[@duck55223]
These guys alright?

[hider=The Qit Swarms]
[center][color=a36209][b]Name of nation: [/b][/color]
The Qits Swarms

[color=a36209][b]Species: [/b][/color]
The Qits are the sole race that makes up the swarm - However, depending on your definitions of "race" or "Species," the Qits could be dozens of species that all share very similar genetic code, and fall under the same name. The Qits currently are in the ballpark of dogs-to-elephants in terms of size, and all possess characteristics reminiscent of insects, such as an exoskeleton and multiple eyes. Some characteristics that are very common include:

Black, beady eyes.
Exoskeletons in darker shade of color.
Very little, if any, hair.
Cold-blooded.

What makes the species unique are two genetic traits that they possess - The ability to selectively pass on genetic material, and the psionic power that the rulers of the species possesses. These gifts have allowed the Qit to become unrivaled on two planets, and allow the Qit to copy and steal genetic information from other species and organisms. For examples of specific Qit units, please see Military and Technology overviews.

[color=a36209][b]Description of government:[/b][/color]
The Qit Queens are connected via an incredibly powerful psionic connection, allowing them to speak at all times, and think in unison. This means all decisions are deliberated on for a few seconds, before the intelligent queens settle on an appropriate action. This is done for nearly every action that the queens take, from the establishment of a new hive, to the production of a different type of unit.

The Qits are a Direct Democracy.

[color=a36209][b]Description of military:[/b][/color]
Qit military is almost exclusively based on close-quarter combat, with almost no air support. Qit military strategy usually involves attacking from below via burrowers, and then quickly swarming opponents. With no ships, they are unable to participate in ship battles, but are nearly unbeatable when boarding.

[hider=Burrower]
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6OcOXVq2uBo/Wg-Ub-UrN5I/AAAAAAAAAKo/P2fYOI26aHYDfVkJdGZTzV9kwJVJISu0gCJoC/w530-h942-n/NydusWorm_SC2-HotS_Art1.jpg[/img]

Despite their threatening appearance, the teeth are completely harmless – they are meant to assist in reducing drag and remove earth. The Burrower is covered in insanely thick armor, comparable to that of ships. In addition to this, it's streamlined design and relatively light body make it very fast, allowing it to dig at speeds that are unbecoming of the creature's size. Other than its armor and speed, however, the burrower lacks any traditional weaponry, relying on the units it carries with it in order to defend itself. They possess a drill-like tongue (5 Meters in Height and Width), which is easily able to dig earth and is nearly the Burrower's body length. This tongue can be controlled during hibernation, and is generally low-cost energy-wise, used to dig smaller tunnels when Queens are busy. 

By far the largest creature that is mass produced in the Swarms, The burrower is over 100 meters in length, and 30 meters in diameter. These monsters are based off of a small worm found in the planets soil, which is capable of digging through solid stone. After increasing its size massively, along with its speed and ability to dig, the Burrower was born. The Burrower is without a doubt one of the strongest assets to the Qit in an invasion scenario – their ability to dig tunnels are unparalleled, even by  the most advanced mining equipment. A Burrower does not need to breath, can withstand insane pressures, and can dig/swim 60 mph, 100 if they are straining themselves. They were the creatures that created the tunnel and caverns throughout Nesnora 25L, and should a single burrower get into the soil of a planet, removing a Qit presence becomes exponentially more difficult. A burrower is mostly empty, which allows them to have such gargantuan size while being relatively light. The largest organ being its Transport Stomach – Which can hold a truly staggering number of units.
[/hider]

[hider=Stingers]
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PM2JwfYAD08/Wg-S-NFrKSI/AAAAAAAAAJY/aCwwO-DZt889eARpp0AH0INyHxHyGyk5ACJoC/w530-h750-n/1506356213004.jpg[/img]

Stingers are reminiscent of earth wasps – if children had nightmares about giant, murderous wasps. They possess 4 wings, which vibrate quickly to allow the Stinger flight. They possess weak legs, mostly used for carrying larvae and eggs rather than supporting the Stingers weight. When sleeping, they simply land onto the ground, and begin flying again once they have finished resting. The most pronounced part of their bodies are the thorax and stinger, the thorax being a repository which contains roughly 20 stingers at a time. Powerful muscles located at the stinger base, along with chemical reactions and a buildup of gases all work together to allow the Stinger to launch its payload across large distances with strength and accuracy. Unfortunately, it's only real defenses are its shields – the regular exoskeleton is weaker than average, and can be damaged with small arms fire. The Claws above the shield are difficult to use in combat, but are able to cut through trees and similar materials with relative ease, similar to an axe. 

One of the few fliers within the Swarms, the Stingers dominate the skies of Nesnora 25L. They are similar in size to a Soldier, but are not bipedal. And are relatively weak at lifting. In exchange, however, Stingers can shoot with surprising strength at long distances, and are some of the only aerial support the Qit has. They are the closest thing the Qit has to artillery, and the Stinger, while slow, has a maximum altitude of nearly 1 mile. A Stinger needs only an hour of sleep a day, and possess excellent senses, making them a good scouting unit. Along with this, they can secrete paralyzing toxins from their stingers, allowing them to take down larger prey alive. Due to their weak leg strength, they are unable to land and be fed by Feeders, which means they must either hunt their own food, or a queen must use another unit to collect the feed and give it to the Stinger. A stinger eats as much food as two humans. 
[/hider]

[hider=Soldiers]
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H7SNujQlnd4/Wg-PSaKc_6I/AAAAAAAAAIg/JFyzOG_mPk8g9pdyK-CdTnkIdoWo-QKvACJoC/w530-h594-n/ff820e4a3cb11d6bd8cd546c48618f83e4103dcb.jpg[/img]

Resembling a cockroach, the Soldiers are an impressive 2 Meters tall, and have a thick exoskeleton defending them from harm. They have strong teeth, which not only allow them to eat nearly any material, but also look creepy to most creatures. They do not possess eyes, instead relying on echolocation and their psionic connection to others in order to "see". This, however, will cause them to be very disorientated in underwater environments, or if sound is unable to travel. Soldiers are constantly grinning, and are known to be eaten by other Qit in times of famine. They taste like chicken, but with less fat and more muscle. The muscles of a soldier can, when pushed hard enough, crack their exoskeletons, and they are usually killed since regrowing an exoskeleton takes too long. 

The most basic unit in the Swarms, the Soldier is a melee infantry that is meant to double as a worker or drone. They specialize in combat in an enclosed space where they can make use of their Legs and Claws – Like a tunnel. The Swarms uses them as swarming units, and can take down very large prey using this simple tactic. Coupled with the Soldier's relatively high strength, they make the perfect swarming unit. They have one of the lowest energy costs in the entire Swarms, being able to survive off of half of what normal humans need. They can usually be found underground, digging tunnels, moving food and larvae, or hunting above ground. Soldiers also possess small wings that are used to assist their jumps, which can reach up to 30 feet at maximum. Their claws can dig into steel, allowing them to climb metals that are weaker than or are as strong as steel. 
[/hider]

[hider=Parasites]
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UxYVClisU4s/Whx79W-w6mI/AAAAAAAAAM4/c8Gkh3RyRyc2YYtUQjHVw7XIhrfKlqE4gCJoC/w530-h598-n/Assasin.jpg[/img]

The main body is fairly small, with most of the weight coming from the tail of the Parasite. A hard exoskeleton adorns the body, while the tail retains a fleshy composition. The tail itself is significantly larger and stronger than the rest of the body, capable of launching the Parasite several meters at rapid speeds. It's razor sharp legs are meant for crawling along surfaces, and as such, make traversing soft materials like carpet or soft soil more difficult. There are two ovipositors on the Parasite – one on the ventral side of the body, and one in the lower half of the Tail. The tail ovipositors are far less uncomfortable to be injected with then the body.

The Parasite was created in order to act as an assassination and recon unit. It is able to move more quickly and remain harder to find than nearly any other Qit, and possesses a razor-sharp tail in order to slice vital parts of creatures. It's staple, however, is implanting an undeveloped Qin embryo into the target – this embryo was altered in order to explode upon the mental command of a queen. The organic explosive will also go off should it exit the Queens psionic range. This organic bomb has several methods of assassination, depending on the strain – Spreading incredibly thin wires throughout the veins of a creature and thrashing wildly on command, releasing acidic blood to melt it from the inside, to even just exploding with force comparable to C4. Due to it's small size and relative fragility, however, it is generally not used in direct conflictt. Delivery of the embryo can be done orally, through the ventral ovipositor, or via injection, as the Bladed tail acts similarly to a syringe. A single Parasite can hold 5 embryos at a time and can regenerate them given time, but are usually killed off after finishing a single mission. They eat half of what a soldier does, but do not generally live long enough to feed.  
[/hider]

[color=a36209][b]Technological Overview:[/b][/color]
The Qit, most likely due to their incredible focus on biotechnology, do not use traditional tech. Instead, they use biological counterparts. They are not unwilling to use traditional tech, however, it seems that they do not wish to create their own.

[hider=Queens]
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-77T19-8Koi0/Wg-OurOmX0I/AAAAAAAAAH8/MQcwtk96pgoRmJiCJ92bz8PGxSZ0lciLQCJoC/w530-h737-n/0177e33ca4785cd431f923450ef0a8cb6593542f.jpg[/img]

The average queen stands at roughly 2 and a half meters tall, and is capable of flight. While the original queens were made primarily for reproduction and organization, modern Queens include wings in order to allow swift movement. They possess a poisonous spittle, both to protect themselves, and also to assist burrowers in digging the caverns. They have well-developed arms and hands in order to carry units across long distances or over obstacles, allowing mobility when there is no access to the tunnels. These hands are dexterous enough to allow complex manipulation of objects.

The Intelligent rulers of the Qit, the Queens engage in combat just like any other unit in the Swarms. They spend the majority of their time underground laying eggs, but several Queens will usually follow a group of other individuals. They are one of the few units in the Swarms capable of commanding the other Qit, and as such, any individual that exists in a Swarm must remain relatively close to a queen in order to live – The average queen has a range of control of about 10 miles, until her psionic abilities begin to taper off. They are the only units in the Swarms with intelligence, and unlike their minions, are actually willing to compromise and be diplomatic. They are comparable to living computers in terms of processing power, allowing them to think/make decisions quickly, and control the creatures she has dominion over. A Queen is capable of telepathy with non-Qit creatures, thanks to years of evolution in their psionic ability. This allows them to communicate with sentient beings, but this telepathy can be easily blocked out should the recipient wish to ignore the queen. Commands and orders from a queen on a non-Qit are, as expected, completely useless. They consume roughly as much as 3 humans. 
[/hider]

[hider=The Ziz]
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I1iy6syG4Pk/WioR3b9ADnI/AAAAAAAAARM/uD9wKogmzg41TMLTPWckoQgZ-UR_xdqKwCJoC/w530-h353-n/Ziz.jpg[/img]

The Ziz, unlike most Qit, lacks a direct bug-like appearance. Instead, it has an almost rocky exoskeleton, and barely looks biological at all. Internally, it shares many similarities with the Swarms other units. Many small tumors dot it's surface - these are the drop pods, ready to launch upon mental command. These drop pods are capable of surviving another full month apart from the ziz, but can only contain a small number of Qit The tail provides no speed at all, instead being used to latch onto larger ships and launch drop pods directly inside the ship. The armor on the creature actually acts as 1-way glass - light can get in, and photosynthesis is possible, but it cannot escape, creating the rocky-texture.

Without a doubt the second largest organic being in the known universe, following the Collective itself, the Ziz is the Swarms attempt to traverse the very stars. The Ziz was created after decades of specialization to survive the vacuum of space - and yet, it can only last a month or two before dying. Qit within the Ziz rapidly produce Methane, which the Ziz in turn uses for respiration, releasing oxygen as a waste product. This respiration, along with the along with the presence of feeders, allow the ziz to survive without feeding. Unfortunately, it's exterior can only survive so long without protection from the vacuum.

When spawned, the energy needed for the larva is condensed into a hyper-dense sphere, which is inside of the egg. The egg, overtime, floats up via a methane-filled balloon sac, slowly rising until it eventually escapes the atmosphere. As it does so, the egg grows steadily larger, and eventually, the egg hatches - the massive creature then immediately extends several large, tentacle-like organs to the ground, where the Qit can flow in. The Ziz is in hibernation a short time after hatching, waiting until feeders are planted inside of it before it awakens.

The ziz can move itself quickly by releasing various gasses, and while it's maneuverability and acceleration is poor because of this, it can reach absurd maximum, sub-light speeds. Unfortunately, deceleration is also a slow process, making hard turns and stops impossible for the Ziz. As expected, it is meant for transport, rather than combat.
[/hider]

[hider=Feeders]
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qlyjjVk4zPg/Wg-Tf3UAk9I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/4YMgQg3Uh2AL0cHWfvdZYPyrEDMutlqjgCJoC/w530-h364-n/Food.jpg[/img]

One of the larger Qit, the Feeder is a combination of both plant and animal. The large sack on top of them is a specialized organ, which can inflate with an incredibly nutritious and calorie-dense pus. The opening below this is the siphon, from which a proboscis can exit. Upon receiving psionic commands, it can eject this pus from the proboscis, usually into a Qit's mouth. They are anchored into the ground via chitin-covered tendrils, which given time, could even burrow into solid steel. Underneath the Feeder is a large pit, where waste and biomass can be put into. Slowly, this is digested by the Feeder, becoming more pus. 

About 6 meters in size, the Feeder is more of a structure than an actual Qit. This being is an amalgamation of many different plant species of Nesnora 25L. While most are highly poisonous, Qit genetic manipulation has allowed the Swarms to remove these qualities. Instead, the Feeder possesses insane cultivation abilities – it is capable of thriving in nearly any conditions. While it primarily relies on photosynthesis, it is more than capable of producing puss solely from nutrients in the soil, or even gases in the atmosphere via chemosynthesis. The life cycle of a feeder is as follows: A larvae, receiving enough food and a mental command, forms an egg around itself. Then, the egg sprouts secrete a corrosive acid, which slowly burrows the egg into a pit In the ground. Upon hatching, Tendrils begin to grow, and lift the Feeder. This is a 3-week period, and during it, the Feeder lays down root-like structures into the pit, along with an animal-like stomach. After these three weeks, the creature is fully grown, and begins to produce pus. A single feeder could supply food for 20 Humans daily if given sunlight, but only half as much if it must rely on chemosynthesis or Nutrients. With a steady supply of biomass and sunlight, they could produce enough pus to feed 30 Humans a day, but this is pushing the creature to it's limits, and could only be sustained for a week at most before it dies. 
[/hider]

[hider=Symbiotes]
[img]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-izADsAr1kBE/Whx8b9ONo4I/AAAAAAAAANA/zKjwZ9ZOlwcpFNPTPyn71sZLiCrnNx2fwCJoC/w530-h407-n/Parasite.jpg[/img]

A soft, segmented creature, seemingly lacking any weapons. It possesses two "spines," which painlessly connect itself when it is inside of the host, usually along the stomach wall. Upon doing so, it slowly shifts until the two long spines are deep in the host, allowing the smaller spines to connect to the nervous and circulatory system. The fin-like protrusions are actually stores of chemicals and bacteria, which help adjust hormone levels and even act as a second immune system for the host. These chemicals can be any that the Qit has already consumed, but synthesis of harmful chemicals is impossible. Within each segment is a "Suicide organ," which kills the creature on command and slices it into many, very small chunks, allowing it to be digested and expelled from the body with waste. The mouth, Legs and eyes are leftovers from various species that form the symbiote, which were too hard-wired in the DNA to remove. As such, they are vestigial and useless. 

The symbiote is the Qit's attempt to create a "gift" for other species. It is the only creature in the swarms capable of altering other beings besides the Qit, and does so from within the body. By connecting to the nervous system, it is able to directly interface with the brain, and force the hosts brain to use DNA provided by the Symbiote to alter itself. The extent which the host is able to alter itself is limited – they are able to make minor changes like increasing muscle mass and changing hair color incredibly easily, but something like introducing acidic blood, or beginning to grow chitin is beyond the Symbiote's current capabilities. Still, organs that are inside of a creature can be created by the Symbiote – such as creating organs for transplant that are identical to the host, and pose no risk or rejection. Unfortunately, new limbs or any major external feature is currently unavailable. Along with these, however, the Symbiote also acts similar to a stim pack – it can release any chemical that the Qit has consumed before, except poisonous ones. This allows an immediate introduction of morphine or adrenaline in a combat situation, should the Qit discover these substances. Finally, the Symbiote acts as a second immune system, being far more efficient at it as well – most diseases are completely eradicated by it, and several can be prevented by it as well, such as Alzheimer's and cancer.

Despite these boons, there are several drawbacks to using a Symbiote. They are not costly to create, however, supporting them is the hosts duty – even before altering the host, the hosts caloric requirement increases by 250 simply by hosting the creature. This increases dramatically the more alterations the hosts have. Additionally, while they act as an immune system, certain biological weapons would require intense research in order to counter, and may even be impossible to prevent. The process of actual implantation takes several hours, and is incredibly painful – the symbiote must enter through the hosts mouth, slowly crawling along until it reaches the stomach. The pain is so much that the host usually must be put under in order to endure – luckily, the recovery process is only a matter of days, less for races that have a fast regeneration speed. The symbiote dies after 3 year, when constant reproduction of STEM cells places too much stress on the creature. As such, any organs or alterations by the symbiote will slowly fade away, unless a new one is introduced. 
[/hider]

[color=a36209][b]Notable Technologies:[/b][/color]

[i]Genetic Information Storage[/i]
- Less of a technology and more of a use of the Collective. Should a queen ever consume biological matter, she is capable of identifying the genetic structure of it, and send a blueprint via the psionic connection, where it can be accessed by any other queen. This is stored in the Collective until it is needed. 
[i]Chitin Mastery[/i]
- The chitin of the Qit are impossible without the Qits direct influence - capable of stopping light arms fire easily, and withstanding extended exposure to medium arms fire, it can be sharp enough to cut through steel, and is relatively light. It is the material most exoskeletons and weapons are made of in the swarm.

[color=a36209][b]Cultural Overview:[/b][/color]
The Qits lack any real sense of culture - all members of the species aside from the Queens are essentially brain dead, unable to perform basic functions without the constant presence of a queen. The only sense of culture that the Qits possess are their food - they are surprisingly well adapted chefs, and regularly produce gourmet masterpieces from the various Qit species. 

Despite their lack of culture, individual queens are very interested in many things - some are in love with gardening, while others write plays and use the various Qit they control to act them out. However, these activities are mediocre at best, and the Qits are starved for culture. An easy alliance could be earned by simply allowing the queens to visit a show or try a new meal.

[color=a36209][b]History:[/b][/color]
Nesnora 25L was relatively normal in terms of habitable planets - it was covered in jungles, with small lakes dotting the surface to provide water, and a massive desert on one of the continents. Despite the incredibly high levels of biomass, it remained uncolonized for various reasons. Perhaps the wildlife was too dangerous, or they simply didn't see the point of colonizing a planet with no large bodies of water. For whatever reason, however, Nesnora 25L was left alone - which also allowed the Qits to rise.

The Qits, even before forming the swarms, were the dominant life of Nesnora 25L. Ever since they first evolved, the possessed the ability to pass on certain genetic traits consciously, resulting in incredible specialization as the primitive Qits grew farther apart in terms of appearance. Some didn't even stay entirely animals, as  several evolved into stationary plants, subsisting off of their star - Dars. One strain of the Qits, however would eventually prove it's superiority over the others - these were the first queens.

Originally a strong and large hunter, the first Queen was given a higher level of intellect by it's progenitor - the reasons for why are unknown. However, this allowed the queen to realize the true potential of the Qits - and also discover the power of psionics. By using a once vestigial part of the Qit brain, the Ordo Link Index, The first queen was able to establish a weak domination over other Qits. This control was weak, and before long, the queen began to reproduce, focusing on giving the next generation of Queens a better grasp on their psionic abilities, and also increase their intelligence. Very soon, the entire planet was covered with Queens, all of whom were controlling and making more subservient minions.

Everything changed with the discovery of the Collective. Roughly 204 years ago, a queen discovered a massive volcano, just between the desert continent and the edge of the forests - it was nearly indistinguishable from the mountain range it was a part of. Sending a psionic message down, seeing if any queen was already present, she and every other queen were immediately connected mentally - Queens could communicate, regardless of distance, via telepathy. This was the start of the hive mind, and this unification allowed the establishment of the Qits Swarms.

Burrowers were created only a few years later, allowing even the underground to be dominated by the Qits. Soon, the only life remaining on the planet were Qit based, and the Qits recently created their first space craft - The Ziz. It was incredibly difficult to use, considering the difficulty of space flight using biological matter, but it lasted long enough for The Qits to colonize the only other habitable planet in their system - Tholla JW5. Now, with no other method of further colonization, The Qits simply remain on their planets, occasionally sending out signals to the voids of space, and desperately trying to develop longer lasting ships.

[color=a36209][b]Other: [/b][/color]
While Qits possess strong psionic powers, they have not weaponized them, with the most direct attempts at using it interspecies being the occasional psionic signal they send into space.

Qits have not experienced first contact.

The collective is a massive Qit, most likely one of the first to exist. It lives in the mantle of Nesnora 25L, and destroying it would mean the complete destruction of the Qit Swarms.[/center]
[/hider]