Abyssans
| Abyssans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Biological Classification | |
| Common Name | Abyssans |
| Type | Humanoid |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Average Height | 153 Centimetres |
| Skin Colour | Pale Purple |
| Hair Colour | Dark |
| Sexes | Gonochoric/Androgyne (Only one 'Sex' capable of reproducing with all individuals) |
| Respiratory Gas | Oxygen |
| Locomotive Method | Bipedal |
| Distinctions |
|
| Average Lifespan | 389 Years |
| Demographics | |
| Inhabits | Abyssal Enclave |
| Population | 41 Billion |
| Sociocultural Characteristics | |
| Intelligence | Sapient/Sentient Hivemind |
| Homeworld | Abyssa |
Abyssans are a sapient humanoid species native to the planet Abyssa located within Grid U18 of the Milky Way's Mid Rim, almost exclusively inhabiting the "Abyssal Enclave", a civilization in which they make up a plurality of the population. All known Abyssans (aside from likely a couple outliers hiding away in exile or unknown areas within the Enclave) have been assimilated into the Abyssal Collective, a hivemind intelligence which was first formed by a being known as the 'Abyssal Motherorganism' which arrived on their homeworld in 287 CE, effectively having the entire Abyssan population brainwashed until 518 CE as the Motherorganism perished due to a supernova. Instead of being freed or even dying, the psionic link that encompassed all of the Abyssans and the (at the time) 9 other species which the Motherorganism had assimilated persisted through its puppeteer's death, forming a new intelligence existing as a composite of all 'drones' connected to it. While arguably 'freed' from the Motherorganism, the Abyssans now find themselves as the plurality of a hivemind of their own.
Much like the other beings within the Abyssal Collective, the Abyssans tend to behave in a very disorientated or dazed manner even when very capably/efficiently preforming highly intricate tasks many other species would find difficult. This 'dazed' behaviour is primarily due to their hivemind being under the direct influence of its constituents rather than the other way around, with this 'dazed' effect being created due to the assimilation process altering their nervous and endocrine systems to keep them in varying states of elation or euphoria due to a previous 'pacification mechanism' used by the Motherorganism having been turned into a essentially permanent emotional state deemed to be the 'perfect form of existence' in their eyes. The only cases in which they aren't in an euphoric state is when threatened, which flashes through feelings of fear and alertness through their network until any threats have been removed or solved. Despite being hiveminded, Abyssans retain 'some degree' of individuality, though due to the constant state of elation they tend to be far too dissociated to make much use of their autonomy, with instances where they stand idle too long simply leading to their psychic link providing them with the next task to complete. Concerning for those outside of their hivemind, the hivemind the Abyssans are a part of has convinced itself that its constituents are enjoying a 'better form of existence' which must be spread onto others, which they have thus dedicated themselves into achieving.
Physically, Abyssans are fairly short at a height of only 153 centimetres on average with an an androgynous standard humanoid frame (head, torso, 2 arms, 2 legs) with pale purple skin and dark hair. Due to their assimilation, their eyes and fluids are a reseda-green tone contrasting with the rest of their forms, though due to them not having been properly documented prior to their assimilation what their 'natural' eye colour is has never been found out. Abyssans are a gonochoric species, possessing only one reproductive sex which allows any individual to reproduce with any other within their species, which is still often done despite being part of a hivemind that propagates itself by assimilating new lifeforms, though their hivemind connection is typically not passed on following conception (due to Abyssal Connection only being transmissible via fluids for a few months) which necessitates assimilation either following or prior to birth.
Disconnecting Abyssans from their hivemind is a very intricate task as it essentially requires a complete rewiring of their nervous system on a cellular level, which is incredibly impractical and only possible with sufficiently advanced medical technologies, though all this achieves is breaking their hivemind's ability to control the disconnected individual as they are still most of the time able to hear or sense the presence of the hivemind. The number of un-assimilated Abyssans is estimated to only number in the tens of thousands (both disconnected and never assimilated individuals), which is a far cry from the 41 billion Abyssans that are alive at any given time. As an unexpected perk of their hivemind, Abyssans can 'persist after death' as disembodied consciousnesses within their hivemind network, though they still essentially lack awareness to an even greater extent without a physical body to ground what little autonomy they have.
