Jakeopod Hive/Jakeoids

The Jakeopod Hive is a species of creature and hive-mind led by Jakeopod. The Jakeopod Hive (also known as The Jakeoid or Jghakari) are an extraterrestrial hive-based endoparasitoid species with a multi-staged life cycle. The entire species is part of an empire known as the Jakr.

Biology
The physical form of a Jakeoid can vary widely depending on its life stage, hive, caste, and age. Its ability to incorporate genetic material from creatures deemed fit by the Genehunters to create new castes allow the Jakeoids to be highly diverse and perfect at fitting niches.

Typically most Jakeoids life cycle goes like this: spores are launched from pebble sized fungal structures known as spouts. These spouts fire out spores that are breathed in by lifeforms. Once spores enter the lungs they begin to steal cells from the body to expand themselves. After reaching a decent size the victim suffocates and the being exits. Now known as a trilobite, they consume the corpse and continue eating until they reach the size of a car. Once they reach this size they will wrap around creatures and implant their ovipositor into them via a large cut or orifice. The trilobite will then  deposit around a dozen larval embryos into the victims stomach. It is preferred to be deposited around the small intestine but the larva can be deposited anywhere in the body. After around a month the larva will begin moving and crawl into the intestine. After doing this it kills the host by releasing cyanide. When creatures begin eating the corpses or put it into a morgue it will exit either the morgue or the being. Now around a meter long, the larva will spin itself into a cocoon. Upon exiting it is known as a Corruptor, resembling a dog sized jumping spider with tentacles instead of limbs. The corruptor will then violently attack all beings in sight, infecting them with a parasite resembling a tapeworm. After the death of the host it will take control of the corpse. Once the host body has rotted enough and there are multiple others infected around it, it will melt into a pile of flesh. This flesh will form into one of the many castes in the hive, after killing and eating more meat, a caste can mutate into an adapted version of itself, these adapted versions are much more powerful.

Although numerous varieties exist, most adult Jakeoids tend to share some common traits: a humanoid vertebrate-like body, a protective dark blue exoskeleton, a long flexible tail, an insectoid (primarily ant or centipede like) head and a toothed mouth hiding a secondary, extendable, proboscis-like inner maw which is highly venomous. Most Jakeoids have a crown of spikes or a crest to single their rank in a hive, drones have small thorny crowns while queens have massive crests with many patterns. Most Jakeoids are bipedal digitigrade creatures. While some are plantigrade and even quadruped.

The fact that the Jakeoid not only feeds on Humans, but actually develops inside them, strongly suggests that its biology is carbon-based, however as likely as it is this is now true. Jakeoids are Jakeanium based lifeforms. It is likely that Jakeoids originally were carbon based but switched because of the fact that other universes laws of physics damaging Jakeoids who where carbon based. While Jakeanium based Jakeoids survived much better because of Jakeaniums inter-dimensional properties. Jakeoids known as Genehunters incorporate genetic material from alien species to use to make new castes of Jakeoid, implying that the Jakeoid either has DNA, or is able to read and convert DNA into whatever means it uses to store genetic information.

Jakeoids operate in hives made of multiple things, including a resin they produce, mixed up with their blood, a spider like silk, which is used in areas where larva and eggs are found, and most commonly flesh made up from the living flesh stage of a Jakeoid. This flesh forms into large pulsing tentacles which cover the wal, supplying the rest of the sarcous walls with nutrients to survive, this fleshy hive material is considered a organism in of itself and even a caste. The most commonly-observed castes are Drones, Warriors, Carriers, Brainbugs, Praetorians and Queens.

Intelligence
Most Jakeoids appear to possess an intelligence level equivalent to that of a typical primate, however this depends very much on the caste. It's well within their capabilities to learn relatively quickly, gathering information and making advantageous use of their environment. Certain Jakeoids are known to use tools (the Formers and Footmen) and others (Hackers) are known to hack into enemy technology to use against them.

Jakeoids have demonstrated little emotion, though they are not completely devoid of fear, such as when they are in the presence of fire, which they are vulnerable to. They have also been shown to communicate pain through shrieks or screams when attacked. Queens are very paranoid of being attacked and usually Praetorians are the most common caste in a hive until the Queen has gained confidence in her hive and abilities. Certain Jakeoids are bred to only feel certain emotions to help them with their tasks. Drones for example do not usually feel fear, doing their normal tasks while there is a war going on behind them with little fear for their lives.

Anatomy
All Jakeoids possess an exoskeleton much like that of a lobster, impenetrable to everything but the most powerful Human firearms (12-gauge shotguns, flamethrowers, ). A Jakeoid body replaces its surface cells with a diamond dusted Jakanium steel alloy, which is a very inert, heat resistant, and flexible polymer. This allows these creatures great environmental resistance.

Most Jakeoids are digitigrade and plantigrade, only the drone is known to be a quadruped. However, it is known that most Jakeoids will run quadruped to gain speed. Attached at the ends of both of their arms are a set of long fingers and shiny, bioluminescent, extremely sharp claws capable of slashing through almost anything within their grasp. Their tail is long and flexible. Jakeoids also have ridges on top, and a serrated toxic tip at the end of the tail to lacerate enemies. Their chitin has an iridescent look to it.

They stand at around 7 feet tall (~ 2.13 m), averaging in anywhere between 140 and 180 kg; although size may vary wildly depending on the caste, as seen for instance with the "Brute": a sub-caste of the Praetorian which is designed to ram into hard structures.

At the end of a Jakeoid's tail is a long, thin and sharp stinger. This stinger is highly venomous, killing anyone stung within days. This stinger stinger can be, and has been, used to kill and attack victims, and may turn loose from the tail and remain lodged in the victim's body, not unlike a bee stinger.

Head
A Jakeoid has odd resemblance to earth insects (with one resembling a reptile), with four patterns seen commonly in head shape.


 * A head resembling that of wasps head, albeit with different patterns. This head is known as the H1 for short.
 * A head resembling an eyeless Utah Raptor head, usually with multiple tufts of feathers on the very top of the head. This head is called the H2 for short.
 * A head resembling a centipede's usually this head is found on warrior class Jakeoids. This head is known as the H3 for short
 * A head resembling a ant, which is usually found on worker class Jakeoids. This head is known as the H4 for short.
 * This head resembles a snake like head, with the longer neck included. Usually this head is found on more physic castes. This head is known as the H5 for short.

A Jakeoid head always has two compound eyes (with the exception of the H2) and three humanoid eyes underneath a single plate of chitin which can open and close to allow for better vision. The mouth can snap through steel like a twig and the chitin on the head is especially strong, most likely to resist head shots and ram into things effectively.

All Jakeoids have electroreception organs to help them track.

Dorsal Spines
Along the back of most Jakeoids' bodies are a series of appendages that appear to have many defined functions. These dorsal spines are used for the following: Sensory organs, communication organs, breathing apparatus,  defensive mechanisms,  structures that dissipate heat, storing substances their bodies need, and finally acts as a counter weight to keep them from falling over when running.

Jakeoids have four large dorsal spines that go a few feet into the air, these appendages are used as a type of radar that the alien utilizes to see through extreme environments or detect movements. It is also said that the dorsal spines are used to secrete and possibly store the resin used to build their hives. They are hollow, with the very tips having a hole almost like a volcano, allowing them to spew out both resin and fire.

These spines are also used to spew fire which is created by growing, this allows them to grow immense sizes without being cooked alive.

Inner Jaws
A Jakeoid's outer mouth is filled with sharp teeth and has two massive mandibles designed to slice, but their main killing device are the inner jaws that shoot out to rip apart its victims. The inner jaw is a muscular appendage on the inside of the Jakeoid's mouth. All Jakeoids have this trait. It consists of a cord of muscle with a small but extremely deadly mouth-like appendage on the end. The Jakeoid has over a dozen of these Inner Jaws within its mouth, stored neatly in hollow pockets in its large head, ready to strike. These jaws are known to move on their own accord once deployed, this is because within the hollow pockets designed to store the jaws are miniature brains, which are separate from the main Jakeoid and aid in controlling the tongues.

Protective Acid
Below the chitin and skin of the Jakeoid are hollow pockets all over the body filled with a highly acidic, red substance. This substance is produced by a sarcous coating of the inner walls of the hollow pockets which produces more of the fluid, similar to bone marrow. Below the hollow acid pockets are normal anatomy, organs, blood vessels etc.

The "acidic blood" is able to dissolve through almost everything except the Jakeoid's body, the acid does not melt the Jakeoid because of a wax like coating which blocks the acids effects. (See Wax Coating for more info.)

Wax Coating
This wax coating covers the Jakeoids chitin and skin and does multiple things. This first thing the wax does is cover the sarcous insides of the acid pockets to prevent it from melting through the Jakeoid, second it gives the Jakeoid its iridescent quality, third and finally it absorbs all the water and expels it, allowing the Jakeoid to exit water dry.

Defecation
The Jakeoid defecates through a hole located below the tail in triangle shaped fecal chunks. It is unknown why it is in this shape however it is possible that it is triangle shaped to allow for ease of transport to dumps. Jakeoids are known to transport their excrement to large pits in their hives.

This section of the article is a WIP, it is heavily unfinished and more will be added later down the line.
Jakeoids have many different castes, each one performs a different task or helps in combat. Some castes may build, others may colonize planets, and others may assimilate other species.

Jakeoid Sub-Types
Jakeoids prefer warm, dry environments, however they can survive other climates. But, if a planet is so extreme that regular Jakeoids cannot survive then sub-types allow them to survive.

Arctic Sub-Type
These Jakeoids are covered in blubber, fur, and can tunnel in snow and ice. Arctic Jakeoid hives are usually large underground networks carved into ice and snow. Unlike the darker and more blue hue of regular Jakeoids, arctic Jakeoids are usually white to camouflaged. Unlike regular Jakeoids, arctic Jakeoids have a shortened life cycle, instead hatching as living flesh to instantly morph.

Aquatic Sub-Type
This sub-type is designed to be only underwater, and if on land then only at a limited time. Aquatic Jakeoids have tentacles, fins, and jets to allow for them to move underwater. Eggs come from a Hydro-Queen, which is heavily different to normal queens. Aquatic Jakeoid hives are massive hollow coral structures that surround geo-thermal vents.

Castes of Jakeoid
The following is a list of all Jakeoid castes from most powerful to least powerful in the chain of command. This list only includes Jakeoids in the Royal Class, a class of castes like Queens, Brainbugs and very important Jakeoid castes.

See more at the Jakeopod article.
The Emperor (called Jakeopod) is a "Jakeoid" that mates with the Empress to produces lords, queens, and other Royal Jakeoids. The Emperor can also produce silk, hive resin, and has the same ribcage like structure as the Carrier, albeit more pronounced. Jakeopod is also known to be the supreme leader of all Jakeoids, along with the empress.

See more at the Andra'thath article.
The Empress (known as Andra'thath) is a large, female Jakeoid slightly resembling a queen. It mates with the Emperor to lays eggs from a medium sized ovipositor (this ovipositor is small compared to a normal queens) that hatch into Royal Jakeoid types. Similar to Jakeopod, she has a massive patterned crest. She helps Jakeopod command the entire hive.

See more at the Jakeopod article.
The Guardians of Jakeo are a group of two separate castes designed to guard Jakeopod at all times. They are known to not only use biological functions but also technology.

Lord
The Lord is a massive caste of Jakeoid that plants itself into the ground deep into massive nests. It lays the eggs that hatch queens and ultimately an entire hive. It is in charge of entire solar systems, unlike queens who are in charge of just a nest.

Queen
The Queen is the ruler of the nest. It lays the eggs and telepathically controls its nest. The Queen is in control of a sub-hivemind only accessible to its nest. Queens usually work in unison but will war between nests. When a queen dies then the Brain Bug becomes the ruler of the nest.

Brain Bug
Named after the being in Starship Troopers because of its similarities to it, the Brain Bug is second in command to the queen. Unlike the queen, which is control of the nest and expansion, the Brain Bug is in charge of tactical advancements and creating new castes. Hundreds of Brain Bugs form a council known as "The Council of Jakead" which are in charge of adding new castes to the hive and deciding which universes to invade. The Brain Bug cannot move on its own because of its slug like body, instead it requires a special caste of drone to move it around and tend to it. Their is a flying variant of Brain Bug most commonly found floating above battles.

Praetorian
Praetorians (or Royal Gaurds), are bigger and stronger mutated sub-caste of the Brute. Their primary role within the hive is to protect the Queen herself or any other Jakeoid of interest (Lords, Brainbugs etc.). Most Praetorians can be found very close to the Queen's chambers. The physical features of the Praetorian are highly strange compared to most other castes, almost resembling a Utah raptor with no eyes. It is covered in a highly strong chitin and is known to take hits from dangerous weapons for Queens. When protecting Lesser Queens they are known to form a protective ring around her at all times.

Lesser Queen
A lesser Queen, also known as a Battle Queen or a War Queen is around the size of a lion. She is quadrupedal, with a reptilians face and many sharp teeth. Her entire body is reptilian, unlike most Jakeoids she completely lacks chitin. The Lesser Queen produces warriors exclusively and is only used in battles, unlike most Queen castes. She is actively participating in the battle, surrounded by a ring of Praetorians for defense from attacks. Despite being known as a "Lesser Queen", she is very strong being able to command millions of warriors at a time. Usually a Lesser Queen is surrounded by her sister queens in battle. The Lesser Queen commands all warrior class Jakeoids no matter their strength or hierarchy on the chain of command.

Genehunter
The Genehunter is very similar to the Lesser Queen physically, however it has a "mane" of tentacles around its head. The Genehunter is equipped with a tongue which can store genetic material. The Genehunter typically roams out of the hive looking for creatures with worthy abilities, once found it will extract genetic material from the creature. Once the genetic material is extracted it is given to a Ulga'Jhakra to extract the genetic coding into something which can be used to create new castes.

Deathspeaker
The Deathspeaker has more religious and cultural significance then a physical one, however this caste is well respected. The Deathspeakers are large serpentine beings with the H5 style head. It is likely that this caste was made by directly editing the physical features of the Priest. In universe where magic exists the Deathspeaker can not only speak to the dead, but revive them as mindless servants.

Priest
The Priest is a strange creature. Unlike most of the Royal Class castes the Priest can be seen on the battlefield. The Priest has an H5 style head. The Priest is legless, instead having a long dress like structure where a normal beings legs would be. Underneath the "dress" is a mass of tentacles used in defense of this sensitive area. The Priest has humanoid arms with four fingers. The Priest is all white, with the exception of the dress which is a greyish black. The Priest uses an unknown biological process to extract everything unique from a chosen victim to transform them into a Former. The Priest is surprisingly durable despite its lesser physical strength (compared to other castes.)

Ulga'Jhakra
The Ugla'Jhakra is rooted to the ground at all time. Covered in baby blue chitin, the Ugla'Jhakra process genetic material harvest by Genehunters into something which can be used to create new castes of Jakeoids. The Ugla'Jhakra is always rooted deep in hives and is always protected one or two Praetorians, this is because it costs immense resources to mutate living flesh into the caste.

And more to come.

This section of the article is a WIP, it is heavily unfinished and more will be added later down the line.
These castes are only found in the hive of a Jakeoid and will acts as workers and tenders to the hive. (Drones, Builders etc.)                                                           These castes are not in any order.

Drone
The Drone is a Great Dane sized creature with a H4 style head. The Drone has four tendrils on its back with pincers, which acts to grip onto things and hold them. The Drone has a large bio-luminescent bug like abdomen. This allows them to see in the dark. The Drone has little fear, only fearing for its life when its Queen is killed. Otherwise, the Drone will simply continue its work not matter what is going on behind it. The Drone is usually took care of the larva and eggs but with the introduction of the Tender Caste. The Drone has two arms with rotating, organic buzz saws acting as hands. This buzz saw allows them to cut cleanly into minerals. The Drone does not have a long complicated life cycle, instead simply hatching from an egg as a larva and maturing straight to a drone via cocoon a week after birth.

Tender
The Tender is identical to a beetle, albeit it around the size of a cat. This worker caste tends to the Brainbugs, feeding them and helping them with basic tasks. Groups of Tenders act has a moving platform for the Brainbug to move upon. The Tender is easy to kill because of its weak carapace.

Builder
The Builder is a caste of Jakeoid identical to the drone, besides the fact that instead of its arms having buzz saw like hands it has gun like structures. These structure fire the hive resin used to build hives. They have bigger heads and are albino, with mandibles resemble a sun spider.

Silkspinner
The Silkspinner is identical to a black widow, albeit larger. The Silkspinner, well spins silk. This silk is used for nests, trapping unsuspecting victims, and usage in building hives. The Silkspinner has a highly dangerous bite, dripping with a deadly neurotoxin. The Silkspinner produces silk from "silk guns" located next to the mouth, these "guns" fire sticky silk which eventually loses its stickiness.

Carrier
The Carrier is used to carry eggs and young Jakeoids. On its back are large rib like structures which form into a large cage, which is used to safely to transport, store, and protect young Jakeoids. The Carrier is not just found in hives, it is known to infiltrate enemy bases and kidnap enemies in its cage. The Carrier is humanoid, with tan leathery skin.

Bunker
The Bunker is a large, ant like creature. The Bunkers head is long, and the shape of all entrances to the hive, a square. The Bunker will use its head to clog the entrance to the hive. This allows the hive to be decently safe while their warriors prepared. The Bunker is known to robust and sturdy compared to other worker castes.

Tunnelmaker
The Tunnelmaker is a caste which expands the hive and creates tunnels. The Jakeoid is identical to the Drone, but again instead of buzz saw like structures, the Tunnelmaker has large drill like structures. The Tunnelmaker uses these drills to carve through dirt and stone. The Tunnelmaker is known to be more aggressive then other worker castes.

And more to come.

This section of the article is a WIP, it is heavily unfinished and more will be added later down the line.
These castes are castes designed to fight and defend for the Jakeoid Hive. These castes are not in any order.

Warrior
The Warrior is the basic Jakeoid fighter. Identical to the Praetorian (albeit smaller and with no chitinous plates) this caste is known for swarming enemies. The Warrior has little to no self preservation, instead charging into the fight. In large scale battles the warrior is known to do anything to get to foes.

WIP

Spitter
WIP

Former
WIP

Footman
WIP

Scuttler
WIP

And more to come.

This section of the article is a WIP, it is heavily unfinished and more will be added later down the line.
These castes are castes that are massive space or naval combat castes, usually used as battleships or mobile bases, these mega-sized castes are very lethal in battle. These castes are not in any order.

Dreadnaught
WIP

Swarmvessel
WIP

Driller

WIP

Worldeater
WIP

And more to come.

This section of the article is a WIP, it is heavily unfinished and more will be added later down the line.
These castes are flying or naval castes usually used as simple battle ships and smaller fighters. This castes also include cargo and colonization ships. These castes are not in any order.

Carrier
WIP

Swarmer
WIP

Balloon
WIP

Seeder
WIP

And more to come.