The Karthla Hordes

The Karthla Hordes

Description

The Karthla are a race of vicious monsters from deep space. They use the power of infection and invasion to destroy other races. With other races of The Dominion on their side they are almost unstoppable. No known lifeform knows how the Karthla came to be. Not even the Karthla themselves actually know. All that we know is that they are a monsterous species of aliens that enjoy the suffering of others. Karthla use the power of bio-pods to clone and create new units for battles. They are a massive empire that comes from arm 5, the core Dominion arm.

History

The first ever recorded piece of Karthla history was created when Lord Ozor rose to power. Lord Ozor was the first Karthla Lord and a powerful one indeed. After Lord Ozor became Lord, the Karthla began to evolve by the year. Their knowledge and power increased rapidly for thousands of years. After many thousands of years of civilization and advancement the Karthla had finally rose to utter power and had created a space-faring empire. However they seem a bit more animal than sentient, but Karthla can be very crafty and smart. Never think of them as dumb animalistic monsters. They are very powerful, deadly, and above all intelligent.

After many strange eras the Karthla lifted off of their homeworld Krathal and had an awful encounter with another empire. The Grand Council ordered the destruction of the Karthla. Eventually, the council’s armies had almost completely obliterated the Karthla Hordes. No one knows how they did it but they did. The last of the Karthla was a Karthla Hive Avenger. The goal of the Hive Avenger was to avenge the hive by creating a new hive and let the Karthla rise once more. No modern weapons have been known to kill a Hive Avenger. They will only reanimate themselves.

The last Avenger was captured and taken to a Grand Council prison until it rotted dead. It sat in that cell for about 60 years. Then one day a strange alien (Later known as Kradus) broke into the prison on a rampage. He freed all of the prisoners and the Karthla Avenger begged to come with him. The alien accepted the Karthla and then broke into a Grand Council ship and flew away. Then he took the Karthla to a safe planet and the Karthla rose once more. The Avenger was then made Hive Lord for his great acts. The Karthla then swore eternal loyalty to Kradus for saving them. Without Kradus the Karthla would still be down to 1 individual inside a Grand Council prison.

About 2 months later Kradus destroyed the council completely. Now the Karthla are his best allies and roam the galaxies with him conquering new worlds.

Religion

The Karthla follow the Karshaak religion. The Karshaak religion is only followed by the Karthla. The religion is based on a goddess named Krathel, Krathel is believe by the Karthla to be the creator of the universe and all things that exist. They refer to her as their “mother” in most Karshaak scriptures including the Book of Krathel. Krathel is believed to speak into an old witch that lives on Krathal named Edus. Edus is said to be the wisest living Karthla and a powerful witch. Edus has lived for over a millennium and has raised some of the Karthla Lords. It is her duty to watch over the Karthla Lords and help them when they need it. She receives direct messages from Krathel and it is believable that at a time she may have even seen the so-called goddess face to face. However scientists believe that the entire religion is hokum.

Language

The Karthla speak Karthlese a language of great mystery. The language is composed of many strange clicking, hacking, and gurgling sounds along with the general talk. For instance, The Book of Krathel is called Ab Kra’sek in Karthlese. The word book is Aba. The word die is Ko’lak, the word ship is Mor’ahf. See, very mysterious. Karthlese is a language that is very hard to learn. Not many non-Karthla have succeeded in learning it. However due to the Karthla’s quick learning abilities and advanced language skills, they are able to learn it within a matter of years.

Bio Karthla are big and bulky. They have a mutinous appearance. Most of them have a morphed fleshy look along with the share of claws, spikes, armored spines, and other horrors. They have limbs wrapped in a protective exoskeleton. They have large heads and a jaw full of rotting razor-sharp teeth capable of piercing metal. Karthla are often colored purple with the exceptional grey-ish purple. They have a menacing display of black striped on their hips which they use to attract mates. On the top of their heads they have a set of horns. They sometimes use these for grooming but mostly for combat. Karthla have many optic nerves in their green (or sometimes red) eyes. They see in colors and patterns that we as humans could not imagine. This helps them see things more clearly and also helps them concentrate on certain parts of their vision field.

Karthla also have very sharp claws which they sharpen daily using the bodies of fallen victims. These claws are used mainly for combat but are also used for rock climbing, grooming, and eating.

Karthla have the capability to spurt different chemicals such as different acids from their mouths. This is a very effective defense mechanism of theirs. They have several different abilities like this.

Pods Karthla Bio-Pods are used for creating new Karthla to help participate in battles or watch over pods. Over half of the Karthla species is made up of artificial Karthla (Karthla made in the pods); the other half is naturally made Karthla born from eggs by their mothers.

There are several different types of pods. The main pod though is called a Karthla Primary Pod. The Karthla Primary Pods grow Karthla soldiers and such. Other pods such as the Karthla Father’s Pod, command the other pods. Pods such as the Karthla Housing Stalks are used as housing areas for Karthla specimens.

The Primary Pods though are the most important pods. They create the Karthla that support the armies and fight in battles. Without the Primary Pods there would be no Karthla. It’s as simple as that.

Karthla Housing Stalks are used to house Karthla. They provide all of the things Karthla need such as a sufficient supply of food and water (which Karthla rarely drink anyway but still). They provide large slimey sacks inside for nesting babies and eggs inside while unattended. These sacks are also used by some adult Karthla however most Karthla prefer to sleep in large pools of slime and toxic sludge which is very healthy for Karthla skin.

Karthla Father Pods act as the commanders of the other pods. They monitor the energy levels and life. Usually there is only 1 Father Pod per Podra. If the Father Pod is destroyed the other pods die completely. However when the Avenger Pods sense that the Father Pod(s) has been destroyed, they start to production of Hive Avengers which are sent out to avenge the hive by recreating it in a safer place so that they may rise again.

A Podra is a large group of Karthla Pods all clustered together and covering an enormous piece of land. Usually a Podra is about seven miles long in diameter when in circular form. However some Podras can be in the shape of strings and fill in the spaces between 2 cliffs.

Note: Karthla Pods cannot survive long in water. They are very organic and plant-like and will drown if held under too long. Many Jorro’kil troops try to drown Podras out if they are in a valley or canyon. It is a fast and easy way to destroy the Karthla. Karthla never place Podras on mountains or on top of large landmasses. They cannot withstand the pressure and altitude. Karthla have very sensitive organs and senses. They have special needs. Karthla usually do their best to inhale about a gallon of toxic sludge a week and about 12 gallons of meat each day.

Fun Fact: Karthla find Jorro’kil meat to be quite tasty too.

Back to the pods, the pods also root themselves into the ground with large living vines. These root-like vines are much more like tentacles. When a Karthla Pod is attacked, it usually defends itself using these vines by raising a few above the ground for a defense round.

Also when a Karthla Planter plants the Pod Elixir in the ground, the vines grow and grow and then wrap around each other and weave themselves into large pods, creating the overall Karthla Podra. If disturbed, the Karthla Pods will defend themselves without hesitation. They will most likely slash you open and grab your carcass then hand it to the Karthla Food Retrievers. The Food Retrievers will then take it to the Feeding Pods which produce the food for the pods to live. The Food Retrievers will then drop the meat into the pod as the pod churns it up and makes food particles and nutrition from it. This nutrition is then used to feed the pods and to increase the production of Karthla.

Quiet an effective order wouldn’t you agree? The Karthla are very smart and can do things most call unnatural.

Karthla Devourers are used when claiming planets and protecting borders. They are large mouth-like pits in the ground that dig down deep into the ground. If you take a step into one you will surely be devoured and slowly digested deep beneath the crust of the planet.

Karthla Digesters are large organ-like sacks that are connected to the bottoms of the Karthla Devourers and Karthla Feeders. They digest the food and provide energy for the pods.

Karthla Molders are small pods where Karthla can create a custom made object. For instance, let’s say a Karthla would like a new Axe Weapon. All he has to do it go up close to the pod, stick his arm inside the Mind Socket, grab the outlet cord inside the socket, close his eyes, and imagine what he wants. The pod will read his telepathic messages and thoughts. Soon the elixir inside the pod will materialize into that exact form. However these pods cannot create any technological source of any kind.

Karthla Waste Funnels are large tube-like pipes that are attached to medium sized pods. The pods shoot toxic waste up through the pipe and into water. These pods are used to pollute water and kill any aquatic life inside it. This is extremely useful due to the fact that Karthla hate water.

Bio-Transformations

Karthla Gas Releasers are large stalk-like pods that are used for reverse terraforming planets. When activated they release a powerful gas that fills the air and contaminates it with bio-transformation particles and toxic waste. Within a 3 day period the planet will de-terraform until it is completely barren and T0. 1 level of terra is destroyed per day on the 3 day period. You may suspect that Karthla are on a planet if the clouds turn black and purplish. Lighting will also turn bright purple and trees will start to die. Grass and flowers should also wilt and the entire environment will soon die. Signs of Karthla Bio-Transformation are the following:

1. Purple and black clouds with purple lightning 2. Dying environment 3. Sick animals and citizens 4. Powerful winds 5. Tornados and hurricanes 6. Air will be humid and a bit hard to breathe, as if on top of a mountain. 7. Lots of fog

Lung Power and Immunity

Bio-Transformation helps the Karthla invade worlds. Most lifeforms cannot breathe in what the Karthla can. Most lifeforms cannot survive the air that is left after planetary bio-transformation. However Karthla can. Karthla have unique lungs not seen on any other lifeform even the Talakans who evolved from the Karthla Virus (Explained Later). Their lungs can withstand awful toxins and viruses. The Karthla at the moment are the only known species immune to all viruses except for 3: The Zikas Virus, the Endos Virus; and the most deadly of the three, The Vuros Virus.

Karthla have very powerful immune systems. Their immunity cells are highly aggressive and can destroy almost any virus or germ. However the acids inside a Karthla’s grotesque body burn up many viruses that enter it anyway.

Experiments have been done by Confederacy scientists to prove most of these things. Most scientists will try to gas a Karthla inside a gas chamber with strong viruses. After a while they realize that the viruses have no effect on the monsters. Some experiments have been done where the scientists take out all air from the containers holding the Karthla. It seems that some Karthla can live without air. Their lungs have special glands on the inside that activate when air is not found. They create toxic air that Karthla breathe and keep the Karthla alive. However if their lungs are filled with water these glands no longer function leaving the Karthla to drown.

Karthla Lords

Karthla Lords are the great leaders of the Karthla. Since the beginning of Karthla written history a Lord has been there to command the Hordes. Day in and day out he is there to rule unless he is killed.

Many Karthla Lords have been killed by invaders or natural deaths. However a few were found to be a bit unnatural and a bit impossible. But for now focus on the generality of the Lord.

Karthla Lords are powerful Karthla variants that rule the Hordes. For now only 1 can rule at a time. However in the case of Lord Porl and Lord Url which ruled together during The Flesh Age, times and rules were different then.

Lords have amazing abilities. Using the power of their spiritual mother they are able to summon armies from the dead. This has mystified millions for billions of years.

When a Karthla Horde is damaged and many are dead, a Karthla Lord or Father can sending sonic messages into the dead bodies of the Karthla and tell them to rise back up. Now no real soul lies in the body that rises up, however Krathel, the Karthla Goddess is said to control them and lift them up, implying that she has sent the souls back to the bodies.

Once risen they cannot be destroyed unless burnt or vaporized. Each time you slice them open they will only root themselves back together and get angrier.

Karthla Fathers

Karthla Fathers look much like Karthla Lords and act much like them, however Fathers only rule a hive instead of the entire empire. Hive Fathers have all of the same physical abilities as the Lords just not as much royal power. If a Father proves value to the Hordes, they shall choose him as the new Lord if the old one is dead or utterly useless.

Karthla Commanders

Karthla Commanders are only used to command small hordes that attack the enemy bases and cities while the Fathers stay back at the Podra and watch over the pods. Fathers only participate in battles if the enemies have reached the Podra or the Karthla have mostly been defeated.

Karthla Drones

This class is of the basic soldiers and powerful units. These Karthla are used often in difficult missions that require cunning execution and agile combat skills.

Horders

The largest and possibly most dangerous of all the classes. Even though they are poorly ranked, the Horders can destroy much. The Horder class is composed of many different Karthla variants. Most commonly the basic Horders, Gorls, Karthla Spiders, and other infantry units. Melee units however include a different set of Karthla which usually are equipped with large spikes and claws used to slash at enemies.

Mutants

The Mutants are other enemy specimens that have been infected with the Karthleus Virus and turned into Karthla units. These mutants usually follow a Karthla Commander. Without someone to guide them they are brainless and have no idea what to do. When there is no commander in sight they often lie on the ground hoping one will come.

Infections and Mutants

This is a good time to mention the Karthleus Virus. Most Karthla carry a strange disease called the Karthleus. Some Karthla carry a large blaster which contains large pellets of this virus. When they come in contact with another lifeform they infect it with the virus. The virus will then spread and slowly transform the lifeform into a Karthla. It usually takes about 24 hours for the transformation process to finish. The only known lifeform immune to the virus is the Nhurg. However when the Nhurg come in contact with the virus they will die instantly but they will not transform.

It has been theorized that the Talakans could be immune to the virus as well since they evolved from it. However due to the fact that the Karthla and The Dominion are neutral to them for the time being we do not know. The Karthla have never fired the Talakans with this (yet).

Mutants are brainless until they enter the final transformation stages. But before the final stages they must be accompanied by a Commander, Father, or Lord so that they will have someone to guide them. They will do whatever the leader says. Even if he/she orders the mutants to kill themselves they shall do it.

Mutants can also identify any sort of commander. That is the only knowledge they possess for the first few stages. Once they progress and transform even more their knowledge starts to return but this time rearranged by Karthla thoughts.