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Post by RascalLeader on Oct 8, 2004 19:49:10 GMT -5
+++++++++++++ DATE: 45897554.M41 REF: Inq/02698541554/DF DESTINATION: Office of High lord of Anargo TRANSMITTED: Nagoma Prime Astropath temple AUTHOR: Inquisitor Cyken RE: Alpha Level Threat Assessment THOUGHT: Those who do not act in all haste in the face of the enemy are doomed to be crushed like the cowards they are. +++++++++++++
As you know my current mission has brought me to your sector in order to head off my prey; the cargoship ‘Regal Gold’. Last sighted in the Jadar sector, the ship is believed to the cause of the Genestealer outbreak in the Colkonis system. I have been content to wait here until anymore information comes to light on its current location, until the Fleet uncover its location, but present circumstance have taken president over this matter.
A new threat has been uncovered by me and my companions on this day, one I believe is a much more immediate threat then even that of the thrice Damned Merchant ship. I am currently resident on the fair planet of Nagoma, after having taken on supplies I had decided that it would be prudent to stay on this quaint little world. My stay their was interrupted over a week ago; a panic swept through the planet when a suspected Genestealear sighting was reported in the authorities. Being my area of expertises, and the reason why I was here in the first place, I could not be negligent in investigate this claim. Banding together a squad of the Local defence force off the governor I quickly moved in on the area of the sighting, knowing time was of the essence. We found nothing; no traces of Genestealer infestation or otherwise. However several of the local populace subsequently questioned seemed to collaborate the sighting of alien creatures. Although more dubious at this point I allowed the squads to continue scouring the area for anything they might find. However no alien creatures were ever discovered. Meanwhile I checked the records to make sure that the Regal Gold had not in fact slipped in and deposited its cargo under an alias. Although this unduly worried many of the authorities their no ship that had been their in the past ten years matched its description.
A week past, and I grew weary of the searching. Nothing I had found so far indicated a brood Infestation, no high incidents of disappearances or a cult presence. It was beginning to look as if the whole thing had been the delusional ramblings of a few city dwellers. However as it happened their where more to these reports then I gave credit for. Another incursion was reported in the power generation facilities to the south of the city. I called for immediate transportation over to the area to find out what was going on. The attack from the aliens was over quickly, and had finished by the time my craft landed. They had attempted to get into the power plant, possibly to destroy it. Such an event would have been catastrophic if it had not been for the good work of the defence personal their. A small squad had engaged the enemy and held them off. Although they were wiped out in minutes they had bought the time needed for more troops to be dropped in. The fight went on for only a little longer, with dozens of casualties before the enemy disappeared without a trace.
But this was not a Genestealer attack. The body of the aliens that attacked was as horrific in form as those foul creature, but I knew the difference instantly. The Autopsy of the creature reviled no genetic comparisons to the Tyranid swarm but this did not ease my growing sense of worry. Armed with this information I decided to look further into the matter hoping there would be some previous record of this foe. I travel to many libraries looking for previous references matching its description. Little did I realize that I would find, in all the dispersed passages their something that made such a compelling read! Their was enough material their dozens of books could be formed on the subject. The name of these creatures were quite appropriately called Lurkers. They are believed to steal people, mostly women and children, away from their homes and consume them. It was here I believed I had found what I had needed. Also known as the beasts of Pandoris III, a name that you should be most familiar with. After their identification several decades ago sightings of the creatures where made on several other worlds in the sector. It was fear of this creatures, that they had somehow spread themselves like a virus away from their homeworld, that lead to their planet being exterminated. These where the orders that came from none other then your office.
Clearly the extermination of the planet did not end the threat posed by them. But in light of what I later discovered I am not sure this would. From the analysis of the corpses recovered, as well their equipment it looks certain that ‘primitive aliens’ they are not. Their attack show a remarkable degree of intelligence on their part. The attack on the generator would have been an easy way to cause thousands of casualties with very little effort. Their weaponry was rather basic but just as devastating as ours.
Considering them only as pests has blinded your forces to the very real threat they pose. They are not backwards nor simple animals. That they got onto the planet undetected, and disappeared when we cornered them tells us the sort of threat the pose to us. I am almost certain from the evidence I gathered at the scene, plus the reports of the men their that these creatures have access to abilities or technology that allows them to open warp tunnels anywhere they want. This would explain why when in past sightings on worlds, no nests nor cells were ever found there. If these creatures have the technology to open warp tunnels on any planet they wish, we have on our hands more then just a worrying new enemy, we have a grave threat to our inter presence in the sector. If I am right, they can use it to travel into any of our strongholds at their whim. No locks, bars nor forcefields will hold their advance. We have been lucky so far that this is the best attack they could afford; otherwise millions would be dead.
Something must be done now; the creatures bases must be found. The fleet must be on alert to find any of their worlds, and local troops must be trained to deal with these creatures future incursions. We need to act quickly, if we do not another attack like this could take us more by surprise. It might have only been a small force of them this time, but be under no false delusions; had they sent more then they would have succeeded in the devilish plans.
I will wait here for your response.
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Post by Egarb on Oct 8, 2004 20:34:47 GMT -5
WOW! that was very well written, my only gripe is that them being able to warp to anywhere seems like your making an Uber monster.
my suggestion is that they need a fairly strong signal to lock on to, so if for example one managed to get in more could be waiting at a teleporter to go as soon as the signal was activated.
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Post by RascalLeader on Oct 8, 2004 21:21:26 GMT -5
Thanks; considering I thought I rushed it a bit thats a great comment. Just to clear this up before anyone else get it wrong; the Lurkers DON'T have warp gates, the use the wormhole tech I outlined. The Inqusiter made a guess to how they acchved this since their is surpost to be an animal that can move about from planet to planet throught the warp. And they are not quite the Uber monster you would think, because their is drawbacks to the technology; they had to open the wormhole for quite a while to get the right location and even then they had to send in a scout team in order to fix the co-ordinates on the facility. Their are also several other problems with the system that I will go into later when I post the rest of the information. This is only a prelude...........
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Post by Egarb on Oct 8, 2004 21:33:02 GMT -5
at the risk of postinhg spam i would like to say D'oh! I retract my objection on the lurkers being as they are.
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Post by RascalLeader on Oct 30, 2004 12:31:58 GMT -5
I am still working on them, sorry that their has been no update in a while; I am hoping to relise all the information at once rather then having to start a new thread once its complete.
However that is besides the point; I am here to ask for information on a few thing that will help me to get the job done. Its not that I am lasy about looking up these thing Its just I don't know where to look...
1) Is their any problems with having the lurkers nitrogen breathers rather then oxygen. As you can guess I want them to be rather different from other speices 'lurking' about on the forum. What would be the effects on their body by using this to fuel their basic body chemistry?
2) I assume adding sulfure to the atmpshere would turn the light spectrum to the yellow edge of the scale rather then blue, that or atleast turn the mist on the world slightly that colour?
3) the abundance of these two elements might screw up with the weather slightly; any ideas?
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Post by Dazo on Oct 31, 2004 5:01:31 GMT -5
[ftp]http://kagemat.proboards19.com/index.cgi?board=BuildGeneral&action=display&thread=1093416972[/ftp]
Only if there is no other type of gas on the planet, and that would probably mean there would be no water on the planet either, and they would be plant like, as plants are the only life form i know of that use nitrogen gas, but even then they lock it up in the ground to be absorbed through the root system. Why not use phospherous, and give them flourescent green blood.
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Post by malika on Oct 31, 2004 14:17:42 GMT -5
You should perhaps talk with Juddski about them, he might be able to make some interesting artwork on them if you like Perhaps let them be less dangerous than they appear to be, let the Inquisition be pissing their pants because of these few attacks and think that these Lurkers are capable of so much more while they cant. Would they think for themselves or are they a pawn....
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Post by RascalLeader on Oct 31, 2004 21:03:54 GMT -5
Not the only gas on planet *Check* Plant like resperation system *Check* However the line about their planets not having water worryed me; are you assuming that they have no oxygen molucules on the planet to produce H20 ? They have quite vast quanities of Oxygen in the atmopshere but their basic biology has evolved different enoght that instead of oxygen they use nitriogen. I am still trying to find out information on how this would effect them (if its would it be worse or better), even so if anyone has anything please feel free to blow my ideas out of the water if they don't make sence. Soon Perhaps Once I have posted the first lot of draft data I will feel confident enoght to ask for pics. I disagree; they are more dangerous then they appear to be - BUT- Luckily for the Inquisition and the Imperium they have only a limited knowledge of warfare. Their attacks have so far all but failed to even dent the Imperium and its not though a lack of trying. However as I indicated they are POTENTIALLY a very dangrous enermy. If they fully understood the advantage they had they would be able to wipe out the Imperium in a heart beat even with all the diffculties they face. If they had the weapons technology they could just nuke the evil humans into sumission or wipe them out methodically; whatever they wish. Unfortunatly dispite being around a long time they have only just developed ballistic weaponary. Nor do they have vehicles with powerful cannons or bombs so their effectiveness in any kind of head on warfare are limited. So the Inquision should be worried even if its unfounded at the present time.
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Post by Dazo on Nov 1, 2004 4:21:56 GMT -5
Then it wouldn't happen, oxygen is so reactive no other gas, except things like chlorine or flourine, would be able to get a foot in the door, they are carbon based I assume. Oxygen bonds faster, its more energetic, so Nitrogen wouldn't be used like it is on this planet, ie breathed by everything. Thats not to say they aren't nitrogen dependant in some way, but if oxygen is present....
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Post by RascalLeader on Nov 15, 2004 17:57:49 GMT -5
This is more Like it! 1 - So if I eliminate the Oxygen Content in the Atmosphere (or Lower it to >5%?) it would be possible that they are Nitrogen dependant? 2 - Since it would bond slower then Oxygen that would mean that it would make the Lurkers Slightly sluggish beings? 3 - While they are still carbon based all this can still work right? I can hardly remember my basic chemisty so I can't remember if it makes the whole nitrogen thing incompatable. I bow to those who have the Knowledge
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Post by Dazo on Nov 16, 2004 8:44:18 GMT -5
If you did that then I doubt there would be any life at all, its not that nitrogen isn't an important gas, it is, but it is not codusive to the creation/evolution of life, plus it can be quite nasty in solution, ammonia being one nitrogens offspring. And thats bleach. It would make them so alien as to be impossible to answer that question, so your guess is as good as anyones Plants are carbon based, but the don't expirate nitrogen as a gas they convert it into salts I think. Why not seriously consider Chlorine of Flourine, these are nasty nasty gases, but, they are thought to be able to be the most likely substitute for oxygen in carbon based life forms.
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Post by RascalLeader on Nov 16, 2004 18:00:29 GMT -5
Thanks Dazo you have been a help. However I am still going to keep Nitrogen as their main requirement. I also realised that I would still need oxygen in the atmosphere as well for H20, but perhaps I could get away with a low ammount around <45% or something. As for the other gasses I beileve I have added it in to what will be comming after this message. If I havn't then please feel free to shoot the messenger. Futher Debate on this will have to wait because I have been holding information on them too close to my chest. Now I am going to change that--- The Kirs’k– The Lurkers(Phen:Cer-sick) OverviewI will cover the following subjects in their own posts, and each will be spilt into further subsections to explain things in greater detail. 1. Physiology 2. Psychology 3. Society 4. Technology 5. History Forward- The nameI have renamed the Lurkers; the Kirs’k. This is not because I am fickle and like changing my mind on such things but because the Lurkers was always meant to be the derisive name given to them by the other races they encountered. Their given name is self-explanatory; they are called Lurkers because they lurk in the background using other inhabited worlds as in-between points for their travel to their own systems. None of the other races know that they are really called the Kirs’k since they have not been any attempt to try and communicate. So it was up to the individual species to come up with a name for these strange creatures. Although it is only the Imperials that call them Lurkers, almost all the others have named them along similar lines.
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Post by RascalLeader on Nov 16, 2004 18:16:46 GMT -5
[glow=green,2,300] Physiology [/glow]
[shadow=red,left,300]Section A - Overview[/shadow]
It is not easy to catalogue the Kirs’k compared to other races since they do not seem to fit well into established parameters for life form. They are neither totally mammal, Amphibian or Plant in origin but a mixture of the three. This is the direct result of not coming from anything similar to average planet’s ecosystem. Although the prospect of simple single cell life developing in such an environment is hardly rare; to evolve complex biology is. Even rarer is the appearance of a sapient species, meaning in all their years of travelling they have never encountered any other beings like themselves.
[shadow=red,left,300]Section B - Appearance[/shadow]
The Kirs’k do not have a vast range of appearance compared to other species. They are so genetically similar to each other that it is only the environment they live in that makes any difference in size or shape. The average height of the Kirs’k is two meters tall. They are generally all the same height, but the gravity differences of their colonies have produced some greater variations on this. They were born in a lighter then standard gravity, which allows them to tower over most other creatures that evolved on standard size worlds. In reality they are actually one of the smaller creatures on their own planet, where most of the animals could rise 25 meters upwards. The width and length of their body is directly proportional to how tall they are; always being half their height. This is the same no matter where they were born and is a hallmark of their genetic structure.
They have three sets of long snake like arms. These are distributed evenly around their body, with two directly at the front, another pair in the middle and a set further around their back. The first set is near to their mouth and are smaller, primarily used for eating. The second and third sets are used in everyday life for all of the mundane chores they have. Each of these ‘arms’ is made up of three separate tendrils, which fuses into the main arms half way down. These tendrils can be used in two different ways. As separated fingers that can move about freely, bending in any direction they want. This has been especially useful in manipulating objects because it allows them to wrap their arms around even large things or to activate multiple controls at once. It has allowed them to bypass the usual requirement of a sapient species to have an opposable thumb in order to use tools, it is in this respect all the ‘fingers’ of the tentacles can be considered opposable. They can also snap them closer together to produce a working hand, where only the very top parts separate to allow them to hold smaller things in these makeshift ‘palms’. They are naturally able use both these methods in their daily life and can switch back and forth with minimal effort.
One of their most important features are the hair thin, strand like antennas sticking upwards at the end of each of these arms. These are considered the most important aspect of their bodies since it a vital piece of equipment that allows them to both see and communicate.
They have three root like tentacles beneath them that their body rests on. These are not feet exacally but if needed they could use them that way. Instead they move by compressing and expanding the mussels in these tentacles to propel themselves forward. It is a method similar to how a snake slithers about but using the other ‘legs’ to alter the direction. Although the process seems vaguely comical, you would be mistaken from thinking that it impedes them. Their legs are actually more flexible then their arms. The tentacles can twist about freely in any direction, pushing off against the ground to move about. Using all three the can actually glide quite gracefully over the surface despite their weight. This means they do not have to move forward like other beings, they can happily slide backwards or to the side as they wish. If they needed to, this arrangement also allows them to twist right around on the spot so they can turn to face a new direction. This is quite important to them because without a separate head they cannot look with their eye in any other direction then the one they are looking in. The three-legged configuration allows them to slither quite impressive distances. They do not have to balance all their weight on their spinal tissue, nor on individual legs, so it is a advantage for them.
All their extremity are connected into just one main section of their body. This almost spherical bulb contains all their major organs. The skin of this is a lot more tougher then any other sections; being thicker and harder in order to better protect all the vital parts inside. Mounted on the front just above where the head would usually is placed is a single eye. It is oddly placed off slightly to the left side of their body. They have a mouth mounted to the right side, roughly level with their eye. Instead of being a hole where they ingest their food it is instead a bulbous sac that hangs down on the outside.
The only real physical difference that would allow them to be told apart is the variations in colour of their skins. Generally their softer skin is a lighter red colour, with their body getting more purple. However they have microscopic variations in the way these colours show themselves. White or green highlights streak through their bodies like tiny veins. These are not blood vessels at all, these are overlapping skin fragments that build up over time. The older they get the more distinct these patterns get. Unfortunately they cannot really actually see these with the eye they have on offer so they do not know such variations exist. From all they can tell they all look the same.
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Post by RascalLeader on Nov 16, 2004 18:22:15 GMT -5
[shadow=red,left,300]Section C - Biology[/shadow]
Senses
They have the usual pressure, heat and pain receptors imbedded in the outer layer of the epidermis. However the harder skin of the body is considerably thicker so the sensations in those areas are much duller. For the most part their sensations of the world around them are not quite the same due to their internal makeup, they are less intense anyway. Any pain, or heat they feel does not instantly cause them to recoil, however with their thicker skin that prevents them from becoming too damaged by anything they touch in the lead up to this.
The single eye they have on their head is only able to picks up heat signatures, in a kind of thermal imagining. While the vision allows them to see perfectly well in either day or night it does have some rather unfortunate drawbacks. Firstly thermal vision does not give as detailed a picture as the visual light spectrum. While the picture they get is fine and distinctive, heat sources have the tendencies to be mixed up and overlap. This makes the views quite subjective and sometimes it make it hard to distinguish between other individuals. Their vision tends to get fuzzier when they attempt to focus on anything more then ten metres away, because its at this distance that heat signatures tend to get too mixed up. Making this situation worse is that they monocular vision gives them terrible depth perception.
It is so fortunate that they have backup in this regard. The antennas that sprout from the joint of each shoulders allow them to ‘see’ the surrounding area much clearer. Each has millions of tiny hairs that are able to pick up even microscopic changes in airflow. These can detect movement from a great distance away and are able to determine the size and shape of things when closer. This makes them the most important sense of the Kirs’k, rather then their limited eyesight. Since they do not have a spoken language, these antenna are also used to communicate with each other. This is achieved by flapping and twisting them is different ways; this forming the basics of their vocabulary. The unfortunate draw back is that one cannot speak and listen at the same time since flapping them distorts the airflow enough that they cannot get a good reading off them. This has made communicating a very formalised and has had a structured effect on their society.
Internal Organs
Their body does not have any have internal organs in the strictest definition of the term. All their body functions are controlled by widely dispersed tissue and cells. The internal arrangement is systemic rather then centralised in any one place. Even the brain is spread throughout the body, and mingles with other tissues to control their minor bodily functions. This rather diffused system has both good and bad connotations for them. Having it spread so widely means the body has multiple redundancy of function. This means that both disease or damage rarely have the power to take down a healthy Kirs’k. However the down side is that if they receives massive damage to their body, which their dispersed tissues can not keep functioning, medically repairing it is almost impossible even with their advanced technology. There is simply too many tiny strands that are connected for medics to do anything for them.
They do not have or need a heart, since they do not have to pump their blood around the body in quite the same way. It is able to pass through the membranes of the other tissues to deliver its vital nitrogen. Since a heart is not needed, neither are lungs. It has become all part of the same function, with each cell able to maintain itself. Each tissue regulates its need by absorbing any nutrients required by weakening the outer membranes around them, drawing what is required inside. A similar process happens when no more of a particular nutrient is needed; the membrane hardens so it does not let anything pass through it. With each cell that has absorbed what it needs, the others around it then systematically get what they require.
Intelligence
Compared to the other sapient species in the galaxy the Kirs’k have only average level of intelligence. While they are fully capable of comprehend the world around them, they are much slower thinkers then most. This is not nessccerarly a disadvantage for them since when they work together within their group structure they rank considerably higher then they would do otherwise. Since they do not vary much there is no real geniuses amongst them but there are also none with diminished intelligence. This has kept their society rather stable but slow to innovate any new ideas.
Like all their other internal organs the brain tissue is spread out, intermixing with all the other operations of the body. This makes them much less focused but allows them to think on multiple levels at once. This is the one true advantage that their lower intelligence offers them in compensation. They are able to think dozens of thoughts all at once. Even when they are working they are able to think of other things to do at the same time. This is neccery so that they can control each limb they have as an independent entity. While this allows them to sometimes get distracted by one particular area of thought they can usually use this skill to their advantage.
They are not creative in the same way as others and because of this they do not really have any artistic ambitions. Any idea they have is passed on through their society until it reaches someone who will find it interesting. But their lack of creativity mean that even if they come up with something new they do not understand how to apply this knowledge.
While they have a wide array of emotions they causes a lot less intense feelings then most other races. It mean they are a lot less emotional about things and rarely take offence. They do not really distract them or cause any adverse emotional problems. This also makes them a lot less self-interested, and worried over the impact of others since nothing can really can bother them.
Blood
Their blood work is surprisingly normal for such a strange specie. While it is not used for ferrying oxygen around, it does allow the equivalent; nitrogen in the body to disperse freely. The blood work carries everything in it and it pushed around the body by cell contractions that keep it in continual motion. Its healing properties to the body in both viral infection and skin sealing is as important to them as to everyone else. This blood is very thick and sappy from a mixture of dead cells that has been trapped their. These act like platelets when it comes to sealing a wound and its thickness helps to block the hole. When an area is damaged its thickness allows it to be sealed in seconds. The blood becomes hard as it coats the damaged area but it is also higher in nutrients then the rest because layers begin to build up. This comes in handy when the body attempt to repair itself since whatever it needs to rebuild is already there.
Bone structure
The Kirs’k body utilizes a none standard endoskeleton configuration. Instead of have fixed bones to structure their bodies they have thousands of tiny interlocking plates that are held together by their musculature. It is the ultra dense muscles they have that give the body its shape rather then its bones. This allows them to move their bodies to a much greater extent, so they can flex themselves in any direction they desire. There are many advantages to this. Since their bones are not rigid their arms are fully capable of being used behind their back with no resistance. They can also stretch the length of any of their appendages an extra five percent of their normal size. Their bones cannot really be broken only shattered because of their small size. This is excellent configuration in terms of the healing process since the muscles will always hold the fragments in place until the bone has healed. It does not mean that they find it any easier to cope with, the Kirs’k still have to keep the weight off the damage or risk sending the fragments ripping into their vital musculature. Luckily the bones heal within a couple of days rather then months because they are so small and need very little attention to seal.
Epidermis
The epidermis of the Kirs’k body is the most similar aspect of them compared to other species. It works in exactly the same way, protecting the internal parts body from harm and holding everything where it should be. The skin is lined with a slightly more complex network of senses that give them all usual sensations. Yet the only real difference is the huge amount of pores on the surface that provide their body with different important functions. Because they have no lungs, their bodies have to respirate by drawing in the nitrogen thought these pores. This way it is absorbed directly into their system to fuel the chemical processes that go on just behind the surface lay. Similarly the skin effectively absorbs moisture directly into the body without them having drink it in. This is a far more efficient way since their whole body acts as a conduit for this. This keeps the body filled with liquid need to maintain their blood level. The final set of pores are ducts directly used to release the excess water which contains all the unwanted elements the body no longer requires. Most of these are located in the legs of the Kirs’k and are in near continual use; leaving behind a trail of water vapor when they move around.
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Post by RascalLeader on Nov 16, 2004 18:32:57 GMT -5
Mouth Sac
Outside of the Kirs’k body a blister shaped mouth hangs next to their eye. This is expressly used only for the consumption of food, since water can be taken in more effectively by the skin. The sac, when it is not in use is very small and is very hard to spot even when you know the general location of it. It becomes so taught that even the opening just becomes another part of the skin. When they actually consume something the sac expands to twice the size in order to allow it to swallow large amounts of food in one go. The inside of their mouth are lined with thick muscles used to crush anything they swallow. It compresses it and then squeezes it toward the digestive system located in the center of the body. Although the digestive track is very effective, some elements that they eat cannot be consume. Items like bones or inedible objects have to be flushed from the system, and to do this all the muscles in the mouth slack to allow them to be vomited out. The Kirs’k are in control of this so only let it out when they are able to, however they never eat another meal until it is purged so that the digestive track does not get blocked.
Reproduction
The Kirs’k are neither male nor female, nor are they fully hermaphrodites. Instead when they reach middle age (80 standard years) they begin to self-procreate. Two seed like eggs develop over the course of a year, which then drop off and then are buried into the surrounding soil. To the parents that is their duty done and most never go through the breeding cycle ever again.
Although nature originally intended them to be self-reliant entities even as eggs, Kirs’k civilisation now understand that they have to look after them and so they are now transplanted to farms where they are tended by ‘nurturers’. The eggs are composed of an osmotic substance that absorbs nutrients out of the soil and use it to grow the child inside. The full development cycle from the egg to the child takes around eight years with this process. While It might seem like an incredibly long time for other species, but it works well for the long-lived creatures and it allows them to come into the world much more mature beings. It is then they brake free of their outer shell escape into the world above the dirt. Although little more the animals at this point they learn incredibly quickly. They are eager to absorb every detail of the world around them so will listen to the schooling with wonder at the strangeness they find themselves in. In less then a year they will grasp language and within five more they will have a college level education under their belt.
Because of the way they procreate all the ‘offspring’ are nearly identical copies of the parents. They are not true clones, because the subtle variation of environment they existed in. Variations in size (not height) are attributed to not having enough nutrients feeding them in the early stages of their lives. This is a lot less common now since they give every child the same amount of care while they are in the vast nursery.
[shadow=red,left,300]Section D -Biological Requirements[/shadow]
Food
They usually only need to eat a large meal every two or three days. This allows the digestive system the best amount of time to strip every nutrient out of their food. This is especially important when eating meat since they do not have teeth to grind it up before hand.
Unfortunately they cannot go extended periods without food, even with water and nitrogen plentiful in supply. This is because the way their body is laid out. Without the nutrients it provides their skin will go soft and begin to brake up. Once that happens they will find it increasingly hard to breathe. When it reaches this stage their entire body then starts to shut down and not much can be done even if they finally manage to eat something. However without the vital nitrogen in their system they no longer have the energy left to digested anything.
Heat
The Kirs’k need a great deal of heat in order to feel comfortable. Even with extended genengineering their skin releases a lot of heat from their pores so they need to live in areas with a lot of warmth so that their body does not begin to slow down. While it does not kill them outright it does make them a lot less reactive. Their brain function is so integrated with the makeup of the rest of their body that the colder it gets the more stupid they become.
Gravity
They usually live in lower then normal gravities, but can live perfectly well in the more heavy gravity. Their body structure is very adaptable to this and they are able to change some parts of themselves in order to fit better into different environments. This means that in a given environment they change the configuration of their musculature and skeletons to take off or exert any pressure imposed by the local conditions. Neither particularly high or low gravity effects them adversely, so it has allowed them able to make their homes on planets of many different sizes.
Nitrogen
They draw in a lot of nitrogen into their system in as the main fuel for their bodies. It is used everywhere in the body and they need to live on planets that have high nitrogen atmospheres in order to live. Like any other breathing creature without air they will suffocate quickly. Luckily they can last for an hour or so without nitrogen because their body will slow down in order to compensate for this. Any longer and their cells will become irreparably damaged and they will die.
[shadow=red,left,300]Section E - Interaction with their environment[/shadow]
Evolution in their home Ecosystem
The Kirs’k started life in the oceans but very quickly by their own evolutionary standards they became land creatures. From their they turned into small herd animals. This is where many of the current psychological and psychological traits have developed from.
Being tiny animals in what was once a planet full of pack hunting predators their safety was only assured when they grouped together in large numbers. This is the foundation of the group oriented society and how they managed to survive those early days. In large numbers they were no longer defenseless, they were even able to fight back and take down many of the predators that hunted them. Their success as a group spelt doom for many of the creatures that needed to eat them to survive. As they became meat-eaters their brain mass also increased in development. Within five million years they came to the cusp of intelligence already one of the most dominant species on their little planet.
Being dominate did not automatically mean the most numerous, they had a population of only around half a million spread in groups of around one hundred over several continents. The main problem they had to maintaining their population numbers was the relatively low rate if eggs reaching full term due to their long gestation cycle. Their planet was also going through an unstable period at this point with harsher conditions to live in. Roughly analogous to an ice age thing got more desperate for them but it was through their burgeoning intelligence that they managed to survive.
Although the planet did not totally freeze over it got cold enough to be of detriment to the environment. While by others standards it was cold enough to cause discomfit, for most of the lifeforms their it had much more drastic consequences.
Not only did most of the animals suffer from the drop in temperature but many plant verities also became extinct. This had quite a knock on effect to other species, which relied on those plants as food. The Kirs’k was one such animal. When they were but simple grassing animals such a disaster would have been enough to wipe them out. It was only because they had become meat eaters that they had an alternative food supply. They became much more reliant on it now, becoming predators to survive the harsh conditions. Being meat-eaters had some plus sides to it, it helped them build an extra layer of fat on themselves to help cope in the cold conditions. Even more importantly the extra nutrients help to eventually kick-start the development of their cerebrum. This was increased their much needed advantage to survive in this high competitive era. As more plant then animals disappeared from the knock-on effects of the cold other animals also became more relent on hunting. Their intelligence and their heard mentality prevented any other predatory animal from killing too many of them.
The weather did not pick up for another two thousand years but in this time the Kirs’k developed far more then any other period in their history. Before it had happened they were on the cusp of intelligence, but by the time it had ended they had begun taking their first steps to becoming a civilisation. The way in which they communicated had become much more sophisticated then any other animals on the planet and they had become much more aware of the environment around them
It was another several thousand years before they really began to use their newfound intelligence in any meaningful way but they were already well on their way.
Primitive dwellings were built out of mud and rock to shelter themselves in; they could erect inter communities in little under a day. They were not permanent structures, lasting for less then a year. At this point however they had no agriculture and where still relying on hunting for the prime meals, so it suited them to not stay in the area for very long.
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