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Apis/Musca

Apis/Musca is a constellation system primarily known for hosting the star Myla and its orbiting planets Myla α and Myla β, both of which are considered the twin homeworlds of the Mylan species.

The name Apis ("bee") is the official nomenclature that has been used and accepted by Mylan inhabitants since time immemorial, however the name Musca ("fly") has been used by Terran individuals to refer to the constellation as seen in their night sky. Mylan authorities have found this acceptable, and for ease of referral, most Mylan individuals will recognise either.

CLIMATE

The twin planets are both situated an approximate equal distance from the star Myla, and orbit at approximately the same speed. As such their temperature and climate match almost perfectly, allowing for some small variation depending on extraneous factors.

They are warm, lush, humid planets with an abundance of flora and fauna, considered 'jungle' planets for ease of referral. Most of the surface is covered by thick forest, with giant flora and fungi making a high, thick canopy that casts much of the surface into shade.

The atmosphere is considered breathable by the majority of spacefaring races due to its high oxygen content, however care should be taken to avoid locations of mycopoxin bloom.

CULTURE

Mylan culture is governed primarily by monarchs and their workers; they take care of official business while allowing citizens to largely self-govern. In the past, monarchs typically took more of a back seat to cultural development, but have been required to take on more pertinent duties since the Apis/Musca system made official contact with the greater intergalactic culture as a whole. See monarchs for further information.

Mylan dwellings tend to reflect the wealth of variation in the species, and as such a Mylan home can be dug into the ground, constructed from plant matter and affixed to the trees, or even built from stone or metal and constructed with more modern methods. Standalone dwellings are still popular, but as culture has advanced, there seems to be a sociological instinct for a populace to build in a modular way, becoming close neighbours and working together to build streets, walkways, food production zones, and infrastructure. Such a gathering of dwellings is known as a hive-city.

Mylans are primarily industrious creatures who value efficiency and ecological balance; it is likely this natural instinct to preserve and cultivate the world around them that has caused the twin homeworlds to remain lush and abundant.

They take little interest in becoming entwined in the affairs of other spacefaring species, however, and instead prefer to cautiously observe, record, and learn.

Hobbyist endeavours and small businesses are not only encouraged but highly prized among Mylan society, as the physiological differences amongst the Mylan species are often far more wildly varied than, for example, Terran humans. Body size, numbers of limbs, possession and style of wings, primary senses, and much more may sometimes only be accounted for on an individual basis, meaning mass-production is by and large useless.

This has made securing intergalactic trade a rather tricky affair. As such, most spacecraft piloted by a Mylan will also have been crafted (or upcycled) by a Mylan.

MONARCHS

A monarch is a Mylan individual who has ingested enough royal jelly to initiate a specific kind of metamorphosis.

As far as Mylan bioscience can prove, the vast majority of Mylans are biologically capable of becoming a monarch, however the formula necessary for creating royal jelly requires expensive materials, a lengthy process of meticulous mixing and curing, and it does not store well. The metamorphosis itself takes time, as well, and requires a place of absolute safety and quiet where one will not be disturbed - if interrupted, the process can fail.

The original purpose of a monarch was to provide Mylan society with a kind of "failsafe" - monarchs often possess a much larger than average frame and a strong exoskeleton, as well as often possessing defensive capabilities beyond that of the average Mylan, though there are exceptions (see Monarch Zxte as a prime example). As an emergency measure, monarchs are also capable of producing large numbers of offspring in their similar amalgam image, however in modern times this is a somewhat obsolete capability given the spread and density of the Mylan population.

Monarchs instinctively surround themselves with workers. These are individuals hand-picked by a monarch to be trusted as that monarch's personal guards and aides.

Historically, a Mylan monarch would be attended to by their workers, and largely perform no other role than simply to exist in case of emergency. They would join the populace in fighting off threats, but as combat-based threats dwindled and the species' success seemed more assured, monarchs became - to put it simply - "just-in-case custodians".

In modern times, however, the lack of a true "leader" in Mylan culture has generated a unique problem in the context of intergalactic relations. Other cultures often have appointed leaders, and find it difficult to trust an interaction as "officially representative" of Mylan opinion without an official leader to speak to. After initial contact with other species left the Apis/Musca system scrambling for volunteer negotiators (who were often ill-prepared or poorly informed), it was widely agreed that monarchs ought to step into the role of "acting leaders" for their sector, with their workers providing support.

In truth, a monarch has no greater importance or capacity for decision-making than the average Mylan, hence the use of their workers as a kind of advising council and a way to quickly touch base with the populace. An offworlder attaching greater importance to a monarch's words than the average citizen can at best be a source of amusement, and at worst be seen as insulting to the Mylan species.

In short, a monarch is an acting official working for the best interests of Mylan society. They are the best option the Apis/Musca system can offer for official intergalactic affairs. The Apis/Musca system will not be compromising any further.

TECHNOLOGY

Mylan technology is sometimes the subject of debate amid other spacefaring species; though it is said that Mylan biotechnology can do most anything regular tech can, there is a vast difference in the way Mylan computers and technology came to be. Silicon and metal is rarely present in Mylan tech; most technological objects are grown rather than built, often with flora-based internals, and sometimes with a chitin shell. Otherwise, the functions are often similar enough to intergalactic technological standards that other species can use them without encountering too many hurdles.

That is, if it beeps like a computer, connects to the intergalactic comms network like a computer, and lets you look at a screen like a computer, most Mylans don't understand why other species are so alarmed to find out the computer is alive.

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COMMENT BY MYLA.84621: Please refrain from using the Myla.b encyclopædia frivolously.

COMMENT BY TERRA.421: #TeamTerra

COMMENT BY MYLA.84621: You don't even go here!

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