Difference between revisions of "Vaurca"

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{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
'''WARNING: This page is undergoing serious revision. Read at your peril.'''
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Infobox Species
{{Infobox Species
Line 6: Line 5:
  |Scientific = V. esseli / V. sapiens
  |Scientific = V. esseli / V. sapiens
  |Image = Vaurcaduo.png
  |Image = Vaurcaduo.png
  |System = Sedantis (Ske'hazik'staza, "Blinding Light.")
  |System = Sedantis (Sc'theth'stak, "Blinding Light.")
  |World = Sedantis IVc (Vaur'azek'uyuz, "Home.")
  |World = Sedantis I (Vaur'avek'uyit, "Home Afar.")
  |Language = Vaur'uyit'yaza.
  |Language = Vaurcese, Hivenet.
  |Politic = Zo'ra Hive, K'lax Hive.
  |Politic = [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra Hive]], [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax|K'lax Hive]], [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur Hive]].
  }}
  }}
{{toc_right}}
==Overview==


The Vaurca (sing. Vaurca, pl. Vaurca, Vaurcas, Vaurcae) are a bipedal insectoid race hailing from the unknown star system Sedantis. They are notable for their virtual-reality and brain-uploading technology, as well as their strong caste division between the robotic Bound workers and virtual reality-dwelling Unbound intellectuals. The Vaurca appeared in known space on the 21st of December 2456, and have since begun to spread throughout human space. Although tolerated on [[Nanotrasen Corporation]] facilities and in [[Biesel]], they are generally unwanted and marginalized in the [[Sol Alliance]], and face discrimination even in places they're welcome. In addition, they have been shadowed from across light-years by the mysterious Li'idra Hive, dedicated to avenging their ancient loss and exterminating them.
Vaurcae, (''Vaurca'' in singular term and ''Vaurcae'' in multiple) are an arthropodous species that naturally organize themselves into eusocial groups. The Vaurca are one of the oldest surviving civilizations in the known galaxy, with a '''[[Vaurca History|history]]''' that can be traced back 730 000 years ago. Now they arrive in the [[Orion Spur]] as colonists, reluctantly taken in by other civilizations.


To apply to be one of the insect-like Vaurca, apply [http://aurorastation.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=28 here]
Their eusocial organizations are referred to as Hives, led by a High Queen, typically named after the Hive itself. Below the High Queen, Lesser Queens govern specific Hive functions. Both Lesser and High Queens, as well as Surrogate Breeders, are the exclusive types of Vaurcae capable of laying eggs for the generation of new individuals. Birth under a particular Queen or Surrogate Breeder assigns a Vaurca to her brood, resulting in distinct traits and a variant carapace color compared to others. Further details on these structures and broods can be explored on the '''[[Vaurca Hives]]''' page.


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


Vaurca can't be any Head of Staff. Their employment opportunities are strictly limited.
Vaurcae have mechanical extras such as extensive xenowear loadout and their homeworld's flag. [[K'ois]] as a product is available in-game and they have a rather grand set of unobtainable event-spawn objects and mobs. Massive Vaurcae Breeders are playable as [[Consular Officer|consular officers]], and their lore can further be explored through artifacts and merchant items.
 
Vaurcae can come from the Zo'ra, K'lax, C'thur, or Lii'dra Hives. The Lii'dra are exclusive to [[Lii'dra guide|antagonists]] and events, though antagonist Vaurcae are not limited to Lii'dra.
 
To apply to be one of the insect-like Vaurcae, apply [http://aurorastation.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=28 here].
 
'''Important notes:''' Vaurcae cannot be any Heads of Staff, bridge crew, or be elevated to an interim command position. Vaurcae used to require an Avowal of Responsibility to work any position higher than an intern level, but as of 4/24/2463, Avowals were abolished in [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]] facilities.
{{TOC Hidden}}


==Mechanics==
==Mechanics==


*Global hivemind, accessible via :9 and heard only by other Vaurcae and stationbound synthetics.
*Can only healthily consume food made of k'ois, a yellow fungus originating from the Vaurcesian home planet. K'ois is deadly to other lifeforms.
*Pressure & Cold resistant, allowing them to survive in space with internals.
*A long-distance language in the form of Global Hivenet. It is accessible with ,9 and can only be heard by other Vaurcae and station-bound synthetics.
*Unaffected by Phoron gas.
*Immune to phoron gas, and require it to breathe.
*Have natural insulation.
*Have a third arm to hold small objects.
*Can survive in space without a voidsuit.
*Do not take damage from electric shocks.
*Immune to slipping.
*Immune to slipping.
*Can only healthily consume food consisting of K'ois paste and byproducts.
*Do not self-heal.
*Require phoron to breathe. They spawn with an internal phoron tank they can refill by consuming plasma reagent.
*Can toggle night-vision to see in the dark.
*Cannot wear normal shoes or gloves.
*Take x2 damage from toxins.
*Cannot wear normal helmets. (Can wear hats.)
*Bleed out faster.
*Cannot wear most spacesuits.
*Do not self-heal from most damage types.
*Takes 2x the toxin damage.
*Suffer from additional blood loss.
*Vulnerable to EMPs.
*Can be permanently rendered blind by flashing them several times in a row.
*Can be permanently rendered blind by flashing them several times in a row.
*Cloning tanks will not clone their non-organic organs.
*Vaurca '''Warriors''' can bite and are more resistant to burns.
 
*Vaurca '''Workers''' cannot bite but are more resistant to radiation.
** Vaurca Warriors are more resistant to fire than their Worker brethren.
*Vaurca '''Bulwarks''' are slow but immune to radiation and can fireman carry two people at once.  
** Vaurca Warriors are faster than their Worker brethren, and can sprint for longer.
** Vaurca Warriors can bite.
 
** Vaurca Workers are more resistant to brute than their Warrior brethren.
** Vaurca Workers are more resistant to radiation than their Warrior brethren.
** Vaurca Workers are more resistant to suffocation than their Warrior brethren.
** Vaurca Workers are slower than their Warrior brethren.
** Vaurca Workers cannot bite.


Non-mechanic traits:
Non-mechanic traits:
* Dislike light.
*Dislike light.
* Generally very specialized, often no inter-department knowledge.
*Be raised in virtual reality.
* Face severe discrimination in human space.
*Generally very specialized. Born to serve a specific role.
 
*Face severe discrimination in human space.
Coloration:
*Be incredibly sensitive to smells.
* Vaurcae exoskeletons are typically coloured depending on the type and hive of the Vaurca specimen in question. Individuals can vary from the normal color by 10 or fewer points.
:Zo'ra Hive
::Unbound of any type: (RGB 51, 0, 0)
::Bound Warriors: (RGB 71, 0, 21)
::Bound Workers: (RGB 71, 21, 21)
:K'lax Hive
::Unbound of any type: (RGB 51, 51, 0)
::Bound Warriors: (RGB 51, 71, 21)
::Bound Workers: (RGB 71, 71, 21)
:Lii'dra Hive
::Lii'dra can be any colour, to permit them to masquerade as Vaurca from other hives.
 
===Information for Whitelisted Players===
 
====Playable Factions/Types/Castes====
Vaurca can come from the Zo'ra, K'lax, or Lii'dra hives. Vaurca from the Zo'ra hive must also choose a brood. The Lii'dra are exclusive to antagonists and events, though an antagonist Vaurca can be from another hive, or pretend to be from another hive while being from Lii'dra.
 
Playable Vaurca can be either Bound or Unbound, and their playstyles are drastically different.
 
====Personalities: Playing a Vaurca====
 
=====Playing Bound=====
 
Playing a Bound (Viax) is very similar to playing a station-bound synthetic; your first responsibility is to obey orders and do as you're told. Hive-bound Bound are completely lacking in any sense of self-preservation and obey orders at any consequence to themselves, but the Bound distributed to Nanotrasen through the labor lottery have a special 'subordinated locus,' a set of root-level directives that keeps them from being too dangerous or untrustworthy. These 'subordinated' Bound are expected to flee from combat rather than fight, and must return to safety if they feel they are in mortal danger. This doesn't give them a lot of common sense, but it keeps them from being a threat to others. (An antagonist could absolutely give a Bound a bomb-detonator and tell them when to press the button.)
Bound Vaurca are notoriously poor at dealing with complicated or overlapping chains of command, or with standing regulations, and generally can only recognize a single supervisor at a time to the exclusion of all others. They are thus a point of weakness for any antagonist seeking to cause damage to the station; any ne'er-do-well who gets control of one can generally rely on it to further their wicked cause without resistance.
 
Bound are barred from security, medical, and science jobs. They are free to take civilian jobs (except Quartermaster) or engineering jobs. They are also free to be menial lab assistants, or orderlies in the medical department. They do not need to be formally promoted before taking these jobs. Because Za bodies are only for combat, and because Bound cannot join Security, playing a Za'Viax is not permitted.
 
=====Playing Unbound=====
 
Unbound (Akaix) Vaurca are people; there is very little within the realm of human experience that an Unbound cannot encounter. They are capable of learning any skill and performing any job, but due to prejudice and discrimination, they are limited to the lowliest professions – civilian jobs and internships. Promotion comes only on a limited basis.
To be Unbound is to be part of the officer, aristocratic, and intellectual class of the Hive. They are the brains of the operation; their ultimate purpose is to decide what the Hive and Brood should do. Individual Unbound must also Descend and corral the Bound into carrying out that vision. They are trained to assume initiative and take responsibility, and to make tactical decisions while keeping the strategic picture in mind.
 
'''Unbound are currently restricted to only civilian-level jobs, including lab assistants, security cadets, medical interns, and engineering apprentices'''. NanoTrasen has introduced a "Peer Review" system to accomodate promotion to higher positions - Read the "Avowal of Responsibility" form available in form dispensers for more information.
 
====Unbound Career Paths====
 
There are three major reasons why an Unbound descends from the Virtual to go out into the Material world.
 
''Black Numbers:'' In order to pay their debts, the Vaurca have agreed to a system of force ''corvee'' labor. Nanotrasen, the Biesel government, and other corporations can submit their labor requests to a special body of the Biesel government, which in turn forwards them to Zo'ra Hive. After distributing these requests (though by this point they have become ''demands''), the Zo'ra broods each hold a lottery among all their members capable of doing that work. Those Unbound who draw the Black Numbers are required to go out and work for whoever requested them, for whatever length of time the government requires. Jargon and the [[Unathi]] have similar systems for the K'lax.
 
''Journeyers:'' All Unbound are equal, but those with age and great accomplishment are given pride of place and their words are more important. In order to become a person worth listening to, Vaurca must prove themselves by going out into the Material and working for the Hive by managing their public property and public affairs. This custom persists even as the Vaurca are in captivity, and volunteering for the Black Numbers is a valid journey. Other Journeyers work to maintain the Hive itself, or go out specifically to gather information for the Hive - these are sometimes called Voyagers and make up an ad-hoc fourth path.
 
''Vagabonds:'' Some Unbound want to escape the stifling burdens of Consensus, of Procedure, and of Discipline; they want to live a life where they're the only person in their heads and they can figure out who they are by themselves, or to explore human culture and life for the joy of it, or for any other personal reason. Nanotrasen and Biesel welcome these Vagabonds and try to take special care of them; in a society with nonexistent secret control, they consider these Vagabonds to be a valuable source of information.
 
====Speaking like a Vaurca====
 
The native Vaurca language, at least among the Vaurca on Tau Ceti, is called ''Vaur'uyit'yaza.'' It is synthetic, fusional, agglutinative, conjugative, and cased, and is extremely different from Tau Ceti Basic. Some Unbound are quite literate and fluent in TCB, but others still struggle to express themselves in it - they are still thinking in the old language and have odd sentence structure and syntax. Bound still have a lot of trouble with Basic.
 
Natural Vaurca voices are completely unable to speak Tau Ceti Basic, and they use cybernetic implants to make up this shortfall. This is still a rough new technology to them, and their robo-voices are harsh and buzzy. They have not yet settled on a single design for these implants, so speech impediments still flourish. The most common element of the Vaurca 'accent' is replacing ''s'' with ''z'', but they generally have problems with unvoiced consonants (p, t, s, k, f, sh) and put too much voice into them (b, d, z, g, v, zh). This can lead to a situation where they can't pronounce their own names.
 
====Help with naming====


Vaurca names consist of four components – form, caste, designation, and residence. The first syllable of their name will be Ka, for a default body, or Za, for the common ‘warrior’ or ‘VIP’ body. Other prefixes exist, but are much rarer. The second syllable will be ''Viax'' (pronounced vee-YACKS) for a Bound or ''Akaix'' (pronounced ah-kah-YEEKS) for an Unbound.
==Relationships with Megacorporations==
The following is an updated table listing which megacorporations employ Vaurcae. All playable characters must adhere to these specifications; failure to do so may result in administrative action.
The third component is their given name, usually in the form of a number. Names should be unique and limited to one or two syllables. Their language makes great use of crunchy double-consonants, like TL, TZ, KS, KT, and the like – but no C's and Q's.
Names are not very important to Unbound; it's trivial for them to identify themselves and each other by their accomplishments and affiliations. When speaking to one another over the Hivenet, Vaurca can transfer their greater resumes in only a moment - or, in the Virtual, their entire lived experience. Besides, everyone in a particular Brood knows everyone else in that Brood, and the Zo'ra hive circulates lists of who's who.


Finally, the last component of their name is their home. Each of the five Zo'ra Broods has its own name – Ya'tzil, Tli'yez, Ax'tal, Tza'tzo, and Kte'kzil – but many Unbound prefer to use the Zo'ra name, affirming their belief that the Broods are temporary measures of no importance and the Mother Hive is still the homeland of their spirit. Real Vagabonds also often adopt the Zo'ra name. K'lax, on the other hand, always identify themselves as simply K'lax.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Vaurca Hives' Relationships
|-
! Corporations
! Zo'ra
! K'lax
! C'thur
|-
! [[Nanotrasen Corporation|NT]]
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Preferential
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-
! [[Hephaestus Industries|Heph]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Exclusive
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|-
! [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|Zavod]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-
! [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|ZH]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Preferential
|-
! [[Idris Incorporated|Idris]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|-
! [[Private Military Contracting Group|PMCG]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/NT
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/NT/DPF
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/Eridani
|-
! [[Orion Express|Orion]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-
! [[Einstein Engines|Einstein]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Exclusive
|-
|}


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


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


====Life Cycle====
Their heightened sensory perception is channeled through antennae, particularly tuned to an exceptional olfactory sense. Pheromones play a pivotal role in Vaurca communication, acting as a nuanced language, much like words intertwined with delicate scents. This acute olfactory ability enables them to decipher subtle nuances within the intricate tapestry of pheromonal expressions.
Vaurca start their life as eggs, laid in clutches of 12 to 60, and then hatch into larva that look like tiny prawns. At the moment of hatching, all larva are the same, and absent any special intervention they will all grow into Bound workers.
A Bound begins work as soon as it's able, which is usually about five to seven years after it hatches and after its third molt. From there, it continues to work until it is too old and must be recycled, which is usually after 45 to 50 years. If treated with special hormones, it can develop male or female sex organs. Males have very short lives; they get one breeding season with the females and then die. Females, on the other hand, will lay six to eight clutches of eggs before their ovipostors wear out and they, too, must be recycled. Their genetic engineering and husbandry technologies aren't good enough to completely weed out hereditary diseases, so they stick with sexual reproduction as a way of refreshing their gene pool. Unless a given Vaurca body is explicitly a breeder, then it is essentially a neuter female - their bodies are a straight subtraction from the breeder females but not so much as to be real lowest-common-denominators with the males.


If, while still in the egg, the embryonic larva is treated with a special artificial hormone, then it will not mature as a Bound – it will grow a large, ponderous brain much too big for its body. These 'protobound' are kept in special quarters, constantly fed and cared for, until their first molt is complete. Once they have their shiny new carapaces, they face Upload and enter the Virtual.
All Vaurcae are highly dependent on their specialized augmentations, which may be considered vital organs for their survival. These organs are installed shortly after birth. The most important augmentation for Vaurcae is the neural socket, which allows each member of the species to connect to [[Virtual Reality]] and communicate via [[Hivenet]]. These two technologies are considered the backbone of Vaurca society.
The process of Upload is intentionally destructive; their brains are extracted, sliced into cell-thin segments, and copied as data into the Virtual – the massive part-organic, part-cybernetic brain-computers that are the focus and soul of their entire civilization. The Virtual is a garden of infinite delight; Unbound are free to use its nigh-unlimited processing power to study and create whatever they wish. When living as pure data, Unbound have no well-defined 'lifespan;' they will start to go senile at around 120 years of age and will eventually corrode so badly that they cannot communicate or think coherently. At that point, the Virtual gradually purges them as junk data. Mental exercise keeps their thought-patterns fresh and vital, and active and vivacious Unbound can live longer, but it's almost unknown to go beyond 200 years.


====Internal Organs====
As Vaurca become more specialized, differences between bioforms are greater. For example, some subtypes of Vaurca may possess more limbs or have been engineered to withstand harsher conditions. Advanced bioforms may also have more unique augmentations, not readily available for the common members of the Hive.
Internally, Vaurca are much closer to terrestrial mammals or reptiles than to arthropods. They have a closed circulatory system with well-defined veins and arteries, allowing them to maintain a regular body temperature. Their blood is primarily copper-based hemocyanin with sulfur binding, which causes their blood to adopt a pale yellowish color and a potent stench. Hemocyanin is not as efficient as iron-based hemoglobin blood, meaning that their twin hearts must maintain a quick pulse and a high blood pressure to keep them oxygenated.


Vaurca lungs are totally organic. However, they cannot naturally process oxygen without there being phoron present in the mix. Pure oxygen is toxic to the Vaurca, and pure phoron will suffocate them. As such, Vaurca in human space must go masked and wear external respirators - otherwise, the urge to breathe could lead to accidental oxygen poisoning. Scientists have begun work on a Vaurca body with no external breathing apparatus at all, but progress is slow for lack of resources.
===Ka, The Workers (Type A)===
[[File:Vaurcaworker.png|left|64px]]
Type A are the most common Vaurca. Their most prevalent feature is their hardened exoskeleton, varying in colors in accordance with their Hive. This exoskeleton provides protection against harsh radiation, solar and otherwise, and acts as a robust pressure suit to seal their soft inner core from the outside world. This allows most Type A Vaurcae to have extended, several day-long EVA expeditions, assuming they have phoron. Their hands consist of two middle fingers with small talons at the end, and two opposable thumbs, a left and a right, on either side of their hand. Type A range from 5ft to 7ft tall on average, though outliers of both spectra are not unheard of for the more specialized tasks.


Vaurca posses in their head a neural socket that allows interface with the HiveNet quantum radio system. The Vaurca in Tau Ceti can no longer reproduce these devices - the required industrial base is simply too high - and must now repurpose them from the bodies of the dead.
It is important to note that Workers explicitly avoid violent situations wherever possible. This is not their function, and they are always more used to the Hive in peak conditions. Nearly all Workers are designed to find violence almost abhorrent—the sight and smell of blood instilling fear and worry for most.


====Limbs====
===Za, The Warriors (Type B)===
Vaurca have two large insect-like eyes with two smaller ones underneath, which are hyper-sensitive to most forms of light. While they can function in light-heavy environments perfectly fine, most complain about frequent migraines and tendency to get frustrated after long exposures to light like the sun, or even general station lighting. This hyper-sensitivity, however, leads to greatly increased eyesight in dark areas. Their eyes are completely black in terms of coloration, with no variation between the castes. They also have large, insect-like antennae that protrude from their head. These antennae are used for greater perception of their surroundings and to communicate with each other through subtle movements, or rubbing them together with another. Also acting a sensory and nerve database, when these antennae are lost, they can cause confusion, dizziness, nausea, communications problems, and extreme pain. A Vaurca with a missing antenna has similar connotations to a human with an eyepatch.
[[File:Vaurcawarrior.png|left|64px]]
Type B are the second most prominent of Vaurca society and some of the most varied. They can range in size from 5ft tall to 8ft tall. Other types of Warriors, known as Warforms, rise to as much as 20ft tall. They can be bipedal, quadrupeds, or hexapods, which are called types BA, BB, and BC respectively. They usually have weapons physically attached to their bodies, making them unwieldy or impractical for any situation other than combat.


Their mouth parts are similar to a prawn's, in that they have two large mandibles, with small feelers (pedipalps) at their jawbones.
Warriors, unlike other types of Vaurcae, are not typically passive. This means that they tend to be more suitable for combat-orientated positions, while Worker and Gyne types tend to be poorly suited for the disposition these types of occupations demand. Unlike Workers, their exoskeleton is not as well equipped for such extended EVA expeditions, however, it can withstand a few hours-long excursions.


====Senses====
The majority of Warrior-caste Vaurcae employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate are type BA, also known as '''Myrmidon'''. Myrmidons are deprived of the most advanced augments and mostly differ from other types simply in that they are more mentally suited for combat or are involved in the function of something that could be considered a weapon. Unlike Workers, type BA possesses longer, more powerful mandibles. These can be customizable on the character creation screen.
Vaurca senses are generally comparable to those of human beings. Their eyes are better in low-light conditions but have less color-definition; they have more rods but fewer cones. Their hearing follows suit; their range is narrower (60Hz-12KHz) but better with faint sounds. Because of their hard carapaces, their sense of touch is very weak and they can sometimes seem rather clumsy. A stubbed toe in the dark is not nearly as awful for them as it is for us, but they can have trouble touch-typing on a human-spec keyboard or rooting around in their pockets. Their sense of smell, however, is far beyond that of humans, though weaker than a Tajaran’s - they can reliably differentiate each other based on smell.


====Sleep Cycle====
===Ta, The Breeders (Type C)===
The sleep cycle for bound is a very hard to one to predict. Their natural sleeping cycle seems completely random and is more in line with SSD that plagues other species. They simply go into an inert state and remain unresponsive for a few minutes or hours at a time before suddenly being roused and getting back to work.
[[File:Vaurcabreeder.png|left|64px]]
Type C are rare among Vaurcae and make up around 2-3% of their entire species. They are massive and larger than any of the other castes.
Female Breeders, also known as '''Gynes''', are the ruling caste of the Vaurcae and are the only available type of Breeder on the ship. Type CB, Unbound Gynes, occupy all leadership positions amongst the species and share in the same biological immortality enjoyed by them, many being born in generations long gone.


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


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


The Ka are the most common and can be seen as the 'backbone' of Vaurca societies. Their most prevalent feature is their hardened exoskeleton, varying in colors in accordance to their hive. This exoskeleton provides protection against harsh radiation, solar and otherwise, and acts as a robust pressure-suit to seal their soft inner core from the outside world. This allows most Ka Vaurca to have extended, several day-long EVA expeditions, assuming they have internals. They are bipedal, with bird-like talon toes. Their hands consist of two middle fingers with small talons at the end, and two opposable thumbs, a left and a right, on either side of their hand.
Ta can only be played as [[Consular Officer|Consular Officers]].


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


===Warriors (Za)===
Below are the rules for playing a Ta. Any bends of these rules must be clarified with the species maintainer prior to playing the character. Failure to adhere to the guidelines may result in punishment.
The Za are the second most prominent of Vaurca society, taking the form of heavily augmented warriors. Designing new and weird Za bodies is a constant hobby among the Vaurca, and they have a history of some truly wild designs - quadrupedal, hexapedal, guns for arms, laser-eyes, rending talons, and more. Despite their creativity, in modern times they generally have to stick with the basics. The Zo'ra have a history of being a warlike and martial Hive, so even in times of peace they maintain a force of warriors as large as they can feed and breed.


The 'basic' Za body, unchanged for millenia, covers their vulnerability to lasers to the best of their ability. It's also faster, allowing them to close to melee range as swiftly as possible. As a last-ditch weapon, their mandibles have been strengthened so that they can bite their enemies and do horrific ripping damage. With a tiny handful of exceptions, this is all the modern Hive has to offer. Even if they have no violent intention, VIPs will often choose Za bodies as a show of their status.
*No height taller than 11 feet tall.


Nanotrasen has experimented with employing Bound Warriors, but these experiments have not borne fruit - they're too difficult to corral and direct without Unbound officers, and that leaves a sour taste in people's mouths. As such, there are no Bound Warrior types employed anywhere in Nanotrasen, or anywhere else under Biesel administration.
*As a Gyne, you are allowed to have a three-syllable name instead of the usual monosyllabic.  


===Breeders (Tche)===
*Auto-hiss basic (s becomes z or more frequently not at all). You have been assigned to work on a station full of aliens, so you would have a vocal implant aiding this significantly due to your status.
The Tche are the rarest among Vaurca, in that they make up around 2-3% of their entire species. They are the only individuals in Vaurca hives that are fertile and that show sexual characteristics. Male and female are both exclusively Bound. Reproduction and infant-care thus falls under the general category of Bound scut-work, and Unbound consider it beneath them. The Ka body is a partial downgrade of the female Tche body, but it still has signs (including powerful pelvic muscles) of its female heritage.


====Others====
*Avoid combat and avoid doing any labor or specialized work except where absolutely necessary. Ta may and almost always do have hobbies, often developing talents in line with the skills of their brood, and they are expected to be extremely good at them owing to their incredible age. Despite this, they are leaders and politicians, not Warriors or Workers, and they should have no intention of changing this. On matters of strenuous labor, Gynes ultimately prefer delegation and inspiring others to do something.
There are 11 other 'body-names' in circulation, but most are obsolete - nobody living has ever had occasion to use them and they only live on in dictionaries. Of those that remain, the name ''Ra'' is used for Rapid Transmission bodies and ''Kza'' is used for stationary Hivenet dispatchers.


These Transmission bodies are designed for hyper-rapid typing – they're so quick that it's faster than transmitting on the Hivenet. Once the messages are sent, they go straight back into the Virtual to deposit as many as they can and collect another packet to send. The turnaround is about 20 minutes plus typing time, which – for this exact document – would be about 25 seconds. Transmission is the equivalent of a lowly internship; it's tedious and unpleasant, and a common stepping stone for Vaurca seeking higher prestige.
*Avoid social ignorance. Gynes possess a high social intelligence thanks to generations of evolution, being literally made for it, so they would be knowledgeable on whether trying to clean a Unathi's horn would upset them or not.


The Dispatcher bodies are designed with powerful neural sockets - they're so powerful that they're called Rods - and they moderate and control the Hivenet traffic. Hivenet is not peer-to-peer; it all travels back to the Dispatchers and then out again. This is exhausting and important work, and it's not for novices. The Hivenet is universal across all Broods and all Hives; its effective range can be measured in astronomical units. In addition to managing Hivenet traffic, Dispatchers are also responsible for relaying the Consensus (as carried initially by Transmission) to the Brood at large.
*Ta are biologically immortal, many having lived through what would to other species be recognized as entire eras of history. Each brood has different customs regarding the age at which a Gyne is ready for diplomatic duties. Few broods trust Ta under 100 years old with any serious positions. The absolute upper limit on playable Ta age is thirty-five-thousand years, born not long before the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]]. Gynes older than this are very rare and typically Queens, Surrogates, or hive-cell Aliates, not finding work aboard the Horizon. Despite this extraordinary range, the average Hive Representative will fall between 500 and 3000 years.


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


===Language===
===Ra, The Bulwarks (Type E)===
The ''Vaur'uyit'yaza'' language is their greatest cultural treasure; for thousands of years, it has been the clay of poets and philosophers. It is also stunningly complicated, compared to most any human language - it is fusional, synthetic, and has plenty of cases and tenses entirely absent from human language. Its deep literary canon, as well as the relative high education of its speakers, means that it's also ridden through with allusion and reference. There is a plain way to ask where the bathroom is, but most Unbound wouldn't say it that way. They'd instead say that they were facing north behind a garden. (North is the opposite of south, South means the Southern Polar Star and thus navigation, garden means working in the dirt means dirty hands means washing hands which means the toilet.) Their whole language is like this, and not even they have a good dictionary for it - you just have to be well-read in general.
[[File:Bullywiki.png|left|64px]]
The newest caste of the Vaurca, Type E are heavyset industrialists who specialize in jobs involving hard labor, engineering, and maintenance. Average specimens stand at 8-10 feet tall and require special clothing due to their unique shape. Type E Vaurca are the least prominent population-wise in the species, due to the fact they were only recently conceived. Bulwarks were unveiled at the first session of the reformed Court of Queens in 2463 before specimens belonging to the other Hives began appearing.


Obviously, none of this works on the Bound, so the Unbound grade their language when speaking to them.
Bulwarks tend to be strictly defensive in their temperament, meaning they will fight to defend themselves and those in their immediate surroundings, before escaping when presented the chance. They will not chase down threats or run into situations they are not already involved in.


===Inter-caste Relationships===
Bulwarks are only employed in select locations as of now, due to their relatively recent appearance. Notable locations include the NTCC Odin, the NSS Upsilon, the NSS Aurora, and the SCCV Horizon. Outside of these locations they are heavily monitored in where they go and are typically kept in more secure locations. There are no [[Queenless]] Bulwarks.
The Unbound regard the Bound as furniture, and use them up with callous indifference. Provided that there's a reasonable expectation that any valuable or unique implants in a given Bound can be collected and recycled, the Unbound show complete bravado in throwing away or discarding Bound lives. Every Bound is theoretically attached to an Unbound supervisor, and must obey their supervisor's demands without question or hesitation - but they will accept orders from any Unbound in the same Hive who gives them. It is only social understanding that keeps Unbound from poaching each others' Bounds.


===Inter-brood Relationships===
===The Unbound===
The wise say that brothers at war ally against cousins. This is true of the Zo’ra broods as well. Left to their own devices, they continuously struggle with each other - they mark borders and shove along them; they launch raids and pillages; they declare ritualized ‘flower wars;’ and, most Vaurca of all, they blast each other with strongly-worded missals and journals decrying each other’s philosophical contradictions and weaknesses.
The '''Unbound''', or Akaix, are the sapient and self-aware parts of Vaurca society. Their eggs and larvae are given specialized care by Surrogates and Bound Workers. The Unbound are born with fully developed brains and are perfectly capable of making rational decisions. They are naturally intuitive, curious, and capable of understanding abstraction, much like a human. However, Unbound are not raised in a traditional manner. Instead, Unbound Vaurcae are trained in Virtual Reality, where they learn to fulfill their tasks for the real world. Depending on the specialization of the Vaurca, this training can widely differ.
But the All-Hive Consensus is simple - this is not the time for that foolishness. Attitudes within broods regarding other broods runs the gamut - some openly admire them, some shrug their shoulders to live and let live, others cluck their tongues indulgently, and some even scorn and criticize. But regardless of their personal feelings, nobody denies that the Hive is family - and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. Ya’tzil, Tza’tzo, and Kte’kzil may have serious arguments about how they should face their mutual and individual challenges, but they will resolve these differences the way Vaurca always resolve their differences. They will speak their hearts, hash it out, explore the options, find a Consensus, and phalanx up. That’s their way.


===Inter-hive Relationships===
Although Unbound are still thinking, sapient beings, they still typically maintain unwavering subservience to the respective hierarchy of their Hive. This is due to a combination of pheromone excretion and indoctrination methods imposed during the growing process of an Unbound. However, when they are not under the direct instruction of a lesser or High Queen, they will typically pursue their own or their own hive-cell's interests.
The Zo'ra and K'lax hives have theoretically warm relations, and many Zo'ra feel a kind of condescending warmth towards the K'lax. The K'lax formally accept their conditions of servitude, but many individual K'lax chafe against it. Both hives despise the Li'idra, who in turn despise them. Should another Hive appear, it will probably have negative feelings towards Zo'ra; they were not good neighbors in the old days.


===Inter-species Relationships===
The Unbound typically take up jobs that require more critical thinking skills, the ability to learn or adapt, and greater abstract thought than simple Bound. In this respect, Unbound Vaurcae can simply be considered on the same level as any human. Integration in the Orion Spur and other alien communities has some of them living alone or in small groups in their own apartments like any other citizen or family, working to support themselves. However, all Vaurcae are required to provide a tithe to their hive-cell, which takes most of their paycheck.
Due to most Vaurcae hiveships being present in human-space, most inter-species relationships Vaurcae have are with humanity. Zo'ra and K'lax Vaurcae tend to be co-operative with humanity out of necessity, but on an individual level the opinions vary between each Unbound, depending on what the specific Unbound has experienced. Unbound rarely if ever esteem any human higher than a Vaurcae, due simply to biological constraints. Bound Vaurcae are completely subservient to the whims of their master hive, and it is only because of this that rented Bound workers obey their human owners. The hierarchy of servitude that a Bound abides by is a topic of concern among humanity, because Bound are hard-wired to satisfy the needs of other Unbound Vaurcae of their hive firstly, creating the possibility for complex situations should the interests of a Bound's human owner ever conflict with the interests of an Unbound Vaurcae of the same hive. However, such situations are unreported if they do occur, and the cheapness and effectiveness of Bound labour tends to surpass the potential dangers.


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


===Values===
Depending on the Hive, the personality of the Unbound can change. This is mostly true among younger Vaurcae. For example, a young K'lax Warrior might understand the military structure of the [[Izweski Nation]] and have a good grasp on [[Unathi]] traditions. For this reason, Vaurca players are encouraged to read the lore of overlapping cultures.
To reiterate what was said before, Unbound are individuals and can have conflicting or complicated motivations. While they possess cultural norms, they are capable of acting against them.
The Vaurca prize philosophy and intelligence; they are beings of thought and they value thought for its own merits. By human standards, they spend an absurd amount of time thinking about the nature of goodness, of beauty, and of morality, and questioning why they do things and what their actions mean. The 'first among equals' in the Virtual are generally philosophers, and any Vaurca worth its k’ois will have a basic ability to express an idea in a logical and rhetorically-pleasing way.
At the same time, they are keenly empathetic with one another. They treasure their language and their oral heritage, and they produce 'experiential' or 'noetic' art that can only exist in the Virtual. Poetry, composed in their ancient Vaur'uyit'yaza language from before they established the Hivenet, is omnipresent, and those who don't compose it must at least show an appreciation for it. They accept dramatic, romantic expression; chivalric and epic literature makes sense to them, and they respect the quest for inner meaning and self-actualization.
It's also important to note how they worry about the feelings and well-being of each other. Ambitions flare, personalities clash, and rivalries fester within the safe boundaries of the Virtual, but the Unbound are connected to one another on a deeper level than most humans can understand; it's trivial for an Unbound to serve up their entire lived experience and memories to another as a basis for understanding. Vaurca are much better at talking frankly about what's going on with them than humans are.
Equality is also an important virtue to the Vaurca. The oldest, wisest, and best-connected might lead them, but every Unbound is a component in the Virtual and a contributor to the great Synedrion of Thought, and deserves a certain degree of respect and consultation. The phrase 'that's an order' means nothing to them, for they don't accept commands; the phrase 'we have all agreed,' however, will generally induce compliance provided that we, whoever we are, has actually generally agreed. They will accept apprenticeship beneath someone else, but they aren't willing followers for someone else's ambitions. There's nothing wrong or dishonorable for a Vaurca to ask, 'what's in it for me?'
Vaurca love knowledge and discovery. Traditionally, they say that 'the proper study of Vaurca is Vaurca,' and somebody who completely eschewed the humanities (the Vaurcities?) would be kind of a deviant, but they've always had a deep respect for all the sciences and especially pure mathematics, at which they excel. They are also fascinated by biological diversity; counting themselves, they have only brought eight species with them from Sedantis and five of them are microbes. They feel this loss very keenly, and are always joyous to encounter new life.


====Warrior-Poets====
===The Bound===
In the Antediscidian period, Vaurca went to war for the same reasons that humans do - they identified with large, centralized states that competed over limited resources and had clashing ideologies. In theory, the Great Unbinding should have made all that obsolete; there was no shortage of virtual real-estate and Hives would no longer have to compete. Those living at the time hailed the new Virtual existence as the end of history; from now on, individuals would focus entirely on private happiness and there was no longer any reason or means to harm others.
[[File:Bound working.png|thumb||While all Bound are specialized for a specific job or instruction, all are still capable of simple labor.]]


But even as the Vaurca conquered the natural world and the sickness of the body, the sickness of the mind - the hidden cancers of pride and greed - were still lurking, untreated and undefeated. The Hives and Broods eyed each other suspiciously, and built bigger and stronger war-machines. They covered their planet with armaments factories and kois-fields, each sprinting to produce a larger and stronger army. It was this arms race, along with the wars that sprung from it, that destroyed Sedantis and forced them to evacuate.
'''Bound''' Vaurcae, Drones, or Viax, are members of a lobotomized slave caste trained to obey orders without question, chosen even before their egg is laid. Eggs designated to be Bound are provided with certain hormonal mixes designed to neutralize brain function critical for higher thought and are then put in a warm, moisture-rich environment while Surrogates and Workers oversee their care. The larvae that hatch from the eggs are then taken to another specialized, moist environment to be raised and augmented. Bound are highly capable in their positions but are incredibly simple-minded; most Vaurcae consider them less sapient than they would an [[IPC]]. The result is a very effective worker but one that struggles to adapt to unusual circumstances and has minimal ability to learn or think in abstractions.


And yet they still haven't learned! That evil seed, that kernel of self-destruction, rests within them still. The Broods still fight each other over the pettiest and most contrived of reasons, and if there are two Hives to a planet, they can fight for no reason at all. These conflicts are highly ritualized, featuring all the pomp and circumstance of stating grievances, formal declarations, war councils, challenges, counter-challenges, the combat of champions, and then - the thrash of melee. The Unbound join these wars in one of two ways - as commanding generals, and as ecstatic bravos. The generals shove around their Bound spear-carriers like so many toy soldiers, and fight the wars for their own glory and self-aggrandizement. These wars are, after all, essentially for their benefit.
=====Playing Bound=====


The bravos, on the other hand - the warrior poets - fight because they are seeking ecstasy and self-knowledge through proximity to death and the struggle against death. Though they can sweep aside the Bound infantry, they prefer to face each other in mortal combat, often coming out in front of their lines to face the bravos on the other side. They might be equipped with the best bodies their Broods can design, but some go ''sans-blindes'' on purpose - they limit themselves to the basic Za bodies and expect their opponents to do the same.
Bound have a lot in common with stationbounds in personality and playstyle. They have no concept of the self and can only act independently in matters of personal survival, maintenance, or self-defense. Vaurca Drones typically speak slowly and have trouble speaking Basic.


After the war comes the poetry; an insight is only as good as the way you express it. Poetry (or any other literary work) becomes much better if it comes from some genuine or unusual experience, and the idea behind the warrior poets is that by coming so close to danger and by living with such a wild flush of emotion and passion, you can glean some genuine insight about yourself or about existence. In the Zo'ra hive, the works of the warrior-poets are the highest and most venerated masterpieces.
Bound typically focus on performing their duty. If asked to do something outside of the scope of their duty a Bound will always use their duty as a reference to the task at hand. Because they are working under the decree of the Hive's Queen, only with good reason would an Unbound Vaurca ask a Bound from its respective Hive to deviate from their duty. Otherwise, Bound are taught and expected to follow station protocols to the best of their ability as it is their duty to do so. Only their Hives' Unbound, and heads of staff can order a Bound to deviate from its duties.


===Arts and Entertainment===
Bound can be easily dismissed—or culled—if their performance is unsatisfactory.
The native environment of the Unbound is a purely noetic one, made entirely of information and ideas without any reference to the senses; as such, their native entertainment tends to be noetic as well. They have entire libraries of 'boardless board-games' - viz. Mornington Crescent. They are experts at constructing 'mind-frames' - artificial states of knowledge and memory that prompt certain interesting feelings. Less-disciplined Vaurca like playing with virtual blocks and creating digital environments as a form of artistic expression, and collaborating and sharing them with others.


In the Virtual, there are two kinds of art: noetic and literary. An Unbound could create a virtual space and create a virtual piece of tactile art - a painting or a sculpture - but noetic and literary arts completely dominate the scene.
'''IMPORTANT:''' Drones are not meant to be stupid. While your Bound Vaurca is expected to be oblivious to most of their surroundings, this does not mean that Viax should be incompetent in their job. A Viax should never show ignorance towards their area of expertise or disregard for basic social conventions.


"Noetic" art, like noetic entertainment, is entirely information- and idea-based. It generally takes the form of trains of though, the process from hypothesis to conclusion. Sometimes these trains of thought are cross-cut between multiple perspectives, jumping between participants in a conversation as they mull over points and arguments. The topic is usually philosophy, or perhaps romantic personal angst. (Watch the movie ''Mindwalk'' for a good example.)
They can '''only''' take the jobs listed here. If a job title is not on this list, you cannot play them as a Bound.


"Literary art," on the other hand, runs the same gamut as it does among humans. Poetry is the highest art, and there are dozens of different schools and styles. They also write stories and narratives, but these aren't as common unless it's as a personal autobiography - when I was in the Material, this is what I saw, this is what I did, and this is what I felt. The great works of the Warrior-Poets have already been discussed.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Jobs playable by Bound
|-
! Department !! Jobs Available
|-
| Security || None
|-
| Medical || [[Surgeon]], [[Physician]], [[Pharmacist]]
|-
| Engineering || [[Engineer]], [[Atmospheric Technician]]
|-
| Science || [[Scientist|Lab Assistant]]
|-
| Operations || [[Hangar Technician]], [[Machinist]], [[Shaft Miner]]
|-
| Service || [[Chef]], [[Bartender]], [[Gardener]], [[Librarian]], [[Janitor]]
|-
| Civilian || [[Assistant]]
|}


Descended Vaurca, forced to work for long periods of time away from home and with unusual amounts of leisure time, are beginning to explore their ancient art-forms, or mixing them with human and other styles. This is still a fresh and new field of exploration. When in the Material, Unbound with a few moments to kill like chattering on the Hivenet, either to have meaningful conversations about life and the universe or else to play little word-games. They also have a handful of games to play in person, the most popular of which is ''Tsa'tlan'' - it involves throwing sticks into the air to create shapes or constellations.
==History==
''See also: [[Vaurca History]]''


The Bound are completely derived of pleasure and have no desire to entertain themselves.
Vaurcae have a rich and complex history spanning over 730 000 years. Because Vaurcae play on the fallen civilization trope, history is very important to them. As such, most Vaurca characters will have a grasp of relevant historical events. Below is a summary of Vaurca history, but you are encouraged to read the complete wiki page.


===Fashion & Cuisine===
In ancient history - in the Antediscidic phase of their history - Vaurca would wear colorful and elaborate clothes as a way of showing their status. Now that they've moved into the Virtual and only Descend to work, it's considered good Discipline to eschew clothes and accoutrements in favor of going naked, or limiting their clothes to just a few pockets and toolbelts. Because of their hard carapaces, they have little trouble being naked. Blindfolds are also useful in high-light environments.


Vaurca that venture EVA, despite their natural tolerance to high/low/vacuum pressure environments, are usually seen wearing soft-suits that allow them prolonged times in space for construction, operations, and other EVA activities.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
===History Summary===
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
The Vaurca evolved within the harsh environment of [[Sedantis I]], the innermost satellite of the gas giant Sc'theth'stak. Survival beneath the surface demanded constant adaptation. Competition for limited resources fueled millennia of brutal warfare among the emerging Vaurca Hives. However, a pivotal event was the domestication of the k'ois fungus. This agricultural breakthrough spurred population growth, codified the current Hive hierarchy, and laid the foundation for the rise of powerful empires.


The Vaurca used to eat all kinds of exciting and diverse cuisines - they still have ancient cookbooks that describe fantastic ingredients - but all of that's gone now. The only edible substance they have is K'ois, and it lacks both flavor and nutrition. It is, however, extremely easy to grow in vast quantities, making it the perfect food for the Bound and thus a perfect pillar of their post-Ascension civilization. Indeed, the decision to switch from diverse agriculture to pure k'ois was a major contributor to the ecological collapse of Sedantis, and the fact that it's the only food they've brought with them - the only food they can eat anymore - serves as a constant reminder of what they lost and the trade-offs they made for power.
Though the exact chronology remains debated, a vast period of Vaurca history stretches back over 500 000 years. This era, often referred to as the '''Age of Death''', was marked by territorial conflicts and aggressive expansionism. It is also the era prior to the Vaurca Virtual Reality technology. Three major powers consolidated their influence: the [[Vaurca Hives#K'lax|K'lax Hive]], based in the [[Sedantis_I#Mya’kt_Fault|Mya'kt Fault]] and known for their technological innovation; the [[Vaurca Hives#Zo'ra|Zo'ra Hive]], settled in the [[Sedantis_I#Veii’kt_Plate|Veii'kt Plate]] and famed for their military prowess; and the [[Vaurca Hives#C'thur|C'thur Hive]], located within the [[Sedantis_I#Lei’kt_Caves|Lei'kt Caves]] and with noted diplomatic influence.


===Religion===
The Zo'ra Hive, through relentless conquest, established a vast empire. Their rule extended over much of Sedantis, subjugating numerous Hives—including the technologically advanced K'lax. Zo'ra's dominance would shape Vaurca society for millennia to come. Eventually, Zo'rane rule turned from ruthless to enlightened, establishing a revered organization known as the '''Court of Queens'''.
The specific rites, practices, and theologies differ from Hive to Hive, from Brood to Brood, and from individual to individual, but all these strains of thought exist more-or-less within a single religion among all the Vaurca – adoration of the Holy Mother Goddess, the primordial being who created the universe and put the Vaurca in the center of it on Holy Sedantis, and whose weeping shook the heavens when her beloved children destroyed the Garden of Eden for everybody by growing up.
Their religion is uncomplicated, and is so by intention. The Holy Mother Goddess is a big glob of sweet, gooey mother-love, embracing all her children with unconditional forgiveness. However calculating and intellectual they might be otherwise, the warm and welcoming HMG gives every Vaurca an opportunity to regress back to the safety and comfort of infancy. It's childish, and it's supposed to be. The HMG exists alongside formidable Vaurca philosophies about truth and morality and society and metaphysics and all that, but it's hard to resist her allure for long. The HMG loves you very much and wants you to be happy, no matter what you do, and will always forgive you and welcome you back to her if you're really sorry and do your best.
Vaurca venerate the great thinkers and heroes from their past, but only the HMG receives genuine veneration and prayer. Even those Vaurca who abstractify or re-interpret the HMG, perhaps as the emergent gestalt consciousness of the Virtual or as a symbol of Sedantis or as a metaphor for the bewilderment of adulthood, do not replace her with another deity for genuine worship. They are thus a monotheistic society.


Obviously, none of this is of any use to the Bound.
On January 5, 27 547 BCE, the small Lii'dra Hive attacked the Xtykt'lotec Rift, home of the Court of Queens. What followed was the [[The Great Hive War|Great Hive War]], a gruesome conflict that decimated the population of Sedantis. Although only lasting 80 years, the consequences of the Great Hive War deeply impacted Vaurca culture until today.


===Procedure, Consensus, and Discipline===
The aftermath of the Great Hive War brought to Vaurcae the Virtual Reality technology. Virtual Reality reshaped many aspects of Vaurca identity, particularly because it introduced a novel concept—the consciousness of the deceased could now be uploaded to [[Vaurca_Biology#Cephalons_(Type_D)|Cephalons]], meaning Vaurcae would never face death again. Sedantis, however, was wrecked, and although Virtual Reality was meant to be a gift for all hives, many smaller factions fell into despair, battling for the remnants of a now shrunken Zo'ra Empire. For millennia, the main Vaurca Hives were on the decline. Innovation was feared and diplomacy was kept to a minimum, out of fear of a new war and tensions.
To Vaurca, the most important word - the most magical and sacred of all words - is Procedure. Procedure comprises the essential rules of conduct and responsibility among the Vaurca, and broadly speaking, it has two elements. The first is that every Unbound has the right to weigh in on any subject or any question before the Brood, to have their objections known and acknowledged by the group. The second is that every Unbound has the responsibility to cultivate valid and informed opinions about those subjects and questions. Procedure is a massive burden on most Unbound, and most Broods have a hard time sticking to it.


Consensus means the same thing to them as it does to us - everybody agrees on what they should do - but to Vaurca, it's heavy and serious. When the Brood or the Hive reaches Consensus, that means that everybody (everybody who cares) has brought up their thoughts and their objections, and those objections have been systematically answered. It means everybody is on the same page, everybody's had their fair hearing, and the matter has been conclusively decided.
In 412 BCE, the main Vaurca Hives entered a period known as the [[Hives Renaissance]]. This epoch saw a great increase in technological advancements and revitalized many aspects of Vaurca society, including [[Vaurca Religion|religion]]. The Hives Renaissance reinvigorated the Vaurca desire for knowledge and innovation. The most notable, however, was the [[Hives_Renaissance#The_Pon'kana_Engine|Pon'kana Engine]]. Pon'kana was a novel method of seizing the energy inside Sedantis's core, similar to a localized Dyson sphere. Although the Pon'kana Engine was initially successful, it destabilized the orbit of Sedantis, ultimately leading to its possible demise when a crash was predicted.


The last worship-word is Discipline. Discipline is the ability to keep your mind in the Virtual even as you're stuck working in the Material. A Disciplined Unbound eats kois without complaining, sits on the floor, goes naked, and has no thought for material comfort and luxury - they are working for the weekend, and not wasting any of the Hive's valuable material resources on making their stay in the Material more comfortable or enjoyable. To personalize your surroundings or body is considered un-Disciplined.
With this new knowledge, the Zo'ra Hive decided to evacuate the satellite. Although the K'lax Hive was not originally considered for the Exodus, their Hiveship design was favored. Ultimately, the K'lax were invited to join the Zo'ra. The C'thur reverse-engineered the Hiveship design, joining the Zo'ra and the K'lax among the stars.


===Technology===
Vaurcae wandered for over 2 000 years in space. At first, they established some temporary settlements, most notably [[Vaurca History#The Celis Conflict|Celis]]. However, the Hives continued to search for a new home until their arrival in the [[Orion Spur]].
The Vaurca are weirdly primitive; they seldom surpass humans in any field of science by any meaningful margin, and in a lot of fields they're far behind. They do not have FTL travel, and their ships cannot go any faster than .95 of the speed of light. While they do possess ansible technology, it operates on quantum entanglement - it requires paired sub-atomic particles that get used up with each message and have to be shared on-site before the two parties part ways.


But the Virtual, and the Cephalon bio-computer on which it runs, is a singular and unparalleled achievement. During the Sedantene period, the Vaurca enjoyed a scientific ascendancy far beyond the present - they had such technologies as subatomic element conversion, quantum computing, self-perpetuating nanotechnology, and more. While they have kept the theoretical knowledge-base required to make these things, the industrial capital that they'd need is far beyond their current means - at the height of their civilization, they had tens of thousands of Broods spanning an entire solar system, and needed all of it to make their society work. The Hive must carefully ration and defend its dwindling stockpiles of technology that it inherited from its parent-colony in Phi Auricae.
The C'thur Hive made [[Vaurca History#The First Contact With Skrell|first contact with Skrell]] around '''2448-2450'''. The Zo'ra Hive made [[Vaurca History#The First Contact With Humanity|first contact with humanity]] in '''November 2456'''. The K'lax Hive made [[Vaurca History#The First Contact With Unathi|first contact with Unathi]] in '''March 2459'''.
</div></div>


==Hives and Broods==
===Modern Day===
There are three Hives in human space, but only one of them - Zo'ra - is large enough to divide into Broods. The Hives are like ethnicity; during the Sedantene period, they were countries with borders, governments, and treaties. At the end of the period, they sent out separate evacuation missions to different star systems, and a lack of contact with other Hives has sharpened divisions within each Hive.
Since arriving in the [[Orion Spur]], the Vaurca have strategically adapted to their new environment. To become indispensable, they have integrated themselves into the [[Republic of Biesel]], [[Izweski Hegemony]], and [[Nralakk Federation]], even providing military manpower. However, their limited resources after the [[Vaurca History#The Exodus|Sedantis Exodus]] have hampered their military readiness. Not all factions feel the same about the presence of Vaurcae in the Orion Spur. For example, the [[Republic of Elyra|Elyrans]], scarred by the [[The Lii'dra|Lii'dra incursion]], might be warry of all Vaurca Hives.


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


During the height of the Sedantene period, the Zo'ra were a great power. Traditionally an aggressive and warlike Hive, they bear a major responsibility for the arms-race and ecological collapse that forced their great migration, and one could argue that the current situation is all their fault. Their language and culture is now the gold standard for all Vaurca thus far encountered. Their Hive-Ship, Titan Prime, was the one that fell into orbit in the Tau Ceti system and thus served as first contact for humanity.
While the Zo'ra focus on military and political influence, the '''K'lax Hive''' has proven most adept at harnessing advanced technologies for the Orion Spur's realities. This comes as little surprise to the K'lax, the brilliant inventors whose contributions were often overshadowed by the Zo'ra. Their collaboration with the Unathi on [[Moghes]] saw the ingenious adaptation of ancient terraforming machines to the Spur's materials. This expertise fueled their transformation of the desolate colony of [[Tret]] into a sprawling factory planet—the new industrial heart of the Izweski Hegemony. Tret's vast production capabilities have significantly boosted the Hegemony's economy, fueling military expansion and technological development. While the K'lax also provide Warriors to the Hegemony, their numbers pale in comparison to the Zo'ra's contributions to the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Despite this, unfavorable external deals with [[Hephaestus Industries]] limit the full financial rewards the K'lax reap from their industrial prowess. For more information, visit [[K'lax in the Izweski Nation]].


They have warm but condescending feelings towards K'lax, and regard Li'idra as an enemy in an off-handed way. Titan Prime held six Cephalons and six Broods, one of which was in a terminal death-spiral and remains unconscious on life-support. All these Broods are 'siblings,' spawned from a single Cephalon on Phi Auricae called Tla'xa; as such, no Unbound can Descend from one and Ascend into another.
Economically, it is only the '''C'thur Hive''' who have truly profited. While the other Hives are reliant on collective money pools brought in by employed Bound and Unbound or the leftovers of their own factory exports, being harbored by the generous [[Nralakk Federation]] has opened up a large amount of opportunities, to say nothing of the C'thur Hive's historical inclinations. The C'thur have bought a significant portion of [[Einstein Engines]], opening a connection to the [[Eridani Federation|Eridani Corporate Federation]], and many job opportunities. These factors have resulted in the C'thur being in a financial and corporate advantage. Money that is received by Hives is typically distributed between the Queens, each given the discretion to use their share however they wish within certain limits. For more information, visit [[C'thur in the Federation|C'thur in the Nralakk Federation]].


====Ya'tzil Brood====
====Individuals====
The Ya'tzil Brood is based Mendell City. It was the first to be moved off the Hive ship, and thus had the best head-start in finding good ground and establishing itself. They position themselves as the guardians of tradition and morality, and their long-term goals for the Vaurca – the 'Ya'tzil Plan' – can be summarized as 'endure what we must, repair the ship, get out of here, forget this ever happened.' They are the first-among-equals, and assert for themselves the right to speak for the whole Hive.
For many Unbound, adapting to their new lives has been a tough ordeal, but one that is short suffered. Once settled, most hive-cells are capable of sharing a single-bedroom apartment due to their preference for confined spaces and their tendency for practicality over personality. Personal possessions are not uncommon, Unbound are welcome to spend what little money they typically receive on hobbies.
Ya'tzil is strong in Procedure, but there's a powerful force in the brood called the Committee on the Division of First Principals. While the Committee exerts no obvious control, it serves as a gatekeeper for new ideas and proposals, and is thus a moderating force on the brood – most Ya'tzil trust the Committee to weed out any stupid ideas and only entertain the ones the Committee endorses. Some Ya'tzil do not approve.


====Tli'yez Brood====
'''Workers''' mostly shifted from serving the Hive to employment well, with only a few incredibly specialized Unbound finding difficulty. While confusion was apparent at the complicated process of the simple act of going to work, once clarified, many Vaurcae brought their specialized knowledge and pragmatism into like-minded fields, typically able to share their intricate knowledge with great practical success. On a social level, however, many Unbound are prone to varying levels of discrimination. Such acts can be extremely discreet, such as being made to do a less desirable task. On the other hand, some overtly voice their dislike, often showing their ignorance of how Vaurcae operate and live. More obvious examples of dislike include incidents such as [[Little Adhomai|Tajara gangs]] having feuds with Vaurcae in Mendell City.
Tli'yez is another Zo'ra brood, located on Biesel but not in Mendell. Before the Contact, it was renowned as a home for scientific experimentation and discussion. As such, the Black Numbers have decimated it, and many of its brightest minds have been press-ganged into service of NanoTrasen. Tli'yez's leadership is thus focused on the struggle to live.
Tli'yez is extremely bureaucratic, compared to the other broods. Its Unbound identify very strongly with their individual Departments, and each Department handles its own policies with very little outside interference. Within the Departments, however, they generally follow Procedure, with the caveat that older and more experienced people get greater consideration.


====Tza'tzo Brood====
'''Warriors''', however, did not have such an easy transition. While there were some who could transition as well as most Workers, many of the Unbound purely bred for combat struggled to find applicable work. Some of these soldiers slowly managed to trickle into work as private security, bodyguards, and alike, while others found trivial work doing menial or laborious tasks. K'lax Warriors mostly serve in the Hegemony. Meanwhile, many others, especially from the Zo'ra Hive, have found a place doing what they do best in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Much of this situation was recently alleviated by the founding of the Pan-Vaurcesian military the [[Private_Military_Contracting_Group#Ve'katak_Phalanx]] which draws in a large percentage of what would be the otherwise unemployed Vaurca Warriors, giving them a place in service to the Court of Queens.
Tza'tzo is another Zo'ra brood, still clinging to its old quarters on the Hive-ship Titan Prime. Tza'tzo keeps very strongly to Procedure and Discipline, such to the point that they have mandatory all-brood messaging – it is forbidden for any one Tza’tzo to exclude any other from any communication. Tza'tzo is thus the Vaurca equivalent of religious fundamentalists, and generally disapprove of the other Broods. (Blackadder’s 2nd-season aunt and uncle, the Whiteadders, would not be a bad stand-in for them.)
Tza'tzo trades favors with the other broods in order to avoid the worst of the Black Numbers, so as to keep itself pure and untainted by humans. Their Unbound are the creepiest and most robotic of all, and come off as being utterly devoted to their people and to Zo'ra. Because they are so conformist and controlling, however, they have a lot of vagabonds.


====Kte'kzil Brood====
'''Bulwarks''' are somewhere in-between. As the newest mainstream caste, they have been specifically bred for specialized purposes. However, there are still many limitations. As many Bulwarks were a novelty when they were first unveiled, their uses were diverse. Currently, most Bulwarks are still employed in heavy industries such as mining or engineering. Some outliers remain, working in other fields as unique and valuable assets.
Kte'kzil is the fourth Zo'ra brood, but it's based on New Gibson. Isolation from the rest of the fold has made them a little weird, and they've picked up some distinctly... human ideas about how to organize themselves. Unlike all the other broods, they have a single and recognizable leader – '''Tlakoxaya the Conductor'''. In the space of a few years, Procedure has almost disappeared from Kte'kzil, in favor of the Conductor and its lieutenants. Debates take place behind closed doors, and secrecy is the rule of the day.
Tlakoxaya is not in the habit of explaining itself to others, but it's made overtures towards becoming a player in Mendell City in its own right and to potentially making Kte'kzil an important fixture in the Republic. Opinion on Tlakoxaya remains bitterly divided in the other broods.


====Ax'tal Brood====
==Culture==
Ax'tal is the fifth Zo'ra brood, and the last one based on Biesel. It is intentionally left blank, partially to serve as a 'default' brood and partially in case space is needed for some future development. A player with no interest in the hooks and tropes of the other broods is advised to choose Ax’tal.
''See also: [[Vaurca Culture and Society]] and [[Vaurca Religion]]''


====Za'chai Brood====
As the oldest sapient species in the Orion Spur, Vaurca history and culture are incredibly rich and diverse. However, the dominant understanding of Vaurca culture stems from the traditions of the Zo'ra Hive and their historical empire. While the K'lax and C'thur Hives possess their own cultural variations, the influence of the Zo'ra permeated their vast domain for centuries.
Za'chai is brain-dead and stuck on life-support. It has no living Descended Unbound, and its Bounds are being culled for their implants. Resurrecting Za'chai is a major project for the other broods. It remains on the Hive-ship.


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


In medieval times, wealthy lords would endow chantries – they would charge a group of holy men to say masses for their soul in perpetuity. This is the task of the K'lax Hive; defeated and subjugated by Zo'ra in centuries past and forced to pray for their masters. In the economy of the Hives, K'lax produces holiness as tribute. Their scent marks them as alien to the Zo'ra majority, and when mixing with their masters they endure constant hooting jests to 'give us a prayer.' Wherever the Zo’ra go, they like to drag a few K’lax along with them to keep up the shrines, recite the sacred incantations, and remind the Zo’ra that they are a conquering race.
Today, much of Vaurca culture exists within the digital landscape. Each Queen maintains vast virtual temples dedicated to knowledge, arts, and crafts. This shift towards digitalization has shaped the core of modern Vaurca cultural expression. Within Virtual Reality, Vaurcae find an unlimited canvas for artistic pursuits, collaborative learning, and the preservation of history.  
Stereotypically, they are the most sensitive and mystical of all the Vaurca, their minds wrapped up in solemn and esoteric contemplation of the Holy Mother Goddess in all Her Glory and Majesty. The work of sanctity, however, only occupies a small part of their number (even if it occupies a much larger proportion of them than it would in another hive.) The rest must toil and scrabble like everyone else, and in fact are more likely to be angry young punks. Many of them are thinking about how this might be the time for red-clawed revenge.
In fact, K'lax has made an excellent deal for itself. The Hive as a whole has recently struck a deal with the young Hegemon of the Unathi, and one of their broods is now quartering itself on one of their planets. While neither side really trusts the other, it's given the K'lax valuable breathing-room and an opportunity to get back on their feet.


The K'lax Hiveship also launched from Phi Auricae, and landed in [[Skrell]] space. K'lax actually has three Broods, but because one of them is the parent of the other two, it's possible for Unbound to Descend out of one and Ascend into the others - provided they make a stop-over in the parent Cephalon first. Because of this, they do not name themselves after their brood.
[[Vaurca Religion|Religion]] plays a significant role in the lives of many Vaurcae. While individuals or hive-cells often choose their faith, it remains one of the few aspects of an Unbound Vaurca's life not wholly dictated by the Queens. Virtually all Vaurca faiths revere the Queens, particularly their own. This reverence, reinforced by pheromones and immersive Virtual Reality experiences, contributes to the stability of the Hives and strengthens the Queens' rule.  


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


Although small, Hive Lii'dra matches Zo'ra military might with cunning and tact in Vaurca space. Based on information gathered from Vaurca in human space, the Lii'dra and Zo'ra were engaged in a devastating war that seems to have followed the Zo'ra to known space. The Vaurcae present are currently unwilling to divulge the reasons for this war, but it's become apparent that reconciliation between the two hives may be completely impossible. The Lii'dra were encountered after their own Hive-ship ''Klo'xzai'' arrived in the Sol Alliance system of Lalande. Original contact became open hostility almost immediately as the Hive-ship's automated defenses opened fire on investigating Alliance patrol ships, sparking a brief skirmish that claimed the lives of 12 Alliance servicemen. Since then the Klo'xzai moved into deep space, and similar to [[Vox]] and [[Unathi]] raiders the Lii'dra in known space operate as feared buccaneers.
These encoded pheromones can also transmit emotions and other kinds of warnings. Because of the lack of facial expressions available for Vaurcae, it is common for individuals to express themselves by sending a message such as this on the net. Other simple encoded messages such as small onomatopoeic sounds, reactions like eye-rolls, and basic "images" may also be sent. "Videos" are too heavy to be encapsulated by pheromones in the way other species would understand it, instead coming across as a collection of feelings and basic information.


The Zo'ra estimate that the Lii'dra have a Consensus-system similar to theirs, but nothing is certain.
Since the species' arrival in the Spur, they have been forced to develop augmentations known as voice synthesizers which allow for speech and the translation of language. The majority of these voice modulators are cheap, which is responsible for much of the species possessing a peculiar buzzing accent. Without this augmentation, no Vaurca is able to audibly receive or reproduce a xenolanguage. Additionally despite the species not having used a written language commonly since the invention of Virtual Reality, Vaurcae are able to learn to read and write in Basic, and for an employee on board the [[SCCV Horizon]], part of their education would have consisted in such.  


==History [WIP]==
====Speaking like a Vaurca====
*The Vaurca evolve on Sedantis IVc and become sentient life-forms.
Vaurcae working in alien space have augments that allow them to have an easier time speaking the languages of the Orion Spur. However, due to the desperate times the species is in, speech augments tend to be of variable quality. Vaurcae typically expresses an unfamiliarity with most alien languages, preferring to use basic words and sentence structures over more complex ones, and often may be unaware of the exact meaning of words, or the names of objects, instead describing them. This tends to happen most to those who are not used to alien cultures.
*They develop a sophisticated agricultural, industrial, and post-industrial civilization with multiple competing nation-states. This is called the Antediscidic Period.
*The Great Unbinding; Vaurca start creating Bounds and moving into the Virtual. This is the beginning of the Sedantene period.
*Because the Vaurca hadn’t yet shed their nationalist, hive-ist mindset, they continue to compete with each other in warfare and industrial construction.
*Because they no longer live in the world, they begin converting it to massive kois-fields and weapons foundries to better populate and arm their Bound armies.
*Ecological collapse forces the evacuation of Sedantis IVc. Some Vaurca move to elsewhere in the solar system; others go out further to find actual planets. This is the end of the Sedantene period.
*Because there is still evil within them, they gradually corrode and destroy wherever they live, forcing them to keep migrating forever.
*One cluster of Zo'ra and K'lax Hive-ships headed towards Delta Perseus to settle there; it sent out hive ships which sent out hive ships which sent out hive ships to Phi Auricae, which finally sent them to Tau Ceti.
 
==Original History (read with caution)==
===Early Nomadism===
The earliest records of Vaurca civilization gained from limited access to Zo'ra records range from some time starting between 500,000 and 550,000 years ago. Due to the hostile climate of their homeworld caused by the thin ozone allowing radiation to blast the planet daily, many Vaurca were forced to live nomadic lives inside the vast underground cave networks to gain access to edible fungus.
 
Almost all conflict originated around control of food. Warfare was a matter of survival after a hive exhausted its food supply. Warrior castes became the most dominant caste within Vaurca society and nearly all hives were in constant conflict with one another. Due to the innate deadliness of Vaurca mandibles and claws warfare was fought in melee. Prisoners of war tended to be decapitated by the mandibles of the victor while the surviving hive was enslaved. The mindset appears to be an unwillingness to spare extremely limited resources with enemy warriors.
 
===The Agricultural Revolution===
Approximately 60,000 years ago agricultural methods that allowed hives to cultivate fungus had proliferated throughout the planet. No longer a resource that could be easily exhausted, many hives found an abundance of food to be a boon. The population exploded as the hives continued to operate as they always had. Unfortunately fertile territory (in the context of cave fungus) was uncommon and conflict still broke out between hives.
 
Other avenues of change proliferated through the Vaurca hives, as well as an explosion of art. For understandable reasons living in caves constantly grew tiresome for many unbound Vaurca and they began to experiment with ways to spruce up the place. With an abundance of food Vaurca were able to spare manpower to begin ambitious feats of masonry and architecture. According to secondary sources the Vaurca Homeworld eventually developed elaborate and massive feats of subterranean engineering, with aqueducts, sewage, and entire cities being carved out of the rock. The walls and floors of the cave were smoothed out and covered in engravings, creating a form of art that wouldn't be blasted away by radiation. Thousands of years of trial and error with countless incidents of cave-ins in the early years have allowed the Vaurca to become masters of masonry and architecture.
 
Along with traditional warfare, queens of many hives had begun an arms race of architecture to show up one another. Massive engineering projects would be undertaken for the glory of the queen of the hive, such as a huge subterranean temple, the rerouting of an entire underground river, or a subterranean road being carved out to connect dozens of spread out subterranean cities all being commissioned. Queens at the time had also begun to develop a cult of personality around themselves, with the queens that managed to succeed becoming the most powerful and influential on the planet. Information on this is difficult to gather due to obvious bias or mixing of legends and facts within Vaurca records. However xenoarchaeologists are in agreement that Vaurca queens managed to retain a vital position in Vaurca society by inflating their status as mothers to a spiritual level. As the only ones in Vaurca society that could give birth to new generations, they had become mystical gardens of life and fertility in an otherwise dead and barren world.
 
===The Era of Augments===
The development of Vaurca continued down paths similar to the development of other space-faring species. The major split from the norm occurred around 2,000BCE Galactic Standard Time. The Vaurca had managed to achieve a technological level similar to Earth in the late 20th century. However the Zo'ra, who had emerged during this time, had a breakthrough in augmentation technology. Zo'ra began augmenting its drones with simple cybernetic enhancements. Worker drones would have their limbs replaced with more sturdy prosthetics, and later advancements in genetics had even more Vaurca hives beginning to experiment with altering workers with genetic and cybernetic enhancements.
 
This technological advancement continued until the Vaurca achieved a version of technological singularity with the technology in 50 CE. The technology had become minaturized and advanced enough that Vaurca hives could cybernetically engineer any aspect of a Vaurca drone. By this time Vaurca drones had become Bound, creating the early forms of the Vaurca we see today. While Vaurca records make no mention of it, human and Skrell xenoarchaeologists theorize that Vaurca drones had incidents of rebellion or insurrection against the mass augmentation and prosthetics, which explains why today bound are all lobotomized, mindless drones.
 
By 100 CE the working caste of bound drones could work 24/7 stopping only to eat. Soldiers were augmented with all sorts of experiment weapons and abilities. However the augments and genetic alterations forced those altered into very specific castes. A worker raised and given augments for battle wasn't an effective mason or diplomat. While previously Vaurca society was stratified, the 'worker' Vaurca of old at least had a chance to enter into different fields. The modern Vaurca society saw a caste system where Vaurca were literally defined from birth and built into that role. This also created the modern definitions of bound and unbound: bound vaurca are members of the worker caste, literally bound to their role and station. The unbound are Vaurca above the working caste that would be allowed to seek their own destiny in society, forming a form of noble caste.
 
Eventually the Unbound, supported by a limitless supply of slave labor, began to form a more and more secluded society seperate from the working caste. Unbound scientists and artists eventually unlocked the technology behind virtual reality, and specialized it to create entire virtual worlds for themselves. Unbound with access to VR would lock themselves away for hours or even days at a time, sometimes leaving VR for only a few minutes at a time to let their bound workers feed them without having to even having to leave their seat.
 
Eventually the technology expanded to the point that Vaurca developed their 'Paradise' we see today.
 
===The Great Evacuation===
 
The proliferation of VR and bound labor created a lull in conflict on Sedantis I. Farming techniques had become advanced enough that the populations could be reasonably fed, and all other desires were being filled in virtual worlds. By all accounts it would have been completely possible that the Vaurca never left their homeworld due to the development of VR. However a combination of push factors forced the great Vaurca hives to embark on extensive plans to expand into space.
 
The extremely thin ozone layer of Sedantis I had begun to be measured since the start of their modern era in the early CE era. By 150 CE the Vaurca's version of a scientific body between hives had conclusive evidence to show that the ozone would be completely stripped off the planet within another 200 years. While the planet had been bombarded with radiation, life had still managed to etch out a living, but when the ozone layer was completely gone all life on the planet would be killed by the excessive amounts of radiation, rendering it a barren, lifeless rock.
 
Hives took different approaches to the impending apocalypse. Many hives felt they could simply increase the depths of their subterranean cities to avoid the increase of radiation, and that the subterranean eco-systems would continue to thrive beneath the surface, while other hives began to try to look past the taboo of the deadly sky and consider expanding their hives into space.
 
Hives devoted massive amounts of bound labor to both projects. For the next 50 years some Vaurca hives constructed the massive hive-ships we see today. In another display of the sheer ingenuity of Vaurca engineering and architecture they had managed, after very heavy losses in early failures, to create and utilize an orbital industry to work on the hive-ships. These ships are also called ark-ships, and were used to transport thousands of Vaurca to other star systems. While fusion power was available to Vaurca at the time they did not yet possess warp or bluespace capabilities, meaning travel to other systems was extremely slow.


This reality meant that hive-ships had to be capable of supporting a population in deep space for hundreds or even thousands of years. They became battleships, colony ships, mobile incubators, carriers, refineries, and production facilities all in their own. They spread through space similar to the Vox, as nomadic wanderers occasionally settling on habitable worlds, but the pace of it was was incredibly slow due to the lack of bluespace technology.
Many Vaurcae and their vocal augments have difficulty producing sounds related to the letter "s", and instead substitute with a harsh buzzing in the throat. For example, "May I please have some k'ois?" becomes "May I pleaze have zome k'oiz?" The sonorization of the "s" is less prevalent in K'lax Vaurcae, as they usually have a more refined voice modulator that allows them to mimic the voiceless fricative so present in Unathi languages. Because of this, K'lax players are encouraged to set the '''auto-hiss to "basic"''' in the game settings. This is a recommendation and K'lax players are by no means required to do this.


Despite being years or even hundreds of years apart bound drones were still unquestionably loyal to their original queen, and followed directives given by her during their travels to the letter and without compromise. Lesser queens were brought on the hive-ships to help keep the population stable, and others left on habitable planets with a group of Unbound and Bound to settle on the few habitable planets they passed along the way, but the original High Queens of the hives on Sedantis remain legendary religious figures, with the lesser queens taking on a ceremonial role as mothers. Unbound present in the hive-ships were almost entirely connected to VR, which allowed them to function in their worlds, which may have been the only reason they managed to function as a society in deep space for so long.
Most voice modulators have difficulty producing soft consonant sounds such as those produced by "f" or "ph", and instead substitute them with a voiced "vh". For example, "Phoron gas is fine!" becomes "Vhoron gas is vhine!" Some unfortunate specimen may even be plagued with both impediments at once. For example, "The phoron in these k'ois lets me breathe." becomes "The vhoron in theze k'oiz letz me breathe." These speech impediments are commonly found in Vaurcae of the Zo'ra and C'thur Hives. As a result, players are encouraged to set the '''auto-hiss to "full"''' in the game settings.


The ultimate fate of Sedantis I is unknown to Vaurca encountered in human space in 2458, as contact is still impossible.
The speech impediments of your Vaurca can be pushed even further, and you are encouraged to experiment with what works best for you. If committed to it, the voice modulator of a Vaurca can make their Basic almost unintelligible. However, keep in mind that some jobs have [[Stellar_Corporate_Conglomerate_Occupation_Qualifications#Communication:|regulations for speech impediments]]. As such, you are encouraged to try to maintain your Vaurca characters relatively easy to communicate with.


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


None of the civilized species of the galaxy had any idea that the Vaurcae existed until an eventful day in November, 2456, when the drive plume and heat signature of a massive ship burning its engine in order to slow down for an approach was detected near the Romanovich cloud in Tau Ceti. While the galaxy was taken aback by this information, the Republic of Biesel acted immediately. A small scout vessel was dispatched to the ship, which was revealed to be a 30 kilometer (18.23 mile) vessel, mostly engine and radiator. Dubbed 'Titan Prime' by the media, Tau Ceti and news places over the known galaxy were bubbling with excitement as the object approached its apparent destination: Biesel.
====Naming System====


After a few weeks, the object passed the Romanovich cloud and dispatched over twenty drones to key locations in Tau Ceti. Some of these locations included the NMSS Odin, the NSS Von Braun, NSS Arcadia, NSS Aurora, NSS Exodus, and NMV Retaliation, and one to each planet. Although all drones dispatched to the location turned back immediately, one did not. The one that was headed for the NSS Aurora stayed, and in fact, contacted the station through use of the station's own intercommunication system; displaying a single, unintelligible message. After a period of three hours, the crew were dispatched to the probe and entered, finding a hollow vessel. In the middle was a single alien computer, and in a corner of a room were Vaurca eggs, presumably for use in early colonization.
Vaurcae have first names made of three parts. The first part is their '''caste''': '''Ka''' for Workers, '''Za''' for Warriors, '''Ra''' for Bulwarks, or '''Ta''' for Breeders. The second syllable indicates whether they are Bound or Unbound; '''Akaix''' for Unbound, '''Viax''' for Bound.


Research crew of the NSS Aurora, including Dr. Phoebe Essel and team were able to interact with the computer, painstakingly finding ways to translate the cryptic language it was attempting to speak in, and after usage of a pAI, were able to teach the machine Tau Ceti Basic. After some conversation, the computer detached itself and was brought aboard the NSS Aurora for first contact. It had been sent in order to document the indigenous species of the solar system. The computer tapped into the bluespace connection of the Artificial Intelligence of the station, uploaded core data files onto its hardware, and then departed, causing a minor panic on the station as the security forced feared an intelligence leak.
The last syllable of the name is unique and decided by the player. In Vaurcese, this segment would translate to a unique identifier, representing a natural number. This serial identifier can repeat between Hives, but you are discouraged from copying the name of another character. All identifiers should be short, at most two syllables. Gynes in the ship usually have longer names, consisting of multiple segments. Unlike the names of other castes, the names of Gynes are usually meaningful. They can be divided into multiple apostrophes.  


First radio contact was established with Tau Ceti President Joseph Dorn and Titan Prime, which was filled with Zo'ra. It was learned that the vessel was sent approximately 2 thousand years ago and had only now entered human space to find habitable planets to colonize. It was also learned that Titan Prime housed six million Vuarca on it, a staggering number.
A Worker Unbound Vaurca, for example, may be named '''Ka'Akaix'Siith Zo'ra'''; "Siith" is their personal identifier. The surname is the Hive that the Vaurca is a part of, in this case, "Zo'ra". A Zo'rane Gyne could be named '''Ta'Akaix'Nil'scyet'maak Zo'ra'''; "Nil'scyet'maak" is their personal name.


Titan Prime eventually reached Biesel, settling into a stable orbit around the planet. Observation showed that the ship was worse for wear after traveling for 2,000 years, launched from Sedantis in 400 CE. Many of its systems were failing or had already failed. The life support was barely working and the hull had lost most of its integrity. After heavy negotiation with the Tau Ceti government it was agreed that in exchange for being allowed to settle on Biesel the Vaurca would agree to 'pay rent' in the form of providing Nanotrasen and the Tau Ceti government with a quota of their bound and unbound for Nanotrasen's workforce. Due to the complexity (and pointlessness) of paying bound Vaurca they would instead earn 'credit' towards their continued stay on Biesel to pay back the cost of housing them.
In summary, the name is your Vaurca's caste, whether they are Bound or Unbound, and their personal, unique name. Their surname is their Hive.


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


Ferries, re-purposed cargo ships, and civilian shuttles evacuated 2 million inhabitants of Titan Prime, ferrying them mostly to New Gibson and Biesel, respectively. Evacuations are still undergoing, and most Vaurca live in refugee camps or state-provided housing in special sections of the two planets. The [[Interstellar Aid Corps]] has performed most of the work evacuating and housing Vaurca, and they are critical of the government's treatment of them.
The most augmentation is typically seen in Bound Vaurcae. Much of their organic mass will at some point be replaced with machinery, so they can fulfill one specific task to the best of their ability. Worker Bound will at the completion of their development look more like construction machines than Vaurca, with variable amounts of limbs and a plethora of tools at their disposal. Warrior Bound will assume a variety of forms, varying from simple infantry with weapons and targeting augments to assault vehicles. The more complex the caste name of a Bound, the less recognizable it is as a standard Vaurca.


Today, roughly 2.5 million Bound and Unbound Vaurca live in refugee camps or slums in New Gibson, and 4 million live in similar areas on Biesel. After NanoTrasen's forced eviction of the majority of Vaurca living on the Titan Prime in June of 2458, the slums of Biesel experienced an influx of almost half a million additional Vaurca. Officials are extremely worried about the cost of continued evacuation of Titan Prime, and integration of Vaurca into the system is confounded by the growing hostility towards them, inflamed by the recent discovery of even further Vaurca hive-ships entering known space. Many fear that the Vaurca are attempting a cultural invasion and will grow to become more powerful than the human governments housing them.
Unbound, however, will rarely undergo such severe augmentation. The great limitation of such heavy modification is that it eliminates versatility, which is a significant part of the purpose of the Unbound caste. For many their augments are performance-enhancing instead of completely form-altering. The majority of Unbound are today equipped with at least basic communication augments, which make them versatile assets to speak with extra-hive entities.


This fear has lead to Tau Ceti and the Sol Alliance working to actively suppress attempts by Vaurca to construct FTL capable communications or ships to contact their homeworld and potentially spread the information to more Vaurca hives in their home systems. While the Zo'ra of Titan Prime managed to leak secrets of these technologies from the Aurora, they remain unable to build FTL communication that's capable of interacting with the STL communications presumed to still be in use in Vaurca home systems. As well, many Vaurca are unsure of the ultimate fate of their homeworld, as their two thousand year travel has had them pass the time predicted to have brought the ultimate death of Sedantis...
Ultimately, all Vaurcae currently employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate aboard the SCCV Horizon are of the least augmented tier—either Type AA, Type BA, or Type E. Their carapace is almost totally unmodified. Bound and Unbound alike will have a neural socket and an oxygen filtration system, and they may utilize full-limb prosthetics. Bound may have several augments designed to increase work efficiency or general survival, while Unbound will typically have only a few augments to ensure that they can fulfill any task assigned to them by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.


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


===Literal===
''Black Number:'' The Unbound labor lottery. Whenever the Brood’s host (usually Nanotrasen) demands Unbound with a particular skill, all the Unbound who have that skill will participate in the lottery to see who has to go out and work. Those who draw the Black Number are pressed into service. In actual fact, there’s no way to forcefully ‘conscript’ an Unbound in the Virtual, but any Unbound who drew the Black Number and refused to honor it would be the lowest of the low.
''Brood:'' A single Virtual, along with all the Unbound that reside within it, their Bound, and any real estate or property they own. Formerly known as a ‘canton.’
''Bound:'' The slave class of Vaurca. Bound are essentially organic robots.
''“By your command, wise master:”'' The traditional affirmation a Bound gives in response to an Unbound’s order. In Vaur’uyit’yaza, it’s written as “Tzu’ikak’xa, tla’akaix.”
''Cephalon:'' The actual computer running the program that is the Virtual. The nerve center and headquarters of the Brood. Constantly under heavy guard; outsiders never get to look at it. The ultimate long-term goal of every Brood is to build new Cephalons and send them out into the cosmos.
''Consensus:'' Consensus is a state where everybody who cares about a specific topic has agreed on a course of action or conclusion for it. It means the same thing for them as for us, but it’s one of their worship words.
''Descend:'' To go from the Virtual into the Material; to enter a physical body and cease to exist in the Virtual until returning. Descent requires the willing participation of both Transmission and the Descenders, which means it generally requires a full Consensus. Descent (and Ascent) also requires bringing the new body into the presence of the Cephalon and connecting it with the appropriate cables.
''Descenders:'' The Descenders are those Unbound, Descended, who are in charge of preparing bodies and supervising the process of Descent. This is an extremely important and sacred role; only the most important and honored of Unbound are eligible to do this work.
''Discipline:'' Unbound who are Disciplined keep their eyes on the prize; they eat k’ois without complaint, sit on the ground, ignore bad smells, and otherwise fit themselves, physically, into the same spaces that Bound use. More importantly, they save their love for noetic things and resist the allure of sensory stimulation, and keep a healthy disdain for actually being in the Material.
''Hive:'' A “Hive” is a Vaurca nationality or ethnicity. All the Hives have their origin on Sedantis IVc - someone with a map of the old homeworld could draw lines, borders, and capitals for them. Each Hive has a distinctive coloring and scent, allowing Vaurca in the Material to instantly distinguish one another. There were 17 Hives on Sedantis IVc.
''Hive Ship:'' A mighty space vessel designed to support a few Broods in perpetuity. All the Zo’ra Broods in Tau Ceti came from the Hive Ship “Titan Prime,” which was in really sorry shape by the time it arrived.
''Holy Mother Goddess:'' The single, supreme deity in the Vaurca religion. Created the Universe and everything in it, but gave birth to the Vaurca and made Sedantis IVc their special homeworld. A figure of pure and all-pervading love, malicious to none and receptive to all. Some Vaurca take a less-than-literal view of her. Abbreviated as “HMG.”
''Journeyer:'' An Unbound who descends as a rite of passage. Every Unbound who wants to become a respected elder of the community must serve some time in the trenches, demonstrating their ability to think on their feet and work independently.
''Material:'' The real world outside the Virtual.
''Noetic:'' Meaning ‘of or pertaining to the intellect,’ “noetic” is the best way to describe the inside of the Virtual. This means that it doesn’t really look like anything; it exists purely as information with no “shape.” The opposite of noetic is “sensory,” meaning that it’s interpreted through the five senses.
''Procedure:'' The essential rules of conduct and responsibility among the Vaurca. Broadly speaking, Procedure has two elements. The first is that every Unbound has the right to weigh in on any subject or any question before the Brood, to have their objections known and acknowledged by the group. The second is that every Unbound has the responsibility to cultivate valid and informed opinions about those subjects and questions. Procedure is a massive burden on most Unbound, and most Broods have a hard time sticking to it.
''Shun:'' To Shun an Unbound in the Virtual is to take them off all Brood-wide message lists, isolating them completely. This is their ultimate punishment, and it can last for a fixed period of time or it can last until the one shunned shows contrition and is forgiven.
''Transmission:'' The process of messages going into and out of the Virtual. The best and quickest way to do this is to Descend into a special body (a “Ra” body) and type out the message. It’s still very slow, so Vaurca have to rely on delegated leadership. The actual Ra-bodies need the support of other descended Unbound to collect and distribute the messages.
''Unbound:'' The intellectual class of the Vaurca. Unbound are people, with all that entails. They live primarily in the Virtual but also descend in order to interact with the Material. Because they are born in the Material and have slightly different experiences as babies, they develop different personalities as adults.
''Vagabond:'' An Unbound who genuinely prefers the Material to the Virtual. Some Vagabonds go so far as to get jobs directly with employers, to accumulate money, and to buy property. These are not generally the actions of older or more established people, so Vagabonds are treated like impetuous adolescents who need to get this phase out of their system.
''Virtual:'' The digital space where Unbound reside when not in the Material.
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Revision as of 19:19, 4 May 2024

Vaurca (Vaur'uyit'zir)
V. esseli / V. sapiens
Vaurcaduo.png
Home System: Sedantis (Sc'theth'stak, "Blinding Light.")
Homeworld: Sedantis I (Vaur'avek'uyit, "Home Afar.")
Language(s): Vaurcese, Hivenet.
Political Entitie(s): Zo'ra Hive, K'lax Hive, C'thur Hive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contents


Mechanics

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

Non-mechanic traits:

  • Dislike light.
  • Be raised in virtual reality.
  • Generally very specialized. Born to serve a specific role.
  • Face severe discrimination in human space.
  • Be incredibly sensitive to smells.

Relationships with Megacorporations

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

Vaurca Hives' Relationships
Corporations Zo'ra K'lax C'thur
NT Preferential Yes Yes
Heph No Exclusive No
Zavod Yes No Yes
ZH Yes Yes Preferential
Idris No No No
PMCG VP/NT VP/NT/DPF VP/Eridani
Orion Yes Yes Yes
Einstein No No Exclusive

Biology

See also: Vaurca Biology

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

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

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

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

Ka, The Workers (Type A)

Vaurcaworker.png

Type A are the most common Vaurca. Their most prevalent feature is their hardened exoskeleton, varying in colors in accordance with their Hive. This exoskeleton provides protection against harsh radiation, solar and otherwise, and acts as a robust pressure suit to seal their soft inner core from the outside world. This allows most Type A Vaurcae to have extended, several day-long EVA expeditions, assuming they have phoron. Their hands consist of two middle fingers with small talons at the end, and two opposable thumbs, a left and a right, on either side of their hand. Type A range from 5ft to 7ft tall on average, though outliers of both spectra are not unheard of for the more specialized tasks.

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

Za, The Warriors (Type B)

Vaurcawarrior.png

Type B are the second most prominent of Vaurca society and some of the most varied. They can range in size from 5ft tall to 8ft tall. Other types of Warriors, known as Warforms, rise to as much as 20ft tall. They can be bipedal, quadrupeds, or hexapods, which are called types BA, BB, and BC respectively. They usually have weapons physically attached to their bodies, making them unwieldy or impractical for any situation other than combat.

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

The majority of Warrior-caste Vaurcae employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate are type BA, also known as Myrmidon. Myrmidons are deprived of the most advanced augments and mostly differ from other types simply in that they are more mentally suited for combat or are involved in the function of something that could be considered a weapon. Unlike Workers, type BA possesses longer, more powerful mandibles. These can be customizable on the character creation screen.

Ta, The Breeders (Type C)

Vaurcabreeder.png

Type C are rare among Vaurcae and make up around 2-3% of their entire species. They are massive and larger than any of the other castes. Female Breeders, also known as Gynes, are the ruling caste of the Vaurcae and are the only available type of Breeder on the ship. Type CB, Unbound Gynes, occupy all leadership positions amongst the species and share in the same biological immortality enjoyed by them, many being born in generations long gone.

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

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

Ta can only be played as Consular Officers.

Playing a Hive Representative

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

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

  • No height taller than 11 feet tall.
  • As a Gyne, you are allowed to have a three-syllable name instead of the usual monosyllabic.
  • Auto-hiss basic (s becomes z or more frequently not at all). You have been assigned to work on a station full of aliens, so you would have a vocal implant aiding this significantly due to your status.
  • Avoid combat and avoid doing any labor or specialized work except where absolutely necessary. Ta may and almost always do have hobbies, often developing talents in line with the skills of their brood, and they are expected to be extremely good at them owing to their incredible age. Despite this, they are leaders and politicians, not Warriors or Workers, and they should have no intention of changing this. On matters of strenuous labor, Gynes ultimately prefer delegation and inspiring others to do something.
  • Avoid social ignorance. Gynes possess a high social intelligence thanks to generations of evolution, being literally made for it, so they would be knowledgeable on whether trying to clean a Unathi's horn would upset them or not.
  • Ta are biologically immortal, many having lived through what would to other species be recognized as entire eras of history. Each brood has different customs regarding the age at which a Gyne is ready for diplomatic duties. Few broods trust Ta under 100 years old with any serious positions. The absolute upper limit on playable Ta age is thirty-five-thousand years, born not long before the Great Hive War. Gynes older than this are very rare and typically Queens, Surrogates, or hive-cell Aliates, not finding work aboard the Horizon. Despite this extraordinary range, the average Hive Representative will fall between 500 and 3000 years.
  • Gynes, as important members of the Hives, are entrusted with an administrative neural socket, a tool that gives them greatly increased power over the Hivenet and Virtual Reality. Mechanically, this is reflected in a series of Hivenet verbs, giving them the ability to mute, shock, ban, and even void lesser Vaurca. Despite having access to such with a thought, Ta employ them rarely, and to do so against another Hive's Vaurca without good reason is equivalent to a hostile attack, a major diplomatic incident. Voiding, the act of destroying a Vaurca's neural socket, is an absolute last resort and should never be employed except as a last resort.

Ra, The Bulwarks (Type E)

Bullywiki.png

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

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

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

The Unbound

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

Although Unbound are still thinking, sapient beings, they still typically maintain unwavering subservience to the respective hierarchy of their Hive. This is due to a combination of pheromone excretion and indoctrination methods imposed during the growing process of an Unbound. However, when they are not under the direct instruction of a lesser or High Queen, they will typically pursue their own or their own hive-cell's interests.

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

Playing Unbound

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

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

The Bound

While all Bound are specialized for a specific job or instruction, all are still capable of simple labor.

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

Playing Bound

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

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

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

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

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

Jobs playable by Bound
Department Jobs Available
Security None
Medical Surgeon, Physician, Pharmacist
Engineering Engineer, Atmospheric Technician
Science Lab Assistant
Operations Hangar Technician, Machinist, Shaft Miner
Service Chef, Bartender, Gardener, Librarian, Janitor
Civilian Assistant

History

See also: Vaurca History

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


History Summary

The Vaurca evolved within the harsh environment of Sedantis I, the innermost satellite of the gas giant Sc'theth'stak. Survival beneath the surface demanded constant adaptation. Competition for limited resources fueled millennia of brutal warfare among the emerging Vaurca Hives. However, a pivotal event was the domestication of the k'ois fungus. This agricultural breakthrough spurred population growth, codified the current Hive hierarchy, and laid the foundation for the rise of powerful empires.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The C'thur Hive made first contact with Skrell around 2448-2450. The Zo'ra Hive made first contact with humanity in November 2456. The K'lax Hive made first contact with Unathi in March 2459.

Modern Day

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

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

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

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

Individuals

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

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

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

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

Culture

See also: Vaurca Culture and Society and Vaurca Religion

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

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

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

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

Language

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

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

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

Speaking like a Vaurca

Vaurcae working in alien space have augments that allow them to have an easier time speaking the languages of the Orion Spur. However, due to the desperate times the species is in, speech augments tend to be of variable quality. Vaurcae typically expresses an unfamiliarity with most alien languages, preferring to use basic words and sentence structures over more complex ones, and often may be unaware of the exact meaning of words, or the names of objects, instead describing them. This tends to happen most to those who are not used to alien cultures.

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

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

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

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

Naming System

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

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

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

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

Vaurca Augmentation

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

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

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

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

See also

  • Vaurca Hives, where you can find information on each brood. There is a portal available to navigate between broods pages easily.
  • Vaurca Biology, to learn more about the specifics of each caste and the many bioforms.
  • The Vaurca channels on the lore Discord, where you can learn and ask more about the species.