Warbred : Version #216
Warbred are massive and powerful werebug like creatures, genetically engineered using magic and science by King Zarkhan in the Kingdom of Reinvari. They have their smaller bipedal form and their massive Beast form. Known for their loyalty and power, Warbred are impressive and imposing creatures that serve as an extension of the Shadowed King's power over his Kingdom.
Basic Information Show
Warbred Vhessen are highly modified creatures, far removed from their ancestors, the regular Vhessen that wander Lumivalis and thrive there.
They were created by King Zarkhan, commonly known as Blackwyrm, or the Shadowed King. There will be more information about him and his kingdom once that page is added
Warbred are quite literally bred for war, given orders on who to mate with. When not being bred, they are given a contraceptive implant which is removed once the orders are given. Most Warbred will follow these orders without question. Those that do not, are not bred. This has furthered the selection towards docile, loyal, obedient Warbred. The King takes the nymphs when they are about two weeks old, as they do better with at least a little time with their dam. The warbred will be anxious and antsy and a little depressed for a while after the nymph is taken. However, they usually shake it off and get back to their duties within a few days. Once the eggs hatch, the nymph is placed in a special stasis chamber that speeds up time, where all basic knowledge is put into their mind with enchantments while time is sped up. From hatching to adulthood, the chamber takes about a year, instead of the 16-ish years it'd normally take to wait for a Warbred to mature naturally. They are taken from the chamber as a sub-adult, so they reach full maturity while in training. Zarkhan found this made for stronger, surer, better-formed and healthier Warbred. Upon leaving the Chamber, the young Warbred are sent off to training, where they will train for a few years before being sent off to where they are stationed. Those who do not make the cut are either stationed somewhere undesirable or outside of the city, or simply killed off to not be a burden on the Kingdom. Warbred the King intends to breed are kept in outposts around the Capitol, while others are sent to less important outposts.
There are some that go from the chamber into a hidden underground facility instead of going into training; mostly from very desirable lineages, siblings of Warbred that came out the way he wanted them to, and raised like common beasts. Used for breeding to further bolster their species number or add more to desirable lineages. Eggs from these Feral stock are treated as normal, and their lineage is listed as coming from a full sibling of the Feral, since the Ferals are top secret. Only Zarkhan himself, his head scientist Lumus; a psychotic butterfly with no empathy but is damn good at what he does, and the automatons he built deal with them.
Those who highly disappoint the King or disobey direct orders also end up in the underground facility, caged up like the ferals. These ones are most often used for experimentation, to push a Warbred as far as they can be pushed to see what they can handle and figure out how to bring out traits that he wants more. They are still bred, depending on how desirable t heir lineage is. He may pair one with a more docile Feral that shows the traits he does want and that he feels will counter the bad traits; but he is very careful with this, as explaining the lineage would be difficult and strange Warbred from lineages he hasn't bred before may be cause for suspicion, as well as Warbred coming from a soldier who disappeared and should be dead. He leaves all of this to Lumis, as he generally doesn't care about the breeding side of things aside from the strong, useful nymphs that come out of it. While Lumis is responsible for most of the cruelty inflicted on the Warbred in the hidden facility, Zarkhan is fully aware and simply turns a blind eye because in the end, he gets what he wants. The Warbred belong to him, after all. He created them. Warbred who age out of usefulness but still have valuable genes are put up in retirement, usually around the edges of the Capitol City. Their only duty is to offer their genes when a younger Warbred is sent over. Early generation/elder Warbred have healthy and strong genes that are somethings bred back into certain lineages to increase their health as later generation Warbred are proving to have some health problems starting to crop up in connection to some of the traits the King is trying to encourage.
Warbred are the result of several generations of modifications and selective breeding, and are known for being big and powerful Vhessen, towering over their already tall ancestors.
Lore and History Show
By and large, Warbred are a new species. They are only seen within the borders of Reinvari itself, as they are a specially created and modified creature and the Shadowed King holds them close.
The generations have passed more quickly than otherwise due to the use of Time Chambers, using rare and powerful magic fueled by Zarkhan himself.
Warbred are separated by Generation, though later generation Warbred are separated by their lineage or purpose.
Predecessors: Taken directly from Lumivalis after they were abandoned, Zarkhan modified them to make them fiercer and stronger. He started with around 50 individuals chosen from the many he brought in. Those that showed traits he preferred, he modified and trained, those that did not he simply abandoned back in Lumivalis. Kavuta, the albino Wyrm that created the Vhessen, was unaware of this. They closely resemble regular Vhessen (See more about Vhessen on their page along with their lore), and in a sense still are. Some features are exaggerated, but subtly, but there were limits to what he could do to them. From there, he would need to breed those who displayed desired traits together. He started work on the Beast form, and soon managed to have a good starting Warbred species. Because the predcessors were created using the power of an ancient Root of the Life Tree, they were highly adaptable and he was able to modify them far more than he would have otherwise. He greatly boosted their fertility in hopes of them successfully breeding, and he made great use of his enchanted time chambers so they could be out and ready to pair off. At this point, they were all kept in his vast underground facility, caged up. He had the help of his head scientist, a butterfly named Lumis, through all of this.
It took a while for the Warbred characteristics he wanted that became a part of his final product to appear. They didn't start to appear until the 3rd and 4th generation of the Predecessors. Each generation was highly modified using magic, and a strange otherworldly science he discovered around the place he founded his Capitol City before to bring out and strengthen the traits he wanted, and he continued to carefully pair them together making fully sure to track whose line came from who. He started adding his own blood to the mix, using intensive magic, experimenting with a powerful were-like beast form. The first attempts failed, but once he succeeded, every Warbred was given the Wereform. At this point, he felt they were complete. He had a good starting population, and the first generations that were not to his desire were culled
Because of this, all Warbred have their massive beast form. He was still working on improving them, so hadn't made use of them within his Kingdom yet. They were significantly larger than the Vhessen they descended from by this point, becoming a distinct subspecies. Longer spines on their limbs, thicker in build, larger horns. The beast forms made them even tougher. Many around this point were quite aggressive and could be hard to manage due to enhancing their powerful predatory nature. He then began adding things to make them obedient, loyal and docile.
The King started to see improvements in the aggression around the 8th generation of modifying them, they were becoming loyal and obedient, and very strong.
Finally, after working on the Predeccessors for around 14 generations, he felt they were ready. He had about 300 individuals at this point, all sporting what he wanted. They were stationed all throughout the Capitol, and from this point they started being counted by Generations.
Around this point, Zarkhan started keeping a few siblings of those who had the best genes caged up and raised like simple beasts. They were bred, on occasion, to bolster the numbers of some of his favorite lineages, but they were mostly kept as backup to keep certain genes in the pool in case one of his prized Warbred was killed off. A notable individual among the feral stock is simply known as Ferus, though Ferus eventually managed to break away from the automatons when being exercized in a hidden courtyard, and ran off. Security was improved at this point. His current location is unknown. His scientist, Lumis, would provide a cocktail of potent drugs that would block out their sapient mind, causing them to behave on instinct alone. Because of Lumis being in charge of these "Ferals", they are not treated well at all and are usually kept packed up in tiny cages, tended to by the King's Automatons. These 'Feral' Warbred act on instinct alone, and do question orders. Zarkhan was worried the drugs could effect their nymphs, but those descended from the Ferals show no difference from those descended from Warbred within the army.
Warbred are all assigned ID numbers. These are used in the King's notes to track the individual. He keeps their family trees very carefully tracked.
The format of the ID number is as follows
G#[Number of Generation]-[Letter denoting their bodytype]-[Important Lineage Abreviation if there is any]-[Sire]+[Dam]
Their name would be listed after this with an abbreviation next to it. If two had the same abbreviation, the rest of the ID number would tell him what he needed to know.
An example would be
G13-A-Vherr,Vhel-Lar+Vir: Keldris
This denotes a 13th generation Warbred of the average bodytype, bearing the lineages of Vherra and Vhelos, child of Larion and Virek, with their name added.
Warbred are quite aware of their ID number, and even to a point what they mean. They know it tells who their parents are and they know it's used to track their lienages. This, however, is all they know so they do not see it as odd. The King awakens them from the Time Chambers, and they are told that he is their creator, and that he created them, saved their ancestors from being abandoned and that they exist to serve him and his kingdom. Very few question this.
Social Habits and Temperament Hide
Warbred are highly social, forming packs naturally. The are most effective stationed in groups of 8-15 individuals, and often bond closely with one other Warbred that they work well with. These duos often balance eachother out and have a sense of comradry about them.
Warbred become very depressed when alone, and prolonged isolation can lead to feelings of depression and sadness.
In barracks or designated sleeping areas, the King typically provides each Warbred with their own bed, though partners share quarters. Despite having individual sleeping spaces, squad partners often choose to sleep together. They sleep noticeably better when cuddled up with another Warbred. They are known to groom eachothers. Not to clean, but because the act is soothing and helps both Warbred bond.
Warbred are very open and accepting. If you befriend a pack, they'll accept you as one of them, treating you just as they treat their fellows, though being gentle with smaller folks because they are quite aware of their size. They're empathetic and attentive to the needs of eachother and those around them. A Warbred will be able to tell if you are upset in an instant, and will try to make you feel better.
They are very pack oriented. The strongest and most experienced of them becomes the leader. The pack alpha is not chosen based on their dominance, and despite their fierce nature, they don't fight for it. Their heirarchy forms naturally based on the individuals in the pack.
Warbred are surprisingly affectionate, and love physical contact. When off duty, and not training or sparring, they can often be seen laying together and cuddling, often with one resting their head in the other's mane. They will nuzzle and touch snouts sometimes, and when one becomes distressed, gentle licks and nibbles along the antennae can calm them down and make them feel better.
They are extremely loyal, both to their pack and the King and Kingdom as a whole.
Anatomy and Physiology Hide
Physical Characteristics:
On average, Warbred stand around 11 feet tall, though they can be anywhere from 9-12 feet on average. Some individuals can be taller or shorter, depending on their lineage. Warbred have thick, tough chitinous plates covering their huge, muscled bodies. Unlike actual insects, Warbred also have an endoskeleton, which provides their main structure. The chitinous covering acts as natural armor.
Warbred have manes running down the back of their necks and along their shoulders, This often ends around their mid back, though individuals with exaggerated/amplified manes can have this mane extending up to halfway down their tail, though this is incredibly rare. The mane consists of the long, thick guardhairs that are the hongest around the hunched shoulders and the thick, soft undercoat. The warbred's guardhairs are quite tough while remaining flexible, and can be used to make very nice paint brushes. A warbred's molted chitin can be crafted into incredibly tough and lightweight armor. If the soft undercoat is taken out of the soft, leathery plate over the shoulders and down the back that grows the mane, it can be spun into a really nice yarn. It contains some of the Voidic power, meaning that, despite being pitch black, it can actually help keep one cool.
Warbred have smooth heads that bear a superficial resemblance to skulls. It is not made of bone, however, but rather a thick leathery chitin that is white or off white in color. They have black eyes that have a subtle white glow forming their iris and slit pupil. They have sharp plates that form their teeth, built for slicing and slashing. Warbred can not chew very effectively, instead slicing their food into smaller bits with their teeth and swallowing. Their top teeth fit over their lower teeth, forming an almost scissor-like connection. Their teeth can slice through even solid bone with terrifying ease. They have long fangs, though these saber fangs are more for display and aren't actually that sharp. The very front teeth look pointed, but are more blunt, as they use them to carry nymphs by the scruff, or pull away bits of meat so they can slice them up with their back teeth and swallow.
Warbred are solid black in color, though the shade of this black can vary slightly. They don't have visible markings. Older Warbred's chitin will begin to dull as they age as their manes begin to grey. A Warbred's head is always white or off white. WIth their black eyes, their head bears an eery resemblance with their skull. Their real skull is actually black in color, though follows the shape of their head.
Reproduction and Life Cycle Hide
Warbred enter a heat cycle once a year, in mid to late Spring. They are gravid for around 8 months. They lay an egg, which has a soft leathery shell. The egg will hatch within a few minutes of being laid, serving more to protect the mother from the nymph's claws and horns than a proper egg shell. Warbred nymphs are born with their eyes closed and unable to move very well on their own, though they will crawl their way to their mother's belly to knead at the pouches and lap up the milk that comes out. During the nymph's first two weeks of life, the Warbred mother's milk has a special unique composition that makes it much more beneficial to the nymph. They do much better when they have this special milk during their early life which is why the King leaves them with their dam for two weeks before taking them away. They open their eyes when they are about a week old, and can move around by their second week, their movement and behavior reminiscent of a very young kitten. Warbred often become upset and distressed when it is time to give up their nymphs, but their loyalty to their king is strong enough that they rarely ever resist. Their duty is to the King, after all. Their nymphs belong to him, not them.
Some details on Warbred milk and a very young nymph
A hatchling, they emerge from the egg within a few hours of the egg being laid. Their eyes start off closed, but gradually open as they become more mobile during their first couple weeks of life. They at least double their weight during this two week period due to a special composition of their dam's milk.
A teenage Warbred. They tend to be lanky and scruffy, looking desceptively scrawny, until they near the end of puberty. Their mane starts off incredibly soft and downy, but as they enter adolescence, their adult guardhairs begin to grow in. More guardhairs come in with each molt, causing them to look extremely scruffy for several years, until they finally have their full adult mane. They are considered an adult once they go through their first heat cycle.
Mutations and Variations Show
Warbred have a few different bodytypes.
The most common is the average. The Average warbred stands between 9-12 feet tall, though 10 or 11 is the most common. They are powerful and muscled, though have some leanness to them, allowing them to have some speed.
The Speedy bodytype tends to be a little taller than the average warbred, but this is due to longer limbs. They weigh less and are quite lean. Speedy warbred are known for their incredible stamina and speed. When pushed, any Warbred can run for a couple days without stopping to rest, but the speedy lineage, when needed, can make it twice that long at a full run. It exhausts them and they need a lot of time to recover, but they can outrun and outlast any other Warbred lineage. Speedy warbred are known for having what could be called a case of the "Zoomies", where they gallop all over the place with their head and tail up. If there are two, they will chase eachother all around at blinding speeds, stop from time to time, go into a playful bow, then take off again.
The 'Dwarf' bodytype is the rarest of the Warbred builds, as it comes from a mutation that can be traced back to a single individual and the gene is recessive, which means that some careful linebreeding needs to be done with healthy individuals that do not show some of the health problems some later generation warbred have. Dwarf warbred are usually kept around the Capitol as they are valuable, and the King is trying to get a few good, healthy lineages with them that are only distantly connected. Dwarf warbred stand around 5-6 feet tall, and 5-6 feet tall at the shoulders. They often have exaggerated manes, which makes them look fluffy, and they almost always have fluff on the chest and have slightly longer fluff on their belly and throat. Dwarfs are incredibly spunky, all of the ferocity and strength of a normal sized warbred in a much smaller package. There are some crosses between dwarfs and speedy warbred, though getting a more slender Dwarf has been harder than anticipated, as Dwarf type warbred tend to be stocky and thick in build.
The Brute bodytype is one of the most valuable, though they also tend to have more age related health problems as they get older. Brutes can stand 10-14 feet tall, though some very rare individuals can get up to 15-16 feet tall. There is only one individual that has this 16 foot tall size, one of the Brute lineage founders named Jorgensen, though he retired early due to problems in his hips and joints. Brutes are extremely powerful with enhanced power to their Abyssal Roar. Brutes are thick, and almost always have exaggerated manes and extra fluff. Their claws are longer, and their beast forms even more feral in look than other Warbred types. Despite their massive size and incredible strength, Brutes are known to be incredibly docile and calm. Brutes are hesitant to get up and do much unless ordered to. Due to their impressively big horns, Brutes are most often used for their intimidation factor, but when sent into battle, they are extremely strong. Brutes are terrible at turning, and are unable to leap or jump due to their size and weight.
Other Information Hide
More Soon