Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Een Collective

Sci-Fi Worldbuilding: Een Collective

One more race for my sci-fi setting. TL 9 fungi collective pseudo-hive mind.

Een Collective

Capital World: Eree II.

Major Species: Een.

Languages: Vocal Een, Chemical Een.

Culture Groups: Een.

TL: 9.

Eree II is a warm world with a chlorine-laced atmosphere and oceans of bleach. It is home to a race of een that biologically closely resembles Earth fungi. A large part of the xenobiologist community believes that the een are a result of an uplifting project, while some scientist point out that such race could have evolved naturally, though unlikely.

When connected to the mycelium that covers most of the planet’s surface, the een are connected by a low-level telepathic field that increases their mental abilities and brings a sense of unity. There were never any states or kingdoms on Eree II, only a single collective, where the individual autonomous units almost instinctively felt what should be done, almost like in a hive mind.

For several centuries spaceborne amoeba-like creatures preyed upon the een, so the natives knew about extraterrestrial life for a long time, even before they invented radio. Despite the raids of these non-sapient aliens, the een believed that there are benevolent alien powers in the universe. Eventually, the een have developed weapons and propulsion systems advanced enough to eliminate the threat.

First contact was established with a ship of basan gliders that met an exploration ship of the een in an uninhabited system. Disconnected from the mycelium, the een were difficult to interact with, but friendly relations were nonetheless established.

Nowadays, the een have spread to many worlds, but they still stay behind technologically relative to most of the other factions. The mycelium was spread to other planets, but its growth is regulated on worlds with other races. Genetically modified een that host symbiotic photosynthetic bacteria can often be found living among the sto. Psis of other races are fascinated by the mycelium telepathic gestalt and some even try to connect with it.

EEN [11] Attribute Modifiers: ST-2 [-20]. Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM-1. Advantages: Acute Taste and Smell 4 [8]; Acute Touch 2 [4]; DR 1 [5]; DR 5 (Includes Eyes, +10%; Includes Internal, +20%; Limited, Corrosion, -40%; Tough Skin, -40%) [13]; Doesn’t Breathe (Oxygen Combustion, -50%) [10]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous, No Blood, No Neck) [50]; Resistant to Metabolic Hazards +3 [10]; Ultrahearing [5]; Universal Digestion [5]. Feelers: Not Numb (Biological (Passive), -5%; Long, +2 SM, +40%; Partial, Feelers Only, -60%) [15]. Mycelium Connection [28]: Doesn’t Eat or Drink (Accessibility, Only in mycelium, -20%; Alternative Ability with Reduced Consumption, x1/5; Temporary Disadvantage, No Legs (Sessile), -50%) [3/5=1] + IQ+2 (Accessibility, Only in mycelium, -20%; Telepathy, -10%; Temporary Disadvantage, No Legs (Sessile), -50%) [8] + Intuition (Accessibility, Only in mycelium, -20%; Telepathy, -10%; Temporary Disadvantage, No Legs (Sessile), -50%) [3] + No Hidebound (Accessibility, Only in mycelium, -20%; Telepathy, -10%; Temporary Disadvantage, No Legs (Sessile), -50%) [1] + No Low Empathy (Accessibility, Only in mycelium, -20%; Telepathy, -10%; Temporary Disadvantage, No Legs (Sessile), -50%) [4] + Reduced Consumption 2 (Accessibility, Only when disconnected from mycelium, -20%; Alternative Ability with Doesn’t Eat or Drink) [4] Disadvantages: Bad Sight (Low Resolution) [-25]; Chummy [-5]; Hidebound [-5]; Low Empathy [-20]; No Legs (Sessile; Accessibility, Only when eating, -80%) [-10]; Numb [-20]; Slow Eater [-10]; Unusual Biochemistry [-5]. Perks: Weak Latency (Psi) [1]. Natural Comfort Zone: 1°C - 32°C (35°F - 90°F), 0.9 atm., 0.9g, chlorine atmosphere. An individual een is just an autonomous extension of the mycelium. It is believed that initially they existed only as a vessel for spores that could defend itself against the predators. It is vaguely humanoid in shape – a barrel-like torso with two legs and two arms that end with three-fingered hands. There is no head, but the top of the torso houses two facet eyes, like that of an insect, and two long feelers. The eyes only see in low resolution, and the long feelers allow the normally numb chitin-covered bodies to feel things a yard away. The feelers are not armored and provide a normal sense of touch. These are not manipulatory organs; an een must use its hands, which suffer the effects of one level of Ham-Fisted unless it takes twice as long to perform the action and can clearly see what it is doing. The feelers are physically comparable to eye-stalks (p. B34) and can be targeted at -6. When an een travel in darkness, it can use its feelers to detect hazards before it walks into them. The een can feed either by slowly absorbing and decomposing any organic matter or by connecting to the mycelium. In any case, the een must remain stationary while feeding. They breathe absorb chlorine from the atmosphere through the surface of their bodies. Their bodies are resistant to their native corrosive atmosphere. The body of an een is covered in this hairs that detect sound, allowing the een to hear normal and ultrasonic frequencies. A membrane between the eyes can vibrate, allowing the een to communicate vocally. Alternatively, they can communicate via chemical emissions that require physical contact or connection with the mycelium. Disconnected een lack creativity and have trouble understanding emotions of others. When connected to the mycelium, their IQ increases by 2, and they lose the Hidebound and Low Empathy disadvantages. The een are collective creatures, and they are very open to new contacts even when disconnected from the mycelium. They try to avoid being alone as much as possible and enjoy company of others, especially other een. They understand that they are very different from other species and pity those who cannot attain unity granted by the mycelium. Each een is capable of spawning spores that grow into a mycelium. Sample Names: Foreek, Saveek, Tooleen, Boopheek, Eereen.