Prador

From Earth Central

The Prador are the first intelligent aliens that Humanity contacts, apart from Dragon. The word "Prador" was selected because of its similar to the root word, predator, and refers to the carnivorous habits of the Prador.

1 Prador War
2 Biology
3 Culture
4 Politics
5 Also see
6 Appearances
7 External links

Prador War

Prador were encountered by the Polity and diplomatic relations were first attempted to be opened on Avalon Station. Instead, a Prador dreadnought, captained by Immanence, invaded the station. Immanence's first-child at the time, Vortex, took numerous humans hostage and herded them back to the dreadnought for study. In the process of denying Prador access to the highly useful runcible technology and AIs themselves, Avalon Station was destroyed. Immanence and his vessel escaped unharmed, but Vortex was killed by Jebel Krong, an ECS soldier, with a gecko mine.

Biology

Prador are incredibly durable and rugged creatures. They are described as being vaguely pear-shaped, with two large crab-like claws, several pairs of legs, and eyes mounted on stalks on a turret-like head. Prador digestion can extract nutrients from rocks, and can even survive in highly hazardous environments so long as there is an adequate air supply. Prador disdain for humans is evident, referring to the population of the Polity as "soft creatures" ideal as food and a slave workforce. In Prador Moon, Prador scientists show great surprise at human deaths from things such as blood loss, shock, brain damage and physical trauma. Prador regularly engage in cannabilism, both as a method of punishment and sustenance. One particular "duty" is for a third- or second-child to clean their father's mandibles after he has devoured one of their siblings.

Culture

The culture of Prador is based around extreme competition and conflict. The closest analogy would be medieval feudalism. The Prador Kingdom is broken up into families, with a Father at the head. The Father sires his children with many wives, children who become the family's soldiers, scientists and workers. Only the strongest survive to become of any use to the family. Third-children are typically simple soldiers. Those who show any signs of intelligence and cunning will be elevated to second-child, who are given greater scientific and technical responsibilities, with some leadership roles. The first-child is the highest position without leading the family, and there is only ever one at a time. These are Prador that are usually leaders of ground troops, and must be incredibly cunning and vicious to survive for this long. First-children will be the greatest competition with the Prador Father, as they will eventually grow sexual organs, be able to ignore pheromone controls and become adults - at this point they will kill the Prador father and take his place as head of the family, or be killed by the Father. The latter option is most likely as Prador adult males are incredibly paranoid, and have enormous amounts of security and personal weaponry.

The Prador mindset is equally disturbing. There are no notions of friendship or cameraderie, only survival. There is neither a concept of honour or honesty, as Prador will quite readily break alliances and treaties with other Prador if it benefits them. This was touched on in the novel Orbus, where a xenobiologist working with the Prador King noted how such words as "honour" "faithfulness" and "existentialism" were filed away in a separate, almost never accessed folder of Prador translation devices. It is not that Prador ignore such notions, it's that they have never existed in their culture. Typically Prador will find such ideas baffling, as they serve no purpose for survival.

Prador control is based around a combination of intimidation, spoken language and pheromone control. Prador children do not have a choice in obeying instructions as they are under the pheromone control of their father. Failure to follow instructions usually results in death or serious injury, which is tantamount to death (weakened Prador will be set upon by other Prador, sometimes regardless of size).

Politics

Prador politics are limited to power struggles among families under the ruling Prador, the King. The Prador King is only so by being the best of his species - the most cunning, clever, vicious male who has survived and fought his way to the very top. Prador adult males will always fight with each other for greater power and prestige, through the acquisition of territory on worlds and military might. This state of affairs is typically static. Only rarely will a ruling Father be killed by another family or usurped by his own first-child. Even less rarely are occasions where the King is killed, as the killer will typically (the assassin's family must have enough power to control the Kingdom) become the new King.