Owa

The **Owa** are a coral based species with a grand sense of chivalry as the core of their culture. The full name of the Owa is **The Great Protectorate of Owa, Keepers of the Creche of Life, Dwellers in the Oceanic Depths, Reef Keepers and Sailors Upon the Currents of Space, Defenders of the Rainbow Worlds, Seekers of Heroism and Glory for the Owa Protectorate**.

## Biology

The Owa evolved on a frigid, dark world in orbit around a dead star, and so thus have no means of light perception, according to the Harika. They do, however, possess structures that suggest eyestalks, though these might merely be how the Owa percieve their technology and surroundings. Given their advanced understanding of anti-matter, it is possible that they possess extra-sensory abilities that allow them to detect advanced forms of energy. Beyond that, little is apparent about the Owa. They speak often of their circulatory system, suggesting that a constant flow of nutrients and dissolved gasses is important to their unique physiology.

This may suggest, given their additional lack of anything seeming to be a mouth, that the Owa harbor endosymbiotic bacteria, which utilize dissolved sulfur in water as a source of energy. Given that the aquatic Owa dwell in the depths, they may have evolved near deep oceanic trenches where the crust has cracked, thereby flooding the nearby waters with a wealth of heat and minerals. Much like our pogonophorans, the Owa may harbor these bacterium and receive a bounty of the energy as a reward for being a protective host. This is, of course, merely a guess, as the Owa were not interested in exchanging much about their unique race.

Reproduction was briefly touched upon; apparently the Owa's reproductive system is modular enough that it can be removed from the body. Effectively, all Owa castrate themselves voluntarily for the good of the species. Whatever form of gametangia the Owa posess is apparently hardy enough to survive storage in culture preservations.

## Culture

Owa philosophy is based on chivalry, honor, loyalty, and unforgiving opposition to those without such ideals. In fact, their strict code of honor shapes their interactions with other species, and they are so paranoid of the machinations of "lower" orders that they refuse to entrust any of them with the location of their homeworld or even a few ships. For a race that claims nobility and high valor, the Owa are really a bunch of cowards with a large ego to conceal it with.

The Owa believe in the Grand Destiny -- they seek, as the Eternal Ones have sought, to transcend physical form and to join with the Precursors, who they believe have already reached that state. In order to do so, the Owa rely on their strict adherence to noble aims, and the use of antimatter research, which seems to be a more pragmatic solution to their Destiny (after all, if they seek to leave behind their physical form, what better way to do it then to get rid of their material components?). Still, they are ensconced deeply into their noble traditions, and believe it can only help them attain their ultimate goal.

While they realize that other races follow a lesser destiny, as well as that they do not hold fast to the courtly manner, they do not seem to show much understanding of this. They respect claims of valor, but do not expect it of other races, and yet do not tolerate anything less. The nobility they strive to portray they expect of all they come in contact with, with probably disastrous result. As such, the Owa are unapproachable by all but the most tolerant and obeisant seekers, which is what they intended all along.

## History

Owa history seems to be long, but when punctuated by crises, as the Owa are quick to retreat whenever danger seems to threaten. They speak of climactic battles in space, and how they fought against the Harika, but offer no specifics. Of recent import, the Owa refused to join the Harika and Yorn in their struggle against the Hegemonic Crux, they refused to ally with the Crux forces, and refused to ally with the League of Sentient Races. Each time they claimed that their hosts were untrustworthy and too low-brow to aid them in seeking their Grand Destiny.

The Owa also had been dumping the anti-matter waste products on the Rainbow Worlds in the Kessari quadrant. After giving some to Plexor, they decided to restrict access to the anti-matter before any other race made a weapon out of it. The Owa launched a task force of two Voyagers per Rainbow World, to guard these planets from marauders, but the collapse of Hyperspace isolated these warriors, where those who did not aggressively attack the League still stand today. This pollution led to the inevitable collapse of Hyperspace, as the Rainbow Worlds act as a galactic scale Precursor system, designed to keep the stability of the Hyperspace intact to allow for interstellar travel, without the means of Warp Bubble Transport. With the Owa dumping their anti-matter on the Rainbow Worlds for seemingly decades, Hyperspace finally fell, leaving most interstellar ships trapped.

The Owa played little part in the League's efforts to stop the Eternal Ones; they merely contributed the means to collect the anti-matter for use against the Ploxus-Prime.