[hider=Sarmakth Dominion][h1][b][color=9e0b0f]THE SARMAKTH DOMINION[/color][/b][/h1]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/7tZsVe1.png[/img]

[color=9e0b0f][b]Faction Name:[/b][/color] Yel'krusu t'Sar'Makth (literally means "Star Empire of the Great Race")
[color=9e0b0f][b]Government Type:[/b][/color] Dominion
[color=9e0b0f][b]Faction Leader:[/b][/color] S'cum Ish-veh N'ssan (title: Sur'sim're t'Abru-ma AKA Grand Supreme Overlord)
[color=9e0b0f][b]Capital:[/b][/color] Tsokal'yel T'Sar'Vafer (Great Beginning, primary star system of the Sarmakth, location unknown)

[color=9e0b0f][b]OVERVIEW:[/b][/color]
Sarmakth are an enigmatic alien race hiding in the uncharted regions of the galaxy. They lack the strength to directly challenge major powers yet their inherent superiority complex strives to put them above all races. They hate mankind with cruel passion yet not above using humans as pawns to achieve their objectives. Currently they are obsessed with the idea of reaching Ayrie and take the seat of Ashtar for themselves.

[h2][color=9e0b0f][b]HISTORY[/b][/color][/h2]
Many millions of years ago, long before primates even walked on Earth, the distant low-gravity planet of T'Mekth birthed the first signs of advanced civilization. Dominion sources refer to them as Vesh'Makth or Precursors these three-tentacled medusid creatures were among the earliest sapient lifeforms in the galaxy. Sarmakth love to weave tall tales of these mythological Precursors. Of their greatness. How they created all life in the galaxy. How they were practically gods. All these are petty lies made up for propaganda purposes. Veshmakth were weak and not really versatile. While quite intelligent when it came to imagination these creatures also fell quite short. Their technological development was a long struggle yet few million years ago they finally achieved utopia. This golden age was short lived though as their excess rapidly drained the planet's resources. Lacking FTL technology the Veshmakth made a desperate bet at exploring deep space and sent out swarms of generation ships in bright hopes. None of these responded back and so far there are no signs of Veshmakths surviving anywhere close to the modern times. Desperate and short on resources those who had remained on T'Mekth engaged in centuries of apocalyptic wars, ruining their planet forever. Realizing their mistake late the Veshmakth were at the verge of extinction. As a last bet they turned their advanced technology to repopulating their planet and restoring some of its former splendor. The invasive growth of Red Weed was one of these products. So were the Sarmakth, an artificial "next step" to the Veshmakth evolution. There are conflicting theories in Ashtar records whether these early Sarmakth had the distorted bodies of their present selves or it had been product of their millennia of evolution. Either way with their inherent collectivism and features which allowed them to thrive in the reborn T'Mekth the Sarmakth began building a second utopia.

Yet just as the last one this utopia didn't last forever. The planet was slowly dying and without FTL they had no means to explore space and find new planets habitable for life. Yet luck was on their side as within decades they made first contact with an alien race. No recoird remained of this species aside from the Sarmakth referring them as Duhmakth (Race of Stupid). Probably undeserved yet when one looks at their fate it can be certainly said the Duhmakth were foolish. The explorer ship which made first contact never reported back home. The crew were probed and dissected by the merciless Sarmakth until they knew enough to reverse engineer the ship's FTL drive. Using this newfound technology the Sarmakth launched an invasion on the Duhmakth. Within a decade the Duhmakth were no more, their planet conquered and their entire species were transformed into mindless cattle for the Sarmakth to feed on.

The stolen FTL drive was primitive yet allowed the Sarmakth to terrorize the neighboring civilizations, achieving heights they never imagined prior. Eventually they encountered human colonists sent by the United Nations Government. They of course did what they always and enslaved the inhabitants as the newest acquisition to their ever growing empire. Yet unknowingly rather than catching a rabbit they awoke the bear that was the United Nations. Though certainly not militaristic their nation far surpassed the tiny Sarmakth Dominion. Military-wise their hundreds of years of combat history proved superior of the Sarmakth's thousands of years of stagnation. UN at first only retailated but after realizing the horror which the Sarmakth meant they went on the offensive, liberating planet after planet. With their own subjects rising up the Sarmakth were quickly forced back to their homeworld of T'Mekth (humans also called it Vulcan) to make their last stand. Genocide was never the UN's intention and to their credit they tried to minimize lynchings and other atrocities done to stranded Sarmakth. In contrast the Sarmakth were furious and a bit delusional, still firmly believing in their superiority and that they could win this war. Turning their planet's core into a gigantic reactor was what sustained Sarmakth civilization for thousands of years. Now they began to apply dangerous experimental technologies to the complex, including the ability to harness the planet's own subspace shadow. These experiments backfired spectacularly when without any warning the entire planet of T'Mekth exploded, killing the overwhelming majority of Sarmakth. Survivors lived on for a few centuries as pariahs yet soon enough the entire Sarmakth race went extinct.

... Or they should've been. A tiny group of less than thousand Sarmakth actually escaped the doom of T'Mekth. Their ship needed over a year to reach the distant Horsehead Nebula where they could remain hidden and rebuild. For this purpose everyone on the ship were put in stasis and they were to reach their destination via auto-pilot. Yet the subspace shadow contraction confused the instruments and flung them a yet uncharted location of space. Crashlanding on a lifeless planet they were doomed to perish. The preserved remains of the escapees were left there for centuries only to be discovered by the Ashtar. Intrigued to revive a long-extinct species the Ashtar experimented with the corpses, failing with all but the last one. His name was S'cum Ish-veh N'ssan, a complete nobody who were to become the literal father of the revived Sarmakth nation. After a conversation about responsibility and given a new chance the Ashtar repaired the ship (accidentally giving it some advanced features later to be reverse engineered) and gave S'cum coordinates for the nearest habitable planet. Following that they promptly left. Sarmakth reproduce asexually and thus S'cum began to settle down and literally repopulate his species. Unlike what the Ashtar told him he had no intention to merely restart the Sarmakth race, he wanted to rule the galaxy as he was destined to be! Yet being left vulnerable and (from his point of view) just recently taught the cost of overconfidence he choose the slow yet steady route, patiently awaiting his time in obscurity. He also taught the Sarmakth children about the Dominion, their past and their ultimate fate. Of course hinted with lies and propaganda, with special mentions to highlight the heinous nature of mankind. They began establishing the Second Dominion, starting with the conquest of the nearby minor civilizations. Their actions were put on relative halt 130 years ago when the Ashtar chose to reveal themselves in full, intent on policing the galaxy. While this prevented open hostilities the Sarmakth still had means to slowly strengthen themselves using infiltration, manipulation and similar underhanded measures. With the Ashtar's sudden disappearance the Sarmakth doubled down on their previous efforts, building up to finally undermine and crush mankind once and for all. Of course done in secrecy with the galaxy at large still unaware of their existence. With the final message of the Ashtar the Dominion feels it is time to take Ayire as their rightful possession.


[h2][color=9e0b0f][b]TERRITORY[/b][/color][/h2]
TBA

[h2][color=9e0b0f][b]SOCIETY[/b][/color][/h2]Many of the unique qualities of Sarmakth are also reflected in their society. All Sarmakth are telepathically connected through the Great Link which allows them to freely exchange thoughts and makes all other forms of communication unnecessary. Quantum receiver implants enable Sarmakth to remain connected even at interstellar distances and losing access to this link would greatly hamper them even in daily life. Even though those in the Great Link are technically equals the Sarmakth maintains a hiearchic system based off willpower and personal qualities. Those most fit to be on the top are automatically chosen in leadership positions. Those with particular set of skills are automatically chosen to work in said field. Some argue that the Great Link is actually "rigged" to prefer certain individuals and keep them in power. For example even though nowadays billions of non-Sarmakth are also part of the Great Link they are never assigned positions superior to the dominant species. Some even think this "perversion" of the Great Link is also responsible for keeping S'cum in power as the Supreme Overlord. Either way the Great Link is the primary form of Sarmakth communication and social network, very much the pillar of Sarmakth society. Of course not everyone are included in the Link, those tend to be nothing more than slaves. This can be either obvious or secret to these people. Many subject races live in peace and think they are free when in effect they are under subtle Sarmakth control. The fact Sarmakth likes to implant slaves with "obedience chips" to control them further muddles the line between wilful and forced subjugation. In the end all races under the Sarmakth are subordinates but they do have an established hierarchy.
[hider=Dominant Species --- Sarmakth][img]http://www.lesedwards.com/imagebank/9/7/6/976137.jpg[/img]
Sarmakth are large roughly cephaloid creatures with their main body diameter around 2.3-3.2 meters wide, making them often larger than even a bear. They have a pair of huge eyes and large beaks which are surrounded by numerous tentacles. The evolution and deliberate gene alterations of the Sarmakth focused on intellect which means roughly 90% of their body mass is brain matter with all other functions being reduced considerably. Their tentacles are too weak to raise their bodies under Earth-like gravity albeit they can walk just fine in lower gravity. Their overgrown brain allows them to have considerable telepathic and telekinetic powers. Their technology also functions mostly througb telepathic signals. Sarmakth have an underdeveloped and simple digestive system which can only process liquids and specially made food. The small tentacles near to their beaks act as suckers to leech blood from living beings for sustenance. The rest of the tentacles are thicker and used to either support the body or work as versatile manipulators to operate complex machines with ease. Sarmakth are asexual creatures with no male/female dimorphism who reproduce through periodically laying down "flesh buds" of their young which they submerge in the blood of other species until those eventually grow to sufficient size. Worth noting that when they refer to themselves the Sarmakth use male pronouns to outsiders. Sarmakth have no vocal language aside from making various basic noises to express emotions. They communicate exclusively through their telepathy. In case they require to talk through words they rely on human slaves who are explicitly wired to understand their telepathic waves and speak in their stead. Similarly they don't understand concepts like love, compassion or many of the complex emotions. Instead they have a deeply logical mindset and capacity for limitless cruelty. Sarmakth in general have a superiority complex and view all other races as inferior if not just consider them as soulless animals to exploit. Due to their history they especially hate humans and call them as Pekh'makth which literally translates as "the race of shit".[/hider][hider=Amaumakth][img]https://monsterminions.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/les-martiens.jpg[/img]
Called as the "imitation race", they are species whose genetics were tampered with to become just like the Sarmakth. While very much resemble their masters they still inherit traits from their past selves, most notably their stature. Amaumakth in general are just slightly larger than humans instead of the hulking brain-monstrosities that Sarmakth are. Just as their masters the Amaumakth has natural psychic powers thus access to the Great Link. Some even speculate that the Great Link enables Sarmakth to subvert cultures at lightning pace, explaining how civilizations wiped out and replaced with copy-cat Sarmakth cultures within just a few decades. This so-called bioformation is a resource intensive process which can be only the very last step of a species' integration into the Dominion. In terms of race hierarchy the Amaumakth are "secondary citizens" which gives them considerable prestige. Due to the similarities many outsiders were led to believe that the Amaumakth are the true masterminds behind the Dominion yet in the grand scheme of things they are still inferior pawns to be lorded over by the Great Sarmakth.
[/hider][hider=Rushamakth][img]http://www.writeups.org/wp-content/uploads/Martian-Invaders-Tripods-War-Worlds-Various-Sources-f.jpg[/img]
Literally translates as the "converted race". They are people who underwent extensive modifications to make them closer to Sarmakth in both appearance and function. For the slaves and cultists under the Dominion this is the highest gift, offered only to the most devoted and worthy of their kin.Rushamakth closely resemble the Sarmakth in looks yet in terms of genetics and physiology they keep their relation to their original race. To attain intelligence at least remotely comparable to their creators, Rushamakth are implanted with Cogitators. These are sophisticated brain interface computers giving them incredible thinking ability and may help to awaken their latent psychic abilities. This tend to be very weak hence Rushamakth are given quantum relay implants to access the Great Link themselves. Due to their inferiority they are considered lower than Amaumakth, albeit this isn't universal. Some notorious Rushamakth managed to climb up fairly high on the hierarchy and command great influence within the Dominion. Rushamakth exist to serve their cephaloid overlords and convey their will. They have special importance as local leaders in distant cults where these creatures essentially become the apostles of their divine Sarmakth.
[/hider][hider=Fehmakth][img]https://t00.deviantart.net/XTaZf57d9CkejuvTmKbkMkvD6z4=/fit-in/700x350/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre00/5227/th/pre/i/2017/239/9/4/cult_of_cthulhu_by_jontorresart-dbli4eo.jpg[/img]
Roughly translates as the "Slave Race", an expression obviously referring to the races under the Sarmakth's rule. Just narrowly escaped extinction the Sarmakth hardly has the "manpower" to function on their own. Thus no matter how much they might have wished to annihilate every other sentient life on their path, they didn't. Rather they managed to effectively enslave all the races they conquered and brainwash them to adore the Sarmakth as their righteous lords. Most people living under Sarmakth rule are strangely content with their lives and follow the orders of their cephaloid overlords with religious zeal. The tendrils of the Sarmakth manipulations run deep. Fehmakth live in various level of cultural and technological development, depending on what the Sarmakth sees fit. They could live in medieval styled villages on backwater planets, existing as little more than livestock and raw materials for Tselmakth. Alternatively they could even live in industrially developed mega cities supported by Sarmakth technology. Or anything inbetween. Regardless Fehmakth live in a meticulously crafted environment under strict control without them truly realizing it. They are also implanted with an "obedience chip" activated by Sarmakth telepathy in case they do anything which displeases their masters. Fehmakth are obviously excluded from the Great Link and only receive commands from various higher ranking races. This gets relayed to local leadership which then do the actual governance.
[/hider][hider=Tselmakth][img]https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ANtmOkLbs7g/Ti_vNvvt0vI/AAAAAAAACMQ/-BRhsDFRrf8/s400/55BA8AA2.jpg[/img]
Translates as "altered race", they are effectively the opposite of the Rushamakth. They are people forced to undergo transformation into "more pleasing" and "functional" bodies in order to serve the Dominion. They are worse than slaves, they are effectively little more than biomechanical robots. Tselmakth are viewed as a cheaper alternative to drones and pure mechanical constructs of this specific scale. They can be anything from disposable soldiers to slave laborers. There are even Tselmakth invented for nothing but to serve as a piece of the cruel entertainment. In the past Tselmakth were literally only created from other species but as of late they only require "tithes" paid in living inhabitants in order to further refine the artificial wombs spewing out new Tselmakth biomechanical robots. Not to mention enacting these "tithes" helps them to keep the populations in line. Those involved with the local governance get their hands constantly stained by blood, allowing them to empathize less and be more loyal to their masters.
[/hider]

[color=9e0b0f][b]Important Characters:[/b][/color]
[hider=S'cum Ish-veh N'ssan][img]https://flyingren.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/martian2.jpg[/img]

Sur'sim're t'Abru-ma (Great Supreme Overlord) of the Sarmakth Dominion since their new beginning. Being the sole survivor of the first Dominion he had a pivotal role in establishing the second one, even calling him the literal father of the nation is not inaccurate. Given this situation it is not surprising he had absolute authority to influence how the Sarmakth Dominion was formed. He's a hateful person with delusions of grandeur who views all other species as tool to achieve Sarmakth supremacy. You could say this generally applies to all Sarmakth but that is merely a testament to the influence of S'cum who had indoctrinated his species with his philosophy from birth. This is entirely intentional on his part and S'cum is wiling to use his children and descendants as a tool to achieve his dreams of revenge. Being nearly 500 years old (not counting the time spent in stasis or, you know, dead) he has a wealth of experience and very persistent rule. Like all Sarmakth he's hyperintelligent and could tackle on the massive responsibility required to effectively lead his nation through the ages. Compared to the youth he's also much more cautious and probably the reason why the Sarmakth never participated in the Great War. He still has memories of the UN-Dominion War and the humiliation his species received. While hates Mankind with a burning passion this also makes him fearful of them, only engaging when he's convinced of an absolute advantage.[/hider]

[h2][color=9e0b0f][b]TECHNOLOGY[/b][/color][/h2]
Sarmakth technology is unique and at times radically different from what could be found within the Empire. Their massive intellect grants them innately superior understanding of science. Yet having missed out a few millennia of progress they have some fields to catch up on. Sarmakth technology is unique and even weird by the standards of other species. For example Sarmakth relies on walkers moving on flexible tentacle-like legs which requires advanced computers to properly operate while humans merely use wheels and tracked mechanisms to achieve similar road performance. In general Sarmakth technology looks organic or even "alive" and some of their devices indeed use modified living tissue. It also shows in their transportation means. Sarmakth never invented the wheel and its association with human culture made sure they'd never rely on it, either. Instead they use various multi-leg transportation mechanisms or anti-grav systems. The Sarmakth themselves usually equip grav gliders which lift their bodies and save them from physical exertion because their species is accustomed to low gravity planets.
[hider=Notable Techs]
- [b]Weinol:[/b] The basis of most if not all Sarmakth construction. It's a versatile family of carbon allotropes akin to fullerenes and carbon-nanotubes. It's generally light yet strong material which depending on its grid structure can have various other properties. It isn't an exaggeration to say that over 90% of everything made by Sarmakth is a type of Weinol.

- [b]Yel'yeturek (Stardrive):[/b] Also dubbed as hyperdrive (kwhul'mishu, lit: "hyper engine") it's a device which allows the ship to go beyond the ordinary three dimensional space and touch "kwhulret" (hyperspace) in order to allow faster-than-light travel. Stardrives are effectively the same as various hyperdrives yet achieving it through different means.

- [b]Kahla'yeturek (Inertial Drive):[/b] Sometimes also dubbed as Impulse Drive, an arcane device utilizing laws of physics not yet understood by humans. The device allows vessels to ignore gravity as well as use a mysterious force to hover or move at subluminal velocities. 

- [b]Kwitau'tviyan (Impulse Core):[/b] Reactor which turns any conventional material into nuclear fuel to produce energy. They are compact and efficient as well as generally safe to use which makes them widespread within the Sarmakth community. Kwitau'tviyan are Sarmakth nuclear bombs, most of them are adjusted to induce a chain-reaction with ordinary material to dramatically increase its power during orbital bombardments.

- [b]Kwhul'ifisek (Transporter):[/b] Vaguely related to warp drive development this system can temporarily break down matter into subspace rays and direct them to another position where they rearrange back into their original form. Basically it beams in or out material for quick transportation between a ship and a surface target. Said beams are also occasionally used to abduct civilians albeit the ship needs a specific holding cell in order to keep the subjects. The transition into subspace energy is temporarily and thus you cannot store people in batteries or anything weird like that.

- [b]Falek'zehl (Heat Ray):[/b] Using a miniature impulse core it channels extreme radiation through a channel of non-conductive vacuum. Heat Rays are roughly comparable to lasers yet their mechanism makes them extremely different. Unlike lasers a heat-ray dumps its entire energy on the target and unaffected by mirrors or other reflective surfaces. While its weaponization is well-known the heat ray technology is actually even more widespread in non-military use, somewhat the same as the human utilization of lasers.

- [b]Khrasaya'wun (Chargegun):[/b] Sarmakth equivalent of firearms, it uses coulombic detonation instead of chemical energy to propel projectiles towards the target. Through fine alignment of field projectors it's possible to induce this "charge propulsion" spontaneously thus Sarmakth guns turn portion of the projectile into its own propellant and require only electric charge to work. Khrasaya'thor (charge bombs) are the regular high explosives used by the Sarmakth which tend to disperse a cloud of molecule-thin shrapnel. Chargeguns that fire high-velocity penetrators tend to have triangle shaped barrels while explosive projectiles are disc-shaped and shot from a wide yet thin barrel.

- [b]Mathra'wun (Wardiscs):[/b]Sarmakth equivalent to missiles, these thin circular plate-like objects have a compact inertial drive along with a sophisticated AI and a field manipulation system that replaces explosives. Essentially it's a flying disc that tracks the target and has a device which can turn its entire mass into explosive material within a split-second. Wardiscs are very sophisticated and could have a myriad of ways they detonate. Space-use wardiscs can also rely on atomics or more exotic sources rather than pure chargebomb functions.

- [b]Feshel'wun (Disruptor):[/b] Sarmakth molecular rearrangement technology has many scientific and industrial uses but at times it could be also useful as a weapon. It fires a special ray which induces a chain-reaction to disrupt the material composition of the target, effectively dissipating it to constituent particles. The weapon is too sophisticated to be viable as a general issue weapon. It's expensive and requires complete understanding of the target's composition to succeed. More often than not Feshel technology is seen in the mining industry and automated robotic miners. Although said miners may be used in war out of desperation. Another common variant is the disruptor pistol which is a status symbol to signify the Sarmakth superiority. More often than not such pistols are used for execution.

- [b]Kwhul'wun (Hypermetric Accelerator):[/b] A term used to describe Sarmakth direct firing weapons which use either matter or radiation originating from hyperspace to project it at the enemy. The mechanism is often compared to opening a dam which is the boundary between normalspace and hyperspace and then let it flow straight at the enemy. These weapons tend to be the main weaponry of warships, albeit smaller ground support vehicle variant also exists. Kwhul'thor (Hyperbomb) is a variant used as a terrifying explosive with colossal destructive power which is only used on specific occasions due to its cost.

- [b]Wak'danan (Stasis Barrier):[/b] Alternative usage of stasis field technology for protection. Effectively just a generic forcefield, albeit utilizing way different mechanisms. Commonly used by all Sarmakth vehicles and starships and there are even variants used for personal protection.[/hider]

[h2][color=9e0b0f][b]MILITARY[/b][/color][/h2]
[img]http://life-interactive.com/wotw_heavymetal/images/blog_entry16/12.jpg[/img]
While most civilizations rely on professional military to provide forces in battle the Sarmakth are different. They view technology as their sole answer to military expansion, using warmachines and bioengineered monsters in battle. While they cannot entirely avoid to have their brethren fight in battles in general the Sarmakth want to minimize the danger they expose their populations to. This used to manifest in a very unbalanced army composition of pure warmachine forces. These towering tripods were fearsome yet unsupported they had some glaring weaknesses. To resolve the numbers issue the new Sarmakth Dominion relies on Tselmakth bio-soldiers. These are not infantry in the classical sense but a variety of biomechanical robots, often using horrifying bioformation techniques to turn other races into mere machines. Tselmakth troops can range from tiny swarmer units to giant mammoth-sized beasts that are more akin to a tank. Many of them fight in melee and rely on numbers but Tselmakth are also frequently using the biological derivatives of Sarmakth technology. They don't wield weapons per say but rather they are the weapons themselves and have such systems internal part of how they function. Creatures with eyes modified to be heat rays or abdomen protrusions that are actually cannons would be some of the examples how Tselmakth troops integrate technology into their being. While not foreign to the idea of entrenched infantry and similar tactics, Sarmakth don't really have anything to replicate such. Their military is still very much unbalanced yet the Sarmakth believes it's to their benefit.[hider=Tselmakth bio-soldiers]Tselmakth are developed by altering known species more to practical functions. The so-called Ask'hatik (bio-soldiers) are the militarized variants of Tselmakth usually meant for screening and swarm tactics to support the Sarmakth warmachines. This can range from swarms of palm-sized insectoid creatures to mammoth sized beasts.

[b]Ripper Swarms:[/b] Tilau'bish are clouds of small palm-sized creatures equipped with extremely hard and more than razor sharp fins. They have an internal plasma organ which fills them with hot air while also helps them expelling gases akin to a jet engine. This allows them to build up considerable momentum to cut through some relatively durable object. The smallness of their blade limits them to be anti-infantry weapons, though. In effort to make them simpler to create the Rippers can only live for 12 hours.

[b][url=https://randomc.net/image/Muv-Luv%20Alternative%20Total%20Eclipse/Muv-Luv%20Alternative%20Total%20Eclipse%20-%2014%20-%20Large%2018.jpg]Lancers:[/url][/b]Li'wuk are roughly 2m tall bipedal armless creatures with two gigantic eyes. Said eyes house both targeting systems and a pair of heat rays, meant to incinerate objects and burn through light armor. They are the closest the Sarmakth has for an "infantry" and there are variants of this type that mount different weapons or have other functions. Lancers are relatively fast runners and have the ability to leap for 25 meters as a defense mechanism. It takes a while for the leg muscles to recover thus this is only done when really necessary. Some people who encountered them began calling this type as the "laser emus" due to the uncanny resemblance.

[url=https://gamepedia.cursecdn.com/cnc_gamepedia_en/3/39/TW_Disintegrators.png?version=9e0f099ad2abff36435b5277fc3b63e0][b]Breaklings:[/b][/url] Pi'katar are a versatile strain of quadrupedal bio-soldiers at average 1.5m tall. They have a very pronounced head unit and overdeveloped underbelly portion. The original variants were and still are used as collector, breaking down wreckages and hauling up carcasses for reprocessing. Yet they are more often seen on the field as walking weapon platform. This can range from compact chargeguns to overpowered heatrays, various wardisc launchers and other equipment. They are more armored than the Lancers but still overall fragile but they can provide fire support. Since a number of variants have limited munitions it is not uncommon for Breaklings to have logistics variants carrying and producing extra supplies for the rest to use. Breaklings are deceivingly fast although don't have the ultra jump capabilities of Lancers.


[url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/cnc/images/8/88/Scrin_Shock_Troopers_1.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/640?cb=20070619080227][b]Bulwark:[/b][/url] Sahr'temok are bulky slightly beetle like insectoid bio-soldiers hiding various weapons inside their sliding containers. They don't have shields but their shells are made of composite Weinol which can even gradually regenerate. In order to facilitate replenishment it has a belly mounted dissassembler ray allowing it to collect key resources to heal and manufacture new warheads (if equipped with phsyical weapons like chargeguns or wardisc launchers). They are durable and fairly versatile units that can be outfitted for any role ranging from frontal assaults to artillery or even anti-air purposes. They are a bit slow compared to the rest of the bio-soldiers but by no means lumbering. They can be considered the equivalent of tanks.

[url=https://www.gamereplays.org/community/uploads/post-130220-1291354158.png][b]Triads:[/b][/url] Rehsak are heavy bio-soldiers utilizing miniaturized warmachine technology. Those who fought these creatures tend to call them as mini-tripods and this isn't that far from the truth. They are 3-5m tall (depending on if you count the arms or not) with three triple-jointed legs and a trio of tentacle-like arms ending up in hypermetric ray emitters. This made possible by the creature possessing a compact hypercore which actually makes it dangerously unstable. For additional protection the Triad class bio-soldiers posses their own shielding, making them more like a walking tank if not worse. Furthermore some variants of the Reshak can combine their trio of beams with the shield emitter for an overwhelmingly strong attack. Just as the other bio-soldiers the Triads are surprisingly nimble and their shielding can double as a gravity manipulation tool. Due to their unstable core the Triad distorts space-time around itself, making it relatively easy to detect by sensors. On the other hand if they get too close their unstable hyperspace radiation could cause random malfunctions on sensitive equipment and generally makes precise sensor locks impossible.

[url=https://media.moddb.com/cache/images/groups/1/1/897/thumb_620x2000/Alien_Carbonculus_01.jpg][b]Predators:[/b][/url] Feikha are giant 6m tall and 9m long creatures engineered from the indigenous species of an unspecified planet. These creatures underwent massive enhancement, receiving tough armadillo-like armor plates complemented with composite Weinol hide structure. The monstrous being is powered by a hypercore which allows it to maintain a shield to further enhance its defenses. In spite of its size the creature is extremely nimble and can leap massive distances. Its main purpose is breakthrough and shock thus it has a pair of oversized blade-like appendages for combat. Aside from that it has a mounth and tail mounted hypermetric radiation emitter. In addition it could launch wardiscs launchers and other secondary functions.


[/hider][hider=Warmachines --- TBA]

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[h2][color=9e0b0f][b]SPACE FORCES[/b][/color][/h2][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/9e/1f/75/9e1f750f4d99f57f386a276707266c5a.jpg[/img]
Sarmakth spacecraft are just like their warmachines in the fact they look less like purpose built constructs and more like living entities. Most Sarmakth space vessels look like deep sea creatures, assuming the shapes of starfish, jellyfish, crustaceans and cephaloids. Just as their surface vehicles these rely on tentacles but in a different way. The average Sarmakth warship consists of a main body and various tentacles. Main body houses all the essentials while tentacles mount the primary weapons. This gives a flexible and finely aimed platform for said weapons but also makes them fair bit more obvious as targets. Most Sarmakth warships have primary and secondary tentacles with the latter being considerably thinner. Said tentacles could be also used in close combat and are known to contract and stretch to unbelievable extents. Another less known fact is that while vulnerable these tentacles can grow back. At the root of each tentacle is a regeneration unit which gradually reconstructs the lost appendage while hidden within the hull, bursting out with full functions as soon as ready. Due to hiding in the unknown regions and refusing open contact the Sarmakth Dominion was never part of the Detente. This means while overall weak the Dominion has a surprising amount of unregulated battlecruisers and considerable force of dreadnoughts. Of course with the Detente ending and hyperdreadnoughts becoming the new craze the Sarmakth are rapidly losing their advantage. Another observation is that overall the Sarmakth are less focused on space superiority than many other civilizations. Rather than winning space battles the Sarmakth focus is on establishing dominance in space enough to make planetfall and invade a region. They suppress dissents, defeat rebels and invade planets. Their objective is usually to conquer and subjugate a planet, not to win over a hostile nation state. This may be an advantage or their greatest weakness depending on how the war is waged.[hider=Common ship classifications]Sarmakth Dominion developed isolated from the galactic community and hence their terminology for warships is also relatively different.

[b]- Pi'hali:[/b] means tiny/insignificant spacecraft, usually for starfighters but also for shuttlecraft.
[b]- Glanthali:[/b] Means "watcher ship", corvettes or small frigates.
[b]- Katahali:[/b] The so-called "devourer ships", they are synonymous with destroyers but with more ground supporting secondary role.
[b]- Beshali:[/b] Means "cruising ship" and any medium sized vessel fits here like large frigates or cruisers.
[b]- Nashali:[/b] Invader ships and are a mix of carrier and planetary assault ships, usually can mean either or both.
[b]- Nen'puk-beshali:[/b] Translates as "main battle cruiser" and can be anything from heavy cruiser to battleships.
[b]- Nelayhali:[/b] Suppressor ships are what the Sarmakth call their dreadnought equivalent vessels.
[b]- Fik'nelayhali:[/b] Supreme Supressor Ships are what Sarmakth thinks Hyperdreads as.
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[hider=Common Starship Classes]
[url=https://coffeefortwo.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/jla-starro-in-space.jpg][b]Aluuk class Starfighter:[/b][/url] 30m diameter smallcraft shaped like a starfish with either 5 or 8 arms. Most of the size is taken up by said arms which can move fluidly like a living entity and are equipped with compact hypermetric accelerators. They can even combine these projectors into a singular attack for more massive damage. The starfighter also has wardisc launchers and a compact multi-purpose bay that can store supplies, bombs or even prisoners. It takes in or deploys said cargo via using its transport beam.

[url=https://i.warosu.org/data/tg/img/0275/16/1380643638821.jpg][b]Zanax class minor frigate:[/b][/url] Usually the smallest warship seen from the Dominion, and the most common one. Zanax are closer to corvettes but with multi-mission profile. They have the classic Sarmakth cuttlefish shape for warships but only with a pair of primary tentacles mounting hypermetric accelerators with several secondary tentacles used for point defense. They have considerable internal space for fighters, wardiscs and various cargo including multiple warmachines. They are meant to manage minor enforcement duties. The large "eyes" are the most unique aspects of the ship and they are housing long range sensors to fulfill the ship's recon role.

[url=https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eNMaPaOEooE/WhBxhvFNxTI/AAAAAAAARAk/mDq_s5GLn-sLM2BuSYJjlKcCfiWscmcGQCLcBGAs/s1600/Vorlon%2BFighter.jpg][b]Ask'ersu class Destroyer:[/b][/url] Named Ask'ersu (foot soldier), this is a long enduring design going through several upgrades. At the length of 250 meters it isn't significantly larger than the Zanax but has a much more robust hypercore and an overall different design. Unlike all other ships the Ask'ersu doesn't mount any weapons in its trio of tentacles. Instead it relies on its heavy wardisc launchers for ship to ship combat. In addition it mounts  a giant spinally mounted hypermetric accelerator for its massive firepower. Lastly the Ask'ersu was designed to be dual purpose and has the capability to land on planets and walk on its trio of tentacle legs like any of the other Sarmakth warmachines. Its plethora of small weapon systems see decent use in ground combat while its spinal gun can overcome fortifications. Thus aside from being essential for screening in space combat the Ask'ersu can be also the largest Sarmakth warmachine to be fielded during planetary combat.

[url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/81/4e/61/814e61782d22f7c4fd78aace98943e0b.jpg][b]Sklada'nan class Cruiser:[/b][/url] A medium size vessel meant to patrol the borders and engage in low intensity conflicts. They are multi-purpose vessels capable of subjugating the majority of revolts on their own. They have eight primary tentacles meant to engage smaller vessels while the secondary tentacles give it decently ranged anti-starfighter firepower. More importantly the Sklada'nan (meaning "warning message") has considerable transport and starfighter capacity, enough to house a small army. This gives them an important secondary purpose as battle carriers and assault ships yet this role isn't significant enough to re-classify them as Invader Ships.

[b]Kresnayun class Invader Ship:[/b] Speaking of the devil the Kresnayun (Aggressor) is a massive ship of unique shape which resembles more of a starfish merged to a cuttlefish at each other's respective centers. Its spinning radial docking bay can disperse both transports and starfighters in a very rapid fashion, neccessiating the huge central ring. It has breeding chambers for producing armies of bio-soldiers while its mechanical bays could house entire divisions of warmachines. The chief duty of this massive ship is support, be it for fighter screening or to deploy immense number of invasion forces. The gigantic tentacle arms are multi-purpose and hous multiple kinds of weaponry, meant for both ground support and to gather resources to fuel its internal mechanism for producing even more units. Consequently the Kresnayun has relatively little firepower and requires constant escort, an acceptable tradeoff for such a fearsome vessel.

[b]Kali'puk class Main Battle Cruiser:[/b] Primary combat ship of the Sarmakth these squid-shapen vessels have 12 primary and 72 secondary tentacles, making them highly capable of handling large number of vessels. These ships were made without the limitations of the Detente thus making them way more versatile and perhaps even more powerful than most ships of this size. In addition to having a lots of weapons the Kali'puk even has the capacity to combine them into a singular powerful beam, dealing heavy damage to other battleships. Of course this means that unlike for other Sarmakth vessels the Kali'puk only carries hypermetric accelerator guns as its main armament and only of a set strength. This means the secondary tentacles have to substitute a lot of that versatility, hence their huge number. Regardless the Kali'puk is a very dangerous craft and compared to the overall strength of the Dominion these vessels are relatively numerous, may even outnumber enemy fleets.

[url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xl7C6_qa1Do/maxresdefault.jpg][b]Ek'zaprah class Suppressor Vessel:[/b][/url] Equivalent to dreadnoughts in other nations this vessel dwarfs all the other Sarmakth vessels. Its 48 secondary tentacles each carry twins of Kali'puk's main weaponry while the 6 primary tentacles are sufficient to even take on other dreadnoughts. Unlike other Sarmakth ship designs the tentacles are relatively short with the main body looking absolutely massive in comparison. The body features a plethora of small weapon systems as well as complement for fighters or even carry escort vessels. The ship has facilities for planetary invasion, too. Yet most of the internal space is actually taken up by its utterly massive spinal hypermetric accelerator cannon. This ship is meant to suppress any resistance to the Sarmakth encountered so far, breech planetary shields and give the enemy a permament reminder to their fooly. The name Ek'zaprah roughly translates as "absolute revenge" and like all other Sarmakth ship names this is very much fitting. Since never limited by the Detente the Sarmakth has relatively a lot of these vessels, outnumbering most nations in this aspect. Suppressor Vessels rarely come alone in Sarmakth doctrine and rather they arrive in squadrons of three. On the other hand the Ek'zaprah is a ship focused on siege role above all. This means they are much less of an "ultimate ship" and thus require considerable escort to be successful.

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[h2][color=9e0b0f][b]HYPERDREADNOUGHT - Sar'Vashek[/b][/color][/h2][img]https://xcraft.net/uploads/forum/thumbs/1522018983398.jpg[/img]
Translates as the "Great Destroyer" this ambitious vessel is basically an effort by the Sarmakth to remain in the naval race. It's effectively a massively enlarged Suppression Vessel (AKA a dreadnought) with the main body length of 6 kilometers and tentacles stretching far further. Speaking of which this is the first vessel to have tertiary tentacles raising the total count to the extreme number of 584 (8 primary, 64 secondary, 512 tertiary). Unlike for previous ships this almost fills up the space in front of the vessel and would make it difficult for the tentacles to not tangle up with each other. As an "elegant" solution the Sarmakth introduced phasing technology, allowing the tentacles to harmlessly pass through each other. While this helped to avoid clutter the tentacles were incapable of firing while phased thus introducing an unique blindspot. The phasing tentacles were also found useful for special occasions when the ship had to grab something up close. Aside from the tentacles the Sar'Vashek also has various floating weapon platforms that are capable of fighting independently. Effectively its own escort these platforms carry auxiliary weapons of various types and sizes and could temporarily separate from the main vessel and be controlled via psychic signals. When not in use these platforms are "quantum docked" using gravitational anchors and quantum pairing technologies which also includes a quantum power conduit to charge these units. Lastly the Sar'vashek has not one but four spinal mounted heavy beam weapons. Three of these are the modified variants of the main hypermetric accelerator of the Tafkauak-class suppression vessels. With no size restriction it has a much faster firing cylce and overall better capabilities while not exactly much greater firepower. Still, the ship effectively carries the main armament of a squadron of dreadnoughts so it could be quite useful. The central weapon is much more surprisingly a gigantic disruptor array capable of horrible destruction. While not particularly useful against ships the weapon can do massive damage to planetary surfaces and with relatively minimal energy expediture. It also has function as resource collector which gives it unexpected versatility. Of course the Sar'vashek also has wardisc launchers, point defense weapons and gigantic internal space for fighters, transport craft, prisoners, Tselmakth growth chambers and much more. The sheer size of the ship allows rather respectable room for these functions.
[hider=Sar'Vashek --- more detailed picture][img]https://i0.wp.com/shipschematics.net/startrek/images/romulan/miningvessel_narada.jpg[/img]

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