Droyne
Droyne | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Typical Leader-caste Droyne. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Base Information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Classification | Omnivore/gatherer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Major Race | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locomotion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Terrain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Body Form | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Confluence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bio-Identenoid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Size | 1.0m to 2.0m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 25m to 50kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Culture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Languages | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Social Structure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technological Epoch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Psionic potential | Standard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Origin World | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Homeworld location | Eskayloyt (Droynia) (Unknown location) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
UWP | X000000-0
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Primary Star | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Atmosphere | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Off-world presence | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zoetic individuals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference | Droyne . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Canon | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Also see | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Droyne are a Major Race inhabiting scattered worlds within an area slightly larger than the region of the current Third Imperium.
Physical Sophontology
The Droyne homeworld is Eskayloyt, also known as Droynia, and is an unknown location. Imperial explorers have been searching for Eskaloyt for centuries upon centuries and the true location of Eskaloyt remain a mystery to this day.
Evolution and environment
This species originated on Droynia (world) and developed intelligence. The history of their evolution remains a puzzle because their home world is not known with certainty. However, it is theorized that the Droyne are a small race derived from winged omnivore/gatherers.
Evolution
This species developed intelligence in response to unknown factors.
Subspecies
Some Imperial scientist and researchers consider Chirpers to be a subspecies of the Droyne, while others consider Chirpers to be atavistic (retrogressed) Droyne. The Imperial scientific community remains divided with these theories.
Ancients
Although the Droyne are well known as a race, and have been the subject of extensive research by academics, it is only recently that a hypothetical relationship between the Ancients and the Droyne has been even partially understood.
Climate and environment
This species holds the following environmental preferences:
- Terrestrial planet
- Temperate climate
- Grasslands and hilly ecotopes
- Standard to low gravity
- Standard atmosphere (higher tolerance for trace pollutants than mainstream sophontdom)
Genetic Code
- No information yet available.
Anatomy and physiology
The Droyne vary in size depending on caste but generally stand one meter tall although workers and warriors are often much larger and taller than Humans.
Body Plan
- Semi-humanoid
- Bilateral symmetry (2-ial)
- Hexapod (6-ped)
- Two limbs used for manipulation "arms"
- Two limbs used for aerial locomotion "wings"
- Two limbs used for surface locomotion (biped) "legs"
- Tail
- Body consists of three segments
- Head with sensors and multiple-use orifice (consumption, communication, and respiration)
- Torso with manipulatory "arms" and flying "wings" limbs
- Abdomen with locomotor limbs "legs"
Biochemistry
Droyne have a conventional carbon-water based biochemistry.
Respiration
Droyne use a conventional respiration cycle consisting of:
- Oxygen-nitrogen inhalant
- Carbon dioxide exhalant
Diet and trophics
- Omnivore/gatherer
- Homeotherm
- Many, perhaps most, Droyne seem to prefer a primarily vegetarian (herbivorous) diet.
- While most Droyne seem to prefer a vegetarian diet, Chirpers and many more primitive Droyne seem to have no problem with eating fish, amphibian, insects, birds, or other small animals.
Gender and sexuality
Droyne have the following reproductive characteristics::
- 3 genders (Egg donor, Activator, Bearer)
- Mild sexual dimorphism
- Oviparous birth
- (Iteroparous): Uses K-selection and have few offspring that require considerable amounts of time to raise to maturity.
Cultural Sophontology
Droyne psychology functions as a subset of the the Droyne psionic society. Individuals suborn themselves to communal (group) values and individual Droyne personalities often seem quite uniform to other sophonts. but, to a Droyne, they can discern even little divergences from the community mindset, which form their personalities to other Droyne.
Droyne, who work in non-group roles, such as scouts, spies, and the like, tend to form personalities and individual mores based upon the soceities they are dwelling among, or upon groups looked on as normative by a Droyne in one of these roles. For instance, a Droyne working as a scout may take on the gregarious nature of a typical IISS scout from the Third imperium. May Droyne have adopted personalities similar to the communities of Humaniti nearby, although these adopted psychologies are always tempered by the Droyne dedication to the communal ideal.
Interventionary Stance
Strong Galactism (group outlook)
Droyne definitely put more value on group and community dynamics than that of individualism or tribalism. The Droyne dedication to their species survival is particularly strong. Droyne seem to have a commonality of mindset that is not only remarkably uniform, but also remarkably united in outlook. While Droyne have a near uniform outlook, individual personality characteristics do exist and more particularly in those Droyne that participate in extra-species interaction such as merchants, soldiers, diplomats, and the like.
Culture and society
There is little individual freedom in Droyne society, and as a result, society and government join into one concept. Workers work. Leaders lead. All of society is dedicated to continuing the existence that provides all members with food, shelter, and the other amenities that make life enjoyable.
In addition, there is little discord in Droyne society when things are running smoothly, as each member of society has its own function to perform. Only when disaster happens is the group forced to strain.
A typical Droyne group consist of a variety of Droyne from the different castes. There will be many workers, few drones and leaders, and technicians and warriors based on current needs. Each group will also have several sports, although they may not be present; instead they may be occupied with their own solitary tasks.
This is not to say that Droyne are mindless. Leaders are quite capable and responsible; warriors have strategic and tactical senses; technicians are inventive and clever. But all accept the central group as a part of their lives and work for its benefit above their own.
Social Organization
A Droyne society, be it large as a world or as small as an isolated enclave, is called an Oytrip. Oytrips are further divided into rigid castes determined when an individual reaches adolescence.
Please see Dreskay and Tyafelm for more information.
Cultural Hierarchies
The six castes of the Droyne all serve different functions within Droyne society. Although identical at the time of caste selection, caste members develop pronounced physical and mental differences by maturity. Different genetic programs are awakened by differences in diet and environment among the various castes. Young leaders, for instance, experience a nearly 30 percent increase in brain size in the first year after casting; drones develop sexual organs; and so on. The following are descriptions and definitions of the castes:
- 1. Drone "Aydirsoth" Caste
- Drones have a variety of purposes in Droyne society. They perform a reproductive role which makes them both fathers and mothers to Droyne young, and they have a role in the ceremonies which determine caste for maturing young. In addition, drones comprise a sort of middle management caste, which is responsible for many of the routine functions in business, trade, and administration.
- 2. Leader "Aykrusk" Caste
- Leaders are required to manage and direct society. They are ultimately responsible for everything that the Droyne as a whole do.
- 3. Sport "Praytsirv" Caste
- Although the caste system of the Droyne is rather rigid, the sport is the deliberately accepted exception to caste structure. Sports are special individuals who cross caste lines to become individual scouts, messengers, representatives, hunters, prospectors, and to take other occupations that require individual initiative or separation from Droyne society for long periods of time. A sport is the most encountered Droyne away from a Droyne world.
- 4. Technician "Ayssath" Caste
- This caste is the science-oriented portion of Droyne society and is concerned with both research and practical implementation of technology.
- 5. Warrior "Aydih" Caste
- Trained for combat and possessing comparatively well developed muscles and reflexes, the warrior is the security troop, the soldier, the marine, and the policeman of the Droyne culture. They are common in frontier bases, and less numerous in civilized areas.
- 6. Worker "Aydin" Caste
- Manual labor and mundane ordinary activity are the province of the worker. Workers are not too smart and are temperamentally suited to contentment with ordinary labor and subservient tasks.
Linguistic Sophontology
This species is known to communicate with other species using the following methods.
Language and letters
This species uses the following types of language to communicate:
- Body language
- Spoken language
- Visual language (sign language)
- Written language
- Exotic communication (telepathy)
The universal Droyne language is known as Oynprith. Unlike like many other tongues, Oynprith is remarkably uniform and seems to suffer next to no linguistic drift compared to other languages.
For centuries, only the vast distances separating Droyne worlds from each other concealed the fact that Droyne worlds had a common language. That is not to say every Droyne spoke the same language; indeed, different Droyne communities spoke different languages, often very different languages. But all Droyne communities shared one common language — Oynprith, the language used in the coyn casting ceremony. Outsiders missed Oynprith simply because it was not used in public very often; it had a status as a ritual or ceremonial language, much like the status of Latin on Terra.
In interstellar commerce, Oynprith was soon discovered by Droyne to be a universal language among their race; as trade increased, Oynprith became more commonly used, finally reaching a status as the universal Droyne language.
Aesthetics
This species holds the following values regarding art, architecture, ornamentation, etc.
Droyne societies of the past have held a vast variety of aesthetic tastes and preferences, so many that it is tough to make even the most broad generalizations about Droyne cultural preferences.
Droyne architecture tends to be utilitarian in appearance, but many exceptions exist including many that outside observers still have not a clue to their reasoning or purpose. The Droyne visual arts are also similarly ephemeral.
Music is puzzling to Droyne; they don't understand it. But a favorite pastime is synchronized motion... complex marching patterns that cover hectares and thousands of participants at a time. Sort of like military Marching, but more akin to dancing or synchronized swimming.
Morality
This species holds the following values regarding a sense of right and wrong:
Droyne ethics are a near mystery to outsiders. Very little is understood of deep Droyne psychology.
Archaeological Sophontology
There are so many different Droyne societies and worlds that it is difficult to record the histories of all of these disparate entities.
Some Imperial historians have proposed that the history of the Ancients IS the history of the Droyne, but this theory, while having wide acceptance, is still disputed by many.
- See Ancients for more information.
Historical Eras
This species has had a very long history and is widely known for the mysteriousness of its background.
Societal Sophontology
No information yet available.
Government and politics
The Droyne Oytrip Yatroy is the generalized term used for the totality of Droyne governments by sophontologists, which includes smaller planetary governments and larger multi-system governments, all of which follow a government form known as the "Droyne Hierarchy".
In Oynprith, Droyne Oytrip Yatroy translates as the "Mandate for Droyne Community".
The Droyne don't seem to require governments in the same way that other sophonts do. And the Droyne certainly don't seem to have a need for territory in the same way that Aslan, Vargr, or Humaniti does.
Droyne governments exist within other polities although most Droyne-controlled worlds seem to be located with in the Third Imperium. The bottom line as nearly any Imperial political scientist or sophontologist will tell you, is that the Droyne, let alone their governance, are simply not well understood.
Psionic Governance?
The Droyne Psionic Society would even be the envy of the Zhodani if they truly understood Droyne psychology and society. Unfortunately, Droyne society and governance are not well understood.
The Droyne Psionic Society is very different from the polities of Humaniti and most other sophonts. Droyne society and government are very much a function of psionics.
The Droyne Leader Caste is already psionically programmed, or genetically evolved, if you will, to lead and direct droyne societies. As such, other Droyne are strongly disposed towards following the direction of the Leader Caste. The Droyne don't need to codify their laws since they are already understood on some basic, primal level.
Droyne Governments function as a part of the Oytrip.
Please see "Droyne Social Organization (Castes)".
Government Structure
Due to the biological caste nature of the Droyne, independent Droyne worlds essentially have one underlying government type: Droyne Hierarchy. When balkanized worlds are found containing Droyne, each and every Droyne territory is a Droyne Hierachy type government:
Code | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
X | Droyne Hierarchy | Established communities are ruled by hereditary and long-established governments |
- Please see polity entry at Droyne Oytrip Yatroy for more information.
Military and intelligence
Droyne societies maintain local constabularies for maintaining law and order and also often form private militaries dedicated to security purposes and self-defense.
Please see polity entry at Droyne Oytrip Yatroy for more information.
Business and trade
Most Droyne worlds are TL–10 to TL–14 averaging TL–11 or TL–12. Many Droyne worlds are known to possess technolgies of a considerably more advanced nature than the official TL 14 maximum porposed by the Imperial Census Bureau. Droyne merchants and traders are well-known throughout Imperial space and beyond. Dhoylezhokka.
Please see polity entry at Droyne Oytrip Yatroy for more information.
Astrography
Droyne have a cosmopolitan distribution and can be found throughout the majority of Charted Space.
Homeworld:
The homeworld of this race is:
World Listing:
Significant communities of this race are known to exist within the following systems:
startbacknext(118 listed) |
Sector Listing:
The Droyne can be found throughout Charted Space although limited concentrations seem to correlate with areas of higher sophont populance. Some attribute this to Ancients geneering, but that is only a theory.
References and contributors
- Marc Miller. Twilight's Peak (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 10.
- Gareth Hanrahan. Secret of the Ancients (Mongoose Publishing, 2012), 1.Marc Miller. Secret of the Ancients (Game Designers Workshop, 1984), 1.
- J. Andrew Keith, Marc Miller, John Harshman. Droyne (Game Designers Workshop, 1985), all.
- John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (A-M) (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 12.
- Marc Miller. Referee's Companion (Game Designers Workshop, 1988), 21.
- Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Traveller: The New Era (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 72.
- Dave Nilsen, David L. Pulver, Andy Slack, David Thomas. Alien Races 3 (Steve Jackson Games, 2000), 63-105.
- Martin Dougherty, Hunter Gordon. The Traveller's Handbook (QuikLink Interactive, 2002), 2.