#kriken

[sepublic]

            A while back, I had this concept of a Metroid fanon, which I typically do for series I really like; Sort of flesh out, entirely in my head with no intention of actually writing it down, maybe just drawing, my own sort of take on the canon. An idea for how a larger story would incorporate and flow between these different games or installments or whatever, stuff that would happen in-between, and stuff afterwards.

         Basically, I wanted to make a unifying storyline out of Metroid. Entirely in my head, of course. And I quickly found that one of the themes I stumbled across, an idea I ended up having a lot of fun with, was this idea of… the Niche, for sapient alien species.

         Think of it like this; Imagine you’re an alien with a body type more akin to Kraid, being huge and massive and capable of hurling projectile weaponry. You want to be an accountant, and so does this other alien beside you, who’s more human-sized. You both have the same skills as accountants and are both paid the same for it, except!

         You have much greater needs. Bigger body means more nutrition needed. Bigger body means more space to occupy, which means greater rent. You need all of your equipment to work at home with specially made for your body type, because sometimes companies prefer to work with a specific range of shapes or sizes amongst alien species. You ultimately make less than your fellow accountant, due to the particular expenses of your existence.

         Of course, a friend brings up to you that some people need help hauling stuff around, and they don’t want to pay a lot for a big crew, or maybe it’s just easier with you. You’re huge and strong, you can help! And you became an accountant, partly because you weren’t interested in physical labor. But you’re clearly the best for it, and will be paid for it, so… You don’t have much options but to do this side job. It’s fine you guess, but you still have to work two jobs to keep yourself alive.

         It’s the idea that some species have certain bodies better equipped for certain jobs, so even if they’d rather do something else, they’d probably be outcompeted by another species, and end up pointed back in their assigned ‘niche’ in society. It’s easier and simpler for the Federation to operate by this more confined system, where larger, bigger body types work labor and are compensated accordingly, while smaller aliens are expected to work in occupations that make the most of their small size, and are also paid accordingly.

         You’re a human, adaptable and hardy, so you’re expected to be a footsoldier in the Federation’s military. You’re a Ceratopsid, time for you to be a leader! Phrygisians are unique for generating ice, of course you’ll have an occupation related to cooling, like a firefighter or even just an ice cream maker! You arguably have a social responsibility to make the most of your species’ traits, to do the job better than any other species could.

         Of course, while the Federation DOES try to find a role and accommodations for every species it encounters… Not everyone fares so well. Some species, like the Urtraghue, are at an inherent disadvantage due to lacking any limbs. They NEED exo-skeletons in order to operate complex tools and machinery, so even if they do have the advantage of breathing in air and water, it’s still a lot harder for them to exist in a society designed around a certain body type.

         So there’s a lot of themes of ableism and accommodation here, I feel. The idea of cities and societies built around a particular definition of ‘abled’ and those outside of it have the onus placed on them to adapt, not the other way around. Most species tend to rely on physical expressions, so for a species that emotes more with scents or sounds or even lights, it’s gonna be harder!

         A lot of this just encourages aliens to keep within their own species. Stay segregated in societies built for people like them, and it’s easy for many to advocate for this. Federation supporters are alarmed because, hey, segregation is kinda terrible and merely encourages xenophobia!

         Some species are prioritized on the job market for certain behavioral attitudes. Others for their physique. Trafficking is a HUGE problem in the Metroid universe, for example Ridley’s species. They’re fairly few and obscure and not represented well by the Federation’s database, which already struggles to provide comprehensive info on every species. So it’s easy for them to fall through the network and be kidnapped and sold, seen as ideal and powerful weapons for their regenerative abilities, flight, fire-breathing, durable skin, etc.

         At some point, Samus has to team up with another member of Ridley’s species, Varyn, to save someone who has been trafficked for this purpose. And as they discuss, Varyn and Samus both have to ruminate on the inevitability of their roles; Ridley’s species feels built for combat, so of course that’s all they’ll be encouraged to do! Maybe that’s why Ridley ended up like that… And, Samus of course points out that people CAN make exceptions for themselves, and it hardly excuses his atrocities and evil. Varyn agrees, but she does bring up the inherent tragedy of it, the biological determinism.

         Likewise, we have Racklas, another member of Ridley’s species. She’s a judge and when Ridley is captured by the Federation at some point between Samus Returns and Super Metroid, for all his war crimes he’s still entitled to a fair trial. And Racklas is appointed because the Federation reasons that to make a trial as fair as possible, Ridley needs someone who could relate to him, it’s the same idea behind “a jury of your peers” and whatnot.

         Samus obviously does a double-take on Racklas and Racklas can’t totally blame her. But she does make a point that she explicitly does NOT want to be a fighter like her and Ridley’s species are expected, nay destined according to others, to be. But when Space Pirates crash the trial and successfully rescue Ridley, Racklas has to use her larger strength, fire breath, and durability to protect others. She’s hardly a fighter and has no combat experience, but her powerful physique compensates for that.

         And it makes Samus reflect on HER niche in society. She was trained as a warrior, she’s known as the hunter by enemy and friend alike. And then she becomes part-Metroid, a creature designed, meant to slaughter the X parasites. And while I wrote this back in 2019, it goes well with Dread and the revelation of Samus’ Metroid powers, her ability and responsibility to use them accordingly. And Raven Beak’s whole motivations and rhetoric, the Chozo are inherently evolved for war and should embrace that.

         Is that what Samus’ destiny is? Is that what her contributions to society will be? Killing and slaughtering? Sure people can justify she’s doing it to the ‘bad guys’, but she remembers the Metroid genocide of SR388. Is that the only way she can be a hero? Obviously people NEED to fight, people can’t always rely on peace. And theoretically, Samus could always just live a peaceful life, in a world where her Metroid powers weren’t particularly necessary; The X are (probably) extinct and there are other weapons for other enemies out there.

         I actually explored this idea a bit with my fanon on the Kriken Empire, who believe they have conquered these limitations of the Federation’s system through their alt-modes, eliminating any need for other species’ contributions. There’s the idea that individuals end up best-suited for certain roles and occupations, and are expected to dedicate themselves fully, permanently to those roles in the caste. 

        Ideally, the Kriken do not want any niche in their glorious empire to be looked down upon, because we ALL play an important part…! Still, it’s uncomfortable even if that did work out, because what if talent doesn’t correlate with passion? What then? And it’s part of Trace’s whole anxiety and his twisted coming-of-age arc that he and every Kriken goes through. The process to determine who fits where and the potential flaws in the determination, as well as the larger issue of its permanence and even general principle.

         Humans occupy an interesting position in that they’re both enforcers but also oppressed in their own way. Yeah, they have the weapons, they act as the main bulk of military. But they’re the ones sent to the front lines, expected to be the first and most common to die in the grinder… Doesn’t that suck? Some humans are fine because deep down, they still have some power over others! Others hate it, because regardless of how they feel about species lower on the list, they recognize they’re still being bossed around themselves. But most humans don’t want to threaten their guaranteed place in society, either.

         It’s basically an intergalactic ecosystem. A bunch of different species come into contact, and after years of working things out, inevitably sort themselves into certain roles, not exactly by intention. Survival of the Fittest, as it was called by the humans, or other names by other species, because they’re all familiar with the concept, without influence from aliens. Given the idea of predators and hunter, the Chozo’s connection with nature, and the discussion of ecology with the X and Metroids, as well as invasive species, I suppose this is thematically fitting.

         And as I brought up before, this is why some species prefer to isolate and group together, to stick to societies adapted to themselves. So there’s definitely themes of nationalism, community, and belonging going along; Trace’s fervor for his Empire, Spire’s search to find her lost people. Is Samus human or Chozo? What do various Space Pirate species fight for, or members of the Federation? The Mawkin are dedicated to a specific idea of Chozo culture, a particular memory they work to preserve. Can Dark Samus be said to have a ‘people’ she belongs to, what of the all-assimilating threat of the X?

         Obviously this doesn’t quite have its one-to-one parallels with real life; The difference between an Asian and a Hispanic person is nowhere near as drastic as one having wings and the other having echolocation. A lot of this is admittedly a thought exercise, hypothetical, on how different alien species would end up interacting and organizing themselves after a while.

         But there’s definitely correlations to racial stereotyping, as well as disability accommodations and the lack thereof. The discussions of ableism and societies built around a certain type of behavior, expression, and existence is DEF intentional. So, and forgive me if I’m patting myself on the back here, I guess it still has its applications to real life, as the arts always do beyond just entertainment.

        In the end, I guess I’m too lazy to properly write any of this in the form of an actual story. So I guess that’s why I’m going to write it as such here, better here than nowhere I say!

#metroid #fanon #worldbuilding #samus #chozo #mawkin #kriken #space pirates #ridley

[askelectrochromic]

what is the Krikani language like? i like the description of Cheloan glyphs as analogous to Hanzi or Kanji (being able to identify the ``spicy'' character) but id love to know about the Krikani writing system

(im not expecting you to write a whole conlang of course but was curious if you had a general shape or feeling to it in mind) ^^;

SableGear0: You know, I haven't actually given it much thought yet. I probably should, though. My first impulse was to say "they don't have a written language" (for reasons I will discuss in a moment) but that seems impossible; they're a sapient species capable of space-travel and manage huge military systems, they probably have writing since not all communication can be person-to-person. So, organic rambling solution-finding and some links and images under the cut.

Generally I conceptualize Kriken as a (semi-)eusocial hive organism that are passively psionic, to keep in touch with the greater hive. How much direct communication happens psionically I'm still not sure; whether it can be used "conversationally," or if it's merely a "vibe" they share with local Kriken that's strong enough to pick up on the "vibe" from the core colony sometimes. The fact that they have a spoken language probably means its closer to the latter.

If the psionic communication is powerful enough, then maybe they wouldn't need to write? But then how would you do something like label the controls on a starship or make maps? You might have to devote someone to memorizing what all the labels would be and then telepathically ask them what you're looking at. Which isn't totally unreasonable, if we consider them highly specialized hive organisms. Maybe they do have "librarians" that keep this stuff in their minds and can be asked/accessed on a whim. This would be an extremely alien way of keeping track of information. While I kind of like it, it seems maybe a bit too weird for the Metroid series as we know it. Arguably, Metroid has kept its aliens fairly (socially) tame, giving us a lot of written logs throughout the Prime series. Though the ones we've gotten the most lore on are Pirates and Chozo, which aren't great benchmarks since they were respectively "the bad guys" and "the good guys (mostly)."

Being insectoid, Kriken might also communicate via pheromones? But pheromones and what/how Kriken eat have been stumping me because... well, their heads aren't really attached.

Trace has no neck. And while in some renders it looks like that tiny teardrop of a head is resting on the body, the in-game model and wireframe show pretty clearly they do not touch. Hence why I go with psionic; their heads float for spooky psionic reasons. This also means that while their heads may be a sensory center (headshots still work in Hunters), I doubt it's where they stick food when (if?) they eat, so it being a chemosensor feels a little unlikely, but I digress.

Anyway back to written language. I suppose I have to ask myself, what would a written language look like if it was invented by ants? Or bees? Ants is a tough one mainly because I don't actually know much about ant organization. My impression is that they build and tunnel fairly organically, just wherever is easiest to go and/or smells like it has the most food. When I think about bees, though, I think about bee dances, and how that might be adapted into a written language; a system abstracting the orientation and movement of the body into markings that can be re-read at any time so that worker doesn't have to bust down and dance it out every time she wants to relay some information to someone new.

And thinking about that, I think about Phyrexian. This conlang shows up in the Magic the Gathering universe, and knowing what I know about Phyrexians (an all-consuming hivemind-like culture that take creatures and turn them into half-mechanical abominations to serve their own purposes), it seems like a decent fit.

The shape of these is really what I was going for but the cultural implications match up too. I was thinking of the cross-strokes being similar to the directional facing if you were to write down a bee dance, the extra marks indicating other movements like stops or the frequency of a waggle.

It also looks like something a bug might make if you dipped it in ink and let it walk around on a paper, so that's neat. Scratching marks like these out would be fairly quick and easy for a Kriken, since they only appear to have a crab-like manipulator and a single combat claw, and I've stuck with that design choice in describing them because it's more interesting than "oh and they have normal hands too".

So there's your answer, I guess. Written Krikani probably looks kind of like Phyrexian; branching strokes off a central line that stem from an ancestral system of gestural communication (and I like the verticality so I'll probably keep that too). Simple, efficient, and easy to replicate.

Thanks for the ask! This was a bit of a brain-teaser.

#ask electrochromic #electrochromic #incoming dispatch #prussian blue #alien culture #alien language #kriken #metroid #metroid series #links in post

[autoacafiles]

#Autobot Atlas #Neutral Planet #Kriken Prime #Metroid

[keitrinkomfloukru]

I was today years old when I learned that ‘Netflix and chill’ means something other than hanging out and watching tv.

#kriken keit

[coldgoldlazarus]

Back on my "Kriken are an extreme ofshoot or attempted weapon of the Alimbics" bullshit again

#not a reblog #metroid #metroid prime hunters #Prime 4 is prolly gonna be Sylux's moment #but Hunters could easily be Trace's #wanna write this but I don't need another giant project

[metroid-prime-ribs]

Why Can't Metroid Crawl (Into My Heart)

Prologue

You are a bounty hunter. You grew up during the age of exploration. When things were fun and exciting and new, and the Galactic Federation had just gotten together. Afloraltite was mined for fuel and the Elysians had just signed a treaty with the newly formed Galactic Federation. At the same time, the Space Pirates had been organizing to attack freighters carrying food, fuel, and anything they thought might be worth the taking.

You were born during this era, so you grew up when the Federation Police were still on the scene trying to organize the newly allied worlds into some semblance of unity and order. You remember you were born on a world that happened to be named a ‘core world’, so you grew up with the rapid advancement of technology. You remember how bounty hunters were hired in droves to protect its new citizens while the Federation was still putting together its army. 

The hunters were icons. They could be rude as hell, greedy, and borderline evil, and they would still get merchandise made to honor their efforts in the skirmishes with the Space Pirate Confederation and the Kriken Empire. And then when Samus came on the scene… It was like a switch was flipped overnight. Everyone and anyone was trying to find out who or what was beneath that exotic armor and synthesized voice. No hunter had ever been such an unsolvable mystery. You decided to try your hand at the bounty hunting game along with everyone else that year. But unlike most, you stuck with it. Moonlighting at first, protecting your smallish city of only one million and taking on jobs to deliver items, protect clients, steal data, etc.

Now, nearly a standard decade after Samus first hit the scene, you are at the top of the galaxy’s A rank hunters. Apparently you were even good enough that the Federation had personally reached out to you to join the best hunters on a secret mission, so here you are. Time to begin the hunt.

Wake Up

You wake up to the standard alarm on your Device, a soothing melody plays on some kind of old earth instrument that involves hitting pieces of wooden bars of different lengths. It is annoying and you keep forgetting to change the damn thing. You roll out of your hammock, yawn, and stretch all of your limbs in every direction possible from your purple yoga mat. Another human thing that was supposed to help your body become more stretchy or something? Either way, it’s softer than the metal alloy of your ship’s floors. You meander to the cockpit and flip a few switches, disabling the blast shutters, turning on the nav system, and starting the kettle for a hot cup of your morning Red Starburst leaf tea. ‘Ahhh, that hits the spot,’ you think to yourself.

Now that you’ve had your drink and stretches, you feel ready to face the day! And what an exciting day it is, your ship is on course to dock with the GFS Olympus in a little bit so you can join with a small group of hunters that the Galactic Federation has hired for a top secret mission. It’s up to you (and like 7 others) to work in pairs and defeat the galaxy’s next greatest threat after the Space Pirate forces were scattered years ago by the legendary hunter, Samus.

You leave the cockpit and head to the armory of your small ship, checking on the charge status of your Powered Suit. There behind the polycarbonate window lies your livelihood, your second skin, your soulmate. A suit of polygonal armor that you yourself designed and assembled from scraps and alien schematics over the course of a few years working late nights at a bar on your homeworld. One of your human friends compared the shape of your suit to ancient “origami” one time, and while you’re still not sure how it relates to the climax of a sexual encounter, you take pride that someone was able to achieve such a heightened emotional response from it (even if you were hoping for intimidation).

[99%] Charge Completed

The monitor displays that your suit’s energy levels are at maximum, but looking closer, you notice that it also has an update available to your suit’s interface software. You have been ignoring that for a while now.

#metroid #why cant metroid crawl (into my heart) #metroid art #metroid fan fiction #metroid fanfiction #metroidprimeribswrites #metroidprimeribs

[phantasmeels]

Metroid Lore/Timeline: The Galactic Federation Military Structure and its History (Sources: The games, game manuals, metroid wikis, and instances of me just making it up as I go)

It all started with the Galactic Federation Police Corps (GFPC). As the Federation initially started as a form of trade regulation between planets, Federal laws would need enforcement, leading to a simple set of space fleets, officers and soldiers for that purpose. These troops and agents would ensure trade transactions and supply lines between planets were legal and secure, as well as lead galactic criminal investigations. As the new federal government grew and centralized into a galactic system of representatives, the use of the Police grew to ensure general order and security outside of the individual jurisdictions of worlds as well as continue to enforce federal laws.

What the new government didn't anticipate, however, was the onset of organized and strategic raids of piracy against trade ships, coming from a new faction that emerged. Dubbing this faction simply as "The Space Pirates", the Federation Bureau elected to expand its military, as the established police force was insufficient to combat the shockingly well-organized Pirates while also trying to lend its member civilizations aid in maintaining order on their own individual worlds where necessary. Thus a new division was established: the Galactic Federation Army Corps (GFAC). The Army forces were deployed on wider scale scenarios of mostly ground warfare on various planets, and had its hands full driving out conquering Pirate forces from member worlds and defending those worlds from future attacks. So full, in fact, that the Federation Bureau even started a new program, one that employed the use of skilled mercenaries and bounty hunters to supplement existing military forces, aid in special missions, and track down retreating Pirates into the further reaches of space. One of these independent contractors was of course the famous Samus Aran, who had gained much vital experience from serving in both the Police and Army Corps before striking out on her own.

Even after Samus took down the immediate Pirate threat on Zebes, however, it became apparent that those Zebesian Pirates were far from the only Pirate divisions. Over the next few years, seeing the need to stop relying so strongly on mercenaries and bounty hunters to keep the galaxy safe, the Federation created two new military factions. With the most advanced training and equipment, and often hiring Army and Police veterans who weren't ready to retire, the Galactic Federation Navy Corps (GFNC) and Marine Corps (GFMC) were established specifically to focus on countering the Space Pirates on a galactic scale and allow some levity for the Police and Army forces. We see the Navy and Marines specifically throughout the Prime games, as exclusively the only Federation military forces depicted in the space and planetside battles. The most advanced the technology used seems to get thus far is seen in the small mechs used by the special Marine squad in Federation Force. We don't yet know how the Prime series ends, but presumably the widespread warfare with the Pirates ends with most of them gone, only for them to make a small surprise return at Zebes in Super Metroid much later.

Once the widespread difficulty with the Pirates seems to be dealt with, the Federation seems to have allowed the Marine division to mostly retire, focusing on making continued use of the Police, Army and hunters/mercenaries for galactic peacekeeping. The Navy, meanwhile, is likely stationed at the edges of the Federation-controlled galactic regions, securing the borders against future pirate attacks, as well as other potential enemy factions such as the Kriken Empire.

In the background for Metroid 2, we learn that a special ops offshoot of the Police Corps, the Special Squad (GFSS), was sent to SR-388 to rescue those who were sent before them to find any sign of the Metroid life forms native to the planet, for the sake of wiping the creatures out. They aren't heard from again after landing planetside, and as we know Samus accepts a contract to investigate and finish the job concerning the metroids.

In Other M, we see that the Army also sends out specialized groups of soldiers for special ops, as Samus cooperates with the 07th Platoon on the story's overall mission.

The standard armor design used in the Federation Army. Optimized for planetside/ground warfare scenarios as well as special operations involving similarly armed and armored opponents. Likely designed with energy shielding and ammunition carrying capacity in mind.

The Federation Police Special Squad, clad in powered armor suits optimized for exploration and protection in hostile alien environments. The armor is likely designed to defend against hard physical attacks, falling damage, radiation, extreme temperatures, etc.

A Federation Navy fleet of flagships and space fighters as seen from Samus's ship in Prime 3.

The standard Marine armor as seen in Prime 2. As they were (according to the theory above) designed to be top of the line in the Prime era in order to combat the widespread, coordinated and intense Pirate attacks, these were likely the most capable and expensive Federation Military armor suits ever produced, as the Marine division was intended to lessen the Federation's dependence on independent contractors.

#metroid #metroid prime #theory #metroid timeline

[metroidbosshowdown]

This Round 1 match resulted in a tie, so it's up for voting again. Who will win, the poisonous flower of the chozo ruins, or the ruthless Kriken bounty hunter from Metroid Prime Hunters?

#polls #flaahgra #metroid prime #trace #metroid prime hunters

[codylabs]

I am curious on the creatures the kid meets, especially the one he mistakes for a Xenomorph.

I also spot a cheeky Trace arguing with Armstrong Hustion. Unless it's another Kriken. No idea about the brain guy or tentacle-like person.

In terms of the alien races, the Metroid franchise actually has annoyingly few options in terms of races that could feasibly fill out large populations (every character who's not human is either a 1-off cyborg or a genetic experiment or critically endangered or just a straight-up evil monster.) That sort of makes sense, because Samus does most of her work in the remote wilds or among zany bounty hunters or in coordination with the Federation's human division. But still, I did end up pulling a couple additional species out of my nose to make Norion a little more diverse and exciting. Ergo, the short little chipmunk-colored mole folk and the big tall slenderman-shaped bendy lads (on this page and previous pages) aren't references to anything, they're just minor reskins of species from my personal stories.

As for the bounty hunters, Brain Jar Cyborg Cowboy and Tentacles aren't references to anything either, I just thought they would be funny. Tentacles is wearing distinctly Mandalorian armor, which is also funny. Glad you recognized Trace and Armstrong, drawing them made me felt very cheeky indeed.

The kid's new friend is another species I just made up on the spot. The idea was to just have a little girl who looks exactly like a xenomorph at a glance, but very little like one if you give her a second look. I think her race is some kind of tree-dwelling nocturnal creatures, that use their cat-whiskers for navigating in darkness, and a number of movement-sensitive simple eyes to keep lookout for danger. Their arms are fairly long and clumsy since they're meant for climbing around like monkeys, so they have a second, smaller pair of arms near their collar that they use for feeding, writing, and dexterous tasks. The girl herself was orphaned after a pirate raid on a colonial ferry; Samus showed up too late to save the ferry, but was able to tow the few escape pods to safety. By doing so with her comm signature disguised as a coast guard shuttle, she was able to lure the pirates into follow-up attack, which they did not survive.

#metroid

[gioithieusachaz]

Building Saigon South: Sustainable Lessons for a Livable Future

Building Saigon South: Sustainable Lessons for a Livable Future

Author: John Kriken Format:  Hardback | 168 pages Dimensions: 216 x 267 x 22.86mm | 1,179.34g Publication date:  01 Aug 2017 In the Saigon South district of Vietnam s Ho Chi Minh City, globally renowned architecture firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill designed a livable, human-scale urban environment in partnership with the Phu My Hung development group. SOM created the master plan that still guides…

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[sepublic]

Kriken Empire Ramblings

           The Kriken Empire is named after its dominant species, the feared and hated Kriken. Often compared to ants in both anatomy and social structure, the Kriken species is dedicated towards the expansion of their people and their glory, as well as the subjugation, if not total annihilation, of all other ‘inferior’ species.

           The Kriken are diverse in appearance, although they share the same general traits- A spindly, red insectoid body, with a single eye and a general lack of articulated fingers. To make up for their fragility, every Kriken has the ability to turn transparent upon going still, and studies on the species suggest that they originally operated as hit-and-run ambushers prior to the development of space travel.

           Currently, the Kriken Empire operates through exploration and invasion, seizing worlds and terraforming them into an atmosphere too thin for most species, but just right for the Kriken. Upon finding a planet, the militaristic Kriken will make use of advanced terraforming technology to alter the world to suitable, uniform Kriken conditions. These alterations typically make the sky blood-red and the earth hard and dull, even as colonies and technology are incorporated deeply into the planet.

           Many species conquered by the Kriken find themselves enslaved and/or exterminated in the name of Kriken superiority. Those who are ‘spared’ are rounded up large buildings whose atmospheric conditions are set to what their planet used to be. As a result, Kriken slaves tend to live their entire lives in indoor facilities, greatly malnourished. Rebellions are guaranteed failures, as Kriken overseers can easily turn off the machinery keeping the atmospheric conditions safe for the slaves, allowing the rest of the planet’s empty atmosphere to take over and kill those inside.

           This modification of environments is especially egregious in the face of the Kriken’s ability to perform in a wide variety of atmospheres and environments, an aptitude rivalled only by species such as humans. The justification for this, aside from efficiency for the Kriken at the expense of all others, is a general xenophobic attitude in the empire. Kriken culture teaches its species that they are the greatest in the galaxy, and all others must be purged and/or put in their place. It is an Us VS Them mentality.

           It is unknown as to what exactly caused such a xenophobic culture, although many can guess. Some point to the fact that Kriken limbs are generally too simplistic and thin to efficiently operate the technology of most other species. To make up for this, the Kriken have developed an exlusive form of technology designed to be handled by them through unknown forces (some suggest a form of bio-electromagnetism). Only Kriken can properly interact with the interface of their technology, which is designed to respond only to their biometrics.

           Likewise, to adapt to differing environments without having to rely on other ‘inferior’ species, the Kriken have resorted to a powerful solution; Their elusive Biomorph technology. The specifics of Biomorph technology are vague, and most believe it only works on Kriken in part due to being geared specifically for their unique anatomy.

           Biomorph technology is used to alter Kriken bodies, giving individuals the power to transform into an Alt mode designed for a particular purpose. Some Alt modes are for the mundane, such as carrying and transporting heavy cargo. Other Alt modes are for more extreme purposes such as aerial combat, defensive shielding, or even combination with fellow Kriken to form larger units. Upon being altered by the Biomorph technology, the Kriken individual can simply rearrange their anatomy accordingly into their designated Alt Form.

           Due to a rigid caste structure, certain Kriken are selected for certain Alt Forms based on occupation, and aren’t allowed to try out different ones. Not that this is possible, though- Once a Kriken has an Alt form, it is a permanent feature of themselves. Attempts to add in additional Alt forms have ended… questionably.

           Biomorph technology was originally devised as a way to deal with situations the Kriken species wasn’t as well-evolved for as others, without having to rely on said lesser species. As a result, special care is taken by Kriken scientists in ensuring that Alt Forms don’t deviate too much from the Kriken genome. Scientists who create radically-different Alt Forms, in the eyes of the Empire, create an entirely different, lesser organism, and thus proceed to suggest that a Kriken is improving itself for a task by transforming into this grotesque creature. Such an action is seen as blasphemous against notions of Kriken superiority, and quite a few Kriken scientists have been given a wide variety of punishments, from lowered rations to outright execution.

           Despite Alt Forms being given specific purposes, no Kriken is outright designed before birth. This is due to the Kriken attempt at integrity, as they believe there is a certain beauty to their species. To control the structure of every Kriken that is born would restrict the creativity of Kriken genes.

           This belief goes well with the Kriken method of reproduction- The Kriken Queens. Born one out of a few million, a Kriken Queen is a far larger and complex creature than the average Kriken. Queens spend their lives hooked up to machinery that helps them efficiently pump out Kriken infants. A randomizer gene/mutagen in their bodies ensures the genetic diversity of the species.

           There are a few hundred Kriken Queens in existence. Due to their roles as the creators of superior Kriken genes, Kriken society places its Queens in high regard. Kriken individuals often have their Queen of birth identified in official records, although unlike most societies, the Kriken place no familial attachment to their Queens and vice-versa, viewing them more impersonally- Sometimes as deities to worship, other times as nevertheless extremely admirable entities.  

           Regardless of the range in adulation amongst Kriken individuals, it is generally agreed that the Kriken Queen is the embodiment, the height, of the entire species, and each Queen is regarded as a Perfect organism. As a result, this means Kriken Queens are never to be subject to the Biomorph technology, as it would suggest that their current bodies aren’t already perfect for whatever task is required of them, and thus that the Queens themselves aren’t perfect. Such a notion is blasphemous, although not as readily-punishable by death, thankfully, as the Ing are about their own Emperor.

           A side-effect of this also means that Kriken Queens refuse any sort of alteration whatsoever. Thus, while Queens naturally have lifespans that far outpace an average Kriken, even with genetic enhancements increasing the life time of individuals, they will ultimately die of age and refuse to further their lives, again, in order to preserve the Kriken notion of their genes already being perfect.

           Although every Kriken Queen is more than happy to preserve their species pride over their already exaggerated lifespans, there is a dark rumor, a heretic fable, circulating in the whispers of Kriken society. Those caught discussing this tale are usually punished with lowered rations. This myth suggests a story of a Kriken Queen who, upon reaching the age of death, decided she feared her own demise more than she valued her own genetic pride. Thus, against Kriken code, she had genetic modifications extend her life span.

           As the inevitable punishment, this Kriken Queen was to be executed immediately for crimes against Kriken dignity, but she escaped into the void of space along with a faction of loyal Kriken. She and her group has never been seen or heard from since.

           Due to their naturally long lifespans, Kriken Queens rarely need to be replaced. Nevertheless, the process exists- One out of every few million Kriken have the capacity to become a Queen and are recognized as such by scanners. These sacred individuals are then removed from their less-worthy peers to be trained and prepped for the role of Queenhood.

Upon reaching a certain age, a potential Queen is eventually put together alongside a large number of other candidates in an arena. In this arena, the candidates will fight to the death, often with the assistance of exotic predators from other planets to encourage bloodshed. The last candidate standing is declared a Kriken Queen, and is put through the final process of metamorphosis. Kriken Queens are guaranteed a lifetime of wealth, power, and prestige.

The Kriken social structure, as an Empire, naturally falls under the dictatorship of their sole ruler, the Kriken Empress. A Kriken Empress is elected only when the current one dies of age- In this process, Kriken Queens have the statistics of their progeny observed, recorded, analyzed, and compared.

The Queen with the most number of progeny with the most number of kills, successes, and overall contributions and glory to the Empire is declared the new Kriken Empress, and rules the Empire until her inevitable ascension to the next life. She continues to produce offspring, and these offspring are often regarded better than others due to their connection to the Empress’ genes that are seen superior even among other Queens. Although Kriken military culture attempts to ensure some fairness, these progeny of the Empress are inevitably born with some advantage over their peers, as well as bias skewed in their favor.

Otherwise, Kriken authority is mostly merit-based. Kriken have short nurturing periods before they enter the work force as children. Kriken instructors, observing these new generations, keep record of the aptitudes of each individual. Upon reaching a certain age, Kriken are assigned Alt Forms to go along with their newly designated roles in society, all based off of previous performance and personality. Some, again, are designated to mundane tasks. Others are given the prestigious, if careful, occupation as genetic engineers of the Empire. Most however are given the role of soldiers, and are granted Alt Forms based on specific tasks.

Standard Kriken soldiers are given average Alt Forms, while some specialized warriors are given Alt Forms that grant flight, for example. Some, usually those observed to have selfless, martyr personalities, are given Alt Forms that function as literal shields and barriers for their allies. A Kriken soldier’s personality and aptitude is observed and their role in the military, be it defense, stealth, sniping, etc., is sealed with their Alt Form.

Particularly prestigious Kriken, usually those born of the Empress, are even granted roles as commanders and generals, and given powerful Alt Forms to reflect this. Ultimately, the role a Kriken earns is based mostly upon their childhood performance, as well as a specific trial most individuals go through.

           Upon reaching adulthood, Kriken individuals, if not already deemed mundane enough for regular work, are sent into exile as part of a coming-of-age ceremony. This ceremony is meant to determine a Kriken’s role in society by their own merit. At the beginning of the ceremony, a Kriken is raised into the air by a pile of their own friends and peers as a symbolic gesture, before being cast out into the void of space in their own Kriken Fighter.

           The individual’s task is, simply put, to prove themselves outside of the confines of the Empire. Many accomplish this by discovering worlds for the Empire to invade, and those who report back from exile with particularly resource-rich worlds are given higher ranks and status in the Empire. Once a planet is reported and verified by the Empire, the task of conquering it is usually assigned to more experienced commanders and their respective fleets.

           Other ambitious Kriken youths will attempt to prove themselves in their exile by seizing more dangerous and lucrative goals, with some trying to assassinate major figures who oppose the Kriken Empire, such as Galactic Federation generals and senators, or others obtaining powerful technology for the Kriken to analyze and ‘improve’ accordingly.

           This period of exile can be dangerous for a Kriken youth, and many have died attempting to prove their worth. It certainly doesn’t help that the Kriken have a deserved reputation as a feared and hated race, and many will act on this bias. Ultimately, the Kriken individual has to make a choice in their exile- Do they play it safe, find a generic planet for the Empire, and report their finding to the Empire and be rewarded the role of average soldier?

           Or will they stubbornly refuse to return until they have found something truly worthwhile, something that can distinguish themselves amongst the rest and cement their place in the upper levels of Kriken society? Will they risk their lives searching for these elusive prizes, in an All or Nothing gambit?

           This ritual of exile and self-determination is of incredibly importance to the Empire, and for many, it’s the only method of social mobility. Kriken can still ascend even after being designated a role by proving themselves on the battlefield, although they will be set at a natural disadvantage to peers who were declared commanders from the beginning, as their Alt Forms cannot be changed and reveal their original designation.

Needless to say, this rite of passage is an immense burden on Kriken youths. Many struggle to perform an achievement that lives up to the role they hope to assume, and thus there are many stories of washed-up Kriken who spend the rest of their lives roaming the galaxy, trying to find that one thing they need to prove themselves. Attempts at taking credit for other youths’ accomplishments, should they happen, will fail anyway- Upon returning, the Empire scans the Kriken youth’s memories to ensure they are telling the truth of their triumph.

           Kriken culture, ultimately, boasts a mantra of Victory or Death, and a focus on combat as a means of revealing and purifying an individual. In their spare time, Kriken will usually fight or compete with one another in games and challenges. Affronts to honor are decided with duels, although these thankfully do not end with the loser’s death, usually.

           Kriken culture is limited beyond military applications, as their combat-based pasttimes can attest to. Kriken subsist exclusively on a bland ration of nutritional goop and energy. For the most part, the individual’s life is to and for the Empire.

           Despite the Kriken’s blatant xenophobia and specism, however, their species does make one exception. This species is small and naturally subservient to the Kriken, acting almost as aphids do to ants. This unnamed species performs tasks seen as beneath even the lowliest of Kriken, and their unique biology helps produce sustenance for the Empire.

Due to their importance, symbiotic relationship, and ready subservience, the Kriken give this species a special place in their Empire. Many will readily refer to this species as ‘Honorary Kriken’, or ‘Noble Servants’. Friendship on behalf of a Kriken to this subservient species is not unheard of, and some will even form romantic relationships with them. These are fewer and tend to be more controversial, but are otherwise not particularly punished outside of social stigma.

The Kriken Empire’s foreign policy is an extremely hostile and aggressive one. They remain at odds with the Galactic Federation, technically not at war, although the occasional dispute and even outright battle occurs. The Kriken will usually compete with the Federation, and even organizations such as the Space Pirates, for worlds- Especially those with resources or sapient species.

Public opinion towards the Kriken is unsurprisingly low. Their xenophobia, rigid caste structure, and violence are already good enough reasons, but many also remember one particularly brutal incident in which a Galactic Federation Exploration Crew discovered another planet. The planet had a sapient species with moderate technological development, and were already in negotiations with the Crew, when a Kriken fleet arrived.

With no room for negotiation, the Kriken fleet immediately overpowered and massacred the Federation Marines, before proceeding to enslave the planet and its species. Salt was added to the injury when the Kriken claimed that they had discovered the planet first, and thus were the rightful owners of it (completely disregarding the indigenous inhabitants). At the time of the incident, many people called for outright war against the Kriken Empire for this atrocity, although it never happened due to fear of the destruction of such a conflict. Nevertheless, policy towards the Kriken is a subject of hot debate, with some politicians, such as Chairman Vogl, arguing for conflict, while others, such as Senator Kiitin, prefer a cautious, if unofficial, stalemate.

Despite their habit for subjugating other races, the Kriken Empire is at odds with the Space Pirates as well. The Kriken see themselves as too proud to ally with a collection of rejected, outcast species and criminals with no concept of sacred genetics, whilst the Space Pirates see the Kriken as far too xenophobic and rigid for their likings. Thus, the two groups thankfully do not cooperate.

The Kriken fleet consists mostly of small fighters, with their main battleships resembling giant crescent moons that are positioned vertically. The tips of these crescent-shaped battleships can pool energy into a giant orb that fires powerful lasers.

Another staple of the Kriken armada is the Super-Cannon (name pending), a super-sized battleship shaped like a massive cannon and designed to function as one as well. These Super-Cannons pack incredible fire-power, with their main laser being able to decimate entire battleships. Thankfully, these Super-Cannons are extremely costly for the Empire, and so only a few are made and stationed at the most strategic points.

Upon invading a planet, the Kriken Empire will announce themselves and give their victims the only option of total surrender. However, even compliance gives little assurance, as Kriken commanders will occasionally destroy a city or endangered biome anyway just to make a point. Then the species is, as aforementioned, rounded up and either slaughtered or enslaved. Usually the latter, and eventually the former.

(Disclaimer: Yes, I know I’ve made a plot hole in this writing, namely how Trace has yet to complete his rite of passage yet already has an Alt Form, the Triskelion. For now, I’m going to hand wave it as gameplay purposes and decide that, story-wise, Trace didn’t have that form during the Alimbic Cluster incident. Kind of like how in Story mode he can rapid-fire his sniper rifle, but for gameplay purposes he can’t in multiplayer.)

#metroid #kriken #metroid kriken #metroid trace #kriken empire #metroid prime hunters #galactic federation #space pirates #headcanon #alimbic #ridley #vogl #story and gameplay segregation

[metroidheadcanons]

Halo/Metroid Crossover Ideas (Creative liberties and canon changes to make this work)

- Ancient Chozo and Forerunners have encountered each other, and are believed to have both been seeded by the Precursors as an experiment in creating an advanced form of intelligent life.  The Chozo were unique in their ability to innately access the information within the Domain, but struggled to completely understand it, or even be able to add new information.  Their exposure to the Domain, but inability to completely access it, led the Chozo on an obsessive quest to physically catalog all information they could and preserve it in mediums that are easier to access.

- The Chozo are in fact native to the Andromeda Galaxy, and as such, were able to escape the Flood Infection which threatened the Ancient Humans, the Human-Forerunner War, and the firing of the Halo Array. After witnessing the destruction caused by the Forerunners, the Chozo took Indexed human specimens and used them to repopulate an earth-like planet within their own galaxy, unaware of the Geas placed within the Human’s DNA by the Librarian, or her plan to repopulate the original Earth.

- The Chozo and Forerunners never formally fought, but the Chozo’s belief in the celebration of life caused them to reject the idea of the Mantle of Responsibility, which they believed to be a threat of punishment rather then the preservation of peace.  Even so, they did briefly share technology and culture.  In some ancient Chozo temples, there is evidence of Forerunner constructs, and the Forerunner’s Guardians are believed to be modeled off of the Ancient Chozo, which were winged.

- The UNSC and GF are in fact concurrent, because of the Forerunner’s influence on their DNA.  The different populations of humans are largely very similar in languages, cultures, and technology, and have followed similar paths in their growth and spread through their respective galaxies.  They are both naturally inclined to assume the Mantle, which means dominating other “lesser” species.

- The UNSC has recently begun to uncover Chozo ruins on outer worlds, and UNSC scientists have worked to decipher the Chozo’s language.  So far, they’re uncovered references to a “Hatchling” and a “Great Poison.”

- Maybe later a hypothetical meeting between Samus and the Chief?  A Space Pirate and Covenant conflict?  Covenant and the Kriken Empire?  Covenant and Metroids/Phazon?  Samus and Flood?

#Metroid #Chozo #Galactic Federation #Samus Aran #Kriken #Space Pirates #Crossover #Crossover headcanons #Halo #Headcanon #orion-project #orion project #Submission #Ack sorry #Never got the inbox notification about this one #submission

[sidkriken-blog]

Hey Tumblr fam! I'm doing a Q&A it’s been a while but of course I’m still alive on here too! :D

#Sidkriken #q&a #ask me anything #ask me questions #theplague #Anti Kriken #YouTuber #Majetic

[keitrinkomfloukru]

#80s memes #gen x #kriken keit

[coldgoldlazarus]

Echoes and Hunters are really interesting to me because of their place relative to the rest of the series, as basically the closest thing to being self-contained Filler Episodes in Samus's life. It can be argued the Prime games as a whole are a filler arc, what with how you really don't need to play the Trilogy to understand the 2D games' ongoing narrative. Even so, it is still a whole arc within itself; despite being decent standalone titles, the phazon connection spanning all three enriches them in conjunction with one-another, and Corruption in particular leans a lot on the setup the first two provide.

Yet at the same time, while definitely connected to the other two, Echoes is distinctly the odd one out in a lot of ways, and the overarching phazon storyline seems almost incidental at times despite Dark Samus and the background setup of the conflict. It's not confirmed either way, but the dark world could be read as a pocket universe created by the leviathan seed malfunctioning, or a whole parallel dimension that it simply broke through into and created the copy of Aether within. Even if it is the latter, the Ing were probably a byproduct of the interaction of Phazon and the dark dimension, but there is also the possibility the were a distinct entity existing beforehand. Regardless of all of that, the Luminoth and Aether as a location certainly stand out as unique, and are only loosely connected to the bigger picture through a shared history with the Chozo.

Hunters, meanwhile, may wind up tying into Prime 4 through Sylux, but that too is extremely incidental to the main story focus, which is even more outright disconnected from the usual Metroid factions and concepts than even Echoes is. As people have joked about before, it really says something that killing Gorea, a terrible eldritch abomination that singlehandedly wiped out an entire galactic-region-spanning civilization, is probably one of the least important things Samus has done in her career. Even that aside, apart from Sylux and Weavel, most of the other hunters are similarly unique and disconnected from the established story, with Trace and the Kriken Empire in particular standing out as an elephant in the room that are weirdly less relevant than the info on them would imply.

And I love the overarching storyline, both of the Prime games and the series as a whole, and how the different mainline titles are for the most part thematically enriched by their interconnectivity and parallels. (Even Proteus Ridley, for all the problems I have with him, I do appreciate as a clear bridge between Corruption and Super.) But there is also something really fascinating to these two more avant-garde titles, that really expand the universe and try new things, instead of remaining confined to the core concepts the series usually keeps a tight focus on.

There is a risk of going too far and possibly losing sight of the aesthetic/thematic shore, so to speak, but I feel like we're not quite there yet, and I appreciate the effort to branch out. On the flipside, there is again some weirdness to some of this stuff being so confined instead of having a bigger impact, (looking at you Trace) but the level of tightness of the mainline games does kinda work in our favor here. Sure it's weird, but it's not out of the realm of plausibility that the Kriken really are a big deal, but just... elsewhere, and mostly haven't directly relevant to Samus's life outside of this one-off run-in with Trace.

Idk, I'm not really going anywhere in particular with this, I just think it's neat.

#not a reblog #metroid #metroid prime #metroid prime 2 echoes #metroid prime hunters #rambling #samus aran

[phantasmeels]

Alright, so I watched a recent video by ThatMetroidGuy on YouTube that contained a bit of a Metroid Dread theory on the Federation and the real purpose of the EMMI. I have a bit of a further hypothesis on that. It is based on previous series lore and the image shown above, which has some information that was pointed out in his video.

To start, consider the relationship between the Chozo people and the Federation as depicted in the Metroid Manga. It is quite apparent that the Chozo, being actively invested in the well-being of galactic civilzation, would have given their support in helping the Federation come together, grow and thrive, before their inevitable decline and disappearance from galactic civilization. Implicitly, the two groups would have been close and in consistent contact.

Now, what are some things the Chozo civilization and the Federation have in common that are important? In pre-localized Japanese in-game text, it's implied that there's a splinter group of the Federation that's interested in making bioweapons for its own ends. If you don't buy that specifically, then it can be seen in the localized games that at least a significant part of the Federation has that interest. Specifically in developing powerful creatures like X-parasites and Metroids for their own purposes. The Chozo, meanwhile, have a warrior tribe in their society, the Mawkin tribe. Raven Beak, the tribe's leader, is shown in Dread to be actively interested in having Metroids under his power, for the sake of galactic power and control. Since he can't have the Metroids, as Samus made them all extinct, he goes after Samus's newer Metroid DNA instead to make his own, at least at first. Leading me to ask, how does he know about Samus’s new Metroid genetics? It's one thing that he could have learned about how she's the one who wiped out the Metroids on galactic news or something (unless, of course, that's classified information), but how did he know of her genetic changes, where they saved her life from an X infection using Metroid DNA?

My hypothesis is that there is some real secret conspiracy stuff going on here. I posit that Raven Beak, as part of the Chozo people who long had relations with the Federation before they dwindled to obscurity, has conspirators in the Federation halls who feed him classified information, and those conspirators are the ones actively interested in having Metroid and X bioweapons. This is why, conveniently, the EMMI are sent as 'research robots' for finding the X parasites, but conveniently have the specific ability to extract a creature's genetic information, and has data on Samus specifically in their databanks, as seen in the image above. I think that the entire situation presented in Metroid Dread was engineered between Raven Beak and (at least part of) the Federation in order to: 1) Eliminate Samus from the picture, as she has actively interfered in both factions' designs, 2) Give Raven Beak metroid DNA from Samus by way of the EMMI for his own ends, and 3) Provide the Federation with an X parasite sample that I'm willing to bet they never gave up on obtaining.

In the long term, either Raven Beak planned on continuing to work with this part of the Federation for their own shared goals of harsh galactic control, or maybe planned to even subjugate them in the end. Between the two of them, the populations of both X and Metroid could be carefully controlled and unleashed against their enemies (such as, say, any remaining Space Pirates, or the Kriken Empire mentioned in Prime Hunters). As for the Federation, they would know that all it would take to get Samus to go somewhere, such as right into a trap, would be to use an X-parasite as bait. Thus my conspiracy hypothesis here. Either way, the whole convenience of certain details in  Dread's premise seems a little too much for me. Given that the writers haven't touched on the Federation's intentions any further after Fusion as of yet, instead leaving it unresolved, I feel like there's more to dig into what we were given in Dread.

#metroid #metroid dread #metroid fusion #samus #x parasite #raven beak #chozo #galactic federation #theory