User:Caelphon/Sandbox1

Overview

A unique race of fungoid creatures, the Dionae are a unique blend of biological and intellectual capabilities that distinguishes them from other known life within the Orion Spur, or the greater galaxy. With a physical resemblance to slugs, they have the ability to form "gestalts" which are complex, collective entities that enhance cognitive abilities and perform intricate tasks. They may also exhibit sophisticated behaviour, showcasing a collective intelligence that evolves with the number of Dionae within a gestalt. Dionae have the ability to gain information through genetic absorption; meaning they are able to assimilate knowledge and skills from a genetic sample, allowing them to gain knowledge through biological interaction. This has allowed Dionae to rapidly adapt to the societies present within the Orion Spur. Dionae rely on radiotrophy, in which they derive energy for growth and sustenance from ionizing radiation. Dionae convert radiation into usable chemical energy, which in turn allows them to survive in otherwise inhospitable environments as long as radiation exists.

Dionae

D. Primis

Native Language(s): Rootsong

Faction(s): Xrim, Hieroaetheria, Moghes, Nralakk Federation, Primitive Sirens, Titan Prime and Others.

Location(s): Everywhere

Culture

Language

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

While it is impossible for other species to fully understand or speak Rootsong, it is possible to create translators that are capable of translating it to another language or vice-versa. Dionae are capable of comprehending and oftentimes speaking a plethora of languages found throughout the spur, although they can have some difficulties with speaking languages that require certain facial features or body parts used in motions and gestures whilst speaking. To overcome this Dionae are capable of growing or designating a nymph to create a mimicry of what they’re missing, such as by designating a nymph to act as a tail to assist them in speaking Sinta’azaziba or using biomass to create vines that can act as fingers for sign language.

Dionae are capable of understanding and speaking most Human, Skrell, and Unathi languages, although they do require some mimicry to speak Unathi languages. While they can generally understand them, Dionae have some trouble speaking most Tajaran languages due to the difficulties of creating the complex facial features needed to speak the languages properly. Dionae are also completely incapable of speaking in the Vaurca hivenet as they’re incapable of replicating or integrating the required organs needed to communicate within.

Factions

Primitive Sirens of Mictlan

See more: Mictlan

Rooted within the emigrants from Rueltab, following the completion of their debt as a result of the Rueltab Incident, Dionae have nestled themselves within their own city of “Fallowed Meadows” in the Mictlani Sertão. However, different from other Dionae settlements across the Orion Spur, the Primitive Sirens follow an ideology of technophobic primacy, where they deny themselves the pleasures and convenience of advanced technology to ensure the preservation of the true tenets of a Dionae – connection to nature, and to themselves. Though their foundations remain the same, the Primitive Sirens have evolved their approach to their understanding, and assimilated themselves within Mictlani society, to a degree, of course. Following the cornerstone of gaining experience, the Primitive Sirens regularly leave the Fallowed Meadows and work in the surrounding Mictlani cities, most of the time forming the basis of the cities’ common labourers – construction workers, operations employees and even farmhands.

Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria

See more: Hieroaetheria

Standing as a beacon of interstellar cooperation and unity amidst the vast expanse of the Spur and its political system, the Commonwealth of Hieroaetheria represents a collaborative effort to foster mutual prosperity and security for the Dionae of the planet; at its core lies a commitment to diplomatic dialogue, economic integration and collective defence, aimed at ensuring stability and progress for all member entities. Hieroaetheria is unique in that it is amongst one of the few planets within the Spur dominated primarily by Dionae, but with varying views on their existence.

Mourning Survivors of Rueltab

See more: Rueltab

The resting place of the largest formation of Dionae, the Last Vociferation of The Superlative Consensus, a Titan-class the size of Mars. Initial contact between Humanity and the Rueltab Titan resulted in the breaking out of a conflict that led to the destruction of the latter, forced to reside on Rueltab I and perform menial work to 'pay reparations' for the damage that it had inflicted during First Contact. Many eventually were distributed across the Solarian Alliance as indentured workers, some establishing their own communities such as the Primitive Sirens of Mictlan, or the Hierophants of the Eternal Gardens. Those that remained on Rueltab, even following the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, continue attempting to pay off their reparations -- a unified guilt present in all those originating from Rueltab.

Hierophants of the Eternal Gardens

See more: Eternal Gardens

Pests of Titan Prime

See more: Pests of Titan Prime

Indentured Wanderers of Moghes

See more: Dionae in the Hegemony

Prisoners of the Narrows

See: The Narrows

Servants of the Covenant

See: Covenant of Xrim