Iehuca

It is humbling to know the Iehuca. They are the greatest mind, and the largest heart, and the strongest spirit in the galaxy. And yet they are literal scum, drawn from pools to ride a humanoid puppet. Yes, it is humbling to know them, as one cannot know the Iehuca without questioning one's place in the cosmos.

-attributed to Kelor Vas, elven diplomat, c. 3008

Basic Information

Anatomy

Iehuca are microbes, comparable to extremophilic algae. When they pool together, they network like neurons in an animal brain, and are capable of super-sentient processing, thought, reasoning, philosophy, and art. When interacting with other species, a small number of Iehuca will isolate themselves from the greater pools on Iä to don a lab-grown human body. This drastically reduces their intelligence relative to the Iehuca pool, bringing them to a level on par with other sentient beings, albeit bearing greater empathy and wisdom than most species.

In order to make themselves easily identifiable as Iehuca rather than humans, Iehuca humanoid shells are generally given eyes with no visible sclera. These eyes often glow as well. The humanoid shells have a lifespan equivalent to that of a true human, and the Iehuca within cannot be removed before the death of the shell tissue. At this point, the Iehuca within (or their daughter cells, as the Iehuca continue to divide in the shell) may be returned to the pools on Iä, or may be placed in another humanoid shell, as the Iehuca desire and circumstances permit.

Genetics and Reproduction

Iehuca as single-celled entities engage in both sexual and asexual reproduction, but their humanoid shells are infertile. Their cellular reproductive cycle lasts roughly 17 hours.

Ecology and Habitats

Iehuca pools are primarily made of highly concentrated sulfuric acid, with a vast amount of nutrients from nearby dissolved rocks and other microbial lifeforms.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Brightly colored, glowing eyes with no visible sclera.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Iehuca in humanoid form give themselves single-word names, often identifying an ideal or virtue. Names include Temperance, Illumination, Glory, Piety, Consideration, and Reverence.

Beauty Ideals

Iehuca don idealized humanoid forms, generally favoring human and orc appearance over elves and dwarves. Neither gender is favored over the other, and androgynous forms are also a popular choice.

Gender Ideals

Iehuca have no gender. They are comfortable using a pronoun suited to their humanoid forms, or using the more-correct plural pronoun "they."

Courtship Ideals

True Iehuca reproduction is below the level of their sentient thought, and merely occurs on the cellular level. A Iehuca wishing to explore the humanoid concept of courtship, which is not uncommon, will attempt to closely follow the traditions of the object of their affection.

Relationship Ideals

Iehuca wishing to pursue a relationship with another species often do so to explore the existence of that species. They therefore are open to whatever traditions that species wishes to observe. Their humanlike forms pose the normal difficulties humans experience when engaging in relations with elves, though.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Iehuca do not speak in their natural form, using instead a form of hive-mind telepathy. When bound to a humanoid shell, the Iehuca retain an ability to speak telepathically, but only over short distances and to those with whom the Iehuca have forged a sincere bond.

Common Etiquette Rules

Iehuca are consummate diplomats due to their natural empathy. "Alone," or as close as Iehuca ever get, they are very meditative in nature. In mixed company, they adapt readily to the etiquette and protocols of the surrounding culture.

Common Dress Code

Iehuca dress as humans, albeit favoring colorful robes when possible. Most Iehuca match their ensembles to their vibrant eye color.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Understanding, collaboration, and consensus (or, more practically, majority-rule) are key elements of Iehuca philosophy, which is the closest thing to culture they have. The root of this is obviously their natural state, which exists as a single super-mind, but it reflects in their laws, protocols, and presence in greater Party culture.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Iehuca speak of the ecstatic return of "prodigal" (i.e., humanoid-bound) Iehuca as a sort of festival, or even occasionally as an intimate relation. Integrating such a wave of new experiences and ideas into the collective gives a euphoric rush to all those present. A natural extension of this is the desire for Iehuca to "truly know", as they say, new acquaintances and companions. Iehuca have been known to sit with and ask about an individual in a way that can be uncomfortably intimate to some. In order to ease tensions, many Iehuca have been known to brew tea and serve light snacks during this empathic bonding experience; some other races have come to refer to this as the Iehuca Tea Ceremony.

Common Taboos

Iehuca do not see it as their place to judge other species' affairs, even when that would be convenient or expedient. For many years, the harsh environment of Iä was a sanctuary for fugitives, because this extreme view led to obstinate asylum laws. The Iehuca government now takes the exact opposite approach, extraditing fugitives in their jurisdiction to any white-listed government or megacorporation. (Party institutions currently at peace and in good standing are almost exclusively white-listed in this sense.)

Common Myths and Legends

While a very spiritual people, the Iehuca do not have true "religion" as the elves do. Rather, they are meditative and contemplative, with a philosophical bent. Their collectivism leads them to see a oneness to all life, and to seek similarity and analogy between their own experiences and those of others, rather than look to the differences setting them apart.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

It cannot be emphasized enough that Iehuca are consummate diplomats. Every species considers them their closest allies. The Iehuca, in turn, see galactic politics through rose-colored glasses, and are somewhat naive about the tensions that consume other races and factions.

Lifespan

17 hour mitotic cycle; 90 years in humanoid form

Average Height

1.7m in humanoid form

Average Weight

65kg in humanoid form