The Reaver Biological Collective

OFFICIAL NAME: Reaver Biological Collective (RBC)
HOMEWORLD: Shkai, in sector A-34-26 of the Reaver Nebulous Cloud Galaxy
HOLDINGS: Unknown for certain, at least two galaxies, believed to be three
POPULATION: Unknown for certain, assumed to be upwards of three quintillion
CONTROLLING RACE: Mind Queen Reaver phenotype
SUPPORTING RACES: Various Reaver phenotypes
SUBJUGATED RACES: Many: K'thril, Volanti, Human, Kzroth, Koltrop, J'tari, Ger, Delatans, etc.

The Reaver Biological Collective is the most powerful threat nation known to the Weirdo Zone. Even after five hundred years of near-constant conflict, not everything is known about the Reavers. However, more pieces to the puzzle fall into place with each new victory.

POLITICS
First contact was made with the Reavers in the year 2500 AD when they unexpectedly attacked Weirdo Zone science outposts in the galactic north of Primary Galaxy. Their unprovoked attack and seizure of Weirdo Zone territory has never been forgiven, not to mention their siege of the capital and murder of the Supreme Emperor. Since the expulsion of the Reavers in 2505, the Weirdo Zone has been on a campaign of vengeful conquest, having wrested two galaxies from the Reavers in a period of just under five hundred years.
There are no political ties with the Reaver homeworld. Envoys and ambassadors do hail from lower Mind Queens on the Weirdo Zone border, but there is no contact with any leaders higher than third generation Mind Queens. The Reavers and the Weirdo Zone have always been antagonistic with each other for obvious reasons.

BIOLOGY
     The Reavers are, biologically, the strangest race the Weirdo Zone has ever contacted. Their genetic material is actually the result of years of absorbing other species' DNA. It is assumed that the genetic material of at least 3,000 species (sentient or otherwise) resides within the Reavers' own expansive genome. The end result is a very large pool of genetic material to draw from if a new phenotype is required and also a very long and complex DNA replication process. It has been found that only one out of every five cells actually contains a nucleus while the other four contain a small amount of free-swimming genetic material akin to a bacterium. This probably simplifies DNA replication, lessening the replications required by reducing the number of cells with DNA.
     The Reavers are made up of a variety of phenotypes, castes each with a specific function. Mind Queens are responsible for control and reproduction; Warriors provide defense; Workers do simple, robot-like tasks; Technicians do delicate time-consuming tasks; and the newly-created Brains are responsible for researching and developing new technologies. Each phenotype is alike in that they all have three arms, three legs and two eyes. Their torsos are hunched over, nearly parallel to the ground. The two arms mounted at the shoulders are usually Human-like arms that end in hands with six digits. The center arm, mounted on the Reaver's hunched back between the shoulderblades, is usually a extremely muscular lifting arm that ends in a hand with three thick, powerful digits. The bulbous eyes are set on the sides of the head, providing stereoscopic vison both to the front and rear. Reavers have either two or three large nostrils above the uper jaw that allow them to detect heat signatures (using a Jacobsen's organ akin to those in snakes) as well as smell. The legs are set at 180° angles in extremely limber ball sockets, making their movements much more nimble than expected. However, their internal structure and organ composition varies with their tasks. This is achieved by selectively activating the genes within their DNA that provide the best results to their tasks. All Reavers have the same genetic material, but each phenotype only has a selected set of genes 'turned on.' Intelligence also appears to be genetically controlled in Reavers, for the Worker phenotype is sub-sentient (approximate to a dog or horse) while all others are sentient but have varying levels of intelligence depending on their purpose.
     The Reavers maintain control throughout their massive holdings by means of mind control. Although the Mind Queens are very powerful psychics, they are not capable of controlling each and every Reaver and subjugated creature under their command. They use odd single-celled eukaryotes called Mind Parasites to assist in their domination. Mind Parasites feed off of the electromagnetic fields of the central nervous system (brain and spine). They spread via air, water, or bodily fluid contact and once inside a host naturally collect near the central nervous system, forming quivering masses called Aggregates. All Reavers have Aggregate organs within their chests. Aggregates usually form at the base of the skull or neck in humanoids, but some have been known to form within the spinal column on accident, which is extremely painful and damaging to the spine. Aggregates act as psychic channels, so a Mind Queen can be aware of the general doings of all of her minions at once. It is akin to a top-down strategic reference used by military commanders--they know where everyone is and what they're doing, but cannot control them all simultaneously.
     Mind Queens and ranking Warrior commanders use telepathy in conjunction with Aggregates to give expansive orders and to control actions by regulating neurological chemical balances. A common practice is to order Warriors to charge while bolstering their courage with massive increases adrenaline and seratonin production, making them active and happy (zealous). In cases of dire emergency, Reavers can take complete control of someone under their command and directly cause them to take action. Social turmoil is unheard of within the RBC because the Reavers are extremely efficient at their neurochemical control. Also, Aggregates are impossible to remove surgically without causing collateral damage to the central nervous system of the host without nanoremoval techniques or special Mind Parasite-killing toxins.
     As Aggregates grow, they shed off free-floating Mind Parasites, which usually leave the host to infect other individuals. However, if Reaver manpower is low, the Mind Parasites can be directed to infect every cell in the host's body in order to create a deformed creature known as a Hybrid. The nervous system is conquered as the skeletal and ciculatory systems are assaulted. Once they fall, it is only a matter of time before the musculature and various vital organs fall prey to the encroaching cancer. After about two weeks the transformation is complete. A Hybrid shares the three arms and three legs characteristic to Reavers, their nostrils and eyes are pronounced, the skull is warped closer to reptilian Reaver standards, and the body is hunched over. However, Hybrids also maintain some of the characteristics of the original host--hair/fur, eye color, genitalia, skin color/complexion, so on. Their minds are completely wiped of any personality, ready for molding into Reaver society. If full-blooded Reavers are what's needed, the Hybrid forms a cocoon and after about a month comes out as a Reaver of whatever caste is desired by the controlling party.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE
     Reaver society and culture is centered around mind control and absorbing species. Genetic diversity is paramount to Reavers, and they see it as their near-holy goal to give all other races in the Universe 'immortality' within their own genetic code. This is analogous to the Weirdo Zone's goal of bringing our relatively free and egalitarian society to everyone who will take it.
     In society, the Mind Queens reign supreme due to their duty as the command and control structure of the RBC. They are revered as near-gods by their subjects. The High Mind Empress is the total ruler of the RBC. According to myth, popular opinion, research and conjecture the High Mind Empress is the very first sentient Reaver. How this can be reconciled with the fact that the RBC is at least two thousand years old and Reavers have been around for at least one million years is uncertain. The truth remains that she is considered as the supreme being within the Reaver social structure. Warriors are next on the social ladder, due to their role as protectors of the RBC and for of bringing more species into the Reaver genome. Technicians and Brains are next, due to the fact that Technicians perform important tasks that cannot be done much less than understood by others in the RBC while Brains do their best to make the RBC's technology compare favorably with that of other nations (this has become especially important during the current huge technology gap between the techno-adept Weirdo Zone and the bumbling RBC). Subjugated races are on the second to last rung, although this is not as bad as it appears--every subjugant is another vital drop in the RBC's gene pool. Workers do not even rate thanks to their subsentient status.
     Reaver culture is mostly maintained by the middle rungs (Warrior to Subjugant) of the Collective. Warriors practice utilitarian arts (pottery, carpentry, construction) to focus their minds and also, surprisingly, are quite adept at performing arts (dance, acting) as a way of lauding important battles. Technicians usually work at hobbies that require organization or preciseness such as collecting or minatures and realistic painting. Wargaming seems to be popular with Technicians, and they do make very good if uncreative pseudo-generals when Warrior commanders are killed in action. Brains, unsurprisingly, practice creative arts (painting, music) to let their mind wander for an insight. They produce exquisite abstract art and music (although most Humans find Brain music annoying or confusing due to its atonal quality). Subjugants produce a large amount of literature and folk songs in the style of their conquered race. Workers are not known to have produced any art whatsoever, although they do seem to have an appreciation of music. Mind Queens practice as many arts as possible, but more along the lines of 18-19th century higher culture on Earth, where ability is prized more than creativity.
     The RBC neither allows nor even has any organized religions within its domain. Any praying or wailing to a faraway God only creates discontent against the true ruler of the realm--the High Mind Empress. However, disorganized cults and actions that are decidedly pro-Reaver are encouraged. Occassionally the subjugants of the RBC simply lay down their work and hold festivals in the Empress's name. It has been proven by covert agents that these festivals are usually orchestrated by lower Mind Queens (using chemical balance control) as a way to improve morale, especially in the border regions under constant threat at the Weirdo Zone. Thanks to this bread-and-circuses attitude to morale, it seems the happiest regions of the RBC are those at the front.

GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY
The RBC is most definitely an autocratic state controlled by the High Mind Empress. However, the RBC does not have a government nor an economy per se. The natural hierarchy (mother to daughter) of Mind Queens dictate the patterns of political power. There is no money in the RBC as none is needed. All trade is basically directed by Mind Queens, and, admittedly, they do a good job of it too. Mind Queens are capable of singlehandedly accomplishing what it takes large bureaucracies in the Weirdo Zone to do--allocating resources to its members equally and fairly. However, such efficiency comes at the cost of personal liberty.

MILITARY
     The RBC's military is a huge yet well-controlled force. However, Weirdo Zone forces have the advantage in technology, speed, and efficiency. RBC military equipment is hideously outdated by Weirdo Zone standards. Their new "Pillager" battle armor, designed to be a counter to the Mobile Infantry armor worn by our elite Weirdannihilators, is still somewhat less effective than or lighter Weirdtrooper MPCA armor suits. Most Reaver weapons and defense technology is based upon various forms of gravitational distortion, probably gained from a conquered enemy from long ago. While such technologies are light-years beyond the Weirdo Zone's knowledge of such things, the Weirdo Zone has perfected more conventional technolgies to much better effect.
     While the RBC military is usually well organized due to their use of telepathy, new Weirdo Zone psychic jamming technology has forced them to use less advanced and less reliable modes of communication. Such communication problems have made the Reaver military's organization a mockery of its former self. This, plus the widening technology gap, is the primary reason Brains were created.
     Reaver strategy has been increasingly deteriorating the closer the Weirdo Zone gets to their homeworld. Their primary defensive tactic is a zealous infantry charge. Some well-placed artillery barrages and small-arms fire can usually decimate them with little risk. Current military thinking suggest that the Reavers' loss of strategy is inversely proportional to the provinical nature of the target. On frontier worlds, Warriors were on a near-equal footing with Queens as they were so vital to the safety of the RBC. Queens were respectful of their Warriors and made great pains to conserve them. The deeper into the RBC one gets, the more that Queens simply see Warriors as pawns to be expended. Interior Queens also know much less about strategy and assume that the horde mentality will win. As the RBC does not like to publicize its losses, it does not learn from them and so their dilemma continues.

FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
     The RBC is still a credible threat, but we inch closer to their homeworld every day. It is not certain what will happen once their homeworld falls (as fall it shall), but it is assumed that either the High Mind Empress will escape and the RBC will continue in exile or else the Empress will be destroyed and power will revert to her daughters. At last report there were six, so the RBC would split up into six sovereign states. Experts predict that, without the moderating force of the Empress, the six daughters will fight amongst themselves as well as the Weirdo Zone, depleting themselves even faster.
     There has been a growing peace movement in the Weirdo Zone made up of disenchanted soldiers and captured Reavers. While peace and trade would most likely benefit both the Weirdo Zone and the RBC, five hundred years of perpetual war does not lend itself to a quick and easy fix. There is too much spilt blood on both sides to find a common ground, and any peace process would be long and difficult.
     Estimates of the Reavers' military strength have only increased over time. Why the Reavers do not attack us with all their might is unknown; they may have an enemy on an opposite border just as trying as us. It is also possible that they use the same reasoning that we do; that a total conflict between the entire RBC and the entire Weirdo Zone would simply cause a apocalyptic scenario where one empire is totally destroyed and the so-called victor would quickly fall from internal pressures and scorched resources. As this would effectively bar the Reavers from their goal of absorbing all races, it would not be a wise strategic course. This is why most of the Weirdo Zone's military is actually made up of system defense forces rather than front-line combat troops (although they are regularly rotated to improve efficiency).
     Finally, the lack of any offensive moves by the Reavers as of late has brought up the question of whether they actually miss the territory they lost. Seeing how they had subjugated every race and absorbed all of their genomes, their job there is done. Also, in the perpetual fighting with the Weirdo Zone, they have probably gained or will gain the genomes of every WZ member race in the military at one point or another. This has brought up the interesting scenario of what would happen if the Weirdo Zone set up a light defense perimeter on the border and reassigned the combat fleets to exploratory duty on the Boundary of Known Space. Interesting, perhaps, but too risky for Navy admirals to contemplate.

Weirdo Zone Public Relations Office netdoc WZ.95.41.65.482 Published 1.17.3001

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