Athezians Commonwealth

TIMELINE

This article takes place in the 26th century of Distant Worlds.

OVERVIEW

The Athezians, also known as the Athezian Commonwealth or Fujin Funganal-Sulphur Euryops, are an interstellar civilization originating from the Fujin Galaxy, a neighboring Galaxy to the Ulzumi Galaxy. Unlike most known species cataloged in the Archangels' Library, the Athezians are unique as sulphur-based, fungal lifeforms. Their small population, compared to other advanced civilizations, is attributed to their biological constraints, which posed significant challenges for adaptation to environments beyond their toxic, native planet. While humans need oxygen and pressure-regulated suits for space travel, the Athezians require far more complex engineering to survive outside their atmosphere.

Their home planet, similar to Shu'Zuya, is a naturally radioactive, biotoxic world, dominated by environments rich in ammonia and sulfur dioxide. While the Athezians have since repopulated their homeworld, humanity's first encounter with them was through the remnants of their civilization on Shu'Zuya, a planet near the Bridge's intergalactic neutral zone, established under the mediation of the Archangels.

HISTORY

On their home planet, the Athezians developed slowly, adapting to their harsh, radioactive environment. Evolution favored their resilience, granting them a natural ability to absorb and convert radiation into energy, which helped them survive. According to records in the Archangels' Library, the Athezians were an individualistic species without centralized leadership, so traditional hierarchical structures did not apply. Instead, they formed small, cooperative groups driven by common goals and a shared will to survive. Surprisingly, rivalry between these groups was rare, with each respecting the territories and resources of others. Over time, they developed a spiritual connection, symbolizing the two primary moons of their homeworld as divine leaders guiding them towards their destiny.

The era known as the "Fungal Transistor" marked a turning point for Athezian civilization. This period was defined by the invention of the first "biological computer," which utilized fungal neural networks to perform logical operations. Though they lagged in the development of electromagnetism, the Athezians excelled in biochemical engineering. Their initial spaceflights harnessed natural ammonia as fuel for their biometal spacecraft, which featured bio-integrated suits that utilized mild radioactive sources for power. This led to their first successful interplanetary missions, venturing to the moons of their homeworld. Yet, despite these achievements, they remained confined to their own star system, largely ignorant of hyperdimensional technology.

During their later stages of interplanetary colonization within their F5 IV star system, the Athezians encountered a dire threat. As Archdemon forces expanded through the Bridges into nearby galaxies, they targeted the Athezian system, intrigued by their advanced biochemical metal-blend engineering. The Archdemons sought to enslave the Athezians and integrate their technology into their own arsenal, particularly because of its regenerative, self-repairing properties—an area in which Athezian methods were remarkably efficient, even by Archdemon standards.

The fate of the Athezians shifted when the Archangels launched a counteroffensive against the Archdemon fleet near the Athezian home system. Recognizing the imminent threat, the Archangels proposed an immediate evacuation through the Bridge to Sahuri (the Milky Way). They offered the Athezians refuge on a temporary homeworld, Shu'Zuya, with guarantees of safety and cooperation. This plan was further solidified by the involvement of Tionisla, a local superpower known for its Bridge Guards. Shu'Zuya was named to roughly translate as "Salvage of the Damned," signifying the rescue of a civilization on the brink of destruction. In exchange for safe passage, the Archangels gambled on the Athezians' willingness to share their biochemical metal-blend technologies, hoping to integrate them with their own Angelic metal advancements. The gamble paid off, leading to a unique blend of engineering capabilities.

The Athezians remained in the Milky Way for over 514,159 years, even after the Archangels mysteriously disappeared. During their time in exile, they forged a close partnership with the Tionislans, collaborating on various technological developments, including their own AdS (Anti-de Sitter) travel methods. Eventually, with their newfound advancements and stability, the Athezians decided to return to their home in the Fujin Galaxy, aiming to restore and rebuild what had been lost during the Archdemon invasion.