Dione
| Dione | |
|---|---|
| Sapient | Yes |
| Universe | Cytoverse |
“My kind have carefully cultivated souls, ones purged completely of aggression or violence. ”
Diones are one of the five alien species that lead the Superiority.[2]
Appearance and Biology
Diones are basically humanoid, with two arms, two legs, and a single head.[2] They tend to look androgynous, use gender neutral pronouns, and don't use traditional male/female binary gender.[2][3] While diones lack hair, they have prominent eye ridges in addition to bone-like growths underneath their eyes.[2] Diones have one of three skin colors: crimson, vivid blue, or dark purple.[4]
Each shade of skin indicates a different relationship status: purple skin indicates an individual that is searching for a partner or has recently broken their pair-bond, while the crimson and blue tones are reserved for individuals who are not searching for partners.[5] The gender of diones is complex and different from that of humans: they have neither sex nor gender until they breed for the first time.[5]
Drafts
“What you see in me is just a draft, a prospect, a possibility of who I could be. ”
Dione breeding involves two diones merging into one that has the features and personality of a possible offspring; such an unborn dione is called a draft.[6][7] They can be recognized by their very particular coloration, being entirely crimson on the right half and blue on the left.[3] Similarly, a draft's facial features are split into two, with each side being that of the respective parent.[1] Otherwise, drafts look just like any other dione.
Creation
Drafts are created from a literal merger of their parents as a way for the rest of the family to meet the newest member before their birth.[5][8] They inherit a mixture of skills, abilities, and memories from both of their parents, but not everything.[1][6][9][8] Curiously, they are not twice as massive as an average dione, implying that some of the mass is shed in the pupation process.[1]
Drafts have two copies of most internal organs, one from each parent. This includes two brains, which fuse together to create the draft's brain.[1] This merger is not perfect: from time to time, drafts will have small conflicts between their sides, such as reaching for a tool with both hands instead of just one. These conflicts wax at the end of the drafting period, as the two halves of the draft are preparing to once again separate into individuals.[8]
Notably, this makes drafts immune to the illusory powers of the delvers, as each brain receives a different hallucination, allowing the draft to easily tell what isn't real.[10] On the other hand, the merger also means that a draft dying would almost certainly kill both of their parents.[11]
Redrafting
Redrafting is a process in which a draft separates back into their parents -- the leftparent and rightparent.[1] After five months have passed, the draft will either split back into their parents so that they can give birth to this new dione, or be redrafted with a new personality.[1][8] This period can be cut short by the draft if desired.[8] Redrafting does not hurt, even though the personality and most memories of the previous draft are erased.[8] The drafting and redrafting processes take place in a drafting pod, a wooden bed-like object with a divot in the center. The draft lies in the hollow center, submerged in a nutrient bath which aids the process.[8]
Once the redrafting period has ended and the family has settled on a personality they all like, the parents produce a child. These baby diones require a few years to develop before they start taking on characteristics of the personalities they had as drafts.[12]
Culture
Society
Diones have achieved a peaceful culture, considering any violence or aggressive tendencies to be the mark of an uncivilized species. This is largely thanks to them redrafting their children until they get a personality that fits the status quo. As a result of this, diones are typically peaceable and timid; they often apologize when bumping into others, even if the contact is completely the fault of the other being.[13] Exceptions to this exist, but drafts with aggressive personalities must prove that they are worthy of existing in peaceful dione society.[1]
Diones have large families. Elder family members are referred to as Grands, while others, of an uncertain relation, are called piblings. Both Grands and piblings have a huge impact the family, and their opinions matter a great deal when deciding on the personality of a new child.[8] This is likely due to the actual parents being virtually nonexistent during the drafting process.
There are many diones living on Starsight, although it is unknown if this is the race's primary home. Diones have primary citizenship and members of this race can hold government positions within the Superiority.[5] The Dione language (also called Dione) is considered one of the Superiority standard tongues.[2]
Spirituality
It's unclear whether they practice any religion; however, at least some diones seem to be spiritual, as some believe that they cultivate their very souls to lack any aggression or violence.[1] A notable historical figure among them is Zentu, a philosopher considering the definition of life, and thus personhood. According to Zentu, for something to be considered alive it must have the ability to change over time, the ability to respond to stimuli, and the ability to reproduce.[14]
Body language
Diones employ a variety of gestures and other signals implying their moods. Many of their gestures, such as nodding, raising their hands and pointing, are similar to those used by humans;[15] however, other signals only appear similar, while often meaning something utterly different.
- Sweeping two fingers to the side in front of the body is a dismissive gesture.[16] Sweeping one's fingers in a different ways can be indicative of ambiguity or noncommittal behavior.[17]
- Pressing lips together is a sign of friendly behavior, similar to a smile in human culture.[9]
- Waving a hand in a low-key or understated manner is used for beckoning.[9]
- Puckering the lips is a sign of discomfort.[9]
- Bowing the head is likely a dione shrug.[9]
- Baring teeth is a sign of aggression, violence, or hatred.[9] It can also be a sign of distress.[15]
- Making a crossing gesture is the equivalent of clearing one's throat.[17]
- A curved hand gesture indicates affirmation.[8]
- Twitching fingers indicate distress.[12]
Notable diones
Notes
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Starsight chapter 16#
- ↑ a b c d e Starsight chapter 9#
- ↑ a b Starsight chapter 13#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 10#
- ↑ a b c d Starsight chapter 12#
- ↑ a b c Starsight chapter 22#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 15#
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Starsight interlude I-3#
- ↑ a b c d e f Starsight chapter 28#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 43#
- ↑ General Reddit 2020
— Arcanum - 2020-03-13# - ↑ a b Starsight epilogue#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 30#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 18#
- ↑ a b Starsight chapter 45#
- ↑ Starsight chapter 19#
- ↑ a b Starsight chapter 31#