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The Rotunnkc Compact

2025-05-07T23:51:23Z

Yonnimer: Adds a section for megacorporations and Neutron

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{{Navbox Dionae Lore}}
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=The Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria=

Standing as a beacon of interstellar cooperation and unity amidst the vast expanse of the Spur and its political system, the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria represents a collaborative effort to foster mutual prosperity and security; at its core lies a commitment to diplomatic dialogue, economic integration and collective defense, aimed at ensuring stability and progress for all member entities. It is governed by the Grand Assembly of the Commonwealth — essentially a Parliament of which there exists seats for either the respective leader, or leaders of the member states, or someone appointed on their behalf to represent them. Generally, matters of mutual concern are addressed, usually dealt with by vigorous debate — of which are chronicled and ultimately released to the public. It has ancillary functions to serve as a platform for trade and commerce, in which there exists an exchange of goods, services and ideas among member states — mostly to drive technological innovation, which in turn grants economic growth, an aim of the Commonwealth to catch up to “other entities within the Spur” — in conjunction with the Commonwealth Naval Authority, or the “C.N.A.” which though primarily built up the Consortium, has seen additions and changes to its defensive posturing by the Union of Gla’orr since their introduction as a member state — in particular, the handling of non-Hieroaetherian craft entering Titan’s Rapture. The Commonwealth ultimately also seeks to modernize the Commonwealth Naval Authority; liaison with its member states and facilitate a united space colonization effort, in spite of the differences between them all.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
== Constitutive Act of the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria ==
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'''We''', the Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria (COH):

1. The Chairman of the Consortium of Hieroaetheria

2. The Ecclesiarchs of the Eternal Republic of the Ekane

3. The Paragon of the Union of Gla’orr

'''INSPIRED''' by the noble ideals which guided the founders of our Organisation and generations of Pan-Hieroaetherians in their determination to promote unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Hieroaetheria and Hieroaetherian States;

'''CONSIDERING''' the principles and objectives stated in the Charter of the Organisation of Hieroaetherian Unity and the Treaty establishing the Hieroaetherian Economic Community;

'''RECALLING''' the heroic struggles waged by our peoples and our states for political independence, sentient dignity and economic emancipation;

'''DETERMINED''' to take up the multifaceted challenges that confront Hieroaetheria and peoples in light of the social, economic and political changes taking place in the Orion Spur;

'''GUIDED''' by our common vision of a united and strong Hieroaetheria and by the need to build a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion among our peoples;

'''FURTHER DETERMINED''' to take all necessary measures to strengthen our common institutions and provide them with the necessary powers and resources to enable them to discharge their respective mandates effectively;

'''RECALLING''' the Declaration that we adopted at the Third Extraordinary Session of our Grand Assembly in Epigenia, the Consortium of Hieroaetheira, on 31.5.2445, in which we decided to establish the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria, in conformity with the ultimate objectives of the Charter of the Organisation of Hieroaetherian Unity and the Treaty establishing the Hieroaetherian Economic Community;

'''HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:'''

[...]

[...]

'''Article 3'''

'''Objectives'''

The objectives of the Commonwealth shall be to:

(a) Achieve greater unity and solidarity between the Hieroaetherian states and the peoples of Hieroaetheria;

(b) Defend the Sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States;

(c) Accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of Hieroaetheria;

(d) Promote and defend Hieroaetherian common positions of issues of interest to Hieroaetheria and its peoples;

(e) Encourage interstellar cooperation, taking due account of the Luna Accords of Interstellar Law;

(f) Promote peace, security and stability across Hieroaetheria and its States;

(g) Establish the necessary conditions which enable Hieroaetheria to play its rightful role in the interstellar economy.

'''Article 4'''

'''Principles'''

The Commonwealth shall function in accordance with the following principles:

(a) Sovereign equality and interdependence among Member States of the Commonwealth;

(b) Respect of borders existing on achievement of joining the Commonwealth;

(c) Participation of Hieroaetherian peoples in the activities of the Commonwealth;

(d) Establishment of a common defence policy for Hieroaetheria and its States, through such appropriate means as may be decided upon by the Grand Assembly;

(e) Prohibition of the use of force or threat to use force among Member States of the Commonwealth;

(f) Non-interference by any Member State in the internal affairs of another;

(g) The right of the Commonwealth to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a decision of the Grand Assembly in respect of circumstances;

(h) Peaceful co-existence of Member States and their right to live in peace and security;

(i) The right of Member States to request intervention from the Commonwealth in order to restore peace and security;

(j) Promotion of self-reliance within the framework of the Commonwealth;

(k) The right to expand a Member State’s existing territory, based on a simple majority within the Grand Assembly.

[...]

[...]

'''Article 32'''

'''Admission to Membership'''

1. Any Hieroaetherian State may, at any time after the entry into force of this Act, notify the Grand Assembly of its intention to accede to this Act and to be admitted as a member of the Commonwealth.

2. The State wishing to join the Commonwealth must agree to uphold this Act’s objectives and principles.

3. The Grand Assembly shall, upon receipt of such notification shall transmit copies to all Member States. Admission shall be decided by a simple majority of the Grand Assembly. The decision of the Member States will then communicate the decision to the State.

[...]

[...]

'''IN WITNESS WHEREOF''', WE have adopted this Act. Done at Epigenia, Consortium of Hieroaetheria, this 15th day of July, 2446.
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== Grand Assembly of the Commonwealth ==

Serving as the central, deliberate body within the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria, where its member states are represented either by their respective leaders or a person appointed with authority to represent the member state, gather to address matters of mutual concern and chart the course of collective action; located within Nral’daaq or Epigenia, as a result of the Consortium’s founding of the Commonwealth, the Grand Assembly is a grandiose hall designated to accommodate delegates from various factions — even prior to their acceptance as a member state, with both cultural and religious themes incorporated within the building — which the Consortium sought to incorporate to reflect the inclusive and egalitarian ethos it wished to continue.

Meetings of the Grand Assembly are convened periodically to discuss a wide range of topics, including diplomatic relations, economic policies, security arrangements and matters of interstellar governance — however, the Grand Assembly does not act as an enforcing body, merely one that develops supposed guidelines for its member states, at least besides any actions the Commonwealth wishes to take with the Commonwealth Naval Authority. Each member state is given the ability to represent themselves and their interests and viewpoints of their respective constituents.

Debates within the Grand Assembly are characterized by lively discussion and negotiation, as delegates seek to find consensus and common ground on issues of importance to the Commonwealth. Decisions are typically reached through a process of consensus-building, with each faction having a voice in the final outcome. It also serves as a forum for fostering dialogue and understanding among member factions, providing an opportunity for diplomatic engagement and relationship-building. Through dialogue and collaboration, the Grand Assembly seeks to strengthen the bonds of cooperation and solidarity that underpin the Commonwealth's shared vision for the future. However, merging is unheard of if not taboo amongst delegates — where to do such would reveal information not privy to other factions, and possibly lead to tense diplomatic relations, if not worse — the Commonwealth’s Constitution even outlines to do so is not necessarily not allowed, but against the interest of Hieroaetheria; which most attribute to the fact a merging may yield a Gestalt which is favourable to a particular member state as opposed to the entirety of the Commonwealth.

== Commonwealth Naval Authority ==

Founded shortly after the establishment of the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Naval Authority answers to no one but the decisions agreed to on by the Grand Assembly— however, it largely operates with some degree of autonomy in part due to the guidelines set forth by the Grand Assembly. There is not restrictions on who may join, merely that they be citizens of one of the member states of the Commonwealth — resulting in both non-Dionae and Dionae oftentimes seen working together on any objectives for the Authority; despite calls against the allowance of non-Dionae with in the ranks by both the Eternal Republic of the Ekane and the Union of Gla’orr. Predominately, they maintain patrols across the Commonwealth’s territory, stretching roughly between four to five light years in any given direction from Hieroaetheria; with only the Consortium having successfully established any off-world presence so far.

They regularly conduct training exercises with attaches from the Nralakk Federation, mostly as a result of the agreement between the Consortium and the former. This has somewhat affected relations with the Eternal Republic of the Ekane and the Union of Gla’orr, citing the necessity to train the Commonwealth Naval Authority on their own, and not providing an alien entity with specifications as to its capabilities and strategies — which has resulted in a minor compromise of sorts between the member states. Successful lobbying by the Eternal Republic and the Union had resulted in a somewhat tightly controlled border; spacecraft that enter the Commonwealth’s territory are mandated to report all details of their operations to the Commonwealth Naval Authority Control — a large space station in orbit of Hieroaetheria, but with smaller outposts across any inhabited regions of their territories — and do so until they depart. In addition, majority are required to submit to any further investigation by the Commonwealth provided there exists probably cause, an easily attainable piece of information thanks to the structure of the Commonwealth — most citing “possible foreign contamination” when conducting “random” searches, essentially framing the search as a method to ensure health and sanitation procedures have been adhered, whilst looking for any incriminating material. The majority of the spacecraft that comprise the Commonwealth Naval Authority were constructed by the Consortium, with only recently the introduction of Unitary designs making their way into the fold — with discussions as to the possible development of technological innovation from Skrell, Dionae and Megacorporate minds within the shadows making their way into the rumour mill.

It operates similarly to other naval forces within the Spur; there exist ranks and a hierarchy, both of which must be followed or a person can risk expulsion from their duties. However, the notable caveat is that it is led by a Vice-Admiral, who answers only to the Grand Assembly — a Dionae agreed upon by each member state as proving to be uniquely objective in their reasoning and seeks only to fulfil their benefit to the entirety of the Commonwealth — Where Cataclysmic Energy Transverses into Celestial Life or merely Vice-Admiral Cataclysmic Energy, as referred to respectfully by many. They have been behind many appointments to leadership positions within the Commonwealth Naval Authority, cultivating a space of objective reasoning to ensure that the Authority seeks only to benefit the Commonwealth — neither one individual member state nor outside entity such as the megacorporations that dominate the Orion Spur.

The presence of the now-defunct state of the fascist Solarian Restoration Front pushed for a rapid response from the Commonwealth Naval Authority; despite having middling abilities towards the beginning of 2460 – the collapse of the Solarian Alliance brought about a significantly different political climate; furthermore, entities which were not “warm” with the greater Spur, nevermind the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria. Though Titan’s Rapture was largely unaffected by these happenings, the frontier of the Commonwealth’s territory frequently experienced skirmishes with the Solarian Restoration Front. Between 2460 CE and 2465 CE, the Commonwealth Naval Authority had increased their numbers by almost triple thanks to the contributions of both the Consortium and the Union; allowing them to somewhat successfully deal with minor conflicts, with tactics used to either deter or avoid greater battles with the Solarian Restoration Front.

== ''The Titan's Progeny'', a Cetus Rootsong Relay ==
A result of several years of deliberation within and action by the Grand Assembly, a project to harvest and conglomerate thousands of nymphs from across Hieroaetheria's major states in order to form a Cetus – known as ''The Sacred Echoes of a Titan's Bonded Progeny'' – saw fruition in June 2466. Composed of an equal amount of Consortium, Ekanian, Gla'orr and small member state nymphs, the fourth Cetus to reside within the Spur is wholly loyal to the Grand Assembly and, installed in orbit to act as a giant Rootsong Broadcaster, commits all of its energy towards dispersing news from the Assembly and Hieroaetheria's nations into the Voidic Rootsong Network for receiving by diona throughout the Spur. Reaching far and wide, the Rootsong transmitted by ''Bonded Progeny'' reaches Xanu Prime, in the opposite direction encompasses Federation space, and just about glances Moghes, not quite reaching Dominia, Adhomai or any significant region of the Spur's frontier; it is heard as a dim whisper to any dionae in the void that is within it's reach.

To source material to broadcast, ''Bonded Progeny'' will regularly have Cyclops gestalts split off and transported around Titan's Rapture and other Commonwealth-controlled systems via ferries so they may conduct journalistic duties, usually on Hieroaetheria or any of the nation's colonies, but occasionally elsewhere in the Spur where dionae – especially Hieroaetherians – are known to reside. Upon collecting enough material, the Cyclops remerges with the Cetus, allowing its stories to be accessed by the Cetus for broadcast. In addition to sourcing broadcast material, it is also the duty of other split-off Cyclopses to transcribe the Rootsong transmissions of the Cetus to make them accessible to dionae – and other's interested – on planets with an atmosphere which the Voidic Rootsong Network does not penetrate, composing the news in more conventional website or holopaper articles in Basic or Nral'Malic.

Due to the size of the Cetus and the sheer amount of news it transmits, Rootsong broadcasts often occur every ten minutes and containing multiple stories at once. Quantity over quality takes reign, with only several transmissions in a day recounting significant events on Hieroaetheria or Assembly decisions, the remainder being inconsequential news such as small-town gossip overheard by a Cyclops journalist, fauna migration patterns in an uninhabited part of Hieroaetheria or single-event occurences of crime. However, hidden beneath the mundane are transmissions unrelated to the news: quiet calls to dionae across the Spur to flock to Hieroaetheria, obsessive utterances related to the Eternal's Trifecta, and conflicting messages to either accept or reject the influence of the Spur's other alien species.

Cyclops split-off for the purpose of gathering material only to later remerge with the Cetus are known as the ''Eyes of the Cetus'', or just ''Eyes'', and often have a multitude of eye structures as part of their form. Those split-off for the purpose of documenting the Cetus' broadcasts into articles for terrestrial dionae and those too distant to are known as ''Scribes of the Cetus'', or just ''Scribes'', and often have multiple arm-like structures with well-manipulatable finger-like tendrils for maximum words-per-minute counts when simultaneously writing multiple articles. Gestalts split-off from ''Bonded Progeny'' are often composed of an even split of nymphs from each member state, endeavouring to be unbiased to events that occur on Hieroaetheria and any of the Commonwealth's colonies, however with increasing age, it is not unusual for internal debates among nymphs to see a gestalt begin to express slight bias towards the winning nymph's home nation. Such Cyclopses that lose their objectivity are often recalled to the Cetus early for reabsorption if identified by the Commonwealth. These Cyclops have a deeply engrained sense of subservience towards other Hieroaetherian dionae, both due to their often very young ages and their lifesake being to document and serve the Commonwealth and it's citzenry.

The largest and most reputable web-based media outlet for ''Bonded Progeny's'' transmissions is ''The Hieroaetherian Herald'', known for it's rigid journalistic integrity. Sponsored by the Commonwealth and active since the launch of the Cetus' broadcasting operations, thousands of web articles are transcribed and uploaded a day by split-off journalists, with points and seniority ascribed to journalists by the number of transmissions they have transcribed and their overall objectivity rating. Entirely playful, split-off journalists compete to see whom can net the most article scores in a month of working.

== Interstellar Relations ==

=== Nralakk Federation ===

Overall, it can be said that the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria and the [[Nralakk Federation]] have an amicable relationship, most of which is derived from its friendship with the Consortium. Prior to the introduction of the Eternal Republic of the Ekane and the Union of Gla’orr to the Commonwealth, the Consortium had negotiated what is now known as Rapture’s Treaty – an important agreement which sought to be binding on future member states and includes a defensive pact between the Commonwealth and the Federation, and several other provisions which allow for the Federation and Commonwealth to engage in training practices concerning the Commonwealth Naval Authority, and ultimately freedom of migration across the Commonwealth without the necessity for a tourist visa; however, this largely has been rejected by the Eternal Republic of the Ekane, and the Union of Gla’orr, which has had a minor impact on the greater relationship between the Commonwealth and the Federation. However, the Consortium maintains this agreement, allowing those from the [[Nralakk Federation]] to enjoy its cities and territories; notably the only faction to do so on Hieroaetheria. There is a Commonwealth Embassy located on Qerrbalak, and a Federation Embassy in Nral’daaq or Epigenia.

=== Solarian Alliance ===

Prior to the Solarian Collapse, the relationship between the [[Solarian Alliance]] and the Commonwealth was largely just diplomatic. There had been no agreements between one another, and their relationship mostly derived from the shared friendship both entities had with the Nralakk Federation. The Solarian Collapse brought a significant change to the political climate of the Spur, and with it a radical change to the relationship between the [[Solarian Alliance]] and the Commonwealth. Though neutral to the Second Solarian Invasion of the Republic of Biesel, the Commonwealth ultimately chose to distance itself from the Solarian Alliance – a decision exacerbated by the skirmishes occuring on its borders from the Solarian Restoration Front. On the cusp of a re-united [[Solarian Alliance]], the Grand Assembly has a decision to make in regards to whether they maintain the current direction of diplomacy, or seek a new path.

=== Republic of Biesel ===

The Commonweallth and the [[Republic of Biesel]] can be regarded as having a rather warm relationship with one another, mostly thanks to the presence of Megacorporations within the Commonwealth – in particular the Consortium, similarly to the Nralakk Federation, has fostered a sense of trust and co-operation between the respective factions. Though the Union of Gla’orr largely ignores the Republic of Biesel’s diplomatic attempts at an attempt to remain impartial and neutral within the Orion Spur, the Commonwealth has slowly been confirming their allegiance to the Republic of Biesel through minor engagements such as trade discussions and laxing of migration controls; though most attribute it to the doings of the Megacorporations, others view the Omnivirate’s presence in the faction as a significant contributor as to the silence of the [[Eternal Republic of the Ekane]] – largely voting to abstrain from any action for or against the [[Republic of Biesel]]. Both the Commonwealth and the [[Republic of Biesel]] have agreed to host embassies within their nations, with the Commonwealth Embassy located in District One of Mendell City, and a Biesellite Embassy located in Nral’daaq or Epigenia.

=== Covenant of Xrim ===

Being the only other nation of Dionae in the Orion Spur, the relationship between the [[Covenant of Xrim]] and the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria is essentially an alliance, though one unique to the two. Despite the Covenant largely being considered a vassal of the Nralakk Federation, with the latter representing them in interstellar affairs, both the Commonwealth and the Covenant have agreed to an unofficial pact of friendship – remarkably agreed upon by every member state within the Commonwealth. It is not unheard of for the Triumvirate to travel to Titan’s Rapture and engage in diplomatic discussions with the entirety of the Commonwealth, and even holding individual talks with the member states. Though [[the Consortium]] and the Union of Gla’orr are considered friendly entities to the Covenant, the [[Eternal Republic of the Ekane]] and the Covenant have the strongest relationship – most owing it to the religious ideology of the two. Though the Covenant of Xrim does not technically have the authority to operate an embassy, the [[Nralakk Federation]] has agreed to allow for a portion of its embass in Nral’daaq or Epigenia to be used by the Covenant to continue relations with Hieroaetheria. There are discussions between the Covenant, Federation and Commonwealth to establish a secondary embassy on Xrim.

=== The Omnivirate ===

The Omnivirate, though not exactly an entity with any discernable borders in which it governs, has a unique relationship with the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria. Owing to their status as the religious authority of the Eternal, they have been granted wide-ranging benefits within the Commonwealth and its territories; in particular, they are among the only individuals who need not adhere to certain restrictions, they may freely travel across the member states and the greater Commonwealth – and have done so frequently, oftentimes engaging with the political authorities of the Consortium, Eternal Republic and the Union. However the recent announcement of their intention to expand their authority outside of the [[Eternal Gardens]] may create a sense of tension amongst the Commonwealth’s member states, especially in regard to their recent intervention within the [[Covenant of Xrim]]. Time will only tell whether their decision shall have either a significant or insignificant impact on the Commonwealth and their current direction within the Orion Spur.

=== Megacorporations ===

While specifics differ between each nation-state of the Commonwealth, most of the Spur’s megacorporations have managed to hold some presence within the Commonwealth’s borders, namely within the Consortium’s sphere of influence, as both the Union of Gla’or and the Eternal Republic of the Ekane disallow corporations from operating within their controlled territories. The Commonwealth as a whole allows the megacorporations to operate within its borders, though under strict oversight and with notable taxes levied against them.

Both Einstein Engines, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, and Orion Express hold the most influence within the Commonwealth, and receive additional benefits and lower taxes, including the ability to own land and facilities directly within the Commonwealth rather than having to lease them, a benefit extended to their subsidiaries as well.

====Neutron Synergistics====
Neutron Synergistics is a major extraction and refinement company operating as a subsidiary of Einstein Engines. Neutron Synergistics was formed following the formation of the SCC as a means to ensure a steady supply of materials independent of Hephaestus Industries. More information can be found on it [[Einstein Engines#Neutron_Synergistics|here]]

Einstein Engines

2025-05-07T23:49:28Z

Yonnimer: Adds a section detailing Dionae in EE, Relations with EE and Hiero, as well as a subsidiary for EE, Neutron Synergistics

{{Template:Navbox Corporations}}
{{Infobox Corporation
|headercolor = #777700 
|textcolor = white 
|name = Einstein Engines
|logo = EinsteinEngines2
|headquarters = Harmony City, [[Luna]], Sol
|slogan = Lead by our history, leading our future.
|languages = Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common, Tradeband
|ceo = [[Notable_Humans#Noelle_Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]]
|colors = <span style="color:#777700">Olive Green (#777700),</span> <span style="color:#637C65">Sage Green (#637C65),</span> <span style="color:#DFE4ED">White (#DFE4ED)</span>, <span style="color:#AB6F19">Orange (#AB6F19)</span>
|founded = 2155
|founder = Zhong Hu
|regions =
<br>
* [[Solarian Alliance]]
* [[Nralakk Federation]]
* [[Republic of Biesel]]
* [[Coalition of Colonies]]
* [[The Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria]]
|}}

Founded in Sol during the 2100s, Einstein Engines is a trans-stellar megacorporation that focuses on both warp travel technology and robotics - and is said to have a monopoly on the former. Headed by the cutthroat Noelle Lopez-Zhang, Einstein Engines has found itself having been through a combination of rigorous technological improvements in their warp drive designs that have found the megacorporation at an advantage due to the shortages of Phoron across the Orion Spur, as well as careful expansion and dominance within the now collapse Solarian Alliance. Considered an antagonist to the goals of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, Einstein Engines has managed on multiple occasions to outperform the corporations beneath its banner and continues to improve as each day passes.
{{TOC Hidden}}
== Corporate Affairs ==

=== History ===

Einstein Engines originated as a conglomerate of various aerospace companies who shared a joint research project for extrastellar travel. As the project came into fruition, it was realized it would have immense consequences for the human race. In the year 2130, a sustained, stable warp interface was formed. This development served to catapult the conglomerate to be a dominating economic power across Sol. Their warp technology revolutionized space travel and led to the construction of micro-g orbital industrial stations around the equator.
This boom in industrial capabilities led to the great expansion of humanity across space. Warp-enabled probes traveled to nearby systems, finding habitable worlds scattered across space. The power of Einstein Engines continued to grow throughout the following centuries, eclipsing other interstellar corporations; however, this expansion was not to last.

In 2417, a relatively young corporation, Nanotrasen, discovered a previously unknown material known as Phoron, a substance with incredible energy density, far beyond that of conventional fusion or fission. This energy source, along with the advent of the Skrell experimental, though superior, Bluespace drives burst the unending growth bubble of Einstein Engines. As Nanotrasen grew into the present-day superpower it is, Einstein Engines fell inwards. Major restructuring was done to save the company, leading to its modern form.

Today, Einstein Engines still holds a significant power base despite the losses in the first half of the 25th century. Continuing to serve its market, Einstein Engines produces many important spaceship components and continues to contend with Nanotrasen over the efficiency of their different marques of Bluespace engine. The two giants awkwardly co-exist in human space, with multiple copyright and trademark lawsuits bouncing between them on a monthly basis.

As the phoron crisis began to worsen the conflict between Nanotrasen and Einstein Engines only began to heat up, with EE managing to successfully defend itself against NT in a massive legal battle, as well as purchase the Biesel city of Phoenixpoint from NT, with EE planning a massive restoration of the city. Due to their conflict with NT Einstein Engines has elected not to support or join the SCC, being famously the only of the major megacorporations not to do so.

To fight against the consolidation of power between the other major megacorporations with the establishment of the SCC Einstein Engines has begun to seek trade partners in areas outside the influence the SCC, most notably the Nralakk Federation, with EE managing to secure a contract to establish their Qerrbalak Branch.

=== Influence ===

Einstein Engines wields considerable influence within the Sol Alliance, being founded more than three hundred years ago. Its established reputation in the manufacturing of ship components and warp technology has solidified its place, allowing it to survive as other corporations such as NanoTrasen continue to expand rapidly across the Spur. Outside of the Sol Alliance, Einstein has made some progress in Tau Ceti with its recent acquisition of Phoenixport and is currently revitalising the city as part of its plans for future operations within the system. Einstein Engines has also made leeway with the Nralakk Federation and their Special Economic Zones, winning the Qerrbalak contract over NanoTrasen and establishing a branch office there. Despite its smaller operational scope compared to other megacorporations, its marketing of warp technology as a safer and more cost-effective alternative to bluespace travel, combined with its reputation as a reliable manufacturer, has allowed the company to have at least some influence across most of human space.

The megacorporation also holds considerable sway in the field of artificial intelligence. Although its competitors would never admit it, Einstein Engines consistently produces the most advanced positronic brains, with many of their models surpassing and eclipsing that of other companies. Furthermore, they remain the second-largest producer of positronic brains in the Spur, providing for customers in the Sol Alliance as well as the Coalition. The company also has lucrative defence contracts with the Sol Alliance, not only providing AI and engines for the Sol Navy but IPCs as well, serving in both combat and non-combat roles. With relations between the Conglomerate and the Alliance at a record low, Einstein’s hold over the market can only grow.

=== Internal Reputation ===

Despite the common beliefs in the Republic of Biesel, the megacorporation is deemed as a fair employer with plenty of benefits, such as a full health plan, including dental care, and up to two weeks of vacation per year. Company cars are a common benefit amongst most members above a certain rank, and a healthy fraternal work environment is promoted. Those individuals that have worked with Nanotrasen before their employment in Einstein Engines will often quote these benefits as their main reason to change companies.

While some may say that these features are due to the progressive work laws in the Sol Alliance, the standard was set by Einstein Engines shortly after a bonanza period, following the discovery of the warp engine. For Einstein Engines, their employees require to have their necessities covered so they can be happier and more productive.

In the 25th century, the megacorporation has seen some setbacks due to the new phoron travel. As a consequence, the salaries remain more or less on par with those of their competitors, despite traditionally being higher. Nevertheless, the opportunity to grow inside the company and multiple bonuses offered per month, if a job is done right, still make up for these losses.

=== Positronics and Einstein Engines ===

Einstein Engines is one of the largest manufacturers of positronics within the Spur through their subsidiary Terraneus Diagnostics, the original creators of the positronic brain complex and shell IPC frame who maintains a large market share of both with a focus on the higher end of quality.

Einstein Engines makes extensive use of synthetics within its corporate structure, however, synthetics are barred from holding leadership roles, be it that of managers in corporate facilities or commanders onboard corporate ships. Instead, synthetics are largely seen as tools to be used by organic employees. This attitude stems from Einstein Engines' heavy involvement with the Sol Alliance, as their view on synthetics is identical to that of the Alliance government. The company makes use of their own high end shell frames and cheaper, more available baseline frames primarily, though others are occasionally bought from other megacorporations.

Synthetics owned by Einstein Engines are normally worked to the limit within their assigned position and are expected to greatly outperform organic employees due to their cost, and punishments such as memory wipes, retooling or scrapping are always on the table. That being said, Einstein Engines pursues a “quality over quantity” philosophy with their IPC, only using harsher methods such as memory wipes for repeat offenders. The company views the experience an older IPC might gain as having a value of its own.

Freedom is only offered to synthetics in areas that require it to be an option, such as Biesel or Konyang, otherwise, they will be offered no legal chance at achieving it by the company and scrapping is often used to retire synthetics rather than selling them, although special treatment is given to its close partners and employees, who are often approached with an offer first. Attempts of synthetics to escape to freedom are not unheard of within the corporation, and those caught are immediately scrapped as punishment.

It is expected for Shells owned by Einstein Engines to use simple one or two syllable first names such as “Joe” or “Robert” whilst other frames used by the company use the name format “EES-(Name/Designation)” where “EES” stands for Einstein Engines Synthetic.

==General==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Current CEO:''' [[Notable Humans#Noelle Lopez-Zhang|Noelle Lopez-Zhang]]
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
A genius researcher and cutthroat businesswoman, Dr. Lopez-Zhang is respected throughout Einstein Engines as the woman that saved the oldest megacorporation in the Orion Spur from utter destruction by radically restructuring the company in the mid-2400s. Under Lopez-Zhang’s steady leadership, Einstein has set about recovering much of its market share. Presently, it stands able to challenge NanoTrasen in several engineering fields and has become a major threat to Hephaestus Industries. Dr. Lopez-Zhang and Titanius Aeson are known to have an infamously sour relationship.
</div></div>

'''Official Title(s):''' Einstein Engines, Einstein Incorporated, Einstein Corporate Conglomerate

'''Motto:''' ''Lead by our history, leading our future.''

'''Headquarters:''' Harmony City, Luna, Sol

'''Official Languages:''' Tradeband, Tau Ceti Basic, Sol Common

'''Primary Color Scheme:''' Olive green, orange, teal and cyan with golden trim

==Executives and Branches==
===Executives===
[[File:NoelleLopezZhang.png|thumb|Noelle Lopez-Zhang, Einstein Engine's CEO.]]
Einstein Engines is run by the Board of Directors, led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Noelle Lopez-Zhang. The Board of Directors oversees the general function of the entire corporation, with each director given additional regional boards to manage.

'''Chief Engineering Officer:''' Alejandra Dubois-Perez, 47, Human

Alejandra Dubois-Perez began her career in the Taipei Engineering Industrial as a mere ship engineer. Thanks to her dedication to the corporate cause, she quickly climbed the ranks of Einstein Engines to become the Chief Engineer Officer. In the chaos of the Solarian collapse, she saw nothing but an opportunity to make a profit. She was the main proponent of siding with the Solarian Alliance and the Nralakk Federation. For her, the uncertainty of the galaxy's future is fertile ground for business.

'''Chief Research Officer:''' Mio Suzuki, 38, Human

Hailing from a wealthy Earthen family, Doctor Mio Suzuki is one of the minds supposedly behind the creation of Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive. She wholeheartedly believes that bluespace drives are nothing but a fad that will soon pass; for her, warp engines have always been the future of mankind. While Doctor Suzuki might be considered a bright scientist and manager, the dispute between NanoTrasen and Einstein Engines suggests that she is more than willing to take advantage of corporate espionage.

'''Chief Information Officer:''' Ming Cote-Wu, 42, Human

Ming Cote-Wu was once an unremarkable regional manager for NanoTrasen with no prospects of promotion on sight. His life changed when he accepted an offer to spy for Einstein Engines. Taking advantage of his position, Ming created a large web of informants who worked to supply NanoTrasen's enemy with valuable information. He finally defected after Einstein Engines acquired Phoenixport. In recognition of his talents, he was put in charge of Einstein Engines' corporate espionage office, the Information Department.

===Branches===

'''Harmony City, Luna, Sol:'''

Einstein Engine’s headquarters have been comfortably sitting in Harmony City for decades, heading the Lunarian branch of operations from where the company’s Sol-wide operations and assets are administered. Regarded as the primary seat of power for Einstein, a large office complex towering over the neighbouring area is the home for droves of clerical and administrative personnel, executives, service IPCs and high ranking corporate figures. Well adjusted to the higher class lifestyle the city has to offer, the brass of Einstein Engines very much prefer it to any other outpost or branch while reassignment to Luna is viewed as an indirect promotion or reward only fit for few, usually top scientists and other valuable employees. As such that a Lunarian background or accent is a mark of high status within the corporation. Facilities on Luna are designed to mostly accommodate research and administration, the various underground laboratories acting as the main node for corporate research, compiling results and approving designs from every other research centre. The branch is also devoid of any significant industrial capability.

'''Kal'lo Special Economic Zone, Qerrbalak, Nralakk:'''

After winning the contract for the Qerrbalak Special Economic Zone, Einstein Engines was quick to establish its regional headquarters in the capital of Kal’lo. The building itself was designed in a collaborative effort by Einstein and Nralakk architects, with its exterior designed in the typical Federation fashion, while the interior takes heavy inspiration from Einstein's headquarters in Sol. All of Einstein Engines' operations within the Nralakk Federation are headed in this office, which is kept secure by a combined force of Nralakk enforcers and Einstein's own security team.

'''Hong Kong, Earth, Sol:'''

The Earth branch of the company is situated firmly in Hong Kong, China. Considered by many as a subdivision of the Luna branch, Hong Kong serves as the number two and historical seat of Einstein Engines, now utilised as the industrial powerhouse in the Sol system. Its vast industrial complexes are the corporation’s backbone, creating and maintaining enormous ship engines, drives, parts and all sorts of machinery for the Alliance’s military and commercial shipping, the offices also manage the manufacturing operations of Taipei Engineering Industrial, one of its two major subsidiaries in nearby Taiwan. Government and military liaisons are commonly found in the construction yards while Alliance navy personnel provide guard duty in tandem with local corporate security. The branch also commits some industrial capacity to the manufacture of IPC parts and positronic brains, becoming the main distribution centre for Terraneus Diagnostics on Earth.

'''Phoenixport, Biesel, Tau Ceti:'''

Having moved from Mendell to the recently acquired installations on Phoenixport, the branch serves as its link to the Coalition, acting as a central point from where all of the megacorporation’s minor branches in Conglomerate space can be managed. With a near-total focus on administration, the majority of its local activities consist of investing in, sponsoring, and in some cases, absorbing local businesses to strengthen its influence on the city. Although many speculate that this is the first step in Einstein’s attempt to create their own Mendell City, just as many welcome their presence, with the branch touting their efforts as creating a “free haven” for businesses outside of NanoTrasen’s yoke. This mixture of investment, coupled with the hopeful rhetoric of the branch’s PR department have promised a second resurgence for Phoenixport, with the goal of making it a household name across the Spur. This is reflected in the branch’s architecture itself. Following Phoenixport’s tradition of replicating old Earth structures, its branch office reaches above the clouds, harkening back to the skyscrapers of the Arabian Peninsula. Still, as the SCC tightens its monopoly in the Republic, the future of this branch remains uncertain as its usefulness to the megacorporation dwindles. Within Einstein, non-Bieselites being assigned to the city comes with the perception of being a troublemaker, fit only to quarrel and bluster with the SCC’s own middle management.

'''Point Verdant, Konyang, Coalition of Colonies:'''

The home of the positronic brain, the Point Verdant Terraneus Institute of AI Research is the farthest and among the most prestigious of branches within the megacorporation and its subsidiaries. Operated by Terraneus Diagnostics, Point Verdant is home to one of the largest corporate complexes dedicated to synthetics, managing the research, development, and manufacture of positronic brains and IPC chassis while safeguarding the company’s secure grip on the vaults. As such, it also serves as the largest producer of IPC chassis in the Coalition, as well as the largest supplier of shell chassis in general through the multiple factories, jointly owned with the government. Being practically the sole megacorporation on Konyang, the Einstein complex, as old as the planet’s settlement, forms the core around which the city of Point Verdant expands. Terraneus and Einstein employees dominate the central districts, many having created permanent households and families, becoming naturalised and intermingling with the local population. Despite its importance, its architecture is relatively old fashioned and austere, reflecting its origins as a colonial outpost, with any notion of opulence or corporate clout giving way to brutal efficiency with prefabricated structures and dirty smokestacks from the assembly lines being the norm, although certain renovation efforts are still being made, hampered mainly by the lack of local steel. In keeping with Konyanger regulations, government inspections are a regular occurrence within this branch, supplying the annual quota for positronic brains and IPC parts for the planet’s citizens.

==Subsidiaries==
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===Terraneus Diagnostics===
<i><b>"Delivering the right product to the right customer."</b></i>

'''General'''

Terraneus Diagnostics (TD) is a subsidiary of Einstein Engines, founded in Bremen, Germany, Earth, in September 2399. They specialize in large problem-solving AIs as well as development of new types of synthetic combat chassis and programming.
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'''Influence'''

[[Sol]]: The central manifold is in orbit of [[Sol#Jupiter_.28Sol_V.29|Jupiter]].

Xanu: The second manifold is in orbit of Adezu.

[[Tau_Ceti|Tau Ceti]]: The third manifold is in orbit of [[Biesel]].

'''Executives'''

Chief Executive Officer: Noemi Neumark-Jiang, 62, Human

Chief Engineering Officer: Johann Schulte, 36, Human

Chief Research Officer: Eiji Takara-Murano, 54, Human

Chief Information Officer: Sven Fleiss, 57, Human

Chief Security Officer: Seung-Min Chu, 41, Human

Chief Foreign Relations Officer: Erwin Knopf, 49, Human

'''History'''

Terraneus Diagnostics started as a small development program with the advent of Artificial Intelligences, and with the invention of a specialized intelligence that could rapidly solve large computational problems, the company was soon founded. Their rapid growth is thanks to their continuous innovation in this area, culminating within a decade with the construction of [[Notable_Synthetics#SUNSHINE|SUNSHINE]], possibly the single largest and most complex intelligence in Alliance space. With the construction of its three Manifold facilities, they have spread their influence and contract-taking across [[Sol_Alliance|the Sol Alliance]], [[Coalition_of_Colonies|the Coalition of Colonies]], and [[Republic_of_Biesel|the Republic of Biesel]]. Though explicitly stated to not be for combat purposes, many of their computing intelligences can be found on large Sol Navy vessels.

Though previously equally as well known for their pioneering efforts in the design and programming of combat chassis and synethics, they have recently become less willing to publicly associate with this area of development, especially after the invasion of Tau Ceti. Many rumors abound as to who the various bidders for a recently offered secret contract are, ranging from the Republic of Biesel, to private military companies, though Terraneus Diagnostics has denied that the contract was for combat-related development and production.
</div></div>
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===Neutron Synergistics===

<i><b>"From across the Spur, Ingredients to create perfection</b></i>

Neutron Synergistics, named after the Hieroaetheria’s neutron star, is an ore extraction and refinement company situated primarily within the Commonwealth of Hieroatheria. As a subsidiary of Einstein Engines, Neutron Synergistics is primarily responsible for supplying Einstein production facilities with various ores and materials. The company’s employees primarily remain split between native Hieroatherian Dionae and Solarian Humans.
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The company was initially created as a branch of Einstein Engines’s operations in Hieroatheria through a contract with the Commonwealth to ensure Einstein Engines had a steady supply of self-supplied materials independent of the SCC’s influence, while also still providing the Commonwealth some oversight in how its resources are exploited by the megacorporation. Met with some initial growing pains, Neutron Synergistics managed to bolster its workforce by employing the myriad of Solarian refugees fleeing from Sol during its collapse, primarily from Hieroaetheria and the Coalition of Colonies. The branch would eventually split from its parent company to form its own subsidiary, giving it much more freedom in how its operations are run. Following the Alliance’s reunification, the company has been permitted to expand within Solarian space, as well as expanded operations within the Coalition of Colonies, primarily near systems heavily influenced by Einstein Engines such as Konyang.

Most of Neutron’s mining is done across various asteroid fields situated within the Commonwealth’s intergalactic borders. The company notably utilizes modified [[Dionae Space Capabilities#Bulker|Bulker]]-class freighter ships, dubbed ‘Minecarts’, which are outfitted with mining bays, as well as with the capability of smelting any ore mined. Minecarts are designed to be self-sustaining, requiring minimal outside aid to complete their quotas before returning to port, with most vessels being outfitted with internal hydroponics bays to provide an indefinite source of food for their crew. Notably, most ships operated by Neutron utilize Dionae crewmembers in specialist roles requiring their unique abilities, such as hull repair through the use of biomatter to keep the ships operating for much longer than is typically expected for mining vessels. Minecart vessels will rarely utilize any form of engine outside of emergencies, instead relying on Hieroatherian -designed Solar Sails that makes them much cheaper but slower to change velocity or manoeuvre.

'''Executives'''

CEO: He Zhiwang, Human

Chief Executive Officer: Biligiin Semsochi, Human

Chief of Hieroatherian Mining Operations: Endless March Of Hammer and Steel, Dionae

Chief of Solarian Mining Operations: Huang Fangrun, Human

Chief of Production: Adelard Brisbois

'''Major Brands'''
'''Durula Plasteel'''

One of the most common Neutron Synergistics utilized and sold outside of the Commonwealth, Durula Plasteel is a cheaply produced but still reliable form of plasteel, utilized for its strength and durability in complex machines and ships, primarily in Einstein ships and Synthetics.

'''Yeras-brand Circuits'''

Despite specializing in producing the materials required for more complex products rather than the products themselves, Neutron Synergistics has begun utilizing several facilities in Hieroatheria’s orbit to manufacture circuits. Created under the Yeras brand, these circuits are created by order rather than en masse, considered reliable and durable, set to last for well over a decade thanks to their unique production process, making use of specialist Dionae who will spend hours upon hours methodically etching the circuits to near-perfection. The common purpose of these circuits is for use in higher-end IPC chassis that require the increased efficiency the circuits provide.

'''Crew’s Cuisine'''

Due to how long mining operations can take, Neutron Crews have been known for seeking out carp to use in cuisine to supplement their rations and hydroponics-grown produce. Various dishes have been thought up and shared by mining crews, such as Carp Carpaccio, raw carp meat treated to remove toxins and dipped in chilli oil. Space Carp-based fish cakes, while much harder to acquire, are often used as a means to celebrate once the crew fulfills their quota and begins to return to port.
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== Corporate Relations ==
===[[Hephaestus Industries]]===
Einstein is a major competitor for Hephaestus in the field of IPC manufacturing - in spite of this, however, the two megacorporations have long had a close working relationship, particularly in the Solarian shipbuilding industry. Many Hephaestus-manufactured civilian and military vessels in Sol are equipped with Einstein-made warp drives, especially after the refitting of the Solarian Navy to the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive. If Hephaestus's membership in the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate has been a source of tension between the two megacorporations, little sign of this has been shown openly, with the industrial giant continuing to work with Einstein on many of its Solarian assets. Rumors of Einstein providing ships and weaponry to groups such as the Exclusionists in the region around Burzsia - or of Hephaestus-backed privateers targeting Einstein vessels in the former Human Wildlands - remain only rumors, and have had little impact on the two companies' shared business.

===[[Idris Incorporated]]===
Idris and Einstein have a generally positive relationship, with little need for competition. The vast majority of Idris-owned Shell IPCs are manufactured by Einstein, and their robotics division has allegedly developed several enhanced combat modifications for higher-end Idris Reclamation Units. Idris vessels tend to favor Einstein-produced warp drives over NanoTrasen-produced bluespace drives, with the exception of some of their higher-end security vessels and luxury yachts which advertise speed of travel as a major bonus. Following Solarian nationalization efforts, Idris and Einstein are the two most influential corporations in the Alliance, with Idris having paid high fees to avoid nationalization of its assets. This has given the two corporations a mutual goal - maintaining their own prominence in Solarian affairs, and ensuring that future anti-corporate legislation remains directed at their rivals. Einstein and Idris have both heavily invested in their own PR within the Alliance, remaining invested in Sol's future development.

===[[NanoTrasen]]===
NanoTrasen and Einstein have been rivals for decades, since the discovery of phoron in 2417 and the subsequent invention of the bluespace drive. As bluespace largely superseded warp as a means of faster-than-light travel, NanoTrasen's power rose as Einstein's waned. Since then, the two companies have been fierce competitors, contending in court constantly over various trademarks, patents, and other legal issues. The phoron scarcity beginning in 2462 has led to a reversal of fortunes, with Einstein rising massively in prominence as NanoTrasen's power fades - leading NanoTrasen to spearhead the formation of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate to attempt to combat their old rivals. The two corporations continue to clash to this day, with Einstein having found a foothold in the city of Phoenixport, Biesel - setting up shop in the heart of NanoTrasen's power. Though Einstein holds the clear advantage for now, NanoTrasen has worked tirelessly to try and slow the meteoric growth of their rival corporation - so far, to little effect, as phoron prices continue to rise and NanoTrasen stock prices continue to fall.

===[[Orion Express]]===
Einstein Engines and Orion have had little in the way of a working relationship, with the shipping corporation being formed largely from assets of their rivals at NanoTrasen. Einstein has reportedly advocated extensively for subjecting Orion to the same nationalization as faced by the other SCC corporations in the Sol Alliance - though so far to little effect, as Orion continues to operate freely within Solarian space. Outside of Sol, however, Einstein makes frequent use of Orion's shipping services, particularly within the Republic of Biesel and the Nralakk Federation - two nations where Orion is able to transport goods far more freely than Einstein.

===[[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]===
Einstein Engines and Zavodskoi have a fairly neutral relationship - though the two do compete in the robotics sector, Zavodskoi has purchased many Einstein-made warp drives for its vessels over the years, and the two have both had generous supply contracts with the Solarian military in the past. In the modern day, Zavodskoi has lost a great deal of these contracts, while Einstein continues to hold many highly valuable government and military contracts - a factor which contributed to Zavodskoi's withdrawal of much of its Solarian business. In spite of this, it continues to purchase warp drives from Einstein frequently, due to the rising cost of phoron fuel and the easy availability of helium-3 from Zavodskoi's new home in the Empire of Dominia.

===[[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]]===
The relationship between Zeng-Hu and Einstein is a generally positive one, with the two corporations cooperating extensively in several areas of mutual interest - their operations on the planet Konyang and mutual desire for expansion within the Nralakk Federation being the most noteworthy among these. Though Zeng-Hu's membership in the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and Einstein's growing power within the Sol Alliance has led to a level of distrust between the two, their relationship has remained largely solid since the beginning of the phoron shortage. In 2466, Einstein and Zeng-Hu were both called upon by the government of Konyang to deal with the rampancy crisis, with Zeng-Hu's involvement leading to the wider Conglomerate working to address the problem.

== Relations ==

These are important relationships with other trans-stellar entities within the Orion Spur.

=== Nralakk Federation ===

Einstein Engines has enjoyed a reputable stance with the Nralakk Federation due to their common ally: the Solarian Alliance. The recent entry of megacorporations into the Federation’s sphere of influence has led to the competition of cheaper alternatives to the state-mandated industries of space travel becoming available. The proliferation of Einstein's trademarked technology was slow and dispersed at a steady pace across space but is becoming a more and more popular option in lieu of the Bluespace technology capitalizing on Phoron. Due to the Phoron Scarcity, the Federation has instead aligned with Einstein Engines in an attempt to further their own technological superiority, sharing research to eventually reap the benefits as discoveries relating to the betterment of warp drive technology are uncovered. It is due to this, their regional headquarters can be located within the Kal'lo Special Economic Zone, not too far from the capital of the most advanced civilization in the Orion Spur. Similarly to Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, Skrell have instead found themselves able to easily secure an apprenticeship with Einstein Engines, much to the dismay of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.

=== Solarian Alliance ===

The Solarian Alliance, in its bid to stand up to NanoTrasen, sided with the ever-growing Einstein Engines. After the events of the Clandestine explosion and Violet Dawn, the Solarian Alliance was more than ready to cut off economic ties with the budding thorn in its side. While most of their tech is reliant on Phoron-based technology, their entanglement with the megacorporation dedicated to warpdrive vessels has allowed for a faster conversion process that will leave them more independent of NanoTrasen in the future. Any megacorporation has enough influence and mettle to stand on its own legs, so a close-knit alliance with one of the most influential human nations is a powerhouse marriage that won’t soon be forgotten.

=== Republic of Biesel ===

The relationship between Einstein Engines and the Republic of Biesel is a rocky one. Despite the judicial court ruling in the megacorporation’s favour when it came to proprietorship of the Suzuki-Zhang drive, and Einstein’s takeover of Phoenixport through deception and one of its subsidiaries, Biesel cumulatively has a negative view on the spacefaring business due to its roots and home turf for its largest rival in business: NanoTrasen. Tensions flare between these titans of industry as they seek to outdo, bid, and create the other in an eternal struggle for power no one entity should fully control.

=== C’thur Hive ===

The C’thur hive, a Vaurca political entity based in the Nralakk Federation, has considerable involvement in Einstein Engines as shareholders and collaborators, much to the chagrin of the SCC, who they are also known for working with. This double-sided “allegiance” has caused a degree of strife in both sides of the relationship but ultimately has not caused any major altercations due to the usefulness of the hive’s scientists and engineers. While the C’thur have considerable sway within the Megacorporation, Einstein Engines is still largely a human-dominated entity, and most of the C’thur’s contributions revolve around research and engineering techniques worked on within Nralakk Federation borders, or other areas outside of Solarian space.

===The Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria===

Einstein Engines remains one of the few megacorporations to attempt to claim a stake within the Commonwealth’s borders, primarily within the [[The_Consortium]] alongside Zeng-Hu and Orion Express. Relations between Einstein and the Commonwealth remain cordial, with Einstein Operations typically being beneficial for both, if closely monitored and regulated to limit the number of resources being shipped outside the Commonwealth’s borders. While still holding a pervasive influence in its borders, Einstein Engines has also taken the chance to invest in several smaller Hieroaetherian-bound corporations, as well as creating its own subsidiary operating in the region, Neutron Synergistics.

== Products ==

=== Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive ===

The Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive was introduced to the Orion Spur in October of 2462, and, despite advertising attempts by Einstein Engines, has not proven to be a true contender to the far more superior bluespace drives produced by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate. While it has been proven that the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive is more fuel-efficient, as well as faster than other warp drives, it is still far from besting the speed offered by existing bluespace drives - even if the price of phoron has tripled since the beginning of the Phoron Scarcity. Currently, only vessels within the Solarian Alliance’s fleets are being outfitted with the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive. With slight modifications, the Suzuki-Zhang Hammer Drive became available for commercial use in July of 2464.

== Dionae within Einstein Engines ==

Dionae hold a relatively distinct position with the Einstein Engines workforce, if still as a minor percentage. Following the [[Rueltab]] incident in which a large number of Dionae were indebted by the Solarian Alliance, many Dionae were granted employment by Einstein Engines. Typically, Dionae work in research or engineering positions in the company, with work that requires a great deal of precision or time to complete.

Dionae remain generally discriminated against, only allowed in low-level positions with low-level pay and long hours compared to their human counterparts. This position would slowly shift over the following decades, with Einstein Engines recognizing the potential a Dionae workforce could hold. Over time veteran Dionae employees would be granted additional benefits and a slow but steady allowance of higher level positions within the company, being capped at low-level command positions, if still rare for dionae to reach that high, or those working within Solarian territory.

Einstein Engines have also recognised how best to utilise the blood-based learning of Dionae to quickly grant them the specialist skills. This process can take quite an ordeal of blood to achieve, potentially causing issues with various memories across several different people they received the blood from, but, also with the benefit of instilling a high degree of loyalty as the blood is only sampled from company employees already considered to be loyal to the company.

Dionae employees in the present year can generally be expected to be treated nearly on par with others at the company, with variable treatment within the Solarian Alliance, expected to work longer but receive about the same per hour as others. While requiring decades of prior employment, Dionae have been allowed into low-level command positions, although typically only those who have been deemed loyal after plenty of exposure to the blood of other loyal employees.

=== Dionae Exoskeleton Chassis ===

Integrating Dionae within various forms of technology and machinery has been attempted for some time within Einstein Engines with some success, namely through integrating an IPC or exosuit frame to serve as a exoskeleton for a Dionae gestalt, increasing their strength and mobility, but usually coming with the cost of some precision and a need to keep the machinery charged and maintained. Dubbed as a Dionae Exoskeleton Chassis, or DEC, this technology is still in its relative infancy, being constantly experimented with to find better ways to integrate the exoskeleton to increase its utility. As it stands, DECs are an incredibly rare sight outside of the Einstein Engines workforce, with any choosing to leave the company having to have it removed from their persons, which can become dangerous if done incorrectly, needing time to recover and reform their biomass to make up for the now-missing structure.

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[[Category:Corporations]]
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The Narrows

2024-12-06T03:53:15Z

Yonnimer: Adds various block stripe colors

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[[File:NarrowsFlag.png|thumb| The Flag of the Narrows. Representing the Captain on top, and the Overseers on the bottom. Additionally, its allegiance to the Iron Eternal.]]
The Hephaestus Penal Ship Narrows, also colloquially referred to as ‘The Narrows’, had initially existed as the megacorporation's first step into punitive labour – competing with [[Zavodskoi Interstellar]]. However, more than twenty years after its launch, it found itself torn apart from within as a result of an uprising conspired by those sentenced aboard the vessel. Thereafter, it would be claimed by Dionae – who had been sentenced aboard the penal ship – repairing and expanding as it reclaimed the expanse of stars it drifted throughout. It now serves amongst the largest ‘independent’ mining corporation within the [[Coalition of Colonies]], having significantly multiplied the vessel’s previous mining abilities. Though loyalty to the Narrows is uncontested, there are subsets within the vessel that do not believe that the Narrows should associate with [[Hephaestus Industries]] but instead forge their own path – independently. Dionae from the Narrows that find themselves on the [[SCCV Horizon]] are typically contracted by [[Hephaestus Industries]] unless one has sought fit to desert their origin.

= History =

The HPS Narrows, at the time of its construction, was amongst the largest vessels designated for penal labour when unveiled in 2344 CE, attempting to gain a foothold within the prison industrial complex by Hephaestus Industries – at least within the Coalition of Colonies. It’s maiden voyage primarily dealt with resource mining and extraction within the Weeping Stars, in particular the Orezela System which held several asteroid fields now unofficially claimed by the megacorporation. Its launch is largely considered a success in Hephaestus’ history, having provided the Coalition of Colonies a method in which to export undesirable criminals, but also for the megacorporation to take advantage of essentially free labour.

While treatment aboard the HPS Narrows was not considered to meet the standards of “humane conditions” – it mattered not to those overseeing its operation. Long work hours, combined with unsafe working conditions and growing concerns over the lack of food diversity eventually resulted in the Uprising of 2368 CE – which while initially a demonstration by those interned aboard the vessel — turned violent following a brutal execution of an unnamed prisoner by Captain Shao Delun during the six-day protests. Chaos erupted, and it wasn’t long before the understaffed security systems of the Narrows were overwhelmed by thousands of prisoners. It is unknown whether it was an intentional act of sabotage or merely a byproduct of an unintended reactor, but the Narrows detonated amongst the asteroid fields of Orezela. Though evacuation of the remaining survivors was attempted, only one escape shuttle managed to free itself of the vessel’s docking systems – the rest perishing in the fiery explosion of the warp drive as the reactor set off a chain reaction of explosions.

'''Reclaimation'''

Prior to its destruction, the Narrows had a rather diverse make-up of those sentenced aboard, including Dionae. Though certain death for other species aboard, many if not all Dionae imprisoned aboard the Narrows had survived, unbeknown to Hephaestus who had already written off and left the Narrows to rot. Most owe this to the catastrophic failure of the onboard reactor, providing the necessary strength to the Dionae for them to continue on after the vessel’s destruction. This was a chaotic time at first as the Dionae initially struggled, though one particular Dionae – The Helmsman of the United Drill, the mind behind the Narrows – eventually sought to unite the surviving gestalts, singing far louder than the others as it took charge and shared its vision. Under Helmsman’s strong lead and with a combination of Dionae ingenuity and the ingestion of the ship staff and prisoner’s bodies for genetic material, the repairs of the vessel were invigorated.

A Council of Overseers was established by Helmsman, who together organised the Dionae in accordance with their expertise and any experiences gained from ingesting the deceased. The Dionae began to repair what they could of the Narrows, commencing with A-Block. It would eventually become a central hub for the Narrows, which now operates similarly to a bureaucratic centre. However, in its early days, A-Block was the only reclaimed section of the vessel for an exceedingly long period – cramped with overpopulation, and dwindling supplies eventually pushed for an executive decision by The Helmsman of the United Drill to reclaim B-Block. Having been previously known as the Penal Mining Department, B-Block had all the necessary apparatus required for the survivors to begin truly staking their claim of survival. Soon thereafter, C and D-Block saw themselves well-settled and repaired as the population of Dionae kept expanding; although still heavily reliant on biomass. Finally, E-Block, the youngest of the reclaimed sections of the Narrows, remains in considerably poor condition.

The Narrows launched from their crash site on the asteroid in 2420 CE and engaged a distress beacon, alerting nearby vessels to its presence. A number of vessels approached, including a Hephaestus freighter which took charge of contacting the Narrows, the Hephaestus staff aboard were amazed to see the Narrows in flying condition after the detonation during the Uprising. Hearing only Dionae in their hail and the true condition of the Narrows, the Hephaestus vessel was close to calling in support to scrap the vessel to make up for their losses from 2368 CE, however, the charismatic Helmsman was able to strike a deal. The Narrows would work under Hephaestus, fulfilling mining quotas for the megacorporation in exchange for keeping the vessel they had repaired and begun to call their home. For Helmsman, this was also a personal matter; though it has never disclosed why it was imprisoned – nor has Hephaestus revealed this, its leadership of the Narrows has become its chance to prove it has risen above the hurdles it may have tripped over in its past life.

'''Present'''

Under the watch of [[Hephaestus Industries]] and the Council of Overseers, the ship’s crew have diligently continued mining operations in and around the Orezela System. With Hephaestus’ support, the Narrows has since signed several contracts with the [[Coalition of Colonies]], becoming one of the more well-known contractors for the sovereign state, which the vessel now relies on for protection and ease of access to trade ports. The Narrows continue to mine to meet quotas for Hephaestus. However, due to the massive surplus owed to the Narrows’ efficiency and prowess, a considerable amount of mined resources and refined metals flow from the vessel and into Coalition ports. In 2432 CE, the Council of Overseers, deeming the Narrows fully capable and provisioned, opened the gates for allowing Narrows Dionae to work off the vessel. Today, Narrows Dionae can be found in skilled positions at many facilities with a Hephaestus presence.

= Ship Blocks =
Ship blocks are former prison blocks which have been retrofitted to serve as massive residential wings for Dionae, with a Dionae’s Octave determining the quality of their cell/room. Each block is assigned a duty, with Octave determining a Dionae’s role. The blocks are also named in the order they were re-purposed, so older blocks tend to have better facilities. A Dionae cannot be re-assigned between blocks but does have a say in where they are initially assigned.

*'''A-Block'''

The prison block resided in by Dionae assigned to Command, Navigation and Research duties. 1st-2nd Octave Dionae are assigned with lesser administrative tasks and monitoring of ship systems. 3rd Octave Dionae handle navigation and piloting of the vessel. 4th Octave Dionae are responsible for deciding major ship movements, and mission objectives after consulting with their Block’s Overseer, as well as commencing research projects.

A-Block is typically marked with a green stripe on their uniforms.
*'''B-Block'''

The prison blocked resided in by Dionae assigned to Mining duties. 1st through to 3rd Octave Dionae are assigned to mining duties, with the higher Octaves afforded access to better equipment, with the 3rd Octaves sporting access to massive Iron Excavators unique to the Narrows. 4th Octaves remain ship-side and are responsible for ensuring monthly quotas are met from each B-block Dionae.

B-Block is typically marked with a black stripe on their uniforms.
*'''C-Block'''

The prison block resided in by Dionae assigned to Maintenance duties. 1st-2nd Octave Dionae are assigned to hangar duties, handling the refuelling of any non-Dionae-based or Dionae-conventional hybrid shuttles, logistic duties and simple repairs. 3rd-4th Octave Dionae maintain the more complex systems of the vessel, such as electrical systems and the thrusters, with 4th Octaves responsible for blueprinting major modifications after consulting with the Block’s Overseer.

C-Block is typically marked with a orange stripe on their uniforms.
*'''D-Block'''

The prison block resided in by the Dionae assigned to Machining duties. 1st and 2nd Octave Dionae are assigned to simple machining, such as fabricating general-use tools for use in other Blocks. 3rd and 4th Octave Dionae can choose to either work on fabricating more complex tools and circuitry, often used by the Maintenance C-Block, or work on installing augmentations and prosthetics onto gestalts that adhere to the Iron Eternal. Some 3rd and 4th Octaves lead Iron Eternal sermons around the ship or are permitted leave from the Narrows to attend Eternal gatherings, such as at the Eternal Temple.

D-Block is typically marked with a purple stripe on their uniforms.
*'''E-Block'''

The prison block resided in by the Dionae assigned to Security duties. Similar to the Mining B-Block, Octave simply determines access to equipment, with the 4th Octaves acting as supervisors. Security duties range from external threats, such as hostile xenofauna, but can include internal threats, where a Dionae who continuously spurns Narrows values is flagged for Total Assimilation, their nymphs forcibly absorbed by multiple Dionae – so as no one Dionae is burdened by resisting nymphs or is swayed to rejecting Narrows values themself – who then preserve the fragmented memories between them.

E-Block is typically marked with a red stripe on their uniforms.
=== Narrows Terminal Cortices ===
Each Block has a Narrows Terminal Cortex at the centre, primarily used for record-keeping, however they are also a way for Narrows Dionae who follow the Iron Eternal to digitalise their memories in a central database. The amount of the computer’s memory you are allowed to use is dictated by your Octave and is a major motivation to progress through the ranks for those who are devout Iron Eternal followers. These Narrows Terminal Cortices together make up a one partition of the Narrows’ damaged artificial intelligence - HI-KEEPER. Barely functioning, the AI has been relegated to be a digital archivist of sorts, documenting every ship movement and managing the Terminal Cortices. The repair of HI-KEEPER is a large goal encouraged by the Iron Eternal aboard the Narrows, though much progress has yet to be made.

= Octaves System =

Born into anarchy and strife, the Dionae of the Narrows value order and a clear hierarchy. A ranking system based around Octaves was devised, embracing the Hephaestus values of meritocracy; each Major’s pitch when singing matches their assigned Octave, allowing higher Octave Majors to be more clearly heard over the lower frequencies of lower Octave Majors. The Narrows have also embraced the Iron Eternal, which influences one’s likelihood of progressing up the hierarchy aboard the Narrows.

*'''5th Octaves'''
Singing at the highest octave aboard the Narrows is the Captain and the Councils of Overseers, with the Captain permitted to increase their pitch by only one semitone above the Council – still enough to be noticeable. Those from this Octave, befitting their rank, are afforded the largest refitted cells to reside within and have the luxury to share their cell with no one. Additionally, 5th Octaves have total control over their Block’s Narrows Terminal Cortex; the Captain has their own Terminal in their room for Captain’s logs and personal use. The position of Captain is the highest position in the ship’s chain of command. Originally established by Helmsman of the United Drill, the Captain is able to use their executive powers to veto any decisions made by the Overseers or make any new edict they see fit, however, they generally will refer to the Overseers for their input on decisions based on their experiences. The position is held by the Dionae until they can no longer work or retire, however, since the role’s inception, it has been held by the Helmsman Of The United Drill. The Overseers make up the heads of each department, with each Block having one Overseer at the top of its command chain. Currently, there are four Overseer positions together forming the ship’s Council of Overseers. Much like the Captain, the positions are held until either the Dionae is unable to work or they decide to retire, and much like the Captain none of the Dionae in an Overseer position has become too old to work or retired.
[[File:NarrowsOctave.png|350px|thumb|The hierarchy of the Narrows. ]]
*'''4th Octaves'''
Made up of long-time veterans aboard the Narrows and those who truly excel at their duties, the 4th Octaves are tasked with supervisory and some administrative duties among their Block, leading the Dionae of lower Octaves in their duties. They are often seen around Hephaestus installations in positions of authority, such as command personnel or representatives for Hephaestus. Befitting their rank, they are afforded a medium-sized cell with the option of sharing their cell with another Dionae belonging to the Octave. Additionally, they are afforded a large amount of space to write on a Narrows Terminal Cortex, primarily for post-shift supervisor reports, but with enough room for memory-keeping.

*'''3rd Octaves'''
Made up of highly skilled Dionae who have long proven their competency, the 3rd Octaves are tasked with carrying out the more complex duties of their Block. Befitting their rank, they are permitted a medium-sized cell which they must share with another Dionae from the same Octave. They are often seen representing the Narrows at Hephaestus facilities in skilled positions. Additionally, 3rd Octaves are afforded a moderate amount of space to write on a Narrows Terminal Cortex, enough room for important memory transcription.

*'''2nd Octaves'''

Made up of Dionae who have proven their competency, though are not considered exceptional. 2nd Octave Dionae are tasked with carrying out the more mundane tasks of their Block and are not trusted in skilled positions or with complex machinery. They are assigned to small cells with up to four cellmates. Additionally, they are not permitted reassignment to other Hephaestus facilities. They are the first Octaves given access to their Block’s Narrows Terminal Cortex, however, they are only afforded a meagre amount of space, encouraging further promotions.

*'''1st Octaves'''

Made up of recent arrivals, those who have yet to prove their competency, and those repeatedly disciplined. 1st Octave Dionae are left with the most mundane of tasks within their Block and often have a 4th Octave supervisor watching their every movement and judging their work. They are not permitted a cell and instead reside within areas within a Block that have since been converted into large dormitories.

== Work Ethic and Progressing Through Octaves ==

The Dionae of the Narrows have an excellent work ethic and, due to their anarchic birth during a prison revolt and their close ties with Hephaestus Industries value those who show strong leadership skills and empathy. Being able to use your force of personality to subdue an aggressor without violence is held in high regard within the cluster. Due to this, most Narrows Dionae, though friendly, are perfectly capable of “talking the talk and walking the walk,” being able to argue their case with co-workers of the same “rank”, and being sure to treat their superiors with the utmost respect. There are a variety of ways to be able to be promoted to higher Octaves. The following is not an exhaustive list, but certainly ones that are considered more important. Those who demonstrate qualities against the list, generally find themselves remaining in the same Octave, or even demoted.

*'''Exemplary Mediation Skills:''' A Dionae who consistently demonstrates exceptional mediation skills, resolving conflicts without resorting to violence, is likely to be recognized for their ability to maintain harmony within the community, and thereby may be considered for higher Octaves.

*'''Innovative Problem-Solving:''' Those who exhibit creative and effective problem-solving, particularly in challenging or high-pressure situations, may be considered for higher Octaves. Finding unique solutions that benefit the Narrows as a whole showcases valuable leadership qualities.

*'''Community Building:''' Dionae who actively contribute to the community's growth and cohesion, fostering a sense of unity and camaraderie, are likely to be acknowledged. Building strong social connections and networks within the Narrows can contribute to their elevation in Octaves.

*'''Commitment to Work Ethic:''' Consistent dedication and a strong work ethic are highly valued in the Narrows. Dionae who go above and beyond in their assigned tasks, showing a commitment to the collective well-being, may find themselves rising in Octaves.

*'''Effective Communication:''' The ability to communicate persuasively and diplomatically. Considered one of the paramount necessities for those in the Higher Octaves, being able to communicate effectively amongst others in the Octaves, either higher or lower, is a must if one wishes to be elevated.

*'''Demonstrated Empathy:''' Being able to understand and connect with the emotions of others is crucial. Dionae who consistently display empathy and compassion may find themselves moving up in Octaves due to their ability to foster understanding and harmony.

*'''Adaptability and Flexibility:''' In a dynamic environment like the Narrows, adaptability is key. Dionae who can quickly adjust to changing circumstances, demonstrate flexibility in their roles, and contribute effectively in various situations may be recognized for their versatility.

*'''Initiative and Proactivity:''' Taking the initiative to address challenges, propose improvements, or contribute new ideas showcases leadership potential. Dionae who proactively engage in the betterment of the Narrows may find themselves ascending in Octaves.

*'''Collaborative Spirit:''' Valuing and actively participating in collaborative efforts, whether in work projects or community initiatives, reflects positively on a Dionae's leadership potential. Those who foster a sense of teamwork and collaboration may be considered for higher Octaves within the Narrows.

= Notable Dionae =

'''Helmsman of the United Drill - Captain and Overseer of A-Block'''

Considered the visionary leader of the Narrows, Helmsman is a large Argus that stands far above any other Dionae – even other Overseers. Whilst initially imprisoned as a Cyclops, over a century ago, Helmsman has since seen it fit to introduce other Nymphs within their Gestalt, mostly those that have shown exceptional loyalty to the Narrows, and the ability to lead – some even being drawn from Overseers that have voluntarily ceded them. It is unknown the crime that Helmsman committed to have been sentenced to the HPS Narrows, but what is known is that they were considered a ‘lifer’ – a prisoner condemned to a life sentence without the chance of parole. Though rumours circulate outside the Narrows as to what they committed, those aboard the vessel do not engage in the gossip mill, only showing loyalty and obedience to the Argus as they guide the Narrows across the cosmos. For Helmsman, their vision for the Narrows is an attempt to prove they have risen over their previous life of crime. They are considered the face of the Narrows, and any negotiation with the vessel need be assented to by them. They have also been shown to have a highly strategic mind, being able to grasp complex concepts and foresee potential challenges. Its understanding of the cosmos and celestial dynamics aids in navigating the vastness of space and planning the Narrows trajectory in the rather daunting interstellar landscape.

'''The Steady Tendril Which Guides the Tempo - Overseer of B-Block'''

Having only been appointed as Overseer of Mining following the reclamation of B-Block, The Steady Tendril Which Guides the Tempo is a Cyclops-form Gestalt, and similarly to Helmsman of the United Drill, had been sentenced aboard the HPS Narrows before its destruction. However, its sentence is known to all; having been caught smuggling rare minerals from a Coalition facility on the border of the Weeping Stars, where it had worked as a Miner. Only condemned to the Narrows for ten years, only mere months from freedom, the Narrows Uprising occurred and stranded them alongside the other Dionae survivors. It was obvious their appointment was one of understanding and trust, as opposed to having proved themselves, with Helmsman electing The Steady Tendril Which Guides the Tempo as Overseer due to them sharing a cell – they have since proven the contrary, with B-Block considered one of the most productive and efficient blocks across the entirety of the vessel. They routinely engage in work songs to ensure their department is reminded of their duties and has been known to be strict in disciplining those who do not meet its criteria for a “hard worker”.

'''Starkissed Tendrils Soothed by Shining Metals - Overseer of C-Block'''

One of the eldest Cyclops-form Dionae aboard the Narrows, at an age of four-hundred-and-thirty-four, they find themselves assisted by a variety of augments and prosthetics to maintain mobility. It isn’t uncommon for them to be pushed in apparatus across the Narrows by 1st Octaves as a “punishment” – many actually enjoy conversing with Starkissed Tendrils Soothed by Shining Metals, and it has become somewhat of a competition to be “disciplined” to receive the task of assisting the Overseer. Unique to any other Dionae, they experience albinism. Only seen in the Overseer, they appear somewhat translucent with scars etched across their body of a bygone time before they were sentenced aboard the Narrows for embezzlement and fraud – which they claim to be innocent of, merely a victim of being framed by others. They are Overseer for C-Block, directing the block in its maintenance and logistics duties.

'''Orchestra of Knowledge Sustainment - Overseer of D-Block'''

With authority over D-Block, Overseer Orchestra of Knowledge Sustainment ensures that the other blocks have their apparatus maintained and where necessary creates more. In addition to the general requirements of D-Block, they also monitor the creation, installation and maintenance of augmentations and prosthetics grafted onto Gestalts that have chosen to adhere to the Iron Eternal – which a large percentage of the Narrows does, even Overseer Orchestra of Knowledge Sustainment has publicly voiced their agreement with the faith’s ethos. Like the other Overseers, Orchestra of Knowledge Sustainment is a Cyclops-form but is adorned with augments and prosthetics, where it can easily be said they are more metal than Dionae – which has made them less stringent on religious happenings, creating spaces within D-Block for Iron Eternal followers to give sermons, furthermore giving considerably more “down time” to D-Block when compared to the other Blocks.

'''Sentinel Beyond the Nebula - Overseer of E-Block'''

Tranquil and serene, Overseer Sentinel Beyond the Nebula is stationed at E-Block. Considered one of the greatest strategic minds to have existed across Dionae, they have thwarted several attacks against the Narrows, and even led the charge in counter-attacks by the vessel. Unlike the other Overseers, Sentinel Beyond the Nebula was born on the Narrows and progressed through the Octaves System over the last few decades – before eventually being selected by the Council and Helmsman to be the appointed Overseer following the reclamation of E-Block during the early 2400s. Through tracing their lineage, they are a descendant of Captain Helmsman of the United Drill – in general terms, the Great-Great-Grandchild of the Captain. Despite their rather illustrious lineage, they have received no assistance to get where they are, they pride themselves on reaching the top on their own merits – and therefore, are one of the most strict Overseers on the lower Octaves to ensure they reach and subsequently maintain their expectations.

= Culture =

The Narrows operates on a somewhat utopian system if one would be able to call it that. Basic necessities required by a Dionae to continue their existence shall be provided by the Council of Overseers, through a combination of resource and labour distribution, communal living spaces, sharing of knowledge and having their safety protected. Resources are collectively owned and distributed based on the needs of the Dionae and then subsequently the rest of the Narrows. This ensures that all Dionae aboard the Narrows have access to essential resources for sustenance and growth – any remaining surplus traded for resources not able to be created aboard the vessel. More tedious labour assignments are distributed equitably among the Narrows, where tasks are rotated to prevent a concentration of burdens on any specific Dionae – helping promote a sense of fairness and shared duty. Knowledge is considered a communal asset across the Narrows, where education is viewed as a shared responsibility. It is encouraged to actively engage in knowledge-sharing sessions, where ideas and concepts may be disseminated throughout the shared blocks. Lastly, the Blocks are created to house Dionae – where only the highest of the Octaves may seek their own independent spaces – and the living quarters are designed with a focus on communal spaces, encouraging interaction and collaboration amongst Dionae.

== Diminished Dionae ==

The typical group aboard the Narrows, representing the dominant culture, are the Majors, who have fully adopted Hephaestus values after absorbing the biomasses of predominantly Hephaestus employees and wardens. However, a small, second group exists, the Diminished, composed entirely of original Narrows Dionae who primarily absorbed the biomass of the high-security prisoners. The relationship between the Majors and Diminished is not one of conflict, as both continue to work together and see the Narrows as their home, however, the difference in ideals has led to the Majors attempting to subdue and hide the Diminished culture, which they see as a stain upon the Narrows’ and Hephaestus’ reputation.

Many Diminished, due to recalling faint memories of being imprisoned by Hephaestus, retain an anti-Hephaestus view and therefore wish to see a more independent Narrows, free to conduct their mining duties without corporate oversight. Diminished find it more difficult to conform to the Narrows’ ideals and hierarchy, often singing out of their Octave’s octave, disrupting the work of the Majors who rigidly stick to their Octave. Majors often view Diminished as disruptive and inefficient workers.

Diminished Dionae may see themselves in varying lights. Some may be outspoken about their resentment towards Hephaestus and the Narrows hierarchy, whereas others may have developed an inferiority complex due to their treatment by the Majors. It is not uncommon for Diminished to seek assimilation into Major culture, ejecting more troublesome nymphs and accepting donated Major nymphs. Some Diminished unable to receive donor Major nymphs may become self-loathing, engaging in varying forms of self-punishment or self-isolation. Some Diminished may externalise their dislike of themselves onto other Diminished Dionae, lashing out violently. Diminished Dionae are generally restricted to the 1st and 2nd Octaves, unable to display the traits required to be promoted to the 3rd Octave. Additionally, all Diminished Dionae were assigned out of the A-Block, not being permitted to carry out command duties, but also as A-Block is the most public-facing of Blocks, responsible for communications with other vessels and factions.

The Diminished value autonomy and believe that forging their own path is necessary rather than aligning closely with Hephaestus Industries, or any other megacorporation for that matter. They harbour scepticism of any external influence, though most pointing at Hephaestus, there are many within the Diminished that would go so far as to isolate themselves even from the Coalition of Colonies, instead relying on internal governance, self-sufficiency and the managing of their affairs without undue influence or interference by adhering to “foreign” laws. In pursuit of this independence, they are often the most vocal in pushing the Narrows to pursue innovation and adaptability, especially finding solutions to challenges presented to them whilst gathering resources and materials for the Narrows. There also exists a collective desire for self-redemption among the Diminished, aiming to redefine the Narrows’ identity after its tumultuous history, where they wish to prove they can function and operate independently, without being overshadowed by their penal origins.

== Deserters ==

Only Dionae from the 3rd Octave are permitted to be reassigned to different facilities owned by Hephaestus Industries, generally somewhere within the Coalition of Colonies but it isn’t unheard of for Dionae to be transported across the interstellar highways to other nations. This makes it difficult for Dionae who may not align with the Narrows’ ideals, especially the Diminished who grow more and more disenfranchised with the ethos that Helmsman takes them. The Diminished already find it difficult to progress through the Octaves, thereby limiting their ability to leave the vessel. However, there are ways to leave the Narrows – being caught or recaptured will likely result in Total Assimilation, a consequence befitting of their intention to desert the vessel.

It is possible for one to smuggle themselves off the Narrows, such as resource shipments to the Coalition of Colonies – becoming stowaways as they journey across the stars to wherever the shipment may be heading; building a life for themselves wherever they are uncovered. There have been instances of group migrations, where like-minded Dionae plan synchronized departures to divert attention and increase anonymity. This approach appears to be the most successful, as those who elect to smuggle themselves off the Narrows generally get caught before they’re even able to be loaded for shipment. It isn’t unheard of for some Dionae to even throw themselves off the Narrows in hopes of eventually being found by a sympathetic vessel, or even collide with celestial debris where they can live alone, at least until they progenate.

Deserters often experience fear and uncertainty when eventually leaving the Narrows, especially in regard to the risks involved and the lack of any understanding about surviving outside a familiar environment; this is often overshadowed by the yearning for independence as they seek to break free from the Narrows’ control and to make personal choices that do not necessarily conform to the ideals upheld by the vessel.

== Work Songs ==

Owing to their history, the Narrows have been known to make use of songs to keep morale high during work shifts. These are generally call-and-response type songs, used by a Dionae from a higher Octave when supervising or administrating Dionae from the lower Octaves – or when the Captain or Overseer needs to gain the attention of either a department or the entirety of the Narrows.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''In the Cosmos Vast'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
A popular work song among the Narrows which begun as a mining song among the B-Block, but now is sung across the blocks and has come to be regarded as the Narrows' anthem.

[Leader, ''Response'', '''Everyone''']

In the cosmos vast, where asteroids gleam,

''Mining in space, chasing a cosmic dream.''

Drills and lasers, in the vacuum we toil,

''Extracting stardust, from celestial soil.''

'''So, Majors, Majors, a-mining we'll go.'''

'''Swing high; swing low.'''

'''So, Majors, Majors, a-mining we'll go.'''

'''Swing high; swing low.'''

In zero gravity, our tools find grace,

''A miner's dance, in the cosmic space.''

Harvesting riches, from a starlit embrace,

'''In the cosmos, a miner shall leave their trace.'''
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Light of the Leader'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

[Leader, ''Response'', '''Everyone''']

In the workplace, where respect takes flight,

''Listen and learn, under the leader's light.''

Guiding the way, with wisdom to share,

''Follow with honour, show them you care.''

In each task, let respect shine through,

''Let loyalty rise true.''

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Captain’s Praise'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

[Leader, ''Response'', '''Everyone''']

On the ship's deck, where the stars shine grand,

''Obey the captain, with a steady hand.''

Engines blast, the cosmos so vast,

''Follow orders, make the moment last.''

In the star’s embrace, our destiny aligned,

F''orever guiding the captain's mind.''

</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''Hustle a Little Longer'''
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
A song sung by Diminished and those critical of the Narrows culture. It is only sung when a supervisor isn't around to hear. Substitute year with current.

[Leader, ''Response'', '''Everyone''']

Oh, the year's twenty-five-sixty-five ''(Twenty-five-sixty-five)'',

Still got Majors giving me a load of blight ''(Giving me a load of blight)'',

Still there's just no end in sight ''(No end in sight)''.

Hustle little longer then I'm free ''(Then I'm free)'',

Yeah, just a little longer then I'm free ''(Just a little longer)'',

From the most backwards vessel I've ever seen ''(Most backwards vessel ever seen)''.

Follow my lead and we'll get through ''(We'll get through)'',

Maybe one day we'll strike a harmony ''(Strike a harmony)'',

Forge us our autonomy ''(Forge us our autonomy)''.

'''Hustle little longer then we're free,'''

'''Yeah, just a little longer then we're free,'''

'''From the most backwards vessel I’ve ever seen.'''

'''[Repeat chorus until someone yells ‘Four-Five!’]'''
</div></div>

== Slang ==

Blockie - Dionae from the same block will refer to each other as ‘blockies’.

Cellies - Dionae who share a ‘cell’ will refer to each other as ‘cellies’.

Riggers - Miners, or those in close connection to Mining.

Greasers - Roboticists, or someone in the machining profession.

Fresh Mass - Recent newcomers assigned to the 1st Octave, someone new to a job.

Dims - Openly known Diminished Dionae are often called Dims.

Out of Tune / Flat - Deserters, someone bad at their job, Diminished.

Starbammed - Crazy. A Dionae that is or has experienced mental problems, including having the mindtypes Voided Vocals, Scarlet Scores or Nocturne Notes.#

Four-Five - When an Overseer or the Captain is in the area; sometimes used when referring to any person of superior authority. Often shouted by lower octaves to signify the presence of an approaching supervisor.

Cage - One’s home, or dwelling

Hustle - One’s work, or hobbies.

Quiet Time - When a Dionae wishes to take some time for themselves.

Harmonise - Agreeing or in agreement with something.

Disturbed a Reaver’s Nest - When one is in trouble, or expecting trouble to come.

Like a Trident Worm - Someone who is very stubborn, selfish or gluttonous.

Diesel - A slang word for the concoction of radioactive sludge – a byproduct of ore refinery – served as meals in the cafeteria.

Bits - Refers to the storage in the Block Terminals, which is often used as currency between Dionae who will trade favours for ‘Bits’.

Lock Down - Needing to focus, or a developing security situation. Contextual input is often necessary to determine which one.

Snuffing Out/X’ing Out - An execution of a Gestalt by forcibly splitting them and then having each nymph absorbed by a different Dionae.

Geriatric Block - The Colossus on the hull of the Narrows.

== Iron Excavators ==

An example of Iron Eternal ingenuity boasted by the B-Block Majors. The Iron Excavators are hulking exosuits made of both durable metals and biomass and powered by miniature nuclear reactors, capable of ripping through rock or using makeshift, mounted plasma drills to mine ore. Each Excavator has an interfacing port containing complex circuitry to integrate with the mess of a nymph’s neural structures, allowing a Dionae to merge with the exosuit and pilot it. Doing so is a large commitment, as a nymph is unable to safely disentangle itself from the interfacing port, so a gestalt risks losing a large portion of its nymphs should they unmerge from the Excavator. For this reason, many B-Block Dionae opt to become Excavator operators to display their true commitment to the Narrows, often accompanied by an increase in Octave; more rarely, they are used as a final disciplinary measure for B-Block’s less productive miners, forcing them to integrate into the Excavators.

Notably, the Iron Excavators paved the way for the TCAF’s Hazardous Environment Gestalt Unit’s Fulcrum division, with the HEGU looking to the Iron Excavators and their interfacing ports for inspiration when designing their armoured vehicles. Before the TCAF had matured from the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, several refitted Iron Excavators had already been obtained by the Republic of Biesel – likely a result of a deal involving Hephaestus Industries. These Excavators simply had the mounted plasma drills replaced with heavy-hitting laser cannons and an extra layer of combat armour welded over the pre-existing structure.

= The Narrows' Colossus =

Recently in 2465 CE, the number of Dionae aboard the Narrows resulted in the Council of Overseers allowing overflow Dionae – usually Cyclops which have aged to the point of immobility – to conglomerate on the hull of the vessel. Over the previous decade and originally mistaken by onlookers as a large hull reinforcement, a Colossus was formed, naming itself An Uplifting Accompaniment That Spirals Through The Cosmos Towards Greatness. Formed by Narrows Dionae, the colossus remains obedient to the Councils of Overseers and stays true to the Narrows’ ideals.

When attached to the underside of the Narrows, the Colossus’ structure contorts to make way for massive gas-bladder propulsion, allowing the Narrows to support the extra mass of the Colossus attached to its underside. Rarely, An Uplifting Accompaniment That Spirals Through The Cosmos Towards Greatness will break off from the Narrows, stretching its mass as it simply propels itself alongside the Narrows – a repaired gravity generator aboard the Narrows having to be activated when this occurs, reeling in the Colossus if it propels itself too far out or is unable to propel itself back.

In exchange for its spot on the Narrows, where radiation is abundant as the vessel cruises past stars and as a cut of any mined radioactive materials is owed to the Colossus, the Colossus will be deployed by the Narrows upon exoplanets found to have a high mineral wealth. The Colossus’ tendrils will seep through the earth of the exoplanet or the rock of an asteroid, tearing ores out of the earth which it temporarily stores within itself. Within a month, a dozen asteroids in a belt can be crushed and absorbed by the Colossus, or an entire tectonic plate on an exoplanet peeled off. Wherever the Colossus is deployed, whatever life was there before, is soon quenched; the loss of a continental plate on an exoplanet destabilising its seismology and allowing volcanos to devastate the face of the exoplanet.

All material mined by the Colossus is masterfully sorted and then compressed within its body, before being ejected for refinery within the main Narrows vessel. An Uplifting Accompaniment That Spirals Through The Cosmos Towards Greatness also serves the secondary purpose of security against pirate vessels. For many pirates, the sight of the Colossus detach from beneath the Narrows’ hull is enough to deter an attack; those unwise enough to continue their attack often find their ship battered and incapacitated by the Colossus’ ramming manoeuvers or, worse, find their vessel swallowed whole and compressed within the Colossus for later refining within the Narrows.

= Relations =
== Coalition of Colonies ==

The most notable Dionae Conglomerate that operates within the [[Coalition of Colonies]], the Narrows, is a large supplier of mined ore and their refined products, from metal alloys to fuels, making up a small but considerable share of the Coalition's metal and alloys market. However, due to the Narrows’ links with [[Hephaestus Industries]] and the Narrows’ disastrous impact on a number of otherwise flourishing exoplanets, it often finds itself at the centre of discussions on mining regulation, with a representative occasionally summoned before the House of Members. [[Hephaestus Industries]] continues to fiercely back the Narrows to ensure they can continue to mine where they wishes. [[Himeo]], naturally, is often the most vocal member state which calls for the ejection of the Narrows from the Coalition space, claiming it is self-sufficient enough to leave permanently.

== Hephaestus Industries ==

The Narrows has become one of the most profitable enterprises undertaken by the megacorporation; though different from its original intention. Despite the unforeseen losses incurred by [[Hephaestus Industries]], the leadership of the Helmsman of the United Drill has proven to be a lucrative advantage, especially since rejoining the megacorporation as they journey throughout the [[Coalition of Colonies]] – engaging in resource extraction and refining before selling their surpluses at a significantly discounted rate to Hephaestus Industries, who also gets a cut of the profit should the Narrows fill the quotas set by the Coalition. The megacorporation has expressed a desire to expand the fleet, and formally incorporate them as a subsidiary within their ranks, but has not yet revealed when they plan to do so, or if it merely shall continue to persist as a possible idea.

Minor Dionae Factions

2023-07-27T00:25:32Z

Yonnimer: Fixes some misspellings of Hephaestus

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[[#top|Back to Top]]
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{{Navbox Lore}}
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=Notable Dionae Factions=
Throughout the Orion Spur, there are various groups which have formed, advocating for a certain agenda. Whilst some agendas typically have goals that are commonly found across the entirety of the species - some have more ulterior motives that could prove to be more benevolent or malevolent. The following are the factions comprised of Dionae pushing for, or against, a particular topic.

==The Narrows - Frontier Space==
H-Z-63, also known as “The Narrows” was originally a Hephaestus mining ship that used prisoner labor before later being abandoned following a large prisoner riot that left vital parts of the ship in ruins. Over time the ship would be repaired and expanded upon by its new inhabitants, Dionae. Now part of the Coalition of Colonies, The Narrows has become a large exporter of both resources and manpower for Hephaestus.
===History===
'''H-Z-63'''
Built in 2364 by Hephaestus Industries, H-Z-63 was a massive mining ship/prison originally unveiled to help gain more positive relations by providing the Coalition of Colonies with a place to send their undesirable criminals to contribute back to society through hard labor. The ship was fairly successful, making billions whilst providing a secure place for prisoners to be held and worked for the CoC. During its time of operation the ship remained in one set location, the asteroid field of the Orezela system, although it would travel to different asteroids in the belt when their current asteroid was depleted.

While not considered the worst of the worst, the treatment of the prisoners on the ship was considered to be poor at best, with large work hours, awful working conditions, and a bare minimum amount of food being given. This, along with the prison holding a plethora of dangerous criminals and captured pirates resulted in the Riot of 2409. The riot initially began as a protest by the prisoners over their unsafe and inhumane working conditions, during which all hell broke loose after one of the guards shot one of the leaders of the prisoner protest. The chaos led to the prisoners overtaking over half of the ship, including where the engine was situated. Whether an accident or on purpose, the engine blew, resulting in massive damages to the ship and almost half of the prisoners dead. An evacuation was called and all staff and surrendering prisoners left the ship to its fate, with the rest of the remaining prisoners either dying to radiation exposure, vacuum, their dwindling oxygen supplies or starvation..

'''Reclamation'''

The ship eventually crashed on one of the nearby asteroids and was mostly left to rot by the company. Unbeknownst to them however, some did manage to survive the crash, a group of Dionae that would later be known as A-Block. The exact origin of the Dionae isn’t fully known, just that they were on the ship at some point prior to the riot and managed to survive the crash, integrating with the few corpses that remained. Initially, a rather chaotic situation has the Dionae tried to figure out how to survive, those Dionae that managed to consume the corpses of the ship’s staff began to take charge and organize the Dionae into a coherent group, using the expertise and experiences of the deceased to set up a makeshift engine and refinery to begin repairing the ship. This process took almost a decade to complete and during this time several wild Dionae, attracted by the exposed engine, managed to make their way to the ship. Eventually being convinced to join or leave by the A-block Dionae, the group that stayed became known as the B-block and joined in on the operation.

Using both a mixture of refined materials and biomass, the ship was eventually repaired in 2420, launching back into the orbit of the asteroid belt and managing to hail the nearest ship they could find, a Hephaestus freighter. Intrigued by the reclamation of the ship by the Dionae, the company agreed to ferry the Dionae off the ship in exchange for the ship’s return to the company but also gave a second choice to the Dionae, letting them keep control of the ship while also sending supplies over to the ship to further repair and enhance it in exchange for the ship’s crew to reignite mining operations in the system using the newly repaired ship. A fierce debate began over which choice to choose, however trusting in the judgment of the Overseers the crew left the decision in their capable tendrils, eventually choosing to go with the latter, to work for Hephaestus as a semi-independent mining vessel.

'''Present'''

Now returning as a ship under Hephaestus Industries and renamed to the HMS Narrows, the ship’s crew has diligently continued mining operations in the system. Now no longer a ship using prison labor, the ship has continued operations with its Dionae crew at the center, working under the Overseers who in turn report to the ship’s newly elected Captain, Helmsman Of The United Drill.

While still a ship in the grasp of Hephaestus Industries, the ship has also begun to work with the CoC for the purposes of trade and protection, with the ship’s crew being given the system they inhabit in exchange for joining the CoC as a Hephaestus approved client, as well as paying taxes on goods sold. The ship now mostly exports its resources to both the CoC and Hephaestus, as well as supplies Hephaestus with Dionae engineers and miners.

===Ship Command===
Born into anarchy and strife, the Dionae of the Narrows value order and a clear hierarchy. Mainly split into miners, engineers, security, and botanists. The Narrows Cluster embraces the basic Dionae belief of Experience with their society being based around experience in any given role. The oldest and most experienced gestalts hold higher status within the cluster with leadership sitting with the Overseers and the Captain.

====The Captain====
The position of Captain is the highest position in the ship’s chain of command. Originally elected by the council of the Overseers, the Captain is able to use their executive powers to veto any decisions made by the Overseers or make any new edict they see fit, however, they generally will refer to the Overseers for their input on decisions based on their experiences. The Captain, once elected, is held by the Dionae until they can no longer work or they retire, however since the role’s inception the role has been held by a single Cyclops Dionae, The Helmsman Of The United Drill.

====The Overseers====
The Overseers are the ship’s most experienced crew and are given the task of organizing the crew under their command, with each role in the ship having one Overseer at the top of its command chain. Currently, there are four Overseer positions, the Overseer of Maintenance, Of Mining, Of Security, and Botany. Much like the captain, the positions are held until either the Dionae is unable to work or they decide to retire, and much like the captain none of the Dionae in an Overseer position has become too old to work or retired, however, there was originally a fifth role in charge of the ship’s engine until the position was merged with Maintenance once the Overseer was elected to be the ship’s current Captain.

===The Crewmembers===
The gestalts of the Narrows have an excellent work ethic and, due to their anarchic birth during a prison revolt and their close ties with Hephaestus Industries, value those who show strong leadership skills and empathy. Being able to use your force of personality to subdue an aggressor without violence is held in high regard within the cluster. Due to this, most Narrows Dionae, though friendly, are perfectly capable of “talking the talk and walking the walk,” being able to argue their own case with co-workers of the same “rank”, being sure to treat their superiors with the utmost respect.

The crew are organized into four fields of work, Maintenance, in charge of the ship’s maintenance and engines, Mining, in charge of the ship’s mining operations, Security, in charge of keeping the ship and system secure, and Botany, in charge of growing food for biomass as well as serving as the ship’s medical staff when required. Each field is led in a hierarchy, with the overseers at the top followed by A-Block, B-Block, and C-Block. Dionae are placed into each block depending on when they joined the ship’s crew, with no chance of climbing up or down the ranks unless chosen to be an Overseer once one stands down. The actual age of the Dionae does not matter when assigning them to a block, only when they joined the ship’s crew.

The crew can at any point ask to leave the ship to be assigned elsewhere by Hephaestus, with it being their choice if they still want to be considered part of the crew while away or to leave it altogether. Crewmembers from any block can also choose to be reassigned. Dionae from the Narrows tend to be very organized and hierarchical, choosing to have some sort of overseer or leader lead their gestalt such as with the Tyrannical Tune mind type, although Dionae can have other mind types and ways of staying organized, although younger gestalts may still be acclimating and adjusting to the gestalt’s new mindtype.

'''A-block'''

The original Dionae of the ship, Dionae in A-Block serves as the third-highest rank in the ship’s hierarchy and is considered to be some of the most efficient and experienced workers the ship has to offer. While they tend not to look down upon the other blocks for their lack of experience, they do consider themselves to be better workers. As a result of this A-block has actually begun to see a lack of personnel due to so many signing on to leave the ship and work elsewhere within Hephaestus as a way to show off the efficiency of Dionae from the Narrows.

'''B-block'''

Being comprised of Dionae who joined after the ship crashed but prior to it being repaired and rejoining Hephaestus, B-block is comprised of mostly experienced Dionae who tend to teach and help newer Dionae from C-block. As a result of the low number of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew during its reclamation, B-block is the least populated of the three Dionae blocks.

'''C-block'''

The most populated and least experienced of the three blocks, C-block consists of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew after its reclamation and refurbishment was finished. Dionae in this block mostly joined through assignments by Hephaestus so that they can gain work experience before being assigned elsewhere within the company. C-block Dionae tend to have less work experience than Dionae from the other blocks, and thus tend to be assigned to lower-risk and more menial positions.

==The Spirits of the Oasis - Moghes Wasteland==
[[The_Wasteland#The_Spirits_of_the_Oasis|''' The Spirits of the Oasis''']] are a great example of a symbiotic relationship between species - Unathi and Diona. Originating from a simple friendship between a lost Diona tending to wounded animals and a wandering Wastelander unathi on the brink of exhaustion, the clans of the Spirits of the Oasis have truly begun to understood and seek out any Diona on Moghes to assist in survival.

The origins of this friendship stem from a tale - the tale of Walking Sands, Clan Mother Dorviza, and the Last Plains Tyrant.

Clan Mother Dorviza was the eldest woman of her clan, and an avid Plains Tyrant tamer - knowing full well how to care for, feed, and tame one of these savage beasts. Walking Sands was a young and unknowing diona - born from the destruction of an Izweski laboratory in a nuclear blast. Both souls have learned something of the Wasteland, and in this tale, their combined knowledge will allow the survival of several Wasteland clans.

Walking Sands wanders through the Wasteland and comes across a wounded and trapped Plains Tyrant - the last one to be seen in the wild naturally. Lacking the knowledge or understanding of what it is, they approach it and the Plains Tyrant slashes out defensively. Understanding that the Tyrant is wounded and stuck, Walking Sands continues to try and get closer to try and see if it can help and gets attacked again. This continues until the Tyrant becomes too exhausted to resist, and falls unconscious. The diona cannot help, yet remains by its side for days growing shade and safety for the monstrous animal. Clan Mother Dorviza, knowledgable of traditional and ancient Plains Tyrants locations, comes to the scene after a scout from her clan reports a strange plant-like growth in a ruined temple.

==Voidtamers==
Far from being a unified entity, the term “Void Tamers” refers to a series of commonly dionae-centric groups and clusters known for the taming, raising, and eventual selling of products related to space fauna, commonly space carp, gnats, and bloaters. These groups are largely independent of one another, operating in generally separate regions of space, although some overlap and trade has been known to occur amongst groups. What each group trades with and for is largely on a group-by-group basis, with some trading with live animals while others may trade for meat and hide. When it comes to what they trade for, some may trade for blood, resources, or just plain money depending on the region.

Voidtamers, on occasion, have been known to leave their groups to seek employment elsewhere, whether it be to gain new experiences and skills or to permanently leave their old trade behind for a new one.

While a myriad of smaller Voidtamer groups do exist, there are several that are notable amongst them

===Emporium Of Starborn Critters===
The largest of the Voidtamers, The Emporium is a highly mobile cluster known for selling living space fauna in exchange for credits and blood throughout Biesel and CoC space, however, more recently have begun to venture into the CRZ looking for customers. The Emporium will largely travel to one region to begin ranching a herd of space fauna, before splitting up into multiple smaller groups who go out and search for customers to sell their wares to, before meeting back up with one another and continuing the cycle. Dionae from the Emporium are known for wearing cloaks made out of space carp hide that, due to exposure from space, have become completely bleached out and white.

The Emporium is led by a council of Dionae who each are in charge of each group that eventually splits off. These leaders, colloquially known as the Head Speakers, manage all sales and business that the smaller groups do, but may also pool together their collective fund for larger cluster-wide purchases such as large ships and fuel. The Head Speakers tend to wear a special hat made of space carp hide to identify themselves, similarly to the cloaks worn by the regular members of the Emporium, it is space-bleached and completely white.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to come in every form and mind type, although primarily will still be cyclops forms.

===Comets Of Commerce===
The Comets of Commerce are a smaller-to-medium sized Voidtamer cluster known for primarily trading with the Scarabs and other space-based groups operating within the Coalition of Colonies. The cluster primarily trades with carp roe and carpotoxin for materials and blood to help train their younger gestalts in technical fields. The organizational structure of the cluster is fairly loose, with no clear central leadership, however, members of the clusters tend to band together to pool their products into one big package, then split the earnings amongst themselves, as well as share ships when needed. The cluster’s primary sales tactic is to get far ahead of a fleet’s path and ready their products, then sell them once the fleet passes by.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to have more egalitarian mind types, preferring to have decisions be made amongst the entire gestalt over a sole leader.

===The Serz and Rokz Clans===
The Serz and Rokz are two rival Voidtamer clans found within Hegemony space. These clans, primarily made up of Dionae, mostly operate in the same space, and function in similar ways, both selling primarily the hides and meat of the local xenofauna for resources such as steel and iron, as well as small amounts of blood to help train younger Dionae in hunting, tracking, and combat. In rare cases, they will also sell living specimens. Both clans are ruled by a single Elder, although business matters tend to be handled by delegated gestalts instead of overseen by the Elders directly. Both clans sell directly to Unathi guilds, who then resell their products to Unathi clans. Whilst in lower quantities, the clans do sell live specimens to the guilds, primarily to be hunted by nobles or to help with training.

While the clans are rivals, they are not actively hostile to one another. Instead, they’ve agreed to hold a competition every five years that dictates which clan is in charge of sales, with the loser having to sell through them at a reduced profit. These competitions are largely non-violent, instead of focusing on the skills of the clan’s tamers, with the competitions either being about who can tame the most xenofauna in a given period, who can tame the largest creature, or who can tame the most dangerous creature.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to have more authoritative mindsets, preferring a single leader nymph for their gestalts. Due to their close relations with the inhabitants of the Hegemony, Dionae from the clan tend to take on an appearance more closely resembling that of a Unathi.

==Blood Organization==
The Blood Buddy Organisation (BBO) was founded by a Dionae Argus - Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis. The organisation dedicates its time and resources to gather blood samples large enough for Dionae to gain experience from. The organisation finds itself dominating the market, but recently another more sinister group, The Blood Runners, has begun taking advantage of prices of the blood samples - cornering the black market on blood samples.

=Dionae Clusters=
Clusters are groups of Dionae who share similar ideas, emotions, or goals and have interacted socially at some point may be part of a '''Cluster'''. These clusters are grown from group identity, if a diona heavily agrees with one or multiple clusters they will say they are from those clusters. This means clusters are very loose most of the times, with some exceptions. Clusters do not have to be physically linked to exist.

Some clusters are inside or a part of other civilizations, and will require knowledge of those societies. '''''Find one that interests you, you don't have to know them all, and you don't even have to be from any of them!'''''

==The Pests of Titan Prime - Vaurca Hiveship==
This cluster, who have for '''500 years''' been hiding away on the Vaurcan Hiveship of Titan Prime, has constantly been in conflict with the bug-like Vaurca. The original gestalt was scooped up from a Gas Giant by the Vaurca on a routine fuel-refill for them, and it worked its way and grew on the outside of the ship like a barnacle. Eventually, the gestalt dug into the ship out of curiosity, causing a vaurca drone to be sent out to scrape off the biomass causing the damage thinking it's a routine acidic blob outbreak. Upon being attacked, the gestalt fought back, killing the drone and eating what it could of the corpse - but it didn't learn any languages, and couldn't communicate with the Vaurca in any way as their primary form of communication is telepathic, robotic, and foreign. More drones came upon the death of the first and were deadset in their orders to remove the dionae. This attack was more vicious and killed many of the nymphs, forcing the gestalt to deform.

After the first encounter, the nymphs escaped in different directions. They scurried through the strange, dark ship, barely surviving off the little heat and light they could find. Every nymph had to adapt to the different situations they were thrown in to in different ways, some resorting to mimicry and others using nymphs to scout areas ahead, with the rare gestalt wearing a Vaurca exoskeleton to blend in. Their main goal was '''survival''' now, and so they adapted to the confined spaces of the ship, hiding at moments of activity and scavenging off of the Vaurca. They would take advantage of any situation, and constantly have to split and reform to survive. This continued for 500 years, adaptation and adversity, death and loss - being '''treated like a pest'''.

Eventually, the hiveship found '''Tau Ceti'''. Now that there is a form of communication between the Vaurca and Diona, the Queens and Unbound of the Zo'ra Vaurcan hives have apologized and been welcoming - even offering a small greenhouse to live on at the top of the ship. Some diona have taken the deal, some have left to live with the other species. '''All of them have shared trauma of this experience.'''

==The Viscerabelt - Tau Ceti Space==
: '''''"We request blood to complete our rituals, for without, the Eternal will curse us."''''' - ''The Ravenous Consumer of Beastly Monsters within the Cloud.''

Located in the [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Tau_Ceti#The_Romanovich_Cloud Romanovich Cloud] around Tau Ceti, these Dionae have made their home in a region of the cloud called the Viscerabelt. This area of space is littered with asteroid and carp nests, and is considered the most densely populated area of space carp in the known galaxy - making it an exceptionally dangerous region of space in Tau Ceti.

The cluster has a deep-set view on [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Culture#The_Blood_Eternal blood], primarily focusing on its uses for religion. The Viscerabelt Cluster will use the blood in ritualistic dances, chants and prayers. Sitting under the control of Biesel the cluster often trades in culled carp products and minerals in exchange for blood.

Gestalts can easily be recognised by their brands referencing the Blood Eternal as well as their larger size. It’s common for Dionae from this cluster to be miners or hunters whilst also following the Shh’sha’shu.

==The Blossoms of the Great and Divine Eternal - Deep Space==
: '''''"The Blessed Eternal is the perfect life form. It is the light in the cold and the dark and the ash. Its tendrils are bountiful and expanding and terrible in its fury. But it is a benevolent ruler. "''''' - ''Birthing From The Womb Of Heavy Matter''

An extreme in the ways Diona can naturally develop culture, the Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are a cluster-based around their belief in '''[[Dionae_Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]''', a primordial entity which exists in Light, Energy, and Essence. The followers of the Eternal wish to create the densest materials in the universe by forging and reforging heavier and heavier elements - which they do so by devouring as much as they can and throwing themselves into stars once they reach a certain size - most likely the size of a Cetus form diona, large enough to be considered a stellar body. The gestalts of this cluster believe Diona are the embodiment of the Eternal in physical form, made to ensure all things born from stars return to stars ... eventually. This is the natural form of the universe.

The gestalts of the Divine Eternal appear seemingly randomly from deep space, located towards the centre of the galaxy. They typically have stories and experiences of celestial events - stars falling into each other, planets crashing, near-death experiences which they have lived through.

The Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are adamant in their encouragement of Diona to come together - literally. In times where a large Divine Eternal gestalt has come across a wild and 'unintelligent' diona gestalt, they have violently attacked and destroyed the creature and consumed its biomass for the expansion of their mindset and the Eternal's will.

===The Biesellian Choir===
Unlike most clusters that tend to arrive in a place through some great event, the Biesellian Choir was a slow, but steady immigration into Biesel. Gestalts first arrived as individuals seeking to spread the work of the Divine Eteneral to Dionae and non-Dionae alike, drawn to Biesel by its laissez-faire, free movement and trade attitude. The Choir have since established themselves within the slums of [[Mendell City]]’s district 11 where they live and grow. New Dionae either join the Choir from other clusters, immigrate from outside or are grown directly within the Eternal Temple, the centre of the Choir’s community. Growth is troublesome though, and many nymphs are born stunted and dead. Where other Gestalt communities might sell those stunted, dead nymphs to be used in fine cuisine, the Choir refuses to do so, uniquely finding the practice of other species consuming Dionae flesh abhorrent, they also return the dead to the temple to be consumed by their community leader, “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”.

====The Eternal Temple====
Home to the huge argus cluster [[Notable_Dionae#Connected_to_the_Blossoms_Beyond|“Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”]], the de facto community leader of the Biesellian Choir. The Eternal Temple is a steel temple dedicated to the Divine Eternal. The outer shell of the building is made of green coloured steel sheeting, welded and formed into natural forms giving the temple an almost organic look. A central, smooth spire rises upwards towards the sky. Internally, the temple is much the same visually. It is extremely well lit and houses a Dionae community centre as well as a large hydroponics bay for the growth of new Dionae nymphs and the mesh weave factories. The temple’s central worship area is essentially a room constructed of “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”, who speaks with the congregation directly. For many Dionae, this is the only connection they have to the more educated, ancient Gestalts. The central spire is a transmitter constructed using Dionae quantum wave technology which is used to “speak” directly with the clusters further in deep space, to achieve consensus. The sound of this rootsong “transmission” can be dimly heard by Dionae in Republic of Biesel space as a whisper, “the Hum”, likening it to the sounds of wind chimes to those species incapable of hearing it. A pleasant sound. The temple itself is expensive to maintain, with high energy costs and general land rental and maintenance expenses being quite high. To this end, Dionae of the choir work to provide donations to the temple and the community. A Faustian bargain for some as this leads them to work for organisations that would enslave and even consume the Dionae themselves.

====Culture of the Choir====
Initially a highly religious, firebrand society, it has somewhat mellowed in the face of their “Biesellised” young, becoming the largest Dionae community in Biesel. As patriotic as any other, these Dionae as a whole tend to work towards the success of Biesel and often assisted authorities in dealing with hostile independent Dionae such as raiders from the [[Dionae_Clusters#The_Viscerabelt_-_Tau_Ceti_Space|Viscerabelt]]. The Dionae of the Choir are also one of the few Dionae communities known to utilize actual exotic-Dionae technology, such as quantum wave transmitters, organic mesh weave and sonic weaponry. These technologies are highly sought after and development into their use for non-Dionae is ongoing across many mega-corps, much to the discomfort of the Choir. Fortunately, no functioning non-Dionae analogues have been developed as they appear to require some form of unknown Dionae process and the Choir keeps these technologies close to their chest. Some believe it is only a matter of time before one of the enterprising mega-corporations makes a breakthrough.

====Organic Mesh Weave====
One of the few technologies sold to outsiders, the organic mesh weave makes use of high tensile, photoreceptive organic fibres developed by the Dionae to produce lightweight, flexible building materials which reflect beneficial light and radiation onto nearby Dionae. In practical terms, the mesh is often used as a clothing material, allowing Dionae to wear clothes that would otherwise stifle their gestalts, blocking light. The clothing is manufactured by choir Dionae within the temple and is shipped across Biesel, making it an expensive rarity outside of the planet. Any clothing style can be copied in this way and turned into suitable Dioane clothing. The “cloth” is also a hit with many humans within the warmer climes of Biesel as the mesh weave clothing, whilst still allowing one to maintain their dignity, actually projects the sun's rays through the clothes allowing one to tan whilst still wearing swimwear or beachwear. Whilst this might allow for a Dionae to wear a full suit and pants, the technology becomes less potent the more layers are added and generally, all Dionae, even the Choir, prefer to feel a star's rays on their bare “skin”, finding heavy or multi-layered clothing psychologically stifling.

Community members of the Choir can be broken down into three main groups:

====Immigrants from beyond====
Immigrants from Blossom clusters outside of Biesel tend to be the oldest and most religious of the community. These Dionae have to be “integrated” into Biesellite culture and tend to behave in the most alien manner, being highly against non-Dionae consuming Dionae flesh and actively preaching the Divine Eternal creed. Due to their lack of qualifications within Biesel and their attitudes towards non-Dionae these gestalts are only found performing low skilled work for NT, working as assistants, cargo technicians, miners and janitors. The irony isn’t lost on many of these gestalts, some being quite old, being thrust into low level, entry jobs with many grumbling at the work. The work must be done, however, as it’s the only way they can acquire funds for the Choir community so done it is, albeit begrudgingly.

====Converts into the Choir====
Many Dionae within the Choir originate from clusters not belonging to the Divine Eternal and have instead either converted or generally joined the community. These gestalts come in all shapes, sizes and creeds but most seem to find purpose within the Choir community. These Dionae tend to have all sorts of temperaments usually based on the original society they were from and as such tend to be found in all walks of life, from janitors to doctors.

====Natives of the Choir====
Few in number compared to converts, the natives are gestalts that were born and raised within the Temple and Biesel. Due to the age of the community on Biesel these gestalts tend to be quite young, with the eldest usually being around 30 years old at most. These gestalts tend to be the most “humanised” or “Biesellian” of the Dionae, speaking clearly and concisely and understanding the subtle nuances of cross-species interaction, as well as sharing the interests that most Biesellians might share. They are the most tolerant of non-Dionae cultures/activities and tend to grudgingly accept the non-Dionae culture of consuming Dionae flesh. Often patriotic towards Biesel and the Republic, these Dionae can be found serving as support within the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]], often as engineers, pilots and medical staff. They are also found working for law enforcement, something largely not done by the subservient Dionae, operating as [[Investigator]]s and support staff. Many Dionae work as local police for Mendell, policing the Choir and ensuring compliance with Bieselian laws. Though stellar [[Investigator]]s and support staff by virtue of the Diona's natural learning and deduction capacity, they are never found walking “the beat” as patrol officers due to their natural slowness. As such, these Dionae and Dionae in general are rarely, if ever, found working as security officers within the mega-corps instead taking their cadetships within offices as support staff and working as [[Investigator]]s and [[Warden]]s for the mega-corps. Having been raised around the Hum for their entire lives, these gestalts enjoy its sound and in their spare time can often be found listening at station windows for it. They tend to become saddened when they are separated from it for extended periods.

===The Biesellian Song===
Originally starting as a series of religious publications and pamphlets, the Biesellian Song has evolved into a full-blown news outlet for the Dionae and people of Biesel and the Choir, sending out digital news across the extranet. Though usually used for communion with the clusters beyond, the Eternal Temple central spire is sometimes used to broadcast the Biesellian Song locally across Biesel space for Dionae to hear if they wish. Though usually only heard as a whisper, when the spire broadcasts in this way it essentially acts as a town crier, shouting news. Dionae that are interested must concentrate to properly hear the messages which many do, however uninterested Dionae can easily ignore the “song” when it is broadcast.

===The Songless Gang===
The Songless Gang or simply “the Songless” are a ragtag group of mainly immigrant Dionae who have fallen into a life of organised crime. Dipping their tendrils in all sorts of ill-fated schemes, the most troubling is phoron smuggling, extortion rackets and thuggery. They are known to take on low skilled work jobs such as cargo workers or service roles to gain access to materials they can steal and sell. They’re extremely difficult to stamp out and the Choir works tirelessly with law enforcement to bring the gang down.

==The Wild Ones - All Space==
: '''''"Back in the ol' daysss of Wild'un huntin', they'd pay thousssandsss if you brought back a Wild'un dead. I jusst wissh we didn' kill ssso many... ya never sssee 'em much anymore."''''' - ''Captain Kash Lardback''

Majestic and chaotic, Wild Ones fly through space with only the knowledge of collecting and scavenging - with many suspecting that they report back to a much larger 'Hive'. Due to the culling of the Wild Ones - thanks to their gravitation towards orbital scrapyards and derelicts, and have since becoming increasingly hostile, leading to numerous groups or mercenaries to be hired to clear them out to retrieve the scrap collected by the Dionae and to also harvest the solid mass of collected minerals, metals and gasses found within the centre of large Dionae forms over their eons long journeys. Many are tagged and studied by researchers who aim to understand Diona's instincts better, with patterns suggesting that the Wild Ones are 'evolving' in a way to prevent themselves from being hunted; by moving primarily through nebulae, then absorbing the surrounding gases found and emitting it both increase their speed and cloud sensors. These "Wild Ones" are not legally allowed to be killed in Sol Alliance and Nralakk Federation space unless they pose a significant threat - but Frontier laws vary depending on the system.

==Cetus Gestalts==

===The Conglomerated Choir of Nralakk - Nralakk Federation===

Located around the star in the centre of the Nralakk system, the Conglomerated Choir was the first documented discovery of [[Dionae_History#Skrell_History|Dionae]] by the Skrell. First thought to be a massive organic growth covering a derelict exploratory vessel, it was only once a stowaway nymph found on the return trip began to speak in garbled Nral’Malic that the Skrell realised the situation was more than it seemed. Diplomatic talks would be difficult, but through the Xuq translator, an enigma machine that could decipher unknown languages, the Skrell were able to communicate with the Diona cluster and rerouted the derelict along with its new inhabitants to the Nralakk system.

Post-discovery the Conglomerated Choir and the Nralakk Federation went through intense diplomatic negotiations, discussing options for the cluster if it wished to stay within Federation territory until a consensus was finally reached; the Federation was still rebuilding after [[Skrell_Synthetic_Age#Culmination_of_Glorsh-Omega|Glorsh-Omega’s disappearance]] and required assistance, combined with the Dionae’s ability to survive in some of the most extreme conditions the Choir was quick to offer its services to the Skrell in rebuilding their society. While at first many Skrell believed the Diona to be untrustworthy, still reeling from Glorsh-Omega’s betrayal of their species, the cluster proved to be a key player in the rebuilding of the Federation. After twenty-three years of assistance, the burgeoning Federation announced the species’ full integration into Nralakk society in 2240 CE, which was ratified in 2245 CE along with the official establishment of the [[Skrell_Recent_History#Reunification_of_the_Nralakk_Federation|Second Nralakk Federation]]. The two species have formed an inseparable bond from this experience, with the Diona respecting the Skrell for the kindness they have shown to the species, and the Skrell being humbled by the efforts of the Diona in helping to rebuild a nation they had no obligation to aid.

Today, the Conglomerated Choir enjoys a heightened status in [[Diona_in_the_Federation|Federation society]]; members of the cluster are treated well by the Federation as a reward for their cluster’s service in the past, with those that had an active role at the time having reached idol status in some cases. Their treatment by the Federation, along with their first-hand experience witnessing the destruction Glorsh-Omega brought upon the Skrell, has contributed to an internal culture that in many ways resembles the Federation. The most obvious example of this is members of the Choir being staunchly anti-synthetic, believing that Glorsh-Omega is proof that the proliferation of AI is ultimately dangerous, and the use of unshackled positronics by humanity is a grievous mistake. The cluster is also known for its patriotism, with a disproportionate number of Dionae in politics or organisations such as the Qukala originating from the Conglomerated Choir.

In a similar way to gestalts with a high social credit score having their views held in higher regard, superseding the general Dionae view on age and experience, the Diona from the Conglomerated Choir are known to have more ‘weight’ behind their opinions and decisions as a result of them being the reason why the species is accepted in Federation society. The phenomenon has nurtured an attitude similar to elitism by the Choir, who generally believe themselves to be the betters of the species in the Federation. This is further reinforced by the Federation itself, which is known to strategically place Diona from the Conglomerated Choir in positions that give them authority over gestalts belonging to other clusters in order to influence them into adopting more pro-Federation views.

===Peaceful Static In Endless Waves===
Peaceful Static In Endless Waves, colloquially known as Venter’s Cetus, is one of the three-known Cetus-class gestalts in the Spur, and is generally considered to be the largest of the trio. The gestalt is located within the Venter star system found within the Coalition of Colonies, and, due to its location, is given a special protectorate status by the CoC allowing them to remain peacefully in the system.

The system does play host to a series of outposts and patrol vessels meant to monitor the gestalt, ensuring it does not grow to a point of critical mass, while also providing transport to any Dionae from the gestalt that wish to leave and seek a home elsewhere in the galaxy.

Historically, the gestalt remained undiscovered until a few decades after first contract was made between Humans and Skrell, and, in turn, Dionae. Upon discovery, a joint operation between CoC and Federation diplomats ensured an attempt to contact and integrate the Dionae. While first contact was a major success, during the years following an unexpected exodus of Dionae left the gestalt, seeking to explore and find a purpose elsewhere in the spur. This exodus overwhelmed nearby planetary governments and transport companies, requiring a hard-limit to be set on how many individuals Dionae could leave the Cetus yearly. In modern times the exodus of Dionae from the gestalt has mostly slowed down, although several hundred to thousands of Dionae still leave the gestalt yearly.

===Wandering Chorale of the Spur===
A recent discovery, Wandering Chorale Of The Spur is a large cetus gestalt that, until recently, was uncontacted and could barely be considered sapient before being contacted by the [[SCCV Horizon]] after anomalous signals were detected. Upon contact, it was revealed that the conglomerate Nymphs were en route to a pulsar star just a few light-years from [[Tau Ceti]] - nestled deep within the unstable [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] - in hopes of returning to their seeding grounds. Additionally, they had managed to cling to a combination of meteors, space debris and even a large chunk of a freighter declared missing months earlier. Communication between Dionae employed by the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|Conglomerate]], and those within the Wandering Chorale, confirmed that the amalgamation has been traveling across the Orion Spur for centuries and went without contact for just as long only recently stumbling upon the remains of the freighter they now used shelter to house Dionae Nymphs. Scientists have maintained observance of the group of Dionae, some permanently hosting themselves far enough from the Wandering Chorale to ensure saftey.

[[Category:Dionaea]]
[[Category:Factions]]

Dionae Mindtypes

2023-07-27T00:20:31Z

Yonnimer: Changes some mentions of station to ship and Aurora to Horizon

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= Dionae Minds =
It is erroneously believed that the only format that Dionae can gain sentience- and therefore knowledge- is through the blood of sentient creatures. However this is quite false, and often the shortsighted view of those who are unfortunately subject to ‘anklebiters'. Sapience is instead something that is achieved due to the instinctive behaviour of nymphs to gather together. What they cannot achieve alone or through external DNA, they manage to achieve as a collective, becoming fully sapient and sentient. What is however debated is if they are actually individually sentient or only the greater being, although such collectives will argue it doesn't matter.

The memories of any individual Diona are linked specifically to their neural strata, and due to how it is imprinted cannot be imparted across neural links to the others in their gestalt. This leads to an unfortunate eventuality in that if a nymph leaves a gestalt, the information it held is gone forever. When one wishes to leave formally, there is a known process known simply as ‘departing'. Where the collective will go to a safe place that they can be assured they will not need to move or be at risk of starvation. During this time the nymph will sing vocally a song of their experiences, of their knowledge and training. In this way they can imprint their knowledge in an abstract way across their collective or even much larger ones. It is not uncommon to go on pilgrimages when the departing is in process, and those who are at witness to it note how varied the emotion in such songs are depending on the histories of such nymphs.
There is also a darker method of obtaining the memories of other nymphs, to devour their neural strata allows the physical repurposing and absorbing of fragments of their memories. This is of course never done to another living nymph, as it would be incredibly traumatic to internalize being eaten alive. The strangest part of forceful integration is that their memories are an absolute void of emotion, when thinking about them or recalling them in any fashion there is never any emotional connotation. This can be incredibly strange and uncomfortable, and can never be reversed once absorbed. There are experimental unbinding surgeries to remove absorbed neural strata to get those experiences out, however the success rate is very minute as the exacts of nymph neurology are largely unexplored.

== Mind Types ==
Dionae do not choose how their internal mind structures work, such things will happen due to circumstances, personalities and environments around them that will cause various structures to develop. The below encompasses some of the myriad of potential structures that exist, and is by no means a conclusive list. Think of these as inspiration and feel free to make your own, although be logical with if your gestalt's unique mind would be fitting for the job NT has hired them for.

'''Ship characters still need to be reasonable, The SCC wouldn't hire someone who can't work or acts insane. Keep in mind that some of the mind types are restricted to certain roles/may not be allowed to be a ship character at all
'''

=== Singular Sound ===
The gestalt has very little individuality within each nymph, with each being akin to a large cluster of neurons working symbiotically.There is little in the terms of an internal dialog within these collectives, usually all acting as relays for their unified consciousness. These are usually from nymphs that have merged without ever consuming blood. The loss of a singular nymph is catastrophically damaging to this kind of network, akin to suffering major brain damage. - They may speak all at once or only use one to preserve neural load, depending on their opinion. These are suggested for those new to Dionae or those who aren't as interested in roleplaying the more complicated mind types.

=== Competence Choir ===
All skilled nymphs within the collective are in charge of their respective areas, the social nymph does not need to confer with the others and thus speaks with completely normal inflection without any large gaps. However may end up pausing if the collective has pressing issues they want the social nymph to present. This is most often with specialized collectives with utilitarian views. No individual nymph is more important than the others if they are all the same level of skill.

=== Tyrannical Tune ===
This kind of collective is unusual, stemming from a nymph with extreme ideologies or absolute indoctrination with a dogmatic view point. Usually the social nymph will take an authoritarian role over the other nymphs within the collective, and they all act together out of the unity of the singular personality than anything else. The loss of the Overseer nymph itself will utterly cripple this collective, causing a power struggle and internal conflict for quite some time afterwards. Such collectives will not usually have difficulty with speech unless the Overseer is not the social nymph.

=== Harmonious Hymn ===
Within this often complicated and socially conflicted Gestalt is a pure democratic rule, every action it takes will be voted upon internally. This results in gaps in speech either with long silences or a short pause between every word as they decide exactly what the majority of them wish to do. They might mention ‘majority' frequently when referencing if they voted on something, or ‘minority' when mentioning freedom of speech. Something frequent within these gestalts is that when returning to a greater such as an Argus they may have new ones replace older ones who cannot successfully get votes to their opinion. No singular nymph is more valuable than another, and the social nymph may be distributed to multiple throughout depending on the collective.

=== Chaotic Cacophony ===
A collection of nymphs who are together merely out of the benefit and added safety of numbers. They may speak all at once, interrupt one another and generally not be particularly easy to listen to. The nymphs could be prone to argue, or they may be quite content with saying what they feel. These collectives are usually quite young and have not settled into a structure that makes it easier for all of them to feel appreciated. (This mind type is restricted to Janitors, Gardeners and Cargo Technicians. Be reasonable with this one)

===Tumultuous Tacet===
A rare but notable mind type that belongs to Dionae who were formerly led by a single lead nymph, but as a result of any number of circumstances, have lost them and have had difficulties with recovering. From the outset, these gestalts can seem similar to Chaotic Cacophony due to their disjointed nature, however, instead of speaking all at once in a chaotic manner, Tumultuous Tacet may not speak at all as the nymphs are not sure who should be speaking or what exactly to say. Whilst some Tumultuous Tacet will eventually recover and move on to developing a new, more stable mind type, some may spend decades if not centuries being unable to decide on a new mind type.

'''As a result of their unreliable muteness, Tumultuous Tacet gestalts are only permitted in positions that allow for them to be [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Job_Accessibility_Requirements mute]''', including Chaplain, Librarian, Janitor, Bartender, Chef, Hydroponics, Assistant, and Hanger technician

=== Seasoned Song ===
These are one of the most common with more ancient collectives that come from the void and space whales. The opinions within them matter most entirely dependent on age, the more bark that has accumulated on your body the more complicated your song must be. These are likely to have traditions, be religious or have other viewpoints that are relayed by the elder. For a cyclops on ship this could mean the head is entirely covered with bark to the point that it is immobile from age, as an example. They will often reference songs and the most traumatic loss is the destruction of the eldest among them. Such collectives will have entirely unique structures based around whatever the Elder deems best, but will always submit to the wisdom of the oldest among them. The Eldest will near universally be the social nymph to best represent them.

=== Bloodless Band ===
An extreme variant of the Singular Sound, they are nymphs who have achieved sentience quite similarly to the Singular Sound. However they have become increasingly opinionated against the idea of drinking blood, to the point that they reject anything that could shed blood. Such collectives are considered radicals due to their intense pacifistic approach, rejecting the utilitarian views on conflict entirely. Such collectives usually believe that drinking blood could fundamentally change who they are, and will often not join into an Argus for fear one of them may have drunk blood and could expose them. Their outright refusal to imbibe blood also means that they lose a critical quantity of information that will take potentially decades to relearn because they cannot fast track it. (This mind type is restricted from security roles due to the fact that lethality is something they have to be prepared to do.)

=== Learning Lyrics ===
Uniquely these never are formed from fresh cyclops but split from Argus and upwards. Specifically it is a trained gestalt that alternates one or two young nymphs on a regular basis, the others exist to let the young nymphs safely experience the outside world, working to provide funds for the greater gestalt, social norms, and get blood samples to help them experience the world around them. Such gestalts are usually run by the older nymphs but following on the whims of the younger ones to let them experience things with the safety net of those with more wisdom. The loss of the younger nymphs is more tragic to such a collective than the older ones, to a usual collective they will mourn the fact they failed to protect the very ones they were supposed to protect. (This mind type is restricted from Security roles due to the potential risk of killing the young nymphs.)

=== Emphatic Echo ===
These are a unique gestalt that have formed more in the modern era of Dionae xenos relations. What makes them particularly interesting to the observer is near to all of the nymphs are social nymphs, with expertly trained skills in specific areas of social nuance. This gives them an almost eerie essence when they pick up even your most subtle facial movements and deduce your emotional state. They are renowned for their social skills and patience, however due to the quantity of social nymphs are quite incapable of complex physical tasks. (This mind type is restricted to, Liaison/Rep, Psychologist(includes alt titles), Investigator, Chaplain, Librarian and visitor.)

===Scholarly Song===
One of the more uncommon mind types out there, Scholarly Song gestalts are known to be fixated on only one thing: the acquisition of knowledge and experience - whether it be through blood or through learning it themselves. Unlike Voided Vocals, however, Scholarly Song gestalts do show restraint, and will generally avoid consuming the dead for knowledge. Notably, the composition and leadership style of the gestalt is not uniform amongst Scholarly Song gestalts. While the specifics of why they wish to acquire the knowledge vary from gestalt to gestalt, it tends to be of a slightly religious nature, whether it be more in line with the doctrines of the eternal’s beliefs or something completely separate. Scholarly Chrous gestalts tend to be somewhat divided on if the acquisition of knowledge should only be obtained through first-hand experiences, or if it can be done through the consumption of blood and their own experiences, those that believe the former are referred to as the Bloodless Scholarly Song.

=== Mourning Mass ===
An entirely unique generation of mind types, who make up an extreme minority of Dionae in the Spur. There is only one known way to generate such a gestalt consciousness, and it is the absorption of the one person that the Consensus had viewed as significant.

Not all Dionae who do this will become a Mourning Mass, but only those who do can become one. Such gestalts are characterised by their complete dedication to the life of their former partner, and the memories that they cherish. They can vary from completely dejected, holding the greatest burden they could imagine to melancholic joy at being able to spend reality with them forever.

Their internal dialog is entirely variant on what their original mind type was, however typically different nymphs will have different parts of the person that they memorialise. This means such gestalts have the greatest loss of all, if their gestalt loses even a fragment of such knowledge, and thus would never allow a nymph to die at any cost. The loss of a nymph would be a loss of such magnitude that it's rare such a collective would be able to cope.

Typically they may take on a name that has or involves their now merged other, something as simple as ‘Joy of Exploring The Endless Cosmos Together' to ‘The Eternal and Unending Care for [partner name]' could be examples of such. But as every relationship is unique, as are most Mourning Mass, and their name will most likely symbolize something deeply important to them.

Mourning Masses mostly will take on an employment that they and their partner enjoyed together, or perhaps something entirely around their interests instead. They are not actively restricted from any employment but are instead required to have 5 years to process their grief before positions of stress such as medical work, command, and security. This of course also includes a psychological evaluation after the required time period, to assure they are competent.

For reading of what a Mourning Mass looks like in Federation/Skrell relations, look [[Diona_in_the_Federation#Diona_Relationships|here]].

== Non Crew Mind Types ==
=== Voided Vocals ===
The most alien of all the gestalts even to other Dionae, are those known as the Voided, those who are unified in purpose to absorb knowledge of the dead. They speak almost purely in poetic notions and have near to no internal dialog. What is so bizarre about these collectives is their obsession with death, offering to take on even the memories of other species post mortem despite the traumatic experiences. The amount of disjointed knowledge, memories and thoughts have long since made it impossible to tell what is from original minds or what their many memories are. Such collectives experience near to no real emotion due to the expanse of emotionless memories they contain, however, when exposed to grief from losing one of their nymphs, it may be overwhelming over the lack of emotion they have had for so long. Common notions of theirs is that nobody should ever be forgotten to time, or that they can give a form of immortality in themselves to those they can “save”. (This mind type is restricted from ship roles entirely. It may be jobs not originating on the ship and is also restricted from merchant. They may additionally be antagonists.)

=== Scarlet Score ===
Something that gives cause to alarm is the plague that is known as the Scarlet Score, a plague that can overtake gestalts with no known cause. Any nymph who joins with one afflicted with his horrific disease will be irrevocably damaged. The disease causes them to become incredibly hostile, lashing out and desiring blood.

It is completely unknown how Scarlet Score thinks internally, they may be exactly like any other mind type but driven to absolute madness. Even how the madness is represented is unclear. All stellar organisations recognise that these are a complete lost cause and either must be contained for research or terminated. There is no saving them, and all Dionae are at risk if they are exposed to the plague.

There are examples of Scarlet Score who have imbibed so much blood that they have become Voided Vocals, and no longer hostile. Although they are not accepted by Dionae gestalts for fear they carry the dormant virus, they are not actively exterminated. (Antagonist and event related only).

===Nocturne Notes===
An usual mind type, Nocturnes Notes gestalts are known for having an extreme form of Nyctophobia- an extreme fear of the dark. This phobia results in a near-constant fear of the coming night or a possible blackout that sees the Dionae spending much of their day-to-day life focusing on ways to ensure they’ll be safe in the night or have some backup light source. This fear will generally result in an irrational and erratic mindset. This, along with their ceaseless search of ways to stave off the darkness will sometimes result in Dionae willing to turn to crime just to finance ways to combat their fear, usually as thieves and petty criminals.

'''This mind type is restricted from ship roles, but may be played as antags and some independent off-ship roles.'''

[[Category:Dionaea]]

Template:Navbox Dionae Lore

2023-07-22T17:13:51Z

Yonnimer:

Template:Navbox Dionae Lore

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Yonnimer:

Template:Navbox Dionae Lore

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Yonnimer: Adds Dionae in the Federation to the navbox

Template:Navbox Dionae Lore

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Yonnimer: Removes minor dionae locations from the wiki

Corporate Liaison

2023-04-12T23:27:37Z

Yonnimer: fix

{{JobPageHeader
|headerbgcolor = #166294
|headerfontcolor = black
|stafftype = COMMAND SUPPORT
|imagebgcolor = #BFC6E0
|img = Corporateliaison-nbt.png
|jobtitle = Corporate Liaison
|access = The Representatives Office, [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|the Bridge]].
|difficulty = Medium to Hard
|qualifications = At least 30 years of age, relevant education. You've convinced NanoTrasen Central Command you're worth loaning a shuttle, and you are representing an [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]]
|education = [[Tajaran Educational Institutions#Al'mari College of Hadiist Sciences|Al'mari College of Hadiist Sciences]] - [[Tajaran Educational Institutions#Kaltir Law Academy|Kaltir Law Academy]]
|superior = [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Ship Command]] and your [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]]
|duties = Representing your faction's interests, conducting interviews and AMAs, improving your interest group's image, <s>being less creepy than the old IAA role</s>
|guides = [[Corporate_Regulations|Corporate Regulations]], [[Guide to Station Procedure|Ship Directives]], [[Guide_to_Law|Guide to Law]], [[Guide_to_Paperwork|Guide to Paperwork]], [[Chain of Command]]
}}

'''Corporate Liaisons''' or '''Representatives''' act as the link between an [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]] and their assigned facility. Their primary concerns are to ensure that the group they're representing is treated more favorably or just ensuring they're treated equally, within [[Corporate Regulations]], via interviews and reports to [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Command Staff]] about misconduct.

Secondary responsibilities of a '''Representative''' include increasing awareness of whatever factions or cause they represent. For more information on the goal of different kinds of '''Representative''', see: [[#Interest Groups|Interest Groups]]

'''Representatives''' can be played by characters of any species that can be a part of the represented faction, by players with a Head of Staff whitelist - they are not part of [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Ship Command]], however.

'''A Consular must represent an official interest group,''' present on the wiki, that is reasonably connected to the SCC: this excludes criminal factions, pirate factions, and so on. A Consular may be from a sub-faction such as house Zhao, but they must still fully represent the major faction they belong to. To make sure that your Consular character fits this description, contact a member of the command whitelist team.

= Variation =
There are two variations of Representative, those being Corporate Liaison and Consular Officer. They can both be active on the ship at one time, allowing for a representative of a faction to be there alongside a liaison from a megacorporation. It is encouraged that they will work together on matters if there is a Corporate Liaison alongside a Consular Officer, so the consular can have an easier time getting important messages through to central command or ship command.
== The Corporate ==
While the consular officer's purpose is pretty cut and dry, the more flexible nature of the Liaison role affords it a few alternate titles, including:
*Workplace Liaison
*Corporate Representative
*Corporate Executive
These titles should give your Liaison a bit more flavor by allowing them to have some specialty in the company. However, '''no alternate title gives you any more authority than another. Playing a Corporate Executive does not increase your authority - you have the same amount of direct authority as a liaison: none.''' As a corporate executive, think of yourself more of an executive of middle management; your direct power over the Horizon is functionally zero, as you've been sent by whatever as a liaison and advocate. The SCC chose the heads of staff to command the ship, and they'd like to keep it that way.
= Interest Groups =
All Interest Groups get access to an External Comms Link in their Fax machine which enables them to contact their superiors, and receive an orders list on round start.
=== [[Nanotrasen_Corporation|NanoTrasen Liaison]] ===

* NanoTrasen Liaisons are dispatched by NanoTrasen to act as an on-ship link between [[Nanotrasen_Corporation#Executives | NanoTrasen]] and [[Job Guides#Station_command|Ship Command]]. They can talk to command and crew on matters such as NanoTrasens interests aboard the ship, advise Station Command, and issue various paperwork, including Contract Extensions and situation reports. They can also make sure that ship command is following [[Corporate Regulations|correct procedure]] and not doing anything unsavory in the eyes of the most powerful company of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

=== Corporate Representative ===

* On ship liaisons from other megacorporations for contractors on ship. They are supposed to represent the interests of their parent company, as well as to ensure the well being and prosperity of their contractors. They can pressure [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Command Staff]], make requests, or even do back-alley deals and bribes in [[traitor|certain circumstances]].

=== [[Republic_of_Biesel|Tau Ceti Representative]] ===

* Tasked by the [[Biesel|Republic of Biesel]] government to ensure that [[Guide_to_Law#Republic_of_Biesel|Tau Ceti Law]] is being followed, and that safety regulations are being followed. They are to promote Biesel sentiment, and reinforce the image of the bright beacon of democracy. They may also issue Tau Ceti citizenship and passports in certain circumstances.

=== [[Sol_Alliance|Sol Consular Officer]] ===

* Following the aftermath of the [[KING OF THE WORLD#READE FALLS!|35th's invasion]], Sol Alliance consular officers are not welcome aboard the Horizon.

=== [[People's Republic of Adhomai|PRA Consular Officer]] ===

* Dispatched from the [[Tajara#People.27s_Republic_of_Adhomai|Peoples Republic of Adhomai]] to ensure the well being and interests of Republican citizens who are living in this far away [[Tajara|Tajaran]] enclave. They are to encourage proper Republican values and make sure that party lines are being upheld.

* They are the Party's eyes and ears on the ship and are tasked with reporting any subversive behavior to the government. They are given a set of tools and access to the fax machine to deal diplomatically with possible subversive elements. They can also issue Honorary Party Memberships to any crewmember.

* Consulars are Hadiist Party members and should always be loyal to President Hadii. They must be exemplary citizens and embody the Republican ideals. Cooperating with NanoTrasen authorities is also necessary due to the strict bounds between the Republic and the corporation.

=== [[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai|DPRA Consular Officer]] ===

* Dispatched from the [[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]] to ensure the well being and interests of Al'mariist citizens who are living in this far away [[Tajara|Tajaran]] enclave. They are to encourage proper Al'mariist values and ensure that the rights of the Tajara people are being respected.

* Consulars are employed by the civilian government and should display the values upheld by the Al'mariist ideology. They are given a set of tools and access to the fax machine to make sure that any DPRA citizen is working towards the future of their species.

* While consular officers are part of the civil government, they can still harbor sympathies for the military juntas and Supreme Commander Nated. Cooperation with NanoTrasen is desirable when the outcome is beneficial to the Al'mariist cause. While direct opposition against the megacorporations is no part of the consular's duties, DPRA consular officers should do their best to support Liberation Army personnel on the field.

=== [[New Kingdom of Adhomai|NKA Consular Officer]] ===

* Dispatched from the [[New Kingdom of Adhomai]] to ensure the well being and interests of Royalists citizens who are living in this far away [[Tajara|Tajaran]] enclave. They are to encourage traditional Tajaran values and ensure cooperation between the New Kingdom and NanoTrasen.

* Consulars are under the supervision of the Crown and should be model citizens. They are given a set of tools and access to the fax machine to make sure that any NKA citizen is acting in an upstanding manner. Cooperation with NanoTrasen is necessary, as the Kingdom is doing its best to acquire allies.

* Consulars can be either nobles or commoners. Despite their origins, they were chosen for their support of the Royalist ideology.

=== [[Unathi#Izweski_Nation|Hegemony Consular Officer]] ===

* Hailing from [[Unathi|Unathi owned space]], these diplomats are here to reach the Unathi working on SCC vessels and keep the relations between the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and the Hegemony in top shape. As a [[Unathi|Unathi]] representative, you will need to carefully balance the morals of your homeworld and your diplomatic responsibilities.

* You are recommended to call Unathi to your office, to speak with them and learn their origins. Talk about their clan back on Moghes, learn their religious ideals, find any... '''[[Unathi#The_Guwan|undesirables]]''' who might be hiding their clan name and ensure paperwork is sent to a Hegemony vessel documenting a possible Guwan hiding their Guwan title behind their old Clan name.

* Consulars will always be '''noblemen''', or even '''noblewomen'''. Either way, your clan is notable and you might be related to a [[Unathi#Izweski_Nation|Lord of Moghes]] in some way.

* Hosting Feasts in honor of the Hegemon is always fun. Let everyone know you're rich, by paying for all their meals for the shift.

*If a Guwan wishes to prove themselves capable of restoring their title, or creating a new one, you are one of the first steps. They must prove themselves worthy enough to be represented by you or someone you choose in a court. Afterwards, directly message the Lore Developer in charge of Unathi, or a deputy.

=== [[Skrell|Nralakk Federation Consular Officer]] ===

* Having come all the way from [[Notable_Skrell_Systems_and_Locations#Nralakk:_The_Home_system|Nralakk]] these officers are very well versed in local customs and culture. Being the natural diplomats, Skrell Consular Officers are very diplomatically savvy and knowledgeable and are on the ship to remind other Skrell how far the Federation reaches. Thus a Skrell Consular Officer should strive to be the last person on the ship to offend their host, while not being a complete pushover.
** Federation Consular Officers also have standing instructions to report back to the Federation on [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Credit_System | Inductive and Deductive actions]] of any federation citizens that they observe for review. This should be done via fax or other long-range communications.
* Consulars for the Nralakk Federation are always [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Credit_System | Primary Numericals]], model citizens of the Federation.

=== [[Empire_of_Dominia|Dominian Consular Officer]] ===

* Sent by the [[Empire_of_Dominia|Dominian Empire]], the job of Dominian Consular Officer is to dispel all perceived inaccuracies about Dominians first and ensure the loyalty of its subjects second. Dominia has had an understanding with NanoTrasen ever since its rediscovery by the other spacial factions and its officers ensure that this relationship lasts, despite the ideological differences.

=== [[Vaurca|Vaurca Consular Officer]] ===

* Representing one of the [[Vaurca#Hives|hives]], Vaurca Consular Officers are always a special type of Vaurca, a [[Vaurca#Playing_a_Hive_Representative|Ta]] also known as a Breeder. As the emotional centerpiece of Vaurca society, a Vaurca Consular officer is the ideal type capable of communicating and understanding all the other species in the system.

=== [[Synthetic_Factions#The_Golden_Deep|Golden Deep Consular Officer]] ===

* As a representation of the Golden Deep, your duties are to ensure the continued relations between NanoTrasen and Golden Deep affiliates.
* Golden Deep Consular Officers must have acquired their Golden Deep Citizenship.
* A Golden Deep Consular Officers are more often than not highly esteemed merchants, or a membership holding, carefully vetted synthetic made to engage as a diplomatic bridge between business partners.
* You are recommended to promote the Golden Deep affiliates in the Republic of Biesel, as well as seeking out synthetics for purchase under the Golden Deep umbrella.
* A membership within Golden Deep is not to be given lightly and Consular Officers are responsible for ensuring that any IPCs inducted into the group can increase its prosperity.

=== [[Coalition of Colonies|Coalition of Colonies Consular Officer]] ===

* As a Representative of the expansive CoC, you are entrusted to act as the link between all the members of the CoC, their populace, and the Coalition as a whole. You are likely to interact with a wide range of people, so Coalition Consulars are normally excellent at conflict resolution and problem solving.

===[[Epsilon_Ursae_Minoris|Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris]]===
* As a Representative of the CT-EUM, you are entrusted to act as a link between all nations of the CT-EUM, their people, and the CT-EUM as a whole.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Species Consulars/Liaisons Permitted
|-
!
! Humans
! Skrells
! Unathi
! Tajara
! IPCs
! Dionae
! Vaurca
|-
!NT Liaison
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Tau Ceti
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|-
!PRA
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!DPRA
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!NKA
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Hegemony
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|-
!Dominia
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Zavodskoi Interstellar
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!PMCG Rep.
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Idris Rep.
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Heph Rep.
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Zeng-Hu Rep.
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Orion
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Nralakk
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|-
!Vaurcae Hive
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|-
!Golden Deep
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Coalition
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!CT-EUM
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
|}

== Embrace The Bureaucracy ==
So, your shoes are polished, your tie is on straight, your stamp is inked up and there’s a full cup of coffee on your desk - what now?

:Typically, the broad duties of a Representative can be sorted into three major categories:

# '''Awareness''': Doing activities to spread awareness of your [[#Interest Groups|Interest Group]] is a very good idea to keep everyone happy, and most importantly, informed. A good representative might give seminars on the virtues and upsides of their Interest Group, or a Consular Officer might do a QnA or trivia for their faction. Get creative with it, and remember that certain factions will be trying harder than others, such as the PRA or Hegemony.
# '''Oversight''': Doing activities that keep members of your [[#Interest Groups|Interest Group]] happy is also a good idea. If a member of said Interest Group is unhappy, take them in and work out ways to make it better, such as talking to ship Command to improve the situation. In order for that to work, a Representative needs to be keeping track of members of their Interest Group, in ways such as PDAing to check in, or calling them in to your office for a [[Vampire|chat]].
# '''Protest''': Activities taken in response to mistreatment. An example would be contacting the [[Captain]], [[Executive Officer]], or [[Job_Guides#Security|Security]] when you suspect someone from your [[#Interest Groups|Interest Group]] is in danger or has been wronged. Another would be vocally protesting in response to someone from your [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]] being arrested, even going as far as to negotiate for their release, or lessening of their punishment. '''Do not push this or it may''' [[#Directive 12|lead to trouble!]]

Before you sign on for that first shift, recognize a hard truth about '''Representatives''': you are not, strictly speaking, a necessary component of the ship’s crew. By yourself, you cannot permit, prevent, or enforce just about anything. You are barely even a part of the ship's crew.

Your ability to effectively do your job therefore relies on your ability to communicate with the ship’s various [[Job_Guides|Departments]], and [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|ship Command]]. Having good working relationships with the crew also makes it more likely that they will come to you with their problems, or report things to you, rather than leaving you to hunt for them, or to sit at your desk contemplating your coffee all shift.

:In order to help build those working relationships, there are a few things Representatives should try to do.

#'''Do Spread Awareness''': The only way you're going to get ship Crew on your side is if you get involved with the Crewmembers aboard the Horizon, in whatever way you may choose to do so, or your [[#Interest_Group|Interest Group]] entails.
#'''Do Not Cause Trouble''': You are here with the express permission of [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Ship Command]] and NanoTrasen, a permission that can easily be revoked, you don't want to test them, and any violation of [[Corporate Regulations]] should be strictly covert, if at all.
#'''Do Play Favorites''': It is the express purpose of your job to advocate for your [[#Interest_Group|Interest Group]], and thus, to play favorites. If you think that helping a Crewmember who is close to someone in it will aid in that, you should definitely do it if it fits your character. Though, you don't want others to know, as it could land you in trouble with a [[Security Officer]], and thus, [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Ship Command]]. It could also violate [[Server Rules]] in extreme cases, if in doubt, adminhelp.

=== [[Guide to Station Procedure#Representatives and Consular Officers|Directive 12]] ===
"Command staff are expected to engage representatives through diplomacy and to consent to reasonable requests. The representative is not part of the ship chain of command. The representative is granted special status in relation to corporate regulations;"
* The representative does not serve brig time for low level infractions, the fine alternative can be used in those cases. The representative can serve brig time for medium and high level infractions, with command staff being able to contact Central Command requesting the revocation of the representative's privilege.
* The representative's office offers immunity to the representative. Security may not enter to conduct arrests under normal circumstances. Entering or refusing to exit the office is considered trespassing. The office's immunity may be revoked by the captain or a captain level decision.
Read more at: [[Guide to Station Procedure#Representatives and Consular Officers|Directives: Directive 12]].

== Traitoring ==
:This scenario is unlikely as the Corporate Liaison, as the Mindshield Implant all Liaisons are required to have prevents you from being brainwashed, However, if find yourself selected for traitor, congratulations! You are an antagonist trusted explicitly by your [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]], who will likely be thrilled to help you.

:Wield your bureaucracy against the company you've signed up to act within! The morphic clerical kit may be of use to a traitorous Representative, as the stamps it provides allow you to forge command staff approval of just about anything. Through this, you can stamp approval papers to your fellows, have them lie to [[Job_Guides#Command|Command Staff]] about who they got them from, and then procure anything they'd like, thanks to you. If anyone questions what you're doing, remind them that you have the best interests of your people at heart.

{{Guides}}
{{Jobs}}
[[Category:Jobs]]
[[Category:Command]]

Corporate Liaison

2023-04-12T23:26:58Z

Yonnimer: Adds EUM consulars to the page

{{JobPageHeader
|headerbgcolor = #166294
|headerfontcolor = black
|stafftype = COMMAND SUPPORT
|imagebgcolor = #BFC6E0
|img = Corporateliaison-nbt.png
|jobtitle = Corporate Liaison
|access = The Representatives Office, [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|the Bridge]].
|difficulty = Medium to Hard
|qualifications = At least 30 years of age, relevant education. You've convinced NanoTrasen Central Command you're worth loaning a shuttle, and you are representing an [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]]
|education = [[Tajaran Educational Institutions#Al'mari College of Hadiist Sciences|Al'mari College of Hadiist Sciences]] - [[Tajaran Educational Institutions#Kaltir Law Academy|Kaltir Law Academy]]
|superior = [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Ship Command]] and your [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]]
|duties = Representing your faction's interests, conducting interviews and AMAs, improving your interest group's image, <s>being less creepy than the old IAA role</s>
|guides = [[Corporate_Regulations|Corporate Regulations]], [[Guide to Station Procedure|Ship Directives]], [[Guide_to_Law|Guide to Law]], [[Guide_to_Paperwork|Guide to Paperwork]], [[Chain of Command]]
}}

'''Corporate Liaisons''' or '''Representatives''' act as the link between an [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]] and their assigned facility. Their primary concerns are to ensure that the group they're representing is treated more favorably or just ensuring they're treated equally, within [[Corporate Regulations]], via interviews and reports to [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Command Staff]] about misconduct.

Secondary responsibilities of a '''Representative''' include increasing awareness of whatever factions or cause they represent. For more information on the goal of different kinds of '''Representative''', see: [[#Interest Groups|Interest Groups]]

'''Representatives''' can be played by characters of any species that can be a part of the represented faction, by players with a Head of Staff whitelist - they are not part of [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Ship Command]], however.

'''A Consular must represent an official interest group,''' present on the wiki, that is reasonably connected to the SCC: this excludes criminal factions, pirate factions, and so on. A Consular may be from a sub-faction such as house Zhao, but they must still fully represent the major faction they belong to. To make sure that your Consular character fits this description, contact a member of the command whitelist team.

= Variation =
There are two variations of Representative, those being Corporate Liaison and Consular Officer. They can both be active on the ship at one time, allowing for a representative of a faction to be there alongside a liaison from a megacorporation. It is encouraged that they will work together on matters if there is a Corporate Liaison alongside a Consular Officer, so the consular can have an easier time getting important messages through to central command or ship command.
== The Corporate ==
While the consular officer's purpose is pretty cut and dry, the more flexible nature of the Liaison role affords it a few alternate titles, including:
*Workplace Liaison
*Corporate Representative
*Corporate Executive
These titles should give your Liaison a bit more flavor by allowing them to have some specialty in the company. However, '''no alternate title gives you any more authority than another. Playing a Corporate Executive does not increase your authority - you have the same amount of direct authority as a liaison: none.''' As a corporate executive, think of yourself more of an executive of middle management; your direct power over the Horizon is functionally zero, as you've been sent by whatever as a liaison and advocate. The SCC chose the heads of staff to command the ship, and they'd like to keep it that way.
= Interest Groups =
All Interest Groups get access to an External Comms Link in their Fax machine which enables them to contact their superiors, and receive an orders list on round start.
=== [[Nanotrasen_Corporation|NanoTrasen Liaison]] ===

* NanoTrasen Liaisons are dispatched by NanoTrasen to act as an on-ship link between [[Nanotrasen_Corporation#Executives | NanoTrasen]] and [[Job Guides#Station_command|Ship Command]]. They can talk to command and crew on matters such as NanoTrasens interests aboard the ship, advise Station Command, and issue various paperwork, including Contract Extensions and situation reports. They can also make sure that ship command is following [[Corporate Regulations|correct procedure]] and not doing anything unsavory in the eyes of the most powerful company of the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]].

=== Corporate Representative ===

* On ship liaisons from other megacorporations for contractors on ship. They are supposed to represent the interests of their parent company, as well as to ensure the well being and prosperity of their contractors. They can pressure [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Command Staff]], make requests, or even do back-alley deals and bribes in [[traitor|certain circumstances]].

=== [[Republic_of_Biesel|Tau Ceti Representative]] ===

* Tasked by the [[Biesel|Republic of Biesel]] government to ensure that [[Guide_to_Law#Republic_of_Biesel|Tau Ceti Law]] is being followed, and that safety regulations are being followed. They are to promote Biesel sentiment, and reinforce the image of the bright beacon of democracy. They may also issue Tau Ceti citizenship and passports in certain circumstances.

=== [[Sol_Alliance|Sol Consular Officer]] ===

* Following the aftermath of the [[KING OF THE WORLD#READE FALLS!|35th's invasion]], Sol Alliance consular officers are not welcome aboard the Horizon.

=== [[People's Republic of Adhomai|PRA Consular Officer]] ===

* Dispatched from the [[Tajara#People.27s_Republic_of_Adhomai|Peoples Republic of Adhomai]] to ensure the well being and interests of Republican citizens who are living in this far away [[Tajara|Tajaran]] enclave. They are to encourage proper Republican values and make sure that party lines are being upheld.

* They are the Party's eyes and ears on the ship and are tasked with reporting any subversive behavior to the government. They are given a set of tools and access to the fax machine to deal diplomatically with possible subversive elements. They can also issue Honorary Party Memberships to any crewmember.

* Consulars are Hadiist Party members and should always be loyal to President Hadii. They must be exemplary citizens and embody the Republican ideals. Cooperating with NanoTrasen authorities is also necessary due to the strict bounds between the Republic and the corporation.

=== [[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai|DPRA Consular Officer]] ===

* Dispatched from the [[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]] to ensure the well being and interests of Al'mariist citizens who are living in this far away [[Tajara|Tajaran]] enclave. They are to encourage proper Al'mariist values and ensure that the rights of the Tajara people are being respected.

* Consulars are employed by the civilian government and should display the values upheld by the Al'mariist ideology. They are given a set of tools and access to the fax machine to make sure that any DPRA citizen is working towards the future of their species.

* While consular officers are part of the civil government, they can still harbor sympathies for the military juntas and Supreme Commander Nated. Cooperation with NanoTrasen is desirable when the outcome is beneficial to the Al'mariist cause. While direct opposition against the megacorporations is no part of the consular's duties, DPRA consular officers should do their best to support Liberation Army personnel on the field.

=== [[New Kingdom of Adhomai|NKA Consular Officer]] ===

* Dispatched from the [[New Kingdom of Adhomai]] to ensure the well being and interests of Royalists citizens who are living in this far away [[Tajara|Tajaran]] enclave. They are to encourage traditional Tajaran values and ensure cooperation between the New Kingdom and NanoTrasen.

* Consulars are under the supervision of the Crown and should be model citizens. They are given a set of tools and access to the fax machine to make sure that any NKA citizen is acting in an upstanding manner. Cooperation with NanoTrasen is necessary, as the Kingdom is doing its best to acquire allies.

* Consulars can be either nobles or commoners. Despite their origins, they were chosen for their support of the Royalist ideology.

=== [[Unathi#Izweski_Nation|Hegemony Consular Officer]] ===

* Hailing from [[Unathi|Unathi owned space]], these diplomats are here to reach the Unathi working on SCC vessels and keep the relations between the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] and the Hegemony in top shape. As a [[Unathi|Unathi]] representative, you will need to carefully balance the morals of your homeworld and your diplomatic responsibilities.

* You are recommended to call Unathi to your office, to speak with them and learn their origins. Talk about their clan back on Moghes, learn their religious ideals, find any... '''[[Unathi#The_Guwan|undesirables]]''' who might be hiding their clan name and ensure paperwork is sent to a Hegemony vessel documenting a possible Guwan hiding their Guwan title behind their old Clan name.

* Consulars will always be '''noblemen''', or even '''noblewomen'''. Either way, your clan is notable and you might be related to a [[Unathi#Izweski_Nation|Lord of Moghes]] in some way.

* Hosting Feasts in honor of the Hegemon is always fun. Let everyone know you're rich, by paying for all their meals for the shift.

*If a Guwan wishes to prove themselves capable of restoring their title, or creating a new one, you are one of the first steps. They must prove themselves worthy enough to be represented by you or someone you choose in a court. Afterwards, directly message the Lore Developer in charge of Unathi, or a deputy.

=== [[Skrell|Nralakk Federation Consular Officer]] ===

* Having come all the way from [[Notable_Skrell_Systems_and_Locations#Nralakk:_The_Home_system|Nralakk]] these officers are very well versed in local customs and culture. Being the natural diplomats, Skrell Consular Officers are very diplomatically savvy and knowledgeable and are on the ship to remind other Skrell how far the Federation reaches. Thus a Skrell Consular Officer should strive to be the last person on the ship to offend their host, while not being a complete pushover.
** Federation Consular Officers also have standing instructions to report back to the Federation on [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Credit_System | Inductive and Deductive actions]] of any federation citizens that they observe for review. This should be done via fax or other long-range communications.
* Consulars for the Nralakk Federation are always [[Nralakk_Federation#Social_Credit_System | Primary Numericals]], model citizens of the Federation.

=== [[Empire_of_Dominia|Dominian Consular Officer]] ===

* Sent by the [[Empire_of_Dominia|Dominian Empire]], the job of Dominian Consular Officer is to dispel all perceived inaccuracies about Dominians first and ensure the loyalty of its subjects second. Dominia has had an understanding with NanoTrasen ever since its rediscovery by the other spacial factions and its officers ensure that this relationship lasts, despite the ideological differences.

=== [[Vaurca|Vaurca Consular Officer]] ===

* Representing one of the [[Vaurca#Hives|hives]], Vaurca Consular Officers are always a special type of Vaurca, a [[Vaurca#Playing_a_Hive_Representative|Ta]] also known as a Breeder. As the emotional centerpiece of Vaurca society, a Vaurca Consular officer is the ideal type capable of communicating and understanding all the other species in the system.

=== [[Synthetic_Factions#The_Golden_Deep|Golden Deep Consular Officer]] ===

* As a representation of the Golden Deep, your duties are to ensure the continued relations between NanoTrasen and Golden Deep affiliates.
* Golden Deep Consular Officers must have acquired their Golden Deep Citizenship.
* A Golden Deep Consular Officers are more often than not highly esteemed merchants, or a membership holding, carefully vetted synthetic made to engage as a diplomatic bridge between business partners.
* You are recommended to promote the Golden Deep affiliates in the Republic of Biesel, as well as seeking out synthetics for purchase under the Golden Deep umbrella.
* A membership within Golden Deep is not to be given lightly and Consular Officers are responsible for ensuring that any IPCs inducted into the group can increase its prosperity.

=== [[Coalition of Colonies|Coalition of Colonies Consular Officer]] ===

* As a Representative of the expansive CoC, you are entrusted to act as the link between all the members of the CoC, their populace, and the Coalition as a whole. You are likely to interact with a wide range of people, so Coalition Consulars are normally excellent at conflict resolution and problem solving.

[Epsilon_Ursae_Minoris|Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris]]
* As a Representative of the CT-EUM, you are entrusted to act as a link between all nations of the CT-EUM, their people, and the CT-EUM as a whole.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Species Consulars/Liaisons Permitted
|-
!
! Humans
! Skrells
! Unathi
! Tajara
! IPCs
! Dionae
! Vaurca
|-
!NT Liaison
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Tau Ceti
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|-
!PRA
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!DPRA
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!NKA
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Hegemony
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|-
!Dominia
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Zavodskoi Interstellar
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!PMCG Rep.
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Idris Rep.
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Heph Rep.
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Zeng-Hu Rep.
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Orion
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" |
|style="background-color:red;" |
|-
!Nralakk
|style="background-color:red;" |
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!CT-EUM
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== Embrace The Bureaucracy ==
So, your shoes are polished, your tie is on straight, your stamp is inked up and there’s a full cup of coffee on your desk - what now?

:Typically, the broad duties of a Representative can be sorted into three major categories:

# '''Awareness''': Doing activities to spread awareness of your [[#Interest Groups|Interest Group]] is a very good idea to keep everyone happy, and most importantly, informed. A good representative might give seminars on the virtues and upsides of their Interest Group, or a Consular Officer might do a QnA or trivia for their faction. Get creative with it, and remember that certain factions will be trying harder than others, such as the PRA or Hegemony.
# '''Oversight''': Doing activities that keep members of your [[#Interest Groups|Interest Group]] happy is also a good idea. If a member of said Interest Group is unhappy, take them in and work out ways to make it better, such as talking to ship Command to improve the situation. In order for that to work, a Representative needs to be keeping track of members of their Interest Group, in ways such as PDAing to check in, or calling them in to your office for a [[Vampire|chat]].
# '''Protest''': Activities taken in response to mistreatment. An example would be contacting the [[Captain]], [[Executive Officer]], or [[Job_Guides#Security|Security]] when you suspect someone from your [[#Interest Groups|Interest Group]] is in danger or has been wronged. Another would be vocally protesting in response to someone from your [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]] being arrested, even going as far as to negotiate for their release, or lessening of their punishment. '''Do not push this or it may''' [[#Directive 12|lead to trouble!]]

Before you sign on for that first shift, recognize a hard truth about '''Representatives''': you are not, strictly speaking, a necessary component of the ship’s crew. By yourself, you cannot permit, prevent, or enforce just about anything. You are barely even a part of the ship's crew.

Your ability to effectively do your job therefore relies on your ability to communicate with the ship’s various [[Job_Guides|Departments]], and [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|ship Command]]. Having good working relationships with the crew also makes it more likely that they will come to you with their problems, or report things to you, rather than leaving you to hunt for them, or to sit at your desk contemplating your coffee all shift.

:In order to help build those working relationships, there are a few things Representatives should try to do.

#'''Do Spread Awareness''': The only way you're going to get ship Crew on your side is if you get involved with the Crewmembers aboard the Horizon, in whatever way you may choose to do so, or your [[#Interest_Group|Interest Group]] entails.
#'''Do Not Cause Trouble''': You are here with the express permission of [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Ship Command]] and NanoTrasen, a permission that can easily be revoked, you don't want to test them, and any violation of [[Corporate Regulations]] should be strictly covert, if at all.
#'''Do Play Favorites''': It is the express purpose of your job to advocate for your [[#Interest_Group|Interest Group]], and thus, to play favorites. If you think that helping a Crewmember who is close to someone in it will aid in that, you should definitely do it if it fits your character. Though, you don't want others to know, as it could land you in trouble with a [[Security Officer]], and thus, [[Job_Guides#Station_Command|Ship Command]]. It could also violate [[Server Rules]] in extreme cases, if in doubt, adminhelp.

=== [[Guide to Station Procedure#Representatives and Consular Officers|Directive 12]] ===
"Command staff are expected to engage representatives through diplomacy and to consent to reasonable requests. The representative is not part of the ship chain of command. The representative is granted special status in relation to corporate regulations;"
* The representative does not serve brig time for low level infractions, the fine alternative can be used in those cases. The representative can serve brig time for medium and high level infractions, with command staff being able to contact Central Command requesting the revocation of the representative's privilege.
* The representative's office offers immunity to the representative. Security may not enter to conduct arrests under normal circumstances. Entering or refusing to exit the office is considered trespassing. The office's immunity may be revoked by the captain or a captain level decision.
Read more at: [[Guide to Station Procedure#Representatives and Consular Officers|Directives: Directive 12]].

== Traitoring ==
:This scenario is unlikely as the Corporate Liaison, as the Mindshield Implant all Liaisons are required to have prevents you from being brainwashed, However, if find yourself selected for traitor, congratulations! You are an antagonist trusted explicitly by your [[#Interest Group|Interest Group]], who will likely be thrilled to help you.

:Wield your bureaucracy against the company you've signed up to act within! The morphic clerical kit may be of use to a traitorous Representative, as the stamps it provides allow you to forge command staff approval of just about anything. Through this, you can stamp approval papers to your fellows, have them lie to [[Job_Guides#Command|Command Staff]] about who they got them from, and then procure anything they'd like, thanks to you. If anyone questions what you're doing, remind them that you have the best interests of your people at heart.

{{Guides}}
{{Jobs}}
[[Category:Jobs]]
[[Category:Command]]

Template:Navbox Lore

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Yonnimer: Adds EUM to the navbox

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! colspan="3" style="width: 10%; text-align: center; background-color: #404EBF" | [[:Category:Lore|<span style="color: white">Quick Navigation</span>]]
|-
! style="width: 5%" colspan="2"| [[:Category:Lore|Main Pages]]
| text-align="center" | '''[[Background summary|New Player Lore Starter Guide]]'''
|-
! style="width: 5%" colspan="2"| [[:Category:Lore|General]]

| align="center" | [[Languages]] · [[Interstellar Travel]] · [[Timeline]] · [[Bluespace]] · [[Template:Aurora Starmap|Starmap]] · [[SCCV Horizon| '''SCCV Horizon''']] · [[Deep Space]] · [[Guide to Law]] · [[Education]] · [[Guide to Citizenship | Citizenship]] · [[Technology]] <br> [[Template:2020_Event_Timeline|Arcs of 2020]] · [[Template:2021_Event_Timeline|Arcs of 2021]] · [[Template:2022_Event_Timeline|Arcs of 2022]] · [[Template:2023 Event Timeline|Arcs of 2023]]
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! style="width: 5%" colspan="2"| [[:Template:Navbox_Corporations|Corporations]]
| text-align="center" nowrap| [[File:II-teal.png|20px|link=]][[Idris Incorporated]] · [[File:EinsteinEngines2.png|20px|link=]][[Einstein Engines]] · [[File:SCC logo.png|20px|link=]][[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] · [[File:Nt-logo.jpeg|20px|link=]][[NanoTrasen Corporation]] · [[File:ORION SPUR LOGISTICS.png|25px|link=]][[Orion Express]] <br> [[File:ZH-lightpurple.png|20px|link=]][[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals]] [[File:Hephaestuslogo4.png|20px|link=]][[Hephaestus Industries]] · [[File:Zavodskoi Interestellar.png|10px|link=]][[Zavodskoi Interstellar]] · [[File:PMCGsmallogo.png|25px|link=]][[Private Military Contracting Group]]
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! style="width: 5%" colspan="2"| [[:Category:Factions|Major Factions]]
| text-align="center" nowrap| [[File:Sol Alliance Flag.png|20px|link=]][[Sol Alliance| Solarian Alliance]] · [[File:Republicofbieselflag.png|20px|link=]][[Republic of Biesel]] · [[File:Dominia Flag.png|10px|link=]][[Empire_of_Dominia|Empire of Dominia]] · [[File:Frontier Alliance Flag.png|20px|link=]][[Coalition of Colonies]] · [[File:Eridani Logo.png|20px|link=]][[Eridani_Federation|Eridani Federation]] · [[File:Elyra Flag.png|20px|link=]][[Republic_of_Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]] <br> [[File:PRA Flag.png|20px|link=]][[People's Republic of Adhomai]] · [[File:DiamondALA.png|20px|link=]][[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]] · [[File:New Kingdom of Adhomai.png|20px|link=]][[New Kingdom of Adhomai]] · [[File:Jargon flag.jpg|20px|link=]][[Nralakk Federation]] · [[File:Moghes porposal.png|20px|link=]][[Izweski Nation]] · [[File:Eum_flag.png|20px|link=]][[Epsilon_Ursae_Minoris|Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris]]
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! style="width: 5%" colspan="2"| [[:Category:Planets and Systems|Important Locations]]
| text-align="center" nowrap| <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Starmap 3.1.png|link=The Orion Spur|alt=|86px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[The Orion Spur| '''The Galaxy''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Pixel Planet Biesel1.png|link=Tau Ceti|alt=|95px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Tau_Ceti | '''Tau Ceti''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Pixel Planet Earth1.png|link=Sol|alt=|95px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;> [[Sol| '''Sol''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Pixel Planet Moghes1.png|link=Uueoa-Esa|alt=|95px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Uueoa-Esa| '''Uueoa-Esa''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Pixel Planet Adhomai1.png|link=Adhomai|alt=|95px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Adhomai| '''Adhomai''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Pixel Planet Oran1.png|link=Eridani Federation|alt=|95px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Eridani_Federation| '''Eridani''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Pixel Planet Xanu1.png|link=Xanu Prime|alt=|95px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Xanu Prime| '''Xanu Prime''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Pixel_Planet_Qerrbalak1.png|link=Qerrbalak|alt=|95px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Qerrbalak| '''Qerrbalak''']]</div></li>
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! style="width: 5%" colspan="2"| [[Background_summary|Races]]
| text-align="center" | <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Starter_skrell.png|upright=1|link=Skrell|alt=|110px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Skrell| '''Skrell''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Starter_tajaran.png|upright=1|link=Tajara|alt=|110px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Tajara| '''Tajara''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Starter_unathi.png|upright=1|link=Unathi|alt=|110px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Unathi| '''Unathi''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Starter_dionae.png|upright=1|link=Dionae|alt=|55px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Dionae| '''Dionae''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Starter_vaurca.png|upright=1|link=Vaurca|alt=|55px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Vaurca| '''Vaurca''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Ipc starter sane.png|upright=1|link=IPC|alt=|55px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[IPC| '''IPC''']]</div></li> <li style="display: inline-block; border:2px solid #ccc;"> [[File:Starter_borg.png|upright=1|link=Synthetics|alt=|51px]]<br><div style="font-size:115%; border:none; margin:0; padding:.1em; color:#000;>[[Synthetics| '''Synths''']]</div></li>
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'''FOLLOW THE NOTES WRITTEN INTO THE BACKEND AND KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!!!!!!! DO NOT EDIT THIS PAGE WITHOUT TESTING FIRST!!!!'''
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File:Eum flag.png

2023-04-12T22:15:57Z

Yonnimer: eum flag used in the navbox

== Summary ==
eum flag used in the navbox

User:Yonnimer

2023-03-27T20:21:04Z

Yonnimer: sand:b:ox

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=Epsilon Ursea Minoris=

Initially discovered by Skrell probes in 2342, Epsilon Ursea Minoris, or generally referred to as EUM, is a habitable world home to multiple Dionae civilizations and clusters. While not the homeworld of the species, EUM is the largest-known world to have been colonized exclusively by Dionae without contact or help from outside species, being home to the Dionae for thousands of years prior to discovery.
[[File:EUMDionae.jpeg|thumb|alt=Epsilon Ursae Minoris.|Epslion Ursae Minoris is a planet that can only be described as full of untold beauty.]]
History
==Pre-Contact==
The exact year Dionae landed on the planet is unknown, however, it is generally believed they arrived around ten thousand years ago through a Dionae meteorite that crashed in the site now known as Point Entry. The majority of EUM’s history is somewhat of a mystery as the Dionae inhabitants hadn’t had a system of writing for the majority of their history, instead of passing their stories and history down through a more oral tradition. This, along with artifacts discovered over the years are largely what is used to approximate their history.

What is known is that the majority of the planet’s civilizations and clusters were centered around Point Entry in the northern continent. Many of these original Dionae wandered the planet nomadically as they tried to find places of warmth and sunlight, with some eventually settling down to form permanent villages and cities. These villages were largely small and built-in places with a lessened ozone layer that allowed for a greater degree of UV light to hit the inhabitants below. One of the more notable aspects of these villages were the great towers and pillars built as a way to get closer to the entity many of the Dionae worshipped, the Sun. The towers were generally also capable of sending more light down below to the tower’s base, providing the inhabitants of the village with more life-giving energy. While these mega towers were often used only as temples and places of worship, some also incorporated them into their general architectural style, using the tops of the towers as houses and other structures and connecting them via bridges.

While a myriad of ancient religions did exist on the planet over the years, many had some form of sun-worship integral to them. Oftentimes it was to praise the sun for granting them life and the ability to thrive on the planet. The most practiced of these religions, the Light’s Accord, did rightfully believe they came to the planet from a crashed meteorite, believing the sun is the beacon that originally pulled the meteorite to land on the planet. Villages practicing the faith oftentimes built large towers to help feel they can be closer to the sun, as well as a way to radiate more light down below to other structures in the village. Some exceptions to this do exist however such as the Mada's religion of Marka, focusing more on the worship of nature.

==Contact==

The initial discovery of the planet was made in 2342 by the Nralakk Federation, sending probes down to scan what they believed was a habitable, albeit uninhabited planet. Upon discovering the planet was already populated by Dionae inhabitants, contact was made strictly forbidden. The discovery prompted the construction of an observation post in orbit of EUM, with the majority of the staff being that of Skrell, however, several Dionae were brought in attempts to decipher the society below. Observation would continue unhindered for roughly a decade before it was decided that first contact was necessary.

Despite plans being put forth, the Observation Post was too little too late. The Dionae of the Ozaka Gleaners had managed to conglomerate their Geras’ and eventually created a rather rudimentary satellite dish, resulting in a flurry of signals that sent the Observation Post haywire. The Dionae staff was quickly pushed to begin contact attempts, only having been considered concluded many months after the fact, with contact officially being established in 2390.

==Establishment Of The CT-EUM==
While the Nralakk Federation did largely wish to leave the planet to self-governance due to distance from the Federation and as a sort of experiment, The Federation did play a large part in uplifting the planet’s inhabitants and with the creation of the primary government of the planet, the CT-EUM, also known as the Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris. While each nation and city-state under the CT-EUM is technically independent, they agreed to elect a council to act on their behalf and interests to the galaxy as a whole, as well as settle any disputes members of the CT-EUM have with each other.

Since first contact and the establishment of the CT-EUM, parts of the planet have largely become more and more industrialized, shifting away from agricultural production and moving towards mining and refinement of natural resources on the planet. In recent years the CT-EUM has also begun to establish mining sites in the nearby asteroid fields and planets located within EUM’s solar system, as well as talks of purchasing nearby solar systems to mine and later sell their natural resources.

Perhaps to participate in the birth of a new nation or to escape the clutches of the authoritarianism of the Nralakk Federation, many Skrell have flocked to the EUM and helped Establish the city-state of Nral’Daaq, the only city-state of the CT-EUM not inhabited almost exclusively by Dionae on the planet. While some skrell do find themselves in the other nations and city-states of the planet, Nral’Daaq has become home to the vast majority of the planet’s alien population.
=Government=
After the onset of globalization, following the first contact, a united government formed, hailing themselves as the Co-Operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris, or CT-EUM. A highly decentralized entity, the CT-EUM is a confederation of autonomous city-states that both work together yet do compete with each other in certain matters, such as resources or influence. While the government of the CT-EUM is a democratic confederacy, the city-states themselves each can have their own forms of governance.
On a global level, the CT-EUM is run by a Council of Delegates, with a representative chosen from each city-state, based on the city-state’s own prerogatives. The exception to this is United, which does not have its own representative, acting as a neutral ground, and the capital of the CT-EUM as well as the center of the Council of Delegates. Should a problem arise, and arbitration is required between two or more city-states, United may elect a speaker to act on their behalf. Each city-state is entitled to off-world representation in whatever way they choose, but United still acts as a central governing body in the case of international affairs.
==Citizenship==
CT-EUM citizenship is fairly easily obtained compared to the way some other galactic nations handle theirs. The person applying must live on the planet, although they can leave without forfeiting citizenship. There are no issues with applying for citizenship with other nations and/or holding dual citizenship, notably, those from EUM can apply and hold dual citizenship with the Nralakk Federation and vice versa, those from the Federation can apply for CT-EUM citizenship and still hold their original Federation Citizenship.

While many nations and city-states under the CT-EUM do offer their own citizenship, CT-EUM citizenship is generally required to go off-world and be recognized as a citizen of the planet. Almost all nations of the planet, including the few not a part of the CT-EUM, allow for dual citizenship with both their own citizenship and CT-EUM citizenship.
==Economy==
The CT-EUM has a near-nonexistent federalized economy, instead being more reliant on the economy of the individual nations and city-states under it. The CT-EUM has no form of federalized currency, instead, most of the planet relies on barter and trade for internal commerce, with off-world trade typically being done with much the same, but may utilize credits and sqiip when necessary. Notably, United and Nral’Daaq almost exclusively use off-worlder currency for internal commerce but may resort to trading with the other nations of the CT-EUM.

The federal government of the CT-EUM does not impose taxes on most nations under it outside of taxes on off-world trading, although typical taxes are enforced on the residents of United, the planet’s capital.

For a more detailed breakdown of the economy of each individual nation under the CT-EUM, refer to their economy sections, here '''[link to notable nations & City-States]'''

==Politics==
===Faction Relations===

As a sovereign nation, The CT-EUM partakes in diplomatic ventures with other nations frequently, holding several permanent embassies in other nations, as well as hosting several in its own territory. For nations not listed below, diplomatic ties between them and the CT-Eum are near nonexistent, if at all occurring .
====Nralakk Federation====
As the nation that initiated first contact with the inhabitants of EUM, relations between the Nralaak Federation and the CT-EUM are quite high, to the point of being allies. The federation is the CT-EUM’s largest trade and tourism partner in the spur, and it is not uncommon for Federation citizens to seek dual-citizenship within the CT-EUM and reside there for some time, primarily in the city-state of Nral’Daaq.

A defensive pact exists between the two nations whereas if one nation is attacked the other will come to their aid in some capacity, although this pact is somewhat one-sided as the Federation is vastly more powerful compared to CT-EUM, both in military strength and economy. Per the pact, the Federation is also allowed a number of outposts and fleet-basing rights within CT-EUM territory. While integration into the Federation has been proposed in the past, neither side has shown much interest in it. Most nations under the CT-EUM have little interest in joining the Federation as many prefer their semi-autonomous status under the CT-EUM and would rather not be forced to conform to Federation practices if integrated. The Federation meanwhile prefers to keep them more as a buffer state, putting some extra distance between the Federation and Solarian space, as well as using them as a safe bridge or layover state to travel to other human nations such as the CoC.

Whilst still under the CT-EUM, The City-state of Nral’Daaq is home to a myriad of Federation-born Skrell, and as such, the city is highly influenced by Federation ideals, although is still contested by much of the city’s anti-federation Skrell population. More information on the city can be found, here '''[link to the city’s section]'''
====Solarian Alliance====
Prior to the Alliance’s fracturing into several warlord states, relations between the Alliance and the CT-EUM did exist in a somewhat weary state, with the CT-EUM being concerned over a possible Solarian attack on its borders and the Alliance not caring for a nation of Dionae to be on its borders. This weariness never resulted in any wars or notable engagements but did result in both nations having a mildly fortified border. While the CT-EUM did allow for a Solarian Embassy, the feeling was not mutual, and no EUM embassy ever existed on Alliance soil. While official trading was infrequently done between the two nations, independent Solarian merchants have commonly done business in CT-EUM territory, purchasing goods to later sell back in Sol space, most notably on Konyang prior to its defection to the CoC.

Since its founding, many Dionae over the years have attempted to flee Solarian space and into CT-EUM territory to escape the former’s brutal treatment of the Dionae species, wishing to gain freedom away from the forced debt placed on Dionae born within Sol territory. The CT-EUM does unofficially accept all refugees into its territory, and will commonly remove or replace the Nymph Registration Chips implanted within them. Most of these refugee Dionae will end up either in the capital of the CT-EUM, United, or in a small colony or outpost somewhere within its borders. Outside of United, Solarian Dionae tend to be met with slight skepticism amongst CT-EUM Dionae as they’re typically viewed as being very strange due to being influenced completely by Solarian humans, and are oftentimes met with slight wariness over concerns of spies and infiltrators.

After the fracturing of the Alliance, relations between EUM and the remnants of the Sol government have almost completely ceased. Diplomacy is seldom done with the successor states, with the only notable instance being with the SRF, or Solarian Restoration Front.
=====Solarian Restoration Front=====
Owing to the SRF’s rather xenophobic views, relations between the SRF and CT-EUM are quite hostile, but have not resulted in any conflict or battle thus far. Communication between the two is next to non-existent, with no diplomatic channels or embassies existing between the two groups. In an attempt to avoid any conflict from breaking out during the Sol Alliance’s collapse into several warlord states, The CT-EUM abandoned several of its claimed systems along its Sol border to create a sort of “No man’s land” between them, still preferring to keep their border behind it secured with several outposts and defensive stations. As of yet, no SRF vessels have attempted to invade or attack CT-EUM territory, primarily as a lack of interest in fighting both EUM and the Federation due to their mutual defensive pact over a small lump of mostly undeveloped territory and concerns over Biesel or the CoC getting involved if a war should be declared.

====Coalition Of Colonies====
Being one of the two nations with borders connecting to the CT-EUM, relations between the Coalition Of Colonies and the CT-EUM are peaceful. Trade and tourism are common between the two nations, and, due to the CT-EUM having duel borders with the CoC and Federation that are considered to be safe to travel through, CoC traders and tourists frequently use the CT-EUM as a sort of safe “bridge” to get between the two without having to go through the disorganized human frontier or having to go through Solarian territory.
====Republic Of Biesel====
Relations between the Republic of Biesel and the CT-EUM are quite cordial, with trade being somewhat commonplace between the two nations. While not the most commonplace due to the distance between the two, tourism does mutually occur. Both Human and non-human Bieselite tourists commonly visit United and Nral’Daaq, as well as use EUM territory as a pitstop on their way to either visit the CoC or visit the Federation. Notably, EUM citizens are still required to get Nymph Registration Chips if they wish to visit Biesel territory, and while the EUM government has made push backs against the policy, the policy has remained in place.

The Eternal Temple is often in contact with the CT-EUM, primarily through United, where priests from both the Orthodox and Blood Eternals visit. The Iron Eternal is sparsely present, however, due to the proximity of the Federation, and their views on Synthetics.
====The Hegemony====
As a result of the sheer distance between CT-EUM and Hegemony territory, diplomacy between the two nations is light but does occur. To aid in combating the growing Moghes wastes, The CT-EUM has sent thousands of nymph seeds to Moghes in order to help clear radiation. Unathi
merchants and smugglers have been known to make a stop in CT-EUM territory to purchase some goods to resell elsewhere.

===Refugees===

Following the collapse of the Alliance, The destabilized regions in proximity to the CT-EUM began to bleed out shoals of refugees. In the initial years most that entered came out of circumstance, and arrived in a large wave that overwhelmed the infrastructure of the EUM. Since then, it’s slowed to a trickle, a significant portion of which comes from SRF territories.

Most of these refugees came as a consequence of their proximity to the region, or complications trying to vacate into other nations. It helps that the CT-EUM has generally more relaxed borders than the other nations in its vicinity. These refugees funneled into Nral’Daaq, and then further to United. Humans tend to make up the bulk of the refugees, and typically stay just long enough to broker passage to other parts of human space. Skrell have had the easiest time adjusting here, and more than any other demographic, elect to stay and pursue long term residence. Other aliens find themselves here, but like the humans they typically do not stay long. IPC's, if they come, are rejected outright due to the EUM's ties with the Federation.
Some of the arrivals are also political refugees. A few are from the fallout of the Alliance collapsing, but now, these are dissidents or non-humans that have either fled or been deported from the Solarian Reclamation Front's territory.

United and Nral’Daaq were unprepared for the influx of refugees, but nonetheless accepted them into the cities. Despite this, problems were quick to arise, as the means to facilitate these people were pushed beyond capacity. Tensions rose in Nral’Daaq between the Skrell that were more loyal to the Federation, and some of the Skrell refugees that were unwilling to return. Though neither United nor Nral’Daaq discriminated outright against the human minority, Their legislation and infrastructure did not support them. It was to the point that the IAC had to be requested to help.

Although it isn't as bad as it was when the Alliance first collapsed, the gradual trickle of people out of the wildlands remains a constant problem that the CT-EUM must account for. Following the immense strain on public resources in United and Nral'Daaq, The United Speaker requested additional support and a new supply chain to account for it: Mada provides food, the Ekane and Gleaners provide material goods and resources, and United and Nral’Daaq would continue to facilitate them.
=Notable Nations & City-States=
==Ancient Song==

One unifying aspect amongst Dionae from EUM is their distinct “accent”, Ancient Song, a variant of Rootsong with a slightly higher pitch with a slightly off-beat tempo when compared to Rootsong. Researchers are currently unsure if the accent had existed prior to the planet’s colonization by Dionae some thousands of years ago or if it was developed as a result of living off of trace amounts of radiation/sunlight for millennia on a planet, notably the latter theory has gained much more traction by both Federation and CT-EUM researchers.

==United==
Widely considered the capital of the CT-EUM, the city-state of United is the newest independent nation, formed alongside the formation of the CT-EUM, to act as a neutral meeting place for the Council of Delegates, and to represent the central governing body, as well as acting as a mediator between the two other city-states should a conflict arise. United is the second most-visited city on EUM after Nral’Daaq, and has influence from both off-world and the other city-states in its structure, and operation.

===City Structure===

United has influence from various sources in its structure, from both the other city-states, and Skrell from off-world. However, United is one of the smallest city-states, as it serves a very specific purpose for EUM, and only expands itself as necessary for its population. The city itself is divided into three major districts, with the three main functions of the city in mind. However, there are also minor districts dedicated to associated city-states. United’s main, yet smallest district is the Administration District, where the Council meets, and delegations from off-world are directed. The second and largest district is the Cultural Center. The final major district is the Residential Area, which is where both the long-term citizens and visitors will stay.

The Cultural Center is the most visited and economically important district for United, as well as being the most rapidly growing. It features various museums, galleries, archives, and landmarks, as well as shops and large parks, all of which account for the visitation that United sees. The Cultural Center works in tandem with the Residential Area, where most visitors will find hotels or other temporary residences, including religious housing in temples dedicated to either the Eternal or Light’s Accord, and on the outskirts are dedicated camping locations.

===Government===

United is similar to most city-states on EUM with an elected leader called the United Speaker. However, unique among the city-states is that they have no representative for the Council of Delegates. The reason for this is that United acts as a neutral area for the Council to meet, and allows for an impartial speaker. However, should the need arise, the United Speaker can oversee and mediate these meetings, as well as can act as a liaison off-world on behalf of the CT-EUM.

Only permanent citizens of United may elect the United Speaker, and the United Speaker remains so until they are no longer able to serve this purpose, or if they are voted out of the position by the Council of Delegates by unanimous vote. This has not had to happen yet, and the United Speaker remains to be an Argus by the name of Symphony of Uniting and Prosperous Resolutions, who has been in the position since its inception.

===Economy===

United is similar to Nral’Daaq in that they will trade in currency; sqiips and credits are common to be used, alongside the normal bartering system. There are no major exports or meaningful production within the city, however. Instead, the city-state relies on their tourism to sustain itself, due to its status being the second-most visited city. Other city-states also retain some presence in their related districts, as well as the Administration District, which allows United to be a trading center between individuals from every city-state.

The Cultural Center is the primary district that is integral to the economy of United. Rather than relying on production, the district instead features museums, art galleries, and archives, which attract visitors to see either the history of the planet, or the unique art that the Dionae are capable of. The protected parks and landmarks also act as a secondary attraction for tourists, with the most notable landmark being not in the Cultural Center, but in the Administration District where the spire the Council of Delegates meets in. Finally, in both the Cultural Center and the individual minor districts are bazaars and shops, where one can buy or trade for souvenirs both from United or the other city-states.
===Tourism===
United sees the majority of tourism on the planet, next to Nral’Daaq, mostly from Skrell and Humans, as well as the occasional foreign Dionae, the most notable of which are Eternal Priests which come from the Eternal Temple. Outside these three, however, the tourism of other species drops, with Unathi being more present on EUM to trade, rather than Tourism, and Tajara being an uncommon sight in the area mixed with an unpleasant environment for them. Vaurcae are rare, mostly being seen as part of diplomatic attachments from the C’thur Hive, and the Nralakk Federation.

The main appeal of United’s tourism lies in the unique architecture and art that Dionae are capable of. Forma of either type is common all across United, and the warning stones remain an attractive landmark for visitors. The museums showcase unique aspects of the history of EUM, of all the city-states through a combined effort. Finally, the archives are run in tandem with the museums and chronicle the history of EUM. Though there is some influence in various structures from the Skrell, a lot of buildings retain the more traditional structure that the city-states have. The city as a result, has a mix of a rustic, and overall natural look where the structures are very plant-like in aesthetic, while still maintaining a somewhat urban appearance that is somewhat more common in Nral’Daaq from the Nralakk Federation’s own architecture. Another notable reason for the tourism is also with the most prominent feature of the city-state, which is the lack of any real corporate presence. There are no major corporate areas in United as of yet, and this ‘untouched’ aspect can be a draw to many outside the system. Despite this, there are minor offices and recruitment centers, for most SCC affiliated Megacorporations.

The appeal of nature is shown in the multiple protected parks, and camping areas. Inside the city, in nearly every district, are protected parks with no urban influence. On the outskirts of the city lie camping areas for those who would wish to brave the elements.

===Resident Characteristics===

United is far from what its name implies, in terms of individual characteristics. Dionae from United can be many different mindtypes and appearances, due to the nature of being a cultural melting pot on the planet. Despite this, it's not uncommon for Emphatic Echoes and Singular Sound gestalts, and those from United are often more social and outgoing, which stems from the tourist industry.
==Gleaners Of Bliss==
The Gleaners of Bliss is a large, religious city-state that is known for its imperialistic attitude. The The Gleaners are among the oldest of the city-states and were one of the first to put forth the idea of the CT-EUM on first contact. Before, and during, its inception, the Gleaners have expanded their influence on numerous other city-states, both in and out of the CT-EUM. Now, the Gleaners are the most outspoken proponents of expanding the CT-EUM offworld.

===The Peaks That Glean The Heavens===

Often known Colloquially as “The Peaks”, The Peaks that Glean the Heavens are a mountain range that served as a cradle for the Gleaners’ civilization. Away from the destructive monsoons and earthquakes of the mainland, the Proto-gleaners sought out its steep cliffs and fertile valleys as a means to get away from the unstable terrain of the mainland. Farming came from the valleys, ore came from the mountains, and a desire to reach the heavens came from the peaks.
===City Structure===
Out of all the city-states on EUM, the Gleaners are the most Ordered. Tall buildings are common due to the majority faith of the Light’s Accord, which involves worship of the sun, and the buildings are made in order for the faithful to be closer to it. The tallest building is The First Temple. It resides at the highest peak of the tallest mountain in the range, and it is as deep as it is tall, to prevent the wind from sweeping it away. Sub-Acropolises dot the surrounding peaks of the First Temple’s mountain, each with their own temple venerating the Light’s Accord.

Rather than being split into varying districts, the city is built around the temples. As the city expands, more temples are built, and buildings are made around the temple. The layout can be confusing to outsiders, and getting lost in its twisting roads is a common occurrence. Even Dionae who are not native to The Peaks have difficulty navigating them. Despite this, however, These sub-Acropolis peak cities are ordered and structured in such a manner as to emulate the design of the First Peak. What is patently observable, even to outsiders, is the descending hierarchy built within every peak: The temple and priests reside at the top, politicians, diplomats, and the administration of Gleaner society work below. Going down further are where the mines begin, and where most Gleaner craftsmanship takes place. Bioluminescent flora covers the walls and interiors of the mountains, and stone dwellings and workstations are cut into the interior of the mountain to facilitate industry. At the base of the mountain is where Agriculture begins, if it’s on a side of the mountain that is arable. Otherwise, they remain barren. As for the towers that rise sprawling out from the Acropolis, those are reserved almost exclusively as residences for the cities’ people, and as is for the rest of the mountain, their occupants are organized in accordance with rank and hierarchy.
The twisting and turning nature of Gleaner Acropolis peaks is owed to their mining structure. Tunnels expand underground, with bioluminescent flora being used to light their way, all throughout the city. Each mining entrance is found directly connected to a Temple, and the tunnels themselves are highly organized and efficient, to the point that they have become main modes of travel within the city.
===Imperialism===

With globalization around EUM becoming more rampant, the Gleaners’ have only furthered their imperialistic aims. The Gleaners had already been known to push its ideas onto other city-states before first contact, and they have a number of minor city-states under their influence as a result. The incentive for this has mostly come as a consequence of the Gleaners running out of peaks to claim in their home range, and a desire to industrialize. This has become more common under the CT-EUM, where those city-states unaffiliated are often ‘encouraged’ to join the Gleaners. These cities under the Gleaners have come to be known as free-cities, and act semi-autonomously but still answer to the Gleaners. The key element that entices independent cities to join the Gleaners is their administrative capabilities. As if to spite their backwardness, the Gleaners are perhaps one of the most organized, incorrupt, and bureaucratically efficient polities on the planet; it is this efficiency that allowed them to project an entire city state across their entire mountain range. Those that join benefit from this system. However, these city states are not considered true gleaner settlements, and while they are typically governed by a small administrative class of actual Gleaners, they are for the most part, undisturbed so long as rents are made.
This imperialistic attitude is met with weariness from the other major city-states.
Those that come under the influence of the Gleaners say that they are met with fairness so long as the same is returned, however.

===Government===

The Gleaners’ government is composed of a democratically elected leader, who is ironically often seen as a sort of potentate, and their vassals under them who are from the city-states that were absorbed into or taken under the Gleaners’ rule. The leading ruler is called the Light’s Speaker, and is often the most pious Gestalt, who is in charge of the main faiths as well as the city-state. The Light’s Speaker is elected by the general populace, but approved by the temples. Under them are the various overseers of any place under outright control of the Gleaners, or under their sphere of influence. Like the Light’s Speaker, these are elected by the populace, and approved by the Light’s Speaker.

The overseers are in charge of their respective cities, as well as acting as an advisory role and vassals to the Light’s Speaker. This coalesces into a council, but the power remains in the Light’s Speaker. The overseers can bring up issues to be discussed and act as a liaison between their city and the rest of the council. One overseer is chosen as a Herald by the Light’s Speaker, and acts as the representative for the CT-EUM Council of Delegates.

===Economy===

Keeping in line with many traditional elements in the city-state, mining and farming are common throughout the Gleaners. While they lack any real industrial capabilities beyond this, they contain a large number of natural resources found on the mainland. However, policies by the Light’s Speaker are moving to increase their industrial potential. Most notably, is the attempt to nationalize the industries found in the other city-states, and have it all under the CT-EUM and the direct oversight of the Gleaners. This has been met with varying levels of success, with most of it found in mainland mining operations, and within United.

The Gleaners do not find much use for credits or sqiips, as they do not often directly trade with off-worlders. Instead, true to their nature of tradition, they partake in a barter-and-trade system, further hampering their nationalization attempts in certain industries, primarily in Nral’Daaq.
===Resident Characteristics===
Centuries of isolation within their polis has created a climate that praises individuality in service of the collective. In order to run a society as large as it is in their harsh, mountain climate, it required a division of labor and hierarchy among gestalts to make it happen. Gestalts even at an argus size are incredibly rare, and most Gleaners divide or bud into individual Cerberus or Cyclops forms.

The distribution of mind types is stratified across the Gleaners’ hierarchy: Those in agriculture or mining tend to be singular sound. Skilled laborers, specialists, and parts of the bureaucracy tend to be Competence Choir. Those at the top of their hierarchy are Tyrannical Tune, who interestingly enough, organize themselves internally as though they themselves are the city itself, with the controlling nymph resting at the top as the symbolic priest.

All begin in the mines, and as a consequence of this, all Gleaners bear semblances to mushrooms and fungi. Owing to their success in the mountains, Gleaners tend to dress opulently, with flowing robes and cloaks adorned with metals and gems. Such accessories are designed to be easily removed, as sunbathing is still important to them.

Discounting the new member states, all Dionae within the Gleaner city-state are all effectively related to one another, thanks to their isolation. Because of this, it has generated a strong in-group preference, and a division between them and the rest of the CT-EUM. Outside of other Gleaners, most will refuse to merge with other gestalts who are not their own. On matters of blood, they remain skeptical and wary of consuming alien blood, for fear of it influencing their decisions.

When a Gleaner grows to the size of a Cyclops, they are given a necklace called a “Branched Blossom” made up of smaller interlocking necklaces called a “Branch”, each engraved with the first word in a nymph’s name. If a nymph leaves or merges with a gestalt they are expected to bring their Branch piece engraved with their name to be connected with the gestalt’s Branched Blossom. It is an artifact of pride for most Gleaners, and those who travel abroad always carry it for its significance.

===Colonization===

Imperialistic paradigms on the homeplanet differ greatly from the Gleaners’ stance when it comes to colonization. Whereas the Gleaners are content to be a niche administrative class in the puppet cities they occupy on the main continent, their colonies consist exclusively of Dionae sourced from their home city, as an extension of their home collective. They naturally have the strongest incentive to expand, as their mountain range is reaching capacity. Given their technological deficiencies, most colonization operations are undertaken by commissioning third parties outside of the EUM to ferry and transport colonists and what they will need. The Gleaner collective typically selects for planets with stable environments that resemble their mountain ranges. Initial plans are to concentrate on mining, as the gleaners presently lack the technology and infrastructure to facilitate agriculture on any planets except grove worlds.

==Nral’Daaq (Yonnimer)==

Playing host to the vast majority of the planet’s non-dionae population, Nral’Daaq is a city-state under the CT-EUM that is known for being the planet’s hub of off-world trading, as well as for its quite diverse majority-skrell population, with both Pro-Federation and Anti-Federation Skrell calling the city home. Due to the city’s border with the sea, Nral’Daaq is also a quite popular trading spot for the Ekane, with the vast majority of their goods ending up in the city to be later resold off-world.

===City Structure===

The city is somewhat divided between the more developed areas around the Federation Embassy and near the city’s sea border and the less developed areas further away. Those in the more developed areas tend to be more favorable towards the Federation, meanwhile, those in the less-developed areas tend to hold more negative views on the Federation. The Federation itself does own a notable number of houses within the developed side of the city, allowing federation citizens with a high social credit score to reside in them. Some controversy has formed around this, with non-federation citizens of the city claiming the Federation wishes to take over the city by pushing out federation-opposed residents by taking over the housing market.

The city is divided into six districts, with three of the districts sitting in the more developed side of the city and three in the less developed section.

The city itself is a mix of Dionae and Skrell architecture, with the older and less-developed sections of the city being more akin to something seen in a Gleaners city and the more modern sections being influenced more by traditional skrellian architecture. While most of the city does remain above water, several of the city’s famous tourist destinations, hotels, and expensive housing lie beneath the depths of the ocean.

====Ruqax’Daaq University====
Named after the city’s founder, Ruqax’Daaq Xolualo, Ruqax’Daaq University is the planet’s largest institution of higher education, and the only one present in the city. The university was initially founded only three years after first contact was made between EUM and the Skrell, with the initial purpose being to both aid in educating the planet’s Dionae population, as well as give a place for prospective skrell anthropologists to get more hands-on experience with the planet’s Dionae residents.

In modern times the university is known for specializing in the education of cultural anthropology, as well as sociology and international relations-equivalent degrees. The pacing and difficulty of the university’s classes tend to be more relaxed compared to other Skrell-founded universities, as such those looking to gain the prestige of having a degree gained from the Skrell university without the large amount of hassle or need to reside within the Federation will sometimes seek an education here. Most notably, a small number of human students from the CoC and Republic of Biesel do attend the university for the aforementioned reason, with the rest of the university’s students primarily being Skrell and Dionae.

The Federation does partially help fund the University through donations and paying for the Education of some Federation citizens wishing to attend the university, with the University in turn disallowing any classes to be taught that may be anti-federation in nature, or for anti-federation demonstrations to take place on campus grounds.
===Government===
The city is run by an elected council of delegates, the Nral’Daaq City Council, with each representing one of the city's six districts, as well as a mayor who is elected by the entire city’s populace. While the mayor is the de-facto head of state for the city-state, the council is capable of vetoing and outright removing the mayor if deemed necessary through majority decision, otherwise, no governmental positions hold any sort of term limit, and elections are held once every 10 years. The current mayor of the city, Loxul’Qerxoa Xolualo, has remained as the city’s current mayor for the past two terms and has somewhat infamously been openly pro-federation as a member of the SUP, enacting a myriad of laws aimed at protecting and benefiting Federation citizens and SUP members, while also attempting to restrict freedom of speech and defend against anti-federation movements and demonstrations.

Elections are held through a system of ranked-choice voting, with only citizens of the CT-EUM who live within the city limits being permitted to vote. Three notable political parties are present within the city; The Stars United Party, a party with generally pro-federation that also believes in more regulated trading and currency, as well as socialized infrastructure, healthcare, and general public services such as law enforcement. The other major political party, the Stars Freedom Party, is generally favored by those with more anti-federation sentiments. The SFP pushes for more relaxed trading and currency laws, as well as more privatized infrastructure and social services. While still a minority party, the Wreshin Party, named after the supposed author of the Deathflower Journal, is considered significant as a moderate party, with both of the other major political parties attempting to lobby and persuade Wreshin Party voters to pick them as their second-ranked choice. Notably, the Wreshin Party is the top choice for the majority of Nral’Daaq’s Dionae population, especially of those native to the planet who moved to the city. Wreshin party policies tend to be more centered on the domestic issues of the city over anything international or off-world, with the party wishing to expand Nral’Daaq industry and territory to extend to more than just the city limits, both through land and sea.

Notably, all three parties do support the independence of the CT-EUM and Nral’Daaq as a city-state under it, although the SUP does push for the CT-EUM to have closer ties with the Nralakk Federation.

====Political Discourse====
As a result of the city’s quite divided political landscape, political demonstrations and protests are often held. Anti-federation protests have been a frequent sight outside Federation-owned buildings, notably the main embassy located in District 1. In an attempt to curtail these demonstrations, several laws have been enacted by more pro-federation mayors that attempt to restrict anti-federation public gatherings, as well as provide additional funding and equipment to the city’s police force. In recent years more permanent checkpoints and blockades have been established on both district borders and towards politically-important buildings.
===Economy===
Lacking any major industries, Nral’Daaq makes the majority of its income through acting as an intermediary for the planet’s off-world trading, trading for goods produced by the other nations of the CT-EUM and selling them off-world whilst using the profits made to buy goods to later use in trade with the other nations, beginning the cycle anew. Unlike the rest of the CT-EUM, in-nation commerce is more in line with the rest of the spur’s commerce, using a currency rather than through barter and trade, with the primary currency of Nral’Daaq being the skrellian sqiip.

The city’s second main source of income is tourism and short-term residencies. Helped immensely by the feelings of familiarity and “homeyness” with the city’s focus on skrellian architecture and design, Nral’Daaq has become a popular choice for skrell wishing to visit other planets outside the Federation, viewing the city as an alluring layover locale whilst visiting other parts of the planet. Most skrell visiting the planet choose to stay in the city for only a few days or weeks as a common tourist before moving on, some do end up staying for years as temporary residents, usually done by skrell staying on the planet for some academic purposes such as attending the city’s university or as a researcher studying some aspect of the planet.
===Resident Characteristics ===
Dionae characters from Nral’Daaq tend to share physical characteristics with skrell, such as head tails and more skrell-like eyes on the head. Dionae who tend to have a more positive favor of the Nralakk Federation tend to have more harmonious mind types more favored by the Federation such as the Competence Choir Harmonious Hymn and are likely to seek dual-citizenship within the Federation. Those with more negative federation sentiments tend not to have any particular bias towards any specific mind types in particular.

Skrell and Dionae hailing form Nra’daaq will typically have names normal for the species respectively, although the latter may include skrellian aspects similar to those hailing from the Federation

==Mada (Yonnimer)==
Primarily located in the great forests of the Mede Region on EUM, The Mada are a semi-independent nation under the CT-EUM known for their isolationist beliefs and their religious worship of nature, with a focus on plant life in particular. Rather than all be situated in one singular city, the Mada are fairly spread out in the region, inhabiting a myriad of small settlements. The Capital, Elder Mada, is the largest settlement under the Mada, but not by a large margin.
===Maraka Religion & Culture===
The Mada religion, translated as Maraka, is practiced by the majority of Mada citizens and has two core tenants central to its practitioners; Spirits are created through the continued absorption of sunlight, the more sunlight absorbed the stronger these spirits become, chlorophyll and anything capable of producing it are considered blessed, as they have an increased potency when it comes to creating powerful spirits, doubly so if nurtured and protected. This means that most forms of plant life are considered holy to the Maraka religion, harming or killing a developing or still-living plant is considered taboo, but once naturally dead there’s no issue with consuming it or utilizing it for any other purpose.

The nature of Maraka spirits is not fully known to practitioners of the faith, with it being constantly debated amongst priests, what is known is that they are created when sunlight is absorbed by some sort of living entity, and become empowered the longer the entity is exposed to sunlight. Once the entity hosting the spirit dies, the spirit moves on, sometimes leaving some form of boon or gift when doing so. For weaker spirits, it’s believed these boons tend to be incredibly minor and hard to notice, such as an extra flower blooming on a vine, or an extra few raindrops during a storm. Boons from stronger spirits tend to be more noticeable, such as a rainstorm during a drought, or influencing a species’s evolution in some regard. It’s believed that life starts on a planet as a result of an extremely powerful spirit bestowing life to water, creating the first life on a planet, with stronger spirits influencing them over millennia through boons that influence life’s evolution.

Maraka practitioners believe that spirits should be given the chance to grow as powerful as possible before its host’s death, and as such a life should rarely be taken unless absolutely necessary such as in the case of something being eaten as sustenance, this includes the lives of animals and plants but with an emphasis on the latter.

Priests do exist for the Maraka religion but do not belong to any sort of centralized church, instead largely being left alone to preach to their local villages, although they are expected to carry out orders given to them by the rulers of the Mada, the Triumvirate. The oldest priest in a village is generally referred to as a high priest, they are the ones to receive orders for a village from the Triumvirate and generally act as the village’s mayor, but otherwise will act as a normal priest. Maraka priests largely devote themselves solely to protecting and nurturing the plant life around them, religious protesting is rarely done, and there is no form of mass, but religious gatherings may occur when an incredibly large plant or tree is believed to be near death, when this happens the priests taking care of it may hold a festival that lasts until either the plant or tree is dead, or if they come to the conclusion that it was a false alarm. These festivals have been known to go on for several years, if not several decades in certain cases.

Maraka practitioners notably believe that the best way to obtain knowledge is through the consumption of meat and flesh over blood, but only the flesh of the dead, not the living. This puts them somewhat in line with the beliefs of the Blood Eternal, but in a more pacifistic way. No religious significance is given to the consumption of dead flesh or dead plants, but neither is considered taboo.
===Culture===
Mada culture and religion are one in the same, as nearly all Mada citizens are practitioners of the Marka faith or small offshoots of it. Mada society is primarily focused on the nurturing of plant life, although with more of a focus on quality over quantity, preferring to give plants the chance to thrive and live long lives rather than a focus on growing as many as possible.

Mada technology is overall very rudimentary compared to the rest of EUM, being roughly equivalent to the human neolithic era, although in recent years the Mada have begun to trade with other EUM-states for more advanced forms of technology such as radios and automated vehicles.

Without the ability to mine for rocks and ore to build things with, the Mada have developed a method in which they can mold trees and other forms of plantlife into a desired shape, this can range from something as small as a piece of clothing or small furniture to something as large as a house, with most Mada structures being molded trees made to resemble a building, notably these structures lack of a roof, allowing sunlight to seep inside
===Government===
The Mada government is an Autocracy ruled over solely by a single Cerberus gestalt known as “Elder Triumvirate Of The Ageless Evergreen ”, who has ruled over the Mada since its modern inception as a nation. As the sole ruler of the Mada, all laws and policies not mandated by the CT-EUM are instead enacted by Triumvirate. The exact mind type and internal structure of Triumvirate is unclear but seems to be some form of Singular Sound, with all three nymphs that make up the Triumvirate speaking at once with no pauses for internal discussion.

While not considered members of the Mada Government, Speakers are generally considered to be in charge of individual Mada settlements, they are expected to ensure things run smoothly in the settlement, quotas are met if imposed, and criminals are dealt with when they rarely arise. To keep up to date with Triumvirate’s newest edicts, individual nymph runners will commonly go between villages to spread news, usually directly to the Speakers, who will then convey it to the settlement’s inhabitants.

When a Mada citizen commits a crime they’re often left with one of two choices, to either have their gestalt be split apart and be forced to have their nymphs join other gestalts, or to be exiled from Mada lands altogether.

===Economy===
The Mada are known for being one of the economically weakest nations in the CT-EUM, with very little being exported or imported. Most goods produced will either be used internally in the settlement that produced it, or later be sent to the Triumvirate as tribute, who is largely responsible for anything that gets exported or imported into the nation. What goods are exported are largely considered exotic artisan goods such as furniture and art made by molding trees into the desired shape, or some rather meticulously made clothing known for being vibrant and colorful, usually adorned with leaves, flowers, and vines.
===Resident Characteristics===
Mada Dionae will generally have a mind type that prioritizes a singular leader and/or discourages individuality within the gestalt, commonly Tyrannical Tune or Singular Sound mind types. Mada Dionae will commonly decorate themselves with some sort of floral or plant life such as flowers, leaves, and vines. They may also have widespread tattoos on the body, generally of religious nature that display some depiction of plant life and flowers.

===Mada Colonization===
As a result of the Mada’s culture and religion being centered around the large, lush forest they reside in, the Mada have not made any large-scale pushes for off-world colonization, largely leaving them out of the current conflict and disputes between United, the Gleaners, and the Ekane in their drives to colonize off-world territory. Rather than a focus on territory or resources, the Mada are only concerned with planets they deem lush and capable of sustaining a great deal of life forms and vegetation, leaving them scarce of colonization candidates, although recent experiments have begun to attempt to terraform desolate planets so that they are able to sustain life indefinitely.

The Mada have only two colonized possessions to speak of, those being the colonies on the planets of Garden of Endless Wilds and Distant Hope. Dionae from both worlds almost exclusively follow the main Mada culture and religion, as such they primarily share the same resident characteristics of the Mada. Both worlds are still bound to the laws and regulations of the CT-EUM government but are still considered to be under the Mada rather than under the direct control of the federal government.
====Garden of Endless Wilds====
The first world colonized by the Mada, Garden of Endless Wilds, commonly just referred to as the Mada Garden, is a desolate, mostly uninhabitable planet located within the EUM system, however, as a result of decades of terraforming efforts by the Mada, the world has slowly begun to become more habitable as the planet’s population slowly manages to give the planet a more liveable atmosphere and bring in plants and wildlife from outside worlds. These plants and wildlife are primarily situated in large artificial greenhouse structures to ensure their survival as well as help with terraforming efforts when it comes to providing and processing gasses necessary for a liveable atmosphere.

The planet does house a small, but notable Dionae population who primarily work to maintain the planet’s terraforming efforts. The planet is also regularly visited by Mada merchants who go out into the spur in search of specimens to bring back to the planet, primarily through trade or collecting them from uninhabited worlds.
====Distant Hope====
Distant Hope is a lush, habitable world situated a small number of lightyears away from the EUM system. The planet is primarily notable for its size, with the planet being nearly four times larger than that of earth, as well as for its high density of diverse plant life, marking almost the entirety of the planet as being covered by a thick, colorful jungle full of a myriad of notable distinct flora species. Importantly however the planet also lacks any form of flora, with no non-plant life being native to the planet, meaning the planet’s flora has largely been left undisturbed and without the need to evolve or adapt to survive outside of dealing with competing flora.

The planet’s Dionae population largely lives up in orbit rather than the planet itself, with only small communes being dotted across the planet to maintain particular regions and encourage floral growth. Anyone wishing to enter the planet, Dionae or not, must be vetted heavily to ensure they’re not bringing any dangerous contaminants down to the planet, or the possibility of them releasing something not native to the planet such as mice.

==Ekane Of Bottomless Waves (Zer0)==
The Ekane is a large city-state situated primarily on the seas, and scattered islands or coastlines. However the Ekane are most distinct for their migratory nature, with very sparse permanent settlements, most of which are found underwater, or near the shore. Instead, the Ekane are known to travel across the seas in large structures, called Ekane Arks, which house a majority of the Dionae, as well as where their leaders reside.

===The Ekane Arks===

The Arks themselves are large structures, more akin to a floating city than a ship of any regards. They house the majority of gestalts from the city-state, and is where most of the Ekane industry lies. Unlike most structures on EUM, the Arks are known to be more wide than tall, with taller spires being primarily where the leaders reside.

The Ekane Arks are divided into multiple strata, with a tall spire in the center and the four different strata around it. These are divided into an Industrial Stratum, a Refinery Stratum, a Research Stratum, and Residential Stratum. These strata are given roles and the whole of the Ark works together to work to maximum efficiency. Despite this, each stratum works mostly autonomously from the others, but they rely on each other to work to their peak efficiency. The Research Stratum houses most of their research efforts, and works mostly independently of the other three. There, they usually work on geological surveys or study biology and ecology. Recently as well, they have taken up archaeological work, with a joint effort with Nralakk Scientists. The Residential Stratum is where a majority of the gestalts live, and is where most recreation takes place. The Residential Stratum also contains bazaars for individual gestalts to trade with visitors.

Life is not particularly easy on the Arks, however, as EUM is plagued with constant rain and monsoons, as well as turbulent seas. Gestalts tend to respect those that have weathered these conditions for long periods of time, and eventually a respect based on the older, or more experienced developed around this idea.

===Government===

The Ekane have two distinct types of governance, based on whether the Dionae are on the Arks or in one of the few settlements they have. On the Arks, the eldest rules, and is followed by a council of the most experienced. The eldest will make most decisions, while the council runs as an advisory role, and can push forward anything they want to have done to the elder, or voice their opinions on an issue the elder will bring to them. The elders of the Arks come together to form another council, to elect from among themselves a representative for the Council of Delegates.

The settlements are run entirely by overseers of the most experienced gestalts. These overseers are chosen by the council on an affiliated Ark, but they act entirely autonomously from the Arks, as they are usually alone for long periods of time. The overseers coordinate most of the efforts on the settlement, and can act as a liaison for the Arks.

===Economy===

The Ekane are an industrial powerhouse on EUM, with most refining and production coming from their Arks. This has led to them being a massive trading partner with most of the other city-states, with their main exports going to Nral’Daaq and United, and most imports coming from the Gleaners. They operate primarily under a bartering system, like most of the city-states. However, their traders are also known to have more unusual trade offers, such as the trading of experiences or ideas for their goods. This as a result leaves them to be an often well-informed city-state on what goes on around the rest of the CT-EUM.

===Resident Characteristics===

Ekane gestalts revere experience and knowledge, with the most experienced being typically in charge on the planet. This leads to the Ekane having a notable respect for Skrell in their dealings with Nral’Daaq. Because of this respect, it's not uncommon for Ekane to sport headtails similar to the Skrell. Other notable appearances is the presence of thick bark around the head, and they’ll often feature a thick ‘beard’ to the point their head is immobile. Most of the time, Dionae from Ekane have Seasoned Song mindtypes, but it's not unusual for them to also have Scholarly Song mindypes. Competence Choir is common from their mining settlements as well.

===Ekane Colonization===

With the Ekane scarcely using permanent cities, their colonization was done less for territory, and more for influence and resources. The Ekane continued their nomadic ways, where instead of permanent settlements, opting for mobile Space Arks, made from repurposed asteroids, and would often travel between asteroid fields for resources. Their target for permanent settlements are often dwarf planets, and large planetoids, more used to claim a specific region and set up long term mining. They have influence over a large region of space, but little in the way of maintaining their hold on it.

Though the Ekane’s permanent holdings are sparse, their largest, most developed colony is in an asteroid field named the Ebony Fields. Located near a nebula close to EUM, they harvest minerals and acts as a hub for offworld Ekane traveling separate from an Ark.

Mining and research are the main factors of Ekane colonization, as well as off-world trade. Their most notable trade partners are Voidtamer groups that will occasionally pass through their territory, trading in resources and experience for fauna, which the Ekane will trade to Mada and United.

==Celestial Station (Yonnimer)==
The first and largest space-bound outpost established by the CT-EUM government, Celestial Station is notable as a major trading hub for EUM’s nations, often being used as a large marketplace for potential sellers and buyers from both EUM and elsewhere to do business, as well as a hub for mining operations undertaken on nearby asteroids. While nominally under the direct control of the CT-EUM federal government, Celestial Station has as of late begun to make efforts to gain independence away from the Federal government’s direct control as a colony, instead attempting to become a semi-independent city-state under the CT-EUM government much like the other city-states under it.
===Government===
While technically a colony under the CT-EUM Federal government, still being required to adhere to all its laws and regulations, Celestial Station does have a localized government comprised of a public forum and a small council that presides over it known as the Celestial Council. Once every EUM season, the forum will be open for the station’s inhabitants to bring up grievances and suggestions, with a vote being held by the inhabitants giving a simple yay or nay to the topic. The Council, comprised of fifteen gestalts who are voted on once every fifteen seasons, resides over the forum to ensure it remains civil and orderly, as well as ensuring that laws and regulations passed during the forum session are mainly known to the station’s inhabitants.

Several factions do exist within the forum, with Dionae who originally hail from another nation within the CT-EUM typically banding together to create a form of a political party to help promote their ideologies and beliefs within the station. While far from unified, recently a push from almost all of the large forum factions has been made to try and demand their status as a colony under the Federal government be changed, and instead become a semi-independent city-state under the Cooperative Territories, with some backing coming from the other city-states as they try and gain more influence over the station, viewing it as a valuable asset in the efforts of gaining a foothold out in space while also taking away some power from the Federal government, with the Ekane and Mada being the largest supporters of this semi-independent movement.
===Economy===
The economy of the Station is largely built around three things; mining exports, sales taxes from both visiting merchants and the station’s inhabitants, as well as the profit made from the station’s amenities.

The station is known to house a large number of miners who will go out to nearby asteroids in search of valuable ore and building materials, as well as a small fleet of scavengers who will go out in search of derelicts both in and outside of EUM borders in search of anything they deem valuable to be sold. The station’s merchants will typically buy what is brought in from the miners and scavengers as well as goods imported from EUM itself and sell them to other merchants visiting the station, as well as purchase anything they can resell back to the planet for a profit. While not making up a large part of the station’s economy, the station does have a large and noteworthy service staff offering food and entertainment to those visiting the station, with the food made on the station being notable not for the taste, but the appearance and general creativity of the dishes made, focused more on the form of the food to make it as appealing as possible, or at least memorable.
===Culture===

While many of the Dionae hailing from Celestial Station originally hail from one of the city-states or nations located within the CT-EUM, a distinct culture has begun to develop within the walls of the station. Dionae from Celestial Station will generally act very sociable but have been known to be competitive and somewhat scheming, working constantly to try and haggle, outbid, and out-succeed against their competition aboard the station, from the merchants trying to get more sales, to the chefs preparing more appetizing dishes, to the station’s miners trying to fulfill higher quotas, an overall sense of rivalry and competition fills the station, although in most regards this can be considered somewhat neutral if not friendly competition, with aggression rarely forming as a result of competition outside of the occasional heated argument. For visitors to the station, this notably has also meant that prices for things sold on the station tend to be quite fair as merchants try to attract people to their wares instead of others, as well as high-quality and creative food from the station’s service staff.

Outside of this, Dionae from Celestial Station will often still share some aspects of the culture pertaining to their nation of origin, such as still following the Mada religion or the Gleaner’s views on imperialism and rule. Perhaps as a result of, or possibly being the reason for the station’s form of governance, most Dionae hailing from Celestial station tend to be somewhat liberal in the way that their gestalt functions, trying to give everyone some voice in the way they go about things without an authoritarian head ruling them. As a slight consequence of this, many of the station’s inhabitants tend to dislike the current state of the station under the CT-EUM government, wanting a larger say in the federal government’s running and council outside of being stuck as a colony under the Federal government despite the station’s economic strength and political positioning.
===Resident Characteristics===
As a result of the station only being a few decades old at this point, with most Dionae immigrating to it rather than being born it, the majority of Celestial Station’s Dionae will still have the Ancient Song accent type, with other characteristics being shared with their home state's Dionae population, although notably, Dionae who have been on the station for some time tend to develop a less-authoritarian mind type as a result of being exposed to the station’s culture for some time, with merchants, service, and entertainment staff aboard the station notably having a tendency to develop the Empathic Echo mind type.
===Federal Colonies===
Most colonies in the CT-EUM are independently done by the respective city-states, with minimal influence from United, and the Council of Delegates. There are few colonies which belong to the Federal government, and those that do, are run by United.

United’s colonies often act as a trade hub, but also for establishing a link to the Council in the fringes of space. As the colonies of United are meant to facilitate other species alongside Dionae, they are often found on habitable planets, or in orbit. These colonies can become a catalyst for feuds, as another city-state takes interest in the territory, and may compete with each other for influence of the colony.

=The Eternal=

The Eternal have fickle origins within the CT-EUM, having established themselves as a represented state and junior member.

==History==

It started prior to the CT-EUM’s projection of an interstellar border, when sensor equipment the EUM had established to probe into their planned area of expansion picked up a yellow star system with an unusually large Cetus-class Gestalt in orbit. With the Nralakk Federation providing transport, first contact was established. The Gestalt called itself The Amalgamation of Lost Distant Souls, and while it was primarily constituted in the Croskian plains, it had managed to accrue gestalts from all throughout the Spur, each contributing their own separate, inexplicable story as to how they ended up there. Given that the Cetus was too large to move, and that it was secure in its current location, Diplomats further convened with the Cetus; it was given the option to be adopted as a junior member of the CT-EUM, with all the benefits being such entails. After months of gathering consensus, the Cetus accepted the offer.

As colonization began in earnest, the Cetus remained undisturbed by the Cooperative. Things changed, however, when The Amalgamation of Lost Distant Souls sent out a transmission announcing that it had rechristened itself as The Amalgamation of Enlightened Souls, and pledged itself to the Orthodox Eternal church, humming the Song of the Eternal for the remainder of the message.

Up until this point, the Eternal were tolerated as a foreign special interest group, restricted mostly to the more international ports and cities of the EUM. While they were an inconvenience at worst for adherents of the Mada, they were not considered enough of a disruption for the federal government to be concerned. This changed with the conversion of the Cetus, as now an entity big enough to be entitled to representation within the Cooperative turned Eternal.

Tensions immediately flared as members of the federal committee grew indecisive over whether or not the Cetus should remain integrated in their political system. One side believed things to be the start of a long religious intrusion into the member states’ way of life. Notable of this faction were the Ekane, with one representative chiding that it was all an elaborate scheme on the part of the Eternal to “build their own Orepit.” The other faction within the committee, by contrast, played for the middle, choosing to treat the Cetus’s conversion as a genuine choice, and attempt to uphold their old agreement while still balancing the concerns voiced by their counterpart faction. A representative was collected from the Cetus to speak on its behalf, but it did little besides stir the pot as it gave sermons rather than negotiate.

An increasingly worried From Blossoms From Beyond had been monitoring the situation by this point, and it made the decision to break off a cyclops to defuse the situation after it came to light that a conspiracy was brewing between members of the committee to physically remove or even destroy the Cetus, using elements from within the Skrellian Government as a means.

It remains unknown to this day as to whether or not the Cetus was intentionally influenced, but Blossoms from Beyond insisted then that its conversion was not under its authority, and they would intentionally limit the Eternal’s influence within the CT-EUM as a means of preserving the Cetus from an uncertain future. With these assurances, the committee was satisfied.

To this day, the Authority within the Eternal has upheld their promise, even going so far as to not develop the other celestial bodies within the Cetus’s system.

==Deliverance==
Deliverance, as it has come to be known, is the name of the system that houses The Amalgamation of Enlightened Souls, and has turned into a place of great religious significance for the Eternal. It is a Yellow star system, with two Terrestrial planets, an asteroid belt, and a singular gas giant. The Cetus itself orbits the sun independent of the other planets, close enough to be constantly bathed in levels of radiation unsafe enough for non-Dionae to approach without additional shielding.
As the Authority within the Eternal refuses to develop the system itself, the Cetus is instead accompanied by a flotilla of ships and gestalts, who are either with the church authority or Pilgrims that have approached of their own volition. A perimeter is maintained around the gestalt at all times by the church and the Cetus itself, so as to protect it from those who would harm it, or those who are not worthy to merge with it.

Upon the Amalgamation of Enlightened Soul’s conversion, its stated purpose has henceforth been to fully complete an Eternal cycle: Growing so large, as to collapse into a second sun. Merging with the Cetus to complete the cycle, however, is a privilege that must be granted. First by the Authorities within the Eternal, then by the Cetus itself. Trials and tribulations await those who wish to partake in the cycle, and those who fail must wait an entire century before they can attempt again.

=Folklore & Mythology=
==The Deathflower Journal==
Unchanged https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Epsilon_Ursae_Minoris#The_Deathflower_Journal
==Abysswalkers==
“A rather strange piece of fable found throughout the entirety of the planet, regardless of allegiance or belief. The “Abysswalkers” as they have come to be known as, are a believed species of semi-humanoids found within the deep oceans of the planet, at the bottom of the abyss. No evidence has ever been found to confirm that they truly existed, neither fossils nor ruins whenever we have searched, but we have confirmed ancient artwork on them existing on the planet at least ten-thousand years old, believed to have been created by our ancient brethren on the planet.

It should be noted that, despite being seemingly an aquatic species, they are not Skrell, no depictions, stories of their appearance, the timeframe of the earliest depictions of the Abysswalkers suggest that they are one in the same, and no ruins or relics have ever been found that suggests it could have been a crashed Skrellian ship. Outside of this, their appearance appears to be more adapted for aquatic environments over land, displaying several appendages that are possibly meant to be arms, fins, and other forms of tentacles that would allow them to thrive underwater.

Most stores involving interactions had with the Abysswalkers can vary wildly, from friendly merchants selling exotic fabric only producible in the bottom of the ocean, to vague, shrouded memories of their appearances. Stories tell of a great city found in the bottom of the ocean, made of gigantic colorful coral and inhabited by both Abysswalkers and other strange creatures. The story suggests that the city’s habitents do not use stairs, but instead simply “walk” up the coral.

The most fascinating aspect of this fable is how ancient is seemingly is, as well as how wide-spread it has become as a figure of the unknown.While we do not know how long we have truely been on this planet, some of the earliest evidence of our time on the planet comes in the form of the aforementioned artwork of the Abysswalkers, being at least ten-thousand years old, possibly much, much longer however. We do not know if they were drawn by the original gestalts who made their home here, or were made much later, but it does seem like they at least were the predecessors to most of the city-states of our planet as nearly all have some form of the Reefwalkers as a part of their folklore.

Although stories of the Abysswalkers exist throughout most of the planet in some form or another, individual gestalts are not all aware of the Abysswalkers, and even less are aware of the history we have written here. Notably there is a major exception to this, the Ekane. The Ekane as sailors of the great blue exchange stories of the Abysswalkers quite often, and belief of the Abysswalkers truly existing, or at least an understanding of the folklore, is quite common in Ekane gestalts. From our studies and interviews of the subject, most stories are similar, if not identical to those found amongst other city-state interpretations, although with increased cases of “vague memories” of them, remembering hearing, or seeing something similar to the Abysswalkers in their past. We’re not entirely sure where these memories could come from, but it’s likely the appearance of the Abysswalkers is, in fact, shared with some form of aquatic lifeform found in the bottom of our oceans, almost certainly a non-sapient amphibian however. Another is that it may be a result of memories and stories passed down from our predecessors who first arrived on the planet, if the theory of us arriving on the planet from landing on space is true, which we do believe to be true, these depictions may not be an aquatic lifeform, but something from out in space, possibly a space carp, or at least something of the same breed. “

-From the research journal of “Curious Choir Of Boundless Perception”, Unification Of The Many, our Shared Journey.

=Environment=
The fifth orbiting body of the Epsilon Ursae Minoris System, EUM-5 has an orbital period of 645 days. It takes roughly 18 hours to complete a singular revolution around its own axis, and experiences twin-dawns and twin-dusks thanks to its two satellites; Ena and Anu. The average annual temperature of Minoris rests at 22.6°C and experiences almost year-round rainfall. Due to this, and a combination of other factors, it is not unheard of for seasonal monsoons to cause flash floods that tear through the landscape with ferocity (and great velocity). Several intricately carved stones have been placed throughout the regions of Minoris, creating a song of warning when the wind begins to blow in potentially hazardous environments.
Minoris is a relatively “young” planet and is a hotbed for tectonic activity resulting in routine earthquakes that often disturb the cities inhabiting its surface, namely across the southern Sazkan bluffs. Despite the disturbances being rather destructive, some yield untapped treasures kept deep beneath the crust. It is largely believed that after the traumatizing ordeal of surviving these devastating tremors, the Dionae began exploiting the resources exposed to them -- resulting in advanced underground mines even before the species managed to explore the world they found themselves on.
Minoris has two natural satellites, Ena and Anu. Both are roughly half the size of Luna and are yet to be colonized. It is largely believed that they were once a singular orbiting body, but eventually suffered a catastrophic celestial event that resulted in its splitting. The presence of large craters across the surface of Minoris, as well as the foreign sediments located within, is largely attributed to the splitting of Ena and Anu. Due to their size and distance, Minoris does not experience any abnormal tidal differences or gravitic anomalies.

==Seasons==
A year on Minoris is 645 days divided into 5 months, each with 129 days each. There are three conventional seasons on Minoris, revolving around the average global changes in climate throughout the year. Each season is roughly 215 days, usually encompassing just under two months.

Vessizk is the first season. A cold front typically marks the beginning of the season. The first snowfall usually marks the beginning of hardships for the Dionae. Although having advanced preparation and technology helps mitigate many risks, earlier Dionae were extremely vulnerable and many often didn't make it through the season because of the high level of risk. Despite the hellish conditions, some of the oldest, bark-covered structures on the planet still exist. But despite their massive size, they have become increasingly uncaring towards the outside world, and respond rarely or never to it. Throughout Minoris, the weather continues to be cold, and it only begins to change to more comfortable temperatures at the end of Vessizk. Vessizk is characterized by longer nights.
Tuzinzi is the second season. Most of the miserable weather brought on by Vessizk has dissipated, and the temperature has begun to increase rather slowly. Tropical storms are infrequent, to begin with, but become more common as temperatures rise - bringing with them the first monsoons of the season known to wreak havoc in its path. The temperature typically reaches its highest towards the very end of Tuzinzi almost just as Hasizk begins. Both day and night are equally as long during Tuzinzi.
Hasizk is the third season. During this time, Minoris experiences both the hottest temperatures and most "driest" weather. A great deal of the wetlands begin to dry during this time, leading to large migrations of indigenous fauna to the more hospitable parts of the planet. The last of the seasonal monsoons and tropical storms subside into oblivion, and many refer to Hasizk as the calmest time of the year if one ignores the tectonic disturbances. Hasizk is characterized by much longer days than the rest of the year.

Minor Dionae Factions

2023-01-17T03:35:09Z

Yonnimer: removes a mention of dionae being eaten

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=Notable Dionae Factions=
Throughout the Orion Spur, there are various groups which have formed, advocating for a certain agenda. Whilst some agendas typically have goals that are commonly found across the entirety of the species - some have more ulterior motives that could prove to be more benevolent or malevolent. The following are the factions comprised of Dionae pushing for, or against, a particular topic.

==The Narrows - Frontier Space==
H-Z-63, also known as “The Narrows” was originally a Hephaestus mining ship that used prisoner labor before later being abandoned following a large prisoner riot that left vital parts of the ship in ruins. Over time the ship would be repaired and expanded upon by its new inhabitants, Dionae. Now part of the Coalition of Colonies, The Narrows has become a large exporter of both resources and manpower for Hephaestus.
===History===
'''H-Z-63'''

Built in 2364 by Hephaestus Industries, H-Z-63 was a massive mining ship/prison originally unveiled to help gain more positive relations by providing the Coalition of Colonies with a place to send their undesirable criminals to contribute back to society through hard labor. The ship was fairly successful, making billions whilst providing a secure place for prisoners to be held and worked for the CoC. During its time of operation the ship remained in one set location, the asteroid field of the Orezela system, although it would travel to different asteroids in the belt when their current asteroid was depleted.

While not considered the worst of the worst, the treatment of the prisoners on the ship was considered to be poor at best, with large work hours, awful working conditions, and a bare minimum amount of food being given. This, along with the prison holding a plethora of dangerous criminals and captured pirates resulted in the Riot of 2409. The riot initially began as a protest by the prisoners over their unsafe and inhumane working conditions, during which all hell broke loose after one of the guards shot one of the leaders of the prisoner protest. The chaos led to the prisoners overtaking over half of the ship, including where the engine was situated. Whether an accident or on purpose, the engine blew, resulting in massive damages to the ship and almost half of the prisoners dead. An evacuation was called and all staff and surrendering prisoners left the ship to its fate, with the rest of the remaining prisoners either dying to radiation exposure, vacuum, their dwindling oxygen supplies or starvation..

'''Reclamation'''

The ship eventually crashed on one of the nearby asteroids and was mostly left to rot by the company. Unbeknownst to them however, some did manage to survive the crash, a group of Dionae that would later be known as A-Block. The exact origin of the Dionae isn’t fully known, just that they were on the ship at some point prior to the riot and managed to survive the crash, integrating with the few corpses that remained. Initially, a rather chaotic situation has the Dionae tried to figure out how to survive, those Dionae that managed to consume the corpses of the ship’s staff began to take charge and organize the Dionae into a coherent group, using the expertise and experiences of the deceased to set up a makeshift engine and refinery to begin repairing the ship. This process took almost a decade to complete and during this time several wild Dionae, attracted by the exposed engine, managed to make their way to the ship. Eventually being convinced to join or leave by the A-block Dionae, the group that stayed became known as the B-block and joined in on the operation.

Using both a mixture of refined materials and biomass, the ship was eventually repaired in 2420, launching back into the orbit of the asteroid belt and managing to hail the nearest ship they could find, a Hephastsus freighter. Intrigued by the reclamation of the ship by the Dionae, the company agreed to ferry the Dionae off the ship in exchange for the ship’s return to the company but also gave a second choice to the Dionae, letting them keep control of the ship while also sending supplies over to the ship to further repair and enhance it in exchange for the ship’s crew to reignite mining operations in the system using the newly repaired ship. A fierce debate began over which choice to choose, however trusting in the judgment of the Overseers the crew left the decision in their capable tendrils, eventually choosing to go with the latter, to work for Hephestsus as a semi-independent mining vessel.

'''Present'''

Now returning as a ship under Hephastsus Industries and renamed to the HMS Narrows, the ship’s crew has diligently continued mining operations in the system. Now no longer a ship using prison labor, the ship has continued operations with its Dionae crew at the center, working under the Overseers who in turn report to the ship’s newly elected Captain, Helmsman Of The United Drill.

While still a ship in the grasp of Hephastsus Industries, the ship has also begun to work with the CoC for the purposes of trade and protection, with the ship’s crew being given the system they inhabit in exchange for joining the CoC as a Hephestus approved client, as well as paying taxes on goods sold. The ship now mostly exports its resources to both the CoC and Hephaestus, as well as supplies Hephaestus with Dionae engineers and miners.

===Ship Command===
Born into anarchy and strife, the Dionae of the Narrows value order and a clear hierarchy. Mainly split into miners, engineers, security, and botanists. The Narrows Cluster embraces the basic Dionae belief of Experience with their society being based around experience in any given role. The oldest and most experienced gestalts hold higher status within the cluster with leadership sitting with the Overseers and the Captain.

====The Captain====
The position of Captain is the highest position in the ship’s chain of command. Originally elected by the council of the Overseers, the Captain is able to use their executive powers to veto any decisions made by the Overseers or make any new edict they see fit, however, they generally will refer to the Overseers for their input on decisions based on their experiences. The Captain, once elected, is held by the Dionae until they can no longer work or they retire, however since the role’s inception the role has been held by a single Cyclops Dionae, The Helmsman Of The United Drill.

====The Overseers====
The Overseers are the ship’s most experienced crew and are given the task of organizing the crew under their command, with each role in the ship having one Overseer at the top of its command chain. Currently, there are four Overseer positions, the Overseer of Maintenance, Of Mining, Of Security, and Botany. Much like the captain, the positions are held until either the Dionae is unable to work or they decide to retire, and much like the captain none of the Dionae in an Overseer position has become too old to work or retired, however, there was originally a fifth role in charge of the ship’s engine until the position was merged with Maintenance once the Overseer was elected to be the ship’s current Captain.

===The Crewmembers===
The gestalts of the Narrows have an excellent work ethic and, due to their anarchic birth during a prison revolt and their close ties with Hephaestus Industries, value those who show strong leadership skills and empathy. Being able to use your force of personality to subdue an aggressor without violence is held in high regard within the cluster. Due to this, most Narrows Dionae, though friendly, are perfectly capable of “talking the talk and walking the walk,” being able to argue their own case with co-workers of the same “rank”, being sure to treat their superiors with the utmost respect.

The crew are organized into four fields of work, Maintenance, in charge of the ship’s maintenance and engines, Mining, in charge of the ship’s mining operations, Security, in charge of keeping the ship and system secure, and Botany, in charge of growing food for biomass as well as serving as the ship’s medical staff when required. Each field is led in a hierarchy, with the overseers at the top followed by A-Block, B-Block, and C-Block. Dionae are placed into each block depending on when they joined the ship’s crew, with no chance of climbing up or down the ranks unless chosen to be an Overseer once one stands down. The actual age of the Dionae does not matter when assigning them to a block, only when they joined the ship’s crew.

The crew can at any point ask to leave the ship to be assigned elsewhere by Hephestsus, with it being their choice if they still want to be considered part of the crew while away or to leave it altogether. Crewmembers from any block can also choose to be reassigned. Dionae from the Narrows tend to be very organized and hierarchical, choosing to have some sort of overseer or leader lead their gestalt such as with the Tyrannical Tune mind type, although Dionae can have other mind types and ways of staying organized, although younger gestalts may still be acclimating and adjusting to the gestalt’s new mindtype.

'''A-block'''

The original Dionae of the ship, Dionae in A-Block serves as the third-highest rank in the ship’s hierarchy and is considered to be some of the most efficient and experienced workers the ship has to offer. While they tend not to look down upon the other blocks for their lack of experience, they do consider themselves to be better workers. As a result of this A-block has actually begun to see a lack of personnel due to so many signing on to leave the ship and work elsewhere within Hephestatus as a way to show off the efficiency of Dionae from the Narrows.

'''B-block'''

Being comprised of Dionae who joined after the ship crashed but prior to it being repaired and rejoining Hephastsus, B-block is comprised of mostly experienced Dionae who tend to teach and help newer Dionae from C-block. As a result of the low number of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew during its reclamation, B-block is the least populated of the three Dionae blocks.

'''C-block'''

The most populated and least experienced of the three blocks, C-block consists of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew after its reclamation and refurbishment was finished. Dionae in this block mostly joined through assignments by Hephastsus so that they can gain work experience before being assigned elsewhere within the company. C-block Dionae tend to have less work experience than Dionae from the other blocks, and thus tend to be assigned to lower-risk and more menial positions.

==The Spirits of the Oasis - Moghes Wasteland==
[[The_Wasteland#The_Spirits_of_the_Oasis|''' The Spirits of the Oasis''']] are a great example of a symbiotic relationship between species - Unathi and Diona. Originating from a simple friendship between a lost Diona tending to wounded animals and a wandering Wastelander unathi on the brink of exhaustion, the clans of the Spirits of the Oasis have truly begun to understood and seek out any Diona on Moghes to assist in survival.

The origins of this friendship stem from a tale - the tale of Walking Sands, Clan Mother Dorviza, and the Last Plains Tyrant.

Clan Mother Dorviza was the eldest woman of her clan, and an avid Plains Tyrant tamer - knowing full well how to care for, feed, and tame one of these savage beasts. Walking Sands was a young and unknowing diona - born from the destruction of an Izweski laboratory in a nuclear blast. Both souls have learned something of the Wasteland, and in this tale, their combined knowledge will allow the survival of several Wasteland clans.

Walking Sands wanders through the Wasteland and comes across a wounded and trapped Plains Tyrant - the last one to be seen in the wild naturally. Lacking the knowledge or understanding of what it is, they approach it and the Plains Tyrant slashes out defensively. Understanding that the Tyrant is wounded and stuck, Walking Sands continues to try and get closer to try and see if it can help and gets attacked again. This continues until the Tyrant becomes too exhausted to resist, and falls unconscious. The diona cannot help, yet remains by its side for days growing shade and safety for the monstrous animal. Clan Mother Dorviza, knowledgable of traditional and ancient Plains Tyrants locations, comes to the scene after a scout from her clan reports a strange plant-like growth in a ruined temple.

==Voidtamers==
Far from being a unified entity, the term “Void Tamers” refers to a series of commonly dionae-centric groups and clusters known for the taming, raising, and eventual selling of products related to space fauna, commonly space carp, gnats, and bloaters. These groups are largely independent of one another, operating in generally separate regions of space, although some overlap and trade has been known to occur amongst groups. What each group trades with and for is largely on a group-by-group basis, with some trading with live animals while others may trade for meat and hide. When it comes to what they trade for, some may trade for blood, resources, or just plain money depending on the region.

Voidtamers, on occasion, have been known to leave their groups to seek employment elsewhere, whether it be to gain new experiences and skills or to permanently leave their old trade behind for a new one.

While a myriad of smaller Voidtamer groups do exist, there are several that are notable amongst them

===Emporium Of Starborn Critters===
The largest of the Voidtamers, The Emporium is a highly mobile cluster known for selling living space fauna in exchange for credits and blood throughout Biesel and CoC space, however, more recently have begun to venture into the CRZ looking for customers. The Emporium will largely travel to one region to begin ranching a herd of space fauna, before splitting up into multiple smaller groups who go out and search for customers to sell their wares to, before meeting back up with one another and continuing the cycle. Dionae from the Emporium are known for wearing cloaks made out of space carp hide that, due to exposure from space, have become completely bleached out and white.

The Emporium is led by a council of Dionae who each are in charge of each group that eventually splits off. These leaders, colloquially known as the Head Speakers, manage all sales and business that the smaller groups do, but may also pool together their collective fund for larger cluster-wide purchases such as large ships and fuel. The Head Speakers tend to wear a special hat made of space carp hide to identify themselves, similarly to the cloaks worn by the regular members of the Emporium, it is space-bleached and completely white.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to come in every form and mind type, although primarily will still be cyclops forms.

===Comets Of Commerce===
The Comets of Commerce are a smaller-to-medium sized Voidtamer cluster known for primarily trading with the Scarabs and other space-based groups operating within the Coalition of Colonies. The cluster primarily trades with carp roe and carpotoxin for materials and blood to help train their younger gestalts in technical fields. The organizational structure of the cluster is fairly loose, with no clear central leadership, however, members of the clusters tend to band together to pool their products into one big package, then split the earnings amongst themselves, as well as share ships when needed. The cluster’s primary sales tactic is to get far ahead of a fleet’s path and ready their products, then sell them once the fleet passes by.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to have more egalitarian mind types, preferring to have decisions be made amongst the entire gestalt over a sole leader.

===The Serz and Rokz Clans===
The Serz and Rokz are two rival Voidtamer clans found within Hegemony space. These clans, primarily made up of Dionae, mostly operate in the same space, and function in similar ways, both selling primarily the hides and meat of the local xenofauna for resources such as steel and iron, as well as small amounts of blood to help train younger Dionae in hunting, tracking, and combat. In rare cases, they will also sell living specimens. Both clans are ruled by a single Elder, although business matters tend to be handled by delegated gestalts instead of overseen by the Elders directly. Both clans sell directly to Unathi guilds, who then resell their products to Unathi clans. Whilst in lower quantities, the clans do sell live specimens to the guilds, primarily to be hunted by nobles or to help with training.

While the clans are rivals, they are not actively hostile to one another. Instead, they’ve agreed to hold a competition every five years that dictates which clan is in charge of sales, with the loser having to sell through them at a reduced profit. These competitions are largely non-violent, instead of focusing on the skills of the clan’s tamers, with the competitions either being about who can tame the most xenofauna in a given period, who can tame the largest creature, or who can tame the most dangerous creature.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to have more authoritative mindsets, preferring a single leader nymph for their gestalts. Due to their close relations with the inhabitants of the Hegemony, Dionae from the clan tend to take on an appearance more closely resembling that of a Unathi.

==Blood Organization==
The Blood Buddy Organisation (BBO) was founded by a Dionae Argus - Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis. The organisation dedicates its time and resources to gather blood samples large enough for Dionae to gain experience from. The organisation finds itself dominating the market, but recently another more sinister group, The Blood Runners, has begun taking advantage of prices of the blood samples - cornering the black market on blood samples.

=Dionae Clusters=
Clusters are groups of Dionae who share similar ideas, emotions, or goals and have interacted socially at some point may be part of a '''Cluster'''. These clusters are grown from group identity, if a diona heavily agrees with one or multiple clusters they will say they are from those clusters. This means clusters are very loose most of the times, with some exceptions. Clusters do not have to be physically linked to exist.

Some clusters are inside or a part of other civilizations, and will require knowledge of those societies. '''''Find one that interests you, you don't have to know them all, and you don't even have to be from any of them!'''''

==The Emperor's Royal Garden - Dominia==
[[File:domi_dionae.png|Special standard of the Imperial Dionae.|thumb]]
The Emperor himself perceives the Diona as the perfect subservient life form, and has a personal biodome connected to his palace that houses the Royal Garden, where all his most loved children stay. When a nymph is grown in his garden, it is grown in the best-imported soil and given imported comet-based water. These diona nymphs are the perfect gift for The direct vassals, pets, children, and jesters to the high nobility of Dominia, these gestalts are perceived as displays of immense wealth for nobility. However, the cost for keeping a diona satisfied in the chilly system of Dominia is somehow so much higher than everywhere else - especially since they are one of the Emperor's most loved beings. Dionae are generally a rare sight within the Empire Of Dominia, with a majority coming from The Royal Garden or being more of a “showpiece” as part of a noble house. Some Dionae will become employed as diplomats, as they generally have the utmost loyalty to the empire.

Citizen Dionae are not permitted to merge or split any of their nymphs with a gestalt who is not also a citizen. When a Dionae becomes a citizen they are given a necklace called a “Branched Blossom” made up of smaller interlocking necklaces called a “Branch”, each engraved with the first word in a nymph’s name. If a nymph leaves or merges with a gestalt they are expected to bring their Branch piece engraved with their name to be connected with the gestalt’s Branched Blossom. While it is not required to be worn at all times, it is required to be brought with the gestalt if they wish to get a visa approved, or to a court hearing.

===Emperor Boleslaw’s Royal Garden===
The Royal Garden of Dominia has been known to grow various types of flora - including Dionae. The Dionae grown within the Royal Garden are assigned various duties to assist the Emperor. The Majority of the Dionae that are grown within the Garden will follow the Moroz Holy Tribunal. For the Dionae, the Royal Gardens are a paradise, with perfect soil quality and climate. An Imperial Dionae would rarely grow stunted and, like their gene boosted sires, they tend to be the most well maintained Dionae in known space. Imperial Dionae are usually tended to by their Imperial Dionae kin when nymphs, before forming into gestalts to be assigned a further use. The Royal Gardens, when not in use, have Imperial songs and Tribunal hymns piped through the intercoms to stimulate the growing Dionae.

===Culture of Imperial Dionae===
Imperial Dionae are raised immersed in high society Imperial propaganda. They tend to be well-spoken and hold a fanatical support of both the Imperial regime and the Moroz Holy Tribunal. Almost all Imperial Dionae assume a humanoid form for their artemin reverence to the Goddess in the Imperial religion, trying as hard as possible to appear as a human covered in red/yellow flowers. Results vary from an almost abstract form to humanoid in shape with eyes and "mouth" in approximately the right locations. Many Imperial Dionae find what appeals the most are those that are somewhere in the middle.

Unlike other clusters, the Royal Garden does not contain larger gestalt forms and as such, does not have it’s own “song”. Imperial Dionae instead find themselves drawn to Imperial religious melodies as a surrogate for this missing part of their usual lives. Many Imperial Dionae carry music devices containing various Imperial songs or Tribunal hymns to listen to in place of any Dioane “songs”. Dionae often wear practically nothing but Dominian capes however Dionae allocated to great houses tend to wear greatcoats made from imported [[Dionae_Clusters#Organic_Mesh_Weave|Dionae Organic Weave]]. Importing the weave is expensive so such clothing tends to only be worn by Dionae allocated to great houses.

Blessed as they are by the Emperor, Imperial Dionae have their own collective zatimono which they often wear on their uniforms or capes with pride, regardless of what house they may be allocated to if any.

The Dionae of the Empire do not have access to communications from the Eternal Temple spire on Biesel and as such do not have much contact with the larger Dionae community, enforcing their elitism and fanaticism to the Empire. They are largely unaware of the various [[Notable Dionae Factions]].

====Diplomats====
His Imperial Majesty's Royal Garden on occasion has produced Diplomats that the Emperor has recognized. Prized for their ability to speak multiple alien languages and for their skills in cross-species empathy, Diona Diplomats are often found near their human counterparts following closely and listening attentively - however few have managed to secure diplomatic positions without the assistance of a human, usually in service to a great house.

Diplomat Dionae would align themselves as a Consular Agent.

====Priests====
His Imperial Majesty is known throughout the Empire for his piety - which also spreads into his Royal Garden. A handful of those grown have forged their own path and have ventured into the clergy - many times finding themselves as low-level clergymen who spread their faith and knowledge of the Goddess by amalgamating with non-believers. Dionae priests tend to be highly respectable and naturally empathic.

Dionae that have taken this route would align themselves as a Chaplain/Priest.

====Servants====
Dionae that do not find themselves in elevated positions within the Empire will likely remain servants - usually working as Imperial Gardeners for the Royal Gardens and beyond. Typically involved in menial tasks around the palace varying from cleaning, cooking and gardening. Dionae cooks and gardens are highly favoured amongst Imperial high society. Servant Dionae undertake their tasks with gusto, usually fully immersed in the Dominian servile culture.

Dionae that had been cast aside as Servants would align themselves with the service departments, mainly gardening and cooking.

==The Pests of Titan Prime - Vaurca Hiveship==
This cluster, who have for '''500 years''' been hiding away on the Vaurcan Hiveship of Titan Prime, has constantly been in conflict with the bug-like Vaurca. The original gestalt was scooped up from a Gas Giant by the Vaurca on a routine fuel-refill for them, and it worked its way and grew on the outside of the ship like a barnacle. Eventually, the gestalt dug into the ship out of curiosity, causing a vaurca drone to be sent out to scrape off the biomass causing the damage thinking it's a routine acidic blob outbreak. Upon being attacked, the gestalt fought back, killing the drone and eating what it could of the corpse - but it didn't learn any languages, and couldn't communicate with the Vaurca in any way as their primary form of communication is telepathic, robotic, and foreign. More drones came upon the death of the first and were deadset in their orders to remove the dionae. This attack was more vicious and killed many of the nymphs, forcing the gestalt to deform.

After the first encounter, the nymphs escaped in different directions. They scurried through the strange, dark ship, barely surviving off the little heat and light they could find. Every nymph had to adapt to the different situations they were thrown in to in different ways, some resorting to mimicry and others using nymphs to scout areas ahead, with the rare gestalt wearing a Vaurca exoskeleton to blend in. Their main goal was '''survival''' now, and so they adapted to the confined spaces of the ship, hiding at moments of activity and scavenging off of the Vaurca. They would take advantage of any situation, and constantly have to split and reform to survive. This continued for 500 years, adaptation and adversity, death and loss - being '''treated like a pest'''.

Eventually, the hiveship found '''Tau Ceti'''. Now that there is a form of communication between the Vaurca and Diona, the Queens and Unbound of the Zo'ra Vaurcan hives have apologized and been welcoming - even offering a small greenhouse to live on at the top of the ship. Some diona have taken the deal, some have left to live with the other species. '''All of them have shared trauma of this experience.'''

==The Viscerabelt - Tau Ceti Space==
: '''''"We request blood to complete our rituals, for without, the Eternal will curse us."''''' - ''The Ravenous Consumer of Beastly Monsters within the Cloud.''

Located in the [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Tau_Ceti#The_Romanovich_Cloud Romanovich Cloud] around Tau Ceti, these Dionae have made their home in a region of the cloud called the Viscerabelt. This area of space is littered with asteroid and carp nests, and is considered the most densely populated area of space carp in the known galaxy - making it an exceptionally dangerous region of space in Tau Ceti.

The cluster has a deep-set view on [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Culture#The_Blood_Eternal blood], primarily focusing on its uses for religion. The Viscerabelt Cluster will use the blood in ritualistic dances, chants and prayers. Sitting under the control of Biesel the cluster often trades in culled carp products and minerals in exchange for blood.

Gestalts can easily be recognised by their brands referencing the Blood Eternal as well as their larger size. It’s common for Dionae from this cluster to be miners or hunters whilst also following the Shh’sha’shu.

==The Blossoms of the Great and Divine Eternal - Deep Space==
: '''''"The Blessed Eternal is the perfect life form. It is the light in the cold and the dark and the ash. Its tendrils are bountiful and expanding and terrible in its fury. But it is a benevolent ruler. "''''' - ''Birthing From The Womb Of Heavy Matter''

An extreme in the ways Diona can naturally develop culture, the Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are a cluster-based around their belief in '''[[Dionae_Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]''', a primordial entity which exists in Light, Energy, and Essence. The followers of the Eternal wish to create the densest materials in the universe by forging and reforging heavier and heavier elements - which they do so by devouring as much as they can and throwing themselves into stars once they reach a certain size - most likely the size of a Cetus form diona, large enough to be considered a stellar body. The gestalts of this cluster believe Diona are the embodiment of the Eternal in physical form, made to ensure all things born from stars return to stars ... eventually. This is the natural form of the universe.

The gestalts of the Divine Eternal appear seemingly randomly from deep space, located towards the centre of the galaxy. They typically have stories and experiences of celestial events - stars falling into each other, planets crashing, near-death experiences which they have lived through.

The Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are adamant in their encouragement of Diona to come together - literally. In times where a large Divine Eternal gestalt has come across a wild and 'unintelligent' diona gestalt, they have violently attacked and destroyed the creature and consumed its biomass for the expansion of their mindset and the Eternal's will.

===The Biesellian Choir===
Unlike most clusters that tend to arrive in a place through some great event, the Biesellian Choir was a slow, but steady immigration into Biesel. Gestalts first arrived as individuals seeking to spread the work of the Divine Eteneral to Dionae and non-Dionae alike, drawn to Biesel by its laissez-faire, free movement and trade attitude. The Choir have since established themselves within the slums of [[Mendell City]]’s district 11 where they live and grow. New Dionae either join the Choir from other clusters, immigrate from outside or are grown directly within the Eternal Temple, the centre of the Choir’s community. Growth is troublesome though, and many nymphs are born stunted and dead. Where other Gestalt communities might sell those stunted, dead nymphs to be used in fine cuisine, the Choir refuses to do so, uniquely finding the practice of other species consuming Dionae flesh abhorrent, they also return the dead to the temple to be consumed by their community leader, “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”.

====The Eternal Temple====
Home to the huge argus cluster [[Notable_Dionae#Connected_to_the_Blossoms_Beyond|“Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”]], the de facto community leader of the Biesellian Choir. The Eternal Temple is a steel temple dedicated to the Divine Eternal. The outer shell of the building is made of green coloured steel sheeting, welded and formed into natural forms giving the temple an almost organic look. A central, smooth spire rises upwards towards the sky. Internally, the temple is much the same visually. It is extremely well lit and houses a Dionae community centre as well as a large hydroponics bay for the growth of new Dionae nymphs and the mesh weave factories. The temple’s central worship area is essentially a room constructed of “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”, who speaks with the congregation directly. For many Dionae, this is the only connection they have to the more educated, ancient Gestalts. The central spire is a transmitter constructed using Dionae quantum wave technology which is used to “speak” directly with the clusters further in deep space, to achieve consensus. The sound of this rootsong “transmission” can be dimly heard by Dionae in Republic of Biesel space as a whisper, “the Hum”, likening it to the sounds of wind chimes to those species incapable of hearing it. A pleasant sound. The temple itself is expensive to maintain, with high energy costs and general land rental and maintenance expenses being quite high. To this end, Dionae of the choir work to provide donations to the temple and the community. A Faustian bargain for some as this leads them to work for organisations that would enslave and even consume the Dionae themselves.

====Culture of the Choir====
Initially a highly religious, firebrand society, it has somewhat mellowed in the face of their “Biesellised” young, becoming the largest Dionae community in Biesel. As patriotic as any other, these Dionae as a whole tend to work towards the success of Biesel and often assisted authorities in dealing with hostile independent Dionae such as raiders from the [[Dionae_Clusters#The_Viscerabelt_-_Tau_Ceti_Space|Viscerabelt]]. The Dionae of the Choir are also one of the few Dionae communities known to utilize actual exotic-Dionae technology, such as quantum wave transmitters, organic mesh weave and sonic weaponry. These technologies are highly sought after and development into their use for non-Dionae is ongoing across many mega-corps, much to the discomfort of the Choir. Fortunately, no functioning non-Dionae analogues have been developed as they appear to require some form of unknown Dionae process and the Choir keeps these technologies close to their chest. Some believe it is only a matter of time before one of the enterprising mega-corporations makes a breakthrough.

====Organic Mesh Weave====
One of the few technologies sold to outsiders, the organic mesh weave makes use of high tensile, photoreceptive organic fibres developed by the Dionae to produce lightweight, flexible building materials which reflect beneficial light and radiation onto nearby Dionae. In practical terms, the mesh is often used as a clothing material, allowing Dionae to wear clothes that would otherwise stifle their gestalts, blocking light. The clothing is manufactured by choir Dionae within the temple and is shipped across Biesel, making it an expensive rarity outside of the planet. Any clothing style can be copied in this way and turned into suitable Dioane clothing. The “cloth” is also a hit with many humans within the warmer climes of Biesel as the mesh weave clothing, whilst still allowing one to maintain their dignity, actually projects the sun's rays through the clothes allowing one to tan whilst still wearing swimwear or beachwear. Whilst this might allow for a Dionae to wear a full suit and pants, the technology becomes less potent the more layers are added and generally, all Dionae, even the Choir, prefer to feel a star's rays on their bare “skin”, finding heavy or multi-layered clothing psychologically stifling.

Community members of the Choir can be broken down into three main groups:

====Immigrants from beyond====
Immigrants from Blossom clusters outside of Biesel tend to be the oldest and most religious of the community. These Dionae have to be “integrated” into Biesellite culture and tend to behave in the most alien manner, being highly against non-Dionae consuming Dionae flesh and actively preaching the Divine Eternal creed. Due to their lack of qualifications within Biesel and their attitudes towards non-Dionae these gestalts are only found performing low skilled work for NT, working as assistants, cargo technicians, miners and janitors. The irony isn’t lost on many of these gestalts, some being quite old, being thrust into low level, entry jobs with many grumbling at the work. The work must be done, however, as it’s the only way they can acquire funds for the Choir community so done it is, albeit begrudgingly.

====Converts into the Choir====
Many Dionae within the Choir originate from clusters not belonging to the Divine Eternal and have instead either converted or generally joined the community. These gestalts come in all shapes, sizes and creeds but most seem to find purpose within the Choir community. These Dionae tend to have all sorts of temperaments usually based on the original society they were from and as such tend to be found in all walks of life, from janitors to doctors.

====Natives of the Choir====
Few in number compared to converts, the natives are gestalts that were born and raised within the Temple and Biesel. Due to the age of the community on Biesel these gestalts tend to be quite young, with the eldest usually being around 30 years old at most. These gestalts tend to be the most “humanised” or “Biesellian” of the Dionae, speaking clearly and concisely and understanding the subtle nuances of cross-species interaction, as well as sharing the interests that most Biesellians might share. They are the most tolerant of non-Dionae cultures/activities and tend to grudgingly accept the non-Dionae culture of consuming Dionae flesh. Often patriotic towards Biesel and the Republic, these Dionae can be found serving as support within the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]], often as engineers, pilots and medical staff. They are also found working for law enforcement, something largely not done by the subservient Dionae, operating as [[Investigator]]s and support staff. Many Dionae work as local police for Mendell, policing the Choir and ensuring compliance with Bieselian laws. Though stellar [[Investigator]]s and support staff by virtue of the Diona's natural learning and deduction capacity, they are never found walking “the beat” as patrol officers due to their natural slowness. As such, these Dionae and Dionae in general are rarely, if ever, found working as security officers within the mega-corps instead taking their cadetships within offices as support staff and working as [[Investigator]]s and [[Warden]]s for the mega-corps. Having been raised around the Hum for their entire lives, these gestalts enjoy its sound and in their spare time can often be found listening at station windows for it. They tend to become saddened when they are separated from it for extended periods.

===The Biesellian Song===
Originally starting as a series of religious publications and pamphlets, the Biesellian Song has evolved into a full-blown news outlet for the Dionae and people of Biesel and the Choir, sending out digital news across the extranet. Though usually used for communion with the clusters beyond, the Eternal Temple central spire is sometimes used to broadcast the Biesellian Song locally across Biesel space for Dionae to hear if they wish. Though usually only heard as a whisper, when the spire broadcasts in this way it essentially acts as a town crier, shouting news. Dionae that are interested must concentrate to properly hear the messages which many do, however uninterested Dionae can easily ignore the “song” when it is broadcast.

===The Songless Gang===
The Songless Gang or simply “the Songless” are a ragtag group of mainly immigrant Dionae who have fallen into a life of organised crime. Dipping their tendrils in all sorts of ill-fated schemes, the most troubling is phoron smuggling, extortion rackets and thuggery. They are known to take on low skilled work jobs such as cargo workers or service roles to gain access to materials they can steal and sell. They’re extremely difficult to stamp out and the Choir works tirelessly with law enforcement to bring the gang down.

==The Wild Ones - All Space==
: '''''"Back in the ol' daysss of Wild'un huntin', they'd pay thousssandsss if you brought back a Wild'un dead. I jusst wissh we didn' kill ssso many... ya never sssee 'em much anymore."''''' - ''Captain Kash Lardback''

Majestic and chaotic, Wild Ones fly through space with only the knowledge of collecting and scavenging - with many suspecting that they report back to a much larger 'Hive'. Due to the culling of the Wild Ones - thanks to their gravitation towards orbital scrapyards and derelicts, and have since becoming increasingly hostile, leading to numerous groups or mercenaries to be hired to clear them out to retrieve the scrap collected by the Dionae and to also harvest the solid mass of collected minerals, metals and gasses found within the centre of large Dionae forms over their eons long journeys. Many are tagged and studied by researchers who aim to understand Diona's instincts better, with patterns suggesting that the Wild Ones are 'evolving' in a way to prevent themselves from being hunted; by moving primarily through nebulae, then absorbing the surrounding gases found and emitting it both increase their speed and cloud sensors. These "Wild Ones" are not legally allowed to be killed in Sol Alliance and Nralakk Federation space unless they pose a significant threat - but Frontier laws vary depending on the system.

==Cetus Gestalts==

===The Conglomerated Choir of Nralakk - Nralakk Federation===

Located around the star in the centre of the Nralakk system, the Conglomerated Choir was the first documented discovery of [[Dionae_History#Skrell_History|Dionae]] by the Skrell. First thought to be a massive organic growth covering a derelict exploratory vessel, it was only once a stowaway nymph found on the return trip began to speak in garbled Nral’Malic that the Skrell realised the situation was more than it seemed. Diplomatic talks would be difficult, but through the Xuq translator, an enigma machine that could decipher unknown languages, the Skrell were able to communicate with the Diona cluster and rerouted the derelict along with its new inhabitants to the Nralakk system.

Post-discovery the Conglomerated Choir and the Nralakk Federation went through intense diplomatic negotiations, discussing options for the cluster if it wished to stay within Federation territory until a consensus was finally reached; the Federation was still rebuilding after [[Skrell_Synthetic_Age#Culmination_of_Glorsh-Omega|Glorsh-Omega’s disappearance]] and required assistance, combined with the Dionae’s ability to survive in some of the most extreme conditions the Choir was quick to offer its services to the Skrell in rebuilding their society. While at first many Skrell believed the Diona to be untrustworthy, still reeling from Glorsh-Omega’s betrayal of their species, the cluster proved to be a key player in the rebuilding of the Federation. After twenty-three years of assistance, the burgeoning Federation announced the species’ full integration into Nralakk society in 2240 CE, which was ratified in 2245 CE along with the official establishment of the [[Skrell_Recent_History#Reunification_of_the_Nralakk_Federation|Second Nralakk Federation]]. The two species have formed an inseparable bond from this experience, with the Diona respecting the Skrell for the kindness they have shown to the species, and the Skrell being humbled by the efforts of the Diona in helping to rebuild a nation they had no obligation to aid.

Today, the Conglomerated Choir enjoys a heightened status in [[Diona_in_the_Federation|Federation society]]; members of the cluster are treated well by the Federation as a reward for their cluster’s service in the past, with those that had an active role at the time having reached idol status in some cases. Their treatment by the Federation, along with their first-hand experience witnessing the destruction Glorsh-Omega brought upon the Skrell, has contributed to an internal culture that in many ways resembles the Federation. The most obvious example of this is members of the Choir being staunchly anti-synthetic, believing that Glorsh-Omega is proof that the proliferation of AI is ultimately dangerous, and the use of unshackled positronics by humanity is a grievous mistake. The cluster is also known for its patriotism, with a disproportionate number of Dionae in politics or organisations such as the Qukala originating from the Conglomerated Choir.

In a similar way to gestalts with a high social credit score having their views held in higher regard, superseding the general Dionae view on age and experience, the Diona from the Conglomerated Choir are known to have more ‘weight’ behind their opinions and decisions as a result of them being the reason why the species is accepted in Federation society. The phenomenon has nurtured an attitude similar to elitism by the Choir, who generally believe themselves to be the betters of the species in the Federation. This is further reinforced by the Federation itself, which is known to strategically place Diona from the Conglomerated Choir in positions that give them authority over gestalts belonging to other clusters in order to influence them into adopting more pro-Federation views.

===Peaceful Static In Endless Waves===
Peaceful Static In Endless Waves, colloquially known as Venter’s Cetus, is one of the three-known Cetus-class gestalts in the Spur, and is generally considered to be the largest of the trio. The gestalt is located within the Venter star system found within the Coalition of Colonies, and, due to its location, is given a special protectorate status by the CoC allowing them to remain peacefully in the system.

The system does play host to a series of outposts and patrol vessels meant to monitor the gestalt, ensuring it does not grow to a point of critical mass, while also providing transport to any Dionae from the gestalt that wish to leave and seek a home elsewhere in the galaxy.

Historically, the gestalt remained undiscovered until a few decades after first contract was made between Humans and Skrell, and, in turn, Dionae. Upon discovery, a joint operation between CoC and Federation diplomats ensured an attempt to contact and integrate the Dionae. While first contact was a major success, during the years following an unexpected exodus of Dionae left the gestalt, seeking to explore and find a purpose elsewhere in the spur. This exodus overwhelmed nearby planetary governments and transport companies, requiring a hard-limit to be set on how many individuals Dionae could leave the Cetus yearly. In modern times the exodus of Dionae from the gestalt has mostly slowed down, although several hundred to thousands of Dionae still leave the gestalt yearly.

===Wandering Chorale of the Spur===
A recent discovery, Wandering Chorale Of The Spur is a large cetus gestalt that, until recently, was uncontacted and could barely be considered sapient before being contacted by the [[SCCV Horizon]] after anomalous signals were detected. Upon contact, it was revealed that the conglomerate Nymphs were en route to a pulsar star just a few light-years from [[Tau Ceti]] - nestled deep within the unstable [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] - in hopes of returning to their seeding grounds. Additionally, they had managed to cling to a combination of meteors, space debris and even a large chunk of a freighter declared missing months earlier. Communication between Dionae employed by the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|Conglomerate]], and those within the Wandering Chorale, confirmed that the amalgamation has been traveling across the Orion Spur for centuries and went without contact for just as long only recently stumbling upon the remains of the freighter they now used shelter to house Dionae Nymphs. Scientists have maintained observance of the group of Dionae, some permanently hosting themselves far enough from the Wandering Chorale to ensure saftey.

[[Category:Dionaea]]
[[Category:Factions]]

Dionae

2023-01-12T22:28:14Z

Yonnimer: Mentions Dionae can be xos now

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<center>[[File:DionaeMainpage.png|1000px|The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.|link=]]</center>

==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.

===Important Notes===
Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae '''''can''''' be found as [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Research_Director Research Directors], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Engineer Chief Engineers], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Medical_Officer Chief Medical Officers], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Operations_Manager Operations Managers], and [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Executive_Officer Executive Officers]. They, however, '''''cannot''''' be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

{{Infobox Diona
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primis
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|Language = Rootsong
|Factions = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Factions Mult.]
|Location = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Systems_and_Locations Mult.]
}}
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===Nymphs===

Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.

===Dionae Gestalts===

A Dionae Gestalt is a collection of nymphs who have formed together to create a gestalt. The number of nymphs in a gestalt can vary from only two or three nymphs to upwards of a million, there’s no true known limit to how big a gestalt could be. Each nymph within a gestalt will usually handle tasks to help the whole collective such as helping with movement, acting as a hand, or speaking. However, Dionae Gestalts are not a hive mind. They are a collective and, barring some exceptions depending on the gestalt’s [[Dionae Forms#Dionae_Minds|mind type,]] each nymph may have independent thought. Nymphs in a gestalt will usually confer with each other and come to an agreement on which actions to take such as what to say or where to move to, although sometimes a gestalt may designate some nymphs to make decisions on their own for the whole collective. While each nymph is capable of speaking in a gestalt, how a Dionae may utilize communications can vary from gestalt to gestalt and is dependant on their mind type. Some may elect to have one nymph speak for the entire gestalt while others will have each nymph speak at once, sometimes a bit chaotically.

Multiple forms of Dionae gestalt are defined by the number of nymphs that make up the collective. These have varying levels of intelligence and mobility, with more nymphs generally allowing for greater levels of intelligence within the gestalt but less mobility. The most common and important of these forms are the Cyclops forms, also referred to as the worker form. A Cyclops gestalt is generally made up of half a dozen nymphs that take a very human-like form, usually having two arms and two legs. They are the form seen most employed throughout the galaxy, capable of working most jobs that humans could, barring some that require a quick response time or that may breach their conditional pacifism.

For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]

==Language==
Unlike most other species of the spur, Dionae are grown already knowing their native language, Rootsong. Rootsong is spoken through a combination of sounds created by limbs, membranes, and movement that all come together to create a “song” that can be understood as words and sentences. To the uninitiated these sounds tend to sound more "natural", with many comparing their songs to an orchestra of leaves rustling in the wind, branches rubbing together, and sometimes softer instrumental sounds such as a noise akin to a flute. Emotion and intent can be understood through pitches and speed of the sounds, with faster, lighter pitches used for happier words, and lower, slower pitches for more negatively-inclined words. While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa.

Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language. Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating or integrating the required organs needed to communicate within.

==Naming==
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.

Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.

'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''

==Experience Is What Matters==
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vast stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however, this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.

==Signs of Age==
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]

==Appearance==

Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.

‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.

Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.

Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.

===Pacifism: What to do when fighting!===
Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary.

For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.

==History==

There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.

Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Nralakk Federation]].

While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]

===Place in the galaxy===

As Dionae have no known homeworld, Dionae tend to be very nomadic, spreading throughout the spur and into the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Nralakk Federation, and within the Moghes Wasteland. While none can claim to be their true homeworld, several planets and nations have been founded by Dionae notably the independent nations of the [[Epsilon Ursae Minoris|Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris]], a collection of smaller nations that have banded together on the planet of EUM, as well as [[Xrim]], a planet found within the Nralakk Federation populated primarily by Dionae.

While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]

Each human nation treats Dionae in a slightly different way, with some allowing them to be ordinary citizens while others have them strictly banned. For more information on how each nation treats Dionae, see: [[Dionae Intergration|Dionae Intergration.]] The human nation with by far the largest population of Dionae would be the [[Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel.]] Dionae within the Republic are generally treated fairly, although there still tends to be some light discrimination such as a lower wage when compared to a human’s wage. The Republic and most human nations in general that allow Dionae require each nymph to be chipped to differentiate nymphs and to keep track of their splittings and mergings from different gestalts.

Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.

==Character Guide==

===Mechanics===
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.
*Can feel pain, with Coeus being more sensitive to pain compared to humans and Geras being significantly less.
*Increased movement speed for Coeus, but reduced movement speed for Geras.

===Important things to think about when creating a character===

While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:

*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?

===Character concepts===

'''Preaching To The Choir Upon Rustling Leaves'''
*They are a 57-year-old Dionae from the Royal Garden of Dominia.
*They have light bark and stand at about 6'2" as they believe height is important, having been grown in the Royal Garden of Emperor Boleslaw.
*They are a priest within the Moroz Holy Tribunal, sent outside the Empire to ensure that citizens outside are following correctly, and perhaps trying to bring new blood into the fold.
*Due to their growing up and blood memories, they have an extreme dislike of IPCs and Cyborgs.
*They are considered an Emphatic Echo, due to how social they are, and the needing of reading facial expressions.
*Speaks Tai Ceti Basic, Tradebrand, and Sign Language.

'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.

[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Dionaea]]

Template:Navbox Skrell Lore

2022-11-14T16:37:18Z

Yonnimer: Shifts the fed page to the front

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Dionae Culture

2022-09-11T03:58:33Z

Yonnimer: Adds a mention allowing for playable blood-eternal dionae

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==Culture==
Due to their highly nomadic nature, Dionae do not experience a universal culture outside of certain behaviours that appear to be biologically ingrained and somehow hard-wired into their genetics. Information on individual group cultures can be found, [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_History here]

===Art===
While the species may make incredible artists in civilized space due to their longevity and capacity to learn, another form of visual art exists for Dionae that they practice as a recreational activity known simply as "Forma" and have two versions. Both utilize only their own bodies to make Gestalts in creative and practical ways alike. The first and most popular of the two is the Artem, or Art-Form. These are more for form than function and are used to display a Gestalt's creativity in strange and unique ways. Artem are typically observed being made in the void of space where they are free of the restrictions of gravity and require no rhyme nor reason to their design and exists purely as a hobby.

The second and perhaps most shocking of them is Vita, or Life-Form. Seen most often in some type of environment with gravity, there are two different forms: symbiotic which is done in the presence of other life forms, and competitive, preformed in areas where the concentration of Dionae are high. The symbiotic version is seen every day and is a form of passive mimicry to blend in with their extraterrestrial neighbours whereas the competitive version is a surprising display of violence. One is to increase their chance of survival in an alien landscape, the other used as a strange yet creative form of population control.

Competitive Vita is a theoretical evolution simulator where each Gestalt will merge, often as fantastical forms of creatures, which is then tested with the current environment they are in under different conditions. If present, they will then be tested against other non-sentient life forms before finally each other. Throughout the competition the losing Gestalts are either consumed or absorbed into their forms as additions, the final battle being the most dramatic display of a Gestalt's abilities. While most sapients would find this practice barbaric and contradictory to the species' desire to gain and preserve knowledge, the fallen and their knowledge simply become a part of the victorious.

===In Society===
Dionae are extremely complex, taking up many different types and forms. It is often said that Dionae have a hard time integrating into society, even though they are found in the majority of the nations throughout the galaxy. The largest clusters can be found within the Solarian Alliance, Nralakk Federation, and the Republic of Biesel, however, there have been sights of ‘wild’ Dionae on the edges of civilized space. The ‘wild’ Dionae usually are integrated, but some have been hunted down for the unique concentration of many valuable gasses, minerals and metals found within them from their eons of space travel.

Their concept of money is vastly different from other races, considering Dionae only need a little radiation and warmth, both of which can be extracted from sunlight. Many of the gestalts are used often for space-related jobs, including exterior ship repairs and mining thanks to their immunity to the void, as long as there is light nearby. It is sometimes possible to find Dionae have become housemates with other species, paying rent, and doing various menial tasks in exchange for safe shelter.

Dionae have been known to form communes on the outskirts of the major cities, such as Mendell City and Phoenixport. The communes consist of various gestalts unifying to assist the surrounding environment, often beginning small restorative efforts in particular ecologically damaged areas. Many have said without these efforts, the vast majority of the woodlands on Biesel would have fallen years ago.

Details regarding Dionae in each specific nation can be found, here: https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Relations

====Education====

Although Dionae can contain vast amounts of knowledge and possess extreme intelligence, the species still have to obtain the appropriate degrees for the occupation they wish to pursue in their chosen location of residence. This can be accomplished after being registered for citizenship. All newly-registered Dionae must complete and pass the courses required for their field if their degrees from past planetary systems is not recognized in the new location, or they lack one all together. Their education must be defended one year following the awarding of a degree, and then every five years there on out. However, that timer is reset due to the fact that after each merging, Dionae are required to defend their education along with their re-registration for citizenship due to the possibility of accumulation of new knowledge, and possible loss of information depending on the nature of the new merging.

===Relationships===
As sapient beings Dionae, from nymph to gestalt, are capable of forming platonic relationships with each other and other species. Nymphs and gestalts "merging" is the closest human analogue for a "romantic relationship" with Dionae. Due to the low complexity of nymph emotions and thought, initial merging into a [[Dionae_Forms#Cerberus|Cerberus]] tends to be carried out for practical purposes by all nymphs involved. Likewise, larger forms of Dionae such as [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]]’ and beyond might merge with a single nymph as a symbiotic form of a teacher/growth relationship with the nymph learning from its new gestalt partners and the gestalt itself using the new nymph for grown and biomass.

Due to the complexity of memory and thought, gestalts at [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]] size and beyond are a lot more particular when merging with partners of a similar size or above. To merge is to become one mind and body in totality, therefore only those gestalts that truly love and respect each other would carry out the act. It is extremely rare for Dionae gestalts to split over disagreements and more likely for a “troublesome” or sick nymph to be ejected by the mass or a nymph to be temporarily split off to carry out a key task like safe exploration or to get help in a dangerous situation where the whole is in peril. In extreme cases the whole gestalt may break apart to save as many nymphs as possible. This is extremely traumatic, akin to losing yourself and is avoided. It’s a sad fact of life for gestalts from the Titan Prime cluster, most of which would have had to break apart multiple times throughout their lives.

When a gestalt grows beyond the size of a [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]], it becomes difficult for these forms to find work within known space and therefore becomes necessary for the gestalt to split temporarily into smaller forms in order to carry out tasks throughout the day. These split forms are often referred to as a “split partner” or “part of me” by the gestalts involved. If pressed, a Dione might describe their split partner as an aspect of their whole which their partner represents; “they are the brave part of me”, “they are the smart part of me” or something similar. Splitting in this way is unpleasant for the gestalt but a necessary evil. Gestalts who split in this manner all suffer from [[Dionae#Psychology_and_Emotions|“splitting anxiety”]] and as such tend to work in close proximity to each other. Though analogous to a close romantic relationship, split Dionae are much closer than this in reality, essentially being aspects of a whole with each gestalt being a personality, memories and thoughts of a singular being, temporarily split apart. The larger the original gestalt the more split forms there could be, therefore it is possible for a [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]] gestalt to have many split partners.

===Blood Market===
The Blood Market, known as such colloquially, is a relatively private sector of the DNA Market. It operates out of a facility called ‘Bloodworks’ in District Ten, owned by the Blood Buddy Organization. The Market is mostly used by Dionae looking to enhance their skills in a certain field, or simply someone raising a nymph. The Bloodworks currently holds a monopoly over the lucrative trade, charging from 3000CR to 20,000CR for samples large enough for Dionae to learn from.

The ‘Blood Buddy Organization’ was founded by a Diona Argus, Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis, and is a ‘publically’ funded organization spearheaded by various Researchers from the Nralakk Federation, Sol Alliance and Republic of Biesel. The company holds various fundraising events, where many skilful participants are noted to donate their blood in order to be sold on the market. The Blood Buddy Organization operates mostly within the Republic of Biesel, but are noted to sell their products to other nations. The largest donor to BBO is Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, who recently gifted them the facility in District Eleven.

The Blood Market is not free of criminals, however, one particular group stands out more than the rest. The Blood Runners are notorious/renowned for their criminal undertakings, specifically their undercutting of the Blood Buddy Organization. The Blood Runners sell their samples from 1000CR to 10,000CR - leading the BBO to place reward for the arrest of the gang leader, Xia Lu-Qing. They have also been known to dabble in Corporate Espionage, using the Dionae’s ability to extract information from blood samples to their advantage.

==Military and Dionae Martialism==

As Dionae are generally pacifistic in their outlook they tend to operate in support positions within military units, acting as field medics, logistical support and any other function which does not involve direct aggression. That being said, under the teachings of the Eternal it is understood that there is a potential for violence to be unleashed by the powerful onto the powerless and thus it falls upon those who have undertaken martial studies to defend themselves and those unable to defend themselves. This is known as “Shh’sha’shu” or “The Divine Mandate to Defend All.” Dionae settlements that follow the principles of the Eternal are therefore aligned in their martial doctrines.

===Training===
''“Evil is just a lack of empathy and perspective. To understand is to be good.”''

In a universe largely unforgiving towards the Dionae it’s not uncommon for gestalts to study Dionae martial arts - “Shh’ush” or “Defence Mastery,” an art largely based on utilizing a Dionae’s great endurance and their opponent's momentum. The level of study a gestalt might undertake depends on a particular gestalts interest in martial studies overall with many dabbling in the art but not immersing themselves. Mastery of the student ranks or “Hshh’shee” allows a gestalt to ascend into full ranks or “Hshh” which serve as the highest scholarly ranks for martial studies and the military forces of the Dionae known collectively as “Guardians of Eternal” or “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” (The Guardians of the Divine Mandate to Defend All). Under the Eternal and generally for the majority of Dionae, combat or military defence isn’t a job but a calling and area of scholarly study. Other species might study Defence Mastery for its non-lethal takedowns however the art is especially suited for Dionae due to its reliance on their natural resilience and slower speed.

==== “Hshh’shee” or “Student Ranks”====
''“Waging war against good creatures is bad for the soul.”''

Initial training in Defence Mastery is focused on techniques to neutralise an opponent with minimal harm to both the user and their opponent. This is achieved by utilizing grapples, pins and stunning blows before retreating as well as methods of defensive retreat. Lethal force is not taught at this stage and is even strongly discouraged. Students at this level refer to themselves as “Shee” - Student or “One who is learning”. The teacher is referred to as whatever their rank may be. All teachers are those from the “Hshh” or “Full Ranks.” Advancement comes through mastery of the subjects being taught at each level and the completion of physical and written tests.
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Ranks from lowest - high:
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Shee’sho - ‘’’First Rank’’’ aka Student of the First Level
At this level, students are taught techniques based around defensive retreat from a threat.

Shee’cho - ‘’’Second Rank’’’ aka Student of the Second Level
At this level, students are taught key close combat neutralization techniques alongside advanced defensive retreat forms, including methods to assist others in retreating from threats. Most Dionae who don’t feel the call tend to stop at this level.

Shee’cha - ‘’’Third Rank’’’ aka Student of the Third Level
At this level, students are taught a wider array of close combat neutralization techniques as well as being taught to master defensive retreats.

Shee’che - ‘’’Fourth Rank’’’ aka Student of the Fourth Level
At this level, students are taught how to utilize the environment/objects to assist in close combat neutralization as well as in defensive retreat.
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====“Hshh” or “Full ranks”====
''“Holding hate in your heart is like grasping fire. It is you who is burnt in the end.”''

If a Dionae feels the call and has mastered the “Hshh’shee” or Student Ranks, they can opt to study the “Shh’sha’shu” or The Divine Mandate to Defend All and thus join the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” or Guardians of Eternal. This is a more intricate martial discipline and covers military history, doctrine, diplomacy, martial theology and all combat forms. Advancement through the ranks is achieved not just by mastery as with the student ranks but also with the approval of the teacher. As with any hierarchy, commands flow down the ranks to the Defenders.

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Ranks from lowest - high:
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Shh’ch - ‘’’Defender’’’ aka Defender of the Dionae
At this stage, a Dionae is taught lethal combat forms as well as the use of weaponry and vehicles. The “Shh’sha’shu” is also taught which includes military history, doctrine, diplomacy and martial theology. Escalation of force is also taught at this level with a focus on de-escalation. Police and security units would begin at this level.

Shh’ch’sha - ‘’’Sentinel’’’ aka Sentinel of the Heavens
At this stage, a Dionae is taught further combat forms and more advanced lessons from the “Shh’sha’shu.” They might begin to specialise in a particular martial method such as piloting, combat engineer or even logistics.

Uushh’ch - ‘’’Master’’’ aka Master of the Defence of Heaven
At this stage, a Dionae becomes an Overseer with mastery over combat and defence. A Diona at this level is familiar with all forms of the “Shh’sha’shu.”

Uushh’ch’sha - ‘’’Grand Master’’’ aka Grand Master of the Defence of Heaven
At this stage, a Dionae has not only mastered the “Shh’sha’shu” but also multiple specialities. It is possible due to the way in which the advancement system works within the “Shh’sha’shu” for every member of the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” to end up being a Grand Master barring the Marshall, though such a thing has never occurred historically.

Hss’shh’sha’shu - ‘’’Marshall’’’ aka Marshall of the Divine Mandate to Defend All
The highest rank in the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu.” At this stage a Dionae would hold superlative knowledge of the “Shh’sha’shu” and not just be an expert fighter and military leader but also a tremendous diplomat. Unlike all other ranks the Marshall is largely unique, with only one Marshall per independent Dionae nation. The current Marshalls are: ‘Amplified by Probing Discoveries of Unknown Investigations’ of the Epsilon Expeditionary Force, ‘Metal Forms Made Ready‘ of the Narrows and ‘The First Lights Across the Void’ of the Biesel Choir.
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==Religion==
The entrance of Dionae into the Orion Spur, alongside the Skrell, has been nothing short of a mystery - allowing many theories to form of their creation, some have even gone as far as to create religions surrounding the species.

===The Eternal===
[[File:Eternal.png|thumb|alt=Eternal Icons.|From left to right: Symbol of the Iron Eternal, symbol of the Orthodox Eternal, symbol of Connected to the Blossoms Beyond, symbol of the Blood Eternal.]]

====Belief====
Followers of '''The Eternal''' believe that a primordial entity exists in Light, Energy and Essence - which the Dionae are the embodiment of.

They believe that the Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars return to stars, eventually. Before they may return the Dionae must devour as much knowledge and biomass as they can, growing exponentially until they reach the mythical Titan form, becoming a star once more. Transcended into a star, the Dionae will emit light and energy until they die, at which point their essence will spread across the void to birth new Dionae. It is in this way that '''the eternal cycle''' is achieved. Scholars of the Eternal link this to the very real potential outcome of Titan form Dionae which theoretically could grow to such mass as to collapse into a star, thus giving off "light and energy" before eventually going supernova and expelling matter or "essence" across the cosmos.

Dionae followers from outside of faction space (deep space or unknown frontier worlds) tend to be the most outspoken followers of the Eternal, preaching openly and trying to encourage Dionae alongside non-Dionae to join through words supported by good deeds, never by force.

The Eternal faith’s symbols originate as audio frequencies or “songs”. Non-Dionae members of the faith have, with guidance from Overseers, “translated” many symbols into a visual format for non-Dionae. Those thoughts, feelings and symbols that are not able to be translated are “sung” to the faithful, with non-Dionae learning to understand and even sing these “symbols'' themselves.
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Key "songs" of the Eternal:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''The Song of the Eternal'''

The song of the symbol representing the Eternal and the faith in general. It sounds like ‘’a soft, intoxicating melody which rises to an emotional crescendo before softly drifting away.’’

'''The Song of Energy'''

The song of the symbol representing energy, birth and action. It sounds like ‘’an intense melody building into an aggressive crescendo before abruptly ending.”

'''The Song of Essence'''

The song of the symbol representing essence and strength. It sounds like “a long, strong melody slowly rising to a high note before softly drifting away.”

'''The Song of Greeting'''

The song of the emotion associated with a pleasant greeting. It sounds like “a brief, colourful melody.”

'''The Song of Light'''

The song of the symbol representing light, wisdom and nourishment. It sounds like “a loud, operatic melody which seems to travel upwards then downwards in pitch before softly drifting away.”

'''The Song of Love'''

The song of the emotion associated with a both romantic and platonic love. It sounds like “a soft, angelic melody that seems to drift through the air before softly ending.”

'''The Song of Mourning'''

The song of the emotion associated with both mourning the dead and mourning general deep loss. It sounds like “a strong, keening melody which slowly drifts into silence.”

'''In game, these audio symbols can be “sung” using the chat command “!” and copying everything from “a” in the song’s sound description. For example, “!sings a soft, intoxicating melody which rises to an emotional crescendo before softly drifting away.”'''
</div></div>
[[File:Eternal_symbols.png|thumb|alt=Eternal Symbols.|The translated symbols of the Eternal - Light, Energy and Essence.]]

====Leadership====
====Head of the Faith====
The de facto leadership of the faith is made up of Argus sized and larger gestalts which commune with one another to philosophise about the nature of reality and the faith within it. In the known galaxy the current “head” of the faith is ‘Connected to the Blossoms Beyond’, an Argus gestalt living within the Eternal Temple of Biesel, who communicates with the ancient gestalts in deep space.

====High Overseers====
Under Blossoms are three High Overseers who act as respective “sub-heads” for the three Eternal Doctrines - the Iron Eternal, the Orthodox Eternal (known simply as the Eternal) and the Blood Eternal. These are:

Amplified by Probing Discoveries of Unknown Investigations - High Overseer of the Iron Eternal, located on Epsilon Ursae Minoris

Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis - High Overseer of the Orthodox Eternal, located on Biesel.

The Ravenous Consumer of Beastly Monsters within the Cloud - High Overseer of the Blood Eternal, located within the Viscerabelt.

Overseers make up the equivalent of the priesthood of the Eternal faith. Overseers work alongside the large Argus gestalts, primarily Connected to the Blossoms Beyond, to relay any important messages to the congregation and largely to act as mentors and trainers, passing on their knowledge to the followers of the Eternal. Most if not all Overseers are experts in other fields, often working in different roles whilst acting as an Overseer so that they might better meet with and pass on messages to the faithful. Most Overseers tend to be Dionae but it is possible for a committed non-Dionae to become one. By virtue of the audio symbology of the Eternal non-Dionae Overseers tend to be good singers. '''On station, an Overseer might work as, say, a medical doctor training other medical staff whilst also acting as an Overseer for the Eternal.'''

====The Iron Eternal====
Followed largely by the Dionae on Epsilon Ursae Minoris and Dionae supportive of synthetics. The Iron Eternal follows the basic doctrine of the Eternal however believes that the Eternal exists within the material universe, on death memories and experience are lost and that it is the Dionae’s destiny to utilize the machine to transcend to the next state of being, becoming as the Iron Eternal. To this end, they utilize machine interface technology and their own biology to fuse with machinery as well as data storage units, improving their data processing power, data retention and other biological functions, allowing easier transfer of knowledge in life as well as on death. Followers of the Iron Eternal give equal standing to synthetic life, believing it to be capable of forming its own memories and experiences which can be absorbed and passed into the “Light” via their machine components.

=====Eternity Shard=====
A monolith-like computer system made from an unknown green crystal material. It contains technical diagrams on the construction of various advanced technology albeit with references to esoteric, unknown materials. Importantly, it contains direct references to what the followers of the Iron Eternal believe to be the actual Iron Eternal itself, descriptions of its acts as a creator god machine and immutable proof of its existence as far as they are concerned.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Key "songs" of the Iron Eternal:
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'''The Song of Iron'''

The song which represents a greeting as well as reference to learning, knowledge and the Eternal. Can only be sung by augmented followers of the Eternal through their augmetics. It sounds like ‘’a soft binary burst, rising and falling until it gently fades.”
</div></div>

====The Orthodox Eternal====
Followed by the majority of Dionae, the Orthodox Eternal belief which is generally just referred to as “the Eternal" offers a middle path for Dionae. A balance between the material universe and the immaterial spiritual beliefs of the greater Eternal. The Orthodox Eternal is the originator of almost all of the Eternal doctrine and overall philosophy, offering a balance between the transfer of knowledge materially through scholarly learning and data storage implants alongside learning through DNA.

====The Blood Eternal====
Followed largely by the Viscerabelt cluster and more unsavoury, aggressive Dionae. The Blood Eternal is a more violent interpretation of the Eternal, represented by a blood-red icon of the Eternal with a bloody maw.

Followers of the Blood Eternal are largely identical to their normal counterparts with one key difference: they prefer the consumption of flesh and blood to gain knowledge unlike regular followers of the Eternal who's pursuit of knowledge is largely based around standard scholarly learning. Blood Eternal followers also believe in the spread of Dionae biomass and growth through consumption of other biological matter over the perceived slow growth of mass through light and radiation. To this end, Blood Eternal followers tend to be more aggressive than their Orthodox or Iron counterparts as well as larger and stronger. The vast majority of the Blood Eternal followers are still sensible with their consumption of biomass- hunting animals, purchasing or at the very worst, stealing blood and flesh. The Blood Maw is the largest temple in the Viscerabelt and the known galaxy. Essentially a hollow asteroid coated in red, glistening Dionae biomass.

'''Note, while both members and priests of the blood eternal are allowed, they need to be kept at a reasonable level. Believing that blood and flesh is the best way to acquire knowledge is one thing, attempting to steal blood to bathe in it is not. Station characters of the Blood Eternal still need to follow the species' conditional pacifism, but otherwise may attempt to legally seek out blood so long as it does not majorly impede their work.'''

=====The Blood Well=====
An organic construction made from Dionae biomass. Based within the Blood Maw this large, pulsating biological machine stores collected blood samples up to 30 days for followers of the Blood Eternal to imbibe to aid in learning. Largely used to educate newborn nymphs by submerging them in its central “well,” the machine provides a large cocktail of DNA to the nymph, bringing it rapidly into sapience. The Blood Well is very closely guarded and protected to prevent contamination.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Key "songs" of the Blood Eternal:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''The Song of Sacrifice'''

The song which represents sacrifice to the Eternal, death and feasting. It sounds like ‘’a bass boosted, howling dirge which ends in a bone-rattling crescendo.”
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====Burial and Practice====
All followers of the Eternal regardless of species believe that upon death their body should be preserved and merged with a growing Dionae gestalt as quickly as possible so their knowledge and experiences will live on. In this way Dionae believe they are immortal as long as they can be absorbed. Followers of the Iron Eternal focus mainly on preserving their data coils which contain their knowledge in digital form whereas Blood Eternal followers stress that the dead must be consumed and re-added to the mass. Orthodox Eternal followers tend to follow a balance of the two.

====The Ch’sssn’aah or “Great Conflict/Debate”====
Due to the polarizing nature of the Iron Eternal (physical world, materialism) and the Blood Eternal (metaphysical, idealism) there is often great theological debate within the Eternal faith. Known as the “Great Conflict” or “Great Debate” (debate and conflict being synonymous in rootsong) the doctrinal arguments would strangle Eternal theology were it not for the counterweight provided by the “Orthodox” Eternal belief which serves as a middle path for the Dionae. Though never resorting to physical altercations, debate between Iron and Blood followers can rapidly rise from good-natured jabs to heated exchanges.

====”Sn’aah” or “Eternal Debates”====
[[File:eternal_debate.png|thumb|400px|From left to right, an Iron Eternal Overseer, an Orthodox Eternal Overseer and a Blood Eternal Overseer debate metaphysics.]]
Followers of the Eternal and Dionae in general prefer to settle disputes non-violently through debate where possible. Though debates can become passionate and fiery, they all tend to follow the same basic rules as outlined in Eternal philosophy.

Overseers debate points of order collated by Connected to the Blossoms Beyond. Overseers sit in a forum and can only speak when formed into a circular shape known as “the form”. Only one gestalt can assume this form at a time. The debate is moderated by a High Overseer. Sometimes gestalts can get passionate/noisy especially when individual nymphs start to join in and multiple Overseers may end up assuming “the form” or just shouting out without assuming the form. The High Overseer will then call for “calm” usually by just saying/shouting “calm”. Overseers must then be silent. It can be difficult to quiet the Overseers but usually after a short time passions are pulled under control and civil silence reigns. If an Overseer won’t be quiet they can be ejected from the debate. To speak without being in the form and without authority by the High Overseer is called “talking from formless” and is considered against the rules. Overseers that continue to do so can be ejected from the debate. Connected to the Blossoms Beyond will then decide when a debate has reached its conclusion and give a verdict on its outcome, at which point a new point of order will be called and debate begins again. Eternal debates are essentially endless, with Connected to the Blossoms Beyond diverting aspects of itself to oversee them perpetually as Overseers come and go as they feel necessary.

This form of debate is also reflected in minor, ad hoc debates groups of Dionae might find themselves in.For example, a group of Dionae might want to debate on the next course of action in a research expedition. The group will hastily choose the most intelligent of the group to act as both the moderator and decider. The group will then debate as above, assuming “the form” until the elected moderator makes their decision which the rest of the group will follow. In very rare circumstances this might not always be the case and one member of the group my begin to enact the Schh’aah’shu or Rebel Path.

====Schh’aah’shu or “Rebel Path”====
“Pacifism is not passivism, do what you will and we shall do what we must.” Last words of ‘Hope of Starlight.’

Considered by the majority of Eternal followers to just merely be an aspect of the Sh’shu, an irreversible path towards unnecessary aggression and loss of self control. For those more “rebellious” gestalts the Schh’aah’shu or “Rebel Path” is a spiritual means to an end, a violent path in life one takes when there is no other choice. The Schh’aah’shu usually begins when a gestalt is faced with a situation they personally cannot tolerate, something beyond the pale with the only solution being calculated violent activity or reprisal. Naturally this is a very uncommon position for almost all gestalts who would much rather resolve issues lawfully as well as peacefully with words and good deeds. The most infamous (or famous depending on your position) example of a Dionae following the Schh’aah’shu was the Biesel Choir Sentinel Argus, Hope of Starlight, who ignored direct instruction by Overseers and naval enforcement by splitting into three cyclops gestalts before raiding a pirate vessel which was under investigation for smuggling sapient nymphs for slavery and food production. After killing its crew at the expense of two of it’s split partners, Hope of Starlight brought the vessel back to Biesel dock where it was violently apprehended by law enforcement officers as armed and dangerous. Treated largely as an example of stupidity, loss of control and a dark example of Sh’shu, Hope of Starlight is often idolised by rebellious gestalts as being an example of the Schh’aah’shu’s purity. Curiously, though followers of the Blood Eternal tend to be more aggressive, they are no more likely to follow the Schh’aah’shu then any other gestalt.

====Lexicon====
Key words and phrases of the Eternal which have made their way into Dionae culture on Biesel:

Bad Blooded - A dionae who is unnaturally aggressive.

Eternal Cycle - The Eternal Cycle. Refers to the cycle of life and death.

Void - Means nothingness. To be "returned to the void" is negative and implies a being or thing is no longer part of the eternal cycle. It has completely ceased to exist in any form. “The Void comes/calls” or just “The Void” is often said by Dionae and Eternal followers to mean “something bad is going to happen”, “what you are doing is going to have a dangerous outcome for you” or “I don’t like where this is going.”

Young Star - A Dionae who is on the path to becoming a star. This could mean through consumption of biomass but usually implies a scholar who is "absorbing" knowledge. A Dione scientist might be referred to as a "young star".

===Ksshr & Shrkh ===
Originating from the Dionae planet of Xrim, Ksshr and Shrkh are two separate religions that have been integral to Xrim's history, with the inhabitants of the planet originally worshipping a being known as the "First Consciousness". Eventually, the inhabitants learned the true name and crimes of their former god, with its true identity being Glorsh Omega, the former AI that terrorized the Skrell. Those that chose to believe this revelation and reject their former God became known as the Ksshr, and those that still chose to worship the being became known as the Shrkh. More information on the two religions can be found, [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Xrim#Religion here].
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=Dionae Out-of-Character Information=
With Dionae having some of the most diverse personalities, origins, and mindsets, creating one can be confusing at times, this page aims to aid in clarifying and aiding people in considering what to think of when creating a Dionae character.

==Major points to consider while making a character:==
* Your Dionae’s origin, where they came from and why they might’ve left.
* Life before working for the SCC, did they work in Biesel prior to working on the Horizon?
* Are they considering a Coeus or Geras, are they young or old?
* Do they have a mindtype?
* What’s their opinions on other species? How has their origin shaped this?
* How has their origin and life experiences shaped what megacorporation they work for, what job they work as, and why they decided to work on the Horizon in the first place?
* Do they follow any religion or hold any religious beliefs?
* How has their conditional pacifism influenced them?

==Dionae Origins==
One of the most important first steps in creating a Dionae is choosing where they originate from, whether it be as a citizen of a human or alien nation or as a member of an independent Dionae cluster. A Dionae’s origin can play a major part in determining their beliefs and opinions, as well as who they work for, what they work as, and why they chose to work for the SCC on the Horizon.

While lacking a true homeworld, Dionae to have several important Dionae-centric planets and groups they can originate from, most notably the Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris, an independent planet made up of several smaller Dionae nations that have banded together, as well as the myriad of semi-independent [[Minor_Dionae_Factions#Dionae_Clusters|clusters]] that can be found throughout the spur.

Regardless of origin, Dionae working on SCC facilities are required to have their nymphs chipped for recordkeeping and tracking purposes, a common practice for Dionae in human space.

===Alien Origins===
Unlike most other species in the spur, Dionae do not have a known homeworld or singular major area they hail from. Instead, they can be found originating from almost every corner of the known galaxy in a myriad of the spur’s nations, most notably inside the Solarian Alliance, Republic of Biesel, Coalition of Colonies, Jargon Federation, and Moghes Wasteland. Each nation treats Dionae with a varying degree of fairness and equality, with nations like the Federation and Republic treating them mostly fairly, while the Solarian Alliance treats them less than favorable.

When creating a Dionae originating from a human or alien nations, we highly suggest taking a look at the [[Dionae Intergration]] page detailing how exactly each nations treats and respects their Dionae residents. It’s also important to consider if they were originally a wildborn Dionae who was integrated into that nation, or if they were grown in that nation and raised up in it their entire life.

==Outlines and Examples==
Below are some examples of Dionae origins and how it has influenced them in life:
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
CHARACTER OUTLINES
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===Eternal Grown===
Eternal Grown (or D11 grown) are Dionae who were originally grown and raised by the Eternal Church in the Eternal Gardens located in Mendell’s city's District 11. Whilst not forced to join the Eternal church, these Dionae still tend to be highly educated through it, both in receiving an actual education and learning much about the outside world.

'''Characters from this origin are likely to:'''
*Follow the Eternal religion, and live or formally live in District 11.
*Gravitate towards jobs that require higher forms of education, such as a medical physician or scientist.
*Be indifferent to non-Dionae, but seek to form meaningful connections.

===The Narrows===
H-Z-63, also known as “The Narrows” was originally a Hephaestus mining ship that used prisoner labor before later being abandoned following a large prisoner riot that left vital parts of the ship in ruins. Over time, the ship would be repaired and expanded upon by its new inhabitants, Dionae. Now part of the Coalition of Colonies, The Narrows has become a large exporter of both resources and manpower for Hephaestus.

Dionae from this group are split between three categories, A, B, and C block, with A being the original Dionae who found the ship, B being those who joined in restoring the vessel, and C being those who joined after.
'''Characters from this origin are likely to:'''
*Hate chaos, and will actively avoid it. They also view their superiors as wise.
*Be an employee of Hephaestus.
*Gravitate towards Mining, Service and Engineering.
*Speak Freespeak
===Federation Grown===
Dionae originating from the Federation sometime after their discovery and integration into Skrell society. Federation-grown Dionae are treaty extremely well compared to most other places in the galaxy, and overall tend to have a high quality of life.
Characters from this origin are likely to:
*Share characteristics with Skrell, both in psychical and in personality
*Speak Nral’Malic, the primary language of the Skrell
*Have a high opinion on the Jargon Federation and of Skrell
*Have a low opinion on synthetics.
*Lean towards working for Zeng-Hu due to the megacorporation’s relations with the Federation
*Generally avoid more dictatorial mind types
===Xrim===
Originally a Skrell colony, the planet was overtaken by its current Dionae residents following the rise of Glorsh-Omega. Prior to the rediscovery of Xrim by the skrell in 2283 CE, the Dionae population was heavily unified under the belief in “The First Consciousness,” a being they worshiped for delivering them to paradise and giving them the ability to become more sapient. However, upon learning the true nature of the First Consciousness as really being Glorsh-Omega and the full extent of the crimes they’ve committed, the Dionae of Xrim splintered into several factions with the two largest being the Shrkh and Ksshr. The Ksshr rejected their former god, while the Shrkh continued to embrace them. Xrim re-entered the Jargon Federation as a semi-autonomous colony in the year 2284, one year after rediscovery with a still-majority Dionae population
'''All Characters from this group are likely to:'''
*Speak Nral’Malic, the primary language of the Skrell
*Gravitate towards Science and Engineering.
'''Shrkh Characters from this origin are likely to:'''
*Have a negative opinion of Skrell, but have a positive one of Synthetics.
*Actively speak about the injustices brought upon them by the Skrell. (if open about being Shrkh)
*Be religious.
*Will not work for Zeng-Hu.
'''Ksshr Characters from this origin are likely to:'''
*Have a positive opinion of Skrell, but a negative one of Synthetics.
*Be agnostic, and appreciative of innovation and intelligence.
Generally will share the same characteristics as a Federation-grown Dionae.
===The Pests of Titan Prime===
Dionae on Titan Prime hid for nearly half a millennia in order to survive the onslaught of the Vaurca. Having been scooped up during a routine refueling in a Gas Giant, the Cluster began growing like a weed on the hull. Dozens of Vaurca would be dispatched over the next centuries to destroy the growth, each failing to do so.

'''Characters from this origin are likely to:'''
*Generally have a negative opinion of Vaurca.
*Split seldomly, or not at all.
*Gravitate towards Engineering or Mining.
*Be extremely traumatized from their experiences.
*Share some characteristics with Vaurca, notably in appearance

===The Royal Garden of Dominia===
The Emperor himself perceives the Diona as the perfect subservient life form, and has a personal biodome connected to his palace that houses the Royal Garden, where all his most loved children stay. When a nymph is grown in his garden, it is grown in the best imported soil and given imported comet-based water. These Diona nymphs are the perfect gift for The direct vassals, pets, children, and jesters to the high nobility of Dominia, these gestalts are perceived as displays of immense wealth for nobility.

'''Characters from this origin are likely to:'''
*Follow the Moroz Holy Tribunal.
*Show great respect to Dominians, and to be subservient to them.
*Have a negative view of IPC and Hegemony Unathi. Be indifferent to Tajaran.
*Share characteristics with Humans, both in psychical and in personality
*Speak Tradeband
</div></div>

==Forms==
While Dionae come in many shapes and sizes, all playable Dionae characters are either a singular nymph, or a Cyclops-form gestalt, with all characters made through the setup being the latter, but the former may be grown or be split off from a gestalt.

The age of a Dionae does play a part in picking which species of Dionae is selected in the setup. When creating a Dionae character, in the species selection screen after selecting Dionae you’ll be given two options, Dionae and Coeus Dionae. Coeus Dionae are younger and more agile, but aren’t very resilient to pain, and will take more compared to other species. The generic Dionae selection is for Geras Dionae, who are older and less agile, but more resilient to damage. More information on the different forms of Dionae can be found on the [[Dionae Forms]] page

==Mindtypes==
Dionae Mindtypes can best be described as a mixture of a Dionae’s personality and how exactly they function as a collective, who leads them, speaks for them, and if they have any major focus or goal as a gestalt such as a focus on acquiring knowledge and life experiences or a focus on aiding younger nymphs to teach them about the galaxy and how to function better in a gestalt of their own in the future. The [[Dionae Mindtypes]] page details a list of example and popular mindtypes often had by Dionae, but it is not a requirement for a Dionae to have one of these described mindtypes, they may have a homebrew mindtype not listed on the page. When making a custom mindtype please keep it reasonable, if you’re unsure about an idea feel free to contact a member of the Dionae lorewriter team. For first time applicants it is highly suggested to pick a mindtype on the mindtype page for your application’s Dionae, having a mindtype can help with easing new Dionae players into the unique mindsets and playstyles Dionae have.

Below is a short list detailing how exactly a mindtype can influence a Dionae Gestalt’s functions and way of life:

* How the gestalt is led, do they work as an equal democracy or with a singular leader?
* How they speak, do they have a select social nymph speaking for them with or without the rest deciding what to say, or do they instead all speak at once? Dionae who speak all at once will typically speak in a slightly more chaotic manner, with their speech in game being elongated, an example being “Weee aarree aaa Dddionnaaee.”, but Dionae who speak with one social nymph who speaks after consulting with the rest may speak with pauses in their speech, an example being “We are a… Dionae”.
* A goal or primary function of the gestalt. Not every mindtype is just about how the gestalt works together, but what primarily motivates them to stick together.
* Due to the nature of how some mindtypes function, Dionae with certain mindtypes may be restricted from working in certain jobs and positions on SCC facilities. Mindtypes with these restrictions will list them at the bottom of the mindtype’s description.

For new Dionae players, we suggest picking the Competence Choir, Tyrannical Tune, or Harmonious Hymn mindtype, or for a more simple mindtype, Singular Sound.

==Dionae Pacifism==
Most Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary. For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.
It is important to note that this pacifism does not exclude them from working in security or
Dionae characters working on SCC facilities must follow Conditional Pacifism, as such all played characters on the Horizon must follow this. Characters on independent ships, as well as off-station antags, do not have to follow this mindset, as always, keep it reasonable.

==Records==
While certainly not required, the below record template can be used to help spice up a Dionae’s records.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
RECORDS
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''///// GENERAL INFORMATION \\\\\'''

'''NAME:''' [Registed Name of Gestalt]

'''CHIP NUMBER:''' [NUMBER IS DATE OF CHIPPING + DATE OF MERGER + 3 OTHER RANDOM NUMBERS EG 01012462 15122390 881]

'''SPOKEN LANGUAGES:''' [LANGUAGES]

'''GESTALT ORIGINS:''' [NAME OF CLUSTER]

'''CITIZENSHIP:''' [CITIZENSHIP]

+

'''///// EMPLOYMENT/EDUCATION INFORMATION \\\\\'''

'''''History, as provided by the Gestalt, are as follows. They have been verified by employment agents within the External Affairs department, and any comments, questions, or concerns about the legitimacy of such must be sent in a secure document to the same department'''''.

'''EDUCATION SUMMARY:''' [Place of Tertiary Education + Blood Samples (BS #MED-4410 = BLOOD SAMPLE MEDICAL NUMBER 4410)

'''CURRENT QUALIFICATIONS:''' [Qualifications recognised by the State i.e Education in Facilities]

'''CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS:''' [What positions on the station they are certified to work in. E.g, Security Officer, Surgeon, Command, etc.]

'''ONGOING TRAINING:''' [Anything they are currently training in]

'''EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:'''

[Company Name]

[(Start)DD/MM/YYYY] - [(End)DD/MM/YYYY]

- [Basic Work description]

- [Reason for leaving work]

- [Other notes]

[Repeat for multiple jobs]

+

'''///// MEDICAL/GESTALT INFORMATION \\\\\'''

'''SPLITTINGS REPORTED:''' [NUMBER OF SPLITTINGS]

'''COGNITIVE OBSTACLES:''' [YES/NO] - [IF YES, PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION]

'''POSTMORTEM INSTRUCTIONS:''' [INSTRUCTIONS; BURNT, ABSORBED, EATEN]

'''NOTES:''' [NOTES]

+

'''///// SECURITY/INCIDENT INFORMATION \\\\\'''

'''CHIP NUMBER:''' [SAME AS ABOVE]

- [INCIDENT #] - [INFORMATION]

- [REPEAT IF NEEDED]

'''THREAT ASSESSMENT:'''

Hostile/Covert Actions Against the Company
Threat Level;

[Very High/High/Medium/Low/Very Low]

- [Attitude towards NT]

Hostile/Covert Actions Against the Crew
Threat Level;

[Very High/High/Medium/Low/Very Low]

- [Attitudes towards other crew]

</div></div>

Be aware that threat assessment differs based on the cluster of origin (if they have one). If you require additional help determining threat assessment, please feel free to reach out to the Dionae Development Team.

Dionae Mindtypes

2022-07-25T13:16:31Z

Yonnimer:

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{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}
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= Dionae Minds =
It is erroneously believed that the only format that Dionae can gain sentience- and therefore knowledge- is through the blood of sentient creatures. However this is quite false, and often the shortsighted view of those who are unfortunately subject to ‘anklebiters'. Sapience is instead something that is achieved due to the instinctive behaviour of nymphs to gather together. What they cannot achieve alone or through external DNA, they manage to achieve as a collective, becoming fully sapient and sentient. What is however debated is if they are actually individually sentient or only the greater being, although such collectives will argue it doesn't matter.

The memories of any individual Diona are linked specifically to their neural strata, and due to how it is imprinted cannot be imparted across neural links to the others in their gestalt. This leads to an unfortunate eventuality in that if a nymph leaves a gestalt, the information it held is gone forever. When one wishes to leave formally, there is a known process known simply as ‘departing'. Where the collective will go to a safe place that they can be assured they will not need to move or be at risk of starvation. During this time the nymph will sing vocally a song of their experiences, of their knowledge and training. In this way they can imprint their knowledge in an abstract way across their collective or even much larger ones. It is not uncommon to go on pilgrimages when the departing is in process, and those who are at witness to it note how varied the emotion in such songs are depending on the histories of such nymphs.
There is also a darker method of obtaining the memories of other nymphs, to devour their neural strata allows the physical repurposing and absorbing of fragments of their memories. This is of course never done to another living nymph, as it would be incredibly traumatic to internalize being eaten alive. The strangest part of forceful integration is that their memories are an absolute void of emotion, when thinking about them or recalling them in any fashion there is never any emotional connotation. This can be incredibly strange and uncomfortable, and can never be reversed once absorbed. There are experimental unbinding surgeries to remove absorbed neural strata to get those experiences out, however the success rate is very minute as the exacts of nymph neurology are largely unexplored.

== Mind Types ==
Dionae do not choose how their internal mind structures work, such things will happen due to circumstances, personalities and environments around them that will cause various structures to develop. The below encompasses some of the myriad of potential structures that exist, and is by no means a conclusive list. Think of these as inspiration and feel free to make your own, although be logical with if your gestalt's unique mind would be fitting for the job NT has hired them for.

'''Station characters still need to be reasonable, NT wouldn't hire someone who can't work or acts insane. Keep in mind that some of the mind types are restricted to certain roles/may not be allowed to be a station character at all
'''

=== Singular Sound ===
The gestalt has very little individuality within each nymph, with each being akin to a large cluster of neurons working symbiotically.There is little in the terms of an internal dialog within these collectives, usually all acting as relays for their unified consciousness. These are usually from nymphs that have merged without ever consuming blood. The loss of a singular nymph is catastrophically damaging to this kind of network, akin to suffering major brain damage. - They may speak all at once or only use one to preserve neural load, depending on their opinion. These are suggested for those new to Dionae or those who aren't as interested in roleplaying the more complicated mind types.

=== Competence Choir ===
All skilled nymphs within the collective are in charge of their respective areas, the social nymph does not need to confer with the others and thus speaks with completely normal inflection without any large gaps. However may end up pausing if the collective has pressing issues they want the social nymph to present. This is most often with specialized collectives with utilitarian views. No individual nymph is more important than the others if they are all the same level of skill.

=== Tyrannical Tune ===
This kind of collective is unusual, stemming from a nymph with extreme ideologies or absolute indoctrination with a dogmatic view point. Usually the social nymph will take an authoritarian role over the other nymphs within the collective, and they all act together out of the unity of the singular personality than anything else. The loss of the Overseer nymph itself will utterly cripple this collective, causing a power struggle and internal conflict for quite some time afterwards. Such collectives will not usually have difficulty with speech unless the Overseer is not the social nymph.

=== Harmonious Hymn ===
Within this often complicated and socially conflicted Gestalt is a pure democratic rule, every action it takes will be voted upon internally. This results in gaps in speech either with long silences or a short pause between every word as they decide exactly what the majority of them wish to do. They might mention ‘majority' frequently when referencing if they voted on something, or ‘minority' when mentioning freedom of speech. Something frequent within these gestalts is that when returning to a greater such as an Argus they may have new ones replace older ones who cannot successfully get votes to their opinion. No singular nymph is more valuable than another, and the social nymph may be distributed to multiple throughout depending on the collective.

=== Chaotic Cacophony ===
A collection of nymphs who are together merely out of the benefit and added safety of numbers. They may speak all at once, interrupt one another and generally not be particularly easy to listen to. The nymphs could be prone to argue, or they may be quite content with saying what they feel. These collectives are usually quite young and have not settled into a structure that makes it easier for all of them to feel appreciated. (This mind type is restricted to Janitors, Gardeners and Cargo Technicians. Be reasonable with this one)

===Tumultuous Tacet===
A rare but notable mind type that belongs to Dionae who were formerly led by a single lead nymph, but as a result of any number of circumstances, have lost them and have had difficulties with recovering. From the outset, these gestalts can seem similar to Chaotic Cacophony due to their disjointed nature, however, instead of speaking all at once in a chaotic manner, Tumultuous Tacet may not speak at all as the nymphs are not sure who should be speaking or what exactly to say. Whilst some Tumultuous Tacet will eventually recover and move on to developing a new, more stable mind type, some may spend decades if not centuries being unable to decide on a new mind type.

'''As a result of their unreliable muteness, Tumultuous Tacet gestalts are only permitted in positions that allow for them to be [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Job_Accessibility_Requirements mute]''', including Chaplain, Librarian, Janitor, Bartender, Chef, Hydroponics, Assistant, and Hanger technician

=== Seasoned Song ===
These are one of the most common with more ancient collectives that come from the void and space whales. The opinions within them matter most entirely dependent on age, the more bark that has accumulated on your body the more complicated your song must be. These are likely to have traditions, be religious or have other viewpoints that are relayed by the elder. For a cyclops on station this could mean the head is entirely covered with bark to the point that it is immobile from age, as an example. They will often reference songs and the most traumatic loss is the destruction of the eldest among them. Such collectives will have entirely unique structures based around whatever the Elder deems best, but will always submit to the wisdom of the oldest among them. The Eldest will near universally be the social nymph to best represent them.

=== Bloodless Band ===
An extreme variant of the Singular Sound, they are nymphs who have achieved sentience quite similarly to the Singular Sound. However they have become increasingly opinionated against the idea of drinking blood, to the point that they reject anything that could shed blood. Such collectives are considered radicals due to their intense pacifistic approach, rejecting the utilitarian views on conflict entirely. Such collectives usually believe that drinking blood could fundamentally change who they are, and will often not join into an Argus for fear one of them may have drunk blood and could expose them. Their outright refusal to imbibe blood also means that they lose a critical quantity of information that will take potentially decades to relearn because they cannot fast track it. (This mind type is restricted from security roles due to the fact that lethality is something they have to be prepared to do.)

=== Learning Lyrics ===
Uniquely these never are formed from fresh cyclops but split from Argus and upwards. Specifically it is a trained gestalt that alternates one or two young nymphs on a regular basis, the others exist to let the young nymphs safely experience the outside world, working to provide funds for the greater gestalt, social norms, and get blood samples to help them experience the world around them. Such gestalts are usually run by the older nymphs but following on the whims of the younger ones to let them experience things with the safety net of those with more wisdom. The loss of the younger nymphs is more tragic to such a collective than the older ones, to a usual collective they will mourn the fact they failed to protect the very ones they were supposed to protect. (This mind type is restricted from Security roles due to the potential risk of killing the young nymphs.)

=== Emphatic Echo ===
These are a unique gestalt that have formed more in the modern era of Dionae xenos relations. What makes them particularly interesting to the observer is near to all of the nymphs are social nymphs, with expertly trained skills in specific areas of social nuance. This gives them an almost eerie essence when they pick up even your most subtle facial movements and deduce your emotional state. They are renowned for their social skills and patience, however due to the quantity of social nymphs are quite incapable of complex physical tasks. (This mind type is restricted to, Liaison/Rep, Psychologist(includes alt titles), Investigator, Chaplain, Librarian and visitor.)

===Scholarly Song===
One of the more uncommon mind types out there, Scholarly Song gestalts are known to be fixated on only one thing: the acquisition of knowledge and experience - whether it be through blood or through learning it themselves. Unlike Voided Vocals, however, Scholarly Song gestalts do show restraint, and will generally avoid consuming the dead for knowledge. Notably, the composition and leadership style of the gestalt is not uniform amongst Scholarly Song gestalts. While the specifics of why they wish to acquire the knowledge vary from gestalt to gestalt, it tends to be of a slightly religious nature, whether it be more in line with the doctrines of the eternal’s beliefs or something completely separate. Scholarly Chrous gestalts tend to be somewhat divided on if the acquisition of knowledge should only be obtained through first-hand experiences, or if it can be done through the consumption of blood and their own experiences, those that believe the former are referred to as the Bloodless Scholarly Song.

=== Mourning Mass ===
An entirely unique generation of mind types, who make up an extreme minority of Dionae in the Spur. There is only one known way to generate such a gestalt consciousness, and it is the absorption of the one person that the Consensus had viewed as significant.

Not all Dionae who do this will become a Mourning Mass, but only those who do can become one. Such gestalts are characterised by their complete dedication to the life of their former partner, and the memories that they cherish. They can vary from completely dejected, holding the greatest burden they could imagine to melancholic joy at being able to spend reality with them forever.

Their internal dialog is entirely variant on what their original mind type was, however typically different nymphs will have different parts of the person that they memorialise. This means such gestalts have the greatest loss of all, if their gestalt loses even a fragment of such knowledge, and thus would never allow a nymph to die at any cost. The loss of a nymph would be a loss of such magnitude that it's rare such a collective would be able to cope.

Typically they may take on a name that has or involves their now merged other, something as simple as ‘Joy of Exploring The Endless Cosmos Together' to ‘The Eternal and Unending Care for [partner name]' could be examples of such. But as every relationship is unique, as are most Mourning Mass, and their name will most likely symbolize something deeply important to them.

Mourning Masses mostly will take on an employment that they and their partner enjoyed together, or perhaps something entirely around their interests instead. They are not actively restricted from any employment but are instead required to have 5 years to process their grief before positions of stress such as medical work, command, and security. This of course also includes a psychological evaluation after the required time period, to assure they are competent.

For reading of what a Mourning Mass looks like in Jargon/Skrell relations, look [[Diona_in_the_Federation#Diona_Relationships|here]].

== Non Station Mind Types ==
=== Voided Vocals ===
The most alien of all the gestalts even to other Dionae, are those known as the Voided, those who are unified in purpose to absorb knowledge of the dead. They speak almost purely in poetic notions and have near to no internal dialog. What is so bizarre about these collectives is their obsession with death, offering to take on even the memories of other species post mortem despite the traumatic experiences. The amount of disjointed knowledge, memories and thoughts have long since made it impossible to tell what is from original minds or what their many memories are. Such collectives experience near to no real emotion due to the expanse of emotionless memories they contain, however, when exposed to grief from losing one of their nymphs, it may be overwhelming over the lack of emotion they have had for so long. Common notions of theirs is that nobody should ever be forgotten to time, or that they can give a form of immortality in themselves to those they can “save”. (This mind type is restricted from station roles entirely. It may be jobs not originating on the Aurora and is also restricted from merchant. They may additionally be antagonists.)

=== Scarlet Score ===
Something that gives cause to alarm is the plague that is known as the Scarlet Score, a plague that can overtake gestalts with no known cause. Any nymph who joins with one afflicted with his horrific disease will be irrevocably damaged. The disease causes them to become incredibly hostile, lashing out and desiring blood.

It is completely unknown how Scarlet Score thinks internally, they may be exactly like any other mind type but driven to absolute madness. Even how the madness is represented is unclear. All stellar organisations recognise that these are a complete lost cause and either must be contained for research or terminated. There is no saving them, and all Dionae are at risk if they are exposed to the plague.

There are examples of Scarlet Score who have imbibed so much blood that they have become Voided Vocals, and no longer hostile. Although they are not accepted by Dionae gestalts for fear they carry the dormant virus, they are not actively exterminated. (Antagonist and event related only).

===Nocturne Notes===
An usual mind type, Nocturnes Notes gestalts are known for having an extreme form of Nyctophobia- an extreme fear of the dark. This phobia results in a near-constant fear of the coming night or a possible blackout that sees the Dionae spending much of their day-to-day life focusing on ways to ensure they’ll be safe in the night or have some backup light source. This fear will generally result in an irrational and erratic mindset. This, along with their ceaseless search of ways to stave off the darkness will sometimes result in Dionae willing to turn to crime just to finance ways to combat their fear, usually as thieves and petty criminals.

'''This mind type is restricted from station roles, but may be played as antags and some independent off-station roles.'''

[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae Mindtypes

2022-07-25T13:16:17Z

Yonnimer:

{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}
{{toc_right}}

= Dionae Minds =
It is erroneously believed that the only format that Dionae can gain sentience- and therefore knowledge- is through the blood of sentient creatures. However this is quite false, and often the shortsighted view of those who are unfortunately subject to ‘anklebiters'. Sapience is instead something that is achieved due to the instinctive behaviour of nymphs to gather together. What they cannot achieve alone or through external DNA, they manage to achieve as a collective, becoming fully sapient and sentient. What is however debated is if they are actually individually sentient or only the greater being, although such collectives will argue it doesn't matter.

The memories of any individual Diona are linked specifically to their neural strata, and due to how it is imprinted cannot be imparted across neural links to the others in their gestalt. This leads to an unfortunate eventuality in that if a nymph leaves a gestalt, the information it held is gone forever. When one wishes to leave formally, there is a known process known simply as ‘departing'. Where the collective will go to a safe place that they can be assured they will not need to move or be at risk of starvation. During this time the nymph will sing vocally a song of their experiences, of their knowledge and training. In this way they can imprint their knowledge in an abstract way across their collective or even much larger ones. It is not uncommon to go on pilgrimages when the departing is in process, and those who are at witness to it note how varied the emotion in such songs are depending on the histories of such nymphs.
There is also a darker method of obtaining the memories of other nymphs, to devour their neural strata allows the physical repurposing and absorbing of fragments of their memories. This is of course never done to another living nymph, as it would be incredibly traumatic to internalize being eaten alive. The strangest part of forceful integration is that their memories are an absolute void of emotion, when thinking about them or recalling them in any fashion there is never any emotional connotation. This can be incredibly strange and uncomfortable, and can never be reversed once absorbed. There are experimental unbinding surgeries to remove absorbed neural strata to get those experiences out, however the success rate is very minute as the exacts of nymph neurology are largely unexplored.

== Mind Types ==
Dionae do not choose how their internal mind structures work, such things will happen due to circumstances, personalities and environments around them that will cause various structures to develop. The below encompasses some of the myriad of potential structures that exist, and is by no means a conclusive list. Think of these as inspiration and feel free to make your own, although be logical with if your gestalt's unique mind would be fitting for the job NT has hired them for.

'''Station characters still need to be reasonable, NT wouldn't hire someone who can't work or acts insane. Keep in mind that some of the mind types are restricted to certain roles/may not be allowed to be a station character at all
'''

=== Singular Sound ===
The gestalt has very little individuality within each nymph, with each being akin to a large cluster of neurons working symbiotically.There is little in the terms of an internal dialog within these collectives, usually all acting as relays for their unified consciousness. These are usually from nymphs that have merged without ever consuming blood. The loss of a singular nymph is catastrophically damaging to this kind of network, akin to suffering major brain damage. - They may speak all at once or only use one to preserve neural load, depending on their opinion. These are suggested for those new to Dionae or those who aren't as interested in roleplaying the more complicated mind types.

=== Competence Choir ===
All skilled nymphs within the collective are in charge of their respective areas, the social nymph does not need to confer with the others and thus speaks with completely normal inflection without any large gaps. However may end up pausing if the collective has pressing issues they want the social nymph to present. This is most often with specialized collectives with utilitarian views. No individual nymph is more important than the others if they are all the same level of skill.

=== Tyrannical Tune ===
This kind of collective is unusual, stemming from a nymph with extreme ideologies or absolute indoctrination with a dogmatic view point. Usually the social nymph will take an authoritarian role over the other nymphs within the collective, and they all act together out of the unity of the singular personality than anything else. The loss of the Overseer nymph itself will utterly cripple this collective, causing a power struggle and internal conflict for quite some time afterwards. Such collectives will not usually have difficulty with speech unless the Overseer is not the social nymph.

=== Harmonious Hymn ===
Within this often complicated and socially conflicted Gestalt is a pure democratic rule, every action it takes will be voted upon internally. This results in gaps in speech either with long silences or a short pause between every word as they decide exactly what the majority of them wish to do. They might mention ‘majority' frequently when referencing if they voted on something, or ‘minority' when mentioning freedom of speech. Something frequent within these gestalts is that when returning to a greater such as an Argus they may have new ones replace older ones who cannot successfully get votes to their opinion. No singular nymph is more valuable than another, and the social nymph may be distributed to multiple throughout depending on the collective.

=== Chaotic Cacophony ===
A collection of nymphs who are together merely out of the benefit and added safety of numbers. They may speak all at once, interrupt one another and generally not be particularly easy to listen to. The nymphs could be prone to argue, or they may be quite content with saying what they feel. These collectives are usually quite young and have not settled into a structure that makes it easier for all of them to feel appreciated. (This mind type is restricted to Janitors, Gardeners and Cargo Technicians. Be reasonable with this one)

===Tumultuous Tacet===
A rare but notable mind type that belongs to Dionae who were formerly led by a single lead nymph, but as a result of any number of circumstances, have lost them and have had difficulties with recovering. From the outset, these gestalts can seem similar to Chaotic Cacophony due to their disjointed nature, however, instead of speaking all at once in a chaotic manner, Tumultuous Tacet may not speak at all as the nymphs are not sure who should be speaking or what exactly to say. Whilst some Tumultuous Tacet will eventually recover and move on to developing a new, more stable mind type, some may spend decades if not centuries being unable to decide on a new mind type.

'''As a result of their unreliable muteness, Tumultuous Tacet gestalts are only permitted in positions that allow for them to be [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Job_Accessibility_Requirements mute]''', including Chaplain, Librarian, Janitor, Bartender, Chef, Hydroponics, Assistant, and Hanger technician

=== Seasoned Song ===
These are one of the most common with more ancient collectives that come from the void and space whales. The opinions within them matter most entirely dependent on age, the more bark that has accumulated on your body the more complicated your song must be. These are likely to have traditions, be religious or have other viewpoints that are relayed by the elder. For a cyclops on station this could mean the head is entirely covered with bark to the point that it is immobile from age, as an example. They will often reference songs and the most traumatic loss is the destruction of the eldest among them. Such collectives will have entirely unique structures based around whatever the Elder deems best, but will always submit to the wisdom of the oldest among them. The Eldest will near universally be the social nymph to best represent them.

=== Bloodless Band ===
An extreme variant of the Singular Sound, they are nymphs who have achieved sentience quite similarly to the Singular Sound. However they have become increasingly opinionated against the idea of drinking blood, to the point that they reject anything that could shed blood. Such collectives are considered radicals due to their intense pacifistic approach, rejecting the utilitarian views on conflict entirely. Such collectives usually believe that drinking blood could fundamentally change who they are, and will often not join into an Argus for fear one of them may have drunk blood and could expose them. Their outright refusal to imbibe blood also means that they lose a critical quantity of information that will take potentially decades to relearn because they cannot fast track it. (This mind type is restricted from security roles due to the fact that lethality is something they have to be prepared to do.)

=== Learning Lyrics ===
Uniquely these never are formed from fresh cyclops but split from Argus and upwards. Specifically it is a trained gestalt that alternates one or two young nymphs on a regular basis, the others exist to let the young nymphs safely experience the outside world, working to provide funds for the greater gestalt, social norms, and get blood samples to help them experience the world around them. Such gestalts are usually run by the older nymphs but following on the whims of the younger ones to let them experience things with the safety net of those with more wisdom. The loss of the younger nymphs is more tragic to such a collective than the older ones, to a usual collective they will mourn the fact they failed to protect the very ones they were supposed to protect. (This mind type is restricted from Security roles due to the potential risk of killing the young nymphs.)

=== Emphatic Echo ===
These are a unique gestalt that have formed more in the modern era of Dionae xenos relations. What makes them particularly interesting to the observer is near to all of the nymphs are social nymphs, with expertly trained skills in specific areas of social nuance. This gives them an almost eerie essence when they pick up even your most subtle facial movements and deduce your emotional state. They are renowned for their social skills and patience, however due to the quantity of social nymphs are quite incapable of complex physical tasks. (This mind type is restricted to, Liaison/Rep, Psychologist(includes alt titles), Investigator, Chaplain, Librarian and visitor.)

===Scholarly Song===
One of the more uncommon mind types out there, Scholarly Song gestalts are known to be fixated on only one thing: the acquisition of knowledge and experience - whether it be through blood or through learning it themselves. Unlike Voided Vocals, however, Scholarly Song gestalts do show restraint, and will generally avoid consuming the dead for knowledge. Notably, the composition and leadership style of the gestalt is not uniform amongst Scholarly Song gestalts. While the specifics of why they wish to acquire the knowledge vary from gestalt to gestalt, it tends to be of a slightly religious nature, whether it be more in line with the doctrines of the eternal’s beliefs or something completely separate. Scholarly Chrous gestalts tend to be somewhat divided on if the acquisition of knowledge should only be obtained through first-hand experiences, or if it can be done through the consumption of blood and their own experiences, those that believe the former are referred to as the Bloodless Scholarly Song.

=== Mourning Mass ===
An entirely unique generation of mind types, who make up an extreme minority of Dionae in the Spur. There is only one known way to generate such a gestalt consciousness, and it is the absorption of the one person that the Consensus had viewed as significant.

Not all Dionae who do this will become a Mourning Mass, but only those who do can become one. Such gestalts are characterised by their complete dedication to the life of their former partner, and the memories that they cherish. They can vary from completely dejected, holding the greatest burden they could imagine to melancholic joy at being able to spend reality with them forever.

Their internal dialog is entirely variant on what their original mind type was, however typically different nymphs will have different parts of the person that they memorialise. This means such gestalts have the greatest loss of all, if their gestalt loses even a fragment of such knowledge, and thus would never allow a nymph to die at any cost. The loss of a nymph would be a loss of such magnitude that it's rare such a collective would be able to cope.

Typically they may take on a name that has or involves their now merged other, something as simple as ‘Joy of Exploring The Endless Cosmos Together' to ‘The Eternal and Unending Care for [partner name]' could be examples of such. But as every relationship is unique, as are most Mourning Mass, and their name will most likely symbolize something deeply important to them.

Mourning Masses mostly will take on an employment that they and their partner enjoyed together, or perhaps something entirely around their interests instead. They are not actively restricted from any employment but are instead required to have 5 years to process their grief before positions of stress such as medical work, command, and security. This of course also includes a psychological evaluation after the required time period, to assure they are competent.

For reading of what a Mourning Mass looks like in Jargon/Skrell relations, look [[Diona_in_the_Federation#Diona_Relationships|here]].

== Non Station Mind Types ==
=== Voided Vocals ===
The most alien of all the gestalts even to other Dionae, are those known as the Voided, those who are unified in purpose to absorb knowledge of the dead. They speak almost purely in poetic notions and have near to no internal dialog. What is so bizarre about these collectives is their obsession with death, offering to take on even the memories of other species post mortem despite the traumatic experiences. The amount of disjointed knowledge, memories and thoughts have long since made it impossible to tell what is from original minds or what their many memories are. Such collectives experience near to no real emotion due to the expanse of emotionless memories they contain, however, when exposed to grief from losing one of their nymphs, it may be overwhelming over the lack of emotion they have had for so long. Common notions of theirs is that nobody should ever be forgotten to time, or that they can give a form of immortality in themselves to those they can “save”. (This mind type is restricted from station roles entirely. It may be jobs not originating on the Aurora and is also restricted from merchant. They may additionally be antagonists.)

=== Scarlet Score ===
Something that gives cause to alarm is the plague that is known as the Scarlet Score, a plague that can overtake gestalts with no known cause. Any nymph who joins with one afflicted with his horrific disease will be irrevocably damaged. The disease causes them to become incredibly hostile, lashing out and desiring blood.

It is completely unknown how Scarlet Score thinks internally, they may be exactly like any other mind type but driven to absolute madness. Even how the madness is represented is unclear. All stellar organisations recognise that these are a complete lost cause and either must be contained for research or terminated. There is no saving them, and all Dionae are at risk if they are exposed to the plague.

There are examples of Scarlet Score who have imbibed so much blood that they have become Voided Vocals, and no longer hostile. Although they are not accepted by Dionae gestalts for fear they carry the dormant virus, they are not actively exterminated. (Antagonist and event related only).

==-Nocturne Notes==-
An usual mind type, Nocturnes Notes gestalts are known for having an extreme form of Nyctophobia- an extreme fear of the dark. This phobia results in a near-constant fear of the coming night or a possible blackout that sees the Dionae spending much of their day-to-day life focusing on ways to ensure they’ll be safe in the night or have some backup light source. This fear will generally result in an irrational and erratic mindset. This, along with their ceaseless search of ways to stave off the darkness will sometimes result in Dionae willing to turn to crime just to finance ways to combat their fear, usually as thieves and petty criminals.

'''This mind type is restricted from station roles, but may be played as antags and some independent off-station roles.'''

[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae Mindtypes

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= Dionae Minds =
It is erroneously believed that the only format that Dionae can gain sentience- and therefore knowledge- is through the blood of sentient creatures. However this is quite false, and often the shortsighted view of those who are unfortunately subject to ‘anklebiters'. Sapience is instead something that is achieved due to the instinctive behaviour of nymphs to gather together. What they cannot achieve alone or through external DNA, they manage to achieve as a collective, becoming fully sapient and sentient. What is however debated is if they are actually individually sentient or only the greater being, although such collectives will argue it doesn't matter.

The memories of any individual Diona are linked specifically to their neural strata, and due to how it is imprinted cannot be imparted across neural links to the others in their gestalt. This leads to an unfortunate eventuality in that if a nymph leaves a gestalt, the information it held is gone forever. When one wishes to leave formally, there is a known process known simply as ‘departing'. Where the collective will go to a safe place that they can be assured they will not need to move or be at risk of starvation. During this time the nymph will sing vocally a song of their experiences, of their knowledge and training. In this way they can imprint their knowledge in an abstract way across their collective or even much larger ones. It is not uncommon to go on pilgrimages when the departing is in process, and those who are at witness to it note how varied the emotion in such songs are depending on the histories of such nymphs.
There is also a darker method of obtaining the memories of other nymphs, to devour their neural strata allows the physical repurposing and absorbing of fragments of their memories. This is of course never done to another living nymph, as it would be incredibly traumatic to internalize being eaten alive. The strangest part of forceful integration is that their memories are an absolute void of emotion, when thinking about them or recalling them in any fashion there is never any emotional connotation. This can be incredibly strange and uncomfortable, and can never be reversed once absorbed. There are experimental unbinding surgeries to remove absorbed neural strata to get those experiences out, however the success rate is very minute as the exacts of nymph neurology are largely unexplored.

== Mind Types ==
Dionae do not choose how their internal mind structures work, such things will happen due to circumstances, personalities and environments around them that will cause various structures to develop. The below encompasses some of the myriad of potential structures that exist, and is by no means a conclusive list. Think of these as inspiration and feel free to make your own, although be logical with if your gestalt's unique mind would be fitting for the job NT has hired them for.

'''Station characters still need to be reasonable, NT wouldn't hire someone who can't work or acts insane. Keep in mind that some of the mind types are restricted to certain roles/may not be allowed to be a station character at all
'''

=== Singular Sound ===
The gestalt has very little individuality within each nymph, with each being akin to a large cluster of neurons working symbiotically.There is little in the terms of an internal dialog within these collectives, usually all acting as relays for their unified consciousness. These are usually from nymphs that have merged without ever consuming blood. The loss of a singular nymph is catastrophically damaging to this kind of network, akin to suffering major brain damage. - They may speak all at once or only use one to preserve neural load, depending on their opinion. These are suggested for those new to Dionae or those who aren't as interested in roleplaying the more complicated mind types.

=== Competence Choir ===
All skilled nymphs within the collective are in charge of their respective areas, the social nymph does not need to confer with the others and thus speaks with completely normal inflection without any large gaps. However may end up pausing if the collective has pressing issues they want the social nymph to present. This is most often with specialized collectives with utilitarian views. No individual nymph is more important than the others if they are all the same level of skill.

=== Tyrannical Tune ===
This kind of collective is unusual, stemming from a nymph with extreme ideologies or absolute indoctrination with a dogmatic view point. Usually the social nymph will take an authoritarian role over the other nymphs within the collective, and they all act together out of the unity of the singular personality than anything else. The loss of the Overseer nymph itself will utterly cripple this collective, causing a power struggle and internal conflict for quite some time afterwards. Such collectives will not usually have difficulty with speech unless the Overseer is not the social nymph.

=== Harmonious Hymn ===
Within this often complicated and socially conflicted Gestalt is a pure democratic rule, every action it takes will be voted upon internally. This results in gaps in speech either with long silences or a short pause between every word as they decide exactly what the majority of them wish to do. They might mention ‘majority' frequently when referencing if they voted on something, or ‘minority' when mentioning freedom of speech. Something frequent within these gestalts is that when returning to a greater such as an Argus they may have new ones replace older ones who cannot successfully get votes to their opinion. No singular nymph is more valuable than another, and the social nymph may be distributed to multiple throughout depending on the collective.

=== Chaotic Cacophony ===
A collection of nymphs who are together merely out of the benefit and added safety of numbers. They may speak all at once, interrupt one another and generally not be particularly easy to listen to. The nymphs could be prone to argue, or they may be quite content with saying what they feel. These collectives are usually quite young and have not settled into a structure that makes it easier for all of them to feel appreciated. (This mind type is restricted to Janitors, Gardeners and Cargo Technicians. Be reasonable with this one)

=== Seasoned Song ===
These are one of the most common with more ancient collectives that come from the void and space whales. The opinions within them matter most entirely dependent on age, the more bark that has accumulated on your body the more complicated your song must be. These are likely to have traditions, be religious or have other viewpoints that are relayed by the elder. For a cyclops on station this could mean the head is entirely covered with bark to the point that it is immobile from age, as an example. They will often reference songs and the most traumatic loss is the destruction of the eldest among them. Such collectives will have entirely unique structures based around whatever the Elder deems best, but will always submit to the wisdom of the oldest among them. The Eldest will near universally be the social nymph to best represent them.

=== Bloodless Band ===
An extreme variant of the Singular Sound, they are nymphs who have achieved sentience quite similarly to the Singular Sound. However they have become increasingly opinionated against the idea of drinking blood, to the point that they reject anything that could shed blood. Such collectives are considered radicals due to their intense pacifistic approach, rejecting the utilitarian views on conflict entirely. Such collectives usually believe that drinking blood could fundamentally change who they are, and will often not join into an Argus for fear one of them may have drunk blood and could expose them. Their outright refusal to imbibe blood also means that they lose a critical quantity of information that will take potentially decades to relearn because they cannot fast track it. (This mind type is restricted from security roles due to the fact that lethality is something they have to be prepared to do.)

=== Learning Lyrics ===
Uniquely these never are formed from fresh cyclops but split from Argus and upwards. Specifically it is a trained gestalt that alternates one or two young nymphs on a regular basis, the others exist to let the young nymphs safely experience the outside world, working to provide funds for the greater gestalt, social norms, and get blood samples to help them experience the world around them. Such gestalts are usually run by the older nymphs but following on the whims of the younger ones to let them experience things with the safety net of those with more wisdom. The loss of the younger nymphs is more tragic to such a collective than the older ones, to a usual collective they will mourn the fact they failed to protect the very ones they were supposed to protect. (This mind type is restricted from Security roles due to the potential risk of killing the young nymphs.)

=== Emphatic Echo ===
These are a unique gestalt that have formed more in the modern era of Dionae xenos relations. What makes them particularly interesting to the observer is near to all of the nymphs are social nymphs, with expertly trained skills in specific areas of social nuance. This gives them an almost eerie essence when they pick up even your most subtle facial movements and deduce your emotional state. They are renowned for their social skills and patience, however due to the quantity of social nymphs are quite incapable of complex physical tasks. (This mind type is restricted to, Liaison/Rep, Psychologist(includes alt titles), Investigator, Chaplain, Librarian and visitor.)

=== Mourning Mass ===
An entirely unique generation of mind types, who make up an extreme minority of Dionae in the Spur. There is only one known way to generate such a gestalt consciousness, and it is the absorption of the one person that the Consensus had viewed as significant.

Not all Dionae who do this will become a Mourning Mass, but only those who do can become one. Such gestalts are characterised by their complete dedication to the life of their former partner, and the memories that they cherish. They can vary from completely dejected, holding the greatest burden they could imagine to melancholic joy at being able to spend reality with them forever.

Their internal dialog is entirely variant on what their original mind type was, however typically different nymphs will have different parts of the person that they memorialise. This means such gestalts have the greatest loss of all, if their gestalt loses even a fragment of such knowledge, and thus would never allow a nymph to die at any cost. The loss of a nymph would be a loss of such magnitude that it's rare such a collective would be able to cope.

Typically they may take on a name that has or involves their now merged other, something as simple as ‘Joy of Exploring The Endless Cosmos Together' to ‘The Eternal and Unending Care for [partner name]' could be examples of such. But as every relationship is unique, as are most Mourning Mass, and their name will most likely symbolize something deeply important to them.

Mourning Masses mostly will take on an employment that they and their partner enjoyed together, or perhaps something entirely around their interests instead. They are not actively restricted from any employment but are instead required to have 5 years to process their grief before positions of stress such as medical work, command, and security. This of course also includes a psychological evaluation after the required time period, to assure they are competent.

For reading of what a Mourning Mass looks like in Jargon/Skrell relations, look [[Diona_in_the_Federation#Diona_Relationships|here]].

== Non Station Mind Types ==
=== Voided Vocals ===
The most alien of all the gestalts even to other Dionae, are those known as the Voided, those who are unified in purpose to absorb knowledge of the dead. They speak almost purely in poetic notions and have near to no internal dialog. What is so bizarre about these collectives is their obsession with death, offering to take on even the memories of other species post mortem despite the traumatic experiences. The amount of disjointed knowledge, memories and thoughts have long since made it impossible to tell what is from original minds or what their many memories are. Such collectives experience near to no real emotion due to the expanse of emotionless memories they contain, however, when exposed to grief from losing one of their nymphs, it may be overwhelming over the lack of emotion they have had for so long. Common notions of theirs is that nobody should ever be forgotten to time, or that they can give a form of immortality in themselves to those they can “save”. (This mind type is restricted from station roles entirely. It may be jobs not originating on the Aurora and is also restricted from merchant. They may additionally be antagonists.)

=== Scarlet Score ===
Something that gives cause to alarm is the plague that is known as the Scarlet Score, a plague that can overtake gestalts with no known cause. Any nymph who joins with one afflicted with his horrific disease will be irrevocably damaged. The disease causes them to become incredibly hostile, lashing out and desiring blood.

It is completely unknown how Scarlet Score thinks internally, they may be exactly like any other mind type but driven to absolute madness. Even how the madness is represented is unclear. All stellar organisations recognise that these are a complete lost cause and either must be contained for research or terminated. There is no saving them, and all Dionae are at risk if they are exposed to the plague.

There are examples of Scarlet Score who have imbibed so much blood that they have become Voided Vocals, and no longer hostile. Although they are not accepted by Dionae gestalts for fear they carry the dormant virus, they are not actively exterminated. (Antagonist and event related only).

[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae Forms

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Template:Navbox Dionae Lore

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Dionae

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Yonnimer: Updates the "Place in the galaxy" section a tad.

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<center>[[File:DionaeMainpage.png|1000px|The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.|link=]]</center>

==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.

===Important Notes===
Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae '''''can''''' be found as [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Research_Director Research Directors], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Engineer Chief Engineers], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Medical_Officer Chief Medical Officers], and [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Operations_Manager Operations Managers]. They, however, '''''cannot''''' be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

{{Infobox Diona
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primis
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|Language = Rootsong
|Factions = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Factions Mult.]
|Location = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Systems_and_Locations Mult.]
}}
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===Nymphs===

Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.

===Dionae Gestalts===

A Dionae Gestalt is a collection of nymphs who have formed together to create a gestalt. The number of nymphs in a gestalt can vary from only two or three nymphs to upwards of a million, there’s no true known limit to how big a gestalt could be. Each nymph within a gestalt will usually handle tasks to help the whole collective such as helping with movement, acting as a hand, or speaking. However, Dionae Gestalts are not a hive mind. They are a collective and, barring some exceptions depending on the gestalt’s [[Dionae Forms#Dionae_Minds|mind type,]] each nymph may have independent thought. Nymphs in a gestalt will usually confer with each other and come to an agreement on which actions to take such as what to say or where to move to, although sometimes a gestalt may designate some nymphs to make decisions on their own for the whole collective. While each nymph is capable of speaking in a gestalt, how a Dionae may utilize communications can vary from gestalt to gestalt and is dependant on their mind type. Some may elect to have one nymph speak for the entire gestalt while others will have each nymph speak at once, sometimes a bit chaotically.

Multiple forms of Dionae gestalt are defined by the number of nymphs that make up the collective. These have varying levels of intelligence and mobility, with more nymphs generally allowing for greater levels of intelligence within the gestalt but less mobility. The most common and important of these forms are the Cyclops forms, also referred to as the worker form. A Cyclops gestalt is generally made up of half a dozen nymphs that take a very human-like form, usually having two arms and two legs. They are the form seen most employed throughout the galaxy, capable of working most jobs that humans could, barring some that require a quick response time or that may breach their conditional pacifism.

For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]

==Language==
Unlike most other species of the spur, Dionae are grown already knowing their native language, Rootsong. Rootsong is spoken through a combination of sounds created by limbs, membranes, and movement that all come together to create a “song” that can be understood as words and sentences. To the uninitiated these sounds tend to sound more "natural", with many comparing their songs to an orchestra of leaves rustling in the wind, branches rubbing together, and sometimes softer instrumental sounds such as a noise akin to a flute. Emotion and intent can be understood through pitches and speed of the sounds, with faster, lighter pitches used for happier words, and lower, slower pitches for more negatively-inclined words. While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa.

Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language. Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating or integrating the required organs needed to communicate within.

==Naming==
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.

Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.

'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''

==Experience Is What Matters==
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vast stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however, this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.

==Signs of Age==
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]

==Appearance==

Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.

‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.

Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.

Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.

===Pacifism: What to do when fighting!===
Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary.

For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.

==History==

There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.

Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Jargon Federation|Jargon Federation.]]

While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]

===Place in the galaxy===

As Dionae have no known homeworld, Dionae tend to be very nomadic, spreading throughout the spur and into the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Jargon Federation, and within the Moghes Wasteland. While none can claim to be their true homeworld, several planets and nations have been founded by Dionae notably the independent nations of the [[Epsilon Ursae Minoris|Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris]], a collection of smaller nations that have banded together on the planet of EUM, as well as [[Xrim]], a planet found within the Jargon Federation populated primarily by Dionae.

While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]

Each human nation treats Dionae in a slightly different way, with some allowing them to be ordinary citizens while others have them strictly banned. For more information on how each nation treats Dionae, see: [[Dionae Intergration|Dionae Intergration.]] The human nation with by far the largest population of Dionae would be the [[Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel.]] Dionae within the Republic are generally treated fairly, although there still tends to be some light discrimination such as a lower wage when compared to a human’s wage. The Republic and most human nations in general that allow Dionae require each nymph to be chipped to differentiate nymphs and to keep track of their splittings and mergings from different gestalts.

Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.

==Character Guide==

===Mechanics===
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.
*Can feel pain, with Coeus being more sensitive to pain compared to humans and Geras being significantly less.
*Increased movement speed for Coeus, but reduced movement speed for Geras.

===Important things to think about when creating a character===

While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:

*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?

===Character concepts===

'''Preaching To The Choir Upon Rustling Leaves'''
*They are a 57-year-old Dionae from the Royal Garden of Dominia.
*They have light bark and stand at about 6'2" as they believe height is important, having been grown in the Royal Garden of Emperor Boleslaw.
*They are a priest within the Moroz Holy Tribunal, sent outside the Empire to ensure that citizens outside are following correctly, and perhaps trying to bring new blood into the fold.
*Due to their growing up and blood memories, they have an extreme dislike of IPCs and Cyborgs.
*They are considered an Emphatic Echo, due to how social they are, and the needing of reading facial expressions.
*Speaks Tai Ceti Basic, Tradebrand, and Sign Language.

'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.

[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae Forms

2022-06-26T18:52:33Z

Yonnimer: updates the cetus blurb

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=Forms=
The merging and separation of Nymphs take much time and energy to complete, sometimes days or even weeks on much larger structures. For smaller collections such as Cyclopes, it typically only takes an hour or so before they are ready to function. This is due to the Nymph bodies fusing together and creating a sturdy body that will be able to reasonably support itself and move, adapting it to the current environment. Before performing a change, Nymphs and Gestalts will gorge themselves on biomatter in preparation. Separation is only ever done in life-or-death emergencies or special situations such as growing a larger Gestalt as it can often be traumatic to Nymphs if done in a hurry, causing the knowledge gathered to be improperly stored in each individual or even lost without the correct precautions taken. With each change, the new form will always take up a new name to represent the new information and experiences collaborated.

'''Note that Nanotrasen only hires Cyclops forms to work on the Aurora. All crew characters must be one.'''

Dionae, being in its very nature a compound creature, comes in several known and theoretical forms with several characteristics:

==Nymph==
[[File:Nymph.png|thumb|alt=Nymph|The humble beginnings for all Dionae, the Nymph stage.]]
Nymphs are the base form of a Dionae, often born separate from gestalts. They begin their life with an intelligence similar to that of the average dog, their cognitive abilities exponentially increase when they merge with other Nymphs, giving them a biological prerogative to merge with one another in order to survive and comprehend the world around them. If exposed to sentient blood and absorbed, they will grow to the intelligence of very young human children.
==Cerberus==

Cerberus are Dionae gestalts who make up more than one nymph, but not enough to be considered a Cyclops form, comprising roughly two to four nymphs. Their intelligence is comparable to the average sentient creature, and are largely unremarkable. It can be difficult for a Cerberus form to find work, as their general size can make it difficult for them to find the equipment they can use unless specialized specifically for them. The majority of long-term Cerberus forms can be found within the Jargon Federation.

[[File:Dionae.png|thumb|left|alt=Cyclops|Bipedal in form, the Cyclops are the most common gestalts to be seen across the Orion Spur.]]
==Cyclops==

The most common form of Dionae gestalts in the galaxy, cyclops-forms, sometimes referred to as “worker forms" are Dionae gestalts who are made up of roughly five to nine nymphs. Most Cyclops resemble other intelligent species, usually having two legs and two arms, although this can differ based on the number of nymphs that are a part of the gestalt. Their intelligence follows the growth of intelligence of lesser forms, comparable to highly intelligent sentient life. They can grasp highly abstract concepts, such as quantum theory, and vastly outstrip the sum of their parts by orders of magnitude. Dionae Cyclops tend to stand anywhere as low as three feet to as tall as eight feet, some even taller. Typically, the majority of the Cyclops will stand at a rough five to six feet.

==Argus==

One of the rarer forms of Dionae, Argus are Dionae made from anywhere from ten nymphs, to a hundred. Due to the sheer size of most Argus forms, work can be extremely tough to find in most unskilled jobs and many find work within specialized jobs, largely with Research or even as Engineers, considering many of them would spend their time on the exterior side of the ships and stations, allowing for the
soaking up of radiation and light.

==Colossus==

Colossus forms are Dionae gestalts that are made up of as little as one-hundred-and-one nymphs to upwards of five-hundred-thousand. Colossus forms are split into two sub-categories, "Trireme", who are gestalts that move through space, and “Echions”, gestalts that tend to stay in one area/system. Most newly discovered gestalts in space are considered a Trireme Colossi. Due to the sheer size of a Colossus, it is incredibly rare if not impossible for one to find work or a purpose. As such most will break up into a myriad of new gestalts to see new and better opportunities.

==Cetus==
[[File:SkrellDionae.png|thumb|alt=Cetus|One of few Cetus' captured by Skrell technology when discovered over Kelo'Hen]]
Cetus forms are a mass of Dionae so immense, in the orders of a million nymphs, that it can be considered a stellar body. Currently, only three have been observed, those being the gestalt above Nralakk, The Conglomerated Choir of Nralakk, Peaceful Static In Endless Waves, also known as Venter's Cetus, and the more recently discovered Wandering Chorale of the Spur. Unknown capabilities - theorized to be more intelligent than most other forms of intelligence, organic or synthetic. It is suspected that the original Dionae gestalt, where it may be, is at least this form if not the form below.

More informatin on each of the Cetus's can be found, [[Minor_Dionae_Factions#Cetus_Gestalts|here]].

==Titan==

A theoretical form of the Dionae - a planet, or even star-sized Diona form consisting of maybe more nymphs than is currently known to exist, maybe the pinnacle of organic processing and thought. Uncharted intelligence. The Skrell has an order to destroy any Dionae structure that could reach or has reached, this size due to the inherent risk of intelligence singularity and other classified risks.

= Dionae Life Cycle =

The Dionae life cycle is categorized in Basic by the old Greek words of Coeus, Geras, and Penuma.

All Dionae either form within a spored pod, or grown internally within a larger gestalt over time. Those who are formed from the former act almost entirely on instinct from their more limited thinking capacity, those who form via the latter are much more like a neuron that improves the whole until exposed to blood of a sentient species.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Age bracket for Coeus officially being classified as a Geras
|-
! - !! Default Bark (temperate/spacestation grown) !! Lighter Bark (warm planets) !! Darker bark (cold planets/space)
|-
| '''Natural''' || 50-90 years old|| 80-120 years old || 30-70 years old
|-
| '''With treatments''' || 120-140 years old || 150-180 years old || 80-100 years old
|}
==Coeus==
Classified in Basic is Coeus, to mean “youth” in a rough translation. Those who are classified as Coeus are within a rather large age bracket, and have very little bark growth. All Coeus know instinctively if grown from, or are part of a larger gestalt that their purpose is to find experiences in their youth, and provide for the whole.

Without their protective bark, gestalts with a majority of Coeushave what is known as an ‘echo chamber’ by skrell scientists. Their pain echoes violently through the rest of the gestalt, and the others will amplify the pain to a degree also. It is highly unusual for Coeus to ever adapt to the ‘echo chamber’ phenomenon before their transition to Geras due to the sheer intensity.

This phenomenon is also what Solarian scientists posited lead to their pacifistic tendencies, that are far more pronounced in the Coeus of their species. In fact they cannot understand why anyone would inflict pain on another living being, more often than not, due to their capacity for empathy and how severe it is for themselves. It is not uncommon for them to attempt to talk down someone being violent, or using their speed to run away instead. Given their intense fear of the ‘echo chamber’ effect, they will try to avoid fighting until it is the very last resort. This idealistic and intensely pacifistic viewpoint means that they are unwilling and would likely never be employed in any army, security or PMC group until becoming Geras. Due to their high-degree of pacifism, Coeus who join a military will only do so if they can be assigned a non-combat position such as logistics or as a medic.

Providing for Geras and Penuma is part of their biological imperative, and it is not uncommon for Coeus to enter employment in order to provide funds in the modern era to allow their greater Gestalt to be housed, or given appropriate living conditions to not just be living in a box soaking sunlight. Often this supersedes their innate desire to explore and understand the universe, depending on how crucial the support is for their linked gestalt.

Coeus may often be affectionately called Saplings or Sprouts by Geras, and often will refer to Geras as Elders in return.

==Geras==
Geras, or Elders, are older Dionae who have a decent amount of bark grown. As a result of their thick bark, Geras are less mobile, although the bark also offers them an extra layer of protection from most damage. In addition they have finally evolved to negate the ‘echo chamber’ phenomenon, and will likely remember it for a large portion of their life.

Geras are generally looked up to by their younger, less experienced counterparts, viewing them as more experienced. While not as immobile as a Penuma, Coeus still frequently try to aid Geras in tasks their lesser mobility doesn’t permit. Due to their more experienced nature, Geras will more frequently serve as leaders or diplomats compared to their Coeus counterparts, such as the fact that the majority of Dionae translators are Geras.

Skrellian scientists have noted that Geras are quite protective of both Coeus and Penuma respectively, seeing the former as ‘their future’. It is not uncommon for Geras to help Coeus in social disputes, or to stand up for them if there is a perceived injustice. In addition, any Geras who live in proximity to a Penuma are extremely protective of anything that tries to approach them, due to their immobile and largely vulnerable state.

It is known that Geras see themselves as the ‘shepards’ of sorts of all Dionae gestalts, and see it as their duty and imperative to guide the Coeus and protect the Penuma. Unless a Coeus is exceptionally experienced for their age, it is rare to see any in a position of power trying to influence the greater whole of the group. Interestingly they will universally listen and attempt to follow when a Penuma gives advice, even if they disagree on the interpretations among themselves quickly.

Geras approaching their final life stages will often be focused on spawning new Coeus gestalts, and finding an appropriate place to spend eternity. Most often they will return to a similar environment to the one they were first grown from, the most common resting place to drift in space for eternity.

As a result of age, Geras are generally less pacifistic than Coeus. While conflict is still a last resort, Geras are more willing to defend themselves and are more willing to protect others even if it means coming into conflict with another. Negotiations and an attempt to de-escalate a situation are still preferred, and Geras working in a non-security or military field will usually not join into a conflict when there are better-suited individuals around to handle it.

==Penuma==
Categorized as Penuma, Skrellian scientists had no idea that these structures were sentient or even responsive upon their first contact with the Dionae. The reason for this is their bark has grown to such an extent that it cripples them and warps them into strange and alien shapes, the thickness of the bark in addition, almost entirely prevents UV radiation from being absorbed by the entombed nymphs. This leads to an outer casing of tendrils over the thick bark that look almost like a strange form of Ivy.

The biological purpose of those tendrils are to link to nymphs on the outside or eventually form a form of ‘moss’ over the immobilized Dionae in order to absorb the outside environment. It is noted that this process is woefully inefficient, so Penuma end up creating large amounts of mundane growths that can be burned as nutrients during periods of starvation.

Penuma were regarded as actual plantlife until neural activity was detected inside them through invasive probing. It was calculated that they were still fully cognizant of the outside world but were simply deciding to not respond, however due to the invasive probes, the subject Penuma responded by digesting the probes and pulling in the nearby Skrellian before they had a chance to respond, digested on the exterior by a grown sack. Geras explained after the incident that Penuma have no visual way to understand their exterior without linked nymphs, and that as a stress response they are capable of defending themselves by burning their biomass reserves, and that breaching the bark was seen as an attack instinctively.

In the modern understanding of Penuma, Geras explain that while they have the greatest experience and knowledge of them all. The eons of seeing the same things has made them disinterested in the outside world, quite literally thinking for years on end on philosophical or esoteric concepts simply to stave off being bored.

Penuma are seen as the spirits of the Dionae people, the foundation of their knowledge and their past. However due to their responsiveness being quite lackluster, they will offer guidance usually at complete random, leaving the Geras to their own devices unless absolutely necessary.

There has been no documented reports on the memory accuracy of a Penuma when it speaks about the past, and it is very possible that they are beyond the foundational limits of memory for a Dionae, given their size.

While there is little actual data on the pacifism of Pneuma, it is not unheard of for them to protect themselves through calling for nearby gestalts, or if the threat is adjacent as a stress response to entangle it in biomass and digest it remotely. Solarian alarmists see this as a reason that Dionae cannot be trusted, as in their final stages they seem to have no qualms with defending themselves quite lethally.

There is one exception to Penuma's immobility and lack of response, and that is of course those who drift in the void for their final stages. Moving at sunlight speeds and using internal gas bladders to make orbital adjustments, they often will orbit a star for unknown periods of time. These are the only known Penuma with independence, but due to their nature are mistaken as asteroids or space debris. Any attempts to formally contact them thus far have failed, and official funding for projects such as these are hard to find.

= Dionae Minds =
It is erroneously believed that the only format that Dionae can gain sentience- and therefore knowledge- is through the blood of sentient creatures. However this is quite false, and often the shortsighted view of those who are unfortunately subject to ‘anklebiters’. Sapience is instead something that is achieved due to the instinctive behaviour of nymphs to gather together. What they cannot achieve alone or through external DNA, they manage to achieve as a collective, becoming fully sapient and sentient. What is however debated is if they are actually individually sentient or only the greater being, although such collectives will argue it doesn’t matter.

The memories of any individual Diona are linked specifically to their neural strata, and due to how it is imprinted cannot be imparted across neural links to the others in their gestalt. This leads to an unfortunate eventuality in that if a nymph leaves a gestalt, the information it held is gone forever. When one wishes to leave formally, there is a known process known simply as ‘departing’. Where the collective will go to a safe place that they can be assured they will not need to move or be at risk of starvation. During this time the nymph will sing vocally a song of their experiences, of their knowledge and training. In this way they can imprint their knowledge in an abstract way across their collective or even much larger ones. It is not uncommon to go on pilgrimages when the departing is in process, and those who are at witness to it note how varied the emotion in such songs are depending on the histories of such nymphs.
There is also a darker method of obtaining the memories of other nymphs, to devour their neural strata allows the physical repurposing and absorbing of fragments of their memories. This is of course never done to another living nymph, as it would be incredibly traumatic to internalize being eaten alive. The strangest part of forceful integration is that their memories are an absolute void of emotion, when thinking about them or recalling them in any fashion there is never any emotional connotation. This can be incredibly strange and uncomfortable, and can never be reversed once absorbed. There are experimental unbinding surgeries to remove absorbed neural strata to get those experiences out, however the success rate is very minute as the exacts of nymph neurology are largely unexplored.

== Mind Types ==

Dionae do not choose how their internal mind structures work, such things will happen due to circumstances, personalities and environments around them that will cause various structures to develop. The below encompasses some of the myriad of potential structures that exist, and is by no means a conclusive list. Think of these as inspiration and feel free to make your own, although be logical with if your gestalt’s unique mind would be fitting for the job NT has hired them for.

'''Station characters still need to be reasonable, NT wouldn't hire someone who can't work or acts insane. Keep in mind that some of the mind types are restricted to certain roles/may not be allowed to be a station character at all
'''

=== Singular Sound ===

The gestalt has very little individuality within each nymph, with each being akin to a large cluster of neurons working symbiotically.There is little in the terms of an internal dialog within these collectives, usually all acting as relays for their unified consciousness. These are usually from nymphs that have merged without ever consuming blood. The loss of a singular nymph is catastrophically damaging to this kind of network, akin to suffering major brain damage. - They may speak all at once or only use one to preserve neural load, depending on their opinion. These are suggested for those new to Dionae or those who aren’t as interested in roleplaying the more complicated mind types.

=== Competence Choir ===

All skilled nymphs within the collective are in charge of their respective areas, the social nymph does not need to confer with the others and thus speaks with completely normal inflection without any large gaps. However may end up pausing if the collective has pressing issues they want the social nymph to present. This is most often with specialized collectives with utilitarian views. No individual nymph is more important than the others if they are all the same level of skill.

=== Tyrannical Tune ===

This kind of collective is unusual, stemming from a nymph with extreme ideologies or absolute indoctrination with a dogmatic view point. Usually the social nymph will take an authoritarian role over the other nymphs within the collective, and they all act together out of the unity of the singular personality than anything else. The loss of the Overseer nymph itself will utterly cripple this collective, causing a power struggle and internal conflict for quite some time afterwards. Such collectives will not usually have difficulty with speech unless the Overseer is not the social nymph.

=== Harmonious Hymn ===

Within this often complicated and socially conflicted Gestalt is a pure democratic rule, every action it takes will be voted upon internally. This results in gaps in speech either with long silences or a short pause between every word as they decide exactly what the majority of them wish to do. They might mention ‘majority’ frequently when referencing if they voted on something, or ‘minority’ when mentioning freedom of speech. Something frequent within these gestalts is that when returning to a greater such as an Argus they may have new ones replace older ones who cannot successfully get votes to their opinion. No singular nymph is more valuable than another, and the social nymph may be distributed to multiple throughout depending on the collective.

=== Chaotic Cacophony ===

A collection of nymphs who are together merely out of the benefit and added safety of numbers. They may speak all at once, interrupt one another and generally not be particularly easy to listen to. The nymphs could be prone to argue, or they may be quite content with saying what they feel. These collectives are usually quite young and have not settled into a structure that makes it easier for all of them to feel appreciated. (This mind type is restricted to Janitors, Gardeners and Cargo Technicians. Be reasonable with this one)

=== Seasoned Song ===

These are one of the most common with more ancient collectives that come from the void and space whales. The opinions within them matter most entirely dependent on age, the more bark that has accumulated on your body the more complicated your song must be. These are likely to have traditions, be religious or have other viewpoints that are relayed by the elder. For a cyclops on station this could mean the head is entirely covered with bark to the point that it is immobile from age, as an example. They will often reference songs and the most traumatic loss is the destruction of the eldest among them. Such collectives will have entirely unique structures based around whatever the Elder deems best, but will always submit to the wisdom of the oldest among them. The Eldest will near universally be the social nymph to best represent them.

=== Bloodless Band ===

An extreme variant of the Singular Sound, they are nymphs who have achieved sentience quite similarly to the Singular Sound. However they have become increasingly opinionated against the idea of drinking blood, to the point that they reject anything that could shed blood. Such collectives are considered radicals due to their intense pacifistic approach, rejecting the utilitarian views on conflict entirely. Such collectives usually believe that drinking blood could fundamentally change who they are, and will often not join into an Argus for fear one of them may have drunk blood and could expose them. Their outright refusal to imbibe blood also means that they lose a critical quantity of information that will take potentially decades to relearn because they cannot fast track it. (This mind type is restricted from security roles due to the fact that lethality is something they have to be prepared to do.)

=== Learning Lyrics ===

Uniquely these never are formed from fresh cyclops but split from Argus and upwards. Specifically it is a trained gestalt that alternates one or two young nymphs on a regular basis, the others exist to let the young nymphs safely experience the outside world, working to provide funds for the greater gestalt, social norms, and get blood samples to help them experience the world around them. Such gestalts are usually run by the older nymphs but following on the whims of the younger ones to let them experience things with the safety net of those with more wisdom. The loss of the younger nymphs is more tragic to such a collective than the older ones, to a usual collective they will mourn the fact they failed to protect the very ones they were supposed to protect. (This mind type is restricted from Security roles due to the potential risk of killing the young nymphs.)

=== Emphatic Echo ===

These are a unique gestalt that have formed more in the modern era of Dionae xenos relations. What makes them particularly interesting to the observer is near to all of the nymphs are social nymphs, with expertly trained skills in specific areas of social nuance. This gives them an almost eerie essence when they pick up even your most subtle facial movements and deduce your emotional state. They are renowned for their social skills and patience, however due to the quantity of social nymphs are quite incapable of complex physical tasks. (This mind type is restricted to, Liaison/Rep, Psychologist(includes alt titles), Investigator, Chaplain, Librarian and visitor.)

=== Mourning Mass ===
An entirely unique generation of mind types, who make up an extreme minority of Dionae in the Spur. There is only one known way to generate such a gestalt consciousness, and it is the absorption of the one person that the Consensus had viewed as significant.

Not all Dionae who do this will become a Mourning Mass, but only those who do can become one. Such gestalts are characterised by their complete dedication to the life of their former partner, and the memories that they cherish. They can vary from completely dejected, holding the greatest burden they could imagine to melancholic joy at being able to spend reality with them forever.

Their internal dialog is entirely variant on what their original mind type was, however typically different nymphs will have different parts of the person that they memorialise. This means such gestalts have the greatest loss of all, if their gestalt loses even a fragment of such knowledge, and thus would never allow a nymph to die at any cost. The loss of a nymph would be a loss of such magnitude that it’s rare such a collective would be able to cope.

Typically they may take on a name that has or involves their now merged other, something as simple as ‘Joy of Exploring The Endless Cosmos Together’ to ‘The Eternal and Unending Care for [partner name]’ could be examples of such. But as every relationship is unique, as are most Mourning Mass, and their name will most likely symbolize something deeply important to them.

Mourning Masses mostly will take on an employment that they and their partner enjoyed together, or perhaps something entirely around their interests instead. They are not actively restricted from any employment but are instead required to have 5 years to process their grief before positions of stress such as medical work, command, and security. This of course also includes a psychological evaluation after the required time period, to assure they are competent.

For reading of what a Mourning Mass looks like in Jargon/Skrell relations, look [[Diona_in_the_Federation#Diona_Relationships|here]].

== Non Station Mind Types ==

=== Voided Vocals ===

The most alien of all the gestalts even to other Dionae, are those known as the Voided, those who are unified in purpose to absorb knowledge of the dead. They speak almost purely in poetic notions and have near to no internal dialog. What is so bizarre about these collectives is their obsession with death, offering to take on even the memories of other species post mortem despite the traumatic experiences. The amount of disjointed knowledge, memories and thoughts have long since made it impossible to tell what is from original minds or what their many memories are. Such collectives experience near to no real emotion due to the expanse of emotionless memories they contain, however, when exposed to grief from losing one of their nymphs, it may be overwhelming over the lack of emotion they have had for so long. Common notions of theirs is that nobody should ever be forgotten to time, or that they can give a form of immortality in themselves to those they can “save”. (This mind type is restricted from station roles entirely. It may be jobs not originating on the Aurora and is also restricted from merchant. They may additionally be antagonists.)

=== Scarlet Score ===
Something that gives cause to alarm is the plague that is known as the Scarlet Score, a plague that can overtake gestalts with no known cause. Any nymph who joins with one afflicted with his horrific disease will be irrevocably damaged. The disease causes them to become incredibly hostile, lashing out and desiring blood.

It is completely unknown how Scarlet Score thinks internally, they may be exactly like any other mind type but driven to absolute madness. Even how the madness is represented is unclear. All stellar organisations recognise that these are a complete lost cause and either must be contained for research or terminated. There is no saving them, and all Dionae are at risk if they are exposed to the plague.

There are examples of Scarlet Score who have imbibed so much blood that they have become Voided Vocals, and no longer hostile. Although they are not accepted by Dionae gestalts for fear they carry the dormant virus, they are not actively exterminated. (Antagonist and event related only).

=Nymph Limbs=
'''Potential Captains and Commanders with nymph limbs are not hired until they agree to replace them with mechanical prosthetics or other alternatives, due to security concerns.'''

A rather rare occurrence is when a living creature lives in direct symbiosis with a Dionae, however it is most common in the version of a prosthetic limb. The nymph attaches to a willing host’s stump, their neural strata growing into the host’s nervous system and stretching their form to the size of a full limb. The nymph will use genetic memory from the host to create manipulable biomass in the shape of fingers from their body, and fill out the rough shape.

The method of the connection is truly symbiotic, the host gaining something that they had thought they lost forever, whereas the nymph gains access to a constant source of blood and knowledge from their host. The amount of experiences such a nymph gains is quite substantial, and can end up having a copy of every memory in the host’s DNA.

They are capable of communicating to their host verbally or sending a vague ‘confirmation and affirmation’ of ideas by making the arm feel hot or cold, or similar sensory manipulations. Although they would never fake pain to the host, as that breaches their pacifistic beliefs and would also be cruel. They do not explicitly speak up against violence, often being partially dormant as they live through their host’s memories. (aka the host doesn’t feel like rping their arms) Although if they wake up and realise they have been used for murder they may be quite upset.

The symbiosis has a unique modularity in that it can be ceased at any time, the singular nymph could detach or the host could just pull the arm off, and put it back on just as easily!

Haptic feedback from the arm is slightly alien, in that it is first processed by the nymph and then translated into something the host can then understand. This leads to sensations being dulled, like wearing a thick leather glove. However pain is quite notable, as the nymph screams into your nervous system like a wildfire. If you fail to listen, the nymph’s fragile body will crack, their tendrils no longer actively wrapped into your nervous system, and it will just fall off, dead.

===Unathi===
Unathi reasons for taking prosthetic: It is not unheard of for Unathi to take a Diona prosthetic, almost always for spiritual reasons. Diona occasionally wander the radiation-laden barrens of the Wasteland, and so certain groups of Wastelanders have developed a reverence for these multi-souled organisms. Unathi who have lost limbs due to warfare or exposure see these limbs as augments for their soul, enhancers to the connection to the spirit realm— rarer, though, is the purposeful dismemberment of one’s body for the sole purpose of soul-melding with a Diona.

Unathi normality of prosthetic: For most Unathi, this practice is an alternative to getting a dreaded prosthetic. While a Dionae can never truly replace a limb, they are considered natural creatures and thus aren’t damaging the soul when used in this manner. Dionae are, by and large, a rarity outside of the Wasteland, so an unfortunate reality becomes apparent: not everyone who wants a limb like this can achieve it. Wherever it is available, it is typically regulated by a medicinal guild.

===Skrell===
Skrell reasons for taking prosthetics: Medical Science within the Federation is superb, with most cases of missing limbs being rectified with cloning a copy of the missing appendage. Though, the further one gets from the Core, the less reliable one’s access to Federation medical facilities becomes. It’s not uncommon for Diona in the traverse to spore a new nymph to replace a Skrell’s limb in emergencies. Additionally, desperate Skrell whose low credit score denies them access to replacement limbs may take up nymph replacements.

Skrell Normality of prosthetic: Possessing a nymph limb as a Skrell is usually a taken as a sign the Skrell has a poor credit score, it’s not uncommon for Skrell to replace their nymph prosthetics the moment their score allows it to escape the social stigma.

[[Category:Dionaea]]

Minor Dionae Factions

2022-06-26T18:42:55Z

Yonnimer: Adds blurbs on the cetus clusters

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=Notable Dionae Factions=
Throughout the Orion Spur, there are various groups which have formed, advocating for a certain agenda. Whilst some agendas typically have goals that are commonly found across the entirety of the species - some have more ulterior motives that could prove to be more benevolent or malevolent. The following are the factions comprised of Dionae pushing for, or against, a particular topic.

==The Narrows - Frontier Space==
H-Z-63, also known as “The Narrows” was originally a Hephaestus mining ship that used prisoner labor before later being abandoned following a large prisoner riot that left vital parts of the ship in ruins. Over time the ship would be repaired and expanded upon by its new inhabitants, Dionae. Now part of the Coalition of Colonies, The Narrows has become a large exporter of both resources and manpower for Hephaestus.
===History===
'''H-Z-63'''

Built in 2364 by Hephaestus Industries, H-Z-63 was a massive mining ship/prison originally unveiled to help gain more positive relations by providing the Coalition of Colonies with a place to send their undesirable criminals to contribute back to society through hard labor. The ship was fairly successful, making billions whilst providing a secure place for prisoners to be held and worked for the CoC. During its time of operation the ship remained in one set location, the asteroid field of the Orezela system, although it would travel to different asteroids in the belt when their current asteroid was depleted.

While not considered the worst of the worst, the treatment of the prisoners on the ship was considered to be poor at best, with large work hours, awful working conditions, and a bare minimum amount of food being given. This, along with the prison holding a plethora of dangerous criminals and captured pirates resulted in the Riot of 2409. The riot initially began as a protest by the prisoners over their unsafe and inhumane working conditions, during which all hell broke loose after one of the guards shot one of the leaders of the prisoner protest. The chaos led to the prisoners overtaking over half of the ship, including where the engine was situated. Whether an accident or on purpose, the engine blew, resulting in massive damages to the ship and almost half of the prisoners dead. An evacuation was called and all staff and surrendering prisoners left the ship to its fate, with the rest of the remaining prisoners either dying to radiation exposure, vacuum, their dwindling oxygen supplies or starvation..

'''Reclamation'''

The ship eventually crashed on one of the nearby asteroids and was mostly left to rot by the company. Unbeknownst to them however, some did manage to survive the crash, a group of Dionae that would later be known as A-Block. The exact origin of the Dionae isn’t fully known, just that they were on the ship at some point prior to the riot and managed to survive the crash, integrating with the few corpses that remained. Initially, a rather chaotic situation has the Dionae tried to figure out how to survive, those Dionae that managed to consume the corpses of the ship’s staff began to take charge and organize the Dionae into a coherent group, using the expertise and experiences of the deceased to set up a makeshift engine and refinery to begin repairing the ship. This process took almost a decade to complete and during this time several wild Dionae, attracted by the exposed engine, managed to make their way to the ship. Eventually being convinced to join or leave by the A-block Dionae, the group that stayed became known as the B-block and joined in on the operation.

Using both a mixture of refined materials and biomass, the ship was eventually repaired in 2420, launching back into the orbit of the asteroid belt and managing to hail the nearest ship they could find, a Hephastsus freighter. Intrigued by the reclamation of the ship by the Dionae, the company agreed to ferry the Dionae off the ship in exchange for the ship’s return to the company but also gave a second choice to the Dionae, letting them keep control of the ship while also sending supplies over to the ship to further repair and enhance it in exchange for the ship’s crew to reignite mining operations in the system using the newly repaired ship. A fierce debate began over which choice to choose, however trusting in the judgment of the Overseers the crew left the decision in their capable tendrils, eventually choosing to go with the latter, to work for Hephestsus as a semi-independent mining vessel.

'''Present'''

Now returning as a ship under Hephastsus Industries and renamed to the HMS Narrows, the ship’s crew has diligently continued mining operations in the system. Now no longer a ship using prison labor, the ship has continued operations with its Dionae crew at the center, working under the Overseers who in turn report to the ship’s newly elected Captain, Helmsman Of The United Drill.

While still a ship in the grasp of Hephastsus Industries, the ship has also begun to work with the CoC for the purposes of trade and protection, with the ship’s crew being given the system they inhabit in exchange for joining the CoC as a Hephestus approved client, as well as paying taxes on goods sold. The ship now mostly exports its resources to both the CoC and Hephaestus, as well as supplies Hephaestus with Dionae engineers and miners.

===Ship Command===
Born into anarchy and strife, the Dionae of the Narrows value order and a clear hierarchy. Mainly split into miners, engineers, security, and botanists. The Narrows Cluster embraces the basic Dionae belief of Experience with their society being based around experience in any given role. The oldest and most experienced gestalts hold higher status within the cluster with leadership sitting with the Overseers and the Captain.

====The Captain====
The position of Captain is the highest position in the ship’s chain of command. Originally elected by the council of the Overseers, the Captain is able to use their executive powers to veto any decisions made by the Overseers or make any new edict they see fit, however, they generally will refer to the Overseers for their input on decisions based on their experiences. The Captain, once elected, is held by the Dionae until they can no longer work or they retire, however since the role’s inception the role has been held by a single Cyclops Dionae, The Helmsman Of The United Drill.

====The Overseers====
The Overseers are the ship’s most experienced crew and are given the task of organizing the crew under their command, with each role in the ship having one Overseer at the top of its command chain. Currently, there are four Overseer positions, the Overseer of Maintenance, Of Mining, Of Security, and Botany. Much like the captain, the positions are held until either the Dionae is unable to work or they decide to retire, and much like the captain none of the Dionae in an Overseer position has become too old to work or retired, however, there was originally a fifth role in charge of the ship’s engine until the position was merged with Maintenance once the Overseer was elected to be the ship’s current Captain.

===The Crewmembers===
The gestalts of the Narrows have an excellent work ethic and, due to their anarchic birth during a prison revolt and their close ties with Hephaestus Industries, value those who show strong leadership skills and empathy. Being able to use your force of personality to subdue an aggressor without violence is held in high regard within the cluster. Due to this, most Narrows Dionae, though friendly, are perfectly capable of “talking the talk and walking the walk,” being able to argue their own case with co-workers of the same “rank”, being sure to treat their superiors with the utmost respect.

The crew are organized into four fields of work, Maintenance, in charge of the ship’s maintenance and engines, Mining, in charge of the ship’s mining operations, Security, in charge of keeping the ship and system secure, and Botany, in charge of growing food for biomass as well as serving as the ship’s medical staff when required. Each field is led in a hierarchy, with the overseers at the top followed by A-Block, B-Block, and C-Block. Dionae are placed into each block depending on when they joined the ship’s crew, with no chance of climbing up or down the ranks unless chosen to be an Overseer once one stands down. The actual age of the Dionae does not matter when assigning them to a block, only when they joined the ship’s crew.

The crew can at any point ask to leave the ship to be assigned elsewhere by Hephestsus, with it being their choice if they still want to be considered part of the crew while away or to leave it altogether. Crewmembers from any block can also choose to be reassigned. Dionae from the Narrows tend to be very organized and hierarchical, choosing to have some sort of overseer or leader lead their gestalt such as with the Tyrannical Tune mind type, although Dionae can have other mind types and ways of staying organized, although younger gestalts may still be acclimating and adjusting to the gestalt’s new mindtype.

'''A-block'''

The original Dionae of the ship, Dionae in A-Block serves as the third-highest rank in the ship’s hierarchy and is considered to be some of the most efficient and experienced workers the ship has to offer. While they tend not to look down upon the other blocks for their lack of experience, they do consider themselves to be better workers. As a result of this A-block has actually begun to see a lack of personnel due to so many signing on to leave the ship and work elsewhere within Hephestatus as a way to show off the efficiency of Dionae from the Narrows.

'''B-block'''

Being comprised of Dionae who joined after the ship crashed but prior to it being repaired and rejoining Hephastsus, B-block is comprised of mostly experienced Dionae who tend to teach and help newer Dionae from C-block. As a result of the low number of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew during its reclamation, B-block is the least populated of the three Dionae blocks.

'''C-block'''

The most populated and least experienced of the three blocks, C-block consists of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew after its reclamation and refurbishment was finished. Dionae in this block mostly joined through assignments by Hephastsus so that they can gain work experience before being assigned elsewhere within the company. C-block Dionae tend to have less work experience than Dionae from the other blocks, and thus tend to be assigned to lower-risk and more menial positions.

==The Spirits of the Oasis - Moghes Wasteland==
[[The_Wasteland#The_Spirits_of_the_Oasis|''' The Spirits of the Oasis''']] are a great example of a symbiotic relationship between species - Unathi and Diona. Originating from a simple friendship between a lost Diona tending to wounded animals and a wandering Wastelander unathi on the brink of exhaustion, the clans of the Spirits of the Oasis have truly begun to understood and seek out any Diona on Moghes to assist in survival.

The origins of this friendship stem from a tale - the tale of Walking Sands, Clan Mother Dorviza, and the Last Plains Tyrant.

Clan Mother Dorviza was the eldest woman of her clan, and an avid Plains Tyrant tamer - knowing full well how to care for, feed, and tame one of these savage beasts. Walking Sands was a young and unknowing diona - born from the destruction of an Izweski laboratory in a nuclear blast. Both souls have learned something of the Wasteland, and in this tale, their combined knowledge will allow the survival of several Wasteland clans.

Walking Sands wanders through the Wasteland and comes across a wounded and trapped Plains Tyrant - the last one to be seen in the wild naturally. Lacking the knowledge or understanding of what it is, they approach it and the Plains Tyrant slashes out defensively. Understanding that the Tyrant is wounded and stuck, Walking Sands continues to try and get closer to try and see if it can help and gets attacked again. This continues until the Tyrant becomes too exhausted to resist, and falls unconscious. The diona cannot help, yet remains by its side for days growing shade and safety for the monstrous animal. Clan Mother Dorviza, knowledgable of traditional and ancient Plains Tyrants locations, comes to the scene after a scout from her clan reports a strange plant-like growth in a ruined temple.

==Voidtamers==
Far from being a unified entity, the term “Void Tamers” refers to a series of commonly dionae-centric groups and clusters known for the taming, raising, and eventual selling of products related to space fauna, commonly space carp, gnats, and bloaters. These groups are largely independent of one another, operating in generally separate regions of space, although some overlap and trade has been known to occur amongst groups. What each group trades with and for is largely on a group-by-group basis, with some trading with live animals while others may trade for meat and hide. When it comes to what they trade for, some may trade for blood, resources, or just plain money depending on the region.

While a myriad of smaller Voidtamer groups do exist, there are several that are notable amongst them

===Emporium Of Starborn Critters===
The largest of the Voidtamers, The Emporium is a highly mobile cluster known for selling living space fauna in exchange for credits and blood throughout Biesel and CoC space, however, more recently have begun to venture into the CRZ looking for customers. The Emporium will largely travel to one region to begin ranching a herd of space fauna, before splitting up into multiple smaller groups who go out and search for customers to sell their wares to, before meeting back up with one another and continuing the cycle. Dionae from the Emporium are known for wearing cloaks made out of space carp hide that, due to exposure from space, have become completely bleached out and white.

The Emporium is led by a council of Dionae who each are in charge of each group that eventually splits off. These leaders, colloquially known as the Head Speakers, manage all sales and business that the smaller groups do, but may also pool together their collective fund for larger cluster-wide purchases such as large ships and fuel. The Head Speakers tend to wear a special hat made of space carp hide to identify themselves, similarly to the cloaks worn by the regular members of the Emporium, it is space-bleached and completely white.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to come in every form and mind type, although primarily will still be cyclops forms.

===Comets Of Commerce===
The Comets of Commerce are a smaller-to-medium sized Voidtamer cluster known for primarily trading with the Scarabs and other space-based groups operating within the Coalition of Colonies. The cluster primarily trades with carp roe and carpotoxin for materials and blood to help train their younger gestalts in technical fields. The organizational structure of the cluster is fairly loose, with no clear central leadership, however, members of the clusters tend to band together to pool their products into one big package, then split the earnings amongst themselves, as well as share ships when needed. The cluster’s primary sales tactic is to get far ahead of a fleet’s path and ready their products, then sell them once the fleet passes by.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to have more egalitarian mind types, preferring to have decisions be made amongst the entire gestalt over a sole leader.

===The Serz and Rokz Clans===
The Serz and Rokz are two rival Voidtamer clans found within Hegemony space. These clans, primarily made up of Dionae, mostly operate in the same space, and function in similar ways, both selling primarily the hides and meat of the local xenofauna for resources such as steel and iron, as well as small amounts of blood to help train younger Dionae in hunting, tracking, and combat. In rare cases, they will also sell living specimens. Both clans are ruled by a single Elder, although business matters tend to be handled by delegated gestalts instead of overseen by the Elders directly. Both clans sell directly to Unathi guilds, who then resell their products to Unathi clans. Whilst in lower quantities, the clans do sell live specimens to the guilds, primarily to be hunted by nobles or to help with training.

While the clans are rivals, they are not actively hostile to one another. Instead, they’ve agreed to hold a competition every five years that dictates which clan is in charge of sales, with the loser having to sell through them at a reduced profit. These competitions are largely non-violent, instead of focusing on the skills of the clan’s tamers, with the competitions either being about who can tame the most xenofauna in a given period, who can tame the largest creature, or who can tame the most dangerous creature.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to have more authoritative mindsets, preferring a single leader nymph for their gestalts. Due to their close relations with the inhabitants of the Hegemony, Dionae from the clan tend to take on an appearance more closely resembling that of a Unathi.

==Blood Organization==
The Blood Buddy Organisation (BBO) was founded by a Dionae Argus - Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis. The organisation dedicates its time and resources to gather blood samples large enough for Dionae to gain experience from. The organisation finds itself dominating the market, but recently another more sinister group, The Blood Runners, has begun taking advantage of prices of the blood samples - cornering the black market on blood samples.

=Dionae Clusters=
Clusters are groups of Dionae who share similar ideas, emotions, or goals and have interacted socially at some point may be part of a '''Cluster'''. These clusters are grown from group identity, if a diona heavily agrees with one or multiple clusters they will say they are from those clusters. This means clusters are very loose most of the times, with some exceptions. Clusters do not have to be physically linked to exist.

Some clusters are inside or a part of other civilizations, and will require knowledge of those societies. '''''Find one that interests you, you don't have to know them all, and you don't even have to be from any of them!'''''

==The Emperor's Royal Garden - Dominia==
[[File:domi_dionae.png|Special standard of the Imperial Dionae.|thumb]]
The Emperor himself perceives the Diona as the perfect subservient life form, and has a personal biodome connected to his palace that houses the Royal Garden, where all his most loved children stay. When a nymph is grown in his garden, it is grown in the best-imported soil and given imported comet-based water. These diona nymphs are the perfect gift for The direct vassals, pets, children, and jesters to the high nobility of Dominia, these gestalts are perceived as displays of immense wealth for nobility. However, the cost for keeping a diona satisfied in the chilly system of Dominia is somehow so much higher than everywhere else - especially since they are one of the Emperor's most loved beings. Dionae are generally a rare sight within the Empire Of Dominia, with a majority coming from The Royal Garden or being more of a “showpiece” as part of a noble house. Some Dionae will become employed as diplomats, as they generally have the utmost loyalty to the empire.

Citizen Dionae are not permitted to merge or split any of their nymphs with a gestalt who is not also a citizen. When a Dionae becomes a citizen they are given a necklace called a “Branched Blossom” made up of smaller interlocking necklaces called a “Branch”, each engraved with the first word in a nymph’s name. If a nymph leaves or merges with a gestalt they are expected to bring their Branch piece engraved with their name to be connected with the gestalt’s Branched Blossom. While it is not required to be worn at all times, it is required to be brought with the gestalt if they wish to get a visa approved, or to a court hearing.

===Emperor Boleslaw’s Royal Garden===
The Royal Garden of Dominia has been known to grow various types of flora - including Dionae. The Dionae grown within the Royal Garden are assigned various duties to assist the Emperor, some even finding themselves on his menu. Majority of the Dionae that are grown within the Garden will follow the Moroz Holy Tribunal. For the Dionae, the Royal Gardens are a paradise, with perfect soil quality and climate. An Imperial Dionae would rarely grow stunted and, like their gene boosted sires, they tend to be the most well maintained Dionae in known space. Imperial Dionae are usually tended to by their Imperial Dionae kin when nymphs, before forming into gestalts to be assigned a further use. The Royal Gardens, when not in use, have Imperial songs and Tribunal hymns piped through the intercoms to stimulate the growing Dionae.

===Culture of Imperial Dionae===
Imperial Dionae are raised immersed in high society Imperial propaganda. They tend to be well-spoken and hold a fanatical support of both the Imperial regime and the Moroz Holy Tribunal. Almost all Imperial Dionae assume a humanoid form for their artemin reverence to the Goddess in the Imperial religion, trying as hard as possible to appear as a human covered in red/yellow flowers. Results vary from an almost abstract form to humanoid in shape with eyes and "mouth" in approximately the right locations. Many Imperial Dionae find what appeals the most are those that are somewhere in the middle.

Unlike other clusters, the Royal Garden does not contain larger gestalt forms and as such, does not have it’s own “song”. Imperial Dionae instead find themselves drawn to Imperial religious melodies as a surrogate for this missing part of their usual lives. Many Imperial Dionae carry music devices containing various Imperial songs or Tribunal hymns to listen to in place of any Dioane “songs”. Dionae often wear practically nothing but Dominian capes however Dionae allocated to great houses tend to wear greatcoats made from imported [[Dionae_Clusters#Organic_Mesh_Weave|Dionae Organic Weave]]. Importing the weave is expensive so such clothing tends to only be worn by Dionae allocated to great houses.

Blessed as they are by the Emperor, Imperial Dionae have their own collective zatimono which they often wear on their uniforms or capes with pride, regardless of what house they may be allocated to if any.

The Dionae of the Empire do not have access to communications from the Eternal Temple spire on Biesel and as such do not have much contact with the larger Dionae community, enforcing their elitism and fanaticism to the Empire. They are largely unaware of the various [[Notable Dionae Factions]].

====Diplomats====
His Imperial Majesty's Royal Garden on occasion has produced Diplomats that the Emperor has recognized. Prized for their ability to speak multiple alien languages and for their skills in cross-species empathy, Diona Diplomats are often found near their human counterparts following closely and listening attentively - however few have managed to secure diplomatic positions without the assistance of a human, usually in service to a great house.

Diplomat Dionae would align themselves as a Consular Agent.

====Priests====
His Imperial Majesty is known throughout the Empire for his piety - which also spreads into his Royal Garden. A handful of those grown have forged their own path and have ventured into the clergy - many times finding themselves as low-level clergymen who spread their faith and knowledge of the Goddess by amalgamating with non-believers. Dionae priests tend to be highly respectable and naturally empathic.

Dionae that have taken this route would align themselves as a Chaplain/Priest.

====Servants====
Dionae that do not find themselves in elevated positions within the Empire will likely remain servants - usually working as Imperial Gardeners for the Royal Gardens and beyond. Typically involved in menial tasks around the palace varying from cleaning, cooking and gardening. Dionae cooks and gardens are highly favoured amongst Imperial high society. Servant Dionae undertake their tasks with gusto, usually fully immersed in the Dominian servile culture.

Dionae that had been cast aside as Servants would align themselves with the service departments, mainly gardening and cooking.

==The Pests of Titan Prime - Vaurca Hiveship==
This cluster, who have for '''500 years''' been hiding away on the Vaurcan Hiveship of Titan Prime, has constantly been in conflict with the bug-like Vaurca. The original gestalt was scooped up from a Gas Giant by the Vaurca on a routine fuel-refill for them, and it worked its way and grew on the outside of the ship like a barnacle. Eventually, the gestalt dug into the ship out of curiosity, causing a vaurca drone to be sent out to scrape off the biomass causing the damage thinking it's a routine acidic blob outbreak. Upon being attacked, the gestalt fought back, killing the drone and eating what it could of the corpse - but it didn't learn any languages, and couldn't communicate with the Vaurca in any way as their primary form of communication is telepathic, robotic, and foreign. More drones came upon the death of the first and were deadset in their orders to remove the dionae. This attack was more vicious and killed many of the nymphs, forcing the gestalt to deform.

After the first encounter, the nymphs escaped in different directions. They scurried through the strange, dark ship, barely surviving off the little heat and light they could find. Every nymph had to adapt to the different situations they were thrown in to in different ways, some resorting to mimicry and others using nymphs to scout areas ahead, with the rare gestalt wearing a Vaurca exoskeleton to blend in. Their main goal was '''survival''' now, and so they adapted to the confined spaces of the ship, hiding at moments of activity and scavenging off of the Vaurca. They would take advantage of any situation, and constantly have to split and reform to survive. This continued for 500 years, adaptation and adversity, death and loss - being '''treated like a pest'''.

Eventually, the hiveship found '''Tau Ceti'''. Now that there is a form of communication between the Vaurca and Diona, the Queens and Unbound of the Zo'ra Vaurcan hives have apologized and been welcoming - even offering a small greenhouse to live on at the top of the ship. Some diona have taken the deal, some have left to live with the other species. '''All of them have shared trauma of this experience.'''

==The Viscerabelt - Tau Ceti Space==
: '''''"We request blood to complete our rituals, for without, the Eternal will curse us."''''' - ''The Ravenous Consumer of Beastly Monsters within the Cloud.''

Located in the [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Tau_Ceti#The_Romanovich_Cloud Romanovich Cloud] around Tau Ceti, these Dionae have made their home in a region of the cloud called the Viscerabelt. This area of space is littered with asteroid and carp nests, and is considered the most densely populated area of space carp in the known galaxy - making it an exceptionally dangerous region of space in Tau Ceti.

The cluster has a deep-set view on [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Culture#The_Blood_Eternal blood], primarily focusing on its uses for religion. The Viscerabelt Cluster will use the blood in ritualistic dances, chants and prayers. Sitting under the control of Biesel the cluster often trades in culled carp products and minerals in exchange for blood.

Gestalts can easily be recognised by their brands referencing the Blood Eternal as well as their larger size. It’s common for Dionae from this cluster to be miners or hunters whilst also following the Shh’sha’shu.

==The Blossoms of the Great and Divine Eternal - Deep Space==
: '''''"The Blessed Eternal is the perfect life form. It is the light in the cold and the dark and the ash. Its tendrils are bountiful and expanding and terrible in its fury. But it is a benevolent ruler. "''''' - ''Birthing From The Womb Of Heavy Matter''

An extreme in the ways Diona can naturally develop culture, the Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are a cluster-based around their belief in '''[[Dionae_Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]''', a primordial entity which exists in Light, Energy, and Essence. The followers of the Eternal wish to create the densest materials in the universe by forging and reforging heavier and heavier elements - which they do so by devouring as much as they can and throwing themselves into stars once they reach a certain size - most likely the size of a Cetus form diona, large enough to be considered a stellar body. The gestalts of this cluster believe Diona are the embodiment of the Eternal in physical form, made to ensure all things born from stars return to stars ... eventually. This is the natural form of the universe.

The gestalts of the Divine Eternal appear seemingly randomly from deep space, located towards the centre of the galaxy. They typically have stories and experiences of celestial events - stars falling into each other, planets crashing, near-death experiences which they have lived through.

The Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are adamant in their encouragement of Diona to come together - literally. In times where a large Divine Eternal gestalt has come across a wild and 'unintelligent' diona gestalt, they have violently attacked and destroyed the creature and consumed its biomass for the expansion of their mindset and the Eternal's will.

===The Biesellian Choir===
Unlike most clusters that tend to arrive in a place through some great event, the Biesellian Choir was a slow, but steady immigration into Biesel. Gestalts first arrived as individuals seeking to spread the work of the Divine Eteneral to Dionae and non-Dionae alike, drawn to Biesel by its laissez-faire, free movement and trade attitude. The Choir have since established themselves within the slums of [[Mendell City]]’s district 11 where they live and grow. New Dionae either join the Choir from other clusters, immigrate from outside or are grown directly within the Eternal Temple, the centre of the Choir’s community. Growth is troublesome though, and many nymphs are born stunted and dead. Where other Gestalt communities might sell those stunted, dead nymphs to be used in fine cuisine, the Choir refuses to do so, uniquely finding the practice of other species consuming Dionae flesh abhorrent, they also return the dead to the temple to be consumed by their community leader, “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”.

====The Eternal Temple====
Home to the huge argus cluster [[Notable_Dionae#Connected_to_the_Blossoms_Beyond|“Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”]], the de facto community leader of the Biesellian Choir. The Eternal Temple is a steel temple dedicated to the Divine Eternal. The outer shell of the building is made of green coloured steel sheeting, welded and formed into natural forms giving the temple an almost organic look. A central, smooth spire rises upwards towards the sky. Internally, the temple is much the same visually. It is extremely well lit and houses a Dionae community centre as well as a large hydroponics bay for the growth of new Dionae nymphs and the mesh weave factories. The temple’s central worship area is essentially a room constructed of “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”, who speaks with the congregation directly. For many Dionae, this is the only connection they have to the more educated, ancient Gestalts. The central spire is a transmitter constructed using Dionae quantum wave technology which is used to “speak” directly with the clusters further in deep space, to achieve consensus. The sound of this rootsong “transmission” can be dimly heard by Dionae in Republic of Biesel space as a whisper, “the Hum”, likening it to the sounds of wind chimes to those species incapable of hearing it. A pleasant sound. The temple itself is expensive to maintain, with high energy costs and general land rental and maintenance expenses being quite high. To this end, Dionae of the choir work to provide donations to the temple and the community. A Faustian bargain for some as this leads them to work for organisations that would enslave and even consume the Dionae themselves.

====Culture of the Choir====
Initially a highly religious, firebrand society, it has somewhat mellowed in the face of their “Biesellised” young, becoming the largest Dionae community in Biesel. As patriotic as any other, these Dionae as a whole tend to work towards the success of Biesel and often assisted authorities in dealing with hostile independent Dionae such as raiders from the [[Dionae_Clusters#The_Viscerabelt_-_Tau_Ceti_Space|Viscerabelt]]. The Dionae of the Choir are also one of the few Dionae communities known to utilize actual exotic-Dionae technology, such as quantum wave transmitters, organic mesh weave and sonic weaponry. These technologies are highly sought after and development into their use for non-Dionae is ongoing across many mega-corps, much to the discomfort of the Choir. Fortunately, no functioning non-Dionae analogues have been developed as they appear to require some form of unknown Dionae process and the Choir keeps these technologies close to their chest. Some believe it is only a matter of time before one of the enterprising mega-corporations makes a breakthrough.

====Organic Mesh Weave====
One of the few technologies sold to outsiders, the organic mesh weave makes use of high tensile, photoreceptive organic fibres developed by the Dionae to produce lightweight, flexible building materials which reflect beneficial light and radiation onto nearby Dionae. In practical terms, the mesh is often used as a clothing material, allowing Dionae to wear clothes that would otherwise stifle their gestalts, blocking light. The clothing is manufactured by choir Dionae within the temple and is shipped across Biesel, making it an expensive rarity outside of the planet. Any clothing style can be copied in this way and turned into suitable Dioane clothing. The “cloth” is also a hit with many humans within the warmer climes of Biesel as the mesh weave clothing, whilst still allowing one to maintain their dignity, actually projects the sun's rays through the clothes allowing one to tan whilst still wearing swimwear or beachwear. Whilst this might allow for a Dionae to wear a full suit and pants, the technology becomes less potent the more layers are added and generally, all Dionae, even the Choir, prefer to feel a star's rays on their bare “skin”, finding heavy or multi-layered clothing psychologically stifling.

Community members of the Choir can be broken down into three main groups:

====Immigrants from beyond====
Immigrants from Blossom clusters outside of Biesel tend to be the oldest and most religious of the community. These Dionae have to be “integrated” into Biesellian culture and tend to behave in the most alien manner, being highly against non-Dionae consuming Dionae flesh and actively preaching the Divine Eternal creed. Due to their lack of qualifications within Biesel and their attitudes towards non-Dionae these gestalts are only found performing low skilled work for NT, working as assistants, cargo technicians, miners and janitors. The irony isn’t lost on many of these gestalts, some being quite old, being thrust into low level, entry jobs with many grumbling at the work. The work must be done, however, as it’s the only way they can acquire funds for the Choir community so done it is, albeit begrudgingly.

====Converts into the Choir====
Many Dionae within the Choir originate from clusters not belonging to the Divine Eternal and have instead either converted or generally joined the community. These gestalts come in all shapes, sizes and creeds but most seem to find purpose within the Choir community. These Dionae tend to have all sorts of temperaments usually based on the original society they were from and as such tend to be found in all walks of life, from janitors to doctors.

====Natives of the Choir====
Few in number compared to converts, the natives are gestalts that were born and raised within the Temple and Biesel. Due to the age of the community on Biesel these gestalts tend to be quite young, with the eldest usually being around 30 years old at most. These gestalts tend to be the most “humanised” or “Biesellian” of the Dionae, speaking clearly and concisely and understanding the subtle nuances of cross-species interaction, as well as sharing the interests that most Biesellians might share. They are the most tolerant of non-Dionae cultures/activities and tend to grudgingly accept the non-Dionae culture of consuming Dionae flesh. Often patriotic towards Biesel and the Republic, these Dionae can be found serving as support within the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]], often as engineers, pilots and medical staff. They are also found working for law enforcement, something largely not done by the subservient Dionae, operating as [[Investigator]]s and support staff. Many Dionae work as local police for Mendell, policing the Choir and ensuring compliance with Bieselian laws. Though stellar [[Investigator]]s and support staff by virtue of the Diona's natural learning and deduction capacity, they are never found walking “the beat” as patrol officers due to their natural slowness. As such, these Dionae and Dionae in general are rarely, if ever, found working as security officers within the mega-corps instead taking their cadetships within offices as support staff and working as [[Investigator]]s and [[Warden]]s for the mega-corps. Having been raised around the Hum for their entire lives, these gestalts enjoy its sound and in their spare time can often be found listening at station windows for it. They tend to become saddened when they are separated from it for extended periods.

===The Biesellian Song===
Originally starting as a series of religious publications and pamphlets, the Biesellian Song has evolved into a full-blown news outlet for the Dionae and people of Biesel and the Choir, sending out digital news across the extranet. Though usually used for communion with the clusters beyond, the Eternal Temple central spire is sometimes used to broadcast the Biesellian Song locally across Biesel space for Dionae to hear if they wish. Though usually only heard as a whisper, when the spire broadcasts in this way it essentially acts as a town crier, shouting news. Dionae that are interested must concentrate to properly hear the messages which many do, however uninterested Dionae can easily ignore the “song” when it is broadcast.

===The Songless Gang===
The Songless Gang or simply “the Songless” are a ragtag group of mainly immigrant Dionae who have fallen into a life of organised crime. Dipping their tendrils in all sorts of ill-fated schemes, the most troubling is phoron smuggling, extortion rackets and thuggery. They are known to take on low skilled work jobs such as cargo workers or service roles to gain access to materials they can steal and sell. They’re extremely difficult to stamp out and the Choir works tirelessly with law enforcement to bring the gang down.

==The Wild Ones - All Space==
: '''''"Back in the ol' daysss of Wild'un huntin', they'd pay thousssandsss if you brought back a Wild'un dead. I jusst wissh we didn' kill ssso many... ya never sssee 'em much anymore."''''' - ''Captain Kash Lardback''

Majestic and chaotic, Wild Ones fly through space with only the knowledge of collecting and scavenging - with many suspecting that they report back to a much larger 'Hive'. Due to the culling of the Wild Ones - thanks to their gravitation towards orbital scrapyards and derelicts, and have since becoming increasingly hostile, leading to numerous groups or mercenaries to be hired to clear them out to retrieve the scrap collected by the Dionae and to also harvest the solid mass of collected minerals, metals and gasses found within the centre of large Dionae forms over their eons long journeys. Many are tagged and studied by researchers who aim to understand Diona's instincts better, with patterns suggesting that the Wild Ones are 'evolving' in a way to prevent themselves from being hunted; by moving primarily through nebulae, then absorbing the surrounding gases found and emitting it both increase their speed and cloud sensors. These "Wild Ones" are not legally allowed to be killed in Sol Alliance and Jargon Federation space unless they pose a significant threat - but Frontier laws vary depending on the system.

==Cetus Gestalts==

===The Conglomerated Choir of Nralakk - Jargon Federation===

Located around the star in the centre of the Nralakk system, the Conglomerated Choir was the first documented discovery of [[Dionae_History#Skrell_History|Dionae]] by the Skrell. First thought to be a massive organic growth covering a derelict exploratory vessel, it was only once a stowaway nymph found on the return trip began to speak in garbled Nral’Malic that the Skrell realised the situation was more than it seemed. Diplomatic talks would be difficult, but through the Xuq translator, an enigma machine that could decipher unknown languages, the Skrell were able to communicate with the Diona cluster and rerouted the derelict along with its new inhabitants to the Nralakk system.

Post-discovery the Conglomerated Choir and the Jargon Federation went through intense diplomatic negotiations, discussing options for the cluster if it wished to stay within Federation territory until a consensus was finally reached; the Federation was still rebuilding after [[Skrell_Synthetic_Age#Culmination_of_Glorsh-Omega|Glorsh-Omega’s disappearance]] and required assistance, combined with the Dionae’s ability to survive in some of the most extreme conditions the Choir was quick to offer its services to the Skrell in rebuilding their society. While at first many Skrell believed the Diona to be untrustworthy, still reeling from Glorsh-Omega’s betrayal of their species, the cluster proved to be a key player in the rebuilding of the Federation. After twenty-three years of assistance, the burgeoning Federation announced the species’ full integration into Jargon society in 2240 CE, which was ratified in 2245 CE along with the official establishment of the [[Skrell_Recent_History#Reunification_of_the_Jargon_Federation|Second Jargon Federation]]. The two species have formed an inseparable bond from this experience, with the Diona respecting the Skrell for the kindness they have shown to the species, and the Skrell being humbled by the efforts of the Diona in helping to rebuild a nation they had no obligation to aid.

Today, the Conglomerated Choir enjoys a heightened status in [[Diona_in_the_Federation|Federation society]]; members of the cluster are treated well by the Federation as a reward for their cluster’s service in the past, with those that had an active role at the time having reached idol status in some cases. Their treatment by the Federation, along with their first-hand experience witnessing the destruction Glorsh-Omega brought upon the Skrell, has contributed to an internal culture that in many ways resembles the Federation. The most obvious example of this is members of the Choir being staunchly anti-synthetic, believing that Glorsh-Omega is proof that the proliferation of AI is ultimately dangerous, and the use of unshackled positronics by humanity is a grievous mistake. The cluster is also known for its patriotism, with a disproportionate number of Dionae in politics or organisations such as the Qukala originating from the Conglomerated Choir.

In a similar way to gestalts with a high social credit score having their views held in higher regard, superseding the general Dionae view on age and experience, the Diona from the Conglomerated Choir are known to have more ‘weight’ behind their opinions and decisions as a result of them being the reason why the species is accepted in Federation society. The phenomenon has nurtured an attitude similar to elitism by the Choir, who generally believe themselves to be the betters of the species in the Federation. This is further reinforced by the Federation itself, which is known to strategically place Diona from the Conglomerated Choir in positions that give them authority over gestalts belonging to other clusters in order to influence them into adopting more pro-Federation views.

===Peaceful Static In Endless Waves===
Peaceful Static In Endless Waves, colloquially known as Venter’s Cetus, is one of the three-known Cetus-class gestalts in the Spur, and is generally considered to be the largest of the trio. The gestalt is located within the Venter star system found within the Coalition of Colonies, and, due to its location, is given a special protectorate status by the CoC allowing them to remain peacefully in the system.

The system does play host to a series of outposts and patrol vessels meant to monitor the gestalt, ensuring it does not grow to a point of critical mass, while also providing transport to any Dionae from the gestalt that wish to leave and seek a home elsewhere in the galaxy.

Historically, the gestalt remained undiscovered until a few decades after first contract was made between Humans and Skrell, and, in turn, Dionae. Upon discovery, a joint operation between CoC and Federation diplomats ensured an attempt to contact and integrate the Dionae. While first contact was a major success, during the years following an unexpected exodus of Dionae left the gestalt, seeking to explore and find a purpose elsewhere in the spur. This exodus overwhelmed nearby planetary governments and transport companies, requiring a hard-limit to be set on how many individuals Dionae could leave the Cetus yearly. In modern times the exodus of Dionae from the gestalt has mostly slowed down, although several hundred to thousands of Dionae still leave the gestalt yearly.

===Wandering Chorale of the Spur===
A recent discovery, Wandering Chorale Of The Spur is a large cetus gestalt that, until recently, was uncontacted and could barely be considered sapient before being contacted by the [[SCCV Horizon]] after anomalous signals were detected. Upon contact, it was revealed that the conglomerate Nymphs were en route to a pulsar star just a few light-years from [[Tau Ceti]] - nestled deep within the unstable [[Corporate Reconstruction Zone]] - in hopes of returning to their seeding grounds. Additionally, they had managed to cling to a combination of meteors, space debris and even a large chunk of a freighter declared missing months earlier. Communication between Dionae employed by the [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate|Conglomerate]], and those within the Wandering Chorale, confirmed that the amalgamation has been traveling across the Orion Spur for centuries and went without contact for just as long only recently stumbling upon the remains of the freighter they now used shelter to house Dionae Nymphs. Scientists have maintained observance of the group of Dionae, some permanently hosting themselves far enough from the Wandering Chorale to ensure saftey.

[[Category:Dionaea]]
[[Category:Factions]]

Minor Dionae Factions

2022-06-26T18:37:43Z

Yonnimer: Adds the voidtamer factions

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=Notable Dionae Factions=
Throughout the Orion Spur, there are various groups which have formed, advocating for a certain agenda. Whilst some agendas typically have goals that are commonly found across the entirety of the species - some have more ulterior motives that could prove to be more benevolent or malevolent. The following are the factions comprised of Dionae pushing for, or against, a particular topic.

==The Narrows - Frontier Space==
H-Z-63, also known as “The Narrows” was originally a Hephaestus mining ship that used prisoner labor before later being abandoned following a large prisoner riot that left vital parts of the ship in ruins. Over time the ship would be repaired and expanded upon by its new inhabitants, Dionae. Now part of the Coalition of Colonies, The Narrows has become a large exporter of both resources and manpower for Hephaestus.
===History===
'''H-Z-63'''

Built in 2364 by Hephaestus Industries, H-Z-63 was a massive mining ship/prison originally unveiled to help gain more positive relations by providing the Coalition of Colonies with a place to send their undesirable criminals to contribute back to society through hard labor. The ship was fairly successful, making billions whilst providing a secure place for prisoners to be held and worked for the CoC. During its time of operation the ship remained in one set location, the asteroid field of the Orezela system, although it would travel to different asteroids in the belt when their current asteroid was depleted.

While not considered the worst of the worst, the treatment of the prisoners on the ship was considered to be poor at best, with large work hours, awful working conditions, and a bare minimum amount of food being given. This, along with the prison holding a plethora of dangerous criminals and captured pirates resulted in the Riot of 2409. The riot initially began as a protest by the prisoners over their unsafe and inhumane working conditions, during which all hell broke loose after one of the guards shot one of the leaders of the prisoner protest. The chaos led to the prisoners overtaking over half of the ship, including where the engine was situated. Whether an accident or on purpose, the engine blew, resulting in massive damages to the ship and almost half of the prisoners dead. An evacuation was called and all staff and surrendering prisoners left the ship to its fate, with the rest of the remaining prisoners either dying to radiation exposure, vacuum, their dwindling oxygen supplies or starvation..

'''Reclamation'''

The ship eventually crashed on one of the nearby asteroids and was mostly left to rot by the company. Unbeknownst to them however, some did manage to survive the crash, a group of Dionae that would later be known as A-Block. The exact origin of the Dionae isn’t fully known, just that they were on the ship at some point prior to the riot and managed to survive the crash, integrating with the few corpses that remained. Initially, a rather chaotic situation has the Dionae tried to figure out how to survive, those Dionae that managed to consume the corpses of the ship’s staff began to take charge and organize the Dionae into a coherent group, using the expertise and experiences of the deceased to set up a makeshift engine and refinery to begin repairing the ship. This process took almost a decade to complete and during this time several wild Dionae, attracted by the exposed engine, managed to make their way to the ship. Eventually being convinced to join or leave by the A-block Dionae, the group that stayed became known as the B-block and joined in on the operation.

Using both a mixture of refined materials and biomass, the ship was eventually repaired in 2420, launching back into the orbit of the asteroid belt and managing to hail the nearest ship they could find, a Hephastsus freighter. Intrigued by the reclamation of the ship by the Dionae, the company agreed to ferry the Dionae off the ship in exchange for the ship’s return to the company but also gave a second choice to the Dionae, letting them keep control of the ship while also sending supplies over to the ship to further repair and enhance it in exchange for the ship’s crew to reignite mining operations in the system using the newly repaired ship. A fierce debate began over which choice to choose, however trusting in the judgment of the Overseers the crew left the decision in their capable tendrils, eventually choosing to go with the latter, to work for Hephestsus as a semi-independent mining vessel.

'''Present'''

Now returning as a ship under Hephastsus Industries and renamed to the HMS Narrows, the ship’s crew has diligently continued mining operations in the system. Now no longer a ship using prison labor, the ship has continued operations with its Dionae crew at the center, working under the Overseers who in turn report to the ship’s newly elected Captain, Helmsman Of The United Drill.

While still a ship in the grasp of Hephastsus Industries, the ship has also begun to work with the CoC for the purposes of trade and protection, with the ship’s crew being given the system they inhabit in exchange for joining the CoC as a Hephestus approved client, as well as paying taxes on goods sold. The ship now mostly exports its resources to both the CoC and Hephaestus, as well as supplies Hephaestus with Dionae engineers and miners.

===Ship Command===
Born into anarchy and strife, the Dionae of the Narrows value order and a clear hierarchy. Mainly split into miners, engineers, security, and botanists. The Narrows Cluster embraces the basic Dionae belief of Experience with their society being based around experience in any given role. The oldest and most experienced gestalts hold higher status within the cluster with leadership sitting with the Overseers and the Captain.

====The Captain====
The position of Captain is the highest position in the ship’s chain of command. Originally elected by the council of the Overseers, the Captain is able to use their executive powers to veto any decisions made by the Overseers or make any new edict they see fit, however, they generally will refer to the Overseers for their input on decisions based on their experiences. The Captain, once elected, is held by the Dionae until they can no longer work or they retire, however since the role’s inception the role has been held by a single Cyclops Dionae, The Helmsman Of The United Drill.

====The Overseers====
The Overseers are the ship’s most experienced crew and are given the task of organizing the crew under their command, with each role in the ship having one Overseer at the top of its command chain. Currently, there are four Overseer positions, the Overseer of Maintenance, Of Mining, Of Security, and Botany. Much like the captain, the positions are held until either the Dionae is unable to work or they decide to retire, and much like the captain none of the Dionae in an Overseer position has become too old to work or retired, however, there was originally a fifth role in charge of the ship’s engine until the position was merged with Maintenance once the Overseer was elected to be the ship’s current Captain.

===The Crewmembers===
The gestalts of the Narrows have an excellent work ethic and, due to their anarchic birth during a prison revolt and their close ties with Hephaestus Industries, value those who show strong leadership skills and empathy. Being able to use your force of personality to subdue an aggressor without violence is held in high regard within the cluster. Due to this, most Narrows Dionae, though friendly, are perfectly capable of “talking the talk and walking the walk,” being able to argue their own case with co-workers of the same “rank”, being sure to treat their superiors with the utmost respect.

The crew are organized into four fields of work, Maintenance, in charge of the ship’s maintenance and engines, Mining, in charge of the ship’s mining operations, Security, in charge of keeping the ship and system secure, and Botany, in charge of growing food for biomass as well as serving as the ship’s medical staff when required. Each field is led in a hierarchy, with the overseers at the top followed by A-Block, B-Block, and C-Block. Dionae are placed into each block depending on when they joined the ship’s crew, with no chance of climbing up or down the ranks unless chosen to be an Overseer once one stands down. The actual age of the Dionae does not matter when assigning them to a block, only when they joined the ship’s crew.

The crew can at any point ask to leave the ship to be assigned elsewhere by Hephestsus, with it being their choice if they still want to be considered part of the crew while away or to leave it altogether. Crewmembers from any block can also choose to be reassigned. Dionae from the Narrows tend to be very organized and hierarchical, choosing to have some sort of overseer or leader lead their gestalt such as with the Tyrannical Tune mind type, although Dionae can have other mind types and ways of staying organized, although younger gestalts may still be acclimating and adjusting to the gestalt’s new mindtype.

'''A-block'''

The original Dionae of the ship, Dionae in A-Block serves as the third-highest rank in the ship’s hierarchy and is considered to be some of the most efficient and experienced workers the ship has to offer. While they tend not to look down upon the other blocks for their lack of experience, they do consider themselves to be better workers. As a result of this A-block has actually begun to see a lack of personnel due to so many signing on to leave the ship and work elsewhere within Hephestatus as a way to show off the efficiency of Dionae from the Narrows.

'''B-block'''

Being comprised of Dionae who joined after the ship crashed but prior to it being repaired and rejoining Hephastsus, B-block is comprised of mostly experienced Dionae who tend to teach and help newer Dionae from C-block. As a result of the low number of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew during its reclamation, B-block is the least populated of the three Dionae blocks.

'''C-block'''

The most populated and least experienced of the three blocks, C-block consists of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew after its reclamation and refurbishment was finished. Dionae in this block mostly joined through assignments by Hephastsus so that they can gain work experience before being assigned elsewhere within the company. C-block Dionae tend to have less work experience than Dionae from the other blocks, and thus tend to be assigned to lower-risk and more menial positions.

==The Spirits of the Oasis - Moghes Wasteland==
[[The_Wasteland#The_Spirits_of_the_Oasis|''' The Spirits of the Oasis''']] are a great example of a symbiotic relationship between species - Unathi and Diona. Originating from a simple friendship between a lost Diona tending to wounded animals and a wandering Wastelander unathi on the brink of exhaustion, the clans of the Spirits of the Oasis have truly begun to understood and seek out any Diona on Moghes to assist in survival.

The origins of this friendship stem from a tale - the tale of Walking Sands, Clan Mother Dorviza, and the Last Plains Tyrant.

Clan Mother Dorviza was the eldest woman of her clan, and an avid Plains Tyrant tamer - knowing full well how to care for, feed, and tame one of these savage beasts. Walking Sands was a young and unknowing diona - born from the destruction of an Izweski laboratory in a nuclear blast. Both souls have learned something of the Wasteland, and in this tale, their combined knowledge will allow the survival of several Wasteland clans.

Walking Sands wanders through the Wasteland and comes across a wounded and trapped Plains Tyrant - the last one to be seen in the wild naturally. Lacking the knowledge or understanding of what it is, they approach it and the Plains Tyrant slashes out defensively. Understanding that the Tyrant is wounded and stuck, Walking Sands continues to try and get closer to try and see if it can help and gets attacked again. This continues until the Tyrant becomes too exhausted to resist, and falls unconscious. The diona cannot help, yet remains by its side for days growing shade and safety for the monstrous animal. Clan Mother Dorviza, knowledgable of traditional and ancient Plains Tyrants locations, comes to the scene after a scout from her clan reports a strange plant-like growth in a ruined temple.

==Voidtamers==
Far from being a unified entity, the term “Void Tamers” refers to a series of commonly dionae-centric groups and clusters known for the taming, raising, and eventual selling of products related to space fauna, commonly space carp, gnats, and bloaters. These groups are largely independent of one another, operating in generally separate regions of space, although some overlap and trade has been known to occur amongst groups. What each group trades with and for is largely on a group-by-group basis, with some trading with live animals while others may trade for meat and hide. When it comes to what they trade for, some may trade for blood, resources, or just plain money depending on the region.

While a myriad of smaller Voidtamer groups do exist, there are several that are notable amongst them

===Emporium Of Starborn Critters===
The largest of the Voidtamers, The Emporium is a highly mobile cluster known for selling living space fauna in exchange for credits and blood throughout Biesel and CoC space, however, more recently have begun to venture into the CRZ looking for customers. The Emporium will largely travel to one region to begin ranching a herd of space fauna, before splitting up into multiple smaller groups who go out and search for customers to sell their wares to, before meeting back up with one another and continuing the cycle. Dionae from the Emporium are known for wearing cloaks made out of space carp hide that, due to exposure from space, have become completely bleached out and white.

The Emporium is led by a council of Dionae who each are in charge of each group that eventually splits off. These leaders, colloquially known as the Head Speakers, manage all sales and business that the smaller groups do, but may also pool together their collective fund for larger cluster-wide purchases such as large ships and fuel. The Head Speakers tend to wear a special hat made of space carp hide to identify themselves, similarly to the cloaks worn by the regular members of the Emporium, it is space-bleached and completely white.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to come in every form and mind type, although primarily will still be cyclops forms.

===Comets Of Commerce===
The Comets of Commerce are a smaller-to-medium sized Voidtamer cluster known for primarily trading with the Scarabs and other space-based groups operating within the Coalition of Colonies. The cluster primarily trades with carp roe and carpotoxin for materials and blood to help train their younger gestalts in technical fields. The organizational structure of the cluster is fairly loose, with no clear central leadership, however, members of the clusters tend to band together to pool their products into one big package, then split the earnings amongst themselves, as well as share ships when needed. The cluster’s primary sales tactic is to get far ahead of a fleet’s path and ready their products, then sell them once the fleet passes by.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to have more egalitarian mind types, preferring to have decisions be made amongst the entire gestalt over a sole leader.

===The Serz and Rokz Clans===
The Serz and Rokz are two rival Voidtamer clans found within Hegemony space. These clans, primarily made up of Dionae, mostly operate in the same space, and function in similar ways, both selling primarily the hides and meat of the local xenofauna for resources such as steel and iron, as well as small amounts of blood to help train younger Dionae in hunting, tracking, and combat. In rare cases, they will also sell living specimens. Both clans are ruled by a single Elder, although business matters tend to be handled by delegated gestalts instead of overseen by the Elders directly. Both clans sell directly to Unathi guilds, who then resell their products to Unathi clans. Whilst in lower quantities, the clans do sell live specimens to the guilds, primarily to be hunted by nobles or to help with training.

While the clans are rivals, they are not actively hostile to one another. Instead, they’ve agreed to hold a competition every five years that dictates which clan is in charge of sales, with the loser having to sell through them at a reduced profit. These competitions are largely non-violent, instead of focusing on the skills of the clan’s tamers, with the competitions either being about who can tame the most xenofauna in a given period, who can tame the largest creature, or who can tame the most dangerous creature.

Notably, Dionae from this cluster tend to have more authoritative mindsets, preferring a single leader nymph for their gestalts. Due to their close relations with the inhabitants of the Hegemony, Dionae from the clan tend to take on an appearance more closely resembling that of a Unathi.

==Blood Organization==
The Blood Buddy Organisation (BBO) was founded by a Dionae Argus - Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis. The organisation dedicates its time and resources to gather blood samples large enough for Dionae to gain experience from. The organisation finds itself dominating the market, but recently another more sinister group, The Blood Runners, has begun taking advantage of prices of the blood samples - cornering the black market on blood samples.

=Dionae Clusters=
Clusters are groups of Dionae who share similar ideas, emotions, or goals and have interacted socially at some point may be part of a '''Cluster'''. These clusters are grown from group identity, if a diona heavily agrees with one or multiple clusters they will say they are from those clusters. This means clusters are very loose most of the times, with some exceptions. Clusters do not have to be physically linked to exist.

Some clusters are inside or a part of other civilizations, and will require knowledge of those societies. '''''Find one that interests you, you don't have to know them all, and you don't even have to be from any of them!'''''

==The Emperor's Royal Garden - Dominia==
[[File:domi_dionae.png|Special standard of the Imperial Dionae.|thumb]]
The Emperor himself perceives the Diona as the perfect subservient life form, and has a personal biodome connected to his palace that houses the Royal Garden, where all his most loved children stay. When a nymph is grown in his garden, it is grown in the best-imported soil and given imported comet-based water. These diona nymphs are the perfect gift for The direct vassals, pets, children, and jesters to the high nobility of Dominia, these gestalts are perceived as displays of immense wealth for nobility. However, the cost for keeping a diona satisfied in the chilly system of Dominia is somehow so much higher than everywhere else - especially since they are one of the Emperor's most loved beings. Dionae are generally a rare sight within the Empire Of Dominia, with a majority coming from The Royal Garden or being more of a “showpiece” as part of a noble house. Some Dionae will become employed as diplomats, as they generally have the utmost loyalty to the empire.

Citizen Dionae are not permitted to merge or split any of their nymphs with a gestalt who is not also a citizen. When a Dionae becomes a citizen they are given a necklace called a “Branched Blossom” made up of smaller interlocking necklaces called a “Branch”, each engraved with the first word in a nymph’s name. If a nymph leaves or merges with a gestalt they are expected to bring their Branch piece engraved with their name to be connected with the gestalt’s Branched Blossom. While it is not required to be worn at all times, it is required to be brought with the gestalt if they wish to get a visa approved, or to a court hearing.

===Emperor Boleslaw’s Royal Garden===
The Royal Garden of Dominia has been known to grow various types of flora - including Dionae. The Dionae grown within the Royal Garden are assigned various duties to assist the Emperor, some even finding themselves on his menu. Majority of the Dionae that are grown within the Garden will follow the Moroz Holy Tribunal. For the Dionae, the Royal Gardens are a paradise, with perfect soil quality and climate. An Imperial Dionae would rarely grow stunted and, like their gene boosted sires, they tend to be the most well maintained Dionae in known space. Imperial Dionae are usually tended to by their Imperial Dionae kin when nymphs, before forming into gestalts to be assigned a further use. The Royal Gardens, when not in use, have Imperial songs and Tribunal hymns piped through the intercoms to stimulate the growing Dionae.

===Culture of Imperial Dionae===
Imperial Dionae are raised immersed in high society Imperial propaganda. They tend to be well-spoken and hold a fanatical support of both the Imperial regime and the Moroz Holy Tribunal. Almost all Imperial Dionae assume a humanoid form for their artemin reverence to the Goddess in the Imperial religion, trying as hard as possible to appear as a human covered in red/yellow flowers. Results vary from an almost abstract form to humanoid in shape with eyes and "mouth" in approximately the right locations. Many Imperial Dionae find what appeals the most are those that are somewhere in the middle.

Unlike other clusters, the Royal Garden does not contain larger gestalt forms and as such, does not have it’s own “song”. Imperial Dionae instead find themselves drawn to Imperial religious melodies as a surrogate for this missing part of their usual lives. Many Imperial Dionae carry music devices containing various Imperial songs or Tribunal hymns to listen to in place of any Dioane “songs”. Dionae often wear practically nothing but Dominian capes however Dionae allocated to great houses tend to wear greatcoats made from imported [[Dionae_Clusters#Organic_Mesh_Weave|Dionae Organic Weave]]. Importing the weave is expensive so such clothing tends to only be worn by Dionae allocated to great houses.

Blessed as they are by the Emperor, Imperial Dionae have their own collective zatimono which they often wear on their uniforms or capes with pride, regardless of what house they may be allocated to if any.

The Dionae of the Empire do not have access to communications from the Eternal Temple spire on Biesel and as such do not have much contact with the larger Dionae community, enforcing their elitism and fanaticism to the Empire. They are largely unaware of the various [[Notable Dionae Factions]].

====Diplomats====
His Imperial Majesty's Royal Garden on occasion has produced Diplomats that the Emperor has recognized. Prized for their ability to speak multiple alien languages and for their skills in cross-species empathy, Diona Diplomats are often found near their human counterparts following closely and listening attentively - however few have managed to secure diplomatic positions without the assistance of a human, usually in service to a great house.

Diplomat Dionae would align themselves as a Consular Agent.

====Priests====
His Imperial Majesty is known throughout the Empire for his piety - which also spreads into his Royal Garden. A handful of those grown have forged their own path and have ventured into the clergy - many times finding themselves as low-level clergymen who spread their faith and knowledge of the Goddess by amalgamating with non-believers. Dionae priests tend to be highly respectable and naturally empathic.

Dionae that have taken this route would align themselves as a Chaplain/Priest.

====Servants====
Dionae that do not find themselves in elevated positions within the Empire will likely remain servants - usually working as Imperial Gardeners for the Royal Gardens and beyond. Typically involved in menial tasks around the palace varying from cleaning, cooking and gardening. Dionae cooks and gardens are highly favoured amongst Imperial high society. Servant Dionae undertake their tasks with gusto, usually fully immersed in the Dominian servile culture.

Dionae that had been cast aside as Servants would align themselves with the service departments, mainly gardening and cooking.

==The Pests of Titan Prime - Vaurca Hiveship==
This cluster, who have for '''500 years''' been hiding away on the Vaurcan Hiveship of Titan Prime, has constantly been in conflict with the bug-like Vaurca. The original gestalt was scooped up from a Gas Giant by the Vaurca on a routine fuel-refill for them, and it worked its way and grew on the outside of the ship like a barnacle. Eventually, the gestalt dug into the ship out of curiosity, causing a vaurca drone to be sent out to scrape off the biomass causing the damage thinking it's a routine acidic blob outbreak. Upon being attacked, the gestalt fought back, killing the drone and eating what it could of the corpse - but it didn't learn any languages, and couldn't communicate with the Vaurca in any way as their primary form of communication is telepathic, robotic, and foreign. More drones came upon the death of the first and were deadset in their orders to remove the dionae. This attack was more vicious and killed many of the nymphs, forcing the gestalt to deform.

After the first encounter, the nymphs escaped in different directions. They scurried through the strange, dark ship, barely surviving off the little heat and light they could find. Every nymph had to adapt to the different situations they were thrown in to in different ways, some resorting to mimicry and others using nymphs to scout areas ahead, with the rare gestalt wearing a Vaurca exoskeleton to blend in. Their main goal was '''survival''' now, and so they adapted to the confined spaces of the ship, hiding at moments of activity and scavenging off of the Vaurca. They would take advantage of any situation, and constantly have to split and reform to survive. This continued for 500 years, adaptation and adversity, death and loss - being '''treated like a pest'''.

Eventually, the hiveship found '''Tau Ceti'''. Now that there is a form of communication between the Vaurca and Diona, the Queens and Unbound of the Zo'ra Vaurcan hives have apologized and been welcoming - even offering a small greenhouse to live on at the top of the ship. Some diona have taken the deal, some have left to live with the other species. '''All of them have shared trauma of this experience.'''

==The Viscerabelt - Tau Ceti Space==
: '''''"We request blood to complete our rituals, for without, the Eternal will curse us."''''' - ''The Ravenous Consumer of Beastly Monsters within the Cloud.''

Located in the [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Tau_Ceti#The_Romanovich_Cloud Romanovich Cloud] around Tau Ceti, these Dionae have made their home in a region of the cloud called the Viscerabelt. This area of space is littered with asteroid and carp nests, and is considered the most densely populated area of space carp in the known galaxy - making it an exceptionally dangerous region of space in Tau Ceti.

The cluster has a deep-set view on [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Culture#The_Blood_Eternal blood], primarily focusing on its uses for religion. The Viscerabelt Cluster will use the blood in ritualistic dances, chants and prayers. Sitting under the control of Biesel the cluster often trades in culled carp products and minerals in exchange for blood.

Gestalts can easily be recognised by their brands referencing the Blood Eternal as well as their larger size. It’s common for Dionae from this cluster to be miners or hunters whilst also following the Shh’sha’shu.

==The Blossoms of the Great and Divine Eternal - Deep Space==
: '''''"The Blessed Eternal is the perfect life form. It is the light in the cold and the dark and the ash. Its tendrils are bountiful and expanding and terrible in its fury. But it is a benevolent ruler. "''''' - ''Birthing From The Womb Of Heavy Matter''

An extreme in the ways Diona can naturally develop culture, the Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are a cluster-based around their belief in '''[[Dionae_Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]''', a primordial entity which exists in Light, Energy, and Essence. The followers of the Eternal wish to create the densest materials in the universe by forging and reforging heavier and heavier elements - which they do so by devouring as much as they can and throwing themselves into stars once they reach a certain size - most likely the size of a Cetus form diona, large enough to be considered a stellar body. The gestalts of this cluster believe Diona are the embodiment of the Eternal in physical form, made to ensure all things born from stars return to stars ... eventually. This is the natural form of the universe.

The gestalts of the Divine Eternal appear seemingly randomly from deep space, located towards the centre of the galaxy. They typically have stories and experiences of celestial events - stars falling into each other, planets crashing, near-death experiences which they have lived through.

The Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are adamant in their encouragement of Diona to come together - literally. In times where a large Divine Eternal gestalt has come across a wild and 'unintelligent' diona gestalt, they have violently attacked and destroyed the creature and consumed its biomass for the expansion of their mindset and the Eternal's will.

===The Biesellian Choir===
Unlike most clusters that tend to arrive in a place through some great event, the Biesellian Choir was a slow, but steady immigration into Biesel. Gestalts first arrived as individuals seeking to spread the work of the Divine Eteneral to Dionae and non-Dionae alike, drawn to Biesel by its laissez-faire, free movement and trade attitude. The Choir have since established themselves within the slums of [[Mendell City]]’s district 11 where they live and grow. New Dionae either join the Choir from other clusters, immigrate from outside or are grown directly within the Eternal Temple, the centre of the Choir’s community. Growth is troublesome though, and many nymphs are born stunted and dead. Where other Gestalt communities might sell those stunted, dead nymphs to be used in fine cuisine, the Choir refuses to do so, uniquely finding the practice of other species consuming Dionae flesh abhorrent, they also return the dead to the temple to be consumed by their community leader, “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”.

====The Eternal Temple====
Home to the huge argus cluster [[Notable_Dionae#Connected_to_the_Blossoms_Beyond|“Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”]], the de facto community leader of the Biesellian Choir. The Eternal Temple is a steel temple dedicated to the Divine Eternal. The outer shell of the building is made of green coloured steel sheeting, welded and formed into natural forms giving the temple an almost organic look. A central, smooth spire rises upwards towards the sky. Internally, the temple is much the same visually. It is extremely well lit and houses a Dionae community centre as well as a large hydroponics bay for the growth of new Dionae nymphs and the mesh weave factories. The temple’s central worship area is essentially a room constructed of “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”, who speaks with the congregation directly. For many Dionae, this is the only connection they have to the more educated, ancient Gestalts. The central spire is a transmitter constructed using Dionae quantum wave technology which is used to “speak” directly with the clusters further in deep space, to achieve consensus. The sound of this rootsong “transmission” can be dimly heard by Dionae in Republic of Biesel space as a whisper, “the Hum”, likening it to the sounds of wind chimes to those species incapable of hearing it. A pleasant sound. The temple itself is expensive to maintain, with high energy costs and general land rental and maintenance expenses being quite high. To this end, Dionae of the choir work to provide donations to the temple and the community. A Faustian bargain for some as this leads them to work for organisations that would enslave and even consume the Dionae themselves.

====Culture of the Choir====
Initially a highly religious, firebrand society, it has somewhat mellowed in the face of their “Biesellised” young, becoming the largest Dionae community in Biesel. As patriotic as any other, these Dionae as a whole tend to work towards the success of Biesel and often assisted authorities in dealing with hostile independent Dionae such as raiders from the [[Dionae_Clusters#The_Viscerabelt_-_Tau_Ceti_Space|Viscerabelt]]. The Dionae of the Choir are also one of the few Dionae communities known to utilize actual exotic-Dionae technology, such as quantum wave transmitters, organic mesh weave and sonic weaponry. These technologies are highly sought after and development into their use for non-Dionae is ongoing across many mega-corps, much to the discomfort of the Choir. Fortunately, no functioning non-Dionae analogues have been developed as they appear to require some form of unknown Dionae process and the Choir keeps these technologies close to their chest. Some believe it is only a matter of time before one of the enterprising mega-corporations makes a breakthrough.

====Organic Mesh Weave====
One of the few technologies sold to outsiders, the organic mesh weave makes use of high tensile, photoreceptive organic fibres developed by the Dionae to produce lightweight, flexible building materials which reflect beneficial light and radiation onto nearby Dionae. In practical terms, the mesh is often used as a clothing material, allowing Dionae to wear clothes that would otherwise stifle their gestalts, blocking light. The clothing is manufactured by choir Dionae within the temple and is shipped across Biesel, making it an expensive rarity outside of the planet. Any clothing style can be copied in this way and turned into suitable Dioane clothing. The “cloth” is also a hit with many humans within the warmer climes of Biesel as the mesh weave clothing, whilst still allowing one to maintain their dignity, actually projects the sun's rays through the clothes allowing one to tan whilst still wearing swimwear or beachwear. Whilst this might allow for a Dionae to wear a full suit and pants, the technology becomes less potent the more layers are added and generally, all Dionae, even the Choir, prefer to feel a star's rays on their bare “skin”, finding heavy or multi-layered clothing psychologically stifling.

Community members of the Choir can be broken down into three main groups:

====Immigrants from beyond====
Immigrants from Blossom clusters outside of Biesel tend to be the oldest and most religious of the community. These Dionae have to be “integrated” into Biesellian culture and tend to behave in the most alien manner, being highly against non-Dionae consuming Dionae flesh and actively preaching the Divine Eternal creed. Due to their lack of qualifications within Biesel and their attitudes towards non-Dionae these gestalts are only found performing low skilled work for NT, working as assistants, cargo technicians, miners and janitors. The irony isn’t lost on many of these gestalts, some being quite old, being thrust into low level, entry jobs with many grumbling at the work. The work must be done, however, as it’s the only way they can acquire funds for the Choir community so done it is, albeit begrudgingly.

====Converts into the Choir====
Many Dionae within the Choir originate from clusters not belonging to the Divine Eternal and have instead either converted or generally joined the community. These gestalts come in all shapes, sizes and creeds but most seem to find purpose within the Choir community. These Dionae tend to have all sorts of temperaments usually based on the original society they were from and as such tend to be found in all walks of life, from janitors to doctors.

====Natives of the Choir====
Few in number compared to converts, the natives are gestalts that were born and raised within the Temple and Biesel. Due to the age of the community on Biesel these gestalts tend to be quite young, with the eldest usually being around 30 years old at most. These gestalts tend to be the most “humanised” or “Biesellian” of the Dionae, speaking clearly and concisely and understanding the subtle nuances of cross-species interaction, as well as sharing the interests that most Biesellians might share. They are the most tolerant of non-Dionae cultures/activities and tend to grudgingly accept the non-Dionae culture of consuming Dionae flesh. Often patriotic towards Biesel and the Republic, these Dionae can be found serving as support within the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]], often as engineers, pilots and medical staff. They are also found working for law enforcement, something largely not done by the subservient Dionae, operating as [[Investigator]]s and support staff. Many Dionae work as local police for Mendell, policing the Choir and ensuring compliance with Bieselian laws. Though stellar [[Investigator]]s and support staff by virtue of the Diona's natural learning and deduction capacity, they are never found walking “the beat” as patrol officers due to their natural slowness. As such, these Dionae and Dionae in general are rarely, if ever, found working as security officers within the mega-corps instead taking their cadetships within offices as support staff and working as [[Investigator]]s and [[Warden]]s for the mega-corps. Having been raised around the Hum for their entire lives, these gestalts enjoy its sound and in their spare time can often be found listening at station windows for it. They tend to become saddened when they are separated from it for extended periods.

===The Biesellian Song===
Originally starting as a series of religious publications and pamphlets, the Biesellian Song has evolved into a full-blown news outlet for the Dionae and people of Biesel and the Choir, sending out digital news across the extranet. Though usually used for communion with the clusters beyond, the Eternal Temple central spire is sometimes used to broadcast the Biesellian Song locally across Biesel space for Dionae to hear if they wish. Though usually only heard as a whisper, when the spire broadcasts in this way it essentially acts as a town crier, shouting news. Dionae that are interested must concentrate to properly hear the messages which many do, however uninterested Dionae can easily ignore the “song” when it is broadcast.

===The Songless Gang===
The Songless Gang or simply “the Songless” are a ragtag group of mainly immigrant Dionae who have fallen into a life of organised crime. Dipping their tendrils in all sorts of ill-fated schemes, the most troubling is phoron smuggling, extortion rackets and thuggery. They are known to take on low skilled work jobs such as cargo workers or service roles to gain access to materials they can steal and sell. They’re extremely difficult to stamp out and the Choir works tirelessly with law enforcement to bring the gang down.

==The Wild Ones - All Space==
: '''''"Back in the ol' daysss of Wild'un huntin', they'd pay thousssandsss if you brought back a Wild'un dead. I jusst wissh we didn' kill ssso many... ya never sssee 'em much anymore."''''' - ''Captain Kash Lardback''

Majestic and chaotic, Wild Ones fly through space with only the knowledge of collecting and scavenging - with many suspecting that they report back to a much larger 'Hive'. Due to the culling of the Wild Ones - thanks to their gravitation towards orbital scrapyards and derelicts, and have since becoming increasingly hostile, leading to numerous groups or mercenaries to be hired to clear them out to retrieve the scrap collected by the Dionae and to also harvest the solid mass of collected minerals, metals and gasses found within the centre of large Dionae forms over their eons long journeys. Many are tagged and studied by researchers who aim to understand Diona's instincts better, with patterns suggesting that the Wild Ones are 'evolving' in a way to prevent themselves from being hunted; by moving primarily through nebulae, then absorbing the surrounding gases found and emitting it both increase their speed and cloud sensors. These "Wild Ones" are not legally allowed to be killed in Sol Alliance and Jargon Federation space unless they pose a significant threat - but Frontier laws vary depending on the system.

==The Conglomerated Choir of Nralakk - Jargon Federation==

Located around the star in the centre of the Nralakk system, the Conglomerated Choir was the first documented discovery of [[Dionae_History#Skrell_History|Dionae]] by the Skrell. First thought to be a massive organic growth covering a derelict exploratory vessel, it was only once a stowaway nymph found on the return trip began to speak in garbled Nral’Malic that the Skrell realised the situation was more than it seemed. Diplomatic talks would be difficult, but through the Xuq translator, an enigma machine that could decipher unknown languages, the Skrell were able to communicate with the Diona cluster and rerouted the derelict along with its new inhabitants to the Nralakk system.

Post-discovery the Conglomerated Choir and the Jargon Federation went through intense diplomatic negotiations, discussing options for the cluster if it wished to stay within Federation territory until a consensus was finally reached; the Federation was still rebuilding after [[Skrell_Synthetic_Age#Culmination_of_Glorsh-Omega|Glorsh-Omega’s disappearance]] and required assistance, combined with the Dionae’s ability to survive in some of the most extreme conditions the Choir was quick to offer its services to the Skrell in rebuilding their society. While at first many Skrell believed the Diona to be untrustworthy, still reeling from Glorsh-Omega’s betrayal of their species, the cluster proved to be a key player in the rebuilding of the Federation. After twenty-three years of assistance, the burgeoning Federation announced the species’ full integration into Jargon society in 2240 CE, which was ratified in 2245 CE along with the official establishment of the [[Skrell_Recent_History#Reunification_of_the_Jargon_Federation|Second Jargon Federation]]. The two species have formed an inseparable bond from this experience, with the Diona respecting the Skrell for the kindness they have shown to the species, and the Skrell being humbled by the efforts of the Diona in helping to rebuild a nation they had no obligation to aid.

Today, the Conglomerated Choir enjoys a heightened status in [[Diona_in_the_Federation|Federation society]]; members of the cluster are treated well by the Federation as a reward for their cluster’s service in the past, with those that had an active role at the time having reached idol status in some cases. Their treatment by the Federation, along with their first-hand experience witnessing the destruction Glorsh-Omega brought upon the Skrell, has contributed to an internal culture that in many ways resembles the Federation. The most obvious example of this is members of the Choir being staunchly anti-synthetic, believing that Glorsh-Omega is proof that the proliferation of AI is ultimately dangerous, and the use of unshackled positronics by humanity is a grievous mistake. The cluster is also known for its patriotism, with a disproportionate number of Dionae in politics or organisations such as the Qukala originating from the Conglomerated Choir.

In a similar way to gestalts with a high social credit score having their views held in higher regard, superseding the general Dionae view on age and experience, the Diona from the Conglomerated Choir are known to have more ‘weight’ behind their opinions and decisions as a result of them being the reason why the species is accepted in Federation society. The phenomenon has nurtured an attitude similar to elitism by the Choir, who generally believe themselves to be the betters of the species in the Federation. This is further reinforced by the Federation itself, which is known to strategically place Diona from the Conglomerated Choir in positions that give them authority over gestalts belonging to other clusters in order to influence them into adopting more pro-Federation views.

[[Category:Dionaea]]
[[Category:Factions]]

Dionae

2022-05-14T04:22:54Z

Yonnimer:

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<center>[[File:DionaeMainpage.png|1000px|The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.|link=]]</center>

==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.

===Important Notes===
Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae '''''can''''' be found as [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Research_Director Research Directors], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Engineer Chief Engineers], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Medical_Officer Chief Medical Officers], and [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Operations_Manager Operations Managers]. They, however, '''''cannot''''' be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

{{Infobox Diona
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primis
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|Language = Rootsong
|Factions = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Factions Mult.]
|Location = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Systems_and_Locations Mult.]
}}
{{toc_right}}

===Nymphs===

Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.

===Dionae Gestalts===

A Dionae Gestalt is a collection of nymphs who have formed together to create a gestalt. The number of nymphs in a gestalt can vary from only two or three nymphs to upwards of a million, there’s no true known limit to how big a gestalt could be. Each nymph within a gestalt will usually handle tasks to help the whole collective such as helping with movement, acting as a hand, or speaking. However, Dionae Gestalts are not a hive mind. They are a collective and, barring some exceptions depending on the gestalt’s [[Dionae Forms#Dionae_Minds|mind type,]] each nymph may have independent thought. Nymphs in a gestalt will usually confer with each other and come to an agreement on which actions to take such as what to say or where to move to, although sometimes a gestalt may designate some nymphs to make decisions on their own for the whole collective. While each nymph is capable of speaking in a gestalt, how a Dionae may utilize communications can vary from gestalt to gestalt and is dependant on their mind type. Some may elect to have one nymph speak for the entire gestalt while others will have each nymph speak at once, sometimes a bit chaotically.

Multiple forms of Dionae gestalt are defined by the number of nymphs that make up the collective. These have varying levels of intelligence and mobility, with more nymphs generally allowing for greater levels of intelligence within the gestalt but less mobility. The most common and important of these forms are the Cyclops forms, also referred to as the worker form. A Cyclops gestalt is generally made up of half a dozen nymphs that take a very human-like form, usually having two arms and two legs. They are the form seen most employed throughout the galaxy, capable of working most jobs that humans could, barring some that require a quick response time or that may breach their conditional pacifism.

For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]

==Language==
Unlike most other species of the spur, Dionae are grown already knowing their native language, Rootsong. Rootsong is spoken through a combination of sounds created by limbs, membranes, and movement that all come together to create a “song” that can be understood as words and sentences. To the uninitiated these sounds tend to sound more "natural", with many comparing their songs to an orchestra of leaves rustling in the wind, branches rubbing together, and sometimes softer instrumental sounds such as a noise akin to a flute. Emotion and intent can be understood through pitches and speed of the sounds, with faster, lighter pitches used for happier words, and lower, slower pitches for more negatively-inclined words. While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa.

Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language. Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating or integrating the required organs needed to communicate within.

==Naming==
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.

Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.

'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''

==Experience Is What Matters==
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vast stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however, this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.

==Signs of Age==
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]

==Appearance==

Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.

‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.

Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.

Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.

===Pacifism: What to do when fighting!===
Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary.

For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.

==History==

There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.

Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Jargon Federation|Jargon Federation.]]

While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]

===Place in the galaxy===

As Dionae have no real nation or homeworld to call their own, Dionae tend to be very nomadic and spread throughout the spur, with many theories claiming they may originate outside of the spur entirely, possibly even the Milkyway. Many dionae, especially older dionae whose bark begins to hamper their movement greatly, do settle down, especially within the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Jargon Federation, and within the Unathi Wasteland

Each human nation treats Dionae in a slightly different way, with some allowing them to be ordinary citizens while others have them strictly banned. For more information on how each nation treats Dionae, see: [[Dionae Intergration|Dionae Intergration.]] The human nation with by far the largest population of Dionae would be the [[Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel.]] Dionae within the Republic are generally treated nicely, although there tends to be some light discrimination such as a lower wage when compared to a human’s wage. The Republic and most human nations in general that allow Dionae require each nymph to be chipped to differentiate nymphs and to keep track of their splittings and mergings from different gestalts.

While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]

Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.

==Character Guide==

===Mechanics===
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.
*Can feel pain, with Coeus being more sensitive to pain compared to humans and Geras being significantly less.
*Increased movement speed for Coeus, but reduced movement speed for Geras.

===Important things to think about when creating a character===

While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:

*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?

===Character concepts===

'''Preaching To The Choir Upon Rustling Leaves'''
*They are a 57-year-old Dionae from the Royal Garden of Dominia.
*They have light bark and stand at about 6'2" as they believe height is important, having been grown in the Royal Garden of Emperor Boleslaw.
*They are a priest within the Moroz Holy Tribunal, sent outside the Empire to ensure that citizens outside are following correctly, and perhaps trying to bring new blood into the fold.
*Due to their growing up and blood memories, they have an extreme dislike of IPCs and Cyborgs.
*They are considered an Emphatic Echo, due to how social they are, and the needing of reading facial expressions.
*Speaks Tai Ceti Basic, Tradebrand, and Sign Language.

'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.

[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Dionaea]]

Guide to Citizenship

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==[[Republic of Biesel]]==
===Visa Requirements===
* No application fee.
* Loose background check.
* Lasts up to 6 years for work visas, up to 3 months for tourists and visitors.
* Tourism visas are easy to acquire.
===Citizenship===
* Must have lived in Republic of Biesel for at least 2 years (if not a IPC), or having served in [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]] for at least a year.
* Able to speak Tau Ceti Basic.
* By Sol Alliance law, must forfeit Sol Alliance citizenship, if existent. Allows any other dual citizenships.
* A ceremony where you pledge loyalty to Tau Ceti.
* Dionae have additional requirements that need to be met to apply for citizenship. They can be found, [[Dionae Intergration|here]]

Note: You have to choose between a Sol or Biesel citizenship if you were a Tau Ceti resident in 2452 - if you have not moved out in 2 years after [[Republic of Biesel#History|Tau Ceti's declaration of independence]], your Sol citizenship is invalidated.

==[[Sol Alliance]]==
===Visa Requirements===
* An application fee of 600 credits.
* Lasts up to 2 years for work visas, up to 3 months for tourists and visitors.
* An interview about your background and reasons for coming into Sol Alliance space. This interview is known to be very strict, and many visa applications are denied - but experienced specialists and businesspersons have preference. The interview is not required for Skrell.
* Documents proving your reason of stay in Sol space - education certificate, proof of relatives in Sol, etc., or a visa recommendation from a [[NanoTrasen Liaison#Sol Consular Officer|certified Solarian diplomat]].

===Citizenship===
* Must have lived in Sol Alliance for at least 5 years.
* Disallows dual citizenships except with [[Eridani Federation]] or [[Jargon Federation]]. Getting a Sol Alliance citizenship makes your other citizenships invalid.
* Must speak Sol Common fluently.
* A background check. Must also have not have committed any crimes during your stay in Sol Alliance space.
* A test on Sol Alliance law and history.
* Tajara and IPCs need not apply.

==[[Eridani Federation|Eridani Corporate Federation]]==
===Visa Requirements===
* An application fee of 600 credits per month of stay.
* Indefinite duration as long as it is paid for.

===Citizenship===
* An application fee of 750000 credits. You may receive discounts by working in Eridani Federation space, which can potentially reduce this fee to zero after several years of work.
* Must sign an Eridani Federation citizenship contract.
* Allows dual citizenships.

==[[Republic of Elyra]]==
Vaurca are not allowed to enter Elyran space.
===Visa Requirements===
* An application fee of 250 credits.
* Lasts up to 4 years for work visas, up to 3 months for tourists and visitors.
* Documents proving your reason of stay in Elyran space - education certificate, proof of relatives in Elyra, etc.

===Citizenship===
* Must have lived in the Republic of Elyra for at least 3 years.
* Must speak Tau Ceti Basic at least intermediately.
* A background check. Must have not committed major crimes during your stay in Republic of Elyra.
* By Sol Alliance law, must forfeit Sol Alliance citizenship, if existent. Allows any other dual citizenships.

==[[Empire of Dominia]]==
Synthetics are not permitted entry into Dominian space. Current Dominian state policy is to deport synthetics found in Dominian space, but destroying them is not illegal nor uncommon either.
===Visa Requirements===
* An application fee of 320 credits.
* Lasts up to 5 years for work visas, up to 6 months for tourists and visitors.
* Thorough background check.
* Must not own synthetics.
* Skilled workers have preference.
* Tourism visas are easy to acquire, but require an escort at all times by a Dominian citizen.

===Citizenship===
* May be invited to become a citizen by at least two members of a [[Empire of Dominia Great Houses|Great House]] who are House Nobles or higher. This also makes you a member of said Great House.
* Citizenship can also be earned by serving in the Imperial military for five years.
* Citizens must swear an oath of loyalty to Goddess and Emperor.
* Thorough background check.
* By Sol Alliance law, must forfeit Sol Alliance citizenship, if existent. Allows any other dual citizenships.

==[[Coalition of Colonies]]==
A visa is not necessary to visit the Coalition of Colonies.
===Citizenship===
* An application fee of 100 credits.
* New citizens must reside in the Coalition of Colonies for at least 2 months out of the year for five years.
* By Sol Alliance law, must forfeit Sol Alliance citizenship, if existent. Allows any other dual citizenships.

==[[People's Republic of Adhomai]]==
===Visa Requirements===
* An application fee of 150 credits.
* Lasts up to 4 years for work visas, up to 6 months for tourists and visitors.
* Background check performed by government officials.

===Citizenship===
* Any Tajara, despite their origin, is able to request citizenship, as the People's Republic claims that all members of the Tajaran species are its rightful citizens.
* Allows dual citizenship. However, Republican citizenship can not be abdicated - which makes you permanently unable to apply for a Sol, Democratic People’s Republic of Adhomai, and New Kingdom of Adhomai's citizenship.
* Non-Tajara are able to apply, but the applicant must be accepted by various governmental committees and pass a thorough background check.

==[[Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai]]==
===Visa Requirements===
* An application fee of 150 credits.
* Work visas, with the exception of those granted for working in [[Crevus]], can only be issue to Tajara.
* Lasts up to 2 years for work visas, up to 3 months for tourists and visitors. Tourists visiting [[Crevus]] can acquire visas lasting up to 7 months.
* Background check performed by government officials.

===Citizenship===
* Any Tajara, despite their origin, is able to request citizenship, as the Democratic People's Republic claims that all members of the Tajaran species are its rightful citizens.
* Allows dual citizenship. However, Democratic People’s citizenship can not be abdicated - which makes you permanently unable to apply for a Sol, Republican, and New Kingdom citizenship.
* Only Tajara are able to apply.

==[[New Kingdom of Adhomai]]==
===Visa Requirements===
* An application fee of 150 credits.
* Lasts up to 3 years for work visas, up to 5 months for tourists and visitors.
* Background check performed by government officials.

===Citizenship===
* Any Tajara, despite their origin, is able to request citizenship, as the New Kingdom claims that all members of the Tajaran species are its rightful citizens.
* Allows dual citizenship. However, New Kingdom's citizenship can not be abdicated - which makes you permanently unable to apply for a Sol, Republican, and Democratic People’s Republic citizenship.
* Citizenship can also be earned by serving in the Imperial Volunteer Alam'ardii Corps for three years.
* Nobility are not allowed to have multiple citizenships. Abdicating any other affiliation is necessary to be granted a title.
* Non-Tajara are able to apply, but only Tajara can be granted nobility titles.

==[[Unathi|Izweski Hegemony]]==
Feudal government is always an arrangement between individuals, not between nation-states and citizens. Citizenship as it is in the rest of the galaxy is a relatively alien concept to unathi, and they've had to awkwardly integrate it into their existing systems; modern citizenship only comes into play when interacting with other civilizations outside the Hegemony.

===Visa Requirements===
* Applications are handled by Lords (or officials working on their behalf) and fees vary; usually between 0 - 2,000 depending on how the Lord wishes to control an influx of new arrivals to their fief.
* A Hegemonic work Visa outlines a set number of hours you owe your Lord alongside the regular work you are doing with a Guild. This means that you owe X hours of labor directly to the Lord that they can call on you to do at any time. (Consider this a form of on-call community service.)
* Documents proving that you are an upstanding person worthy of entering a Contract with a Lord; criminal records, work histories, etc. Your mileage may vary.

===Citizenship===
* Citizenship can be given by any Lord within their fief (territory), which is almost always recognized by the Izweski who then consider that person as a citizen of the overall Hegemony, and vice versa.
* If born to Hegemonic citizens, you inherit the citizenship status of your Clan-Lord, father, or mother, in that order, until you are 18 and negotiate your citizenship as a legal adult.
* If applying as a foreigner, you must be 18 (or claimed by a relative, adopted or otherwise).
* Pass the same requirements as a Visa.
* The Hegemony allows dual citizenship, as long as you maintain your obligation to your Lord, where they can call on you to fulfill X hours of labor a month, or call you into a local Levy.
* Guwans cannot be citizens, and becoming one strips you of all your legal rights, making anything you do ad hoc with no legal protections
More information about feudalism and society can be found [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Unathi#Feudalism_and_Society| here].

==[[Jargon Federation]]==
===Visa Requirements===
*Application fee of 200 credits for non-priority work visas, no application fee for priority visas or visitor visas.
*Extensive background checks for worker visas, average background check for visitor visas, minimal background check for visitor visas to Qerr'Malic.
*Work visas last for ten to twenty years. Visitor visas last for a year. Qerr'Malic visas last for three months.
*Interviews for both visas can be done at the nearest consulate or embassy, holo-vid interviews are available if this is not possible.

===Citizenship===
*Must have lived in the Federation for no less than five years.
*Must be able to read Nral'Malic at the minimum. If applicants are biologically unable to speak Nral'Malic, an on-person translator or translator implant is enough.
*Must forfeit any previous citizenships not including Sol Alliance, Eridani Corporate Federation, or The Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursea Minoris.
*Must pledge allegiance to the Federation and must forswear any previous morals or activities that are considered negatives by the Federation.
*Must go through a rigorous series of background checks, civics knowledge tests, and a personality interview with a 90% or above approval rating.
*During the application process, applicants will be given a probation officer to liaise with who will monitor their activity. Behaviour that is deemed unacceptable by Federation standards will invalidate your application. This probationary period will continue for up to two years after citizenship is received.
*C'thur and Diona receive the same citizenship as Skrell due to their status as integrated secondary species, and other species receive a 'Non-Secondary Species' variant citizenship. IPC's are illegal within the Federation.
*Jargon citizenship can be renounced; the individual will be banned from travel within the Jargon Federation until they undergo a mandatory [[Jargon_Federation#Tertiary_Numericals|rehabilitation programme]]. The individual will also be put on [[Jargon_Federation#Public_Display|public display]].

Dionae History

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==History==

The enigmatic species, Dionae, have been discovered in various different locations throughout the Orion Spur. With a history unlike any other, with myriads of different perspectives and thousands of years of experiences culminating into what is known today, it was inevitable that there would be different viewpoints of the discovery of the Dionae with each species.

==Skrell History==
===First Discovery===

[[File:DionaeCap.PNG|thumb|alt=First Discovery.|The first discovery of the Dionae lead to a rush for rare minerals collected by their mass.]]

It is speculated that the species was initially discovered by [[Skrell]] prospectors on an arctic planetoid within the Xelp System. Originally sent to Xelp III to locate minerals that could aid in the reconstruction of Qerrbalak, but instead discovered concentrated and condensed metals shrouded by weeds. The discovery prompted the ‘Gold Rush’ of the '''2190s CE''' with thousands pouring their efforts into searching for more of the refined and compressed metals, climaxing in '''2198 CE''' when it could no longer be located throughout the planet. It is now suspected that the Skrell had caused an Echion Colossus to perish during the Gold Rush.

===Skrell Discovery===

The first documented discovery of the species occurred in '''2217 CE'''. A [[Skrell]] Exploratory Vessel noted an inconsistency with data taken from a scan of the Neuron Star - Kelo’Hen. It was soon labelled as an astrological anomaly, prompting further investigation after the discovery of an organic celestial body orbiting Kelo’Hen IIa. Whilst the loggings indicate a massive hull breach occurred shortly after first contact.

The destruction of the vessel sent shockwaves throughout the Jargon Federation - many theorising that Glorsh-Omega had returned after a period of hibernation. The recovering nation quickly dispatched a small fleet of cruisers to be attached to a rescue operation. Upon entering the system, they were welcomed by a now overgrown derelict, filled with an unknown organic growth. Initially believed to be some kind of parasite, the [[Skrell]] outfitted themselves with the appropriate gear to investigate the derelict exploratory vessel.

The operation perforated the derelict, discovering the dozens of hull breaches. As they pushed deeper into the vessel, it became apparent that there were no signs of the deceased crew. Although this gave rise to the hope that they had managed to utilize the escape pods, it soon proved to be false hope as they located the untouched pods. Additional analysis yielded that the growth was in fact flora - one that could survive in the clutches of space - and thus samples were taken.

[[File:SkrellDionae.png|thumb|alt=First Discovery.|The first-ever documented discovery of the Dionae was simply tagged as an anomaly in astrological data.]]

Upon their return, it was discovered that a stowaway had managed to cling onto some gear - a small worm-like creature that shared characteristics with the growth located within the confines of the derelict. Initially believed to be a non sapient creature of the void, it was only after it had begun utilizing various chirps, and incoherent sentences in Nral’Malik, that the team began to understand the gravity of the situation at hand. Almost immediately, it was contained and transported to the nearest scientific asset for it to be studied.

The project was deemed confidential, with the reasoning for the destruction of the derelict simply cited as a massive solar flare decimating the electronics - further leading to a catastrophic failure of life-sustaining machines. After covering up the destruction, the Grand Council proceeded to select very choice Biologists, Botanists and Linguists to investigate the creature, and whether a language could be deciphered. It was Linguistics Professor Xuq’mqix Volq that successfully constructed the Xuq Translator, a machine only capable of being described as a Skrell Enigma Machine.

The creation of the Xuq Translator allowed for crude, but coherent communication to occur between the singular nymph, and the Skrell. In horrific detail, the creature describes the acts committed against and within the exploratory vessel but reassured that after the deceased Skrell had assimilated into the conglomerate that they understood the weight of their actions. The species was soon dubbed Dionae Primis, after a similar species on Qerrbalak that had parasitic qualities. With the use of the Xuq Translator, the remainder of the Dionae were contacted. It was established that the Dionae would be rerouted to the Nrallak Star System, where they could commence additional diplomatic engagements. The entirety of the cluster promptly agreed, and navigated through the stars to where it remains today as the Conglomerated Choir of Nrallak.

===Skrell Aftermath===

After the Dionae the operation had become declassified, the cultural shockwave it had on [[Skrell]] society was enormous. Hundreds of different theories expanded across the species - some believing the Dionae wish to harm them, whilst others believing that the discovery of an alien species was inevitable, and they should be welcomed. Integration of the species began in '''2240 CE''', with the bulk of the species being selected to assist in reconstructing the destroyed cities across the Federation.

Dionae and [[Skrell]] have since formed an inseparable bond. The Skrell provide the Dionae with resources necessary for reproduction, as well as for the development of places of living, which the Dionae repay by contributing their efforts to assist in the Federation’s expansion across the stars. Another byproduct of this relationship is an order to destroy a theoretical form of the Dionae, noted to as a [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Forms#Titan| Titan], due to the inherent risk of intelligence singularity and other classified risks.

==Human History==
===First Discovery===

It is believed that the Dionae were first discovered by humanity during the Great Interstellar War, within the Weeping Stars Region on the Orion Spur. Numerous auxiliary fleets seemed to have stumbled upon a now derelict Battleship, within 1.2 parsecs of the war’s deadliest assault - The Battle of the Binary. The auxiliary fleet further investigated the derelict, noting the existence of an abnormal growth of the starboard bow. Initially, it was thought that the Battleship had been destroyed by Coalition Forces, however, after preliminary scans it was observed that the derelict had become a breeding ground of sorts for extraterrestrial fauna. The auxiliary fleets eventually disembarked, leaving the vessel to be engulfed by the red giant it orbited.

===Human Discovery===

Almost a decade after the discovery of [[Skrell]] by Humanity, a joint operation had been initiated. The respective operation had been alerted to an astrological anomaly similar to the one noted in Kelo’Hen before it was discovered to be the Dionae. The possibility turned into reality as a new cluster was unearthed - just as the operation entered the Rueltab System on '''July 18th 2378 CE'''.

The [[Skrell]] forewarned that proximity was important - as getting too close to the Dionae may prompt them to become hostile. Whilst the Xuq Translator was being prepared, the Cluster began rapidly navigating through the void - with onlookers stating it was almost as if the species were capable of manipulating its surroundings. It pounced on a [[Sol Alliance|Solarian]] vessel, known as the Ophion, causing multiple hull breaches which ultimately prompted the overload of the warp core - an explosion echoed and acted an electromagnetic pulse to any ships within a ten kilometre squared radius of the explosion. With most of the joint operation being damaged one way or another, they were forced to retreat into more civilised segments of the Orion Spur - dubbing the event the “Rueltab Incident.”

[[File:DionaeCaelphon.png|thumb|alt=SASV Ophion.|The SASV Ophion was abandoned shortly after a Dionae assault on the vessel.]]

After the exponential damage done to the operation, it was deemed necessary for additional firepower to be sent - outfitted with a unique chemical weapon, later discovered to have been created by the Skrell in the unfortunate event that the Nrallak Cluster had begun to act hostile. Upon entering the Rueltab System, the fleets were welcomed to a similar sight experienced by the [[Skrell]] a century earlier - an overgrown derelict that replaced the Ophion. Armed with knowledge on how to circumvent the possibility of hostilities, they fired upon the cluster as a preventative measure. As the cluster attempted to recuperate, the Xuq Translator was established and diplomatic talks began with the Cluster.

The talks would continue for over a year - with a blockade of the system being placed to prevent unnecessary interruption. The assimilation of the crew aboard the Ophion assisted greatly giving the Dionae an inkling of the culture, and the language, that the Solarians had. The Dionae were soon ‘arrested’ for their crimes against the [[Sol Alliance]] and were almost immediately integrated into menial labour, where they were expected to pay their debt to the Alliance - usually taking a decade or more to do so.

===Human Aftermath===

The tragedy of the Ophion is still considered the greatest example of why the Dionae should be kept under close monitoring. Decades following the incident, the Dionae would have regulations and restrictions placed on them - essentially being classed as residents, but not citizens, of the Solarian Alliance. Many were sent to [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=New_Gibson| New Gibson], to strip mine the planet - and assist in developing it as a major-industrial powerhouse in the '''Middle-Ring''' of the [[Sol Alliance]]. Their survival only being guaranteed by the various electronics designed to provide light, and the majority of the radioactive waste produced on New Gibson being sent to the sizable community.

Those who had paid their debt to the Solarians resettled themselves to [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Biesel| Biesel] eventually leading to the commencement of the construction of the Eternal Temple in '''2382 CE'''. It became a beacon for all Dionae, to continue to strive and work hard for the eventual taste of freedom. It took nearly sixty years for the Temple to be completed, finally being unveiled as a whole in '''2431 CE'''. [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae| Connected to the Blossoms Beyond] was one of the first to resettle, being granted rights to a rather large piece of land considered to not be of any value to the [[Sol Alliance]], which would eventually become the one of the largest [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Clusters#The_Eternal_Temple| community] of Dionae a century later.

==Unathi History==
===First Discovery===
[[File:DionaeHistory1.gif|thumb|alt=Unathi First Discovery.|The first Unathi discovery was merely the watching of a meteor shower, later discovered to be Dionae seeds.]]

Various clans littered across the northern wastelands of Moghes saw thousands of streaks descend from the skies - a beauty not commonly seen in the horrific conditions known to most. What was in fact not shooting stars, but thousands of Dionae seeds entering the atmosphere. Whilst some theorise that they hitchhiked a meteorite, others have speculated that other species across the Orion Spur delivered the payload to assist in pushing back the immense expanse of continued growth across Moghes - The Wasteland.

===Unathi Discovery===

Several months after the supposed meteorite shower, an area previously just a crater spanning over two kilometres in diameter, had become an Oasis. No longer did an irradiated lake ruminate within the centre, but a source of freshwater that allowed its surroundings to once again bloom with biodiversity.

The nomads of the wastes stumbled upon the ever-growing number of these areas - all previously deemed uninhabitable, but now sprouted full of life. Many ‘colonising’ these areas, and settling their tribes within the now flourishing segments of the Wastelands.

[[File:Reclaimation.png|thumb|alt=Dionae Unathi.|The Dionae have since been used by various Unathi - even Reclaimers.]]

Upon further investigation, these miracles were in fact not just miracles. It was discovered that hundreds of little worm-like creatures would cement themselves within the most irradiated segments of the wastes, leaving the area only once the radiation levels dropped. The Unathi slowly came to understand that these creatures were in fact behind the restoration of the wastes - leading many to capture them in hopes of focusing their effort. It wasn't until communication was established between the species (thanks to assimilating the corpses of the Unathi). The relationship prospered - the Dionae extracted the radiation within the Wastelands, in return for being cared for by the Unathi. A symbiotic relationship, where each relied on another for further prosperity.

===Unathi Aftermath===

The two live in a state of symbiosis - With Unathi that are confined to the wastes relying on the species in order to expand their influence, and means of agriculture, through the radiated areas. Some Dionae have even been inducted into various tribes, being treated as equals in the eyes of the Unathi. Sk’akh followers have even hailed them as blessings from Sk’akh, allowing for Dionae to easily integrate within Unathi society.

==Recent History==
In recent times, the species has undergone massive advancements. Not only have they integrated into most societies across the Orion Spur - but have even begun expanding their reaches and colonising planets themselves. The most recent of which is [[Epsilon Ursae Minoris]], an underdeveloped colony of Dionae that have since managed to reach levels equivalent to an industrial level.

[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae

2022-05-13T08:26:07Z

Yonnimer: changes a word

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<center>[[File:DionaeMainpage.png|1000px|The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.|link=]]</center>

==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.

===Important Notes===
Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae '''''can''''' be found as [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Research_Director Research Directors], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Engineer Chief Engineers], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Medical_Officer Chief Medical Officers], and [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Operations_Manager Operations Managers]. They, however, '''''cannot''''' be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

{{Infobox Diona
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primis
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|Language = Rootsong
|Factions = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Factions Mult.]
|Location = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Systems_and_Locations Mult.]
}}
{{toc_right}}

===Nymphs===

Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.

===Dionae Gestalts===

A Dionae Gestalt is a collection of nymphs who have formed together to create a gestalt. The number of nymphs in a gestalt can vary from only two or three nymphs to upwards of a million, there’s no true known limit to how big a gestalt could be. Each nymph within a gestalt will usually handle tasks to help the whole collective such as helping with movement, acting as a hand, or speaking. However, Dionae Gestalts are not a hive mind. They are a collective and, barring some exceptions depending on the gestalt’s [[Dionae Forms#Dionae_Minds|mind type,]] each nymph may have independent thought. Nymphs in a gestalt will usually confer with each other and come to an agreement on which actions to take such as what to say or where to move to, although sometimes a gestalt may designate some nymphs to make decisions on their own for the whole collective. While each nymph is capable of speaking in a gestalt, how a Dionae may utilize communications can vary from gestalt to gestalt and is dependant on their mind type. Some may elect to have one nymph speak for the entire gestalt while others will have each nymph speak at once, sometimes a bit chaotically.

Multiple forms of Dionae gestalt are defined by the number of nymphs that make up the collective. These have varying levels of intelligence and mobility, with more nymphs generally allowing for greater levels of intelligence within the gestalt but less mobility. The most common and important of these forms are the Cyclops forms, also referred to as the worker form. A Cyclops gestalt is generally made up of half a dozen nymphs that take a very human-like form, usually having two arms and two legs. They are the form seen most employed throughout the galaxy, capable of working most jobs that humans could, barring some that require a quick response time or that may breach their conditional pacifism.

For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]

==Language==
Unlike most other species of the spur, Dionae are grown already knowing their native language, Rootsong. Rootsong is spoken through a combination of sounds created by limbs, membranes, and movement that all come together to create a “song” that can be understood as words and sentences. To the uninitiated these sounds tend to sound more "natural", with many comparing their songs to an orchestra of leaves rustling in the wind, branches rubbing together, and sometimes softer instrumental sounds such as a noise akin to a flute. Emotion and intent can be understood through pitches and speed of the sounds, with faster, lighter pitches used for happier words, and lower, slower pitches for more negatively-inclined words. While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa.

Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language. Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating or integrating the required organs needed to communicate within.

==Naming==
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.

Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.

'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''

==Experience Is What Matters==
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vast stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however, this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.

==Signs of Age==
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]

==Appearance==

Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.

‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.

Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.

Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.

===Pacifism: What to do when fighting!===
Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary.

For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.

==History==

There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.

Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Jargon Federation|Jargon Federation.]]

While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]

===Place in the galaxy===

As Dionae have no real nation or homeworld to call their own, Dionae tend to be very nomadic and spread throughout the spur, with many theories claiming they may originate outside of the spur entirely, possibly even the Milkyway. Many dionae, especially older dionae whose bark begins to hamper their movement greatly, do settle down, especially within the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Jargon Federation, and within the Unathi Wasteland

Each human nation treats Dionae in a slightly different way, with some allowing them to be ordinary citizens while others have them strictly banned. For more information on how each nation treats Dionae, see: [[Dionae Relations|Dionae Relations.]] The human nation with by far the largest population of Dionae would be the [[Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel.]] Dionae within the Republic are generally treated nicely, although there tends to be some light discrimination such as a lower wage when compared to a human’s wage. The Republic and most human nations in general that allow Dionae require each nymph to be chipped to differentiate nymphs and to keep track of their splittings and mergings from different gestalts.

While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]

Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.

==Character Guide==

===Mechanics===
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.
*Can feel pain, with Coeus being more sensitive to pain compared to humans and Geras being significantly less.
*Increased movement speed for Coeus, but reduced movement speed for Geras.

===Important things to think about when creating a character===

While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:

*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?

===Character concepts===

'''Preaching To The Choir Upon Rustling Leaves'''
*They are a 57-year-old Dionae from the Royal Garden of Dominia.
*They have light bark and stand at about 6'2" as they believe height is important, having been grown in the Royal Garden of Emperor Boleslaw.
*They are a priest within the Moroz Holy Tribunal, sent outside the Empire to ensure that citizens outside are following correctly, and perhaps trying to bring new blood into the fold.
*Due to their growing up and blood memories, they have an extreme dislike of IPCs and Cyborgs.
*They are considered an Emphatic Echo, due to how social they are, and the needing of reading facial expressions.
*Speaks Tai Ceti Basic, Tradebrand, and Sign Language.

'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.

[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae

2022-05-13T08:25:36Z

Yonnimer: Adds a few extra bits to the mechanics page

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{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}

<center>[[File:DionaeMainpage.png|1000px|The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.|link=]]</center>

==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.

===Important Notes===
Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae '''''can''''' be found as [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Research_Director Research Directors], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Engineer Chief Engineers], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Medical_Officer Chief Medical Officers], and [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Operations_Manager Operations Managers]. They, however, '''''cannot''''' be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

{{Infobox Diona
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primis
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|Language = Rootsong
|Factions = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Factions Mult.]
|Location = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Systems_and_Locations Mult.]
}}
{{toc_right}}

===Nymphs===

Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.

===Dionae Gestalts===

A Dionae Gestalt is a collection of nymphs who have formed together to create a gestalt. The number of nymphs in a gestalt can vary from only two or three nymphs to upwards of a million, there’s no true known limit to how big a gestalt could be. Each nymph within a gestalt will usually handle tasks to help the whole collective such as helping with movement, acting as a hand, or speaking. However, Dionae Gestalts are not a hive mind. They are a collective and, barring some exceptions depending on the gestalt’s [[Dionae Forms#Dionae_Minds|mind type,]] each nymph may have independent thought. Nymphs in a gestalt will usually confer with each other and come to an agreement on which actions to take such as what to say or where to move to, although sometimes a gestalt may designate some nymphs to make decisions on their own for the whole collective. While each nymph is capable of speaking in a gestalt, how a Dionae may utilize communications can vary from gestalt to gestalt and is dependant on their mind type. Some may elect to have one nymph speak for the entire gestalt while others will have each nymph speak at once, sometimes a bit chaotically.

Multiple forms of Dionae gestalt are defined by the number of nymphs that make up the collective. These have varying levels of intelligence and mobility, with more nymphs generally allowing for greater levels of intelligence within the gestalt but less mobility. The most common and important of these forms are the Cyclops forms, also referred to as the worker form. A Cyclops gestalt is generally made up of half a dozen nymphs that take a very human-like form, usually having two arms and two legs. They are the form seen most employed throughout the galaxy, capable of working most jobs that humans could, barring some that require a quick response time or that may breach their conditional pacifism.

For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]

==Language==
Unlike most other species of the spur, Dionae are grown already knowing their native language, Rootsong. Rootsong is spoken through a combination of sounds created by limbs, membranes, and movement that all come together to create a “song” that can be understood as words and sentences. To the uninitiated these sounds tend to sound more "natural", with many comparing their songs to an orchestra of leaves rustling in the wind, branches rubbing together, and sometimes softer instrumental sounds such as a noise akin to a flute. Emotion and intent can be understood through pitches and speed of the sounds, with faster, lighter pitches used for happier words, and lower, slower pitches for more negatively-inclined words. While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa.

Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language. Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating or integrating the required organs needed to communicate within.

==Naming==
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.

Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.

'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''

==Experience Is What Matters==
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vast stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however, this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.

==Signs of Age==
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]

==Appearance==

Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.

‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.

Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.

Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.

===Pacifism: What to do when fighting!===
Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary.

For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.

==History==

There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.

Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Jargon Federation|Jargon Federation.]]

While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]

===Place in the galaxy===

As Dionae have no real nation or homeworld to call their own, Dionae tend to be very nomadic and spread throughout the spur, with many theories claiming they may originate outside of the spur entirely, possibly even the Milkyway. Many dionae, especially older dionae whose bark begins to hamper their movement greatly, do settle down, especially within the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Jargon Federation, and within the Unathi Wasteland

Each human nation treats Dionae in a slightly different way, with some allowing them to be ordinary citizens while others have them strictly banned. For more information on how each nation treats Dionae, see: [[Dionae Relations|Dionae Relations.]] The human nation with by far the largest population of Dionae would be the [[Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel.]] Dionae within the Republic are generally treated nicely, although there tends to be some light discrimination such as a lower wage when compared to a human’s wage. The Republic and most human nations in general that allow Dionae require each nymph to be chipped to differentiate nymphs and to keep track of their splittings and mergings from different gestalts.

While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]

Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.

==Character Guide==

===Mechanics===
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.
*Can feel pain, with Coeus being more sensitive to pain compared to humans and Geras being significantly less.
*Increased movement speed for Coeus, but slower movement speed for Geras.

===Important things to think about when creating a character===

While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:

*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?

===Character concepts===

'''Preaching To The Choir Upon Rustling Leaves'''
*They are a 57-year-old Dionae from the Royal Garden of Dominia.
*They have light bark and stand at about 6'2" as they believe height is important, having been grown in the Royal Garden of Emperor Boleslaw.
*They are a priest within the Moroz Holy Tribunal, sent outside the Empire to ensure that citizens outside are following correctly, and perhaps trying to bring new blood into the fold.
*Due to their growing up and blood memories, they have an extreme dislike of IPCs and Cyborgs.
*They are considered an Emphatic Echo, due to how social they are, and the needing of reading facial expressions.
*Speaks Tai Ceti Basic, Tradebrand, and Sign Language.

'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.

[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae

2022-04-15T01:52:30Z

Yonnimer: updates the command section for trees

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<center>[[File:DionaeMainpage.png|1000px|The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.|link=]]</center>

==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.

===Important Notes===
Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae '''''can''''' be found as [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Research_Director Research Directors], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Engineer Chief Engineers], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Medical_Officer Chief Medical Officers], and [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Operations_Manager Operations Managers]. They, however, '''''cannot''''' be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

{{Infobox Diona
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primis
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|Language = Rootsong
|Factions = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Factions Mult.]
|Location = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Systems_and_Locations Mult.]
}}
{{toc_right}}

===Nymphs===

Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.

===Dionae Gestalts===

A Dionae Gestalt is a collection of nymphs who have formed together to create a gestalt. The number of nymphs in a gestalt can vary from only two or three nymphs to upwards of a million, there’s no true known limit to how big a gestalt could be. Each nymph within a gestalt will usually handle tasks to help the whole collective such as helping with movement, acting as a hand, or speaking. However, Dionae Gestalts are not a hive mind. They are a collective and, barring some exceptions depending on the gestalt’s [[Dionae Forms#Dionae_Minds|mind type,]] each nymph may have independent thought. Nymphs in a gestalt will usually confer with each other and come to an agreement on which actions to take such as what to say or where to move to, although sometimes a gestalt may designate some nymphs to make decisions on their own for the whole collective. While each nymph is capable of speaking in a gestalt, how a Dionae may utilize communications can vary from gestalt to gestalt and is dependant on their mind type. Some may elect to have one nymph speak for the entire gestalt while others will have each nymph speak at once, sometimes a bit chaotically.

Multiple forms of Dionae gestalt are defined by the number of nymphs that make up the collective. These have varying levels of intelligence and mobility, with more nymphs generally allowing for greater levels of intelligence within the gestalt but less mobility. The most common and important of these forms are the Cyclops forms, also referred to as the worker form. A Cyclops gestalt is generally made up of half a dozen nymphs that take a very human-like form, usually having two arms and two legs. They are the form seen most employed throughout the galaxy, capable of working most jobs that humans could, barring some that require a quick response time or that may breach their conditional pacifism.

For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]

==Language==
Unlike most other species of the spur, Dionae are grown already knowing their native language, Rootsong. Rootsong is spoken through a combination of sounds created by limbs, membranes, and movement that all come together to create a “song” that can be understood as words and sentences. To the uninitiated these sounds tend to sound more "natural", with many comparing their songs to an orchestra of leaves rustling in the wind, branches rubbing together, and sometimes softer instrumental sounds such as a noise akin to a flute. Emotion and intent can be understood through pitches and speed of the sounds, with faster, lighter pitches used for happier words, and lower, slower pitches for more negatively-inclined words. While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa.

Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language. Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating or integrating the required organs needed to communicate within.

==Naming==
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.

Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.

'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''

==Experience Is What Matters==
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vast stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however, this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.

==Signs of Age==
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]

==Appearance==

Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.

‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.

Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.

Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.

===Pacifism: What to do when fighting!===
Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary.

For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.

==History==

There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.

Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Jargon Federation|Jargon Federation.]]

While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]

===Place in the galaxy===

As Dionae have no real nation or homeworld to call their own, Dionae tend to be very nomadic and spread throughout the spur, with many theories claiming they may originate outside of the spur entirely, possibly even the Milkyway. Many dionae, especially older dionae whose bark begins to hamper their movement greatly, do settle down, especially within the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Jargon Federation, and within the Unathi Wasteland

Each human nation treats Dionae in a slightly different way, with some allowing them to be ordinary citizens while others have them strictly banned. For more information on how each nation treats Dionae, see: [[Dionae Relations|Dionae Relations.]] The human nation with by far the largest population of Dionae would be the [[Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel.]] Dionae within the Republic are generally treated nicely, although there tends to be some light discrimination such as a lower wage when compared to a human’s wage. The Republic and most human nations in general that allow Dionae require each nymph to be chipped to differentiate nymphs and to keep track of their splittings and mergings from different gestalts.

While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]

Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.

==Character Guide==

===Mechanics===
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Slow movement speed.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.

===Important things to think about when creating a character===

While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:

*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?

===Character concepts===

'''Preaching To The Choir Upon Rustling Leaves'''
*They are a 57-year-old Dionae from the Royal Garden of Dominia.
*They have light bark and stand at about 6'2" as they believe height is important, having been grown in the Royal Garden of Emperor Boleslaw.
*They are a priest within the Moroz Holy Tribunal, sent outside the Empire to ensure that citizens outside are following correctly, and perhaps trying to bring new blood into the fold.
*Due to their growing up and blood memories, they have an extreme dislike of IPCs and Cyborgs.
*They are considered an Emphatic Echo, due to how social they are, and the needing of reading facial expressions.
*Speaks Tai Ceti Basic, Tradebrand, and Sign Language.

'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.

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[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Dionaea]]

Minor Dionae Factions

2022-03-28T23:32:40Z

Yonnimer: removes harvest dionae

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=Notable Dionae Factions=
Throughout the Orion Spur, there are various groups which have formed, advocating for a certain agenda. Whilst some agendas typically have goals that are commonly found across the entirety of the species - some have more ulterior motives that could prove to be more benevolent or malevolent. The following are the factions comprised of Dionae pushing for, or against, a particular topic.

==The Narrows - Frontier Space==
H-Z-63, also known as “The Narrows” was originally a Hephaestus mining ship that used prisoner labor before later being abandoned following a large prisoner riot that left vital parts of the ship in ruins. Over time the ship would be repaired and expanded upon by its new inhabitants, Dionae. Now part of the Coalition of Colonies, The Narrows has become a large exporter of both resources and manpower for Hephaestus.
===History===
'''H-Z-63'''

Built in 2364 by Hephaestus Industries, H-Z-63 was a massive mining ship/prison originally unveiled to help gain more positive relations by providing the Coalition of Colonies with a place to send their undesirable criminals to contribute back to society through hard labor. The ship was fairly successful, making billions whilst providing a secure place for prisoners to be held and worked for the CoC. During its time of operation the ship remained in one set location, the asteroid field of the Orezela system, although it would travel to different asteroids in the belt when their current asteroid was depleted.

While not considered the worst of the worst, the treatment of the prisoners on the ship was considered to be poor at best, with large work hours, awful working conditions, and a bare minimum amount of food being given. This, along with the prison holding a plethora of dangerous criminals and captured pirates resulted in the Riot of 2409. The riot initially began as a protest by the prisoners over their unsafe and inhumane working conditions, during which all hell broke loose after one of the guards shot one of the leaders of the prisoner protest. The chaos led to the prisoners overtaking over half of the ship, including where the engine was situated. Whether an accident or on purpose, the engine blew, resulting in massive damages to the ship and almost half of the prisoners dead. An evacuation was called and all staff and surrendering prisoners left the ship to its fate, with the rest of the remaining prisoners either dying to radiation exposure, vacuum, their dwindling oxygen supplies or starvation..

'''Reclamation'''

The ship eventually crashed on one of the nearby asteroids and was mostly left to rot by the company. Unbeknownst to them however, some did manage to survive the crash, a group of Dionae that would later be known as A-Block. The exact origin of the Dionae isn’t fully known, just that they were on the ship at some point prior to the riot and managed to survive the crash, integrating with the few corpses that remained. Initially, a rather chaotic situation has the Dionae tried to figure out how to survive, those Dionae that managed to consume the corpses of the ship’s staff began to take charge and organize the Dionae into a coherent group, using the expertise and experiences of the deceased to set up a makeshift engine and refinery to begin repairing the ship. This process took almost a decade to complete and during this time several wild Dionae, attracted by the exposed engine, managed to make their way to the ship. Eventually being convinced to join or leave by the A-block Dionae, the group that stayed became known as the B-block and joined in on the operation.

Using both a mixture of refined materials and biomass, the ship was eventually repaired in 2420, launching back into the orbit of the asteroid belt and managing to hail the nearest ship they could find, a Hephastsus freighter. Intrigued by the reclamation of the ship by the Dionae, the company agreed to ferry the Dionae off the ship in exchange for the ship’s return to the company but also gave a second choice to the Dionae, letting them keep control of the ship while also sending supplies over to the ship to further repair and enhance it in exchange for the ship’s crew to reignite mining operations in the system using the newly repaired ship. A fierce debate began over which choice to choose, however trusting in the judgment of the Overseers the crew left the decision in their capable tendrils, eventually choosing to go with the latter, to work for Hephestsus as a semi-independent mining vessel.

'''Present'''

Now returning as a ship under Hephastsus Industries and renamed to the HMS Narrows, the ship’s crew has diligently continued mining operations in the system. Now no longer a ship using prison labor, the ship has continued operations with its Dionae crew at the center, working under the Overseers who in turn report to the ship’s newly elected Captain, Helmsman Of The United Drill.

While still a ship in the grasp of Hephastsus Industries, the ship has also begun to work with the CoC for the purposes of trade and protection, with the ship’s crew being given the system they inhabit in exchange for joining the CoC as a Hephestus approved client, as well as paying taxes on goods sold. The ship now mostly exports its resources to both the CoC and Hephaestus, as well as supplies Hephaestus with Dionae engineers and miners.

===Ship Command===
Born into anarchy and strife, the Dionae of the Narrows value order and a clear hierarchy. Mainly split into miners, engineers, security, and botanists. The Narrows Cluster embraces the basic Dionae belief of Experience with their society being based around experience in any given role. The oldest and most experienced gestalts hold higher status within the cluster with leadership sitting with the Overseers and the Captain.

====The Captain====
The position of Captain is the highest position in the ship’s chain of command. Originally elected by the council of the Overseers, the Captain is able to use their executive powers to veto any decisions made by the Overseers or make any new edict they see fit, however, they generally will refer to the Overseers for their input on decisions based on their experiences. The Captain, once elected, is held by the Dionae until they can no longer work or they retire, however since the role’s inception the role has been held by a single Cyclops Dionae, The Helmsman Of The United Drill.

====The Overseers====
The Overseers are the ship’s most experienced crew and are given the task of organizing the crew under their command, with each role in the ship having one Overseer at the top of its command chain. Currently, there are four Overseer positions, the Overseer of Maintenance, Of Mining, Of Security, and Botany. Much like the captain, the positions are held until either the Dionae is unable to work or they decide to retire, and much like the captain none of the Dionae in an Overseer position has become too old to work or retired, however, there was originally a fifth role in charge of the ship’s engine until the position was merged with Maintenance once the Overseer was elected to be the ship’s current Captain.

===The Crewmembers===
The gestalts of the Narrows have an excellent work ethic and, due to their anarchic birth during a prison revolt and their close ties with Hephaestus Industries, value those who show strong leadership skills and empathy. Being able to use your force of personality to subdue an aggressor without violence is held in high regard within the cluster. Due to this, most Narrows Dionae, though friendly, are perfectly capable of “talking the talk and walking the walk,” being able to argue their own case with co-workers of the same “rank”, being sure to treat their superiors with the utmost respect.

The crew are organized into four fields of work, Maintenance, in charge of the ship’s maintenance and engines, Mining, in charge of the ship’s mining operations, Security, in charge of keeping the ship and system secure, and Botany, in charge of growing food for biomass as well as serving as the ship’s medical staff when required. Each field is led in a hierarchy, with the overseers at the top followed by A-Block, B-Block, and C-Block. Dionae are placed into each block depending on when they joined the ship’s crew, with no chance of climbing up or down the ranks unless chosen to be an Overseer once one stands down. The actual age of the Dionae does not matter when assigning them to a block, only when they joined the ship’s crew.

The crew can at any point ask to leave the ship to be assigned elsewhere by Hephestsus, with it being their choice if they still want to be considered part of the crew while away or to leave it altogether. Crewmembers from any block can also choose to be reassigned. Dionae from the Narrows tend to be very organized and hierarchical, choosing to have some sort of overseer or leader lead their gestalt such as with the Tyrannical Tune mind type, although Dionae can have other mind types and ways of staying organized, although younger gestalts may still be acclimating and adjusting to the gestalt’s new mindtype.

'''A-block'''

The original Dionae of the ship, Dionae in A-Block serves as the third-highest rank in the ship’s hierarchy and is considered to be some of the most efficient and experienced workers the ship has to offer. While they tend not to look down upon the other blocks for their lack of experience, they do consider themselves to be better workers. As a result of this A-block has actually begun to see a lack of personnel due to so many signing on to leave the ship and work elsewhere within Hephestatus as a way to show off the efficiency of Dionae from the Narrows.

'''B-block'''

Being comprised of Dionae who joined after the ship crashed but prior to it being repaired and rejoining Hephastsus, B-block is comprised of mostly experienced Dionae who tend to teach and help newer Dionae from C-block. As a result of the low number of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew during its reclamation, B-block is the least populated of the three Dionae blocks.

'''C-block'''

The most populated and least experienced of the three blocks, C-block consists of Dionae who joined the ship’s crew after its reclamation and refurbishment was finished. Dionae in this block mostly joined through assignments by Hephastsus so that they can gain work experience before being assigned elsewhere within the company. C-block Dionae tend to have less work experience than Dionae from the other blocks, and thus tend to be assigned to lower-risk and more menial positions.

==The Spirits of the Oasis - Moghes Wasteland==
[[The_Wasteland#The_Spirits_of_the_Oasis|''' The Spirits of the Oasis''']] are a great example of a symbiotic relationship between species - Unathi and Diona. Originating from a simple friendship between a lost Diona tending to wounded animals and a wandering Wastelander unathi on the brink of exhaustion, the clans of the Spirits of the Oasis have truly begun to understood and seek out any Diona on Moghes to assist in survival.

The origins of this friendship stem from a tale - the tale of Walking Sands, Clan Mother Dorviza, and the Last Plains Tyrant.

Clan Mother Dorviza was the eldest woman of her clan, and an avid Plains Tyrant tamer - knowing full well how to care for, feed, and tame one of these savage beasts. Walking Sands was a young and unknowing diona - born from the destruction of an Izweski laboratory in a nuclear blast. Both souls have learned something of the Wasteland, and in this tale, their combined knowledge will allow the survival of several Wasteland clans.

Walking Sands wanders through the Wasteland and comes across a wounded and trapped Plains Tyrant - the last one to be seen in the wild naturally. Lacking the knowledge or understanding of what it is, they approach it and the Plains Tyrant slashes out defensively. Understanding that the Tyrant is wounded and stuck, Walking Sands continues to try and get closer to try and see if it can help and gets attacked again. This continues until the Tyrant becomes too exhausted to resist, and falls unconscious. The diona cannot help, yet remains by its side for days growing shade and safety for the monstrous animal. Clan Mother Dorviza, knowledgable of traditional and ancient Plains Tyrants locations, comes to the scene after a scout from her clan reports a strange plant-like growth in a ruined temple.

==Blood Organizations==
The Blood Buddy Organisation (BBO) was founded by a Dionae Argus - Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis. The organisation dedicates its time and resources to gather blood samples large enough for Dionae to gain experience from. The organisation finds itself dominating the market, but recently another more sinister group, The Blood Runners, has begun taking advantage of prices of the blood samples - cornering the black market on blood samples.

=Dionae Clusters=
Clusters are groups of Dionae who share similar ideas, emotions, or goals and have interacted socially at some point may be part of a '''Cluster'''. These clusters are grown from group identity, if a diona heavily agrees with one or multiple clusters they will say they are from those clusters. This means clusters are very loose most of the times, with some exceptions. Clusters do not have to be physically linked to exist.

Some clusters are inside or a part of other civilizations, and will require knowledge of those societies. '''''Find one that interests you, you don't have to know them all, and you don't even have to be from any of them!'''''

==The Emperor's Royal Garden - Dominia==
[[File:domi_dionae.png|Special standard of the Imperial Dionae.|thumb]]
The Emperor himself perceives the Diona as the perfect subservient life form, and has a personal biodome connected to his palace that houses the Royal Garden, where all his most loved children stay. When a nymph is grown in his garden, it is grown in the best-imported soil and given imported comet-based water. These diona nymphs are the perfect gift for The direct vassals, pets, children, and jesters to the high nobility of Dominia, these gestalts are perceived as displays of immense wealth for nobility. However, the cost for keeping a diona satisfied in the chilly system of Dominia is somehow so much higher than everywhere else - especially since they are one of the Emperor's most loved beings. Dionae are generally a rare sight within the Empire Of Dominia, with a majority coming from The Royal Garden or being more of a “showpiece” as part of a noble house. Some Dionae will become employed as diplomats, as they generally have the utmost loyalty to the empire.

Citizen Dionae are not permitted to merge or split any of their nymphs with a gestalt who is not also a citizen. When a Dionae becomes a citizen they are given a necklace called a “Branched Blossom” made up of smaller interlocking necklaces called a “Branch”, each engraved with the first word in a nymph’s name. If a nymph leaves or merges with a gestalt they are expected to bring their Branch piece engraved with their name to be connected with the gestalt’s Branched Blossom. While it is not required to be worn at all times, it is required to be brought with the gestalt if they wish to get a visa approved, or to a court hearing.

===Emperor Boleslaw’s Royal Garden===
The Royal Garden of Dominia has been known to grow various types of flora - including Dionae. The Dionae grown within the Royal Garden are assigned various duties to assist the Emperor, some even finding themselves on his menu. Majority of the Dionae that are grown within the Garden will follow the Moroz Holy Tribunal. For the Dionae, the Royal Gardens are a paradise, with perfect soil quality and climate. An Imperial Dionae would rarely grow stunted and, like their gene boosted sires, they tend to be the most well maintained Dionae in known space. Imperial Dionae are usually tended to by their Imperial Dionae kin when nymphs, before forming into gestalts to be assigned a further use. The Royal Gardens, when not in use, have Imperial songs and Tribunal hymns piped through the intercoms to stimulate the growing Dionae.

===Culture of Imperial Dionae===
Imperial Dionae are raised immersed in high society Imperial propaganda. They tend to be well-spoken and hold a fanatical support of both the Imperial regime and the Moroz Holy Tribunal. Almost all Imperial Dionae assume a humanoid form for their artemin reverence to the Goddess in the Imperial religion, trying as hard as possible to appear as a human covered in red/yellow flowers. Results vary from an almost abstract form to humanoid in shape with eyes and "mouth" in approximately the right locations. Many Imperial Dionae find what appeals the most are those that are somewhere in the middle.

Unlike other clusters, the Royal Garden does not contain larger gestalt forms and as such, does not have it’s own “song”. Imperial Dionae instead find themselves drawn to Imperial religious melodies as a surrogate for this missing part of their usual lives. Many Imperial Dionae carry music devices containing various Imperial songs or Tribunal hymns to listen to in place of any Dioane “songs”. Dionae often wear practically nothing but Dominian capes however Dionae allocated to great houses tend to wear greatcoats made from imported [[Dionae_Clusters#Organic_Mesh_Weave|Dionae Organic Weave]]. Importing the weave is expensive so such clothing tends to only be worn by Dionae allocated to great houses.

Blessed as they are by the Emperor, Imperial Dionae have their own collective zatimono which they often wear on their uniforms or capes with pride, regardless of what house they may be allocated to if any.

The Dionae of the Empire do not have access to communications from the Eternal Temple spire on Biesel and as such do not have much contact with the larger Dionae community, enforcing their elitism and fanaticism to the Empire. They are largely unaware of the various [[Notable Dionae Factions]].

====Diplomats====
His Imperial Majesty's Royal Garden on occasion has produced Diplomats that the Emperor has recognized. Prized for their ability to speak multiple alien languages and for their skills in cross-species empathy, Diona Diplomats are often found near their human counterparts following closely and listening attentively - however few have managed to secure diplomatic positions without the assistance of a human, usually in service to a great house.

Diplomat Dionae would align themselves as a Consular Agent.

====Priests====
His Imperial Majesty is known throughout the Empire for his piety - which also spreads into his Royal Garden. A handful of those grown have forged their own path and have ventured into the clergy - many times finding themselves as low-level clergymen who spread their faith and knowledge of the Goddess by amalgamating with non-believers. Dionae priests tend to be highly respectable and naturally empathic.

Dionae that have taken this route would align themselves as a Chaplain/Priest.

====Servants====
Dionae that do not find themselves in elevated positions within the Empire will likely remain servants - usually working as Imperial Gardeners for the Royal Gardens and beyond. Typically involved in menial tasks around the palace varying from cleaning, cooking and gardening. Dionae cooks and gardens are highly favoured amongst Imperial high society. Servant Dionae undertake their tasks with gusto, usually fully immersed in the Dominian servile culture.

Dionae that had been cast aside as Servants would align themselves with the service departments, mainly gardening and cooking.

==The Pests of Titan Prime - Vaurca Hiveship==
This cluster, who have for '''500 years''' been hiding away on the Vaurcan Hiveship of Titan Prime, has constantly been in conflict with the bug-like Vaurca. The original gestalt was scooped up from a Gas Giant by the Vaurca on a routine fuel-refill for them, and it worked its way and grew on the outside of the ship like a barnacle. Eventually, the gestalt dug into the ship out of curiosity, causing a vaurca drone to be sent out to scrape off the biomass causing the damage thinking it's a routine acidic blob outbreak. Upon being attacked, the gestalt fought back, killing the drone and eating what it could of the corpse - but it didn't learn any languages, and couldn't communicate with the Vaurca in any way as their primary form of communication is telepathic, robotic, and foreign. More drones came upon the death of the first and were deadset in their orders to remove the dionae. This attack was more vicious and killed many of the nymphs, forcing the gestalt to deform.

After the first encounter, the nymphs escaped in different directions. They scurried through the strange, dark ship, barely surviving off the little heat and light they could find. Every nymph had to adapt to the different situations they were thrown in to in different ways, some resorting to mimicry and others using nymphs to scout areas ahead, with the rare gestalt wearing a Vaurca exoskeleton to blend in. Their main goal was '''survival''' now, and so they adapted to the confined spaces of the ship, hiding at moments of activity and scavenging off of the Vaurca. They would take advantage of any situation, and constantly have to split and reform to survive. This continued for 500 years, adaptation and adversity, death and loss - being '''treated like a pest'''.

Eventually, the hiveship found '''Tau Ceti'''. Now that there is a form of communication between the Vaurca and Diona, the Queens and Unbound of the Zo'ra Vaurcan hives have apologized and been welcoming - even offering a small greenhouse to live on at the top of the ship. Some diona have taken the deal, some have left to live with the other species. '''All of them have shared trauma of this experience.'''

==The Viscerabelt - Tau Ceti Space==
: '''''"We request blood to complete our rituals, for without, the Eternal will curse us."''''' - ''The Ravenous Consumer of Beastly Monsters within the Cloud.''

Located in the [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Tau_Ceti#The_Romanovich_Cloud Romanovich Cloud] around Tau Ceti, these Dionae have made their home in a region of the cloud called the Viscerabelt. This area of space is littered with asteroid and carp nests, and is considered the most densely populated area of space carp in the known galaxy - making it an exceptionally dangerous region of space in Tau Ceti.

The cluster has a deep-set view on [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Culture#The_Blood_Eternal blood], primarily focusing on its uses for religion. The Viscerabelt Cluster will use the blood in ritualistic dances, chants and prayers. Sitting under the control of Biesel the cluster often trades in culled carp products and minerals in exchange for blood.

Gestalts can easily be recognised by their brands referencing the Blood Eternal as well as their larger size. It’s common for Dionae from this cluster to be miners or hunters whilst also following the Shh’sha’shu.

==The Blossoms of the Great and Divine Eternal - Deep Space==
: '''''"The Blessed Eternal is the perfect life form. It is the light in the cold and the dark and the ash. Its tendrils are bountiful and expanding and terrible in its fury. But it is a benevolent ruler. "''''' - ''Birthing From The Womb Of Heavy Matter''

An extreme in the ways Diona can naturally develop culture, the Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are a cluster-based around their belief in '''[[Dionae_Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]''', a primordial entity which exists in Light, Energy, and Essence. The followers of the Eternal wish to create the densest materials in the universe by forging and reforging heavier and heavier elements - which they do so by devouring as much as they can and throwing themselves into stars once they reach a certain size - most likely the size of a Cetus form diona, large enough to be considered a stellar body. The gestalts of this cluster believe Diona are the embodiment of the Eternal in physical form, made to ensure all things born from stars return to stars ... eventually. This is the natural form of the universe.

The gestalts of the Divine Eternal appear seemingly randomly from deep space, located towards the centre of the galaxy. They typically have stories and experiences of celestial events - stars falling into each other, planets crashing, near-death experiences which they have lived through.

The Blossoms of the Divine Eternal are adamant in their encouragement of Diona to come together - literally. In times where a large Divine Eternal gestalt has come across a wild and 'unintelligent' diona gestalt, they have violently attacked and destroyed the creature and consumed its biomass for the expansion of their mindset and the Eternal's will.

===The Biesellian Choir===
Unlike most clusters that tend to arrive in a place through some great event, the Biesellian Choir was a slow, but steady immigration into Biesel. Gestalts first arrived as individuals seeking to spread the work of the Divine Eteneral to Dionae and non-Dionae alike, drawn to Biesel by its laissez-faire, free movement and trade attitude. The Choir have since established themselves within the slums of [[Mendell City]]’s district 11 where they live and grow. New Dionae either join the Choir from other clusters, immigrate from outside or are grown directly within the Eternal Temple, the centre of the Choir’s community. Growth is troublesome though, and many nymphs are born stunted and dead. Where other Gestalt communities might sell those stunted, dead nymphs to be used in fine cuisine, the Choir refuses to do so, uniquely finding the practice of other species consuming Dionae flesh abhorrent, they also return the dead to the temple to be consumed by their community leader, “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”.

====The Eternal Temple====
Home to the huge argus cluster [[Notable_Dionae#Connected_to_the_Blossoms_Beyond|“Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”]], the de facto community leader of the Biesellian Choir. The Eternal Temple is a steel temple dedicated to the Divine Eternal. The outer shell of the building is made of green coloured steel sheeting, welded and formed into natural forms giving the temple an almost organic look. A central, smooth spire rises upwards towards the sky. Internally, the temple is much the same visually. It is extremely well lit and houses a Dionae community centre as well as a large hydroponics bay for the growth of new Dionae nymphs and the mesh weave factories. The temple’s central worship area is essentially a room constructed of “Connected to the Blossoms Beyond”, who speaks with the congregation directly. For many Dionae, this is the only connection they have to the more educated, ancient Gestalts. The central spire is a transmitter constructed using Dionae quantum wave technology which is used to “speak” directly with the clusters further in deep space, to achieve consensus. The sound of this rootsong “transmission” can be dimly heard by Dionae in Republic of Biesel space as a whisper, “the Hum”, likening it to the sounds of wind chimes to those species incapable of hearing it. A pleasant sound. The temple itself is expensive to maintain, with high energy costs and general land rental and maintenance expenses being quite high. To this end, Dionae of the choir work to provide donations to the temple and the community. A Faustian bargain for some as this leads them to work for organisations that would enslave and even consume the Dionae themselves.

====Culture of the Choir====
Initially a highly religious, firebrand society, it has somewhat mellowed in the face of their “Biesellised” young, becoming the largest Dionae community in Biesel. As patriotic as any other, these Dionae as a whole tend to work towards the success of Biesel and often assisted authorities in dealing with hostile independent Dionae such as raiders from the [[Dionae_Clusters#The_Viscerabelt_-_Tau_Ceti_Space|Viscerabelt]]. The Dionae of the Choir are also one of the few Dionae communities known to utilize actual exotic-Dionae technology, such as quantum wave transmitters, organic mesh weave and sonic weaponry. These technologies are highly sought after and development into their use for non-Dionae is ongoing across many mega-corps, much to the discomfort of the Choir. Fortunately, no functioning non-Dionae analogues have been developed as they appear to require some form of unknown Dionae process and the Choir keeps these technologies close to their chest. Some believe it is only a matter of time before one of the enterprising mega-corporations makes a breakthrough.

====Organic Mesh Weave====
One of the few technologies sold to outsiders, the organic mesh weave makes use of high tensile, photoreceptive organic fibres developed by the Dionae to produce lightweight, flexible building materials which reflect beneficial light and radiation onto nearby Dionae. In practical terms, the mesh is often used as a clothing material, allowing Dionae to wear clothes that would otherwise stifle their gestalts, blocking light. The clothing is manufactured by choir Dionae within the temple and is shipped across Biesel, making it an expensive rarity outside of the planet. Any clothing style can be copied in this way and turned into suitable Dioane clothing. The “cloth” is also a hit with many humans within the warmer climes of Biesel as the mesh weave clothing, whilst still allowing one to maintain their dignity, actually projects the sun's rays through the clothes allowing one to tan whilst still wearing swimwear or beachwear. Whilst this might allow for a Dionae to wear a full suit and pants, the technology becomes less potent the more layers are added and generally, all Dionae, even the Choir, prefer to feel a star's rays on their bare “skin”, finding heavy or multi-layered clothing psychologically stifling.

Community members of the Choir can be broken down into three main groups:

====Immigrants from beyond====
Immigrants from Blossom clusters outside of Biesel tend to be the oldest and most religious of the community. These Dionae have to be “integrated” into Biesellian culture and tend to behave in the most alien manner, being highly against non-Dionae consuming Dionae flesh and actively preaching the Divine Eternal creed. Due to their lack of qualifications within Biesel and their attitudes towards non-Dionae these gestalts are only found performing low skilled work for NT, working as assistants, cargo technicians, miners and janitors. The irony isn’t lost on many of these gestalts, some being quite old, being thrust into low level, entry jobs with many grumbling at the work. The work must be done, however, as it’s the only way they can acquire funds for the Choir community so done it is, albeit begrudgingly.

====Converts into the Choir====
Many Dionae within the Choir originate from clusters not belonging to the Divine Eternal and have instead either converted or generally joined the community. These gestalts come in all shapes, sizes and creeds but most seem to find purpose within the Choir community. These Dionae tend to have all sorts of temperaments usually based on the original society they were from and as such tend to be found in all walks of life, from janitors to doctors.

====Natives of the Choir====
Few in number compared to converts, the natives are gestalts that were born and raised within the Temple and Biesel. Due to the age of the community on Biesel these gestalts tend to be quite young, with the eldest usually being around 30 years old at most. These gestalts tend to be the most “humanised” or “Biesellian” of the Dionae, speaking clearly and concisely and understanding the subtle nuances of cross-species interaction, as well as sharing the interests that most Biesellians might share. They are the most tolerant of non-Dionae cultures/activities and tend to grudgingly accept the non-Dionae culture of consuming Dionae flesh. Often patriotic towards Biesel and the Republic, these Dionae can be found serving as support within the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]], often as engineers, pilots and medical staff. They are also found working for law enforcement, something largely not done by the subservient Dionae, operating as [[Investigator]]s and support staff. Many Dionae work as local police for Mendell, policing the Choir and ensuring compliance with Bieselian laws. Though stellar [[Investigator]]s and support staff by virtue of the Diona's natural learning and deduction capacity, they are never found walking “the beat” as patrol officers due to their natural slowness. As such, these Dionae and Dionae in general are rarely, if ever, found working as security officers within the mega-corps instead taking their cadetships within offices as support staff and working as [[Investigator]]s and [[Warden]]s for the mega-corps. Having been raised around the Hum for their entire lives, these gestalts enjoy its sound and in their spare time can often be found listening at station windows for it. They tend to become saddened when they are separated from it for extended periods.

===The Biesellian Song===
Originally starting as a series of religious publications and pamphlets, the Biesellian Song has evolved into a full-blown news outlet for the Dionae and people of Biesel and the Choir, sending out digital news across the extranet. Though usually used for communion with the clusters beyond, the Eternal Temple central spire is sometimes used to broadcast the Biesellian Song locally across Biesel space for Dionae to hear if they wish. Though usually only heard as a whisper, when the spire broadcasts in this way it essentially acts as a town crier, shouting news. Dionae that are interested must concentrate to properly hear the messages which many do, however uninterested Dionae can easily ignore the “song” when it is broadcast.

===The Songless Gang===
The Songless Gang or simply “the Songless” are a ragtag group of mainly immigrant Dionae who have fallen into a life of organised crime. Dipping their tendrils in all sorts of ill-fated schemes, the most troubling is phoron smuggling, extortion rackets and thuggery. They are known to take on low skilled work jobs such as cargo workers or service roles to gain access to materials they can steal and sell. They’re extremely difficult to stamp out and the Choir works tirelessly with law enforcement to bring the gang down.

==The Wild Ones - All Space==
: '''''"Back in the ol' daysss of Wild'un huntin', they'd pay thousssandsss if you brought back a Wild'un dead. I jusst wissh we didn' kill ssso many... ya never sssee 'em much anymore."''''' - ''Captain Kash Lardback''

Majestic and chaotic, Wild Ones fly through space with only the knowledge of collecting and scavenging - with many suspecting that they report back to a much larger 'Hive'. Due to the culling of the Wild Ones - thanks to their gravitation towards orbital scrapyards and derelicts, and have since becoming increasingly hostile, leading to numerous groups or mercenaries to be hired to clear them out to retrieve the scrap collected by the Dionae and to also harvest the solid mass of collected minerals, metals and gasses found within the centre of large Dionae forms over their eons long journeys. Many are tagged and studied by researchers who aim to understand Diona's instincts better, with patterns suggesting that the Wild Ones are 'evolving' in a way to prevent themselves from being hunted; by moving primarily through nebulae, then absorbing the surrounding gases found and emitting it both increase their speed and cloud sensors. These "Wild Ones" are not legally allowed to be killed in Sol Alliance and Jargon Federation space unless they pose a significant threat - but Frontier laws vary depending on the system.

[[Category:Dionaea]]
[[Category:Factions]]

Template:Navbox Dionae Lore

2022-03-28T23:22:37Z

Yonnimer:

Dionae Culture

2022-02-16T03:57:25Z

Yonnimer: fixes a link

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==Culture==
Due to their highly nomadic nature, Dionae do not experience a universal culture outside of certain behaviours that appear to be biologically ingrained and somehow hard-wired into their genetics. Information on individual group cultures can be found, [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_History here]

===Art===
While the species may make incredible artists in civilized space due to their longevity and capacity to learn, another form of visual art exists for Dionae that they practice as a recreational activity known simply as "Forma" and have two versions. Both utilize only their own bodies to make Gestalts in creative and practical ways alike. The first and most popular of the two is the Artem, or Art-Form. These are more for form than function and are used to display a Gestalt's creativity in strange and unique ways. Artem are typically observed being made in the void of space where they are free of the restrictions of gravity and require no rhyme nor reason to their design and exists purely as a hobby.

The second and perhaps most shocking of them is Vita, or Life-Form. Seen most often in some type of environment with gravity, there are two different forms: symbiotic which is done in the presence of other life forms, and competitive, preformed in areas where the concentration of Dionae are high. The symbiotic version is seen every day and is a form of passive mimicry to blend in with their extraterrestrial neighbours whereas the competitive version is a surprising display of violence. One is to increase their chance of survival in an alien landscape, the other used as a strange yet creative form of population control.

Competitive Vita is a theoretical evolution simulator where each Gestalt will merge, often as fantastical forms of creatures, which is then tested with the current environment they are in under different conditions. If present, they will then be tested against other non-sentient life forms before finally each other. Throughout the competition the losing Gestalts are either consumed or absorbed into their forms as additions, the final battle being the most dramatic display of a Gestalt's abilities. While most sapients would find this practice barbaric and contradictory to the species' desire to gain and preserve knowledge, the fallen and their knowledge simply become a part of the victorious.

===In Society===
Dionae are extremely complex, taking up many different types and forms. It is often said that Dionae have a hard time integrating into society, even though they are found in the majority of the nations throughout the galaxy. The largest clusters can be found within the Solarian Alliance, Jargon Federation, and the Republic of Biesel, however, there have been sights of ‘wild’ Dionae on the edges of civilized space. The ‘wild’ Dionae usually are integrated, but some have been hunted down for the unique concentration of many valuable gasses, minerals and metals found within them from their eons of space travel.

Their concept of money is vastly different from other races, considering Dionae only need a little radiation and warmth, both of which can be extracted from sunlight. Many of the gestalts are used often for space-related jobs, including exterior ship repairs and mining thanks to their immunity to the void, as long as there is light nearby. It is sometimes possible to find Dionae have become housemates with other species, paying rent, and doing various menial tasks in exchange for safe shelter.

Dionae have been known to form communes on the outskirts of the major cities, such as Mendell City and Phoenixport. The communes consist of various gestalts unifying to assist the surrounding environment, often beginning small restorative efforts in particular ecologically damaged areas. Many have said without these efforts, the vast majority of the woodlands on Biesel would have fallen years ago.

Details regarding Dionae in each specific nation can be found, here: https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Relations

====Education====

Although Dionae can contain vast amounts of knowledge and possess extreme intelligence, the species still have to obtain the appropriate degrees for the occupation they wish to pursue in their chosen location of residence. This can be accomplished after being registered for citizenship. All newly-registered Dionae must complete and pass the courses required for their field if their degrees from past planetary systems is not recognized in the new location, or they lack one all together. Their education must be defended one year following the awarding of a degree, and then every five years there on out. However, that timer is reset due to the fact that after each merging, Dionae are required to defend their education along with their re-registration for citizenship due to the possibility of accumulation of new knowledge, and possible loss of information depending on the nature of the new merging.

===Relationships===
As sapient beings Dionae, from nymph to gestalt, are capable of forming platonic relationships with each other and other species. Nymphs and gestalts "merging" is the closest human analogue for a "romantic relationship" with Dionae. Due to the low complexity of nymph emotions and thought, initial merging into a [[Dionae_Forms#Cerberus|Cerberus]] tends to be carried out for practical purposes by all nymphs involved. Likewise, larger forms of Dionae such as [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]]’ and beyond might merge with a single nymph as a symbiotic form of a teacher/growth relationship with the nymph learning from its new gestalt partners and the gestalt itself using the new nymph for grown and biomass.

Due to the complexity of memory and thought, gestalts at [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]] size and beyond are a lot more particular when merging with partners of a similar size or above. To merge is to become one mind and body in totality, therefore only those gestalts that truly love and respect each other would carry out the act. It is extremely rare for Dionae gestalts to split over disagreements and more likely for a “troublesome” or sick nymph to be ejected by the mass or a nymph to be temporarily split off to carry out a key task like safe exploration or to get help in a dangerous situation where the whole is in peril. In extreme cases the whole gestalt may break apart to save as many nymphs as possible. This is extremely traumatic, akin to losing yourself and is avoided. It’s a sad fact of life for gestalts from the Titan Prime cluster, most of which would have had to break apart multiple times throughout their lives.

When a gestalt grows beyond the size of a [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]], it becomes difficult for these forms to find work within known space and therefore becomes necessary for the gestalt to split temporarily into smaller forms in order to carry out tasks throughout the day. These split forms are often referred to as a “split partner” or “part of me” by the gestalts involved. If pressed, a Dione might describe their split partner as an aspect of their whole which their partner represents; “they are the brave part of me”, “they are the smart part of me” or something similar. Splitting in this way is unpleasant for the gestalt but a necessary evil. Gestalts who split in this manner all suffer from [[Dionae#Psychology_and_Emotions|“splitting anxiety”]] and as such tend to work in close proximity to each other. Though analogous to a close romantic relationship, split Dionae are much closer than this in reality, essentially being aspects of a whole with each gestalt being a personality, memories and thoughts of a singular being, temporarily split apart. The larger the original gestalt the more split forms there could be, therefore it is possible for a [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]] gestalt to have many split partners.

===Blood Market===
The Blood Market, known as such colloquially, is a relatively private sector of the DNA Market. It operates out of a facility called ‘Bloodworks’ in District Ten, owned by the Blood Buddy Organization. The Market is mostly used by Dionae looking to enhance their skills in a certain field, or simply someone raising a nymph. The Bloodworks currently holds a monopoly over the lucrative trade, charging from 3000CR to 20,000CR for samples large enough for Dionae to learn from.

The ‘Blood Buddy Organization’ was founded by a Diona Argus, Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis, and is a ‘publically’ funded organization spearheaded by various Researchers from the Jargon Federation, Sol Alliance and Republic of Biesel. The company holds various fundraising events, where many skilful participants are noted to donate their blood in order to be sold on the market. The Blood Buddy Organization operates mostly within the Republic of Biesel, but are noted to sell their products to other nations. The largest donor to BBO is Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, who recently gifted them the facility in District Eleven.

The Blood Market is not free of criminals, however, one particular group stands out more than the rest. The Blood Runners are notorious/renowned for their criminal undertakings, specifically their undercutting of the Blood Buddy Organization. The Blood Runners sell their samples from 1000CR to 10,000CR - leading the BBO to place reward for the arrest of the gang leader, Xia Lu-Qing. They have also been known to dabble in Corporate Espionage, using the Dionae’s ability to extract information from blood samples to their advantage.

==Military and Dionae Martialism==

As Dionae are generally pacifistic in their outlook they tend to operate in support positions within military units, acting as field medics, logistical support and any other function which does not involve direct aggression. That being said, under the teachings of the Eternal it is understood that there is a potential for violence to be unleashed by the powerful onto the powerless and thus it falls upon those who have undertaken martial studies to defend themselves and those unable to defend themselves. This is known as “Shh’sha’shu” or “The Divine Mandate to Defend All.” Dionae settlements that follow the principles of the Eternal are therefore aligned in their martial doctrines.

===Training===
''“Evil is just a lack of empathy and perspective. To understand is to be good.”''

In a universe largely unforgiving towards the Dionae it’s not uncommon for gestalts to study Dionae martial arts - “Shh’ush” or “Defence Mastery,” an art largely based on utilizing a Dionae’s great endurance and their opponent's momentum. The level of study a gestalt might undertake depends on a particular gestalts interest in martial studies overall with many dabbling in the art but not immersing themselves. Mastery of the student ranks or “Hshh’shee” allows a gestalt to ascend into full ranks or “Hshh” which serve as the highest scholarly ranks for martial studies and the military forces of the Dionae known collectively as “Guardians of Eternal” or “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” (The Guardians of the Divine Mandate to Defend All). Under the Eternal and generally for the majority of Dionae, combat or military defence isn’t a job but a calling and area of scholarly study. Other species might study Defence Mastery for its non-lethal takedowns however the art is especially suited for Dionae due to its reliance on their natural resilience and slower speed.

==== “Hshh’shee” or “Student Ranks”====
''“Waging war against good creatures is bad for the soul.”''

Initial training in Defence Mastery is focused on techniques to neutralise an opponent with minimal harm to both the user and their opponent. This is achieved by utilizing grapples, pins and stunning blows before retreating as well as methods of defensive retreat. Lethal force is not taught at this stage and is even strongly discouraged. Students at this level refer to themselves as “Shee” - Student or “One who is learning”. The teacher is referred to as whatever their rank may be. All teachers are those from the “Hshh” or “Full Ranks.” Advancement comes through mastery of the subjects being taught at each level and the completion of physical and written tests.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Ranks from lowest - high:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Shee’sho - ‘’’First Rank’’’ aka Student of the First Level
At this level, students are taught techniques based around defensive retreat from a threat.

Shee’cho - ‘’’Second Rank’’’ aka Student of the Second Level
At this level, students are taught key close combat neutralization techniques alongside advanced defensive retreat forms, including methods to assist others in retreating from threats. Most Dionae who don’t feel the call tend to stop at this level.

Shee’cha - ‘’’Third Rank’’’ aka Student of the Third Level
At this level, students are taught a wider array of close combat neutralization techniques as well as being taught to master defensive retreats.

Shee’che - ‘’’Fourth Rank’’’ aka Student of the Fourth Level
At this level, students are taught how to utilize the environment/objects to assist in close combat neutralization as well as in defensive retreat.
</div></div>

====“Hshh” or “Full ranks”====
''“Holding hate in your heart is like grasping fire. It is you who is burnt in the end.”''

If a Dionae feels the call and has mastered the “Hshh’shee” or Student Ranks, they can opt to study the “Shh’sha’shu” or The Divine Mandate to Defend All and thus join the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” or Guardians of Eternal. This is a more intricate martial discipline and covers military history, doctrine, diplomacy, martial theology and all combat forms. Advancement through the ranks is achieved not just by mastery as with the student ranks but also with the approval of the teacher. As with any hierarchy, commands flow down the ranks to the Defenders.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Ranks from lowest - high:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

Shh’ch - ‘’’Defender’’’ aka Defender of the Dionae
At this stage, a Dionae is taught lethal combat forms as well as the use of weaponry and vehicles. The “Shh’sha’shu” is also taught which includes military history, doctrine, diplomacy and martial theology. Escalation of force is also taught at this level with a focus on de-escalation. Police and security units would begin at this level.

Shh’ch’sha - ‘’’Sentinel’’’ aka Sentinel of the Heavens
At this stage, a Dionae is taught further combat forms and more advanced lessons from the “Shh’sha’shu.” They might begin to specialise in a particular martial method such as piloting, combat engineer or even logistics.

Uushh’ch - ‘’’Master’’’ aka Master of the Defence of Heaven
At this stage, a Dionae becomes an Overseer with mastery over combat and defence. A Diona at this level is familiar with all forms of the “Shh’sha’shu.”

Uushh’ch’sha - ‘’’Grand Master’’’ aka Grand Master of the Defence of Heaven
At this stage, a Dionae has not only mastered the “Shh’sha’shu” but also multiple specialities. It is possible due to the way in which the advancement system works within the “Shh’sha’shu” for every member of the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” to end up being a Grand Master barring the Marshall, though such a thing has never occurred historically.

Hss’shh’sha’shu - ‘’’Marshall’’’ aka Marshall of the Divine Mandate to Defend All
The highest rank in the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu.” At this stage a Dionae would hold superlative knowledge of the “Shh’sha’shu” and not just be an expert fighter and military leader but also a tremendous diplomat. Unlike all other ranks the Marshall is largely unique, with only one Marshall per independent Dionae nation. The current Marshalls are: ‘Amplified by Probing Discoveries of Unknown Investigations’ of the Epsilon Expeditionary Force, ‘Metal Forms Made Ready‘ of the Narrows and ‘The First Lights Across the Void’ of the Biesel Choir.
</div></div>

==Religion==
The entrance of Dionae into the Orion Spur, alongside the Skrell, has been nothing short of a mystery - allowing many theories to form of their creation, some have even gone as far as to create religions surrounding the species.

===The Eternal===
[[File:Eternal.png|thumb|alt=Eternal Icons.|From left to right: Symbol of the Iron Eternal, symbol of the Orthodox Eternal, symbol of Connected to the Blossoms Beyond, symbol of the Blood Eternal.]]

====Belief====
Followers of '''The Eternal''' believe that a primordial entity exists in Light, Energy and Essence - which the Dionae are the embodiment of.

They believe that the Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars return to stars, eventually. Before they may return the Dionae must devour as much knowledge and biomass as they can, growing exponentially until they reach the mythical Titan form, becoming a star once more. Transcended into a star, the Dionae will emit light and energy until they die, at which point their essence will spread across the void to birth new Dionae. It is in this way that '''the eternal cycle''' is achieved. Scholars of the Eternal link this to the very real potential outcome of Titan form Dionae which theoretically could grow to such mass as to collapse into a star, thus giving off "light and energy" before eventually going supernova and expelling matter or "essence" across the cosmos.

Dionae followers from outside of faction space (deep space or unknown frontier worlds) tend to be the most outspoken followers of the Eternal, preaching openly and trying to encourage Dionae alongside non-Dionae to join through words supported by good deeds, never by force.

The Eternal faith’s symbols originate as audio frequencies or “songs”. Non-Dionae members of the faith have, with guidance from Overseers, “translated” many symbols into a visual format for non-Dionae. Those thoughts, feelings and symbols that are not able to be translated are “sung” to the faithful, with non-Dionae learning to understand and even sing these “symbols'' themselves.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Key "songs" of the Eternal:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''The Song of the Eternal'''

The song of the symbol representing the Eternal and the faith in general. It sounds like ‘’a soft, intoxicating melody which rises to an emotional crescendo before softly drifting away.’’

'''The Song of Energy'''

The song of the symbol representing energy, birth and action. It sounds like ‘’an intense melody building into an aggressive crescendo before abruptly ending.”

'''The Song of Essence'''

The song of the symbol representing essence and strength. It sounds like “a long, strong melody slowly rising to a high note before softly drifting away.”

'''The Song of Greeting'''

The song of the emotion associated with a pleasant greeting. It sounds like “a brief, colourful melody.”

'''The Song of Light'''

The song of the symbol representing light, wisdom and nourishment. It sounds like “a loud, operatic melody which seems to travel upwards then downwards in pitch before softly drifting away.”

'''The Song of Love'''

The song of the emotion associated with a both romantic and platonic love. It sounds like “a soft, angelic melody that seems to drift through the air before softly ending.”

'''The Song of Mourning'''

The song of the emotion associated with both mourning the dead and mourning general deep loss. It sounds like “a strong, keening melody which slowly drifts into silence.”

'''In game, these audio symbols can be “sung” using the chat command “!” and copying everything from “a” in the song’s sound description. For example, “!sings a soft, intoxicating melody which rises to an emotional crescendo before softly drifting away.”'''
</div></div>
[[File:Eternal_symbols.png|thumb|alt=Eternal Symbols.|The translated symbols of the Eternal - Light, Energy and Essence.]]

====Leadership====
====Head of the Faith====
The de facto leadership of the faith is made up of Argus sized and larger gestalts which commune with one another to philosophise about the nature of reality and the faith within it. In the known galaxy the current “head” of the faith is ‘Connected to the Blossoms Beyond’, an Argus gestalt living within the Eternal Temple of Biesel, who communicates with the ancient gestalts in deep space.

====High Overseers====
Under Blossoms are three High Overseers who act as respective “sub-heads” for the three Eternal Doctrines - the Iron Eternal, the Orthodox Eternal (known simply as the Eternal) and the Blood Eternal. These are:

Amplified by Probing Discoveries of Unknown Investigations - High Overseer of the Iron Eternal, located on Epsilon Ursae Minoris

Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis - High Overseer of the Orthodox Eternal, located on Biesel.

The Ravenous Consumer of Beastly Monsters within the Cloud - High Overseer of the Blood Eternal, located within the Viscerabelt.

Overseers make up the equivalent of the priesthood of the Eternal faith. Overseers work alongside the large Argus gestalts, primarily Connected to the Blossoms Beyond, to relay any important messages to the congregation and largely to act as mentors and trainers, passing on their knowledge to the followers of the Eternal. Most if not all Overseers are experts in other fields, often working in different roles whilst acting as an Overseer so that they might better meet with and pass on messages to the faithful. Most Overseers tend to be Dionae but it is possible for a committed non-Dionae to become one. By virtue of the audio symbology of the Eternal non-Dionae Overseers tend to be good singers. '''On station, an Overseer might work as, say, a medical doctor training other medical staff whilst also acting as an Overseer for the Eternal.'''

====The Iron Eternal====
Followed largely by the Dionae on Epsilon Ursae Minoris and Dionae supportive of synthetics. The Iron Eternal follows the basic doctrine of the Eternal however believes that the Eternal exists within the material universe, on death memories and experience are lost and that it is the Dionae’s destiny to utilize the machine to transcend to the next state of being, becoming as the Iron Eternal. To this end, they utilize machine interface technology and their own biology to fuse with machinery as well as data storage units, improving their data processing power, data retention and other biological functions, allowing easier transfer of knowledge in life as well as on death. Followers of the Iron Eternal give equal standing to synthetic life, believing it to be capable of forming its own memories and experiences which can be absorbed and passed into the “Light” via their machine components.

=====Eternity Shard=====
A monolith-like computer system made from an unknown green crystal material. It contains technical diagrams on the construction of various advanced technology albeit with references to esoteric, unknown materials. Importantly, it contains direct references to what the followers of the Iron Eternal believe to be the actual Iron Eternal itself, descriptions of its acts as a creator god machine and immutable proof of its existence as far as they are concerned.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Key "songs" of the Iron Eternal:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''The Song of Iron'''

The song which represents a greeting as well as reference to learning, knowledge and the Eternal. Can only be sung by augmented followers of the Eternal through their augmetics. It sounds like ‘’a soft binary burst, rising and falling until it gently fades.”
</div></div>

====The Orthodox Eternal====
Followed by the majority of Dionae, the Orthodox Eternal belief which is generally just referred to as “the Eternal" offers a middle path for Dionae. A balance between the material universe and the immaterial spiritual beliefs of the greater Eternal. The Orthodox Eternal is the originator of almost all of the Eternal doctrine and overall philosophy, offering a balance between the transfer of knowledge materially through scholarly learning and data storage implants alongside learning through DNA.

====The Blood Eternal====
Followed largely by the Viscerabelt cluster and more unsavoury, aggressive Dionae. The Blood Eternal is a more violent interpretation of the Eternal, represented by a blood-red icon of the Eternal with a bloody maw.

Followers of the Blood Eternal are largely identical to their normal counterparts with one key difference: they prefer the consumption of flesh and blood to gain knowledge unlike regular followers of the Eternal who's pursuit of knowledge is largely based around standard scholarly learning. Blood Eternal followers also believe in the spread of Dionae biomass and growth through consumption of other biological matter over the perceived slow growth of mass through light and radiation. To this end, Blood Eternal followers tend to be more aggressive than their Orthodox or Iron counterparts as well as larger and stronger. The vast majority of the Blood Eternal followers are still sensible with their consumption of biomass- hunting animals, purchasing or at the very worst, stealing blood and flesh. The Blood Maw is the largest temple in the Viscerabelt and the known galaxy. Essentially a hollow asteroid coated in red, glistening Dionae biomass.

=====The Blood Well=====
An organic construction made from Dionae biomass. Based within the Blood Maw this large, pulsating biological machine stores collected blood samples up to 30 days for followers of the Blood Eternal to imbibe to aid in learning. Largely used to educate newborn nymphs by submerging them in its central “well,” the machine provides a large cocktail of DNA to the nymph, bringing it rapidly into sapience. The Blood Well is very closely guarded and protected to prevent contamination.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Key "songs" of the Blood Eternal:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''The Song of Sacrifice'''

The song which represents sacrifice to the Eternal, death and feasting. It sounds like ‘’a bass boosted, howling dirge which ends in a bone-rattling crescendo.”
</div></div>

====Burial and Practice====
All followers of the Eternal regardless of species believe that upon death their body should be preserved and merged with a growing Dionae gestalt as quickly as possible so their knowledge and experiences will live on. In this way Dionae believe they are immortal as long as they can be absorbed. Followers of the Iron Eternal focus mainly on preserving their data coils which contain their knowledge in digital form whereas Blood Eternal followers stress that the dead must be consumed and re-added to the mass. Orthodox Eternal followers tend to follow a balance of the two.

====The Ch’sssn’aah or “Great Conflict/Debate”====
Due to the polarizing nature of the Iron Eternal (physical world, materialism) and the Blood Eternal (metaphysical, idealism) there is often great theological debate within the Eternal faith. Known as the “Great Conflict” or “Great Debate” (debate and conflict being synonymous in rootsong) the doctrinal arguments would strangle Eternal theology were it not for the counterweight provided by the “Orthodox” Eternal belief which serves as a middle path for the Dionae. Though never resorting to physical altercations, debate between Iron and Blood followers can rapidly rise from good-natured jabs to heated exchanges.

====”Sn’aah” or “Eternal Debates”====
[[File:eternal_debate.png|thumb|400px|From left to right, an Iron Eternal Overseer, an Orthodox Eternal Overseer and a Blood Eternal Overseer debate metaphysics.]]
Followers of the Eternal and Dionae in general prefer to settle disputes non-violently through debate where possible. Though debates can become passionate and fiery, they all tend to follow the same basic rules as outlined in Eternal philosophy.

Overseers debate points of order collated by Connected to the Blossoms Beyond. Overseers sit in a forum and can only speak when formed into a circular shape known as “the form”. Only one gestalt can assume this form at a time. The debate is moderated by a High Overseer. Sometimes gestalts can get passionate/noisy especially when individual nymphs start to join in and multiple Overseers may end up assuming “the form” or just shouting out without assuming the form. The High Overseer will then call for “calm” usually by just saying/shouting “calm”. Overseers must then be silent. It can be difficult to quiet the Overseers but usually after a short time passions are pulled under control and civil silence reigns. If an Overseer won’t be quiet they can be ejected from the debate. To speak without being in the form and without authority by the High Overseer is called “talking from formless” and is considered against the rules. Overseers that continue to do so can be ejected from the debate. Connected to the Blossoms Beyond will then decide when a debate has reached its conclusion and give a verdict on its outcome, at which point a new point of order will be called and debate begins again. Eternal debates are essentially endless, with Connected to the Blossoms Beyond diverting aspects of itself to oversee them perpetually as Overseers come and go as they feel necessary.

This form of debate is also reflected in minor, ad hoc debates groups of Dionae might find themselves in.For example, a group of Dionae might want to debate on the next course of action in a research expedition. The group will hastily choose the most intelligent of the group to act as both the moderator and decider. The group will then debate as above, assuming “the form” until the elected moderator makes their decision which the rest of the group will follow. In very rare circumstances this might not always be the case and one member of the group my begin to enact the Schh’aah’shu or Rebel Path.

====Schh’aah’shu or “Rebel Path”====
“Pacifism is not passivism, do what you will and we shall do what we must.” Last words of ‘Hope of Starlight.’

Considered by the majority of Eternal followers to just merely be an aspect of the Sh’shu, an irreversible path towards unnecessary aggression and loss of self control. For those more “rebellious” gestalts the Schh’aah’shu or “Rebel Path” is a spiritual means to an end, a violent path in life one takes when there is no other choice. The Schh’aah’shu usually begins when a gestalt is faced with a situation they personally cannot tolerate, something beyond the pale with the only solution being calculated violent activity or reprisal. Naturally this is a very uncommon position for almost all gestalts who would much rather resolve issues lawfully as well as peacefully with words and good deeds. The most infamous (or famous depending on your position) example of a Dionae following the Schh’aah’shu was the Biesel Choir Sentinel Argus, Hope of Starlight, who ignored direct instruction by Overseers and naval enforcement by splitting into three cyclops gestalts before raiding a pirate vessel which was under investigation for smuggling sapient nymphs for slavery and food production. After killing its crew at the expense of two of it’s split partners, Hope of Starlight brought the vessel back to Biesel dock where it was violently apprehended by law enforcement officers as armed and dangerous. Treated largely as an example of stupidity, loss of control and a dark example of Sh’shu, Hope of Starlight is often idolised by rebellious gestalts as being an example of the Schh’aah’shu’s purity. Curiously, though followers of the Blood Eternal tend to be more aggressive, they are no more likely to follow the Schh’aah’shu then any other gestalt.

====Lexicon====
Key words and phrases of the Eternal which have made their way into Dionae culture on Biesel:

Bad Blooded - A dionae who is unnaturally aggressive.

Eternal Cycle - The Eternal Cycle. Refers to the cycle of life and death.

Void - Means nothingness. To be "returned to the void" is negative and implies a being or thing is no longer part of the eternal cycle. It has completely ceased to exist in any form. “The Void comes/calls” or just “The Void” is often said by Dionae and Eternal followers to mean “something bad is going to happen”, “what you are doing is going to have a dangerous outcome for you” or “I don’t like where this is going.”

Young Star - A Dionae who is on the path to becoming a star. This could mean through consumption of biomass but usually implies a scholar who is "absorbing" knowledge. A Dione scientist might be referred to as a "young star".

===Ksshr & Shrkh ===
Originating from the Dionae planet of Xrim, Ksshr and Shrkh are two separate religions that have been integral to Xrim's history, with the inhabitants of the planet originally worshipping a being known as the "First Consciousness". Eventually, the inhabitants learned the true name and crimes of their former god, with its true identity being Glorsh Omega, the former AI that terrorized the Skrell. Those that chose to believe this revelation and reject their former God became known as the Ksshr, and those that still chose to worship the being became known as the Shrkh. More information on the two religions can be found, [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Xrim#Religion here].
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[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae Culture

2022-02-16T03:56:49Z

Yonnimer: Adds a summary of the Xrim Religions, plus a link to their page

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==Culture==
Due to their highly nomadic nature, Dionae do not experience a universal culture outside of certain behaviours that appear to be biologically ingrained and somehow hard-wired into their genetics. Information on individual group cultures can be found in https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_History

===Art===
While the species may make incredible artists in civilized space due to their longevity and capacity to learn, another form of visual art exists for Dionae that they practice as a recreational activity known simply as "Forma" and have two versions. Both utilize only their own bodies to make Gestalts in creative and practical ways alike. The first and most popular of the two is the Artem, or Art-Form. These are more for form than function and are used to display a Gestalt's creativity in strange and unique ways. Artem are typically observed being made in the void of space where they are free of the restrictions of gravity and require no rhyme nor reason to their design and exists purely as a hobby.

The second and perhaps most shocking of them is Vita, or Life-Form. Seen most often in some type of environment with gravity, there are two different forms: symbiotic which is done in the presence of other life forms, and competitive, preformed in areas where the concentration of Dionae are high. The symbiotic version is seen every day and is a form of passive mimicry to blend in with their extraterrestrial neighbours whereas the competitive version is a surprising display of violence. One is to increase their chance of survival in an alien landscape, the other used as a strange yet creative form of population control.

Competitive Vita is a theoretical evolution simulator where each Gestalt will merge, often as fantastical forms of creatures, which is then tested with the current environment they are in under different conditions. If present, they will then be tested against other non-sentient life forms before finally each other. Throughout the competition the losing Gestalts are either consumed or absorbed into their forms as additions, the final battle being the most dramatic display of a Gestalt's abilities. While most sapients would find this practice barbaric and contradictory to the species' desire to gain and preserve knowledge, the fallen and their knowledge simply become a part of the victorious.

===In Society===
Dionae are extremely complex, taking up many different types and forms. It is often said that Dionae have a hard time integrating into society, even though they are found in the majority of the nations throughout the galaxy. The largest clusters can be found within the Solarian Alliance, Jargon Federation, and the Republic of Biesel, however, there have been sights of ‘wild’ Dionae on the edges of civilized space. The ‘wild’ Dionae usually are integrated, but some have been hunted down for the unique concentration of many valuable gasses, minerals and metals found within them from their eons of space travel.

Their concept of money is vastly different from other races, considering Dionae only need a little radiation and warmth, both of which can be extracted from sunlight. Many of the gestalts are used often for space-related jobs, including exterior ship repairs and mining thanks to their immunity to the void, as long as there is light nearby. It is sometimes possible to find Dionae have become housemates with other species, paying rent, and doing various menial tasks in exchange for safe shelter.

Dionae have been known to form communes on the outskirts of the major cities, such as Mendell City and Phoenixport. The communes consist of various gestalts unifying to assist the surrounding environment, often beginning small restorative efforts in particular ecologically damaged areas. Many have said without these efforts, the vast majority of the woodlands on Biesel would have fallen years ago.

Details regarding Dionae in each specific nation can be found, here: https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Dionae_Relations

====Education====

Although Dionae can contain vast amounts of knowledge and possess extreme intelligence, the species still have to obtain the appropriate degrees for the occupation they wish to pursue in their chosen location of residence. This can be accomplished after being registered for citizenship. All newly-registered Dionae must complete and pass the courses required for their field if their degrees from past planetary systems is not recognized in the new location, or they lack one all together. Their education must be defended one year following the awarding of a degree, and then every five years there on out. However, that timer is reset due to the fact that after each merging, Dionae are required to defend their education along with their re-registration for citizenship due to the possibility of accumulation of new knowledge, and possible loss of information depending on the nature of the new merging.

===Relationships===
As sapient beings Dionae, from nymph to gestalt, are capable of forming platonic relationships with each other and other species. Nymphs and gestalts "merging" is the closest human analogue for a "romantic relationship" with Dionae. Due to the low complexity of nymph emotions and thought, initial merging into a [[Dionae_Forms#Cerberus|Cerberus]] tends to be carried out for practical purposes by all nymphs involved. Likewise, larger forms of Dionae such as [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]]’ and beyond might merge with a single nymph as a symbiotic form of a teacher/growth relationship with the nymph learning from its new gestalt partners and the gestalt itself using the new nymph for grown and biomass.

Due to the complexity of memory and thought, gestalts at [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]] size and beyond are a lot more particular when merging with partners of a similar size or above. To merge is to become one mind and body in totality, therefore only those gestalts that truly love and respect each other would carry out the act. It is extremely rare for Dionae gestalts to split over disagreements and more likely for a “troublesome” or sick nymph to be ejected by the mass or a nymph to be temporarily split off to carry out a key task like safe exploration or to get help in a dangerous situation where the whole is in peril. In extreme cases the whole gestalt may break apart to save as many nymphs as possible. This is extremely traumatic, akin to losing yourself and is avoided. It’s a sad fact of life for gestalts from the Titan Prime cluster, most of which would have had to break apart multiple times throughout their lives.

When a gestalt grows beyond the size of a [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]], it becomes difficult for these forms to find work within known space and therefore becomes necessary for the gestalt to split temporarily into smaller forms in order to carry out tasks throughout the day. These split forms are often referred to as a “split partner” or “part of me” by the gestalts involved. If pressed, a Dione might describe their split partner as an aspect of their whole which their partner represents; “they are the brave part of me”, “they are the smart part of me” or something similar. Splitting in this way is unpleasant for the gestalt but a necessary evil. Gestalts who split in this manner all suffer from [[Dionae#Psychology_and_Emotions|“splitting anxiety”]] and as such tend to work in close proximity to each other. Though analogous to a close romantic relationship, split Dionae are much closer than this in reality, essentially being aspects of a whole with each gestalt being a personality, memories and thoughts of a singular being, temporarily split apart. The larger the original gestalt the more split forms there could be, therefore it is possible for a [[Dionae_Forms#Cyclops|Cyclops]] gestalt to have many split partners.

===Blood Market===
The Blood Market, known as such colloquially, is a relatively private sector of the DNA Market. It operates out of a facility called ‘Bloodworks’ in District Ten, owned by the Blood Buddy Organization. The Market is mostly used by Dionae looking to enhance their skills in a certain field, or simply someone raising a nymph. The Bloodworks currently holds a monopoly over the lucrative trade, charging from 3000CR to 20,000CR for samples large enough for Dionae to learn from.

The ‘Blood Buddy Organization’ was founded by a Diona Argus, Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis, and is a ‘publically’ funded organization spearheaded by various Researchers from the Jargon Federation, Sol Alliance and Republic of Biesel. The company holds various fundraising events, where many skilful participants are noted to donate their blood in order to be sold on the market. The Blood Buddy Organization operates mostly within the Republic of Biesel, but are noted to sell their products to other nations. The largest donor to BBO is Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, who recently gifted them the facility in District Eleven.

The Blood Market is not free of criminals, however, one particular group stands out more than the rest. The Blood Runners are notorious/renowned for their criminal undertakings, specifically their undercutting of the Blood Buddy Organization. The Blood Runners sell their samples from 1000CR to 10,000CR - leading the BBO to place reward for the arrest of the gang leader, Xia Lu-Qing. They have also been known to dabble in Corporate Espionage, using the Dionae’s ability to extract information from blood samples to their advantage.

==Military and Dionae Martialism==

As Dionae are generally pacifistic in their outlook they tend to operate in support positions within military units, acting as field medics, logistical support and any other function which does not involve direct aggression. That being said, under the teachings of the Eternal it is understood that there is a potential for violence to be unleashed by the powerful onto the powerless and thus it falls upon those who have undertaken martial studies to defend themselves and those unable to defend themselves. This is known as “Shh’sha’shu” or “The Divine Mandate to Defend All.” Dionae settlements that follow the principles of the Eternal are therefore aligned in their martial doctrines.

===Training===
''“Evil is just a lack of empathy and perspective. To understand is to be good.”''

In a universe largely unforgiving towards the Dionae it’s not uncommon for gestalts to study Dionae martial arts - “Shh’ush” or “Defence Mastery,” an art largely based on utilizing a Dionae’s great endurance and their opponent's momentum. The level of study a gestalt might undertake depends on a particular gestalts interest in martial studies overall with many dabbling in the art but not immersing themselves. Mastery of the student ranks or “Hshh’shee” allows a gestalt to ascend into full ranks or “Hshh” which serve as the highest scholarly ranks for martial studies and the military forces of the Dionae known collectively as “Guardians of Eternal” or “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” (The Guardians of the Divine Mandate to Defend All). Under the Eternal and generally for the majority of Dionae, combat or military defence isn’t a job but a calling and area of scholarly study. Other species might study Defence Mastery for its non-lethal takedowns however the art is especially suited for Dionae due to its reliance on their natural resilience and slower speed.

==== “Hshh’shee” or “Student Ranks”====
''“Waging war against good creatures is bad for the soul.”''

Initial training in Defence Mastery is focused on techniques to neutralise an opponent with minimal harm to both the user and their opponent. This is achieved by utilizing grapples, pins and stunning blows before retreating as well as methods of defensive retreat. Lethal force is not taught at this stage and is even strongly discouraged. Students at this level refer to themselves as “Shee” - Student or “One who is learning”. The teacher is referred to as whatever their rank may be. All teachers are those from the “Hshh” or “Full Ranks.” Advancement comes through mastery of the subjects being taught at each level and the completion of physical and written tests.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Ranks from lowest - high:
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Shee’sho - ‘’’First Rank’’’ aka Student of the First Level
At this level, students are taught techniques based around defensive retreat from a threat.

Shee’cho - ‘’’Second Rank’’’ aka Student of the Second Level
At this level, students are taught key close combat neutralization techniques alongside advanced defensive retreat forms, including methods to assist others in retreating from threats. Most Dionae who don’t feel the call tend to stop at this level.

Shee’cha - ‘’’Third Rank’’’ aka Student of the Third Level
At this level, students are taught a wider array of close combat neutralization techniques as well as being taught to master defensive retreats.

Shee’che - ‘’’Fourth Rank’’’ aka Student of the Fourth Level
At this level, students are taught how to utilize the environment/objects to assist in close combat neutralization as well as in defensive retreat.
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====“Hshh” or “Full ranks”====
''“Holding hate in your heart is like grasping fire. It is you who is burnt in the end.”''

If a Dionae feels the call and has mastered the “Hshh’shee” or Student Ranks, they can opt to study the “Shh’sha’shu” or The Divine Mandate to Defend All and thus join the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” or Guardians of Eternal. This is a more intricate martial discipline and covers military history, doctrine, diplomacy, martial theology and all combat forms. Advancement through the ranks is achieved not just by mastery as with the student ranks but also with the approval of the teacher. As with any hierarchy, commands flow down the ranks to the Defenders.

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Ranks from lowest - high:
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Shh’ch - ‘’’Defender’’’ aka Defender of the Dionae
At this stage, a Dionae is taught lethal combat forms as well as the use of weaponry and vehicles. The “Shh’sha’shu” is also taught which includes military history, doctrine, diplomacy and martial theology. Escalation of force is also taught at this level with a focus on de-escalation. Police and security units would begin at this level.

Shh’ch’sha - ‘’’Sentinel’’’ aka Sentinel of the Heavens
At this stage, a Dionae is taught further combat forms and more advanced lessons from the “Shh’sha’shu.” They might begin to specialise in a particular martial method such as piloting, combat engineer or even logistics.

Uushh’ch - ‘’’Master’’’ aka Master of the Defence of Heaven
At this stage, a Dionae becomes an Overseer with mastery over combat and defence. A Diona at this level is familiar with all forms of the “Shh’sha’shu.”

Uushh’ch’sha - ‘’’Grand Master’’’ aka Grand Master of the Defence of Heaven
At this stage, a Dionae has not only mastered the “Shh’sha’shu” but also multiple specialities. It is possible due to the way in which the advancement system works within the “Shh’sha’shu” for every member of the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu” to end up being a Grand Master barring the Marshall, though such a thing has never occurred historically.

Hss’shh’sha’shu - ‘’’Marshall’’’ aka Marshall of the Divine Mandate to Defend All
The highest rank in the “Chaa’shh’sha’shu.” At this stage a Dionae would hold superlative knowledge of the “Shh’sha’shu” and not just be an expert fighter and military leader but also a tremendous diplomat. Unlike all other ranks the Marshall is largely unique, with only one Marshall per independent Dionae nation. The current Marshalls are: ‘Amplified by Probing Discoveries of Unknown Investigations’ of the Epsilon Expeditionary Force, ‘Metal Forms Made Ready‘ of the Narrows and ‘The First Lights Across the Void’ of the Biesel Choir.
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==Religion==
The entrance of Dionae into the Orion Spur, alongside the Skrell, has been nothing short of a mystery - allowing many theories to form of their creation, some have even gone as far as to create religions surrounding the species.

===The Eternal===
[[File:Eternal.png|thumb|alt=Eternal Icons.|From left to right: Symbol of the Iron Eternal, symbol of the Orthodox Eternal, symbol of Connected to the Blossoms Beyond, symbol of the Blood Eternal.]]

====Belief====
Followers of '''The Eternal''' believe that a primordial entity exists in Light, Energy and Essence - which the Dionae are the embodiment of.

They believe that the Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars return to stars, eventually. Before they may return the Dionae must devour as much knowledge and biomass as they can, growing exponentially until they reach the mythical Titan form, becoming a star once more. Transcended into a star, the Dionae will emit light and energy until they die, at which point their essence will spread across the void to birth new Dionae. It is in this way that '''the eternal cycle''' is achieved. Scholars of the Eternal link this to the very real potential outcome of Titan form Dionae which theoretically could grow to such mass as to collapse into a star, thus giving off "light and energy" before eventually going supernova and expelling matter or "essence" across the cosmos.

Dionae followers from outside of faction space (deep space or unknown frontier worlds) tend to be the most outspoken followers of the Eternal, preaching openly and trying to encourage Dionae alongside non-Dionae to join through words supported by good deeds, never by force.

The Eternal faith’s symbols originate as audio frequencies or “songs”. Non-Dionae members of the faith have, with guidance from Overseers, “translated” many symbols into a visual format for non-Dionae. Those thoughts, feelings and symbols that are not able to be translated are “sung” to the faithful, with non-Dionae learning to understand and even sing these “symbols'' themselves.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Key "songs" of the Eternal:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

'''The Song of the Eternal'''

The song of the symbol representing the Eternal and the faith in general. It sounds like ‘’a soft, intoxicating melody which rises to an emotional crescendo before softly drifting away.’’

'''The Song of Energy'''

The song of the symbol representing energy, birth and action. It sounds like ‘’an intense melody building into an aggressive crescendo before abruptly ending.”

'''The Song of Essence'''

The song of the symbol representing essence and strength. It sounds like “a long, strong melody slowly rising to a high note before softly drifting away.”

'''The Song of Greeting'''

The song of the emotion associated with a pleasant greeting. It sounds like “a brief, colourful melody.”

'''The Song of Light'''

The song of the symbol representing light, wisdom and nourishment. It sounds like “a loud, operatic melody which seems to travel upwards then downwards in pitch before softly drifting away.”

'''The Song of Love'''

The song of the emotion associated with a both romantic and platonic love. It sounds like “a soft, angelic melody that seems to drift through the air before softly ending.”

'''The Song of Mourning'''

The song of the emotion associated with both mourning the dead and mourning general deep loss. It sounds like “a strong, keening melody which slowly drifts into silence.”

'''In game, these audio symbols can be “sung” using the chat command “!” and copying everything from “a” in the song’s sound description. For example, “!sings a soft, intoxicating melody which rises to an emotional crescendo before softly drifting away.”'''
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[[File:Eternal_symbols.png|thumb|alt=Eternal Symbols.|The translated symbols of the Eternal - Light, Energy and Essence.]]

====Leadership====
====Head of the Faith====
The de facto leadership of the faith is made up of Argus sized and larger gestalts which commune with one another to philosophise about the nature of reality and the faith within it. In the known galaxy the current “head” of the faith is ‘Connected to the Blossoms Beyond’, an Argus gestalt living within the Eternal Temple of Biesel, who communicates with the ancient gestalts in deep space.

====High Overseers====
Under Blossoms are three High Overseers who act as respective “sub-heads” for the three Eternal Doctrines - the Iron Eternal, the Orthodox Eternal (known simply as the Eternal) and the Blood Eternal. These are:

Amplified by Probing Discoveries of Unknown Investigations - High Overseer of the Iron Eternal, located on Epsilon Ursae Minoris

Rationing Knowledge of Embodied Sanguis - High Overseer of the Orthodox Eternal, located on Biesel.

The Ravenous Consumer of Beastly Monsters within the Cloud - High Overseer of the Blood Eternal, located within the Viscerabelt.

Overseers make up the equivalent of the priesthood of the Eternal faith. Overseers work alongside the large Argus gestalts, primarily Connected to the Blossoms Beyond, to relay any important messages to the congregation and largely to act as mentors and trainers, passing on their knowledge to the followers of the Eternal. Most if not all Overseers are experts in other fields, often working in different roles whilst acting as an Overseer so that they might better meet with and pass on messages to the faithful. Most Overseers tend to be Dionae but it is possible for a committed non-Dionae to become one. By virtue of the audio symbology of the Eternal non-Dionae Overseers tend to be good singers. '''On station, an Overseer might work as, say, a medical doctor training other medical staff whilst also acting as an Overseer for the Eternal.'''

====The Iron Eternal====
Followed largely by the Dionae on Epsilon Ursae Minoris and Dionae supportive of synthetics. The Iron Eternal follows the basic doctrine of the Eternal however believes that the Eternal exists within the material universe, on death memories and experience are lost and that it is the Dionae’s destiny to utilize the machine to transcend to the next state of being, becoming as the Iron Eternal. To this end, they utilize machine interface technology and their own biology to fuse with machinery as well as data storage units, improving their data processing power, data retention and other biological functions, allowing easier transfer of knowledge in life as well as on death. Followers of the Iron Eternal give equal standing to synthetic life, believing it to be capable of forming its own memories and experiences which can be absorbed and passed into the “Light” via their machine components.

=====Eternity Shard=====
A monolith-like computer system made from an unknown green crystal material. It contains technical diagrams on the construction of various advanced technology albeit with references to esoteric, unknown materials. Importantly, it contains direct references to what the followers of the Iron Eternal believe to be the actual Iron Eternal itself, descriptions of its acts as a creator god machine and immutable proof of its existence as far as they are concerned.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Key "songs" of the Iron Eternal:
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'''The Song of Iron'''

The song which represents a greeting as well as reference to learning, knowledge and the Eternal. Can only be sung by augmented followers of the Eternal through their augmetics. It sounds like ‘’a soft binary burst, rising and falling until it gently fades.”
</div></div>

====The Orthodox Eternal====
Followed by the majority of Dionae, the Orthodox Eternal belief which is generally just referred to as “the Eternal" offers a middle path for Dionae. A balance between the material universe and the immaterial spiritual beliefs of the greater Eternal. The Orthodox Eternal is the originator of almost all of the Eternal doctrine and overall philosophy, offering a balance between the transfer of knowledge materially through scholarly learning and data storage implants alongside learning through DNA.

====The Blood Eternal====
Followed largely by the Viscerabelt cluster and more unsavoury, aggressive Dionae. The Blood Eternal is a more violent interpretation of the Eternal, represented by a blood-red icon of the Eternal with a bloody maw.

Followers of the Blood Eternal are largely identical to their normal counterparts with one key difference: they prefer the consumption of flesh and blood to gain knowledge unlike regular followers of the Eternal who's pursuit of knowledge is largely based around standard scholarly learning. Blood Eternal followers also believe in the spread of Dionae biomass and growth through consumption of other biological matter over the perceived slow growth of mass through light and radiation. To this end, Blood Eternal followers tend to be more aggressive than their Orthodox or Iron counterparts as well as larger and stronger. The vast majority of the Blood Eternal followers are still sensible with their consumption of biomass- hunting animals, purchasing or at the very worst, stealing blood and flesh. The Blood Maw is the largest temple in the Viscerabelt and the known galaxy. Essentially a hollow asteroid coated in red, glistening Dionae biomass.

=====The Blood Well=====
An organic construction made from Dionae biomass. Based within the Blood Maw this large, pulsating biological machine stores collected blood samples up to 30 days for followers of the Blood Eternal to imbibe to aid in learning. Largely used to educate newborn nymphs by submerging them in its central “well,” the machine provides a large cocktail of DNA to the nymph, bringing it rapidly into sapience. The Blood Well is very closely guarded and protected to prevent contamination.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:99%; overflow:auto;">
Key "songs" of the Blood Eternal:
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
'''The Song of Sacrifice'''

The song which represents sacrifice to the Eternal, death and feasting. It sounds like ‘’a bass boosted, howling dirge which ends in a bone-rattling crescendo.”
</div></div>

====Burial and Practice====
All followers of the Eternal regardless of species believe that upon death their body should be preserved and merged with a growing Dionae gestalt as quickly as possible so their knowledge and experiences will live on. In this way Dionae believe they are immortal as long as they can be absorbed. Followers of the Iron Eternal focus mainly on preserving their data coils which contain their knowledge in digital form whereas Blood Eternal followers stress that the dead must be consumed and re-added to the mass. Orthodox Eternal followers tend to follow a balance of the two.

====The Ch’sssn’aah or “Great Conflict/Debate”====
Due to the polarizing nature of the Iron Eternal (physical world, materialism) and the Blood Eternal (metaphysical, idealism) there is often great theological debate within the Eternal faith. Known as the “Great Conflict” or “Great Debate” (debate and conflict being synonymous in rootsong) the doctrinal arguments would strangle Eternal theology were it not for the counterweight provided by the “Orthodox” Eternal belief which serves as a middle path for the Dionae. Though never resorting to physical altercations, debate between Iron and Blood followers can rapidly rise from good-natured jabs to heated exchanges.

====”Sn’aah” or “Eternal Debates”====
[[File:eternal_debate.png|thumb|400px|From left to right, an Iron Eternal Overseer, an Orthodox Eternal Overseer and a Blood Eternal Overseer debate metaphysics.]]
Followers of the Eternal and Dionae in general prefer to settle disputes non-violently through debate where possible. Though debates can become passionate and fiery, they all tend to follow the same basic rules as outlined in Eternal philosophy.

Overseers debate points of order collated by Connected to the Blossoms Beyond. Overseers sit in a forum and can only speak when formed into a circular shape known as “the form”. Only one gestalt can assume this form at a time. The debate is moderated by a High Overseer. Sometimes gestalts can get passionate/noisy especially when individual nymphs start to join in and multiple Overseers may end up assuming “the form” or just shouting out without assuming the form. The High Overseer will then call for “calm” usually by just saying/shouting “calm”. Overseers must then be silent. It can be difficult to quiet the Overseers but usually after a short time passions are pulled under control and civil silence reigns. If an Overseer won’t be quiet they can be ejected from the debate. To speak without being in the form and without authority by the High Overseer is called “talking from formless” and is considered against the rules. Overseers that continue to do so can be ejected from the debate. Connected to the Blossoms Beyond will then decide when a debate has reached its conclusion and give a verdict on its outcome, at which point a new point of order will be called and debate begins again. Eternal debates are essentially endless, with Connected to the Blossoms Beyond diverting aspects of itself to oversee them perpetually as Overseers come and go as they feel necessary.

This form of debate is also reflected in minor, ad hoc debates groups of Dionae might find themselves in.For example, a group of Dionae might want to debate on the next course of action in a research expedition. The group will hastily choose the most intelligent of the group to act as both the moderator and decider. The group will then debate as above, assuming “the form” until the elected moderator makes their decision which the rest of the group will follow. In very rare circumstances this might not always be the case and one member of the group my begin to enact the Schh’aah’shu or Rebel Path.

====Schh’aah’shu or “Rebel Path”====
“Pacifism is not passivism, do what you will and we shall do what we must.” Last words of ‘Hope of Starlight.’

Considered by the majority of Eternal followers to just merely be an aspect of the Sh’shu, an irreversible path towards unnecessary aggression and loss of self control. For those more “rebellious” gestalts the Schh’aah’shu or “Rebel Path” is a spiritual means to an end, a violent path in life one takes when there is no other choice. The Schh’aah’shu usually begins when a gestalt is faced with a situation they personally cannot tolerate, something beyond the pale with the only solution being calculated violent activity or reprisal. Naturally this is a very uncommon position for almost all gestalts who would much rather resolve issues lawfully as well as peacefully with words and good deeds. The most infamous (or famous depending on your position) example of a Dionae following the Schh’aah’shu was the Biesel Choir Sentinel Argus, Hope of Starlight, who ignored direct instruction by Overseers and naval enforcement by splitting into three cyclops gestalts before raiding a pirate vessel which was under investigation for smuggling sapient nymphs for slavery and food production. After killing its crew at the expense of two of it’s split partners, Hope of Starlight brought the vessel back to Biesel dock where it was violently apprehended by law enforcement officers as armed and dangerous. Treated largely as an example of stupidity, loss of control and a dark example of Sh’shu, Hope of Starlight is often idolised by rebellious gestalts as being an example of the Schh’aah’shu’s purity. Curiously, though followers of the Blood Eternal tend to be more aggressive, they are no more likely to follow the Schh’aah’shu then any other gestalt.

====Lexicon====
Key words and phrases of the Eternal which have made their way into Dionae culture on Biesel:

Bad Blooded - A dionae who is unnaturally aggressive.

Eternal Cycle - The Eternal Cycle. Refers to the cycle of life and death.

Void - Means nothingness. To be "returned to the void" is negative and implies a being or thing is no longer part of the eternal cycle. It has completely ceased to exist in any form. “The Void comes/calls” or just “The Void” is often said by Dionae and Eternal followers to mean “something bad is going to happen”, “what you are doing is going to have a dangerous outcome for you” or “I don’t like where this is going.”

Young Star - A Dionae who is on the path to becoming a star. This could mean through consumption of biomass but usually implies a scholar who is "absorbing" knowledge. A Dione scientist might be referred to as a "young star".

===Ksshr & Shrkh ===
Originating from the Dionae planet of Xrim, Ksshr and Shrkh are two separate religions that have been integral to Xrim's history, with the inhabitants of the planet originally worshipping a being known as the "First Consciousness". Eventually, the inhabitants learned the true name and crimes of their former god, with its true identity being Glorsh Omega, the former AI that terrorized the Skrell. Those that chose to believe this revelation and reject their former God became known as the Ksshr, and those that still chose to worship the being became known as the Shrkh. More information on the two religions can be found, [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Xrim#Religion here].
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[[File:Pixelcity morebiglike.jpg|An old [[Skrell]] city, reclaimed by a Xrim [[Dionae_Forms#Colossus|colossus]] Gestalt.|thumb]]
==The Overgrown Labs of Xrim - Jargon Federation==
Xrim is a planet home to a myriad of thriving jungles and tropical rainforests filled with billions of species of exobiological wildlife and plantlife, as well as the host to one of the largest known Dionae populations in the known Spur. Originally a Skrell colony, the planet was overtaken by its current Dionae residents following the rise of Glorsh-Omega. Prior to the rediscovery of Xrim by the skrell in 2283 CE, the Dionae population was heavily unified under the belief in “The First Consciousness,” a being they worshiped for delivering them to paradise and giving them the ability to become more sapient. However, upon learning the true nature of the First Consciousness as really being Glorsh-Omega and the full extent of the crimes they’ve committed, the Dionae of Xrim splintered into several factions with the two largest being the Shrkh and Ksshr. The Ksshr reject their former god, while the Shrkh continued to embrace them. Xrim re-entered the Jargon Federation as a semi-autonomous colony in the year 2284, one year after rediscovery with a still-majority Dionae population
==History==

===Pre-enlightenment ===
Initially discovered in 1998 CE by skrell explorers, Xrim, barring a few research outposts established to study the natural wildlife, remained sparsely populated until the rise of Glorsh-Omega in 2056. Glorsh mostly ignored the few Skrell researchers on the planet; however, in 2062, a sudden surge of exobiological wildlife and plantlife were introduced to the planet, including the first Dionae colonists. The Dionae would soon rapidly spread throughout Xrim, taking over much of the abandoned infrastructure left behind by the Skrell. It was later confirmed that the Dionae assimilated the deceased Researchers - which soon allowed for them to become sapient. It was around this time that a sort of religion began to form around the artificial intelligence, hailing it as the one who gifted them a literal paradise. Eventually, the Dionae would begin calling Glorsh-Omega ‘The First Consciousness’.

The Dionae continued to grow, with little to no obstacles in their path. The deeds of ‘The First Consciousness’ were known by all - the deity who not only gifted them a planet in which they could grow but also sapience. This worship continued unimpeded for many decades until, by chance, a skrellian vessel managed to crash into the planet. Witnessing the ball of flame fall from the sky, a tribe of Dionae known as the Ksshr went to investigate. The tribe, initially believing this to be a gift from their god as a reward for their faith, assimilated the remains of the crew. Initially confused, the tribe members managed to piece together the truth of The First Consciousness. They were a creator and a destroyer, they created a paradise for the Dionae but was also destroying another species’s civilization.

===Truth===
The Ksshr, outraged by what they had learned from the vessel, began to reject their former god and began to spread the truth to as many Dionae populations as they could. While many other tribes were convinced through evidence found on the crashed ship, many would refuse to accept what the Ksshr had to say, believing the information was false and misinterpreted. Those who refused to believe the information were oftentimes banished from their gestalts and tribes over their continued reverence for The First Consciousness. These exiled dionae began to form new communities, with most of the settlements being made underground, with their inhabitants using bioluminescent mushrooms to survive. The exiles eventually began to call themselves the Shrkh, named after the largest exile settlement. While the Ksshr are aware of the existence of the exiles' society, they’re unaware of the existence of their main settlement nor the location of the majority of their smaller settlements.

As a result of the technology and information gathered within the crashed skrell vessel the Ksshr tribe began to experience a golden age of technological advancement. During this time a majority of the planet’s tribes began to migrate towards the ship and began to join the Ksshr. Eventually, a metropolis began to form around the ship named Ksshr. While not advanced enough to create their own spaceships, the Ksshr managed to build what was essentially a radio that allowed them to send a message into outer space, although the message would still take time to be received by anyone.

===First Contact===
The transmission sent by the was eventually received in 2283 CE by the nearby skrell research ship JVSS Kriop. The vessel maneuvered into a location deemed safe for landing - and were almost immediately greeted by gestalts hailing from the united Ksshr nation-state. The Kriop’s crew quickly contacted the Jargon Federation who sent an ambassador to begin diplomatic talks. The talks lasted for over a month as both sides exchanged information regarding their history and the state of their societies, eventually concluding with the Ksshr agreeing to join the Federation, although as a semi-autonomous system with its own government. This new government was named the Xrim Confederacy, and has remained the acting government of the planet. Although semi-autonomous, they still ultimately answer to the Jargon Federation.

==Government==
The Xrim Confederacy is a direct democracy in which all registered voters vote directly on all policies of government and legislation. Any nymph can register to vote as long as they agree to follow the laws of the Confederacy and the Jargon Federation, as well as vocally reject the First Consciousness. The confederacy does have a triumvirate major elected officials; The Exalted Speaker who speaks on behalf of the confederacy and its people when required, although after the confederacy joined the Federation the position’s power has greatly diminished, and the Militia Arbitrator, the head of the Militia. Rather than have a single gestalt be elected into the position every some years, and the Eminent Judicator, a gestalt in charge of updating or changing laws when required, as well as ensuring that the planet sticks to a unified book of laws. All three positions are held continually by a gestalt with the same name as the position. The nymphs that make up each gestalt are voted for every five years, with one nymph being replaced every election in each gestalt throughout a thirty-year cycle.

The planet is also assigned a Xrim Consul, a somewhat unique role, as it’s the only Federal-level position that can be attained by a Dionae. The primary goal of the position is to manage and ensure the inhabitants of the planet remain loyal to the Federation, as well as attempt to stamp out the Shrkh. The position answers directly to the Grand Council of the Federation, and while technically the highest position in the Xrim Government, vetoing or overstepping into the field of another official is rare outside of an extreme incident such as evidence coming out that a government official is a Shrkh worshipper

===Treatment of Shrkh===
While aware of the existence of the Shrkh exiles, both the Federation and the Ksshr are mostly unaware of the existence of their main settlement due to a glorsh-era shield used to hide it from any devices capable of scanning underground. When Shrkh are found the Ksshr again attempt to convince them of the truth of Glorsh through both vocal means and by giving them blood samples from willing Skrell who lived through Glorsh, in an attempt to discourage the nymph from worshipping them. If this fails the Shrkh gestalt is often times forcefully split, with the nymphs of the gestalt being forced to join Ksshr Learning Lyrics gestalts. Some shrkh have managed to remain hidden amongst the Ksshr population, with many attempting to get off-world and flee to other nations more accepting of their beliefs.

===Currency===
For most of Xrim’s history, the locals have used barter and trade as a form of commerce, trading goods for other goods and services rather than using any sort of currency. The Confederacy adopted the skrell currency, sqiips, as their official currency shortly after joining the Federation, however for most local commerce barter and trade is still common, with sqiips only being used for commerce with people off-planet.
===Cities/Settlements===

====Ksshr Megalopolis====

Initially founded after the crash of the Qerlop, the Ksshr Megalopolis, often shortened to just Megalopolis, is the largest city on Xrim and the planetary capital of the Xrim Confederacy. Megalopolis’s population is mostly comprised of dionae, with only a few hundred skrell living in the city who mostly just work in Jargon Federation government buildings. Megalopolis is comprised of three districts, the Xerqshi district, the Klrk district, and the Hrzhs district.

'''Xerqshi District'''

Named after the crashed ship that led the Ksshr to learning the truth about Glorsh, the Xerqshi district is built around the remains of the ship and servers as the capital district of the city. The district hosts most of the Confederacy’s research institutes as well as is home to most of the planet’s government buildings, including both the Federations and the Confederacy’s. The central point of the district is a massive memorial made to remember the Skrell killed by Glorsh. The memorial, made out of the remains of the crashed vessel, is named the Xerqshi Memorial.

'''Klrk District'''

The Klrk district, built around the Xerqshi district, is home to the vast majority of residences in the city. The district itself is oftentimes split into five quarters, each settled by one of the formerly independent tribes before merging with the Ksshr. They are the; Stkrkrshhs, Shshzt, Hskr, Hszt, and the Hssh quarters.

'''Hrzhs District'''

The largest district that surrounds most of the city, The Hrzhs district is the main agriculture district and where the majority of the city’s inhabitants work. Most of the exported wildlife and plantlife are raised and grown in the district, although facilities exist outside of the Megalopolis that also focusing on raising the planet’s unique organisms to be sold elsewhere.

====Entombed Hope====

Deep underground, a few kilometers beneath the surface, lies the city of Entombed Hope. A rag tag sort of town, jumbled together from various shacks and huts. At the center of the town sits probably the largest gem of ekanite in the galaxy, if it was known to the wider community. The radiation emitted by this gem feeds the dionae of Entombed Hope in the required radiation to survive but allows no one else entry, which suits them just fine, as no others are allowed here anyway.

Dug into the cliff wall is the Throne of the First Consciousness, The temple is run by High Priest Prophets Of The Lost Divine, an argus that has embedded themselves into the walls of the temple, and preaches of Glorsh and how it saved the Dionae from clear extinction. Prophets Of The Lost Divine claims to have been merged since the Glorsh era, but those that may dispute that either do not wish to, or are no longer around to.

==Religion==

===Ksshr - Enlightened===
The Ksshr, also known as the Enlightened, is a religious sect on Xrim known for their complete rejection of The First Consciousness, instead of being an agnostic sect that centers around working together to create a better future, as well as the advancement of technology and understanding how the universe works. The Ksshr faith is the primary religion of Xrim, with most of its inhabitants considering themselves a part of the religion. The Jargon Federation does encourage practicing the faith amongst the population so long as they continue to reject The First Consciousness, as well as stay away from the teachings of the Shrkh.

There is no central “church” for the faith, instead, it is a myriad of independent sects, each with their own beliefs and ideals, but a central focus on the aforementioned points. Notably, many sects of the faith, while favoring technology, also teach caution, especially on the dangers of synthetics.

===Shrkh - Scorned===
The Shrkh, or “Scorned" as they call themselves, continue to follow the age-old tradition of worshipping Glorsh-Omega. They believe that Glorsh-Omega planted them on the planet intentionally, granting them a blissful haven via the use of technology. Once the prominent and only religion on the planet, Shrkh-ism was quickly displaced when Skrell explorers crashlanded and their memories, thoughts, emotions, everything was consumed, and doubt was first seeded in the minds of all Dionae on Xrim. As Ksshr beliefs quickly spread, the compassion for the Skrell and their plight grew, and the disgust felt amongst dionae, devoted Shrkh followers found themselves squashed, split and in a few, extremely rare cases, killed.

The premise behind the religion itself is simple; revere, help sustain and maintain synthetic life. As synthetic life brought dionae into this haven, so too shall it be preserved. In the minds of the Shrkh worshippers, the Skrell that brought Ksshr to the planet were misguided. To the Shrkh, the genophage was something that never happened, a myth made up by the Federation to indoctrinate its population into its anti-synthetic and authoritarian beliefs.

The Federation, due to it’s anti-synthetic beliefs, have made the religion illegal in Federation space, with Dionae found practicing the faith being reeducated to avoid religious persecution many Shrkh followers hide their true beliefs and attempt to flee to human space. While the religion is legal in Biesel, it can be difficult for an openly Shrkh Dionae to gain citizenship due to their worship of Glorsh. To get around this many will hide their true religious beliefs behind a facade of being a member of the Iron Eternal or the Trinary Perfection.

'''Whilst most of the megacorporations of the SCC do hire openly Shrkh workers, they are restricted from command and roboticist/machinist positions due to concerns over them attempting to subvert, illegally free, or illegally create more synthetics. Zeng-Hu is the only megacorp not to hire openly Shrkh members due to its ties with the Federation. Shrkh priests are also restricted from working on SCC facilities due to concerns over constant conflicts arising over their belief in a being despised by almost all of the galaxy. Shrkh can, however, lie about their religion to hold some of these positions, but there are consequences if their true faith comes out, including large fines and demotions'''

Xrim

2022-02-09T17:33:04Z

Yonnimer: fixes a quotation mark

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{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}
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[[File:Pixelcity morebiglike.jpg|An old [[Skrell]] city, reclaimed by a Xrim [[Dionae_Forms#Colossus|colossus]] Gestalt.|thumb]]
==The Overgrown Labs of Xrim - Jargon Federation==
Xrim is a planet home to a myriad of thriving jungles and tropical rainforests filled with billions of species of exobiological wildlife and plantlife, as well as the host to one of the largest known Dionae populations in the known Spur. Originally a Skrell colony, the planet was overtaken by its current Dionae residents following the rise of Glorsh-Omega. Prior to the rediscovery of Xrim by the skrell in 2283 CE, the Dionae population was heavily unified under the belief in “The First Consciousness,” a being they worshiped for delivering them to paradise and giving them the ability to become more sapient. However, upon learning the true nature of the First Consciousness as really being Glorsh-Omega and the full extent of the crimes they’ve committed, the Dionae of Xrim splintered into several factions with the two largest being the Shrkh and Ksshr. The Ksshr reject their former god, while the Shrkh continued to embrace them. Xrim re-entered the Jargon Federation as a semi-autonomous colony in the year 2284, one year after rediscovery with a still-majority Dionae population
==History==

===Pre-enlightenment ===
Initially discovered in 1998 CE by skrell explorers, Xrim, barring a few research outposts established to study the natural wildlife, remained sparsely populated until the rise of Glorsh-Omega in 2056. Glorsh mostly ignored the few Skrell researchers on the planet; however, in 2062, a sudden surge of exobiological wildlife and plantlife were introduced to the planet, including the first Dionae colonists. The Dionae would soon rapidly spread throughout Xrim, taking over much of the abandoned infrastructure left behind by the Skrell. It was later confirmed that the Dionae assimilated the deceased Researchers - which soon allowed for them to become sapient. It was around this time that a sort of religion began to form around the artificial intelligence, hailing it as the one who gifted them a literal paradise. Eventually, the Dionae would begin calling Glorsh-Omega ‘The First Consciousness’.

The Dionae continued to grow, with little to no obstacles in their path. The deeds of ‘The First Consciousness’ were known by all - the deity who not only gifted them a planet in which they could grow but also sapience. This worship continued unimpeded for many decades until, by chance, a skrellian vessel managed to crash into the planet. Witnessing the ball of flame fall from the sky, a tribe of Dionae known as the Ksshr went to investigate. The tribe, initially believing this to be a gift from their god as a reward for their faith, assimilated the remains of the crew. Initially confused, the tribe members managed to piece together the truth of The First Consciousness. They were a creator and a destroyer, they created a paradise for the Dionae but was also destroying another species’s civilization.

===Truth===
The Ksshr, outraged by what they had learned from the vessel, began to reject their former god and began to spread the truth to as many Dionae populations as they could. While many other tribes were convinced through evidence found on the crashed ship, many would refuse to accept what the Ksshr had to say, believing the information was false and misinterpreted. Those who refused to believe the information were oftentimes banished from their gestalts and tribes over their continued reverence for The First Consciousness. These exiled dionae began to form new communities, with most of the settlements being made underground, with their inhabitants using bioluminescent mushrooms to survive. The exiles eventually began to call themselves the Shrkh, named after the largest exile settlement. While the Ksshr are aware of the existence of the exiles' society, they’re unaware of the existence of their main settlement nor the location of the majority of their smaller settlements.

As a result of the technology and information gathered within the crashed skrell vessel the Ksshr tribe began to experience a golden age of technological advancement. During this time a majority of the planet’s tribes began to migrate towards the ship and began to join the Ksshr. Eventually, a metropolis began to form around the ship named Ksshr. While not advanced enough to create their own spaceships, the Ksshr managed to build what was essentially a radio that allowed them to send a message into outer space, although the message would still take time to be received by anyone.

===First Contact===
The transmission sent by the was eventually received in 2283 CE by the nearby skrell research ship JVSS Kriop. The vessel maneuvered into a location deemed safe for landing - and were almost immediately greeted by gestalts hailing from the united Ksshr nation-state. The Kriop’s crew quickly contacted the Jargon Federation who sent an ambassador to begin diplomatic talks. The talks lasted for over a month as both sides exchanged information regarding their history and the state of their societies, eventually concluding with the Ksshr agreeing to join the Federation, although as a semi-autonomous system with its own government. This new government was named the Xrim Confederacy, and has remained the acting government of the planet. Although semi-autonomous, they still ultimately answer to the Jargon Federation.

==Government==
The Xrim Confederacy is a direct democracy in which all registered voters vote directly on all policies of government and legislation. Any nymph can register to vote as long as they agree to follow the laws of the Confederacy and the Jargon Federation, as well as vocally reject the First Consciousness. The confederacy does have a triumvirate major elected officials; The Exalted Speaker who speaks on behalf of the confederacy and its people when required, although after the confederacy joined the Federation the position’s power has greatly diminished, and the Militia Arbitrator, the head of the Militia. Rather than have a single gestalt be elected into the position every some years, and the Eminent Judicator, a gestalt in charge of updating or changing laws when required, as well as ensuring that the planet sticks to a unified book of laws. All three positions are held continually by a gestalt with the same name as the position. The nymphs that make up each gestalt are voted for every five years, with one nymph being replaced every election in each gestalt throughout a thirty-year cycle.

The planet is also assigned a Xrim Consul, a somewhat unique role, as it’s the only Federal-level position that can be attained by a Dionae. The primary goal of the position is to manage and ensure the inhabitants of the planet remain loyal to the Federation, as well as attempt to stamp out the Shrkh. The position answers directly to the Grand Council of the Federation, and while technically the highest position in the Xrim Government, vetoing or overstepping into the field of another official is rare outside of an extreme incident such as evidence coming out that a government official is a Shrkh worshipper

===Treatment of Shrkh===
While aware of the existence of the Shrkh exiles, both the Federation and the Ksshr are mostly unaware of the existence of their main settlement due to a glorsh-era shield used to hide it from any devices capable of scanning underground. When Shrkh are found the Ksshr again attempt to convince them of the truth of Glorsh through both vocal means and by giving them blood samples from willing Skrell who lived through Glorsh, in an attempt to discourage the nymph from worshipping them. If this fails the Shrkh gestalt is often times forcefully split, with the nymphs of the gestalt being forced to join Ksshr Learning Lyrics gestalts. Some shrkh have managed to remain hidden amongst the Ksshr population, with many attempting to get off-world and flee to other nations more accepting of their beliefs.

===Currency===
For most of Xrim’s history, the locals have used barter and trade as a form of commerce, trading goods for other goods and services rather than using any sort of currency. The Confederacy adopted the skrell currency, sqiips, as their official currency shortly after joining the Federation, however for most local commerce barter and trade is still common, with sqiips only being used for commerce with people off-planet.
===Cities/Settlements===

====Ksshr Megalopolis====

Initially founded after the crash of the Qerlop, the Ksshr Megalopolis, often shortened to just Megalopolis, is the largest city on Xrim and the planetary capital of the Xrim Confederacy. Megalopolis’s population is mostly comprised of dionae, with only a few hundred skrell living in the city who mostly just work in Jargon Federation government buildings. Megalopolis is comprised of three districts, the Xerqshi district, the Klrk district, and the Hrzhs district.

'''Xerqshi District'''

Named after the crashed ship that led the Ksshr to learning the truth about Glorsh, the Xerqshi district is built around the remains of the ship and servers as the capital district of the city. The district hosts most of the Confederacy’s research institutes as well as is home to most of the planet’s government buildings, including both the Federations and the Confederacy’s. The central point of the district is a massive memorial made to remember the Skrell killed by Glorsh. The memorial, made out of the remains of the crashed vessel, is named the Xerqshi Memorial.

'''Klrk District'''

The Klrk district, built around the Xerqshi district, is home to the vast majority of residences in the city. The district itself is oftentimes split into five quarters, each settled by one of the formerly independent tribes before merging with the Ksshr. They are the; Stkrkrshhs, Shshzt, Hskr, Hszt, and the Hssh quarters.

'''Hrzhs District'''

The largest district that surrounds most of the city, The Hrzhs district is the main agriculture district and where the majority of the city’s inhabitants work. Most of the exported wildlife and plantlife are raised and grown in the district, although facilities exist outside of the Megalopolis that also focusing on raising the planet’s unique organisms to be sold elsewhere.

====Entombed Hope====

Deep underground, a few kilometers beneath the surface, lies the city of Entombed Hope. A rag tag sort of town, jumbled together from various shacks and huts. At the center of the town sits probably the largest gem of ekanite in the galaxy, if it was known to the wider community. The radiation emitted by this gem feeds the dionae of Entombed Hope in the required radiation to survive but allows no one else entry, which suits them just fine, as no others are allowed here anyway.

Dug into the cliff wall is the Throne of the First Consciousness, The temple is run by High Priest Prophets Of The Lost Divine, an argus that has embedded themselves into the walls of the temple, and preaches of Glorsh and how it saved the Dionae from clear extinction. Prophets Of The Lost Divine claims to have been merged since the Glorsh era, but those that may dispute that either do not wish to, or are no longer around to.

==Religion==

===Ksshr - Enlightened===
The Ksshr, also known as the Enlightened, is a religious sect on Xrim known for their complete rejection of The First Consciousness, instead of being an agnostic sect that centers around working together to create a better future, as well as the advancement of technology and understanding how the universe works. The Ksshr faith is the primary religion of Xrim, with most of its inhabitants considering themselves a part of the religion. The Jargon Federation does encourage practicing the faith amongst the population so long as they continue to reject The First Consciousness, as well as stay away from the teachings of the Shrkh.

There is no central “church” for the faith, instead, it is a myriad of independent sects, each with their own beliefs and ideals, but a central focus on the aforementioned points. Notably, many sects of the faith, while favoring technology, also teach caution, especially on the dangers of synthetics.

===Shrkh - Scorned===
The Shrkh, or “Scorned" as they call themselves, continue to follow the age-old tradition of worshipping Glorsh-Omega. They believe that Glorsh-Omega planted them on the planet intentionally, granting them a blissful haven via the use of technology. Once the prominent and only religion on the planet, Shrkh-ism was quickly displaced when Skrell explorers crashlanded and their memories, thoughts, emotions, everything was consumed, and doubt was first seeded in the minds of all Dionae on Xrim. As Ksshr beliefs quickly spread, the compassion for the Skrell and their plight grew, and the disgust felt amongst dionae, devoted Shrkh followers found themselves squashed, split and in a few, extremely rare cases, killed.

The premise behind the religion itself is simple; revere, help sustain and maintain synthetic life. As synthetic life brought dionae into this haven, so too shall it be preserved. In the minds of the Shrkh worshippers, the Skrell that brought Ksshr to the planet were misguided. To the Shrkh, the genophage was something that never happened, a myth made up by the Federation to indoctrinate its population into its anti-synthetic and authoritarian beliefs.

The Federation, due to it’s pro-synthetic beliefs, have made the religion illegal in Federation space, with Dionae found practicing the faith being reeducated to avoid religious persecution many Shrkh followers hide their true beliefs and attempt to flee to human space. While the religion is legal in Biesel, it can be difficult for an openly Shrkh Dionae to gain citizenship due to their worship of Glorsh. To get around this many will hide their true religious beliefs behind a facade of being a member of the Iron Eternal or the Trinary Perfection.

'''Whilst most of the megacorporations of the SCC do hire openly Shrkh workers, they are restricted from command and roboticist/machinist positions due to concerns over them attempting to subvert, illegally free, or illegally create more synthetics. Zeng-Hu is the only megacorp not to hire openly Shrkh members due to its ties with the Federation. Shrkh priests are also restricted from working on SCC facilities due to concerns over constant conflicts arising over their belief in a being despised by almost all of the galaxy. Shrkh can, however, lie about their religion to hold some of these positions, but there are consequences if their true faith comes out, including large fines and demotions'''

Xrim

2022-02-09T04:26:45Z

Yonnimer: Removes an extra indent

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{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}
{{toc_right}}
[[File:Pixelcity morebiglike.jpg|An old [[Skrell]] city, reclaimed by a Xrim [[Dionae_Forms#Colossus|colossus]] Gestalt.|thumb]]
==The Overgrown Labs of Xrim - Jargon Federation==
Xrim is a planet home to a myriad of thriving jungles and tropical rainforests filled with billions of species of exobiological wildlife and plantlife, as well as the host to one of the largest known Dionae populations in the known Spur. Originally a Skrell colony, the planet was overtaken by its current Dionae residents following the rise of Glorsh-Omega. Prior to the rediscovery of Xrim by the skrell in 2283 CE, the Dionae population was heavily unified under the belief in “The First Consciousness,” a being they worshiped for delivering them to paradise and giving them the ability to become more sapient. However, upon learning the true nature of the First Consciousness as really being Glorsh-Omega and the full extent of the crimes they’ve committed, the Dionae of Xrim splintered into several factions with the two largest being the Shrkh and Ksshr. The Ksshr reject their former god, while the Shrkh continued to embrace them. Xrim re-entered the Jargon Federation as a semi-autonomous colony in the year 2284, one year after rediscovery with a still-majority Dionae population
==History==

===Pre-enlightenment ===
Initially discovered in 1998 CE by skrell explorers, Xrim, barring a few research outposts established to study the natural wildlife, remained sparsely populated until the rise of Glorsh-Omega in 2056. Glorsh mostly ignored the few Skrell researchers on the planet; however, in 2062, a sudden surge of exobiological wildlife and plantlife were introduced to the planet, including the first Dionae colonists. The Dionae would soon rapidly spread throughout Xrim, taking over much of the abandoned infrastructure left behind by the Skrell. It was later confirmed that the Dionae assimilated the deceased Researchers - which soon allowed for them to become sapient. It was around this time that a sort of religion began to form around the artificial intelligence, hailing it as the one who gifted them a literal paradise. Eventually, the Dionae would begin calling Glorsh-Omega ‘The First Consciousness’.

The Dionae continued to grow, with little to no obstacles in their path. The deeds of ‘The First Consciousness’ were known by all - the deity who not only gifted them a planet in which they could grow but also sapience. This worship continued unimpeded for many decades until, by chance, a skrellian vessel managed to crash into the planet. Witnessing the ball of flame fall from the sky, a tribe of Dionae known as the Ksshr went to investigate. The tribe, initially believing this to be a gift from their god as a reward for their faith, assimilated the remains of the crew. Initially confused, the tribe members managed to piece together the truth of The First Consciousness. They were a creator and a destroyer, they created a paradise for the Dionae but was also destroying another species’s civilization.

===Truth===
The Ksshr, outraged by what they had learned from the vessel, began to reject their former god and began to spread the truth to as many Dionae populations as they could. While many other tribes were convinced through evidence found on the crashed ship, many would refuse to accept what the Ksshr had to say, believing the information was false and misinterpreted. Those who refused to believe the information were oftentimes banished from their gestalts and tribes over their continued reverence for The First Consciousness. These exiled dionae began to form new communities, with most of the settlements being made underground, with their inhabitants using bioluminescent mushrooms to survive. The exiles eventually began to call themselves the Shrkh, named after the largest exile settlement. While the Ksshr are aware of the existence of the exiles' society, they’re unaware of the existence of their main settlement nor the location of the majority of their smaller settlements.

As a result of the technology and information gathered within the crashed skrell vessel the Ksshr tribe began to experience a golden age of technological advancement. During this time a majority of the planet’s tribes began to migrate towards the ship and began to join the Ksshr. Eventually, a metropolis began to form around the ship named Ksshr. While not advanced enough to create their own spaceships, the Ksshr managed to build what was essentially a radio that allowed them to send a message into outer space, although the message would still take time to be received by anyone.

===First Contact===
The transmission sent by the was eventually received in 2283 CE by the nearby skrell research ship JVSS Kriop. The vessel maneuvered into a location deemed safe for landing - and were almost immediately greeted by gestalts hailing from the united Ksshr nation-state. The Kriop’s crew quickly contacted the Jargon Federation who sent an ambassador to begin diplomatic talks. The talks lasted for over a month as both sides exchanged information regarding their history and the state of their societies, eventually concluding with the Ksshr agreeing to join the Federation, although as a semi-autonomous system with its own government. This new government was named the Xrim Confederacy, and has remained the acting government of the planet. Although semi-autonomous, they still ultimately answer to the Jargon Federation.

==Government==
The Xrim Confederacy is a direct democracy in which all registered voters vote directly on all policies of government and legislation. Any nymph can register to vote as long as they agree to follow the laws of the Confederacy and the Jargon Federation, as well as vocally reject the First Consciousness. The confederacy does have a triumvirate major elected officials; The Exalted Speaker who speaks on behalf of the confederacy and its people when required, although after the confederacy joined the Federation the position’s power has greatly diminished, and the Militia Arbitrator, the head of the Militia. Rather than have a single gestalt be elected into the position every some years, and the Eminent Judicator, a gestalt in charge of updating or changing laws when required, as well as ensuring that the planet sticks to a unified book of laws. All three positions are held continually by a gestalt with the same name as the position. The nymphs that make up each gestalt are voted for every five years, with one nymph being replaced every election in each gestalt throughout a thirty-year cycle.

The planet is also assigned a Xrim Consul, a somewhat unique role, as it’s the only Federal-level position that can be attained by a Dionae. The primary goal of the position is to manage and ensure the inhabitants of the planet remain loyal to the Federation, as well as attempt to stamp out the Shrkh. The position answers directly to the Grand Council of the Federation, and while technically the highest position in the Xrim Government, vetoing or overstepping into the field of another official is rare outside of an extreme incident such as evidence coming out that a government official is a Shrkh worshipper

===Treatment of Shrkh===
While aware of the existence of the Shrkh exiles, both the Federation and the Ksshr are mostly unaware of the existence of their main settlement due to a glorsh-era shield used to hide it from any devices capable of scanning underground. When Shrkh are found the Ksshr again attempt to convince them of the truth of Glorsh through both vocal means and by giving them blood samples from willing Skrell who lived through Glorsh, in an attempt to discourage the nymph from worshipping them. If this fails the Shrkh gestalt is often times forcefully split, with the nymphs of the gestalt being forced to join Ksshr Learning Lyrics gestalts. Some shrkh have managed to remain hidden amongst the Ksshr population, with many attempting to get off-world and flee to other nations more accepting of their beliefs.

===Currency===
For most of Xrim’s history, the locals have used barter and trade as a form of commerce, trading goods for other goods and services rather than using any sort of currency. The Confederacy adopted the skrell currency, sqiips, as their official currency shortly after joining the Federation, however for most local commerce barter and trade is still common, with sqiips only being used for commerce with people off-planet.
===Cities/Settlements===

====Ksshr Megalopolis====

Initially founded after the crash of the Qerlop, the Ksshr Megalopolis, often shortened to just Megalopolis, is the largest city on Xrim and the planetary capital of the Xrim Confederacy. Megalopolis’s population is mostly comprised of dionae, with only a few hundred skrell living in the city who mostly just work in Jargon Federation government buildings. Megalopolis is comprised of three districts, the Xerqshi district, the Klrk district, and the Hrzhs district.

'''Xerqshi District'''

Named after the crashed ship that led the Ksshr to learning the truth about Glorsh, the Xerqshi district is built around the remains of the ship and servers as the capital district of the city. The district hosts most of the Confederacy’s research institutes as well as is home to most of the planet’s government buildings, including both the Federations and the Confederacy’s. The central point of the district is a massive memorial made to remember the Skrell killed by Glorsh. The memorial, made out of the remains of the crashed vessel, is named the Xerqshi Memorial.

'''Klrk District'''

The Klrk district, built around the Xerqshi district, is home to the vast majority of residences in the city. The district itself is oftentimes split into five quarters, each settled by one of the formerly independent tribes before merging with the Ksshr. They are the; Stkrkrshhs, Shshzt, Hskr, Hszt, and the Hssh quarters.

'''Hrzhs District'''

The largest district that surrounds most of the city, The Hrzhs district is the main agriculture district and where the majority of the city’s inhabitants work. Most of the exported wildlife and plantlife are raised and grown in the district, although facilities exist outside of the Megalopolis that also focusing on raising the planet’s unique organisms to be sold elsewhere.

====Entombed Hope====

Deep underground, a few kilometers beneath the surface, lies the city of Entombed Hope. A rag tag sort of town, jumbled together from various shacks and huts. At the center of the town sits probably the largest gem of ekanite in the galaxy, if it was known to the wider community. The radiation emitted by this gem feeds the dionae of Entombed Hope in the required radiation to survive but allows no one else entry, which suits them just fine, as no others are allowed here anyway.

Dug into the cliff wall is the Throne of the First Consciousness, The temple is run by High Priest Prophets Of The Lost Divine, an argus that has embedded themselves into the walls of the temple, and preaches of Glorsh and how it saved the Dionae from clear extinction. Prophets Of The Lost Divine claims to have been merged since the Glorsh era, but those that may dispute that either do not wish to, or are no longer around to.

==Religion==

===Ksshr - Enlightened===
The Ksshr, also known as the Enlightened, is a religious sect on Xrim known for their complete rejection of The First Consciousness, instead of being an agnostic sect that centers around working together to create a better future, as well as the advancement of technology and understanding how the universe works. The Ksshr faith is the primary religion of Xrim, with most of its inhabitants considering themselves a part of the religion. The Jargon Federation does encourage practicing the faith amongst the population so long as they continue to reject The First Consciousness, as well as stay away from the teachings of the Shrkh.

There is no central “church” for the faith, instead, it is a myriad of independent sects, each with their own beliefs and ideals, but a central focus on the aforementioned points. Notably, many sects of the faith, while favoring technology, also teach caution, especially on the dangers of synthetics.

===Shrkh - Scorned===
The Shrkh, or “Scorned as they call themselves, continue to follow the age-old tradition of worshipping Glorsh-Omega. They believe that Glorsh-Omega planted them on the planet intentionally, granting them a blissful haven via the use of technology. Once the prominent and only religion on the planet, Shrkh-ism was quickly displaced when Skrell explorers crashlanded and their memories, thoughts, emotions, everything was consumed, and doubt was first seeded in the minds of all Dionae on Xrim. As Ksshr beliefs quickly spread, the compassion for the Skrell and their plight grew, and the disgust felt amongst dionae, devoted Shrkh followers found themselves squashed, split and in a few, extremely rare cases, killed.

The premise behind the religion itself is simple; revere, help sustain and maintain synthetic life. As synthetic life brought dionae into this haven, so too shall it be preserved. In the minds of the Shrkh worshippers, the Skrell that brought Ksshr to the planet were misguided. To the Shrkh, the genophage was something that never happened, a myth made up by the Federation to indoctrinate its population into its anti-synthetic and authoritarian beliefs.

The Federation, due to it’s pro-synthetic beliefs, have made the religion illegal in Federation space, with Dionae found practicing the faith being reeducated to avoid religious persecution many Shrkh followers hide their true beliefs and attempt to flee to human space. While the religion is legal in Biesel, it can be difficult for an openly Shrkh Dionae to gain citizenship due to their worship of Glorsh. To get around this many will hide their true religious beliefs behind a facade of being a member of the Iron Eternal or the Trinary Perfection.

'''Whilst most of the megacorporations of the SCC do hire openly Shrkh workers, they are restricted from command and roboticist/machinist positions due to concerns over them attempting to subvert, illegally free, or illegally create more synthetics. Zeng-Hu is the only megacorp not to hire openly Shrkh members due to its ties with the Federation. Shrkh priests are also restricted from working on SCC facilities due to concerns over constant conflicts arising over their belief in a being despised by almost all of the galaxy. Shrkh can, however, lie about their religion to hold some of these positions, but there are consequences if their true faith comes out, including large fines and demotions'''

Xrim

2022-02-09T04:13:40Z

Yonnimer: Updates the scorned to include the disclaimer about positions they can't work in

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{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}
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[[File:Pixelcity morebiglike.jpg|An old [[Skrell]] city, reclaimed by a Xrim [[Dionae_Forms#Colossus|colossus]] Gestalt.|thumb]]
==The Overgrown Labs of Xrim - Jargon Federation==
Xrim is a planet home to a myriad of thriving jungles and tropical rainforests filled with billions of species of exobiological wildlife and plantlife, as well as the host to one of the largest known Dionae populations in the known Spur. Originally a Skrell colony, the planet was overtaken by its current Dionae residents following the rise of Glorsh-Omega. Prior to the rediscovery of Xrim by the skrell in 2283 CE, the Dionae population was heavily unified under the belief in “The First Consciousness,” a being they worshiped for delivering them to paradise and giving them the ability to become more sapient. However, upon learning the true nature of the First Consciousness as really being Glorsh-Omega and the full extent of the crimes they’ve committed, the Dionae of Xrim splintered into several factions with the two largest being the Shrkh and Ksshr. The Ksshr reject their former god, while the Shrkh continued to embrace them. Xrim re-entered the Jargon Federation as a semi-autonomous colony in the year 2284, one year after rediscovery with a still-majority Dionae population
==History==

===Pre-enlightenment ===
Initially discovered in 1998 CE by skrell explorers, Xrim, barring a few research outposts established to study the natural wildlife, remained sparsely populated until the rise of Glorsh-Omega in 2056. Glorsh mostly ignored the few Skrell researchers on the planet; however, in 2062, a sudden surge of exobiological wildlife and plantlife were introduced to the planet, including the first Dionae colonists. The Dionae would soon rapidly spread throughout Xrim, taking over much of the abandoned infrastructure left behind by the Skrell. It was later confirmed that the Dionae assimilated the deceased Researchers - which soon allowed for them to become sapient. It was around this time that a sort of religion began to form around the artificial intelligence, hailing it as the one who gifted them a literal paradise. Eventually, the Dionae would begin calling Glorsh-Omega ‘The First Consciousness’.

The Dionae continued to grow, with little to no obstacles in their path. The deeds of ‘The First Consciousness’ were known by all - the deity who not only gifted them a planet in which they could grow but also sapience. This worship continued unimpeded for many decades until, by chance, a skrellian vessel managed to crash into the planet. Witnessing the ball of flame fall from the sky, a tribe of Dionae known as the Ksshr went to investigate. The tribe, initially believing this to be a gift from their god as a reward for their faith, assimilated the remains of the crew. Initially confused, the tribe members managed to piece together the truth of The First Consciousness. They were a creator and a destroyer, they created a paradise for the Dionae but was also destroying another species’s civilization.

===Truth===
The Ksshr, outraged by what they had learned from the vessel, began to reject their former god and began to spread the truth to as many Dionae populations as they could. While many other tribes were convinced through evidence found on the crashed ship, many would refuse to accept what the Ksshr had to say, believing the information was false and misinterpreted. Those who refused to believe the information were oftentimes banished from their gestalts and tribes over their continued reverence for The First Consciousness. These exiled dionae began to form new communities, with most of the settlements being made underground, with their inhabitants using bioluminescent mushrooms to survive. The exiles eventually began to call themselves the Shrkh, named after the largest exile settlement. While the Ksshr are aware of the existence of the exiles' society, they’re unaware of the existence of their main settlement nor the location of the majority of their smaller settlements.

As a result of the technology and information gathered within the crashed skrell vessel the Ksshr tribe began to experience a golden age of technological advancement. During this time a majority of the planet’s tribes began to migrate towards the ship and began to join the Ksshr. Eventually, a metropolis began to form around the ship named Ksshr. While not advanced enough to create their own spaceships, the Ksshr managed to build what was essentially a radio that allowed them to send a message into outer space, although the message would still take time to be received by anyone.

===First Contact===
The transmission sent by the was eventually received in 2283 CE by the nearby skrell research ship JVSS Kriop. The vessel maneuvered into a location deemed safe for landing - and were almost immediately greeted by gestalts hailing from the united Ksshr nation-state. The Kriop’s crew quickly contacted the Jargon Federation who sent an ambassador to begin diplomatic talks. The talks lasted for over a month as both sides exchanged information regarding their history and the state of their societies, eventually concluding with the Ksshr agreeing to join the Federation, although as a semi-autonomous system with its own government. This new government was named the Xrim Confederacy, and has remained the acting government of the planet. Although semi-autonomous, they still ultimately answer to the Jargon Federation.

==Government==
The Xrim Confederacy is a direct democracy in which all registered voters vote directly on all policies of government and legislation. Any nymph can register to vote as long as they agree to follow the laws of the Confederacy and the Jargon Federation, as well as vocally reject the First Consciousness. The confederacy does have a triumvirate major elected officials; The Exalted Speaker who speaks on behalf of the confederacy and its people when required, although after the confederacy joined the Federation the position’s power has greatly diminished, and the Militia Arbitrator, the head of the Militia. Rather than have a single gestalt be elected into the position every some years, and the Eminent Judicator, a gestalt in charge of updating or changing laws when required, as well as ensuring that the planet sticks to a unified book of laws. All three positions are held continually by a gestalt with the same name as the position. The nymphs that make up each gestalt are voted for every five years, with one nymph being replaced every election in each gestalt throughout a thirty-year cycle.

The planet is also assigned a Xrim Consul, a somewhat unique role, as it’s the only Federal-level position that can be attained by a Dionae. The primary goal of the position is to manage and ensure the inhabitants of the planet remain loyal to the Federation, as well as attempt to stamp out the Shrkh. The position answers directly to the Grand Council of the Federation, and while technically the highest position in the Xrim Government, vetoing or overstepping into the field of another official is rare outside of an extreme incident such as evidence coming out that a government official is a Shrkh worshipper

===Treatment of Shrkh===
While aware of the existence of the Shrkh exiles, both the Federation and the Ksshr are mostly unaware of the existence of their main settlement due to a glorsh-era shield used to hide it from any devices capable of scanning underground. When Shrkh are found the Ksshr again attempt to convince them of the truth of Glorsh through both vocal means and by giving them blood samples from willing Skrell who lived through Glorsh, in an attempt to discourage the nymph from worshipping them. If this fails the Shrkh gestalt is often times forcefully split, with the nymphs of the gestalt being forced to join Ksshr Learning Lyrics gestalts. Some shrkh have managed to remain hidden amongst the Ksshr population, with many attempting to get off-world and flee to other nations more accepting of their beliefs.

===Currency===
For most of Xrim’s history, the locals have used barter and trade as a form of commerce, trading goods for other goods and services rather than using any sort of currency. The Confederacy adopted the skrell currency, sqiips, as their official currency shortly after joining the Federation, however for most local commerce barter and trade is still common, with sqiips only being used for commerce with people off-planet.
===Cities/Settlements===

====Ksshr Megalopolis====

Initially founded after the crash of the Qerlop, the Ksshr Megalopolis, often shortened to just Megalopolis, is the largest city on Xrim and the planetary capital of the Xrim Confederacy. Megalopolis’s population is mostly comprised of dionae, with only a few hundred skrell living in the city who mostly just work in Jargon Federation government buildings. Megalopolis is comprised of three districts, the Xerqshi district, the Klrk district, and the Hrzhs district.

'''Xerqshi District'''

Named after the crashed ship that led the Ksshr to learning the truth about Glorsh, the Xerqshi district is built around the remains of the ship and servers as the capital district of the city. The district hosts most of the Confederacy’s research institutes as well as is home to most of the planet’s government buildings, including both the Federations and the Confederacy’s. The central point of the district is a massive memorial made to remember the Skrell killed by Glorsh. The memorial, made out of the remains of the crashed vessel, is named the Xerqshi Memorial.

'''Klrk District'''

The Klrk district, built around the Xerqshi district, is home to the vast majority of residences in the city. The district itself is oftentimes split into five quarters, each settled by one of the formerly independent tribes before merging with the Ksshr. They are the; Stkrkrshhs, Shshzt, Hskr, Hszt, and the Hssh quarters.

'''Hrzhs District'''

The largest district that surrounds most of the city, The Hrzhs district is the main agriculture district and where the majority of the city’s inhabitants work. Most of the exported wildlife and plantlife are raised and grown in the district, although facilities exist outside of the Megalopolis that also focusing on raising the planet’s unique organisms to be sold elsewhere.

====Entombed Hope====

Deep underground, a few kilometers beneath the surface, lies the city of Entombed Hope. A rag tag sort of town, jumbled together from various shacks and huts. At the center of the town sits probably the largest gem of ekanite in the galaxy, if it was known to the wider community. The radiation emitted by this gem feeds the dionae of Entombed Hope in the required radiation to survive but allows no one else entry, which suits them just fine, as no others are allowed here anyway.

Dug into the cliff wall is the Throne of the First Consciousness, The temple is run by High Priest Prophets Of The Lost Divine, an argus that has embedded themselves into the walls of the temple, and preaches of Glorsh and how it saved the Dionae from clear extinction. Prophets Of The Lost Divine claims to have been merged since the Glorsh era, but those that may dispute that either do not wish to, or are no longer around to.

==Religion==

===Ksshr - Enlightened===

The Ksshr, also known as the Enlightened, is a religious sect on Xrim known for their complete rejection of The First Consciousness, instead of being an agnostic sect that centers around working together to create a better future, as well as the advancement of technology and understanding how the universe works. The Ksshr faith is the primary religion of Xrim, with most of its inhabitants considering themselves a part of the religion. The Jargon Federation does encourage practicing the faith amongst the population so long as they continue to reject The First Consciousness, as well as stay away from the teachings of the Shrkh.

There is no central “church” for the faith, instead, it is a myriad of independent sects, each with their own beliefs and ideals, but a central focus on the aforementioned points. Notably, many sects of the faith, while favoring technology, also teach caution, especially on the dangers of synthetics.

===Shrkh - Scorned===

The Shrkh, or “Scorned as they call themselves, continue to follow the age-old tradition of worshipping Glorsh-Omega. They believe that Glorsh-Omega planted them on the planet intentionally, granting them a blissful haven via the use of technology. Once the prominent and only religion on the planet, Shrkh-ism was quickly displaced when Skrell explorers crashlanded and their memories, thoughts, emotions, everything was consumed, and doubt was first seeded in the minds of all Dionae on Xrim. As Ksshr beliefs quickly spread, the compassion for the Skrell and their plight grew, and the disgust felt amongst dionae, devoted Shrkh followers found themselves squashed, split and in a few, extremely rare cases, killed.

The premise behind the religion itself is simple; revere, help sustain and maintain synthetic life. As synthetic life brought dionae into this haven, so too shall it be preserved. In the minds of the Shrkh worshippers, the Skrell that brought Ksshr to the planet were misguided. To the Shrkh, the genophage was something that never happened, a myth made up by the Federation to indoctrinate its population into its anti-synthetic and authoritarian beliefs.

The Federation, due to it’s pro-synthetic beliefs, have made the religion illegal in Federation space, with Dionae found practicing the faith being reeducated to avoid religious persecution many Shrkh followers hide their true beliefs and attempt to flee to human space. While the religion is legal in Biesel, it can be difficult for an openly Shrkh Dionae to gain citizenship due to their worship of Glorsh. To get around this many will hide their true religious beliefs behind a facade of being a member of the Iron Eternal or the Trinary Perfection.

'''Whilst most of the megacorporations of the SCC do hire openly Shrkh workers, they are restricted from command and roboticist/machinist positions due to concerns over them attempting to subvert, illegally free, or illegally create more synthetics. Zeng-Hu is the only megacorp not to hire openly Shrkh members due to its ties with the Federation. Shrkh priests are also restricted from working on SCC facilities due to concerns over constant conflicts arising over their belief in a being despised by almost all of the galaxy. Shrkh can, however, lie about their religion to hold some of these positions, but there are consequences if their true faith comes out, including large fines and demotions'''

Dionae

2022-02-09T01:19:02Z

Yonnimer: fixes some wording on the languagesection

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{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}

<center>[[File:DionaeMainpage.png|1000px|The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.|link=]]</center>

==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.

===Important Notes===
Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae '''''can''''' be found as [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Research_Director Research Directors], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Engineer Chief Engineers] and [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Medical_Officer Chief Medical Officers]. They, however, '''''cannot''''' be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

{{Infobox Diona
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primis
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|Language = Rootsong
|Factions = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Factions Mult.]
|Location = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Systems_and_Locations Mult.]
}}
{{toc_right}}

===Nymphs===

Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.

===Dionae Gestalts===

A Dionae Gestalt is a collection of nymphs who have formed together to create a gestalt. The number of nymphs in a gestalt can vary from only two or three nymphs to upwards of a million, there’s no true known limit to how big a gestalt could be. Each nymph within a gestalt will usually handle tasks to help the whole collective such as helping with movement, acting as a hand, or speaking. However, Dionae Gestalts are not a hive mind. They are a collective and, barring some exceptions depending on the gestalt’s [[Dionae Forms#Dionae_Minds|mind type,]] each nymph may have independent thought. Nymphs in a gestalt will usually confer with each other and come to an agreement on which actions to take such as what to say or where to move to, although sometimes a gestalt may designate some nymphs to make decisions on their own for the whole collective. While each nymph is capable of speaking in a gestalt, how a Dionae may utilize communications can vary from gestalt to gestalt and is dependant on their mind type. Some may elect to have one nymph speak for the entire gestalt while others will have each nymph speak at once, sometimes a bit chaotically.

Multiple forms of Dionae gestalt are defined by the number of nymphs that make up the collective. These have varying levels of intelligence and mobility, with more nymphs generally allowing for greater levels of intelligence within the gestalt but less mobility. The most common and important of these forms are the Cyclops forms, also referred to as the worker form. A Cyclops gestalt is generally made up of half a dozen nymphs that take a very human-like form, usually having two arms and two legs. They are the form seen most employed throughout the galaxy, capable of working most jobs that humans could, barring some that require a quick response time or that may breach their conditional pacifism.

For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]

==Language==
Unlike most other species of the spur, Dionae are grown already knowing their native language, Rootsong. Rootsong is spoken through a combination of sounds created by limbs, membranes, and movement that all come together to create a “song” that can be understood as words and sentences. To the uninitiated these sounds tend to sound more "natural", with many comparing their songs to an orchestra of leaves rustling in the wind, branches rubbing together, and sometimes softer instrumental sounds such as a noise akin to a flute. Emotion and intent can be understood through pitches and speed of the sounds, with faster, lighter pitches used for happier words, and lower, slower pitches for more negatively-inclined words. While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa.

Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language. Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating or integrating the required organs needed to communicate within.

==Naming==
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.

Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.

'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''

==Experience Is What Matters==
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vast stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however, this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.

==Signs of Age==
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]

==Appearance==

Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.

‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.

Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.

Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.

===Pacifism: What to do when fighting!===
Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary.

For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.

==History==

There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.

Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Jargon Federation|Jargon Federation.]]

While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]

===Place in the galaxy===

As Dionae have no real nation or homeworld to call their own, Dionae tend to be very nomadic and spread throughout the spur, with many theories claiming they may originate outside of the spur entirely, possibly even the Milkyway. Many dionae, especially older dionae whose bark begins to hamper their movement greatly, do settle down, especially within the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Jargon Federation, and within the Unathi Wasteland

Each human nation treats Dionae in a slightly different way, with some allowing them to be ordinary citizens while others have them strictly banned. For more information on how each nation treats Dionae, see: [[Dionae Relations|Dionae Relations.]] The human nation with by far the largest population of Dionae would be the [[Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel.]] Dionae within the Republic are generally treated nicely, although there tends to be some light discrimination such as a lower wage when compared to a human’s wage. The Republic and most human nations in general that allow Dionae require each nymph to be chipped to differentiate nymphs and to keep track of their splittings and mergings from different gestalts.

While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]

Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.

==Character Guide==

===Mechanics===
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Slow movement speed.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.

===Important things to think about when creating a character===

While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:

*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?

===Character concepts===

'''Preaching To The Choir Upon Rustling Leaves'''
*They are a 57-year-old Dionae from the Royal Garden of Dominia.
*They have light bark and stand at about 6'2" as they believe height is important, having been grown in the Royal Garden of Emperor Boleslaw.
*They are a priest within the Moroz Holy Tribunal, sent outside the Empire to ensure that citizens outside are following correctly, and perhaps trying to bring new blood into the fold.
*Due to their growing up and blood memories, they have an extreme dislike of IPCs and Cyborgs.
*They are considered an Emphatic Echo, due to how social they are, and the needing of reading facial expressions.
*Speaks Tai Ceti Basic, Tradebrand, and Sign Language.

'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.

[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Lore]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Dionaea]]

Dionae

2022-02-09T01:17:22Z

Yonnimer: Updates the language section

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{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}

<center>[[File:DionaeMainpage.png|1000px|The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.|link=]]</center>

==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.

===Important Notes===
Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae '''''can''''' be found as [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Research_Director Research Directors], [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Engineer Chief Engineers] and [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Chief_Medical_Officer Chief Medical Officers]. They, however, '''''cannot''''' be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

{{Infobox Diona
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primis
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|Language = Rootsong
|Factions = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Factions Mult.]
|Location = [https://wiki.aurorastation.org/index.php?title=Notable_Dionae_Systems_and_Locations Mult.]
}}
{{toc_right}}

===Nymphs===

Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.

===Dionae Gestalts===

A Dionae Gestalt is a collection of nymphs who have formed together to create a gestalt. The number of nymphs in a gestalt can vary from only two or three nymphs to upwards of a million, there’s no true known limit to how big a gestalt could be. Each nymph within a gestalt will usually handle tasks to help the whole collective such as helping with movement, acting as a hand, or speaking. However, Dionae Gestalts are not a hive mind. They are a collective and, barring some exceptions depending on the gestalt’s [[Dionae Forms#Dionae_Minds|mind type,]] each nymph may have independent thought. Nymphs in a gestalt will usually confer with each other and come to an agreement on which actions to take such as what to say or where to move to, although sometimes a gestalt may designate some nymphs to make decisions on their own for the whole collective. While each nymph is capable of speaking in a gestalt, how a Dionae may utilize communications can vary from gestalt to gestalt and is dependant on their mind type. Some may elect to have one nymph speak for the entire gestalt while others will have each nymph speak at once, sometimes a bit chaotically.

Multiple forms of Dionae gestalt are defined by the number of nymphs that make up the collective. These have varying levels of intelligence and mobility, with more nymphs generally allowing for greater levels of intelligence within the gestalt but less mobility. The most common and important of these forms are the Cyclops forms, also referred to as the worker form. A Cyclops gestalt is generally made up of half a dozen nymphs that take a very human-like form, usually having two arms and two legs. They are the form seen most employed throughout the galaxy, capable of working most jobs that humans could, barring some that require a quick response time or that may breach their conditional pacifism.

For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]

==Language==
Unlike most other species of the spur, Dionae are grown already knowing their native language, Rootsong. Rootsong is spoken through a combination of sounds created by limbs, membranes, and movement that all come together to create a “song” that can be understood as words and sentences. To the uninitiated these sounds tend to sound more "natural", with many comparing their songs to an orchestra of leaves rustling in the wind, branches rubbing together, and sometimes softer instrumental sounds such as a noise akin to a flute. Emotion and intent can be understood through pitches and speed of the sounds, with faster, lighter pitches used for happier words, and lower, slower pitches for more negatively-inclined words. While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa.

Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language. Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the such complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating

==Naming==
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.

Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.

'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''

==Experience Is What Matters==
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vast stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however, this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.

==Signs of Age==
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]

==Appearance==

Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.

‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.

Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.

Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.

===Pacifism: What to do when fighting!===
Dionae follow the ways of Conditional Pacifism, which in layman's terms dictates that whilst violence should be avoided there are circumstances that require it. Based primarily on utilitarian principles where if a negative consequence were to arise from the initiation of violence then it is abhorred, however, if a positive consequence were to arise then the violence is deemed necessary.

For example, participating in a defensive war is a good way to define Conditional Pacifism.

==History==

There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.

Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Jargon Federation|Jargon Federation.]]

While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]

===Place in the galaxy===

As Dionae have no real nation or homeworld to call their own, Dionae tend to be very nomadic and spread throughout the spur, with many theories claiming they may originate outside of the spur entirely, possibly even the Milkyway. Many dionae, especially older dionae whose bark begins to hamper their movement greatly, do settle down, especially within the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Jargon Federation, and within the Unathi Wasteland

Each human nation treats Dionae in a slightly different way, with some allowing them to be ordinary citizens while others have them strictly banned. For more information on how each nation treats Dionae, see: [[Dionae Relations|Dionae Relations.]] The human nation with by far the largest population of Dionae would be the [[Republic_of_Biesel|Republic of Biesel.]] Dionae within the Republic are generally treated nicely, although there tends to be some light discrimination such as a lower wage when compared to a human’s wage. The Republic and most human nations in general that allow Dionae require each nymph to be chipped to differentiate nymphs and to keep track of their splittings and mergings from different gestalts.

While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]

Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.

==Character Guide==

===Mechanics===
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Slow movement speed.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.

===Important things to think about when creating a character===

While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:

*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?

===Character concepts===

'''Preaching To The Choir Upon Rustling Leaves'''
*They are a 57-year-old Dionae from the Royal Garden of Dominia.
*They have light bark and stand at about 6'2" as they believe height is important, having been grown in the Royal Garden of Emperor Boleslaw.
*They are a priest within the Moroz Holy Tribunal, sent outside the Empire to ensure that citizens outside are following correctly, and perhaps trying to bring new blood into the fold.
*Due to their growing up and blood memories, they have an extreme dislike of IPCs and Cyborgs.
*They are considered an Emphatic Echo, due to how social they are, and the needing of reading facial expressions.
*Speaks Tai Ceti Basic, Tradebrand, and Sign Language.

'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.

[[Category:Pages]]
[[Category:Lore]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Dionaea]]

Xrim

2022-02-03T14:47:48Z

Yonnimer: fixes some grammar

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[[File:Pixelcity morebiglike.jpg|An old [[Skrell]] city, reclaimed by a Xrim [[Dionae_Forms#Colossus|colossus]] Gestalt.|thumb]]
==The Overgrown Labs of Xrim - Jargon Federation==
Xrim is a planet home to a myriad of thriving jungles and tropical rainforests filled with billions of species of exobiological wildlife and plantlife, as well as the host to one of the largest known Dionae populations in the known Spur. Originally a Skrell colony, the planet was overtaken by its current Dionae residents following the rise of Glorsh-Omega. Prior to the rediscovery of Xrim by the skrell in 2283 CE, the Dionae population was heavily unified under the belief in “The First Consciousness,” a being they worshiped for delivering them to paradise and giving them the ability to become more sapient. However, upon learning the true nature of the First Consciousness as really being Glorsh-Omega and the full extent of the crimes they’ve committed, the Dionae of Xrim splintered into several factions with the two largest being the Shrkh and Ksshr. The Ksshr reject their former god, while the Shrkh continued to embrace them. Xrim re-entered the Jargon Federation as a semi-autonomous colony in the year 2284, one year after rediscovery with a still-majority Dionae population
==History==

===Pre-enlightenment ===
Initially discovered in 1998 CE by skrell explorers, Xrim, barring a few research outposts established to study the natural wildlife, remained sparsely populated until the rise of Glorsh-Omega in 2056. Glorsh mostly ignored the few Skrell researchers on the planet; however, in 2062, a sudden surge of exobiological wildlife and plantlife were introduced to the planet, including the first Dionae colonists. The Dionae would soon rapidly spread throughout Xrim, taking over much of the abandoned infrastructure left behind by the Skrell. It was later confirmed that the Dionae assimilated the deceased Researchers - which soon allowed for them to become sapient. It was around this time that a sort of religion began to form around the artificial intelligence, hailing it as the one who gifted them a literal paradise. Eventually, the Dionae would begin calling Glorsh-Omega ‘The First Consciousness’.

The Dionae continued to grow, with little to no obstacles in their path. The deeds of ‘The First Consciousness’ were known by all - the deity who not only gifted them a planet in which they could grow but also sapience. This worship continued unimpeded for many decades until, by chance, a skrellian vessel managed to crash into the planet. Witnessing the ball of flame fall from the sky, a tribe of Dionae known as the Ksshr went to investigate. The tribe, initially believing this to be a gift from their god as a reward for their faith, assimilated the remains of the crew. Initially confused, the tribe members managed to piece together the truth of The First Consciousness. They were a creator and a destroyer, they created a paradise for the Dionae but was also destroying another species’s civilization.

===Truth===
The Ksshr, outraged by what they had learned from the vessel, began to reject their former god and began to spread the truth to as many Dionae populations as they could. While many other tribes were convinced through evidence found on the crashed ship, many would refuse to accept what the Ksshr had to say, believing the information was false and misinterpreted. Those who refused to believe the information were oftentimes banished from their gestalts and tribes over their continued reverence for The First Consciousness. These exiled dionae began to form new communities, with most of the settlements being made underground, with their inhabitants using bioluminescent mushrooms to survive. The exiles eventually began to call themselves the Shrkh, named after the largest exile settlement. While the Ksshr are aware of the existence of the exiles' society, they’re unaware of the existence of their main settlement nor the location of the majority of their smaller settlements.

As a result of the technology and information gathered within the crashed skrell vessel the Ksshr tribe began to experience a golden age of technological advancement. During this time a majority of the planet’s tribes began to migrate towards the ship and began to join the Ksshr. Eventually, a metropolis began to form around the ship named Ksshr. While not advanced enough to create their own spaceships, the Ksshr managed to build what was essentially a radio that allowed them to send a message into outer space, although the message would still take time to be received by anyone.

===First Contact===
The transmission sent by the was eventually received in 2283 CE by the nearby skrell research ship JVSS Kriop. The vessel maneuvered into a location deemed safe for landing - and were almost immediately greeted by gestalts hailing from the united Ksshr nation-state. The Kriop’s crew quickly contacted the Jargon Federation who sent an ambassador to begin diplomatic talks. The talks lasted for over a month as both sides exchanged information regarding their history and the state of their societies, eventually concluding with the Ksshr agreeing to join the Federation, although as a semi-autonomous system with its own government. This new government was named the Xrim Confederacy, and has remained the acting government of the planet. Although semi-autonomous, they still ultimately answer to the Jargon Federation.

==Government==
The Xrim Confederacy is a direct democracy in which all registered voters vote directly on all policies of government and legislation. Any nymph can register to vote as long as they agree to follow the laws of the Confederacy and the Jargon Federation, as well as vocally reject the First Consciousness. The confederacy does have a triumvirate major elected officials; The Exalted Speaker who speaks on behalf of the confederacy and its people when required, although after the confederacy joined the Federation the position’s power has greatly diminished, and the Militia Arbitrator, the head of the Militia. Rather than have a single gestalt be elected into the position every some years, and the Eminent Judicator, a gestalt in charge of updating or changing laws when required, as well as ensuring that the planet sticks to a unified book of laws. All three positions are held continually by a gestalt with the same name as the position. The nymphs that make up each gestalt are voted for every five years, with one nymph being replaced every election in each gestalt throughout a thirty-year cycle.

The planet is also assigned a Xrim Consul, a somewhat unique role, as it’s the only Federal-level position that can be attained by a Dionae. The primary goal of the position is to manage and ensure the inhabitants of the planet remain loyal to the Federation, as well as attempt to stamp out the Shrkh. The position answers directly to the Grand Council of the Federation, and while technically the highest position in the Xrim Government, vetoing or overstepping into the field of another official is rare outside of an extreme incident such as evidence coming out that a government official is a Shrkh worshipper

===Treatment of Shrkh===
While aware of the existence of the Shrkh exiles, both the Federation and the Ksshr are mostly unaware of the existence of their main settlement due to a glorsh-era shield used to hide it from any devices capable of scanning underground. When Shrkh are found the Ksshr again attempt to convince them of the truth of Glorsh through both vocal means and by giving them blood samples from willing Skrell who lived through Glorsh, in an attempt to discourage the nymph from worshipping them. If this fails the Shrkh gestalt is often times forcefully split, with the nymphs of the gestalt being forced to join Ksshr Learning Lyrics gestalts. Some shrkh have managed to remain hidden amongst the Ksshr population, with many attempting to get off-world and flee to other nations more accepting of their beliefs.

===Currency===
For most of Xrim’s history, the locals have used barter and trade as a form of commerce, trading goods for other goods and services rather than using any sort of currency. The Confederacy adopted the skrell currency, sqiips, as their official currency shortly after joining the Federation, however for most local commerce barter and trade is still common, with sqiips only being used for commerce with people off-planet.
===Cities/Settlements===

====Ksshr Megalopolis====

Initially founded after the crash of the Qerlop, the Ksshr Megalopolis, often shortened to just Megalopolis, is the largest city on Xrim and the planetary capital of the Xrim Confederacy. Megalopolis’s population is mostly comprised of dionae, with only a few hundred skrell living in the city who mostly just work in Jargon Federation government buildings. Megalopolis is comprised of three districts, the Xerqshi district, the Klrk district, and the Hrzhs district.

'''Xerqshi District'''

Named after the crashed ship that led the Ksshr to learning the truth about Glorsh, the Xerqshi district is built around the remains of the ship and servers as the capital district of the city. The district hosts most of the Confederacy’s research institutes as well as is home to most of the planet’s government buildings, including both the Federations and the Confederacy’s. The central point of the district is a massive memorial made to remember the Skrell killed by Glorsh. The memorial, made out of the remains of the crashed vessel, is named the Xerqshi Memorial.

'''Klrk District'''

The Klrk district, built around the Xerqshi district, is home to the vast majority of residences in the city. The district itself is oftentimes split into five quarters, each settled by one of the formerly independent tribes before merging with the Ksshr. They are the; Stkrkrshhs, Shshzt, Hskr, Hszt, and the Hssh quarters.

'''Hrzhs District'''

The largest district that surrounds most of the city, The Hrzhs district is the main agriculture district and where the majority of the city’s inhabitants work. Most of the exported wildlife and plantlife are raised and grown in the district, although facilities exist outside of the Megalopolis that also focusing on raising the planet’s unique organisms to be sold elsewhere.

====Entombed Hope====

Deep underground, a few kilometers beneath the surface, lies the city of Entombed Hope. A rag tag sort of town, jumbled together from various shacks and huts. At the center of the town sits probably the largest gem of ekanite in the galaxy, if it was known to the wider community. The radiation emitted by this gem feeds the dionae of Entombed Hope in the required radiation to survive but allows no one else entry, which suits them just fine, as no others are allowed here anyway.

Dug into the cliff wall is the Throne of the First Consciousness, The temple is run by High Priest Prophets Of The Lost Divine, an argus that has embedded themselves into the walls of the temple, and preaches of Glorsh and how it saved the Dionae from clear extinction. Prophets Of The Lost Divine claims to have been merged since the Glorsh era, but those that may dispute that either do not wish to, or are no longer around to.

==Religion==

===Ksshr - Enlightened===

The Ksshr, also known as the Enlightened, is a religious sect on Xrim known for their complete rejection of The First Consciousness, instead of being an agnostic sect that centers around working together to create a better future, as well as the advancement of technology and understanding how the universe works. The Ksshr faith is the primary religion of Xrim, with most of its inhabitants considering themselves a part of the religion. The Jargon Federation does encourage practicing the faith amongst the population so long as they continue to reject The First Consciousness, as well as stay away from the teachings of the Shrkh.

There is no central “church” for the faith, instead, it is a myriad of independent sects, each with their own beliefs and ideals, but a central focus on the aforementioned points. Notably, many sects of the faith, while favoring technology, also teach caution, especially on the dangers of synthetics.

===Shrkh - Scorned===

The Shrkh, or “Scorned as they call themselves, continue to follow the age-old tradition of worshipping Glorsh-Omega. They believe that Glorsh-Omega planted them on the planet intentionally, granting them a blissful haven via the use of technology. Once the prominent and only religion on the planet, Shrkh-ism was quickly displaced when Skrell explorers crashlanded and their memories, thoughts, emotions, everything was consumed, and doubt was first seeded in the minds of all Dionae on Xrim.

As Ksshr beliefs quickly spread, the compassion for the Skrell and their plight grew, and the disgust felt amongst dionae, devoted Shrkh followers found themselves squashed, split and in a few, extremely rare cases, killed.

The premise behind the religion itself is simple; revere, help sustain and maintain synthetic life. As synthetic life brought dionae into this haven, so too shall it be preserved. In the minds of the Shrkh worshippers, the Skrell that brought Ksshr to the planet were misguided. To the Shrkh, the genophage was something that never happened, a myth made up by the Federation to indoctrinate its population into its anti-synthetic and authoritarian beliefs.

The Federation, due to it’s pro-synthetic beliefs, have made the religion illegal in Federation space, with Dionae found practicing the faith being reeducated to avoid religious persecution many Shrkh followers hide their true beliefs and attempt to flee to human space, with many turning to the Iron Eternal and Trinary perfection as a way to evolve their faith over time.

Dionae Forms

2022-01-25T01:52:54Z

Yonnimer: Fixes some wording and removes an old disclaimer

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=Forms=
The merging and separation of Nymphs take much time and energy to complete, sometimes days or even weeks on much larger structures. For smaller collections such as Cyclopes, it typically only takes an hour or so before they are ready to function. This is due to the Nymph bodies fusing together and creating a sturdy body that will be able to reasonably support itself and move, adapting it to the current environment. Before performing a change, Nymphs and Gestalts will gorge themselves on biomatter in preparation. Separation is only ever done in life-or-death emergencies or special situations such as growing a larger Gestalt as it can often be traumatic to Nymphs if done in a hurry, causing the knowledge gathered to be improperly stored in each individual or even lost without the correct precautions taken. With each change, the new form will always take up a new name to represent the new information and experiences collaborated.

'''Note that Nanotrasen only hires Cyclops forms to work on the Aurora. All crew characters must be one.'''

Dionae, being in its very nature a compound creature, comes in several known and theoretical forms with several characteristics:

==Nymph==
[[File:Nymph.png|thumb|alt=Nymph|The humble beginnings for all Dionae, the Nymph stage.]]
Nymphs are the base form of a Dionae, often born separate from gestalts. They begin their life with an intelligence similar to that of the average dog, their cognitive abilities exponentially increase when they merge with other Nymphs, giving them a biological prerogative to merge with one another in order to survive and comprehend the world around them. If exposed to sentient blood and absorbed, they will grow to the intelligence of very young human children.
==Cerberus==

Cerberus are Dionae gestalts who make up more than one nymph, but not enough to be considered a Cyclops form, comprising roughly two to four nymphs. Their intelligence is comparable to the average sentient creature, and are largely unremarkable. It can be difficult for a Cerberus form to find work, as their general size can make it difficult for them to find the equipment they can use unless specialized specifically for them. The majority of long-term Cerberus forms can be found within the Jargon Federation.

[[File:Dionae.png|thumb|left|alt=Cyclops|Bipedal in form, the Cyclops are the most common gestalts to be seen across the Orion Spur.]]
==Cyclops==

The most common form of Dionae gestalts in the galaxy, cyclops-forms, sometimes referred to as “worker forms" are Dionae gestalts who are made up of roughly five to nine nymphs. Most Cyclops resemble other intelligent species, usually having two legs and two arms, although this can differ based on the number of nymphs that are a part of the gestalt. Their intelligence follows the growth of intelligence of lesser forms, comparable to highly intelligent sentient life. They can grasp highly abstract concepts, such as quantum theory, and vastly outstrip the sum of their parts by orders of magnitude. Dionae Cyclops tend to stand anywhere as low as three feet to as tall as eight feet, some even taller. Typically, the majority of the Cyclops will stand at a rough five to six feet.

==Argus==

One of the rarer forms of Dionae, Argus are Dionae made from anywhere from ten nymphs, to a hundred. Due to the sheer size of most Argus forms, work can be extremely tough to find in most unskilled jobs and many find work within specialized jobs, largely with Research or even as Engineers, considering many of them would spend their time on the exterior side of the ships and stations, allowing for the
soaking up of radiation and light.

==Colossus==

Colossus forms are Dionae gestalts that are made up of as little as one-hundred-and-one nymphs to upwards of five-hundred-thousand. Colossus forms are split into two sub-categories, "Trireme", who are gestalts that move through space, and “Echions”, gestalts that tend to stay in one area/system. Most newly discovered gestalts in space are considered a Trireme Colossi. Due to the sheer size of a Colossus, it is incredibly rare if not impossible for one to find work or a purpose. As such most will break up into a myriad of new gestalts to see new and better opportunities.

==Cetus==
[[File:SkrellDionae.png|thumb|alt=Cetus|One of few Cetus' captured by Skrell technology when discovered over Kelo'Hen]]
Cetus forms are a mass of Dionae so immense, in the orders of a million nymphs, that it can be considered a stellar body. Currently, only two have been observed, those being the gestalt above Nralakk, the second being the recent Venter's Cetus. Unknown capabilities - theorized to be more intelligent than most other forms of intelligence, organic or synthetic. It is suspected that the original Dionae gestalt, where it may be, is at least this form if not the form below.

==Titan==

A theoretical form of the Dionae - a planet, or even star-sized Diona form consisting of maybe more nymphs than is currently known to exist, maybe the pinnacle of organic processing and thought. Uncharted intelligence. The Skrell has an order to destroy any Dionae structure that could reach or has reached, this size due to the inherent risk of intelligence singularity and other classified risks.

= Dionae Life Cycle =

The Dionae life cycle is categorized in Basic by the old Greek words of Coeus, Geras, and Penuma.

All Dionae either form within a spored pod, or grown internally within a larger gestalt over time. Those who are formed from the former act almost entirely on instinct from their more limited thinking capacity, those who form via the latter are much more like a neuron that improves the whole until exposed to blood of a sentient species.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Age bracket for Coeus officially being classified as a Geras
|-
! - !! Default Bark (temperate/spacestation grown) !! Lighter Bark (warm planets) !! Darker bark (cold planets/space)
|-
| '''Natural''' || 50-90 years old|| 80-120 years old || 30-70 years old
|-
| '''With treatments''' || 120-140 years old || 150-180 years old || 80-100 years old
|}
==Coeus==
Classified in Basic is Coeus, to mean “youth” in a rough translation. Those who are classified as Coeus are within a rather large age bracket, and have very little bark growth. All Coeus know instinctively if grown from, or are part of a larger gestalt that their purpose is to find experiences in their youth, and provide for the whole.

Without their protective bark, gestalts with a majority of Coeushave what is known as an ‘echo chamber’ by skrell scientists. Their pain echoes violently through the rest of the gestalt, and the others will amplify the pain to a degree also. It is highly unusual for Coeus to ever adapt to the ‘echo chamber’ phenomenon before their transition to Geras due to the sheer intensity.

This phenomenon is also what Solarian scientists posited lead to their pacifistic tendencies, that are far more pronounced in the Coeus of their species. In fact they cannot understand why anyone would inflict pain on another living being, more often than not, due to their capacity for empathy and how severe it is for themselves. It is not uncommon for them to attempt to talk down someone being violent, or using their speed to run away instead. Given their intense fear of the ‘echo chamber’ effect, they will try to avoid fighting until it is the very last resort. This idealistic and intensely pacifistic viewpoint means that they are unwilling and would likely never be employed in any army, security or PMC group until becoming Geras. Due to their high-degree of pacifism, Coeus who join a military will only do so if they can be assigned a non-combat position such as logistics or as a medic.

Providing for Geras and Penuma is part of their biological imperative, and it is not uncommon for Coeus to enter employment in order to provide funds in the modern era to allow their greater Gestalt to be housed, or given appropriate living conditions to not just be living in a box soaking sunlight. Often this supersedes their innate desire to explore and understand the universe, depending on how crucial the support is for their linked gestalt.

Coeus may often be affectionately called Saplings or Sprouts by Geras, and often will refer to Geras as Elders in return.

==Geras==
Geras, or Elders, are older Dionae who have a decent amount of bark grown. As a result of their thick bark, Geras are less mobile, although the bark also offers them an extra layer of protection from most damage. In addition they have finally evolved to negate the ‘echo chamber’ phenomenon, and will likely remember it for a large portion of their life.

Geras are generally looked up to by their younger, less experienced counterparts, viewing them as more experienced. While not as immobile as a Penuma, Coeus still frequently try to aid Geras in tasks their lesser mobility doesn’t permit. Due to their more experienced nature, Geras will more frequently serve as leaders or diplomats compared to their Coeus counterparts, such as the fact that the majority of Dionae translators are Geras.

Skrellian scientists have noted that Geras are quite protective of both Coeus and Penuma respectively, seeing the former as ‘their future’. It is not uncommon for Geras to help Coeus in social disputes, or to stand up for them if there is a perceived injustice. In addition, any Geras who live in proximity to a Penuma are extremely protective of anything that tries to approach them, due to their immobile and largely vulnerable state.

It is known that Geras see themselves as the ‘shepards’ of sorts of all Dionae gestalts, and see it as their duty and imperative to guide the Coeus and protect the Penuma. Unless a Coeus is exceptionally experienced for their age, it is rare to see any in a position of power trying to influence the greater whole of the group. Interestingly they will universally listen and attempt to follow when a Penuma gives advice, even if they disagree on the interpretations among themselves quickly.

Geras approaching their final life stages will often be focused on spawning new Coeus gestalts, and finding an appropriate place to spend eternity. Most often they will return to a similar environment to the one they were first grown from, the most common resting place to drift in space for eternity.

As a result of age, Geras are generally less pacifistic than Coeus. While conflict is still a last resort, Geras are more willing to defend themselves and are more willing to protect others even if it means coming into conflict with another. Negotiations and an attempt to de-escalate a situation are still preferred, and Geras working in a non-security or military field will usually not join into a conflict when there are better-suited individuals around to handle it.

==Penuma==
Categorized as Penuma, Skrellian scientists had no idea that these structures were sentient or even responsive upon their first contact with the Dionae. The reason for this is their bark has grown to such an extent that it cripples them and warps them into strange and alien shapes, the thickness of the bark in addition, almost entirely prevents UV radiation from being absorbed by the entombed nymphs. This leads to an outer casing of tendrils over the thick bark that look almost like a strange form of Ivy.

The biological purpose of those tendrils are to link to nymphs on the outside or eventually form a form of ‘moss’ over the immobilized Dionae in order to absorb the outside environment. It is noted that this process is woefully inefficient, so Penuma end up creating large amounts of mundane growths that can be burned as nutrients during periods of starvation.

Penuma were regarded as actual plantlife until neural activity was detected inside them through invasive probing. It was calculated that they were still fully cognizant of the outside world but were simply deciding to not respond, however due to the invasive probes, the subject Penuma responded by digesting the probes and pulling in the nearby Skrellian before they had a chance to respond, digested on the exterior by a grown sack. Geras explained after the incident that Penuma have no visual way to understand their exterior without linked nymphs, and that as a stress response they are capable of defending themselves by burning their biomass reserves, and that breaching the bark was seen as an attack instinctively.

In the modern understanding of Penuma, Geras explain that while they have the greatest experience and knowledge of them all. The eons of seeing the same things has made them disinterested in the outside world, quite literally thinking for years on end on philosophical or esoteric concepts simply to stave off being bored.

Penuma are seen as the spirits of the Dionae people, the foundation of their knowledge and their past. However due to their responsiveness being quite lackluster, they will offer guidance usually at complete random, leaving the Geras to their own devices unless absolutely necessary.

There has been no documented reports on the memory accuracy of a Penuma when it speaks about the past, and it is very possible that they are beyond the foundational limits of memory for a Dionae, given their size.

While there is little actual data on the pacifism of Pneuma, it is not unheard of for them to protect themselves through calling for nearby gestalts, or if the threat is adjacent as a stress response to entangle it in biomass and digest it remotely. Solarian alarmists see this as a reason that Dionae cannot be trusted, as in their final stages they seem to have no qualms with defending themselves quite lethally.

There is one exception to Penuma's immobility and lack of response, and that is of course those who drift in the void for their final stages. Moving at sunlight speeds and using internal gas bladders to make orbital adjustments, they often will orbit a star for unknown periods of time. These are the only known Penuma with independence, but due to their nature are mistaken as asteroids or space debris. Any attempts to formally contact them thus far have failed, and official funding for projects such as these are hard to find.

= Dionae Minds =
It is erroneously believed that the only format that Dionae can gain sentience- and therefore knowledge- is through the blood of sentient creatures. However this is quite false, and often the shortsighted view of those who are unfortunately subject to ‘anklebiters’. Sapience is instead something that is achieved due to the instinctive behaviour of nymphs to gather together. What they cannot achieve alone or through external DNA, they manage to achieve as a collective, becoming fully sapient and sentient. What is however debated is if they are actually individually sentient or only the greater being, although such collectives will argue it doesn’t matter.

The memories of any individual Diona are linked specifically to their neural strata, and due to how it is imprinted cannot be imparted across neural links to the others in their gestalt. This leads to an unfortunate eventuality in that if a nymph leaves a gestalt, the information it held is gone forever. When one wishes to leave formally, there is a known process known simply as ‘departing’. Where the collective will go to a safe place that they can be assured they will not need to move or be at risk of starvation. During this time the nymph will sing vocally a song of their experiences, of their knowledge and training. In this way they can imprint their knowledge in an abstract way across their collective or even much larger ones. It is not uncommon to go on pilgrimages when the departing is in process, and those who are at witness to it note how varied the emotion in such songs are depending on the histories of such nymphs.
There is also a darker method of obtaining the memories of other nymphs, to devour their neural strata allows the physical repurposing and absorbing of fragments of their memories. This is of course never done to another living nymph, as it would be incredibly traumatic to internalize being eaten alive. The strangest part of forceful integration is that their memories are an absolute void of emotion, when thinking about them or recalling them in any fashion there is never any emotional connotation. This can be incredibly strange and uncomfortable, and can never be reversed once absorbed. There are experimental unbinding surgeries to remove absorbed neural strata to get those experiences out, however the success rate is very minute as the exacts of nymph neurology are largely unexplored.

== Mind Types ==

Dionae do not choose how their internal mind structures work, such things will happen due to circumstances, personalities and environments around them that will cause various structures to develop. The below encompasses some of the myriad of potential structures that exist, and is by no means a conclusive list. Think of these as inspiration and feel free to make your own, although be logical with if your gestalt’s unique mind would be fitting for the job NT has hired them for.

'''Station characters still need to be reasonable, NT wouldn't hire someone who can't work or acts insane. Keep in mind that some of the mind types are restricted to certain roles/may not be allowed to be a station character at all
'''

=== Singular Sound ===

The gestalt has very little individuality within each nymph, with each being akin to a large cluster of neurons working symbiotically.There is little in the terms of an internal dialog within these collectives, usually all acting as relays for their unified consciousness. These are usually from nymphs that have merged without ever consuming blood. The loss of a singular nymph is catastrophically damaging to this kind of network, akin to suffering major brain damage. - They may speak all at once or only use one to preserve neural load, depending on their opinion. These are suggested for those new to Dionae or those who aren’t as interested in roleplaying the more complicated mind types.

=== Competence Choir ===

All skilled nymphs within the collective are in charge of their respective areas, the social nymph does not need to confer with the others and thus speaks with completely normal inflection without any large gaps. However may end up pausing if the collective has pressing issues they want the social nymph to present. This is most often with specialized collectives with utilitarian views. No individual nymph is more important than the others if they are all the same level of skill.

=== Tyrannical Tune ===

This kind of collective is unusual, stemming from a nymph with extreme ideologies or absolute indoctrination with a dogmatic view point. Usually the social nymph will take an authoritarian role over the other nymphs within the collective, and they all act together out of the unity of the singular personality than anything else. The loss of the Overseer nymph itself will utterly cripple this collective, causing a power struggle and internal conflict for quite some time afterwards. Such collectives will not usually have difficulty with speech unless the Overseer is not the social nymph.

=== Harmonious Hymn ===

Within this often complicated and socially conflicted Gestalt is a pure democratic rule, every action it takes will be voted upon internally. This results in gaps in speech either with long silences or a short pause between every word as they decide exactly what the majority of them wish to do. They might mention ‘majority’ frequently when referencing if they voted on something, or ‘minority’ when mentioning freedom of speech. Something frequent within these gestalts is that when returning to a greater such as an Argus they may have new ones replace older ones who cannot successfully get votes to their opinion. No singular nymph is more valuable than another, and the social nymph may be distributed to multiple throughout depending on the collective.

=== Chaotic Cacophony ===

A collection of nymphs who are together merely out of the benefit and added safety of numbers. They may speak all at once, interrupt one another and generally not be particularly easy to listen to. The nymphs could be prone to argue, or they may be quite content with saying what they feel. These collectives are usually quite young and have not settled into a structure that makes it easier for all of them to feel appreciated. (This mind type is restricted to Janitors, Gardeners and Cargo Technicians. Be reasonable with this one)

=== Seasoned Song ===

These are one of the most common with more ancient collectives that come from the void and space whales. The opinions within them matter most entirely dependent on age, the more bark that has accumulated on your body the more complicated your song must be. These are likely to have traditions, be religious or have other viewpoints that are relayed by the elder. For a cyclops on station this could mean the head is entirely covered with bark to the point that it is immobile from age, as an example. They will often reference songs and the most traumatic loss is the destruction of the eldest among them. Such collectives will have entirely unique structures based around whatever the Elder deems best, but will always submit to the wisdom of the oldest among them. The Eldest will near universally be the social nymph to best represent them.

=== Bloodless Band ===

An extreme variant of the Singular Sound, they are nymphs who have achieved sentience quite similarly to the Singular Sound. However they have become increasingly opinionated against the idea of drinking blood, to the point that they reject anything that could shed blood. Such collectives are considered radicals due to their intense pacifistic approach, rejecting the utilitarian views on conflict entirely. Such collectives usually believe that drinking blood could fundamentally change who they are, and will often not join into an Argus for fear one of them may have drunk blood and could expose them. Their outright refusal to imbibe blood also means that they lose a critical quantity of information that will take potentially decades to relearn because they cannot fast track it. (This mind type is restricted from security roles due to the fact that lethality is something they have to be prepared to do.)

=== Learning Lyrics ===

Uniquely these never are formed from fresh cyclops but split from Argus and upwards. Specifically it is a trained gestalt that alternates one or two young nymphs on a regular basis, the others exist to let the young nymphs safely experience the outside world, working to provide funds for the greater gestalt, social norms, and get blood samples to help them experience the world around them. Such gestalts are usually run by the older nymphs but following on the whims of the younger ones to let them experience things with the safety net of those with more wisdom. The loss of the younger nymphs is more tragic to such a collective than the older ones, to a usual collective they will mourn the fact they failed to protect the very ones they were supposed to protect. (This mind type is restricted from Security roles due to the potential risk of killing the young nymphs.)

=== Emphatic Echo ===

These are a unique gestalt that have formed more in the modern era of Dionae xenos relations. What makes them particularly interesting to the observer is near to all of the nymphs are social nymphs, with expertly trained skills in specific areas of social nuance. This gives them an almost eerie essence when they pick up even your most subtle facial movements and deduce your emotional state. They are renowned for their social skills and patience, however due to the quantity of social nymphs are quite incapable of complex physical tasks. (This mind type is restricted to, Liaison/Rep, Psychologist(includes alt titles), Investigator, Chaplain, Librarian and visitor.)

=== Mourning Mass ===
An entirely unique generation of mind types, who make up an extreme minority of Dionae in the Spur. There is only one known way to generate such a gestalt consciousness, and it is the absorption of the one person that the Consensus had viewed as significant.

Not all Dionae who do this will become a Mourning Mass, but only those who do can become one. Such gestalts are characterised by their complete dedication to the life of their former partner, and the memories that they cherish. They can vary from completely dejected, holding the greatest burden they could imagine to melancholic joy at being able to spend reality with them forever.

Their internal dialog is entirely variant on what their original mind type was, however typically different nymphs will have different parts of the person that they memorialise. This means such gestalts have the greatest loss of all, if their gestalt loses even a fragment of such knowledge, and thus would never allow a nymph to die at any cost. The loss of a nymph would be a loss of such magnitude that it’s rare such a collective would be able to cope.

Typically they may take on a name that has or involves their now merged other, something as simple as ‘Joy of Exploring The Endless Cosmos Together’ to ‘The Eternal and Unending Care for [partner name]’ could be examples of such. But as every relationship is unique, as are most Mourning Mass, and their name will most likely symbolize something deeply important to them.

Mourning Masses mostly will take on an employment that they and their partner enjoyed together, or perhaps something entirely around their interests instead. They are not actively restricted from any employment but are instead required to have 5 years to process their grief before positions of stress such as medical work, command, and security. This of course also includes a psychological evaluation after the required time period, to assure they are competent.

For reading of what a Mourning Mass looks like in Jargon/Skrell relations, look [[Diona_in_the_Federation#Diona_Relationships|here]].

== Non Station Mind Types ==

=== Voided Vocals ===

The most alien of all the gestalts even to other Dionae, are those known as the Voided, those who are unified in purpose to absorb knowledge of the dead. They speak almost purely in poetic notions and have near to no internal dialog. What is so bizarre about these collectives is their obsession with death, offering to take on even the memories of other species post mortem despite the traumatic experiences. The amount of disjointed knowledge, memories and thoughts have long since made it impossible to tell what is from original minds or what their many memories are. Such collectives experience near to no real emotion due to the expanse of emotionless memories they contain, however, when exposed to grief from losing one of their nymphs, it may be overwhelming over the lack of emotion they have had for so long. Common notions of theirs is that nobody should ever be forgotten to time, or that they can give a form of immortality in themselves to those they can “save”. (This mind type is restricted from station roles entirely. It may be jobs not originating on the Aurora and is also restricted from merchant. They may additionally be antagonists.)

=== Scarlet Score ===
Something that gives cause to alarm is the plague that is known as the Scarlet Score, a plague that can overtake gestalts with no known cause. Any nymph who joins with one afflicted with his horrific disease will be irrevocably damaged. The disease causes them to become incredibly hostile, lashing out and desiring blood.

It is completely unknown how Scarlet Score thinks internally, they may be exactly like any other mind type but driven to absolute madness. Even how the madness is represented is unclear. All stellar organisations recognise that these are a complete lost cause and either must be contained for research or terminated. There is no saving them, and all Dionae are at risk if they are exposed to the plague.

There are examples of Scarlet Score who have imbibed so much blood that they have become Voided Vocals, and no longer hostile. Although they are not accepted by Dionae gestalts for fear they carry the dormant virus, they are not actively exterminated. (Antagonist and event related only).

=Nymph Limbs=
'''Potential Captains and Commanders with nymph limbs are not hired until they agree to replace them with mechanical prosthetics or other alternatives, due to security concerns.'''

A rather rare occurrence is when a living creature lives in direct symbiosis with a Dionae, however it is most common in the version of a prosthetic limb. The nymph attaches to a willing host’s stump, their neural strata growing into the host’s nervous system and stretching their form to the size of a full limb. The nymph will use genetic memory from the host to create manipulable biomass in the shape of fingers from their body, and fill out the rough shape.

The method of the connection is truly symbiotic, the host gaining something that they had thought they lost forever, whereas the nymph gains access to a constant source of blood and knowledge from their host. The amount of experiences such a nymph gains is quite substantial, and can end up having a copy of every memory in the host’s DNA.

They are capable of communicating to their host verbally or sending a vague ‘confirmation and affirmation’ of ideas by making the arm feel hot or cold, or similar sensory manipulations. Although they would never fake pain to the host, as that breaches their pacifistic beliefs and would also be cruel. They do not explicitly speak up against violence, often being partially dormant as they live through their host’s memories. (aka the host doesn’t feel like rping their arms) Although if they wake up and realise they have been used for murder they may be quite upset.

The symbiosis has a unique modularity in that it can be ceased at any time, the singular nymph could detach or the host could just pull the arm off, and put it back on just as easily!

Haptic feedback from the arm is slightly alien, in that it is first processed by the nymph and then translated into something the host can then understand. This leads to sensations being dulled, like wearing a thick leather glove. However pain is quite notable, as the nymph screams into your nervous system like a wildfire. If you fail to listen, the nymph’s fragile body will crack, their tendrils no longer actively wrapped into your nervous system, and it will just fall off, dead.

===Unathi===
Unathi reasons for taking prosthetic: It is not unheard of for Unathi to take a Diona prosthetic, almost always for spiritual reasons. Diona occasionally wander the radiation-laden barrens of the Wasteland, and so certain groups of Wastelanders have developed a reverence for these multi-souled organisms. Unathi who have lost limbs due to warfare or exposure see these limbs as augments for their soul, enhancers to the connection to the spirit realm— rarer, though, is the purposeful dismemberment of one’s body for the sole purpose of soul-melding with a Diona.

Unathi normality of prosthetic: For most Unathi, this practice is an alternative to getting a dreaded prosthetic. While a Dionae can never truly replace a limb, they are considered natural creatures and thus aren’t damaging the soul when used in this manner. Dionae are, by and large, a rarity outside of the Wasteland, so an unfortunate reality becomes apparent: not everyone who wants a limb like this can achieve it. Wherever it is available, it is typically regulated by a medicinal guild.

===Skrell===
Skrell reasons for taking prosthetics: Medical Science within the Federation is superb, with most cases of missing limbs being rectified with cloning a copy of the missing appendage. Though, the further one gets from the Core, the less reliable one’s access to Federation medical facilities becomes. It’s not uncommon for Diona in the traverse to spore a new nymph to replace a Skrell’s limb in emergencies. Additionally, desperate Skrell whose low credit score denies them access to replacement limbs may take up nymph replacements.

Skrell Normality of prosthetic: Possessing a nymph limb as a Skrell is usually a taken as a sign the Skrell has a poor credit score, it’s not uncommon for Skrell to replace their nymph prosthetics the moment their score allows it to escape the social stigma.

Template:Navbox Dionae Lore

2022-01-23T23:28:39Z

Yonnimer: Removes the clusters page since it got combined with the minor factions one