Dionae

'''Count:''' 1 '''Arrangement:''' N/A '''Intelligence:''' Low Human - High Animal '''About:''' Diona nymphs are the singular units of all dionaforms. Easily distinguished by their singular eye and brown-green exoskeleton, they are able to crawl using two rows of 6 legs. All diona nymphs have elytra, but only rarely have developed functioning wings. They are able to consume certain vegetable foods via an underdeveloped mouth. They each have two long, thin antennae. The purpose of these appears to relate to receiving and transmitting their inherent language, known in common as "Sylvan". The antennae can transmit Sylvan via high-frequency sound waves, but can also recieve Sylvan transmitted by Reefs via radio waves. Some radio signals can interfere with this, and cause agitation to nearby Dionea. Diona nymphs are some of the most unusual lifeforms in the galaxy, and possess certain bizarre characteristics: 1: They are able to cooperate by forming Diona superorganisms, dubbed 'Dionaforms'. 2: They are able to 'specialize' when forming part of a Dionaform, effectively becoming an organ of that superorganism and in doing so gaining and losing a number of physical and biological features. 3: They are able to survive in the vacuum of space for extended periods. 4: They are able to undergo a process of clonal reproduction under certain conditions.

'''Count:''' 3-10 '''Arrangement:''' Humanoid '''Intelligence:''' Human-level '''About:''' Anthroform Dionaforms are the most common and well known of all. Typical in areas populated by sapient species, these humanlike creatures are colloquially known as simply "Dionea" to most. They are just as capable as sapient species at most tasks, and have full human-level intelligence. Cultivating Anthroforms has been an attractive way to cover workforce shortages in societies with access to them: Because they mature quickly, they can be easily manipulated into positions of servitude, and are easy to replace if lost to dangerous working conditions. At this count and age, their constituent nymphs are fully specialized, and cannot survive independent of the superorganism, making Anthroforms vulnerable to certain adverse conditions. Notably, they are not spaceproof, and exposure to a vacuum badly damages internal specialized nymphs, which have lost their protective exoskeleton.

'''Count:''' 2-100 '''Arrangement:''' Small Animal - Very large Animal '''Intelligence:''' Low Animal - High Animal '''About:''' In areas where sapient species are not present, planet-dwelling dionea may specialize into forms similar to those of the species found in the area. These dionaforms vary greatly in size, arrangement, and demeanor depending on their donors, they all but always have sub-human mental capacity. While many are passive and not dangerous, they should be treated with caution on an area-by-area basis, as some areas can house hostile or otherwise dangerous Dionaforms.

'''Count:''' 20-100 '''Arrangement:''' Amorphous '''Intelligence:''' Inconsistent '''About:''' Reefseed Dionaforms are formed of a number of mature Dionaforms. At some point in their lifespan, multiple mature Dionaforms may join into a Reefseed, to begin the formation of a new Diona Reef. Both planetary and spaceborne Dionea are capable of forming a Reefseed, but only spaceborne Reefseeds may form a successful reef. Generally, Reefseeds, cannot successfully be communicated with. Reefseeds are not capable of complex manipulation or movement as their outer shell of nymphs specialize into an insulated spaceproof shield. Dionaforms in the area may choose to join the Reefseed, or bring nutrients to aid in the formation of a new Reef.

'''Count:''' 100-2000 '''Arrangement:''' Amorphous '''Intelligence:''' Inconsistent '''About:''' Successful Reefseeds will eventually form into Nascent Reefs if conditions are favorable. These structures are spaceproof, and float in orbit of celestial bodies, collecting space dust for nutrients. Nascent Reefs will continue to slowly grow in count over several centuries, and lay relatively dormant during this time. They may be communicated with with some difficulty, but their understanding of the world outside of themselves is relatively muddled. Dionea in the system of a reef may seek to migrate to the reef if possible, adding to its count.

'''Count:''' 2000 and upwards '''Arrangement:''' Amorphous '''Intelligence:''' Inconsistent '''About:''' Full-fledged Reefs are as rare as the conditions required for their formation. They orbit celestial bodies, collecting space debris, or ocassionally trading minerals stripped from asteroids with spacefarers for key nutrients or assstance with propagation. Full fledged reefs are fully conscious, but their distributed nervous system means their thoughts are slow and ponderous, to the irritation of spacefarers trying to communicate with them. Reefs may have hollow internal chambers for storage, and which occasionally house independent Dionaforms who move materials, and may in certain exceptional cases, act as diplomats or liasons with visitors with the Reef. A reef will periodically eject spore-like pods at high sublight speeds, in the hopes of spreading their species to distant systems. Upon landing on a planet, the pod will mature into a nymph. This is very rarely successful, and pods may remain in flight for hundreds of years before reaching another system, and even then may be badly damaged by atmospheric reentry. Reefs are capable of transmitting Sylvan through a vacuum, using specialized organs to transmit radio-wavelength waves through the local system.  

'''Count:''' 1000 and upwards '''Arrangement:''' Amorphous/Structural '''Intelligence:''' Inconsistent '''About:''' 'Overgrowth' Dionaforms are the result of those Reefseeds that formed under terrestrial conditions. They initially take the form of small structures, and grow much faster than true Reefs when nutrients are abundant in the soil. Overgrowth nymphys are only loosely specialized, and frequently split or eject independent nymphs. Overgrowths formed from Anthroform dionea are likely to be cooperative with local sapient species, while those formed from nonsapient Dionaforms in areas without sapient settlement are difficult and sometimes dangerous pests to planetary colonists and pioneers. Unimpeded, overgrowths may interfere with local ecosystems and in the most extreme recorded cases, completely encase small planetoids. Anthroform Overgrowths may form the top of the hierarchy of a planetary Anthroform diona settlement in such cases where Anthroforms have found themselves stranded without a way off-planet. Dionea typically exhibit an instinctual aversion to Overgrowths and will typically avoid deliberately forming them, presumably as they are unable to germinate into space like true Reefs.

-Even though dionae can communicate with plants and highly resemble them calling a diona a "plant" is considered highly offensive in most sectors

 

-Reefs tend to have good relationships with the USSP because they think their ideology of collectivizing as similar to their dionae unity because of this there tend to be alot of anthroform dionae working within the USSP