Anakarith (Rith)

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The namesake of the universe the Anakarith or as most people of the stories shorten the name to just the Rith. The Anakarith have long been a threat in the universe. At first nothing was known of them until Earth was hit by an infestation. These creatures are suspected to be the missing link between insects, arthropods and crustaceans. What is currently understood by humans is the Rith invade worlds with their capability to shut off almost all their body's functions and drift in space until they arrive on new worlds. Their ability to do such is much similar to tardigrade's ability to survive in the harshest environments and conditions.

## The Rith Life Cycle

The Rith abilities make them a frightening opponent. When left alone in their natural state rith resemble an Eurypterid (sea scorpion), they are nonaggressive in this natural state and simply hunt smaller animals and feed off some plant matter. One the swarm mentality sets in however they quickly become a new beast altogether. It is not certain what triggers the swarm behavior but famine and drought are suspected causes.

Once the swarm begins they undergo various changes. The wyrm the most typical form of the rith being the Eurypterid form begins to grow six legs in place of its flippers and primitive walking legs. Once this metamorphosis is complete it enters the broodling stage. A six legged creature with large grasping claws. A hard raised crest on its forehead grows to help protect the creature from attacks by prey and predators. The ridges on its back harden and grow larger providing more protection as well. The broodling is the second most common seen form of the rith. At this stage of the swarm broodlings and wyrm begin to gather food and store it away. The rith gather feeding off the gathered rations and if the famine continues they grow more aggressive and begin to prey on larger animals by sheer power of numbers.

A swarm will enter a third stage where the broodlings will wrap themselves in cocoons and emerge as soldiers. This form they resemble a praying mantis. they lose all their aquatic appendages though their tail remains lobster like allowing them mobility in water. They still possess gills as well. The once grasping pincers become sickle like claws used for killing prey and protecting the swarm. At this point more wyrm become broodling to replace the numbers lost to soldier morphing. The broodlings take on a new role at this stage of the swarming. They stop foraging and begin to build a nest. They breed and their young hatch directly into the broodling stage skipping the wyrm phase. the soldiers forage and protect the nest.

If no relief from the famine is found at this point the swarm begins a new phase. The strongest of the broodlings will breed at the center of the nest laying eggs until a queen egg is created. It is at this point that the swarm enters into its first stages towards the deadliest levels. the lesser broodlings outside the central nest begin to build a hive around the nest. The broodlings at the center of the nest will enter a cocoon stage once a queen hatches. They will emerge as generals. Much larger broodlings with pheromone glands capable of spreading their chemicals far into the surrounding land. The pheromones are designed to control insect, arthropod, and crustacean life forms. These creatures will fall under the swarm's control. The hive is built larger as the queen grows and the swarm takes over other life forms. Any controlled animals will be used to forage and protect the hive and as needed they will be fed to the queen and young.

The pheromones released by the rith make them further dangerous from the effect it has on susceptible creatures. It will cause a growth spurt and the creatures become more aggressive. Often the effected grow the six eye arrangement the rith possess as well in addition to their nature form. These swarm effected creatures will never recover from this change and if the hive dies these creatures are left with no generals controlling them. They will simply remain motionless until they die of starvation or killed by other creatures.

The final and deadliest stage is reached when the swarm having exhausted the resources about them begin to turn on one another. Rival hives are swarmed and used to feed the queen. She will begin to lay other queen eggs and drones. As the desperation for food continues the hive will begin to sacrifice its own to the queen and the young. Once capable of flight the drones will carry off the young queens for them to colonize other areas. Although these new queens will lay wyrm eggs starting the cycle over. If the area they colonize is rich in resources the queen will not be attended to and in time she will die as well as her drone guards leaving only the wyrm to survive and end the swarm phase.

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