On the 2nd of July, 1996, the question of whether humanity is alone in the universe, was answered.
Over dozens of cities, enormous spacecraft emerged from vast atmospheric plumes of smoke.
Within twenty four hours, millions had been killed and the complete extermination
of humanity was just days away. What they called themselves was unknown, but to the
few survivors of the countless societies they had destroyed, they were known… as the Harvesters.
Though little can be verified of the Harvester’s internal governance and culture,
their relationship with other species suggests that they exist as nomadic travelers.
Their entire civilizations seem to live entirely aboard gigantic starships.
The largest of these are equipped with agricultural sectors, industrial bases
and all the civic and military infrastructure necessary for the conquest of target worlds.
These conquests are undertaken without any attempt at peacefully coexisting with the
indinginous populations; instead the Harvesters destroy any local resistance, and strip mine every
available resource before moving on. Planetary cores are supposedly vital within the process,
necessary to power the largest of the harvester’s vessels.
A neural connection between individual harvesters, and some kind of telepathy,
indicate the presence of an overarching hive mind. This allows the entire race to exist in a state of
Eusociality, in which a sophisticated division of labor has created specialized behavioral groups.
At the top of this caste system, are the Queens, from which the hive mind either emanates,
or resonates most strongly. Enormous in size, these Queens display a will and consciousness
not typically seen in lower drones. Laborers and soldiers form the lower ranks of this hierarchy,
though how many other distinct tiers separate them from the Queens is unknown.
The lower forms of harvester life, that ostensibly make up the majority of their species,
have a similar tolerance for most environmental conditions as humans,
and may in fact be physically fragile by comparison. The average harvester stands
between 3 to 4 feet tall, vaguely humanoid but with an enlarged head and underdeveloped limbs.
They lack any means of vocal communication, relying entirely on their telepathy instead.
In some cases they have been used to telepathically assault other beings,
utilizing them as literal mouthpieces when communicating with non telepathic species.
Ideas and images can also be sometimes projected into another lifeform’s mind,
creating a deeper method of communication, but one that can be fatal to the affected mind.
To make up for their physical imbalances, most harvesters fully incase themselves within
large biomechanical suits. These significantly increase both their strength and endurance, and
are equipped with numerous grasping “tentacles” that might be used both as tools or weapons.
Even within these suits however, the harvesters are not immune from physical blows or gunfire.
These biomechanical suits however only represent the barest edge of Harvester
technology. Enormously advanced, they have mastered the construction and operation of
enormous interstellar spacecraft, faster than light travel, and directed energy weapons
and deflection. Many of their devices and infrastructure is grown, rather than manufactured,
resulting in an otherworldly organic appearance. Their overwhelming superiority over the other
civilizations of the galaxy however, has reduced the need for innovation, creating the conditions
for technological stagnation. No major new discoveries or advancements are believed to
have been made within Harvester society in many decades, and perhaps even centuries.
It is the Harvester’s military apparatus above all that had laid the groundwork of their superiority.
This is expressed in their primary elements. The first are their motherships,
the enormous spacecraft used to deploy smaller vessels, and on which the main host of their
civilization is based. The second are the City Destroyers, deployed to a planetary surface to
eradicate local population centers and sites of resistance. Finally, there are the Attackers,
small fighter-intercepters used to protect the preceding two elements.
Harvester doctrine typically involves deeply coordinated planet-wide strikes. Potential
targets for invasion will be monitored for decades, their defenses thoroughly
researched and the appropriate amount of forces necessary to destroy those defenses
mobilized. Once in orbit, the target species uncertainty towards the Harvester’s intentions
will be exploited. Destroyers will be positioned over every major population center, their
movements sometimes coordinated using the target’s own infrastructure. At a pre-planned moment,
every destroyer will open fire similotaniously, initiating a war of genocide that will continue
until the planet’s population has been eradicated. A ground invasion will follow, destroying any
last centers of resistance and securing vital resources necessary for the Harvester population.
For thousands of years the Harvesters have conducted these campaigns across the galaxy,
annihilating an untold number of civilizations. To date the only prolonged resistance they have
encountered has come from a small coalition of alien survivors, and the United Nations of Earth.
Contact with the latter has resulted in two decisive military defeats for the harvesters,
most notably during the War of 1996 when a Mothership sent to eradicate humanity
was completely destroyed. A subsequent invasion 20 years later was similarly thwarted,
and put humanity into contact with the coalition of similarly targeted species.
With mankind’s unusual tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds,
and the coalition’s technological sophistication has been created a chance,
however unlikely, that the Harvester’s dominion over the galaxy might finally be over.