Krogan

The **krogan** are a bipedal, reptillian species native to the harsh world of Tuchanka.

## Physiology

Krogan are highly adapted to the unforgiving world from which they originate. Their eyes are set wide, like prey animals, giving them a 240 degree range of vision. They have narrow pupils, and the irises can be a variety of colors including red, green, amber, or blue.

The large shoulder humps of the krogan store fluids and nutrients, allowing krogan to extend long periods without food or water. Larger humps were seen as a status symbol, indicating that a krogan was skilled at hunting. The thick, scaly skin of the krogan is practically impossible to cut -- leaving them practically impervious to scrapes, contusions, and other mild kinetic damage. They are also highly resistant to environmental dangers, including poisons, radiation, and extreme temperatures. Because of their resistances, the krogan diet includes substances that would be dangerous or fatal to other species.

The most amazing feature of krogan biology is their "back up system" -- they have multiple instances of major organs, which activate if the primary organ is too damaged to continue to function properly. They have two hearts, four lung, and four testicles (which they may colloquially refer to as a "quad"). They also have a secondary nervous system through the use of neuroconductive fluids, which makes it practically impossible to paralyze or numb them. When wounded, krogan may secrete a yellow or orange fluid -- one of these fluids is blood, whereas the other is likely to be the neuroconductive fluid.

Krogan may enter a "blood rage" which renders them completely unable to feel pain -- in this state, they will continue fighting until death, though they lose the ability to think logically or control themselves.

The average krogan stands over 7 feet tall, and generally weighs between 150 and 200 kilos. Some krogan have even been recorded as weighing up to 362 kilos.

Before the genophage, krogan could reproduce and develop at an incredible rate. Females of the species could produce clutches of up to 1,000 eggs over the course of just one cycle. Throughout the years of the genophage, krogan biology slowly began to adapt to the virus -- however, it still meant their reproductive rate was much slower. The odds of producing two females stood at roughly 1 in 2,000.

Young krogan have yellow or green markings on their skin, which naturally darken to brown as they age. The plates on their heads are also loose as they are growing, with soft spots in between. These plates tighten as the krogan grows but the soft spot in between never quite goes away -- leading to one natural weakness that may be exploited if one has a thin enough knife. The natural krogan lifespan is centuries -- many living even more than a thousand cycles.

it is extremely rare for any krogan to have psionic potential -- when it does exist it is always biotic in nature and due to exposure to Element Zero. Biotic krogan have remarkably strong abilities.

## History

The ancient krogan had a rich culture full of artistic and architectural accomplishments. However, once they became industrialized their population exploded -- far surpassing the limited resources of their homeworld. Wars became common as they fought over resources.

Around 11,000 BCE the krogan developed nuclear technology. Shortly after this, a global war broke out. Weapons of mass destruction were used, turning Tuchanka into a radioactive, post-apocalyptic wasteland. In the nuclear winter that followed, the krogan became primitive warring clans. They continued like this until they were encountered by the salarians. The salarians helped to uplift the krogan by giving them advanced technology and relocating them to another planet. The salarians even helped stabilized Tuchanka's atmosphere through use of the Shroud.

The salarians did have another motive for their help -- they wanted the krogan to assist in the war that the Citadel Council was waging against the rachni. This was a success -- within two generations, the krogan had reproduced and created a large enough population boom that they were able to drive back the rachni. The krogan were declared heroes, and the Krogan Monument was built in the Citadel.

But the krogan population continued to grow. Overcrowded and once again running out of resources, the krogan forciby expanded their territory. Many of the worlds they conquered were already inhabited by species loyal to the Citadel. Eventually the krogan settled on Lusia, an asari colony world -- which proved to be the final straw. A new war began.

The Krogan Rebellions continued for almost three hundred cycles. Eventually the Citadel Council turned to the Turian Hierarchy. Ultimately, the turians unleashed a plague that the salarians had engineered -- the genophage. This quelled the numbers of the krogans -- only one in every thousand births resulted in live offspring. The krogan were forced to surrender.

The krogan population continued to decline for a thousand cycles, as they were ravaged by the genophage. By 2985 CE, the krogan seemed to be evolving against the genophage -- though the possibility of their extinction still hung over them. In order to prevent the devastating population boom from before the genophage, Mordin Solus introduced a variation of the plague that allowed for a viable population but still kept things under control. It soon became clear that the real reason the krogan population continued to dwindle was not the birth rate but that they were convinced that they were headed to extinction and so spent much of their time seeking out fights -- fatalism was killing the krogan.

In 2986 CE, Commander Shepard helped to cure the genophage in order to convince the krogan to help the turians defend their homeworld against the Reapers. Following the Reaper invasion, the krogan set to rebuilding on their homeworld of Tuchanka.

## Culture

The krogan respect strength, self-reliance, and independence. In disagreements, they will sometimes go so far to headbutt each other to assert dominance. Krogan are highly territorial, and have trouble sharing quarters aboard starships.

The worst insult krogans have is to call someone "not worth killing."

As a result of the genophage, krogan are incredibly fatalistic. They feel they have no future, and therefore are willing and eager to charge into virtually any fight. With the genophage cured, this attitude changed dramatically as the krogan worked together to rebuild Tuchanka.

Female krogan rarely leave their homeworld. Especially during the years of the genophage, they focused on breeding to prevent the species from dying out. Krogan children are kept with their mothers, only occasionally sent to males for training. A krogan male can claim their offspring by requesting the right of parentage but this is very rare.

Naming a young krogan is a unique tradition -- the krogan males get drunk sovak juice and have belching contests. Whatever belch sounds like a word is chosen for the young krogan's name.

### Religion

Krogan are not typically religious, though they do have ritualistic burial grounds which they call Hollows. In these places, the skulls of their ancestors are displayed. Violence is forbidden in the Hollows. Krogan do believe in an afterlife -- they believe after death they go into the Void, except for the most honorable warriors who enter Kruban.

If a krogan commits suicide, they are left for scavengers to feed on. Otherwise, funerals typically involve a funeral pyre.

Ancient krogan did worship some deities, including Vaul.

### Rites

Despite not being religious, there are many rituals in krogan culture. When a krogan is born, they suffer through the Rite of Life. When they come of age, they undergo the Rite of Passage. To be considered for breeding, a krogan must go through the Rite of Honor. When facing a new enemy, they engage in the Rite of Firsts. When two krogan fight each other, the Rite of Union can be used to end the quarrel and bind them together. One can usurp the leader of a krogan clan through the Rite of Authority.

Most rites must be conducted by a clan's shaman. The shaman can be of any gender but must undergo lengthy and torturous rites to achieve that status.

### Government

Krogan leadership is fractured -- especially following the Krogan Rebellions. Each warlord generally has no more than a thousand warriors at their command. Following the genophage's cure, one of the primary goals of the krogan was to unify.

One of the many nation-states on Tuchanka was the Republic of Ghurst.

There are large number of krogan clans -- including:

* Clan Bragus
* Clan Dahmbra
* Clan Drau
* Clan Forsan
* Clan Ganar
* Clan Gatatong
* Clan Graken
* Clan Gulnaz
* Clan Hailot
* Clan Jair
* Clan Jorgal
* Clan Jurdon
* Clan Kariss
* Clan Khel
* Clan Kohrr
* Clan Kormer
* Clan Korten
* Clan Nakmor
* Clan Quash
* Clan Raik
* Clan Ravanor
* Clan Talyth
* Clan Thax
* Clan Urdnot
* Clan Weyrloc
* Clan Wik

## Source

The krogan are derived from *Mass Effect*.