Darth Hauntruss
Wraith of the Sith
The Palashintu
The Mahashutu Avatar, The First, leads the Great Deluge swarm into battle
Name: The Palashintu (The Forgeborn, the Technopyres of Asag)
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Third Moon of the gas giant Asag (Planet Submission Soon)
Language: Cyber-Telepathic Visions, (Verbal/Written) Palashrune, (Verbal) Galactic Basic (Can mimic most languages after repeated exposure)
Average height of adults: 5’8” to 12’
Skin color: N/A
Hair color: N/A
Breathes: Type I – Type IV (Type I - III without Sleeve Suit)
Strengths:
-Highly Advanced Knowledge of Technology and Mechanical Creation
-Keepers of Ancient Knowledge (Contemporaries to the Gree, Kwa and Rakatan)
-Can live long lifespans and prolonged their life through technological augmentation (cybernetic-hibernation etc.)
-Ability to produce quickly mass produced and easily replicable machinery and weapons
Weaknesses:
-Weak to Advanced Force techniques
-Dependent on Hive Chambers for reproduction (if enough exo-womb chambers are destroyed their ability to grow is severely diminished)
-Cannot live long outside of their Sleeve suits.
-Ionic Weapons will short their Sleeve systems (except Core Power)
Distinctions:
True Palashintu (without Sleeve Armor)-
A True Palashintu is no smaller than a Ewok and less fleshy. A True Palashintu is nothing but a spinal column, a nervous system and a bulbous disc like brain with several tendril like protrusions. They are breed, nurtured and grown inside enormous Exo-Biowombs that are built into their hive fleets. Outside of their cybernetic metal Sleeve armor True Palashintu are extremely weak and move by hovering and tentacle crawling.
A True Palashintu, one without its Sleeve Suit
Sleeved Palashintu-
The Palashintu live and die in their skeletal metallic cybernetic monstrosity of a body they call a “Sleeve”. They are genderless horrifying metal suits of forge created cybernetic organs, muscles, embedded weapons, neuro-transmitter machines and other products of warped engineering. The Sleeve of a Palashintu is designed specifically for the role the Forge Mother assigns them. A Swarm Lord is given a larger frame and stronger cybernetic muscle implants, whole a regular Palashintu Laborer is given less imposing frame. The Sleeves of the Priests are given greater ability with force manipulation and agile movement. The Sleeves are powered and operated much like a Jedi operates a lightsaber- a combination of the Force and Mechanics. Palashintu have a small ability to manipulate the force (which is restricted to telepathic based force moves). They use this to power and control their suits. However, the rest of their suits are still vulnerable to Ion weapons. The ions may short the weapon's systems and the movement circuits but it wouldn't affect the power core as it is run by the force.
A Palashintu Warrior Priest in his Sleeve Suit
Sleeve Suit Features (Varies Depending Palashintu Role)
-Cybernetic Muscle Weave
-Artificial Organ Filters
-Embedded Weaponry (types vary)
-Deformable Vertebra Structure (Can contort into any position and posture)
-Extendable Limbs
-Array of sensors and Neuro-Transmitter Systems
-Force Powered Energy Core
-Can act as a Space Suit
Average Lifespan: A regular lifespan is 100-350 years (without hibernation stasis), the oldest Palashintu are those who were forced into hibernation status millennia ago on their homeworld in preparation of their return.
Races:
Palashintu Battle and Labor Drones
A Palashintu Drone, is a race of Palashintu who were specifically breed with small and robust sentience so that they can be easily controlled and commanded to do basic laborious jobs. In a way they are the slave race of the Palashintu that blindly and loyally follow the commands of their more sentient and intelligent brothers. Some are encased in battle drone armor and literally live out their lives as mobile artillery platforms. Some Palashintu Drones have had their brains encased in Slaver Droids, which are floating maintenance and servant droids that do the bidding of their masters. Their Slaver Droid casings have all sorts of mechanical tools, personal assistance gadgets and the like.
A Palashintu Attack Drone
Estimated Population: Majority found on their homeworld, but ancient nests once did exist in certain corners of the galaxy. Although most are by now completely destroyed or in ruin.
Diet:
Biologically, True Palashintu are a type of Radiotrophic Fungi. This means that Palashintu use their bodies to convert gamma and other types of radiation into chemical energy for growth and sustenance. Thus, a diet for a Palashintu could range from cosmic radiation, to ship fuel cells, droid energy packs, lightsaber crystals and any other radiation/electromagnetic emission devices. Due to this appetite Palashintu have gained the other name of “Technopyres”. Of course there is always the issue of too-much-of-a-good-thing. There are some levels of radiation that even a Palashintu cannot deal with. Besides radiation Palashintu will also partake in devouring certain metallic ores which they grind into a powder and inject with a bile fluid that they cultivate in their cybernetic organs for digestion and absorption.
Communication:
Palashintu communicate to one another through intrusive force telepathic visions, and if you are unfortunate enough to intercept such mental-dialogue your brain would process it into loud painful banshee like shrieks of piercing pain. And when they do audibly speak it’s in an incompressible language of incoherent electromagnetic static and shrill gargle of syllables. When speaking to other races they simply manipulate the vocal-modulators in their cybernetic throats to mimic whatever language you are speaking.
Culture:
The Palashintu culture revolves around one omnipotent being – the Forge Mother. All deeds, prayers and great works are for her continued glory. The Forge Mother is a semi-mythical being which is said to have been the one to create the very first Palshintu, millennia ago during the early centuries of the galaxy. But at some point the Forge Mother vanished living only simulacrum of her existence to continue the creation of her dark children. In order to usher the return of the Forge Mother the Palashintu are obsessed with the cultivation of technology and advanced knowledge as offerings to the Forge Mother. Large temples, technological wonders and forge complexes are created in her honor.
The hierarchy of the Palashintu is arranged around this principle.
At the very top is the Mahashutu Priesthood. The Mahashutu is considered the holy avatar of the Forge Mother. This Palashintu has mentally synced with the simulacrum of the Forge Mother and acts as her mouth spreading the direct commands and guiding the hive’s progress. Surrounding the Mahashutu is the Priesthood of the Forge Mother. They are the administrators, arbiters and most force talented of the Palashintu. Those who are breed with advanced Force capabilities are indoctrinated into the Preisthood as Neophytes. After years of service they may become either a Warrior Priest or Technomancers. Below them are the without Force capabilities but have been breed for power and war – they are the Swarm Lords and Swarm Tyrants. Beyond these ranks of distinction are the Throngs. The regular laborers and common folk of the Palashintu. At the very bottom are the Slaver Drones and then actual Flesh Slaves (non-Palashintu species enslaved by the Warrior Priests).
Palashintu believe in the Cycle of Reincarnation. As they are breed and born from exo-wombs, Palashintu believe that if you achieve greatness in your life when your cranium and nervous system is recycled you may be added to the creation of a greater ranked Palashintu later. Death to the Palashintu is but a door into another life and another chance to further your contribution to the legends of those who serve the Forge Mother. In general the Palashintu have a theological hive culture. Their lives and their political structure orientates around the Forge Mother and Mahashutu. Everyone has a place and a role; if one is diligent their effort may be rewarded in the next cycle.
Technology level: Advanced Space (Most Palashintu Technocultures have the technological prowess of the cultures and technology they assimilate form others. As they steal and assimilate their technological repertoire grows.)
General behavior:
Palashintu are an enigma in nature. They are mysterious and often act in such away.
But in general, Palashintu act in a pensive manner always watching in silent contemplation more interesting in dissecting something and understanding its basic essential constructs than engaging with it whether it is someone’s personality, physical form or a piece of technology.
When a Palashintu is however vocal they may come off as unsettling or sinister, but in fact they are only curious. However, do not confuse curiosity for empathy – Palashintu possess none. They consider the other flesh races as blind and idiotic, obsessed with their own basic conflicts and needs. However some, if technologically great, can bring out a sense of admiration.
A Palashintu is deceptively curious and accomodating at times. Others they are cruel, cold, calculative, pensive, and philosophical; they possess a morale logic that is of not our understanding or of this world.
History:
The history of the Palashintu is shrouded in mystery.
The Forge Mother
Once again we return to the semi-mythical matriarchal deity at the center of everything Palashintu. The Forge Mother is a mysterious entity. Some (like the Je’daii xenobiologists of old) consider the Forge Mother a myth created by the very first Palashintu, while ancient Rakatan records state clearly that they encountered the Forge Mother during their conquests of the Unknown Regions at the beginning of the Infinite Empire. Those who would have come across the Forge Mother (whether the Gree, Kwa or Rakata) all describe it in a similar fashion.
“The Forge Mother is a monstrosity the likes of which I have never seen before. A living machine the size of worlds. With the capacity to produce life. Should this monster ever notice the world beyond its small section of the galaxy – true destruction would be brought on us all.”
-Excerpt from Gree records.
However, Je’daii scholars report, that at some point after 35,000BBY all mention of the Forge Mother vanishes. The Palashintu will say that having created the first hives she had vanished so that her energy would not be entirely spent. Thus tasking her children to gather enough “advanced energy” to cultivate her return. This energy is often translated as technology and the force. After the Forge Mother disappeared she left less powerful copies of herself –simulacrum- which like holocrons were used by the Palashintu to still keep in touch with their great creator and to guide them. A simulacrum of the Forge Mother speaks her commands.
A Forge Mother simulacrum speaks to her children through her instalment inside a Palashintu Hive Chamber
The Formation of the Hive Fleets and the Great Deluge of the First
After this period of early creation the very first independent civilizations were formed by the Palashintu in the deep reaches of the Outer Rim and Unknown Regions. Long before the Sith or the Galactic Republic, the Palashintu had begun to spread their Hive Chambers, which carried their exo-womb breeders, to the far corners of the galaxy. With these Hive Chambers were the characteristics of civilizations – a societal hierarchy revolving around the first Palashintu Priests, the creation of Slaver Drones and the beginnings of the Hive Fleets.
The Hive Fleets became the various “tribes” of the Palashintu, each following a different Swarm Lord and High Priest. In this time they colonized various worlds, consuming what technology they could find. These explorations are what brought them into contact with the Gree and Kwa. They were attracted to the Kwa’s powerful control over hyperspace technology. Various conflicts had arisen from their contact. It would be the Kwa who would first decipher the incomprehensible language of the Palashintu and discover the name “Palashintu” – the Forge Children or as we translate it today The Forgeborn. The Palashintu’s Hive Fleets would swell in this time to a large number.
Three great Hive Fleets emerged, led by High Priest Yigshagoth, Cathugu and Swarm Lord Necrodune. Each conducted their own operations to further the “energy” for the Forge Mother. But it is at this time that the very first Mahashutu arose, the avatar of the Forge Mother. This Mahashutu, known as the First, united the High Priests and the Swarm Lords and combined the Hive Fleets into the only instance of a united Palashintu force known as the Great Deluge. This unified Hive Fleet besieged the Kwa and the Rakata for a century, until the rise of the Rakatan Infinite Empire and the defeat of the First.
The Return of the Palashintu and the Great Sleep
It was only during the very end of the Rakatan Infinite Empire when the mysterious plague began to rip them of their force powers that the Palashintu began to remerge in force. Swarm Lord Necrodune gathered the remnant Priests and Hive Fleets to reform the Great Deluge as its master. And with this they unleashed a savage campaign against the Rakatans. Fully expelling them from the Asag cluster in the unknown regions, they regained the worlds near the gas giant Asag. For centuries later they would probe the galaxy keeping watch over it technological progression. Until the time came when they could harvest what they considered worlds that were blessed with great “energy” for the Forge Mother.
Swarm Lord Necrodune
During the early reign of Empress Teta, the Palashintu would return. As a tendril fleet from the Great Deluge had broken off and veered into the Core. There the Palashintu found the rich and advanced civilization of the human colonized Core Worlds. In various raids the Palashintu harvested and demolished major cities in the outer reaches of the Core. Teta and the newly established Jedi Order found the Palashintu a great threat. In a great conflict set in the very edges of known space the Jedi (along with Teta’s Generals and a league of friends) would defeat Necrodune and most of the Great Deluge would be destroyed. Just as it seemed the Palshintu would be wiped out completely – the Second Mahashutu came to Necrodune from the ruins and commanded that he retreat back to the Asag Cluster.
Returning to the Asag Cluster the Second and Necrodune would enact the Great Sleep. The Great Sleep was a plan devised by the Second. The entire race would go into deep hibernation. And while they slept they would have their hive chambers breed and grow a new Great Deluge to be unleashed in the far future when the technology and advancement of civilizations would grow to a new powerful level ripe for harvesting. As the plan was enacted they scattered Slaver Droids across the galaxy as spies to keep watch and report the advancement of civilizations to the Second in her dark sleep. Over the centuries however, the various hibernation hive chambers were destroyed or decayed into ruin. Now only two remain those on the Third Moon of Asag.
The time is soon. The Second has awoken and soon she shall revive her great ally Swarm Lord Necrodune. And the Great Deluge shall once again wash over all.
Notable Player-Characters: Will be submitting a Notable character once approved (Swamr Lord Necrodune)
Intent: To create a truly unique and horrific race that stays true to the themes of mysterious Lovecraftian monstrosity. The species will act as the shadowy menace, and not a “new threat” trope that is countlessly repeated. The Palashintu are to be a strange and interesting species that revere technology but revere it in a cruel and decrepit fashion. They are not a “conquer the galaxy” or “devour everything” species. Having been severely destroyed and reduced in numbers they will act more as a malevolent relic than anything else. Also it would give the more adventurous factions like the Underground, the Expeditionary Fleet and the various Jedi factions an interesting discovery as I have a long story of discovery, reawakening and return developing.
IMAGE CREDIT:
Therians from AT-43 Miniature Games
Shodan from System Shock Game
Skull Knight from Berserk Manga
