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Description
Venous Gateway
Function: internal transport of material and biotes, external locomotion
Timespan: temporary; several days to tens of thousands of years
Description: stable Hyper portals up to 15 AU across that connect entire Zaox Organism. Spatiostiores channel Hyper energy to support and regulate these Gateways. Long-lived Transport Gateways occur deep within bio-sectors for efficiency and defense, and may be closed to stop a threat from spreading across the entire Organism. Locomotive Gateways may last hours to weeks as the Organism flows into that space, and are heavily guarded at both ends. Spatiostiores “skip” through proto-Gateways lasting a few seconds each, covering hundreds of thousands of light years in minutes or hours. Reaching their goal, e.g a nutrient-rich nebula, they open a much larger Locomotive Gateway to call in additional Zaox units including more spatiostiores. Spatiostiores may be adapted to fire spatial-temporal rifts that can damage even their anathema, the adaptation-hating Ixa Alignment.

Zaox Organism
Redemption: 51 million BC
Founding: unknown; 1.2 billion BC?

Known Territory: mostly deep space world-swarms throughout Milky Way and twin Malen Clouds, organic world-structures usually orbiting stars; some planets used to support ecosystems. Prefer to reside in biomass-rich nebulae and comet clouds few others venture. Top biomass estimates at 4976x Milky Way total mass.

Technology: organic, synonymous with race, sourcing energy mostly from photosynthetic Dyson swarms and hydrogen-fusion metabolism. Functions much as its inorganic counterparts, e.g las-emitters and Hyper engines. Advances adaptively to current problems, challenges, and goals, mapping useful genes from other species or tailor-formulating new ones. Tightly safeguard the “Capsid Library” a quarantine-study of inorganic relics some of alleged extragalactic or extradimensional origin recently including Fey technology. Specialized intellect biotes study these objects, striving to replicate their form and function organically while tailor defense units keep watch on what enters or may come out.
Continent-sized organs known as Venous Gates sustain Hyper portals up to 7 light-hours wide that transport mobile biotes and material and connect distant Bio-Sectors to the entire Organism. If Gates cannot be physically sustained, or a spreading threat necessitates their closure, Bio-Sectors can self-sustain for decades while linking to Hive Mind.
The Zaox gravitationally build “Gene Nurseries”, dynamic star systems that rapidly evolve diverse life that receptor biotes can then map for powerful DNA. At least 24 confirmed sapients have begun this way, 11 starfaring technical civilizations; whether they are accidental or part of a greater Zaox plan is unknown. Zaox organism shows no special care or intent towards its creations.

Species: synonymous with faction name, gestalt-intelligent organic hive organism; genetically engineers itself; individual biotes vary widely but a common form is a biomechanical beast-ship suited to a wide range of environments including deep space. Zaox cells can survive independently for decades or centuries in various conditions; with the right neural signals they can be grown into components, tools, even whole organisms. Includes “belonging ones” other species voluntarily augmented to function in Zaox society.

Currency: unknown if any; when introduced to trade the Zaox Organism usually demands biological resources such as the right to genetically map a powerful mutant or planetary biosphere, a bio-corporation's gene vault, alien relics, elder-class lifeforms, or something far stranger.

Society: Hive mind based; can be described as an extended family unit on a cosmic scale. Biotes carry specific functions such as internal defense, resource building, bio-formulation, external exploration, and coordination. Non-individualist and massively communal. All biotes connect almost telepathically; can access full knowledge of entire Zaox Organism, freely enhance themselves, and collectively decide Zaox actions. Some large bio-structures house long-extinct ecosystems resurrected from the genetic knowledge of the Zaox Organism. As a species the Zaox Organism can be considered almost amoral, helping or slaying for its species benefit while avoiding needless contact with other races.

Notable history: for eons before their Redemption the Zaox Organism attacked other races believing only they-it should give life to the universe. At 51 million BC a mysterious faction known only as the Redeemers destroyed their Swarm-Queen, ending their war but allowing all surviving biotes greater intelligence and the power to decide for their race. As their first truly collective decision the Zaox chose not to resume their war, for such long and aggressive conflict would only endanger their own survival.

Description
Venous Gateway
Function: internal transport of material and biotes, external locomotion
Timespan: temporary; several days to tens of thousands of years
Description: stable Hyper portals up to 15 AU across that connect entire Zaox Organism. Spatiostiores channel Hyper energy to support and regulate these Gateways. Long-lived Transport Gateways occur deep within bio-sectors for efficiency and defense, and may be closed to stop a threat from spreading across the entire Organism. Locomotive Gateways may last hours to weeks as the Organism flows into that space, and are heavily guarded at both ends. Spatiostiores “skip” through proto-Gateways lasting a few seconds each, covering hundreds of thousands of light years in minutes or hours. Reaching their goal, e.g a nutrient-rich nebula, they open a much larger Locomotive Gateway to call in additional Zaox units including more spatiostiores. Spatiostiores may be adapted to fire spatial-temporal rifts that can damage even their anathema, the adaptation-hating Ixa Alignment.

Zaox Organism
Redemption: 51 million BC
Founding: unknown; 1.2 billion BC?

Known Territory: mostly deep space world-swarms throughout Milky Way and twin Malen Clouds, organic world-structures usually orbiting stars; some planets used to support ecosystems. Prefer to reside in biomass-rich nebulae and comet clouds few others venture. Top biomass estimates at 4976x Milky Way total mass.

Technology: organic, synonymous with race, sourcing energy mostly from photosynthetic Dyson swarms and hydrogen-fusion metabolism. Functions much as its inorganic counterparts, e.g las-emitters and Hyper engines. Advances adaptively to current problems, challenges, and goals, mapping useful genes from other species or tailor-formulating new ones. Tightly safeguard the “Capsid Library” a quarantine-study of inorganic relics some of alleged extragalactic or extradimensional origin recently including Fey technology. Specialized intellect biotes study these objects, striving to replicate their form and function organically while tailor defense units keep watch on what enters or may come out.
Continent-sized organs known as Venous Gates sustain Hyper portals up to 7 light-hours wide that transport mobile biotes and material and connect distant Bio-Sectors to the entire Organism. If Gates cannot be physically sustained, or a spreading threat necessitates their closure, Bio-Sectors can self-sustain for decades while linking to Hive Mind.
The Zaox gravitationally build “Gene Nurseries”, dynamic star systems that rapidly evolve diverse life that receptor biotes can then map for powerful DNA. At least 24 confirmed sapients have begun this way, 11 starfaring technical civilizations; whether they are accidental or part of a greater Zaox plan is unknown. Zaox organism shows no special care or intent towards its creations.

Species: synonymous with faction name, gestalt-intelligent organic hive organism; genetically engineers itself; individual biotes vary widely but a common form is a biomechanical beast-ship suited to a wide range of environments including deep space. Zaox cells can survive independently for decades or centuries in various conditions; with the right neural signals they can be grown into components, tools, even whole organisms. Includes “belonging ones” other species voluntarily augmented to function in Zaox society.

Currency: unknown if any; when introduced to trade the Zaox Organism usually demands biological resources such as the right to genetically map a powerful mutant or planetary biosphere, a bio-corporation's gene vault, alien relics, elder-class lifeforms, or something far stranger.

Society: Hive mind based; can be described as an extended family unit on a cosmic scale. Biotes carry specific functions such as internal defense, resource building, bio-formulation, external exploration, and coordination. Non-individualist and massively communal. All biotes connect almost telepathically; can access full knowledge of entire Zaox Organism, freely enhance themselves, and collectively decide Zaox actions. Some large bio-structures house long-extinct ecosystems resurrected from the genetic knowledge of the Zaox Organism. As a species the Zaox Organism can be considered almost amoral, helping or slaying for its species benefit while avoiding needless contact with other races.

Notable history: for eons before their Redemption the Zaox Organism attacked other races believing only they-it should give life to the universe. At 51 million BC a mysterious faction known only as the Redeemers destroyed their Swarm-Queen, ending their war but allowing all surviving biotes greater intelligence and the power to decide for their race. As their first truly collective decision the Zaox chose not to resume their war, for such long and aggressive conflict would only endanger their own survival.