Nell

## Introduction

Long, long ago when humanity had barely arisen to send out generational starships and started to stand up from the cradle their world fell under the sights of creatures that they could have only barely comprehended. The powers that were at the time such as the United States, Russian Federation and People's Republic of China set aside their differences and led the world into a golden age of technological prosperity and economic growth that dwarfed previous generations. In 2046, the human race had introduced Power Armor into their special forces, mastered the art of creating artificial intelligences that could pass a Turing test, created a nutritional plentitude that left no one hungry and crime had been reduced to all-time lows. Peace across the globe had been achieved and it seemed humanity was destined to gallantly march for supremacy among the stars.

When the Nell attacked, they first sent covert operatives to plant explosives and devices that, when finally set off, wreaked havoc among communications and quickly shut down the world's ability to command their armies. Within hours, humanity's commanders were crippled as an unknown threat suddenly spurred the world and shook it to its foundations. Bombardments began from orbit before most could even scramble their fighters into the air to mount a defense, soldiers were deposited directly into cities from above, and hounds were released into the countryside to hunt those that either managed to flee or simply were in the right place at the right time.

In but forty-eight hours, humanity's militaries had been all but subdued and entire governments brought to heel by the new invaders. Tanks had been smashed apart as if they were paper mache, planes ripped out of the skies like bothersome gnats and infantry swept aside in mass numbers that quickly put the culmination of both world wars to shame. During that time there had been no chance to implement a way to defeat them as the Nell quickly swarmed anything that could have been used to oppose them and demolished or repurposed it for their use.

And so, the powers that were began to flee and commanded their soldiers away from their otherwise typical objectives as the human race was plunged into a dark age. A guerrilla war began with soldiers primarily focusing on liberating small towns or evacuating what civilians that they could get to. Standing side by side with former prisoners, terrorists, civilians who had never even seen a gun before and even children in some cases, humanity fought tooth and nail before quietly retreating into the darkness to lick their wounds while the seemingly new overlords came down to colonize their world.

It was when the Nell began to finally descend from orbit with their vessels that humanity launched an all-or-nothing attack from below. Weather balloons designed not to appear on most sensors and designed to move quickly provided an exceptional method of getting aboard the alien starships. With many of those individuals knowingly sentencing themselves to death, be it at the hands of the Nell or by their own nuclear payloads that they delivered to various systems inside the ship, many parents said their goodbyes to their children that day. The payloads were delivered with a resounding effect across the Nell fleet and their might was crippled with their newfound lack for control over the skies.

After being dragged into the metaphorical mud alongside humanity, the two species engaged in brutal conflict across the globe. Humans liberated captives while the Nell sought to exterminate them, lines were drawn in the sand and inevitably the war for survival continued. Many years after, humanity established new city states when the Nell threat seemed to be exterminated and once more fell upon old ways of fighting with each other over dwindling resources and precious scraps of technology that were once plentiful. The very idea of Nell faded into myth and legend only to arise a few decades later with the Nell having finished construction of a battleship in London in an attempt to regain control over the skies.

The combined efforts of many heroes led to that battleship's destruction as well. Soon followed the death of the Regent and the Nell Archon went missing in action. With their most powerful psions neutralized, many Commanders were thrown into disarray and the combined efforts of the Dravin, humans on Earth and the assistance from other colonies sent out long ago on generational starships aided in their annihilation.

## Constructs and Types of Nell

### Commanders

Little is known about Nell Commanders and Overlords specifically though humanity does know they are of the same species, and merely different social ranks. They are exceptionally tall, standing nearly fifteen feet high, well-built but not overtly muscular and capable of squeezing a metal pipe hard enough to cause it to collapse. Though they are physically imposing, especially to the average human, Nell Commanders rarely if ever use physical violence to impose their will.

Instead, Nell Commanders tend to engage targets without even moving to dodge incoming gunfire. They are more prone to merely standing in one place in a comfortable position, typically a neutral one, using telekinesis to prevent attacks from ever reaching them. When attacked up close with hand to hand weaponry they will extend a hand forwards as if to grab the blade or to stop the impact but instead typically create a small physical barrier via the use of telekinesis to stop the weapon from reaching them. Gunfire has similarly been met with more telekinetic barriers to prevent it from reaching the target underneath.

Curiously, Nell Commanders have been noted to be exceptionally hardy creatures. Even when soldiers were able to get past the telekinetic barriers the typical American soldier could unload his entire magazine into his foe until his own ammunition reserves, as well as that of several of his squad mates, were depleted and a Commander could at times still stand back up and end him as well as the remainder of his squad. Nell Commanders never seem to become ill to disease though it is uncertain of if it is due to their station in the hierarchy of the Nell or if it is because the Commanders themselves possess some sort of inherent ability to resist diseases.

Almost any time one of these foes has been seen in battle and a report was able to be gathered back to friendly intelligence divisions it was due to a drone witnessing the slaughter of an entire platoon of soldiers. On the battlefield these creatures use their psionic abilities to control fire, move objects with their minds, create and harness raw electrical power in the form of lightning and in post war scenarios have caused enemies to mentally break long before a fight has ever begun.

Nell Commanders physiologically are not remarkably different from humans. They lack an appendix, gallbladder and spleen however; hinting that their diet is markedly different or at least ancestrally different. Whereas humans have two lungs, Nell Commanders have four and require only one to remain alive and in fighting condition. They possess two hearts of which they only require one, a highly efficient liver which can be exceptionally damaged before it ceases functioning and a highly developed frontal cortex which unlike humans have several regions which are not defined in human anatomy books. These regions have been proposed to be the centers for control over their psionic influences however this idea was discarded after Nell Commanders were witnessed being injured in these areas heavily enough that high levels of damage were undeniable and still using their psionic abilities.

A Nell Commander’s mere presence can be debilitating to not only an army but an entire populace. Even before the war’s end, when all humans were ‘psionically deaf’ a Nell Commander’s psychic influence at night could cause night terrors, sleep paralysis and bedwetting in adults while children most often merely perished after severe brain hemorrhaging. Children that did survive the hemorrhaging often complained even years later of intense headaches and night terrors though most never developed psychic powers; throwing out multiple hypothesizes as to the reasoning behind such terror tactics. In daylight hours, when more adults were awake to report their findings to local authorities, a Commander’s presence would more often cause irritability, intense migraines, increased aggression and suicidal thoughts in some individuals. Specifically before battle almost every soldier felt a feeling of intense dread and hopelessness when a Commander was to be involved in the fight.

In the post apocalypse almost no one has ever seen a Nell Commander though with the rise of human and mutated psychics many have felt their presence. Such mental powers have at once opened up the possibilities of a new method of warfare against the Commanders but have also likewise opened new opportunities to make humanity vulnerable against a Commander’s psionic attacks through telepathic means.

Nell Commanders have a significant weakness in their overall tactics and grand stratagems however. When killed, the bestial nature of the Soldiers, Hounds and other such beings that they typically influence psychically in order to maintain control typically engage one another in fights for dominance. This is not always the case as sometimes Hive guards, other Commanders and such ‘higher ranked’ units will take command however they too will be disorganized and fight less effectively. Since seeing a Commander is so rare it is more often than not that they must hide their presence in the post-apocalyptic jungles and wastelands, avoid detection and cause chaos rather than engaging directly.

### Hounds

Nell Hounds are not extremely dangerous when confronted directly but instead dangerous in their lairs where they may ambush their prey or when they have the advantage of sneaking up on their opponents. These ambush predators were used during the war in a manner akin to human forces using dogs to find high value targets, explosives and other such devices. A Nell Hound typically does not operate alone when feral; instead preferring to gang up on a single and isolated enemy to bring them down quickly and quietly using pack tactics. When this method fails the Nell Hounds will typically retreat unless they cannot or if their lair is threatened. In these cases they will instead rush recklessly towards the foe in an attempt to bring it down through brute force and swarm tactics.

Like the Nell Soldiers that were their handlers the Nell Hounds see in infrared. Unlike them however they also see in ultraviolet light which gives them an incredible range of color that humans cannot naturally perceive. Their skin is leathery and scaly around the joints which provide them a distinct resistance to knives and low caliber handguns but this resistance is negligible to most soldiers on the battlefield whom come armed with rifles and higher calibers of weaponry. They are capable of climbing on any surface; even upside down on glass. Hounds will use this capability to lay in wait for ambushes inside their nest where they hide with the resins that they secrete when there are no Nell Soldiers to stop them or when there is simply enough time for them to do so.

The resin that the Hounds secrete appears to be vaguely similar to how ants seal their nests. It is extremely hard and nearly bulletproof to most weapons humans have made. It is, however, also incredibly flammable. The Hounds use this resin to restrain individuals that they capture or whom have survived their attacks. While these individuals are restrained other Nell Hounds, known colloquially as Brood Mothers, will approach them and use their stinger to implant eggs beneath the surface of their skin. These eggs will eventually hatch and consume the prey from the inside out; taking careful care not to puncture any major organs or damage any arteries in order to prevent the prey from dying and thus denying the Hounds the full access of its meat and organs.

Brood Mothers are larger and more calculating than their smaller cousins though they appear only in feral hives rather than Nell controlled hives. It is theorized that the Nell domesticated this species and grow them much like the Soldiers are grown but this is speculation. Regardless, a Brood Mother can pose a serious threat even when alone and are incredibly resilient to all forms of damage including modern firearms.

### Soldiers

Nell Soldiers are more common than any Nell unit except for the Hounds. They stand nearly ten feet in height; shy by only an inch. Their proportions are similar to that of a gorilla and their eyes are the biological equivalent of thermal imaging. Highly aggressive and brutish; under the command of the Nell these creatures are capable of inflicting intense amounts of devastation upon targets.

It has been determined that Nell Soldiers are not naturally occurring instances of creatures or at least not natural anymore. Scouting missions and assaults to the interior of Nell occupied structures as well as the alien starships have revealed that Nell Soldiers are constructed inside fleshy pods that almost resemble pustules. Eventually when the creature is fully grown the pod bursts open and amniotic fluid spills as the newly ‘born’ soldier rips a chunk of flesh from one of the walls which in turn becomes its primary weapon in a matter of minutes. It is unknown how this change from simple materials to a fully functioning weapon platform occurs but it has been denoted that ‘armories’ are not something Nell ships and structures have other than for the storage of ammunition and unused explosives.

The workhorse of the Nell armies are covered in an extremely resilient leathery surface with a pseudo-exoskeleton underneath. This pseudo-exoskeleton retains all the flexibility of an endoskeleton by sacrificing more protection in the joints but also covers their vital organs and major arteries. Unlike humans where a single well placed bullet can kill it often takes entire magazines of ammunition to reliably crack open a Nell Soldier’s carapace and deal damage to the internals that lay beneath.

The tactical ingenuity of a Soldier varies on its surroundings and if it has leadership nearby. A single Nell Soldier is a threat only because of its capability to take incredible amounts of physical punishment and its raw damage potential. In groups without significant leadership they resemble a wolf pack in tactical brilliance; easily overcome and defeated provided the right numbers and equipment are readily available. However when they are combined with a Hive Guard or with a Commander their tactical brilliance can exceed some of the most experienced soldiers and under the careful guidance of their overlords they can be used to devastating effect against most targets.

Another variation of the Nell Soldier, called the Hive Guard, was spotted during the initial invasion and have been spotted in the post apocalypse by travelers. These Hive Guard are larger and more imposing than their Soldier brethren; typically coming armed with a plasma cannon rather than a rifle or with a plasma blade instead. They are cunning and capable of thinking independently unlike the common Nell Soldier. However these creatures are not seen outside of well-established Hives which in turn leads human scientists and Nell enthusiasts to speculate about their involvement within the Nell hierarchy as well as their role in the society. The most commonly accepted answer is that the Hive Guard is merely a more heavily modified and more autonomous version of the Soldier but with the added capability of commanding troops into battle. These soldiers also seem to be extremely capable shock troops though this role in combat was discarded after repeated observations of Nell Soldiers being the only troops on the battlefield in initial engagements rather than Hive Guards.

The Nell Soldier can also regress in society and become a Nell Berserker. Berserkers are primal and feral Nell Soldiers; indicating that without the leadership of the Nell Overlords and Commanders the collective of species would eventually regress to a primal state. Berserkers forsake their weapons in favor of their claws. They are far larger than even the Hive Guard and their exoskeleton is exceptionally tough even among Nell infantry. While their tactics are simple or even nonexistent they are effective simply due to the amount of brute force they are capable of exerting.

### Skitterits

The race enslaved by the Nell that was incapable of being psionically dominated are known as the Skitterits. They are a cowardly race but intelligent; forming the Nell’s core group of engineers and mechanics where their biological horrors cannot outperform machines. As a species the Skitterits are naturally curious, innocuous and have a fascination with all things mechanical.

Unlike the other species within the Nell collective, Skitterits retain their own senses of identity and are hypothesized to not be psychically dominated by the Commanders and Overlords. None of these creatures have ever shown any inkling of capability with psionic crafts. Instead, the Skitterits are born within a small hive that typically resembles an ant hill inside and on the outside resembles a ball of flesh and metal suspended in the air by an antigravity field. It is unknown how these creatures generate these fields however it is known that when walking against a ball, gravity shifts to accommodate the user while simultaneously not affecting the surrounding area or the planet’s gravity. Walking on or in a Skitterit hive is a usually dizzying experience for humans.

Skitterits stand roughly six feet tall at the largest. They are slim in build and generally are mistaken for robots at a distance.

## Excerpts from Media

Corporal Matthews

Private Jones

Unknown Authors