Vaurca: различия между версиями

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{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Vaurca Lore}}
{{Infobox Species
{{Infobox Species
  |Species = Vacura
  |Species = Vaurca (Vaur'uyit'zir)
  |Scientific = TBA
  |Scientific = V. esseli / V. sapiens
  |Image = TBA
  |Image = Vaurcaduo.png
  |System = Sedantis (Sc'theth'stak, "Blinding Light.")
  |System = Sedantis (Sc'theth'stak, "Blinding Light.")
  |World = Sedantis I (Vaur'avek'uyit, "Home.")
  |World = Sedantis I (Vaur'avek'uyit, "Home.")
  |Language = Vaurcese, Zo'rane, K'laxane.
  |Language = Vaurcese, Hivenet.
  |Politic = Zo'ra Hive, K'lax Hive.
  |Politic = Zo'ra Hive, K'lax Hive, C'thur Hive.
  }}
  }}
{{toc_right}}
{{toc_right}}
==Overview==
==Overview==  
Vaurcae, (/ˈvaʊrkə/ ''VAUR-kah,'' ''Vaurca'' in singular term and ''Vaurcae'' in multiple) are an arthropodous species that naturally organize themselves into eusocial groups. Humanoid in shape, with a pair of arms, hands with four digits, divided equally between thumbs and fingers, and legs, ending in feet perfect for climbing the tunnels and caverns they used to dwell in on their homeworld. The Vaurcae are one of the oldest surviving civilizations in the known galaxy, with a '''[[Vaurca History|history]]''' that can be traced back 730,000 years ago. Now they arrive in the Orion Spur as colonists, reluctantly taken in by other civilisations.


Vaurca, (Vore-Kah, Vaurca in singular term and Vaurcae in
They form eusocial groups, Hives, lead by a High Queen, whom the Hive is usually named after. Under them, Lesser Queens held jurisdiction over specific Hive functions. Queens, lesser and high, are the only type of Vaurcae capable of producing eggs to spawn new ones. Being born under a specific Queen places a Vaurca in their brood, where they would often hold unique traits compared to others, and a variant carapace color. More information on these structures, and broods, can be found on the '''[[Vaurca Hives]]''' page.
multiple) are a bipedal insectoid species from the first moon of [[Sedantis | Sedantis I]]. They have a complex caste system based on three types, each of which serves a specific purpose. Since the first contact with one of their hive-ships, on the 21th of December 2456, they have become common in human space. Although tolerated on Nanotrasen stations, they are often discriminated against and are unwelcome in most human-owned sectors barring Tau Ceti. Unfortunately even in Tau Ceti they face troubles integrating with society, with many Vaurca forced to live in refugee camps as the Biesel government struggles to accomodate them all.


To apply to be one of the insect-like Vaurca, apply [http://aurorastation.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=28 here]
Their civilizations are separated into several castes, with members of each caste having their biology, psychology, and education determined before they are even even born. Each individual Vaurca is made often for a specific function pertaining to their caste. Vaurcae are separated further between being Akaix (Unbound) and Viax (Bound). Akaix are no less of a person than any human, whereas Viax are incredibly simple minded, running on no more than a desire to do what they are told, designed for their function rather than versatility.


Additional information: [[Sedantis]]
Vaurcae have mechanical extras such as extensive xenowear loadout and their homeworld’s flag. K’ois as a product is available in-game and they have a rather grand set of unobtainable event-spawn objects and mobs. Massive Vaurcae Breeders are playable as consular officers, and their lore can further be explored through artifacts and merchant items.
 
Vaurcae can come from the Zo'ra, K'lax, C'thur or Lii'dra Hives. The Lii'dra are exclusive to [[Lii'dra guide|antagonists]] and events - this does not mean antagonist vaurcae have to be Lii'dra, however.
 
To apply to be one of the insect-like Vaurcae, apply [http://aurorastation.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=28 here].
 
'''Important notes:''' Vaurcae can't be any Heads of Staff, including being elevated to an Interim command position. They used to require an Avowal of Responsibility to work any position higher than an intern level, but as of 4/24/2463, Avowals were abolished in SCC facilities.


==Mechanics==
==Mechanics==


Buffs:
*Global Hivenet, accessible via ,9 and heard only by other Vaurcae and station-bound synthetics.
*Custom language, like all other races. Use the :p prefix to access.
*Pressure and cold resistant, allowing them to survive in space with internals.
*Pressure & Cold resistant, allowing them to survive in space with internals.
*Unaffected by phoron gas but require it to breathe.
*Radiation resistant.
*Have natural insulation.
*Have a nifty bite function. Click on 'bite' in IC tab with an aggressive hold and you shred into them with mandibles.
*Immune to slipping.
*Can see in the dark rather well (better than Tajara)
*Can only healthily consume food consisting of k'ois paste and byproducts.
*Minor brute damage buff. X.5 addition.
 
Debuffs:
*Do not self-heal.
*Do not self-heal.
*Are slightly slower than a human - not as drastic as Dionaea, roughly the speed of a station-bound cyborg.
*Can see very well in the dark.  
*Takes twice the fire/burn damage.
*Takes 2x the toxin damage.
*Vulnerable to EMPs.
*Suffer from additional blood loss.
*Can be permanently rendered blind by flashing them several times in a row
*Can be permanently rendered blind by flashing them several times in a row.
*Vaurca Warriors can bite and are more resistant to burns.
*Vaurca Workers cannot bite but are more resistant to radiation.
*Vaurca Bulwarks are slow but immune to radiation and can fireman carry two people at once.


Non-mechanic traits:
Non-mechanic traits:
* Dislike light.
*Dislike light.
* Generally very specialized, often no inter-department knowledge. Basically, no cross-departmental, Unbound or Bound alike.
*Generally very specialized, often no inter-department knowledge.
* Can't be any form of head, unless you count a Quartermaster as a head.
*Face severe discrimination in human space.
* If you're a drone, basically, everyone has free reign to abuse you. (IE Verbal, racism,taking from them, Making them do all annoying small repetitive tasks, Assault them and they will be allowed to call for help or fight back)
*Be incredibly sensitive to smells.
 
===Information for Whitelisted Players===
====Playable Factions/Types/Castes====
You read the lore, but you don't quite know what factions are playable yet. In short, you are allowed to create your own Vaurca hive, or choose from one of the non-hostile Major Hives. Notably, the Lii'dra are exclusive to antagonists and events, with no exceptions (though an antagonist Vaurca can be from another hive, or pretend to be from another hive while being from Lii'dra).
 
Castes That are playable: Bound, Unbound.
 
Biological Types that are playable: Type A, and Type BA. These can be either castes. (No bonuses will be given to you Icly and if wishing to play type not listed ask Developer in charge)
 
====Personalities: Playing a Vaurca====
=====Playing drones. (Bound)=====
You have decided to play as a drone from a hive of the Vaurca. You have read the lore, but still need a little help. Drones are hard to play, I'll tell you that. The closest thing to compare them to, right now, are cyborg/androids - station-bound synthetics. They are not unintelligent, but their lack of self-awareness prevents them from understanding the concept of death, pain, or formulate very complex thought processes. They are an amalgam of the Hive's intelligence, but often only specialize in a certain task. The Vaurca drones often probably speak slowly, and have trouble speaking Basic.
 
You can play them as any civilian job with the addition of engineering apprentice and medical intern. Theoretically, they can also be played as fully-qualified engineers as well. They can be Type A, or BA, depending on how you want to design your character.
=====Playing standard. (Unbound)=====
You have chosen to play the most human-like aspect of the Vaurca, and the one with the most opportunities. The Unbound are a cool factor of the Vaurca. They can either be completely unique, spending their time in the physical world, learning and loving themselves and others, or can be similar to drones, fresh off a hive and from their VR, barely knowing anything. They can hate their bodies or others around them, because they were torn from the VR they call paradise.
 
They can be any job, and can be either Type A or Type BA.
====Speaking like a Vaurca====
Speaking is a hard choice to make. While it can be complex, feel free to add/subtract certain parts of the speech effects that you care. This can be explained ICly due to knowledge of basic as an Unbound, or a high-tech synthesizer. Or simply different accents caused by various dialects of Vaurcese.


The common language, however, is guttural and harsh, often placing 'ck' and 'g' in front of vowels. For example, "My nagme isck Vigncentck." If this is too hard for you to memorize, try simply adding 'ck' when necessary. "My namck is Vincentck.", although it does not sound as interesting.
==Relationships with Megacorporations==
The following is an updated table listing which megacorporations employ Vaurcae. All playable characters must adhere to these specifications; failure to do so may result in administrative action.


Some other variations of voice you might want to try: 'k' when necessary,("Seckcurity to skience!") buzzing your z's and s's ("Zzecurity to szzienzze!") or, as another variation, varying the breathing patterns causing irregular speech. ("Securitytoscience!" Or "Seckurity... toskience!")
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
 
|+ Vaurca Hives' Relationships
Feel free to experiment and have fun with it though!
|-
====Help with naming====
! Corporations
The Vaurca naming system can be confusing and difficult. Keep in mind, however - I'll only detail out the 'traditional' naming system, commonly used by the Major Hives. This does not mean you are only restricted to this naming system! As with the speech patterns, have fun and experiment!
! Zo'ra
 
! K'lax
The traditional naming system entails what the lore says. The first syllable is Ka, or Za, for Type A and B respectively. The second syllable is Viax, and Akaix, for Bound and Unbound respectively. Finally, the last symbol is what you want it to be, following the naming system - your character's "proper name" per se. It is masked a number, but it can be whatever you want it to sound like. For a Type A Unbound it would be: "Ka'Akaix'Siith Zo'ra." With 'Siith' being something I came up with on the top of my head. As for the last name - Vaurcae simply use the name of their hive, much like a clan name.
! C'thur
 
|-
Again, each hive is different, and can assume human names, or you can just jumble a bunch of syllables together to make something remarkably... Vaurcae.
! [[Nanotrasen Corporation|NT]]
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Preferential
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-
! [[Hephaestus Industries|Heph]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Exclusive
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|-
! [[Zavodskoi Interstellar|Zavod]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-
! [[Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals|ZH]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Preferential
|-
! [[Idris Incorporated|Idris]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|-
! [[Private Military Contracting Group|PMCG]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/NT
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/NT/DPF
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | VP/NT/Eridani
|-
! [[Orion Express|Orion]]
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|style="background-color:#39ff14;" | Yes
|-  
! [[Einstein Engines|Einstein]]
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:red;" | No
|style="background-color:#86dada;" | Exclusive
|-
|}


==Biology==
==Biology==


To the average human, the Vaurca seem to have the appearance of terrestrial prawns. However, they act closer to ants or termites. Their biology follows a similar structure to something like a termite; scientifically, this description is largely superficial.
The Vaurcae of today bear little resemblance to their original forms. They appear as humanoid insects, with two pairs of eyes —a larger pair and a smaller— four arms, with two being vestigial, ending in hands that hold two thumbs and two middle fingers each. They rest on two digitigrade legs which can end in a variety of feet structures, and antennae sprout from their heads. These antenna are used for greater perception of their surroundings, with the predominant sense being smell. Some Vaurcae are capable of smelling two different types of rock apart —and this is because of pheromones, which, along with the Hivenet, are key to communicating with others of their kind. Pheromones are like words encased in very fine smells. What one could infer from an inflection or tone of a word, a Vaurca could from the intricacies of a pheromone. As a result, their olfactory sense is highly tuned.


====Internal Organs====
Before a larva is hatched, its purpose is determined by a Breeder in a process called imagotis. Essentially, the Breeder can imagine what they want a specific Vaurca to look like and think like, and subconsciously alter certain factors regarding the larva's development to facilitate their growth into the Breeder's image.
Internally, Type A are very similar to that of an Earth insect. They have an open circulatory system, with their blood covering their digestive system, dual hearts, lungs, and other organs. Their two hearts provide a significant sloshing motion to prevent the blood from stagnating. The Vaurcae's blood is a copper-based hemoglobin, with a high dependency of sulfur, which causes their blood to adopt a yellowish color instead of the red prevalent with other species. It also emanates a very potent stink. This open circulatory system, however, can lead to wounds that pierce the exoskeleton and minor layer of skin to bleed out unless treated quickly.


====Limbs====
More information on the intricate workings of Vaurca-kind can be found on the [[Vaurca Biology|biology]] page.
Vaurca have two large insect-like eyes with two smaller ones underneath, which are hyper-sensitive to most forms of light, but are unique in that Vaurca don't feel any form of pain on their eyes. While they can function in light-heavy environments perfectly fine, most complain about frequent migraines and tendency to get frustrated after long exposures to light like the sun, or even general station lighting. This hyper-sensitivity, however, leads to greatly increased eyesight in dark areas. They also have large, insect-like antennae that protrude from their head. These antennae are used for greater perception of their surroundings and to communicate with each other through subtle movements, or rubbing them together with another. Also acting a sensory and nerve database, when these antennae are lost, they can cause confusion, dizziness, nausea, communications problems, and extreme pain.
===Ka, The Workers (Type A)===


Their mouth parts are similar to a prawn's, in that they have two large mandibles, with small feelers and chewing parts that come out of the bottom.
Type A are the most common and can be seen as the 'backbone' of Vaurcesian societies. Their most prevalent feature is their hardened exoskeleton, varying in colors in accordance to their Hive. It is approximately half an inch thick among all Type A Vaurcae. This exoskeleton provides protection against harsh radiation, solar and otherwise, and acts as a robust pressure-suit to seal their soft inner core from the outside world. This allows most Type A Vaurcae to have extended, several day-long EVA expeditions, assuming they have phoron. They can be bipedal or quadrupedal, with bird-like talon toes. Their hands consist of two middle fingers with small talons at the end, and two opposable thumbs, a left and a right, on either side of their hand. Type A ranges from 5ft to 7ft tall on average, though outliers of both spectra are not unheard of for the more specialized tasks.


====Sleep Cycle====
It is important to note that Workers explicitly avoid violent situations wherever possible. This is not their function, and they are always more use to the Hive in peak condition. Nearly all Ka are designed to find violence almost abhorrent —the sight and smell of blood instills fear and worry for most.
The sleep cycle for bound is a very hard to one to predict. Their natural sleeping cycle seems completely random and is more in line with SSD that plagues other species. They simply go into an inert state and remain unresponsive for a few minutes or hours at a time before suddenly being roused and getting back to work.


==The Bound==
===Za, The Warriors (Type B)===
Type B are the second most prominent of Vaurcesian society, taking the form of heavily augmented warriors. Type B can range in size from 5ft tall to 8ft tall, with Za Bound rising to as much as 20ft tall. They can be bipedal, quadrupeds, or hexapods, which are called types BA, BB, and BC respectively. They usually have weapons physically attached to their bodies, making them unwieldy or impractical for any situation other than combat.


Bound Vaurca are chosen the moment their eggs are laid. Eggs designated to be Bound are put in a warm, moisture rich enviroment while Worker drones oversee their care. Larva that hatch from the eggs are then taken to another specialized, moist environment to be raised and slowly augmented before the drones are then quickly and efficiently lobotomized and sterilized.
Warriors, unlike other types of Vaurcae, are not typically passive. This means that they tend to be more suitable for combat orientated positions, while Worker and Breeder types tend to be poorly suited for the disposition these types of occupations demand. Unlike workers, their exoskeleton is not as well equipped for such extended EVA expeditions, however it can withstand a few hours long excursions.
====Workers (Type A)====


[[File:ambassadorzor.jpg|thumb|right|Ambassador Va'zuilts Zo'ra, a Type D ambassador for the Zo'ra Hive, currently living in an embassy in Mendell City, Biesel. It is adorned in Alliance gear for the sake of decency.]]
The majority of Warrior-caste Vaurcae employed by the SCC are drone tier type BA, meaning that they are deprived of most advanced augments and mostly differ from other types simply in that they are more mentally suited for combat or are involved in the function of something that could be considered a weapon.
Type A are the most prevalent and can be seen as the 'backbone' of Vaurca societies. Their most prevalent feature is their hardened exoskeleton, varying in colors in accordance to their hive. It is approximately three inches thick among all Type A Vaurca. The Exoskleton provides protection against harsh radiation, solar and otherwise, and acts as a pressure-suit to seal their soft inner core from the outside world. This allows most Type A Vaurca to have extended EVA expeditions, assuming they have internals. They are bipedal, with bird-like talon toes. Their hands consist of two middle fingers with small talons at the end, and two opposable thumbs, a left and a right, on either side of their hand.


===Warriors (Type B)===
===Ta, The Breeders (Type C)===
Type B are the second most prominent of Vaurca society. Type B can range in size from 6ft tall to 20ft tall. They can be bipedal, quadrupeds, or hextopeds, which are called types BA, BB, and BC respectively.
Type C are rare among Vaurcae, in that they make up around 2-3% of their entire species. They are the only individuals in Vaurcesian Hives that are fertile except for the Queens and Lesser Queens themselves. The males are raised as Bound while the females are raised as Unbound, and both of them historically served little practical purpose beyond ensuring that their respective hive-cells possess the resources they need to function and to fertilize eggs or to replace a dying Lesser Queen and to even become an additional Lesser Queen if the Hive needs more growth. The males are considered CA and the females CB. Lately, Breeders have been used as representatives for their respective queens, a departure from their traditional duties of overseeing eggs and maintaining the numbers of the hive-cells they oversee.


===Breeders (Type C)===
This extension of their duties comes about from their keen social intelligence, making them ideal candidates for negotiating with aliens on economic and political matters. They easily grasp the nuances of social context, contracts, and systems that other castes have difficulty navigating.
Type C are the rarest among Vaurca, in that they make up around 2-3% of their entire species. They are the only individuals in Vaurca hives that are fertile except for the Queens and Lesser Queens themselves. The males are raised as bound while the females are raised as unbound, and both of them generally serve little practical purpose in a hive except to fertilize eggs or to replace a dying Lesser Queen or to even become an additional Lesser Queen if the hive needs more growth. The males are considered CA and the females CB.


== The Unbound (Type D) ==
It is possible to play as a Ta as the [[NanoTrasen Liaison|Liaison/Representative role]].
The Unbound make up the upper castes of Vaurca society and form the only sentient and self-aware parts of its greater population. Their eggs and larva are given more graceful care by bound workers and they are spared the lobotomy, though unbound not meant to become Lesser Queens are still sterilized. They are perfectly capable of making rational, thinking decisions, and are naturally intuitive and curious, much like a human. However Unbound are not raised in a traditional manner. While in its early years VR was meant as an escape from reality, for modern Vaurca in known space it's become every aspect of their lives. Unbound are hooked up to the greater VR network or their own VR chamber. They are raised in their own virtual world while their physical body is tended to by Bound workers. Being removed from their VR paradise requires weeks or even months of transition, but eventually Unbound are capable of functioning completely normally and on the same level as a human.


Unbound disconnected from their VR can still connect themselves to the 'internet' of a hive, called the Hive Network, where the Unbound all connect their consciousness. Unbound Vaurca can share their knowledge, memories, and even feelings through the Hive Network. The Bound are barred from the Hive Network and do not have access to it, and don't even possess the necessary neural augment to access it.
====Playing a Hive Representative====
As a Ta, you are more valuable than Workers and Warriors, simply due to the virtue that you are capable of making them. You aren’t a logical thinker or a fighter, however, you are the head of a hive-cell aboard the Horizon, providing emotional support and advice, like a mother would. Sometimes you will be called to represent your Queen of your brood, perhaps speaking their message or sharing their ideals.


The Unbound take up jobs that require more critical thinking skills or greater abstract thought than simple worker drones. Unbound Vaurca can simply be considered on the same level as any human. Integration in Tau Ceti or other limited human communities has some of them living alone in their own apartments like any other citizen, and work to support themselves, rarely having monetary aid from their Hive.
Below are rules for playing a Ta. Any bends of these rules must be clarified with the species maintainer prior to playing the character. Failure to adhere to the guidelines may result in punishment.


In a move worrying to human authorities Unbound make periodic trips back to the aging Titan Prime to upload information or experiences gained and learned in Tau Ceti into the Hive Network, and secondary sources have verified that the Vaurca are attempted to transfer their Hive Network into a new facility on New Gibson, in a formerly abandoned biome granted to them to use. After sealing the holes the bound Workers have been constructing complex machinery and computer networks. While the specifics of these machines confound visiting officials sent to verify that none of them can be use to send communications back to Sedantis, it's nevertheless proven extremely difficult to reverse engineer the technology and the Vaurca have proven unwilling to share blueprints on them.
*No height taller than 11 feet tall.


==Social==
*As a Gyne, you are allowed to have a three-syllable name instead of the usual monosyllabic. This name may, unlike typical Vaurcesian names, be broken down into multiple sections (for example Vaun'skiyat’ilo). These names typically represent titles given to a Ta by her peers, and as a result, older Ta tend to have more than younger Ta. Despite this, for simplicity sake in human space, a Ta will typically pick what she views as her three most important


Vaurcae naming systems are fairly simple. Although their names in their own hive language are extremely complex, with the learning of Tau Ceti Basic and other languages, the Vaurca have been forced to simplify their names. Naming is based of a numbering system, determined after birth. This name includes a caste and biological designation, the number they are, and finally what hive they are from. The first name proceeds like this: Biological-Caste-Number, with Ka being used for all Type A, Za being used for all Type B, and Va being used for all Type C. Type C do not have Caste names. Caste-wise, Vias is for Bound, Akaix is for Unbound. Vaurca hive numbers are very large, so the final part of their name will vary with every Vaurca. An example: Ka'vias'dsith Zo'ra, indicates an unbound drone with the number of 8123 from the Zo'ra Hive. An example of a Type CA with this, is Va Zo'ra, indicating it is a Type C from the Zo'ra hive. For a Type CB, it would be Va'Uyats Zo'ra, indicating it is 213 of Type CB from the Zo'ra hive.
*Auto-hiss basic (s becomes z(zzz) or not at all). You’re made to work on a station full of aliens that speak Basic, so you’d have a vocal implant aiding this significantly due to your status.


However, this naming structure is flexible between hives. This much is the most common arrangement studies have found so far. Some phenomenons have been observed where Vaurca will change their first name to a standard Human, Unathi, Tajaran, Skrell, or even robotic name, to attempt to 'fit in' with their crowd, all though the number that do this is small.
*Avoid combat, avoid doing any labour or specialised work. You are neither Warrior nor Worker, do not act like them. You can, however, inspire others to do something.


Vaurcae language structure, to non-Vaurca ears, sounds extremely archaic and cryptic, like simple clicks and grunts more than a language. However, to a creature that knows the language, all types of Vaurcese is extremely complicated and each syllable has many thousands of different connotations it could convey. Combined with subtle antennae movement and pheromone release, it is not hard to say that it is a language that can never be spoken or understood by another species. While each hive has their own small variations of Vaurcese, the language can be universally understood.
*Avoid social ignorance. You possess a high social intelligence, being literally made for this job, so you’d be knowledgeable on whether trying to clean a Unathi’s horn would upset them or not.


It is produced by clicking the mandibles and mouth pieces together, while sending air through the mouthpieces as well as the vocal chords. It is described as sounding like clicks and high pitched squeals. The Vaurca, however, utilize synthetic throat implants that synthesize a very alien-sounding, but intelligible, Tau Ceti Basic or any other language.
===Cephalon (Type D)===
The Cephalon is the strangest of all Vaurcae beings, if it can still be considered such. They are bombarded from birth by special hormones designed to expand their brains. Their bodies are bombarded with special treatments designed to hypercharge their thyroid and pituitary glands. This results in a brain that will continue growing far, far beyond the needs even of the Unbound. It will grow so much that the Cephalon's handlers can cut live samples, spread them across trellises and racks, and treat them with more hormones and chemicals to keep them growing further. After a decade of pruning and racking, and some cybernetic wire-work besides, the end result is a new Cephalon —a biomechanical supercomputer that houses a large portion of the Virtual Reality Network, and will live for hundreds of years. Its processing power is somewhere in the tens of zettaflops, if it can even be measured that way. Each Lesser Queen tends to keep several of these, acting as servers from which their Virtual Reality is hosted. Cephalons are not generally considered Bound or Unbound, but inert, motionless equipment. As such they hold no name or designation to any Hive at large.


==Culture==
===Ra, The Bulwarks (Type E)===
The newest caste of the Vaurca, Type E are heavyset industrialists that specialize in jobs involving hard labour, engineering, and maintenance. Average specimens stand at 8-10 feet tall, and require special clothing due to their unique shape. Type E Vaurca are the least prominent population wise in the species, due to the fact they were only recently conceived as a joint operation between the C'thur and the Nralakk Federation. They were unveiled at the first session of the reformed Court of Queens in 2463, before specimens belonging to the other Hives began appearing.


===Fashion & Cuisine===
Bulwarks tend to be strictly defensive in their temperament, meaning they will fight to defend themselves and those in their immediate surroundings, before escaping when presented the chance. They will not chase down threats or run into situations they are not already involved in.  
Throughout Vaurca history, fashion has remained nearly non-existant. Often going nude or with small garments covering their mouth pieces to prevent any forms of contagions inside, they have do not have as bad as a nudity taboo as other races seem to have. Also lacking any kind of genitalia, they have nothing to be worried about when inside their hives. However, some Vaurca prefer to wear thin blindfold-like cloth over their eyes to prevent the 'extreme light' from giving them headaches or discomfort.


On their homeworld, however, Vaurca that go above-ground, venturing from their massive underground and mountain-based hives are often seen wearing cloth to prevent radiation sickness, despite their natural resistance against radiation.
Bulwarks are only employed in select locations as of now, due to their relatively recent appearance. Notable locations include the NTCC Odin, the NSS Upsilon, the NSS Aurora and the SCCV Horizon. Outside of these locations they are heavily monitored in where they go, and are typically kept in more secure locations. There are no Queenless Bulwarks.


Vaurca that venture EVA, despite their natural tolerance to high/low/vacuum pressure environments, are seen wearing soft-suits, that allow them prolonged times in space for construction, operations, and other EVA activities.
=== The Unbound ===
The Unbound make up the upper castes of Vaurcae society and form the only sentient and self-aware parts of its greater population. Their eggs and larvae are given more graceful care by Bound Workers and they are born with fully developed organs, though Unbound not meant to become Ta or Lesser Queens are still sterilized. They are perfectly capable of making rational, thinking decisions, and are naturally intuitive and curious, much like a human. However, Unbound are not raised in a traditional manner. While in its early years VR was meant as an escape from reality, for modern Vaurcae in known space it's become every aspect of their lives and supposed afterlife.


Vaurca cuisine is viewed upon as extremely bland and tasteless to the other species. Generally consisting completely of their genetically engineered fungus that they grow en masse, it is grinded down into a paste, boiled, or eaten raw. It is describes as tasting chalk-like or like iron to Humans, and if eaten too much, some humans can get nauseated.
Although Unbound are sentient and self-aware, they still typically maintain unwavering subserviency to the respective hierarchy of their Hive, due to a combination of pheromone excretion and indoctrination methods imposed during the growing process of an Unbound. However, when they are not under the direct instruction of a Lesser Queen, they will typically pursue their own or their own hive-cell's interests.


The fungus, K'ois ('The Substance'), is a white, bulbous mushroom that thrives in any environment it is placed in, apart from overly wet. While it appears this fungus is genetically bred to be so adaptable, it is also presumed it was naturally abundant over the Vaurcae home planet.
Unbound disconnected from VR can still connect themselves to the 'internet' of a Hive, called the Hivenet or Hive Network, where the Unbound all connect their consciousness. Unbound Vaurcae can share their knowledge, memories, and even feelings through the Hivenet. The Bound are barred from most non-utilitarian aspects of the Hivenet, due to biological constraints.


===The Arts===
The Unbound take up jobs that require more critical thinking skills or greater abstract thought than simple Bound. In this respect, Unbound Vaurcae can simply be considered on the same level as any human. Integration in the Orion Spur and other alien communities has some of them living alone or in small groups in their own apartments like any other citizen or family, working to support themselves, rarely having monetary aid from their Hive.
Art is a strange subject when it comes to the Vaurca. While not possessing any form of written art, that we currently know of, their art comes in a virtual sense. This art-style goes hand in hand with the Vaurcae caste system. They view their Virtual Reality as a paradise, and can simulate anything and everything. Due to this Virtual Reality, they have never had the need, since uploading themselves to it, to draw, write, or anything else.


This Virtual Reality also acts as an information data hub, so as long as there are Type CA still alive, all Vaurcae knowledge can still be accessible, without the need for written or typed documentation.
The Unbound can be any of the types mentioned above except for Type D.


===Religion===
=====Playing Unbound=====
Vaurca viewings upon the world and the unknown in general is fairly standard to most other races. The sentient parts of their species regard the Type CA, or their 'Queen', as the God's of their hive. This is due to the relationships the personalities and the drones have with each other, as well as the Queen itself being the 'harbor' of the Virtual Reality, which to them is Heaven.


Similar to how humanity views the afterlife, they believe there is a heaven and a hell. K'seaiu'iut (Heaven, Paradise, etc) and Ck'ois'tika (The World Above). Because of the harmful UV radiation and the overall in-hospitable surface of their planet, primitive Vaurca viewed space and the sky as where all souls who did not benefit the hive in their lifetime would go, a place of eternal pain and damnation to the F'sixast'kis, (The Black Queen) who would torture them in a psuedo-opposite Virtual Reality world that they could never escape from.
Unbound are the human-like part of the Vaurcae species and are capable of playing any non-command role in terms of ability. They can either be unique individuals having lived out of their Virtual Reality for some time, or can be fresh from the Hive birthing chambers and or from their Lesser Queen's virtual heaven, barely knowing anything. They almost universally hate being outside of VR, as the extended stay within an environment free of strife, hunger and death have sensitized them to the presence of such things in the real world. Likely because of their biology, Vaurcae are generally passive and hold more value in a groups opinion rather than their own.


Because of their large caste difference, the Bound of the Vaurca believe this wholeheartedly. The Unbound have a slightly different approach on this mentality. They believe all drones to be simple carriers of the good of their hive, and that each is merely a piece of clothing to put on, wear out, and then dispose of as necessary, while also indulging that their service to the hive can approve of unlimited time within the Virtual Reality, instead of a violent death traversing and learning for the good of the hive.
'''Unbound are restricted in the jobs they can pick. '''<br>


==History==
<br>
Security: Security Officer, Warden, Investigator, Security Cadet<br>
Medical: Surgeon, Physician, Psychiatrist, Pharmacist, First Responder, Medical Intern<br>
Engineering: Engineer, Atmospheric Technician, Engineer Apprentice<br>
Science: Scientist (all titles), Xenobiologist, Xenobotanist, Lab Assistant<br>
Service: Chef, Chaplain, Librarian, Bartender, Gardener/Hydroponicist, Janitor<br>
Operations: Hanger Technician, Shaft Miner, Machinist<br>
Civilian: Assistant, Off-Duty Crew Member


===Early Nomadism===
As of 4/24/2463, Avowals of Responsibility are no longer required for Vaurcae above intern level positions.
The earliest records of Vaurca civilization gained from limited access to Zo'ra records range from some time starting between 500,000 and 550,000 years ago. Due to the hostile climate of their homeworld caused by the thin ozone allowing radiation to blast the planet daily, many Vaurca were forced to live nomadic lives inside the vast underground cave networks to gain access to edible fungus.
===The Bound===
[[File:Bound working.png|thumb||While all Bound are specialized for a specific job or instruction, all are still capable of simple labor.]]
Bound Vaurcae are chosen even before their egg is laid. Eggs designated to be Bound are put in a warm, moisture-rich environment while Worker Bound oversee their care. The larvae that hatches from the eggs is then taken to another specialized, moist environment to be raised and slowly augmented before the Bound are then quickly and efficiently sterilized. Bound are incredibly simple minded, due to effectively being lobotomised —grown with some parts of their brain missing.


Almost all conflict originated around control of food. Warfare was a matter of survival after a hive exhausted its food supply. Warrior castes became the most dominant caste within Vaurca society and nearly all hives were in constant conflict with one another. Due to the innate deadliness of Vaurca mandibles and claws warfare was fought in melee. Prisoners of war tended to be decapitated by the mandibles of the victor while the surviving hive was enslaved. The mindset appears to be an unwillingness to spare extremely limited resources with enemy warriors.
=====Playing Bound=====


===The Agricultural Revolution===
Bound, or as humans sometimes call them, Drones, have a lot in common with station synthetics in personality and playstyle. They are members of a slave caste trained to obey orders without question. They have no concept of the self and can only act independently in matters of personal survival, maintenance, or self-defense. The Vaurcesian Drones probably speak slowly and have trouble speaking Basic.
Approximately 60,000 years ago agricultural methods that allowed hives to cultivate fungus had proliferated throughout the planet. No longer a resource that could be easily exhausted, many hives found an abundance of food to be a boon. The population exploded as the hives continued to operate as they always had. Unfortunately fertile territory (in the context of cave fungus) was uncommon and conflict still broke out between hives.  


Other avenues of change proliferated through the Vaurca hives, as well as an explosion of art. For understandable reasons living in caves constantly grew tiresome for many unbound Vaurca and they began to experiment with ways to spruce up the place. With an abundance of food Vaurca were able to spare manpower to begin ambitious feats of masonry and architecture. According to secondary sources the Vaurca Homeworld eventually developed elaborate and massive feats of subterranean engineering, with aqueducts, sewage, and entire cities being carved out of the rock. The walls and floors of the cave were smoothed out and covered in engravings, creating a form of art that wouldn't be blasted away by radiation. Thousands of years of trial and error with countless incidents of cave-ins in the early years have allowed the Vaurca to become masters of masonry and architecture.
Bound typically focus on performing their duty. If asked to do something outside of the scope of their duty a Bound will always use their duty as a reference to the task at hand. Because they are working under the decree of the Hive's Queen, only with good reason would an Unbound Vaurca ask a Bound from its respective Hive to deviate from their duty. Otherwise, Bound are taught and expected to follow station protocols to the best of their ability as it is their duty to do so. Only their Hives' Unbound, and heads of staff can order a Bound to deviate from its duties.


Along with traditional warfare, queens of many hives had begun an arms race of architecture to show up one another. Massive engineering projects would be undertaken for the glory of the queen of the hive, such as a huge subterranean temple, the rerouting of an entire underground river, or a subterranean road being carved out to connect dozens of spread out subterranean cities all being commissioned. Queens at the time had also begun to develop a cult of personality around themselves, with the queens that managed to succeed becoming the most powerful and influential on the planet. Information on this is difficult to gather due to obvious bias or mixing of legends and facts within Vaurca records. However xenoarchaeologists are in agreement that Vaurca queens managed to retain a vital position in Vaurca society by inflating their status as mothers to a spiritual level. As the only ones in Vaurca society that could give birth to new generations, they had become mystical gardens of life and fertility in an otherwise dead and barren world.
Bound can be easily dismissed - or culled - if their performance is unsatisfactory.


===The Era of Augments===
They can '''only''' take the jobs listed here. If a job title is not on this list, you cannot play them as a bound.
The development of Vaurca continued down paths similar to the development of other space-faring species. The major split from the norm occurred around 2,000BCE Galactic Standard Time. The Vaurca had managed to achieve a technological level similar to Earth in the late 20th century. However the Zo'ra, who had emerged during this time, had a breakthrough in augmentation technology. Zo'ra began augmenting its drones with simple cybernetic enhancements. Worker drones would have their limbs replaced with more sturdy prosthetics, and later advancements in genetics had even more Vaurca hives beginning to experiment with altering workers with genetic and cybernetic enhancements.


This technological advancement continued until the Vaurca achieved a version of technological singularity with the technology in 500 CE. The technology had become minaturized and advanced enough that Vaurca hives could cybernetically engineer any aspect of a Vaurca drone. By this time Vaurca drones had become Bound, creating the early forms of the Vaurca we see today. While Vaurca records make no mention of it, human and Skrell xenoarchaeologists theorize that Vaurca drones had incidents of rebellion or insurrection against the mass augmentation and prosthetics, which explains why today bound are all lobotomized, mindless drones.
Security: None<br>
Medical: Physician, Pharmacist, First Responder<br>
Engineering: Engineer, Atmospheric Technician<br>
Science: Scientist<br>
Service: Chef, Bartender, Gardener, Librarian, Hydroponicist, Janitor<br>
Operations: Machinist, Hanger Technician, Shaft Miner<br>
Civilian: Assistant


By 100 CE the working caste of bound drones could work 24/7 stopping only to eat. Soldiers were augmented with all sorts of experiment weapons and abilities. However the augments and genetic alterations forced those altered into very specific castes. A worker raised and given augments for battle wasn't an effective mason or diplomat. While previously Vaurca society was stratified, the 'worker' Vaurca of old at least had a chance to enter into different fields. The modern Vaurca society saw a caste system where Vaurca were literally defined from birth and built into that role. This also created the modern definitions of bound and unbound: bound vaurca are members of the worker caste, literally bound to their role and station. The unbound are Vaurca above the working caste that would be allowed to seek their own destiny in society, forming a form of noble caste.
==Modern Day==


Eventually the Unbound, supported by a limitless supply of slave labor, began to form a more and more secluded society seperate from the working caste. Unbound scientists and artists eventually unlocked the technology behind virtual reality, and specialized it to create entire virtual worlds for themselves. Unbound with access to VR would lock themselves away for hours or even days at a time, sometimes leaving VR for only a few minutes at a time to let their bound workers feed them without having to even having to leave their seat.
For most Hives, co-habitation with the other species they have encountered has led to large changes to their way of life. Already suffering a shortage of resources, their advanced weaponry has lead to a lot of fear regarding their potency and supposed ease of mass production. While it is unknown how rumours circulated that the Vaurcae had large-scale means of producing weapons, and the materials to do so, no one can deny the military domination a war-ready Hive would impose. From tachyon-based weaponry, gauss cannons, condensed thermal energy and the infamous Warforms, most believe it to be a miracle that the Vaurca have yet to attack and seize control of the galaxy.


Eventually the technology expanded to the point that Vaurca developed their 'Paradise' we see today.
However, all Hives (barring the unknown machinations of the Lii'dra) do not have the potential to do this. Weaponry was a lower priority on the list of supplies brought on Hiveships, as though while large, there needed to be space for broods as well as materials. Figures such as [[Vaurca_Hives#Zoleth.2C_The_Herald_of_Scars|Ta'Akaix'Zoleth'akeh Zo'ra]] were insistent on bringing a plethora of weaponry, to ensure their survival among the unknown threat of the stars. Their pleas, however, only resulted in minor increases to ship defenses. During their long journey, the majority of resources they had brought were used for maintenance of the ship, and by the time they arrived in the Orion Spur, their lack of materials, and subsequently, repairs, have resulted in the pitiful states the three known Hiveships are in. Their food supply was limited in terms of places to grow aboard the Hiveships, and as a result, a high majority of warforms and the larger Bound Workers were culled, due to being unable to sustain many of the cryogenic storage pods used to contain them.


===The Great Migration===
Politically, all but the '''Zo'ra''' have yet to make any substantial political hold in Tau Ceti. The C'thur and K'lax are being used primarily as either labor or military by their allies, with the K'lax as vassals/tributaries to the Hegemony, and the C'thur reliant on the Federation for the survival of their High Queen. However, especially with the recent investment into the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]], the Zo'ra have begun their ascension into the political web that connects the inhabitants of the Orion Spur, despite being locked into debt with Tau Ceti. Though some may attribute this to certain Queens over others, the Zo'ra Hive as a whole is benefiting from their increased power. In addition, the Zo'ra have managed to revive the Court of Queens on Caprice, installing its chambers within their "capital" New Sedantis.


The proliferation of VR and bound labor created a lull in conflict on Sedantis I. Farming techniques had become advanced enough that the populations could be reasonably fed, and all other desires were being filled in virtual worlds. By all accounts it would have been completely possible that the Vaurca never left their homeworld due to the development of VR. However a combination of push factors forced the great Vaurca hives to embark on extensive plans to expand into space.
Technologically, all but the '''K'lax''' have failed to make much progress in terms of adapting to their lack of advanced materials. In recent years, batches of new-generation thermal drills developed by the K'lax and manufactured with common materials were shipped and often cheaply sold across the Orion Spur, with mining facilities seeing huge increases in yields as a result. This was inspired by the Hive's collaboration with the Unathi on Moghes, their agreement to help terraform the planet. Requiring terraforming technology to efficiently carry out this task, the K'lax have been attempting to re-create the machines of old using newer parts and materials. The '''Zo'ra''' Hive's most notable technological advancement was the hybridisation of the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]]'s current weaponry and their own personal designs. These resulting weapons are currently employed by the Foreign Legion, and while not the most high quality or effective weaponry, many agree that it is a certain improvement compared to their last.


The extremely thin ozone layer of Sedantis I had begun to be measured since the start of their modern era in the early CE era. By 150 CE the Vaurca's version of a scientific body between hives had conclusive evidence to show that the ozone would be completely stripped off the planet within another 200 years. While the planet had been bombarded with radiation, life had still managed to etch out a living, but when the ozone layer was completely gone all life on the planet would be killed by the excessive amounts of radiation, rendering it a barren, lifeless rock.
Economically, all but the '''C'thur''' have struggled to make any real money, reliant on collective money pools brought in by employed Bound and Unbound. Being harboured by the generous Nralakk Federation has opened up a large amount of opportunities. Queens often hold a share of the total funds of a Hive, an example being [[Vaurca_Hives#Athvur.2C_The_New_Goddess|Ta'Akaix'Athvur'zekt'azi Zo'ra]] recently investing the majority of her saved personal funds into the reformation of the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]]. The C'thur have bought a significant portion of [[Einstein Engines]], opening a connection to the [[Eridani Federation|Eridani Corporate Federation]], and many job opportunities. These factors have resulted in the C'thur being the most economically progressed out of all Hives.


Hives took different approaches to the impending apocalypse. Many hives felt they could simply increase the depths of their subterranean cities to avoid the increase of radiation, and that the subterranean eco-systems would continue to thrive beneath the surface, while other hives began to try to look past the taboo of the deadly sky and consider expanding their hives into space.


Hives devoted massive amounts of bound labor to both projects. For the next 50 years some Vaurca hives constructed the massive hive-ships we see today. In another display of the sheer ingenuity of Vaurca engineering and architecture they had managed, after very heavy losses in early failures, to create and utilize an orbital industry to work on the hive-ships. These ships are also called ark-ships, and were used to transport thousands of Vaurca to other star systems. While fusion power was available to Vaurca at the time they did not yet possess warp or bluespace capabilities, meaning travel to other systems was extremely slow.
====Individuals====


This reality meant that hive-ships had to be capable of supporting a population in deep space for hundreds or even thousands of years. They became battleships, colony ships, mobile incubators, carriers, refineries, and production facilities all in their own. They spread through space similar to the Vox, as nomadic wanderers occasionally settling on habitable worlds, but the pace of it was was incredibly slow due to the lack of FTL technology.
For many Unbound, adapting to their new lives has been a tough ordeal, but one that is short suffered. Once settled, most Hive cells are capable of sharing a single bedroom apartment due to their tolerance of confined spaces and their tendency for practicality over personality. Personal possessions are not uncommon, however, but usually serve some sort of purpose. An Unbound may purchase a refrigerator, but instead of preserving food, it may instead use it for the construction of an experimental device.


Despite being years or even hundreds of years apart bound drones were still unquestionably loyal to their original queen, and followed directives given by her during their travels to the letter and without compromise. Lesser queens were brought on the hive-ships to help keep the population stable but the original queens of the hive on Sedantis remain legendary religious figures, with the lesser queens taking on a ceremonial role as mothers. Unbound present in the hive-ships were almost entirely connected to VR, which allowed them to function in their worlds, which may have been the only reason they managed to function as a society in deep space for so long.
'''Workers''' mostly shifted from serving the Hive to employment well, with only a few incredibly specialized Unbound finding difficulty. While confusion was apparent at the complicated process of the simple act of going to work, once clarified, many Vaurcae brought their specialised knowledge and pragmatism into like-minded fields, typically able to share their intricate knowledge with great practical success. On a social level, however, many Unbound are prone to varying levels of discrimination. Such acts can be extremely discreet, such as being made to do a less desirable task. On the other hand, some overtly voice their dislike —often showing their ignorance of how Vaurcae operate and live. The recent incidents involving Tajara gangs reacting violently to the Lii'dra invasion, going as far as to murder, have demonstrated a more obvious dislike.


The ultimate fate of Sedantis I is unknown to Vaurca encountered in human space in 2458, as contact is still impossible.
'''Warriors''', however, did not have such an easy transition —while there were some who could transition as well as most Workers, many of the Unbound purely bred for combat struggled to find applicable work. Some of these soldiers slowly managed to trickle into work as private security, bodyguards, and alike, while some found trivial work doing menial or laborious tasks. K'lax warriors mostly serve in the Hegemony. Recently, many Zo'ra Za, and a few of other Hives, finally found a place doing what they do best in the [[Tau Ceti Foreign Legion]].


===Contact with Humanity===
==Social==


None of the species of the galaxy had any idea that the Vaurca existed until an eventful day in November, 2456, when the drive plume and heat signature of a massive ship burning its engine in order to slow down for an approach was detected near the Romanovich cloud in Tau Ceti. While the galaxy was taken aback by this information, the Republic of Biesel acted immediately. A small scout vessel was dispatched to the ship, which was revealed to be a 30 kilometer (18.23 mile) vessel, mostly engine and radiator. Dubbed 'Titan Prime' by the media, Tau Ceti and news places over the known galaxy were bubbling with excitement as the object approached its apparent destination: Biesel.
===Language===
Before the invention of the Hivenet in the [[Vaurca History#The Eera of Augments|Era of Augments]], Vaurcae would communicate by distributing pheromones from mouth to mouth for complex messages, and vibrations with their antennae for simpler messages, sent via larger distances. Since Vaurcae don’t possess a vocal tract, spoken language was unknown to them until their arrival to the Spur. The invention of the Hivenet allowed for a better and more long-range method to communicate with each other, making cooperation more efficient. While to a stranger Hivenet might just sound like rhythmic vibrations, for a Vaurca the received message, which are encoded pheromones coded and transmitted as signals, ‘sounds’ in their head, which is how the Vaurcese vocabulary has been incorporated in Human, Skrell and Unathi space.


After a few weeks, the object passed the Romanovich cloud and dispatched over twenty drones to key locations in Tau Ceti. Some of these locations included the NMSS Odin, the NSS Von Braun, NSS Arcadia, NSS Aurora, NSS Exodus, and NMV Retaliation, and one to each planet. Although all drones dispatched to the location turned back immediately, one did not. The one that was headed for the NSS Aurora stayed, and in fact, contacted the station through use of the station's own intercommunication system; displaying a single, unintelligible message. After a period of three hours, the crew were dispatched to the probe and entered, finding a hollow vessel. In the middle was a single alien computer, and in a corner of a room were Vaurca eggs, presumably for use in early colonization.
These encoded pheromones can also transmit emotions and other kinds of warnings. Because of the lack of facial expressions available for Vaurcae, it is common for individuals to express themselves by sending a message such as this on the net. Other simple encoded messages, such as small onomatopoeic sounds or reactions such as an eye-roll may be sent too. Images and video are too heavy to be encapsulated by pheromones, and can’t be transmitted via this method.


Research crew of the NSS Aurora, including Dr. Phoebe Essel and team were able to interact with the computer, painstakingly finding ways to translate the cryptic language it was attempting to speak in, and after usage of a pAI, were able to teach the machine Tau Ceti Basic. After some conversation, the computer detached itself and was brought aboard the NSS Aurora for first contact. It had been sent in order to document the indigenous species of the solar system. The computer tapped into the bluespace connection of the Artificial Intelligence of the station, uploaded core data files onto its hardware, and then departed, causing a minor panic on the station as the security forced feared an intelligence leak.
Vaurca have the ability to speak with voice synthesizers, which are responsible for their peculiar accents. These voice modulators are cheap, and based on alien technology in some cases. It also allows the Vaurca in question to be able to translate the message in their heads. Thus, no Vaurca is able to audibly receive or reproduce a xeno language without the aid of this augment. However, despite not having a written language themselves, Vaurcae are able to learn to read and write in Basic, and for an employee on board the SCCV Horizon, part of their education would have consisted in such.  


First radio contact was established with Tau Ceti President Joseph Dorn and Titan Prime, which was filled with Zo'ra. It was learned that the vessel was sent approximately 2 thousand years ago and had only now entered human space to find habitable planets to colonize. It was also learned that Titan Prime housed six million Vuarca on it, a staggering number.
====Speaking like a Vaurca====
 
Vaurcae working in alien space often have augments that allow them to have an easier time speaking the Languages of the Orion Spur. However, due to the desperate times the species is in, speech augments tend to be of variable quality. Vaurcae typically expresses an unfamiliarity with most alien languages, preferring to use basic words and sentence structures over more complex ones, and often may be unaware of the exact meaning of words, or the names of objects, instead describing them. This tends to happen most to those who aren't used to alien culture.
While the construction ships assembled, Titan Prime came closer to Biesel, but, before settling into a stable orbit around the planet. Observation showed that the ship was worse for wear after traveling for 2,000 years, launched from Sedantis in 400 CE. Many of its systems were failing or had already failed. The life support was barely working and the hull had lost most of its integrity. After heavy negotiation with the Tau Ceti government it was agreed that in exchange for being allowed to settle on Biesel the Vaurca would agree to 'pay rent' in the form of providing Nanotrasen and the Tau Ceti government with a quota of their bound and unbound for Nanotrasen's workforce. Due to the complexity (and pointlessness) of paying bound Vaurca they would instead earn 'credit' towards their continued stay on Biesel to pay back the cost of housing them.


Many Vaurcae, and their vocal augments have difficulty producing sounds related to the letter "s", and instead substitute with a harsh buzzing in the throat. ("May I please have some k'ois?" becomes "May I pleaze have zome k'oiz?"). Some Vaurcae may have difficulty producing soft consonant sounds such as those produced by "f" or "ph", and instead substitute them with a more guttural "vh". ("Phoron gas is fine!" becomes "Vhoron gas is vhine!". Some unfortunate specimen may even be plagued with both impediments at once. ("The phoron in these k'ois lets me breathe." becomes "The vhoron in theze k'oiz letz me breathe."), or even further, more exotic impediments.


Ferries, re-purposed cargo ships, and civilian shuttles evacuated 2 million inhabitants of Titan Prime, ferrying them mostly to New Gibson and Biesel, respectively. Evacuations are still undergoing, and most Vaurca live in refugee camps or state-provided housing in special sections of Biesel. The [[Interstellar Aid Corps]] has preformed most of the work evacuating and housing Vaurca, and they are critical of the government's treatment of them.
===Naming System===
The traditional naming system is complex, with first names being made of three parts. The first part is either Ka for Workers, Za for soldiers, Ra for Bulwarks or Ta for breeders. The second syllable is Viax for Bound, or Akaix for Unbound.


Today, over a million and a half bound and unbound Vaurca live in refugee camps or slums in New Gibson, and 2.3 million live in similar areas on Biesel. Officials are extremely worried about the cost of continued evacuation of Titan Prime, and integration of Vaurca into the system is confounded by the growing hostility towards them, inflamed by the recent discovery of even further Vaurca hive-ships entering known space. Many fear that the Vaurca are attempting a cultural invasion and will grow to become more powerful than the human governments housing them.
Finally, the last syllable of the name is unique, decided by the player. In Vaurcese, this segment would translate to a number —like a serial code, it is a unique identifier. The only restriction is that it should not be longer than a single syllable, at the very most two syllables. For a Worker Unbound it might be: "Ka'Akaix'Siith Zo'ra." With 'Siith' being created by the player. The surname is the Hive that the Vaurca is a part of, in the example's case "Zo'ra".


This fear has lead to Tau Ceti and the Sol Alliance working to actively suppress attempts by Vaurca to construct FTL capable communications or ships to contact their homeworld and potentially spread the information to more Vaurca hives in their home systems. While the Zo'ra of Titan Prime managed to leak secrets of these technologies from the Aurora, they remain unable to build FTL communication that's capable of interacting with the STL communications presumed to still be in use in Vaurca home systems. As well, many Vaurca are unsure of the ultimate fate of their homeworlds, as their thousand year travel has had them pass the time predicted to have brought the ultimate death of Sedantis...
In summary, you create a '''single unique name''', which is slotted after your caste and whether you are Bound or Unbound, and your surname is the Hive you are from.  


==Notable Information==
===Inter-caste Relationships===
Relationships between each type and each caste tend to be a universal constant among Vaurcesian Hives. The Bound are thoroughly exploited by the Unbound whenever an opportunity for such arises. It is typical for an Unbound to delegate any menial labour to the nearest Bound whenever possible. While especially "lazy" Unbound are not prevalent on human stations, all Unbound tend to display this mindset towards the Bound to a degree. When encountering a dangerous situation, the response is similar —the Bound are expected to attempt to make the situation safer for the Unbound in any way possible. Bound are perfectly subservient to the whims of the Unbound, and do not begrudge this exploitation.


===Major Hives===
Worker vaurcae tend to be esteemed more highly than Warrior Vaurcae, especially in Unbound circles, and especially in these difficult times when the value of labour to the Vaurca is more important than the value of defense. Unbound Breeder Vaurcae are esteemed very highly, especially those at the top of the hierarchy. Bound Breeder Vaurcae tend to rarely interact with other Vaurcae, except for Bound caretakers.
Although there are thousands of hives there are regardless major factions that have become dominant in Vaurca space, and only three which have been discovered in known space.


====Zo'ra====
As for different types of the same caste, Unbound Ka or Za of the same 'duty' tend to organize themselves into hive-cells. For example, a Worker who works in construction may live, sleep and work with the same people within their hive-cell. A hive-cells size can vary drastically, but ultimately, they tend to organize the labor of Ka and Za into the most efficient means, with each hive-cell reporting to a particular Ta, usually their birth mother. Vaurcae tend to be closest to those that they work with, and so many Vaurcae consider their hive-cell their closest relatives.
Zo'ra - "Unstoppable."


Zo'ra, the largest and most powerful hive, and also the first one discovered by Humanity following their Hive-ship 'Titan Prime.' Information gained through contact with Vaurca present in Tau Ceti has lead to unconfirmed projections putting their population in Vaurca space at 77 billion. Zo'ra believe themselves to be the Alpha of the Vaurca and the face of their species. They make up the majority of the Vaurca present in Tau Ceti and human space.
===Inter-hive Relationships===
The Zo'ra and K'lax Hives maintain warm relations, while officially the diplomatic tension between the C'thur and K'lax Hives is tenuous at best. The Lii'dra Hive is universally hated. The Zo'ra percieve themselves the rightful rulers of the K'lax and C'thur, and the K'lax have thus far made no official statement against this. Meanwhile, the C'thur changes their announcements constantly. The Bound of each Hive serve other Vaurcae of their Hive firstly and are completely subservient to the will of their Hive's rulership. The K'lax Bound however will also serve Zo'ra Vaurcae should there be no conflict with the desires of K'lax hierarchy. The same can be said to a lesser degree with the C'thur. Zo'ra Bound will rarely ever service K'lax Vaurcae, and only when instructed to do so by Zo'ra Unbound. Zo'ra, C'thur and K'lax Unbound typically do not intermingle except on an individual basis and remain subservient to the desires of their respective hierarchy.


Zo'ra have cold relations with other hives. In Tau Ceti, this has lead to confrontations between them and other hives arriving in the system.
===Inter-species Relationships===


====K'lax====
The Zo'ra tend to be cooperative with humanity out of necessity, but on an individual level opinions vary between each Unbound. This approach is largely shared in reference to all other aliens, viewing them as potential benefits to their Hives. Perhaps in response to, or as a result of this, the Zo'ra Hives have begun to re-imagine themselves as something aliens can identify with. Supporting cross-species initiatives that further increase cooperation between each species feeds into this idea of ultimately benefiting all species involved. Besides this, the servitude that Bound abides by is a topic of concern for humanity in particular, because Bound are hard-wired to satisfy the needs of other Unbound of their Hive firstly, it creates the possibility for conflicts of interest between the humans that use cheap Bound labor, and any Unbound Vaurcae of the same Hive. However, such situations are unreported if they do occur, and the cheapness and effectiveness of Bound labor tend to surpass potential dangers.
K'lax - "The Deceivers."


K'lax, the second most powerful hive and second faction discovered by humanity after an additional Hive-ship Kloxa'xia appeared in the [[Jargon Federation]] system Glorashi. The K'lax hive is a client state to the Zo'Ra, but since contact with the Vaurca homeworlds are extremely slow both factions in known space are completely cut off. This has lead to a sort of fuel for independence, with many K'lax outright rejecting the claims of leadership the Zo'ra in known space have over them. Based on secondary accounts it is believed that they have 33 billion individuals in Vaurca space.
The Skrell of the Nralakk Federation have taken to using a work drafting system to assign duties to Vaurcae of the C'thur Hive. The Federation or an empowered representative would requisition an amount of C'thur for a particular job, which would then be supplied by the Hive. These C'thur would complete this assignment and then return to their Hive. This entire process is overseen by a legal counsel comprised of both species, providing fair and equitable exchanges for all parties. The largest orders of labor come from the Federation itself and the Nanotrasen corporation.


====Lii'dra====
K'lax tend to maintain terse, but warm relations with the Izweski Hegemony, sharing cultural and sometimes technological advances for the betterment of both species. Beyond this, they maintain little contact with the galaxy at large, save for their begrudging but needed trade relation with the human owned Nanotrasen corporation. Due to their unfavorable circumstances within this deal, the K'lax tend to view humans in a negative light.
Lii'dra - "The Scourge."


Hive Lii'dra, although small population wise at 22 billion, is matched in military power with the Zo'Ra in Vaurca space. Based on information gathered from Vaurca in human space the Lii'dra and Zo'Ra are engaged in a devastating interplanetary war that has consumed thousands of hives. The original causes for the war have been lost to time, but it's become apparent that reconciliation may be completely impossible. The Lii'dra were encountered after their own Hive-ship Klo'xzai arrived in the Sol Alliance system of Lalande. Original contact became open hostility almost immediately as the Hive-ship's automated defenses opened fire on investigating Alliance patrol ships, sparking a brief skirmish that claimed the lives of 12 Alliance servicemen. Since then the Klo'xzai moved into deep space, and similar to [[Vox]] and [[Unathi]] raiders the Lii'dra in known space operate as feared raiders.
Overall, the approach all Hives have taken when sending their populations to work with aliens is to treat their 'workplaces' as an adopted Hive cell. All Hives encourage the development of social bonds that normally come with working closely between Vaurcae in the same Hive cell. This has led to some Vaurcae considering their co-workers a second family.


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

    Overview

    Vaurcae, (/ˈvaʊrkə/ VAUR-kah, Vaurca in singular term and Vaurcae in multiple) are an arthropodous species that naturally organize themselves into eusocial groups. Humanoid in shape, with a pair of arms, hands with four digits, divided equally between thumbs and fingers, and legs, ending in feet perfect for climbing the tunnels and caverns they used to dwell in on their homeworld. The Vaurcae are one of the oldest surviving civilizations in the known galaxy, with a history that can be traced back 730,000 years ago. Now they arrive in the Orion Spur as colonists, reluctantly taken in by other civilisations.

    They form eusocial groups, Hives, lead by a High Queen, whom the Hive is usually named after. Under them, Lesser Queens held jurisdiction over specific Hive functions. Queens, lesser and high, are the only type of Vaurcae capable of producing eggs to spawn new ones. Being born under a specific Queen places a Vaurca in their brood, where they would often hold unique traits compared to others, and a variant carapace color. More information on these structures, and broods, can be found on the Vaurca Hives page.

    Their civilizations are separated into several castes, with members of each caste having their biology, psychology, and education determined before they are even even born. Each individual Vaurca is made often for a specific function pertaining to their caste. Vaurcae are separated further between being Akaix (Unbound) and Viax (Bound). Akaix are no less of a person than any human, whereas Viax are incredibly simple minded, running on no more than a desire to do what they are told, designed for their function rather than versatility.

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

    Vaurcae can come from the Zo'ra, K'lax, C'thur or Lii'dra Hives. The Lii'dra are exclusive to antagonists and events - this does not mean antagonist vaurcae have to be Lii'dra, however.

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

    Important notes: Vaurcae can't be any Heads of Staff, including being elevated to an Interim command position. They used to require an Avowal of Responsibility to work any position higher than an intern level, but as of 4/24/2463, Avowals were abolished in SCC facilities.

    Mechanics

    • Global Hivenet, accessible via ,9 and heard only by other Vaurcae and station-bound synthetics.
    • Pressure and cold resistant, allowing them to survive in space with internals.
    • Unaffected by phoron gas but require it to breathe.
    • Have natural insulation.
    • Immune to slipping.
    • Can only healthily consume food consisting of k'ois paste and byproducts.
    • Do not self-heal.
    • Can see very well in the dark.
    • Takes 2x the toxin damage.
    • Suffer from additional blood loss.
    • Can be permanently rendered blind by flashing them several times in a row.
    • Vaurca Warriors can bite and are more resistant to burns.
    • Vaurca Workers cannot bite but are more resistant to radiation.
    • Vaurca Bulwarks are slow but immune to radiation and can fireman carry two people at once.

    Non-mechanic traits:

    • Dislike light.
    • Generally very specialized, often no inter-department knowledge.
    • Face severe discrimination in human space.
    • Be incredibly sensitive to smells.

    Relationships with Megacorporations

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

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

    Biology

    The Vaurcae of today bear little resemblance to their original forms. They appear as humanoid insects, with two pairs of eyes —a larger pair and a smaller— four arms, with two being vestigial, ending in hands that hold two thumbs and two middle fingers each. They rest on two digitigrade legs which can end in a variety of feet structures, and antennae sprout from their heads. These antenna are used for greater perception of their surroundings, with the predominant sense being smell. Some Vaurcae are capable of smelling two different types of rock apart —and this is because of pheromones, which, along with the Hivenet, are key to communicating with others of their kind. Pheromones are like words encased in very fine smells. What one could infer from an inflection or tone of a word, a Vaurca could from the intricacies of a pheromone. As a result, their olfactory sense is highly tuned.

    Before a larva is hatched, its purpose is determined by a Breeder in a process called imagotis. Essentially, the Breeder can imagine what they want a specific Vaurca to look like and think like, and subconsciously alter certain factors regarding the larva's development to facilitate their growth into the Breeder's image.

    More information on the intricate workings of Vaurca-kind can be found on the biology page.

    Ka, The Workers (Type A)

    Type A are the most common and can be seen as the 'backbone' of Vaurcesian societies. Their most prevalent feature is their hardened exoskeleton, varying in colors in accordance to their Hive. It is approximately half an inch thick among all Type A Vaurcae. This exoskeleton provides protection against harsh radiation, solar and otherwise, and acts as a robust pressure-suit to seal their soft inner core from the outside world. This allows most Type A Vaurcae to have extended, several day-long EVA expeditions, assuming they have phoron. They can be bipedal or quadrupedal, with bird-like talon toes. Their hands consist of two middle fingers with small talons at the end, and two opposable thumbs, a left and a right, on either side of their hand. Type A ranges from 5ft to 7ft tall on average, though outliers of both spectra are not unheard of for the more specialized tasks.

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

    Za, The Warriors (Type B)

    Type B are the second most prominent of Vaurcesian society, taking the form of heavily augmented warriors. Type B can range in size from 5ft tall to 8ft tall, with Za Bound rising to as much as 20ft tall. They can be bipedal, quadrupeds, or hexapods, which are called types BA, BB, and BC respectively. They usually have weapons physically attached to their bodies, making them unwieldy or impractical for any situation other than combat.

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

    The majority of Warrior-caste Vaurcae employed by the SCC are drone tier type BA, meaning that they are deprived of most advanced augments and mostly differ from other types simply in that they are more mentally suited for combat or are involved in the function of something that could be considered a weapon.

    Ta, The Breeders (Type C)

    Type C are rare among Vaurcae, in that they make up around 2-3% of their entire species. They are the only individuals in Vaurcesian Hives that are fertile except for the Queens and Lesser Queens themselves. The males are raised as Bound while the females are raised as Unbound, and both of them historically served little practical purpose beyond ensuring that their respective hive-cells possess the resources they need to function and to fertilize eggs or to replace a dying Lesser Queen and to even become an additional Lesser Queen if the Hive needs more growth. The males are considered CA and the females CB. Lately, Breeders have been used as representatives for their respective queens, a departure from their traditional duties of overseeing eggs and maintaining the numbers of the hive-cells they oversee.

    This extension of their duties comes about from their keen social intelligence, making them ideal candidates for negotiating with aliens on economic and political matters. They easily grasp the nuances of social context, contracts, and systems that other castes have difficulty navigating.

    It is possible to play as a Ta as the Liaison/Representative role.

    Playing a Hive Representative

    As a Ta, you are more valuable than Workers and Warriors, simply due to the virtue that you are capable of making them. You aren’t a logical thinker or a fighter, however, you are the head of a hive-cell aboard the Horizon, providing emotional support and advice, like a mother would. Sometimes you will be called to represent your Queen of your brood, perhaps speaking their message or sharing their ideals.

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

    • No height taller than 11 feet tall.
    • As a Gyne, you are allowed to have a three-syllable name instead of the usual monosyllabic. This name may, unlike typical Vaurcesian names, be broken down into multiple sections (for example Vaun'skiyat’ilo). These names typically represent titles given to a Ta by her peers, and as a result, older Ta tend to have more than younger Ta. Despite this, for simplicity sake in human space, a Ta will typically pick what she views as her three most important
    • Auto-hiss basic (s becomes z(zzz) or not at all). You’re made to work on a station full of aliens that speak Basic, so you’d have a vocal implant aiding this significantly due to your status.
    • Avoid combat, avoid doing any labour or specialised work. You are neither Warrior nor Worker, do not act like them. You can, however, inspire others to do something.
    • Avoid social ignorance. You possess a high social intelligence, being literally made for this job, so you’d be knowledgeable on whether trying to clean a Unathi’s horn would upset them or not.

    Cephalon (Type D)

    The Cephalon is the strangest of all Vaurcae beings, if it can still be considered such. They are bombarded from birth by special hormones designed to expand their brains. Their bodies are bombarded with special treatments designed to hypercharge their thyroid and pituitary glands. This results in a brain that will continue growing far, far beyond the needs even of the Unbound. It will grow so much that the Cephalon's handlers can cut live samples, spread them across trellises and racks, and treat them with more hormones and chemicals to keep them growing further. After a decade of pruning and racking, and some cybernetic wire-work besides, the end result is a new Cephalon —a biomechanical supercomputer that houses a large portion of the Virtual Reality Network, and will live for hundreds of years. Its processing power is somewhere in the tens of zettaflops, if it can even be measured that way. Each Lesser Queen tends to keep several of these, acting as servers from which their Virtual Reality is hosted. Cephalons are not generally considered Bound or Unbound, but inert, motionless equipment. As such they hold no name or designation to any Hive at large.

    Ra, The Bulwarks (Type E)

    The newest caste of the Vaurca, Type E are heavyset industrialists that specialize in jobs involving hard labour, engineering, and maintenance. Average specimens stand at 8-10 feet tall, and require special clothing due to their unique shape. Type E Vaurca are the least prominent population wise in the species, due to the fact they were only recently conceived as a joint operation between the C'thur and the Nralakk Federation. They were unveiled at the first session of the reformed Court of Queens in 2463, before specimens belonging to the other Hives began appearing.

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

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

    The Unbound

    The Unbound make up the upper castes of Vaurcae society and form the only sentient and self-aware parts of its greater population. Their eggs and larvae are given more graceful care by Bound Workers and they are born with fully developed organs, though Unbound not meant to become Ta or Lesser Queens are still sterilized. They are perfectly capable of making rational, thinking decisions, and are naturally intuitive and curious, much like a human. However, Unbound are not raised in a traditional manner. While in its early years VR was meant as an escape from reality, for modern Vaurcae in known space it's become every aspect of their lives and supposed afterlife.

    Although Unbound are sentient and self-aware, they still typically maintain unwavering subserviency to the respective hierarchy of their Hive, due to a combination of pheromone excretion and indoctrination methods imposed during the growing process of an Unbound. However, when they are not under the direct instruction of a Lesser Queen, they will typically pursue their own or their own hive-cell's interests.

    Unbound disconnected from VR can still connect themselves to the 'internet' of a Hive, called the Hivenet or Hive Network, where the Unbound all connect their consciousness. Unbound Vaurcae can share their knowledge, memories, and even feelings through the Hivenet. The Bound are barred from most non-utilitarian aspects of the Hivenet, due to biological constraints.

    The Unbound take up jobs that require more critical thinking skills or greater abstract thought than simple Bound. In this respect, Unbound Vaurcae can simply be considered on the same level as any human. Integration in the Orion Spur and other alien communities has some of them living alone or in small groups in their own apartments like any other citizen or family, working to support themselves, rarely having monetary aid from their Hive.

    The Unbound can be any of the types mentioned above except for Type D.

    Playing Unbound

    Unbound are the human-like part of the Vaurcae species and are capable of playing any non-command role in terms of ability. They can either be unique individuals having lived out of their Virtual Reality for some time, or can be fresh from the Hive birthing chambers and or from their Lesser Queen's virtual heaven, barely knowing anything. They almost universally hate being outside of VR, as the extended stay within an environment free of strife, hunger and death have sensitized them to the presence of such things in the real world. Likely because of their biology, Vaurcae are generally passive and hold more value in a groups opinion rather than their own.

    Unbound are restricted in the jobs they can pick.


    Security: Security Officer, Warden, Investigator, Security Cadet
    Medical: Surgeon, Physician, Psychiatrist, Pharmacist, First Responder, Medical Intern
    Engineering: Engineer, Atmospheric Technician, Engineer Apprentice
    Science: Scientist (all titles), Xenobiologist, Xenobotanist, Lab Assistant
    Service: Chef, Chaplain, Librarian, Bartender, Gardener/Hydroponicist, Janitor
    Operations: Hanger Technician, Shaft Miner, Machinist
    Civilian: Assistant, Off-Duty Crew Member

    As of 4/24/2463, Avowals of Responsibility are no longer required for Vaurcae above intern level positions.

    The Bound

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

    Bound Vaurcae are chosen even before their egg is laid. Eggs designated to be Bound are put in a warm, moisture-rich environment while Worker Bound oversee their care. The larvae that hatches from the eggs is then taken to another specialized, moist environment to be raised and slowly augmented before the Bound are then quickly and efficiently sterilized. Bound are incredibly simple minded, due to effectively being lobotomised —grown with some parts of their brain missing.

    Playing Bound

    Bound, or as humans sometimes call them, Drones, have a lot in common with station synthetics in personality and playstyle. They are members of a slave caste trained to obey orders without question. They have no concept of the self and can only act independently in matters of personal survival, maintenance, or self-defense. The Vaurcesian Drones probably speak slowly and have trouble speaking Basic.

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

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

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

    Security: None
    Medical: Physician, Pharmacist, First Responder
    Engineering: Engineer, Atmospheric Technician
    Science: Scientist
    Service: Chef, Bartender, Gardener, Librarian, Hydroponicist, Janitor
    Operations: Machinist, Hanger Technician, Shaft Miner
    Civilian: Assistant

    Modern Day

    For most Hives, co-habitation with the other species they have encountered has led to large changes to their way of life. Already suffering a shortage of resources, their advanced weaponry has lead to a lot of fear regarding their potency and supposed ease of mass production. While it is unknown how rumours circulated that the Vaurcae had large-scale means of producing weapons, and the materials to do so, no one can deny the military domination a war-ready Hive would impose. From tachyon-based weaponry, gauss cannons, condensed thermal energy and the infamous Warforms, most believe it to be a miracle that the Vaurca have yet to attack and seize control of the galaxy.

    However, all Hives (barring the unknown machinations of the Lii'dra) do not have the potential to do this. Weaponry was a lower priority on the list of supplies brought on Hiveships, as though while large, there needed to be space for broods as well as materials. Figures such as Ta'Akaix'Zoleth'akeh Zo'ra were insistent on bringing a plethora of weaponry, to ensure their survival among the unknown threat of the stars. Their pleas, however, only resulted in minor increases to ship defenses. During their long journey, the majority of resources they had brought were used for maintenance of the ship, and by the time they arrived in the Orion Spur, their lack of materials, and subsequently, repairs, have resulted in the pitiful states the three known Hiveships are in. Their food supply was limited in terms of places to grow aboard the Hiveships, and as a result, a high majority of warforms and the larger Bound Workers were culled, due to being unable to sustain many of the cryogenic storage pods used to contain them.

    Politically, all but the Zo'ra have yet to make any substantial political hold in Tau Ceti. The C'thur and K'lax are being used primarily as either labor or military by their allies, with the K'lax as vassals/tributaries to the Hegemony, and the C'thur reliant on the Federation for the survival of their High Queen. However, especially with the recent investment into the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, the Zo'ra have begun their ascension into the political web that connects the inhabitants of the Orion Spur, despite being locked into debt with Tau Ceti. Though some may attribute this to certain Queens over others, the Zo'ra Hive as a whole is benefiting from their increased power. In addition, the Zo'ra have managed to revive the Court of Queens on Caprice, installing its chambers within their "capital" New Sedantis.

    Technologically, all but the K'lax have failed to make much progress in terms of adapting to their lack of advanced materials. In recent years, batches of new-generation thermal drills developed by the K'lax and manufactured with common materials were shipped and often cheaply sold across the Orion Spur, with mining facilities seeing huge increases in yields as a result. This was inspired by the Hive's collaboration with the Unathi on Moghes, their agreement to help terraform the planet. Requiring terraforming technology to efficiently carry out this task, the K'lax have been attempting to re-create the machines of old using newer parts and materials. The Zo'ra Hive's most notable technological advancement was the hybridisation of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion's current weaponry and their own personal designs. These resulting weapons are currently employed by the Foreign Legion, and while not the most high quality or effective weaponry, many agree that it is a certain improvement compared to their last.

    Economically, all but the C'thur have struggled to make any real money, reliant on collective money pools brought in by employed Bound and Unbound. Being harboured by the generous Nralakk Federation has opened up a large amount of opportunities. Queens often hold a share of the total funds of a Hive, an example being Ta'Akaix'Athvur'zekt'azi Zo'ra recently investing the majority of her saved personal funds into the reformation of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. The C'thur have bought a significant portion of Einstein Engines, opening a connection to the Eridani Corporate Federation, and many job opportunities. These factors have resulted in the C'thur being the most economically progressed out of all Hives.


    Individuals

    For many Unbound, adapting to their new lives has been a tough ordeal, but one that is short suffered. Once settled, most Hive cells are capable of sharing a single bedroom apartment due to their tolerance of confined spaces and their tendency for practicality over personality. Personal possessions are not uncommon, however, but usually serve some sort of purpose. An Unbound may purchase a refrigerator, but instead of preserving food, it may instead use it for the construction of an experimental device.

    Workers mostly shifted from serving the Hive to employment well, with only a few incredibly specialized Unbound finding difficulty. While confusion was apparent at the complicated process of the simple act of going to work, once clarified, many Vaurcae brought their specialised knowledge and pragmatism into like-minded fields, typically able to share their intricate knowledge with great practical success. On a social level, however, many Unbound are prone to varying levels of discrimination. Such acts can be extremely discreet, such as being made to do a less desirable task. On the other hand, some overtly voice their dislike —often showing their ignorance of how Vaurcae operate and live. The recent incidents involving Tajara gangs reacting violently to the Lii'dra invasion, going as far as to murder, have demonstrated a more obvious dislike.

    Warriors, however, did not have such an easy transition —while there were some who could transition as well as most Workers, many of the Unbound purely bred for combat struggled to find applicable work. Some of these soldiers slowly managed to trickle into work as private security, bodyguards, and alike, while some found trivial work doing menial or laborious tasks. K'lax warriors mostly serve in the Hegemony. Recently, many Zo'ra Za, and a few of other Hives, finally found a place doing what they do best in the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.

    Social

    Language

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

    These encoded pheromones can also transmit emotions and other kinds of warnings. Because of the lack of facial expressions available for Vaurcae, it is common for individuals to express themselves by sending a message such as this on the net. Other simple encoded messages, such as small onomatopoeic sounds or reactions such as an eye-roll may be sent too. Images and video are too heavy to be encapsulated by pheromones, and can’t be transmitted via this method.

    Vaurca have the ability to speak with voice synthesizers, which are responsible for their peculiar accents. These voice modulators are cheap, and based on alien technology in some cases. It also allows the Vaurca in question to be able to translate the message in their heads. Thus, no Vaurca is able to audibly receive or reproduce a xeno language without the aid of this augment. However, despite not having a written language themselves, Vaurcae are able to learn to read and write in Basic, and for an employee on board the SCCV Horizon, part of their education would have consisted in such.

    Speaking like a Vaurca

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

    Many Vaurcae, and their vocal augments have difficulty producing sounds related to the letter "s", and instead substitute with a harsh buzzing in the throat. ("May I please have some k'ois?" becomes "May I pleaze have zome k'oiz?"). Some Vaurcae may have difficulty producing soft consonant sounds such as those produced by "f" or "ph", and instead substitute them with a more guttural "vh". ("Phoron gas is fine!" becomes "Vhoron gas is vhine!". Some unfortunate specimen may even be plagued with both impediments at once. ("The phoron in these k'ois lets me breathe." becomes "The vhoron in theze k'oiz letz me breathe."), or even further, more exotic impediments.

    Naming System

    The traditional naming system is complex, with first names being made of three parts. The first part is either Ka for Workers, Za for soldiers, Ra for Bulwarks or Ta for breeders. The second syllable is Viax for Bound, or Akaix for Unbound.

    Finally, the last syllable of the name is unique, decided by the player. In Vaurcese, this segment would translate to a number —like a serial code, it is a unique identifier. The only restriction is that it should not be longer than a single syllable, at the very most two syllables. For a Worker Unbound it might be: "Ka'Akaix'Siith Zo'ra." With 'Siith' being created by the player. The surname is the Hive that the Vaurca is a part of, in the example's case "Zo'ra".

    In summary, you create a single unique name, which is slotted after your caste and whether you are Bound or Unbound, and your surname is the Hive you are from.

    Inter-caste Relationships

    Relationships between each type and each caste tend to be a universal constant among Vaurcesian Hives. The Bound are thoroughly exploited by the Unbound whenever an opportunity for such arises. It is typical for an Unbound to delegate any menial labour to the nearest Bound whenever possible. While especially "lazy" Unbound are not prevalent on human stations, all Unbound tend to display this mindset towards the Bound to a degree. When encountering a dangerous situation, the response is similar —the Bound are expected to attempt to make the situation safer for the Unbound in any way possible. Bound are perfectly subservient to the whims of the Unbound, and do not begrudge this exploitation.

    Worker vaurcae tend to be esteemed more highly than Warrior Vaurcae, especially in Unbound circles, and especially in these difficult times when the value of labour to the Vaurca is more important than the value of defense. Unbound Breeder Vaurcae are esteemed very highly, especially those at the top of the hierarchy. Bound Breeder Vaurcae tend to rarely interact with other Vaurcae, except for Bound caretakers.

    As for different types of the same caste, Unbound Ka or Za of the same 'duty' tend to organize themselves into hive-cells. For example, a Worker who works in construction may live, sleep and work with the same people within their hive-cell. A hive-cells size can vary drastically, but ultimately, they tend to organize the labor of Ka and Za into the most efficient means, with each hive-cell reporting to a particular Ta, usually their birth mother. Vaurcae tend to be closest to those that they work with, and so many Vaurcae consider their hive-cell their closest relatives.

    Inter-hive Relationships

    The Zo'ra and K'lax Hives maintain warm relations, while officially the diplomatic tension between the C'thur and K'lax Hives is tenuous at best. The Lii'dra Hive is universally hated. The Zo'ra percieve themselves the rightful rulers of the K'lax and C'thur, and the K'lax have thus far made no official statement against this. Meanwhile, the C'thur changes their announcements constantly. The Bound of each Hive serve other Vaurcae of their Hive firstly and are completely subservient to the will of their Hive's rulership. The K'lax Bound however will also serve Zo'ra Vaurcae should there be no conflict with the desires of K'lax hierarchy. The same can be said to a lesser degree with the C'thur. Zo'ra Bound will rarely ever service K'lax Vaurcae, and only when instructed to do so by Zo'ra Unbound. Zo'ra, C'thur and K'lax Unbound typically do not intermingle except on an individual basis and remain subservient to the desires of their respective hierarchy.

    Inter-species Relationships

    The Zo'ra tend to be cooperative with humanity out of necessity, but on an individual level opinions vary between each Unbound. This approach is largely shared in reference to all other aliens, viewing them as potential benefits to their Hives. Perhaps in response to, or as a result of this, the Zo'ra Hives have begun to re-imagine themselves as something aliens can identify with. Supporting cross-species initiatives that further increase cooperation between each species feeds into this idea of ultimately benefiting all species involved. Besides this, the servitude that Bound abides by is a topic of concern for humanity in particular, because Bound are hard-wired to satisfy the needs of other Unbound of their Hive firstly, it creates the possibility for conflicts of interest between the humans that use cheap Bound labor, and any Unbound Vaurcae of the same Hive. However, such situations are unreported if they do occur, and the cheapness and effectiveness of Bound labor tend to surpass potential dangers.

    The Skrell of the Nralakk Federation have taken to using a work drafting system to assign duties to Vaurcae of the C'thur Hive. The Federation or an empowered representative would requisition an amount of C'thur for a particular job, which would then be supplied by the Hive. These C'thur would complete this assignment and then return to their Hive. This entire process is overseen by a legal counsel comprised of both species, providing fair and equitable exchanges for all parties. The largest orders of labor come from the Federation itself and the Nanotrasen corporation.

    K'lax tend to maintain terse, but warm relations with the Izweski Hegemony, sharing cultural and sometimes technological advances for the betterment of both species. Beyond this, they maintain little contact with the galaxy at large, save for their begrudging but needed trade relation with the human owned Nanotrasen corporation. Due to their unfavorable circumstances within this deal, the K'lax tend to view humans in a negative light.

    Overall, the approach all Hives have taken when sending their populations to work with aliens is to treat their 'workplaces' as an adopted Hive cell. All Hives encourage the development of social bonds that normally come with working closely between Vaurcae in the same Hive cell. This has led to some Vaurcae considering their co-workers a second family.

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