[Stormrift] Korr Servitors

The Korr make use of a number of alien servitors in their everyday life as well as during the invasion of earth. Korr servitors are implanted with cybernetic nanoborg technology and bioengineered and bred for maximum efficiency. The cybernetic nanoborgs deaden natural impulses such as hunger, fear, and pain, and provide the Korr with a means of control. Depending on their size, Korr servitors are fed either intravenously or orally with a nutrient paste. Korr bioengineers consider each creature to be a living work of art and no two servitors appear exactly alike.

Although Korr servitors are looked upon as little more than tools, they are not complete automatons. Living war machines such as the ganj and chark have been known to stubbornly refuse Korr commands and the verem in particular are capable of higher thought processes. The Korr punish disobedience by sending excruciating pain impulses through the host’s nanoborgs. Repeat offenders are either sent to fight in one of the Korr’s deadly games or publicly liquidated as a warning to others.

The creature descriptions below contain both the Korr name and the nickname given them by the OLS Resistance.

Arejjik (a.k.a. Motherships)
Arejjik motherships are enormous living war machines that resemble earth’s jellyfish. Arejjik float through the sky at a height of about 500 meters. Arejjik average approximately 1500 meters wide, with dozens of retractable tentacles that are capable of reaching the earth's surface in minutes. These hollow chute-like tentacles are filled with a gelatinous fluid that enables the arejjik to rapidly and safely deploy Korr ground forces like the ganj.

Arejjik serve as mobile bases for the Korr while they are away from their homeworld. An arejjik’s soft tissues are riddled with networks of tunnels and chambers that are occupied by Korr invasion forces. Arejjik are controlled from within by teams of interfaced Korr that must be frequently rotated due to fatigue.

An arejjik’s outer surface is decorated with one or more stylized identifying markings. These markings are also carved or branded upon the Korr and any servitors assigned to the vessel. Arejjik markings are also used by the OLS Resistance to track Korr forces and monitor the invasion’s progress.

It is believed that only a hundred or so motherships are participating in the invasion of North America. A few of these were destroyed outright and several were severely damaged during strategic nuclear strikes launched by earth's defenders. Prior to the earth invasion, the Korr had never lost a mothership in battle with a lesser species.

Sidebar
The OLS Resistance identifies motherships by their alien markings. Examples of mothership names include:

3-18
3. Three Trees
4. Yin-Yang
5. Ocean Waves
6. Five Eyes
7. Many Teeth
8. Rocky Mountains
9. Black Spirals
10. Medicine Wheel
11. Quetzalcoatl
12. Three Pyramids
13. Broken Moon
14. Many Stars
15. Fishhook P
16. Many Blobs
17. Black River
18. Kokopelli

Ganj (a.k.a Juggernauts)
Ganj juggernauts are giant living war machines that stand approximately 30 meters tall and measure 60 meters in length. A ganj’s head contains two curved tusks surrounded by a dozen or more tentacles. Six slender crablike legs extend from the ganj’s torso, ending in thick clawed elephantine feet that shake the earth with each step and give the ganj a long, plodding stride that is deceptively fast.

Ganj serve as frontal assault beasts and troop transports. A ganj’s soft tissues are riddled with networks of tunnels and chambers that house various assault forces including kajii and jikka flocks, chark and dimwo clusters, and bolog, sojor, and hiri teams. Organic assault bays are carved into the ganj’s underside and the ganj uses its massive tentacles to carry these forces to the ground. Ganj are controlled from within by an interfaced Korr.

In the wild, ganj are herbivores who feast on wood and wood products and the Korr sometimes reward them by letting them feed on earth’s foliage.

OLSR: These are the workhorses of the Korr army. They say you can see them coming miles away, but they’reon you before you know it. When we had tanks, artillery, ICBMs, and all that other heavy firepower, the juggernauts didn’t stand a chance. Now, if you see one, you’d better call in air support.

---Greg Holston, OLS Central Command

Kajii (a.k.a. Big Flyers or Flyers)
Kajii are living war machines that resemble winged, lizard-like crustaceans. Kajii are carnivores that measure approximately 5 meters tall and 15 meters long, (30 meters long counting the tail). They serve as aerial assault vessels that are controlled through an interface cavity located on the creature’s back. The korrital consider it a great honor to be chosen as a kajii rider. Kajii are capable of transporting a number of jikka that cling to its sides during flight.

OLSR: The bug flyers look like a cross between a crab and a dragon. Our planes are too fast for them, but I’ve seen them bring down choppers, attacking from underneath so they won’t get chewed up in the rotors. On the ground, if we see a flyer, we run for cover and try to pick them off at range. Get too close and they’ll have you for lunch. I once saw a flyer swoop down, pick my sergeant up, and then tear him in half as it circled back around for more. I don’t want to go out like that.

---Soldier Kenneth Greene, OLS Cell TN334-RG4

Jikka (a.k.a. Little Flyers)
Jikka flyers are living war machines that resemble tentacled manta rays. Jikka are omnivores that have a wingspan of approximately 2 meters and measure 5 meters long from head to tail. Jikka serve as aerial assault creatures and often accompany kajii on missions. Dozens of jikka can be controlled directly by a kajii-interfaced Korr or the jikka can be programmed to attack on their own.

OLSR: They’re not too dangerous one-on-one, but you get three or four of them on you and you’ve got problems. Us pilots hate them. The bugs send them flying straight at us to get hung up in helicopter rotors or sucked into jet engines. We’re seeing a lot more of them these days. The big flyers are no match for us in the air so the bugs are using the little ones to help even the odds.

---Pilot Sergeant Cam “Uptown” Sandhill, OLS Air Corps

Chark (a.k.a. Crushers)
Charks are living war machines that resemble blunt-headed, wormlike crustaceans. Charks are herbivores that measure about 5 meters tall and 15 meters in length. Equipped with a pair of curved, ram-like horns and capable of reaching speeds of 30 kph, charks are often used to break through defensive lines and tear down fortifications. Charks are controlled through an interface cavity located on the creature’s back and are usually accompanied by a dozen or more dimwo.

OLSR: We call them “crushers” and that’s exactly what they do. At Abingdon we had received advance notice of a bug raiding party--reports said six crushers and about three dozen crabs, but it was really about twice that many. We’d already fortified our positions, blocking off the streets with rubble and setting up ambushes at various choke points. We dug in and waited, but the bugs decided not to play our game. The crushers swarmed over the rubble and crashed headfirst through our barricades--I saw one explode through a bus that a fire team was using for cover while another demolished the church tower that housed our best snipers. With our flanks exposed, we tried to retreat and regroup, but the crushers were so fast they kept us on the run for the rest of the day as the crabs mopped up the stragglers. Only a handful of us made it out of the Abingdon alive.

---Sergeant Harold Tucker, OLS Cell MD16-11FF

Dimwo (a.k.a. Crabs or Crab Walkers)
Dimwo are living war machines that resemble giant alien lobsters. Dimwo are carnivores that measure approximately 2 meters tall and 5 meters long. Dimwo serve primarily as ground forces. They are ruthless killing machines that are easily recognized by the distinctive bone-rattle click of their legs as they walk. Dimwo are always hungry and receive -2D to all actions when in the presence of fresh kills as their appetite-suppression programs are forced to work overtime. Dozens of dimwo can be controlled directly by a chark-interfaced Korr or the dimwo can be programmed to search and destroy targets on their own.

OLSR: The crabs attack in swarms. They’re big, dumb, and brutal and they’re always hungry, so if you can get ‘em thinking about food, they’re less effective. They’re also extremely susceptible to booby traps and most of the times they’ll just walk blindly into an ambush. But they keep coming. I’ve seen them crawl over dozens of their own dead just to get mowed down themselves. Of course, all the firepower usually brings the flyers and crushers running, so I guess they serve their purpose, which is to locate our positions and flush us out.

---Sergeant Mike Ganowitz, OLS Cell GA665-YT1

Skreel (a.k.a. Stalkers or Worms)
Skreel are solitary agents of death that resemble biomechanical wormlike creatures. Skreel stand just over 2 meters tall and measure over 4 meters in length from head to tail. Although they possess only slightly greater than animal intelligence, they are skilled hunter-killers who are capable of learning and adapting to their surroundings. The stealthy skreel are most often sent to scout, infiltrate, and eliminate dangerous human targets such as charismatic generals and other leaders of the Resistance.

OLSR: I’ve only seen one of these and that was enough. I was taking a SITREP to our commanding officer, Captain Kowalski, when I heard a cry from inside her tent. I drew my sidearm and ran in only to find her impaled on the end of a stalker’s blade. I cursed and fired, but the worm cut the main post in half with one slash of its other blade and the whole tent came down around our heads. By the time the rest of C Company helped me free, Kowalski was dead and the worm was gone. We still don’t know how it penetrated our defenses.

---Sergeant Gary Rosenberg, OLS Cell SC667-43T

Bolog (a.k.a. Slugs or Slug Bags)
Bologs are living war machines that resemble giant, slug-like creatures with gelatinous, voss-filled bags on their backs. Bologs vary in size, measuring approximately 5-15 meters tall and 5-20 meters in length. Larger bologs are attended and controlled by a dozen or so verem who use attached hoses to spray voss into the surrounding area. These bolog sweep teams are deployed to hasten the destruction of earth’s cities and towns. Bologs are bred to be nonviolent and flee if attacked. Bolog sweep teams are often protected by 1d6 dimwo.

OLSR: The slugs are the source of all our problems. They make the stuff that makes stuff go kaput. They’re easy to kill, but the bugs never send them out until most of the fighting is already done. At Freedmont, some bright boy in Command got the idea to have us dig in and wait for the bugs to sweep the city and then take the slug teams out before they started spraying, which basically would have meant leaving the locals to die at the hands of crushers, crabs, and flyers. We just couldn’t do that. We managed to slow the assault and get most of the people out, but we eventually lost the city and I got busted back down to Soldier. I still think it was worth it.

---Soldier Jim Eagleton, OLS Cell TX154-Q

Sojor (a.k.a. Sweepers)
Sojor are circular, clawless crustaceans who measure approximately 2 meters tall and 5 meters long. Sojor produce a subsonic vibration in a 360 degree field that causes glass to break, and rocks and minerals to separate into smaller fragments. Sojor are attended and controlled by 2-4 verem. Sojor are usually deployed after bolog sweep teams have weakened the steel supports of surrounding structures. Sojor are bred to be nonviolent and flee if attacked.

OLSR: The bugs routed our forces at Castleton Hills, killing everyone except for the few of us who managed to hide in an old root cellar. The sweepers came in after the crushers and crabs had moved on. Trapped behind enemy lines, we decided to take them out before making a break for safety. I could feel the vibrations the sweepers put off as we maneuvered into position, but as far as I know, the sounds are harmless to the human body. The fight was over fast and we started a retreat before the bugs could send reinforcements. Unfortunately, by then, the sweeper vibrations had so weakened the surrounding buildings that three good men got caught in a collapse.

---Sergeant Frank Loma, OLS Cell GA176-RR

Hiri (a.k.a. Harvesters)
Hiri are living war machines that resemble long, centipede-like alien creatures. Hiri measure approximately 2 meters tall and 15 meters long. A hiri’s long back is covered with numerous cage-like spiny ridges that are used to store logs, lumber, and other wood products. The hiri possess two long, powerful claws that are used to sift through rubble and cut trees and lumber down to manageable size. Hiri are attended and controlled by teams of 3-6 verem. Hiri harvest teams are usually dispatched once bolog and sojor teams have reduced an area to rubble, however, they may also be found harvesting trees in the wild. Hiri are bred to be nonviolent and flee if attacked. They are often attended by 2D6 dimwo.

OLSR: Talk about efficient! Imagine a living machine that can traverse any barrier, cut down, limb, and transport trees and you’ve got a harvester. I watched three of them mow through a whole swathe of forest in just a few short hours. I wish I had one of those back when my company was logging the Northwest.

---Dustin Barnaby, Mooreland Refugee Camp

Verem (a.k.a. dogmen, bugmen, lizardmen, fishmen, molemen)
The verem are actually several races that have been enslaved by the Korr. Verem appear as emaciated humanoids implanted with Korr biotechnology. They possess animal-like intelligence, but can be programmed to perform specific tasks. Every now and then, a verem displays signs of higher independent thought and must be punished or destroyed. A few psions have noted that this type of thought appears to be present in many verem they have encountered, and there are some who believe the verem keep this carefully concealed from their Korr masters. There are currently five types of verem--canid, reptoid, insectoid, sea mammal, and burrower. It is assumed that humanity will also be added to the Korr’s collection of verem.

OLSR: The bugs from the Yin-Yang mothership had established a base in the old train yard and we’d been watching resupply hoverskiffs from the mothership for several weeks. We hit the last supply caravan just after dawn, blasting the lead skiff with IEDs and killing all of the dogmen on board. The dogmen on the other two skiffs jumped ship and tried to run as we cut them down. I know they’re just slaves, but they’re helping the enemy so we can’t get too sentimental. Anyway, they’re supposed to be near-mindless and entirely concerned about their own self-preservation. Funny thing though, I had one of them in my sights and he wasn’t a drone like the rest of them. He seemed to be herding the others, almost as if he was trying to get them to safety. It caught me off guard seeing one act that way and by the time I lined up my shot, he and his followers had disappeared into the woods.

---Sergeant Jeff Womack, OLS Cell NJ66703-44G