Mods

Mods are a Borg subculture that arose from the changing conditions of the worlds from which they originally hailed. Originally cybernetic augments were adopted solely as a practical alternative to genetic modification, the Mod culture has instead adopted an aesthetic dimension to their augmentation as a form of cultural expression. Instead of plain or hidden augments, mods will make theirs strangely shaped, or colorful in a way that is unique to them. Mod culture arose as a result of the general disdain for cybernetics expressed by many on the frontier over the much simpler genetic engineering that became widespread during the Age of Unity. The first mods came from a "borgpunk" subculture that emerged primarily in would eventually be considered the Near Frontier. As the subculture grew in popularity, inter-generational groups of Mods came of age. With the social fracturing following the The Great Cataclysm, this subculture eventually became a true ethnicity.

Language

Mods almost universally speak a unique language derived from Late Solar, called Aki Gamman (named for a famous early Mod intellectual), or colloquially as "Mod Talk" "Cyberspeak" by outsiders. Aki Gamman in addition to an expanded vocabulary in reference to cybernetic augments, has a highly simplified sentence syntax dropping most verb conjugations in favor of relying on precise context clues from the rest of the sentence. This can make the language confusing to speakers of Late Solar and Trade Solar who could otherwise clearly understand many elements of the language. Most Mods however, also speak another language, often one relevant to their wider home society.

Naming Conventions

Mods typically adopt names and rules about names local to their broader home culture. However, this is not always the case. In certain communities, Mods adopt their own unique naming conventions. This is more common in Mod cultures that are more "separatist"; interested in isolating themselves from wider society and forming Borg communities, cooperatives, and collectives. Inspired by the likes of Aki Gamma 7 and other famous mods, they tend to adopt mechanistic names, often including greek letters, numbers, or words having something to do with machinery. Sometimes pieces of both approaches are used, creating hybrid names.