“This is my world.”
The Zarkhator was an ancient and incredibly enigmatic hyperpower located throughout the Borealis Galaxy. Not much was known of the Zarkhator within public knowledge, with some civilizations identifying the Zarkhator as little more than mere myth while others possessed no knowledge of the Zarkhator at all. The Zarkhator were as technologically powerful as they are mysterious, with their involvement in the galaxy reaching its apex during the Zarkhator War.
History[]
Creation[]
The Zarkhator themselves are mere remnants and shadows of a once-proud species that had reigned across the Borealis Galaxy 5 billion years ago alongside the Kormacvar - their name remains a mystery to those within the modern day, although it is thought that the civilization was equal, or at least as close to equal as possible, in technological strength to the Kormacvar, who are widely regarded as one of the most technologically superior precursor races across the Gigaquadrant.
The ancestral civilization had, at some point in history, evoked the wrath of the Kormacvar through thus-far unidentified and uncomfirmed means, although most theories and speculations point towards the probability of such ending in a vicious war between the two societies. It is unknown how long the two species fought one another as well as the losses suffered on either side, although it ultimately ended in the extinction of the ancestral heritage of the Zarkhator. However, this extinction did not result in the technically complete death of the entire race as there was one survivor; Zarkhator Prime, who had been rendered with biological immortality by his Kormacvar adversaries as punishment for attempting to resist their wrath, unable to ever rejoin his murdered race and forced to wander in the outskirts of Borealis in isolation outside of any recognizeable form of civilization while the Kormacvar expanded and prospered further.
After being alone for centuries, Zarkhator eventually took advantage of the situation upon the Kormacvar's collective cryogenic suspension upon their homeworld of Hyperborea. Discovering abandoned Kormacvar laboratories and facilities in the ending years of the Kormacvar - Grox War, Zarkhator used the resources available to him to begin cloning his own structure in hopes of replicating his race once more while revenge was on his mind. Taking note of many Kormacvar technological traits and aspects, as well as those of his now-deceased race, Zarkhator began building an army of himself to take Hyperborea from the Kormacvar as they froze themselve as well as establishing cloning facilities across select areas of the galaxy that were safe to him.
However, by the time that Zarkhator saw himself as strong enough to oppose the Kormacvar directly, the Cold Ones had already been terminated by the Grox and completely erased from existence. This series of events caused Zarkhator to become mad with fury as he had missed his chance of revenge to avenge his race, as well as forcing Zarkhator and his empire of clones into hiding so as to secure themselves safety and shelter away from the obvious dangers of Borealis.
Borealis Wars[]
During both of the Borealis Wars, which devastated the entire galactic community, the Zarkhator had kept themselves within hiding. Their reasoning for such is truthfully unknown although theories state that the Zarkhator were waiting for their chance to claim galactic renown and influence, as many factions would have been damaged after the Borealis Wars significantly as well as most of the conflict ceasing, allowing the Zarkhator to prosper in secrecy, while other speculations claim that the Zarkhator were somehow inactive during the time period, perhaps undergoing collective mass hybernation until the fighting stopped. Both claims are disputed and unconfirmed between members of the galactic community.
The Zarkhator were shown to have been active between the space that seperated each Borealis War, as well as before and after each Borealis War's official start and ending. Such activity revolved around the scavenging and harvesting of alien technology and resources that were left over from the conflicts although they displayed no direct interaction with the particular victors of each conflict. Occasionally, abandoned off-shoots of the losing factions mysteriously disappeared after the conclusion of each war, with a few skeptical fingers pointing towards Zarkhator involvement in their vanishing.
Zarkhator War[]
Characteristics[]
Species[]
Organizations[]
Military[]
The Zarkhator military consisted of a great number of infantry, combat drones and war machines that had all been designed and equipped by the Zarkhator. The Zarkhator military was primarily responsible for land-based operations, focussing on the defense of installations and colonies while also serving as the primary protection force of larger Zarkhator vessels, both military and non-military. The Zarkhator military served as a means of reducing insurrectionists factions to naught while also serving as the Zarkhator's means of challenging their alien enemies, with official criminal enforcement duties being upheld by machines.
The Zarkhator military made use of quark weaponry, which was designed to tear enemies apart at the subatomic scale by acting on the forces that hold atoms together, and ultradense weaponry, which was used to increase physical damage against their targets. Zarkhator constructs, weaponry and armour were forged of an intelligent, inorganic material that was capable of "healing" itself from almost all forms of damage, making Zarkhator cybernetic units and war machines incredibly difficult to fight as the material itself was incredibly resistant to damage as well as possesses regenerative properties. The Zarkhator made use of melee weapons as well as ranged weaponry, allowing them a deadly edge in close-quarters combat.
The Zarkhator military made use of artificial intelligence within itself in order to maintain effective strategic and tactical planning, with AIs serving as highly-sophisticated and advanced "war calculators" which allowed Zarkhator commanders to dominate strategically over the battlefield, with some AI even serving in place of organic commanders. The Zarkhator military was often regarded as cold, merciless and ruthless due to their policies regarding battle; they were not honourable, they did not show concern for their kin outside of functional operation, they openly harmed civilians without hesitation, and focused more on killing as many enemy soldiers and assets as possible rather than completing their military objective.
The military was governed directly by the Autocrat although the highest official known rank that one can possibly achieve within the Zarkhator military was that of Custodian; one of the closest individuals to the Autocrat himself. The Custodian acted as both one of the Autocrat's lieutenants and as one of his moral and logical advisors, providing suggestions for courses of action that should be undertaken when the Zarkhator was met with a particular situation. The Custodian acted somewhat independently from the Autocrat, although his order could be overridden by the latter at any given time.
Fleet[]
The Zarkhator fleet was built up of many powerful spacebound vessels and found itself responsible for the defense of Zarkhator settlements and installations as well as intelligence-gathering and survey. Most of what was thought to be known of the Zarkhator fleet was considered speculation and theory as the fleet in its entirety has never been seen until the events of the Zarkhator War, possessing a great deal of highly-advanced and sophisticated weaponry to deal with insurrectionist factions and aliens.
Zarkhator vessels and fleets were commandeered by a mixture of organic and AI admirals, usually operating in unison with one another for full effectiveness during combat with mixtures of AI-based and organic crew members, most of which operating within the Zarkhator militia. Zarkhator vessels were thought to be so lethal that a single capital ship could challenge an entire fleet by itself due to its advanced arsenal and technological superiority over many other civilizations and societies. Zarkhator vessels were also capable of both travelling intra-galactic distances without the requirement of any form of relay and could erase themselves from most, if not all, forms of detection software and hardware.
Society[]
The Zarkhator society followed the philosophy and nature of the Autocrat, the highest political and military authority within the Zarkhator. Within the Zarkhator, conformity was the key to survival while excessive individuality was considered a vice and undesirable within society, thus those that did not support or contribute towards the growth and prosperity of the Zarkhator were subject to punishments in order to either keep them within line or ultimately eliminate them and prevent them from damaging the rest of the Zarkhator. Those that were considered too unique upon 'birth' were broken down at the cellular level and recycled in order to create a more desirable Zarkhator. There was absolute gender equality between both male and female Zarkhator as both could fulfill the same roles regarding politics and military, although all clones were born sterile.
The Zarkhator society promoted a xenophobic, or at least partially anti-alien, policy regarding sapient creatures outside of itself. The Zarkhator viewed itself as culturally and racially superior to other alien species, causing them to keep interaction with outside organizations and civilizations to an absolute minimum, including violent disputes such as war. However, the xenophobic nature of the Zarkhator reached only so far; it has been theorized that they have intervened within the past to prevent the extinction of primitive or pre-spacefaring cultures and societies, although direct interaction had never been recorded.
Artificial intelligence held major significance within the Zarkhator both within standard society and within the military. Much of the technology and machinery found within the Zarkhator was maintained through some form of artificial intelligence or automated nanomachinery if such was not designed to be self-sufficient. AI provided for efficient enforcement, rendering criminal activity within the Zarkhator almost naught as those that divide themselves from the established hierarchies are mercilessly terminated.
Zarkhator settlements promoted massive, densely-populated hive-like structures that connect with one another to form colossal cities, with some such constructions being large enough to be considered their own respective nations. Currency and commercial trade held no place within the Zarkhator as such resources could be used for more prosperous opportunities, with gargantuan facilities being dedicated towards scientific study or storing massive numbers of developing clones that awaited birth. The native environments of potential colonies did not concern them and ertr often destroyed in the process of Zarkhator colonization.
There were no other species of alien found within the Zarkhator, including primitive and non-sapient fauna. Instead, the Zarkhator used a genetically-augmented algae species which self-fertilizes and auto-regulates itself as their primary food source. Due to its nature as being genetically and chemically modified, it was probable to assume that nutrients gained from consuming meat could be found within the algae. Disease was uncommon and was usually cancelled by the algae via accelerated evolutionary rate while vermin were killed upon consumption as the algae has been designed to be incompatible and extremely toxic towards non-Zarkhator biology.
Simulated environments through virtual methods were a common means of teaching, entertainment and punishment as they could generate a wide variety of realities that were suited towards multiple particular purposes. Children spent extended periods of time within virtually-generated environments in order to be imprinted with education necessary for their development while apprehended criminals were exposed to hellish environments that reflected either their personal flaws, their phobias or off-putting and disturbing variations of their desires. These virtual reality simulators were also used to index alien environments that the Zarkhator came across.
Zarkhator did not apply for jobs and careers; they were predestined for whatever role in society from the point of "conception". This assured that potential soldiers were not fulfilling the roles of scientists and vice versa, allowing for each division of the Zarkhator to run effectively and efficiently. This method of pre-birth career selection also ensured that "excessively unique" Zarkhator were terminated via biological deconstruction and recycling.
Government[]
The government of the Zarkhator was an absolute monarchic reign under a single individual as well as various advisors which consist of both organic individuals and artificial intelligences - respectively used for moral and logical input regarding political decisions. However, outside of political suggestion, these individuals held no power in standard society and were usually associated within the hierarcy of the military. Political contenders, activists and protest parties were not tolerated and were instead treated as criminals under threat of termination, which stood as testament enough to keep anti-conformist parties as well as genuine criminals at bay.
Propaganda was mass-scale within the Zarkhator; infant clones were birthed with a subconscious level of obedience while being exposed to beyond-digital worlds that, while educating them, also promoted obedience and conformity towards the society and hierarchies around them. Outside of simulated reality, political glorification was displayed through media and communications, with some particular examples being designed to inflict on a more subconscious level.
The Autocrat[]
The Autocrat was the supreme ruler and commander of the Zarkhator for it was he who founded the civilization and constructed it over the eons. The Autocrat was the genetic ancestor of all within the Zarkhator, with each Zarkhator capable of tracing themselves genetically back to the Autocrat for he was the original Zarkhator. The Autocrat was unchallenged politically within the Zarkhator and maintained absolute authority and power, being responsible for each course and decision that the Zarkhator make.
The sole Autocrat was Zarkhator Prime, who was assisted by multiple advisors consisting of some of the first Zarkhator clones and artificial intelligences. The Autocrat was unrestricted in his power; he was bound by no constitutions nor regulations, allowing his philosophies and mindset to take dominance although he was not blind to logical suggestion. The Autocrat was also the highest significant figure within the Zarkhator military, with his authority and command being greater than that of the official leader of the Zarkhator military, the Custodians, who answered to the Autocrat directly outside of battle while also being given the responsibility to act independentely during military-based operations.
Religion[]
There was no official state religion within the Zarkhator; religion in its most common forms were treated as criminal acts and were punishable by either psychological torture, lobotomization or termination. The Autocrat, while not particularly portrayed as a deity, was referred to as the "creator" of the Zarkhator as well as the founder of their civilization, being identified as the "progenitor" of the Zarkhator.
Species that worshiped deities were often regarded as "stupid" and "naive" by the Zarkhator, with those that worshiped the Cold Ones or at least use their technology being considered "animalistic" and "primitive" despite the galaxy-recognized technological superiority of Kormacvar weaponry. Their hatred for the Kormacvar stemmed from the original Zarkhator having been wiped out by them during their war.
Territory[]
The territory of the Zarkhator was restricted to the Zarkon Sector, unexplored by the nations of Borealis' modern era until the Zarkhator War. While speculation of Zarkhator territory outside of Borealis was brought up, it was later confirmed to not be the case.
There had been reports of Zarkhator-owned megastructures throughout Borealis although such constructs had never been fully investigated by government officials as contact with the Zarkhator was considered nigh-impossible mainly due to their largely undeciphered mindsets and technological barriers. Zarkhator activity was said to be at its most influential in the outskirts and edges of Borealis.
Technology[]
The full extent of the Zarkhator's technology was not known publicly, although their technological tier was high enough to intimidate many of the civilizations within and outside Borealis. The Zarkhator had engineered astounding feats of technological engineering; medium-scale megastructures, stellar mining, advanced replication/subatomic particle rearrangement technology, singularity mining, and other technological forms that were possessed by the Zarkhator.
The Zarkhator possessed large-scale, even planetary, cloning facilities that were used to expand the Zarkhator's number, increasing exponentially every day. Advanced AI had been developed to maintain Zarkhator society as well as contribute towards the military, providing accurate tactical calculations almost instantaneously. This allowed for a majority of Zarkhator vessels to possess no need for an organic admiral or commander; artificial intelligence provided far more efficient results strategically. The Zarkhator were thought to make use of self-sufficient city-ships as well as megastructures and planetary colonies, an indication of their supposedly massive number.
Virtually-constructed environments were used for a multitude of uses; education, entertainment, and criminal punishment were its most common uses amongst others. Quantum replication hardware allowed for mass industrial production through moulding weaponry and armour amongst other more commonplace topics of society. Zarkhator structures, such as ships and buildings, tended to "grow" as they were constructed of inorganic materials that have been designed to evolve as organic matter does, giving Zarkhator settlements, vessels, and weaponry an almost "organic" look.
Crops within the Zarkhator were unlike most variations of consumable plants found in other civilizations; they did not require consistent care and attention for they had been modified to be self-fertilizing and auto-regulating, as well as incredibly adaptive to disease and climate conditions due to an accelerated evolutionary rate.
Zarkhator communications relays used an unknown method of transporting information between those that use them, although it was widely believed that the Zarkhator used quantum-based methods of communications, allowing for Zarkhator to talk with those not occupying the same space much more efficiently due to the non-existence of lag and delay. These relays were also used as a means to report hostile or unwanted presence within Zarkhator territory while generating self-sustainable disruption and encryption fields, allowing Zarkhator information to remain safe while also misleading a majority of alien vessels.
Vehicles, aside from star vessels, used kinetic repulsion systems and thruster acceleration hardware as a means of motion while also being primarily controlled via artificial intelligence so as to monitor a pilot's course while also intervening if necessary to minimalize accidents and harm towards drivers. Not much was known of Zarkhator medical practice, although it was widely believed that the Zarkhator made use of quantum replication software for major injuries, repairing vital biological components such as organs and replacing limbs within moments.
Weaponry[]
Zarkhator armour is constructed of a self-regenerating semi-solid material that is used for a vast majority of the Zarkhator's architecture and military; an inorganic "intelligent" substance designed to be efficiently self-repairing as well as self-constructing. It is a dense element, making it difficult to damage from standard infantry weaponry used across the Gigaquadrant such as bullets or plasma. Zarkhator vessels, weaponry and vehicles are constructed of the same material, giving them a considerable edge over lesser-advanced civilizations that may not have access to stronger or equivalent materials.
Zarkhator vessels are often equipped with advanced disruption fields or chameleon software, allowing the Zarkhator to either blend into an enemy fleet or appear entirely invisible to it. Additionally, there are various types of ammunition employed by the Zarkhator in both their fleets and their infantry; ultradense slugs are used for far more effective penetration and enhancement to physical damage while quark weaponry is designed to act upon the forces and particles that hold atoms together, meaning enemies are literally torn apart.
Sub-atomic disruption torpedoes and pseudo-vortex mines are common forms of weaponry used within the Zarkhator fleet. Various types of grenades, guns, heavy weapons and melee weapons are found within the Zarkhator military, most of which derive from either quark or ultradense properties to devastate foes. Zarkhator territory is often defended by automated drones that are equipped with such weaponry as well as progressively advanced learning software to either kill or incapacitate enemies quickly, with drones being constructed of the same regenerative material used across the Zarkhator as a common resource, making them immensely difficult opponents.
Relations[]
Allies[]
“Business is beneficial for as long as Zarkhator sees fit.”
- N/A
Neutral[]
“You have no place nor concern with Zarkhator.”
- N/A
Enemies[]
- Polar Crystal Alliance - Perish.
Quotes[]
Notes[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The Zarkhator (race, faction and individuals) are based on the main antagonist of Spore Hero; Zarkhator. The idea of integrating Zarkhator into the Sporewiki Fictionverse was shared between TheHachi and OluapPlayer.
- The Zarkhator take inspiration from various sources; the Horatio from Endless Space and the Necron from Warhammer 40,000 prove to be prominent examples of the inspiration behind the Zarkhator, as well as the original Zarkhator that the fiction counterpart was based upon.