Droden

A race of robotic constructs created by the Avikan during their wars with the Theleans, controlled either by a full AI, by basic programming, or remotely by an Avikan operator. The Droden, being built as cheap and expendable soldiers, have a skeletal structure inspired by that of the Avikan, but more minimalistic so that fewer parts are needed. The Droden thus lack tails, have fewer joints in the legs, and feature more basic feet. They come in two variations, War Frames and Utility Frames. The majority of the Droden are mindless constructs due to the Droden War of 205 BF, which lasted 9 years, and culminated in the ban on full AIs in Avikan territory.

Droden were created by the Avikan, sharing the same homeworld, but being robots they don't care too much about living conditions. They have a very high range of operating temperatures and don't need a breathable atmosphere.

If a Droden has civilian status, it means they are lawfully considered a full citizen, and equal to any other Avikan (or anyone/anything else) in Avikan society. Many Avikan will still look at civilian Droden with disdain, but by law they are equal.

As for who makes sentient Droden: nowadays, basically no-one does. There have been some individuals who produced a handful of sentient Droden in recent years, but the vast majority of sentient Droden were built before or during the Droden War.

That means that most sentient Droden are well over 280 years old by now. There's not many remaining nowadays.

### Design

Their design was mostly made to look like a very simplified version of an Avikan - simpler leg structure, no tail, slim body and slim heads, all to make them easier to mass produce.

War frames were built specifically for combat, and have more durable plating while sacrificing some other things to make them especially cheap to produce (they need to be disposable after all). Utility frames are more general frames used for widespread tasks: they are barely armoured at all, but the rest of their systems should last a lot longer as they aren't intended to be as disposable as war frames. They usually have more computing power too, as the war frames could often be controlled by simple algorithms with an overseer coordinating the army's larger movements.

Droden have a pretty wide range of motion in their shoulders. It allows them to move very much like an Avikan, and navigate difficult terrain without too much trouble. For utility frames this is especially important, as they may have to lift items in various ways, and manipulate all sorts of tools that are built to be used by an Avikan.

Colours on Droden Legion units are used to denote roles, but utility frames generally only use colour for decoration.

Droden will perceive the world somewhat like we do. They were built in the image of the Avikan, and so have cameras to provide them with sight and audio receivers for hearing. They lack most of the other senses, but they gain things like radio receivers, allowing them to "hear" and thus locate radio signals like we do sound. They have no direct sense of touch - that's far too advanced for disposable robots - but they can detect stress on some limbs to tell them if they are correctly holding a weapon without needing visual confirmation.

Droden with full AIs can show emotion in their voice. The simpler droids don't have that ability - some aren't even able to talk at all - but the full AIs have pretty advanced systems.

There's a lot of variation in the physical strength of Droden units. Basic units are weaker than an Avikan, because they don't necessarily have to perform any tasks that require physical strength. War frames aren't typically much stronger, as they are mostly built to wield guns and stronger actuators would require more energy and more expensive materials. There are specialized units that ar far stronger than an Avikan, however, especially the utility frames built for construction work.

Power sources for a Droden can be swapped out, so long as they provide the proper amount of energy for the processor unit to function properly. Those always run on electrical energy, so using an exotic energy source will require that energy to be converted into electrical energy first.

Other modifications to the external hull aren't much of an issue: so long as the skeleton remains the same, you can replace the outer shell with any material you like. If you change its weight too much that could cause issues, but then you can also replace their actuators with stronger ones to support a heavier body.

#### Processors

Drahls, Drahlids and Droden are equipped with relatively weak processors and such, which just don't offer enough power to create a true AI. Droden with AI have a special AI box - a sort of highly advanced quantum computer - which allows them the processing power to gain sentience.

A 'standard' Droden frame has reasonably powerful processors, but they are all basic computer parts running relatively simple systems. Their programming can be upgraded to get more advanced behaviour, and come closer to simulating sentience, but these types of Droden will never gain true sentience.

Sentient Droden have a different internal structure: most importantly, they have an additional computer (don't have a proper name for it yet, but Mass Effect calls it a Blue Box). This is a specialized quantum computer that allows for such advanced simulation that you can achieve 'sentience'. Although whether you're actually achieving full sentience, or just simulating it so well you can't tell the difference, is something many scientists are still debating.

Sentient Droden units are almost always survivors of pre-Droden War times, though rare cases exist of sentient Droden being produced after that event. The creation of advanced AIs is still outlawed, but that doesn't stop all Avikan from attempting it. General opinions on the Avikan are shifting, and it's possible creation of sentient Droden could become legal again in the future.

The sentient Droden were programmed to be much like the Avikan, especially in their desire to be meritful. They were generally built for more specialized functions than the Avikan are born with: some were built as military commanders, others as housekeepers or engineers, and those initial roles have an effect on the personality of the Droden. In general though, they do share the same strength that drives the Avikan, but the desire to be meritful is the most prominent character trait built into the sentient Droden.

It's the processor unit that makes a Droden who they are, so technically they can connect their consciousness to some other body, but it'll cause some issues. Their "brains" are built to work with a standard Droden frame configuration, so switching to a completely different type of body would be extremely disorienting for them. They'd have to completely rebuild their brain's motor functions, and might not ever fully adjust to the change of body.

#### Energy

Droden are powered by highly efficient battery packs, located inside the chest area. These batteries can store a lot of energy, and allow the Droden to operate for extended periods of time. They've got a slot on the back where a power source can be inserted, which is generally a rechargeable battery with a very high capacity. But since all of the systems simply run on electricity, any kind of power source can be used so long as the connectors line up and the voltage and such are right. Most Droden have a battery pack, but you could add some type of fuel burner module too, or even a nuclear-powered module. (though those haven't been used outside of military experiments)

Droden with a battery pack can also be recharged via wires, so they'll often be seen hooked up to a power station when the battery runs low. In wartime, the Droden use their battery packs to power their weapons in addition to their own bodies, which drains their batteries much faster than the regular rate. In wartime, a Droden may operate for a few days before running out, but under normal circumstances they can easily reach weeks or even many months depending on their role/function and model.

Currently, Droden battery packs can be recharged almost anywhere (Avikan use global connectors for everything) or they can be taken out and replaced with fresh batteries. The latter is the more common practice for combat units, as the downtime should be minimal, while utility frames are most often charged at any charging station.

Droden repair themselves at dedicated repair points - they can have pretty much any part of their body replaced, other than their core processor unit. In wartime, mobile repair and recharge points would be deployed on the battlefield, allowing the Droden Legion to repair and recharge itself after every battle, and even during some battles. Recharging usually involves switching out battery packs for new ones, but they can be recharged with a wire (or in rare cases wirelessly) too.

### Weaponry

The Droden use energy weapons mostly because it simplifies the design of military Droden units. Conventional/ballistic firearms would require the Droden to carry around magazines, reload weapons frequently and do other things that are easy for an Avikan, but require advanced technology to replicate in a robot controlled by an AI (or a remote operator). With energy weapons, there's only need for a sizeable battery to power the weapon, and the Droden already carry those to power themselves. Batteries can be recharged at a central recharging station, further simplifying the design of military Droden units and their weapons.

The Droden are all about simplicity and practicality, and so the switchblade seemed like a perfect adaptation to its Avikan designers. Droden units fight mostly at range, but they sometimes have to enter into melee combat as well. Dedicated melee units are given regular swords, but it's impractical to equip every Droden with both a sword and a shield. A simple adjustment, like a mechanized blade attachment to a relatively basic ranged weapon, is cheaper than equipping Droden with two weapons and the ability to carry both. It also allows them to swap weapons very quickly without worrying about sheathing any weapons mid-combat.

Droden blades are relatively sharp, but not too durable. They don't use the highest-quality kavanite, and don't hold their edges too well. They need to be resharpened after every battle, but their simple shape makes it easy to do that maintenance en masse. There's special machines built to resharpen hundreds of Droden swords in mere minutes

Violated Droden blades can actually have some other minor improvements, too. The tendrils are the control mechanism, but a tool being violated also means that Thelean nanites attach themselves to the target. Those nanites can reinforce the blade's edge, making them sharper and more durable, as the nanites automatically repair dents and cracks.

### History

One of their primary functions was to act as disposable soldiers to fight off Thelean invaders, and at their height, the Droden Legion nearly matched the Avikan military in numbers. After another repelled invasion, the Theleans made use of the Droden by spreading a virus that would lead the Droden to rebel against their creators.

A few years after the (second) Thelean invasion was repelled, the Droden rose up against the Avikan, marking the start of the Droden War. The Droden ultimately failed in their rebellion, and the Legion was as good as destroyed, but they did great harm to the still-recovering Avikan military and the overall society, weakening them for the third Thelean invasion.

The Droden rebelled against the Avikan and left them weakened during the Third Thelean Invasion which came just a few years after the Droden were defeated - leaving the Avikan in a severely weakened state - but the Third Thelean Invasion isn't the one that sparked the exodus. (that was the ninth and final Thelean Invasion)

Those that rebelled were pretty much all destroyed/dismantled, with very few surviving the Droden War. Those that did survive had their AI cores removed (and destroyed), with the bodies being reused as non-intelligent droids. (either with very basic programming, or being remotely controlled)

Some already sentient Droden were corrupted by the Theleans and fought against the Avikan during the Droden War, but not all of them were. A few fought against the corrupted Droden, but the Avikan didn't always recognize these loyal sentient Droden and so destroyed many of them in their purging of the Droden. There were definitely a number of loyal sentient Droden who fought alongside the Avikan, however, and those are the ones that still survive to this day.

At least for the military sentient Droden. Many sentient Droden were utility frames before the war, and so never participated in combat.

### Relation with Avikan

Many Avikan still hate them for the Droden War, but other Avikan have accepted them as part of Avikan society. The vast majority of Droden in Avikan society are mindless droids, only performing basic tasks they were programmed to perform. Since the Droden War, the number of sentient Droden has been very small.

They were under the influence of Thelean hacks and propaganda, but the Avikan weren't aware of that at the time: they only saw their own robotic armies - which were built to defend the Avikan against the Theleans - turn against them and start massacring Avikan troops. In addition, Theleans look like machines from the outside, and the Avikan initially mistook them for a race of machines.

Those two things combined - the Droden uprising and the Thelean invasions - simply bred a culture in which AIs grew hated above all, even if that hatred wasn't completely rational or fully justified.

The Avikan have been more lenient towards AIs, and in the Starbound mod, one'll find plenty of Avikan who have no hatred of AIs, but it's still ingrained very deeply in their culture.

Avikan opinions on the Droden are split: some still hold on to the hatred of the Droden Wars, while others have forgotten and forgiven many things and see the sentient Droden as valuable individuals. Some believe Droden to be equal, while others believe them to be inferior to the Avikan: opinions are very varied. Avikan who are careful about expressing their acceptance of the Droden fear that their friends, family etc. might not share the same sentiment, but there's no global repression happening in Avikan culture.

### Opinions on themselves

The sentient Droden have varying opinions on the matter. Some do hope for the Droden to one day split off and become their own nation, but many Droden only wish to be accepted into Avikan society. They have free will and can think for themselves, but their original programming still makes up a good portion of their personalities: it's like an artificial instinct for them. One of those instincts is an overwhelming desire to serve the Avikan nation. This instinct isn't as strong for every sentient Droden, and some have managed to break it entirely, but the majority stil want to be part of the Avikan nation.

It makes the distrust and the hostility of the Avikan towards the Droden even more tragic.

They definitely feel a kinship with the other sentient Droden, though the feeling isn't quite as strong as it is between humans or Avikan. Non-sentient Droden are mostly viewed as tools, just like how the Avikan see them. The non-sentient Droden have no personalities and have no thoughts and feelings, nor do they have a capacity for developing sentience without completely stripping the unit of its processor units and replacing them with more advanced tech.

There are exceptions, of course, and some sentient Droden do feel more strongly for their non-sentient counterparts, but they are not a majority amongst the sentient Droden.

### Rhadeis

Their programming actually doesn't include much about Rhadeis. The Droden's reverence of Rhadeis comes from the same source as the Avikan's reverence: a deep respect for Rhadeis's actions, and a realization that without those actions, the Avikan wouldn't have survived and the Droden would never have existed.

A Droden could join the Rhaiod, it hasn't eve happened before, but there is no law against it. There would be many Avikan who'd dislike such a thing happening, but if a Droden has proven their merit and is accepted as a member of society (which is already a rare occurrence, especially since there's not many sentient Droden left) they could technically join the Rhaiod and even become a priest.

### Other

Of the few remaining sentient Droden, plenty broke away from the Nomada. Most will have ended up on their own, in a small community of Droden or just dead, but some may have found their way to the Akkimari or Theleans. The Akkimari are the more likely option though - they may be chaotic with short tempers, but they can be quite open to outsiders as well, while the Theleans are often far less accepting.

### Trivia

This section is both for trivia and quotes by Aegonian that didn't seem to fit anywhere else.

* It's definitely possible that some of the Droden from the war survived and fled Kadavan, but they wouldn't have the knowledge to create more of their kind. AI boxes are pretty rare in Avikan society now, though there are a number of well-defended stockpiles of AI boxes salvaged from Droden after the war was won. There aren't any active factories building new ones, though.
* One could also remove all of the wiring and the processors from a Droden frame and just install the hardware of another sentient robotic race, but they wouldn't be happy about that.
* [Q: Could a sentient Droden control nonsentient droden?] "Only in the same way an Avikan would control non-AI Droden. Some of them are remotely controlled, but communication is heavily encrypted so they can't be turned against the Avikan unless you obtain the controller. For autonomous units, you'd also need to hack into a command centre to change the behaviour of the Droden units."
* Player Avikan, in the Starbound mod, could be seen as more lenient toward AIs. But, it is for the player to decide, what their stance on this is like.
* Droden players would likely be utility frames rather than war frames - they're a lot more likely to be full AIs too - but there had to be some distinction between genders. The purple icon is for utility frames, while the blue one represents war frames.
* {How sentient would the Droden Watcher be?} "One of the few fully sentient Droden. They still conform to the standard Droden manner of speech - that's just how their programming works - but they're fully capable of forming their own opinions, and can feel some manner of emotion as well."
* Droden player in Starbound mod is a Watcher agent.
* ["Say you were to get a Violated Droden to obey commands from Avikan, could it use thelean tech?"] "No, not the main tech. The Droden was some vesomeyr attached to it which have overwritten its core programming and which force the unit into its violated behaviour, but those can't be controlled by the Droden to manipulate Thelean tech."
* [Is it possible to purge the vesomeyr from violated droden?] "It'll be a challenge to get all of them - the vesomeyr dig into the Droden pretty deeply, and create a web of tendrils inside - but yeah, you can purge it. Cut it out, burn it out or otherwise destroy the tendrils, and you can halt the corruption. You'll probably want to replace the central processor and memory core though, as those will have been altered or damaged by either the vesomeyr or the purging of the system. You can probably recover part of the memory core, preserving the Droden's personality before violation to some degree, but they'll never be exactly the same again."
* [About Thelean nanites] "The nanites can spread a bit, but spreading them too thin reduces their effectiveness. The tendrils can't spread on their own at all, and since they are the controlling mechanism, it's mostly safe to use violated technology: the nanites may cause some minor harm, but they could never fully corrupt something without the tendrils to guide them. The nanites can reinforce parts of the Droden, Drahls etc. much like how they enhance a sword's blade. They can strengthen actuators to improve strength, or overclock weapons technology for greater damage output (at the cost of the weapons losing some of their safety functions, but that's not an issue to the Theleans). They can also access the Droden's processor units and transmit any valuable data stored within to the Thelean Dominion."
* [Can a droden learn the force by having a xanafian crystal installed the same manner the centen devices do?] "If you also install the technology needed to draw energy from the crystal, and project it outwards, then yeah, you could sorta recreate the force."