The Stem
Working alone or in pairs, individuals known as "Stems" were responsible for guiding Novian offspring into maturity. Specifically bred for this role, they were held in reverence and occupied a position of high esteem within society. A state-controlled authority known as the Progen Ministry was charged with assigning stems to specific families based on their experience and temperament. They also managed the large complexes where stems and their assigned families were housed and closely monitored.
Since arriving in the Novus system, the Novians had relied on womb technicians to gestate their young. Sometime after A10:000, this transitioned into a systematic mechanized process overseen by the Progen Ministry. This involved the careful and deliberate integration of DNA from multiple genomes to enhance biological diversity and cultivate genetic traits that the ministry deemed beneficial to the commonwealth.
Embryonic development took place in automated facilities, each housing multiple maturation pods. Each pod contained an interconnected group of individuals known as a utero matrix sharing a common lineage. After achieving viability, a matrix was called a "Family." Raised together as a cohesive unit, these families typically maintained close contact well into their adult lives.