Krimm (sophont)
| Krimm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Base Information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Parasitic ergivore | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Minor Race | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locomotion | Floater | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Terrain | Incorporeal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Body Form | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confluence | Non-humanoid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bio-Identenoid | Alien | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Culture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Languages | Native Language | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Social Structure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technological Epoch | TL:16-18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Psionic potential | High | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin World | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Homeworld location | Dliaazh (Touchstone Kyahiyleakhaw) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UWP | X99A000-0
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| Primary Star | F7 V | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Atmosphere | Dense (tainted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Off-world presence | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zoetic individuals | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reference | Michael J. Maley. High Tortuga | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canon | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Also see | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Krimm are a minor race of free-living, disembodied intelligences native to Touchstone Sector.
Description (Specifications)
Also called psi-jacks or mindworms, they are a minor race of free-living, disembodied intelligences native to Dliaazh/Kyahiyleakhaw (Touchstone 1401) in human designation. The Krimm are a retrogressed society, once possessed of advanced technology, but now a dying race reduced to less than a thousand corporeal individuals living in primitive squalor. Meanwhile, countless Krimm exist in a disembodied form gone wrong: possessed with immortality, but with little to no way of affecting the physical world.
Physiology & Environment (Ecology)
Krimm are descended from a large, arboreal omnivore. Some human explorers have conjectured that the Krimm may have evolved from local life forms similar to Terran squirrels. They never achieved star flight and dedicated their effort into improving their world and quality of life.
Though immortal, the Krimm require periodic release from their hosts to feed off free energy (once every two months). This necessity causes the Krimm to either change hosts after feeding or to come to some accommodation with their hosts.
They can also be driven off and damaged by the energy used in psi shields; as well as being contained by psi shielding (such as use of a Psionic Shield Helmet). Telepaths can also attack them, a successful attack usually being fatal to the Krimm.
Psi users cannot be possessed by Krimm, as well as individuals or ships protected by psi shielding. Psi-nulls are deadly to the Krimm forcing them to flee or take damage.
The Krimm also have a preference for mammalian hosts, and will avoid possessing races such as the Poicxh, Tredhili, and the like, though occasional they will possess Toishani. They cannot possess Droyne. They also find the energies of jump space uncomfortable and will avoid jump drives at all costs.
Psychology & Philosophy (Mindset)
A Krimm can be any career, but can only have physical skills at level 1, due to long disuse. They can however expand those skills or learn new ones by game play. Krimms, mostly make do with their host's skills, usually selecting an interesting personality matched with excellent, useful skills. Despite being free entities for so long, they still possess gender identification and will usually possess those of the same gender. A few Krimm, who have possessed the bodies of scientists, doctors, or the rich have gained access to clones. The drawback to clone bodies (though safer against exposure) is that the Krimm must learn skills and must arrange for the welfare of the clone body when they are out of it. A few Krimm have possessed brain-dead bodies, where their END boost often allows the body to be resuscitated. Being cowardly and secretive, Krimm will never possess anyone important or famous, and will often abandon a host if it becomes famous do to some action while possessed.
History & Background (Dossier)
In about -250,000 (Imperial calendar) they reached TL–17 and pooled their resources into converting their population into disembodied intelligences. An unqualified success, the project proved the downfall of the race. After millennia, ennui and insanity took many of the race so the current population is about 7,000 (...from a beginning of 3.4 billion).
This all changed in 876 when a Dark Goddesses corsair landed on the planet. Discovering they could possess the minds of the crew, they re-discovered the pleasures of the flesh and gained a new direction. Unfortunately, they overindulged themselves, exhausting their hosts, who perished.
It wasn't until 1008, when an IISS scout cruiser visited their world they had another chance.
Learning patience, they were careful with their new hosts, using them to send three more expeditions to the planet, giving the Krimm a total of 268 individuals to infest.
The plan was upset when, in 1045, a fact finding scout cruiser with a telepath on board unmasked the Krimm and their plot. Barely escaping, the scouts had Dliaazh/Kyahiyleakhaw (Touchstone 1401) red-zoned. The possessed personnel however were abandoned.
By that time an estimated 123 Krimm had escaped the planet. 49 have been accounted for, either eliminated or imprisoned within psi shields. A few more have escaped by possessing ships lured in by fake distress calls, but how many is unknown.
Major Historical Events Timeline: 1116
These are some of the more important historical events that have affected this polity:
- (-310000): Pre-sapient Krimm life forms evolve into modern form.
- (-270000): Krimm race estimated to have achieved sophonce.
- (-250000): Krimm estimated to have achieved high technology status TL-17.
- Krimm develop an alternate advanced technology to allow for disembodied minds to survive as a psionic life form.
- The experiment goes wrong and an estimated 99% of the Krimm are trapped in an incorporeal form.
- Lacking adequate population to support a modern technological civilization, the Krimm civilization retrogresses.
- (876): Modern sophonts from Charted Space explore Dliaazh (world) and do not survive their encounter wit the Krimm.
- (1008): IISS scouts explore Dliaazh (world) providing the Krimm with more hosts.
- (1045): IISS scouts uncover the Krimm plot and interdict Dliaazh (world) as a Red Zone on all future Imperial star charts.
Culture & Society (Ethnology)
The Krimm are not evil in themselves, and many take very good care of their hosts now that they have learned more about living in the flesh again. A point must be made that they are hedonists, and will use their hosts to experience a variety of stimuli (good or bad). They are also in general (there are exceptions) cowards since their immortality make them very careful of accidental or deliberate death. Towards each other, the Krimm are antipathetic, if a Krimm is attacked (in or out of body), other Krimm will not assist it, instead they will flee to save they own existence.
The joker in the deck, however is the animosity that many Krimm feel towards their host's race (mostly with Aslan and Humaniti hosts), especially with the host's friends. An interesting side effect of possession (which is kept secret by the authorities) is that a host's END is raised 3 points while a Krimm is possessing it. This is a development by the Krimm to insure its host's health, so one could say that the Krimm have moved from parasite to symbiote. The truth is, however, that while possessed, the host’s personality is suppressed (going into a state much like cold sleep), even though the Krimm can access the host's memories and skills. The Imperium and most governments would treat Krimm as dangerous entities (potential spies, murderers, etc.) and unnatural vermin if they were known of.
Social Organization: 1116
Krimm have no religion due to their long existence as disembodied intelligences. They have become interested in religion, some as curious, and some as another form of stimulus, the latter usually choosing charismatic cults. Many Krimm will change hosts frequently, since long residence in a single host will cause the mores of the host to impinge itself on the Krimm psyche after a year of co-existence.
Government & Politics (Leadership)
Krimm have little to no organized government and have difficulty cooperating and coordinating their actions as a society. The former civilization of the Krimm was once known as the Krimm Pantocracy.
Interstellar Relations: 1116
Krimm do not conduct diplomacy or interstellar relations.
Language & Letters (Communication)
The few surviving corporeal Krimm communicate through a high-pitched and sometimes subsonic language of squeaks and whistles. All Krimm possess latent psionic ability although many have little to no control over these abilities even while possessing much psi-potential.
The ruins of the former Krimm civilization are covered in strange glyphs believed to be a written language although it is not known how to decipher it or whether any surviving Krimm are still literate. Few suspect any are. And communicating with uncooperative incorporeal Krimm is not believed possible.
Military & Intelligence (Force Projection)
The surviving corporeal Krimm are few in number and live a poor existence as hunter-gatherers in tribal band society. There is no formal organized military to speak of...
Astrography
This race is primarily located in the following areas:
Homeworld: 1105
The homeworld of this race is:
World Listing: 1105
Significant communities of this race are known to exist within the following systems and worlds:
References & Contributors (Sources)
|
This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it. |
- Michael J. Maley. High Tortuga
- Author & Contributor: MIMIC - Minor Imp of the Ministry of Information and Communication
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science