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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. They are largely humanoid in shape, with most having 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, Sedantis. The Vaurcae are one of the oldest surviving civilizations in the known galaxy, with a history that can be traced back to 730,000 years ago. Forced by circumstances to flee their homeworld, the once mighty Vaurca have only recently concluded a brutal era-spanning exodus and arrived in the Orion Spur as colonists, the unusual aliens reluctantly taken in by other civilisations. Now the species under the watchful guidance of its ancient and enigmatic rulers, schemes, manoeuvres, builds, and claws its way to regaining the great splendour and power they once possessed, from within a Spur more interested in using them for its own gain. 

The Vaurca form complex eusocial groups called Hives, each led by a High Queen, whom the Hive is usually named after, and a council of Lesser Queens, each holding jurisdiction over specific Hive functions. Beneath the Queens in leadership are the Ta, who within a byzantine social structure act as Diplomats, Surrogates, and mothers to the multitudes of less individually important Vaurca. These Ta occupy all positions of governmental import not directly overseen by the Queens and share in the same biological immortality enjoyed by them, many being born in generations long gone. Queens, lesser and high, are the only types of Vaurcae capable of producing eggs, and it falls to the Ta to fertilise, genetically shape, and nurture these eggs to maturation. Being born under a specific Queen places a Vaurca in her brood, with each brood pushing the Vaurca towards distinctive traits reflective of her will and a variant carapace colour. More information on these structures and broods can be found on the Vaurca Hives page.

Vaurca civilisation is separated into several castes, with members of each caste having their biology, psychological inclinations, and education determined before they are even hatched. These castes range from diligent Workers and bulky Bulwarks carrying the rebuilding of the species upon their backs to the often thrill-seeking and war-inclined Warriors and the perplexing biological computers the Cephalons, to say nothing of the multitude of subtypes and theoretical designs. Consequently, each Vaurca is born for a specific function pertaining to their caste. Vaurcae are then 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. More about the castes can be read on the Vaurca Biology page.

Doubtless the most notable of the technologies still possessed by the Vaurca is that of the advanced Virtual Reality which permeates every element of their culture, treated by most of the species not as a simulation but rather as an entirely separate and quite real afterlife, the holy domain of the venerated Queens. Owing to the installation of an augment known as a Neural Socket into the brain of almost every Unbound, nearly the entire species can access this Virtual Reality in one form or another at will, given they are within range of a Hivenet transmitter. Perhaps even more importantly, they can, through a mechanism some suspect is intentionally obfuscated by the Hives from the rest of the Spur, even have their minds saved and uploaded after death. It would be difficult to overstate just how vital this technology is to the Hives, and without its influence over the ages, modern Vaurca society would doubtless be very different indeed. 

Vaurcae have many mechanical extras such as extensive xenowear loadout, flags, K’ois as a product in-game and a rather grand set of unobtainable event-spawn objects and mobs. The massive Vaurcae Ta (also known as Breeders) are playable as consular officers representing their Hive's, and their lore can further be explored through artifacts and merchant items.

To apply to be one of the insect-like Vaurcae, apply here. Vaurca playable on the Horizon may be Workers, Warriors, Bulwarks or Ta.

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.
• Take additional 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 and brute damage.
• Vaurca Bulwarks are slow but immune to radiation and can fireman carry two people at once.

Non-mechanic traits:

• Dislike light.
• Be raised in virtual reality.
• Generally very specialized. Born to serve a specific role.
• 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/Eridani
Orion	Yes	Yes	Yes
Einstein	No	No	Exclusive

Biology

The Vaurcae of today bear little resemblance to their original forms. The most common types 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. This potent olfactory sense allows the species to employ pheromones, the primary method of communication for the species alongside the Hivenet. 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.

Before a larva is hatched, its purpose is determined by a Gyne in a process called imagotis. Essentially, the Gyne 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 Ta's image.

More information on the intricate workings of Vaurca-kind can be found on the Vaurca 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 Gyne(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 aboard the Horizon you are one of the venerable leader's of the Vaurca species and more valuable than any individual Worker or Warrior, a fact you are deeply cognizant of. Vaurca of your Hive are biologically compelled to follow your orders except where they directly contradict a Ta of their own Brood and many Vaurca of other Hive's will do so in ordinary circumstances out of respect, though they are not strictly required to. Your position places you as the head of a hive-cell aboard the Horizon with diplomatic duties consisting primarily of representing your brood in a positive light, advancing the political goals of your Hive and providing emotional support and advice.

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 Breeder, you are allowed to have a three-syllable name instead of the usual monosyllabic.

• Auto-hiss basic (s becomes z or more frequently not at all). You've been assigned to work on a station full of aliens, so you’d have a vocal implant aiding this significantly due to your status.

• Avoid combat and avoid doing any labor or specialized work except where absolutely necessary. Ta may and almost always do have hobbies, often talents in line with the skills of their brood, and they are expected to be extremely good at them owing to their incredible age. Despite this, they are leaders and politicians, not Warriors or Workers, and they should have no intention of changing this. On matters of strenuous labor, Ta ultimately prefer delegation and inspiring others to do something.

• Avoid social ignorance. Ta possess a high social intelligence thanks to generations of evolution, being literally made for it, so they'd be knowledgeable on whether trying to clean a Unathi’s horn would upset them or not.

• Ta are biologically immortal, many having lived through what would to other species be recognised as entire era's of history. Each brood has different customs regarding the age at which a Ta is ready for duties though few broods trust Ta under 100 years old with any serious positions, Athvur being the most prominent exception, and the absolute upper limit on playable Ta age is 35 thousand years, for a Ta born (to them) not long before the Great Hive War. Ta older than this are very rare and typically either Queen's or Queen consorts, not finding work aboard the Horizon. Despite this extraordinary range the average Hive Representative will fall between 500 and 3000 years.

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 Ta and Bound Workers. They are born with fully developed organs, though Unbound not meant to become Ta or Lesser Queens are still sterilized. The Unbound are perfectly capable of making rational, thinking decisions, and are naturally intuitive, curious and capable of understanding abstraction, much like a human. However, Unbound are not raised in a traditional manner. While in its early years Vaurca Virtual Reality 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 the 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 typically take up jobs that require more critical thinking skills, ability to learn or adapt and 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 basic types mentioned above except for Warforms and 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, many Vaurcae are generally passive and hold more value in a group's opinion rather than their own, disliking isolation.

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 provided with certain hormonal mixes designed to neutralise brain function critical for higher thought and are then put in a warm, moisture-rich environment while Bound Ta and Workers oversee their care. The larvae that hatch from the eggs are then taken to another specialised, moist environment to be raised and augmented. Bound are highly capable in their positions but are incredibly simple-minded due to effectively being lobotomized. The result is a very effective worker but one that struggles to adapt to unusual circumstances and has minimal ability to learn or think in abstractions.

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 lobotomised 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 typically 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

Life Cycle

The lifecycle of a Vaurca is fairly complicated when compared to other species. Each stage of a Vaurca's development is clearly regimented by biological developments or the introduction of augmentations.

Vaurca eggs are laid by a Hives high or lower Queen, and naturally enter a state of suspended animation when they are outside of the ovipositor, locking the egg in its initial stage until it is received by its surrogate Ta. This is compounded with cryogenics to effectively transport a vast amount of eggs between the Queen and their surrogate Ta. Every Ta within a Hive specializes in the creation of many different types of Vaurcae. Ta themselves are living biological factories, capable of controlling nearly every aspect of their progeny via genetic manipulation, a process that has great cultural importance attached to it.

Before a larva is hatched, its purpose is determined by a female Ta, in a process called Imagotis. In this imaginal stage, the Ta can hold in its mind the image of its completed offspring, regulating gene expression to mold the larva into its desired form.

Bound

Larva destined to become Bound are born without parts of their brain, and their organs are undeveloped, preparing them to receive implants as soon as they are hatched. These implants grow with the Bound, and it will have them throughout its entire life unless replaced. Bound Vaurca reach maturity within six months. Upon fully maturing, they are implanted with a neural socket and begin working immediately. A Bound's lifespan is theoretically infinite, provided that the Hive keeps its augments well maintained. In reality, however, Bound are rarely maintained and thus can expect an operational lifespan of around ten years on average, provided they experience no work-related injuries. Upon the death of a Bound, the augmentations they possess are removed and repurposed, and the body is typically incinerated.

Unbound

If a larva is destined to become an Unbound, it is given six months of organic development, which allows for its brain to mature fully. After this six-month period, it is implanted with a neural socket and experiences Virtual Reality for the development of its personality and training. These six months are the closest thing to childhood that a Vaurca has. At the conclusion of this one-year period, the Unbound is fully mature and prepared for whatever purpose it may have been given by the Hive. It will receive several augmentations depending on circumstance throughout its life, unlike Bound, who receive all of their augments at birth. Furthermore, unlike Bound, Unbound are always more flesh than augmentation, so they cannot be "maintained," an Unbound experiencing a lifespan of twenty years on average, at the conclusion of which their neural socket containing their mind is uploaded into VR and their augmentations are reclaimed by the Hive. Their body is generally incinerated. Years spent in VR tend to not subtract from this lifespan, meaning that an Unbound could be extremely old if it spent most of its time in VR.

Biology of the Ta

Ta are rarely born, only when a leadership position is required or when a previous Ta has died for whatever reason. The Mother Ta will then cease all other egg production and produce one single egg with the required hormone, with the individual being an almost complete genetic clone of the mother. This egg is 7 to 10 inches in diameter, rather than the standard 5 inches, and will grow to nearly 15 inches in diameter. These eggs are treated like a precious metal or gem and are heavily protected by all parties involved. Defending these eggs is one of the only times a Ta will get aggressive. This is the same for both Bound and Unbound Ta.

The egg hatches after 10 days, and the larvae grow for a year, their carapace hardening in several places and becoming thicker overall as they grow ceremonial crests and wings that sprout along the entire length of their back; however, the Ta is usually too heavy for them to generate lift except in low-gravity. At the conclusion of this growth, they will enter the pupal stage, where they will pupate for another 5 or so months. The Birth and Second Hatching of an Unbound Ta is seen as a celebration, and depending on how important the new Unbound Ta will be, the bigger the celebration, being one of the few celebrations the Vaurca partake in.

The average Ta who was not given a regular supply of Royal hormones used to live from 200 to 300 years; now, however, since their own medical developments, they are theoretically biologically immortal, with most of the Ta aboard Titan Prime being at least over a thousand years old. When a Ta dies, their personalized and required augments are removed, with the neural socket being stored and the required augments being used by their possible replacement. Personalized augments are destroyed.

If the Unbound Ta is destined to be a lesser Queen, it is given Royal hormones which will change its form over the course of the next few years as it takes on more Royal features. A larger crown forms on the exoskeleton of their head, and they have more prominent shoulders, wings, and thorax.

Bound Ta are typically a normal Ta, but given the organ inhibitor hormones during their larval development as all Bound are. They are recognisable as having less vibrant carapace colouring, subdued royal crests, and no wings. These are the males of the Hive, with a few Unbound Ta tending to always have a bound Ta on hand to help with the odd menial task, though this was more popular in the past. Bound Ta do not live very long, with the average Bound Ta living only a couple of years. Because of this, they are always made to a certain point to ensure the Hive continues.

Vaurca Organs

Vaurca organs, whilst having some universal similarities with those of other sapient species, are very different in how they work and process the required elements for a Vaurca to live. The Vaurca brain itself is not unlike that of any other species with sapience in that it possesses a developed central lobe, but it also has features more similar to those of earth arthropods, such as set outer lobes for ocular, auditory, and other senses. The overwhelming majority of Vaurca have a neural socket installed towards the back of the brain, just before the centre spinal nerve, allowing access to the Hivenet and Virtual Reality Systems.

The exoskeleton itself is very tough. Depending on the Bioform, it can be more tightly packed, with Ra having a more dense and thicker exoskeleton, Za having a more flexible and mobile exoskeleton, and Ka in between these variations. While this exoskeleton provides the Vaurca with numerous benefits, such as high radiation resistance and strong structural support against a vacuum, it also has drawbacks:

One such drawback is that Vaurca have an open circulatory system; their bodies being essentially tanks of sulfur-based blood. As a result, Vaurca have a heart that is comparable to that of a larger animal. The heart has two individual chambers, which simply take in blood before expelling it. The two chambers essentially cause blood to flow to the left and right sides of the body.

The lungs act more as one, forming a ring around the heart, the main source of blood flow, and are aided by two implanted cybernetic and bioengineered organs, such as the Phoron reservoir, which stores phoron otherwise ingested by an individual Vaurca. This phoron is then pumped into the breathing apparatus, a bioengineered set of thin, delicate tubes that help diffuse the phoron into the lungs, allowing the latter to catalyse the respiration for the Vaurca. The reservoir can also store oxygen if required, in which case the breathing apparatus takes over in place of the lungs when a Vaurca is within a vacuum.

When on Sedantis, these engineered organs were not required due to the prevalence of phoron and oxygen in the Vaurca homeworld's atmosphere. However, with phoron not being present in other atmospheres, these organs are now essential for Vaurca to live. A gas the atmosphere of Sedantis did not possess in high quantities compared to others is nitrogen, and while it is present in small amounts in the bodies of Vaurca, the gas itself is toxic to them, blocking many biological functions, hence the use of the filter that is placed at the front of the Vaurca's trachea, just above the start of the Esophagus.

Vaurca Limbs

The exact limbs of Vaurca vary heavily depending on caste. They typically have two large insect-like eyes that are hyper-sensitive to most forms of light and may have two smaller ones underneath. While they can function in light-heavy environments perfectly fine, many complain about frequent migraines and tend to get frustrated after long exposures to light like the sun or even general ship lighting. This hyper-sensitivity, however, leads to greatly increased eyesight in dark areas. Their eyes are completely black in terms of coloration, with no variation between the castes. 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 by rubbing them together. Losing these antennae, which act as an olfactory sensory and nerve database, can cause confusion, dizziness, nausea, communication problems, and extreme pain.

Their mouthparts have two large mandibles, which are exceptionally strong in Warriors.

A Vaurca Worker and Warrior may possess vestigial arms below their main limbs, genetic remnants that serve little purpose except to hold the occasional item. Some Vaurcae may remove them for practicality while others are decorating them for fashion purposes. The latter is quickly becoming a fad for Vaurcae who regularly interact with aliens.

Vaurca Augmentation

While many Vaurcae look identical in an augmented state, aside from various shifts in color, virtually all Vaurcae are augmented in some manner, the degree to which depends very much on their caste and purpose. The most augmentation is typically seen in Bound Vaurcae. Much of their organic mass will at some point be replaced with machinery, so they can fulfil one specific task to the best of their ability. Worker Bound will at the completion of their development look more like construction machines than Vaurca, with variable amounts of limbs and a plethora of tools at their disposal. Warrior Bound will assume a variety of forms, varying from simple infantry with weapon and targeting augments to assault vehicles. The more complex the caste name of a Bound, the less recognisable it is as a standard Vaurca. Unbound however, will rarely undergo such severe augmentation. The great limitation of such heavy modification is that it eliminates versatility, which is a significant part of the purpose of the Unbound caste. For many their augments are performance-enhancing instead of completely form altering. The majority of Unbound are today equipped with at least basic communication augments, which make them versatile assets to speak with extra-hive entities. Ultimately, all Vaurcae currently employed by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate aboard the SCCV Horizon are of the least augmented tier - either Type AA, Type BA, or Type E. Their carapace is almost totally unmodified. Bound and Unbound alike will have a neural socket and an oxygen filtration system, and they may utilise full-limb prosthetics. Bound may have several augments designed to increase work efficiency or general survival, while Unbound will typically have only a few augments to ensure that they can fulfil any task assigned to them by the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate.

Vaurca Sleep Cycle

Vaurca Bound follow a predictable sleep pattern. Specialized augmentations control the chemical precursors that induce sleepfulness within Bound and cause them to sleep. While predictable, the times that a Bound sleeps typically depend on its duty within the Hive, with the most physically demanding jobs having the longest periods of sleep. Unbound Vaurcae spends 98 hours active on average before experiencing drowsiness. Some Unbound may change this sleep cycle depending on their work or needs, similar in scope to how humans change their habits. To sleep, a Vaurca adopts a leaning position that uses specialized joints and hinges in their exoskeletal plates to sleep standing upright.

Modern Day

For the Vaurca, co-habitation with the other species they have encountered has led to fundamental changes to their way of life, many seemingly to their detriment. In the public eye their advanced weaponry has lead to a lot of fear regarding their potency and supposed ease of mass production. Seemingly 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, fears which found themselves at the forefront after the Lii'dra Invasion and which have only slightly quieted since.

To a certain extent within their respective societies this may be true. The Vaurca have integrated themselves into a great deal of the running of the Republic of Biesel, Izweski Hegemony and Nralakk Federation in an effort to make themselves essential, including handsome contributions to each nation's armed forces. This has provided a degree of political sway and necessity much greater than what they once had shortly after arrival. However the power of the Hives is not as simple as many believe. Weaponry was a lower priority on the list of supplies brought on Hiveships, as though while large, space was required for broods as well and materials. Some Queens 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 but their pleas, only resulted in minor increases to ship defences. During their long journey, many of the of resources the species bought 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 damaged states the three known Hiveships were found in. Additionally food supply was limited in terms of places to grow aboard the Hiveships, and as a result, a 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 phoron crisis has certainly not helped matters on this front and Hive's are careful to balance the cost of phoron with military readiness.

Politically and militarily, the Zo'ra remain as dominant as ever over the other Hives, though in a much reduced state compared to what that dominance represented on Sedantis. The Zo'ra possess by far the most Warriors and Warforms of the three modern Hives, not to mention the tactical acumen to use them. A significant portion of this is due to the Queen Zoleth, the Herald of Scars who, in the absence of her most trusted friend, High Queen Zora, is the oldest Vaurca in the Spur. Zoleth has always viewed herself as the hammer to the nail that was Zo'ra herself, and the two of them were responsible for the wildly successful generational conquests on Sedantis that built the planet spanning empire they once possessed. Her military genius and inclinations towards wartime preparations saw her as the driving force behind the move to invest the Hive's resources so significantly into the founding of the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion and its new incarnation the Tau Ceti Armed Forces despite pushback from the newly elected High Queen Vaur. This move proved itself savvy as it gave the Hive both sway through the Legion, beginning their ascension into the political web that connects the inhabitants of the Orion Spur despite their debt and the ability to maintain their military without appearing threatening to the Republic. Part of these investments was not just providing Warriors but the hybridization of the Tau Ceti foreign Legion and recently Tau Ceti Armed Forces current weaponry and their own personal designs. These resulting weapons are currently employed by the Armed Forces, and while they are hardly the most technologically advanced, the Republic having for a balance of effectiveness and cost, and many agree that it is certainly an improvement compared to their last. The Queens of the Zo'ra Hive as a whole are benefiting from this increased power, having managed to revive the Court of Queens on Caprice, installing its chambers within their capital New Sedantis, though relative to the other Hive's many Zo'ra on Biesel live in great squalor. 

Despite the success of the Zo'ra regarding military and politics, the K'lax are the only Hive that has truly managed to adapt the species more advanced technologies to the Spur's new realities. To the Klax, this is hardly surprising; they were after all the minds behind much of these inventions, regardless of how much undue credit Zo'ra may claim. In recent years, batches of new-generation thermal drills, a tool that was by necessity ubiquitous in the caverns of Sedantis, were developed and manufactured by the K'lax, shipped, and sold across the Orion Spur. While expensive, those mining facilities that adapted saw huge increases in yields as a result. Furthermore, the Hive agreed to collaborate with the Unathi on Moghes with respect to terraforming the wasteland planet, re-creating their machines of old with the alien materials of the Spur. These factors contributed towards the K'lax Hive's eventual transformation of their barren colony of Tret given to them by the Izweski into the gigantic factory planet and industrial heart of the Izweski Hegemony it is today, though certain unfavourable deals with outside parties limit the funds the K'lax can bring to bear from this. 

Economically, it is only the C'thur who have truly profited. While the other Hives are reliant on collective money pools brought in by employed Bound and Unbound or the leftovers of their own factory exports, being harboured by the generous Nralakk Federation has opened up a large amount of opportunities, to say nothing of the C'thur Hive's historical inclinations. 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 advanced of all Hives. Money that is received by Hives is typically distributed between the Queens, each given the discretion to use their share however they wish within certain limits imposed by her sisters. 

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 preference for confined spaces and their tendency for practicality over personality. Personal possessions are not uncommon, Unbound are welcome to spend what little money they typically receive on hobbies.

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. More obvious examples of dislike include incidents such as Tajara gangs reacting violently to the Lii'dra invasion and going as far as to murder Vaurca near their territory.

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 others found trivial work doing menial or laborious tasks. K'lax Warriors mostly serve in the Hegemony and many others, especially from the Zo'ra Hive, have found a place doing what they do best in the Tau Ceti Armed Forces. Much of this situation was recently alleviated by the founding of the Pan-Vaurcesian military the Private_Military_Contracting_Group#Ve'katak_Phalanx which draws in a large percentage of what would be the otherwise unemployed Vaurca Warriors, giving them a place in service to the Court of Queens.

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, reactions like eye-rolls and basic "images" may also be sent. "Videos" are too heavy to be encapsulated by pheromones in the way other species would understand it, instead coming across as a collection of feelings and basic information.

Since the species arrival in the Spur, they have been forced to developed augmentations known as voice synthesizers which allow for speech and the translation of language. The majority of these voice modulators are cheap, which is responsible for much of the species possessing a peculiar buzzing accent. Without this augmentation no Vaurca is able to audibly receive or reproduce a xenolanguage. Additionally despite the species not having used a written language commonly since the invention of Virtual Reality, 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 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 Vaurca 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. For more about Zo'ra and their connection to the Republic of Biesel, read Zo'ra in the Republic of Biesel.

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. For more about C'thur and their connection to the Skrell of the Nralakk Federation, read C'thur in the Federation.

K'lax tend to maintain terse but warm relations with the Izweski Hegemony, providing military support as expected from a vassal, as well as 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 relations with the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, especially Hephaestus Industries. Due to their unfavourable deal with Hephaestus Industries, many K'lax view humans in a negative light. For more about the K'lax and their relations with the Unathi, read K'lax in the Izweski Nation.

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.