The Brood
The brood are an insectoid hive species, and one of the most feared forces in the known universe.
Basic Information
Anatomy
They possess both endo- and exoskeletons. Their skulls are triangular, with a distinctive bone frill at the back of the skull, covering their necks. Their teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetimes, eventually becoming so oversized they cannot fully close their mouths.
They have 9 limbs, two hind legs, 4 tentacle-like forelimbs, 2 wings, which may be vestigial depending on lifestage and type, and a tail. Their tails contain dual poison stingers, one containing a non-lethal paralytic agent, and the other a lethal neurotoxin.
They have 9 limbs, two hind legs, 4 tentacle-like forelimbs, 2 wings, which may be vestigial depending on lifestage and type, and a tail. Their tails contain dual poison stingers, one containing a non-lethal paralytic agent, and the other a lethal neurotoxin.
Genetics and Reproduction
They reproduce via eggs which are incubated inside the bodies of other organic lifeforms. Rather than being born from their host as other hive species, the brood embryo colonises the host's body, mutating their dna into that of a brood.
As a hive species, only hive queens are capable of laying eggs, which are fertilised by a mate chosen from the hive workers before implanting.
They have two biological sexes, but are capable of changing their sex over the course of their lifetime. All brood begin life as male, but may become female if they become a hive queen.
As a hive species, only hive queens are capable of laying eggs, which are fertilised by a mate chosen from the hive workers before implanting.
They have two biological sexes, but are capable of changing their sex over the course of their lifetime. All brood begin life as male, but may become female if they become a hive queen.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Brood are omnivores, but show a strong preference for meat. A hive can consume massive amounts of matter, and are required to frequently move in search of new worlds to feed on.
Additional Information
Social Structure
There are four classifications of brood, the workers, hive queens, firstborn, and the empress, of whom there is only ever one at a time. Firstborn are offspring of the empress, while workers are the offspring of hive queens.
When the Empress dies, hive queens compete to replace her, and the winning queen will take a firstborn mate.
Hive queens can produce special 'queen eggs' to produce new queens. However, if a queen dies without a queen egg ready to replace her, a worker can mutate to become a new queen, and in rare cases, this can happen spontaneously even in a hive with a living queen.
New queens will break away to form new hives, or in rare cases where the current queen is elderly or injured, they may kill the queen and replace her within the hive.
When the Empress dies, hive queens compete to replace her, and the winning queen will take a firstborn mate.
Hive queens can produce special 'queen eggs' to produce new queens. However, if a queen dies without a queen egg ready to replace her, a worker can mutate to become a new queen, and in rare cases, this can happen spontaneously even in a hive with a living queen.
New queens will break away to form new hives, or in rare cases where the current queen is elderly or injured, they may kill the queen and replace her within the hive.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
They are peripetetic, constantly on the move in search of food, and have been found in every inhabitted galaxy.
Average Intelligence
Individual brood are considered sentient, unlike most hive species, but are generally accepted by sociologists and xenobiologists to be lower intelligence than most sapient species. However, this is not true of hive queen, who are respected as dangerously cunning strategists by the Kree Navy and Nova Corps .
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Due to their reproduction, they are considered parasites on almost all sapient species.
Many hives are known for their use of Star Whales, which they colonise and use for interstellar travel in one of the galaxies cruellest and most revolting displays of parasitism.
Many hives are known for their use of Star Whales, which they colonise and use for interstellar travel in one of the galaxies cruellest and most revolting displays of parasitism.
Civilization and Culture
Common Taboos
Periodically, brood may be born with a mutation that makes them both more intelligent and with a capacity for compassion and empathy not seen in other brood. This mutation is considered a genetic failure, and they are usually killed within days of hatching by other brood.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
They are one of the most hated and feared species in the galaxy, and all major galactic powers allow for them to killed on sight, and have strict quarantine proceedures for planets which have come into contact with the brood. There are even recorded instances of both the Kree, Skrull and Shi'ar destroying entire inhabitted planets in order to wipe out a hive and prevent it spreading further into a star system.
Conservation Status
Least Concern