Leviathans are biomechanical space-faring creatures from the sci-fi TV series, Farscape. Essentially they are living starships, constructed from both organic and artificial materials by a group of mysterious beings known only as the Builders, which Leviathans regard as gods. Though easily mistakable as mere spacecraft, Leviathans are entirely sentient and capable of free thought and emotions.
Information[]
Structure[]
Like many conventionally constructed spaceships, Leviathans carry their own enclosed environments to be inhabited by a crew. They can produce internal atmospheres to suit the needs of passengers of various species and contain numerous chambers and quarters to accomodate them. Other facilities such as communal areas, medical bays and workshops can also be established if needed.
Growth and reproduction[]
Leviathans age and grow much like any other organic race, their internal facilities altering and developing over time. While the Builders initially brought the Leviathans into being, the creatures are capable of reproducing. Not much is known about their reproduction cycle other than that they do mate as other lifeforms do, become pregnant and give birth after an indeterminate gestation period. Acting on her maternal instincts, a pregnant Leviathan's DRDs will treat the growing infant as their main priority and will defend it round the clock until birth. Manned Leviathans who become pregnant can be a significant inconvenience to their crews as DRDs can often block off access to various sections of the craft and the creature itself can experience certain irritating symptoms, such as spontaneous starbursting.
Pilots[]
Pilots are a species that are chosen by Leviathans as companions and navigators. They are symbiotically bonded to Leviathan craft and essentially become one being, sharing thoughts and emotions telepathically and even sharing the other's pain. A Pilot acts as an intermediary between the Leviathan and its crew, communicating the ship's wishes in a way that others can understand since most lifeforms aren't capable of communicating with a Leviathan directly. As its species name implies, it also navigates and plots courses of travel through the vastness of space. While Leviathans are perfectly capable of travelling without a Pilot, A Pilot and Leviathan are rarely separated after bonding as doing so usually results in the Pilot's death and a sense of extreme anguish and loss in the Leviathan that can linger for the rest of its life. The natural bonding proccess of a Pilot to a Leviathan is unclear since the bonding has only been witnessed when carried out by intermediaries such as the Peacekeepers.
Slavery[]
The Leviathan race has been largely enslaved by the Peacekeepers, a spacefaring military force who maintain order in the Uncharted Territories through warfare and conquest. The Peacekeepers use Leviathans primarily as prison ships and cargo freighters, maintaining dominance over them with control collars installed on a Leviathan's outer hull. This device is used to manipulate the Leviathan into following courses determined by the Peacekeeper crew and prevents the vessel from performing functions such as Starburst, delivering a fatal injection into the Leviathan's circulatory system if it attempts such an action.
Systems and capabilities[]
- Transport Pods - Leviathans carry hangars that can store a number of smaller ships, including transport pods produced within the Leviathan itself.
- DRDs - Diagnostic and repair drones constructed within the Leviathan that continuously conduct maintenance on the ship's many systems, both mechanical and biological.
- Docking Web - An organic system that aids with the docking of smaller vessels within a Leviathan's hangar.
- Starburst - A form of faster-than-light space travel and a natural ability of Leviathans. They are capable of opening gateways in space-time in order to travel vast distances in a relatively short span of time.