Shojec

Overview

In the vast tableau of the Symbion alliance within the cosmos, few are more enigmatic than the Shojec. A species unified by their biological roots yet bifurcated by their worship, they stand as a testament to the interpretative boundaries that define faith and mimicry. The divide between the Eda-Shojec and the Oto-Shojec reflects the duality of their veneration for the Vocru — an ancient race whose disappearance marked a turning point in cosmic history.

by midjourney

Above left: Eda-Shojec. Above Right: Oto-Shojec

Origins

Once, the Shojec were a unified species, their evolutionary journey characterized by an instinctive mimicry of alpha predators. This primal aspect of their cognition was not merely a survival tactic; it was a path to understanding, a way to internalize and diminish threats by becoming akin to them. As the Shojec evolved, this tendency towards emulation grew more sophisticated, morphing into a profound ability to mirror the philosophies and technologies of the Vocru, whom they revered above all as exalted beings, the pinnacle of all creation.
The Vocru, in their relentless pursuit of immortality, constructed Eternity, a monstrous AI that was to be their magnum opus but instead became their downfall. When the Vocru vanished, boarding this AI in a bid for eternal life, the repercussions rippled across the Symbion races. The Common-Link, a cybernetic nexus engineered by the Vocru, faltered without its lifeblood, Enthredic energy — a substance that later became known to be the source of magic on Taharjin's Flame.
During the ensuing period of silence, known as The Deafness, the Shojec found themselves cut off from the harmonics that had once informed their philosophy and technology. But like dawn follows the darkest night, the Shojec emerged from this silence, their species forever changed. The chaos of this era shattered the cultural and biological unity they had enjoyed. It awakened a binary perspective within the Shojec psyche, pitting technological advancement against the purity of nature, leading to the creation of two distinct factions: the Oto-Shojec and the Eda-Shojec.

Oto- and Eda-Shojec

The Oto-Shojec, embracing the synthetic side of the Vocru's legacy, sought to integrate the Masters' technology into their very essence, believing it inseparable from their philosophy, such as the Burden of Rule. They performed cybernetic and genetic alterations on their bodies to look more like the Vocru, and used computing techniques that interfaced directly with their consciousness, that it might more closely simulate Vocru thought patterns (to the extent that these ultra-complex algorithms could be reproduced). The Oto-Shojec's physical assimilation of Vocru principles was for them a voyage towards the divine.
Culturally, they are the dominant group, with the Eda-Shojec comprising a much smaller minority, in no small part due to the greater economic edge they possess on account of their advancements.
Meanwhile, the Eda-Shojec turned inwards, rejecting the notion that divinity lay in the circuit and the synthetic, and finding their Oto-cousins perverse for seeking to mirror the Vocru so literally, by aping their form. They believed the path to enlightenment was through the organic and the contemplative — a journey of the soul untethered by wires. The Vocru may have arrived at the highest ideals through objective reasoning, but realizing them would be that much greater a triumph for a being of flesh, which in addition to logical computation must factor in the profoundly subjective element of their embodied selves, adding a substantial philosophical challenge.
Though they, too, tend to view the Vocru as gods, for the Eda the relational feeling is one of profound respect, instead of awe and fear as the faith of the Eda trends towards. Their smaller society is also more egalitarian, and much less hierarchical than the Oto's.
Eda physiques depict the natural form of the Shojec race, which is far more alien compared with the humanoid form than the Oto's - a fact presenting a huge initial advantage to the latter in their first contact with the mages of Taharjin's Flame.

Encounter with Humans

The inaugural meeting between the Shojec and the mages of Taharjin's Flame was a historic moment draped in anticipation and shrouded in mystery. While the Oriestrin may have been the first to discreetly observe the planet from a detached scientific lens, it was the harmonics of an ignited Obelisk, resonating with a frequency that the Shojec were uniquely attuned to, that led to direct engagement. The Oto-Shojec, with their technologically advanced state, were the first to physically reach the humans, fueled by a passionate zeal as if meeting their creators. The Council of Landezon, responsible for the stewardship of magic within the planet's medieval confines, hosted this landmark encounter. The Shojec approached with a fervor reminiscent of acolytes meeting their deities, yet this enthusiasm was tempered by a dawning confusion; the humans bore no resemblance to the synthetic forms of the Vocru.
The air of reverence began to stir with whispers of doubt among the Oto-Shojec, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the burgeoning diplomatic relations. Yet, before these channels could mature, a crisis erupted — the Gulandoor launched an assault on Shojec settlements. This aggressive move - the first large-scale conflagration between Symbion members in countless generations - was spurred by the revelation that the Shojec might pledge their empire's might to these technologically nascent humans, who unbeknownst to many, carried Enthredic within their blood, a substance of untold value.
The Gulandoor, unpredictable and long problematic within the Symbion alliance, viewed the potential Shojec-human alliance with disdain. Yet, they hesitated to outright eliminate or dominate the humans, recognizing the potential of harnessing their magical capabilities as allies. The war was a strategic move to forestall any alliance that might upset the balance of power, a balance already precarious in the Shojec's less-than-favorable view of the Gulandoor.
In this crucible of interstellar politics and faith, the Shojec turned to the mages of Taharjin's Flame, seeking aid in a manner akin to divine supplication. How the humans will respond to this plea remains an open question.