Leviathans

The **Leviathans** are an ancient aquatic race that dominated the galaxy in the time before the Reapers. Proud and aloof, they regarded themselves as the galaxy's first and only apex race, and think of other races as mere tools meant to serve them. With the advent of the Reapers, the Leviathans were forced into hiding to preserve themselves, and were content to observe the Reapers' harvests while surreptitiously erasing any evidence of their existence over the course of hundreds of millions of years.

## Biology

Like the Reapers that were designed after them, the Leviathans are massive in size and possess a resemblance to Earth cuttlefish or squid. Two sets of three eyes are embedded symmetrically on the lower ventral surface of the body. Several tentacle-like appendages extend below the body and from the sides. The Leviathans' exterior is covered in bony, heavily ridged plates. As Leviathans are aquatic, it is believed that they can breathe oxygenated water and their bodies can withstand both the extreme pressure of ocean depths and the lesser pressure of coastal areas. Members of the race have been witnessed at depths of over 3200 meters.

The Leviathans possess the natural ability to influence the behaviors of lesser-minded organisms to the point of complete physical and mental control, an effect that is similar to indoctrination. They can use this ability to communicate with other beings in a manner similar to telepathy, as well as to turn them into thralls. The exact mechanics of this ability are unknown, but it has been compared to the rachni's theorized ability to communicate using an organic quantum entanglement communicator analogue that stimulates neural activity. Over-exertion of this mind-control ability causes nosebleeds in humans, and in extreme cases can lead to brain damage and death.

It is possible that the Leviathans further enhanced themselves cybernetically, allowing them to use element zero to travel through space and breathe air with the use of filtration systems. In addition, their faster-than-light communication pulses require precise control with technology completely unknown to modern science.

## History

### Rise

The early history of the Leviathans is completely unknown, but it is speculated by Task Force Aurora that they evolved on an unknown planet that also produced at least one other sapient species. The Leviathans developed the ability to communicate with and dominate land-based sapient species to serve their purposes.

Eventually, the Leviathans utilized this thrall species' civilization to achieve spaceflight and spread throughout the galaxy, despite their immense size and aquatic nature. Every new species they encountered was enthralled to serve them and provide "tribute", and in return, the thralls were cared for and protected. With their dominance assured, Leviathans considered themselves the galaxy's apex race. Over time, however, they observed that their thralls would frequently build synthetic constructs to aid them; these synthetics consistently rebelled, wiping out many thrall species. In response, the Leviathans created an Intelligence with the mandate to preserve life at all costs.

### Betrayal

The Leviathans failed to perceive the Intelligence as a threat; they considered it nothing more than another tool to achieve a set goal. As the Intelligence sought out the means to fulfill its mandate, it created an army of pawns that were dispatched to collect genetic data from species throughout the galaxy, much like the Collectors employed by the Reapers in modern times. Eventually, the Intelligence came to the conclusion that the Leviathans themselves were part of the problem, and turned against them.

The Intelligence's betrayal of its creators was sudden and devastating. Its pawns slaughtered most of the Leviathans, using their genetic material to create the very first Reaper, Harbinger, who was physically designed after the Leviathans themselves. The surviving Leviathans went into hiding, while the Intelligence used Harbinger to begin the cyclical harvest of the galaxy's species to create more Reapers, all in an effort to solve the problem of preserving life. The Leviathans acknowledge the Intelligence still serves its purpose as a tool, but they believe it has not fulfilled its purpose of preserving life.

As the Leviathans hid, they surreptitiously enthralled subsequent species to erase the remaining evidence of their existence. Resigned to the Reapers' reign, they focused their efforts on ensuring the survival of their species, watching the galaxy through organic "artifacts" for signs of their discovery. Though they had the power to destroy Reapers, demonstrated when they killed the Leviathan of Dis, the Leviathans declined to aid the galaxy's species against the Reapers.

## Culture

Virtually nothing was known of the Leviathans before Commander Shepard's encounter with them. No record of the Leviathans' true name exists, no ruins are attributed to their civilization, and no influence on other races has been recorded. The only traces of their existence known to remain are ancient rock paintings depicting them on Namakli and numerous mysterious "artifacts" scattered across the galaxy. The Leviathans refer to these artifacts as "fragments".

## Technology

Technologically, the Leviathans claim and are believed to be extremely advanced, even more so than the Reapers. They have the capacity to direct faster-than-light communication pulses via a method unknown to modern science and created many organic, opalescent "artifacts" through which they can communicate, control thralls, and observe the galaxy. The Leviathans' ability to develop and use organic tools has been compared to the Thorian, which similarly evolved to eschew the conventional technology depended on by other sapient species.