Üsa

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The **Üsa** (pronounced Oo-sa meaning “people” in Üsan) are an Outback species which has only recently emerged from isolation on their home world. They have never before expanded beyond their home world, judging the risk too great and the benefits too unimportant, beyond a few trials of warp technology centuries ago. As a result of their isolation, and the technological and economic progress of their society, the Üsa have been without a government for millennia.

Biologically their life-span is fixed at 110 years and once reaching this age their bodies renew themselves, and they resume the aging process once again. This unique biology makes the Üsa functionally immortal.

The Üsa are technologically advanced for an Outback species on par with 23rd century Milky Way technology, however they have a distinct lack of experience with weapons technology and their ships while advanced have never progressed past prototypes for experiments. Their focus on the inward perfection of their society has alleviated poverty and crime leaving them to lead almost utopian lives. However, observations of their galaxy and the recent arrival of new advanced species have lead them to conclude that their inward perfection is at risk if they do not for the first time in aeons look outward.

# Biology

The Üsan biology is not dissimilar from most other advanced humanoid species, and the location and number of organs is almost identical to humans although in terms of physical resilience and strength they are akin to Vulcanoids. However, two features of their biology are quite distinct: the Üsan life-cycle, and the presence of a nerve-net. Biologically they have a remarkable life-cycle: their life-span is fixed at 110 years and once reaching this age they undergo transdifferentiation at the cellular level, transforming their aged cells into new cells. This returns the Üsa individual back to infancy, and they resume the aging process once again. Barring extraneous circumstances, such as violence or accident, the Üsa are functionally immortal. The life-cycle however does impact neurons as well consequently an Üsa individual does not retain a perfectly identical personality across their lifetimes. Nor do they retain a perfect recall of their previous life-times across their life-cycle, however some memory recall is common and amongst two recorded cases complete recall.

To perhaps a less remarkable, but no less biologically intriguing extent the Üsa possess not only a central nervous system but also a nerve-net. This web of nerve ganglions and sensory nerves close to the surface of their skin acts independently of their central nervous system, though its sensory perception is received by the Üsan brain. The nerve-net makes the Üsan very sensitive to touch, and to a limited extent it allows them to smell and taste through their skin. However, these sensory functions are mostly redundant and very poor when compared to their central nervous system's own sensory abilities.

# History

The Üsa have a rich history, which as a result of their unique biology, has remained remarkably well preserved and understood when compared to most other sentient species. Their first civilisations emerged in the ecologically vibrant and diverse freshwater swamp forests of Ünu (pronounced Oo-nu meaning “Wetland” in Üsan). According to their earliest faiths the Üsa were born of Nzü (a god of freshwater) mingled with Ama (a god of saltwater).

The earliest era of their history following their sentience and initial development however remains as scattered in their record as it does for most species. Forced by various environmental causes the Üsa eventually spread across the entirety of Ünu and evolved various and diverse early civilisations. However, roughly 64,000 years ago the Üsa had effectively restored contact amongst all their cultures, and mapped their world.

Over the intervening period until the 18th century these cultures would engage in escalating and devastating conflicts with each other. This period of conflict is often referred to by the Üsa as the “Time of Great Murder” and is regarded as a particularly shameful moment in their history. Motivating causes ranged from supposed racial distinctions to religious and to patriotic or nationalist reasons. Throughout this time technological and socio-economic development continued of course, oftentimes driven by these conflicts themselves.

Eventually one state emerged triumphant in these wars establishing a hegemony which eventually subsumed not only its enemies but even its allies (albeit decidedly more peaceably). This state, Mahü in Üsan, spanned the entire planet and consequently freed from external and internal threats there was a great flourishing of culture and development. Some of the finest achievements of Üsan art and architecture are dated to this period, and it was during the Mahü Hegemony that the largest cities on Ünu were populated. Indeed not even today are there centres of population on the same scale as during the Mahü Hegemony.

For the next thousand years the Mahü Hegemony was unchallenged and the expansion of Üsan culture went on unabated, however scientific developments also began to rapidly advance. The ability to automate most work tasks through technology would prove the Mahü Hegemony's greatest achievement, and also spelled its doom. Freed from the need to labour and able to devote themselves entirely to more poetic and philosophic pursuits the Üsa began to question the economic and social order. The records for this period are remarkably well-preserved, and there remain a large number of Üsa from the period still alive to provide eye-witness testimony – albeit distorted by their intervening life-cycles.

It was the development of replicator technology that finally and completely precipitated a popular reaction to the now outdated government of the Mahü Hegemony. With labour automated and replicators able to produce all basic essentials the need to maintain a centralised government was no longer necessary. The “Great Revolution” took only four hours to effectively end a millennia long nation. Seizing the parliament, revolutionaries ordered the dissolution of the state, and rather than injure a single Üsa the government complied.

With the end of the Mahü Hegemony the Üsa left most population centres and established numerous smaller towns and communities. Each community was autonomous and as want and poverty were not existent wars did not emerge as some imagined might. A new era of expansion of culture and science began afresh, fired by a new found freedom and self-realisation. In the 21st century several of these autonomous communities successfully developed warp technology, sharing this technology the Üsa came together for the first time in a century to develop prototype starships.

They would build twelve different prototypes, refining the design each time, until the final prototype – the Shamä – was completed and deemed ready to begin mass production. However, throughout the development and refinement of these prototypes a debate had gripped Üsan society. They wanted for nothing on Ünu and experienced no death nor threat, and yet the exploration of the unknown not only risked the lives of those who went but could bring a hostile alien to their idyll. It would take nearly two decades before the Üsa finally reached a conclusion, the starship program would be ceased and the Shamä would be placed in a public space for any and all to visit though it would never fly.

The Üsa turned their attention to ensuring their isolation would be undisturbed and undetected via the construction of a planetary shield powered by the planet's very core. The shield would not only protect them if any stumbled upon their world, they hoped, but also prevented any signals leaving their world to alert others to their existence. Every few decades consensus was reached to check for any update on the surrounding space, and the reports always made the Üsa retreat back to behind their shield.

For four hundred years the Üsa remained isolated from the rest of their galaxy, however the arrival of several alien species and the widening of hostilities brought a change in this policy.

# Society

## Population

There are presently 7.9 billion Üsa, all located on Ünu, and uniquely amongst most known species though this population has not changed in four hundred years. The biology of the Üsa meaning that they are effectively immortal, and their culture's extended period of peace and prosperity has resulted in the Üsa considering reproduction unnecessary and a complication.

## Language

The Üsan language has a large number of dialects, as a result of their fragmented state of living, and the last standardised attempt at education was over five centuries ago. Consequently the Üsan language has evolved in a diverse and idiosyncratic way dependent upon the community and its needs.

## Gender

While the Üsa have sexually dimorphic traits that may be seen as defining two dominant sexes as a result of sexual selection over the course of their evolution; their approach to gender is rather more complicated. As a result of their unique biology an Üsan individual may develop different gender identities over their various life-times – linguistically this has lead to all Üsan names being genderless – and so while an individual may have been male in a previous cycle that does not necessarily mean they will continue to be so in a future cycle. There is therefore little differentiation in Üsan society along gender lines, and this has almost always been the case.

## Sexuality

Again their unique biology makes 'life-time' commitments rather more lengthy than most species. Culturally the Üsa regard sexual experience and expression again in a more fluid manner than most species, and the concept of a life-time monogamous relationship is unknown. Even monogamous commitments within one life-cycle are rare though far more heard of.

## Education

Each autonomous community of the Üsa is responsible for the education of its members, though of course they are free to request assistance or guidance from other communities. There is no universal curriculum and the approaches to education vary wildly depending upon the community.

## Religion

Religion is regarded by most Üsa as a quaint story from their ancient history, with aesthetic if not moral value, and a dangerous weapon that must be kept safely locked away by others. The Üsa have not had widespread religious views since the “Time of Great Murder” and by the overthrow of the Mahü Hegemony they had almost entirely died out.

## Economy

The automation all manual labour and the use of replicators have rendered the need for any capitalist mode of production on Ünu irrelevant. The concept is alien to the Üsan who have come to regard every act as a contribution to a social well-being.

# Government

The Üsan have had no government for four centuries, however their decision to reach out to other species forced them to reconsider the need for a unified representation of the Üsa that can act and react quickly. Thus the Si-Üsa (meaning “One People”) was created to fulfil this need.

The Si-Üsa was founded to preserve the Üsan people and to ensure the survival of their civilisation. In deciding how best to achieve this the various Üsan communities deliberated for three decades before eventually arriving at the decision that it would regulate only matters of foreign affairs, anything with direct impact on Ünu would require the communities to achieve consensus.

## Organisation

The Üsan communities in their three decade debate eventually arrived at several conclusions: firstly the larger the group the more likely it is to reach an incorrect conclusion, and so limited the Si-Üsa to three individuals; secondly that competency was more important than representation, so the process of becoming part of the Si-Üsa could not be random or elective; thirdly what was required was an ability to access ideas, that is the ability to recognise for example justice in whatever physical representation it may have, and so a detailed examination was developed.

The three members of the Si-Üsa may be of any age, majority is determined not by chronology amongst the Üsa but rather mental capacity as judged by their community, providing they successfully complete the examination.

Members are regularly re-examined, and the exam itself is continually updated by the leading minds of the various communities, and should they fail they are dismissed from the Si-Üsa. Members of the Si-Üsa are also free to resign from their position at any time. There is no limit on how long a member may serve.

The Si-Üsa is expected to reach a decision by consensus, however in circumstances where one member must make a decision they are so empowered to do so.

## Laws

At present the Si-Üsa has created no laws nor treaties, however again their power is limited to foreign affairs and not applicable to the communities on Ünu without those communities' consent.

## Administration

The Si-Üsa presently occupies a purpose built building near the site of the Mahü Hegemony's old capital, and several communities provide staff as needed. Though as they've not yet established any relations with any species the Si-Üsa have little administrative needs.

## Foreign relations

Having only recently engaged with the larger galaxy, or galaxies rather, the Üsa have limited foreign relations at this time. They have however recognised the sovereignty of, and had their sovereignty recognised in turn by, the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Republic, the New Denatar Republic, and the Pa'li. They have also exchanged cultural and historical databases with the United Federation of Planets and the New Denatar Republic; as well as biological sciences databases with the United Federation of planets.

The New Denatar Republic has agreed to cooperate with the Üsa to help refine and perfect interstellar communication methods. Meanwhile the United Federation of Planets has agreed to send science teams to broadly help the Üsa develop their interstellar technologies - ranging from engines, ships, construction methods and so on.

# Arts and Technology

Üsan art and technology is advanced for an Outback species and noted for being particularly diverse as a result of thousands of artistic movements and scientific schools of thought being preserved and advocated across their history. A single town or ancient city on Ünu contains several thousand years of continual habitation and could divert the attention of a tourist or scholar for a life-time.

## Architecture

While each Üsan community has their own unique architecture, and their own architectural movements, common themes across Üsan architecture presently is a preference for: horizontal orientation, rounded edges and corner windows, smooth exterior surfaces, subdued colours, and a generally aerodynamic feel to buildings.

## Space Travel and Constructions

Üsan warp technology operates along the lines of an advanced Alcubierre drive, however they have little experience in mass production of the technology. Indeed despite having possessed the technology for over four hundred years the Üsan have still only one operational starship. While they have several satellites in low orbit, below the planetary shield, they have no space habitats or other sizeable constructions. All experimental stations throughout the system were pulled down and recycled when the decision to isolate themselves.

## Medicine

Üsan medicine is especially specialised having eliminated all natural diseases upon Ünu during the Mahü Hegemony, it remains focused on preventing any disease interfering with the Üsan's life-cycle. It has been remarkably successful in this fact, for four centuries no Üsan has died. However, they've no experience with alien species and have only theorised about alien biologies.

## Weapons, Armour, and Warfare

War having been eradicated by the Mahü Hegemony millennia ago and their being no resurgent need for weapons or other military technology the Üsan have allowed this aspect of technological pursuit to remain dormant. While equivalent to early 23rd century technology among the Milky Way, they've no experience with the technology and in point of fact it exists only in records presently.

The sole exception is their planetary shield, which they've continued to refine and update over the years, allowing it to remain at the cutting edge of their technological achievements.

# In-character knowledge

If the species or faction your character belongs to isn't listed here please contact Hektor OOCly to discuss what would be known to them. Otherwise please assume that they'd be unaware of the Üsa, as the Üsa have been exceptionally and deliberately isolated at the edge of the Outback. Also please your OOC judgement to decide exactly how much detail your character would know of the areas they could potentially know, consider facilitating RP always.

## Jenolan Alliance

Characters belonging to the United Federation of Planets, the Romulan Republic, and the Klingon Empire would be aware of the Üsan biology, and following the exchange of social, historical, and biological sciences databases the social and historical sections of this wiki-page. There is for the record sufficiently more information than presented here, and should you want to inquire as to something particular please contact myself - or strike up a conversation ICly with Qhapaq! The details of the Üsan home system would also be known.

## New Denatar Republic

The Üsa and the New Denatar Republic have agreed to share their cultural databases, so Denatar characters would be aware of the Üsan history and biology as well as important literary and other cultural movements. Assuming that the Denatar character is in a position to have this information shared with them, please contact Jay Hayes OOCly on this front. The two groups have also agreed to exchange the details and locations of their various systems. Further they have begun working together on refining interstellar communication technologies. The Üsa and the New Denatar Republic are in the process of establishing instantaneous, secure, and reliable communications between their two homeworlds.

## Pa'li

Characters of the Pa'li would know the location of the Üsan homeworld, as well as the key elements of Üsan biology.