The Enlightened ones are an intelligent race of machines originating in, and, for the most part, only found in, The Saggitarius arm. the enlightened ones, despite lacking access to the mini-dimension, are a highly advanced race, in many areas they are technologically superior to humanity.
Physiology[]
The Enlightened, in their modern state, take a variety of forms, some enlightened are sentient starships, others, liquid metal, most however, dont even have bodies and are instead programs on computers. It wasnt always this way of course, the creators of the enlightened where a race that calls themselves the L'imuh, who look something like a cross between a spider, a lizard, and a ferret. Despite the Enlightened's rule, the L'imuh race still thrives alongside them, though far less common.
The bodies used by the enlightened are known as "Bodies of the Incarnate" most bodies are custom made for the deva that is to control it, despite this, many bodies share similer features
Different incarnate are powered by different methods, depending on their size, smaller bodies are powered by superconductive batteries, which can be highly explosive, larger, but not starship sized bodies tend to have fusion reactors and starship sized incarnate usually utilize a wormhole to collect energy from a star.
As for the physical structure of the body, many, many variations exist, from "Liquid metal" made out of nanobots, to more standard construction styles. the bodies tend to have many sensors from audio and visual to touch to being able to gauge the strong nuclear force. methods of locomotion are similarily varied along with manipulation technologies
one thing that is often similer in different incarnate, is the brain, the brain is an artificial neuronet very much like a biological brain connected to a powerful quantum computer
Psychology[]
The Enlightened, despite their mechanicle forms, have complicated psychologies. Enlightened are all "connected" sharing memories and thoughts, in a way, all the enlightened are one but they still retain individuality. most enlightened ones see themselves as a part of a larger whole, an "Aspect" of the community. The Enlightened, seeking to be a boon to society rather than a blight, Have developed a high amount of altruism caring for all sentient life.
Culture[]
Many aspects of Enlightened culture is hard for humans to understand, but "lower" enlightened have a more understandable culture. Lower enlightened tend to, with their advanced technology, adapt a lifestyle of responcible hedonism with a lot of music, food, sex, and games. lower enlightened however, tend to develope a dependancy on their advanced society and would not function well outside the safety of their empire.when far away from a wormhole connecting to the matryaoska brain, an enlightened often becomes a coward, this is because without connection to the rest of the enlightened, true death is possible. The enlightened deal with different races differently, usually before they make contact they study the race extensively so they can make the best impression, they often create artificial copies of the lifeforms and use them as diplomats.
Hierarchy[]
The Enlightened have a ladder style hierarchy, with from top to bottom The Matryoska brain: The centerpoint of enlightened civilization, the brain is a moon sized computer, its rulings are abstract and hard to understand, but it cares deeply for intelligent life. their is only one matryoska brain, but more are planned. Highest Devas: beings of incredible intelligence, the highest devas have incomprehensible behavior and often manipulate things behind the scenes, the unenlightened might think that they are lazy, but this is far from the case. High Devas: the high devas are complex beings who are often used as planetary governors and advisors to lower enlightened, the high devas are of low enouph intelligence to speak with the unenlightened. the high devas also work as go-betweens between unenlightened and highest devas. Devas:These are the most common enlightened, devas are beings of near human intelligence, these serve as diplomats and to do most of the non-logistic work of the higher ups, the Devas are the backbone of society the unenlightened: this is the term for those who have not yet uploaded into a robotic form, despite the fact that they are the bottom of the latter, the unenlightened are greatly respected, even the matryoska brain was once unenlightened (or, more precisely, a whole BUNCH of unenlightened) unenlightened within the enlightened empire are treated like royalty. The higher one is on the ladder of enlightenment, the more memories one is able to access, The High Devas can access the memories and thoughts of the devas, and so on, however the unenlightened dont have their memories integrated into society.
Technology[]
The Enlightened are extremely high tech, Their technological abilities are outlined below. Medical: enlightened medicine is extremely advanced, with nanotechnology, accidental death is extremely uncommon Construction and material science: they build stuff with advanced utility fog and nanotechnology, the enlightened civilization has in the past pulled amazing feats, such as the creation of the matryoska brain. Space travel: Enlightened rather than entering the "mini-dimension" construct wormholes which they must "drag"from location to location at slower than light speed, these wormholes provide rapid transportation across space under there control, but makes expansion of the empire very slow. The enlightened have experimented with other space travel technology but these tend to end in failure. there are rumors that they have constructed a highly inefficient form of slower than light warp drive. another experiment was "dimensional farcasters" these devices are highly unpredictable, they open a wormhole from the cosmic foam....however....there is no way to determine were this will lead....99% of the time, this leads "nowhere" no galaxies are seen and no stars, farcasters are not used for travel and instead, to defend, a sanctum to hide within. some Enlightened have retreated into "nowhere" and closed the wormhole behind them, shutting them away from society for all eternity. the enlightened cannot use the mini dimension, because their wormholes are destroyed when they try to put them in.