The Cravers

Created by the Endless from an insectoid life form to work as enforcers and executioners, the Cravers are in the purest sense hunter-gatherers who would never have independently evolved the knowledge needed to raise crops or domesticate animals.

''Their life cycle is based on consumption, and as such they are capable of digesting any form of plant or animal matter. As their home world is close to being wholly consumed, they must leave in search of further nourishment.''

''For if they do not continue to expand, discover, and exploit new worlds, their society will eat itself to death. Feeding the hive is their all-consuming purpose; the notions of 'treaty', 'trade', and 'peace' do not exist.''

Leadership
Though the Hive Queen is the most important single member of Craver hierarchy, she is not necessarily its leader or decision-maker as her time is spent in the production of future generations.

Though she has an unquestionable right to veto and would be consulted in the case of extreme risk to the hive or a deadlock in the process, her importance is more social than political.

The true leaders of Craver society are a caste known as Cerebrates; this small percentage of intellectually advanced Cravers forms the backbone of society and is responsible for decisions on construction, warfare, development, reproduction, and exploration. All Cerebrates are part of the Hive Mind.

Homeworld
It is difficult to define a homeworld for the Cravers, as they were an artificially created species. Much of the research was done on the world of Zeria, but as they were DNA patterns shared across the Virtual Endless' community and vat-grown in numerous locations it is hard to determine a single site. Perhaps the best, if arbitrary, definition of a homeworld would be the planetary factory of Kharh, where many of them were created.

Society
The Queen could be viewed as the leader of the society, but only in the sense that she has the capacity to refuse plans proposed by the Hive Mind.

She lacks a creative or directive role in the development of those plans, however, and simply passes judgment on them. In fact it is difficult to apply the concept of a political system to the Cravers, as a good four-fifths of their population barely have enough of a sense of individuality to understand the idea of casting a vote.

Shadow in the Warp
The Shadow in the Warp is a Craver psychic phenomenon that blocks all connections to the Warp, making communications or the manifestation of psychic/magical abilities extremely difficult. This unique phenomenon greatly affects espers of all kinds.

The coming of a Craver Foragefleet is preceded by a smothering psychic signal that envelops entire star systems and disrupts all forms of inter-stellar communication. Swallowed up by psychic-static, whole worlds suddenly go deathly silent, giving no clues as to what is unfolding on the surface below. This is the Shadow in the Warp, and it heralds imminent invasion. Bereft of means to call for reinforcements or safely navigate surrounding space, worlds under assault by the Cravers are easily isolated from the wider galaxy. This means that, by the time the Shadow falls, it is already too late; these beleaguered planets are effectively on their own. They must fend for themselves and face the horde with the weapons they have to hand, or die in the attempt.

It is unknown if the Shadow is created deliberately by the Foragefleets, or if it is simply a by-product of the Hive Mind's innate synaptic control. In any case, the Shadow sows panic wherever it falls, instilling dread into the minds of a prey worlds' defenders, plunging entire planets into misery. For highly psychic races, or for luckless espers caught within this mortifying effect, the malaise is magnified tenfold. Should an esper attempt to use his otherworldly abilities, the cerebral cacophony worsens even further; the psychic sound of a billion alien thoughts scratch at his mind, and unless he is particularly strong-willed he will be pitched into an insanity where he will repeatedly utter phrases in a tongue too alien to pronounce.