Difference between revisions of "Dionae"

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{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}
{{Navbox_Dionae_Lore}}
{{Infobox Species
|Species = Dionae
|Scientific = D. Primo
|Image = Dionae410x320.png
|System = N/A
|World = N/A
|Language = Rootsong
|Politic = N/A
}}
{{toc_right}}
==Overview==
A rather strange, cryptic species in comparison to the rest, Dionae are actually a bipedal fusion of smaller, singular organisms working collectively to create a whole. The smaller organisms are wood-fleshed, cat-sized to large, dog-sized caterpillar-like creatures with a curious, childlike disposition. Nearly every aspect of the species is a mystery; their origins, their behavior, and functions. What is known is that they are capable of great intellectual and biological feats alike... for a price. Biologically, they are as much of an amalgam as their forms, similar to both plant and animal alike and yet not, surviving primarily off of the electromagnetic spectrum with a healthy diet of biological matter to supplement their growth. This has resulted in a weakness to lack of radiation and can lead to death if not exposed to at least proper lighting, and when fused with others can move incredibly slow due to a shared hivemind and the need to make decisions as a group than a single entity.


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


To become one of the strange, plant-like Dionae, apply [http://aurorastation.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=28 here]
==Overview==
Dionae are a race of slug-like plantoid creatures with advanced intelligence compared to any known animal. They do, however, have two unique aspects that set them apart from most animals or intelligent species in the galaxy: their ability to form together into "gestalts", allowing them to similar if not greater levels of intelligence compared to that of a human and for their ability to gain experiences and memories from the blood and DNA of other intelligent species, meaning in simple terms, they can learn from drinking blood. Dionae also do not need to drink or eat to survive; instead, they need to consume some form of radiation, whether that be alpha radiation or just light from a simple lightbulb. While not required to survive, Dionae are capable of eating or drinking to grow more biomass and may do so before a nymph merges or leaves a gestalt.


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


* Research Director
{{Infobox Diona
* Chief Engineer
|Species    = Dionae
* Chief Medical Officer
|Scientific = D. Primis
 
|Image  = Dionae410x320.png
==Occupational==
|Language = Rootsong
Dionae cannot be any of the following positions:
|Factions = [[Xrim]], [[Epsilon Ursae Minoris]], [[Moghes]], [[Nralakk Federation]], [[Mictlan|Primitive Sirens]], [[Vaurcae & Dionae|Titan Prime]] and [[Minor Dionae Factions|Others]].
* Emergency Medical Technician
|Location = Everywhere
* Paramedic
}}
{{toc_right}}


==Mechanics==
===Nymphs===


*Access to the specie’s unique language, Rootsong, with ,q prefix.
Diona, also referred to as nymphs, are the singular or “baseline” form of a Dionae. They are a slug-like creature very comparable to a plant. On their own and especially after being grown, a nymph’s intelligence is comparable to a dog, although through experiences and genetic learning by absorbing DNA, a Nymph can become about as intelligent as a young child. Nymphs are capable of speaking most human, Unathi, and Skrell languages.
*Lives off of light and radiation, dies without either for a long period of time.
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
*Heals from radiation chemicals, gains damage from anti-radiation and weedkillers.
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
*Moves slower than most other species, even slower when in darkness. Speed increases when in good light or irradiated.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between between the split nymph and original gestalt at will.
*Can split completely into several nymphs, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can *chirp and *chirp_song.
*Can take nutrition from the air, as well as check the light levels in a current area if it is acceptable for them to live in or not.


===Dionae Gestalts===


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


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


*Does not like wearing many layers of clothes, if any at all to allow them to feed better off of a lower-radiation environment like a station
For more information on these forms, see: [[Dionae Forms|Dionae Forms.]]


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


===Physiology===
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.
Ranging from a petit cat to growing as heavy as one-hundred pounds, the Nymph is a highly adaptable creature, capable living in terrestrial, aquatic, and atmosphere-less, weightless environments. The caterpillar-like shape that most are familiar with is actually a torpedo-shaped body covered in tough tendrils. These tendrils form a collar which fans out to great lengths just beneath the large, singular eye, near which two long, thinner tendrils act as delicate sensory organs. These tendrils tightly wrap themselves around the body to cocoon it in a thick, protective layer, using six thick, shorter tendrils for locomotion.


The typical Gestalt shape that is seen in a community of four-limbed bipeds, also known as a Cyclopes, is created out of a fusion of six Nymphs. Merging typically happens by fusing the body or most commonly an eye to another Nymph, sometimes even through tendrils while the rest of the appendages wrap around the other Nymphs and interlock with the other's tendrils to form a tight bond. As tendrils constrict, they harden enough to form a structure to support the rest of the Gestalt. For Tau Ceti Cyclops Gestalts, four Nymphs form appendages purely for locomotion and manipulation while a fifth handles visual, olfactory, and auditory sensory information. These all fuse to the sixth Nymph, a thought-hub for the Nymphs to communicate through and acts as a central processor for the rest, which is a necessity. While merged, each Nymph surprisingly manage to keep their sense of self and individuality as they share their thoughts and communicate between one another as separate entities while acting as one.
==Naming==
 
Dionae naming conventions vary heavily based on the gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by just a first name and last name but instead use experiences, emotions, actions, or ideals as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes and therefore can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination or emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. While there’s no limit on the length of a gestalt’s name, they tend to have them shortened to four to ten words to make them more readable when written.
===Nymph Splitting===
A Dionae Gestalt is able to split a nymph from itself and move semi-independently. This process is done by the two “singing” to each other on a frequency only they can understand.
Individual nymphs normally take a short, less nuanced name only containing one or two words. Younger nymphs tend to use less refined words meanwhile an older, more experienced nymph will have a more nuanced or more complicated name, an example being “Bright warmth” for a younger nymph’s name and “Incandescent Comfort” for an older nymph.
 
While the nymph is split it will still communicate with the gestalt for major decisions or information transfer. Although the nymph is still able to move independently and speak on its own, allowing it to keep conversations and movement speed on the same pace with most nymphs.
'''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''
 
===Metabolism===
Dionae are capable of taking just about any matter from their surroundings and able to metabolize it into nutrition for themselves, being opportunistic feeders. Soil, fluids, biological matter, even particles from the air- biomatter being the most beneficial in the form of matter-to-energy conversion. If something is consumed and cannot be digested, the material is ejected through the process of regurgitation as the species appear to only have one orifice, their rather effective digestive system not producing waste unlike most other organics. However their main source of energy comes from the electromagnetic spectrum in the form of radiation, the most common being ultraviolet. While they can go without nutritious matter, being in the presence of radiation- ultraviolet being the minimum tolerated- is a necessity at all times. Without it Dionae are soon to wither, enter a comatose state, and shortly die within the span of a few hours. A powerful source of radiation is highly beneficial to the species, and when provided biomatter can heal themselves at an accelerated rate; reproduction and growth is also done in exponentially short periods of time in such perfect conditions.
 
Means of neutralizing energy found on the electromagnetic spectrum would be disorienting to Dionae, but because they have evolved with radiation as their primary form of sustenance and must be exposed to the energy source at all times, substances that neutralize it in particular are toxic to the species.
 
=== Reproduction ===
The Dionae follow a more plant-like reproduction cycle; they are asexual, and approximately once per year, a gestalt will release a large amount of seeds in it's surroundings (regardless of it's location), which will be carrying by whichever forces are applied upon them (the spores having a configuration that is even adequate to be spread by solar winds).
 
Once the seeds reach an adequate location, the seed anchors itself and starts developing into a Diona replicant pod - which is, in essence, a Diona egg. The pod absorbs the nutrient it needs - water, oxygen, carbon and other elements - from it's surroundings, when available, to grow and eventually hatch. Once hatched, a pod will produce an almost mature nymph.


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


===Forms===
==Signs of Age==
The merging and separation of Nymphs takes much time and energy to complete, sometimes days or even weeks on much larger structures. For smaller collections such as Cyclopes, it typically only takes an hour or so before they are ready to function. This is due to the Nymph bodies fusing together and creating a sturdy body that will be able to reasonably support itself and move, adapting it to the current environment. Before preforming a change, Nymphs and Gestalts will gorge themselves on biomatter in preparation. Separation is only ever done in life-or-death emergencies or special situations such as growing a larger Gestalt as it can often be traumatic to Nymphs if done in a hurry, causing the knowledge gathered to be improperly stored in each individual or even lost without the correct precautions taken. With each change the new form will always take up a new name to represent the new information and experiences collaborated.  
As individual nymphs grow older their bark will begin to grow much thicker. Young nymphs tend to  only have a very thin layer of bark on them, making them a bit more flimsy but also quicker as they’re not weighed down by excess bark. However, as a nymph grows older and their bark’s thickness grows they’ll begin to become more durable, but at the cost of having slower mobility, with the oldest nymphs becoming nearly if not completely immobile. While there is no known cure or treatment to reverse the process, nymphs who live on light and not radiation tend to grow their bark at a slower rate.


The Dionae, being by its very nature a compound creature, comes in several known and theoretical forms with several characteristics:
This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the [[Dionae Culture#Eternal Temple|Eternal Temple.]]


'''Nymph:''' The default form tackled above. Medium intelligence, extremely curious, extreme learning potential.
==Appearance==


'''Cyclops:''' The most commonly seen form, this occurs when a minimum of three to six nymphs link together and grow a humanoid body. Highly intelligent.
Whilst Diona bark is always brown, Diona are capable of being grown with different shades and hues of bark. This is primarily affected by their age and the conditions in their growth site such as temperature and the type of radiation they were exposed to.  


'''Argus:''' A rare form, the Diona Argus is a large network - often upward of a dozen - of nymphs inter-connected, forming a veritable physical and information net. The Skrell are looking into inducing this form and using it as a controlled organic processor for facilities. Very high intelligence, low learning potential.  
The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:
*Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.  
*Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
*Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
*Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.


'''Colossus:''' An even rarer form, a Diona Colossus is a large-scale structure - the ones found were made of more than hundreds of nymphs - exhibiting advanced intelligence and isolationist tendencies. One particular example was found growing around a derelict space station - it is also believed that the "Organic Craft" that attached itself to the human cruiser reached at least this state. Extreme intelligence, assumed low learning potential.
==Psyche==
Dionae differ incredibly compared to other species in terms of their emotions and psychology; primarily in how it affects each nymph and how it would be displayed in a gestalt. Dionae feel a myriad of diverging reactions to certain issues - which is what sets them apart from others. When a Nymph first becomes sentient, and the ability to grasp more intricate and complicated ideas becomes easier, there is a rare chance for complications to arise which are deemed ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ and can easily be seen as mental disorders.


'''Cetus:''' Only two such forms were ever observed (that being the gestalt above Mralakk, the second being the recent Venter's Cetus), a Diona Cetus is just that - a mass of Diona so immense, in the orders of a million nymphs, that it can be considered a stellar body. The specimen observed seems reluctant to communicate despite showing they are capable, and show a natural (but weak) magnetic field and radiation emission. Unknown capabilities - theorized to be more intelligent than most other forms of intelligence, organic or synthetic. It is suspected that the original Dionae gestalt, where it may be, is at least this form if not the form below.
‘Cognitive Obstacles’ parallel mental illnesses that frequently find themselves rooted within other species across the Orion Spur. These ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ affect Dionae uniquely in the sense that each nymph can experience these differently from another. Dionae can form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of PTSD, Anxiety, and Tourettes. It can be expected that Dionae that fall into this category of ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ will have bursts of unintended chirps, additionally coinciding with spasms. Some have noted that they have intense bouts of paranoia and periods where they will experience an existential crisis.


'''Titan:''' A theoretical form of the Diona - a planet, or even star-sized diona form consisting of maybe more nymphs than is currently known to exist, may be the pinnacle of organic processing and thought. Uncharted intelligence. The Skrell has an order to destroy any Diona structure that could reach, or has reached, this size due to the inherent risk of intelligence singularity and other classified risks.
Dionae can also form ‘Cognitive Obstacles’ similar to that of various depressive disorders. These are often seen as a mortal danger - where if an individual nymph begins to feel symptoms similar to the depressive disorders, such as intense periods of feeling impending doom or simply feeling lifeless, will eventually spread these thoughts through a gestalt which will eventually perish. Nymphs that are deemed a hazard to the entire gestalt are usually  cast and left to find a treatment or possibly perish if unable to find or receive one.  


== Social ==
Splitting Disorder is a temporary disorder that occurs in gestalts that have split off into smaller forms, usually for work purposes (an Argus splitting into Cyclops forms to work in an office). The disorder is characterized by increased anxiety within the Dionae at being apart from each other and intense fear that harm might befall one of the split forms, getting worse the longer the gestalt is split. This fear of danger varies from gestalt to gestalt, with some split forms being “braver” than others. Splitting Disorder can temporarily be relieved by brief re-merging via physical contact. This usually appears to other species as close hugs or hand-holding followed by happy chirping of the nymphs within the gestalt. It can be permanently cured by a full re-merging or after a long period of separation through long periods of separation can instead turn into a Depressive Disorder. The death or injury of a split partner tends to be extremely traumatizing for the other partners, with the level and manner of the trauma dependent on each nymph, with some being “braver” than others.
 
===Language===
While they can understand all languages, if exposed to the genes of a speaker, their physical limitations only allow them to speak a handful; most Dionae that work aboard human facilities only know Common and their language - however they are capable, due to their biological flexibility, to emulate most other languages - Gutter and Tradeband are easily spoken (if a little slow with certain subjects who use only one Nymph to communicate), while Sinta'Unathi is spoken perfectly. Their physical slowness, however, makes it difficult to talk Sik'Maas, the meaning sometimes being lost in the slowness of their "ear" and "tail" limbs when grown.
 
Their language, named "Rootsong" (as translated), uses various limbs and membranes to imitate what most would see as "natural" sounds - leaves whisking in the wind, branches rubbing - and even some instrumental sounds, at times (flute-like sounds and drumming being common). However, to those who can discern it - Rootsong is a true orchestra of language. Syntax and grammar are simply part of the song, reflected in tempo and beats, while emotions are conveyed through pitch and the imitation of weather effects, such as wind and moisture. Most interestingly - the sound itself is only a byproduct of their body structure, as some humans have successfully learned Rootsong (without the emotional intonations) through violin and calliope organs. Xenohistorians often use the Rootsong as evidence that the Dionae evolved in conditions involving an atmosphere.
 
Dionae are fully capable of learning and speaking most human languages including Solarian Common, Tradeband, and Freespeak. Examples of how they would be acquired is a gestalt raised by a rich Sol family being taught Sol Common, while one cultivated by a Suit in Eridani might know Tradeband or one grown on Mars knowing Freespeak.
 
Most languages only use a singular Nymph to speak, most often the Nymph taking up the head, while Rootsong specifically uses each and every nymph to create a harmonious sound.
 
===Emotions and Integration===
'''''The act of a Diona beginning to integrate into society requires a single, crucial moment: The moment the blood of a sentient is gifted, taken, or found.'''''
 
A '''Nymph''' feels emotions rather simply at first, beginning its life with the intellect and emotion of a dog or cat, and able to quickly adapt at a moments notice. Once a nymph intakes the '''blood''', or '''genetic code''', of a '''sentient being''', their capacity for knowledge increases and they will begin to understand more complex ideas such as deep emotion, tool-making, society, and language. Other sources of this knowledge could be from merging with a more experienced Diona, shortening the process exponentially.
 
The most common form of sentient life in the known galaxy are bipedal humanoids, thus making it the most common body for Diona as well, with two legs and two arms. However, the act of a diona changing its form is not exact and often fails to meet the standards to mimic completely, since a Diona cannot exactly change its bark colour or add fingers.
 
==Culture==
Due to their highly nomadic nature, Dionae do not experience a universal culture outside of certain behaviors that appear to be biologically ingrained and somehow hard-wired into their genetics. Information on individual group cultures can be found in their
[[#History|History]].
 
===Naming===
Diona naming conventions vary heavily based on gestalt, but have one consistency; They do not go by first name, last name, but instead use '''experiences, emotions, actions,''' or '''ideals''' as their source of identification. These experiences that define them can change just as the individual changes, and can be both literal and metaphorical. Some examples of where these might come from can be from routines in their lives, remembrances of mortals, a particular fascination in an emotion, a unique location where an important moment occurred, or even just a defining feature on their body. '''''As a player, it is up to you to decide what makes an experience, and you have a whole galaxy of cosmically ageless ideas to choose from. Be creative!'''''
 
====Experience Is What Matters====
The only time when one Diona is venerated above any other is when a more experienced and therefore more knowledgeable gestalt is present. This more experienced Diona is seen as more valuable due to their vaster stores of knowledge and therefore are protected over less experienced ones in a dangerous situation. A more experienced Diona will often take up the responsibility to educate a new one on their environment- including but not limited to the ways of local alien civilization. This is to simply get the newbie up to speed so they can be quicker on their way to learn more about their particular interests, whatever that may be.
More often than not, the older Diona is the more experienced, however this is not always true as a Diona gestalt may have spent its whole immortal life simply floating in a gas giant until it was scooped up into the fuel tank of a starship.
 
===Art===
While the species may make incredible artists in civilized space due to their longevity and capacity to learn, another form of visual art exists for Dionae that they practice as a recreational activity known simply as "Forma" and have two versions. Both utilize only their own bodies to make Gestalts in creative and practical ways alike. The first and most popular of the two is the Artem, or Art-Form. These are more for form than function and are used to display a Gestalt's creativity in strange and unique ways. Artem are typically observed being made in the void of space where they are free of the restrictions of gravity and require no rhyme nor reason to their design and exists purely as a hobby.
 
The second and perhaps most shocking of them is Vita, or Life-Form. Seen most often in some type of environment with gravity, there are two different forms: symbiotic which is done in the presence of other life forms, and competitive, preformed in areas where the concentration of Dionae are high. The symbiotic version is seen every day and is a form of passive mimicry to blend in with their extraterrestrial neighbors whereas the competitive version is a surprising display of violence. One is to increase their chance of survival in an alien landscape, the other used as a strange yet creative form of population control.
 
Competitive Vita is a theoretical evolution simulator where each Gestalt will merge, often as fantastical forms of creatures, which is then tested with the current environment they are in under different conditions. If present, they will then be tested against other non-sentient life forms before finally each other. Throughout the competition the losing Gestalts are either consumed or absorbed into their forms as additions, the final battle being the most dramatic display of a Gestalt's abilities. While most sapients would find this practice barbaric and contradictory to the species' desire to gain and preserve knowledge, the fallen and their knowledge simply become a part of the victorious.
 
===Integration===
With being a complex multi-formed and sometimes ever-changing organism such as a Diona, one can imagine that becoming a part of a society can be rather complex. Dionae can be found nearly everywhere except for the coldest and radioactive-free of places. With money meaning little to them, others see them as cheap labor and both seem to be content with this, as Dionae do not need much outside of proper radiation. A clever species, Dionae often take advantage of a solar system's sunlight during the daylight hours and bask before taking a night shift, and during day shifts they will often live together and collectively pay for housing, heating, and light. If others are willing, they will also become housemates with other species and assist in menial tasks and paying rent in exchange for safe shelter.
 
====Citizenship====
Dionae are able to obtain citizenship in most nations, although the way they obtain and hold it tends to differ from most other species. Within most nations, they must get each nymph chipped, with the chip containing information about the nymph. They also must defend their citizenship every time a merge or splitting happens within the citizen gestalt.
   
   
For more information on their citizenship, you can check it on this page: [[Dionaea Citizenship]]
=== Violence & Passivism ===


====Education====
Dionae manifest behavioural aggression significantly differently compared to other species. Contrary to popular conception, Dionae are not exclusively pacifistic, nor incapable of violence. After all, the interstellar medium is a hostile and unforgiving place loaded with dangerous fauna. More on this can be found [[Dionae Biology|here]].
Although Dionae can contain vast amounts of knowledge and possess extreme intelligence, the species still have to obtain the appropriate degrees for the occupation they wish to pursue in their chosen location of residence. This can be accomplished after being registered for citizenship. All newly-registered Dionae must complete and pass the courses required for their field if their degrees from past planetary systems is not recognized in the new location, or they lack one all together. Their education must be defended one year following the awarding of a degree, and then every five years there on out. However, that timer is reset due to the fact that after each merging, Dionae are required to defend their education along with their re-registration for citizenship due to the possibility of accumulation of new knowledge, and possible loss of information depending on the nature of the new merging.
 
==Philosophy==
Dionae do not have a religion that is comparable to others, but rather a unique philosophy that they all observe. Despite being more or less immortal, misfortune may befall their kind occasionally and it is known that other species are not as long-lived as they are. Amalgamated nomads by nature on their endless search for knowledge through the vastness of space, they cannot afford to feel lonely nor grieve or they would cease to function as a species. With that being said, they have a different approach to death than others as seen in the case of Weirun Tup on the Dionae-colonized planet of Epsilon Ursae Minoris. Using the way of how they process biological matter, Dionae see the consumption of corpses as a sort of reincarnation or ascension for the deceased. As a body is consumed, the entirety of that individual's life, their "essence", is absorbed into the Dionae and becomes a part of them. To them it is not an end, but simply a way life continues and is not met with sadness but rather optimism. Only when a body of one of their own is not recovered that they become regretful for the knowledge lost and becoming depressed for a short time when a Sage's knowledge cannot be passed down this way.
 
Some Dionae even offer the service of consuming the dearly departed to other species, the task being treated with reverence. Once completed, there may be an option where the Dionae offers to even part with a Nymph with the deceased's essence upon request, and will give it to those that were close to the deceased as a form of reincarnation. Especially with fresher Nymphs, the essence can be used to continue the deceased's life and impart wisdom or words unsaid, acting on the deceased's behalf. While controversial to many, there are those find this method a great comfort in the grieving process. When the Diona becomes a Gestalt, it may chose to remain with the family for however long it is allowed or continue it's journey. Currently, this practice is allowed in Tau Ceti and is designated as "Reincarnation by Dionae", and can be requested through last wishes, wills, or wishes of the family if neither of the latter were provided upon death. If it is not allowed in a system, there is an option to have the deceased transported to Epsilon Ursae Minoris for the process.


==History==
==History==
The Dionae's history is highly debated - with no significant evidence, xenoarcheological or actual, towards an origin point - most notably due to the tendency of space-bound gestalt's seeds to travel immense distances. The species itself does not have concrete information on this subject - however many people of all species have linked them to mythological being, as it is thought that the species is old enough to have spread to a significant portion of the galaxy, including all of the currently colonized areas, some even being recorded in Vaurca histories, half-way across the galaxy.


===Discovery, Part One - The Conglomerate===
There is no known true origin or homeworld of the Dionae, instead, they have only been found spread throughout the known galaxy, generally in a wild and unintelligent state in space. The first discovery of a living Dionae was made by the Skrell in 2217CE when a Skrell Exporalty Vessel discovered a derelict and damaged ship infested by Dionae. Originally, they believed that the Dionae onboard were just some form of plant life, although after discovering a nymph capable of speaking incoherent [[Skrell#Language|Nral’Malik,]] a translator was quickly devised and communication was established between the two species.
The first discovery - the one that proved their existence, in '''2320''' - was an immense pod-like gestalt. It is theorized to have contained upwards of a thousand nymphs, protected in a thick, haphazard organic shell that took the shape around whatever body it hit and integrated within itself. The entity was put into observation by its Skrell discoverers, being labeled as a simple organic anomaly - the lack of atmosphere and contact making communication not even a thought. Interaction did not happen until nine years later, 2329. Skrell scientists created a device to translate the chirping and popping of the pod, and exchanged greetings. This sent interest through Skrell society, as these Diona were the first sentient beings that the Skrell had met. The Skrell put forward more simple communications, and found out what this pod of life was. The two parties spoke in simple information exchanges, and this led to the Dionae pod explaining how to better communicate with each other - via blood samples.


With this new-found information, the large object - the Original Conglomerate - was finally officially contacted by ambassadors of the Skrell. The contact delivered a wealth of information - about star movement, physics behaviors, material properties, and so on. In the end, the "Original Conglomerate" was towed, with their glee, in orbit of Nralakk, where it remains to this day the main source of Dionae pods, cyclopes, nymphs, and seeds. Diona have gradually gained a better standing in Skrell society, and the Federation began slowly integrating Diona into their workforce in the late '''2360's'''.
Communication would be established with more Gestalts and Clusters over the following years, with many of them being positively integrated into Skrell society. Being the first two species to discover each other in the known galaxy, Dionae and the Skrell developed a somewhat unique bond within the [[Nralakk Federation]].


===Discovery, Part Two - The Organic Craft - "DSS Ophion" ===
While Humanity would discover Dionae throughout its exploration and expansion of the Spur, communication would not be made with any Dionae until after [[Timeline#First_Contact|Humanity’s first contact with the Skrell.]]


The Dionae were found, the second time, in '''2426''', almost a full hundred years after the first encounter. An anomalous reading tipped off a scout ship - part of a Human-Skrell joint practice operation. A low-intensity yet high-frequency energy signature in the middle of seemingly nowhere, far in deep space. Upon investigation, a large mass - now known to be the result of six hundred nymphs being overgrown - was present. It was definitely organic - yet it showed readings similar to a space craft, including a simple (and empty) supermatter reactor and some sort of rudimentary drive. It seemed inactive.  
For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: [[Dionae_History|Dionae History.]]


However, upon approach - the craft took life, quickly dashing towards one of the human frigates, shrugging off the firepower and attaching itself to a ship called the Ophion. It moved like nothing they had ever seen - a captain of the nearby frigate even provided this description: "Like a fish moving as if space was an ocean". It quickly infiltrated the Ophion, bending hull and causing breeches, eventually reaching the ship's own power plant, siphoning power off. The ship saw no further damage - however it was already done, all the engineering decks were breached and the ship no longer had enough power for the engines. Under the orders of the Skrell Fleet Admiral (at least the equivalent of it) and with the approval of the incapacitated ship's captain, the exercise was canceled and the ships returned home, requesting a few science vessels and a rescue shuttle to be sent to them. Unfortunately, when they did arrive roughly a week later, no life was found aboard. The ship was considered derelict - and the vessels returned home, with a warning being placed on both of their star maps about a possibly hostile lifeform there.
===Place in the galaxy===


This event also caused a rigorous security increase in the observation of the first structure, causing the Dionae to be officially labeled as "potentially hostile to Humans and Skrell". The Fleet returned later with a science ship, and a Dionae ambassador. The ambassador communicated with the colossus surrounding the Ophion, and the Ophion responded, stating it was simply 'Growing'. Of course, with the current status, the question was asked: where is the crew? Correlated with the logs acquired later, the scenario became clear. The Diona's infiltration of the power plant not only caused the engines to fail, but life support. With all the breeches present, it did not take long for the crew to suffocate and die. And once that was done, the Diona (and it is quoted) "simply assimilated their form to learn about your species and conserve matter".
As Dionae have no known homeworld, Dionae tend to be very nomadic, spreading throughout the spur and into the nations of other species such as the Republic of Biesel, Nralakk Federation, and within the Moghes Wasteland. While none can claim to be their true homeworld, several planets and nations have been founded by Dionae notably the independent nations of the [[Epsilon Ursae Minoris|Co-operative Territories of Epsilon Ursae Minoris]], a collection of smaller nations that have banded together on the planet of EUM, as well as [[Xrim]], a planet found within the Nralakk Federation populated primarily by Dionae.  


'''Culture:''' Jokingly given the nickname "Dionae Space Station Ophion, Keeper of Life", the Ophion Cyclopes are regularly hauled between Ophion and Tau Ceti - as while they are seen as methodical and even cold, there is no denying their scientific methodology. However - all stations whom host one are instructed to keep an eye on them, should they become hostile for whichever reason.
While not an independent nation per se, The Bieslesian Choir and the Eternal Temple, in general, can be considered an important Dionae faction, being an organization and cluster-based around the major Dionae religion, the Eternal. The Eternal believe that Dionae were made to ensure that all things born from the stars are returned to them. They believe that Dionae should spend their time gathering knowledge, experiences, and biomass so that one day a Titan form gestalt can be formed and Dionae can be a star once more. For more information on the Eternal, see: [[Dionae Culture#The_Eternal|The Eternal]]


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


The final time the Dionae were found was in Epsilon Ursae Minoris (EUM) in '''2430''', discovered by Skrell Captain '''Weirun Tup''' who had been exploring stars on the behalf of the Jargon Federation in order to find new habitable planets for expansion. Upon passing through a particular sector, a planet was analyzed from afar to have possibly desirable conditions for life. But upon drawing closer, the planet itself seemed to be alive- the expedition team picked up strange sounds from their equipment, haunting songs being broadcasted on their radios when there should have been the white noise of static. Dumbfounded and excited, the team worked to understand the cause of this anomaly. Unfortunately their equipment was not up to the challenge, leaving the team no choice but to send out a few experimental signals in an attempt to copy and possibly communicate with whatever was creating the sounds, and send an exploratory team to the surface to see if they could locate the cause. Descending with the crew was Captain Weirun Tup, out of excitement and concern for his crew alike.
Due to the long history between Dionae and Skrell, Dionae are treated extremely well in the Federation. However, This doesn’t mean there aren't’ drawbacks for Dionae in the Federation. Dionae are barred from holding certain jobs in the Federation, especially some high up in the government. Due to the inability for Dionae to use or interact with psionics in any way, Dionae tend to have issues with using some Skrell technology and appliances without assistance.  


Upon landing, it was immediately noted that the planet was rich in untouched wilderness. The crew had touched down near a site with a strong signal of the strange sounds and cautiously pushed forth through the alien flora and fauna to happen upon something that was even more alien. It was a large structure made of a living creature, and one that was already a previously discovered oddity. It was a colony of Dionae Colossus, a massive tower constructed out of Nymphs that acted as a radio tower while a village of Argus and Cyclopes worked and moved around it. The team was warmly welcomed and after exchanging genetic samples, communications were established between the crew and a Cyclops that acted as their guide. It was explained that the planet's only sapient creatures were the Dionae that have colonized the entirety of the surface, the species themselves finding the low gravity and thinner ozone to be beneficial to their purposes. They had also deemed to leave the landscape otherwise untouched and leave the local wildlife alone while taking the more uninhabitable areas for themselves, stating that it was "their home", while the Dionae were merely "guests" to the visiting team.
==Character Guide==


The exploration crew had contacted their main vessel and sent a report back to Jargon of their find. The team members had decided to remain for the duration of their expedition to learn more about this colonized planet and it's inhabitants, finding that the Dionae present contained a vast wealth of information. Working together, the scientists and Dionae managed to create a device capable of deciphering long-distance Rootsong so crew aboard the main vessel may communicate with the Dionae as they studied the planet. A team of researchers were sent to the ground as well, with Captain Weirun Tup often accompanying them to engage in discussion with their hosts. After a short time of consideration, an agreement was made between the Jargon Federation and the Dionae. The colony would supply the Federation with what information they could as well as provide a workforce while the Federation would enrich the Dionae with opportunities to further their interests, supplying both materials (organic and otherwise) as well as the equipment to do so. There was another condition that was mutually agreed upon; the Dionae seemed rather protective of the planet, and while the visitors remained they were to follow the Dionae's example and were to leave the landscape undisturbed for the most part.
===Mechanics===
 
*A universal sense of conditional pacifism.
When the time came for the expedition to return back to the Jargon Federation, a permanent agent was requested to act as an ambassador between the two species. Having learned more about the Dionae and finding to have a fondness with them as well as wanting to learn more of what they knew, Captain Weirun Tup volunteered to step down from their position of Captain and remain behind. A few other expedition teams visited EUM and the planet the Dionae considered home, nicknaming it Eden for it's wealth in natural resources and wildlife. A small colony of Skrell were established upon Eden to assist the now esteemed researcher and ex-Captain Weirun Tup over the years, and all was well. After nine years however, now Director Weirun Tup had suddenly disappeared after walking off into the nearby forest at night, saying that they wanted a "clearer view of the stars before I sleep" according to his colleagues. By morning, Weirun's affects were returned to the researchers cryptically stating that the man was "well and a part of them, now". When further questioned, the Dionae stated that the man had been suffering a terminal illness and had decided to become a part of the collective. This had left the other Skrell skeptical, as their Director had not been showing signs of said illness.
*Access to the species' unique language, Rootsong with,q prefix.
 
*Lives off of light and radiation, will take damage and eventually die if they lack either for too long
Despite the mysterious disappearance of their beloved Director, the man was venerated by other Skrell as the first of their kind to have truly ascended and become a part of something greater, and it is said that one can still speak to the Director through a Gestalt that remains with the Skrellian settlement. Since then, Skrell from the Federation have often made pilgrimages to and from Eden as a spiritual journey- others choosing it as their final resting place through "reincarnation", following Director Weirun Tup's example and becoming a part of the Dionae residents. The process has never been observed before, but friends and families of the "ascended" hold fast in their beliefs that there is undisputed proof that such a thing is real.
*Heals damage while in light or radiation.
 
*Not affected by lack of atmosphere or pressure.
'''Culture:''' The largest Dionae to have communicated with other sapients, Dionae from EUM have become highly focused on being efficient, having learned and adapted to Skrell culture. Most notably - the system has become notorious for being a checkpoint shipyard as the Dionae there within orbit most often specialize in engineering tasks while those planetside excel in the natural sciences. Of course - the exposition to the Skrell has made them wary of synthetic intelligence. Furthermore, they are the only known group with an unified creation theory - according to them, Dionae have been at home in "the Great Void" - as paraphrased - since the beginning of their existence, and their creation should have been nothing short of impossible.
*Inability to run.
*Can split a nymph from their gestalt and control it. Can also switch between the split nymph and original gestalt at will, as well as still hear what’s happening near the other.
*Can split completely into several nymphs through an ability or when they take too much damage, as well as reform into a gestalt with enough biomass.
*Can regrow limbs with enough nutrients and while exposed to light or radiation, faster with radiation.
*Can devour certain creatures and objects by grabbing them, aiming for the mouth, and clicking yourself.
*Can use the Create Structure verb to form their biological mass into a wall, floor, or glowing bulb.
*In an emergency can absorb the local atmosphere for nutrients.
*Can be stunned with a flash, causing them to fall down for a few seconds. Cannot be protected against with normal equipment due to the nature of a Dionae’s eyes.
*Can emote with *chirp and *mchirp.
*Can feel pain, with Coeus being more sensitive to pain compared to humans and Geras being significantly less.
*Increased movement speed for Coeus, but reduced movement speed for Geras.  


===Venter's Cetus, Reade's Argus, and Other Groups===
===Important things to think about when creating a character===
A recent discovery, Venter's Cetus is one of the few known Cetus-class Dionae. Rather reclusive, they seem to have an immense amount of knowledge in atmospheric systems, having designed a circulatory array within themselves. Slow and meticulous - this group has elected to provide the Sol Alliance with Cyclops bodies in exchange for large amounts of biomass from various species - with supplementary "credit" for sapient specimens. They do not seem to fear extinction at the phase they have found themselves to be in, with "shards" of the gestalt being of almost nil importance.


Discovered in orbit of [[Tau Ceti#Reade|Reade]], there is also an isolated and small group that is sometimes seen on facilities across Tau Ceti. They are reported to be highly social, a Biesel bar even boasting an occasional Dionae bartending experience. This particular gestalt seems rather knowledgeable about the goings of supply and civilian departments- though they are often seen with distrust due to the rumors of Reade. Of course, these are the large known groups. Among these two more recent additions, there is a total of eighty-one known subgroups with various traits - and an unknown amount of yet undiscovered groups. More information will be added when available.
While creating a Dionae there are several details about them that you should consider:


=== Integration in Society ===
*What does their name mean and why did they adopt it?
Their value, however - along with general helpfulness, high curiosity and impressive intelligence, even to the Skrell (who have approved them onto titles as high as Representatives since 2432)  - gave the Dionae enough going for them that they were not phased out, and are commonly seen aboard space stations and spacecraft, especially human-owned. The Skrell have, however, started a new program to find and appropriate any other Dionae groups to ensure proper incorporation - or destruction, should the group be too dangerous. This program has already uncovered four dozen gestalts.
*Where do they come from? Was it a planet or a cluster? How could it affect their view on other species? Will it affect their bark color?
*What type of mind type do they have? Is it something unique or something listed on the mind type page? Why did they develop it?
*What brought them to work on the station?


====Mythological associations====
===Character concepts===
Bearing a wood-like appearance, a small bulbous nymph and with the tales of necrophagy, the Dionae have been said to actually have been the species behind several mythical creatures - such as the humans' Green Man and Leshy, and even the Mandragora and Man-Eating Tree. Most notably - it has been linked to a wise, ancient God of Life by some Skrell - the Oernabi (Tree-God), who was said to be benevolent to those seemed worthy. Such a belief spawned the Dienabi religion - the term literally meaning "tree child" - which stipulates that it is possible to ascend to the status of a noble Diona by protecting them with your life - after which they absorb and transform the martyr. Captain Weirun Tup is considered to be the first "ascended" of this kind, earning him almost as much veneration.


==Beyond the Knowledge==
'''Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed'''
As seen with reports of Ophion, this species is still mostly unknown - in capabilities, origins and intentions. Many scientific organizations are willing to pay a good price for any useful data on the Dionae.
*They are a 898 year old gestalt of a former space whale.
*They have deep dark bark and stand at 5’8”, their bark is grown enough to the point that their mobility out of space is quite limited. They are covered in sharp thorns.
*They are a journalist covering the abuses done by humans to the Dionae species and others in the Spur.
*Due to never taking human blood and the trauma of their greater gestalt being destroyed, they have a deep fear of humans' capacity of violence.  
*They are considered a Bloodless Band due to never once imbibing human blood and refusal to spill any.
*Speaks Tau Ceti Basic and Tradeband, due to not taking in much blood and their limited scope of skills.


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Latest revision as of 15:33, 10 October 2023


The cold, desolate void of space, the only home Dionae have always known.

Overview

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

Important Notes

Dionae can explore numerous employment opportunities, even that of Command Staff in the ranks of NanoTrasen. Although they are limited, Dionae can be found as Research Directors, Chief Engineers, Chief Medical Officers, Operations Managers, and Executive Officers. They, however, cannot be First Responders due to their severe slowness, risking the life of the patient.

Dionae
D. Primis
Dionae410x320.png
Native Language(s): Rootsong
Faction(s): Xrim, Epsilon Ursae Minoris, Moghes, Nralakk Federation, Primitive Sirens, Titan Prime and Others.
Location(s): Everywhere

Nymphs

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

Dionae Gestalts

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

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

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

Language

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

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

Naming

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

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

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

Experience Is What Matters

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

Signs of Age

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

This leads to the communal methods of living where younger gestalts provide for the whole who cannot move, like the Eternal Temple.

Appearance

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

The following is a rough idea of what conditions would affect their bark’s shade:

  • Default: Generally grown in a pressurized space station or temperate planet, and being exposed to a mixture of stronger and weaker radiation types.
  • Lighter: Generally grown on warm planets, and being primarily exposed to weaker forms of radiation such as light.
  • Darker: Generally grown in space or colder planets, and being exposed to stronger forms of radiation such as cosmic rays.
  • Green: Younger Diona will generally have a greenish hue to their bark, although this will fade with time.

Psyche

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

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

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

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

Violence & Passivism

Dionae manifest behavioural aggression significantly differently compared to other species. Contrary to popular conception, Dionae are not exclusively pacifistic, nor incapable of violence. After all, the interstellar medium is a hostile and unforgiving place loaded with dangerous fauna. More on this can be found here.

History

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

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

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

For a more extensive history of Dionae, see: Dionae History.

Place in the galaxy

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

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

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

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

Character Guide

Mechanics

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

Important things to think about when creating a character

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

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

Character concepts

Eternal Adventure Through Void Interrupted By Violent Greed

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