Biomatter Swarms



Sporecast

For the old version, see: Biomatter Hordes.

The BioMatter Swarms are a highly aggressive parasitic species of largely forgotten origin. They do not have any technology, instead relying on tooth, claw, and sheer numbers to overwhelm their prey. Though they possess no technology of their own, they do possess the ability to learn how to utilize other race's technology with time. This has allowed certain Biomatter the capacity for driving starships, tanks, walkers, and various other vehicles and battlesuits. In particular, their use of starships has made it significantly easier to spread their numbers.

Once the Biomatter land on a planet, they spread like a cancer, converting all biological material into biomass that is used to spread the infestation and make more Biomatter. If not halted, they will eventually consume the entire planet, absorbing all biological material and killing all non-Biomatter life. Once the planet has been fully converted, the Biomatter will use any means available to spread to other planets, repeating the cycle once again.

One of the most peculiar abilities of the Biomatter is their ability to adapt and evolve. Within just a few weeks of encountering a foe, the Biomatter will have already begun showing new adaptations and breeds designed to counter the enemy; within a few months, the hive will typically have changed its entire anatomy around in order to defeat its enemies. This adaptability is one of the most dangerous traits of the Biomatter, and it has made them all the more dangerous as the war has developed. Each hive, given the time to thrive and grow, have developed unique and specialized ways to defeat their foes, and have also begun utilizing the biological components of their food. Older hives are especially dangerous, having consumed so much DNA and biomass that they continue to become more complex and advanced. Sudden changes in weaponry and tactics have proven to be only a semi-effective method of defeating them, as they almost always eventually adapt for it.

Biomatter hives are notoriously hard to get rid of; the best way to do so is to prevent the Biomatter from landing on a planet in the first place. As such, planet's with well-developed orbital defenses have had a better time against the Hive than more vulnerable frontier worlds. However, this solution is still imperfect; automated defenses often won't attack vessels marked as friendlies, which can allow some infected vessels to slip right past them. Other vessels are simply too durable and may be able to brute-force their way through despite whatever damage they may take. Still yet, certain races have weaponized the Biomatter, seeding planets and vessels with spores and allowing an infestation to grow rampant, sometimes causing far more damage than what a 'natural' infection is capable of.

History
The origins of the Biomatter is a matter of intense debate among scientist and historians of the interstellar community; multiple theories have been proposed over the years in an effort to explain where and how they came to be, but without any conclusive evidence, they have proven impossible to prove with any certainty. Some speculate that the Biomatter, or at least a predecessor, evolved on a planet with extreme conditions, and that they only began to spread after they were found by an unknown alien species. This theory is flawed, however, in that no true 'equivalent' of the Biomatter has ever been discovered; their biology remains an anomaly to all forms of life in the known galaxy, resulting in them being placed in their own taxonomical classification. An alternate explanation is that the Biomatter originated in another galaxy and eventually entered into the Milky Way by chance, but the time required for intergalactic travel, as well as the mathematical probability of finding its way into the Milky Way by sheer chance, makes this theory dubious at best.

A more widely accepted belief is that the Biomatter were at some point in the past artificially created by an alien race, who either modified an existing creature which acted as a 'template' or created them through other means. These ancient Biomatter either breached containment after growing too large for their creators to control, or more insidiously, were deliberately released into the galaxy as a biological superweapon, one that they may still hold some level of influence over. While there is little evidence of them being ruled by a creator (especially since the IAE and Virisus actively weaponize Biomatter spores), an artificial creation process is more than enough for most biologists to explain their inexplicable capabilities.

Recorded Encounters
Encounter Codename: Outbreak

A BioMatter Spore crash-landed on Mitacen, the location of Research Base 738 of the Mardle Empire. The scientists took a sample of the BioMatter, only to have it mutate and wipe out the whole research staff. Although the creature was terminated by Security forces, there was no time for the base to prepare itself for the sudden attack of an enormous BioMatter force. The base was unable to enter lockdown, and was quickly overrun, with the nearby city falling a short time later. Data on this attack was recieved from the only survivor of the attack, a notable captain who had beamed down only a few hours prior to the attack.

Encounter Codename: Gauntlet

A colony on Qualiot had just been established by the Flewrits when a BioMatter Spore crashed down on the planet. Luckily, a captain on a pit-stop was tasked with surveying the crash site. When the captain arrived at the impact crater, it had already been filled with BioMatter Birthers, still growing into maturity. The hive immediately began producing BioMatter organisms, and the captain barely escaped to inform the colonial governor. The colonists were then evacuated down a narrow canyon that led to the spaceport, fighting constant BioMatter attack as the Hive grew in strength. Data on this attack was received from the surviving colonists, who managed to escape on a shuttle just before the planet was toatlly overwhelmed.

Encounter Codename: Assault

What would become the first major engagement between Peacekeeper forces and the Biomatter occurred on Ozelion, a sparesly populated world belonging to the minomits. A large cruiser infected with the creatures crashed near the equator in a rich jungle environment. The nearby Biomass allowed a large hive to develop extremely quickly. The planet was evacuated by a Warbot fleet in the area, which beamed down all its ground troops for a last-ditch effort to save the planet while more reinforcements were called in. After an enormous battle, where the Warbot defense line was pushed back nearly to the command center, air support arrived, enabling the hive to be cordoned off. An orbital strike was then used to annihilate the hive and end Ozelion's infection. Data on this attack was received from the Minomit commanders of the Warbot forces.

Encounter Codename: Laboratory

The world of Phrytaurs was the location of a large Salatran Science Center that specialized in genetic research. They decided to take some sample BioMatter creatures from Qualiot, a previously infected planet. However, there was a security breach and several organisms escaped. The escape creatures were Mutarior, organisms that possess and mutate their enemies. The Salatran scientists were quickly killed and possessed, while the rest of the lab containment systems were destroyed by the escaped creatures. Fortunately, a single captain who had arrived at the lab earlier managed to initiate a lockdown, before escaping through a vent. Though researchers wanted to use the cameras inside the facility to monitor the creatures inside, the government decided to cleanse the area and destroy the base, ending the threat of potential infection. Encounter Codename: Survival

The planet Rotunin was a free port, a privately owned world controlled by a powerful Fadyo trading company CEO. Though the planet had a multitude of planetary defenses, these systems were designed to destroy enemy spaceships, not BioMatter spores. The major cities quickly became warzones between the few ground-based military units and the BioMatter forces. However, the city provided cover for the civilian survivors, some of whom were able to evade the BioMatter hordes and make it to the various landing pads in the cities. Data on this attack was received from the 23 survivors, who managed to flee to rescue points.

Encounter Codename: World Eater

The second account of survivors of an infected world is from the planet Dralix, a colony of the Dragonetera. The colony was totally destroyed by a BioMatter assault, and the planet was covered by BioMatter hives and creatures. A survey and salvage team from an orbiting Dragonetera fleet unfortunately flew too low, and was attacked by a set of enormous tendrils, which pierced the ship's exterior and dragged it down to the surface. Though the crew survived, their communicator was damaged in the crash. After successfully repairing the system and sending a distress signal, the Dragonetera crew was able to escape the consumed planet. This was the first record of a planet after its destruction by BioMatter. Data on this attack was received from the surviving crew members of Dragonetera Survey Ship 17.

The Task-Force
As the Biomatter rapidly became a more prominent threat, a Peacekeeper summit decided that immediate action to oppose BioMatter was necessary. To this end, the Anti-BioMatter Task Force was created, a force that would respond to any and all BioMatter attacks on allied worlds. The force is comprised mainly of Diabloian and Aeverian troops, while other races, such as the Luminarians, provide funds and weaponry to arm the force.



Encounter Codename: Judgement Day

After the first four victories of the Task Force, peacekeeper spirits were high. But when a BioMatter spore landed deep inside Diabloian territory, the sense of calm was shattered. A nearby Diabloian contingent rushed to the planet, but by then the infection had taken root. With the primary units of the Task Force out on the edges of the peacekeepers empires, the small group of Diabloian bio-troopers were the planet's only hope. Luckily, the intervention of Diabloian Specialist Heimdall saved the planet from destruction. Heimdall set off a powerful explosive inside the hive, ending the infection.

Encounter Codename: Sentience Part1

The Flytal world of Yintil was hit by a BioMatter Spore near its north pole. Realizing the danger, the Flytal governor sent a distress signal to the Task Force. The Force arrived in time to stop the colony from being overwhelmed, and began a long, pitched battle against the BioMatter hordes. As the battle raged, a peacekeeper captain who entered the fray made a horrifying discovery. While on a routine mission to rendezvous with a Task Force outpost, the captain was captured by IAE and Necraal troops, who had secretly landed on the far side of the planet.

Part 2 When the captain managed to escape captivity with a Flytal special forces operative, the two discovered that the IAE and Necraal had found a way to contain the Biomatter and were using them as weapons. Realizing the danger, the captain and operative rushed back to the Task Force, only to find that they were under attack by the IAE and Biomatter from two separate fronts. The Task Force was quickly overwhelmed, and a short respite at the Command Bunker ended with the Biomatter breaking through. Only the Flytal operative and captain managed to escape, while the Diabloian captain Varth and his subordinates were taken prisoner.

The incident has since been named 'sentience' due to the fact that during the ensuing chaos of the combined assault, some believed that the IAE and Biomatter had somehow become allies. It would take a few days for the confusion to clear and for the Peacekeepers to discover that it was in fact a weapons test.



Encounter Codename: The Horror

Taldrin was a small Acropolan colony located on the fringes of their empire. Far and away from the Acropolan's conflict with the Conkirites and ignored by Warlord forces, few people paid attention to the world and considered it to be of no priority. Unfortunately, this would not last; a large Biomatter-infected vessel managed to crash-land on the planet and immediately began attacking the colony. The colony was unable to defend itself and was overrun, the only survivors being a few who fled as the defenses fell.

Encounter Codename: Hunted

A sizable Nepharian colony was destroyed from inside by BioMatter, in little over five hours. The BioMatter Hordes tunnelled into the planet and grew in power rapidly, all without the planet's population knowing. Even more terrifying, small BioMatter parasites infected leading officials of the colony, only revealing their true nature after gathering all un-infected Nepharians together. This systematic slaughter is the first, but probably not the last, time BioMatter infiltrates a planet's occupants.

Encounter Codename: Blight



Am infected frigate crashed on the Korvar-held frontier world of Nalg-11. The Korvar had never encountered the Biomatter before then, and thus were taken by surprise when the Biomatter began their attack. A distress signal was sent out and the defenders attempted to hold their ground for as long as possible. Fortunately, the region where the frigate crashed was freezing cold and lacked sufficient Biomatter to sustain the Hive's attack for the long-term. The creatures eventually ran out of resources and were unable to produce enough warriors to keep pressure on the defenders, who rallied and pushed the Biomatter back to their landing site, which was quickly destroyed. Shortly after, reinforcements arrived and quarantined the planet.

Process of Infestation
The process of infecting a planet begins as soon as a Biomatter-infected vessel lands on a planet. The once-dormant organisms on the vessel awaken, the latent biomass is used to make feeders and warriors that search the surrounding area for biomass, bringing back any they find to begin growing birthers. At this stage of infection, the Biomatter are at their most vulnerable; depending on how large of a vessel they used to get to the planet, they may not have the forces to engage in intense fighting. Rapid containment can usually end an infection here, however; they can quickly surpass this stage with sufficient biomass.

The next and longest stage of infection begins once enough biomass has been accumulated to create a hive composed of numerous birthers. These birther hives are capable of producing hordes of warriors and create the larger known breeds such as Gargantuals. These hordes of warriors scour the land, eliminating any resistance with sheer numbers while the feeders continue their task of gathering biomass for the continued growth of the hive. If allowed to grow, entire regions will become converted and covered in infected biomass, birthers, and deadly tendrils. They also begin to tunnel into the earth, using the tunnels for more birthers, storage, and as a method of attack.

The expansion of the hive will continue until all biomass it can find is converted. Typically, this means that most if not the entire planet has been cleansed of all non-Biomatter, resulting in the complete destruction of the biosphere. This is not always the case, as the Biomatter do tend to ignore certain regions if they have trouble getting through them, such as regions with extreme temperatures. As a result, some pockets of uninfected life can still exist on a planet, at least temporarily.

If any space-faring vessels are abandoned on the planet, the Biomatter will claim them as their own and will proceed to seed the vessel, filling it with latent biomass, proto-birthers that can make small warriors and feeders, and a number of dormant feeders. These commandeered vessels are then driven by the Biomatter towards a new destination, spreading the infestation further.

When the hive is no longer in any danger, the production of warriors is ceased and the hive begins to enter a state or dormancy. Infected organisms, warriors, and feeders, all rendered useless, are converted into biomass to use later. They are replaced with a few specialized guards that constantly patrol the hive and release pheromones that help wake up the hive when it detects a threat. Over the period of a few weeks, the hive will begin to move its assets underground. Birthers, tendrils, everything on the surface is converted back into biomass and put in an underground burrow. In their place, strange organisms similar to plants grow on the surface, seemingly providing the hive below with a source of energy.

Once the process of going underground is complete, the hive will go into stasis. From this point on, it will do nothing unless it is provoked and is completely harmless so long as the planet is avoided.

Hives
The Biomatter, unlike the sentient races of the galaxy, do not have a single, unified leadership. Likewise, they are also not centered in one vast region of territory. Instead, individual hives of Biomatter exist in different regions of the galaxy, each under the control of a different hive mind. No hive is exactly like the other, each has different mutations, unique breeds, and particular physical traits, all derived from the biomass they have absorbed or evolved to defeat their foes.

The inner workings of the hives and the hive minds are a topic of constant debate, theories, and conjecture. It is known that once a swarm of Biomatter have left the influence of one hive, that they will then attempt to form a new hive and hive mind. While it is obvious how the hive is formed, the process of creating the leader of the hive is unknown, and the few attempts to learn how have been unsuccessful. Likewise, how the hive mind is able to project its influence across light years of space is also unknown. Given that a live hive mind has never been captured, it is unlikely that these questions will have answers anytime soon.

There are currently five known active hives: Fafnir, Piru, Apophis, Asag, and Ammit.

Fafnir
The most infamous of the hives, Fafnir has been active in the region for at least a century and has been involved in the Great War for as long as it has been going. They played a role in some of the largest battles against the Biomatter, such as the 'sentience' incident. They are believed to be the largest hive, with a few hundred worlds having been infected over their history. Currently, Fafnir is attacking the Empire of Diablos, IAE, and Karahotdoum, with occasional incursions into nearby races.

The most notable physical characteristic of Fafnir Biomatter is their large, muscular forms. Each organism, from the smallest to the largest, is notably bigger and stronger than those of other hives. This is believed to be an adaptation developed to combat Diabloians and IAE Genen Infantry such as the Doomtrooper. Their sheer weight and strength allows larger organisms to overpower most any foe, though this comes at the cost of mobility. Fafnir is notably slower than other hives, moving more as a slow wall rather than a tsunami of flesh.

Unlike the other Biomatter hives where one can find out the 'genetic heritage' of the hive with relative ease, it is incredibly difficult to do the same with Fafnir. Fafnir has consumed so much genetic material from so many different sources that it is nearly impossible to pin-point exactly where a trait is derived from. Much of the genetic material has also been broken up and re-arranged as the hive consumes more. It may never be known just how much Fafnir will have consumed in its lifetime.

Fafnir is notably aggressive towards other hives. Whereas most hives seem content with guarding their own territory and typically run into each other by chance, Fafnir seems to sometimes deliberately attack other hives. Reports of Fafnir invading a planet owned by another hive are not unheard of, and they will always go after another hive if they both land on the same planet. The reason why the hive is so aggressive is not entirely clear, though most have come to the conclusion that the hive likely integrated an inferior version of the Diabloian's frenzy into the brood and utilize a special pheromone to prevent friendly fire while making them instantly hostile to everything else.

The battle between Fafnir and the races of the Great War is as old as the Great War itself. Numerous efforts have been made to eradicate Fafnir, but for one reason or another, they have been unsuccessful in completely eradicating it. For every planet cleansed, another will inevitably fall. The fact that the IAE utilizes the hive as a biological weapon only complicates the matter. Some believe that the hive will only be completely destroyed once the Great War concludes.

Charotid
The Charotid is essentially an overgrown and highly aggressive feeder. These creatures resemble a gigantic mouth lined with spiked teeth and possessing four legs for walking around. Jutting out of its sides are a number of spiked tentacles that it uses to impale prey and drag them into its maw where they are converted into biomass. Once unable to eat anymore, the Charotid makes a beeline for the nearest birther, depositing its catch before heading back to collect more. Even if its spiked tentacles are removed, the creature is still capable of charging towards prey and biting them with gruesome results. The best way to dispatch a Charotid is to shoot directly into its maw.

Apophis
Hive Apophis is the second largest hive and is active in the territories of the Aeveria Confederation, Zaretian Monarchy, and formerly the Luminarian Rebels. They were first documented by Aeverian researchers near the fringes of Aeverian space. For the first few years of the war, Apophis was harassing all nearby factions with equal frequency. However, as the war progressed and the Zaretians began loosing to the combined Aeverian-Luminarian front, the hive began to attack the vulnerable Zaretian colonies much more frequently than before. The actions of Apophis have been insurmountable in helping to understand the Biomatter's behavior.

Apophis is the only hive known to have reverted some of its adaptations. Some mutations present during the early half of the war have been phased out in favor of specialization towards the Zaretians. At this time, they have a carapace to give them limited protection from projectiles. They also have a long, whip-like arm that has either a spike or a razor sharp claw at the end for dispatching enemies from a fair distance. Not many other notable mutations seem present, likely due to Apophis' preference towards weakened territories that can't defend very well regardless.

Much like its adaptations, Apophis' genetic code has gone under numerous changes over the course of the war. Near the beginning, it was a mix of its numerous prey, much like any other hive. Now that the hive focuses primarily on Zaretian targets, material derived from Aeverian or Luminarian sources are less apparent. The most notable result of the integration of Zaretian genetic material is an enhanced regenerative ability, as well as a layer of soft scales covering the majority of the brood.

With the Luminarians dealing with personal business and the Zaretians too busy fighting the Aeverians, Apophis has been largely put in the back of many people's minds. The Aeverians have little to worry about, their most important worlds behind a blockade no infected vessel has the hope of getting through. The Zaretians would love to get rid of the pest, but can't dedicate too many resources to fighting them, and have as a result adopted a defensive strategy. Unless the situation changes, Apophis will keep rampaging through the system.

Piru
Appearing on records a little over twenty years ago, Piru is a large hive that has become a menace to many of the neutral nations. Mainly the Holy Nepharian Empire, Transmetallic Confederation, and to a lesser extent, the Gronian Imperium. Reports of engagements with the Wingle have also come to light, but this is believed to be due to the Phyla Kran conflict rather than an incursion into Wingle territory. Relatively little information exist on the Gronian's encounters with Piru due to their isolationist nature, but it is assumed that the Gronians do not consider them anything more than a nuisance. The Biomatter, having no way of hiding their vessels, are more likely than not caught by the Gronian's extensive sensor relay and destroyed long before they hit an inhabited world.

Piru's adaptations are largely a response to the Nepharians and the TmC. Much of its brood wield incredibly sharp claws that, while ineffective against armor, are perfect for slicing through rank-and-file Nepharian infantry. They may also wield large spikes capable of piercing the thicker armor present on TmC infantry. The most notable mutation of Piru is the number of arms each creature possesses. Likely due to fighting TmC melee infantry, most of Piru's brood have at least four arms on average, if not more. Piru has developed no notable defensive mutations, likely due to the energy weapons that are so prevalent in the region. Flesh or carapace, it does not matter; plasma will melt it.

When observing its genetic code, Piru seems to show a preference towards using material derived from TmC sources over others. Many traits from Chromium, Aumpnuuk, and others have been found in increasing number whereas hardly any Nepharian traits are to be found. This has resulted in worrisome adaptations, such as the development of thermal vision and and an, albeit still primitive, version of the electrical organs found inside Aumpnuuk.

With most of the neutral races preoccupied with infighting and foreign affairs, little effort has been made to eliminating Piru. However, with the Nepharian's conflict with Kran over and the Nepharian main territory sending them up-to-date equipment, they stand a much better chance against Piru, at least for the time being. Whether or not the Nepharians will push their advantage remains to be seen.

Drulgr
Drulgr are Piru's answer to energy shielding. The creatures, which stand slightly taller than Gualarins, are incredibly muscular. They wield no blades or spines, instead relying on pure brawn to overpower prey. When they engage a foe, they attempt to knock them down and will then proceed to relentlessly pummel them until their shielding is overwhelmed. They do not stop once the shield goes down, and will continue to attack unless either killed or the victim has been reduced to little more than a bloody pulp.

Asag
First reported by the korvar a few months before their entry into the Great War, Asag is a young, rapidly expanding hive that developed somewhere in a largely unexplored region of space. Since its discovery, Asag has quickly become a menace to a number of races, most notably the korvar. They have also attacked the betel, xeverra, and zorock, though currently these conflicts are sporadic and minor by comparison. Many believe that they will eventually begin fighting the khasii as well.

With much of its weight being thrown at the korvar, Asag's mutations have developed almost exclusively to counter them. Like hive Piru, Asag Biomatter have large spikes capable of piercing thick, heavy armor. In some cases, these spikes can go straight through the thinner parts of a battlesuit. Like Apophis, Much of Asag's brood is partially covered in a carapace that gives it protection against ballistics, with the exception of explosive rounds. The hive is also noted to liberally use the massive strains of Biomatter such as the Gargantual and Jentrillion in order to break through heavy armor lines and fortifications.

Upon viewing Asag's genetic material, one would find that it is mostly filled with things derived from the korvar and various animals from their planets. This is because of how easy it is to acquire material from there than it is other host. Betel worlds have relatively little biomass and the Xeverra live in a nomadic fleet, using their robotic proxies and heavy armor do most of the fighting. Meanwhile they have not made much progress against the Zorock, whom they have not adapted to yet and only engage sparsely.

What will ultimately come of Asag is still up in the air. Their fight with the korvar has been very back-and-forth, with both sides making progress. Scales have begun to tip in the korvar's favor now that they have a dedicated task force, but the korvar's inexperience with fighting such a foe means ground assaults can go either way. The situation may worsen if the hive is allowed to absorb more biomass from other sources.

Gortralk
The Gortralk is a large, hulking creature that, while smaller than a Gargantual, still towers over most of its brethren, being over three times the height of a Korvar battlesuit. They are armed with four large spikes which protrude from their limbs and are covered in an especially hard carapace that provides limited resistance against explosives. They operate as tank hunters, barging straight into the thickest enemy lines and using their immense strength and spikes to tear armor elements to shreds. They have been observed as being capable of plucking smaller vehicles off the ground and tossing them a limited distance, making them all the more dangerous. The quickest way to dispatch a Gortralk is either air power or destroying its well-armored head.

Elvernok
The most recent of Agag's mutations, the Elvernok is a diminutive creature slightly smaller than than outstretched Diabloian hand. They are designed to climb unto a soldier and find a gap in their armoring. Once it finds one, it will began to rip and tear at it with its claws and teeth, creating a sizable hole. If it makes a large enough hole, it will then go inside of its victim, tearing them apart from the inside. It should be noted that unlike the Mutarior, the Elvernok currently does not have the capacity to take over host. Whether this will change or not remains to be seen.

Basic Warriors
Warriors come in a multitude of forms, from the lowly Ramorphinds to the powerful Gaularins. They all share a common purpose, kill anything that moves, so that the Feeders can consume it. The general types of BioMatter Warriors are, in order of power: Click on any creature for more information.

Mutants
The BioMatter hordes also contain a variety of creatures mutated by the Mutarior organism. These various creatures belong to a variety of Epic War races, yet all share one thing, they serve BioMatter unflinchingly, under control of the Mutarior embedded inside their brains.

Special Creatures
Aside from their basic troops, BioMatter forces contain several creatures with more specific roles. There are the shooters, who attack enemies at range from behind the main horde; Feeders, who collect organic matter from behind the frontlines; and Epics, who provide the horde with seige engine capabilities.

Birthers
The most common sign of an infection, Birthers are akin to gigantic fungi. They are large, stationary mounds of biological material connected to each other by tendrils. These interconnected birthers form the 'bases' where feeders deposit their collected biomass. This biomass is used to make more warriors, birthers, and feeders, all of which are released through large pores that dot the surface of a birther.