Gazurtoid

The Gazurtoid are an aquatic, xenophobic species. Their stated goal, repeated ad nauseam, is to cleanse the galaxy of all air breathing species of life. They normally convey this message by attacking ships of any air breathing species they encounter, but have been known to let those who are willing to listen to their religious rhetoric be spared. Their main religious organization is known as "The Gazurtoid Church of Nirvana," which will broadcast advertisements from anything it can hack them into. The Gazurtoid are in a state of war with almost every other starfaring race in the Sector at the time SF3 begins.

Through the course of gameplay, it will be revealed to the player that the Gazurtoid are in fact native to the Beta Sector. However, this factoid will have little bearing on the overall plot.

Basic Characteristics

 * Type: Cephalopod
 * Durability: 7
 * Learning Rate: 5
 * Science: Poor
 * Navigation: Excellent
 * Tactical: Excellent
 * Engineering: Excellent
 * Communication: Average
 * Medicine: Poor
 * Genders: 2
 * Life Stages: Adolescent at 5 years. Adult at 8 years. Middle age at 13 yrs. Old Age at 19 years. Venerable Age at 25 years.
 * Lifespan: 27+1d10 years.
 * Mantle Length: 3.0 meters; 2.25 + (2d5 * 0.15) m.
 * Mass: 450 kilograms; 337.5 + ((2d5 from height) * 22.5) kg.


 * Niche/Symmetry: Omnivorous Bilateral Consumer
 * Speed/Transit: Swimmer, 32 m/rd (19.2 kph); Multiped, 10 m/rd (6 kph)
 * Volume: 0.45 m^3
 * HD: 43/52/41 (water), 41/50/41 (land)
 * HP: 70
 * Unarmed Damage: 8 NHP, 2HP
 * STV: 473 MU (1050 MU/m^3)

Physical Description
Extremely large squid-like aquatic creatures, Gazurtoid have eight tentacles and a beak-like mouth, though the mouth placement is not typical of terrestrial cephalopods. Each tentacle is covered with hundreds of suction cups which function as taste receptors, as well as providing exceptional motor control. Color is variable, and ranges from light green to dark purple, with red colorations visible only when the species feels threatened. While this is a conscious ability, it is only used as a supplement to vocal communications- unlike some species of squid, the Gazurtoid exhibit no camouflage ability, and for this reason, Arth scientists theorize that they occupied a position near the top of their native food chain, having no need to hide from predators. Though they possess characteristics of both octopi and squid, they are classified as the latter due to the substantial mantle they have developed, which provides protection roughly equivalent to a skull. Gazurtoid possess the largest brains of any known cephalopod, much of which is devoted to processing input provided by the myriad sensory organs of the species. Gazurtoid are believed to be omnivores, as stocks of both fish-like creatures and various species of edible, alien seaweeds have been recovered from wrecked Gazurtoid ships. Gazurtoid communicate with each other in a manner not unlike whale song, though on much lower frequencies than any species of cetacean known to science. The range of these vocalizations can vary significantly from individual to individual, with larger specimens possessing extremely low frequency voices that register only as a deep rumble to Arth species. These sounds have incredible range underwater, and it is believed that, absent barriers and mechanical noise, each Gazurtoid aboard a spacecraft can make itself heard by all other members of the crew simultaneously, no matter where they are on the ship. While underwater, Gazurtoid usually move by swimming with their limbs or grappling and pulling themselves along, though when they want to move fast, they can expel a jet of water to propel themselves backwards. Gazurtoid reproduction and mating rituals remain shrouded in mystery. While many cephalopod species demonstrate reverse sexual dimorphism, it is unknown if this is true of Gazurtoid, as to date, it is believed that only males of the species have been encountered. This suggests a patriarchal society, though that is by no means the only accepted explanation (some xenosociologists suggest the presence of a ruling council of females, which does not deign to lower itself to communicate with outsiders).

Force Shield

 * Effect: Reduces all Missile impacts by five Class levels. Missile hits from Class Five Missiles and lower cause no damage. Effective against all projectile weapons classified as Missiles.

Ground Units
This gives a general listing of the vehicles available to the given race. Engaging the ground units of a species in combat will have the same general effect on the player's relations with the species as engaging their units in space. The mineral composition of ground units will be the same as that listed for space units, though the amounts will be somewhat lessened. Indication of "turrets" for a ground unit allow the unit to fire a weapon in any direction; otherwise, the unit must face their target before they may attack another unit. Ground units always include a very generic description of how the unit will appear. Ground Units in general use the same ratings as space units, but have a few additional properties as outlined below:
 * Still need a response on energy.
 * Melee: An attack that can only be delivered when that object's collision area is touching the collision area of its target.
 * Flat: The speed/efficiency the unit travels on flat land.
 * Mount: The speed/efficiency the unit travels on steep mountains. This will likely be determined by rapid changes in planetary elevation, though the exact amount of elevation change necessary has not yet been determined.
 * Liquid The speed/efficiency the unit travels on a liquid surface (possibly also including ice and cooling lava.)

No data available at this time.

Territory
After blowing through the Old Empire and most of the coreward part of the Alpha Sector alongside the Uhlek, the Gazurtoid eventually settled into an area in the outward and coreward portions of the sector, coreward of Uhlek territory, outward of Thrynn territory and downspin of Spemin territory. Their homeworld (known as Nirvana) was the fourth planet of the system &alpha;86,55; this world was destroyed by the last known Black Egg in an Imperial raid in 4651. It was never clear exactly how many Gazurtoid swam beneath the planet's oceans prior to its destruction, but considering that the Gazurtoid still use the same massive ships they used to migrate to the Sector and the admittedly minor effect the world's destruction had on their ability to make war, its generally now believed to have been a rather small percentage of their overall population. The Gazurtoid have a large sphere of influence that covers many star systems in the downspin and outward portions of the Alpha Sector, centered around 61x and extending for about 50 parsecs, which makes it the largest contiguous territorial sphere possessed by any one species in the Sector. Several of the systems of the Cross Constellation are included in their sphere, which contains one of the largest flux concentrations in the Alpha Sector and which they still consider part of their demesne, despite the Empire's recent incursions into the area and establishment of Nexus Station.


 * Patrol:
 * Alpha Sector: Prominent
 * Delta Sector: None
 * Beta Sector: None
 * Space:
 * Alpha Sector: centered at 61.27x45.31, 49.03 parsecs radius
 * Delta Sector: No Sphere of Influence
 * Beta Sector: No Sphere of Influence
 * Star:
 * Alpha Sector: 52x59; 52x56; 68x66; 83x67; 86x55; 88x78; 94x42; 104x71
 * Specific Worlds: 86x55, p4 (Fleet)
 * Delta Sector: None
 * Beta Sector: None
 * Worlds:
 * Alpha Sector: Dukkha (86x55, p4)
 * Delta Sector: None
 * Beta Sector: None

Status
The Gazurtoid have extremely antagonistic relations with every other Alpha Sector species, with the exception of the Spemin, who have fooled them into believing they are also aquatic creatures. They were instrumental in the fall of the Old Empire, which they sacked alongside the Uhlek. Viewed as evil by the Thyrnn, vain by the Elowan, stupid by the Veloxi, and insane even by their allies the Spemin, they are without question the most hated of the Sector’s extant races, though they might have competed for the title with the Uhlek before the destruction of the Brain World. The Veloxi hold them in special contempt due to the heavy fighting between the two races during the Second Wave in the 3400’s, which the insectoids have not forgotten over the intervening centuries. (It is likely the Grand Lovely’s forces sustained massive casualties during this period, as even the sparse Imperial messages dating from the era contain multiple mentions of major battles between the two, and of Gazurtoid forces encroaching in Veloxi space) The Humans of Arth and the Umanu both have long memories, and resent the Gazurtoid for their role in the destruction of the Old Empire. While the Gazurtoid have not come into contact with the other Delta Sector races, it can be surmised that they would hold all of them in the same contempt they feel for the Alpha Sector races. Of the Delta Sector species, only the Ch-Q-Tss-T are amphibious in nature, but that does not likely meet the Gazurtoid’s criteria, as they use the term water-breather to denote possible allies, not merely water-dweller. The Gazurtoid war-making ability is formidable. An ancient starfaring culture, they have been through several flare cycles already (the exact number is unknown), and possess a mature, powerful technology and spacefleet to match. At the beginning of Arth’s Renaissance, they still maintained a fleet of the same starship types they had used in the Second Wave, enormous colony ships that dwarf every other ship class in the sector, save one. Laden down with laser cannon and powerful shield arrays, these behemoths can absorb an incredible amount of punishment while dishing out more. While for unknown reasons they chose not to arm their ships with missile launchers, they pay no tactical price for this, since during the Second Wave they devised some form of shield technology that completely negates damage from enemy missiles. They are currently at war with the Empire and the Thrynn Confederacy. Early in the war, the Gazurtoid refit their craft with improved firepower and shielding; a nightmare scenario for Arth strategic planners.


 * Ally:
 * Initial: Spemin
 * Final: Spemin
 * Enemy:
 * Initial: Empire, Thrynn, Veloxi
 * Final: Empire, Thrynn, Veloxi, Ancients

Economy

 * Economic Status Levels:
 * Dukkha: Depressed (Non-Trading)
 * Specialty Trade Goods Purchased:
 * None
 * Specialty Trade Goods Sold:
 * None

Supplemental Information
In describing the Gazurtoid, virtually all the other Alpha Sector races mention the word ‘fanatic’. As a race, their communications have thus far been limited to sermons, which primarily highlight their role as scourge of the Galaxy’s air-breathers. While violent and genocidal towards all air breathing races, they will occasionally refrain from attacking if their quarry takes no aggressive action and speaks to them in a respectful manner (though usually not if they can identify the ship as one that has attacked them in the past). The Gazurtoid, however, are neither insane nor stupid (Spemin and Veloxi protestations to the contrary); while they abhor any non-aquatic species, they understand that they are not powerful enough to take on too many species at once (four seems to be their limit), and long ago decided to carve out a special exception for the Uhlek (likely due to their superior weaponry). In fact, when not in migration mode along with the Uhlek, they generally remain in their chosen space and do not engage in large scale hostilities with other races. This tendency did change when the Uhlek disappeared; in the twenty-five years between the disappearance of the Uhlek and the beginning of their war against the Empire, the Gazurtoid did expand their territorial holdings into territory previously held by the Uhlek.

Put simply, the Gazurtoid wish to eradicate all forms of life that breathe air. Barring this, they simply wish to be left alone, and do not brook interference in their endeavors by the ‘infidels’. It is thought likely that they are currently in a period of recuperation, having expended an incredible measure of lives and resources in the initial invasion of the Sector 1200 years ago. If that is the case, based on the Elowan assertion of a 2000 year migration cycle for the Uhlek (which would trigger a Gazurtoid migration as well), they may be just over the halfway point in their ‘resting period’. The two triggers for their migration behaviors have now been eliminated: the Crystal Planet no longer flares suns to Coreward, wiping out any air-breathers who may have survived their rampage; and their vanguard, the Uhlek, have been negated by the destruction of the Brain World. The Gazurtoid are certainly aware by now of these two events, having noted the Uhlek’s absence in their new, expanded sphere of influence and witnessed the continued existence of life in areas that should have flared by this point. It is believed that these two factors have spurred them to substantially expand their shipbuilding and massively increase their birthrate. The Gazurtoid, in the past, did not habitually leave their sphere of influence looking for a fight, but of course this happy state of affairs has obviously changed...

Importance
The Gazurtoid are a hostile species; their purpose in the game is to act as a navigational hazard during exploration of the Alpha Sector and to have a species readily available against which the player may fight with little ramification to their overall reputation. Gazurtoid may also be captured in lieu of Elowan specimens to trade with the Thrynn for the Receptor Module of the Seeayti Detector, a mission critical artifact.

Communication Text
This is old text from SF1; it should be completely recycled into text for SF3

Hostile Statement:
 * REPENT, AIR BREATHERS! REPENT! THE HOUR OF JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND!
 * I AM GAZURTOID AND I HAVE COME TO SAVE THEE, YE WHO BREATHEST NOT GLORIOUS LIQUID. DROP THY DEFENSES AND BE SAVED!
 * YEA! AND UNTO THE HEAVENLY REALM I SEND THEE. FOR I AM THE TENTACLE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND I SHALL SMITE THEE WITH LOVE!
 * FIGHT US NOT, INFIDEL AIR-BREATHERS. WE ARE GAZURTOID, YOUR LAST HOPE OF REDEMPTION.
 * AND LO, UNTO THEM IT WAS SAID ‘SHALL YE GO FORTH AND CLEANSETH THIS GALAXY OF THE ACCURSED BREATHERS OF AIR.’
 * REFLECT UPON THYSELF AND BE APPALLED! FOR ART THOU NOT THE ACCURSED ABOMINATION? AND SO SHALL I RAISETH MY TENTACLE AND SMITE THEE!
 * FEAR NOT VILE AIR BREATHERS, FOR IN DEATH SHALST THOU FINDETH REDEMPTION, AND I AM THY REDEEMER!
 * IT IS WRITTEN ‘THOU WHO BREATHEST NOT LIQUID BUT RATHER AIR SHALL PERISH IN THE FLAMES OF HOLY RIGHTEOUSNESS’. LOOK UNTO ME AND REPENT FOR I AM THE CARRIER OF THE FLAME AND THY TIME IS AT HAND.
 * ALSO IT IS WRITTEN ‘ONLY TO THE UHLEK, THY HOLY VANGUARD SHALT THOU SHOW SUFFERANCE. YEA! SUFFER NOT OTHER AIR BREATHERS AND IDOLATERS IN THY RIGHTEOUS PATH, FOR THOU ART THE GAZURTOID, THE HOLY CRUSADERS.
 * AND BLULBGRB BEGAT URGGLBB WHO BEGAT GLBRRGB WHO BEGAT LUBRBGLB WHO BEGAT BULGRB. THEREBY WAS THE BEGATTING BEGUN.
 * INTO THE FIREY REACHES WENT THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE GAZURTOID AND THERE DID HE SEE THAT NO LIQUID BUT ONLY AIR WAS BREATHED. AND UPON RETURNING TO THE LIQUID REALM DID HE THEN PROCLAIM THAT AIR BREATHERS WERE TRULY THE MOST VILE AND HEINOUS OF CREATURES.
 * AND OUT OF DARK NOTHINGNESS WAS CREATED THE WATER BREATHER, AND LO, HE WAS BORED. THEN NEXT WAS THE AIR BREATHER CREATED AND UNTO THE WATER BREATHER WAS IT COMMANDED ‘THOU SHALT PERSECUTE HIM AND THEREBY SHALT THY BOREDOM BE VANQUISHED.’
 * AND UNTO HIM CAME THE DIVINE REVELATION. ‘THOU SHALT BUILDETH A VESSEL AND IT SHALL BE 8 MILLION TENTACLE LENGTHS ROUND, AND THOU SHALT GO FORTH INTO THE VASTNESS OF SPACE AND SO SHALL YE SPREAD MY WORD, AND WITH LOVE COMMITEST MASS GENOCIDE IN MY NAME.

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