Endalla

The Endalla are a race of sentient Myconid that have advanced psionic abilities built over their evolution as a scavenger race. There were first encountered at the Bellatrix Colony in 2378 by the Crew of the USS Svalinn after an individual was stranded there and began to consume colony members one by one in order to sustain itself.

## Biological Characteristics

### Senses

chemical receptors, advance psionic sense

## Biology

The Endalla are a myconid race that has developed sentience and mobility over the eons in theri search for food. Based on the findings of the USS Svalinn on Stardate 55394, in the Dyson Menagerie system, it appears that the Endalla first evolved their psionic powers in order to lure large animals into their fungal troop and placate them. These primitive Endalla could also disguise themselves as other harmless plants for a time being. However, these proto-Endalla were found on a space station after millions of years. How close they resemble the actual ancestors of the Endalla is a mystery.

The Endalla have mycelial they can manipulate to take on various forms, often resembling humanoids. They twist and pull at the mycelial to either work in concert to mimic the effects of muscles and skeletons, or to reform themselves into a new form. It takes effort to maintain this shape and they will often rest into a classical mushroom troop in secure locations, like private sanctums.

They can also bud and split off parts of their biomass into new creatures that follow their orders, often called a Bud. These Buds are directly puppetered by the Endalla who created it, and are often used for risky endeavours. Advanced or well trained Endalla can have several dozen Buds across a planet. Some of them can place simple scripts into a Bud that can give them the appearance of dog level intelligence without constant input from the Host. Others can be Homunculi that mimic the exact function and appearance of the Host, and are puppeted directly.  Destroying a Bud does not harm the original Endalla save for the loss of biomass.

### Native Environment

The Endalla evolved on a damp world near an energetic star. The Endallan Star is a Class F2 star that produces a lot of solar radiation, However, the Endalla homeworld is on the far end of the habitable zone and is quite cool. Temperatures average about 20\*C during the day and 10\*C during the night with nearly a 50% humidity. The Endalla homeworld is a moon that revolves around a class J gas giant with nearly 47 different cislunar bodies and numerous rings.

Due to the bright type F star with lots of radiation, there is an aversion to bright light which can damage cells and cause radiation damage if exposed for long. This goes double for Endalla who need a specific moisture level in order to function.

Much of the Planet is covered in lush temperate rainforest, much like the Cascade region of North America. There is little tectonic activity and thus the surface is metal poor. Most of the minerals have been imported from a neighboring moon that is geothermically active due to tidal forces. Without the tectonic activity, there are few mountains over 1500 meters.

There are two major continents on the planet. The main one is mostly lush forest on the west side where most of the Endalla civilization lives. The oceans are fresh water and seasonally flood the lower plains leaving large and rich swamps. East of the mountains, the leeward winds dries up leaving mostly arid plains. Some outpost and scientific surveys are done here, but they are few and far between due to the unfavorable conditions.

The Eastern continent has a smattering of islands clusters around it that are almost permanently cut off from the mainland, leading to a wide diversity of animal, plant, and fungal life.

About three times a year, the Endalla Moon is eclipsed behind the main planet for days at a time. These are usually marked by religious festivals by the Endalla.

### Predators

Being a Funginiod species, they do not fear carnivore animals. Carnivores might swat at an Endalla, but not hunt and eat them. However, they developed a biological fear of some native fungivore species. The two big ones are the Fenishi and the Gabnil.

The Fenishi are the large herd like creatures that roam the swamps of their world called the Fenishi. These tend to travel in herds of hundreds throughout the swamp to overwhelm a sole Endalla’s ability to psionically control. They have developed fencing and sonic disruption systems to keep them at bay. The Fenishi stand about 1.5 to 2 meters tall.

The second is a slug-like creature called the Gabnil, which has a distributed nervous system the Endalla cannot effect or psionically detect. These creatures are only 30 centimeters and live in the muck of the swampy environment. And will sneak up onto an Endalla, latch on like leeches and consume the biomass. The only treatment is avoidance and physically removing the limb they are latched onto. Some Foolish Endalla are slowly consumed by loss of biomass by traveling through swamps alone.

As such, the Endalla do not have an innate fear of carnivore based animals. Sharp teeth and claws and predatory stalking behavior do not unnerve them. What unnerves them are herbivores. Large creatures with distended stomachs and wide flat mouths with flat teeth.

### Shapeshifting abilities

The Endalla have minor pigmentation control over their biomass, as well as texture. They can mimic any organic surface such as mammalian skin or leather, tree bark, moss or other textures. Mammalian skin with fine hair is about as smooth as they can go, with a thickness as thin as 5 millimeters, depending on how complex the function of that biomass is. They also have a wide array of color pigmentation they can consciously shift into a new color, and then have it rest there until shifted again.

This allows them to mimic the shape of nearly any organic object, provided they have enough biomass. Their density, chemical composition, and mass does not change, only the outward appearance. The physical texture can shift from organic leather ro rough tree bark. The Endalla can also place simple sensory organs hidden along their exterior surface, such as simple eyespots, vibration, temperature, and pressure sensors.

The rest of their mimicry ability comes from placing illusions and suggestions into potential victim’s heads, luring them away from others and into striking range.

### Psionics

The Endalla psionics have evolved mostly for pushing psychic impressions into victims’ heads. They can use this to augment their own physical mimicry to make them look like nearly anything and have it be rationalized by the victim. Or they can use it to push suggestions into people. These psionic impressions are bottom up, thus any discrepancy is often rationalized within the victims’ head. Young Endalla can only push one or two impressions at the time, but more advanced Endalla have been shown to impress up to 100 mammals. There is little feedback from this, but enough to be useful. They can sense when a psionically active being is within 20-50 meters. An Endalla can also gain a sense of the motivations and mental state of a creature when focusing on it, using these to make a more powerful impression.

They are encouraged to use these among each other by culture as a means of training and sharpening their cunning.

### Nutrition

Endalla consume the fatty and electrically charged brains of higher mammals, often by piercing the skull with mycelia and absorbing the nutrients directly. They attack the brain first to pacify the prey and to gain an instant boost of strength and nourishment. The Mycelia then spread around the prey’s body and consume the rest of the nutrients, but this second step is optional if the Endalla has enough biomass. If they chose to continue with total consumption, they will sit with the dead remains for nearly a week as their mycelia pry apart and consume them, adding the mass to the Endalla as a whole. This excess biomass can then be used to multipulate their environment, change their form, or produce Buds.

### Reproduction

Endalla reproduce via spores and have hundreds of monomorphic sexes. These spores are dispersed into a common breeding chamber by individuals at least once a month. Once enough gametes are collected from individuals, they combine and produce new Endalla individuals which grow and mature in this chamber for a period of 30 years. After maturation time, they are released into the world as full grown adult members. Within this chamber, weak and sickly Yalti are thrown in live for the Nascent Endalla to consume and practice their hunting. They will also compete with each other with various psionic illusions and mimicry. Sometimes this competition is over space or food, or occasionally with direct cannibalism. About 40% of Endalla young are consumed by siblings. This competitive environment is encouraged by the adults as it is seen as necessary to foster creativity and cunning needed to be a successful hunter.

As the young are communally raised and bred, the idea of lineage is obscured to the Endalla. The young are the next generation for all, and all must work together to ensure their survival.

## Culture

The Endalla thrive on trickery and duplicity as a hunting method, and will often prank each other as a means of testing their own cunning and the cunning of the target. Camflaguing and trying to jump onto your friends is a common pastime, as well as mental puzzles and tricks. Mimicry into others of their kind, or other races, is common, as well as the use of Buds to trick other Endalla into thinking they are the Master.

With all the duplicity and deceit, the Endalla are very thorough in examinations and cautious. They expect deceit at every turn and will delight in discovering it before it can turn around and stab them in the back. Even among themselves, they are reserved and take quiet joy in pulling one over on their siblings, even if it is in the scope of a harmless game. Small puzzle boxes of incredible and intricate planning are often sold to each other as novelties.

Social ranking is achieved by being able to pull a publicly embarrassing trick on someone of a higher station, such as swapping out a prized possession with a fake, or scaring them with a convincing mimic. These are called a Display of Foolishness. It is believed that if they can be tricked so thoroughly, then they must not have the cunning and wisdom to hold responsibility. The reverse is true with superiors often testing and tricking their underlings in hopes of tripping them up to secure their rank, or in teaching them enough wisdom to be able to see through such trickery.

Endalla are very private and have Personal Sanctums they maintain in the city they live. Most business is done by a Simulacrum, leaving the main body safe and sound, but every so often, cultural or biological demands dictate that they must leave. The space is large enough for one individual. It is a matter of honor and trust to be allowed into a Santrum. Violation of that trust results in death.

Endalla are mostly solitary in their actions because of this, but will consult with one another to share mental loads. Most of the smaller vessels of the Endalla are commanded by a single individual and their various Buds and Yalti slaves. Larger vessels require more individuals, but they are handpicked by the commanding officer to be the most loyal and cunning.

Most manufacturing and commerce is done in open bazaar type towns where Endalla, Buds, and Yalto all conjugate.

## Government

Their Government is a parliamentary system with a small percentage of individuals debating a problem at length. These individuals are elected out of smaller states and brought together underneath a Legislative branch. Out of the Legislative branch, the Executive branch is elected. An election can be triggered by a vote of no confidence at any time. Most often, this is from a Public Display of Foolishness, with the person pulling the Display as the opponent in the Vote.

Legislation is long and audrius to write because every representative, and their constituents, keep attempting to sneak in cunning legislation that will favor them, or embarrass another. Most of the laws of the Parliament concern property rights and infrastructure. Lying and deceit are encouraged, along with forgery and blackmail. If you fall to Foolishness, perhaps you are not as cunning as you believe you are, and thus lose your station and your rights.

### Religion

The Endalla religion has moved towards a universalism where they believe that their race is an attempt by their God-force to raise itself. They do not have a concept of a God with a personality, but a more ethereal motivator. They believe the Endalla are near the top of consciousness and by improving their cunning, they can move the universe into a higher state of consciousness. By converting biomass into Endalla and by constantly working out Cunning and Foolishness, they can help the universe realize its own consciousness and awaken it.

The Yalto are subservient to the Endalla and view them nearly as gods. They rationalized their predation saying that if a yalto does good works and is subservient to the Endalla, when they are consumed by the Endalla, they become an Endalla, first as a Bud but slowly working up a reincarnation cycle until their souls become ascended to heaven. This cycle can go both ways and evil souls can be kicked down to Yalto to atone for sins.

#### Political factions

Most of the Endalla are within line of the culture. They believe they are superior to most Animal species and have a right to consume them. Converting biomass into an Endalla means that it is more useful and good.

here is a small, but suppressed group of Endalla who recognized the intelligence and problem solving seen in other races and say that it may be better to allow other cultures to expand and grow naturally so that another perspective may be gained, thus increasing the Cunning of all. This group calls themselves the Forest. Most members are secretive, and barely active within politics. This view is antithetical to Endalla culture as a whole as it admits that prey can be more Cunning than an Endalla and can teach.

### Cities

The Cities on Endallis are very naturally grown. Although some city planning is put in, the Endalla still plant native trees to use as bases for homes and businesses. This leads to a grid-like arrangement of trees that marks the existence of an establishment. Small buildings and huts are then interwoven into this grid using organic matter found nearby. The Endalla prefer an organic environment versus a more metallic base as it allows them to blend in easier. This also reflects their historical lack of metal and stone for use in building material. Public establishments are usually on the first floor with small private dens set up on the second floor higher in the trees. These dens are usually fairly small and no larger than a standard officers quarters. Modern technology is interwoven into this forest and used freely. Comms and power are interlaced with the tree grid and tapped into as needed. Power plants and commercial regions are kept out of sight and usually managed by Juvenile or elderly Endalla and a Yalto crew.

Such a building philosophy leads to an odd fairy-punk aesthetic to outsiders. The Public builds are often three walled, but some have privacy as needed. The Inner Sanctums are a private matter and guests are rarely allowed up there. These Sanctums are secured by various means and often have important treasures inside. It is here that the main Endalla live as they interact with the outside world through Simulacrum unless absolutely needed.

The Yalto are kept in simple hovels out of sight from the main streets, usually behind the public shops. The Yalto are permitted to keep small gardens and game for food, and some Endalla practice agriculture alongside the Yalto in order to provide for them. However, when a Yalto is sick, injured or Elderly, they are taken to the sanctum of their owner and consumed.

In the middle of the city is a large 100 foot wide circular building that is very carefully sculpted out of a massive tree. This is the Sporing Temple. Within this temple, Endalla go to release their spores once a month or so. It is considered indecent to spore in public so small relief chambers are used for an Endalla to relieve themselves. These spores are collected and then brought to a central pit where young Endalla are grown. Religious ceremonies of sorts are held here as well. There is no weekly gathering, however an Endalla may wish to indulge in a ceremony as needed for their soul. Some of these ceremonies involve teaching and tending to Young Endalla.

A Civic council building is also set up within this massive tree, and it is where public debates are held, within earshot of the young Endalla. However, in order to enter the Public Forums, there are a series of biological, neurological and reflex test that must be done. It is considered rude to enter the Civic Center as a Simulacrum. If you do not feel confident to defend an idea in person, then it is a Foolish idea.

### Transportation

Surface transportation is done via air-skirt hovercraft. Grav-hovercraft are used sometimes, but the Air-boat style works well enough. In the early days, they had log sleds that were pulled by Buds and beast of burden. Conventional aircraft and shuttles are used for long distance. Cites are built along perennial waterways classically. Some newer settlements have artificial waterways made for ease of access once that technology was available.

With the ease of access to a multitude of space bodies close by, space flight was tackled early on in the Endalla history, even before global unification. Competing city-states would send chemical rockets to other moons to claim resources. Many moons have been stripped mined to pieces with Endalla and Yalto residence.

Warp flight was discovered after the planetary ring was nearly fully colonized and other resources were required. The Endalla have been warp capable for nearly 500 Standard years.

Their starship design is inverted to most species. Rather than large and formidable capital ships, the Endallas built large, but cheaply made cruisers in the field manned exclusively by Buds, Yalto and maybe a Simulacrum in command. Their command ships are smaller, but more heavily build, with one to twenty actual Endalla individuals manning the entire vessel through Buds and Simulacrum. Their standard Military doctrine is to use the cruisers as a distraction and then bring in their command ships disguised as something else. Within Endalla culture, you do not destroy a Command ship, merely put it in “check” and force them to surrender or admit Foolishness. They adapted their mimicry and deception hunting style into space by extensive use of Tetryon weapons that scramble sensors as well as advanced ship-wide holo disguises.

Due to the nature of Endalla physiology, their Cruisers must be within light lag distance of the Command ship. A Cruiser will rarely have an Endalla proper actually on board, unless they are pulling an extended Test of Foolishness.

The interior of Endalla vessels reflect their native environment, with a swampy floor and cultivated plant life wrapped around artificial controls and doors. Where they can get away with an organic surface, they do. The lights are also dim and the humidity is higher than is comfortable to most galactic species. This makes boarding an Endalla Vessel dangerous as the Endalla can easily blend into the bulkheads of their own vessel.

## Yalto

The Yalto are the other sentient race on Endallus Prime. They developed a simple pack and scavenger behavior initially and had a primitive language. They would try to pick the remains of dead creatures the proto-Endallan were consuming. The Yalto then worked to herd large predators into Endallan traps so they can remove a predator and consume their meat. This made a simple symbiotic relationship between the two, but the Endalla gain sapience first, and slowly began artificially selecting Yalto for submission and ease of control. The Yalto do have opposable thumbs and simple tool use they used for hunting. They also have a simple language of nearly 5000 words (equal to about a 5 year old human). This is well below the standard of most languages of 20-50 thousands words, but enough to describe simple concepts. It is believed that advanced language was artificially selected against.