Ahn Kereu (pl. Ahn Kereuha, /Ah-en Keh-reh-u(wah)/)

The Ahn Kereuha is a sapient, koinobiont parasitoid belonging to the dissimulex order of the mersanida sphere of life. They are widely feared and still unwelcome — even openly persecuted — in most regions outside of the Llucav Technocracy.  

Etymology and Definition

The first recorded name used to describe the species was the lusoyan’s term for them: ‘cahnur rtage’ (nonlit. translation ‘false eye/mirror’). The name arose from a belief that ahn kereuha infection could be detected by checking the reflectivity and luminosity of the eyes. The same belief is what gave the rtagevopicoti it’s name.   It wasn’t until after they fell under protection of the Llucav Technocracy that their own name for their species, ahn kereuh, was made known. In the wider region of the galaxy however, their own name has remained fairly unknown and they’re still more often referred to by derogatory terms such as ‘brainworms’ and ‘cropsi jamaata’ (Cufosa, nonlit. translation ‘corpsenauts’).   Within the Llucav Technocracy, it’s regarded polite to refer to the ahn kereuh itself as the ‘pilot’ and its host body as the ‘keurunic husk’. Outside of scientific or educational context, calling an ahn kereuh a ‘parasite’ is considered just as insulting as calling them by other derogatory terms.  

History

 

Habitat & Population

Overall numbers remain low even within the Llucav Technocracy, where they mix with the regular llucevian population. Individuals are enforced by law to use the easily recognizable husks provided by the state, may not hold high state positions or occupy larger regions of land, and are strongly encouraged to contribute to the state’s medical science and industry. Beyond these restrictions, they seemingly have the same rights and obligations as other citizens.    

Biology

 

Medicine

The strong coagulant and analgesic properties of ahn kereuh larva’s saliva makes them invaluable for medical science and pharmacology.   Within the Llucav Technocracy reproducing ahn kereuh, who choose to have their egg artificially incubated, are encouraged to consent to have the larva milked for saliva immediately upon hatching. In these cases, certified medical personnel will collect circa 100ml of saliva just before the larva is inserted into their keurunic husk. While this leads to a significantly diminished potential harvest, it’s considered the most ethically acceptable method of milking larva. Several synthetic versions of the enzymes have been created in the years since, but these have so far been less potent than the naturally produced ones.   The Ascendancy used specimens captured during the war with Revered Cheusal to create legally sanctioned farms for breeding ahn kereuh larva to milk the saliva from. Something that they refused to admit to, due to — despite the species status — being considered highly questionable ethically in the wider galaxy. It wasn’t revealed and confirmed until outside investigative sources began to compare their medical preparations with those distributed by the pharmacological industry of the Llucav Technocracy.  

Genetics

 

Reproduction

Ahn kereuha is a gynogenetic species that can produce a single haploid egg roughly once every decade, although most won’t reproduce more than once or twice in their lifetime for the purpose of raising a larva into adulthood. The egg can either be deposited directly into the intended host’s brain cavity for natural incubation, or be artificially incubated and inserted shortly after hatching. In modern day the latter is the most common, as its considered safer and also lowers the incubation time.  

Growth Rate & Stages

Ahn kereuha have a bitroph metamorphality, meaning they need to undergo metamorphosis to move between their two growth stages. They begin as eggs that hatch into the first larval stage, and then undergo metamorphosis to reach the final adult stage.    

Aging

Once reaching the adult stage, ahn kereuha have an average life span of circa thirty years. As the vat-grown keurunic husks are capable of outliving their pilot by a fair margin it’s become tradition to prearrange having them donated to medical science or organ transplantation upon the ahn kereuh’s death.   Relatives of prominent members of the species can apply to have the deceased pilot and its keurunic husk preserved within the Grand Halls of the Enlightened at the capital city of Meina, Llucav.