The Hive
The shared consciousness of Those Who Know.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Those Who Know keep their bodies in good working order. Those on The Outer Planetoid are regularly sent to rest and inspected for radiation damage which is then quickly repaired. Off-world projections are more likely to suffer from illnesses or injuries, but are quite experienced in avoiding or treating those.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Infancy
The Hive emerged around the time when proto-organisms on The Outer Planetoid had evolved to deflect the devastating amounts of energy which regularly suffused their world. Their memories of the early days are foggy, but they still recall that coordinated efforts were a key to survival. As the planetoid began to leave the dangerous zone closest to That Which Changes, it gave them the opportunity to hone their telepathic communication skills and stabilize their population. They still suffered considerable losses each year, either due to the destructive radiation levels on one side of the orbit or the utter lack of energy on the other. However, since the continuous exchange of information preserved their collective memories, the death of single bodies became more of an inconvenience than a threat to their existence. They learned to preserve heat for the cold times, to replenish their numbers while in the transition phases and to focus on protecting those mutations which improved their control over the energy flow.Adolescence
Eventually they gained enough precision in redirecting the radiation to experiment with altering matter on the molecular level. This opened the door to optimizing both their own bodies and their environment. As survival became less stressful, their focus gradually shifted to aesthetic experiences such as appreciating the shapes of random rock formations, patterns of energy rays in different wavelengths or harmonic oscillations within materials. Nevertheless, since most of their own environment was tailored to functionality and durability, those experiences were rather limited for a long time. Their artistic experiments were directionless and repetitive before The Hive became powerful enough to control matter not only on their homeworld but also on other celestial bodies in this star system.Maturity
The first off-world body was successfully manifested in the Year 41173, on Day 22 of The Phase Of Greatest Power. It was only then that they were exposed to alien concepts such as atmospheric turbulences and different gravity levels. From that point onwards, exploring those strange worlds became a major part of their life.Gender Identity
agender (homeworld)
whatever is needed (off-world projections)
whatever is needed (off-world projections)
Sexuality
asexual (homeworld)
pansexual (off-world projections)
pansexual (off-world projections)
Accomplishments & Achievements
The Recombination
Since their first attempts in the Year 3143, they have mastered the art of restructuring subatomic particles into whatever material and shape they need. This gives them practically unlimited control over anything on their own homeworld. Manipulating objects on other celestial bodies is far more costly, but they can still pull off impressive tricks if they focus their efforts and the right conditions are met.The Halting
Creating bodies elsewhere in the star system is a highly demanding process. Therefore, The Hive eventually decided to lock their homeworld in the position closest to the source of their powers. They succeeded in the Year 75397, on Day 25 of the Phase of Greatest Power and have been maintaining this advantage ever since.Failures & Embarrassments
When they first began exploring other cultures, the projected off-world bodies were completely frank about their identity and intentions. However, it soon became apparent that this approach interfered with the very things they were trying to learn about. Reactions of the younger species ranged from fear and hostility to worship, all of them equally confusing to The Hive.
While aggression directed at the projections posed little threat to The Hive themselves, they became increasingly concerned about collateral damage. They witnessed entire settlements falling apart over the question of how to deal with their visits. Locals found absurd reasons for turning on each other, such as accusing people as traitors for protecting the stranger, or punishing whatever they thought might upset the perceived deity.
Consequently, The Hive decomposed the projections which caused those disruptions and adopted a more covert approach going forward.
Mental Trauma
For an entity with an infinite lifespan, loss is inevitable. Not all projections' minds can be retrieved in time, and The Hive is used to leaving behind those mortals with whom they bonded while exploring.
Remaining neutral observers continues to be a difficult task, especially when younger cultures go to war. In particular, The Final War on The Sandy Moon left The Hive wondering whether they should have done more to prevent its catastrophic outcome.
Many projections did try to protect the communities to which they had been sent. As a consequence, several bodies were exposed and captured by military forces on either side. Three of them were never salvaged, and certain observations indicate that their abilities might have been studied to support the war effort.
Morality & Philosophy
Non-Interference
The Hive is aware that their perspective is very different from that of the younger species. They believe in letting them follow their own path, partially because life would be boring if the alien cultures started imitating their own and partially because early attempts at cultural exchange had led to disastrous results. Projections usually respect whatever laws and social conventions an alien community has, but they avoid unfair practices and submitting to abusive people. However, if they witness too much suffering, they may give in to the temptation and seek subtle ways to improve things.Gender and Sexuality
The Hive does not identify with a particular gender because they never had any need for sexual reproduction or basing social roles on physical characteristics. However, bodies manifested on the worlds of the younger species sometimes adopt gender identities that allow them to interact more easily with locals. As for sexual activity, they treat it like any other form of experience that can be explored off-world. Their only hard rules are that the partner in question must understand and consent.Taboos
They will not actively harm a living sentient being, neither directly nor by exposing said being to danger. At the worst, they might stand by passively due to their non-interference code.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Their primary goal is to seek new knowledge and inspiring experiences.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Despite millennia of studying the younger species, Those Who Know still cannot wrap their mind around a number of their social practices. They understand the theory behind certain behavior patterns and how they relate to survival on those other worlds, but since their own evolution took a very different path, the underlying concepts are inherently alien to them.
For instance, they are confused by the constant urge to distinguish between groups which are not actually different in a meaningful way. Projections interacting with locals are often blindsided by selfish actions, and verbal or otherwise symbolic languages feel awfully limited to them.
Social
Family Ties
Projected Bodies
Off-world projections have a high degree of autonomy because maintaining a full telepathic connection over those distances is too strenuous. Nevertheless, The Hive considers those minds a valuable extension of themselves, and The Linking of those bodies is a cherished experience. When a projection nears the end of their life, The Hive takes great care to retrieve that body's thought patterns and memories before its death and integrate them with the shared consciousness. They may also choose to do so prematurely and actively terminate a projection who is in danger of suffering great physical or emotional pain.Found Families
The Hive has bonded with a considerable number of beings ever since they began interacting with the younger species. Although they became more cautious about announcing their presence over time, some projections make friends with those they study, enter romantic relationships or even start families. In those cases where the bond is particularly strong, The Hive may choose to preserve those alien minds the same way as they preserve their own.Hobbies & Pets
The Hive enjoys exploring the star system and observing the younger races. They also like to adopt cultural aspects that they find entertaining, be it music, literature or swinging on a swing.
Species
Ethnicity
Age
80211 Years
Date of Birth
Year 0, Day 1 of the Phase Of Waning Power
Birthplace
Children
Current Residence
wherever they like
Gender
whatever they need
Eyes
yellowish green
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
bluish white
Rilangun (fluent)
Zuni (fluent)
Rile (fluent)
Nimýric (fluent)
Pereqaian (fluent)
many other languages and dialects
Ruled Locations
Comments