LostKnightsRPG.org

[rydi]

This is a place to put descriptions of your planets, people, and general info about the Galaxy under Federation rule.

(Gid, feel free to edit as you like, you just wanted me to put up some of the old threads)

[rydi]

Aterna

BASICS
Aterna, the jewel of the Acanthus sector, is a recent addition to the Galactic Federation, coming under full member status only 200 years ago. It is an M class world, and is the fourth planet orbiting its single sun. Aterna came to the attention of the federation 475 years ago during the Skolian uprising (see HISTORY below), and since then grew to full member status through their invaluable aid, quickly becoming both a political power, and a popular tourist spot.

FLORA & FAUNA
The like most technically advanced worlds, Aterna’s ecosystem has been highly altered by industry, warfare, and resource depletion, but much of the damage, even the mass extinction common to industrial era growth, has been reversed by the incredible technology employed by the private citizenry of Aterna (See TECHNOLOGY below). Biodiversity is high, matching statistics for far less technologically developed worlds. Species characteristics are similar, according to files, to many species once present on the now barren planet Earth (See entry for EARTH), which is quite an oddity. Of particular interest to tourists is the southernmost continent, which though mostly an icy wasteland, also holds a dense jungle region inhabited by many of the world’s prehistoric species, and savage natives that never developed the technological sophistication of the other Aternans.

Aterna also possess an inhabited moon and several other planets in the sector have seem to be active, but the Aternan government encourages tourists to avoid them.

PHYSIOLOGY
Aternans are, as a whole, a very healthy people. Their diets and medical care are tailored to individual needs, and they seldom show the signs of age before a century of life. They range wildly in height, with individuals as short as a meter, to many over three meters tall, though the average is around 2 meters. Dexterity and strength vary wildly, though most are possessed of fairly dexterous hands or other manipulators. Aternans are perhaps most famous for their innate abilities however. Virtually every Aternan possesses some innate “super” ability (upon first contact only a small portion of the population possessed these abilities, but due to interbreeding there are now only a small minority without powers), the nature of which are not yet fully understood. While the fanciful tales of godlike Aternans flying through space are clearly false, many Aternans are nonetheless possessed of very powerful abilities. Psionics, magic, and variant physiology resulting a capacity for incredible physical feats, are all fairly common.

While the exact mechanisms behind these powers are unknown, it is though by many Federation scientists that they result from some sort of genetic predisposition toward control of quantum probabilities. Whatever the case, the fact is that nearly the entire population of Aterna is capable of feats beyond the hopes and dreams of nearly every galactic citizen. This both fascinates and frightens people, and while many look on Aterna with wonder, some worry that that kind of power could lead to another conflict, one that would dwarf the Skolian Conflict in both scale, and loss of life.

SOCIETY
Aternan society is possibly one of the most unique in the galaxy. Though a democratic government does exist on Aterna, it has very limited control over the actions of its people, and instead functions to maintain the infrastructure of the society, distribute food, and maintain the environment. The highly independent, individualist people of Aterna are free to do as they wish, with only basic principles, such as “do not harm others” serving as laws, and interpretation of those principles by judges voted into office every 10 years. Government officials are elected as well, serving for 5-year periods and working to organizes and maintain infrastructure of the society, but they do not make decisions regarding law or social issues. Instead, they inform the populace of issues and present bills, which the public then votes upon.

Birth rates are low, possibly as a result of the Aternan’s unique physiology (see PHYSIOLOGY below), creating a very low population density. Visitors touring one of the three cities accessible by off-worlders find that they often outnumber the natives by more than 3-1 in some highly trafficked areas. The low population likely aids in the maintenance of the loose, individualistic society, and according to interviews with Aternans, makes the jobs they do more rewarding and valuable, as in some regions, even sanitation engineers are deemed “irreplaceable”.

Despite being a largely free society, stratification does exist, but in a manner common to worlds in which biological differences aid specialization in a given task (see entries for PSYCHIC; MARLACK IV; COLAH 17A; BIOLOGICAL STRATIFICATION). As each Aternan has some special ability, the government, and family members, generally guide a young Aternan into a roll that will maximize the utility of their abilities and place them under the apprenticeship of someone familiar with both the young Aternan’s abilities and their intended job.

The basic social unit of Aterna is the family until adolescence, at which point young Aternans are placed in a fostering program which teams them with others of their age group under a specialist in development and education. Under their professor’s tutelage they learn to control their abilities, are taught societal values, and are given a well rounded education in mathematics, language, science, history, and social interaction.

The average work week on Aterna is 20 hours, so visitors should expect little of the hustle seen on many other technologically advanced or economically capitalist worlds. The standard attire is a simple unitard made of various stretchy materials (sold at tourist shops; the QDGG recommends the slightly more expensive suit made of “unstable molecules” as it is highly durable and breathes very well) that leaves little of the body to the imagination, so visitors with societal or religious aversion to such things might think twice about vacationing here.

Aternan names are interesting, and worth noting here for several reasons, the most important of which is that they often give a hint as to the nature of the individual being spoken to. While young, parents give their children names, often whimsical or affectionate, that do little to describe the individual. Family names are not used; genealogical records are maintained only by government computers. When Children turn 15, they are allowed to pick a name for themselves, with the aid of their parents, friends, professors, and mentors. The name chosen is usually a descriptive name that embodies the role they intend to play in society, and the traits that most define them. Naming day is one of the most important occasions in a young Aternan’s life, and is often seen as a transition into the adult world. An Aternan’s naming day is almost always marked with a celebration. Less commonly, older Aternans may change their names, often as a result of some life altering event that they feel changed them in some fundamental way; these second naming days are somber affairs, though many guests still arrive to recognize the change.

HISTORY
Aterna first came to galactic prominence during the Skolian Conflict 475 years ago, in which the shape shifting Skolians attempted to take control of the entire Acanthus sector, and from there moved out into the rest of the galaxy. The Skolians had capitalized (see WikiHistory entry on the subject for more detail) on the long standing Pax Galactica to infiltrate every level of Federation society, and overnight were able to take control of key military and political objectives. But the Skolians did not plan for resistance from non-federation sources, and when they attacked Aterna, expecting an easy conquest of a material rich world, they inadvertently made an enemy that would lose them the war.
It is unknown whether the Federation could have withstood the Skolion assault without Aterna, but what is known is that it would have been a much more costly war. The Aternans were able to provide means of detecting the Skolians, and destabilized their hold on the Acanthus sector enough to allow Federation forces to overwhelm them. The special gifts of the Aternans also helped turn the final battle of the war in favor of the Federation, with boarding actions by Aternan soldiers taking out many enemy vessels.

Since the end of the war, the Skolian Conflict has become something of a cultural myth amongst the Federation, and is often aggrandized. Veterans of the war, and their descendants, tell of the great battles, heroic deeds, and incredible exploits. They even tell stories of immensely powerful Aternans flying through space and ripping apart Skolian cruisers with their bare hands. Stories such as these, though clearly impossible, fueled the fantasies of the galactic public, leading many in the federation to call on the government to pursue further contact with Aterna, and its possible incorporation into the Federation.The next two hundred years saw tentative relationships grow between Aterna and the Federation, as the two cultures learned of each other, and found that their ideals were in fact compatible.

275 years ago, Aterna officially became a member world of the Federation. Since then it has become a powerful force in galactic Society. Several Aternans, a disproportionate number some would say, hold positions of authority within the Federation, up to and including one individual in the seat of vice-president of Magical Safety and Security. The technology of Aterna is truly original, and multiple corporations vie for access to the many brilliant Aternan engineers and scientists. Even entertainment has been influenced by Aterna, with several popular artists, musicians, and actors hailing from there.

Despite its full member status, Aterna allows only limited exploration by non-natives, citing environmental and cultural issues. But despite, or perhaps because of, this limited interaction, the galaxy is still extremely interested in this world and its strangely gifted denizens.

FAMOUS PEOPLE & ORGANIZATIONS
Ultraman and Captain Freedom (signed the Treaty of Skolos); Sparkler (rock musician in the midst of her 12th comeback tour as of this writing); Dr. Wyrd (Federation Council of Magical Safety and Security vice-president); MM&JW Law Firm (pro-bono law firm defending poor defendants galaxy wide).

TECHNOLOGY
Aternan Technology is, in a word, odd. Though the government is known to posses the highest levels of technological advancement, the society as a whole functions barely above a nuclear age level. The scientists and engineers of Aterna, while certainly some of the most gifted in the galaxy, seem to work together very little, and there are seldom any attempts at standardization, resulting in devices based on wildly different principles, some of which Federation scientists spend years puzzling over, that often end up doing the same thing. The only real commonality to Aternan technology is its individuality. Each piece of high-level technology is as much a piece of art as it is a tool, and many collectors purchase such pieces, not for use, but for display.

[angelicyokai]

Szoreelli (Tso-real-lee)

The Szoreelli are one of the few races among the federation who have no recorded home world. Their pubic record states that the homeland was ‘lost’ eons ago and that their travel to federation controlled lands was induced by the high concentration of life sustaining planets. The ‘Gyp-Z’ or ‘wanderers’ as they are named by the federation, is a nomadic race. Known causes for convocation include major intergalactic events, exploration, and breeding. The species has predominantly humanoid appearances and genetics, but a high percentage of beings possess extra-sensory abilities beyond Federation designation of humanoid. A majority of members possess an intrinsic sense of space (astro-location) that gives them the ability to sense all physical bodies with in miles, and the most powerful of their species can detect celestial bodies light-years away. Some members also possess limited telekinetic, empathetic, and healing capabilities. Rare individuals possess multiple abilities at high levels, but such members are met with caution by members of their race, as the mental focus required for multiple differing abilities seems to lead to mental instability in this species.

Etymology:
Predominant communication with non-Szoreelli is conducted in normal Federation speech. The Szoreelli have their own language, but it is a combination of several galactic tongues as well as direct mental contact for complex emotions and thoughts.

History:
The Szoreelli history is difficult to track. Prehistory clearly revolves around a set planet base, and a species that focused on technology and mental pursuits. Within written history, however, each member of the species recounts its own lineage as a separate chronology, and as few members log maintain a log in the Federation's Gyp-Z Unified Registry Profile System (GURPS), each member of the race could be considered to have a unique history.

Astrometry:
The Szoreelli exist in all areas of the Federation, and far beyond.
The species unique abilities make them extremely adept at space travel. Most Szoreelli claim their homeland was destroyed by hostile force, though some report that it is a planet that may still exist outside of the bounds of known Federation space.

Politics:
Szoreelli politics is directed predominantly by a group of 7-12 members of the species. They are predominantly chosen for 5-20 year terms, with the term ending at the point that the member refuses to remain and chooses a replacement. Except when Szoreelli members are pregnant or ill, they rarely choose to remain in one place, thus the Szoreelli have the Federation’s only known Enlisted Senate (ES) maintaining laws and negotiating Szoreelli rights.

Military:
The Szoreelli have no known military or police. The species claims to be predominantly pacifistic, has never joined in any war (though they have acted as medics, transport, and negotiators). It is rare for members of species to even engage in personal defense, and violent crime is the highest cause of death among Szoreelli peoples.
Economy:
The Szoreelli do not have minimal centralized economy. A small amount of taxes are collected for the operations of the ES, maintenance of GURPS and updates of interstellar maps.
Science and Technology
The Szoreelli are considered to have Federation level technology. They have several branches of science dedicated to the promotion and development of their unique mental abilities, but technology used to enhance these abilities is rare, and difficult for non-Szoreelli to fully understand.

Demographics:
Szoreelli are varied in form. The species has highly pigmented hair, eye, and skin color, though individuals tend to have variations on one color. Individuals who present different colors on their person tend to be looked at as outsiders, even among this nomadic people. The typical colors are browns, yellows and reds (far more bold than human versions of these colorations) with blue, green, and purple being rarer. Exposure to extreme sun (tanning) results in skin color temporarily darkening, eventually to a solid black. Many scholars have tried to correlate the pigments with their genealogy or power types, but so far the color scheme seems random. Compared to the standard life span of the average humanoid, the Szoreelli are a long lived race, they reach sexual maturity in their mid-to-late twenties, and tend to go through reproductive cycles once every human century. The oldest of their members claim to be several millennia old, though it is difficult ascertain set dates.

Culture:
The Szoreelli culture is much like the demographics of this species. All Szoreelli tend to come off as distant or flighty, but in reality they are incredibly focused. The far reaching senses of these beings requires strong concentration, but the sacrifice of observing great distances is the loss of awareness of the immediate. When focused on their immediate surroundings, they are very quick thinkers.
The Szoreelli are egalitarian in belief due to lack of interaction. When in close proximity, they tend to rank themselves and others by strength of their psi abilities. There seems to be no set ranking system, rather weaker members simply defer to superior psions.

Religion:
The Szoreelli traditionally worship space itself. The monotheistic belief in their ability to attain ‘oneness’ with the universe drives them to expand their mental powers. Their belief that all of space should be seen and accepted leads to their nomadic, travelling nature, and they see most of their travels as pilgrimages. The religion, as with much of their culture, is highly individualized in practice. Some Szoreelli adopt the religions they are exposed to in their travels, while others do not. On the whole, the species are ‘Initiates of the Void’ their main religion.

Sexuality:
As mentioned above, Szoreelli tend to breed once a century, and females of the species tend to settle down (with or without their partner) long enough for offspring to reach maturity. Outside of breeding, however, Szoreelli tend to fall into either aesthetic-like lifestyle, to the point of forgoing all contact, or are highly sensual in nature and pan-sexual in practice. Their highly mobile nature leads them to rarely interact with the same people more than once (though such multiple meetings are causes for celebration), and so the Szoreelli tend to experience all range of interactions with those they meet as are possible and wanted.
In Summary:

The Szoreelli are a diverse race of nomadic pacifists who seek knowledge and new experiences throughout the universe. They make excellent allies and companions if one can get them to remain.

[Avilister]

Earth
Mostly Harmless[1]

Humans
Indigenous intelligent species of Earth. By and large, they are lame.


[1] Source: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

[Liquidprism]

History of the Matriarch:
As reported by the scribe Lorenzo Forzen of the Galactic Federation Department of Intelligence: Based on recordings made by the first contact team to visit the Great Queens


In the furthest sectors of known space, along the periphery of a growing Galactic Federation the Matriarch once expanded their empire. They did this with the cold efficiency of ordered predators. It was in their nature to seek out and dominate other life. They were a physical embodiment of the natural order come to a head. Many races came to fear them, and came to know the nightmare of their rule.

Now, technological remnants are all that remain of that once vast empire. Amongst those space ways, where the Matriarch once ruled, expands a desolate graveyard of star systems, and dead worlds. Planet upon lifeless planet floats barren through the darkness without light of sun or molten heart. This is the legacy of the Matriarch.

How did it come to this? Why do these creatures exist only upon a handful of planets if they once ruled so many? The answer lies in the cyclic nature of universe. Like all empires theirs too had to fall. Perhaps however, unlike so many others theirs is only dormant.

The Matriarch are at their core parasites. They use host bodies to move through, perceive and manipulate the world about them. They feed on the psychic energy of living organisms. Long ago it was the raw psychic energy of negative emotions that drove the Matriarch from host to host. Pain, suffering, and fear, all rich, full emotions, which were craved and hoarded. Over time however this began to change. The Matriarchs learned to be more than mindless conquerors. They grew, they evolved, and they started to reason.

The Matriarch learned to find the value in other races beyond bodies as vessels, and minds as food. Science, imagination, and invention all became worthy endeavors. Other emotions could be fostered. Interaction, and society gave them new and interesting ways of obtaining nourishment.

Unfortunately, for many races it was too late. Too many worlds had fallen, and the Matriarch had become a symbol of nightmarish evil. None of those that knew their legacy trusted them. War was inevitable.

As an organism, which embodied pure natural order the Matriarch simply could not conceive of defeat. Survival came first, despite their new perspective on their role in the universe. The concept of mercy is not something understood by the Matriarch. Nor are they a species to do something only halfway. They instead commit themselves completely to whatever task they perform, and do so without regret. This holds just as true for the task of eating as it does for the task of war. Thus, life in their sector of space was eradicated, but for those few species they kept to breed for hosts.

After the war of extinction life became simple and the Matriarch found balance.

This wasn’t enough for some of their species however. The Matriarch came to a schism when some of their species decided that peace was not conducive to strength. Perhaps they were right, but many of the Great Queens refused to push farther out, and risk the destruction of more life without need. The Schism as they came to be called, felt that evolution, and natural order was reason enough.

Thus, war came to their race again. Fought between Schism and Matriarch in mortal combat. Worlds were turned into great charnel houses as hive fell upon hive. The drones, and soldiers were meaningless chaff, but they seemed endless. They died in scores uncountable. When they ran short of hosts, drones and soldiers were hatched naked and sent forth to continue the fighting. This was a war or attrition in the truest sense.

It was only the Queens that mattered and they guarded themselves with every defense they could muster. Many fled into deep space when their hives fell, but not all were so lucky. The blow to the species as a whole was terrible.

Eventually, what was left of the Schism disengaged outnumbered, and defeated. They parted the hive worlds and took off into the vast nothing of space.

Since then many worlds have born witness to their terror, and even still they hunt the void looking for any chance to pit themselves against life forms of all types. Where the Matriarch found a way of coexistence, and balance the Schism found domination and war to be a suitable endeavor. It is believed the Schism have parted know space entirely and have struck out past the boundaries of the universe in search of something more.

What was left of the Matriarch Queens settled back in once the Schism had left their space. They took only a single system for their own, and developed their society without conflict. They bred hosts, and learned how to mitigate the pain of their necessary symbiosis. They saw a certain tragedy to their existence, but also accepted it as the necessity it was.

This went on for many cycles. The oldest Queens becoming Great Queens with scores of children, and vast mental powers. They were monstrous and beautiful to behold. They were wizened predators, ever more cunning with age. They stored vast amounts of knowledge, and engineered their societies to be everything they wished.

Every so often the Great Queens would play games with one another to hone their skills, and abilities. These were not games like a human child might play however. These were games of life, and death with many lesser beings giving everything to the cause.

So this was the way of things. The Matriarchs could do nothing less. They did not argue the morals of their lessons. They could not even see how horrifying other sentient races might find their way of life. It was in their nature to engineer, puppeteer, and grow ever stronger.

This continued until the day an exploratory vessel of the Galactic Federation entered Matriarch space, and once more with a sense of excitement their paradigm shifted.

[Liquidprism]

Empire
The Matriarch Empire is currently based out of a single solar system. This system is comprised of five habitable worlds, three large uninhabited planets, and several dozen significant planetoids and satellites, all orbiting a binary sun.

The habitable planets are all of roughly the same size and orbit the binary sun at roughly the same distance with stabile orbits that never cross. Each of these worlds is about twice the size of earth. They are mineral rich and have atmospheres comparable to Earth, though they are over all warmer and with slightly higher gravity. It is apparent to standard scans that these worlds have been terra-formed. Though no evidence of the technology needed to do this has been seen.

The three large planets rest farther out in the solar system. They too have stable orbits and are comparable to Jupiter in size. These planets seem to be super rich in resources of all types, and the Matriarch appear to have a presence on each of them. Quick scans reveled that these planets are probably did not originate in this solar system. Residual radiation, and several trace elements point to them each having come from systems with a different type of sun.

Overall very little is known about the ecologies of these planets. The Matriarch have only a single world to be visited as of yet. Scans from space don’t seem to penetrate beyond the surface of any of the habitable worlds. There are also various sensor screen scattered throughout the planets, and planetoids in the system. So it is obvious that the Matriarch have working technology.

Flora/Fauna
Life flourishes in abundance on the habitable Matriarch worlds. It has been ascertained from scattered sensor readings, and Matriarch testimony that all the worlds are very similar in respect to their ecosystems. The specifics of the animal and plant life can only come from the one world, which has been visited.

Various animals roam the diverse landscapes, and bodies of water. The Matriarch allow and cultivate a wild, and diverse ecology. They remain at the top of the food chain as it were, but are not the only predators on their worlds. They take pride in their ability to maintain their supremacy over an ecosystem with nothing more than their natural gifts and talents. Technology is not present in any capacity on the surface of any of these worlds.

These worlds can be extremely dangerous to explore. The Matriarch have made a point of nurturing a lush, and vibrant but very aggressive ecosystem. Carnivorous plant-life fights tooth and nail with armored predators, and winged monsters. Insects, fungus, and worm-like invertebrates all work tirelessly to insure the proper recycling of bio-matter is maintained. It is a system of natural order and balance

It should be noted that there are several highly intelligent sentient species present on the Matriarch hive worlds. These species are actively kept in check by the Matriarch however, and used as host vessels for the hives. They are considered little more than tools. This might be a bit disconcerting to some of the more morally minded members of the Federation.


Physiology
The Matriarch come in three basic forms with each of those forms having a sub-form, and one or more advanced forms. From Drone to Queen these forms become increasingly more advanced in physiology, and resilience. Making queens the dominant and most evolved of the three.

The Matriarch subtypes share many traits, which combine aspects of isopods, and hive like insects such as ants. They have many legs and appendages, which they use to manipulate and interact with the world around them. They have armored exoskeletons, are partially aquatic, and have a poison gland. Matriarch can move fairly fast without a host but cannot keep up with larger species at full run. They are more agile than they would appear however.

They matriarch sense the world through a combination of antennae, small hairs on their bodies and eyes, which allow them to see in the infrared spectrum. Thus, they track and perceive through a combination of vibration, movement, and heat. Their range of perception is greatly limited without a host form. Drones are limited to only a few meters out, while Queens and Soldiers can perceive at greater ranges but with significant decrease to their faculties the farther out they try and reach.

Their physical bodies as stated above, are highly resilient, if not a bit blind, and slow compared to other sentient races. They are highly adaptable and are able to exist in a number of extreme environments. This is trait was most likely evolved to allow them access to a greater range of host forms. Matriarch Drones are the smallest of the subtypes being only about a foot in length. Soldiers are larger, measuring around two feet. Queens are larger than either measuring in at just under a meter. Over half a Queens length is in a tail which doubles as both an ovipositor, and defense mechanism with a stinger on the end. Most of the time the tail lies nearly flat against a hosts back.

Queens alone have the ability to lay eggs. They are asexual creatures, and require only protein-laden bio-matter to produce a clutch. In fact once enough bio-matter has been ingested a Queen cannot keep from laying eggs through a biological imperative. This cycle comes about twice in a standard year if it isn’t forced. A Queen can lay eggs more quickly by ingesting great quantities of bio-matter to speed up the cycle. When doing this a Queen can lay eggs once a week.

Egg clutches can be anywhere between half a dozen to a dozen eggs. These basic eggs are dull of Drone type Matriarch. A Queen may choose to gestate Soldiers instead, but these eggs are fewer, coming in clutches of no more than two at a time. Very little is known about how a Queen egg comes into being. In any case, as mentioned above the tail of a Queen acts an ovipositor when the time to lay arrives.

Other abilities the Matriarch sub-types share are the ability to consume matter, and excrete a synthetic resin. This resin tends to take on several forms with sticky strands, and hard chitin-like excretions being the most common. The strength of this substance tends to vary depending on the material consumed during its creation.

Finally, all the Matriarch share the innate ability to bond with a host form. The extent of this bond, and the degree of control varies between subtypes with Queens having the strongest ability in this area. Matriarch will usually bond with host forms that allow them to better fulfill their role within the hive. The most intriguing aspect of this bond is that Matriarch can change the host forms physiology over time to better suit their needs.

The control of a host in enacted by burrowing into the skull, and using a large number of neural ganglia to tap into a bodies’ central nervous system. The Matriarch excrete a chemical cocktail to reduce any discomfort this procedure might cause allow a smoother transition. Once inside the skull they are able to carve out a niche by removing the less necessary parts of a brain and seat themselves more comfortably inside the head. Drones and Soldiers are less picky about their hosts than Queens who feed on psychic energy. Thus, Queens are driven to build hives, and take sentient hosts, with highly evolved brains.

Drones are the most limited in this capacity, being able only to increase the general endurance, of a form, and adapt only a small range of tools or abilities. Soldiers can increase the physicality of a form to a greater extent, and design elegant combat traits into their hosts. Queens have the greatest degree of control, and can augment a form in many terrifying and versatile ways.

The bond itself is generally a part of the Matriarch life cycle. Drones require a host from to survive for more than a few hours, and once the host dies the drone dies as well. Drones bond permanently to a body. Soldiers are able to survive much longer without a host, and can change host forms should something happen to their current one. This is not without cost however, as new hosts takes time to adapt and a Matriarch’s control takes time to seat itself fully. Queens are much like soldiers in their ability to change forms as the need arises.

The life cycle of the Matriarch is determined somewhat by their host form. Drones as noted above must bond with a host, and die when the host body dies. Soldiers can survive without a host for about six standard months. Queens can go for years without a host as long as they have a sufficient source of bio-matter, and energy. The urge to bond however becomes greater and greater with time. Matriarch are also less likely to survive as their own bodies are limited in many ways. Once bonded a Matriarch can keep a host form alive for several years. The Matriarch are able to secrete enzymes, and chemicals which keep a host body from falling into disrepair quickly. There are Great Queens, which are said to have host forms that they have been keeping alive and adapting for centuries. Needless to say if a Matriarch abandons a host that body quickly dies.

Society
The Matriarch are a caste based hierarchy much like hive insects. Queens rule over their Soldiers and Drones and dictate the activities of there lesser as they see fit. They do this via both psychic and biological methods. The Queens role is to form the most resilient, and able society possible. Since the Queens themselves feed on psychic energy they must cultivate their hives to be able to include a range of various host forms, and organisms. The more active brainwaves present the more powerful the Queen.

Drones, and Soldiers work tirelessly to fulfill the dictates of their rulers. The intricacy of these hive societies is astounding with each task tiny part the whole, The mechanical methodology is nearly perfect proving the power of efficiency, and natural order. The Queens take roles seriously and take an active part in the day-to-day affairs of their hives. In some cases a Queen may use a Soldier as a proxy for her presence. This alludes to a more complex social system that what would appear at first glance.

Many different tasks are performed daily to keep the hive flourishing. Patrols of the surrounding area to get rid of active predators, and mark territory, the harvesting of raw materials, tending to egg clutches, and cultivating host species to name a few.

The Queens of the Matriarch have, at this point, formed a council. The council meets regularly to discuss affairs of the species as a whole, and the state of each hive. Not all the Queens are always present, and it is believed that the Matriarch have ways of communicating over vast distances. The Great Queens have ways of settling disputes when they arise. A test of wills, and simulated warfare are the most common. With the victors getting their way. There has not been actual conflict amongst the Matriarch since the Schism, which the Queens are reluctant to talk about.

It is also worth noting that the Queens have gone to great lengths to limit their own population on a species level. This seems counter intuitive to their nature, but they claim to have reasons for this. As part of this control they do not allow new Queens to be born without a unanimous decision amongst the Queens’ council.

On the whole this is not a sentimental species. They are very pragmatic, and adapt quickly to change when necessary. Despite these traits the Matriarch have learned to produce art. This ‘art’ however is sometimes hard for other species to understand, not do the Matriarch keep individual ‘pieces’ around for long. Music is the only exception to this. The Matriarch Queens are capable of producing sensations, and sounds on psychic wave lengths. This ‘mind music’ is said to be disturbingly beautiful, and can linger with those that hear it for weeks after a performance. Due to a near perfect racial memory the Queens are also amazing historians, and while they don’t seem to write anything down they can speak for days on the events of their past.

The Matriarch are, as stated before, social creatures. This means that they have actively come appreciate other species and the wealth of interactions they provide. It also doesn’t hurt that the Matriarch Queens can draw psychic sustenance from non-bonded creatures. Thus, they have developed strict guidelines, which allow them to interact with others in the least threatening way possible. This code of conduct, and etiquette is followed by the Great Queens and more some of the more intelligent Soldiers that interact with other species. Failure to adhere to this code is met with severe penalties from the council.

Intelligent Soldiers are another strange aspect to the Matriarch species. Over time a Soldier can develop advanced cognitive functions once attached to a host form. These Soldiers become an autonomous part of their hive, and seem to be able to make choices, which may not be in line with a Queen’s wishes. Little is known about the exact role these creatures play or why they are not destroyed. To date, only a few of these Soldiers have been encountered, and those few despite their autonomy were highly loyal toward their respective hives, almost fanatically so.

In any case the Great Queens ARE the Matriarch. Each Queen is ambassador, general, and ruler for its hive. The decisions of a Queen are law, and only subject to review by the council, and only if they affect the species as a whole.

Famous People/Organizations
The Council of Queens is the only notable organization of the Matriarch race. Each hive is technically a different organization under its Queen, but are really more like cities in their functionality. To date only about a dozen Great Queens have been introduced to the Galactic Federation, but more are believed to exist.

Technology
This is an area of profound concern for the Galactic Federation. There is a preponderance of evidence, which supports the Matriarch possessing highly advanced technology. However the Matriarch refuse to discuss their true level of technical understanding, and so far no machines or devices have been witnessed in any really capacity in interacting with them. Every so often a Drone will be seen using an excavation tool of some sort, or a Soldier will have a weapon attached or carried by its host form. This however, is not enough to gauge their actual technological capability by.

It is know from their own recounting, that the Matriarch species once ruled a vast Empire over a huge sector of space. This Empire was the result of thousands of years of constant war, and inevitable expansion on their part. In this time they conquered, controlled, and engineered entire societies of other species. So it is reasonable to assume that they had access to a wealth of technology, and invention.

Whether they still have this technology is unknowable as of yet. It is known that they have at some point been able to design the layout of their star system, terra-form their home-worlds, successfully import and integrate an array of alien organisms into those ecosystems, sensor shield every significant part of their current empire, and communicate over vast distances. Beyond this, next to nothing is known about them. Certainly not how these things have been, and/or are currently being achieved.

It is also worth noting that the Matriarch, while accepting the Galactic Federation with open arms, have not once inquired about any of the technology which has been presented to them. They seem completely uninterested, or intimidated by even the most advanced machines. This has caused more than a little worry amongst Federation brass. It has also made any sort of commerce exchange impossible. They seem only to care about cultural exchanges, and social events, and have been reluctant, if not dismissive when discussing technology at all.

[Liquidprism]

Names

Matriarch naming is a bit tricky. As creatures without an actual verbal language communication is done through a mixture of psychic resonance, pheromones and body language. Most other species are not capable of understanding and participating in any but the psychic mode of communication. Thus telepathy is the preferred method of communication with other species. Only Queens, and certain Soldiers can use telepathy for the purposes of communication.

While telepathy has its advantages, such as crossing language barriers, it also has disadvantages. A young Queen, that hasn’t yet developed her psychic trait is limited by range, and the number of beings she can speak with at any given time. Also certain ideas, and titles (or proper names), specifically those used by the Matriarch become simplified versions of their actual form.

This has the result of Matriarch having extremely uncreative, and pragmatic names for both objects, and themselves, at least as far as other species perceive them. For example Queens identify usually as a prominent trait such as: ‘HornedOne’, ‘Maw’ or ‘Slobberer’. They may also present as an accomplishment, or favorite activity as well, such as: ‘Swimmer’, ‘Planner’, or ‘Consumer’. Given these standards there is the potential for several individuals to present with a very similar, if not identical name. However, since the Queens are currently small in number this shouldn’t cause much of an issue.

Titles are added to a given name over time to indicate certain stages of growth or achievement. ‘Progenitor’ is the title given to a Queen once she has hatched her first eggs. ‘GreatProgenitor’ is given to a Queen that has metamorphosed into a Great Queen. So you end up with a name such as ‘GreatProgenitorSlobberer’, once the Brood Queen ‘ProgenitorSlobberer’ becomes a Great Queen.

The core label of an individual may change over time as an individual comes to redefine its personal identity, or comes to be seen differently by its peers. So ‘Slobberer’ may become ‘Devourer’, or ‘GentleSwimmer’, should it do something to change its identifying characteristic(s).

The other Matriarch subtypes are identified by their role in the hive, order of hatching, egg cluster, and hive of origin. So a Drone might be referred to as ‘Drone/5/Clutch78/Hive of Progenitor Slobberer’. A Bonded Drone (Drone that has taken a host form) would be ‘BondedDrone/5/Clutch78/HiveofProgenitorSlobberer’.

Soldiers are much the same, with Soldiers having a host form receiving the title ‘Pinnacle’ as an addition to their individual identifier. In some rare instances a Solider might receive a special honorific to show it has earned a special place in the hive. These are few and far between, and seem present only on those occasions where a Solider has transcended its general role in some major way. This honorific takes the place of the order of hatching in the name. Such a Soldier might present as ‘PinnacleSoldier/ RazorClaw/Clutch32/HiveofGreatProgenitorHornedOne’.

Once again keep in mind that these ‘names’ are simply the identity of an individual, as they can be perceived through the Matriarch’s psychic communication method by other races. To the Matriarch a personal identity is much more complex and integrated for each individual. It is important to note that a Queen is able to instantly tell if an individual Matriarch is of its hive or not, and can recall the exact name of any individual from its brood.