Dionae

The Dionae are a race of plant-like beings with gestalt consciousness, composed of many smaller Nymphs. Their world of origin is unknown.

Biology

Dionae are highly unusual amongst most organisms in that they appear to be entirely made out of plant matter. While the name “Diona” is usually used to refer to the humanoid representatives of the species, a single member of the family is technically a diona nymph - a rather small, insect-like being. The nymphs have the ability to join themselves into a larger structure - a gestalt. A gestalt can usually be treated as a single being due to the diona nymphs merging their consciousness with the larger structure, but it’s possible for a nymph to be a part of a gestalt and still retain its agency. The causes of such inconsistent behaviour are not yet known, but likely stem from simple genetic defects of the nymphs.

Gestalts have the ability to grow the equivalent of a circulatory system, necessary to enable the transfer throughout their ‘body’ of a green substance known as chlorophyll which is vital to allow energy to reach parts that are not directly exposed to a light source. Additionally, until Diona reach a large enough size they are unable to safely spend time in the vacuum of space as their fragile branches are prone to breaking, and their small mass requires they gain oxygen from external sources - as a result often being found on space stations or oxygen rich planets.

A single gestalt can range in size from a small clump of a few nymphs to a large station-size structure, the largest of which are sometimes referred to as “reefs”. Once they have grown enough to equal the size of a standard crew escape shuttle they are able to subsist exclusively off interplanetary dust and the light from stars.

The Nymph And The Dionaforms

Nymph

Count: 1 Arrangement: N/A Intelligence: Low Human - High Animal

Diona nymphs are the singular units of all dionaforms. Easily distinguished by their singular eye and brown-green exoskeleton, they are able to crawl using two rows of 6 legs. All diona nymphs have elytra, but only rarely have developed functioning wings. They are able to consume certain vegetable foods via an underdeveloped mouth. They each have two long, thin antennae. The purpose of these appears to relate to receiving and transmitting their inherent language, known in common as "Sylvan". The antennae can transmit Sylvan via high-frequency sound waves, but can also recieve Sylvan transmitted by Reefs via radio waves. Some radio signals can interfere with this, and cause agitation to nearby Dionea. Diona nymphs are some of the most unusual lifeforms in the galaxy, and possess certain bizarre characteristics: 1: They are able to cooperate by forming Diona superorganisms, dubbed 'Dionaforms'. 2: They are able to 'specialize' when forming part of a Dionaform, effectively becoming an organ of that superorganism and in doing so gaining and losing a number of physical and biological features. 3: They are able to survive in the vacuum of space for extended periods. 4: They are able to undergo a process of clonal reproduction under certain conditions.

Anthroform

Count: 3-10 Arrangement: Humanoid Intelligence: Human-level

Anthroform Dionaforms are the most common and well known of all. Typical in areas populated by sapient species, these humanlike creatures are colloquially known as simply "Dionea" to most. They are just as capable as sapient species at most tasks, and have full human-level intelligence. Cultivating Anthroforms has been an attractive way to cover workforce shortages in societies with access to them: Because they mature quickly, they can be easily manipulated into positions of servitude, and are easy to replace if lost to dangerous working conditions. At this count and age, their constituent nymphs are fully specialized, and cannot survive independent of the superorganism, making Anthroforms vulnerable to certain adverse conditions. Notably, they are not spaceproof, and exposure to a vacuum badly damages internal specialized nymphs, which have lost their protective exoskeleton.

Various Lesser Dionaforms

Count: 2-100 Arrangement: Small Animal - Very large Animal Intelligence: Low Animal - High Animal

In areas where sapient species are not present, planet-dwelling dionea may specialize into forms similar to those of the species found in the area. These dionaforms vary greatly in size, arrangement, and demeanor depending on their donors, they all but always have sub-human mental capacity. While many are passive and not dangerous, they should be treated with caution on an area-by-area basis, as some areas can house hostile or otherwise dangerous Dionaforms.

Reefseed

Count: 20-100 Arrangement: Amorphous Intelligence: Inconsistent

Reefseed Dionaforms are formed of a number of mature Dionaforms. At some point in their lifespan, multiple mature Dionaforms may join into a Reefseed, to begin the formation of a new Diona Reef. Both planetary and spaceborne Dionea are capable of forming a Reefseed, but only spaceborne Reefseeds may form a successful reef. Generally, Reefseeds, cannot successfully be communicated with. Reefseeds are not capable of complex manipulation or movement as their outer shell of nymphs specialize into an insulated spaceproof shield. Dionaforms in the area may choose to join the Reefseed, or bring nutrients to aid in the formation of a new Reef.

Nascent Reef

Count: 100-2000 Arrangement: Amorphous Intelligence: Inconsistent

Successful Reefseeds will eventually form into Nascent Reefs if conditions are favorable. These structures are spaceproof, and float in orbit of celestial bodies, collecting space dust for nutrients. Nascent Reefs will continue to slowly grow in count over several centuries, and lay relatively dormant during this time. They may be communicated with with some difficulty, but their understanding of the world outside of themselves is relatively muddled. Dionea in the system of a reef may seek to migrate to the reef if possible, adding to its count.

Reef

Count: 2000 and upwards Arrangement: Amorphous Intelligence: Inconsistent

Full-fledged Reefs are as rare as the conditions required for their formation. They orbit celestial bodies, collecting space debris, or ocassionally trading minerals stripped from asteroids with spacefarers for key nutrients or assstance with propagation. Full fledged reefs are fully conscious, but their distributed nervous system means their thoughts are slow and ponderous, to the irritation of spacefarers trying to communicate with them. Reefs may have hollow internal chambers for storage, and which occasionally house independent Dionaforms who move materials, and may in certain exceptional cases, act as diplomats or liasons with visitors with the Reef. A reef will periodically eject spore-like pods at high sublight speeds, in the hopes of spreading their species to distant systems. Upon landing on a planet, the pod will mature into a nymph. This is very rarely successful, and pods may remain in flight for hundreds of years before reaching another system, and even then may be badly damaged by atmospheric reentry. Reefs are capable of transmitting Sylvan through a vacuum, using specialized organs to transmit radio-wavelength waves through the local system.

Overgrowth

Count: 1000 and upwards Arrangement: Amorphous/Structural Intelligence: Inconsistent

'Overgrowth' Dionaforms are the result of those Reefseeds that formed under terrestrial conditions. They initially take the form of small structures, and grow much faster than true Reefs when nutrients are abundant in the soil. Overgrowth nymphys are only loosely specialized, and frequently split or eject independent nymphs. Overgrowths formed from Anthroform dionea are likely to be cooperative with local sapient species, while those formed from nonsapient Dionaforms in areas without sapient settlement are difficult and sometimes dangerous pests to planetary colonists and pioneers. Unimpeded, overgrowths may interfere with local ecosystems and in the most extreme recorded cases, completely encase small planetoids. Anthroform Overgrowths may form the top of the hierarchy of a planetary Anthroform diona settlement in such cases where Anthroforms have found themselves stranded without a way off-planet. Dionea typically exhibit an instinctual aversion to Overgrowths and will typically avoid deliberately forming them, presumably as they are unable to germinate into space like true Reefs.

Culture

History

Homeworld

It is unknown if Dionae even have a homeworld, as all known interactions with the race have taken place on planets with other populations or inside massive reefs.

Religion

Religion is rare among the Dionae, most of them not paying attention to metaphysical matters at all, as the species, thanks to its biology, rarely faces death.

Family and Community

Fashion and Aesthetics

Dionae usually dont wear clothes unless they live near other species that wiew not wearing clothes as frowned upon.

Naming Conventions

Anthroform dionae that were raised in reefs or with other dionae usually give themselves long names that usually start with a nature related thing and end with a noun that describes them best. Some examples are: The Herb of Envy, The Atmosphere of Fairness, The Shell of Displeasure and so on. Although dionae that live near other species tend to give themselves names aligning with the culture of said species or anything that they believe suits them. Some examples are: John Smithson the 3rd, Tequila Sunset, Gerbert, Mr. Totallynotadiona. And reefs tend to take names that represent their thoughts or them being wholly together Some examples are: "The Devoted Multitude of Threnn" "Wandering Hymns Beyond Death" "The Hollow Congregation of Feyr".

Society

Governments

Because they are mostly made up of traveler nomads without a homeworld dionae dont have a set government and tend to avoid them because of their belief in unity and equity.

Economy

Dionae usually dont participate in the economy unless its to expand their reefs in which case they may trade with nearby ships with stuff they found on their journey or if they are a anthroform that live near other species.

Trivia

Even though dionae can communicate with plants and highly resemble them calling a diona a "plant" is considered highly offensive in most sectors
Reefs tend to have good relationships with the USSP because they think their ideology of collectivizing as similar to their dionae unity because of this there tend to be alot of anthroform dionae working within the USSP

Adapted from the Starlight wiki under CC BY-SA 4.0.