The Ignus

   The Ignus are a race of giant, centipede-like monsters. They crawl upon scores of razor-sharp talons, one pair sprouting from every segment of their elongated bodies. Their huge, gaping mouths are crammed with innumerous fangs, specially designed to lacerate raw flesh. They are amongst the oldest of the known universe’s sentient creations, and their exerted influence over the galaxy dates back to the days of the Ancient Ignus War (one of the dawning chapters of recorded history itself), where they immediately earned the notoriety of being ruthless instruments of Chaos.

      Special Note: Since then, the word Ignus has become synonymous with that of unspeakable agony and death. Their story is one of unmitigated carnage and disaster to the more "civilized" races of the known universe, and, for that reason, will not appear in these pages. It is of too much emotional pain for the typical Union citizen to be discussed so informally. Those interested in scholarly appreciation of the Ancient Ignus War should seek reference in The book of Krad.

      The emphasis upon their evolution has been that of predation, and this is the driving purpose of every Ignus’s existence. As their bodies absorb nutrition, they rapidly grow into larger, more lethal killing machines. More talons sprout from an ever increasing number of segments lining the underside of their armored bellies, and their brains develop to higher levels of neurological sophistication. The smallest of them are only able to follow simple, instructional procedures, while the largest possess an intensely shrewd, almost genius cunning.

      Their society follows a strict, hierarchical order, and manifests little more than a loosely knit collection of self-sustaining feudalistic communities. Each Ignus starship operates as an individual, self-sustaining “city” that spends its time lurking about the galaxy in its insatiable hunger for blood and fresh meat.

      There is never more than one individual in command aboard an Ignus vessel; for, if there are ever any two Ignus of near-identical size within relative proximity of each other, ferocious territorial instincts enflame into savage violence until one finally rests within the other’s belly. Even their young are forced to feed upon another, as they hatch from their eggs [that were implanted in the unconsumed carcasses of organisms overwhelmed with hunger.

      The largest amongst their immediate society (generally ranging between 50 and 100 meters in length) always gets the lion’s share of every plunder. He exercises absolute authority over his underlings, which are smaller and mostly haven’t yet matured into fully sentient organisms. In this fashion, the Ignus civilization is almost completely stagnant: those largest and most well fed only continue to grow larger, while those last in the picking order of every successful hunt remain largely undernourished inferiors.

      Though the Ignus never die of age, nor reach any maximum of size, their most gargantuan specimens have long since burrowed beneath the surfaces of their many planets. Having secured their positions of authority, and with no further need to grow any larger, they lay in a dormant state of perfect hibernation, awakening only once every few centuries to feed their massive bodies.

      In the Neo Ignus war, their race arose to a whole new tier of destructive potential. Through duplicitous means, they acquired a vast armada of powerful war ships bristling with devastating weapons. Because of their highly aggressive nature and well-armed battle cruisers, it is notoriously unwise to travel through Ignus space. Countless tales circulate amongst Union freelancers depicting the horrific fates of those who’ve succumbed to the brutal feasting rituals of their species.