligence as a means to supersede biological realities, the Vaurca believe that their augmentations instead should be in service of what can be deemed as natural. Thus, early in the Era of Augments, the current caste developments allowed for the creation of the Cephalons, huge biological computers which have the primary purpose of storing large amounts of data. These [[Vaurca#Cephalon (Type D)|Cephalons]] are, however, best known for serving as hosts of Virtual Reality.

Each Queen has a neural rod which allows access for all Vaurcae, regardless of their Hive, to access Virtual Reality. The rod beams its own Realm information, while it also relays that of other Queens, making Virtual Reality accessible in most areas of the [[Orion Spur]].

The neural socket is the quintessential augment for a Vaurca, and one they would find themselves disoriented if living without. This is what allows an individual to access Virtual Reality at will, however, the bodily functions cannot be suppressed when inside VR.

This has led to the creation of special cryogenic pods, which are known to have housed some connected Vaurcae for thousands of years, as many of those that first arrived in human space were in stasis for long periods. A downside of this is that respiration is still a required function, and for those in such long periods of stasis, they will continue to metabolize phoron, albeit at a much slower rate than a Vaurca not occupying these pods.

While the effects of the cryogenic pods in the long-term have not been tested, many individuals have claimed to have suffered muscle atrophy, derealization and even other forms of anxieties. While it is common practice that those victims of these conditions are to be culled and deemed as defective, regulations in human and [[Skrell|Skrellian]] space do not allow for these methods if the individual in question can still be treated and eventually recover. This has led to some controversy among many Vaurcae, as well as ostracization of those that are deemed too crippled to work.

==Life with Virtual Reality==
Since its inception and later introduction to all Hives, Virtual Reality has become essential to Vaurca. It touches all aspects of their culture, from religion, myths, and entertainment to venues to conduct warfare and diplomacy. The Virtual Realm has become intertwined with the Vaurcae, so discussing their culture without mentioning it would be remiss. For them, Virtual Reality is not just a place of entertainment but a second reality running parallel to the one shared with the rest of the species.
Whilst every Queen has a unique realm, they generally share some basic qualities, except where noted elsewhere. For example, the size of the realms may differ. All but the youngest Queens have birthed tens of millions, sometimes billions, of Vaurcae since the introduction of Virtual Reality technology to the species, even excluding those broods which simulate entirely virtual people (typically either for study, as seen in [[Vaurca_Hives#Zoleth.2C_The_Herald_of_Scars|Queen Zoleth's]] combat practice, or as a curiosity, as showcased by [[Xetl, The Voracious Queen|Queen Xetl]]). Thus, populations have ballooned to extraordinary levels only capable of being supported due to the immense processing powers of the Cephalon caste, with even small realms typically rivaling the size of planets.

==Realms==
A realm is the virtual dominion of a Queen. Some of them can barely be described as places, but more like states or ethereal sensations. Each Queen’s realm is open to all Vaurcae, given that they acquire an access code to those that are not from their own Hive. Some areas are locked for members of the Hive only, or for permanent residents. [[Vaurca#Ta, The Breeders (Type C)|Tas]] are the only ones that hand out codes, and they may restrict access as they please. A common punishment is limited access to one’s own Virtual Reality. Each Queen has molded her realm to her own personality, and a description can be read in [[Vaurca Hives|their brood pages]].

===Personal Subrealms===
Personal Subrealms are spaces controlled by a particular individual in a particular realm. Originally granted to [[Vaurca Culture and Society#Xakat'kl'atan|Xakat’kl’atan]] only, they are now a subscription-based model, if one pays enough tribute to the Queen from their own salary. This is justified by the Queens as a maintenance cost, given the extra strain a Cephalon may have if it hosts too many subrealms. The liberty of the subrealm is still very much linked to what is possible in the mother realm, as well as different tribute prices for sizes and other peculiarities.

===Lost Realms===

With so many evershifting realities nestled amongst the Cephalons it is inevitable that some become lost in the tide, unvisited by their creators. These so-called 'Lost Realms' may occur for a variety of reasons from failed ecology experiments, to idle musings that were accidentally left running well past their theoretical expiration date, personal games that the creator plans to eventually return to, or simply just having been forgotten. The majority of the time a realm that goes unvisited for too long is simply disabled, useful or interesting data reincorporated to elsewhere in the Cephalons vast mindspace. Whilst the Cephalons are immensely potent, they do have a theoretical limit, and few in the Hives see reason to dedicate processing space towards what is effectively useless space.

This is not always the case, however. Occasionally, a realm slips through the cracks of these regular 'clean-outs' and is allowed to persist. This is especially common when realms become nestled within other realms, buried deep within the Cephalons, and effectively hidden from the search protocols that have been developed, or said protocols flag a realm as potentially having value. Many of these realms continue to exist unmonitored, with any simulated inhabitants within continuing to exist. Most realms are empty of life or feature simple entities. For those with inhabitants the topic is more complicated.

Some of these realms with "life" have remained stable to the point of allowing them to continue to live as they did before, perhaps never even realizing their simulated nature. For many others, however, the lack of direct oversight and maintenance causes "reality" itself to break down around the inhabitants over time. Holes in the world allow the interstice to leak in, gravity becomes treacherous, light becomes a malevolent painful force, and simulated survivors are forced to subsist by cannibalizing what little remains. Frequently, these realms simply end up tearing themselves apart at the seams as enough errors build to flag the Cephalons to their presence, becoming beacons in the interstice.

These Lost Realms however, are not always simply deleted upon being found. [[Leto,_The_Seeker | Queen Leto]] of the K'lax has long mourned what may be lost by doing so, viewing the careless destruction of entire miniaturized societies and realities within the Aether as anthema to her goal of preserving all history, both within and without. As a result, Queen Leto's brood and occasionally, when their interest is caught, the Vaurca of other Queens, are known to mount expeditions to these Lost Realms. In stark contrast to Leto, [[Xetl,_The_Voracious_Queen | Queen Xetl]] has the fewest Lost Realms, as she and her brood typically view experiences as less meaningful once they've passed, choosing instead to live in the moment.

These expeditions are tasked with exploring the realms and cataloguing anything of interest found within such as the realms purpose, the culture of inhabitants, interesting designs, or other things of "value" to the explorer. Occasionally, though it is uncommon, a realm may be "resurrected" if it is of particular value, restored to a more functional order. Such undertakings are deeply perilous activities, risking the cunning explorer being swept away, minds destroyed by waves of data in whatever form they may take. For some Vaurca, the real danger is thrilling. For others, it is simply part of the job, and the discoveries are the true reward.

Many former explorers, frequently referred to as Delvers, end up employed across the Spur, working as Xenoarcheologists, Scientists, or Private Security when not undertaking a delve. The danger and frequent reliance upon one another has led to many Delvers developing a subculture of sorts, and they often share a feeling of mutual respect, even across Hives. Most understand that it takes a certain degree of character strength to risk what is to them, one's eternal soul, in the pursuit of discovery.

==Entertainment in Virtual Reality==
Entertainment in Virtual Reality can vary dramatically between broods but is almost always themed around the Queen's particular tastes. Queen Zoleth's realm uses wargames, the most popular of which is Reacting Crucible, run by Za’Akaix’Morz Zo'ra. More strategically minded Vaurca will often engage in tactical simulations, reflecting the brood’s predisposition towards conflict. Whilst this leisure will typically suffice, they are far beyond the only way to relax in Virtual Reality, with these activities commonly provided by Weavemakers.

===Weavemakers===
Whilst personal subrealms were traditionally only provided to Xakat’kl’atan, branching realms from a Queen's main reality is hardly a novel idea. Since not long after the inception of Virtual Reality, the Queens have been granting the title of "Xenr'atan," or "Weavemaker" in Basic, to their Workers and Warriors, the selection process varying depending on the Queen in question. These Weavemakers are the creators of entertainment, given a branching realm and near free reign to make as they desire within it. These creations are then made accessible to the rest of the brood.
The types of experiences contained within a Weavemaker's realm will depend dramatically on the maker, and no two are the same. Some types, however, are notable due to their popularity.

====Reality Gardens====
Reality Gardens are a type of virtual world constructed by a Weavemaker purely for artistic purposes. The Cephalon on which realms are hosted include features that allow such gardens to be created with relative ease, but this does not mean that artists do not have a great deal of freedom to make exactly what they want. Such art is frequently described as remarkably beautiful by Vaurcae who witness it. The form this artwork takes ranges from fully immersive walkable environments with each detail delicately crafted by Weavemakers, to abstract shapes which can evoke emotional responses despite the unclear intended goal.

====Vibrations====
One of the most esoteric types of subrealm within Virtual Reality, Vibrations take the concept of ‘reality’ to the extreme. These places can only be described as shared sensorial havens, where no Vaurcae use virtual avatars to direct themselves. Instead, the residents of Vibrations are only said to ‘feel’ the colors and rhythm often present in the subrealm, sharing experiences with each other in a similar fashion. Vibrations were the most popular type of subrealm during the Exodus, as they helped many Vaurcae endure the idleness of their civilization. While these places quickly faded from the public, Vibrations are now mostly enjoyed by millennia-old Vaurcae who wish to remain sane while facing immortality.

====War Games====
War Games are a broad category of subrealm created by Weavemakers, for Warriors to practise their skills either competitively or casually. The exact nature of these situations is ever-changing and depends on the type of Warrior in question. Some have been crafted for strategic planning on the tactical scale with simulations that run all the way up to conflict across solar systems to small-scale squad combat. It is common for Warriors in disputes to settle them through duels, with the rules decided for each independent fight.

====Trials====
Trials are a type of virtual experience crafted by a Weavemaker with a goal of some sort that must be overcome and obstacles in the path. Some of these experiences are not unlike human virtual reality games, albeit with much more intricate designs, populated with enemies, weapons, and hazards for warriors, and puzzles or challenges related to a specific field for workers. Not all trials are so simple, however. Some are esoteric, with players taking on avatars that are metaphysical, perhaps navigating through networks instead of traditional rooms. A new phenomenon has appeared regarding these trials since the Vaurca arrival in the Spur. It is not unheard of for Weavemakers to offer a credit reward to the first handful of players to complete their latest design, leading to extensive competition and, in return, drawing more attention to their skills from amongst the members of the brood.

====Campaigns====
A Campaign is a type of virtual entertainment that, whilst sharing some elements with what constitutes a Trial, is different as it typically has very open-ended goals and a less linear environment. Instead, the participants are free to pursue what they wish at the pace they wish. In these simulations, a participant could be anything ranging from a renowned warrior to something mundane such as a security guard trying to make enough credits to survive in the Spur. The extreme level of immersion that goes into many campaigns is such that some Vaurcae will choose to live in them for long periods of time, with the help of relative time dilation, experiencing entire lifetimes as something other than themselves before returning to the real world. Proponents of the [[Vaurca_Religion#Pilot_Dream|Pilot Dream religion]] often point to these subrealms as proof that the "real world" is itself a simulation.

==Time in Virtual Reality==
To Vaurcae living in or visiting the Virtual Realms, time is typically viewed as an ever-moving stream, the speed of which can be molded by the Queens as easily as any other element. A given realm will often have sections where time will seemingly flow faster or slower relative to the real world and areas around it, further changeable in subrealms like all other options.

In a location of entertainment, what to the Vaurca seems like a month may have passed. However, the individual leaves the Virtual Reality to discover only a few hours or days have transpired. To the layvaurca, this phenomenon is simply time travel, another avenue by which the Queens exercise their omnipotence in the Aether. Nonetheless, many scientists and scholarly Vaurcae believe the effect is simply accomplished by changing the clock rate of certain areas through clever usage of the Cephalons. The faster the clock, the slower time appears to pass, and vice versa, when the difference is only subjective. Experts point to the evidence of the odd phenomena that come from adjusting time too far in one direction, where calculations become more abstract. At first, this may be unnoticeable, but pushing it too far in the other direction makes more precise practices such as science almost impossible.

==The Interstice==
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 their use. With it, a Vaurca could share its entire life story from its own perspective in no time at all. Within the interstice itself, the physicality of simulations tends 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 three dimensions, to create what their minds choose. Yet most tend to merely use the interstice to communicate or travel between each Realm. Those that do choose to live out their afterlife here are often seen as eccentrics.

The Interstice is also seen as a meeting place for Xakat’kl’atan and those interested in the [[Vaurca Religion#Pilot Dream|Pilot Dream]] religion. [[Vaurca#Queenless|Queenless]] may congregate in hidden sections of the interstice, as their presence, especially of their Tas, is barely tolerated in proper Realms.

==Surveillance and moderation==
Ever since its invention, Virtual Reality has been linked to the Hivenet. However, the mechanisms behind Virtual Reality are much more complex, and thus its encryption is harder to decipher. While most places have logs, akin to how the Hivenet conversations are logged, there are certain places, such as the Interstice or [[Mouv, The Recondite Queen|Mouv’s realm]], which are harder to read. If one were to revise what is left from these conversations, more often than not it appears only as a sensor glitch. This has caused some issues with both the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the [[Nralakk Federation]], which wish to moderate Virtual Reality as much as they do with Hivenet. While the [[Flagsdale]] logs have been considered “the Rosetta Stone of Virtual Reality”, the truth is law enforcement still has made little progress, with the Hives being reluctant to cooperate as much as they have with non-VR communications.

This does not mean, however, that Virtual Reality space is not moderated by the Hive authorities. Many Warriors of all broods have traditionally served as enforcers inside Virtual Reality, making sure law is followed and no conspiracies are formed. Punishments go from simple bans to the void of their consciousness, even if alive. It is said that mind voiding is a punishment enforced against Unbound criminals with non-VR crimes too, since it is a legal loophole to capital punishment in the galactic community.

==Afterlife==
Ever since the aftermath of the [[Vaurca History#The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], the ability to upload their consciousness has been the cornerstone of Virtual Reality, with its rapid adoption and importance linked to the “death of death”. For Vaurcae, Afterlife is not only a promise, but a reality they can see inside the Realms, and because of this alien religions have had a hard time proselytizing.

Cheating death is the most interesting part of Virtual Reality to many investors, which may see it as a more viable option than cloning. However, deeper analysis of how the Afterlife works has caused controversy.

In early 2463, the Xavier Trasen Medical School released a research paper which supposedly proved that older Vaurcae residing in Scay’s afterlife appear to be more “limited” than consciousness that have died more recently. This has led many to believe that the Afterlife is akin to an AI that acquires singularity once it has copied the data from a Vaurcaesian brain. After the Zo’ra Hive supposedly threatened to stop funding the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]], this study was censored, though discussions have arisen from metaphysics philosophers to 64tan threads.

The possibility of actual consciousness, translated into data and uploaded to the Afterlife, has been supported by other scientists and thinkers. The main argument is that the consciousness of dead individuals are lucid in a way that an artificial brain would never be able to emulate. Proponents of this solution are excited to unlock the secrets behind VR, and it is believed that this position is what helped seal the deals between C’thur and [[Einstein Engines]].

Resleeving or reincarnation, while possible, is still a niche. How it works is that a neural socket copies the consciousness from the Afterlife, and is then inserted into a pupating Vaurca right before their training. While those that believe that Afterlife is just artificial intelligence say that these new Vaurcae are merely indoctrinated to assume the identity of the one cloned, people who believe an afterlife is possible claim that this resleeving has no identity issues. It is sometimes reported that memories may become glitched or falsified, but this has yet to be proven in a major study.

==Ta and Neural Sockets==
Breeders have a unique interaction with Neural Sockets and Virtual Reality. While traditional Workers and Warriors require their sockets to be recovered to upload into Virtual Reality through a Cephalon interface, the majority of Ta have a comparatively expensive upgrade known as a Trye'Opka, or "Emergency Remote Cast System."
Designed by Ka'Akaix'Tukl K'lax not long following the Exodus, the Emergency Remote Cast System interfaces with the local Hivenet connection in the event of brain death and streams the immense amount of data from the socket across the Interstice and into Virtual Reality. This, in practice, means that Ta with this augment are extremely difficult to kill permanently.

Whilst this system seems miraculous to the majority of Vaurcae and reinforces the appearance of their Ta as divine, it is not without its faults. Without the recovery of the physical Neural Socket, it is not uncommon for memories or elements of one's personality to become damaged or corrupted. Furthermore, those Ta with a socket yet to be recovered who choose to be resleeved have a tremendous amount of difficulty integrating their mental state into the complicated biological machine that makes up their new body, even once it has been grown, and must go through a process of acclimation that can often take several decades before they are truly able to begin being productive again. Because of this, it is still standard procedure to recover the sockets of Ta if at all possible and have them undergo a complicated and painful process known as merging, where they are amalgamated with the augmentation. This solves many of the aforementioned issues and allows them to be resleeved typically within a year or two, if they choose to do so.

==Neural Simulation Training Environment==
The "Full Neural Simulation Training Environment" or Neusim as it is sometimes known, was first unveiled by the Court of Queens in 2465 and is referenced by the Hive's as the Vaurca's first step towards introducing safe Virtual Reality to the wider Spur. The Neusim itself is run from a "node" a large room with a central processor that connects to a group of encircling pods. Participants enter the pods, which fill with liquid and must be submerged before the program can begin, an experience that is frequently cited as painful or shocking for first-time users. After the submersion is complete however, the participants are placed in a nearly fully realized digital environment, complete with almost pinpoint authentic sight, taste, smell, and feel, which many Vaurca describe as coming close to replicating the more mundane elements of Virtual Reality.

Currently, the only Neusim nodes are located in a secluded location on Caprice and kept under close guard, being used exclusively for training the non-Vaurca members of the Ve'katak Phalanx. The training regimes for recruits in the Neusim, cited by the Court of Queens as a way to both ensure the quality of prospective soldiers and have a pool of willing people to trial the new invention, are typically regarded as extremely gruelling. Recruits are placed in simulations ranging from the Interstellar War, the Lii'dra Invasion of Elyra, the Solarian Incursion into Biesel, and everything in between. These simulations often then have the participant fighting on the hardest fronts of these conflicts as active participants for what feels like weeks or even months, when only minutes have passed in reality. While recruits may leave at will, doing so results in instant disqualification from the Phalanx.

This training regime has been criticized by some in the Republic; however, the Hive is quick to downplay its severity. Strict NDAs forbid Ve'katak members from commenting on the Neusim in a strictly negative light, and the Zo'rane [[Zoleth,_The_Herald_of_Scars | Queen Zoleth]] has made statements stressing that the experience is a necessary element of preparing for real battlefields as peers of the Phalanx's Vaurca Warriors. These statements also downplay many of the possible side effects of Neusim. It is not completely unheard of in some cases for a participant to have to leave the program with either trauma or a decreased ability to judge reality as real, among other such symptoms. Rumours of legal action have begun to circulate but are widely downplayed by the Hive.

Additionally, this is far from the only criticism, with some coming from within the Vaurca themselves. [[Mouv,_The_Recondite_Queen | Queen Mouv]] has privately expressed her desire for the Hives to discontinue usage of the Neusim program to keep Virtual Reality secure, and whilst other Queens have yet to openly oppose the program, either due to its potential or simply having yet to consider the best method of addressing their concerns, for many a feeling of animosity is present.

===Mobile Neural Simulation Training Environment===
The aptly named "Mobile Neural Simulation Training Environment" is the first technology to arise from the Neusim's stated goal of advancing research regarding "pan-species sensational augmentation" and has been developed as a result of extensive research and development by the Court of Queens.

The MNeusim, as it is frequently abbreviated, is currently only a prototype but has begun to be quietly distributed to interested Ta from all three Hives across the Spur for "field-testing," with the device itself being an augmentation that allows the Spur's sapients access to a Vaurca adjacent virtual-reality program not unlike the larger Neusim, though without much of the bulky infrastructure.

That is not to say it is a completely streamlined experience, as to utilize the MNeusim relies upon the subject strapping on a large and heavy vest designed specifically for it and securing an augment-port neckbrace. Following this, the Ta initiator utilises her augments large neural-needle to establish a link with the cerebral cortex and spinal cord of the intended sapient through the neck injection port. After a link is established, the neural-needle is said to hijack the user's sensory experience, feeding new information directly from the neural-needle, with the vest working in tandem to keep the individual's biological functions synchronised with their new mental experience to minimize feelings of discontinuity.

The experience of the neural-needle, although not described as particularly painful, is often exceedingly disorientating, and it can take time for someone to fully adapt to this wide-reaching, artificially induced shift in neurological functioning. This new technology has additionally not eliminated many of the Neusim's supposed side effects, with all but the toughest humans leaving feeling dizzy, uncomfortable, and perhaps even somewhat disconnected from their bodies or reality as a whole. The exact reason for these side effects is unclear, but it is an obstacle that has stymied much of the Spur's research into Vaurca Virtual Reality itself, with many experts believing it to be related to a neurological difference between Vaurca and the other sapients of the Spur. So far, the testing done by the Zo'ra Hive has demonstrated that few people suffer such ill effects for longer than a few hours, but the risk increases dramatically with frequent exposure to the MNeusim, and such is discouraged.

Outside of its possible risks, the release of the MNeusim has been deeply controversial amongst the Hives, even more so than the larger Neusim itself, and those who follow Hive politics in the Spur tend to believe that is why the testing is being done with such little fanfare despite the possible implications for Virtual Reality as a whole. Many suspect that Zo'ra [[Vaur,_The_Liminal_Queen | High Queen Vaur]] and the pro-human [[Athvur,_The_New_Goddess | Queen Athvur]] may have pushed for the tech against the protests of their fellow Queens both within the Zo'ra Hive and outside. The implied advances of this technology, however, appear far-off, and the Court of Queens has been quick to emphasize that this is only the first of many steps towards accomplishing them.

The largest obstacle to the MNeusim is the requirement of having a Ta to utilize it. Unlike the traditional Neusim, the augment utilizes neurological functions exclusive to their neural-sockets for translating virtual reality into a sensory-feedback form suitable for other species. Despite the Zo'ra Hive's request for testing on behalf of the Court of Queens, many Ta are politically opposed to the MNeusim's very existence, nevermind feel inclined to use it themselves. All the Queens except for Vaur and Athvur have placed sharp restrictions on outsiders in their realms, even in the MNeusim's abbreviated form. Additionally, most applications of the MNeusim limit visitors to specifically crafted realms made for the other sapients of the Spur, much like the larger Ve'katak Phalanx-focused Neusim, due to the possible risks posed to the sapients of the Spur, with side effects seeming to become worse the more data that has to be processed through the neural link.

The Ta that have "tested" the device so far have done so sparingly, though the exact reasons have varied, ranging from rewarding a loyal human follower to impressing a political official, even at the expense of said official suffering a degree of discomfort later.

{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}

Vaurca History

2026-05-26T09:01:08Z

Carver:

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}

One of the oldest civilizations to ever exist, Vaurcae today are very different from their ancestors. The following is a break-down of the Vaurca history in each era, from their beginnings to their integration to the [[The Orion Spur|Orion Spur]].

==The Dawn of Vaurca==
Little is known about the Vaurca before their Agricultural Revolution, and without the possibility to engage in archeological excavations, and the stigma of [[Vaurca Culture and Society|Vaurca society]] to learn about their past, pre-Agricultural life is what makes it hard for researchers to investigate the earliest lives of Vaurcae. However, reconstructions have been proposed based on their mythological stories and what we know about their biology.

Due to their eusocial nature, the Hive structure predates the Vaurca civilization, however it might have been quite different, with little cooperation between the colonies and no lineage set by the Queens. The fierce, competitive nature of [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]] suggests that while sapient, Vaurcae were unable to remain on top of the food chain or even acquire proper means to survive. Famine was common in this era, and may have led to the rise of Warrior morphs, in distinction and specialization apart from the Worker castes.

==The Warrior Nomadism==
Around 737 000 years ago, these hyper-specialized Warriors became predominant in Vaurca society. The successful Hives of the epoch lived a militarized nomadic lifestyle inside the vast underground cave networks of Sedantis, seeking access to the edible fungus.

Although the bacteria inside their guts which allows them to eat k'ois and transform them into all the required nutrients might have existed in Vaurcae long before this period, the significance of k'ois is likely to have been emphasized in this era. The earliest record of Vaurca tool crafting, regarded as the origin point of their civilization, was found by the [[Leto, The Seeker|Leto brood]] before their departure. It is a mandible garment, likely to enhance the lethality of the bite, decorated with a pattern that resembles the spores of k'ois.

Almost all conflict originated around control of food. Warfare was a matter of survival after a Hive exhausted its food supply, and nearly all Hives were in constant conflict with one another. Due to the innate deadliness of Vaurca mandibles and claws, warfare was fought in melee. Prisoners of war tended to be decapitated by the mandibles of the victor, while the surviving Hive was either enslaved or left to perish.

As Queens were rarely spared, the growth of these Warrior Hives was mostly limited. Population controls may have also been enforced to ensure food would last for everybody. The Vaurcae social stomachs served a greater purpose during this era, as keeping the k'ois inside their bodies was a better option for their nomadic lifestyle.

==The Agricultural Revolution==
Approximately 567 000 years ago, agricultural methods to allow the domestication of k'ois proliferated with the Hives, even between former enemies. It is poorly understood how difficult it was for the k'ois to grow before this, but it commonly believed that the fungus required a specific type of spore dissemination that could not easily be replicated with intervention.

No longer a resource that could be easily exhausted, population numbers within Hives exploded, and permanent settlements were established. One of the first observable changes that agriculture brought was the lineage of a Queen. Hive Queens began to produce Breeders to aid them, forming the different broods, often having jurisdiction in a city.

While Vaurcae before have traveled all around the available underground of Sedantis in search of available resources, their nomadism and wars also greatly limited their opportunities to geographically expand as a species. Their increased venues in mining and exploitation of natural resources created various settlements in otherwise inaccessible areas.

Queens developed a cult of personality highly linked to their religion. Although particular doctrines varied from each brood, most of these beliefs remain as the fundament of the [[Vaurca Religion#Classical Pantheon|Classical Pantheon]].

==The Age of Death==
What is understood as the Age of Death is the period in Vaurca History up until the rise of Zo'ra and the Era of Augments. It is characterized by its relative peace and a lifestyle that contrasts greatly with how Vaurcae currently live. It is also often referred to as the '''pre-Zo'rane Age.''' Some scholars disagree where to cut the Age of Death, or if a new classification that further fragments this epoch is required. The discussion is also motivated by the fact that what is known as the Era of Augments should not have begun much sooner, as the first great break-through in universal augmentation was with the establishment of the [[Vaurca#Language|Hivenet]]. As to keep things simple, this article will use the classical division between the periods.

After the establishment of various societies across Sedantis, alliances between Hives became commonplace. In other cases, some minor wars ensured conquest of similarly minor Hives. Interests were not so much for expansion, but rather what the cooperation (or enslavement) of these Vaurcae could provide. Though current Vaurca societies can still be referred to as tribalistic, this shift unified many different cultural aspects until that moment. For instance, while what can be understood as ancient Vaurcese is a mixture of pheromones and vibrations, different subtleties created unique dialects that were little intelligible between each other. Similarly, some Hives may have developed a written form of their Vaurcese variants that was lost in time.

Most of the infrastructure in ancient Sedantis was developed during this period. As arts became more important, so did masonry. The Vaurca eventually developed elaborate and massive feats of subterranean engineering, with aqueducts, sewage, and entire cities being carved out of the rock. The walls and floors of the cave were smoothed out and covered in engravings, creating a form of art that would not be blasted away by radiation.

===The K'lax Bonanza and Technological Revolution===
Eventually, technological advancements became more important for all Hives to develop. Processes such as industry and uses of their Workers were revolutionized, which led to eventual advancements in computer science and, most importantly, communications. While most of the developments have been revised by Zo'ra to claim as their own, it is inarguable that the invention belongs to the [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax|K'lax Hive]].

The first records of K'lax stem from about 60 000 years ago, as a small Hive in the '''Mya'kt Fault.''' The legend surrounding Mother K'lax says that she raised her brood on her own, perhaps initiated due to her insignificance in Sedantis politics for centuries. However, since its conception, the K'lax Hive specialized in engineering. The Mya'kt Fault was uncolonized territory, as it was deemed too unsafe for millennia. K'lax managed to make it habitable in a short span, constructing a vertical city.

What gained them reputation and eventually marked their rise in Vaurca History was the invention of the first Hivenet tower 54 000 years ago, alongside a primitive implant that required a lengthy connection from the brain to the chest. Despite how rudimentary it was, it created a revolution in language, as the biological limitations of Vaurcese were no longer a burden. Their design was rapidly adopted by other Hives. As Vaurca economy was largely motivated by barter prior to contact with other sapients, K'lax accumulated goods and even territory through their invention.

Another K'lax invention is the [[Vaurca#Cephalon (Type D)|Cephalon]], which was quite different from the modern Cephalons. This early version retained sentience and could not store as much information as they currently can, however it was a major step towards Vaurca augmentations and engineered bioforms.

Their influence caused the Mya'kt Fault to become the de facto capital of Sedantis. This boon would inspire different Hives to continue perfecting and experimenting on augmentation.

===The Rise of Zo'ra===
Though exact dates are unknown, and Zo'rane records are unreliable due their revisionism, [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra]] emerged somewhere around 45 000 years ago, amidst the '''Xtykt'lotec Rift,''' a highly contested area by Warrior Hives that retained much of the Warrior structures of the old. The legend states that Queen Zo'ra had her entire brood raided while they were still larvae and was left to die. Once she recovered and produced a new batch of Warriors, she overtook every single Hive of the region. While this is unlikely true, the tension in the Xtykt'lotec may have shaped Zo'ra's war spirit. What is known, however, is that Zo'ra left the Xtykt'lotec Rift to relocate to the '''Veii'kt Plate,''' her capital.

Zo'ra would rapidly build an Empire like never seen before in Vaurca history. While there were large Hives that held power in large regions and enforced a martial lifestyle, no Hive before was as ruthless as Zo'ra in her quest for expansion. Her system of vassalage rarely allowed the subjected Hives to produce Warriors on their own, while also assimilating (or exterminating) the native cultures by enforcing the Zo'rane lifestyle. While Hivenet would have ideally ended the regional differences of Vaurca language, the different protocols used to transmit it served as barriers. Zo'ra enforced the Hivenet protocol that is still used to this day. It was also at this stage when the Modern Pantheon was enforced as a state religion for subjugated Hives, while the Zo'ra Hive was free to have their own personal beliefs.

One of the biggest changes under Zo'rane rule was the introduction of [[Vaurca#The Bound|Bound]] populations. While since ancient times some Vaurcae were deemed less as people and more like objects due to the nature of their jobs, these drones were not augmented or even modified to enforce their control. Zo'ra began to lobotomize her drones to remove their free will, in what is regarded as the creation of the Bound, though this term would not arise until the Era of Augments. Problematic subjects, or those composed mostly of Warrior populations, would often be lobotomized as a whole to ensure their loyalty to the Zo'ra Hive.

Though the Mya'kt Fault was far from the Zo'ra menace, K'lax was not safe. The eldest of K'lax daughters, '''Queen Neiim''', was the Warrior brood of the Hive and prepared for an eventual war. However, nothing she could do was enough for when Zo'ra attacked, despite the diplomacy between the two Hives. In a short span of time, the K'lax became vassals of Zo'ra.

Despite the fact that modern values regarding the war etiquette already existed at this period, and were enforced both by Zo'ra and K'lax, Queen Neiim mysteriously died shortly after the conquest. To this day, the Zo'ra Hive claims to have no involvement in her death, and is still a debated topic.

===The Uplifting of C'thur===
Though a minor Hive in this era, [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur]] first gained notoriety when they were spared in the Xtykt'lotec Rift conquest. While the exact details are unknown, as it would go against the legendary tale of Zo'ra, it is likely the C'thur brood aided Queen Zo'ra in her early days,after a surprise attack against the early Hive.

C'thur herself might be older than Mother K'lax, serving for the T'yat Hive before her vassaldom to Zo'ra. Though it is unsure where exactly the C'thur Hive was originally from, most sources cite her in the Xtykt'lotec region, as a tiny Hive that was never conquered. Instead, she would aid all of those injured by war that survived.

The Zo'ra domain in C'thuric territory was never as ruthless as elsewhere. The C'thur Hive is noteworthy in Zo'rane sources because of her aid in lobotomizing proto-Bound. The pupae lobotomization technique, which is still in use today, was a C'thur innovation.

==The Era of Augments==
Around 37 650 years ago, the constant improvements in augmentation technology allowed for Vaurcae to be able to cybernetically engineer any aspect of their drones. The Hivenet implants had also been greatly reduced in their size, and the current understanding Vaurcae have of augmentations as repair and maintenance arose. It was the constant refinement of the lobotomized drones that caused the modern distinction of Bound and Unbound.

The augments and genetic alterations made the caste specialization much more rigid than ever before. Although clear social roles were already marked since the dawn of Vaurca, a Vaurca of old had a chance to enter and learn about different fields. The modern Vaurca society saw a caste system where Vaurca were literally [[Vaurca Biology#Life Cycle|defined from birth and built into that role]].

===The Lii'dra Innovations===
The origins of the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra Hive]] are uncertain. Settled inside the '''Illuau'tia Grotto,''' the status of the Hive as a whole has changed as they became synonymous with evil. Many sources claim that High Queen Lii'dra is not even Vaurca, but rather of other species that sought to cause mayhem. Others say she was a meek Queen that wished for total dominion. What is likely true, however, was that the Lii'dra Hive was a small faction of tinkerers. Despite the popular belief, 'Lii'dra' originally did not mean Scourge, as it has become synonymous with. It may have had good relationships with nearby Hives of the '''Kol'axta Plate,''' and perhaps even required trading of larvae and Workforce due to fertility problems. They would have been regarded as irrelevant, even to the Zo'ra, until '''[[Virtual Reality#History|the invention of the modern Virtual Reality]]''' 36 670 years ago.

Its adoption would have been gradual at first, however it piqued the interest of Vaurca society when K'lax learned about it. As they were still regarded as the leaders of technological innovation and communications, K'lax marketed the Virtual Reality as an invention of their own. It is unsure if they reverse-engineered the Virtual Reality or gained access to the secrets behind it, effectively stealing it. However the case may be, the K'lax Hive began to produce the first version of the neural socket, an augment that joined both the Hivenet and Virtual Reality in a single piece. This first prototype was rather sturdy and essentially required a brain case installed below the exoskeleton.

Eventually, the Virtual Reality technology pervaded every aspect of the Vaurcaesian lifestyle. Seen as a means to reinforce religious dogma, and as a way to combat the already popularizing [[Vaurca Religion#Preimminence|Preimminence]], the religious and ritualistic significance of Virtual Reality was achieved by the Queens.

These changes marked the birth of the Vaurca society as we know it today. While plenty of documentation of their previous ways exists, Vaurcae believe that their pre-Augmentation days were primitive and incompatible with their current lifestyle.

==The Commonwealth of Zo'ra==
Despite her dominion over Sedantis as a whole, Zo'ra became increasingly wary of an upcoming uprising. Rebellions, while uncommon, were almost always crushed immediately. However, her fear was so much that she decided to reform some of her old ways. As a token of change, Zo'ra awarded the C'thur Hive their independence. She also reduced the military presence in many of her colonies, enforcing a more complex form of control through diplomacy and augmentations.

Zo'ra rule radically changed when, alongside the C'thur Hive, both Hives founded the '''Court of Queens''' in their native Xtykt'lotec. The nature of this organism was to promote inter-Hive dialogue and resolve any possible quarrels between their members. Vassals such as K'lax were allowed seats in the Court, while smaller Hives were occasionally allowed to voice their concerns in special reunions.

Many subsequent innovations in augmentation, especially the neural socket design still in-use, are credited to have been developed by the Zo'ra Hive. However, speculation has arisen if this itself was not instead a K'lax invention, which in turn would be likely Lii'dra technology. However the case may be, Lii'dra would not have a presence in the Court of Queens for the next hundreds of years.

Detractors of the Zo'ra Hive have also called this period '''The Easy Yoke''', as it is characterized by an ease of Zo'rane rule.

==The Great Hive War==
Lii'dra finally made an appearance at the Court of Queens 30 000 years ago, as part of a technological summit which involved all Hives. By then, the main goal Zo'ra had in mind was to take the Vaurca into what she considered the next generation of augmentation. Many strange bioforms, as well as advanced gadgets that still live in Vaurca imagination today, were speculated by then. This session, however, took a dark turn as the Lii'dra revealed their plan to unify the species.

What Lii'dra scientists had in mind was to put apart all Vaurca differences in a Hivemind that would be much more effective, all in one collective consciousness that would bring progress at an unprecedented speed. Though universally rejected by the assistants, Lii'dra representatives were not expelled from the Court until they implied they had already begun to put their breakthrough into practice, and that some smaller Hives were already assimilated.

Shortly after, Lii'dra seized Xtykt'lotec, effectively dissolving the Court of Queens. This event is marked as the beginning of the Great Hive War. While wars were fought before and after this, none have ever been of this magnitude again. The Great Hive War involved every Hive, both major and minor. Though most of the efforts were to stop the Lii'dra menace, plenty of other fronts emerged as minor Hives fell back into their old conflicts.

Because of the scope of the war, the demands of Warrior populations were higher than ever before. It is at this time that many of the current Lesser Queens were born, with some individual Vaurcae emerging from this conflict as heroes in their own right.

The turning point of the war began with the first Lii'dra defeats. At the hands of K'lax, Lii'dra were unable to breach their plate's defensive network, a complex set of machines that prevented any lifeform from approaching within miles of their territory. This resulted in forcing the Lii'dra to attack the Zo'rane plate through the '''Ryitu'kya Abyss.''' This battle is considered the single most important in Vaurca history. Such was its importance that there are legendary claims about the Queens themselves participating in the conflict.

The Lii'dra defeat here signaled the beginning of the end of the war. From here, increasingly bloody battles would blanket nearly all of Sedantis. Forced to attack the K'laxan positions after their defeat within the Ryitu'kya Abyss, the Lii'dra broke the K'laxan defensive line despite its cost in lives. By some accounts, in the aftermath of the '''Siege of the Kol'axta Plate,''' entire underground caverns were filled to the brim with corpses from both sides. The Great Hive War officially ended 29 930 years ago after the sinking of the Lii'dra capital Illuau'tia.

With over the half of Vaurca population slain in the conflict, a mass depression blanketed the survivors in their Pyrrhic victory over the Lii'dra, that not even the surviving Queens themselves could mend. It was from this bleakness and death that the Vaurcaesian idea of [[Virtual Reality#Afterlife|the Afterlife]] spawned. Envisioned and proclaimed by High Queen Zo'ra, the Afterlife technology was gifted freely to all surviving Hives, as she declared nevermore would such death haunt their species. For truly, based upon their newest technology, the Queens relieved their Hives of death and despair by making real the idea of life after death, that the death witnessed here would never again be an issue for the generations after.

More information can be found [[The Great Hive War|here]].

==The Decline of Zo'ra==
The aftermath of the Great Hive War went beyond just the Afterlife technology. Zo'ra herself had lost daughters in battle, and her domain over most of her colonies was lost. While K'lax independence was an idea that began to develop during this period, challenging Zo'rane authority, even at its low, would likely have caused another war.

Some regions that lacked authority became breeding grounds for Warladies that retained some of their Warrior populations, or even went as far as to employ Workers to increase their numbers, despite the poor success. The Zo'ra Hive avoided the conflict, as well as other major Hives that could intervene, since many had lost their most eccentric and specialized Warforms in the Great Hive War.
The Vaurca goal to continue modifying their bioforms, as well as to create new technologies stagnated for thousands of years. The religion of Preimminence, which was already unpopular with the Hives before the war, was blamed as inspiring the corrupted ways of the Lii'dra. This, combined with the scorched Cephalons during the war, has caused many of the ancient Vaurca technology to have been deemed lost.

Zo'ra decided to divide her territory, allowing her daughter '''L'kaal''' to independize and manage most of her remaining vassals, while she retained K'lax only. The L'kaal Hive, however, was largely unsuccessful, and was constantly raided by the opportunistic scavengers of different flavors that emerged.

While Zo'ra's situation eventually improved, it was never to the same levels of glory of the past. The population of Sedantis eventually increased again over time, and although the status quo seemed to have returned, it was never the same as before.

The C'thur Hive, and mostly, Queen Vytel, attempted to re-establish the Court of Queens multiple times, with little success. The historical location in the Xtykt'lotec Rift was razed by the Lii'dra, and Hive differences continued to increase, as well as an anti-Zo'ra sentiment by many smaller Hives that refused now to subjugate. It was also transparent now by many of Sedantis that the political maneuvers of C'thur were two-faced and mostly for her Hive's gain. A smaller Court of Queens eventually settled in Veii'kt, however this time it was an attempt for the Zo'ra daughters to remain unified, with little success.

===The Hives Renaissance===
As stability was somehow regained, many social stigmas that prevented the Vaurca society to continue its quest for expansion eventually dissipated. However, it was perhaps too late. Vaurcae before had shown little interest to explore the surface of Sedantis, due to its hostile environment, as radiation and intense heat blasted the planet's surface. With the revitalization of the arts and sciences, the observation of the stars and planets brought a bleak discovery.

More information can be found [[Hives Renaissance|here]].

==The Exodus==
The consciousness of Sedantis I orbiting their sun, '''Sc'theth'stak,''' was common knowledge since the early Age of Death. However, its relationship with the gas giant Sedantis, the planet it was a satellite of, was vastly understudied. Scientists of different Hives discovered that each cycle Sedantis I deranged from the gas giant, pulling towards Sc'theth'stak instead. The reasons behind this change were largely debated, but it is possible that the large quantities of phoron had something to do with this gravitational shift. By 150 CE, the scientific consensus was that this change of orbit would mean their home planet crashing into the Sun in the next three-hundred years, with possible fatal consequences for the rest of their home system as a consequence of the solar flares' aftermath.

This information was at first hidden from the public, though the efforts were futile. Mass hysteria developed due to the impending apocalypse, and the Zo'rane rule was questioned more than ever, with [[Vetju, Iron Queen|Queen Vetju]] publicly supporting K'laxan independence for the first time. Fighting for Sedantis, however, was pointless. The only means of survival, it seemed, forced Vaurcae to consider colonizing the stars.

Zo'ra developed a plan to construct massive Hiveships, which would be able to transport their entire Hive to other star systems. The design, however, was a subject of controversy, as [[Xakt, Queen of Corpses#Za'Akaix'Cimm Zo'ra|Cimm's proposal]] was deemed impossible to develop in a short timespan and with their current technology. Although at first the Zo'ra Hive's idea of Exodus did not include any Hive but the Zo'rane broods, Zo'ra was forced to cooperate with a reinvigorated K'lax.

C'thur managed to construct their Hiveship by reverse-engineering the K'lax design to the best of their understanding, rushing to prepare it for the day of embarking. Only some minor Hives were spared by their workforce, assimilating them to the Zo'ra and K'lax populations, losing their identity in a few Worker generations.

The rest of the Hives, however, were left for dead without any possibility to construct their own ships. The anti-Zo'ra sentiment reached a new height when a failed attack to Veii'kt was launched by minor Hives. To ensure some stability in the doomed planet, Queen L'kaal volunteered to remain on Sedantis and ensure no attempts of Zo'ra trailing were made. For this, she is remembered as '''The Sacrifice Queen''' by the Zo'ra Hive.

Due to their available phoron, as well as fusion reactors, the Hiveships were prepared to travel for long periods of time. The speed of light was thought to be the barrier of how fast an object could move for almost all of Vaurca history, but such velocity was breached by [[Vetju, Iron_Queen#Ka'Akaix'Yix_K'lax | Ka'Akaix'Yix K'lax]], the engineer behind the Hiveships shortly before the Exodus. Whilst significantly slower then Human and Skrell Bluespace drives would later end up being, the K'lax design ensured almost 20% of what the best warp drives are capable of.

The ultimate fate of Sedantis I is unknown, as no certainty exists as to whether it crashed or simply changed orbits. The second possibility might have been too damning for the planet, however, as the already thin ozone layer would have disappeared, exposing Sedantis to new levels of radiation and scorching it completely, making even subterranean life difficult to continue. Contact with the Vaurca home planet remains impossible.

==The Two-Thousand Year Gap==
The journey to the Orion Spur was full of mayhem, with uncertainty and terror reigning over Vaurcae. The following is an outline of what occurred before their discovery by other sapients. The Zo'ra Hive left with three Hiveships, K'lax with two and C'thur with only one available.

===The Zo'ra Trail===
Shortly after the evacuation, the Hiveships coordinated to resettle and rebuild their society. The small planet, called '''Gii'moss,''' was nothing like Sedantis, with much more biodiversity and a more jungle-like appearance. However, it had traces of phoron in its atmosphere. The Hives would quickly spread massive k'ois plantations, systematically eliminated the native flora and fauna and increase the phoron composition to match that of Sedantis. Proving to be fatal to the ecosystem and fearing an incident which would render the place completely inhospitable, it was rapidly evacuated after a few years of colonization.

Other similar attempts occurred in different ecosystems, such as the legendary '''Vutx'ic,''' which was said to have lakes of liquid phoron. However, k'ois and the disregard of local life made it so that catastrophes were inevitable. Even after the introduction of some more careful layouts of k'ois farms, many of the first waves of colonies would wither because of the ecological devastation.

The first signs of a major dispute between the Hives occurred with the blames placed towards Zo'ra by the C'thur in regards to their aggressive methods to colonize. The inferior C'thuric Hiveship would begin to fail at the end of this first phase, perhaps due to its overwork to match the other ships' velocity.

===The Celis Conflict===
The original C'thur Hiveship had to make an emergency landing on the planet of '''Celis,''' which is notable for its similarities to Sol III in terms of size and atmospheric composition. Completely useless now, C'thur hailed for help and both the Zo'rane and K'laxan Hiveships landed for aid. Because of the inhospitable conditions for them at first, it was at this stage when the first prototypes of the phoron tanks were built and quickly perfected to the design still in use today. Celis was less than ideal to colonize, but a large barren desert proved the perfect place to cultivate k'ois, and the complex natural cave tunnels served as the basis for the city foundations.

While inter-hive cooperation was encouraged the first years, territorial disputes began soon after. A major issue was with the k'ois supplies and how they were being divided, with K'lax ceasing to provide tribute to Zo'ra in a clear move of independence. C'thur sided with the K'lax in a strange alliance, which put high pressure on the Zo'ra Hive despite outnumbering them both with Warriors. For the first time in history, Zo'rane rule was openly questioned by its closest allies.

War also became impractical due to a famine that cut most of the k'ois supply in a short time. The exact reasons behind this "k'ois drought" are unknown, but perhaps the fungi was still unprepared to thrive in environments of high oxygen. It was during this period that C'thur took control of the '''Kloxa'xia.''' While the C'thur Hive claims it was gifted by K'lax because of their damaged ship and their alliance, K'lax instead argues that it was stolen while their guard was down. Whatever the case may be, for K'lax and C'thur trying to remain on Celis was seen as futile, both Hives parting shortly after.

Though the Zo'ra Hive managed to salvage the k'ois and grow a steady colony, they were ready to search for a more suitable environment, with conditions more familiar to them. Two of the three Hiveships of Zo'ra parted, leaving High Queen Zo'ra and her brood on the Celis colony, with promises to regain contact once more resources were found.

It is uncertain as to why High Queen Zo'ra decided to stay behind. The Celis conflict, while diplomatic in nature, proved that Zo'ra was not the same mighty giant she once was, which may have affected her decision to settle there. It is also known that the idea of returning to a nomadic lifestyle terrified her, as their species had evolved long from that. Another reason might have been the mere shock of the dynamic change with K'lax. Knowing [[Tupii, The Surrogate Queen#Background|Mother K'lax had died]], she might have felt as if she did not recognize this new Hive, with the Lesser Queens having a completely different stance on the Zo'ra. Whatever the case might have been, High Queen Zo'ra seemed to be content with her decision to settle in Celis, and while both sides might have expected to be reunited again, no contact with the Celis colony has been possible ever since.

===The Nomadic Approach===
Following the conflict, the communication between the Hives fractured, though they remained tailing each other. Settling in any of these planets would have required great infrastructure, as their composition was too extreme for Vaurcae to survive. The disponibility of k'ois greatly diminished as a result, with few available places to let k'ois grow. The first attempts of an asteroid farm were started by the K'lax Hive, which the [[Leto, The Seeker#Recent Events|Leto brood would later perfect in Pid]].

Lost in space, the desperation was growing fast, taking a toll in many of the Vaurcae, even the Queens themselves. The Hiveships, while prepared for emergencies such as this, were beginning to deteriorate too. The available phoron fuel became a luxury, however they had to continue.

The second Hiveship of the Zo'ra was used as a means to store resources, with only one Queen, '''Biibak,''' on board alongside her brood. Both K'lax and C'thur, which were becoming uneasy too, hoped that the Zo'ra Hive would eventually share their surplus kept here, was the situation to become even more drastic. However, Biibak lost contact with the rest of the Hive. The ship is speculated to have been destroyed, perhaps due to natural phenomena. Losing their emergency stock, a new plan had to arise.

===The Last Ordeal===
To save on resources, most Unbound underwent stasis. With an uncertainty and a fear that the life support systems would make it hard for their survival, the life inside Virtual Reality was, at times, uncertain. Many of the [[Vaurca Culture and Society#Xakat'kl'atan|Xakat'kl'atan]] were reunited in the sentiment of soothing the others, while those few Unbound that remained active developed means to scan for phoron. The sensor readings for this were, at best, broad and unreliable, and at worst, outright a lie.

The sudden sense of direction the Zo'rane Hiveship had alerted the other Hives, which prompted them to follow closer again. Without an official word from the Zo'ra, however, they often wondered if it was worth pursuing.

It is uncertain when Vaurcae finally entered the Orion Spur. Some small settlements and outposts in the [[The Orion Spur#Sparring Sea|Sparring Sea]] suggest the Vaurca were there before its colonization. As following Zo'ra was uncoordinated, both K'lax and C'thur may have lost all means to locate the ship long before the Hive continued its journey to [[Tau Ceti]]. Though K'lax and C'thur were not on good terms, attempts to communicate and team up were made, with relaying distances too far to properly do so. Their relationship only worsened from these broken messages. C'thur claimed to have traced the Zo'ra path, with coordinates to be exchanged in what is known today as the '''Xi'miix rendez-vous,''' an asteroid somewhere in the Sparring Sea. While C'thur did arrive at the encounter, a surprise attack separated the Hives, making the '''Klo'zxera''' change course, unknowingly, to [[Uueoa-Esa]].

It is not clear when the Lii'dra left Sedantis. High Queen Lii'dra remained hidden deep in the Sedantian abyss after the Great Hive War, and emerged again only after the Exodus. It is suggested that this time around most Hives that joined forces with them surrendered, either out of hatred of Zo'ra or as a desperate means of survival. However it happened, the Lii'dra attacked and boarded the Kloxa'xia, believing that Mother K'lax remained alive and on board the Hiveship. The attack almost took C'thur's life, leaving her weak and crippled. After the attack, the Kloxa'xia unknowingly wandered into the Skrellian Traverse, eventually emerging in [[Notable Skrell Systems and Locations#Glorashi|Glorashi]].

The Zo'ra Hive remained determined to find this phoron they may have located. Perhaps because the engines of the '''Titan Prime''' were superior to those of the two other Hiveships, they managed to travel a greater distance. Vaurca would emerge in human space in 2456, located first near the [[Tau Ceti#The Romanovich Cloud|Romanovich Cloud]].

==The First Contacts==
All Hiveships that arrived at the Orion Spur were in poor shape. The conditions were a result of an increasingly dangerous journey, with no opportunities to permanently settle or repair most of its millennial systems. The discoveries of Vaurca were in three different civilizations, almost parallel to each other despite the distinct routes and lack of communication.

===The First Contact With Skrell===
Though it is uncertain when the Kloxa'xia entered [[Nralakk Federation|Federation space]], consensus exists that it must have occurred shortly after the [[Skrell Synthetic Age#Culmination of Glorsh-Omega|culmination of Glorsh-Omega]]. The reconstruction of the Nralakk Federation, as well as the fact that it mostly crossed through the Traverse might have been the two main factors that would have had them go undetected for so long. The C'thur Hiveship had no idea as to where they were travelling, nor were expecting anything other than to hide from the Lii'dra and find a place to properly treat High Queen C'thur. Her injuries had been stabilized, but she was not recuperating and remained in such a state for generations.

First contact with Skrell was around '''2448-2450''' and a subject of secrecy. It is uncertain as to why the Nralakk Federation decided to take such precautions with the C'thur Hive, but the first decade after their arrival kept them confined inside their Hiveship. It is commonly believed that what alerted the Nralakk Federation was the Kloxa'xia stepping inside Glorashi, the system the Queens would remain inside as of today.

Following the principles of the [[Dionae History#Skrell Discovery|Xuq Translator]], a team managed to engineer what is known as the '''Xuq-Pon Translator,''' dubbed after the leader of the project, Pon Qerrbali. This not only decoded Hivenet signals in three days, but was also the cornerstone to the future Nral'malic language implants, as well as the recent adaptations of the Nlom relays.

Skrellian medical science allowed to save High Queen C'thur, with a series of intensive medical treatments that continue to this day. The decision to relocate C'thur from the Hiveship to [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#The C'thur|Diulszi]], specifically in the city of Xevrax, is the main reason why Glorashi IV remains with a high C'thuric population. It was not so much that the planet was ever awarded to them, but rather a means of convenience to not scandalize the greater Skrellian population.

Around the discovery of the Zo'ra, [[Notable Skrell#Weashbi Jrugl|Weashbi Jrugl]] lifted the limitations of the C'thur, allowing them to travel around the Federation and to become Federation citizens.

===The First Contact With Humanity===
In November '''2456,''' the heat signature of a massive alien ship was detected near the Romanovich Cloud in Tau Ceti. A small scout vessel was dispatched to scan the massive ship, which was dubbed 'Titan Prime' by the media. Though not feared to be hostile due to its obvious damaged state, the Hiveship surprisingly ceased its engines once in contact with this first probe. Instead of any movement, the Titan Prime sent a radio signal that, while mathematically complex once decoded, the message could not be understood. For the following weeks, a large group of scientists, including those from the nearby NSS Aurora, participated in the interpretation of this message, as well as means to send a signal in return that they would be able to understand. Once cracked, it became obvious it was a request for phoron supplies.

When communication was established, [[Notable Humans#President Joseph Dorn|President Joseph Dorn]] addressed the Hiveship directly. From their conversation, humanity learned about the grim situation which they were facing, and the urgent need of assistance to survive. A decision was made to tow the ship and make physical contact with its inhabitants, who proved to be the Zo'ra Hive.

Many of the '''Klo'xryek''' systems were already failing and damaged, meaning that if contact were made shortly afterwards, the survivorship of many of those inside would have probably been reduced. The Republic of Biesel provided humanitarian aid and soon after citizenship to the Vaurcae in exchange for their cheap workforce in Tau Ceti. A mass evacuation of the Titan Prime was carried over, dividing the different Queens onboard it in distinct locations of the Republic. The Hiveship itself was towed and parked in the orbit of [[Biesel#Valkyrie|Valkyrie]], until its relocation to [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Caprice|Caprice]] in late 2463.

===The First Contact With Unathi===
In early '''2459,''' another Hiveship entered the Uueoa-Esa system. Now with knowledge of how Vaurcaesian spaceships looked, the [[Karszekani Moghes]] prepared for a first contact situation. Despite the public fear of perhaps being a Lii'dra Hiveship, the Hiveship looked rather unarmed and much smaller when compared to the Zo'rane ship. Using the same methods Biesellite scientists employed to contact the Titan Prime, Unathi authorities hailed the Hiveship, asking to know its affiliation. Although its response was delayed, it was discovered that it was the missing K'lax Hiveship.

It appears that the K'lax Hive established some temporary bases, and headed towards [[Moghes]] drawn by the increasing space activity in the area. The Zo'ra Hive was contacted, and they vouched for the K'lax as good vassals. While the exact conversation is unknown, it is implied that the idea of the K'lax being subjugated to Zo'ra somehow translated into thinking the Hive was subservient and ready to find new masters. The thought of integrating and utilizing the K'laxan workforce was appealing to the Karszekani, and would eventually become a reality once official meetings were held. [[Zkaii, The Sleepwalker|Queen Zkaii]] was made Overlord of [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Tret|Tret]], a mining colony in an otherwise hostile planet, in exchange for their vassalage to the Karszekani Moghes. While some may question just how much the agreement benefits Vaurcae, the K'lax Hive has thrived under their new agreement.

The powers of the Orion Spur have opposed providing Vaurcae with faster-than-light engines unmonitored and have their Hivenet communications constantly monitored. Mercantile Vaurcae are discouraged but defacto allowed in many places. Especially in human space, Vaurcae suffer from racism and are still considered a pest. Though dynamics have greatly shifted, the Vaurca have taken the opportunity of this second chance to start anew, now integrated to the history of the Orion Spur as a whole.

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[[Category:Vaurca]]

Hivenet

2026-05-26T09:00:11Z

Carver: Hegemony to Karszekani

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{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
The Hivenet, also known as '''Dk'xyt''' (literally, "word, thought") is an encrypted radio frequency that serves as the linguistic backbone of [[Vaurca]] interaction. A symphony of electromagnetic waves and pheromones, Hivenet allows Vaurcae to exchange information, thoughts, and emotions across vast distances, including deep space. The unique form of communication offered by the Hivenet is—alongside [[Virtual Reality]]—the basis of Vaurca society.

==History==
Throughout most of their history, Vaurcae communicated through a [[Vaurca History#The Age of Death|rudimentary language]] known as '''Vaurcese'''. Biological limitations largely constrained the Vaurcese; Vaurcae distributed pheromones from mouth to mouth for complex messages, and vibrations with their antennae for simpler messages, sent via larger distances. Since Vaurcae don't possess a vocal tract, spoken language was unknown to them until their arrival at the Spur.

Vaurcese also consisted of various clicks and clacks that can be considered a rough transliteration of some of the more traditional Vaurcaesian words and names. Vaurcese is thought to have had regional variants, and some researchers hypothesize that it actually consisted of a linguistic family rather than a single language. It is also speculated that some Hives might have developed written forms of Vaurcese, but these have been lost.

Around 54,000 years ago, the K'lax Hive introduced a [[Vaurca_History#The_K'lax_Bonanza_and_Technological_Revolution|game-changer for Vaurca communication]]—the '''Hivenet resonance pylons''', also known as relay towers. This technological leap completely revolutionized Vaurca communication. They were no longer required to be local for complex messages, thus promoting the spread of the species into larger empires.

After the widespread adoption of the Hivenet by the multiple Hives of Sedantis, the traditional Vaurcese was abandoned. However, the ancestral language has a place akin to classical human languages, often used for the formation of neologisms or some solemn phrases.

==Protocols==
Protocols can be considered the "languages" of Hivenet. They are unique methods of pherolinguistic encryption that were traditionally enforced by each Hive. Since the rise of the Zo'ra Hive, the Zo'rane protocol has become the dominant protocol. However, other options still exist.

===Zo'rane Protocol===
The Zo'rane protocol drastically improved the encryption method of the older K'lax protocol. This new channel also allowed for the transmission of more complex emotions and a reduced latency. It is the protocol used by all major Hives in the [[Orion Spur]], and the only one that has been fully decrypted by [[Skrell]] and human governments.

===Lii'draic Protocol===
The Lii'draic protocol was invented by the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra Hive]] after shifting to a hivemind. It was critical during the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], as it maintained a fog of war between the belligerents. The intricacies of this protocol are not fully understood, as it likely accommodates the unique augmentations and organization of the Lii'dra Hive.

After the Lii'dra invasion of human space, the decryption of the Lii'draic protocol has been something of deep interest for the safety of various factions. However, the Lii'draic protocol is paradoxically "silent," meaning there is no trace of radio waves left. The efforts of the Zo'ra Hive to contribute to the decoding of the Lii'draic protocol—a venture they began during the war—have been fruitless.

===Unauthorized Flagsdale Protocol - "Wyvenet"===
The unauthorized [[Flagsdale]] protocol (UFP), colloquially known as "Wyvenet," is a [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16716-mendell-city-bugle/?do=findComment&comment=159121 highly illegal communication protocol] now adopted by many of the [[Queenless]] in [[Mendell City]]. It is named after Ka'Akaix'Wyve Zo'ra, a Hivenet virtuoso who developed a channel free of human surveillance. It has yet to be decoded.

The UFP is thought to be limited to Tau Ceti Space currently, with enormous efforts by both Zo'rane authorities and the [[Republic of Biesel|Biesellite government]] to limit the propagation of the makeshift relays. The [[Nralakk Federation]] customs have also cooperated in inspecting for any Wyvenet relays that might enter their borders.

==Transmissions==
Through Hivenet, Vaurcae possess the remarkable ability to transmit a spectrum of communication modalities, ranging from raw emotions to nuanced expressions of bodily language. Augmented by the intricate '''neural socket''' and the '''antennae''', these transmissions transcend conventional linguistics, seamlessly conveying not just words but the very essence of thought itself. Unlike traditional language systems, Hivenet facilitates a direct transmission of conceptual frameworks, eliminating the potential for grammatical error and imbuing each recipient with a model understanding of the intended message. Consequently, Vaurcae do not merely receive language; they apprehend the essence of linguistic expression in its purest form. This unparalleled mode of communication has confounded human and Skrell scholars alike, prompting a profound reevaluation of linguistic theories in light of the Vaurcae's extraordinary capabilities.

Though [[Synthetics|stationbounds and other artificial intelligences]] are capable of "understanding" Hivenet, their grasp of the transmissions is limited and localized. Non-Vaurcae actors that receive Hivenet frequencies do not "hear" the echoes and cannot decode some of the more unique expressions provided by pherolinguistics. Furthermore, the translation from pure thought to binary has led to some mistakes, with computerized recipients of Hivenet often misinterpreting the Vaurcae they "hear."

==Mechanics==
The Hivenet can only be described as a pheromonal and electromagnetic symphony. For the Vaurca listener, the amalgamation of frequencies received never stops. These "voices" are heard by Vaurcae at all times, even if no other members of the species are present. However, the "voices" will only become faint echoes if a Vaurca is away from a relay or another user.

Conversations within the Hivenet are referred to as '''entangled thought threads'''—interconnected streams of information that give rise to non-linear communication. Consequently, a Vaurca can engage in multiple discussions simultaneously, with its capacity bounded solely by its stream of consciousness and the emission of pheromones. This is why some Vaurcae may encounter challenges when attempting profound conversations with other species.

The very notion of severance from the Hivenet is utterly distressing for a Vaurca. Instances of such disconnection, albeit rare, have resulted in the demise of the individual, as the ensuing silence precipitates a profound and detrimental impact on their cognitive processes. Beating all odds, [[Queenless#The_Lost_of_the_Traverse|the Lost of the Traverse]] are some of the few Vaurcae that have survived without Hivenet communication in recent years.

===Consonance===
Consonance embodies a unique process through which a Vaurca can individually address another within the Hivenet. This is accomplished by signaling the recipient through their distinctive pheromone trail. However, consonance does not guarantee private communication; all other Vaurcae within proximity remain capable of receiving the transmitted message clearly.

===Synchronicity===
Synchronicity is a process wherein multiple Vaurcae seamlessly align their thought pulses, generating a synchronized wave of information propagation within the Hivenet. In contrast to consonance, synchronicity addresses groups, typically encompassing entire broods or [[Vaurca_Culture_and_Society#The_Ta_and_Hive_Leadership|hive-cells]]. This process is often facilitated by [[Vaurca_Biology#Type_CB_-_Gynes,_Female_Breeders|Breeders]] and is likely transmitted from a more robust Hivenet connection, thereby reaching greater distances.

===Harmonization===
Harmonization denotes the process in which Vaurcae synchronize their neural frequencies with the Hivenet, amplifying the efficiency of information exchange. Typically utilized for significant discussions, this process initiates a "thread," and some harmonic threads have persistently continued uninterrupted since before [[Vaurca_History#The_Exodus|the Exodus]]. Regarded as the most "private" form of a Hivenet conversation, harmonization gradually fades for non-participants, although they may still perceive a faint echo of the exchange.

===Occlusion===
Occlusion is the act of blocking a single Hivenet user, a measure exclusive to Breeders. It serves as an extreme recourse to resolve irreconcilable differences between two parties unwilling to cooperate. Despite its potency, approval for occlusion is seldom granted, and it is expressly prohibited to attempt occlusion on a hive-cell mate. The occlusion of a Vaurca from another Hive is a more complex undertaking, demanding consent from both Hives. Regarded as an ultimate measure, Vaurcae subjected to occlusion are susceptible candidates for voiding.

Another form of occlusion, termed general occlusion, involves a Breeder temporarily "muting" a specific Vaurca on the Hivenet in response to misbehavior. This timeout can be disconcerting for the muted user and typically puts an end to any ongoing local disputes. Similar to the more stringent and formal occlusion, a Vaurca frequently subjected to general occlusion is at an increased risk of voiding.

==Resonance Pylons==
Resonance pylons are colossal architectural marvels that function as the central servers and relay hubs of the Hivenet. In their early stages, pylons took the form of a network of towers, collectively contributing to the preservation and fortification of the Hivenet signal. However, the evolution of technology has given rise to a more sophisticated iteration of resonance pylons, now operating as distinctive servers meticulously designed to amplify the Hivenet frequency.

The [[SCCV Horizon]] is equipped with a compact Hivenet relay to ensure seamless communication among the Vaurcae abroad. This relay is independent of the main pylons found across the Orion Spur and also serves to scan for any Hivenet protocols, including Lii'draic.

===Relay Innovations===
The resonance pylons situated on [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]], characterized by intricate design, used a self-contained communicative architecture that was entirely localized. The Hivenet did not require travel beyond the planet's confines, as Vaurcae were not a spacefaring species. A significant evolutionary leap in Hivenet's framework occurred prior to the Exodus. During this phase, the new Hiveships needed specialized Hivenet servers. These new servers play a pivotal role in sustaining seamless communication between Hiveships and facilitating communication among the Vaurcae onboard.

This second generation of resonance pylons used quantum entanglement nodes—swift, faster-than-light relays generating entangled particle pairs capable of instantaneous information transfer irrespective of physical distance. However, despite their revolutionary technology, these systems exhibited limitations in deep space. The restrictions introduced by the second-generation pylons resulted in numerous issues during the Exodus, leading to frequent miscommunication and misunderstandings among the Hiveships.

Since the arrival of the Vaurcae to the Orion Spur, the resonance pylons and the Hivenet network embraced [[Bluespace|bluespace technology]]. Strategically positioned in Vaurca-dense regions, these pylons leverage the same bluespace node infrastructure as the extranet, significantly extending their communicative reach across the known galaxy.

===Main Resonance Pylons===
====Flagsdale====
The Flagsdale resonance pylon stands as the original Hivenet tower in human space, erected by [[Nanotrasen]] shortly after the relocation of the Zo'ra to Biesel. Serving as the primary Hivenet pylon for a period, the Flagsdale tower spearheaded the third generation of resonance pylons using bluespace. However, its history is marred by crime and instability, characteristic of the infamous district within Mendell City.

The denizens of the Flagsdale slum have, on multiple occasions, sabotaged the resonance pylon, inducing instability in the Hivenet signal across Biesel for extended periods—sometimes lasting hours or even days. One notably infamous instance unfolded during the [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/15636-orion-spur-oracle/?do=findComment&comment=151421 Flagsdale riots of 2463]. The consequential signal instability in what was the operational hub of the bluespace Hivenet prompted its reclassification to a relay in early 2466.

====New Gibson Relay====
The [[New Gibson]] pylon functioned as an auxiliary Hivenet relay during blackouts, ensuring connectivity during the tumultuous early stages of the Hivenet's transition to bluespace. However, situated within a relatively modest Vaurca settlement and subject to sporadic maintenance, the mast met its demise in 2465. In its stead, an urban complex emerged, strategically designed to attract human residents. This act signaled the ongoing gentrification endeavor in [[New Gibson#Xerxes|Xerxes]]. The swing in Xerxes' demographic landscape affected Tau Ceti's Vaurcae population until the inauguration of a new resonance pylon.

====Caprice====
Considered the first of its kind and the sole authentic "fourth-generation" resonance pylon in the Orion Spur, the Caprician mast stands as a colossal architectural marvel, having evolved into one of the premier tourist attractions on the Vaurcaesian planet since its inauguration. Fondly nicknamed Vaur's Tower, its technological innovations cater not so much to Vaurcae but rather to the human readers interpreting its logs. This distinctive resonance pylon stands alone in its ability to accurately capture the intricacies of pherolinguistic expressions, ensuring minimized noise in Hivenet logs. Regarded as a significant leap forward in Hivenet surveillance, it guarantees that no messages escape the attention of human observers. It was [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16567-caprice-sun/?do=findComment&comment=172339 inaugurated in early 2466] not without controversy by some sectors of Vaurca society.

====Tret====
The [[Tret]] resonance pylon built by the K'lax Hive, known simply as '''Mast 1''', serves as the Hive's primary server for the Hivenet. Integrated seamlessly with one of Tret's iconic Radiant-Energy Spires, this towering structure boasts the capability to harness power without overburdening the energy network. Unlike Vaur's Tower, tailored for broader Spur monitoring, Mast 1 capitalizes on the laissez-faire stance of the [[Karszekani Moghes]] towards Hivenet affairs, utilizing the cutting-edge technology facilitated by bluespace Hivenet to experiment on latency and improving the Zo'rane protocol.

Mast 1 maintains a connection with Mast 2, a smaller relay nestled in [[Moghes]]. During peak traffic hours, both towers emanate a beam of light that interconnects them, facilitating seamless communication. While predominantly innocuous, this light beam has faced criticism from certain [[Unathi]] quarters, who perceive it as emblematic of Vaurca intervention in their home planet and excessive augmentation.

====Diulszi====
The primary resonance pylon in Skrellian space is located in the [[Diulszi#Orbital_Research_Platform_Iolan|Orbital Research Platform Iolan]], situated on the planet Diulszi. The infrastructure is predominantly repurposed from the planet's earlier days as a research facility, consequently presenting greater limitations compared to the more recent resonance pylons. Nonetheless, the Iolan mast remains immensely powerful, guaranteeing surveillance over the C'thuric mainworld.

====Qerr'Malic====
The resonance pylon located in [[Qerr'Malic|Qerr'Malic]], commonly referred to as '''Sq'irq''', is officially designated as the "secondary" Hivenet tower in Skrellian space in terms of function. However, owing to its strategic proximity to the Skrellian homeworld and a lesser presence of C'thur intervention, Sq'irq acts as the primary facility for the collation of Hivenet logs. In Sq'irq, Skrellian authorities have full access to all logs generated in the Nralakk Federation. The specific functions of the Sq'irq pylon remain a subject of ongoing debate, as Skrell authorities refrain from publicly disclosing the extent of the facility's capabilities. The operation of this tower has become a significant point of contention between the [[Mouv, The Recondite Queen|Mouv brood]] and Skrellian authorities.

====Skrellian Relays====
In collaboration with the Nralakk Federation, the C'thur have integrated their Hivenet infrastructure with the pre-existing Nlom relay network found throughout Federation space. This integration has significantly expanded the Hivenet's range far more rapidly than would have been otherwise possible and has arguably enhanced its security against sabotage. However, it also entails a level of surveillance paralleled only by the new Vaur's Tower in Caprice.

===Surveillance and Logs===
Interest in monitoring Hivenet operations surged following the first contact with Vaurcae. Concerns about potential Vaurca uprisings or assertions of independence prompted close surveillance of Hivenet communications. However, Hivenet observers encounter many of the same challenges as artificial intelligence.

In reality, Hivenet logs are chaotic and, despite encryption, rife with noise. Background chatter, tangential discussions, and echoes are captured, printed, and archived incessantly by Hivenet towers, contributing to the disorder. Observers must undergo extensive training to discern terrorist threats and potential illicit activities, yet the ideal of reading all logs without backlog remains unattainable.

Vaurcae opinions on surveillance are divided, with some individuals supporting the measures while others vehemently oppose them. The Zo'ra Hive has displayed the most cooperation with Biesellite authorities, while the C'thur exhibit resistance but comply with Federation watchdogs. Although not mandated by the Karszekani Moghes to surrender their logs, the K'lax Hive remains under supervision by both Biesel and Nralakk authorities.

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Sedantis I

2026-05-26T08:57:43Z

Carver:

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Sedantis I, also designated '''Vaur'avek'uyit''' ("Home Afar") in Vaurcese, was the innermost moon of the gas giant Sedantis ('''Sc'theth'stak''', or "Blinding Light"). Its surface was a harsh, irradiated wasteland, but life flourished in vast subterranean cave systems beneath. The Vaurcae evolved within these intricate caverns, where predatory creatures posed a constant threat. These dangers shaped Vaurca culture, leaving vivid imagery preserved in their collective memory, folklore, and artistic representations.

Information on Sedantis is often contradictory and incomplete. Historical records predating the [[Vaurca History#The Era of Augments|Era of Augments]] are scarce and considered semi-mythological. While subsequent events are more thoroughly documented, they have been significantly romanticized in the centuries following [[Vaurca History#The Exodus|the Exodus]]. Consequently, obtaining an impartial and reliable historical view of Sedantis is extremely challenging. The human understanding of the Vaurca home planet thus relies heavily on conjecture and extrapolation from surviving records.

== Astronomy ==
While the orbit of Sedantis has been extensively studied, particularly during the [[Hives Renaissance]], the exact position of Sc'theth'stak relative to its star, '''Th'stii'stak''' ("Pure Light"), and the overall composition of the Sedantian solar system remain unclear. Some human researchers have theorized that the descriptions of the supposed gas giant Sc'theth'stak actually correspond to a dwarf star (either red or white) and that Th'stii'stak could be another star, a highly reflective planet, or might not exist at all.

Vaurca astronomers reported the presence of multiple celestial bodies within the system, but their existence was uncertain. The proposed sizes of these potential planets varied significantly, with some speculated to have been asteroids. While the possibility remains open that Sc'theth'stak was a gas giant in a close orbit around its star (known as a hot Jupiter), this classification is still considered a hypothesis.

== History ==
Life on Sedantis likely originated on the surface during a period when the moon was farther from the gas giant, resulting in reduced planetary activity and radiation levels. The earliest organisms were bacteria that thrived near geothermal vents, eventually evolving into the first multicellular creatures. These primordial forms were simple and colonial. While some scholars theorize the first arthropod-like creatures also arose on the surface, evidence is insufficient to confirm this hypothesis.

Approximately 7.5 billion years ago, two major events dramatically altered Sedantis. First, orbital changes brought it closer to its gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. Secondly, increased radiation levels from Sc'theth'stak transformed the surface into a barren wasteland. Though extremophiles may have survived, the majority of life on Sedantis was forced to adapt to subterranean existence within the planet's extensive cave networks.

Despite the harsh conditions brought upon by planetary shifts and intensified radiation, life on Sedantis persisted. This adversity fostered highly competitive ecosystems with elaborate food chains, where species were locked in an evolutionary arms race to secure their place within the hostile environment. Through countless geological eras, organisms evolved unique adaptations to thrive. Some creatures developed ways to exploit geothermal energy, finding sustenance near volcanic vents and fissures while drawing warmth from the planet's turbulent core. Others evolved varying degrees of radiation tolerance, either by shielding vital organs or incorporating radioactive elements into their metabolic processes.

Unique among these adaptations was the emergence of kinosynthesis in many flora. These plants harnessed energy released from tectonic plate movements, converting vibrations and seismic activity into usable energy. This allowed them to thrive in areas devoid of traditional light or geothermal sources, creating micro-environments of stability within the volatile landscape. Additionally, those species capable of bio-mineralization, hardening their exoskeletons with unique minerals found throughout Sedantis, also gained a distinct advantage in this unforgiving world.

Amid this struggle for survival, the Vaurca emerged. Initially unremarkable, with numerous natural predators, their eusocial nature proved key to their eventual dominance. Coordinated efforts allowed them to overcome larger threats and secure scarce resources. Over time, they began harnessing the planet's unique elements, developing rudimentary technology, and manipulating their environment.

Through their relentless pursuit of mastery over nature, the Vaurca rose to the top of the Sedantian food chain. Their technological prowess, driven by a deep-seated fear of succumbing to their planet's harshness, fueled an aggressive campaign of extermination. Predating species were systematically eradicated, seen as obstacles to their expansion or threats to their dominance. This relentless drive, coupled with their burgeoning genetic manipulation capabilities, drastically reshaped Sedantian ecosystems, shattering the delicate balance forged over countless millennia.

The Vaurca's ecological conquest reached its disastrous climax with the development of the [[Hives Renaissance#The Pon'kana Engine|Pon'kana Engine]]. This audacious endeavor sought to tap into the core of Sedantis, an unlimited energy source. However, the project destabilized the satellite's fragile orbit, drawing it inexorably closer to its gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. Faced with impending destruction wrought by their own ambition, the Vaurca were tragically forced to abandon their ruined world.

== Environment ==
Sedantian subterranean ecosystems exhibited a range of adaptations, from bioluminescent fungal forests to desolate caverns sustained by geothermal vents. However, geological instability was a constant threat, with frequent seismic shifts reshaping cave systems and altering both subterranean water flow and air circulation. This volatile environment resulted in a patchwork of micro-biomes—isolated havens within the surrounding hazards, as well as vast expanses of nearly uninhabitable terrain. Evidence suggests these ecosystems were once far more diverse, but the Vaurca's relentless expansion decimated many of these natural wonders in pursuit of civilization.

Sedantis' caverns held valuable minerals and ores. The satellite had significant deposits of phoron, existing both in gaseous form and as dazzling phoron crystal formations. A uniquely valuable resource was '''khy'maak''', a metal found within fused rock or hardened magma. Khy'maak's adaptive hardness and resonance-dampening properties made it vital for structures designed to withstand seismic activity. An alloy of khy'maak and iron, known as '''khy'liik''' or '''quakesteel''', is the foundational material of most Vaurca technology, used in everything from Hiveships to advanced weaponry.

== Seasons ==
Sedantis' climate and the behavior of its subterranean biomes were dictated by three major seasons, primarily tied to the satellite's proximity to its gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. This proximity influenced tectonic activity, oceanic tides, and the intensity of radiation reaching Sedantis.

Due to the planet's unstable nature, these seasonal shifts were largely beyond the Vaurca's ability to control. Altering the dangers posed by each season was considered the ultimate frontier—a testament to the limits of Vaurca biological mastery. This remained unchanged until the development of the Pon'kana Engine. The megastructure's impact on Sedantis' gravitational field caused a temporary but catastrophic disruption of the established seasonal patterns.

=== Seasonal Length ===
Days in Sedantis were measured by different factors, depending on the Hive. The two main competing time measurements were the geothermal vents and resonance cycles. Ancient Hives, who lived closer to the vents, favored the geothermal day, tracking the intervals between eruptions or steam releases. Alternatively, the resonance cycle day, standardized by the [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra Hive]] and its dominion, tracked the rhythmic vibrations emitted by specific crystals. This system was more accurate than the geothermal day, as it was less dependent on seasonal changes. However, the crystal vibrations were only consistently detectable in the Veii'kt Plate, the Zo'rane capital. A resonance cycle day lasts around 98 hours, mirroring the modern awake cycle of an Unbound Worker.

The three main seasons of Sedantis were standardized by the [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax|K'lax Hive]] and later adopted by the Zo'ra Hive. It is speculated that ancient Hives counted up to six or seven seasons, including transitional periods. The three-season scheme was helpful for Zo'rane colonization, as each season served a military purpose.

A standard Zo'rane year lasted 928 resonance cycle days. The Season of Tremors lasted 116 Sedantian days (~464 Earth days), the Season of Shadows 232 Sedantian days (~928 Earth days) and the Season of Stillness 464 Sedantian days (~1856 Earth days).

=== Sc'fex'kii - Season of Tremors ===
The Season of Tremors was a direct consequence of Sedantis' elliptical orbit around the gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. During its closest approach, an increase in gravitational pull exerted immense stress on the moon's internal structure. This intensified existing geological instability, resulting in heightened magma flow, violent seismic events, and widespread tectonic shifts. These could reshape the landscape and even trigger subterranean tsunamis.

Kinosynthetic flora, uniquely adapted to harness energy from seismic vibrations, flourished during Sc'fex'kii. The tremors also fractured subterranean formations, releasing vital minerals and nutrients, thus fueling rapid growth. This temporary surge of plant life attracted herbivorous fauna, followed by increased predator activity. While harsh, these conditions created a seasonal ecological boom. However, this cycle, along with most native Sedantian species, was tragically disrupted by Vaurca expansion.

The Season of Tremors posed a significant threat to Vaurca infrastructure. While their structures incorporated seismic resilience, the most intense periods of Sc'fex'kii necessitated modular designs for rapid repair. Paradoxically, the tremors could also reveal previously inaccessible regions, providing opportunities for mining new resources and urban development following stabilization.

=== Sc'thr'axi - Season of Shadows ===
The Season of Shadows was a transitional period between the intense Season of Tremors and the prolonged Season of Stillness. While Sedantis moved away from its perihelion with the gas giant Sc'theth'stak, it entered an orbital alignment where frequent eclipses drastically reduce radiation exposure. Both Sc'theth'stak and its own moons frequently obscured Th'stii'stak, the star of the system. This, combined with a shift in the type of radiation emitted by Sc'theth'stak, created an overall less intense environment compared to the Season of Tremors.

Many migratory species, including some types of [[Sedantis_I#Macrobacteria|macrobacteria]], exploited the calmer conditions of Sc'thr'axi to venture closer to the surface. However, this season was still marked by unpredictable magnetic shifts, causing meteor showers and powerful electromagnetic storms. These storms brought disorientation, technological disruptions, and increased risks to underground infrastructure and naturally formed cave systems, including the collapse of paths opened during the Season of Tremors.

After the development of the [[Hivenet]], Sc'thr'axi brought frequent communication blackouts, pushing Vaurca scientists and engineers to continually improve their systems. Additionally, this season was the preferred time for Vaurca surface expeditions due to the relative respite from the harshest radiation.

=== Sc'kli'sk - Season of Stillness ===
The Season of Stillness marked the period when Sedantis reached its aphelion, the furthest point in its orbit from the gas giant, Sc'theth'stak. Seismic activity lessened significantly, providing the most extended period of relative calm for the Vaurca. However, Sc'theth'stak's flares intensified during this season, maintaining elevated temperatures in Sedantis and leading to unique environmental changes.

The specific type of radiation emitted during solar flares stimulated the growth and bioluminescence of many fungal species on Sedantis. This created visually striking environment with unforeseen dangers. Some geophages and herbivores hibernated during Sc'kli'sk, triggering an increase in scavenger populations and opportunistic predators. This delicate ecological balance was disrupted by Vaurca activities.

Vaurca expansion during the Season of Stillness, driven by the reduced geological threats, often led to the overexploitation of native species. The extinction cascades that followed, particularly among scavengers, resulted in the accumulation of toxins from fungal spores. This transformed the Season of Stillness into a hidden hazard, despite its apparent tranquility.

== Regions and Landmarks ==
Regions of Sedantis were divided and controlled among [[Vaurca Hives#Overview|Vaurca Hives]]. Their center of operations was known as a '''Hivehold'''. This territory encompassed multiple settlements and cities, including large metropolitan areas known for their complex networks of roads and tunnels. These settlements were considered relatively equal in status, and the Hive's governance operated within this interconnected network. The Hivehold typically contained a strategically located palace for the reigning High Queen.

Powerful Hives, such as the Zo'ra, often controlled additional territories beyond their core Hivehold. These regions could be managed in two ways: '''vassaldoms''', where regions retained some autonomy but remained subservient to the dominant Hive, or '''broodhearts''', colonized and controlled by specific broods belonging to the larger Hive.

The territories of major Hives were often vast, with strategic construction and settlement patterns designed to avoid overcrowding. While the Hivehold had no singular "capital city," some settlements and tunnelspires were more significant than others due to factors such as resource concentration or proximity to the Queen's Palace.

=== Veii'kt Plate ===
The Veii'kt Plate was the Hivehold of the Zo'ra Empire and the most important region in Sedantis. It was a complete tectonic plate and one of the longest regions of Sedantis. Before the Zo'rane colonization, Veii'kt was one of the most biodiverse areas in Sedantis, hosting multiple ecosystems not found elsewhere in the satellite. The uniqueness of the plate was gradually wiped by Zo'rane colonization.

The Veii'kt Plate was considered the capital of Sedantis. It held strategic importance due to an extensive network of tunnels connecting it to most of Sedantis' major regions. The Zo'ra maintained tight control over the plate. Foreigners were rarely granted entry and those who were permitted access were closely monitored due to potential threats or a fear of rebellion. Foreign embassies were also carefully escorted and overseen by Zo'ra guards.

While certain areas within the Veii'kt Plate exuded wealth and extravagance, allowing residents ample time for entertainment, philosophy, and the arts, it also contained harsh industrial districts. Furthermore, large swaths of the plate were dedicated to mining and agriculture, although the most intensive exploitation of resources occurred within other Zo'ra-controlled territories.

==== Ta'raii'xkiit - The Empress' Reach ====
The Empress' Reach was not merely a singular palace, but a vast complex of fortresses, basilicas, and specialized chambers forming a unique metropolis within the Veii'kt Plate. It served as the Royal Chambers of High Queen Zo'ra and was considered the most sacred site within Sedantis. The Empress' Reach also housed the High Conclave of the Zo'ra Hive—a powerful council of [[Vaurca Biology#Type CB - Gynes, Female Breeders|Surrogates]] who advised the Queen on matters concerning the Hive and its vassaldoms.

Surrounding the Empress' Reach were settlements known as the Ta'raii'skerr, or the Empress' Favored. These districts were populated by some of the wealthiest and most influential hive-cells within the Zo'ra empire, particularly those with strong ties to the Zo'ra military apparatus. The Empress' Favored also served as a hub for Zo'ra culture and science, hosting prestigious institutions and influential figures within those fields.

=== Mya'kt Fault ===
The Mya'kt Fault was the Hivehold of the K'lax Hive and the main vassaldom of the Zo'ra Hive. It is revered as the cradle of Vaurca civilization and the oldest continuously inhabited Hivehold by the time of the Exodus. The K'lax likely established themselves in this challenging location due to its abundance of natural resources and strategic defensiveness against large-scale incursions.

The K'lax Hive swiftly transformed the Mya'kt Fault into a technologically advanced region. Their innovative use of quakesteel to stabilize and redirect seismic activity, along with the development of the first kinetic engine in Sedantis, revolutionized life within the fault.

Despite its natural defenses, the Mya'kt Fault eventually [[Vaurca History#The_Rise_of_Zo'ra|fell under the dominion of the Zo'ra Hive]]. Following the mysterious death of Queen Neiim and the collapse of the K'lax's powerful Warrior brood, the Hive was relegated to vassaldom. Under Zo'ra control, the region underwent drastic changes, becoming a major center for mining operations and intense resource exploitation.

==== Tata'kree'xt - Mother's Nest ====
The Tata'kree'xt served as the royal palace of High Queen K'lax. Though modest compared to the Zo'ra's grand Ta'raii'xkiit complex, the Mother's Nest was notable for its constant illumination with incandescent lights. This feature was intended as a "beacon of civilization" to visitors. Unfortunately, the lights were likely the fire hazard that tragically led to the [[Tupii, The Surrogate Queen#Background|demise of Mother K'lax]].

During the vassaldom, Tata'kree'xt transformed in a facility full of Zo'ra activity. Zo'rane diplomats managed many functions, with even Zo'ra Bound guarding the area. The increase of Zo'rane activity in the districts surrounding the Tata'kree'xt led to many of the K'lax to flee to the outskirts of the Hivehold, where they considered to be under less surveillance.

=== Lei'kt Caves ===
The Lei'kt Caves, a small cave system, served as the modest Hivehold of the [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur Hive]]. It is believed High Queen C'thur chose the location for its labyrinthine nature. The interconnected tunnels of the Lei'kt Caves were filled with kakras—traditional C'thuric bazaars and some of the main centers of bartering in Sedantis. This led the Lei'kt Caves to be a vibrant mix of Vaurca cultures, and one of the few places in Sedantis where individuals of multiple Hives could interact.

The C'thur did not focus on expanding their own Hivehold territory. Instead, the Hive preferred to establish "diplomatic cities" within the broodhearts of other Hives. While these outposts required tribute payments, the C'thur viewed them as opportunities to strike new deals, gather intelligence on rival Hives, and establish new diplomatic missions.

==== Na'tyut - The Cathedral of Ideas ====
The Cathedral of Ideas, the C'thur Hive's unique royal palace, stood in stark contrast to the fortified strongholds of other Hives. Designed with openness and grandeur, [[C'thur, Queen of Masques#Her Realm|Na'tyut]] aimed to be the cultural heart of Sedantis. The structure itself was a captivating architectural wonder, a tapestry woven from building techniques and materials sourced from across the satellite. Its design defied categorization—a harmonious blend of styles, where illusions blurred reality and captivating spaces beckoned visitors to explore.

The Na'tyut's primary purpose was to attract visitors from all corners of Sedantis. This provided the C'thur with a perfect platform to forge new alliances and gather intelligence on other Hives and their political schemes. This strategy proved successful, as it is believed the Zo'ra Hive first took notice of the C'thur due to the curiosity the Na'tyut instilled within the Empress herself.

=== Illuau'tia Grotto ===
The Illuau'tia Grotto served as the Hivehold of the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra Hive]] and was widely considered one of the most enigmatic regions in Sedantis. Few historical records detail visits to the grotto, adding to its mystique. Reports describe bioluminescent seas within the grotto that appeared during the Sc'fex'kii and then ebbed once the season ended.

Contemporary scholars believe the Illuau'tia Grotto was far more extensive than initially presumed, potentially concealing many secrets. During the final stages of the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], the Zo'ra reported encountering a seemingly defenseless High Queen Lii'dra within a surprisingly modest Hivehold. While conflicting accounts make this difficult to verify, some theorize this display of vulnerability was a strategic deception by the Lii'dra.

Following the Great Hive War, the Zo'ra Hive [[The Great Hive War#The Battle of the Ryitu'kya Abyss|intentionally sank the Illuau'tia Grotto]] into the depths of Sedantis. The extent of the damage caused by this act remains unknown. After their defeat, the Lii'dra were largely dismissed as irrelevant until their unexpected resurgence within the Orion Spur.

=== Xtykt'lotec Rift ===
The Xtykt'lotec Rift was a highly contested region of Sedantis, known as the [[Vaurca History#The Rise of Zo'ra|birthplace of the Zo'ra]] and C'thur Hives. Its strategic location, bordered by the Xt'erm'aak and Vy'kaur rivers, made it a frequent battleground for ancient Warrior Hives. The Xtykt'lotec Rift witnessed the rise and fall of many Hives over millennia, earning a reputation as the deadliest region on Sedantis.

Following the Xtykt'lotec Rift conquest, the Zo'ra Hive emerged victorious. However, they relocated their Hivehold to the distant Veii'kt Plate. The remnants of the C'thur Hive fled to the Lei'kt Caves, where they eventually recovered and became a regional power. Despite this, Zo'ra maintained dominion over the Xtykt'lotec Rift, which became the broodheart of [[Zoleth, The Herald of Scars|Queen Zoleth]]. While other Hives remained in the region, they paid tribute to Zoleth.

Under Zoleth's rule, the Xtykt'lotec Rift experienced a period of unprecedented peace, order, and cooperation between Hives. This was in part due to the establishment of the ancient '''Court of Queens'''. The Rift remained a crucial hub of Sedantian society until the Great Hive War, when the [[The Great Hive War#Xtykt'lotec Invasion|Lii'dra Hive attacked]]. The Lii'dramachy transformed the once peaceful region into a war zone, leaving major institutions fractured or destroyed.

After the war, the Zo'ra attempted to repopulate the Xtykt'lotec Rift. Queen Zoleth invested in establishing new settlements, but these efforts ultimately failed. It seemed as if the conflict had left the land scarred. The region remained mostly in ruins until the Exodus.

=== L'yok Ravine ===
The L'yok Ravine was the primary waste disposal site for Sedantis. From everyday debris to intensely hazardous materials, its depths were a chaotic mix of refuse. The sheer volume of discarded resources, including decaying organics and lingering traces of usable technology, made the ravine a haven for scavengers, both animal and Vaurca. Exiled, defective, and eccentric Vaurcae often gravitated towards the L'yok Ravine, drawn by the opportunity to salvage and the lack of oversight. These individuals forged their own unique society within the wastelands, sometimes ruled by disgraced Breeders.

All major Vaurca Hives strictly forbade their subjects from entering the L'yok Ravine. Its dangers were well known: toxic fumes, unstable terrain, and the potential for encountering feral creatures or unpredictable outcasts. Despite the risks, the ravine teemed with life. Smaller creatures adapted to the harsh environment, feasting on the decaying matter and forming a complex, if sometimes unsettling, ecosystem. The L'yok Ravine thus existed as a simultaneously repulsive yet fascinating anomaly within Sedantian society.

=== The Depths ===
The deepest reaches of Sedantis remained a realm of speculation and terror. Only the bravest or most desperate Vaurca ventured beyond the known tunnels and Hiveholds. Stories circulated of immense pressures capable of crushing a Vaurca carapace, toxic fungal blooms releasing mind-altering spores, and geological anomalies that warped space and time.

The absence of familiar bioluminescence was replaced by bizarre, unsettling forms of illumination. Phosphorescent veins streaked through the rock, pulsing with an unknown energy. Patches of faintly glowing moss clung to the cave walls, radiating a sickly luminescence some swore could induce hallucinations. Pools of unknown liquids shimmered with an oily sheen, reflecting distorted forms and casting a sense of otherworldly wrongness.

Reports of creatures in these depths went beyond the merely monstrous. Blind, contorted forms with extra limbs or misshapen sensory organs slithered through tunnels too narrow for Vaurca to follow. Whispered rumors told of creatures that appeared as flickering shadows or disembodied sounds mimicking familiar voices, yet sounded uncanny. Some even claimed to have encountered bioluminescent creatures who were barely visible, creating a phantom-like presence that could unsettle even the bravest of Vaurca.

== Flora ==
=== K'ois ===
[[K'ois|K'ois]] is an indigenous fungal species native to Sedantis, easily recognized by its distinctive yellowish-green coloration. Early ancestors of k'ois were smaller and slower-growing, likely surviving by hiding within cracks and crevices of Sedantian cave systems. Over time, the Vaurca digestive system evolved a unique ability to process k'ois, making it their primary food source and establishing a deep symbiotic relationship.

Domestication of k'ois was a complex and lengthy challenge, spanning millennia of selective breeding and later genetical manipulation. This transformation dramatically shaped Vaurca history and technology. K'ois critical role in Vaurca survival and development makes it an undeniably vital cornerstone of their civilization.

Modern strains of k'ois exhibit rapid growth patterns and pose a significant threat to non-Vaurca species due to their harmful spores. While k'ois naturally contain trace amounts of phoron, scientific research has failed to develop a viable method for extracting this resource. The presence of k'ois spores, even at the atomic level, irrevocably contaminates the phoron, rendering it unusable for bluespace science. Consequently, k'ois cannot be utilized as a potential fuel source to address the ongoing phoron crisis.

=== Raii'kois ===
Raii'kois is a prized subterranean fungus known for its unique culinary and mild hallucinogenic properties. It is considered safe for human consumption. When consumed, Raii'kois induces feelings of energy and a sense of enlightenment. Despite numerous attempts, Raii'kois has never been successfully domesticated, resisting all efforts at genetic modification. The fungus has a slow growth cycle, potentially taking years to mature, and remains buried underground.

Some areas in Sedantis were believed to harbor rich Raii'kois deposits. Prior to the development of modern techniques, a specialized animal known as the [[Sedantis I#T'kuxi - Truffle Hound|T'kuxi]] was trained to locate mature Raii'kois for harvesting.

While cultivation techniques remain inefficient, Raii'kois has been successfully transported off Sedantis. Due to its rarity and cultural significance, it is considered a delicacy, and a Breeder's blessing is required for Vaurca to consume Raii'kois or products containing it.

=== Skye'mok ===
Skye'mok is a species of bioluminescent fungus native to Sedantis. It is notable for its ability to be fermented into a traditional Vaurca mead. The unique preparation process requires a [[Sedantis I#V'krexi|V'krexi]] to ferment and mix the fungus within its gastric juices. Skye'mok's intoxicating effect on Vaurca is attributed to its fluoride content.

Within the [[Orion Spur]], Skye'mok mead was largely replaced by toothpaste, which possesses a far more potent intoxicating effect on Vaurca. However, Skye'mok has recently experienced a resurgence and reintroduction into the mainstream Vaurca culture.

=== Kinosyntehtic Flora ===
Unlike the familiar photosynthesis of terrestrial plants, some Sedantian flora evolved a distinct process known as kinosynthesis. Rather than relying on light, these plants utilized the ambient kinetic energy generated by Sedantis' intense seismic activity. This adaptation enabled them to thrive in areas of high movement or vibration, often hidden beneath the surface or within geologically unstable formations.

Kinosynthetic flora flourished in several unique biomes on Sedantis. The Tremor Canyons, riddled with deep cracks, hosted vibrant networks of these plants, nourished by the constant tremors. Subterranean fault lines and geologically active vents also attracted these species, where they clung to cave walls or surrounding rock to benefit from the seismic energy. Some cave systems acted as echo chambers, amplifying vibrations from the surrounding earth. These chambers provided a niche for flora adapted to utilize amplified sound waves as an energy source.

The unique energy source of kinosynthetic flora led to remarkable diversity in their forms and strategies. Some species developed pulsating membranes, delicate tendrils to maximize surface area. Others made use of intricate crystalline structures to enhance their absorption of kinetic energy. Bioluminescence was rare in kinosynthetic flora, as their energy conversion was independent of light.

=== Chemosynthetic Flora ===
Some Sedantian flora evolved the unique process of chemosynthesis. Rather than relying on sunlight, these plants derive their energy by metabolizing the chemical compounds released by geothermal vents deep underground. This adaptation allowed them to thrive in environments devoid of light, often centered around these geological phenomena.

Chemosynthetic flora flourished in specific biomes directly linked to Sedantis' geothermal activity. Within the planet's vast cave systems, vents spewed forth mineral-rich fluids, nurturing vibrant networks of these plants. They also colonized the surrounding rock formations, where they absorbed the chemical compounds released through fissures and cracks. Some cave systems with specific mineral compositions also fostered the evolution of flora that could directly metabolize these elements.

The diverse array of chemicals released by geothermal vents resulted in a wide variety of chemosynthetic flora with distinct adaptations. These plants might develop specialized root systems to maximize absorption, form symbiotic relationships with bacteria to break down complex compounds, or possess unique filtering mechanisms to selectively extract the chemicals they require. Unlike photosynthetic lifeforms, they were not likely to exhibit vibrant pigmentation, as their energy conversion processes did not involve light.

=== Bioluminiscent Fungi ===
The subterranean world of Sedantis harbored a dazzling array of fungi that exploited bioluminescence for diverse purposes. Some species, clinging to the walls of echo chambers, emitted gentle pulses of light that amplified the faintest of sounds. This adaptation helped them attract tiny insects that relied on echolocation to navigate, providing a steady food source in the darkness.

Other bioluminescent fungi thrived near geothermal vents where warmth and noxious gasses would deter most life. These fungi emitted a flickering, spectral glow, mimicking the appearance of distant stars or celestial phenomena. It is hypothesized that this display aided in spore dispersal. The unique conditions near geothermal vents might have created air currents that carry the spores, while the bioluminescence attracted insects that could further spread them. These fungi were often found clustered in specific zones within the cave networks, supporting the dispersal theory.

Perhaps most fascinating were the bioluminescent fungi that formed symbiotic relationships with larger creatures. Some species grew in vibrant patches upon the backs of slow-moving, armored herbivores. The fungi received nutrients and dispersal benefits, while the creatures, glowing brightly in the dark, used it as a defense mechanism to ward off predators.

== Livestock ==
Over millennia, the Vaurca domesticated a select number of Sedantis' native lifeforms, adapting them for various purposes. These creatures represent a significant portion of Sedantian fauna found in human space. Through extensive bioengineering, these livestock species were often heavily modified from their original forms to better serve Vaurca needs. Some notable examples include:

=== V'krexi - Tunnel Wasps ===
V'krexi are among the most ancient organisms on Sedantis, sharing a distant biological lineage with the Vaurca. This familial connection likely explains the historical practice of V'krexi domestication, similar to the relationship between canines and ancient humans. V'krexi are one of the few Sedantian fauna capable of sustained flight and were recently discovered in significant numbers on the Zo'ra Hiveship Titan Prime, allowing for closer study by human scientists.

Ancient Vaurca utilized V'krexi for reconnaissance within unexplored cave systems, as their primarily carnivorous diet and venomous stings made them effective at eliminating potential threats. Their vibrant coloration and noxious flesh likely served as deterrents against their own predators. V'krexi were also a food source for the Vaurca, with their rancid but chewy meat considered a prized delicacy. As Vaurca civilization advanced, V'krexi continued to be valued for their practical uses and later became subjects of scientific study.

V'krexi play a unique role in the production of Skye'mok, a traditional Vaurca beverage with potent stimulant effects. Vaurca artisans utilize specialized techniques involving the V'krexi in the creation of this culturally significant drink.

V'krexi live in complex social structures known as micro-colonies. These colonies exhibit a hierarchical system with specialized roles for breeding, defense, and resource gathering. Despite their structured social organization, V'krexi are known for their playful nature.

=== Sky'au - White Worms ===
Sky'au are albino, grub-like creatures native to Sedantis. They inhabited cavern ceilings, maintaining a low profile as geophages. These creatures feed on mineral sediments and excrete a thick, pus-like substance called '''ne'miik'''. This excretion is composed partly of mineral residue and serves to confuse potential predators. The Vaurca discovered that ne'miik is a consumable substance, serving as their primary analogue for milk.

Vaurca ranchers extract ne'miik by forcibly squeezing Sky'au. This process is notoriously difficult and psychologically taxing, as the Sky'au emit horrifying screams when under pressure. While distressing, these screams serve as an indicator for ranchers to gauge the remaining ne'miik supply. Some Vaurca believe that Sky'au producing the loudest, most intense screams yield the highest quality ne'miik.

The Sky'au are also of [[Vaurca Religion#The taming of K'ois and Queen S'ilq|religious significance]]. Tradition claims that in ancient times, the Sky'au were the custodians of the k'ois, preventing their spread. Following the domestication of k'ois, Sky'au are believed to have shifted their role, instead maintaining optimal conditions for k'ois cultivation. Because of this, the Sky'au are revered by for their perceived subservience to Vaurca needs and their indirect role in sustaining Vaurca society.

=== T'kuxi - Truffle Hound ===
The T'kuxi is a hexapodal insect-like creature. T'kuxi are equipped with a long, specialized proboscis allowing them to sense the subtle presence of mature Raii'kois deep beneath the ground. This ability, combined with their geophagic diet, made them invaluable partners to Vaurca foragers.

Beyond their foraging skills, T'kuxi are also prized for a unique silk-like fiber they produced during specific stages of their life cycle. Vaurca learned to carefully process this fiber into several valuable textiles. The fine, breathable nature of T'kuxi silk made it ideal for mouthpiece coverings. Heavier weaves of T'kuxi silk could be fashioned into tunnel capes.

The development of advanced Raii'kois detection technology led to a decline in T'kuxi domestication. However, the creatures remain valued for their unique silk, which has found new applications within [[Unathi]] culture. Prized for its breathability and lightweight properties, T'kuxi silk is widely used in Unathi textiles. These garments offer vital protection from the harsh desert heat and sandstorms of Moghes.

=== Kex'au - Glowing Worms ===
The Kex'au are small, silky worms known for their bioluminescent properties. These herbivores primarily consume chemosynthetic flora in the environments they inhabit. Although the Vaurca possess excellent night vision, Kex'au served as a convenient additional light source during expeditions into darker regions. On occasion, they were also be consumed by the Vaurca as a supplementary food source. Kex'au are sometimes kept as pets by the Vaurca, and some have been successfully trained to perform simple tricks.

=== K'oiik - K'ois Aphids ===
K'oiik were small, aphid-like insects that shared a symbiotic relationship with the k'ois fungus. They possessed specialized mouthparts that allowed them to pierce the tough outer layer of k'ois and consume its nutrient-rich sap. During digestion, the K'oiik excreted a sugary, honeydew-like substance. This secretion contained a concentrated mix of nutrients that the k'ois could readily absorb, acting as a potent fertilizer and stimulating rapid growth. Additionally, the K'oiik often became covered in k'ois spores during feeding, inadvertently spreading the fungal network as they moved.

The K'oiik are now extinct. However, Vaurca bio-engineers have successfully extracted and integrated K'oiik genetic sequences into modern strains of k'ois. This modification allows k'ois to self-generate the nutrient-rich honeydew, eliminating the need for K'oiik and enabling the k'ois to spread and grow at an accelerated rate.

=== Tro'ok - Shelled Behemoth ===
The Tro'ok is a large, heavily armored arthropod native to Sedantis. With its segmented body, broad shell, and multiple limbs, it bears a resemblance to a cross between ancient Earth trilobites and beetles. This robust creature has served as the traditional beast of burden for the Vaurca for centuries. Tro'ok can grow to immense sizes, capable of carrying significant loads of cargo or multiple Vaurca riders. Their thick, chitinous shells offer protection from falling debris, tremors, and the abrasive environment of Sedantis. Adapted to low-light conditions underground, the Tro'ok also possesses specialized sensory organs for navigation and potentially detecting vibrations.

The Vaurca have domesticated Tr'ook, selectively breeding them for size, docility, and increased endurance. Their primary role was in long-distance transportation of both goods and Vaurca across Sedantis' complex network of tunnels. Even with the advent of advanced travel technology, the Tro'ok's value persisted. Vaurca bioengineers developed augmentations, incorporating motors and mechanical enhancements that significantly increased the Tro'ok's speed and hauling capacity. The form and function of the augmented Tro'ok are believed to have served as inspiration for the design of the [[Vaurca Biology#Ka, The Workers (Ka, Type A)|Freighter Vaurca bioform]], emphasizing their continued importance in Vaurca transportation and technology.

=== Xk'tiik - Mine Weevil ===
The Xk'tiik is a large, herbivorous creature native to Sedantis. Characterized by its elongated proboscis, the Xk'tiik traditionally inhabited areas around geothermal vents. Before domestication, it subsisted primarily on flora found within the vents, using its proboscis to forage in the heated depths. The Xk'tiik possesses a specialized gland that produces a highly corrosive acid, capable of dissolving rock. This adaptation serves both as a defense mechanism when cornered and a means to access kinosynthetic flora growing within stone crevices.

The Vaurca eventually domesticated the Xk'tiik, recognizing the utility of its acid and proboscis. Through selective breeding and training, they developed techniques to redirect the acid spray from the creature's proboscis for targeted rock excavation. The Xk'tiik remain a vital tool in Vaurca construction, playing a significant role in major projects such as the building of [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Caprice|New Sedantis]].

== Predators ==
Sedantis, in its ancient past, harbored hostile environments teeming with dangerous predators. Many of these species preyed upon early Vaurcae, becoming deeply ingrained in their cultural memory and mythology. Over time, the lines between documented fact and fearful exaggeration have been blurred. Contemporary scholars find it difficult to distinguish between genuinely monstrous creatures and those embellished by tales of terror. Regardless, it is clear that these predators posed a significant threat to the survival of the Vaurca.

The Vaurca dedicated significant effort towards exterminating these predators, driven by a need for safety and expansion. Consequently, some species were eradicated even before the [[Vaurca History#The Era of Augments|Era of Augments]]. Despite this, myths and reported sightings of these creatures persisted for millennia.

=== Graz'tal - Molting Mantises ===
The Graz'tal were an early competitor of the Vaurca, sharing a common genus with the insectoid ancestors of the Vaurca. Notably larger and more aggressive, the Graz'tal possessed a thick protective carapace and utilized sharp forelimbs in combat. Ancient Vaurca records claim that Graz'tal underwent extremely rapid molting, allegedly even shedding their exoskeletons mid-battle to regenerate additional limbs. While this phenomenon is likely exaggerated or mythologized, the concept of rapid regeneration through molting may have inspired early Vaurca experimentation with bioengineering.

Graz'tal were solitary predators, primarily targeting vulnerable Vaurca settlements for sustenance. Their solitary nature limited their cooperative hunting strategies. As Vaurca civilization advanced, the Graz'tal's ability to successfully attack settlements declined significantly. This dwindling food source likely contributed to their eventual extinction.

=== Vaur'akar - Vaurca Mimics ===
The Vaur'akar were a diverse group of species on Sedantis that evolved strategies to resemble Vaurca in appearance, behavior, or pheromones. This mimicry provided a competitive advantage, often serving as protection against the numerous predators of Sedantis. Most Vaur'akar were primarily docile, mimicking Vaurca to avoid confrontation and resorting to aggression only if directly threatened. However, more sophisticated Vaur'akar species could imitate Vaurca closely enough to infiltrate settlements, often disguised as Workers to scavenge from k'ois farms or egg nurseries.

The most notorious Vaur'akar was the '''Rai'zzaki''', also known as the False Queen. Unlike other Vaur'akar, it did not physically resemble Vaurca. Instead, the Rai'zzaki was a large, grub-like creature that emitted pheromones mimicking those of a Vaurca Breeder. This deceptive pheromone trail would begin faintly, growing stronger as prey ventured closer to the Rai'zzaki's nest. Vaurcae caught in this trap would feel a powerful urge to continue towards the source, eventually compelled to march into the Rai'zzaki's open mouth where they would be slowly dissolved over several months. The Rai'zzaki was greatly feared by the Vaurca until the invention of the Hivenet, after which its threat diminished and it faded into obscurity within Vaurca historical records.

=== Xir'au - Cavern Crawlers ===
The Xir'au were a species of colossal, multi-limbed worms that burrowed through the depths of Sedantis. Possessing extraordinarily long lifespans, they were voracious consumers of minerals, leaving vast tunnels in their wake. Prehistoric Vaurca viewed the Xir'au as malevolent forces of destruction, responsible for the collapse of countless early Vaurca settlements. During the [[Vaurca History#The Age of Death|Age of Death]], as the Vaurca sought any advantage to gain dominion, they systematically hunted the Xir'au to extinction. However, in a desperate bid during the Great Hive War, the Lii'dra attempted to revive the Xir'au as a bioweapon but ultimately failed.

=== Xir'riix - Giant Mandibles ===
The Xir'riix were insectoid pack predators resembling large, crab-like spiders with powerful mandibles. They were highly territorial and aggressive. Xir'riix hunted by ambush, often concealing themselves in narrow tunnels and overwhelming any creatures that passed through. They possessed a sophisticated pheromone-based communication system, allowing for coordinated hunting tactics.

The Xir'riix posed a significant threat to the Vaurca, particularly scouting parties and those caught venturing into unexplored cave networks. Their sharp claws and mandibles were capable of swiftly incapacitating and even decapitating Vaurca victims. During the aggressive expansionist period of the Zo'ra Empire, Xir'riix infestations were a major obstacle and a leading cause of casualties.

Due to the threat they posed, the Xir'riix were targeted for extermination during the [[Vaurca History#The Commonwealth of Zo'ra|Commonwealth of Zo'ra]]. This campaign was ultimately successful, making them one of the last natural predators to be eliminated from Sedantis.

== Pests ==
Pests on Sedantis primarily consisted of small creatures considered a nuisance for the Vaurca. Most were geophages or fungivores, competing for k'ois cultivated by the Vaurca for sustenance. While generally bothersome rather than outright destructive, some pest species posed genuine dangers. Larger Vaurca settlements tended to have effective pest control measures, but miners, explorers, and those on the fringes of Vaurca territory frequently encountered them. Due to the abundance of pests and the prioritization of other threats on Sedantis, only a few specific species faced targeted extermination efforts by the Vaurca.

=== Ak'au - Venomous Creep ===
The Ak'au is a fuzzy, worm-like creature. It is a major pest for the Vaurca, notorious for its insatiable craving for quakesteel. These insects possess specialized mouthparts capable of breaking down the incredibly strong alloy and often infesting mines, storage facilities, and even Vaurca technology. Ak'au infestations could jeopardize Sedantian infrastructure, as their relentless gnawing weakened crucial quakesteel supports designed to protect structures from seismic activity.

Attempts to exterminate the Ak'au have been largely unsuccessful due to their venomous spines. While not lethal to Vaurcae, their sting delivers a highly corrosive substance that can cause permanent damage to a Vaurca's chitinous carapace. Additionally, Ak'au colonies are known to burrow inside quakesteel structures, consuming the alloy from within and becoming almost impossible to eradicate.

=== Kal'kok - Chirping Mites ===
The Kal'kok are small fungivores native to Sedantis. Resembling translucent arachnids, they primarily feed on k'ois. While mostly harmless, Kal'kok can significantly damage k'ois reserves if left unchecked, presenting a challenge to Vaurca farmers.

They are known for their distinctive chirping sound. Some Vaurcae find this endearing enough to keep Kal'kok in captivity. However, the majority consider them a pest and discourage their presence within major settlements. Despite these efforts, Kal'kok populations persist in the Orion Spur as exotic pets.

=== Ak'aya - Venom Grass ===
Ak'aya, also known as Venom Grass, was a toxic flowering plant notorious for its rapid spread and contamination of Sedantian ecosystems. While not directly lethal to Vaurca, consumption of Ak'aya induced severe emetic reactions. K'ois supplies and water sources in contact with Ak'aya were rendered unusable. Extensive eradication efforts significantly reduced the presence of Ak'aya within cave systems, but it remained a persistent threat in underwater environments.

=== K'yxt - Fungal Amalgam ===
The K'yxt is a parasitic fungus hidden deep within the crevices of stone and even quakesteel. Rarely encountered but highly present, it is a persistent threat to the Vaurca. The K'yxt utilizes a unique method for dispersal and predation, releasing an enormous, adhesive bubble that drifts like a tumbleweed. This bubble ensnares small insects, carrion, and occasionally mandibles of deceased Vaurca Warriors. Over time, these amalgams accumulate absorbed matter, appearing to develop a rudimentary sentience as they actively seek out additional prey. Due to their tenacity, the Vaurca have never successfully exterminated the K'yxt. Unfortunately, the Hiveships inadvertently introduced this dangerous pest to areas within the Orion Spur.

Disturbingly, there appears to be no upper limit to the size a K'yxt bubble can reach. Vaurca scouts have reported sightings of bubbles reaching twelve feet in diameter, containing a horrifying mixture of absorbed biomass. To combat this threat, the Vaurca have developed specialized weapons designed to puncture these bubbles from a safe distance. However, this action often triggers a volatile reaction from the accumulated substances within the bubble, making the process immensely dangerous and potentially lethal.

== Lithomorphae ==
The Lithomorphae are a unique phylum of Sedantian creatures characterized by their remarkable resemblance to rocks and other inorganic matter. This adaptation likely evolved as a camouflage mechanism or defense against predators. Due to their potentially dangerous nature and deceptive appearance, many Lithomorphae species were poorly understood by scientists.

Despite the challenges in studying them, Lithomorphae hold significant value. Their mineralized exoskeletons or secretions often possess remarkable strength and durability. Vaurcae historically utilized certain Lithomorphae species or their byproducts in construction, creating structures capable of withstanding Sedantis' harsh environments.

=== Rux'ora - Stonemaw ===
The Rux'ora, also known as stonemaws, were one of the most infamous terrors of Sedantis. These creatures possessed the remarkable ability to camouflage themselves as seemingly ordinary cavern walls. Upon sensing prey, the stonemaw revealed its hidden maw—lined with multiple rows of teeth—capable of swallowing Vaurca whole. In some cases, the pheromones of consumed victims and mandible clacks of distress could be detected, although rescue attempts were invariably unsuccessful. There are no recorded accounts of stonemaw survivors.

The Rux'ora likely employed a form of subterranean locomotion to change hunting grounds. Occasionally, explorers returning to previously documented stonemaw locations would find nothing but an unremarkable cavern wall. The mechanism behind this movement remains poorly understood and continues to be a subject of scientific fascination.

=== Zess'val - Living Stalactites ===
The Zess'val were small Lithomorphs resembling stalactites, native to the cave systems of Sedantis. These carnivorous creatures fed on insects venturing near cave ceilings. Upon sensing prey, a Zess'val would secrete a sticky, entrapping substance. Over time, the insect would succumb and decompose, allowing the Zess'val to consume the broken-down organic matter.

Vaurca scientists extensively studied the Zess'val life cycle, but their reproduction remains poorly understood. It is theorized that a Zess'val, if detached from the ceiling, would regenerate as long as it remained in contact with the cave roof. Zess'val that died would fall to the cave floor, posing a potential hazard to unwary explorers.

=== Nyx'vook - Crevice Tendrils ===
The Nyx'vook were a unique Lithomorph species found within the cavern walls of Sedantis. While initially mistaken for plant-like life due to their tendril form, they were extensions of a centralized, stone-like organism. The Nyx'vook extended vast distances through the rock, foraging for gem deposits. Their tendrils possessed specialized sensory nodes capable of detecting trace amounts of different minerals, guiding them towards the most valuable ore clusters. Nyx'vook were largely harmless, defensively retracting upon contact. However, their consumption of gems occasionally created competition with Vaurca miners, especially those seeking valuable khy'maak. It was theorized that Nyx'vook colonies might become large enough to destabilize cave systems if left unchecked.

=== Rux'zkera - Sanguilithum ===
The Rux'zkera, also known as the sanguilithum, is a significant Lithomorph for the Vaurca and the only prevalent in the Orion Spur. In the wild, this creature resembles a boulder. However, when cut open, the Rux'zkera reveals a fleshy interior filled with blood. This bleeding stone is primarily a scavenger, feeding on carrion. It moves slowly using concealed tendrils. The sanguilithum possesses multiple mouth-like openings for feeding.

Vaurca extensively utilize sanguilithum as a building material. Their fleshy interior is ideal for seamlessly connecting biomechanical components within walls and structures. Additionally, the sanguilithum's mouth openings can conduct electricity, serving as sockets for Vaurca technology. Modern Vaurca breed sanguilithum specifically for continued use in construction.

== Macrobacteria ==
The extreme environment of Sedantis fostered the evolution of complex bacterial lifeforms known as macrobacteria. Unlike their microscopic counterparts on Earth, these organisms displayed unusually large sizes and adaptations to survive in harsh conditions. These extremophiles originated on the surface, developing remarkable resistance to the gas giant's intense radiation over time.

Macrobacteria exhibited a seasonal migratory pattern. They retreated underground during periods of extreme radiation and resurfaced during the Season of Shadows. Primarily fungivores, they played a vital role in decomposing the vast fungal blooms that proliferated on Sedantis. Additionally, some macrobacteria species possessed specialized mechanisms to absorb and metabolize low doses of specific radiation types.

Vaurcae studied macrobacteria with a mixture of fascination and caution. They recognized their ecological importance but were wary of the dangers certain species posed. Research into macrobacteria offered potential advancements in medicine, bioengineering, and perhaps even radiation resistance technology. Colonies of macrobacteria were kept alive by Hiveships and remain in study in [[Skrell]] and human space.

== Aquatic Creatures ==
Sedantis harbored vast oceans and seas teeming with diverse life, much of which remains poorly understood. While Vaurca did not intentionally target aquatic species for extermination, extensive littering and unsustainable resource extraction severely damaged many underwater habitats. A vast majority of Sedantian aquatic creatures likely went extinct before they could be studied or even observed, lost forever without any documentation.

=== Ee'kyk - Writhing Eels ===
The Ee'kyk were herbivorous, eel-like creatures that populated the numerous underground lakes and oceans of Sedantis. Relatively docile, they preferred to deliver a single bite and flee when threatened. Remarkably hardy, Ee'kyk fed on underwater Ak'aya growths and could thrive in bodies of water considered otherwise uninhabitable.

The Ee'kyk mating season was a spectacular sight within their subterranean water bodies. To attract a mate, they would emit pulses of bioluminescent light while vibrating their bodies rapidly. This created an intense shimmering effect throughout the water. Once paired, Ee'kyk would excavate elaborate burrows into soft sediment where they laid their eggs.

The Vaurca viewed Ee'kyk as more of a curiosity than a threat or food source. Young Vaurca, particularly those from daring lineages, developed the sport of "claw-catching." This involved luring an Ee'kyk close with agitated movements and tempting them to bite an outstretched limb. The challenge was to yank their limb free at the last moment, leaving the Ee'kyk momentarily baffled. Skillful claw-catchers gained prestige among their peers.

=== Kla'izzkar - Petrifying Crab ===
The Kla'izzkar was the most widespread aquatic predator in Sedantis. Its unique physiology centered around a constantly growing, immensely durable carapace. This heavy armor offered protection from most natural threats within its environment. The Kla'izzkar's eyes were vestigial, eventually becoming fully encased by its exoskeleton. To navigate, it instead relied upon a form of echolocation.

To compensate for the immense weight of its carapace, the Kla'izzkar possessed remarkable strength. Its powerful claws could tear through most materials found within its habitat and were capable of snapping with enough concussive force to disorient nearby creatures. However, this unique defense mechanism carried a fatal flaw. An exceptionally long-lived Kla'izzkar would eventually become entirely immobilized by its own carapace, likely leading to death by starvation or suffocation.

=== Ki'kirex - Sedantian Urchins ===
The Ki'kirex were a diverse group of sea urchins native to Sedantian oceans. Their primarily gemphagous diet consisted of calcite formations and, on occasion, phoron crystals. As Vaurca expanded into underwater mining operations, the Ki'kirex became a minor nuisance, although they were easily deterred.

Ki'kirex species possessed sharp spines as a primary defense mechanism, capable of inflicting minor carapace damage when threatened. However, most of the Ki'kirex species' reproductive organs, referred to as "roe," held a surprising medicinal secret. These gonads, when processed into a potent salve, possessed remarkable healing properties. The Ki'kirex roe salve became a key ingredient in many traditional Vaurca medicines, valued for its effectiveness in treating wounds and ailments. Despite attempts at domestication, the Ki'kirex primarily remained a harvested resource for their valuable roe salve.

=== Krox'krox - Collector Crabs ===
The Krox'krox was a crustacean species found throughout Sedantis, known for its highly opportunistic scavenging habits and wide variation in size. The largest specimens were recorded within the L'yok Ravine, with smaller Krox'krox found underwater. True to their scavenger nature, Krox'krox feasted on the remains of any creature carcasses they encountered.

Beyond opportunistic feeding, the Krox'krox were unique in their habit of collecting debris and discarded objects. Collected materials were incorporated into their shells, providing additional protection, and used to construct rudimentary dens for shelter.
Due to their scavenging and collecting habits, Vaurca settlements often attributed missing items to Krox'krox activity. Whether this reputation was fully deserved or stemmed from Vaurca superstition remains a topic of debate among Sedantian researchers.

=== Ry'tiik - Spectral Jellyfish ===
The Ry'tiik was a bioluminescent, translucent jellyfish native to the Sedantian oceans. Its delicate tendrils concealed a potent, fast-acting paralytic toxin, making it an effective predator. The Ry'tiik's internal anatomy appeared to be in constant flux, mesmerizing Vaurca researchers for millennia. The creature's most peculiar trait was its tendency to decompose moments after death, dissolving into an amorphous puddle of shimmering goo. This rapid decay made the Ry'tiik remarkably difficult to study. Primary prey included the Ee'kyk, along with other small marine organisms.

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Vaurca History

2026-05-26T08:55:17Z

Carver: Hegemony to Karszekani

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One of the oldest civilizations to ever exist, Vaurcae today are very different from their ancestors. The following is a break-down of the Vaurca history in each era, from their beginnings to their integration to the [[The Orion Spur|Orion Spur]].

==The Dawn of Vaurca==
Little is known about the Vaurca before their Agricultural Revolution, and without the possibility to engage in archeological excavations, and the stigma of [[Vaurca Culture and Society|Vaurca society]] to learn about their past, pre-Agricultural life is what makes it hard for researchers to investigate the earliest lives of Vaurcae. However, reconstructions have been proposed based on their mythological stories and what we know about their biology.

Due to their eusocial nature, the Hive structure predates the Vaurca civilization, however it might have been quite different, with little cooperation between the colonies and no lineage set by the Queens. The fierce, competitive nature of [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]] suggests that while sapient, Vaurcae were unable to remain on top of the food chain or even acquire proper means to survive. Famine was common in this era, and may have led to the rise of Warrior morphs, in distinction and specialization apart from the Worker castes.

==The Warrior Nomadism==
Around 737 000 years ago, these hyper-specialized Warriors became predominant in Vaurca society. The successful Hives of the epoch lived a militarized nomadic lifestyle inside the vast underground cave networks of Sedantis, seeking access to the edible fungus.

Although the bacteria inside their guts which allows them to eat k'ois and transform them into all the required nutrients might have existed in Vaurcae long before this period, the significance of k'ois is likely to have been emphasized in this era. The earliest record of Vaurca tool crafting, regarded as the origin point of their civilization, was found by the [[Leto, The Seeker|Leto brood]] before their departure. It is a mandible garment, likely to enhance the lethality of the bite, decorated with a pattern that resembles the spores of k'ois.

Almost all conflict originated around control of food. Warfare was a matter of survival after a Hive exhausted its food supply, and nearly all Hives were in constant conflict with one another. Due to the innate deadliness of Vaurca mandibles and claws, warfare was fought in melee. Prisoners of war tended to be decapitated by the mandibles of the victor, while the surviving Hive was either enslaved or left to perish.

As Queens were rarely spared, the growth of these Warrior Hives was mostly limited. Population controls may have also been enforced to ensure food would last for everybody. The Vaurcae social stomachs served a greater purpose during this era, as keeping the k'ois inside their bodies was a better option for their nomadic lifestyle.

==The Agricultural Revolution==
Approximately 567 000 years ago, agricultural methods to allow the domestication of k'ois proliferated with the Hives, even between former enemies. It is poorly understood how difficult it was for the k'ois to grow before this, but it commonly believed that the fungus required a specific type of spore dissemination that could not easily be replicated with intervention.

No longer a resource that could be easily exhausted, population numbers within Hives exploded, and permanent settlements were established. One of the first observable changes that agriculture brought was the lineage of a Queen. Hive Queens began to produce Breeders to aid them, forming the different broods, often having jurisdiction in a city.

While Vaurcae before have traveled all around the available underground of Sedantis in search of available resources, their nomadism and wars also greatly limited their opportunities to geographically expand as a species. Their increased venues in mining and exploitation of natural resources created various settlements in otherwise inaccessible areas.

Queens developed a cult of personality highly linked to their religion. Although particular doctrines varied from each brood, most of these beliefs remain as the fundament of the [[Vaurca Religion#Classical Pantheon|Classical Pantheon]].

==The Age of Death==
What is understood as the Age of Death is the period in Vaurca History up until the rise of Zo'ra and the Era of Augments. It is characterized by its relative peace and a lifestyle that contrasts greatly with how Vaurcae currently live. It is also often referred to as the '''pre-Zo'rane Age.''' Some scholars disagree where to cut the Age of Death, or if a new classification that further fragments this epoch is required. The discussion is also motivated by the fact that what is known as the Era of Augments should not have begun much sooner, as the first great break-through in universal augmentation was with the establishment of the [[Vaurca#Language|Hivenet]]. As to keep things simple, this article will use the classical division between the periods.

After the establishment of various societies across Sedantis, alliances between Hives became commonplace. In other cases, some minor wars ensured conquest of similarly minor Hives. Interests were not so much for expansion, but rather what the cooperation (or enslavement) of these Vaurcae could provide. Though current Vaurca societies can still be referred to as tribalistic, this shift unified many different cultural aspects until that moment. For instance, while what can be understood as ancient Vaurcese is a mixture of pheromones and vibrations, different subtleties created unique dialects that were little intelligible between each other. Similarly, some Hives may have developed a written form of their Vaurcese variants that was lost in time.

Most of the infrastructure in ancient Sedantis was developed during this period. As arts became more important, so did masonry. The Vaurca eventually developed elaborate and massive feats of subterranean engineering, with aqueducts, sewage, and entire cities being carved out of the rock. The walls and floors of the cave were smoothed out and covered in engravings, creating a form of art that would not be blasted away by radiation.

===The K'lax Bonanza and Technological Revolution===
Eventually, technological advancements became more important for all Hives to develop. Processes such as industry and uses of their Workers were revolutionized, which led to eventual advancements in computer science and, most importantly, communications. While most of the developments have been revised by Zo'ra to claim as their own, it is inarguable that the invention belongs to the [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax|K'lax Hive]].

The first records of K'lax stem from about 60 000 years ago, as a small Hive in the '''Mya'kt Fault.''' The legend surrounding Mother K'lax says that she raised her brood on her own, perhaps initiated due to her insignificance in Sedantis politics for centuries. However, since its conception, the K'lax Hive specialized in engineering. The Mya'kt Fault was uncolonized territory, as it was deemed too unsafe for millennia. K'lax managed to make it habitable in a short span, constructing a vertical city.

What gained them reputation and eventually marked their rise in Vaurca History was the invention of the first Hivenet tower 54 000 years ago, alongside a primitive implant that required a lengthy connection from the brain to the chest. Despite how rudimentary it was, it created a revolution in language, as the biological limitations of Vaurcese were no longer a burden. Their design was rapidly adopted by other Hives. As Vaurca economy was largely motivated by barter prior to contact with other sapients, K'lax accumulated goods and even territory through their invention.

Another K'lax invention is the [[Vaurca#Cephalon (Type D)|Cephalon]], which was quite different from the modern Cephalons. This early version retained sentience and could not store as much information as they currently can, however it was a major step towards Vaurca augmentations and engineered bioforms.

Their influence caused the Mya'kt Fault to become the de facto capital of Sedantis. This boon would inspire different Hives to continue perfecting and experimenting on augmentation.

===The Rise of Zo'ra===
Though exact dates are unknown, and Zo'rane records are unreliable due their revisionism, [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra]] emerged somewhere around 45 000 years ago, amidst the '''Xtykt'lotec Rift,''' a highly contested area by Warrior Hives that retained much of the Warrior structures of the old. The legend states that Queen Zo'ra had her entire brood raided while they were still larvae and was left to die. Once she recovered and produced a new batch of Warriors, she overtook every single Hive of the region. While this is unlikely true, the tension in the Xtykt'lotec may have shaped Zo'ra's war spirit. What is known, however, is that Zo'ra left the Xtykt'lotec Rift to relocate to the '''Veii'kt Plate,''' her capital.

Zo'ra would rapidly build an Empire like never seen before in Vaurca history. While there were large Hives that held power in large regions and enforced a martial lifestyle, no Hive before was as ruthless as Zo'ra in her quest for expansion. Her system of vassalage rarely allowed the subjected Hives to produce Warriors on their own, while also assimilating (or exterminating) the native cultures by enforcing the Zo'rane lifestyle. While Hivenet would have ideally ended the regional differences of Vaurca language, the different protocols used to transmit it served as barriers. Zo'ra enforced the Hivenet protocol that is still used to this day. It was also at this stage when the Modern Pantheon was enforced as a state religion for subjugated Hives, while the Zo'ra Hive was free to have their own personal beliefs.

One of the biggest changes under Zo'rane rule was the introduction of [[Vaurca#The Bound|Bound]] populations. While since ancient times some Vaurcae were deemed less as people and more like objects due to the nature of their jobs, these drones were not augmented or even modified to enforce their control. Zo'ra began to lobotomize her drones to remove their free will, in what is regarded as the creation of the Bound, though this term would not arise until the Era of Augments. Problematic subjects, or those composed mostly of Warrior populations, would often be lobotomized as a whole to ensure their loyalty to the Zo'ra Hive.

Though the Mya'kt Fault was far from the Zo'ra menace, K'lax was not safe. The eldest of K'lax daughters, '''Queen Neiim''', was the Warrior brood of the Hive and prepared for an eventual war. However, nothing she could do was enough for when Zo'ra attacked, despite the diplomacy between the two Hives. In a short span of time, the K'lax became vassals of Zo'ra.

Despite the fact that modern values regarding the war etiquette already existed at this period, and were enforced both by Zo'ra and K'lax, Queen Neiim mysteriously died shortly after the conquest. To this day, the Zo'ra Hive claims to have no involvement in her death, and is still a debated topic.

===The Uplifting of C'thur===
Though a minor Hive in this era, [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur]] first gained notoriety when they were spared in the Xtykt'lotec Rift conquest. While the exact details are unknown, as it would go against the legendary tale of Zo'ra, it is likely the C'thur brood aided Queen Zo'ra in her early days,after a surprise attack against the early Hive.

C'thur herself might be older than Mother K'lax, serving for the T'yat Hive before her vassaldom to Zo'ra. Though it is unsure where exactly the C'thur Hive was originally from, most sources cite her in the Xtykt'lotec region, as a tiny Hive that was never conquered. Instead, she would aid all of those injured by war that survived.

The Zo'ra domain in C'thuric territory was never as ruthless as elsewhere. The C'thur Hive is noteworthy in Zo'rane sources because of her aid in lobotomizing proto-Bound. The pupae lobotomization technique, which is still in use today, was a C'thur innovation.

==The Era of Augments==
Around 37 650 years ago, the constant improvements in augmentation technology allowed for Vaurcae to be able to cybernetically engineer any aspect of their drones. The Hivenet implants had also been greatly reduced in their size, and the current understanding Vaurcae have of augmentations as repair and maintenance arose. It was the constant refinement of the lobotomized drones that caused the modern distinction of Bound and Unbound.

The augments and genetic alterations made the caste specialization much more rigid than ever before. Although clear social roles were already marked since the dawn of Vaurca, a Vaurca of old had a chance to enter and learn about different fields. The modern Vaurca society saw a caste system where Vaurca were literally [[Vaurca Biology#Life Cycle|defined from birth and built into that role]].

===The Lii'dra Innovations===
The origins of the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra Hive]] are uncertain. Settled inside the '''Illuau'tia Grotto,''' the status of the Hive as a whole has changed as they became synonymous with evil. Many sources claim that High Queen Lii'dra is not even Vaurca, but rather of other species that sought to cause mayhem. Others say she was a meek Queen that wished for total dominion. What is likely true, however, was that the Lii'dra Hive was a small faction of tinkerers. Despite the popular belief, 'Lii'dra' originally did not mean Scourge, as it has become synonymous with. It may have had good relationships with nearby Hives of the '''Kol'axta Plate,''' and perhaps even required trading of larvae and Workforce due to fertility problems. They would have been regarded as irrelevant, even to the Zo'ra, until '''[[Virtual Reality#History|the invention of the modern Virtual Reality]]''' 36 670 years ago.

Its adoption would have been gradual at first, however it piqued the interest of Vaurca society when K'lax learned about it. As they were still regarded as the leaders of technological innovation and communications, K'lax marketed the Virtual Reality as an invention of their own. It is unsure if they reverse-engineered the Virtual Reality or gained access to the secrets behind it, effectively stealing it. However the case may be, the K'lax Hive began to produce the first version of the neural socket, an augment that joined both the Hivenet and Virtual Reality in a single piece. This first prototype was rather sturdy and essentially required a brain case installed below the exoskeleton.

Eventually, the Virtual Reality technology pervaded every aspect of the Vaurcaesian lifestyle. Seen as a means to reinforce religious dogma, and as a way to combat the already popularizing [[Vaurca Religion#Preimminence|Preimminence]], the religious and ritualistic significance of Virtual Reality was achieved by the Queens.

These changes marked the birth of the Vaurca society as we know it today. While plenty of documentation of their previous ways exists, Vaurcae believe that their pre-Augmentation days were primitive and incompatible with their current lifestyle.

==The Commonwealth of Zo'ra==
Despite her dominion over Sedantis as a whole, Zo'ra became increasingly wary of an upcoming uprising. Rebellions, while uncommon, were almost always crushed immediately. However, her fear was so much that she decided to reform some of her old ways. As a token of change, Zo'ra awarded the C'thur Hive their independence. She also reduced the military presence in many of her colonies, enforcing a more complex form of control through diplomacy and augmentations.

Zo'ra rule radically changed when, alongside the C'thur Hive, both Hives founded the '''Court of Queens''' in their native Xtykt'lotec. The nature of this organism was to promote inter-Hive dialogue and resolve any possible quarrels between their members. Vassals such as K'lax were allowed seats in the Court, while smaller Hives were occasionally allowed to voice their concerns in special reunions.

Many subsequent innovations in augmentation, especially the neural socket design still in-use, are credited to have been developed by the Zo'ra Hive. However, speculation has arisen if this itself was not instead a K'lax invention, which in turn would be likely Lii'dra technology. However the case may be, Lii'dra would not have a presence in the Court of Queens for the next hundreds of years.

Detractors of the Zo'ra Hive have also called this period '''The Easy Yoke''', as it is characterized by an ease of Zo'rane rule.

==The Great Hive War==
Lii'dra finally made an appearance at the Court of Queens 30 000 years ago, as part of a technological summit which involved all Hives. By then, the main goal Zo'ra had in mind was to take the Vaurca into what she considered the next generation of augmentation. Many strange bioforms, as well as advanced gadgets that still live in Vaurca imagination today, were speculated by then. This session, however, took a dark turn as the Lii'dra revealed their plan to unify the species.

What Lii'dra scientists had in mind was to put apart all Vaurca differences in a Hivemind that would be much more effective, all in one collective consciousness that would bring progress at an unprecedented speed. Though universally rejected by the assistants, Lii'dra representatives were not expelled from the Court until they implied they had already begun to put their breakthrough into practice, and that some smaller Hives were already assimilated.

Shortly after, Lii'dra seized Xtykt'lotec, effectively dissolving the Court of Queens. This event is marked as the beginning of the Great Hive War. While wars were fought before and after this, none have ever been of this magnitude again. The Great Hive War involved every Hive, both major and minor. Though most of the efforts were to stop the Lii'dra menace, plenty of other fronts emerged as minor Hives fell back into their old conflicts.

Because of the scope of the war, the demands of Warrior populations were higher than ever before. It is at this time that many of the current Lesser Queens were born, with some individual Vaurcae emerging from this conflict as heroes in their own right.

The turning point of the war began with the first Lii'dra defeats. At the hands of K'lax, Lii'dra were unable to breach their plate's defensive network, a complex set of machines that prevented any lifeform from approaching within miles of their territory. This resulted in forcing the Lii'dra to attack the Zo'rane plate through the '''Ryitu'kya Abyss.''' This battle is considered the single most important in Vaurca history. Such was its importance that there are legendary claims about the Queens themselves participating in the conflict.

The Lii'dra defeat here signaled the beginning of the end of the war. From here, increasingly bloody battles would blanket nearly all of Sedantis. Forced to attack the K'laxan positions after their defeat within the Ryitu'kya Abyss, the Lii'dra broke the K'laxan defensive line despite its cost in lives. By some accounts, in the aftermath of the '''Siege of the Kol'axta Plate,''' entire underground caverns were filled to the brim with corpses from both sides. The Great Hive War officially ended 29 930 years ago after the sinking of the Lii'dra capital Illuau'tia.

With over the half of Vaurca population slain in the conflict, a mass depression blanketed the survivors in their Pyrrhic victory over the Lii'dra, that not even the surviving Queens themselves could mend. It was from this bleakness and death that the Vaurcaesian idea of [[Virtual Reality#Afterlife|the Afterlife]] spawned. Envisioned and proclaimed by High Queen Zo'ra, the Afterlife technology was gifted freely to all surviving Hives, as she declared nevermore would such death haunt their species. For truly, based upon their newest technology, the Queens relieved their Hives of death and despair by making real the idea of life after death, that the death witnessed here would never again be an issue for the generations after.

More information can be found [[The Great Hive War|here]].

==The Decline of Zo'ra==
The aftermath of the Great Hive War went beyond just the Afterlife technology. Zo'ra herself had lost daughters in battle, and her domain over most of her colonies was lost. While K'lax independence was an idea that began to develop during this period, challenging Zo'rane authority, even at its low, would likely have caused another war.

Some regions that lacked authority became breeding grounds for Warladies that retained some of their Warrior populations, or even went as far as to employ Workers to increase their numbers, despite the poor success. The Zo'ra Hive avoided the conflict, as well as other major Hives that could intervene, since many had lost their most eccentric and specialized Warforms in the Great Hive War.
The Vaurca goal to continue modifying their bioforms, as well as to create new technologies stagnated for thousands of years. The religion of Preimminence, which was already unpopular with the Hives before the war, was blamed as inspiring the corrupted ways of the Lii'dra. This, combined with the scorched Cephalons during the war, has caused many of the ancient Vaurca technology to have been deemed lost.

Zo'ra decided to divide her territory, allowing her daughter '''L'kaal''' to independize and manage most of her remaining vassals, while she retained K'lax only. The L'kaal Hive, however, was largely unsuccessful, and was constantly raided by the opportunistic scavengers of different flavors that emerged.

While Zo'ra's situation eventually improved, it was never to the same levels of glory of the past. The population of Sedantis eventually increased again over time, and although the status quo seemed to have returned, it was never the same as before.

The C'thur Hive, and mostly, Queen Vytel, attempted to re-establish the Court of Queens multiple times, with little success. The historical location in the Xtykt'lotec Rift was razed by the Lii'dra, and Hive differences continued to increase, as well as an anti-Zo'ra sentiment by many smaller Hives that refused now to subjugate. It was also transparent now by many of Sedantis that the political maneuvers of C'thur were two-faced and mostly for her Hive's gain. A smaller Court of Queens eventually settled in Veii'kt, however this time it was an attempt for the Zo'ra daughters to remain unified, with little success.

===The Hives Renaissance===
As stability was somehow regained, many social stigmas that prevented the Vaurca society to continue its quest for expansion eventually dissipated. However, it was perhaps too late. Vaurcae before had shown little interest to explore the surface of Sedantis, due to its hostile environment, as radiation and intense heat blasted the planet's surface. With the revitalization of the arts and sciences, the observation of the stars and planets brought a bleak discovery.

More information can be found [[Hives Renaissance|here]].

==The Exodus==
The consciousness of Sedantis I orbiting their sun, '''Sc'theth'stak,''' was common knowledge since the early Age of Death. However, its relationship with the gas giant Sedantis, the planet it was a satellite of, was vastly understudied. Scientists of different Hives discovered that each cycle Sedantis I deranged from the gas giant, pulling towards Sc'theth'stak instead. The reasons behind this change were largely debated, but it is possible that the large quantities of phoron had something to do with this gravitational shift. By 150 CE, the scientific consensus was that this change of orbit would mean their home planet crashing into the Sun in the next three-hundred years, with possible fatal consequences for the rest of their home system as a consequence of the solar flares' aftermath.

This information was at first hidden from the public, though the efforts were futile. Mass hysteria developed due to the impending apocalypse, and the Zo'rane rule was questioned more than ever, with [[Vetju, Iron Queen|Queen Vetju]] publicly supporting K'laxan independence for the first time. Fighting for Sedantis, however, was pointless. The only means of survival, it seemed, forced Vaurcae to consider colonizing the stars.

Zo'ra developed a plan to construct massive Hiveships, which would be able to transport their entire Hive to other star systems. The design, however, was a subject of controversy, as [[Xakt, Queen of Corpses#Za'Akaix'Cimm Zo'ra|Cimm's proposal]] was deemed impossible to develop in a short timespan and with their current technology. Although at first the Zo'ra Hive's idea of Exodus did not include any Hive but the Zo'rane broods, Zo'ra was forced to cooperate with a reinvigorated K'lax.

C'thur managed to construct their Hiveship by reverse-engineering the K'lax design to the best of their understanding, rushing to prepare it for the day of embarking. Only some minor Hives were spared by their workforce, assimilating them to the Zo'ra and K'lax populations, losing their identity in a few Worker generations.

The rest of the Hives, however, were left for dead without any possibility to construct their own ships. The anti-Zo'ra sentiment reached a new height when a failed attack to Veii'kt was launched by minor Hives. To ensure some stability in the doomed planet, Queen L'kaal volunteered to remain on Sedantis and ensure no attempts of Zo'ra trailing were made. For this, she is remembered as '''The Sacrifice Queen''' by the Zo'ra Hive.

Due to their available phoron, as well as fusion reactors, the Hiveships were prepared to travel for long periods of time. The speed of light was thought to be the barrier of how fast an object could move for almost all of Vaurca history, but such velocity was breached by [[Vetju, Iron_Queen#Ka'Akaix'Yix_K'lax | Ka'Akaix'Yix K'lax]], the engineer behind the Hiveships shortly before the Exodus. Whilst significantly slower then Human and Skrell Bluespace drives would later end up being, the K'lax design ensured almost 20% of what the best warp drives are capable of.

The ultimate fate of Sedantis I is unknown, as no certainty exists as to whether it crashed or simply changed orbits. The second possibility might have been too damning for the planet, however, as the already thin ozone layer would have disappeared, exposing Sedantis to new levels of radiation and scorching it completely, making even subterranean life difficult to continue. Contact with the Vaurca home planet remains impossible.

==The Two-Thousand Year Gap==
The journey to the Orion Spur was full of mayhem, with uncertainty and terror reigning over Vaurcae. The following is an outline of what occurred before their discovery by other sapients. The Zo'ra Hive left with three Hiveships, K'lax with two and C'thur with only one available.

===The Zo'ra Trail===
Shortly after the evacuation, the Hiveships coordinated to resettle and rebuild their society. The small planet, called '''Gii'moss,''' was nothing like Sedantis, with much more biodiversity and a more jungle-like appearance. However, it had traces of phoron in its atmosphere. The Hives would quickly spread massive k'ois plantations, systematically eliminated the native flora and fauna and increase the phoron composition to match that of Sedantis. Proving to be fatal to the ecosystem and fearing an incident which would render the place completely inhospitable, it was rapidly evacuated after a few years of colonization.

Other similar attempts occurred in different ecosystems, such as the legendary '''Vutx'ic,''' which was said to have lakes of liquid phoron. However, k'ois and the disregard of local life made it so that catastrophes were inevitable. Even after the introduction of some more careful layouts of k'ois farms, many of the first waves of colonies would wither because of the ecological devastation.

The first signs of a major dispute between the Hives occurred with the blames placed towards Zo'ra by the C'thur in regards to their aggressive methods to colonize. The inferior C'thuric Hiveship would begin to fail at the end of this first phase, perhaps due to its overwork to match the other ships' velocity.

===The Celis Conflict===
The original C'thur Hiveship had to make an emergency landing on the planet of '''Celis,''' which is notable for its similarities to Sol III in terms of size and atmospheric composition. Completely useless now, C'thur hailed for help and both the Zo'rane and K'laxan Hiveships landed for aid. Because of the inhospitable conditions for them at first, it was at this stage when the first prototypes of the phoron tanks were built and quickly perfected to the design still in use today. Celis was less than ideal to colonize, but a large barren desert proved the perfect place to cultivate k'ois, and the complex natural cave tunnels served as the basis for the city foundations.

While inter-hive cooperation was encouraged the first years, territorial disputes began soon after. A major issue was with the k'ois supplies and how they were being divided, with K'lax ceasing to provide tribute to Zo'ra in a clear move of independence. C'thur sided with the K'lax in a strange alliance, which put high pressure on the Zo'ra Hive despite outnumbering them both with Warriors. For the first time in history, Zo'rane rule was openly questioned by its closest allies.

War also became impractical due to a famine that cut most of the k'ois supply in a short time. The exact reasons behind this "k'ois drought" are unknown, but perhaps the fungi was still unprepared to thrive in environments of high oxygen. It was during this period that C'thur took control of the '''Kloxa'xia.''' While the C'thur Hive claims it was gifted by K'lax because of their damaged ship and their alliance, K'lax instead argues that it was stolen while their guard was down. Whatever the case may be, for K'lax and C'thur trying to remain on Celis was seen as futile, both Hives parting shortly after.

Though the Zo'ra Hive managed to salvage the k'ois and grow a steady colony, they were ready to search for a more suitable environment, with conditions more familiar to them. Two of the three Hiveships of Zo'ra parted, leaving High Queen Zo'ra and her brood on the Celis colony, with promises to regain contact once more resources were found.

It is uncertain as to why High Queen Zo'ra decided to stay behind. The Celis conflict, while diplomatic in nature, proved that Zo'ra was not the same mighty giant she once was, which may have affected her decision to settle there. It is also known that the idea of returning to a nomadic lifestyle terrified her, as their species had evolved long from that. Another reason might have been the mere shock of the dynamic change with K'lax. Knowing [[Tupii, The Surrogate Queen#Background|Mother K'lax had died]], she might have felt as if she did not recognize this new Hive, with the Lesser Queens having a completely different stance on the Zo'ra. Whatever the case might have been, High Queen Zo'ra seemed to be content with her decision to settle in Celis, and while both sides might have expected to be reunited again, no contact with the Celis colony has been possible ever since.

===The Nomadic Approach===
Following the conflict, the communication between the Hives fractured, though they remained tailing each other. Settling in any of these planets would have required great infrastructure, as their composition was too extreme for Vaurcae to survive. The disponibility of k'ois greatly diminished as a result, with few available places to let k'ois grow. The first attempts of an asteroid farm were started by the K'lax Hive, which the [[Leto, The Seeker#Recent Events|Leto brood would later perfect in Pid]].

Lost in space, the desperation was growing fast, taking a toll in many of the Vaurcae, even the Queens themselves. The Hiveships, while prepared for emergencies such as this, were beginning to deteriorate too. The available phoron fuel became a luxury, however they had to continue.

The second Hiveship of the Zo'ra was used as a means to store resources, with only one Queen, '''Biibak,''' on board alongside her brood. Both K'lax and C'thur, which were becoming uneasy too, hoped that the Zo'ra Hive would eventually share their surplus kept here, was the situation to become even more drastic. However, Biibak lost contact with the rest of the Hive. The ship is speculated to have been destroyed, perhaps due to natural phenomena. Losing their emergency stock, a new plan had to arise.

===The Last Ordeal===
To save on resources, most Unbound underwent stasis. With an uncertainty and a fear that the life support systems would make it hard for their survival, the life inside Virtual Reality was, at times, uncertain. Many of the [[Vaurca Culture and Society#Xakat'kl'atan|Xakat'kl'atan]] were reunited in the sentiment of soothing the others, while those few Unbound that remained active developed means to scan for phoron. The sensor readings for this were, at best, broad and unreliable, and at worst, outright a lie.

The sudden sense of direction the Zo'rane Hiveship had alerted the other Hives, which prompted them to follow closer again. Without an official word from the Zo'ra, however, they often wondered if it was worth pursuing.

It is uncertain when Vaurcae finally entered the Orion Spur. Some small settlements and outposts in the [[The Orion Spur#Sparring Sea|Sparring Sea]] suggest the Vaurca were there before its colonization. As following Zo'ra was uncoordinated, both K'lax and C'thur may have lost all means to locate the ship long before the Hive continued its journey to [[Tau Ceti]]. Though K'lax and C'thur were not on good terms, attempts to communicate and team up were made, with relaying distances too far to properly do so. Their relationship only worsened from these broken messages. C'thur claimed to have traced the Zo'ra path, with coordinates to be exchanged in what is known today as the '''Xi'miix rendez-vous,''' an asteroid somewhere in the Sparring Sea. While C'thur did arrive at the encounter, a surprise attack separated the Hives, making the '''Klo'zxera''' change course, unknowingly, to [[Uueoa-Esa]].

It is not clear when the Lii'dra left Sedantis. High Queen Lii'dra remained hidden deep in the Sedantian abyss after the Great Hive War, and emerged again only after the Exodus. It is suggested that this time around most Hives that joined forces with them surrendered, either out of hatred of Zo'ra or as a desperate means of survival. However it happened, the Lii'dra attacked and boarded the Kloxa'xia, believing that Mother K'lax remained alive and on board the Hiveship. The attack almost took C'thur's life, leaving her weak and crippled. After the attack, the Kloxa'xia unknowingly wandered into the Skrellian Traverse, eventually emerging in [[Notable Skrell Systems and Locations#Glorashi|Glorashi]].

The Zo'ra Hive remained determined to find this phoron they may have located. Perhaps because the engines of the '''Titan Prime''' were superior to those of the two other Hiveships, they managed to travel a greater distance. Vaurca would emerge in human space in 2456, located first near the [[Tau Ceti#The Romanovich Cloud|Romanovich Cloud]].

==The First Contacts==
All Hiveships that arrived at the Orion Spur were in poor shape. The conditions were a result of an increasingly dangerous journey, with no opportunities to permanently settle or repair most of its millennial systems. The discoveries of Vaurca were in three different civilizations, almost parallel to each other despite the distinct routes and lack of communication.

===The First Contact With Skrell===
Though it is uncertain when the Kloxa'xia entered [[Nralakk Federation|Federation space]], consensus exists that it must have occurred shortly after the [[Skrell Synthetic Age#Culmination of Glorsh-Omega|culmination of Glorsh-Omega]]. The reconstruction of the Nralakk Federation, as well as the fact that it mostly crossed through the Traverse might have been the two main factors that would have had them go undetected for so long. The C'thur Hiveship had no idea as to where they were travelling, nor were expecting anything other than to hide from the Lii'dra and find a place to properly treat High Queen C'thur. Her injuries had been stabilized, but she was not recuperating and remained in such a state for generations.

First contact with Skrell was around '''2448-2450''' and a subject of secrecy. It is uncertain as to why the Nralakk Federation decided to take such precautions with the C'thur Hive, but the first decade after their arrival kept them confined inside their Hiveship. It is commonly believed that what alerted the Nralakk Federation was the Kloxa'xia stepping inside Glorashi, the system the Queens would remain inside as of today.

Following the principles of the [[Dionae History#Skrell Discovery|Xuq Translator]], a team managed to engineer what is known as the '''Xuq-Pon Translator,''' dubbed after the leader of the project, Pon Qerrbali. This not only decoded Hivenet signals in three days, but was also the cornerstone to the future Nral'malic language implants, as well as the recent adaptations of the Nlom relays.

Skrellian medical science allowed to save High Queen C'thur, with a series of intensive medical treatments that continue to this day. The decision to relocate C'thur from the Hiveship to [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#The C'thur|Diulszi]], specifically in the city of Xevrax, is the main reason why Glorashi IV remains with a high C'thuric population. It was not so much that the planet was ever awarded to them, but rather a means of convenience to not scandalize the greater Skrellian population.

Around the discovery of the Zo'ra, [[Notable Skrell#Weashbi Jrugl|Weashbi Jrugl]] lifted the limitations of the C'thur, allowing them to travel around the Federation and to become Federation citizens.

===The First Contact With Humanity===
In November '''2456,''' the heat signature of a massive alien ship was detected near the Romanovich Cloud in Tau Ceti. A small scout vessel was dispatched to scan the massive ship, which was dubbed 'Titan Prime' by the media. Though not feared to be hostile due to its obvious damaged state, the Hiveship surprisingly ceased its engines once in contact with this first probe. Instead of any movement, the Titan Prime sent a radio signal that, while mathematically complex once decoded, the message could not be understood. For the following weeks, a large group of scientists, including those from the nearby NSS Aurora, participated in the interpretation of this message, as well as means to send a signal in return that they would be able to understand. Once cracked, it became obvious it was a request for phoron supplies.

When communication was established, [[Notable Humans#President Joseph Dorn|President Joseph Dorn]] addressed the Hiveship directly. From their conversation, humanity learned about the grim situation which they were facing, and the urgent need of assistance to survive. A decision was made to tow the ship and make physical contact with its inhabitants, who proved to be the Zo'ra Hive.

Many of the '''Klo'xryek''' systems were already failing and damaged, meaning that if contact were made shortly afterwards, the survivorship of many of those inside would have probably been reduced. The Republic of Biesel provided humanitarian aid and soon after citizenship to the Vaurcae in exchange for their cheap workforce in Tau Ceti. A mass evacuation of the Titan Prime was carried over, dividing the different Queens onboard it in distinct locations of the Republic. The Hiveship itself was towed and parked in the orbit of [[Biesel#Valkyrie|Valkyrie]], until its relocation to [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Caprice|Caprice]] in late 2463.

===The First Contact With Unathi===
In early '''2459,''' another Hiveship entered the Uueoa-Esa system. Now with knowledge of how Vaurcaesian spaceships looked, the [[Karszekani Moghes|Karszekani Moghes]] prepared for a first contact situation. Despite the public fear of perhaps being a Lii'dra Hiveship, the Hiveship looked rather unarmed and much smaller when compared to the Zo'rane ship. Using the same methods Biesellite scientists employed to contact the Titan Prime, Unathi authorities hailed the Hiveship, asking to know its affiliation. Although its response was delayed, it was discovered that it was the missing K'lax Hiveship.

It appears that the K'lax Hive established some temporary bases, and headed towards [[Moghes]] drawn by the increasing space activity in the area. The Zo'ra Hive was contacted, and they vouched for the K'lax as good vassals. While the exact conversation is unknown, it is implied that the idea of the K'lax being subjugated to Zo'ra somehow translated into thinking the Hive was subservient and ready to find new masters. The thought of integrating and utilizing the K'laxan workforce was appealing to the Karszekani, and would eventually become a reality once official meetings were held. [[Zkaii, The Sleepwalker|Queen Zkaii]] was made Overlord of [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Tret|Tret]], a mining colony in an otherwise hostile planet, in exchange for their vassalage to the Karszekani Moghes. While some may question just how much the agreement benefits Vaurcae, the K'lax Hive has thrived under their new agreement.

The powers of the Orion Spur have opposed providing Vaurcae with faster-than-light engines unmonitored and have their Hivenet communications constantly monitored. Mercantile Vaurcae are discouraged but defacto allowed in many places. Especially in human space, Vaurcae suffer from racism and are still considered a pest. Though dynamics have greatly shifted, the Vaurca have taken the opportunity of this second chance to start anew, now integrated to the history of the Orion Spur as a whole.

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[[Category:Vaurca]]

The Great Hive War

2026-05-26T08:45:32Z

Carver:

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The Great Hive War, also known as '''Lii'drak'iek''' (‘Lii'dramachy') was a war that involved most Hives in the native Sedantis. It began on January 5, 27 547 BCE, with the Lii'dra invasion of Xtykt'lotec, and ended on August 27, 27 467 BCE with the sinking of Illuau'tia. It is considered the deadliest conflict in Vaurca history, with a population decline of almost 60% in its aftermath and the political legitimacy of the Zo'rane rule challenged in some territories. Its consequences remain relevant almost thirty thousand years later, from the introduction of the Afterlife technology to the great depression and stagnation of Vaurca culture and sciences in the following millennia.

Though the importance of the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra Hive]] in the Great Hive War is undisputed, political tensions in [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]], as well as a distrust of both [[Vaurca Hives#The Zo'ra|Zo'ra]] and her collaborators. The collapse of the Court of Queens with the fall of Xtyk'lotec, its hosting city, led minor factions to have their own theatres of war. While the Zo'rane front remains the most remembered to date, military campaigns from the '''Kol'axta Offence''' to the '''Vek'myx Front''' are still relevant to both the [[Vaurca Hives#The K'lax|K'lax]] and [[Vaurca Hives#The C'thur|C'thur]] Hives.

Various armistices were reached between minor Hives at the last few decades of the war, most of their contents lost in the Virtual Reality servers that remained on Sedantis. Nevertheless, no formal agreement was ever reached with the Lii'dra Hive, and the date that officially marks the end of the Lii'dramachy is rather when, at the humiliation of the Illuau'tia Grotto, High Queen Zo'ra gave her Afterlife speech.

==Background==
Prior to the war, the different societies of Sedantis had achieved a peace period known as the [[Vaurca History#The Commonwealth of Zo'ra|Commonwealth of Zo'ra]]. This was especially symbolized with the ancient '''Court of Queens''', which promoted inter-Hive dialogue, even between the smaller Hives. While the ancient Court of Queens remains the golden standard for Vaurcae, the truth is that their methods likely led to resentment between some factions. In particular, the sudden uplifting of the C'thur Hive, and their meddling in the Sedantian affairs was frowned upon, mostly because of how punishing they could be if the peace policy was not followed. Minor Hive conflicts, instead of solved, were frustrated.

Lii'draic motivations are unclear and mostly speculation. Following the aftermath of the war, many of the Zo'ra blamed the K'lax for various reasons. The main being that at one point Mother K'lax embraced [[Vaurca Religion#Preimminence|Preimminence]], preaching on other territories. There is no support to the claim that the Lii'dra Hive believed in the Preimminence at any point, though it is true that K'lax Shapers once evangelized in Illuau'tia. The conflict between both Hives, however, surged after the K'lax Hive stole the Virtual Reality technology from the Lii'dra. Fearing eventual retaliation, K'lax pressured the Kol'axta League (a group of minor Hives that resided in the Kol'axta Plate, under K'lax dominion) to sever ties with the Lii'dra, which may have caused famine and diminished the outsourced workforce Illuau'tia much required.

The theorized fertility issues within the Lii'dra Hive may have also promoted other more advanced biomechanical means to reinforce Hive loyalty. Machinations behind the Hivemind may have predated the [[Virtual Reality]] idea, but the focus for the Lii'dra Hivemind technology became prevalent after Project Maa'krek was leaked and studied by the K'lax. '''Project Maa'krek''' was the codename for the early Afterlife technology, consisting in the indefinite storage of a consciousness inside Virtual Reality. While its goal was to achieve immortality, the Lii'dra Hive did not develop this by the time Project Maa'krek was leaked. Maa'krek is the name of an ancient mythical Vaurca Queen that rose after death to lead her army for one last victory.

==Changes in Warfare==
By the time of the Lii'dramachy, war was considered an art to be distinguished from the wars of the ancient past, called '''Yol'k'iek''' (‘savage war'). Since the early [[Vaurca History#The Age of Death|Age of Death]], the [[Vaurca History#The Warrior Nomadism|Warrior Nomadism]] was seen as uncultured and absurd, as they mainly fought for a resource that was now plentiful. Honor in war became important, with only melee combat being favored, and a strong sense of diplomacy. The terms ‘war' and ‘dance' are synonyms in the [[Vaurca#Language|Vaurca language]], as war was understood to be almost a choreographic activity in which coordination from all parties is required. Rhythmic battlecries and declarations of war were a common activity, the main exception being the original Warrior Hives of the Xtytk'lotec Rift, which Zo'ra later deemed beasts and were exterminated.

The Great Hive War forced the great powers of Sedantis to engage in what they considered dirty warfare, as the siege of Xtytk'lotec was unprovoked, unannounced, and fought with heavy artillery. It is said that the first victims of the war were a group of Zo'rane Workers when the capture or killing of anything other than the Warrior castes was not tolerated. As the Lii'dra Hivemind proved to be almost beast-like, and their objective of assimilation rigid, no dialogue was properly held, if ever.

The fall of Xtytk'lotec was also seen as ironic by many, given that the establishment of the Court of Queens there was seen as the ultimate act of domestication of an otherwise wild world. This realization that nature cannot be fully tamed and some instincts are stronger than civilization perhaps led to the rapid acceptance of the Evacuation plan of Sedantis once global peril arose.

==Prelude==
A year prior, in 27 548 BCE, the minor N'knu Hive decided to ignore the Court of Queens' agreements and mobilized to attack the Hy'looh Hive. Once the declaration was made, the C'thur Hive intervened and N'knu, as a penalty, was absorbed, losing all independence. The opposition of the N'knu Hive was vocal in Hivenet, and thus their relays were cut and all new larvae were raised as C'thuric.

While not the first act of its kind, this was seen as the most egregious example of the Court of Queens control over lesser hives, and many of its members that were not officially affiliated to the major Hives protested, Hy'looh Hive included. They were placed indebted to the C'thur Hive as a result.

It is unclear if this was the original motivation behind the invitation for the Lii'dra Hive to the Court of Queens. While the Zo'ra had no quarrels with them, Illuau'tia affairs were too distant and disconnected from the rest of the Sedantian society to be considered. It is also possible that the Zo'ra Hive had little to no knowledge about the Lii'dra until, a few years prior, the debate of the Kol'axta Plate was held in the Court. As their closest vassals, any benefit for K'lax was seen as a benefit for the Zo'ra, and thus the High Queen favored the resolution for the K'lax Hive to control their ‘subvassals' as they saw fit.

Although a popular legend states that a glamorous embassage composed of the most resilient Zo'rane Workers and their most relentless Warriors was sent to Illuau'tia, in a long journey where they faced many dangers, is often referenced in Vaurca literature, truth is that the invitation was likely sent via Hivenet to different smaller Hives that had yet to make an appearance in Court. It is commonly understood now that the Zo'ra were simply trying to reach other Hives that they had yet to engage with, with no particular consideration or even knowledge about what the invitation to the Lii'dra would provoke.

As those late records were ravaged by the war, it is unclear if the actual hearing of the Lii'dra took place. A common version of the story, which may be true, is that they showcased the Hivemind technology to a horrified audience. The technological summit is not confirmed to have taken place, but if that were the case no serious efforts were made to stop their plans to unify the species, although it may have been implied that the assimilation had already begun. Regardless, most common versions of this supposed Lii'dra speech, even the obvious forgeries, coincide that they preached for peaceful unification, with differences set behind and the proclamation that this would be the end of all wars.

==Xtykt'lotec Invasion==
The first attack against Xtytk'lotec began on January 5, 27 547 BCE, and it took only two days for the city to fall. As part of the peace initiative, the Xtytk'lotec Rift was mostly unarmed and at the outskirts of the Zo'rane Empire. The original building that housed the Court of Queens was demolished within hours, and any attempts to communicate with the Lii'dra Hivemind were futile. Although a fast mobilization was launched to protect the Rift, this battle was considered the first major Zo'ra loss that remains in recorded history.

Most of the [[Vaurca Hives#Overview|Ta diplomats]] managed to escape, while many of the regular Vaurcae perished or were assimilated. Instead of killing the Warriors, the Lii'dra offense kept them as prisoners of war and later incorporated them into the Hivemind. This might have revealed a further strategy to their enemy, as the next Lii'dra movements were effective in preventing any Zo'ra victories.

The fall of the Court of Queens was beyond the symbolic destruction of their court chambers. The Zo'rane peace was no longer viable, and the new status the C'thur Hive had due to the Court was lost within days. Though the Lii'dra Hivemind never seemed to have interest in the C'thur, all Hive assets left the Xtykt'lotec Rift within hours. Their oldest settlements were there, while the capital itself had been long relocated to the '''Lei'kt Caves'''. The abandonment of the Xtykt'lotec cities provided an easy place for the Lii'dra campaign to settle in the early years of war.

==Vek'myx Rebellion==
Vek'myx Plate was the name of the region neighboring Lei'kt, and where the absorbed Hives by C'thur were often relocated. Though this presented a danger, the easy transport of goods from Vek'myx to Lei'kt outweighed the problems initially. However, as the Court of Queens fell, the N'nku Hive saw an opportunity for an uprising. As Lii'dra motivations were, by then, poorly understood, the oppressed Hives that joined N'nku chanted ‘Eternal life for High Queen Lii'dra!' as they rejected their fates decided by the Court of Queens.

Although the rebellion was crushed within months, the N'nku Hive reorganized an army, composed now also of smaller Hives Zo'ra had lost control of. As their native lands were tarnished by the war with the rapid expansion of the Hivemind, the Oppressed Hives saw Vek'myx as their new destined home, where their societies were to rebuild free of any conquerors. This movement would become harder to dissolve, as the Zo'ra Hive increasingly demanded C'thur aid in their own front.

==First Minor Fronts==
Not every armed movement involved the major Hives that arrived at the Orion Spur. Some, taking advantage of the collapse of the Court of Queens and its strict regulations in terms of diplomacy, as well as showing admiration to the '''Naxk'iek''' (‘new war') of the Lii'dra, seized the opportunity to become more aggressive with their conquests and invasions. Others, seeking fame, launched smaller military campaigns to bring glory to the Hive. Such is the story of Warriors like Za'Akaix'Mulek B'ao, that led its own army errantly, seeking to become involved in any conflict it saw fit.

Outside the Zo'rane Front, which kept pushing back the borders of Zo'ra in a Lii'dra conquest, most other Hives had little to no knowledge about Lii'draic intentions or philosophy. The so-called Lii'dra sympathizers were, for the most part, misinterpreting the actions that occurred far away. Misinformation saw a rise, in part, due to the constant sabotage of Hivenet relays, as well as spread lies and personal opinions. While these were mostly provoked by the same smaller Hives that sought some personal victory amidst the chaos, it is possible the failure of Hivenet might have been promoted by the Lii'dra Hive to favor their offense.

==The Lost Cause==
Though the Lii'dra advancements were stagnated, Zo'ra could not match their enemy. This period became synonymous with the longest battle ever recorded in Vaurca history, the '''Battle of Kis'lokt''', which lasted approximately 32 years. The Lii'dra revived ancient land warfare simply known as '''spelunking'''. Much similar to human trenches, spelunking would take place in tight secure areas where troops would be protected from enemy fire. Unlike them, however, spelunking is both more dangerous, due to constant cave flooding or natural erosion, as well as constant trapping of Warriors due to the use of tighter places. It is also considerably slower, as the exchange of fire could sometimes cease for days, or even months, simply due to the harder nature to reach the other side. Many of the soldiers that participated in the battle of Kis'lokt spent their whole lives inside those narrow caves, even those that eventually died of natural causes.

The situation in the Veii'kt Plate was not favorable. Many Vaurcae, including Breeders, lived in constant fear, especially due to the supposed Lii'dra warheads that could cause mass destruction from far away, in the form of devastating earthquakes that could collapse entire societies. The existence of these weapons was never proved, and they are now considered a hoax. The impact of these fears motivated anti-erosion bunkers, as well as the prolonged use of Virtual Reality by many Unbound that were not participating in the war.

Smaller Zo'rane broods, some older than [[Vaur, The Liminal Queen|Vaur]] or Kaal (eventually L'kaal), were either merged with more important broods or sacrificed by High Queen Zo'ra. Though [[Zoleth, The Herald of Scars|Zoleth]] was already an important Warrior brood, they would not reach their current fame until the near end of the war.

==The Kol'axta Campaign==
Separating the K'lax Hive from the Lii'dra Hive, the Kol'axta Plate was, from the beginning of the war, an important piece of territory for both sides. Unlike the easy openings from the Zo'rane Front, as in a way all roads led to the Veii'kt Plate, Kol'axta was dangerous territory, the main reason as to why the League had withstood for so long. Direct control of the population, to detain the Lii'dra, was important from the beginning, as the League was the perfect candidate to become assimilated by the Hivemind. As a result, Mother K'lax elaborated a plan that required her to act similarly to the other side: she would remove the Kol'axta Queens and place her own daughter, the '''Warrior Queen Reiik''', as the legitimate ruler.

While the spread of the Hivemind is almost described as an infection by ancient and contemporary sources, and such descriptions have only seen a rise with the use of bioengineered weapons such as black k'ois, the truth is that assimilation required surgical intervention at first, with an exposition to a shockwave akin to a computer virus for the recipient's neural socket at later stages of the war. The Kol'axta Hives first received pheromonal supplements to solidify their loyalty to Queen Reiik, then implanted with dual-heart detonators, which would cause a cardiac arrest when captured by the Lii'dra, so they could not be incorporated into their forces. The use of the dual-heart detonators was a subject of controversy within the major Hives, where they were never forced but encouraged, and the belief that Lii'dra could reanimate corpses if included in the Hivemind dissuaded many Warriors from accepting them. However, these radical means with the Kol'axta population, as well as other defensive methods such as spelunking and increasing traps to the area turned Kol'axta into hell within Sedantis, a reputation that would not change until the end of the war.

==The Peace of Vek'myx==
By 27 454 BCE, the now cross-generational fervent cause of the Vek'myx rebellions reached an end, with the C'thur Hive agreeing on an armistice after Queen Vytel famously mourned the losses of both sides. This resulted in the C'thur territory being almost cut by half, and the freedom of most of their vassals, shaping the Hive to a similar size and identity as it is known today.

The N'nku Hive would become more relevant in the aftermath of the war. However, as a sovereign Hive, they were not included in the space program and were doomed to remain underground in Sedantis, forever lost.

==The Attack of the Thousand Titans==
The Attack of the Thousand Titans is an alternative name for the '''Battle of Kan'koor''' popularized in Basic by the scholars of [[Vaurca Religion#The Hive War Myth|The Hive War Myth]], an epic piece of literature that is only recited inside Virtual Reality. While the events of the ‘poem' begin much later, the Battle of Kan'koor is remembered for introducing a large number of Warforms, some of which were even more militarized and exotic than those we can see today in the Spur.

Until then, the Warform was a limited unit in combat. The proto-Warforms were Bound Warriors mostly different in size only and used mostly as a defense tool to protect the smaller Warriors. Because ranged combat was generally frowned upon, in reality, the proto-Warforms served little use other than a taunt to showcase the military strength of an army.

Since the start of the Era of Augments, integrated weaponry in a Warrior's body became a symbol of military status and fame and was mostly seen as cosmetic. The basic unit, Type BA (also commonly known as '''Myrmidon''' in Basic), was praised for its ability on teamwork and organization, and their shortcomings were seen as a balance of the war, skill proving to be more useful than mere brute force. Their aerodynamic design remains popular today for very similar reasons.

Warforms used in the latter half of the Lii'dramachy included integrated ballistics, as well as their fiery breath commonly known as Zo'rane Fire. It is said that some of the Warforms used in Kan'koor even had missile systems or could create shockwaves with their steps, though this is likely the dramatization of posterior authors. Immediate sources after the Battle of Kan'koor are sober with their descriptions, though the importance of the battle is indisputable, as it marked the first great victory for the Zo'ra.

From the descriptions and studies of ''The Hive War Myth'', it appears as the poet laments the use of this new warfare, though it concedes that it was necessary for the outcome of the war.

==Zo'rane Victories==
Also known as ‘The Fiery Years', the last two decades of the Great Hive War are the most documented in the history of the conflict, mainly due to the radical changes in the Zo'rane Front. The list of exhaustive battles and their most intricate details are available for all Vaurcae that request them in the heart of the Zoleth Virtual Reality, and a museum for humans to learn about the Fiery Years is in construction within [[Colonized Vaurca Worlds#Caprice|Caprice]].

In a relatively short timespan, Zo'ra recovered many of its lost territories, though the raze of the Lii'dra made it impossible to become usable again in millennia. Lii'dra's efforts to force the battlefield into spelunking warfare, the weakness of the Zo'ra, were unsuccessful, as the studies of their enemy reduced the options for the opposing Hive.

It was also in the Fiery Years when the Afterlife technology was likely finished. As a collaborative effort between K'lax and Zo'rane scientists, the main goal at the time was to find a way to recover the consciousness of those lost in the Hivemind. The groundwork of Project Maa'krek, however, caused the most advanced minds of the Hives to propose a different system, in which the Virtual Reality would be truly complete.

==Second Minor Fronts==
Quite different in the ideology to the first minor fronts, the second minor fronts is a loose catch-all term to refer to the minor Hives that fought the Lii'dra without involvement in the Zo'rane Front or the Kol'axta Campaign. After decades of endless war, the political instability caused by the void of power in some Sedantian regions worked in favor of the Zo'ra.

Though usually uncredited, they may be responsible for the survival of the Hive. An aggressive northern campaign, crossing the Xy'mok Caverns, would have reached Veii'kt if not for the minor fronts accidentally pushing back the Lii'dra. While they did not fight for the Zo'rane cause, the Xy'mok Campaign got involved with the army of the Fu'ruk Hive, known as suicide bombers (nowadays, ‘fu'ruk' holds a similar meaning to ‘kamikaze' for the Vaurca). Even though the Lii'dra Hivemind was willing to risk their assets in war no matter what, suicide attacks were seen as novel too. Fu'ruk fighters repelled the Lii'dra from the area, unknowingly allowing the Zo'ra to focus on pushing into Illuau'tia.

==Siege of Kol'axta==
Despite many victories, Fiery Years were also the deadliest. Cornered, the Lii'dra pushed for a more aggressive approach in the Kol'axta Plate, gaining control of the southern border and besieging the remaining territory. As the Mya'kt Fault, K'laxan capital, was not far from Kol'axta, were the Lii'dra methods to succeed the Hive would have disappeared. Despite the Zo'rane Front demanding a large number of Warriors, and Reiik's efforts to control the area, the K'lax Warriors were insufficient. Zo'ra provided some aid, but ultimately the newer generation of Myrmidons had to come from Mother K'lax herself.

Lii'dra's efforts proved to be effective. The region became isolated from the rest of Sedantis, and at some point, no more aid could be given. Hivenet communications, even within the Lii'draic protocols, failed, and famine struck for eight years. The siege involved two battles, each lasting no longer than ten days. Reiik's traps of the region were also effective, however, they became lethal for the native Vaurcae of Kol'axta, who desperately attempted to flee the area. The Siege of Kol'axta was the breaking point of the war for both the K'lax and Lii'dra.

Nowadays, it is considered a tragedy, especially for the K'lax Hive. Horror stories about cannibalism and desperation are common tales often referenced in retellings of the events. It is unknown how Queen Reiik died. When her royal chambers were explored, her corpse was found to have been devoured, with little of her carapace and muscle left. While it is most likely this occurred after her death, it is not uncommon to hear that, perhaps, the natives of Kol'axta ate her alive.

==The Battle of the Ryitu'kya Abyss==
Also known simply as ‘Our Victory' by the Zo'ra, this battle is considered the single most important in Vaurca history. Ryitu'kya was an artificial abyss created by the Lii'dra to protect the Illuau'tia Grotto when defeat was certain. Following the example of booby-traps used by the K'lax Hive to protect the Kol'axta Plate, the Abyss was filled with hazardous materials, landmines, and chemical weapons. The transportation of Warforms was not viable, forcing Zo'ra to employ Myrmidons for the most part.

Retellings of the Battle of Ryitu'kya are the most prolific literary expression within the Zo'ra Hive. While there are extensive chronicles of eyewitnesses, as well as other types of stored information that can recreate the experience inside the Realm of Zoleth, the most popular of all these stories is ''The Hive War Myth'', also known as '''Reusk'otahn'''. The Warrior Reusk was a historical Vaurca that did exist, however, its deeds and achievements were not as portrayed in the ‘poem'. Many scholarly Vaurcae openly accept its status as a piece of fiction, however, this does not dissuade laymen Vaurca to take it as factual information.

''Reusk'otahn'' begins when, as the Zo'ra mobilizes to attack Illuau'tia, an erosion causes a vehicle transporting elite troops to crash and, in many of those Warrior cases, perish by stone. Za'Akaix'Reusk Zo'ra and other surviving soldiers decide to, by any means possible, reconnect with the rest of the army. While Reusk and the others travel to reunite with the rest of the convoy, they discover that one of the Zo'rane allies is plotting to betray them once they reach the Abyss. In a dream, Queen Zoleth allows Reusk to attack the minor Hive, called K'ox before it is too late. The dream sequence also serves as a prelude for the evolution of Virtual Reality and the increased connectivity of years to come.

Reusk and its squadron annihilate the K'ox Hive Warriors, not without suffering some losses themselves too. Only a handful of them arrive at the Ryitu'kya Abyss, where they are surprised by the amount of bloodshed from both sides. At one point, Reusk gets ambushed by a Lii'dra mob that is ready to tear its limbs apart. It is here when Queen Zoleth personally saves the hero, fighting the hundreds of Lii'draic troops until she is consumed by the bodies. The poem heavily implies that Breeders from both sides join the battle to aid Zoleth. It is from this scene where the stories that Queens fought at the Battle of the Ryitu'kya Abyss stem from.

Eventually, Reusk and other Zo'rane mythical heroes reach the forward operating base of the Lii'dra, where they discover a unique type of Cephalon that appears to relay orders for the Hivemind. Once disconnected, most of the Lii'dra in the battlefield start to run in circles, disoriented. Those that escape this fate flee from the site, confused about what just occurred. It is then that the Zo'ra reach Illuau'tia, however instead of entering what they consider a cursed city, they decide to sink it to the same level of the now-scorched abyss.

While other accounts mention special [[Vaurca#Cephalon (Type D)|Cephalons]] that were transported to relay some orders, it is unlikely one alone may have caused their loss in battle. Credible chronicles of the event, as well as historical reconstructions, also mention that Reusk arrived at the same time as everybody else and that it likely died during the battle. The carnage of bodies made it difficult even for contemporary sources to tell who survived and who did not. The K'ox Hive from the poem is not mentioned anywhere else, which has led many to wonder where the inspiration came from.

Ultimately, the logistics of the '''sinking of Illuau'tia''' were heavily documented, and it is now believed that most of the city residents died indiscriminately because of it. It was traditionally said that High Queen Lii'dra might have died here, however, the recent resurface of the Lii'dra discredits this belief. The Ryitu'kya Abyss, alongside Illuau'tia, was sealed off from the rest of Sedantis.

Although ''The Hive War Myth'' focuses mostly on Reusk, what is by far considered the most important part does not feature the hero, nor mentions its fate. It instead focuses on High Queen Zo'ra, however in this version, she provides her speech outside the Ryitu'kya Abyss, right after the battle. It is now commonly accepted that this was not the case, and that the speech was given in Kol'axta possibly two weeks after the aftermath. Although translation is prohibited, a famous line, “O death, no longer our kin shall meet you” has been translated to Basic and is commonly seen as a good luck motto, often being featured in Zo'ra-run establishments.

==Aftermath==
The Great Hive War was a major event in the history of Sedantis, and its effects still linger to this day. Despite the great contributions that have surfaced in the arts and the Afterlife launch as the war ended, the following millennia have been considered an epoch of stagnation for the Vaurca civilization, as plenty of chaos reigned in most of Sedantis. Commonly referred to as The Decline of Zo'ra, the former empire was now split amidst independence movements and the surge of '''Warladies'''. The rule of these groups continued to cause further political issues, and the major Hives were busy reconstructing themselves to deal with them.

Most of the advanced military technologies of the Great Hive War have never been used again. With the fear of a great-scale war ever occurring again, some Warforms were outright banned, and the situation Vaurcae have found themselves in after their [[Vaurca History#The Great Evacuation|Exodus]] has only made it harder for them ever achieve such advancements again.

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[[Category:Vaurca]]

Vaurca Culture and Society

2026-05-26T08:44:13Z

Carver:

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==Values==
Vaurcaesian society values and respects the authority each Hive has over its own Vaurcae. This is considered one of the highest values, and the golden rule, so much that an individual that deviates from this norm will be considered defective. While unique ethos and understandings of how to serve the Hive are as plentiful as there are Vaurcae, they mainly resonate that, especially when working in human space, an individual Vaurca takes the role as the representative of the Hive and thus should act accordingly.

===Loyalty and Bound treatment===

The Vaurca 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, and disloyalty is an anomaly. Loyalty is furthermore purely biological, the result of pheromone excretion, augmentation, and indoctrination.

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.

===Competitiveness and individual conflict===
While Vaurcae have their own understanding of sports, some broods are rarely competitive, as sport is often seen as a leisure or part of one’s training. Despite such, many have adopted and enjoyed human sports and activities of the sort, though they will rarely be seen as upset as a human may be if their team loses.

Certain individuals may have feuds with each other. This is rarely taken as anything other than friendly banter, and enemies have a passive relationship. Aggression between Vaurcae is rare if not in the context of war, and not often will one see Vaurcae picking a fight. If the situation leads to that, however, it will mainly happen between Warriors, and sorted in Virtual Reality —fights that do actual damage being uncommon. Workers and Warriors alike, however, often sort their differences, if too great, with their respective hive-cell Breeders.

As busy as the Hivenet is, with many voices and thoughts coming together all times, Vaurcae learn to ‘ignore’ those they disagree with, and filter out conversations that are not their concern. There is an implement block option in the Hivenet, which allows users to cease to listen to others they deem too troublesome. This, however, requires the permission of a Breeder and is seen as a final measure.

===Death and afterlife===

While the normal Vaurcae may claim to not be scared of death, as their afterlife is the Paradise molded by their own Queens, natural instincts are hard to suppress, and survival is seen as a priority, whether the Hive culture has intended for that to be the case or not. Individuals are often mourned, but there is more joy in death than what would be common in human societies, as they remain assured they will meet again. However, the loss of an alien friend can be painful, since they do not form part of the Virtual Reality the Vaurcae have available.

The deceased Unbound’s neural socket 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. The loss of a neural socket before this ritual is a high offense, and stealing one’s socket after death, no matter from which Hive, is considered one of the lowest actions an individual can do. An offense of this magnitude does not go without retaliation, even if the culprit was not Vaurca.

===Wars and honor===

Vaurcae, like humans, are tribalistic when it comes to their own surroundings. Hive pride is common, and the history of conflict with each Hive has led to many clashings. After the [[Vaurca History#The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], due to the death toll, there has been a great effort by some of the broods to reduce their military strength and avoid such a catastrophe again. Once a war is engaged, however, there are strict honor codes a Warrior should engage in, as war crimes are a huge offense to all parties. The abduction of Unbound Vaurcae is frowned upon, and the killing of another Hive’s Lesser Queens or ultimate Queen is especially taboo.

Warforms and other types of Bound Warriors are regarded as tools, but they are also valued as important assets. As such, while the battle will aim to overcome the strength of the opponent, even to the point of killing their Bound Warriors, the vandalization or sabotage of these assets is also frowned upon, and not honorable.

These rules and values are understood and enforced by Bound Vaurcae too, even if they may fail to grasp the concepts behind such. Punished communities, individuals in exile or Queenless hive-cells may have acquired different notions of values, or even dropped them altogether, as their conditions are poor in their environments. [[The Lii'dra|The Lii’dra]] do not follow these ethical codes.

==Taboos==
Perhaps unlike other sophonts in the Orion Spur, Vaurcae are the most ashamed about their evolution, and would rather pretend that they were always augmented and biologically engineered. Even at Sedantis, the [[Leto, The Seeker|Leto brood]] would be shunned for their interest in pre-Augment archeology. One of their highest taboos, however, would be references to trophallaxis or their natural language, which relied in mouth-to-mouth hormone distribution for more complex messages. While an Unbound will likely shrug off slurs that superficially link them to Terrestrial insects, if someone were to imply that Vaurcae practice trophallaxis, they would likely take great offense, akin as a human offending a Queen.

Mouth-to-mouth contact is regarded as gross and primitive. A Vaurca would find humans kissing to be disgusting. The pre-contact fashion of covering one’s mandibles was common with some groups that considered showing the mandibles in public to be indecent, but the new filter ports and contact with other societies has rapidly changed their views. Nowadays, only a few older Vaurcae are prudish enough to hide their mandibles.

Tas will often cover their faces with shrouds in public, but for the followers of the [[Vaurca Religion#Modern Pantheon|Modern Pantheon]] this is particularly required. While a regular Worker of this religion would never force a Breeder to cover her face, it would believe that staring directly into her face would be immodest and blinding, and thus the Worker would turn away or cover its eyes.

A High Queen, if she has begun a Hive of her own, will shed her old name and take the short form only. Any mention of it is the highest of the taboos, perhaps in an attempt for other hives to not link the High Queen with her mother. The full birth names of Zo’ra, K’lax and C’thur are considered hidden words. Even with High Queen Lii’dra, despite their hatred of the Hive, the name would not be mentioned. As much as some of the K’lax may despite C’thur, mentioning her full name would be grounds for voiding by their own Queen.

==The Ta and Hive Leadership==

Outside of the Queens themselves, the Ta are the most important figures in Vaurca society and are responsible for filling a brood's upper echelons of power. Free from the ravages of age with sufficient access to treatment, an individual Ta has no real need to hurry. This gives them plenty of time to settle into a position they find satisfactory or, in a rare privilege for Vaurca, aspire to something greater.

The highest position a Ta may reach in the leadership hierarchy is that of the Surrogates, who have the honored duty of helping the Queen lay eggs and acting as her advisory council on matters in which they specialize. Surrogates are almost always among a Hives most ancient Ta, expected to possess wisdom, charisma, and guile in equal measure. A recent phenomenon begun by Zo'rane [[ Athvur,_The_New_Goddess |Queen Athvur]] since the Exodus is that of a Queen taking a young Ta as Surrogate to advise regarding matters more familiar to the youth of this strange new generation.

Directly below the Surrogates are the Supervisors or Alates, who are Ta entrusted with the management and mothering of a hive-cell. A hive-cell is a group of Vaurcae that are considered a single unit by the Hive, comparable to a very large human family. A hive-cell is usually established for economical, cultural, or historical reasons, with some hive-cells being ancient and serving more-or-less the same purpose they did back on Sedantis. When a Worker refers to "their Ta", they are likely speaking about their Alate. The size of a hive-cell may vary between half a dozen and a thousand individuals, though hive-cells of Unbound Vaurcae are harder to manage and tend to be much smaller.

In some instances, Alates are subservient to a regional supervisor, a Ta, who does not have a hive-cell of her own but rather serves as a liaison between the Queen and her Alates. Although traditionally this was unrequired, the expansion of Vaurcae in the Orion Spur has raised the need for regional supervisors to help organize the brood.

The other type of Breeders are usually referred to as Diplomats. Diplomats have a wide variety of duties within the Hives but are generally responsible for representing the interests of their brood and acting as its face. Some Diplomats are tasked with handling internal Vaurca politics by their broods, acting as messengers or representatives for the Court of Queens. Others instead handle external matters, such as speaking for the Hive in Spur politics. Many do not have a permanent hive-cell of their own but may be given one as a temporary measure when Vaurca are traveling abroad.

==Ta Society==

Whenever the Spur speaks of the Ta it is almost always in reference to the Type CB. The Type CB have for the species entire history acted as the leaders of the Vaurca, each playing a part in pushing them forward through time. With each of these Ta being near immortal, wielding a much greater degree of independence then the other castes and having a tendency towards holding increasingly strong views as they age, a curious society has arisen amongst them independent of Vaurca society at a large. To an outsider, the social structure of the Ta has a tendency to appear flat or even simplistic but nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that Ta typically only possesses one of a small handful of "ranks" in a traditional sense (Diplomat, Alate, Surrogate, Queen), behind each of these titles is an ancient bewildering and byzantine social hierarchy built up over untold generations and which varies not only from Hive to Hive but even within the same Hive.

For every action a Ta wishes to take, there is a delicate protocol, with the first challenge being even working out who or what to approach for permission. Actions that, for another species or even another Vaurca caste, would be completely innocent may present a delicate challenge. For example a Ta wishing to enter a realm, request aid from a Cephalon protocol, apply for funding, or even view a work of art, can find themselves swarmed with centuries-old bureaucratic mazes and an army of social gatekeepers who battle with reputation and seniority. This is to say nothing of the innumerable rivalries spanning generations and layers of hierarchical nuance long forgotten to all but a few. With Ta particularly unlikely to be susceptible to traditional bribery or threats, many outside the system would find it near impossible to navigate.

Fortunately, however, by the time Ta are considered of sufficient age to begin involving themselves in Hive affairs properly, all but the most inept have already established themselves with what, to a shorter-lived and less socially engineered species, would be an impossibly wide array of connections. Each can manage hundreds of delicate relations spanning everything from contacts, friends, and favors to the less openly discussed blackmail. It is these social tools, not firearms or blades, that form the weapons of the Ta.

Queens rarely involve themselves directly in the great game of internal Hive politics and bureaucracy beyond their direct court of Surrogates. With each Ta subservient to their will, even if sometimes a particular Ta will stretch their interpretation of exactly what the Queen's will is close to breaking, they can easily cut through these structures. It is considered a great honor for the Ta if a Queen takes a direct interest in them or a project they are overseeing; however, the Biology of Vaurca makes this less unusual than direct contact with the rulers of many other species. The Hivenet keeps a Queen in constant informational contact with her lesser kin and whilst not frequent due to an innate preference for delegation, she can easily pass praise, orders, or admonishment to whomever she wishes.

==Vaurcaesian law==

The Vaurca legal system reflects the sometimes harsh realities of the Vaurca social structure and is intrinsically linked to it. A proper legal code regarding the behavior of Ta, Queen's, and Hives was established by [[Vytel,_The_Just_Queen | Queen Vytel The Just]] generations earlier on Sedantis as one of the first and most important acts of the reformed Court of Queen's. Simply known as "Vaurcaesian law" the treatise she proposed to the Court was exhaustive and written to replace the nearly uncountable number of inefficient conventions, underbaked treaties, and confusing jurisdictional limitations that the Court's members were privy to at the time. While it has been modified over generations, her original structure is still largely present. This legal code was for centuries enforced by Queen Vytel from her realm, the Chambers of Tranquillity. Since the Exodus, however, it has been handled internally by Hives, where it has been applied at all. Vytel's attempts to re-establish herself as the legislative arm of the Court of Queen's are yet to bear fruit.

While each Hive has concocted their own statutes, interpretations and reforms since the Exodus, Vaurcaesian law almost universally deals only with Ta. Offenses committed by the other castes instead tend to fall on whichever Ta was responsible for them to resolve. If the breach in question could have been reasonably prevented or was done on order of the Ta, it falls to her to bear the consequences of any legal breach.

The trials of Ta are always overseen by another of her kin, typically a panel of three. For a Hive to have a Worker or any other caste oversee such would be an unacceptably grievous offense. Cases are relatively uncommon due to the nature of the species, but the more common breaches include a Ta not following treaties, acting against another Hive without permission, indirectly acting against the best interest of the Hive, acting dishonestly towards her sisters, knowingly circumventing Cephalon regulations, or misusing resources. Much of the legislation covers rare edge cases, especially the ever-complicated sections regarding the application of the law and Virtual Reality. Sanctions if a breach is discovered to have occurred typically range from warnings to removal from positions of importance. The majority of the actual damage to a Ta found guilty tends to be reputational.

While the above is true for the majority of cases, there are exceptionally rare breaches from time to time. In theory, statutes regarding permissible violence between Ta of the same Hive exist; however, in nothing but the most extraordinary circumstances is it considered acceptable for a Ta to move against another of her own Hive with violence, and the conventions regarding such are completely exhaustive. To use violence against another of her kin without following the conventions would bring social damnation with the strictest legal sanctions. A Ta committing the near unthinkable act of moving to intentionally kill another of her sisters permanently, soul and all, would almost invariably result in her being completely cast from the Hive and forbidden from returning under penalty of voiding. To be voided is indeed a very taboo sanction for Ta, and each instance constitutes a major historical event in its own right. Even Ta captured from other Hives during acts of aggression are expected to be treated as respected hostages and, if possible, integrated into the victorious Hives' retinue. The punishment for not doing so may not be as extreme as killing one's own sisters, but it is still very punitive.

==Holidays and calendar==
Like other sapient societies, there are days deemed special for Vaurcae. The traditional Vaurcaesian calendar did not follow the moon or the sun, or even agricultural cycles, but rather predictable tectonic movements that were timed and repeated. Because time in [[Virtual Reality]] follows a different logic, often seeing as if there was no time at all, keeping track of time in Virtual Reality is not a common practice in those that reside or remain linked in it. However, [[Vaurca#Cephalon (Type D)|Cephalons]] and traditional Vaurca clocks (Bound Workers meant to count time ever since they left [[Sedantis I|Sedantis]]) have allowed for the notion of time to not be lost in Vaurca society. The Sedantis calendar has become a niche as of late, since Vaurcae quickly adapted to the calendars of the cultures they now interact with.

===Individual Celebrations===
A regular Vaurca will have some celebrations they may wish to commemorate. One that is universal among Unbound is Transubstantiation Day, or Vata’keilvetk. Typically occurring at or close to half of their lifespan, this day is significant in that the Vaurca’s neural socket has fully mapped the functions of their brain. The importance of having this complete map originates from the fact that Vaurca who die before their Transubstantiation day and reach the virtual paradise are considered to be at higher risk of "corruption" or personality "glitches" than those who have passed, though this is still considered uncommon. The completion of Transubstantiation is considered by the Hives to demonstrate that a Vaurca has matured in both mind and body. Many Unbound celebrate this day and go to great lengths to celebrate the Transubstantiation Day of their peers.

Vaurcae do not keep track of birthdays, but they may celebrate the day they left their training. This is a common practice with younger individuals that were born after they were introduced to other cultures. Some broods, such as [[Vetju, Iron Queen|Vetju]], reject this idea altogether. Others, such as[[Athvur, The New Goddess|Athvur]], have embraced it and it has become almost universal.

Additionally, there are several milestones a Vaurca may wish to celebrate in their life. This can be any kind of accomplishment, and more often than not are decided among a group of individuals. An example may be a group of Unbound Workers, celebrating together their architectural feat every year. Schools of thought, groups and cliques may produce these days for anything they deem worthy of remembrance.

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 [[Vaurca Religion#Hive Pantheon|the Aether]] without worry of what they leave behind. [[Skrell|Skrellian]] historians believe that this practice likely came around between the [[Vaurca History#The Era of Agriculture|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.

===Hive Celebrations===
Some other holidays, such as [[The Lii'dra#29930 BCE|the victory of the Zo’ra over the Lii’dra]], are commemorated every year. While some broods may adopt the end of the Hive War as a celebration too, it is only in the Zo’ra Hive that is deemed official. In the human calendar, the 27th of August is when this is celebrated. Since 2461, the Zo’ra Hive has had a parade in [[Flagsdale]] to commemorate it.

A popular holiday among K’lax is Technology Day, which in the human calendar is celebrated every second Sunday of October. This is a mass event that celebrates and remembers the great individuals of each brood, as well as their technological advancements. Originally called [[Vetju, Iron Queen#Ka’Akaix’Yix K’lax|Yix Day]], Technology Day has spread to broods such as [[Mouv, The Recondite Queen|Mouv]] and [[Scay, The Hidden Queen|Scay]].

C’thur celebrates Independence Day every February 1st, which is when the Zo’ra recognized them as an autonomous Hive. Ever since the injury of High Queen C’thur, however, the celebration has become more solemn, as her future is uncertain. However, [[Xetl, The Voracious Queen|Xetl]] is known to be even more excessive this day, and other broods try to avoid contact with Xetl’s spawn as they can really misbehave.

==Entertainment==
Within the VR, many various activities are performed, and leisure is a vast category. Things from sports and physical activities, to what can be understood as video games, to even esoteric and strange pastimes are what Vaurcae tend to do when connected. However, many working Unbound have become more separated to their Virtual Realities, as the changes in their lifestyle in these past years has required for them to remain in the real world more often than not. Unbound have found new ways to entertain themselves, be it simply socializing with coworkers, performing different activities or just consuming alien media. While seen primitive in some aspects, Vaurcae are known to enjoy human or Skrell media, and find the methods of storytelling in holovision to be novel. Many other hobbies, often considered of other species, have been adopted too.

The strong work ethic in Vaurca society means a Worker will often find pleasure in rendering service to their Hive. While other forms of entertainment are widely sought, many broods will not find themselves bored when performing their designated duties.
The Bound are completely deprived of pleasure and have no desire to entertain themselves.

==Fashion and Cuisine==
Throughout Vaurca history, fashion has remained nearly non-existent. Lacking any kind of genitalia, they have nothing to be embarrassed about. Traditionally, they would often go nude or with small garments covering their mouths. Since the Hiveships were built, some Vaurca prefer to wear thin blindfold-like cloth over their eyes to prevent the light from giving them headaches or discomfort.
Recent human fashion, however, has had a huge boom in the Vaurca society. While some prefer to remain as naked as possible, the recent surge in robes and clothing built for Vaurcae are some examples of clothes they have adopted. Others prefer the saggy look of human-tailored clothes on them, sometimes even to show their affinity to alien lifestyles.

Vaurca cuisine is viewed 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 like boiled cabbage to humans that lived to tell. For Vaurcae themselves, because taste is rarely an issue with their cuisine, many traditional Vaurcaesian 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 being 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.

A dying breed of Sedantian flora, the Skye’mok is a bioluminescent fungus that can be fermented into mead. Unlike humans, Vaurcae don’t get drunk from alcohol but fluoride. Since the Vaurca arrival to Spur, '''Skye’mok''' has been mostly forgotten because toothpaste has proven to be a better drink for the Vaurcae. However, this doesn’t stop some traditionalists from making their own Sye’mok breweries, advocating that while not as strong as toothpaste to get somebody drunk, the taste is better.

==Math and numbers==
While math is deemed universal, the Vaurca understanding of numbers goes beyond the other species’ conception. A proof of this is how Vaurca are named, as each number can have a long connotation, and Vaurcae are known for being able to count to high numbers. Because of such, non-mathematicians have misinterpreted Vaurcaesian numeration as simplistic, often regarding that all the numbers assigned to the common Workers translate simply to ‘infinity’. This is untrue, as they are quantifiable.

Base ten and binary systems are seen as primitive to Vaurcae, and the success of their computers depends greatly on their overcoming of this. The complex calculations and immense storage capacity are what made the Cephalon caste possible.

==The Arts==
Besides their mathematics, Vaurcae have no written language anymore. Instead, all that can be deemed literature is stored in the same Virtual Reality and retold by priests or authorized individuals. The way a Vaurca can consult the data stored in the VR is with an advanced peer-to-peer protocol that allows information to be absorbed and shared easily. Because of this, there has been no need to write or type.

Art still remains an important subject today, with new masonry and sculpture subterranean projects. The word ‘art’ in Vaurca society is similar to the classical understanding of it in human societies, involving technique too. As such, a Vaurca highly knowledgeable in their field of study can be deemed an artist or artisan.

Reliefs and rock gardens are also popular means, and have been the supplement for painting or photography. As Virtual Reality advanced, however, digital art, with its complex avatars that have more dimensions and are seen as ‘beyond real’, has been considered a noble medium through which an artist can develop.

Music is an important part of Vaurca culture, with unique instruments that rely heavily on vibrations and rhythm. As their calendar and antennae, these patterns are deemed superior to any sound. However, introduction of Skrellian and human instruments to the Vaurca repertoire has opened new veins for Vaurca music to follow.

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 their Realms. Queen Athvur is an exception to this.

==Politics==
Up until 2463, Vaurcae politics between Hives was at a standstill due to each Hive's distanced location relative to one another, and due to the fact that each was dedicated to recovering from the exodus. On the date of May 10th, 2463, The Zo'ra invited both of the other Hives to a diplomatic summit, reviving the ancient Court of Queens inside of their "Capital", New Sedantis. This new council was designed to discuss the next steps to move the Vaurca up the ladder in modern society, but has a tendency to devolve into squabbles between individual Queens, especially after the alleged theft of the Bulwark caste by the Zo'ra not too long after the original summit was called. More about this particular event can be found on the [[Court of Queens Arc]] page.

The Court of Queens meets intermittently to discuss all things relating to the Hives, usually at the request of a member. Queens can choose to either make an appearance physically or send a Ta as a proxy if they are busy with other projects, freeing up precious time. Notably, certain Queens tend to not make an appearance at all, including Xetl and Scay, with neither providing consistent reasonings as to why, although Scay's brood is typically present in some capacity regardless in the form of worker caste Vaurcae operating as observers.

Although tensions between the Hives are higher than they ever have been before, no one Hive has deviated from making regular appearances to the Court, regardless of the topic. The Court of Queens is often seen as the Vaurca's singular political edge in a world where the species is in the minority, and nobody wants to be left out, even if it could mean yet another accusation or embarrasment. Despite being revived by the Zo'ra, each Hive has equal say in Court matters.

A notable achievement of the Court of Queens is the abolishment of Avowals on 4/24/2464, covered [https://forums.aurorastation.org/topic/16567-caprice-sun/#comment-156052 here].

==Xakat’kl’atan==
One of the highest honors a Worker or Warrior 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 masters 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 Hive Queens.

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