Muuth (Species)

Muuth are an insectoid species in the Republic of Federated Planets that has served as an integral aspect of the Republics industry by organising the Yptaera.

## General

The Muuth are a coleoptera like species that have several distinct life stages, starting as a parasitic larva that grows within the head cavity of other insectoid species, growing over the course of several years into a grub. Once fully gestated the larva turned grub kills its host by consuming their brain, before burrowing underground in search of roots to latch onto and feed from. Muuth grubs are a rare sight in the Republic, as most still opt to stay on Skxch (Vian). After several decades the Muuth grubs enter a pupal stage which ends when they emerge as a large beetle like insectoid.

The Muuth rose to dominance after millennia developing a distinct culture in their extensive burrows, carving glyphs into the roots of the largest canopy trees in the jungles of Skxch (Vian), and philosophising deeply about the nature of existence. Muuth society changed drastically with their cultivation of the Yptaera, utilising their larval stage as an interface whereby Muuth grubs could communicate with the larvae, which in turn could use their brain-merge to communicate with the Yptaera colony via pheromone.

By harnessing the Yptaera the Muuth were able to circumvent their severely limited forms, and begin the long climb to civilization. Originally a sporadically discovered innovation, several early stable Muuth societies arose fueled by the industry of the Yptaera, and soon these societies came to dominate large regions of the Muuth & Yptaera's origin jungle. After many wars, and societal shifts, each leading to more sophistication, the Council of Skxch rose to dominate Skxch (Vian), recognising Xks as Emperor, starting the Empire of Xks, and the subsequent chain of emperors that would lead to the Muuth colonising multiple planets, and coming in contact with the Skx Chx (Nova Hierarchy).

### Larvae

Muuth larvae are uniquely adapted to interface with their host's brain, allowing them to communicate directly through their thin skin, allowing the host and larvae to merge for the duration of the gestation, in what they describe as a symbiotic relationship.

### Grub

Muuth grubs are predominantly a large fatty brain, with a thin skin, a specialised boring ovipositor/proboscis and specialised burrowing limbs. Muuth grubs are responsible for laying eggs in the brains of insects gathered by the adult beetles, as well as using the same tool to burrow and feed on the saps of tree roots. Muuth grubs are all female, and the adult beetles all male, requiring that the laid eggs be inseminated by the beetles after being laid.

The longest stage in the Muuth lifecycle, a grub usually lives for between 2 and 3 centuries.

### Pupae

Muuth pupae are armoured and erupt after several months in an adult Muuth beetle. During pupation the grub undergoes a sex change, transitioning from female to male.

### Beetle

Muuth beetles are responsible for finding and disabling prey for impregnation by Muuth grubs, before they can inseminate the impregnated prey, and return to the surface to hunt further.

## First Warp

The Muuth achieved their first warp during the Empire of Kchx, on year -859, in orbit of Skxch (Vian) travelling along the warp way between Skxch (Vian) and Skxch Chx (Vipor) in a round trip that took over 3 years.

## First Contact War, Nova Hierarchy & Empire of Kchx

In a war between the Empire of Kchx and the Nova Hierarchy, started after the Nova Hierarchy colonised too close to the Empire of Kchx, and on a planet the Council of Skxch decreed to be within Council of Skxch territory, the Empire of Kchx attacked the Nova Hierarchy colony. Given how capable the Chkx (Yptaera) are as warriors, and the power of the Empire of Kchx beetle ships the Nova Hierarchy proved unable to fight the Empire of Kchx, and rapidly lost first  Skxch Chk (Gau Seti), then Skxch Xchks (Tharo ), and finally Skxch Chsk (Navuli ), before ending over Skxch Xkchx (Nova) with the arrival of the Republic of Federated Planets, and their subsequent blockade of Skxch Xkchx (Nova), and enactment of the first contact protocol.