Angio

The **Angio** are one of two major sub-groups of the Flora, a race of sentient plants native to the planet Piot. Compared to their Gymno counter parts, Angio are far more colorful and delicate. While their skin is deceptively durable, the Angio have culturally fallen into the role of galactic diplomats, a role that they fulfill in earnest in the Coalition of Federated Star Systems.

## Biology

The Angio, along with the Gymno, are a sub-species of the Flora and are native to the planet Piot. The name Angio is derived from the human word angiosperms, which are flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed within a carpal. Similar to angiosperms on Earth, Angio are a highly diverse and colorful species.

On average, Angio are shorter than the average human; they also have a much thinner build, which lends to their naturally androgynous appearance. The skin of Angio, more technically known as stem, is primarily composed of a complex system of cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin and more. This gives their skin a deceptive durability with Angio being able to sustain more bodily damage than humans. Most Angio have stems that come in varying hues of green.

A defining characteristic of the Angio that differentiates them from Gymno are their flowers. Most Angio have flower petals on their heads that grow in varying ways and directions, giving their scalp a look not unlike humans with their hair. Female Angio also grow a protective petal shield on their breast that serves to protect the seed chamber from harm. The petals come in a wide array colors ranging from red, blue, orange, yellow, pink, purple, and more.

Being that the Angio are not animals but plants, they do not possess the sexual dimorphism of other races. This does not mean that there are not physical differences between male and female Angio. Besides the protective petal shield that females possess, male Angio have antennae-like anthers that bear pollen when ready that protrude from their head petals. There is little difference between the vocals of male and female Angio; Angio vocals tend to be similar to the vocals of female humans.

Angio mature quicker than humans with them reaching adulthood after just twelve years of life. The process of Angio reproduction mirrors that of angiosperm reproduction on Earth with the females bearing fruit in their breast chambers that are then pollinated by the anthers of male Angio. A pollinated seed than incubates over the course of a month before it is ready to be planted in soil. The parent Angio then proceed to plant the pollinated seed, which then grows into a baby Angio over the course of a year. Once their body has taken a shape similar to a newly born human baby, the sapling unroots itself and proceeds to grow into an adult Angio over the subsequent eleven years.

Angio require three main resources to survive: water, nutrients, and sunlight. Angio can consume water by simply bathing in it or drinking from a glass like humans do. Nutrients are gathered from soil via the root hairs that line the feet of Angio; Angio do not have a digestive system, meaning they are unable to eat foods like other races. As for sunlight, most Angio require at least nine hours of sunlight per day in order to remain healthy. Their dependence on sunlight led them to mutually create with the Gymno a means to harness the power of stars into small lightbulbs, which are found everywhere in Flora ships and architecture.

The lifespan of Angio ranges between 75-200 years with the most privileged living well into their hundreds.

## History

Throughout most of their pre-space-faring history, the Angio remained in conflict with their Gymno brothers and sisters as well as other Angio. Similar to humans, the Angio divided themselves into primitive groups that eventually evolved into nation-states. Sometime nearly two thousand years ago, the Angio and Gymno of Piot collectively agreed to federate under a United Piot. Shortly after, the Angio and Gymno made contact with the Qerydon, who subsequently brought them to the galactic stage.

## Culture

### Gender

The Angio do not divvy expectations or roles based on gender as they lack a concept of gender. Despite this, most Angio are fine with going by human pronouns when communicating with humans.