Rekimites are modular organisms from the aptly named planet [[Rekim]] whose anomalous formation came about from an organism that used other organisms to pick outgrowths.  The crawling, skittering organisms were manipulated and often just ate bits off the outgrowth before the outgrowth was fed to the core of the rekimite.  They also have grown a large altagrowth that helps with sensory functions and reflexive defense but has no brain functionality beyond that.  They had been like this for quite some millions of years as near-sapients.  But fluctuations in the temperatures and the growth of the megaplaktonics would grow their populations and eventually self aware consciousness as their core's limbs showed increased cognition.  Practices of inscribing into chitin to pass down knowledge took hold, with the megaplanktons storing many archives in the spongey body the tendrils sir atop of.  Their populations had massive growth problems, mainly since they had the tendency to over feed the megaplanktons causing a global bloom crisis that spread their populations but also depopulated large shares of the world in a mass extinction event their species survived long enough to develop more organized societies that regulated such blooms by engaging in perpetual ritual wars with other megaplaktonics.  Post-planktonic nomad cultures also began to emerge but these failed to get the populations of megaplaktonic societies and often were persecuted for their migratory ways.  The conflicts while usually ritual can often involve sacrificing the losing armies to their own megaplankton and starving the other megaplankton.  Those that violate the rituals often will have their megaplankton slaughtered, proving they are advanced enough in their refined ossiturgy to kill the megaplankton but just don't because of the dependency their kind has to them. #aquatic #sapient #Galactic-Region/ProspectSpace