User:Desven/Lii'dra Guide

This page is meant to be an aid if you wish to run a Lii’dra antagonist gimmick. Because these interactions are not canon, you have a lot of free way to develop how you wish to portray this antagonistic Hive. If you are lost or simply wish to learn a bit more, this is the right place. Over all, be sure to read the server rules and have fun.

Who are The Lii'dra

Once a minor Hive, the Lii’dra developed technology that would turn them into a true Hivemind. Their efforts to conquer other Vaurca Hives is what lead to the Great Hive War. Their main objective can be summarized as: the Vaurca race should be unified under High Queen Lii’dra, no matter how violent the process may be. Life itself is disdained, and even Lii’dra lives are to be sacrificed, as long as the Lii’dra apparatus can continue to spread.

Naming and Appearance

Undercover Lii’dra may take the appearance and even pretend to adopt names of other Hives. Historically, however, their documented carapaces may be silver (RGB 77, 77, 77), chocolate (RGB 46, 21, 1) or even amber (RGB 137, 49, 1). You may also experiment with different shades if you are not seeking to be stealth.

As for the traditional naming convention, terms like Bound and Unbound are useless when talking about Lii’dra. Instead, the nomenclature is Vixiat and Avixiat, meaning ‘Connected’ and ‘Disconnected’. Basically, while they all respond to the Hivemind, the Disconnected Lii’dra are working in cells, and because of technology limitations, as well as strategy, they gain some sort of ‘autonomy’. This is not to understand they are free beings, but rather they are working as part of their local plan, and that information is later relayed to the Hivemind. An individual can change from Connected to Disconnected and vice versa. With Lii’dra, the names are taken to an even more pragmatic understanding. The normal Vaurca, once numbered, cannot change names and its designation for the rest of its life, and even afterlife. For the Lii’dra, however, the numeration is pragmatic and simply denotes the status of the drone.

Other naming rules for normal Vaurca still apply. For example, a disconnected Lii’dra worker would be 'Ka’Avixiat’Siith Lii’dra', with 'Siith' being created by the player.

Language

Like other Vaurcae, they speak in Hivenet. However, when they are in need to address other species in languages like Basic, and not undercover, they will speak Lii’draic.

The Lii’dra speech, as understood by those that have heard the Hivemind and live to tell, is characterized by a monotonous voice that sounds even more robotical than the rest of the modulators used by the other Hives. It is believed to be a modified technology reverse engineered from stolen Zo’rane modulators. While, with its flaws, the Zo’ra accent might sound quirky to some, it is often said that this is to add more personality to each individual. Since the Lii’dra do not think of themselves as such, these variations were deemed useless. The Connected individuals will often speak in plural, while the Disconnected are prone to use the first person when referring to others.

A player can acquire the Lii’draic accent if requested to admins or via a voice changer. Special voice changers in shape of the normal filter port, spawnable only by admins, also have the option.

Weaponry

The Lii’dra may use some of their weaponry, but are also comfortable with using human tools to accomplish their goals. Guns, swords and other tools are not out of the question, if it will aid. While they have no regard for life, a small Lii’dra cell may have a morbid curiosity when it comes to their victims, and as seen by the Amnion gun, captivity is not out of the question.

Their signature weapon, however, are the black k’ois. Known to be dangerous to most races, they are greatly feared by many. Those that have survived a black k’ois mycosis say that while the pain is unbearable, the taste becomes irresistable and almost soothing. Black k’ois produce zombie-like creatures that become slaves of the Hivemind until they perish.

Black k'ois mycosis

To cure a black k’ois mycosis, read here.

Unlike a regular mycosis, black k’ois target the head. As experienced in game, the vital organs will not be in danger. However, the individual may resist treatment once the fungus has spread.

• Stage 1: The victim will feel a dull pain in their head.
• Stage 2: The victim will begin to feel short of breath, though no damage to the lungs will occur.
• Stage 3: The victim will feel disoriented, begin slobbering and learn Hivenet. This is the final stage were they retain some autonomy.
• Stage 4: The victim will forget other languages but Hivenet. The body may scream, twitch or try to fight back, but their mind will be gone and their objective will be to serve the Lii’dra Hive.

At the fourth stage the victim may also, ocassionally, vomit more black k’ois, so the disease can spread to others.

As documented by the Lii’dra attacks were black k’ois were used, recovery after a few hours is possible, with minimum brain damage. The patient will likely be scarred because of the traumatic experience, but will be able to return to a normal life. However, if the mycosis is left untreated for longer, other effects may occur. After three days, black k’ois tumors will surround the head and may even cover the eyes. Those in this stage will be extremely hostile, and there is a high chance of vomiting black k’ois, infecting others. The damage to the brain is so intense that, once recovered, ability to move limbs may be reduced. Some individuals have been known to recover from this.

Around a week after the infection, the body will be covered in ulcers and k’ois tumors. They are usually too far gone for any chances of recovery, and if untreated they will die because of the extensive brain trauma. The mycosis has taken over so much that they are not viable for control even, with their actions becoming more erratic and their Hivenet broadcasts just static. The usual approach is to euthanize those that have been captured when on this stage.

Being a black k'ois zombie

Your role, as infected, is to be serviceable to the Lii’dra, akin to how a thrall would be in the vampire gamemode. Unlike thralls, however, if the victim has reached the fourth stage they will be unable to resist or feel hatred towards their condition. Once cured, the experience may feel like a feverish dream, if recalled. You do not gain any powers or become resistant to phoron when infected with black k’ois.

If you wish to acquire black k’ois for your gimmick, make sure to admin help first. You can ask for the seeds to grow them yourself or the Lii’dra pod, which will deploy some grown spores when detonated. Be conscious when using this.

Preparing a Gimmick

Despite all that has been said, feel free to experiment and try different stuff. A Lii’dra gimmick does NOT require black k’ois to work. There are many ways to carry forward, as well as motives. You could perhaps try to justify Lii’dra presence in that they need the phoron, or maybe the wish to experiment with the crew. Your imagination is the limit.

Lii’dra are known to be a dangerous and feared antagonist, and because of that many of the items will require to inform and coordinate with staff first. Make sure to check what is viable and what is not in a round. For example, if there are no surgeons to remove the mycosis, using black k’ois would not be a good idea.

Choosing to run a Lii’dra gimmick is NOT a license to kill indiscriminately, without regard to the other players and ignoring all role-playing opportunities. In addition to becoming an administrative issue, you may face whitelist consequences if you use the Lii’dra as an excuse for unwelcoming behavior.