Qugu

Qugu
Overview
Homeworld:	Seht
Focal world(s):	Se'Tar system Se'Un system Se'Ugn system Se'Otan system Sehta'Un
At war with:	Hive Black Fleet
Distinctions:	Herd animal ancestry Symbiotic relationship with jaw-beasts Intelligent
Notable individual(s):	Te'Qal

The Qugu were an intelligent species that was rendered extinct by the Hive and the Black Fleet.

Overview

The Qugu were bipedal creatures descended from herd animals, with cephalopod-like bodies mounted on two reverse-jointed legs, a head with dark eyes ringed by a mane of fifteen tentacles, and a single arm protruding from their chest. They appear to have been asexual, or at least had no concept of gender, with all Qugu using gender-neutral pronouns.

The entire Qugu species was infected by a virus that profoundly influenced their society. This virus rewrote the Qugu's genetic code so that they were compelled to ritualistically offer up their limbs to consumed by massive, sessile creatures called jaw-beasts. Once the jaw-beasts had consumed Qugu cells, the virus converted the cells into eggs, which would develop and eventually hatch within the jaw-beasts. In turn, the jaw-beasts produced a nectar-like substance that the Qugu would consume to experience hallucinogenic visions..

The Qugu homeworld was called Seht and orbited a large white star called Se'Tar along with eleven other worlds. Three other stars were close enough to their system to "color the sky".

The planet's most defining feature was an enormous mountain, surrounded by coral forests dotted by mossy patches and rooted in red sands and maize-streaked stone. The shallow steeps were geothermally active, rich in silt and populated by aromatic lichens. The Qugu of the ancient past lived in the sunken valleys at the Mountain's base, and would enter the hollows under the Mountain to offer their limbs to the jaw-beasts that lived in the pools underneath it, a place they referred to as a "death-grove".

Qugu society seemed to be a gerontocracy run by "elders" who oversaw communities of Qugu called "groves." They referred to their familial lineages as "lines," which they seemed to hold in high esteem and denoted using prefixes in their personal names. The Qugu military was run by a "Warden" who oversaw the Qugu fleet, with Captains beneath them who then relayed their sub-commands to their sections of the fleet. The elders appointed those they deemed worthy to important positions, such as Warden..

The Qugu's primary religion was based on ancestral worship, in which they would pray to their forebearers and ask them for guidance. They were attuned to the Darkness, and could commune with the memories of their ancestors through it. The Darkness allowed the Qugu to communicate their thoughts and emotions directly to each other, as well as to control their technology with their thoughts and the movements of their tendrils.

By the time the Hive encountered the Qugu, they had become a spacefaring civilization that controlled five star systems and possessed advanced technologies and mastery of the Darkness. Their ships were able to move in coordination like amorphous ripples across magnetic fields, and the Admiral and their captain were connected through the Darkness to react as one entity, allowing them to draw dozens of their fleet units together, direct them into formations and coordinate battle strategies between the captain's subcommands the the drone's activities. As a result, when a ship was destroyed, the emotions of despair, terror and grief of those inside were shared among the rest of the units.

Their fighting space ships were called "War-pearls" and were shaped like sleek horizontal teardrops that made them nearly invisible against surrounding space. They had sleek hull plates that could part to release dozens of drones like weapons, shielding and utilities, to move around each ship and form into tight-knit squadrons. They were also equipped with fusion batteries strong enough to disintegrate Hive Tombships and their drones could chain power between ships and flow fusion energy through them to fire a powerful unified beam as a last resort tactic. In addition, to move their ships from one star system to another, the Qugu used a system of Gates that folded space and transported them almost instantaneously. They also possessed "ark-ships" apparently ships equipped to accommodate larger numbers of Qugus and capable of undertaking longer journeys into space.

History

There is little known about the Qugu prior to their contact with the Hive. What is known is that at some point, the Qugu engaged in a war against another space-faring species known as the Murin which attacked their "outer rim." They were defeated after a squadron of ships lead by Te'Qal destroyed their carrier-based fleet in an unnamed battle. Additionally, the Qugu briefly "fractured" when the star system Se'Ugn rebelled against the Qugu in Se'Tar after "losing concert" This rebellion was swiftly crushed after a fleet lead by Te'Qal raided the planet..

According to the Books of Sorrow and memories of the Qugu preserved by the Witness, it was Savathûn's brood that encountered and swiftly exterminated the Qugu and their jaw-beasts. The Hive forces that invaded and annihilated them did not use complex tactics, simply opening an immense rift between the Ascendant Realm and space to bring out their warships en masse and overwhelm their enemies, and then proceeded to chase and eliminate their fleeing ark-ships.

During the invasion of Seht, a ring-shaped Hive flagship (presumably belonging to Savathûn, as it is described as resembling a ship later used by her) arrived over the planet and unleashed a massive explosion of Soulfire near the Qugu's Mountain. This cracked the Mountain apart, burying the Qugu's defenses and ships in massive rock slides. The Mountain's core then released a second pulse of energy, which decimated the surrounding area and further cracked open the planet's surface. The Mountain revealed itself to be a Pyramid, which rose from its half-buried resting place to meet the Hive ships. The Qugu that remained retreated, attempting to regroup with other Qugu but are pursued by the Hive fleet and the Qugu empire is steady eradicated..

After weeks of flying, the Qugu are whittled down to their last star system, Se'Otan. The Qugu fleet arrived to the system only to find it destroyed and instead discover the Hive fleet waiting for them, Pyramid included. Enraged and determined to strike down their enemy before being destroyed, the Qugu fleet attacked. During the fight, Oryx's Dreadnaught suddenly dropped into the battle and emitted a pulse that destroyed Savathûn's flagship. The Qugu took advantage of the distraction and rallied, attempting to destroy the Pyramid that had once been their Mountain. Using the Darkness, the Qugu fleet drew upon the fury and grief of their people and released a massive resonant blast which destroyed the Pyramid. All Qugu were subsequently killed by the Resonance wave released by the Pyramid's destruction..

When Oryx reported the battle in the Books of Sorrow, he omitted any mention of the Qugu using the Darkness. The Witness itself, however, locked away a singular reference to the Qugu aboard Essence, in the form of a crystallized memory of a member of their race, which the Guardian would recover during the incursion to kill Nezarec.

Known Qugu

• Je'Gana - Captain of the Seht Armada
• Pel'Uma - Captain of the Seht Armada
• Te'Dura
• Te'Juna
• Te'Qal - Warden of the Seht Armada

Trivia

• Their naming system follows a name and surname style. The surname comes first, originating from the Qugu's line, and is separated from their name with an apostrophe. For example, the name Te'Qal means they are from the "Te" line.

List of appearances

• Destiny: The Taken King (First mentioned)
• Destiny 2: Lightfall (Mentioned only)
  • Episode: Echoes (Mentioned only)