Leviathan
The most formidable of all Hexamite cosmosynths, and near-legendary for the simple reason few who encounter one return to tell of it, Leviathans are kilometers-long colossi which prowl the core of ancient Hexamite space.
As with all cosmosynths, Leviathans are something of a cross between a robot and a biological organism, a technorganic creature capable of dwelling in space its entire life. Their bodyplan resembles a gargantuan snake, with a segmented skin of shiny silver Hexamite hull-metal. Casimir nodes for warp metrics pockmark it, glowing ethereal blue from interior Cherenkov radiation, and the front opens into a massive maw of impossibly-sharp teeth capable of swallowing a warship whole. A Leviathan can contract itself somewhat, to wedge through gaps in space-borne ruins it examines. While like other cosmosynths they are not sapient, they do display a startling degree of intelligence in their actions.
While other cosmosynths, such as Krakens and Lurkers, are formidable predators in their own right, the Leviathan tops the artificial food chain. Fearing nothing, Leviathans will win any fight they start and the only thing its prey can do is flee. Consuming fellow cosmosynths, chunks of derelict structures, and the ships of unsuspecting explorers, Leviathans will assimilate useful materials such as rare metals and fusion fuels as they "digest" their meals. They hunt within the core of the former Hexamite empires, where ruins are denser and prey greater in number, constituting one reason why those areas remains largely unexplored by the peoples and cultures of Starweb space.
Originally thought a myth during the early days of Hexamite study in the Second Interstellar Period, scientists now accept the existence of Leviathans on account of verified video and sensor evidence of distant sightings of them from expeditions in various parts of Hexamite space. It is thought many explorers and paleotech treasure hunters have met their ends in a Leviathan's gaping maw, recieving a terrifying lesson that sometimes, legends are true.
As with all cosmosynths, Leviathans are something of a cross between a robot and a biological organism, a technorganic creature capable of dwelling in space its entire life. Their bodyplan resembles a gargantuan snake, with a segmented skin of shiny silver Hexamite hull-metal. Casimir nodes for warp metrics pockmark it, glowing ethereal blue from interior Cherenkov radiation, and the front opens into a massive maw of impossibly-sharp teeth capable of swallowing a warship whole. A Leviathan can contract itself somewhat, to wedge through gaps in space-borne ruins it examines. While like other cosmosynths they are not sapient, they do display a startling degree of intelligence in their actions.
While other cosmosynths, such as Krakens and Lurkers, are formidable predators in their own right, the Leviathan tops the artificial food chain. Fearing nothing, Leviathans will win any fight they start and the only thing its prey can do is flee. Consuming fellow cosmosynths, chunks of derelict structures, and the ships of unsuspecting explorers, Leviathans will assimilate useful materials such as rare metals and fusion fuels as they "digest" their meals. They hunt within the core of the former Hexamite empires, where ruins are denser and prey greater in number, constituting one reason why those areas remains largely unexplored by the peoples and cultures of Starweb space.
Originally thought a myth during the early days of Hexamite study in the Second Interstellar Period, scientists now accept the existence of Leviathans on account of verified video and sensor evidence of distant sightings of them from expeditions in various parts of Hexamite space. It is thought many explorers and paleotech treasure hunters have met their ends in a Leviathan's gaping maw, recieving a terrifying lesson that sometimes, legends are true.
Lifespan
Unknown, possibly indefinite
Average Length
Multiple kilometers
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