-INITIATING DIRECT TELEMETRIC-PSYCHIC LINK-
FROM: CERBERUS DIRECTOR, THARN HARP, ID C.3-M071D9-FF83HT6-W03-77ZXS-207F.
TO: XENO-ANALYSIS RESEARCH TEAM GAMMA.
SUBJECT: Protheans.
Seriously Harp? Why are you calling us now? The full Prothean report will be done in a day or so. We still have much to go through. Seriously, we can only give you partial data on it. You don't care, you just want it with you already?
What the Void, fine, we'll comply. So where should we begin?
The basics, right.
So, Protheans. From what we managed to gleam from the bodies and tech we recovered, we are dealing with the dominant power in the galaxy and we just threw down the gauntlet on them. Lucky we have longer range FTL than them and metatech or else we would be in a world of hurt. Might even be forced to fire up the Empyreal Deep Dive Drives and jump to another galaxy.
Anyhow…Biology:
Protheans are a carbon based, humanoid race of pseudo-arthropoidal creatures with a two caste system being part of their actual species (more on that later) that derive from the world of Nerr Atrined, which roughly translates as Origin of Principality (Pretentious much). We say pseudo-arthropoidal because they have, or rather had, both an endo and exoskeleton, though natural selection had pushed the organisms into loosening the exterior skeletal frame and converted it into armor plates across their body, but unlike actual arthropods, they have an active breathing system, and efficient cardiovascular organs.
Remember the exoskeleton and endoskeleton? Good, because this is where it starts getting nice. Prothean exoskeleton armor is made from protein polysaccharides not too dissimilar to chitin, but it is also rich with polarized silicon which is a very inert, heat resistant, flexible polymer. Meaning that these buggers are tough and can take a serious beating and have great environmental resistance. Though not as much as a fully adapted magnad. They don't have all the redundant systems and highly adaptive biology we do. These exo-plates are mainly found on the head, neck and body, providing protection to most crucial organs and they can retract their head into their shoulders slightly for protection. The endoskeleton though isn't that impressive, aside from the bones having hollow pockets to make them slightly lighter than us.
The skin can be a pale blue-gray or brown color mottled with muted yellow spots and is filled to the brim with specialized receptors which are the basis for their unique ability (which we will discuss below) and are most prevalent on their hands and tongue. Their hands each have three fingers, and their feet each have two widely-spaced toes.
Prothean blood is colored red, but it isn't iron based. Rather, it's actually a pigment that blocks radiation that freely flows through the system. If you remove that pigment though, their blood turns into a nice golden ichor. On a biochemical and genetic level, these creatures have a strange CMS (Coding Molecule System) that is very distinct from DNA, one which operates on a quad-strand structure, where two of these strands are designed for protecting the actual coding strands from chemical and radiation damage, further reinforcing that these aliens are well adapted to a high radiation environment. Their protein chains are also surprisingly resistant to anomalous folding meaning that they do not suffer from prion diseases.
They are also naturally 'biotic' and most disturbingly, also a psionic species. This will be elaborated further under abilities.
As for senses, they have quite the package. They possess two pairs of eyes with each eye possessing dual pupils, and three pairs of nostrils. Each pair of eyes, as well as their nostrils, operate by processing different information independently from the rest. For instance, the larger eyes are focused entirely on processing the black/white spectrum and movement, providing them superb night vision, while the exterior eyes only process colors (Red, Green, Blue, UV and a few other spectrum). Collectively, they have a very acute sense of vision. Touch is heightened, but pain is not. In fact it is very likely that Protheans have higher pain tolerance than an untrained organic. As for hearing, Prothean hearing is done via fluid filled cavities at either side of the head, and is not that sensitive though.
Now for the Castes, this will also be talked about significantly in the psychology and culture section, but an overview, the species has two castes (outside from the assimilated races) we have the Netraad (translates to High Breed, but we are just gonna call them Nobles) and the Ortraad (Translates to Common Breed, or Normies).
The Netraad are larger, stronger and much smarter than the Ortraad caste and are genetically predisposed to be the rulers of the Prothean society. They also have the strongest biotic abilities and psychic powers among the race. The Ortraad are the common folk, the basic description we discussed above. Nobles have larger head plates, grown to the point that they become an actual crest. Nobles are usually white skin with light colored plates and darker eyes than their lower born brethren.
Expanding into lifespans, Protheans have a natural lifespan greatly surpassing Sapiens, with the Normies living about two hundred and fifty and only beginning to suffer from the degenerative effects of aging at their two hundred year mark, while the Nobles go beyond, to the four hundred year life span, but suffer from aging comparatively much sooner at roughly the three hundred year margin. Though medical anti-aging treatments counter these effects. Pretty impressive, though not that much when compared to us who are biologically and functionally immortal.
Prothean sexes and reproduction is not exotic in any way. They are bigendered and give birth to live young. Though unlike us, they do not find much pleasure in the act of sexual intercourse and the offspring's gender is not dependent on genetics, but environmental pressures like those of Terran reptiles. Females are nearly identical to males with the few indicative differences being a shorter frame and longer arms… as well as the reproductive organs. Oh and males' penis is long (+ or – 45cm) can move like a tentacle… gross. Adding to the report, females have a gestation period of our standard year and give birth to two offspring.
Psychology and Culture.
We have some data here and there, but culture is basically bare bones and we will only include some data on it, just for you to know Harp.
Now that we are done with that, let's move on to the most challenging part; xeno-behavior. We had to do several bio-simulations of the species, and steal data from their neural cortexes through psi-nanite injection. As a consequence to low data, we do not have much to go on, but a picture has formed regarding what we are dealing with. Hint, it isn't good.
Prothean mentality and culture revolves around a hierarchy based upon the foundations of dominance and proof of skill and power, touched upon by a Darwinistic attitude towards life. This can be said as the following. If two Protheans were to meet, they will immediately make a hierarchy through the Touch, analyzing each other and he who proves greater takes the lead on all actions and the inferior gladly and happily lets the greater take control. But this does not mean that the inferior will not try to up his superior by improving itself until it can supersede its fellow. In fact this is a central part of their psychology, each individual always trying to claim a higher and higher place on the ladder. Either through intellect, strength or cunning.
And this mentality is applied to other species as well. If you are not strong enough to claim your manifest destiny among the powers in the galaxy then you do not deserve it. End of the argument.
Ironically, this isn't some quirk of domination for the evulz, but it is… from their twisted point of view… a good thing for the subjugated species.
The Protheans justify this cultural reconditioning by claiming that if the races who opposed them were actually stronger than the Protheans, then they would take the Protheans' place as the galaxy's dominant civilization, and the Protheans would have no issue with this at all. It was in keeping with their belief that evolution, or the 'Cosmic Imperative' as they termed it, was the prime driving force of life in the universe and that the strong must flourish by dominating the weak for the greater good of all. Keep that in mind. They do not want to dominate us because they want us dead or enslaved, but because they believe it's the right thing to do!
This is further brought to evidence by the fact that while the Protheans are the higher Caste members of society (High and Middle caste is almost exclusively dominated by the Protheans themselves while Low caste is delegated to the subjugated aliens species), various aliens species have shown skills that allow individuals to rise into higher castes and the Protheans consider them worthy of every ounce of respect they claim. It's weird… but it makes some twisted sense…
The reason why the Protheans dominate the higher castes is because they are stronger, smarter and more skilled than the other races under them. But even so, those beneath are not treated like slaves at all, even if they are looked down upon by those above. It's weird. A society like that in the old sapiens species would quickly fall to corruption and abuse, but these guys managed to pull it off. Comes to show that aliens are indeed alien. Just like we would be for them, a harmonious egalitarian collective like ours is practically impossible for them to accomplish.
Protheans have no issue with eating even other sapient life forms, not surprising given their cannibalistic tendencies. Yeah, you heard that, no this isn't an exaggeration Harp, they are cannibals, and despite what you may think, it makes sense. Read the Abilities part and it will make sense. As a result, when one of their numbers die, they are usually consumed so that the individual's skills and memories are preserved, culturally granting the diseased a form of immortality by passing on their lives to the living. This ties to their olden day religions, where it was seen as the highest form of honor and grandeur among them to be consumed by as many as a population as possible, making the dead forever remembered in the hearts and minds of the living, becoming a strange form of ancestor worship. Also, as a consequence, it is a great honor for a member of the lower castes to be eaten by one of a higher one after their deaths. Not eating your ancestors, friends or family when they pass is seen as the highest act of disrespect and barring special circumstances would warrant excommunication from the rest of their community.
The Protheans designated certain individuals as Avatars, or exemplars, of particular traits or acts: Battle, Knowledge, Cunning, etc, and they mentally alter themselves to excel at this one aspect of their choosing. It is an act not taken lightly and those who choose to walk this path are seen with an odd mixture of pity and awe. But likewise anyone who leaves this path of life is seen as weak and a disgrace of untold proportion among their people and ostracized until their act of failure is washed away by cleansing their own life from existence through ritual suicide. Harsh. Also, Avatars are only allowed to consume a fellow Avatar and only of a compatible embodiment (Vengeance and Battle, War and Annihilation, Knowledge and Truth, are close enough for this to happen), though in the past it was only of the exact same trait. Eating an Avatar of another embodiment is seen as a terrible crime and punishable with execution. A disgraced Avatar's body isn't eaten in any circumstances though.
Also Protheans practice selective breeding and has resulted in the separation of the commoner and high caste into two subspecies. Subspecies so utterly different that you would be excused for believing them entirely different creatures. And we don't mean physically (though there are no shortage of differences there either) but psychological. Ortraads are pretty similar to us, once you separate all those little quirks that make them different from humans. They can feel love, loss, sympathy, fear, have desires and a sense of self similar to our own (more or less). Guilt is a bit weird though. But aside from that we could have a normal argument with each other… if we can prove to be on a similar level of 'power' to them and ignore their cannibalistic tendencies.
Netraads though, these are scary, and here is one of the reasons why they are the High Breed Caste. These Superprothean monsters are utterly fearless (They are incapable of feeling fear, like at all!!) and while they do have self-preservation instincts, they face death smiling and laughing and will not, I repeat, will not break under any circumstance. Read addendum 4.77 B where Shin Arata (one of our few remaining Engels) had to spend nearly twenty minutes hunting that Noble down and still the bloody bastard managed to deny us a body to work with by disintegrating himself with what they call a warp. They have a single purpose drive to dominate and become superior at whatever they deem (Which has resulted in various dynasties, each focusing on a particular niche to play in society.) and will not stop until they die or are at the very top of the food chain and even then they have to work to maintain their place in society from other rivals. And worse of all, they seem to use their immense biomancy to guide their civilization to whatever they see as the right course of action. When the Netraads set themselves to do something then they will accomplish it, no matter how much blood and sweat is spilled and only crushing them completely would make them stop. And to make matters more interesting, a Netraad in the field makes all other Protheans fight just as fiercely and fearlessly as the bastard himself and his elimination is not a guarantee that the unit will break. And when one dies, they are devoured by as many people as possible, ensuring his will lives on through his subjects forevermore. This is how the High Breed Caste as ruled uncontested for millennia, though sheer power, strength, cunning and manipulation. Do not underestimate the nobles. Ever.
Various Netraad Dynasties include, but not limited to, the Borhnaat (Bloodthirsty warriors, the whole lot of them), Aigdotha (Mad scientists 90% of the time and abstract LSD artists the other 10% of the time), Nyneeba (Navy captains of and void masters), Urgaraada (Traders and administrators), Lephet (Genetic specialists and socio-cultural experts (and manipulators)), etc… There are also mythological Dynasties like Rureiel and Balgaroth, but I have no data on them.
And this is the problem we find ourselves. We did not win against them, not in their eyes. They made a miscalculation and loss and that can admit to that, but not until we prove, beyond every shadow of doubt, our own superiority and strength to them they will not stop until we are subjects to them.
What we faced? That probe that entered our system reported back and told them that we did not have any Eezo. Because many of our transmission technologies use the metaphysical principles, they were not able to deduce that we were so advanced, so they brought in a token force to subjugate us, thinking we were some bumbling primitives.
Well…now that they know, they will treat us accordingly. As a fully fledge interstellar empire and will bring their full might to bear.
Thankfully or FTL drives have longer reach and our tech is considerably more advanced than theirs. By the time they find us, if they ever do, we will have the power to demonstrate them without a shadow of doubt that we are not to be trifled with.
We will still use the rules of the Grendel Conventions though Harp, so no matter how satisfying is to see some imperialistic crazies get invaded by extra-dimensional monsters, we are not doing planned Meta-incursion into their worlds. It's not nice to them and we would be forced to clean that mess up afterwards.
Abilities.
Okay, we have two things to work with. We will begin with the thing that is the newest stuff for us. Biotics. We… we just got our hands on this substance, and we have very little idea what it is. But Taroth Auphilon proposed that this is an actual hybrid particle that exist partially in-between the Realspace and the Terminus Obscure, but it is also strangely psycho-reactive in a way that we have not seen before. More details attached. Anyway, this strange exotic substance seems to be exclusive to this galaxy and allows the creatures of this region of the universe to manipulate the dark energy and dark matter that permeates the Terminus Obscure and phase it into Realspace. In other words, it allows them to manipulate gravity, distort the phase state of particles and alter their mass-speed ratios and how they are subjected to the laws of Realspace in ways we never have seen before. Heck, we have only begun scratching the absolute tip of this monumental iceberg and the possibilities could be endless. And the Protheans seem to be very skilled at this. It allows them to play the game of sorcerers even if what they are doing is completely different and unrelated. (Take note that even Herma Mora got his ass handed to him for a while and had to use the Closed Hand Technique. And let's not forget what Daviel En-Matt was subjected to and what Shin Arata had to do to catch that High-Breed.) We should see if we can incorporate some of these tricks into our own military.
Now… this is the part that should get you all worked up. Protheans (and from what we can tell, a whole lot of species in this galaxy) are a psionically active. To be more precise, they are psychometric biomancers. The entire lot of them are! This means they can tell a whole host of details from any organic life form they encounter by a mere touch. And take note that a large demographic of species in the galaxy have these abilities, but only the actual Protheans themselves have it so extensively enhanced to the point of consuming skills, knowledge and abilities from one another through consumption, ergo the immense significance of cannibalism in their culture. But this is not the only ability this psionic power grants them, and the High Breed Caste has expanded it upon to be able to guide the will of those beneath and even have a frightening insight in the processes of biology. And more so, despite the fact that they may not know much about the finer reasons why their abilities work, they have managed to replicate it upon their machines, meaning that their Artificial Intelligences have the same (if somewhat reduced) abilities as the organics. Talk about innovative…
Technology:
Ask Marathi for more data on that. But a simple overview is that while it is sturdy and reliable and operates on principles we haven't encountered before, ours beat theirs by a decent margin, especially more so when we take into account our understanding of metaphysics.
To give you an example. Let's take their plasma weaponry.
It operates by… sigh, okay, short summary. It uses these 'Mass Effect' fields to rapidly charge and excite the particles within a condensed canister of ionized gasses and metals. Then it launches them at supersonic speeds through a narrow field corridor, causing a potent explosion of radiation and heat at the point of impact. But check this, while many components are analogous to our own plasma weapons, they require this Eezo substance to accomplish their task and release the ionized particles in the form of a projectile at a distance considerable for ranged combat.
Ours, on the other hand, can easily do without this Mass Effect field and while they would lack the range the Prothean plasma analogues possess, that is easily rectified by our usage of metaphysics and basically reprograming the laws of the material universe to bend over and do what we want. Ergo, we can put several times more range, power and accuracy than whatever they can produce with our understanding alone. When we begin taking in their designs… well… let's say that getting a bolt of solidified uranium plasma to the face would be the least of their worries.
However… thanks to their biomancy, we should be seeing a species with a frightening degree of biotechnology. Though none which could affect us greatly since we have redundancies to redundancies among other things.
Threat Level:
As we are now, considerably high as they could drown us in numbers.
If we get a chance to properly develop back to a stable population number and build our fleets and legions? They are a minor threat.
…?
Our technology only works for us yes but… cloning us with the bio samples that remain in Mundus? Yeah, I really doubt it Harp, cloning a cybrex like me is a pain in the ass, imagine a magnad. Or worse, a void wyrm.
Sure, they may be skilled with biology, but one can only clone any one of us if they knew the right alchemical formulae to catalyze the partial metaphysical nature of our biology. The Protheans don't have the tech, knowledge, skill or psionic power to do so. Much less the ability to tap into the Void of Dreams. So no Harp. I really doubt that they would be able to clone us.
---------------------MEANWHILE IN OROSIA--------------------------
P: Our research into cloning has yielded nothing! If the crazy fool's words are true-
I: We have little reason to believe the contrary. Much evidence points to him being correct and the technology of these… preterhumans, being designed to interface exclusively with them on a level we cannot comprehend. Many even believe it may be on some mystical level also.
P: Please, don't tell me you have bought that garbage!
I: Garbage or not, we are having great difficulty explaining what that invisible… thing that accompanies him is. So far it has eluded every attempt at study. It's nonphysical, immaterial, but we all know is there. It defies all reason by existing, yet it still persists in its presence right before us. Even Itradima Aigdotha herself has no clue on how to begin explaining the 'Ghost'.
P:…… I have an idea.
I: I'm listening.
P: Read this. I want you to bring her to us.
I: … You're insane. That crazy bitch is absolutely yvarrshit insane! Avatar of the Flesh or last member of the House of Ruleiel, that woman cannot be trusted either way! You know what her House did! Or how she killed every single one of them! May the Ancestors preserve my blood and bone, you are insane to take her out of her cell.
P: I know. But she is what she is; the best of all gene-crafters in the entire galaxy. Bring her to us. If there is someone who can unravel the mysteries of these alien's annoying biology, it's her. If not, then all our plans to deciphering this tech are gone.
I: How do I entice her? She isn't in the best terms with anyone and she has refused to aid expand our knowledge in biology. In fact she has modified herself using unknown technologies to make her flesh not only venomous, but mentally corruptive as well.
P: Not just corruptive. It overwrites your mind with an imperfect copy of her own.
I: ……You're telling me that those weren't just myths?
P: No. It is why we haven't executed her and still keep her alive, in the hopes of ever uncovering how she did it. She is the best of us all, but she cares not for any besides herself and her research. Ergo, why she is forever sentenced to an eternity in prison.
I: …… Alright, how do I get her to work for us?
P: I will handle most of the talking. But, give her these, sort of a…incentive to work with us.
I: Genetic samples of the preterhuman species?
P: If there is one thing that can spur her into action is a challenge. I have read her profile, she will not resist the temptation.
I:… Yes milord.
-----------Three weeks later-----------------------------------
Dark gates opened as he was permitted entry into the Penitentiary World of Lomis Dat, the place where they kept the worst of the worst in the entire galaxy.
As he and his entourage of Blackbane giards walked through the hallways and elevator passages containing the most dangerous rogue minds of fellow Protheans of all castes and those of enemy aliens, the prothean reached the level labeled EEE. The lowest depth in the facility of Lomis Dat, within these cells were the kings among the insane and criminal in sheer terms of wickedness and malevolence.
And now, he was headed to one, if not the worst of them all. EEE-AR 142.
He motioned to the Blackbane guards to open the cell and watched as the seals were opened for the first time in ages. Dark metal steel doors opened, letting fresh air come into the black, dark cell. The air within stale and dry. Devoid of life and saturated with sterile chemicals to deny the inmates within any sense of the outside.
He saw her. Her perfect white skin and silvery carapace glimmering in the limited light that entered. Her body refined to such an absolute perfection despite the decades without a proper meal. Such perfect beauty bound and shackled to such a malevolent mind. Now he saw why many fell for her at first sight. How her perfect, red eyes were seen with such exotic beauty that defied reason and demanded love to be given to them at every moment. Love she used to conduct her cruel experiments. Love she greedily consumed and used to ensnare and dominate.
But he knew that it was the dark allure of such a creature. He could tell it from the Touch. She wasn't hiding her malevolent aura, did not need to.
"Mhm… a visitor coming to see lil' old me?" She purred. "How may I be of service my dear boy?" She hummed. "Wait, so you're Perferix's little assistant?" He froze. "My, and he has an offer for me. Do show me the bait, my dear Ibrimeth."
He was horrified. There was no contact, nothing. No means of using the Touch, not one that he knew was possible and yet, this woman… this thing already knew everything…… it was impossible.
But then again… this was the reason why she was so feared.
He said nothing and simply placed the three data shards containing the genetic material of the three Preterhuman races on the floor. Then one of the guards used an extended rod to take them to her while maintaining as much distance from her as possible. Such was her infamy that no living being was allowed within seven units from her cell.
She wordlessly collected and examined them, analyzing them closely with her crimson eyes. Then she took one and opened her mouth, letting out her long tongue and made contact with the shard. And then the strangest thing happened.
Ibrimeth had taken three weeks to get the credentials and travel to Lomis Dat. In those three weeks he had been familiarizing himself with the creature he was staring at, and in every depiction of her, he always saw her smiling. It was not that there were the only images of her he researched, no, it was the fact that never once, has this woman expressed anything else, than a knowing smile.
Not once since she became the Avatar of Flesh.
But now, Ibrimeth and all the accompanying guards were staring in shock at her, as for once, they saw her show an expression of something else. Something they never could have envisioned in their whole lives.
Shocked wonder.
There was genuine, unbidden awe in her eyes. As if she was beholding the Aramma Datra itself. And she could not contain it.
Tears slowly began to trickle down her eyes as a reverence filled smile slowly tugged upon her lips.
Not wasting a single second she released the shard and went for the next one, only to be left aghast once again. And then when she took the last one, the one that Ibrimeth knew was the one that contained the Wyrm gene sequence and he actually was starting to believe his eyes were lying to him.
For she was openly crying. Tears of joy.
She, the most dangerous Prothean Netraad in present history, she the most sadistic and murderous monster in the galaxy, the horror made flesh and embodiment of evil in the universe, was genuinely happy.
"To have the chance to live in an age as filled with great wonders as this. Never once in my life have I had the joy of experiencing such beauty as this…" She said. Her voice cowed with the knowledge she had witnessed. "Say no more… for you have my undying loyalty and support." Those were words of absolute truth. "I, Athame of house Ruleiel, will follow your command and wish, until the end of my times. All for this, all for the chance to unravel the secrets of the flesh of these beings!" She proclaimed and bowed. "I will not disappoint you… I cannot! For to be handed such a gift as an opportunity like this demands equal greatness of loyalty as a reward!"
There and then fate had been decreed.
And somewhere far in the void of space, in a ship built upon foundations of paranormal technology, Director Tharn Harp sneezed.
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AN: Sorry for not posting anything in a while. Life has come back with a vengeance and I want to finish all the Codexes first before I move on with the story. Also, my other story has taken a bit of my attention lately, but haven't gotten the chance to do anything much thanks to uni.
Hope you like this little Codex/story expansion. And I hope I made the protheans suitably alien.