Xchagger

The **Xchagger** are a race of quasi-sapient microorganisms. They are openly friendly and will try to help other races in any way they can, only asking in exchange that they be treated as equal sapient beings. Having just reached the stars, they are somewhat naive, which resulted in the Hegemonic Crux succeeding in taking advantage of them. They see other sapient life as being "overly complexified", showing their belief that all that is needed for sapience is a lone cell.

## Biology

Xchagger on their own are semi-sentient, relying more on instinct than intuition. Rather uniquely for a sentient race, they gain sentient when enough Xchagger are working in concert, as a hive. A representative is usually tasked with serving as the mouthpiece of each colony and is the individual who communicates on behalf of all Xchagger in the colony. Not even the Xchagger themselves understand how this hive intelligence works, and only realize they are intelligent and sapient despite what others, such as the Daktaklakpak, state.

Xchagger have an astounding breeding rate, with a new generation being born every few minutes, allowing their colonies to spread at unprecedented speeds. However, this doesn't mean that the Xchagger have a short lifespan, quite the opposite. Without external factors, a single Xchagger can live indefinitely and this provides much to the memory of the colony it belongs to, allowing the colony to recall things from generations ago without need for oral history or records.

Xchagger colonies have the capacity to expand continents, with stacks reaching high into the sky or heat furnaces stretching deep into the crust of the planet. These are produced from a material the Xchagger exude themselves, which is also used in the construction of their starships.

## Technology

Xchagger's microscopic size allows them to utilize and manipulate Precursor technology in a variety of ways and is the centre of their technological prowess, having developed their ships, the Enclaves with Precursor technology buried deep in the surface of their planet. Their ships are constructed from the same substance as their hives and is largely made from matter the Xchagger secrete themselves.

## History

The Xchagger developed on their homeworld of Zosma VI and in time, spread their colonies wherever they could, up into the sky and down into the crust of the planet. From these heat vents into the soil, they found Precursor artefacts and used the technology stored within to build their own fleet of ships to travel to other systems. It was during this initial phase of exploration that Hyperspace was destroyed and the Crux found them. The Xchagger offered servitude in exchange for exploration of the stars, but the Daktaklakpak intervened and insisted the destruction of the race. The Daktaklakpak destroyed all Xchagger colonies, finding the species to be inferior to all other forms of life and unworthy of survival. They kept the last colony for experimentation and observation in the Xchagger home system. This experience left them doubting whether or not they would be taken seriously by larger lifeforms, so when the Captain offered them a position in the League of Sentient Races, they accepted without a second thought. They do take offence to the idea they are a plague, being more similar to mould in biology. To this end, the news of the Harika Plague horrifies them and they seek the Lost Dynasties of the Xchagger, taken by the Daktaklakpak for dissemination amongst the Harika and Yorn. Upon the reclamation of the Lost Dynasties, the Xchagger are thrilled and join the League in full.