Ee'koi

Ee'koi
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Qrichiezoa
Phylum:	Polyencephalia
Class:	Zoopoda
Superorder:	Heptapoda
Order:	Aspidocephalia
Superfamily:	Eekoidea
Family:	Eekoiidae
Genus:	Eekoi
Species:	E. polysophus
Binomial name
Eekoi polysophus

The Ee'koi (Jegcre: /ι:ꝛҽ͜ɷ/) are a sophont species in the Settled Systems. They are native to the planet Qrichie in the Tbeew system.

Etymology and name

The name Ee'koi comes from the Jegcre word iigeo, meaning "many zooids".

History

Main article: Ee'koi history

Habitat and population

Ee'koi evolved from ancestors living primarily near bodies of water and intertidal zones, making them a particularly well-adapted amphibious species. Most Ee'koi settlements are located on or around bodies of water, with very few choosing to live inland. Now, Ee'koi have colonized various worlds in the Tbeew Prime Cluster. Many of these worlds have very different climates and atmospheres to Qrichie, which has led to Ee'koi building domed habitats that emulate their native environment on many worlds.

Society

Due to the plural nature of Ee'koi biology, Ee'koi society is extremely communal rather than individualistic. Traditionally, Ee'koi society is divided into clans, tribes and castes. Ee'koi are not motivated by personal gain, but rather by their function within their clan or tribe. This function is determined by their caste.

Clans

Main article: Ee'koi clan

Clans are large groupings of Ee'koi birthed by the same hatcher dynasty. The hatcher dynasty typically traces its origins to a single hatcher who then birthed the original generation of the clan, generally numbering in the dozens. Of those, a handful will be designated hatchers to further the clan’s lineage, depending on the clan’s size. Major modern clans can contain millions of Ee'koi and form a cultural and political unit. Leading the clan is traditionally elders of a specific caste, which depends on the clan (most clans are ruled by the guard caste, though many are ruled by the builder caste). The breeders are also seen as cultural figureheads of the clan. Clans still exist in the Space Age, though since the planetary unification of Qrichie in X AAI there has been a concept of the "Ee'koi clan" (also known as "Ee'koikind"), where the entire world government is treated as a sort of "superclan" overseeing the constituent clans.

Tribes

Whereas clans are the cultural and political units of Ee'koi society, tribes are the more local social unit. A tribe is typically restrained to a single village, or since the Industrial Age a part of a city. Tribes form more tight-knight communities, being the primary caretakers of new generations. Members of a tribe are generally from many different castes, each having their own duties within the community. There are no "leaders" of a tribe per se, though in practice most turn to the elders for leadership functions.

Caste system

Main article: Ee'koi caste system

Castes are an Ee'koi's genetically pre-determined role within society. The reason this is genetic is because it is in great part determined by the zooids that make up the Ee'koi's body. These roles are divided into two categories: breeders (hatchers and drones) and workers, the latter of which being unable to breed but serving roles within the community such as nursing, guarding, building, foraging or tending to crops and livestock. Rarely, some Ee'koi can be born unfit for any specific role; they are then referred to as "casteless" (Jegcre: hiiw creeg jbiew).