Vejovis

The **Vejovis**, also known as the *Sowers* or simply the *Phage* were an ancient species of unknown origin that were responsible for much of the ancient life within the Milky Way Galaxy.

## Background

The exact origins of the Vejovis are unknown to this day. Hyur scientists hypothesized they were either a more traditional species that discovered a grotesque form of biological ascension, or perhaps a species native to another dimension, such as slipspace, that used the Milky Way Galaxy as its feeding grounds.

### The Grim Cycle

The core entity of the Vejovis are the Brethren Moons, a series of moon-sized creatures throughout the galaxy that consumed all organic life they encountered through the use of their Monoliths.

The Moons consumed new worlds by sending out Monoliths which traveled through space and impacted upon planets. It was unknown if the Sowers specifically targeted worlds that showed promise for intelligent life, or if the Monoliths are actually responsible for encouraging the evolution of sapient species.

The Monoliths broadcasted an electromagnetic signal originating from the Moons that mentally affected intelligent beings. This signal manifested either as dementia or as a compulsion to replicate Monoliths through artificial means. This along with the fact that the Monolith signal represented a source of apparently limitless electromagnetic energy drove intelligent species to create Monolith copies—Emerald Monoliths—that are inevitably distributed throughout their territory. However, the signal had another function: It could alter necrotic tissue on the molecular level, causing corpses to reanimate and become Phage, horrific creatures that would lash out at their former friends and family to spread the the Monolith’s influence further.

After a Phage infestation claimed the majority of a planet's population, the Monoliths on the planet would initiate a Convergence Event—the birth of a Brethren Moon. Once the Convergence began, the flesh of the Phage and other dead tissue within the Monolith's area of influence are flung into the stratosphere where they began to form into a new Moon. The Moon not only absorbs organic material, but also planetary fragments as well.

The creature is only finalized once the creators of the Monoliths are absorbed along with the planet's entire biosphere. Once the Monoliths are absorbed as well as a large portion of the biosphere, the Monolith itself gravitates to the central heart of the Moon so it can communicate telepathically with the rest of the network as well as release broadcasts to other nearby Monoliths.

The Vejovis seemed to have a particular interest in allowing species to advance technologically. The Hyur hypothesized that perhaps a more intelligent species resulted in a more intelligent Brethren Moon, or perhaps they were farming the galaxy as a form of outsourcing their own technological development.

### Fall of the Sowers

It is a bit unclear for how long the Vejovis cultivated the galaxy as their feeding grounds. However, Iconian scientists discovered the threat through fragments of even older civilizations. It is the Hyur however, who discovered a way to disrupt the Monoliths, delaying the time until the Sowers would arrive and reap their crop.

The Vejovis however, would be no easy opponent. Though the species of the galaxy at the time were bought time to prepare, the Vejovis were more ancient and more advanced than they.  They were not however, prepared to fight civilizations that had become more advanced than they had schemed.

The time the Hyur had bought the galaxy lead to perhaps their ultimate weapon against the Vejovis, the Caseal. An army of autonomous life forms who were thought to be immune to the effects of the Monoliths and the Vejovis’ viral weapons. Assisted by the Caseal, the unified races were successful in seemingly defeating the Sowers, though not without great cost.

## Echoes in the Modern Galaxy

Despite their contributions to the fight, the Hyur civilization was gone, ravaged by a virus created in revenge for their meddling in the Sower’s cycle. It’s remnants giving birth to Humanity and other human-like species such as the Lordani. Other ancient species formed pacts and settled into melancholic ages, while others seemed to retreat from the galaxy entirely.

Some Monoliths still exist among the stars, though it's unclear if they still spur on the growth of sapient life. Regardless, no Brethren Moons have appeared in recent history, though one can still find the scars of the ancient conflict.

### Planets Known to Have Monoliths

* **Exis:** A cornerstone of Osseen society, becoming a key component of their energy needs. Perhaps the source of their aggression against the Syknans.
* **Iconia****:** All are believed to have been destroyed.
* **Minos:** All have been destroyed or kept in careful confinement for study.
* **Heimisgardar:** Used as a perpetual energy source by the now extinct Kij'nik'ik. Unconfirmed that it was the source of their constant infighting that doomed their race. Survived as vault power sources until destroyed by the Vordr at the advice of the Formians.
* **Phaataha:** Seemingly the site of the birth of a Brethren Moon. The planet's biosphere was ravaged 1.5 billion years ago, its surface dotted in perhaps the most active set of monoliths encountered. This planet seems to have produced a plague that doomed the Cereans.

## Forms

Due to their biological and assimilating nature, the Vejovis come in a wide variety of forms, though the CAST classify them into four broad groups.

* **Subsumed Form:** Often just called "Phage", the subsumed are those who have died and been converted into living weapons.
* **Combat Form:** Given either a small pool of victims, or if planetary assimilation poses a credible threat, these horrors are formed out of the merging of multiple subsumed, ranging from the size of a tank to a Titan walker.
* **Void Form:** Effectively a combat form that has become the size of a space ship. Used as escort units for brethren moons or as crude planetary assault weapons.
* **Brethren Moon:** The apparent leaders of the Vejovis and the largest of their forms.