Swarm

The Swarm are an insectoid alien race that made a pact with dark forces eons ago to attain immortality through a parasitic race called the Nianin, giving them immense power so long as they continued to kill to feed their larvae. The Swarm have lead a campaign of conquest & genocide across the cosmos to grow in power and influence becoming one of the most feared races in the cosmos needing to be barred from the Zodiac Solar System through a divine barrier. The Swarm in the Black Garden War were reduced drastically in population through the loss of their leaders and the lack of power to feed their worms, leaving their technology and other relics off in the depths of space. The last group of Swarm dwell on the Pale Island under the rulership of the Pale Witch. The Swarm were once a noble race that simply kept to themselves but due to their weakness they were preyed on by every other race of Boria. Many of the swarm were resentful towards the other races including the children of the Mortem Dynasty before going off to the stars the races of Boria where the first to be slaughtered and grounded down into glimmer.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The swarm are a vaguely humanoid/insectoid race. They have outer sharp and jagged carapace giving them a skeletal appearance, 6 eyes 3 from left to right. The Swarm has 2 sets of arms the second set can be retracted, an open circulatory system that pumps their yellow blood. Inside the chest of every swarm is a larva of the Nianin that's what ascended the once pitiful race into immortal killers. The swarm's anatomy changes depending on the morph they take during their lives having mother morph, sentinel morph, ruler morph, tyrant morph, & strider morph after they've reached the acolyte stage.

Klaws

The swarm klaws have a black chitinous carapace and are physically frail, having very little in muscle mass. This makes them very fast being able to close the distance between themselves and their prey being able to attack relentlessly with their fours serrated claws. Their eyes haven't developed making them blind but they compensate with impeccable hearing. Due to the fact that klaws are infant swarm their intelligence is lacking acting on instinct and information given to them by their parasite.

Acolytes

Acolytes bear a black chitinous armor harder than the klaws and have more muscle mass than their infant counterparts. The Acolytes have more developed brains than the Klaws, being capable of complex thoughts and planning. Their blood goes from red to yellow, rising in temperature. Their eyes become visible, finally granting them the ability to see their surroundings as they glow green.

Sentinel Morph

Swarm of the sentinel morph are very tall standing at 6ft., covered in a super hard exoskeleton and heavy muscle mass. The large amount of mass on sentinels makes them slower than other swarm but they make up for it through their strength and durability wielding powerful axes and hardened shields to defend their people. Swarm sentinels require more sustenance to keep up their muscle mass.

Mother Morph

Swarm of the mother morph are the tallest of their brethren standing at 8ft. tall. They have a slender frame covered in a hard chitinous armor much lighter than other swarm. On their backs they've developed wings that flap incredibly fast keeping them floating concealed by hard flaps on their backs. The blood of the mother morph swarm becomes cooler and bears some healing properties prolonging their lifespan from 10 years to 100 years. Swarm of the mother morph require a lot of sustenance due to energy they exert flying even more when pregnant.

Strider Morph

Swarm of the strider morph are slender and stealthy being incredibly swift in the wilds of Boria. Strider swarm have a set of wings like the mother morph swarm but instead of using them for complete flight they are more suited for hovering down & gaining momentum through quick bursts of speed leaping with their wings. The hands of strider swarm bear holes meant for emitting their hot & corrosive blood as an attack to stun their prey with clouds of burning poison though this adaptation exists on their lower arms. The exoskeleton of strider swarm once shed can be used to make sharp serrated arrows and daggers.

Broodmother Morph

A rank higher than the mother morph also called the arc mage morph when they have their larvae. Their capability of flight is much better than the typical mother morph, their blood is augmented further being able to make areas of burning poison through their hands much like a strider. The broodmother bears the ability to self-fertilize in the absence of males being able to make thousands of offspring in less than a week.

Champion Morph

A rank higher than the sentinel morph also called the centurion morph. Swarm of the champion morph are stronger & more durable than the sentinels able to wield large weapons and shields. The exoskeleton of the champion morph is immune to heat and corrosion, they have special holes on their armor for ejecting their hot & corrosive blood coating their bodies and armaments with it.

Assassin Morph

A rank higher than the strider morph made possible through the Nianin larva. Their spiracles evolved to absorb and release air for further speed and momentum. They were impervious to poisons as their hot blood and insides would evaporate any foreign substance, their ability to use their blood has evolved being able to spray it from all four hands either as thick liquid or gas. Their chitin has the power to refract photons rendering themselves invisible & their sense of smell and hearing increases when performing this ability.

Ruler Morph

Incredibly rare morphs held by the founding families of the swarm passed down from generation to generation. The ruler morph doesn't give complete anatomical changes like the others; it is recognized by the other swarm of each nation as the one who bears the right to rule. The physical augmentations brought by the ruler morph increases their size and strength as well as increasing their innate powers. Those who had this morph would always have chitinous growth on their heads resembling a crown.

Biological Traits

The swarm is a macabre, insectoid race with varying sizes, chitin, & muscularity. The swarm have varying morphs to symbolize stages of growth like klaw morph, sentinel morph, mage morph, mother morph, strider morph, ruler morph ect. The swarm have the ability called sequential hermaphroditism making them capable of changing their gender. Through their bond to the Nianin larva they are ageless able to live until they are killed, access to the darkness and the power of blood law killing to grow and evolve until they become ascendant able to make a realm where their soul goes to upon death and is the only place they can truly die.

Genetics and Reproduction

The swarm reproduce sexually this is done by the brood queen & swarm mages who are 99.9% all female. Swarm can make up to hundreds of eggs that cluster together on walls, floors, & ceilings at a time needing 2 months to hatch. Swarm mages & brood queens can procreate with the males of their species although in the absence of a male they can self-impregnate.

Growth Rate & Stages

Swarm when they hatch are klaws and given Nianin larva to consume attuning them to the darkness and law of blood. The swarm klaws have a white carapace that are weak, but swift and will attack in large groups killing victims with their claws. After 1 month they shed their exoskeleton becoming swarm acolytes, the common foot soldiers of the swarm, bearing a hardened carapace and wielding ranged weapons. After 5 months they begin to pupate making a large chrysalis embedded in the walls that remains for 1 week. They then hatch becoming swarm mages if there female & swarm Sentinels if there male, or swarm striders taking either the mother morph, sentinel morph, or strider morph. Swarm mages are the source of birth for the swarm being able to hover above the ground with their wings and can support other swarm with spells. Swarm sentinels are elite warriors for the swarm fighting with large axes to cleave their victims in twain & heavy chitin shields to block attacks. Swarm Striders are slender & stealthy swarm known for dwelling outside swarm society hunting with sharp chitin armaments made from their exoskeleton and even being able to weaponize their hot yellow blood. Swarm Behemoths are an incredibly rare stage of the swarm race only accessible if a swarm thrall consumes a high tier larva becoming a hulking brute when they pupate. Swarm champions are swarm sentinels who ascend through the blood law growing to rival the behemoth in height and strength. Swarm archmages are swarm mages who ascend through the blood law, making their magic grow exponentially. Swarm Assassins are an evolved form of the strider being able to move the fastest out of all of their subtypes on foot or through the air, using armaments made from their exoskeleton and being able to make clouds of paralyzing poison.

Ecology and Habitats

The swarm is a culture that is devoted to the blood law and the only right way to live in through death. The swarm can never give or accept gifts if they want something they must take it. Lesser swarm kill to feed their larvae then the access goes to their superiors making a system of tribute that reaches the leader of the brood. The swarm live in underground cave networks wreathed in their festering biomass via their corruption. They hate light but take it to use it to feed their larvae and fuel their magic, rituals, and their special runes. They are a race who values strength over all, as the blood law demands it as if something can't defend itself it should rightfully be destroyed. They live to kill, cleaving the weak from the cosmos to reduce it to its final form. The swarm hates the necromancy or rather the act of resurrection as when something dies they have proven themselves to be weak and not part of the final form, resurrection is heretical to the swarm they won't even seek to resurrect their own comrades.

Breeding & Parenting

Swarm brood mothers would often breed with a multitude of swarm males, typically sentinels and higher tier swarms. After breeding the brood mother lays hundreds of eggs which when they hatch they are given Nianin larva and set free to tear their way through the world. Usually the swarm don't bother raising their children although some like the swarm gods take an interest in raising their offspring in the blade law.

Invasion

When the swarm finds a world they want to destroy they waste no time spawning their graveships near the most powerful settlement on the planet to destroy their most powerful assets after the invasion corruption seeds are dispatched all over the planet drawing in more swarm and corrupting the area. This carnage continues until all life on the planet is extinguished, corrupting the world into another infested hellscape for the swarm to dwell.

Capture & Torture

Despite the blade law's demand for slaughter the swarm do spare some of the people they invade, capturing them. Those captives don't have a pleasant time as Swarm mages use their dark magic to torture them, corrupting them with swarm necrosis, eating away at their bodies and minds, and tearing out their souls storing them for later use in their animite crystals.

Battle Tactics

When the swarm attacks other settlements and locations they are intelligent and use tactics to destroy the opposition. Swarm Klaws are the front line shock troops running towards their targets in large groups to eviscerate their prey with their claws. Swarm Acolytes remain behind the Klaws firing from range with their flaming blitzers typically focus fire on something already critically wounded by the Klaws; sometimes they use glimmer rifles to fire from an even farther range. Swarm Behemoth are complete monsters being used as even greater shock troops using their immense strength, durability, & energy blasts to crush its victims and buildings. Swarm Sentinels are heavy foot soldiers wielding chitin shields and razors in combat blocking incoming damage and causing deep cuts into their victims, some sentinels use shockers in their second set of arms to fire electric bolts from range. Swarm Mages remain in the back of their group casting spells like their poison cloud & summoning other swarm to their defense.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Swarm are completely carnivorous consuming flesh of animals & people leaving picked clean bone piles in their nest. Swarm when they kill absorb the souls of their victims to feed to their larvae, converting it into power.

Biological Cycle

When the swarm becomes 5 years old they can actually swap their physical gender. Every 10 years swarm brood mother's will enter a state of heat mating relentlessly for up to 10 weeks.

Behaviour

Ancient Swarm: The old Swarm were tiny and scared people often running and hiding from other races of Boria. They rarely fought unless it was absolutely necessary. The Old Swarm: After eons of their pact and new purpose Swarm for the most part we're very vicious and predatory beings. Not only would they kill any other form of life they could find but they would often try to kill each other as war is love. The New Swarm: Due to their freedom of their tithe and a new incentive for living the swarm have become a lot more benevolent and merciful no longer forced to be monsters. Some still choose to be predatory although those have been culled from the remaining population.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The swarm has a complex religion based around profane rituals & the worship of the swarm pantheon. The swarm live by the way of the blood law that existence is the struggle to existence, that life is to be tested against other to see who had the right to continue existing, that anything that is destroyed was never part of the final form of the universe, & that to kill is to liberate the cosmos from the weakness that infects it. They base their society around this amoral self-serving principle of life & nature.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Swarm chitin is a strong and sturdy material strong enough that the Swarm use it for their weapons, & vessels. The remains of powerful swarms like hearts, larva, & eyes can be used to make armaments of torment.

Facial characteristics

six glowing green eyes

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The swarm used to dwell on their home planet of boria until they made a pact with the Nianin, leaving their planet and making many homes for themselves. Thousands of planets were infested with their essence to make the worlds suitable for them. Aside from infested worlds swarm dwelled in their ships, their graveships and dreadnoughts. The last group of swarm dwell on the pale island on the planet zodia.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The swarm have an enhanced sense of smell and vision they were able to tell when something or someone was nearby. They have ultraviolet vision being able to see through darkness, water, vapor, ect.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Nianin Larva

These larvae are the countless offspring of the Nianin, existing in every member of the swarm race. These larva grant the swarm immortality and power beyond their wildest dreams, the power to ascend to greater heights in power, the power to utilize dark magic, and use the law of the blade. Though the swarm must feed their worms through the souls of others or they will be eaten alive themselves.

Grace Fly

A new species of energy based insect born when Saveara conducted project Belnor through vigor causing some complications in the swarm's biology the cysts that came hatched into these beings. The Grace Fly flies around the island offering healing to swarm and other people.

Banuk

A large species of heavily armored scorpions native to Boria. These beings were used by the Ruano Nation as cavalry mounts and even tamed as pets.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Swarm are given their birth name by their parents but when they take their morph they adopt a new name to symbolize becoming a new evolved being. The new name however must have the same first letter as the original name.

Major Organizations

Old Swarm

The Ammonite Empire

The ruling monarchy over the swarm's homeworld of Boria the Ammonite Empire through their influence made the lives of the swarm very difficult as they persecuted them in the wilds and the settlements. The Ammonite Empire is a grim reminder to the swarm that the strong will always try to crush the weak and to survive they must be strong as well.

The Swarm Coalition

The coalition of the four swarm nations formed a century after the arachnus made a deal with the ammonites. Through working together they bested the spider people and sent them back to their homeworld.

The Mortem Nation

One of the four nations of the swarm to the north of Ocrirca ruled by the Mortem Dynasty once founded by Gavak Morten and next to rule was his descendant Romulus.

The Alkior Nation

One of the four swarm nations to the south of Ocrirca ruled by the Alkior Dynasty founded by Phitroh Alkior ruled by her descendant Velorina Alkior. The Alkior Nation was known for many of its inhabitants practicing alchemy and rigorous study & being allied with Nanamo for resources to fuel their alchemy. Alkior had the highest concentration of mother morph swarm of any nation & the highest population due to it.

The Ruano Nation

One of the four swarm nations to the west of Orcirca ruled by the warmongering Ruano Dynasty founded by Korar Ruano led by his descendant Demonia Ruano. Ruano was a nation that thrived on warfare, crafting ways to fight back against the ammonites and other species of Boria. Ruano was known for its creation of siege weapons like cannons and ballistas for war, using the Banu as cavalry, & having the highest concentration of sentinel swarm.

The Nanamo Nation

One of the four swarm nations to the east of Orcrica ruled by the hunting Nanamo Dynasty founded by Soovuc Nanamo lead by his descendant Zagruc Nanamo. Nanamo was a nation that thrived in the wilds hunting and gathering for their people and further honing their talent in hunting. Swarm of this nation would often take Phosphor Flies as aid in hunting. Nanamo is entirely composed of swarm who took the strider morph as swarm of other nations who take the morph leave to be with nanamo & any swarm born in the Nanamo Nation take the strider morph. Nanamo has aided the other nations through many crises and regularly set up trade with other nations.

Era Of Deep

Order Of Mortem

The swarm brood devoted to Romulus and his efforts. This brood is the one that Erebus found in the depths of space and through constant combat gave him all of the knowledge he needed for his dynasty. This brood laid waste to many worlds infecting them turning them into their havens at the cost of many other lives. The order of romulus was ended when romulus died but a fraction of it became pale swarm.

The Alkior Enclave

The brood in service to velorina known to end countless worlds for their swarm goddess. Velorina's brood was completely destroyed by the swarm starvation after the demise of their goddess.

The Ruanir

The brood in service to demonia and known to end the most worlds out of any other brood all in service to demonia. One of the most notable wars was their 50 year war against the maganti. Demonia's horde had their last war against the nova system attempting to end a new solar system before it can prosper, believing their power can handle the light of the seraphim. Demonia's Horde was wiped out during this war by lyon olgrim who used his stellar power to eradicate the horde and slay the leader of the brood.

Heart Of Venkalth

The swarm brood devoted to the disgraced son of romulus reborn through his necromancy, once lost in space. This brood was brimming with negative energy and had sentinels that used shields something taboo to the swarm. After the death of venkalth the rest of the brood was left leaderless and eventually died during the nova war.

Blood Of The Lightbane

The swarm brood devoted to the lightbane zegrath. This brood was an infamous group making their name in the old war ending many seraphim lives during the war. The spawn of zegrath was involved in an attack on gardenia witnessing their god's downfall and retreated to the moon.

The Pale Hunters

The swarm brood lead by Zagruc Nanamo, Swarm God Of Hunting. This brood was known for their slow and terrifying method of taking worlds as their hunters stalk potential allies on the planets they take and control their lands to their advantage. The Pale Hunters were known to regularly work with Demonia's Brood to take powerful foes using their might as cover.

Cloaks Of Nizna

The swarm brood is led by Zagruc's daughter Niza. The Cloaks Of Nizna are a well renowned back who were in competition with the Velkanth's brood for eons. This brood became famous once they secured the Terra-Sphere before the grasp of velkanth could seal it away on Boria.

The Pale Brood

A unique swarm brood devoted to the pale witch, savera olgrim. The pale brood is made from the remnants of the swarm species who made way to the pale island after the starvation of their kind. Through the pale witch's skill in swarm sorcery & time manipulation she was able to neutralize the hunger of their larvae becoming freed from their need to kill. The pale brood remains on the pale island for fear of how the world will treat them due to their species history. This brood is the cornerstone of swarm research in zodia.

Beauty Ideals

To the swarm there is nothing more beautiful than strength and power, the power to truly stand out in the world. Their blade law, their guiding principle is the most natural, simple, & beautiful thing to them.

Gender Ideals

The swarm had no personal feelings on gender as they would take morphs depending on how they wanted to serve their people. Even when some swarm defy the gender of their morph they don't really care.

Courtship Ideals

The swarm don't forge bonds of love in the same way as other races; they don't care for the gender of their mate rather if they're seen by another as strong enough.

Relationship Ideals

Typically swarm breeds and rarely remain together although if they find genuine care for each other they do remain together. Romantic relationships are rare among the swarm and seen as a sign of strength as two blades go to shed blood.

Average Technological Level

The swarm was highly advanced but had a unique brand of their technology. Their weapons, armor, & vessels where biomechanical made from the chitin of their people, through this the swarm can contend with other species who maybe equal or greater than them in technology. The swarm's weapons where many & varied the sentinels typically weilded large cleavers though there are some who use lightning launchers and flaming crossbows, & swarm acolytes used high powered energy sniper rifles.

Virulence: Virulence is a force of darkness that gives the swarm their dark power & the source of their sorcery afforded to them by the worms bonded to their souls. Through virulence they gain power through the law of the blade as they kill their power grows more and more as death/souls feeds their worms. This dark force is the cause of all of their magics, rituals, energies, & practices.
Swarm Sorcery: The main source of magical power for the swarm typically used by swarm mages, swarm arc mages, brood mothers, & ascendant swarm. Swarm sorcery mirrors the magic of mortals afforded to them by the light of the arconis although swarm sorcery is capable of innately dark spells like necromancy, enchantment, & illusion although it's harder for swarm to make evocation, abjuration, & transmutation spells. Swarm mages typically use their magic to make poisonous clouds of darkness, conduct their various rituals, and cast powerful evocation spells.
Swarm Runes: The swarm's written language was gifted immense power from the dark depending on the words & will the swarm can bring many effects. The word for death brings literal death, due to the power of these runes they are written on the weapons & areas of high ranking swarm.
Swarm Rituals: The swarm mages have a variety of rituals that serves many purposes. They can siphon souls from mortals bringing forth swarm necrosis and storing their souls in special crystals called xenocryst, torture others turning them into other objects and machinations, torture their own thralls with spirit to make ogres, summon swarm & echoes, ect.
Necromancy & Ressurection: Swarm sorcery can be used to use necromancy & bring their own kind back from the dead via ressurection. This practice is hated & heretical to the swarm as when something dies it's lost it's right to exist and to bring it back is to poison the cosmos, putting back the fat that was cut off.
Glimmer & Xenocryst: Glimmer is the main energy source of the swarm gained from the souls of the swarm's victims, while xenocryst are the main vessel for glimmer. Xenocryst are a unique type of soul stone that hold glimmer for later use. Glimmer powers everything for the swarm their weapons, technology, magics, rituals, technology, vessels, & to feed their worms.
Ember Cores: The main source of energy for swarm vessels made during the war for the Starless Nebula no longer using glimmer for their ships instead converting stars into energy cores for their ships. The light and heat of these ships coalesce well with the Bioenergetics of swarm vessels giving power.
Swarm Gimmer Towers: towers that hold energy that keeps their runes powered.
Arcane Bio-energetics: A magical means of energizing hive ships through the ember cores in each ship their heat and light becomes energy for the organic vessels.
Predator Genetics: Similar to the swarms' genetics enabling them to find life in the cosmos. This makes swarm vessels capable of healing through death of others.
Blight Towers: Towers full of blight and dark matter particles that absorb the dark matter particles emitted by the swarm & other swarm vessels to power their siege weapons with the energy used to fire.
Ascendant Idols: Idols of swarm gods who have the power of activating various things around a mundus such as gates & tears.
Spatial Tear: A means of traversing the stars faster than light only accessible by Romulus as he would cut a whole in reality and move through it.
Ontomorphic Rifts: A means of traversing the stars held by many swarm ships allowing the use of Hakanion to move through reality.

Swarm Weapons

Blitzer: A repeater pistol used by acolytes firing orange flaming bolts at rapid succession.
Soulburn Grenade: A flaming grenade used by the acolytes leaving flames in a large area.
Spiritfire Rifle: A long ranged weapon used by acolytes charging powerful shots to fire from a long range.
Crusher: A grenade launcher used by swarm sentinels firing explosive force bolts at range.
Razor: An 8ft. long heavy broadsword made of chitin used by swarm sentinels cutting down the victims of the swarm. These are one the most sacred weapons of the swarm being a bridge from life to death.
Shockers: Crossbows weilded by swarm sentinels capable of firing electric bolts in a short burst.
Chitin Shields: Chitin sheilds used by swarm sentinels. These shields block incoming damage but will eventually break.
Strider Knifes: A secondary weapon of the swarm striders made from the sharp claws they shedded as acolytes.
Strider Crossbows: A primary weapon of the swarm striders made of chitin and fired heavy bolts made from their shedded claws.
Assassin Blades: A secondary weapon of swarm assassins made from strider knives coated in their blood.
Assassin Crossbows: A primary weapon of the swarm assassins made from chitin and fires sharp bolts covered in poison.
Demon Claws: A swarm weapon exclusive to the sentinels of demonia's brood. Heavy chitinous axes that can extend to 10ft. in length & imbue their strikes with scorching fire.

Siege & Superweapons

Axion Cannons: A high tier swarm siege weapon typically fitted on swarm graveships. It fires dense axioms that explode upon impact.
Neutrino Cannons: Powerful siege weapons fitted on swarm reaper ships that fire burning neutrinos and explode upon impact.
Gyro Cannon: A high tier swarm siege weapon typically fitted to Mundus firing gravity based projectiles that produce a gravity well that pulls in those who are in range.
Mass Growl: A tactic used by Swarm Satellites & Swarm Mundus sending waves of gravity that destroy others in range.
Phaeton Specter: A super weapon on the mundus capable of destroying everything in a burst of blight and dark matter.

Swarm Ships & Vessels

Graveships: A large swarm ship used for transporting swarm troops across battlefields & solar systems through a shaderift. These jet black stone & chitin ships are armed with void cannons and an invulnerable hull.
Reaper Ships: Interstellar warships that protects the dreadnaught as a fleet. These ships are incredibly fast, fitted with solar cannons to destroy enemy ships 4 large cannons & 10 smaller cannons.
Swarm Mundus: The strongest ship in the swarm's arsenal acting as flagships for their fleets made from the carcass of shadye the butterfly of shadows as 1 portion of her segmented body was turned inside out and converted into this flagship. Munduses are incredibly large 3,500 kilometers long rivaling moons in size & housing millions of swarm. The mundus have a special weapon that works by having a domain & the mortal realm coexist causing two realms to coexist caused a massive quantum explosion event that destroys everything in 100 miles of it. This ship radiates dark matter like sterile neutrinos and axions.
Virul Seeds: Smaller swarm ships that embed themselves in the dirt of planets and infests the area, attracting other swarm. Virul seeds serve a grand purpose in the infestation of other planets.
Swarm Satellites: The moons of other worlds corrupted through swarm sorcery hollowed out into warships and planetoids for swarm. These moons follow swarm fleets and act as homes for the swarm.

Swarm Constructs & Mech

Velorina's Song: A special spell of velorina involving a tune that others will continue to hum spreading it to other mortals. As the song worms it's way into the minds of others they will be more susceptible to her suggestions.
Armaments Of Torment: Mortal weapons augmented by swarm sorcery given the properties of virulence itself. These weapons take on an appearance similar to the swarm, chitinous material brimming with virulence. To mortals these are cursed weapons that should be destroyed as once picked up they form a bond similar to the bond between the swarm and their worms. These weapons have a lust for glimmer and will corrupt their user to go on the hunt for it killing others even civilians for a small scrap of glimmer. Armaments Of Torment have ammunition wreathed in virulence called "Devourer Bullets" causing supernatural necrosis to the victim once dead their soul goes to the weapon.
Crown Of Torment: A crown made by velorina imbued with high amounts of sorcery and magic for an ultimate plan of velorina. Anyone who put on the crown will be able to subvert the will of the entire swarm species however the users will is subverted by velorina herself. Ever since the swarm's population lost 95% of it's members the crown has become a useless relic.
Despair Altars: Altars in the image of velorina holding a scythe the dead in range of the altar will rise as undead under velorina's control.
Mayhem Altars: Altars in the image of demonia spreading mayhem in a large area. Swarm bearing demonia's sigil while in range of the altar will have their health continually grow & power grow while those who aren't of demonia's brood will be throne into a mental haze unable to act or think.
Erasure Totems: Totems made with voidstone spreading it's energy outwards in a large area destroying anything in range.
Soul-Sphere: A colossal circular engine meant to hold the soul of an ascendant swarm bringing forth death to those outside the soul-sphere.
Swarm Cages: A small radius that when touched green spikes grow forming a cage that siphons the life-force from the victim.
Swarm Vestige: A rune of dark power forming a large radius that deals massive damage to those who remain in the large radius.
Death's Lullaby: A ritual made by romulus's daughters a song that when sung everyone who hears it dies.
Swarm Echoes: A large floating construct made by the swarm owned by high ranking swarm large diamond shaped mechs with an invulnerable shell which opens to reveal a purple core that fires continuous purple plasma bolts. These sentry turrets also serve as a means of watching over a swarm's domain.
Shaderift: Shaderifts are portals that the swarm go through allowing interstellar travel and teleportation.
Ruinous Totems: Large totems made by demonia's horde setting a large area on fire and those in it become her flaming subordinates.
Black Citadel: A massive jet black fortress built to augment swarm sorcery built to house hundreds of thousands of swarm owned by high ranking swarm. In the basement of the black citadel is a massive core made from a huge xenocryst filled with the souls of 100 celestials, the power going through the infrastructure to get to the owner of the structure.
Spirit Barrier: A technology that enables the swarm to use spirit but at a higher power than typical mortals. 6 large xenocryst charged with spiritfire making streams of energy localized onto the swarm making a barrier impervious to harm.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

The swarm's language sounds like a series of incomprehensible shrieks & groans like the screams of those in pain. The swarm language is written in many intricate runes and glyphs that draw power from another dimension and enacts the meaning of the word the rune for death brings literal death.

Common Dress Code

The swarm don't typically wear clothing as their chitin makes up for any clothing.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

The swarm's identity is strength and survival ever since they lived on boria they live short & pitiful lives being hunted and exploited by the other races of boria. The swarm is so insistent on feeding their worms because without them they are not strong, they aren't on the pinnacle of life & they certainly won't be the feared race they are.

Common Taboos

Necromancy & Resurrection: To die is part of the blood law; those who perish were never part of the cosmos and to bring them back is heretical to the swarm.
Charity: In the world you can never give, giving is for the sky, to be given something it is rendered weak and untrue.

History

Origin

The swarm were born on the planet boria four of them bearing the ruler morph, leading the race of insectoid people going through their land of Ocrirca. The swarm remained in Ocrirca although they were eventually found by the Ammonite Empire wanting them to be annexed into the empire the four swarm refused starting a conflict that lead to a lot of bloodshed between both sides mostly the swarm although once the conflict ended the four ruling swarm parted ways forming the four nations the swarm have always lived in Mortem, Ruano, Alkior, & Nanamo. Mortem became known for being navigators & astrologers studying their world and what else could lie beyond, Ruano became a powerful warring nation that used beasts for calvary & made many siege weapons, Alkior is a nation full of scholars and alchemist, & Nanamo was a nation of hunters and gatherers. As the generations passed the swarm continued living their hard lives while dealing with harassment from other races like the Maganti & most infamously the ammonites all for the conflict centuries ago.

The Swarm Rebellion

The Swarm finally having enough of the ammonites and planned to deal with the races that once harassed them with an attack on the ammonite capital Ammonia but they where discovered by the ammonites for their treachery and the "Ocric Seige" began as the ammonites and the maganti decided to lay seige to Ocrirca and commit genocide on the swarm to end the possibility of a rebellion. Many swarm of each nation perished & the leaders of each evacuated their land to find a means of saving what was left of their people the rest going into hiding while the ammonites occupied Ocrirca not leaving until each swarm was dead.

The Swarm Hunts

The leaders Romulus of Mortem, Velorina of Alkior, Demonia of Ruano, & Zagruc of Nanamo ventured out of their war-torn continent to perform their next plan to destroy the ammonites venturing to an unknown shore theorized to hold the power to save their people. They traversed the lands of Yiqeth looking for the shores of the rocky continent to find the shores to attain their salvation Zagruc aided the group through leading them through the land, Demonia used her strength to break through the rocky lands, & velorina kept other races off of them through her wit and charisma. They eventually made their way to the shores of Yiqeth finding the vessel that was hidden in plain sight and ventured deep into their oceans. The four swarm leaders ventured the waves for 3 days until they found a creature living in the oceans the Galgalim a colossal celestial being made of starfire, it's body covered in segmented stellar steel armor, through magnetism the celestial stopped their ship and spoke into their minds telling them to go back or they would be destroyed, telling them that the dark power that dwells past him will lead them and the universe to ruin. The swarm leaders ignored the Galgalim and tried to get past it but it tried to stop them even destroy them but it before it could launch a stellar attack it was frozen in place giving the swarm a way to get past not wasting time they burst past the star drake getting to the core of boria.

The Dark Bargain

Upon entering the core the swarm met the 5 nianin of the well shadye the butterfly of darkness, vossen the moth of ruin, everbleed the spider of rampage, habitha the beetle of despair, & eusmil the dragonfly of strife. The Nianin boasted about their strength, power, majesty, & their imprisonment for eons by the entity of light the Galgalim. The swarm ask for a means to end the threat of the ammonites and save their people, and the Nianin offer them a deal that would benefit both parties. The Swarm would ingest the larva of the Nianin and be put under a symbiotic bond that would grant them immortality, and immense dark power so long as the siblings continued to feed the larva through the souls of others and adhere to their nature romulus to exploration & understanding, demonia to conquest, velorina to cunning and trickery, and Zagruc to hunting and assassination otherwise the larva would consume them. With enough souls the worms would fully mature and leave the bonded Swarm keeping them alive and with their immense power. The swarm would also have to adhere to the law of the blood also called blood law a principle that existence is the struggle to existence, that they are instruments of death and salvation and through killing they become stronger and those they kill where never part of the universe and needed to be removed to make the cosmos perfect, as well as liberate the weak from the suffering of existence. The blood law would make them ascendant, able to enter a realm where thought and will reigned supreme and be able to forge new worlds for their souls to go upon death Achluo where they would craft their domains. The swarm accepted the terms of the Nianin's contract and consumed their larva rising into powerful individuals stronger than their race and would go on to give the rest of their kind this pact. The four taking their morphs and growing even stronger romulus taking the sentinel morph in conjunction with the ruling morph becoming Romulus, The Great Explorer, velorina took the mother morph in conjunction with the ruling morph becoming Velorina, The Queen Of Lies, demonia took the sentinel morph in conjunction with her ruler morph becoming Demonia, The Destroyer Goddess, & Zagruc took the strider morph in conjunction with the ruling morph becoming Zagruc, The Hunter God. The four swarm gods with their new found power they at first thought to reclaim their homeland of Ocrirca they now sought to conquer all of Boria, crush those who once victimized them, control the moons of Boria, and eventually the cosmos delivering what their people deserved ultimate power like their ancestors once had starting their campaign of war and conquest.

The Borial War

A long war that started when the swarm gods returned to Ocrirca to fight back the Ammonites occupying their land slaying tens of thousands of ammonites in "The Battle Of Ocrirca" growing immensely in power and rising the rest of their people through the same pact they made while some were skeptical those who accepted where uplifted by the Nianin becoming the swarm the cosmos knows. The swarm where dominating Boria from taking the desolate continent of Yiqeth turning it into a continent sized breeding ground for the growing of new swarm, they took Kluyon eliminating thousands to continually grow although the other races began to weaponize against the rest of the swarm. The rest of the war was hectic but the swarm stomped on all in their path eliminating the species that once looked down on them the Maganti, the Sirlin, the Ammonites all where reduced to glimmer via their virulence ascending them further. The remaining ammonites fled to the moons of Boria hoping that the swarm couldn't follow them, their hopes were dashed as the swarm learned how to use interstellar vessels turning their own dead & chitin into ships fit for space travel, making their grave ships and other ships to traverse space. It took ten years for each and every moon of Boria to be taken and infested with virulence and decay. With this victory the swarm gods learned how to make their own domains in the realm of Achluo becoming much harder to kill permanently.

The Deep War

With their immense power and new purpose of testing life the four swarm continued their crusade across the cosmos despite wanting to head to Exuvia to settle a score the swarm where beckoned to a nebula first starring the Fell War a war that lasted 300 years as the swarm ended all life in the nebula ending galaxies, solar systems, star clusters, first starting with the planet Europa. It was during this war that Velorina thought of a new ritual that would aid further in their efforts the "Starfall Ritual" a ritual that afflicts stars with virulence reducing and transmuting the star into glimmer millions of stars where transmuted into energy for the swarm's growth bringing forth black winter to the nebula and making black stellarium starting the creation of the Umbral Fleet. It was also during this conflict that the swarm realized that they needed more power in the future and eventually their worms hunger would exceed their capacity to feed them Romulus took what he needed from the Nianin Shadye killing her in Achluo in a battle called "The Umbral Scar" upon slaying her he gained the power to umbranize others crowning himself the Umbral Emperor & turning the body of Shadye into his own personal flagship fitted with a powerful superweapon. As the swarm continued on their crusades Romulus & Velorina had four children the eldest son zegrath, the second so velkanth, and the twin daughters strain & nifsara while Demonia & Zagruc had three children the eldest daughter Nizna and the younger siblings Pheza & Dane. Zegrath was a powerful warrior of the champion morph bearing a sword capable of siphoning life-force with each slash, Velkanth was a male that was immensely skilled in sorcery like his mother, Strain & Nifsara are twin daughters who were great in sorcery and invented many new technologies and rituals for the swarm. Nizna became a powerful strider like her father, forming a great and powerful brood that operates in the darkness, while Pheza became a mage & Dane became a sentinel both working under their eldest sister. As the swarm God's children formed their own broods and went on their own crusades many other worlds were destroyed although beckoned again by the deep they conquered worlds that were conquered by the seraphim a race that held powerful souls and were great resources due to the amount of energy they held 500 planets already ruled by the Seraph Empire were destroyed and each and every one who lived on those worlds became food for their larvae and paved the way to their assault on Divonis while a war was already going on for thousands of years. With their powerful souls the seraphim of Divonis were prime targets for the swarm through their sorcery their souls removed and turned into glimmer, their soldiers felled by the thousands by Zegrath & Velkanth. The swarm were almost unbeatable during their attack although once the Great Calamity occured many swarm perished as well as other people of Divonis causing the swarm to leave the world as cosmos began to crumble around them. With the deep no longer beckoning them they remained on their mission although split apart to test the universe in a quicker way Romulus & Velorina went together while Demonia & Zagruc went their way to crush and dominate. Romulus & Velorina sought to settle a score with one of the other races that wronged them but didn't live on Boria they ventured to Exuvia the homeworld of the Arachnus was destroyed in the Exuvian War with Romulus at the helm of their collapse, Demonia & Zagruc took the orcish homeworld of Danata ending their once civilized & technological advanced civilization reducing them to the beings they are.

The Era Of Hunger

Hundreds of thousands of years of slaughter continued although the swarm would begin to find trouble again attaining glimmer as some of the few remaining solar systems developed some defenses to keep them out. A system they previously visited now called the Zodia System became warded with a large barrier made by gods keeping them out, the Arconis System developed another barrier made from their arcane mastery, and one system bearing a sentient planet manufactured a perfect counter for the swarm insectoid devours called the Krivilids lacking souls they couldn't become glimmer even if afflicted with virulence, they reproduced at an alarming rate and ate only organic matter perfect for consuming them the swarm where finally being beaten back and it seemed like they would finally meet their end. Since glimmer was running low the swarm had to think about another means of keeping their worms satisfied Velorina thought of tracking down and capturing the Terra-Sphere that went dormant in the depths of space surrounded by krivilids. Seeing no other way operation dying spark was enacted starting the "Great Devouring" a large battle in the western nebula to retrieve the Terra-Sphere many swarm perished but Nizna's brood was finally able to acquire the Terra-Sphere and keep it locked up on Boria siphoning its energy to convert into glimmer it was thought that the swarm wouldn't have to worry about glimmer running dry forever until the "Shine Scar" when two mortal followers of Zelgius stormed Boria slayed many swarm in their path and took the Terra-Sphere back to their planet. With the Terra-Sphere gone the swarm had to infiltrate the Zodiac System or die trying although despite their efforts the swarm gods where finally put down and 90% of the swarm race perished during the "Great Starvation" as the swarm couldn't feed their worms their parasites consumed their very souls.

Historical Figures

The Nianin

Shayde, The Butterfly Of Darkness

Shayde is one of the 5 nianin who meet romulus and his allies at the core of Boria promising them power if they would take their larva. She was a butterfly made of darkness and shadow, her eyes glowed red, her wings were brimming with black vapor, & several spikes grew from her abdomen. She was slain by romulus to gain enough power to commune with the darkness itself, learning of the power of umbranize and placing other dark rituals on various hadium tablets. A portion of her corpse was hollowed out, twisted and reshaped to form Romulus's dreadnought.

Vossen, The Moth Of Ruin

Vossen is one of the 5 nianin & was the physical personification of ruin itself. He is a colossal moth covered in spiked segmented chitinous armor with burning orange flames peering from the cracks, from his wings came flames that he would unleash in large flaming gusts, & using his hypnotic gaze to keep others stunned. He was incredibly strong, his body covered in segmented red armor with bright orange flames peering from the cracks. He was the one to imbue the power of ruin into the swarm goddess of war, demonia.

Habitha, The Beetle Of Despair

Habitha is one of the 5 nianin & was the physical manifestation of despair itself. She was a beetle filled with death, her outer carapace was segmented pale green chitin with pale green fog peering from the cracks, an ominous pale green fog followed her and lightly obscured her form. She was the one who imbued the power of despair into the swarm goddess of cunning, velorina.

Everbleed, The Spider Of Rampage

Everbleed is one of the 5 nianin & was the physical personification of rampage. She was a Nianin full of anger and hate that became black miasma wreathing her colossal form & black chitin carapace. She was the one who imbued the power of rampage into the swarm goddess of war demonia.

Eusmil, The Dragonfly Of Strife

Eusmil is one of 5 nianin and was the physical manifestation of strife itself. She was a colossal dragonfly with a segmented white carapace, with purple gas and plasma arcing around her body from the cracks of her exoskeleton. She was the one who imbued the power of strife into the swarm god of hunting Zagruc.

Swarm Gods

Romulus Mortem, The Umbral Emperor

The leader of the swarm species, the strongest of his siblings and the one who gained the power of umbranize. Once the leader of the Mortem Nation he led the expedition after the ammonites took their home. He is one of the swarm to save his species from extinction through his acceptance of the Nianin larva, becoming the swarm god of knowledge by staying true to his nature. Romulus being at the pinnacle of the swarm pantheon has influenced other broods with his ideologies making all of them abhor necromancy and the light. He was the one to slay the butterfly of darkness shadye gaining the power to umbranize others turning them into dark and twisted copies of their former selves and through the darkness he learned of other dark magics and rituals which he carved into chitinous tablets called the tablets of torment. He hollowed out the corpse of the nianin turning it into his mobile space fortress the dreadnought, an event that his brood celebrated by turning things inside out. He is the father of zegrath, the lightbane, the twin sisters strain and nifsara, the perish singers, & begrudgingly the forgotten son venkalth, herald of habitha & the lover of Velorina.

Velorina Alkior, The Sorceress Queen

Velorina is the lover of romulus, mother of zegrath, velkanth, strain & nifsara, and the swarm goddess of cunning and trickery. She was once the leader of the Alkior Dynasty being an avid scholar & gifted alchemist before ascending to godhood. She was imbued with the blessing of the Nianin despair from the Nianin once she ascended to godhood. Through despair she could reanimate the dead and make others die of a broken heart. Her ability to twist a situation to her benefit through words alone is uncanny, even to the point where her family doesn't trust her actions or words. Velorina is known for her immense magic power as well as her trickery always having something up her sleeve, she is very smart and charismatic. She is heralded for how intelligent, charismatic, & devious she is has many subtle tricks to work to her benefit like velorina's Song a tune that infects the minds of others making them more susceptible to her suggestions. Valorina looked for a means of control over all of her kind as she is envious of her husband for his fame and power.

Demonia Ruano, The Axe Of Corruption

Demonia is the lover of Zagruc, the mother of Nizna, Pheza, and Dane, as well as the swarm goddess of war. She once ruled the warmongering nation of Ruano on her home planet before she ascended to godhood. She was imbued with the two of the blessings of the Nianin of ruin & rampage. Through ruin she can make ecosystems inhabitable through razing it with fire turning those burned into her flaming subordinates & through rampage she could continue violence, pain, & devastation being empowered by it. Demonia is known for not only her immense strength, durability, & powerful axe but also her intelligence and tactics, having wiped out the most races of her allies across the cosmos the most notable being the 50 year war against the maganti. Her brood was one of the most prominent forces in the cosmos razing planets with their might. She met her end at the hands of lyon olgrim during the black garden war, she was defeated but her body too durable to be broken down leading to her meteoric fall to the dark lands.

Zagruc Nanamo, Swarm God Of Hunting

The swarm god of hunting, once the leader of the Nanamo Nation on his home planet, once he and his allies made a pact with the Nianin he became empowered like the others, growing immensely and being able to make a better life for his people through the blood law. Zagruc was the lover of Demonia Ruano, Swarm Goddess Of War the two made Nizna, Pheza, & Dane. He like his allies lead a campaign of genocide across the cosmos to feed his larva and grow. His power to hunt and keep to the shadows was unmatched though he was always envious of Romulus for his Umbral power, something he thought he deserved. He sought to undermine his brood and claim his power through the death law. He gained the power of strife from Eusmil, gaining the power of weakening his victims until they die or until he kills them. Ascendant Swarm

Zegrath, The Lightbane

Zegrath is the firstborn child of romulus & velorina and one of the most hated swarms to the seraphim due to his power to steal their souls during the old war. He was heralded and beloved by the swarm including his father for his service and immense power during the years. When the swarm got through the zodiac mythal zegrath & his brood took up residence in onyxia drawing in others to the law of the blade. He fought the seraphim grand power yharim upon his rebirth winning and killing his cherub. He met a death in the mortal realm during an attack on gardenia with his brood & brother venkalth felled by his own sword absorbing his soul into his sword.

Venkalth, Herald Of Habitha

Venkalth is one of the sons of Romulus & velorina and their scorned offspring. He was born weak and pitiful, and grew into a swarm mage being the first one ever, he was not only good with spells he learned the taboo magic of necromancy from his father's tablets. The use of this magic got venkalth exiled from his family, and records of him erased from the swarm's history. Venkalth gained an audience with the Nianin habitha and became her chosen swarm. He has been using his necromancy to gain many minions resurrecting them when they die. He died during an attack on gardenia with his brother zegrath by the hand of nelio olgrim.

Common Myths and Legends

The Final Form: To the swarm to kill is to decide who has the right to continue living those who don't where always holding back the cosmos. To cut the world is to whittle it down to its final perfect form.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Nianin

The Nianin are the imprisoned race that liberated the swarm from their weakness as the children of their king found them and forged their pact through their larva; the swarm became the most feared race in the cosmos. The Swarm at first adored the Nianin for the opportunity they gave but others learned that the Nianin were simply using them like the parasites they are. The swarm or rather the remains of them were ecstatic to be able to be free of their captors.

The Vanir

The only ethnicity of Zodians to accept the swarm after the Great Starvation keeping them around to learn of their culture and magics.

Celestials

The relationship between the swarm & celestials has been one of hate and necessity as they need the energy in souls although it hurts them. Celestials are a jackpot when it comes to energy they use for their rituals.

Eidolon

A race the swarm met due to direction from the deep. They are seen as interesting specimens due to their connection to the dark and immense technological prowess.

Animus

A technological race the swarm have been fighting for dominance over the cosmos. Their never ending numbers are a hindrance to the Swarm as well as their lack of a soul.

Umbrosians

Former living creatures corrupted with darkness at the will of the umbral emperor. The umbrosians are treasured demons of the Swarm's ranks.

The Banu

Banu are a type of fauna that lives on Boria heavily armored scorpion creatures that could move at high speeds, leap high distances, burrow, & had three barbed tails that carried potent venom. While Banu is a delicacy in many places in Boria the Ruano Nation uses them as cavalry.

Phosphor Flies

A medium sized species of Boria, covered in chitinous armor and could fly at high speeds. Phosphor Flies could lay their dust on the area once touched and a violent explosion would come. Their pyrokinetic ability made them favored among the swarm of the Nanamo Nation being tamed and bred as hunting pets.

Arachnus

One of the races the swarm conquered after gaining the larvae, the two races had a previous hostility towards each other before they infected Exuvia. The Arachnus once landed on Boria from their home planet in search of allies for their progression and before a deal of peace could be made the ammonites gained the favor of the arachnus and by their order the arachnus began terrorizing the swarm. This lasted for centuries until the swarm made a deal with the estranged striders, beating back the arachnus to Exuvia. Knowing they shared the same solar system, once they had the power to destroy them through their larva the swarm sought to destroy their world with the aid of the Umbral Blights they laid waste to Exuvia infecting and corrupting the world.

Ammonites

The once dominant race of Boria, a six armed insectoid race bearing hard red exoskeletons, and the ability to control others through telepathy, the Ammonites remained in power for the entirety of Boria's history. The ammonites treated the swarm as if they were the lowest of the low, keeping prices too high for them to get proper resources, making it difficult to forage since they controlled the oasis of Boria, and even orchestrated yearly raids that could kill thousands of them. The swarm were resentful towards the ammonites and all other species of boria for their treatment once they became empowered by the larva the ammonites were the first species to be put to the torch.

Krivilid

A gargantuan insectoid species that was made when the swarm where defeated by a planet that they tried to conquer. The Krivilid act as a perfect nemesis for the swarm as despite their power to grow from killing the krivilid lacked souls so killing them in mass yielded no benefit to them. The swarm and krivilids have been locked in eons of conflict despite the Great Starvation the krivilids continue to consume the remnants of their dormant fleets.

"The ultimate destroyers none escape their gluttony not even the little ones. Hell bent on the devastation of all life they won't stop until they only remain. - Threa" "Hmm throughout the odds of their short lives and tyranny they suffered they rose above it although the way is detrimental to all. - Saveara" "Before we made our way to your world we found 50 other worlds that were under the rule of the seraphim. So many seraphim trillions in fact on these worlds and they had the possibility of being a threat when we actually got to Divonis so my brood saw to the extinction of each world to not only stop them from being a future threat but to show the shining ones the futility of light. - Romulus" "They thought themselves invincible but they proved helpless against my sword as I ripped their souls with each slash. My people will sing about my accomplishment for eons to come Zegrath, The Lightbane has a fitting ring to it. - Zegrath"

Scientific Name

Insectoid

Origin/Ancestry

Gardener's Blood

Lifespan

10 years (Pure Swarm), 100 years (Mother Morph), Ageless (Current Swarm)

Conservation Status

The remaining swarm is under the protection of the scarlet kingdom's huntress savera olgrim for the purposes of preservation, utilization, & research.

Average Height

4ft. (Klaws & Acolyte) 6ft. (Sentinels & Striders) 8ft. (Mages) 12ft.-16ft. (Champions, Brood Mothers, & Assassins) 20ft. (Behemoth) 15ft. - 22ft. (Ascendant)

Average Weight

6lbs. (Klaws & Acolyte) 220lbs. (Sentinels) 90lbs. (Mages) 420lbs. (Behemoth) 600lbs. - 800lbs. (Ascendant)

Average Physique

The swarm has a skinny or bulky build covered in a thick chitin carapace.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

jet black
jagged chitin carapace

Geographic Distribution

Related Organizations

Pale Legion

Related Ethnicities

Pale Swarm

Related Materials

"The swarm were born of my blood and by extension my children just as much as all life in the universe is and is loved equally. If it wasn't for my brother's manipulation they wouldn't have been the monsters they became. If only I was around when they formed they might have been strong enough to not need the pact but I thank Saveara for giving what she could to the rest. - Gaia'' "My people will rise above their weakness, we aren't the smallest things in the universe, we will rise and triumph. - Romulus"

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