Samsari are a clade of Moksha who have evolved into mutualist symbiosis with Gnoliths, intelligent crystalline beings. Gnoliths are immobile and insensate, but their psychic capabilities are utilized by the Mokshaic aspect to give them various capabilities.
Origin
The Gnoliths are an intelligent crystalline species that evolved on Gnolith Planet (Need Name). Their minds are particularly psychoresonant, which made them the most fitting partners for the first known form of Samsaric Manifestation in the universe. While sentient beings in their own right, the Gnoliths were relatively mentally primitive by the time their minds were essentially colonized by Moksha. They aren't called Sapioliths for a reason, you know?
Primarily psychic entities with endosymbiotic colonies of various life forms. The physical core is a crystalline lifeform that would normally be immobile and non-sentient, but happens to be an excellent receiver for psychic thoughtforms, effectively the closest thing to a psychic entity manifesting itself physically. The psychic part of the entity imbues the physical with the ability to suspend itself in the air and use simple telekinesis to manipulate its environment. Biologically, the psychic entity is a Commensal.
Relative to other species, their appearance is extremely varied. A snowflake structure is extremely delicate but more conducive to psychic energy, and the greater surface area allows biological processes to take effect more quickly. A perfect sphere is the opposite in those respects.
The crystal by itself is not viable except on its home planet, buried in the dirt. But colonies of moss, protists, cnidarians, vines, coral, or other immobile/less-mobile & less-sentient lifeforms are added to the crystal core to create a simple metabolism that allows it to survive in a variety of environments.
Samsari’s sensitive capacity within our dimension is limited to detecting thoughtforms of living creatures. They do not have the capability to see, hear, smell, or spatially orient themselves in our dimension. As such, they make use of specialized sensory structures: these may be crystalline, mechanical, or biotic.
While telekinesis is a relatively simple task for them, it does pose a greater expenditure of energy than necessary. Most prefer to attach tentacles or prehensile vines that are controlled through simple nervous systems. A minority make use of legs, usually insectoid.
Types
Sapiolith
Eschew material symbiotes save the Gnolith. By necessity, the most Telekinteically gifted species.
Manalith
Take on additional biological symbiotes to grant capabilities like locomotion and sensation, transferring signals to and from the organs via specialized structures on the surface of the Gnolith.
↑ REWRITE
↓ OLD CONTENT, CHOPITUP
Psychology
The majority of Samsari seem to be in accordance in terms of how to live a good life, and what to do with it. They cooperate to reproduce, share resources freely, and work toward a common goal without much fuss. As their crystal cores do not put out Soma to the extent a normal organism would, they seek it through exchange with other entities they contact in the mundane plane. That is, by helping other organisms reach fulfillment, they receive an exchange of the Soma they cannot produce themselves.
Culture
The bulk of their efforts seem to be to proliferate life throughout the universe through the use of terraforming "seeds". To them, all life is unified, and eventually some part of it will evolve into a perfect form that will transcend physical & psychic reality. This is partly an effort to produce more Soma, as well as a proposed answer to the question of entropy, which nags the psychic plane as it does ours.
They are tolerant of other powers, even those that are predatory and seek to exploit life and nature. They do not seek to enforce balance or order, but will take up arms against existential threats. Life is not something sacred, but rather useful, important, and efficient. Non-organic technology is not shunned but is generally not preferred due to its fragile reliance on the importation of scarce resources.
They do tend to have run-ins, however. Their terraforming seeds are evolution catalysts - this can lead to a new form of intelligent life in the intergalactic community, or it can lead to a mushroom that feeds on a rare mineral that other factions were fighting to the death to acquire. So while they don't generally seek conflict, they tend to rub pretty much everyone the wrong way at some point.
While mostly comprised of Samsari, their missions tend to attract adherents of other races: nature-worshipers who have found their spiritual mission, Last Question crusaders, and Anarcho-Collectivists who just dig the way of life.
Biote technology looks like a pastiche of super-sterile lab equipment & organic life (aesthetics ranging from an overgrown petri dish to a carefully manicured bonsai). Rather than relying on rampant but unpredictable growth, they design their tech to carefully control & direct the reactions desired. So they are careful botanists rather than wild fecundators.
[...]
Odds are, if a myth arose regarding a beast or god that was inspired by altered consciousness instead of a concrete historical event, it was due to a communication with a psychic entity with a real existence. E.g., Biotes may have been telling the story of Zeus to us from across the universe, but the story was muddled by our human understanding.
Technology
Samsaric technology tends to be efficiency- and sustainability-forward. They have ways of generating and using organics where other technologies could not (i.e., using in place of fuel).
Relative to other species, their appearance is extremely varied. A snowflake structure is extremely delicate but more conducive to psychic energy, and the greater surface area allows biological processes to take effect more quickly. A perfect sphere is the opposite in those respects.
The crystal by itself is not viable except on its home planet, buried in the dirt. But colonies of moss, protists, cnidarians, vines, coral, or other immobile/less-mobile & less-sentient lifeforms are added to the crystal core to create a simple metabolism that allows it to survive in a variety of environments.
Samsari’s sensitive capacity within our dimension is limited to detecting thoughtforms of living creatures. They do not have the capability to see, hear, smell, or spatially orient themselves in our dimension. As such, they make use of specialized sensory structures: these may be crystalline, mechanical, or biotic.
While telekinesis is a relatively simple task for them, it does pose a greater expenditure of energy than necessary. Most prefer to attach tentacles or prehensile vines that are controlled through simple nervous systems. A minority make use of legs, usually insectoid.
Psychology
The majority of Samsari seem to be in accordance in terms of how to live a good life, and what to do with it. They cooperate to reproduce, share resources freely, and work toward a common goal without much fuss. As their crystal cores do not put out Soma to the extent a normal organism would, they seek it through exchange with other entities they contact in the mundane plane. That is, by helping other organisms reach fulfillment, they receive an exchange of the Soma they cannot produce themselves.
Culture
The bulk of their efforts seem to be to proliferate life throughout the universe through the use of terraforming "seeds". To them, all life is unified, and eventually some part of it will evolve into a perfect form that will transcend physical & psychic reality. This is partly an effort to produce more Soma, as well as a proposed answer to the question of entropy, which nags the psychic plane as it does ours.
They are tolerant of other powers, even those that are predatory and seek to exploit life and nature. They do not seek to enforce balance or order, but will take up arms against existential threats. Life is not something sacred, but rather useful, important, and efficient. Non-organic technology is not shunned but is generally not preferred due to its fragile reliance on the importation of scarce resources.
They do tend to have run-ins, however. Their terraforming seeds are evolution catalysts - this can lead to a new form of intelligent life in the intergalactic community, or it can lead to a mushroom that feeds on a rare mineral that other factions were fighting to the death to acquire. So while they don't generally seek conflict, they tend to rub pretty much everyone the wrong way at some point.
While mostly comprised of Samsari, their missions tend to attract adherents of other races: nature-worshipers who have found their spiritual mission, Last Question crusaders, and Anarcho-Collectivists who just dig the way of life.
Biote technology looks like a pastiche of super-sterile lab equipment & organic life (aesthetics ranging from an overgrown petri dish to a carefully manicured bonsai). Rather than relying on rampant but unpredictable growth, they design their tech to carefully control & direct the reactions desired. So they are careful botanists rather than wild fecundators.
[...]
Odds are, if a myth arose regarding a beast or god that was inspired by altered consciousness instead of a concrete historical event, it was due to a communication with a psychic entity with a real existence. E.g., Biotes may have been telling the story of Zeus to us from across the universe, but the story was muddled by our human understanding.
Technology
Samsaric technology tends to be efficiency- and sustainability-forward. They have ways of generating and using organics where other technologies could not (i.e., using in place of fuel).