Difference between revisions of "Compendium: Aliens"
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Little is known about the origins of the Dahak. Scourge of humanity and destroyer of the Second Terran Empire, the first Dahak incursion occurred on the fringes of imperial space in a region ruled by insignificant great houses. Predictably, the core worlds ignored the situation until the invaders had established a foothold and containment was no longer possible. | Little is known about the origins of the Dahak. Scourge of humanity and destroyer of the Second Terran Empire, the first Dahak incursion occurred on the fringes of imperial space in a region ruled by insignificant great houses. Predictably, the core worlds ignored the situation until the invaders had established a foothold and containment was no longer possible. | ||
| − | The majority of Dahak are mindless drones focused solely on consumption. Once inserted into an ecosystem, they quickly devour both the local life and each other. Protected by a tough exoskeleton and endowed with high resilience, planetary collapse is the typical consequence of their arrival. | + | The majority of Dahak are mindless drones focused solely on consumption. Once inserted into an ecosystem, they quickly devour both the local life and each other. Protected by a tough exoskeleton and endowed with high resilience, planetary collapse is the typical consequence of their arrival. An insatiable appetite fuels the continuous spawning of offspring. Starting off as small nodules on the skin, children mature at a frightening pace. Progeny detach in a violent, and frequently fatal fashion. Once a ready supply of food is depleted, the remaining drones enter into a perpetual hibernation. While uninstantiated, many believe the drones sustain themselves during quiescent periods by direct absorption of solar energy along with other forms of radiation. |
In direct contradiction to their dominant nature, one in a trillion Dahak is born sentient. Their genetic code is widely believed to have been extensively modified to favor rapid reproduction and excessive mutation in order to increase the frequency of awareness. These higher forms are hyper-intelligent but have yet to exhibit any desire for empire, domination, or subjugation. Instead, all other life forms are viewed at the same level as their drones—biological fodder of no consequence. | In direct contradiction to their dominant nature, one in a trillion Dahak is born sentient. Their genetic code is widely believed to have been extensively modified to favor rapid reproduction and excessive mutation in order to increase the frequency of awareness. These higher forms are hyper-intelligent but have yet to exhibit any desire for empire, domination, or subjugation. Instead, all other life forms are viewed at the same level as their drones—biological fodder of no consequence. | ||
Revision as of 03:34, 27 August 2017
Dahak
Little is known about the origins of the Dahak. Scourge of humanity and destroyer of the Second Terran Empire, the first Dahak incursion occurred on the fringes of imperial space in a region ruled by insignificant great houses. Predictably, the core worlds ignored the situation until the invaders had established a foothold and containment was no longer possible.
The majority of Dahak are mindless drones focused solely on consumption. Once inserted into an ecosystem, they quickly devour both the local life and each other. Protected by a tough exoskeleton and endowed with high resilience, planetary collapse is the typical consequence of their arrival. An insatiable appetite fuels the continuous spawning of offspring. Starting off as small nodules on the skin, children mature at a frightening pace. Progeny detach in a violent, and frequently fatal fashion. Once a ready supply of food is depleted, the remaining drones enter into a perpetual hibernation. While uninstantiated, many believe the drones sustain themselves during quiescent periods by direct absorption of solar energy along with other forms of radiation.
In direct contradiction to their dominant nature, one in a trillion Dahak is born sentient. Their genetic code is widely believed to have been extensively modified to favor rapid reproduction and excessive mutation in order to increase the frequency of awareness. These higher forms are hyper-intelligent but have yet to exhibit any desire for empire, domination, or subjugation. Instead, all other life forms are viewed at the same level as their drones—biological fodder of no consequence.
Dahak invasions typically take one of two forms. For worlds with a sentient species already entrenched, dropships full of mature drones are released to butcher the denizens. Sparsely populated worlds are infected with a virus, often delivered by asteroid. The virus hijacks existing phenotypes, resulting in Dahak with a variety of body forms. Fortunately, a vigilant population can often exterminate this second type of infestation with minimal casualties.
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