Rovar

The Rovar refers to the collective of various species native to the planet Nanshe located in the Enki system. A planet filled to the brim with jungles, forests, and very few deserts. With the introduction of FTL-travel, they have spread to various worlds. Out of all the species across the Milky Way, rovar are the more interconnected one. With each specie contributing to the natural cycle of life.

Name

The name 'Rovar' is actually a universal designation for all species of Nanshe. In pre-spaceflight Nanshe, all species went by the name of what they belonged to. While rovar comes and goes, another name they go by are the Brechlyn which is said in many pre-spaceflight sources.

In a derogatory fashion, rovar are called 'bugs' or 'insects' due to their insectoid nature and appearance. Another is 'goog' which is a corruption of the word 'googly'. Referring to some rovar castes having googly-like eyes.

Species and Sub-species

The Rovar are the only race in the galaxy to have a myriad of sub-specie variants of themselves. All of which cater to a specific task in hives or cities. It should be noted that each member of a certain species and/or branches, has many different appearance and physiology traits. They include the following:

Rioga

A species of rovar who are born into royalty and bred to rule the greater rovarian society in cities. The cultural and behavioral importance cannot be understated. Given the need of rioga themselves and the 100-year lifespan. They're rarely married to commoners be it lower rovar or non-rovar. In the most rarest of cases, they have been married to royalty of a different species (i.e. Hunyago). Although given combat training, said training goes unused, often forced to command armies from a distance. When it comes to non-rioga in their presence, they release an irresistible pheromone to force all around to pledge an unflinching loyalty to them.

• The appearance of these people largely resemble a humanoid in structure. They have two arms, legs, eyes, ears, and hands with five fingers. And lips. To smell their nose is two open slits. The torso surface consists of hard chitin used to protect the main organs such as the heart and lungs. The lower stomach area seems to have a 'depository' to transfer from 10 to 30 eggs into females. Unlike the lower branches of the caste, they actually have a mouth used for vocal speech. Since they have no teeth to chew down solid food, inside is a proboscis used to siphon any edible liquid-form of food. From the top area of their forehead, lies two antenna that stretch to the back of their head that for appearance reasons remain covered in a thick veil. To communicate with other rovar that don't have vocal speech ability, they use sound, eye flash, body movement, and odor very similar to modern-day insects. In all cases, only male rioga possess wings for flight.
• The mating rituals of rioga differ based on gender. Since the rioga are held above all others, most marriages are arranged. A way to ensure genetic diversity and the prevent the marriage of foreigners. Although it can be similar on how most species mate, for rioga the later stages can make it a distinctly new process. Workers and Dona are actually used to assist in the trial. For males the wings are bitten off by workers or dona. Even when taken off they are not wasted for they contain some nutritional value. Before a ritual, females eat heavily to store energy for the mating process. Workers or dona are called to assist mobility. When a male and female begin mating, they conjoin their torso's physically. In the stomach area a 'port' opens for males to pass eggs into the females body where they can be fertilized. Once finished, the female is carried off to safety. Males continue the final act of the ritual. Laying down, the front torso area around the egg chamber are several nectaries that secrete a sugar-rich liquid for the workers as payment.
• Rioga culture seems to be greatly honor-based. For a rioga to lose the two antenna on their head is considered a great shame. The same applies to males who have not cut off their wings to a mating ritual. If a rioga has lost one or two of the aforementioned body parts, the only way of preserving their honor in death is to offer themselves to a hive as food. This way the shamed individual finds solace in being useful in a sacrificial fashion.

Morda

The Morda are a more higher specie of the Garda. Having different appearance traits. Being as high as 7 ft. The head appears with four eyes and a mandible mouth. The left-arm is a four-fingered hand having razor-sharp claws that can retract while the right-arm is a organic fusion cannon that shoots a high-powered matter capable of destroying most objects caught in it's blast. Although some can be bred with two arms and hands. The only means of mobility is a eight-legged lower body covered in thick chitin. The underside of the legs that lead to the upper body, consists of soft chitin that can easily be penetrated. Among the empires forces, Morda served as heavy units. Morda mating rituals involve a long and well-prepared dance that they perform in the presence of other morda. A transfixed male or female being eyed by a potential mate will cease any action they were doing to examine the expectations that are to be performed. Each stage can last up for hours. In some cases days. More importantly chances of success vary. The first action involves waving their arms up and down repeatedly. Imitating a hail. Here the intended target will now know it is being eyed. Next through the force of the arms the performer creates a pressure wind towards the male or female. The pressure wind determines the durability of said target. If the intended mate falls over, the performer will leave the area to find another. If the target doesn't lose balance, then the third stage occurs. The performer moves in closer to do a pacing around the mate while giving out a long screech. If unfazed by the sound, the final touch is when the performer moves more closer to give his/her mate a 'kiss' with their mandibles.

• With the introduction of non-rovar in society, Morda have even attempted to win over the many visitors who come to the main cities. All of which end up failure. Either due to a rioga interfering or the intended mate rejecting them in the first or second stage of the ritual.

Garda

The Garda are a servant-race of rovar used solely to guard cities as law enforcement under the orders of the rioga. Known for their distinct orange chitin and skin. The appearance of the Garda consists of four-arms, wings for flight, mandibles, two antenna, and an abdomen. Finally two compound eyes. Unlike the Dona, they have a degree of sentience, allowing them to understand vocal speech of galactic basic spoken by rioga. All garda, in the civilian sectors, are accompanied by a small translation machine they use to speak any language in all situations. Per the civilian iteration, they are usually seen holding plasma spears that have a sharp knife at the tip. Among the empires forces, Garda served as cavalry or shock troops. Wielding plasma rifles and wearing armor used to cover the softer area's of the body.

Strider

A long-legged rovar that roam the few deserts of Nanshe, Striders are used by the less heat resistant rovar to travel long distances across the only inhospitable arid deserts found on the planet. They have three legs on each side to move, with two hardened legs in the front to spot and crush potential danger by it's weight or reach across open chasms using them to dig. The head has four eyes on each side to look great distances. Sentience varies depending on it's pilot species. All striders are subject to the so-named Strider Law, if a strider needs time to go over a chasm or perform a certain task outside the usual transport, all non-rovar aboard must get off first while the rovar pilot leaves last. In imperial operations, they were deployed on desert planets.

Worker

A higher branch of the weaker and less intelligent Dona, workers operate much like them. Working hives alongside and caring for eggs and larvae. Unlike the dona, they could surprisingly possess the necessary intelligence to work complicated positions usually suited to rioga or non-rovar labor like working ship systems and operating weapons. Owing to the training some are granted during their early development as pupa. In many rovar populated area's, they are a common sight and come in several varieties that exist on Nanshe. Such as nectarpot workers or fire workers, etc. Sharing mutualistic connections with other specie in one way or another.

With their many arms, they can operate more faster than a morph or rioga. Workers appear with six small arms with three on each side. The carapace is of a dark brown color with the only chitin on their stomachs carrying a distinctively darker hue. On the head is two eyes and two antennae. Unlike the higher branches, they have a maxilla used to chew food. In the imperial era, workers were used alongside dona to establish hives or colonies on uninhabited planets. In the presence of rioga, they are used for domestic servitude. Or sometimes, as pets.

Dona

Dona, commonly referred as a 'drone', represent the bottom level of rovar hives, resembling a beetle. Acting only as a worker to operate and maintain the ecosystem which many thrive on. For lacking sentience for any basic problem solving. any caste of a higher social level can give out orders to them, which they follow blindly. Even to certain death. The lack any sort of chitinous protection when compared to the upper sub-variants, making them very fragile. They share a mutualistic bond with the many castes found on Nanshe. Used to care for larvae or eggs. In combat, the sheer abundance of dona on the field make them useful as easily replaceable cannon fodder.

Snatcher

Snatcher's, or mimics, are a parasitoid rovar resembling a standard worker. Because of the appearance, they are commonly mistaken for workers. Many oblivious to the intentions. Before spaceflight, they were greatly feared by rioga as harbingers of uncertainty. For their presence was seen as a sign of divine anger. While the religious significance of the snatcher's has come and gone, the parasitoid nature they come from has not but instead thrived to the present day. Obviously the name will say it all. Snatcher's will steal or hijack eggs and/or larvae to use as hosts to create more snatchers. However the methods differ based on rovar host or situation.

• The first method of finding a host is purely concocted by the caste that had feared them. When going through a eugenics process known as 'examination', rioga will secrete a pheromone that is specifically tailored to snatcher's. One molecule will grab any one's attention. Once a snatcher(s) have answered, they will be redirected to a hatchery where many rioga eggs will be layed out. The snatcher carries on by examining egg viability through the use of a thin yet strong proboscis that penetrates the outer layer to reach the growing embryo. Taking a small sample of blood. The blood taken by the snatcher determines an egg's long-term viability. If an egg is predicted to not make it, a snatcher will take one by using it's spare legs then secrete a sticky substance to it's back to ensure it will not leave it's grasp. If an egg will survive a long life, it is left alone. They will take to 2 to 3 eggs and fly off for use as hosts for their larvae. Since snatchers are allowed access to the eggs without any form of resistance, they can be deceptive when determining their viability.
• The second method is for snatchers who are not fast enough to answer the call of the rioga. They look for nests that seem either lightly guarded or easy to sneak in. Snatchers will look for any possible way inside without drawing attention to itself. One is to kill a lone worker and take it's place. Or try to pass as one without killing. Should either of these methods succeed, a snatcher will crawl inside a nest without conflict. From there, they will follow the usual behavior until reaching the nursery. An arduous process that can takes either days or weeks to see completion. Once the masked snatcher is given a turn to care for the nursery, they spring to a larvae. Injecting an egg. At this point, they are at the most vulnerable part o this process. If done without interference, the job is done and the snatcher then quickly leaves the nest. As for the egg injected into the larvae, workers will not be able to tell what has gone down. Until then, the larvae is still cared for just like the others. In the developing stage, the hijacked larvae will still carry the pheromone recognized by workers.
• The third method is a more direct approach albeit dangerous. If no stealthy option is applicable, then the snatcher will barge right into the nest. The workers will see it is a threat and swarm over it. The swarmed snatcher will then release a pheromone that will start pandemonium among the workers. Causing all of them to start attacking each other. The snatcher will collect itself and look for the nursery. Upon finding larvae it will inject them with it's eggs. Snatcher's in this stage become presumptuous. The pheromone used to create chaos is not potent to last a long time but is only effective for short bursts. Once finished they will leave. While the infected larvae would still be cared for by workers.
• The last method that is one no longer practiced by snatchers. In the pre-spaceflight era, snatcher's would often attempt to try to turn a rioga embryo when a mother or father was sleeping, into another snatcher while in this form. The newly born snatcher would release a pheromone to confuse anyone trying to stop it and fly away to start the cycle again as it's parent did. Technological advancement and better worker screening made this obsolete and dangerous for them.

Uttu

A rovar known for it's high-quality and durable silk, the Uttu is a weaver. Placing webs in areas with high numbers of grubs to trap and consume from the inside. Although they are a common predator to workers and garda, most uttu have been sericultured for commercial purposes such as the designing of clothes. The silk they produce is highly sought after for it's clean and well-crafted design.

Uttu resemble something alongside Earth insects like spiders. Having eight legs and eyes.

Known Rovar

• Instan Orim - Last rovar emperor
• Adallinda - Rioga Empress
• Edlynne - Rioga Princess and Wyman's wife
• Tamvis III - Rioga Emperor
• Malko I - Rioga Emperor
• Mercekos I - Rioga Empress
• Goakos II - Rioga explorer
• Goakos I - First rioga emperor