Fiction:Brood of War



"Our path is long and treachurous. Many times, our race has been at war. However, now our race shall unite! Brothers and sisters of the Zazane, we are...the Brood of War!"

- Tyraz Breek upon forming the Brood of War

The Brood of War is an alliance between several Zazane subspecies that have come together after the Fourth Ottzello War, when the Salsetthe Republic exiled the Zazane and UNO from the Milky Way Galaxy. The most notable members of this alliance are the Zazane of the reformed Zazane Empire. They live under the rule of a council, though each member is selected through their species' traditional political system. The council consists of eight members.

The Brood of War was formed as a way to increase the strength of the Zazane race as a whole, the previous Zazane Empire putting their species' survival before their traditions, although they covered this up by saying they would offer acceptance and forgiveness to all heretics and rebels, though those who refused to join would be destroyed. They are still an aggressive and war-loving nation, although now they have diplomats and increased skills in peace talk as well as military power and technological ability.

History
Main Article: Zazane Empire

Before the Brood existed, there was the Zazane Empire, the most famous group of Zazane known within the Universe. The Zazane Empire underwent multiple leaders before they reformed and became the Brood, the last of their mighty leaders being Tyraz Breek. Tyraz proved a fine ruler to them and thus earned his place in the Council, ruling over the Drik Zazane, Drik meaning "Original" in Zazane. During the Reformation, Tyraz sent out a message of peace to all Zazane heretics and rebels, and would kindly welcome them back with open arms. By this time, rebels had grown into their own empires, some more adept at skills than others. The first of these "rebel" empires was the Zazane under the rule of Yun Zorin, a warlord who Tyraz grew to like and was even named after one of Tyraz's ancestors. Yun and the Zazane Imperials would become the first members of the Brood, with Tyraz and Yun kindly telling stories about the Zazane's past to both empires and how now acceptance will be given.

Yun would later convince his old empire's enemies, the Republic of Shanoii, to come and join the Brood. The Republic of Shanoii's leader, Bo Has, would settle his differences with Yun, seeing as he was a rebel leader from Yun's empire (which was ruled by his father at the time), and treated Tyraz with great respect, seeing as he ruled the Zazane from which he descended from.

By luck, these three Zazane empires found a technologically advanced race of peaceful Zazane, known as the Kordalu. Yun and Bo saw them as gods, after having abandoned their belief in Umbrux. However, Tyraz knew these were more heretics, and gave them his offer. The Kordalu leader, the female known as Astral Highland, spoke with Tyraz, and the two spoke for days before finally coming to terms with each other. Astral Highland and her Zazane agreed to give the secrets of their technology to the rest of the Zazane so long as the Kordalu become diplomats for this new alliance.

Thanks to the new technology, finding rebels and heretics was easier. One of these rebels were the Zazane of the, changed by the galaxy's technology into nomadic cold-resistant thieves. While at first skeptical about it, the leader of the Borealis Zazane,, decided that joining the Brood would be better for his people. While most of these Zazane peacefully joined the Brood, several remained rebels as part of the criminal organization of the.

Society
Society differs for each member of the Brood. The Brood respect each other's societies and some are very close to each others. For the war-like members, society is based around bloodshed and worship to each others gods and deities, although all are just different views of Umbrux. For the diplomatic races, society is based around peace and technological advancement for the war-like members and themselves.

The planet of Riveliata, which is HQ for the Brood and the base of the Council, has a utopian feel to it, being covered with Vida'Rra technology. However this technology cannot be accessed, with the only exceptions being its powerful defences and its ability to be invisible to radars and sonars. The Zazane that live here are not restricted by the "interbreeding" rule, and thus hybrid Zazane are allowed to live on Riveliata so long as they cause no disturbance.

Names are still important to all Zazane, including the Kordalu who have no actual Zazane names, but use the same method for naming their children. Honour is still witheld in the name, and thus the Zazane who refuse to join the Brood are often called Havrenar Tejar, or Nameless Ones.

The caste system has been abolished, although the Brood still use barely-sentient races as slaves and soldiers. However, they cannot be used as personal slaves, instead only being used for purposes that help society as a whole, except as a food source.

Standard Naming System
Used by all members except Kordalu

Zazane names consist of a first and second word, and when referring to each other they always say each other's full names. This is because the words in their names are words from the Zazane language. An example is the name Tyraz Breek. Tyraz in Zazane means "blood", and Breek means "emperor", thus Tyraz Breek means "blood emperor".

The second word of a Zazane's name is a family name. Usually, it is the surname of the father that is given to Zazane babies, but sometimes a new surname is picked.

Kordalu Naming System
Used only by Kordalu Zazane

Kordalu names use the same method as the standard naming system, but instead refer to themselves in human language, as they have had at least some contact with humanity. They see the human language as more elegant and beautiful than their own, and have thus decided to abandone the usage of Zazane words in their names, being replaced with human words. However, they can be referred to in Zazane language.

Kordalu names consist of a first and second word, and when referring to each other they always say each other's full names. This is because the words in their names are words from the human language. An example is the name Astral Highland. Astral in Zazane is "Gutarri", and Highland is "Vyorez", thus Astral Highland in Zazane is "Guttari Vyorez".

Kordalu have also abandoned the inheritance of surnames, instead selecting their children's last names themselves. Kordaly may choose to name their children after themselves however, as the leader of the Kordalu, Astral Highland, is the 3rd generation of Kordalu to be called Astral Highland.

Animals
The use of animals is fairly important in the Brood. From pets to beasts in gladiatorial arenas, animals have always been featured in Zazane culture. In Zazane culture, the souls of heretics and rebels are devoured by a massive Koda, which are used as beasts in Zazane arenas to entertain crowds, either pitting them up against each other or Zazane warriors. The name of this mythological Koda is Gogorae, meaning "Devourer" in Zazane. The Koda died when the Zazane entered the Universe, but thankfully, due to developing alliances, the Koda were able to be cloned back into existence and now populate several jungle planets within Zazane territory. The Koda are more ancient than the Zazane themselves, existing some centuries before the Zazane evolved.

A common pet within the Brood are the small Orti. Orti are good pets, as they have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Their eggs can be harvested and used as food.

Warfare
Zazane warfare is carried out by the Holy Scion, a large military force consisting of Zazane warriors from each of the different empires. Together, they outnumber and outpower the military of the Zazane Empire before its reformation. The Holy Scion is considered almost unstoppable by some large empires and almost every small empire, as the Zazane Empire before the reformation was known for its mighty military force.

Also, since the Reformation, the Zazane ships have been icreased in power and technology as well. They have managed a more powerful method of hyperspace travel that will allow whole fleets to travel from one area to another thanks to the Kordalu, although if they ever manage to discover the secrets of the Vida'Rra technology on Riveliata, they might be able to do this in seconds across the entire Universe. The ships are also now equipped with more powerful Shidium weaponry, and have now discovered a more deadly form of Shidium: pure Shidium. Pure Shidium is too dangerous to be used in energy weapons, as it is highly unstable. This form of Shidium is used for planets that Zazane wish to destroy after having felt its lived to its full use. Pure Shidium, when in large amounts, can create an extremely powerful reaction that can reach to system-wide destruction from the explosion of the planet its meant to destroy. It is seen as a form of super-weapon, so pure Shidium is hardly ever used.

Warriors
The Holy Scion has a ranking system based upon skill, reliability, and belief in the Council. They are the main fighting force of the Brood, and each Scion is a respected member of society by civilians, no matter how high or low the rank is. The ranks in order are Minor (Shotul), Major (Shotulas), Ranger (Haskar), Stealth (Jorda), Special Operations (Niddo Ho), Special Operations Officer (Dorae Niddo Ho), Special Operations Commander (Tanaris Niddo Ho), Honour Guard (Zazanii), Honour Guard Ultra (Zazanii Vertai), General (Skorda), Zealot (Berdantes), Field Marshall (Zandoa), Supreme Commander (Orvalia Tanaris), and the Councilors (Sangtai).

Aside from these Zazane warriors, the Holy Scion use Cyrodi slaves as soldiers, and they have their own ranking system within the Scion, which follows: Minor (Jah), Major (Jahan), Heavy (Dakai), Special Operations (Kolotul), Ultra (Nakakai).

Weapons
Zazane weapons have advanced considerably, and still run on Shidium. However, no weapon runs off pure Shidium, as it is physically impossible. The Brood have managed to build new weapons to suit more needs for the Holy Scion, and some weapons are only exclusive to some Scion members. The Scion weapons are considered holy items by civilians of the Brood, who are only armed with a standard energy pistol. The weapoon considered most holy is the Zazane Ceremonial Blade, which is mostly used for religious purposes.

Ships
The ships of the Brood is called the Fleet of Ruin. They get around by use of energized Shidium, and some ships are equipped with pure Shidium cargo which can cause system-wide destruction. The ships release small amounts of energized Shidium as they get around, which can later be recycled by smaller Zazane ships as usage to get around as well. The Fleet of Ruin earned this name because of the powerful Shidium weaponry they are equipped with. Such strong ships are needed if they wish to combat empires such as UNO. They often come in large numbers, with at least one ship in each wave carrying a pure Shidium bomb. This ship is known is given the title of Kaann, which means "Ruin" in Zazane.

Technology
Mostly all of the technology created by Zazane runs off Shidium and/or is constructed by Shidium. The Brood have constructed large rings referred to as "Takorin", or "Angel", which can keep a population of several thousand Zazane. Takorin are not usually used as permanent residences, they are mostly used to monitor planets they find interesting or are used as a large radar which can detect a quartre of a galactic region. When a Takorin is considered useless or without purpose anymore, the crew set it to self-destruct within the next 48 hours, and the end of which the Takorin destroys itself in a large burst of energized Shidium which is later recollected by Zazane ships.

The Brood has a new source of Shidium; conversion. They have been given the technology by the Kordalu to turn solid materials into solid Shidium which can later be turned into energized Shidium or any other form they please. The conversion takes place within 12 hours. The conversion is carried through the use of Shidium shards, which emit energized Shidium, being intensified and the emitted energy being exposed to it. Within 12 hours, most solid materials would have eventually gained Shidium properties and thus can be used in almost the exact same way as Shidium.

The Brood also gather energy from stars. The energy of the stars is absorbed gradually by spherical structures that are without life, known as Arkadii, or "Spheres". Arkadii will spin and orbit around the selected sun, close enough to gather energy but far away enough to resist getting turned into nothing but dust. The Arkadii will absorb the solar energy and store it within themselves, the interior strong enough to resist the high amounts of radiation and heat. Also, it will eventually turn into Shidium energy due to being exposed to a whole sphere which emits small amounts of Shidium energy. The process takes longer than solid conversion. After being converted, the Arkadii slowly orbits away from the sun, ready to be collected by Zazane ships.

The Brood has some of the most magnificent technology on the planet of Riveliata, with it being a Vida'Rra planet. However, they are unable to use this technology due to being unable to decipher how to use the technology, and most importantly, what it does.

Artificial Intelligence
The Brood now has its own AI. The AI can think for itself, and has been designed for social purpose. It resides on Riveliata with the Council of the Brood. The AI is called Vorta, which means "smart" in Zazane. Vorta was created by the Kordalu Zazane, and was programmed to have a masculine personality. Vorta behaves somewhat unlike a Zazane, yet he is armed. Vorta's job is to learn as much as he can about the Universe around him, and may also help the Zazane decipher the secrets of Vida'Rra technology. However, Vorta is allowed to think for himself and will decide whether or not he wants to help.

Vehicles
Another technologically advanced part of the Brood is the vehicles. Most are used as offensive units, although some are used just for plain transport. Small vehicles do not cause much pollution, except for getting Shidium into the air, which will make it more and more stressful for non-Zazane creatures to breath over prolonged periods of time, however the larger vehicles are capable of causing much pollution as they get a lot more Shidium into the air. All vehicles are constructed from solid Shidium and run off Shidium energy.

Recently, the Cyrod have built vehicles of their own, which were originally used to help farm for the Zazane. However, the Zazane discovered that some use could come out of the vehicles, and so rebuilt them for offensive purposes.

Zazane
The Drik Zazane were the original species of Zazane before the many subspecies started appearing all over the Universe. The species itself is well over several millions of years old, while the empire they had, the Zazane Empire, was around for several thousand years. They are famous for their love of war, and also their honourable nature.
 * Drik

The Yundei Zazane were one of the first Zazane rebel empires, seperating in the time of Nix's rule. The leader of the Yundei back then was Yun Zorin II, father of the current leader Yun Zorin III. The Yundei had formed their own empire and forgot about Nix's empire, only just hearing of it again after the Zazane Empire rediscovered them near their territories.
 * Yundei

The Bodei were actually rebels of the Yundei, and had completely forgotten about the Zazane Empire until recently. When they were rediscovered, they treated the Drik Zazane with much respect, giving them the title of "precursors". They are led by Bo Has, who launched the rebellion againt Yun Zorin II because he disagreed with the way that Zazane leaders were chosen.
 * Bodei

The Kordalu were Zazane that were lost at the time when the Zazane first entered the Universe. During the time they were lost, they became Savage, and gathered what technology they could from worlds inhabited by minor empires. However, eventually these Savages fused themselves with the technology they stole. The Savages started becoming more civilized, and with their mental link and fusion with technology, they decided to become more peaceful. Sometime after, the Kordalu were rediscovered by the Brood. They became a big help to the Brood. They built their ships, weapons and other things.
 * Kordalu

The rebelled from the Drik Zazane in search of a new life in the Borealis Galaxy, led by. The galaxy's Cold Relays caused several side effects on these Zazane, making them blue and highly resistant to the cold. These Zazane were famed as thieves and as members of the. Even after joining the Brood, about 1/3 of their population is still a member of the.
 * Borealis

Cyrod
Cyrod creatures are the main slaves of the Brood. Discovered on the planet of Cyrod in the Tibann System not long after the Zazane appeared in the Universe, the Cyrodi, the once dominant ruler of Cyrod, have gained considerable intelligence from their encounter with the Zazane. Thanks to artificial enhancements from the Zazane, the natives of Cyrod can adapt to mostly any environment on most planets through one generation of offspring. This makes them good units to use in battle, and were enslaved for this role.

The Cyrodi are the most intelligent members of the Cyrod. They are the most adaptable member of the Cyrod and quickest to adapt and breed. They evolved from bird-like creatures. They reach the chest height of the average Zazane warrior, which is still quite tall for a humanoid species. The Cyrodi are known to use weapons of their own creations, such as the Pat'Ka'Lo Blade, which has been enhanced with Shidium metal for the blade. They are also known to use traditional Zazane weapons. They have the ability to tame most animals, including some young Koda. Cyrod attack forces travel in groups known as "Hordes", which can range from 25 to a thousand Cyrod, with each being led by a single "Horde Master".
 * Cyrodi

The Cyro'Ta'Lo, or Cyrod Hound, is the most easily controllable animal by Cyrodi standards. They are vicious creatures, bigger than most Earth dogs. In fact, they are at the shoulders of the Cyrodi in terms of height. The Cyrod Hound, unlike Earth dogs, lay eggs. However, being synapsids, they will also allow the "pups" to suckle on them. The Cyrod Hounds are known for their vicious behaviour towards none-Cyrod beings, which makes them effective units in battle.
 * Cyro'Ta'Lo

The Cyro'Ka'Dohun, or Cyrod Berserker, are an aggressive race of Cyrod who wander in small groups lead by an alpha male. If the alpha male is controlled by a Horde Master, the rest of the group will automatically become under the Horde Master's control. They are dangerous to both sides when untamed. They are incredibly endurable and strong, being half as strong as a Horder.
 * Cyro'Ka'Dohun

Hetii Swarm
The Hetii Swarm are a race of insectoid beings who are native to the planet of Hetii, located in the Adrol System. The Hetii were discovered by the Zazane some time ago, and are used as aerial attackers. After many centuries of consuming the resources from their planet, it was just pure luck that they were found by the Zazane and saved from extinction. All they had to eat was small furry mammal creatures, which were also nearing extinction. They are the result of 200 million years of evolution, and watched as an ancient advanced empire rose and fell on their planet, though they became intelligent some time after the empire fell.

Clathos
The  are a slave race of creatures with 6 arms. An Ottzelloan race, back in the of the now-destroyed, half of them retreated to Zazane territory. In return for letting them live, the Clathos served as slaves. As a result of their past, their spirits are broken, meaning they serve as a good labour force. However, through extensive military training, they can be made aggressive, and serve as strong soldiers.

Nexatl
The Nexatl are a race of strong reptilians that once fought during the great war of the until the Onuris Alliance fell before the scourge. Currently living in a seemingly barren planet named Nexa, after the scourge and after leaving the arks, the Nexatl landed on the apparently prosper planet with exotic flora and fauna beneath the planet's deserted surface. The Nexatl started rebuilding their civilization soon after. Unbeknownst to them, the Zazane colonized the surface shortly after. The Nexatl warriors fought at first the unstoppable expansion of the powerful Zazane. Soon their colonies beneath Nexa were occupied. The Nexatl are now used as warriors of the Brood. They are commonly seen in outposts nearing Nexa, and they've yet to be unleashed by the Zazane into any battlefield.

Nohi-Ah
The Nohi-Ah are a race of skilled warriors native to Roni-Ho. The Nohia-Ah where a fairly new space faring race when they discovered teleportation technology. During experimentation the Nohi-Ah accidentally teleported their homeworld of Roni-Ho into brood space. Of course the brood was not happy about this and sent a force to destroy the Nohi-Ah but quickly found that this race was not easily defeated. Untimely the brood won but because of the Nohi-Ah's skill in battle they offered them a chance to become serfs of the brood instead of becoming their slaves. Of course the Nohi-Ah accepted and where adsorbed into the brood. Because of the teleportation accident the Nohi-Ah now have the ability to teleport across terrain for a small distance but it requites a lot of energy. Nohia-Ah culture is complex and confusing for aliens to understand but it is known that if a Nohia-Ah respects an enemy they will mercilessly slaughter and mutilate their bodies. The Nohia-Ah are a common sight on the battlefield and are often sent in overwhelming numbers.

Argedris
Argedris were the descendants of the Zazane exiles who were lost in Andromeda Galaxy many years ago. Settling on low terrascore worlds, they have started to mutate, turning smaller and weaker but growing in subtlety, agility and intelligence. Due to some reason, their evolution was extremely quick so they became essentially a different species, losing most of their Zazane appearance. They are unable to mate with the common Zazane due to this.

After many years, they have been found by Kordalu Zazane - during this time, Argedris were near extinct due to constant Dementian and Millenis raids. Argedris have felt the link between the two races, and they quickly became allies. Destroying the pirates together, Argedris have quickly joined the Brood. While small and frail, they are extremely crafty and can make amazing pieces of technology out of nothing but junk and scraps. They are primarily seen on the battlefield gathering scraps and maintaining heavy weaponry.

Horder
The Horder are large, bulky mammalian herbivores, genetically created and gifted to the Brood by the. Their main task in the Brood is manual labour and farming, both things they really excel in. Horder are very strong creatures, capable of lifting a Zazane in the air with a single hand. They are, however, very friendly creatures who don't usually fight unless they are disturbed. It isn't uncommon to see Zazane children playing in the Horder's backs, which them being fine with it.

Despite their strenght, Horder aren't adept at using weapons, and make bad warriors unless they are trained for it. Trained Horder can be great soldiers because of their muscle and resilience to small firearms.

Octelly
Octelly have a nice name, and actually not at all that a scary appearance. Natives from the Borealis Galaxy they actually came from a single planet, with no space capabilities whatsoever, and the Brood would actually classify them as animals instead of individuals. However their abilities and seemingly loyalty to the Zazane made them perfect for service in the Brood as interrogaters, as the creatures seem to enjoy reading someone his or her mind, while using their tentacles to find a way into your brain, logically once being "read" the individual who suffered the interrogation died.

They aren't physically strong, neither fast or have magical powers, however their screeches can suprise their enemies and their tentecles reaching for you brain scares many, and even other Brood members stay out of their way, as the Octelly only listen to the Zazane.

Brood Worlds
The Brood of War has many worlds under their influence, however there are three classifications for Brood worlds.


 * Principal World: Principal Worlds are incredibly important worlds to the Brood. These worlds mostly consist of the homeworlds of the Brood races.
 * Extensive World: Extensive Worlds are less important than Principal Worlds, although they are still important to the Brood. Extensive Worlds provide most of the resources for the members of the Brood, such as food, water, even shelter. If Extensive Worlds are lost, the Brood suffers a relatively small price, however if nothing is done about it the Brood will begin to suffer more.
 * Accessory World: Accessory Worlds are the most common seen planets of the Brood. They are used mostly for resources and are not usually kept for long, as the Brood does not really care for Accessory Worlds. It does not matter how many Accessory Worlds are lost, the Council of the Brood will not show much grief over the loss.

Mazuma
Mazuma are small creatures that spawn from the backs of Horders. They are a fungal species, considered pests by other members of the Brood. Mazuma will grow on the backs of Horders as fungus, until they suddenly come to life and escape from the Horders, not that they would kill them anyway. Mazuma have evolved the ability to explode upon being aggravated or provoked. They will explode into hot green slime which can burn even the scales of Zazane. Horder skin has a natural resistance to Mazuma slime. Mazuma are always hungry, and will try and steal food from the other races.

Buildings
The Brood can build structures at an incredibly fast pace thanks to the Kordalu Zazane, who have devoted their lives to constructing. Brood buildings are often known for inducing a sense of fear within foreigners and aliens, mainly because they are usually filled with skulls of killed enemies and blood stains. Most buildings are for military usage, and most Zazane families reside here. However, there are some buildings that are purely for Zazane civilians with no military usage.

Also, other races of the Brood have their own buildings and structures. However, most reside within the Zazane buildings.

Quotes from Other Empires
Please add quotes here

"Frak off Brood!"

- Zazanaarg and Kraw Protesters

"Tyraz, I miss you..."

- Lezia Ipevreia

"I can tell just by their name this lot have only banded together to glorify the acts of war and violence, such a waste."

- of the

"The Zazane are valuable allies who were surprisingly friendly toward our people. We deeply respect them and hope we remain friends for a long time."

"STOOPID ZAZZIE PEEPZ YOR ALL DUM I SWER YOR A BUNCHA WANNABES IF DERES ONE FING I AGREE WIV DA UNO LORONZ IS DAT YOR DA DUMMEST PEEPZ EVA"

"ENNIT?? DA COPYCATS RITE MAN. ZAZZIES IS A BUCNHA WNNBE DUMASS MUTHAFUKAS."

"Your time will run out, sooner or later."

- Zr'An'Kar

"We are unsure what to think of them, but we are verging towards a distaste of their kind."

- of the

"The Divinarium will never trust you. The sins of Moxix and his minions shall never be forgiven."

"While Moxix was indeed a demon, these Zazane are far more... benevolent. We could cooperate."

- Exarch Selytorah

"The vision... I cannot... forget it..."

Trivia

 * The Brood of War takes inspiration from the Covenant Empire of Halo and the Chaos Space Marines and Tau Empire of Warhammer 40K.
 * The main idea of being a multi-species empire was the Covenant and Tau.
 * The Fleet of Ruin ships are based on Chaos Space Fleet ships.