Ylslag

Loathsome and vile creatures, the Ylslag are disgusting floral polyp like creatures. Hailing from the nocturnal ocean world of Ylurnia, located in an unknown sector of the Dragontooth Nebula, the Ylslag are different from all the other threats within the Dragontooth Nebula. Where as the Sangiini will invade worlds under the cover of storms and butcher entire populations, the Ox'arcvor will raid planets for slaves and knowledge, and the Quil'midas will infect an entire world's population. The Ylslag are invaders of a different type. The Ylslag will invade the minds and bodies of the worlds they deem useful. Taking over entire societies and empires by invading the bodies of the upper elites, the enslaved Elite will order entire fleets and colonies to ship people and resources to Ylurnia only to crash them into the ocean world for the rest of their species to make use of. Scholars are unaware of the reason why the Ylslag chose not to conquer new worlds, though some speculate that it makes reprisal impossible against the Ylslag without information on where their planet is as the only people to ever arrive at Ylurnia are quickly brought down onto the ocean world and enslaved.

Anatomy
One of the most bizarre species of the Dragontooth Nebula, the Ylslag rival the Ox'arcvor in terms of biological strangeness. The Ylslag come in three "types", since in reality all Ylslag are aggreative creatures. A single lone "Ylslag" is called a Strand. A Strand is simply a single lone floral-like tendril that searchs for food and food alone. A Strand has little to no intelligence and is simply an unintelligent predator. A single Strand can be anywhere from a single foot or five feet in length. At one end is a polyp-like mouth that also contains the sensory organ. When multiple Strands meet, they connect and multiply. Growing for several decades, when a collection of Stands mature they become what is known as a Thread, which range in size and intelligence based on how large the individual Strands are.

A mature Thread appears as a strange combination of a plant, a humanoid, and a cephalopod. A Thread possess no hands or feet, and moves by crawling around on the ocean floor on its many tendrils. Their heads are triangle-like and they resemble featureless humanoids that have sprouted multiple plant-like bulbs. Moving lower on their body is just one single thick strand that acts like the center of their mass, holding the majority of their important organs, that at the bottom ends in six to ten tendrils. These tendrils end in sharp toxic barbs that enable the Ylslag to mutilate and paralyse their prey so that they might devour them by opening up their main torso and placing their food directly into their stomach. Thanks to their nature as a composite organism Threads are virtually immortal capable of surviving time, injuries, and disease by simply shedding the dying Strand and growing a new one. It's also during this stage that the Ylslag reproduce. For several years the Ylslag will carry around a large egg in their stomach that when ready to be birthed is placed deep in a coral colony. There the egg bursts and thousands of Strands emerge, only to be cannibalized by their siblings. Once a Thread encounters two other threads they can combine and form a Web.

Unlike a Thread, which is a singular personality, a Web is actually multiple personalities working together. Webs appear similar to mature Threads but have more tendrils and they have three seperate heads. Over time a Web will grow an humanoid shaped exoskeleton that will allow them to manipulate their surroundings better. A Web's exoskeleton has two legs, two arms, a single head, and is similar in appearance to a Crab's exoskeleton. Thanks to their boneless nature, Ylslag can easily fit inside these shells with little difficultly only having to shed them once a new Thread is added to their Web. Webs are some of the most dangerous examples of the Ylslag. Where as a mature, and healthy, Thread can strangle an adult human to death a Web can engage in combat with an Orkoid. Their carapaces are strong enough to reflect blunt force and their combined muscular strength allows them great combat ability.

As a species all Ylslag share a number of things in common. They can survive on land and in water, but must remain hydrated. They are inherently psychic, though not all are psykers. And finally all Ylslag possess some parasitic capabilities. Strands can rest inside hosts for some time, consuming the food they do, though eventually the Strand will grow hungry enough to devour their host from the inside out. Threads however are capable of complete nervous system domination. Once a Thread enters a host it will begin to spread its Strands throughout the body and making polyp colonies in specific areas of the body where water is easily harvested. Once a polyp colony is properly grown in the brain, the host's original personality can be considered dead. Surviving off the water inside their host the Thread will continue its normal life cycle though it will eventually have to leave its host due to either the host dying or becoming an Enslaved.

Pskyers
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Enslaved Biology
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Civilizations and Philosophy
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Technology
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