Dionae in the Federation

Overview

PLACEHOLDER

Dionae at Each Lifestage

Coeus (Nymphs)

When a nymph is first born, it will have one of two upbringings: it will either be raised by a Skrell quya, where it will be taught the ideals of the Federation and how to be an upstanding citizen (see the adoption section below), or it will be entrusted to a gestalt for tutoring. The gestalt in question must have:

• A high social credit score of at least 6.35,
• Of a mind type that best represents the Federations collective ideals,
• A clean record since gaining their citizenship with the Federation.

At this stage in life, the nymph is cared for like a child; its needs being met by their primary caregiver and is usually attended to at all times to ensure a stable upbringing.

Coeus (Gestalts)

Once the nymph has formed a gestalt and gained citizenship, they will be given a job by local officials which best matches their aptitude and disposition as determined by their citizenship exam. The more common jobs suggested by the Federation include botanical, mining, and logistical roles, with other roles being available depending on mind type. Gestalts who accept roles suggested to them tend to have a higher social credit score than their peers in the same field.

Coeus at this stage are monitored by the Government carefully, more so than Geras, to ensure that they remain productive members of Federation society. This monitoring is relaxed as they grow older and more set in their ways.

Geras

As a gestalt ages, opportunities arise which allow them to further expand their knowledge. The Federation highly encourages gestalts to seek out traditional learning at one of their universities. Combined with consenting blood samples, the Diona either specialises in their assigned field or begin learning in a new field of study. It’s common for a Diona to be just as educated as a Skrell of a similar age, if not exceeding them in some cases.

Penumas

Once the gestalt reaches the Penumas stage of the Diona lifecycle, they will be interred in one of the many Spiral Gardens dotted across the Federation. Here, they will be cared for by both Skrellian and Dionae caretakers, with the latter being highly specialised phytologists who are also tasked with monitoring the Dionae population as they interact with each other.

Spiral Gardens and Dionae Living Spaces

‘Spiral Garden’ is the name of a common closed ecological structure found across the Federation that houses the majority of its Dionae population. The size varies, but the general layout is the same: a large dome with several spires dotting it, with various native flora and fauna making their home there.

These spires are initially made out of man-made material, but in some cases can eventually be either reinforced or expanded by the Penumas living inside the Garden. Due to the rarity of Penumas Dionae however, there are many Spiral Gardens that do not have this specific feature. The spires act as living spaces for the Diona, and if the Garden houses a Penumas, is usually expanded upon and connected to other nearby spires.

As mentioned previously, the Skrellian caretakers are also botanical scientists given the task of researching the Dionae species. As such, Dionae are given quite a bit of freedom inside the Spiral Gardens to facilitate this research. However, this only extends so far, meaning a gestalts size and the number of nymphs it’s allowed to contain are still regulated. Unsanctioned splitting, merging, or reforming is still frowned upon. The observations made inside the Spiral Gardens are all passive, with recording equipment constantly streaming data for the scientists to analyze and study. Dionae, including the caretakers, are not made aware of this monitoring in order to prevent the scientific data collected from being affected.

Living conditions can differ greatly between planets, but is mostly dependent on the gestalts Social Credit Score. Those with a good score will be given more access to technology such as weather simulators to provide ideal conditions in their living space, and personal holographic projectors such as nralak projectors or stelloscopes that showcase planets, systems, and constellations of interest for education and entertainment. Gestalts with a lower social credit score are only given the bare essentials in their living space to allow their survival, with access to radiation limited to further prevent their growth.

Other Living Spaces

Dionae may also find themselves taking residence inside one of the Federations underwater cities. These cities offer similar comforts as your average space station for Dionae; with artificial light, warmth, and radiation all provided by the hydrothermal vents typically located near these cities. The conditions here are similar to those given to tertiary numericals in the Spiral Gardens: they allow for a gestalt to live comfortably, but not thrive. Most gestalts who decide to live in the depths are tertiary numericals because of this.