Akestos
Surge Lord
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Wildgrowth Hunter around hives, sometimes driven by the surge to hunt further afield, a warning a surge is coming.
Image Credit: Edge of Tomorrow Film | Custom Text
Canon: Nautolan | Halkra | Arrgar Vine
Chaos: Kae Vine | Centax Purifier
Links: [member="The Hive Mind"] | Akestos | [member="Kylraya"] | SwarmSurge | Wildgrowth | The Swarm | Forcegrowth
GENERAL INFORMATION
Name: Wildgrowth Lurker
Designation: Semi-Sentient
Origins: Wildgrowth | Centax Purifier
Average Lifespan: 55
Estimated Population: Scattered
Description: Wildgrowth Lurkers are a result of mixing Nautolan DNA with the Kae Vine. Dense cartilage for the Nautolans made them tough and resistant. While Kae Vines running along its body, act as flailing weapons as well as defensive armor. Usually dark green in appearance, as with all hive creatures orange and red are common, yellow and black less so. They often walk on all fours, stalking across jungles or up trees pulling their prey into their waiting jaw, throwing them about until they are unconscious, or crushing them with their many vines.
PHYSICAL INFORMATIONBreathes: Type IV Environments or Better
Average Height of Adults: 2.0 meters | 6.5 ft
Average Length of Adults: 2.5 meters | 8.2 ft
Skin color: Dark Green, Orange, Red, Black or Yellow.
Hair color: Kae Vine
Distinctions: Many Nautolan were experimented upon for a variety of purposes. The Kae Vine being a fast-growing plant, mixed with the Dense cartilage of the Nautolan, and the Centax Purifier reactions created this monster. Wildgrowth can be compelled by the Surge Impulse, to mutate and expand, but it cannot be directly controlled. A catalyst for worse to occur in an environment but not that calamity yet itself. The battle between Hive Purification and Chaotic adaptation will be a long one, and this creature is at the forefront of it. Breeding once every two years, it is asexual but does require pollen from other Kae plants or Wild Lurkers
Races: Wildgrowth Lurker
Force Sensitivity: Non-Sensitive
Strengths:
- Positioning. Hides as if it were a Kei Vine or Part of the Hive, can lay completely dormant or even burrow under the ground. As with trees. It is a great climber, their vines can naturally pull them, or form traps to capture prey with their many vine tendrils.
- Dense cartilage, add to that the Kei vine, and although the Lurkers don't usually have an exoskeleton they take a bit of shooting to kill, mostly because the vines try to fill the gaps as other vines are shot away.
- Vines don't regrow on the spot, but the Kei vine does regrow. Accelerated to be closer to an Arrgar Vine in speed. Maybe ten hours to grow a new vine, twenty if there is no rush. This takes food, so the time does depend on hunting and food supply.
- The Lurker is able to operate 100% without any aid or contact with the hive whatsoever. Although it can often be found hunting near Hives themselves, the vine's in the environment being a natural cover!
- Moves at blinding speed in bursts, its many vines shooting out to catch or throw its targets. Often preferring to come up from underneath or above them.
- Compells Forcegrowth, known sometimes as Darkgrowth or the Anti Hive reaction which can occur in the force. Not a great bastion of light or friendly nudge, think of it like nature's jaws biting back with ferocity. Forcegrowth isn't good for The Hive, Wildgrowth, or anyone else much. It is the natural answer in the force to any imbalance being created by the Hive Mind or rather wildgrowth. What forcegrowth is, has yet to be seen or experienced.
- As Wildgrowth, a secondary reaction. It is often in conflict with the Hive. Sometimes Wildgrowth Lurkers have been taken by the hive, other times they are operating independently and other times they are in an open conflict. It depends on the greater Surge Domain tendencies, the environment and whatever other factors are in play. Lack of food, other hostility or environmental pressures in the biosphere etc.
- Rapid firing weapons are best against this creature. Explosives will work as will regular blasters, but they are not going to be as effective as something which fires rapidly like a blaster carbine for example. Weapons such as sniper rifles that can penetrate more than one vine at once will also be useful.
- Not particularly lethal compared to many predatory species, though being thrown around is certainly dangerous. It is however very disruptive and can cause a real mess of organized formations. It does have teeth, and the crushing strength of the vines can overpower if not dealt with.
- Sonic weapons. Sonic weapons do really well against this creature's vines for some reason, a vine can often be slowed as it tries to move, or be stunned in place entirely. It is likely this comes from the vines origins, which would often be attached to Hive Convergence Nodes, carrying nutrients to them as they sent sonic signals of their own out.
- Acts as a weakness to the surprise factor of the Hive's overall seasonal cycles, in that it can give people warning a Surge is coming their way.
Diet: Carnivore. Preferring dog or ewok-sized animals.
Communication: Vine manipulation. Hissing. Sight.
Technology level: None Existant.
Religion/Beliefs: Wildgrowth! Mutate. Expand. Hunt.
General behavior: Wildgrowth is best described as unpredictable. The creatures hunts, breeds and nests high up usually. It can form small groups to move about in but the social order to these is very chaotic. Quite often they may kill each other, other times they will work as a unified force, only to rip each other to pieces in their sleep. There is no way to predict how two of them will act in a given moment. Which is the essence of Wildgrowth. Generally hostile however is the best way to describe it, sometimes compelled outward by surge impulses on the fringes of them, as the main hive expands it knows to look for new territory elsewhere. A precursor or warning ahead of time for anything living there. If you were to read its mind, you would see a raw form of chaos.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Wildgrowth. Destined to happen. The first creature purely formed from wildgrowth, which is a secondary hive reaction from chemicals and other mutations the hive releases into the environment. These mutations allow it to expand and learn at a faster rate, although they contradict Hive Purity or Pure Swarm Will, which is the counterbalance to the mutations. The hive uses all these reactions, mutations and experience to adapt itself and design Purer Swarm Will by experience. A more elegant refinement, based on these initially erratic mutations.
The first noted encounter of this creature was on Byss by [member="Kaida Taldir"] and Khia Varad, which is really where the first wildgrowth had properly occurred. Though rumored other mutations had existed previously. Heavily open to mutation, this creature is a mess in all respects. The Hive often hunts them itself, preferring to eradicate the vermin that plague it. Though rarely they will be captured and used as hunters to protect hives or sent out ahead of surges, often merely compelled to move in an expanding circle outward before the main bulk of the surge arrives.
Further adaptation of the Nautolan genecode perfected this creature slightly more, from the outbreak on the corebound stations. How the DNA was released into the atmosphere so readily for mutation is a story best left to the archives of bitter Sith Lords and their scheming. Though it is far out of their control, they still like to meddle in shaping the hive's development. Futile as their efforts are at present, perhaps one day one Hive Member worthy of guiding Gene Purity will arise [member="Tera Lynx"].
An as yet unexplored concept. Forcegrowth or Darkgrowth for the dramatic. Is that which the hive has no connection with whatsoever, not even as a secondary mutation or reaction. This concept is alien to the Hive. The Hive is the known, the Wildgrowth is pushing the unknown, Forcegrowth is Dark and unknowable. The force reactions playing out ahead of the Hive, always one step ahead of mutation, and perfection to chase. The appearance of this creature means Forcegrowth is possible, not guaranteed, but possible in an area. If it were to encounter it, chances are the forcegrowth or force reaction would cleanse the wildvermin. This creature does not have an easy life.
One final note. It is an excellent precursor or warning ahead of time for anything living in an area, that a surge might be coming, because this creature has been pushed outward ahead of time. It knows when the hive is about to surge, and although not part of it, will move by instinct when this is about to happen.
