Youkai (Maelstrom)

Arcana is a polity of strange matter life forms within the Deliverance sector. Their recent excursions into neighbouring areas has caused their existence to become a growing rumor in those areas.

Full Name: Arcana Space
Species: Youkai, Familiars
Territory: Deliverance
Government: ?
Ruling Body: ?
Capital: Arcanum (conceptual)
Population: ?
Size: ?

History

The first few waves of human colonisation travelled at a relative snail's pace, acting independently on poor information and even worse communications with the homeworld. While successive advancements allowed newer ships to quickly overtake and recollect those destined to get into trouble, a few inevitably slipped through the gaps. Running on a primitive, early model hyperdrive, the colony ship Arcanum was targeted at the Deliverance sector and quickly became mired in the depths of its shredded space-time. Off course and off schedule, the ship was eventually stumbled upon by the strange matter life form for which it became the seed of sentience.

Strange Matter Life Form (at the time singular) originated from the activation of a certain Tivlin superweapon and is possibly linked to the creation of the Deliverance sector itself. Its "homeworld" as such is probable one of several candidate strange stars in the region. Spontaneous genesis was followed by the achievement of rapid, arbitrary, self-directed improvement. This evolutionary singularity resulted in some mobility and metastability but, perhaps due to unique nature, did not produce sentience in the ordinary sense. This resulted in a dangerous equilibrium – what could be considered an exceptionally lethal piece of Dawn War fallout – until humanity was assimilated.

Obviously, every single human died in that encounter, but they left a legacy in a way they could not have imagined. The life form assimilated the ship, its sleeping passengers and culture, attaining both sentience using human cognition as an anchor. The being split permanently into an entire tiny shadow civilization that began to think, grow, and develop in its own right. This civilization took the ship's name as its own and its present growth is essentially a new singularity in progress.

Biology

The technical name of these beings, for the purposes of xenobiology, is simply strange matter life form or less formally, "strange critter". Their own name for themselves is a bit more colorful. Although they aspire to humanity, most individuals are cognizant of their true natures and thus contrast themselves as youkai, or "monsters".

In terms of structure, even the material composition (much less biology) of the youkai would be beyond the reach of most polities' physical sciences. Their bodies are hyperdimensional, and entirely composed of abnormal matter and so-called dark energy. This is a somewhat higher energy state, meaning they are slightly degraded by contact with ordinary matter.

Elemental composition nonwithstanding, youkai wear human or human-derived forms consistent with ordinary biology. This mimicry provides vital framework for the consciousness without which sentience would cease to be. Youkai can and do pass themselves off as human quite readily, though appropriately advanced scanning will make their nature obvious. Youkai possess superhuman physical powers, but forces that are not deflected before striking the true body will disrupt strange matter and enough of it will cause the form to disintegrate.

Psychological Outlook

Youkai use humanity as a reference point with which to regard the rest of the universe. For this reason, they often come across as fairly human. They have (and greatly value) emotions, creativity, and are strongly drawn to environments, activities, and cultures appropriate to humans. By some measures, they are much more human than some of the more extreme transhuman offshoots. On the other hand, they are generally aware just how far from being human they actually are, which inflicts them with a certain sociopathic detachment exacerbated by their generally great power.