Strogg
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The Strogg are a fictional alien race who are the enemies in the first-person shooters Quake II and Quake 4, and a playable faction in the upcoming Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.
The Strogg attacked and devastated Earth before being driven offworld (this is to be featured in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars). To ensure the future survival and safety of mankind, a retaliatory attack is launched on the Strogg homeworld (Stroggos) in Quake II, with the aim of causing chaos in the Strogg society by eliminating the Makron, the foremost Strogg leader, and crippling important military facilities. The attack, in which Marines were dropped to the planet's surface in pods, was a disaster, as the Strogg utilized thereto unseen EMP defenses. A single marine, sent off-course by an accident, nevertheless managed to destroy various tactical structures and assassinate the Makron. In Quake 4, human forces began a renewed attack, on a far larger scale, with the assumption that Strogg forces would be in disarray following the death of their leader. However, it was realized during the events of Quake 4 that a new Makron was already in power ("Makron" is a title, not a name, much like "president" refers to all persons that have held the title of president, rather than being the name of one individual. This minor conundrum has caused a small level of confusion among some players).
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[edit] Overview
The Strogg, being a warlike cybernetic race, are infamous for extensively replacing significant portions of their bodies with weaponry and mechanical prosthetics, so no two Strogg are ever truly the same. They maintain a massive global military-industrial complex, with mines, ore refineries, light production plants and heavy industrial manufacturing facilities all over Stroggos. This heavy reliance on industry however has managed to kill most of the plant and animal life on their planet. The living animals that remain have been subject to horrible mutation. One of the most notable features of the Strogg is their complete lack of sense for the macabre or cruelty and their willingness to do anything to anyone so long as it serves a practical purpose and is in their best interests. They use warp-holes to invade other planets, for food and resources. Further, the Strogg and their civilization seem to be completely devoid of anything not related to war. It seems the Strogg civilization is completely geared for war, to the point where there is no truly civilian population. To the Strogg, warfare seems to be the only way of life they can and will accept.
According to the Quake II manual, "the core of the Stroggos civilisation is the capital city of Cerberon." This city is built into the base of an enormous crater dubbed 'Crater Majoris'. A smaller crater - 'Crater Minor' - houses the defense base for Cerberon.
[edit] Strogg capture policy
The Strogg expand their armies and population by taking non-Strogg species and depending on circumstances, prepare them in some way that serves to help the Strogg race. Before undergoing one of the below described procedures, prisoners of war may be kept in bare cells and periodically tortured; as demonstrated in Quake II, this is known to drive human beings to insanity. As of Quake 4, the following procedures are known.
- Forced Stroggification. This is exceptionally painful and brutal as the Strogg do not use anesthetics, instead electing to utilize excessive doses of steroids via hypodermic needle that would permit the person to be able to live through the process. This entails amputation with a circular saw, and implants which are best described as simply being jammed into the person and haphazardly-wired (One of the doctors onboard the MCC Hannibal comments that Stroggification resembles mutilation more than anything else). The end result, if successful, is a horrific-looking cyborg with at most half of his original body left, but has physical strength, speed and agility well-above the human norm.
- Experimentation. The Strogg medical community has no 'ethics policy' in regards to the testing of humans or any other creature that isn't Strogg. They will perform twisted experiments such as removing various organs just to see how long a person can last without them, performing surgeries while keeping the victim alive and conscious with massive doses of steroids, subjecting the victim to electrical shock tests (possibly to test new weapon effectiveness or simply to see how long the subject lasts), and tests to observe limits to environmental stresses such as extreme heat or cold. Presumably, these are all tests of the victim's suitability for various types of cybernetic augmentation, and the conclusions from such experiments are applied to other members of the same species. This process is probably to see if the species is able to be "stroggified", to increase their reliability to "stroggify", or improve the abilities of the stroggified.
- Recycle. In the field of biological materials recycling, the Strogg are without equal. They have perfected technology which allows them to break any living thing back down into its sheer molecular components; amino acids, enzymes, mineral structures and so on. The Strogg do not particularly care if the victim being recycled is still alive when it happens.
- Torso unit. Strogg facilities often integrate human torsos lacking limbs, with some missing their heads. They are still alive as they can be seen moving but it is highly unlikely that the ones that still have their heads are aware of their predicament as their faces behave as though heavily drugged, possibly under intoxication of some sort, which can be considered a blessing. Torso units are integral to the power supply, distribution and regulation of Strogg facilities. Damaged units must be replaced immediately or the area which they are based in will switch to emergency power. It's interesting to note that the Makron itself has a human torso attached to its upper body which is likely powering it.
[edit] Strogg technology
Strogg technology is portrayed to be superior to anything humanity at the same point of time has. They surpass humans in all scientific disciplines, and their complete and utter lack of ethics towards any species that is not an original Strogg has helped push this further by allowing unfettered research and development into all aspects of warfare. Of note but not detailed enough to warrant their own subsections in this category are their ability to make practical use of black holes to effectively travel at Faster-than-light speeds, and their possession of functional teleportation, refined to the point where it is possible for certain Strogg troops to use on a personal basis, with the larger dedicated machines capable of mass transit.
Most of their research, development and technology goes towards enhancing their war-faring or industrial capacity, with seemingly little concern for anything and anyone else. All things considered, the Strogg seem to quite literally live to fight.
[edit] Nourishment
The Strogg are nourished, fueled and lubricated by a viscous liquid known as stroyent, which is made from the processed corpses of their victims and former allies. A system of pipelines, pumps and distribution vessels runs throughout Stroggos. At the core of this system is a massive creature, that resembles a massive mutant stomach, which serves as the processing plant for the stroyent. Another creature related to stroyent resembles a giant heart with an attached eye ball. This is the pump which pushes the vital substance through the pipes. The "donor" for these organs are unknown, but the supposed source would be a giant race, much like the tower guardian. For the other organ seen by the player in Quake 4 would be the nexus brain, it is likely that the donor would be the original Strogg themselves, or a giant race found by the Strogg, and used in that way because of Strogg ingenuity. Stroyent is likely a reference to Soylent Green.
[edit] The Nexus
The Nexus is a vast computer network that stretches over the entirety of Stroggos. It relays information to and from Strogg military leaders and soldiers in the field, allowing them seamless wireless communications at all times regardless of location or proximity. It is also charged with recovering dead Strogg through teleportation in order for them to be turned in stroyent. The Nexus is based mostly in massive fortresses that house the primary relay points, called tetranodes. Tetranodes are massive, operate continuously and are cooled to subzero temperatures. If a tetranode continues to operate with its cooling systems inactive, it will eventually overheat and destroy itself.
The central component of the Nexus is the Nexus Processor, housed within a huge fortified structure aptly called the Nexus Core in the middle of a heavily-industrialized area, which is itself located in the Doggus crater. The Processor is actually a gigantic living brain, which according to Corporal Johann Strauss of Rhino Squad has never been seen by anyone but the Makron. Just outside the crater's rim and situated at equal distance to each other are three smaller but still gigantic structures. One handles Data Storage, another Networking and the last Processing. While the height of these structures is unknown, the floor readout of one of the towers' internal lifts displays the floor number 1986. The structure is taller than this as the aforementioned lift does not cover the entire range of floors.
The Nexus is critical to the Strogg military. Without it, communications would completely fall apart and their forces would collapse into disarray. Attempting to disrupt the Nexus forms a core component of the Stroggos campaign in Quake 4, which is initially based around disrupting the tetranode in the primary invasion area.
Strogg computer systems appear to use the same underlying principles as human computer systems, making the two surprisingly compatible with enough relevant equipment present.
[edit] Cybernetic augmentation
For their population and armies, there seems to be no limit to the bizarre cybernetic designs the Strogg are willing to consider and put into the field. It is not uncommon for them to field grotesque enhancements, such as replacing legs with caterpillar tracks, an arm with a reloadable missile launcher, and entire sections of their bodies with higher-performance machine counterparts. It is also not uncommon for a Strogg to have a weapon directly integrated into his body and linked to his central nervous system. The Strogg also make use of nanomedicine to maintain what's left of their organic bodies after the augmentation process (doctors onboard the MCC Hannibal noted that Strogg medical nanorobots would attempt repairs even after death, and would continue to do so even when the body part they're currently housed in was removed from the rest of the body). Also, because the amputations severely reduce normal locomotive ability, the person's existing musculature is reinforced with servomechanisms and artificial muscle. Strogg exoskeletons are constructed from hardened tribinium, which is said to be extremely resistant to cutting tools.
Therefore, it is difficult to conclude that the Strogg is a unified race or even know what the Strogg originally looked like, due to its cybernetic augmentation technology. With this technology, any biological creature can be transformed into a Strogg provided that the body is compatible with Strogg enhancements. In fact, the Strogg even capture quadrupedal creatures and augment them in order to have lethal bio-mechanical "guard dogs" guarding critical entrances. Larger specimens would be modified to have enhanced endurance and firepower in order to serve as heavy battle units. It is possible that some of the Strogg (besides those that are modified humans) have a relation due to the appearances of their heads, in the case of the "Berserker" and "Gunner" (in Quake 4 only). The "Iron Maiden" may be the female form of one of these creatures, particularly in their Quake II incarnation, with its bizarre head. The heads of the "Heavy Tank" and "Light Tank" also appear similar which also suggests a possible relation. A common characteristic among them and other humanoid Strogg is that their eyes have a glowing orange color.
Soldiers that are forcibly Stroggified eventually have their higher-brain functions completely atrophied, entirely taken over by a transceiver unit that links to the Nexus. For a while after activation however, they are aware of their predicament but mostly have no control of their new cyborg bodies, a hellish scenario. In fact, when Rhino Squad's leader (Lieutenant Scott Voss) was captured, he was turned into a large Strogg to serve as a guardian for a critical location (Voss' head and torso was the only recognizable human portion of the new Strogg boss). For a brief moment, Voss yelled at Matthew Kane to leave the place at once because he did not know for how much longer he could maintain his free will. Unfortunately, the Strogg programming kicked in quickly and Voss (while still retaining his human memory) proceeded to relentlessly attack Kane, with the latter emerging victorious.
Botched attempts that didn't make it through Stroggification are sent to biological-recycling facilities, where they may still be active anyway and resemble zombies. Strogg that work in facilities that deal with hazardous chemicals, such as the aforementioned one, also suffer from continual exposure to such chemicals, progressively degrading their hippocampus and somatosensory system in particular. Their success rate far outweighs the failure rate however, and as such the Strogg can easily enhance the size of their armies.
[edit] Stroggification
The detail of stroggification is clearly shown when Cpl. Matthew Kane is defeated and captured by the Makron, and deemed suitable for immediate cybernetic augmentation. He is taken to a Strogg Medical Facility and restrained to a metal slab mounted on an assembly line. Another captured marine in front of him allows Kane to witness the gruesome process used by the Strogg to create their tactical soldiers before being subjected to it himself.
A laser scanner checks Kane for unknown parameters before being transported off to the next station, where a large hypodermic needle pumps enormous amounts of steroids into his chest, most likely intended to sustain him throughout the Stroggification process. He is then checked by one of the facilities' Strogg scientists, who appears to inspect the wound, give him another injection, and partially lacerate his face.
The next station is notoriously gruesome. A circular saw, mounted on a mechanical arm, proceeds to messily amputate Kane's lower legs above the knee. Kane blacks out, but amazingly he does not bleed to death despite the obvious separation of his femoral artery, possibly due to the use of an electrocauterizer.
After regaining consciousness, he is transported to the next station. Mechanical legs are grafted onto the remainders of his thighs, and a system of armor plating is riveted to his torso and extremities.
The fourth station installs the neurocyte in Kane's brain with a large hypodermic needle. He instantly gains the ability to read and understand the Strogg Language. This injection seems to rewire his possibly implanted HUD programming.
The final stage of the process involves the activation of the neurocyte and therefore full Stroggification. Luckily for Kane, before this can take place, he is rescued by his squad mates.
Kane gains several new Strogg traits. His top speed increases slightly, along with his health maximum. He also gains the ability to use certain Strogg technologies, such as teleporters and health stations. Of particular note is his immunity to Strogg laser defense grids, which are instantly lethal to humans who come in contact with them.
It seems Kane is permanently Stroggified, for one of the doctors mentions that the implants are closely connected to his central nervous system and removing them would likely cause disastrous effects on Kane's body.
It is unknown as to why Kane does not receive a face piece, as the other tactical Strogg he encounters have them, even the ones that are seen in the bio-tubes in the medical facility. Most likely, it is simply for clear differentation in-game.
It is notable that there is extreme hostility directed towards the Stroggified Kane by the marines aboard the Hannibal, who believe him to be untrustworthy, entirely Strogg and as such no longer human. Fortunately Kane is being escorted to an emergency briefing, but is bombarded with threats and jeers, such as "The moment your bodyguards disappear, you're dead, squib." However, marines in the field recognise Kane and welcome him, often appreciative of his unique abilities. It is never really established whether this is because of an order from higher-up that Kane is to be trusted, or whether it is simply a case of ignorance and blatant arrogance by the Marines aboard the Hannibal, who are safe from danger and cocky that Kane will not retalliate.
[edit] Aerospace engineering
For aerial vehicles, Strogg engineering is superior to anything humanity has to offer. Early on in Quake 4, two combat engineers looking over a Strogg gas turbine jet engine roughly estimate that because of the way the Strogg have the fuel intake and turbine designed, it is (at the very least) fifteen percent more efficient than anything they have at that point, and should immediately be brought to the USS Hannibal for reverse engineering.
Before that, Matthew Kane uses one in a testing facility to burn a hole through reinforced-glass. The impressive jet produced, as well as the ease at which it melted the glass, has one of the marines commenting that the engineers would love to get their hands on it.
Only low-altitude Strogg aircraft are encountered in Quake 4. No doubt the Strogg have other models, merely that they are unseen. Among those seen are what seem to be dive bombers, troop transports, and some sort of machine that appears to rely on thrust vectoring.
[edit] War-time engineering
The Stroggs' ground-based vehicles also reflect their highly advanced level of technology. Their Harvester mech are so well-designed they can survive several hits from tank-fired and man-portable armor-piercing munitions before being disabled. In addition, they also sport bizarre designs such as a sphere-shaped mobile gun turret that can roll about with extreme speed and acceleration.
The Strogg also have contingencies for areas which lack protection but need it. Low-orbit aircraft can drop specially-designed non-mobile turrets which, through the sheer velocity from such a drop and their spike-shaped lower-half, can smash their way through the roof of even a fortress and deploy, instantly bringing to bear heavy weapons fire against any enemies in the area. This is often deployed in conjunction with additional forces until an armed force of proper size can come to defend the area.
The primary defensive weapon for the Strogg capital, Cerberon, is a gargantuan structure known to humans as the 'Big Gun'. As its moniker may suggest, it resembles an enormous futuristic cannon aimed towards the sky, and it is designed to destroy large, hostile spaceships or similar vessels entering the atmosphere of Stroggos. In Quake II, the destruction of this weapon is a key mission objective, as the Big Gun prevents a larger-scale counter-attack by humanity. In addition, the Strogg possess powerful EMP defenses. Lasers protect key Strogg structures from invading infantry on the ground.
[edit] Architecture
With regards to their architecture, Strogg designs reflect their practical, industrialist nature. Facilities of a medical nature or that work with biological materials often resemble slaughterhouses. They have dried blood on the walls, rusting metal pipes, biological residue on computer equipment and so on. Industrial facilities are somewhat better, but still have the occasional rusted pipe or steam leaking out of a valve, along with heavy machinery operating out in the open with little safety devices. Non critical computer equipment, if damaged, is often left that way unless it is totally necessary to be fixed. This is supported by the presence of numerous computers found through out the game with damaged displays, or 'system error' screens. The Strogg also appear to simply pile obsolete or damaged machines in store rooms or under walkways rather than try to reuse them. Sometimes these devices are even still powered on. Exceptionally-important Strogg facilities such as those housing communications equipment are the most well-kept. They are immaculately-clean, all areas are well-lit, equipment is well-shielded and everything is constantly monitored to ensure maximum efficiency.
Facilities which handle biological material may in themselves use biological material as part of their systems. The most apparent and noticeable example of this is a gigantic heart that is part of a facility's biochemical fluid transfer system. According to the nearby computer panels, it has an atrioventricular node and a sinoatrial node, akin to the mammalian heart although it requires periodic electrical stimulation. The heart pumps an enzyme acid solution known as Stroyent. The heart may also be attached to a large creature known as the Stroyent Processing Creature, as the creature has many tubes (similar to gastrointestinal organs) that spread through out the facility with some leading to the heart, and every time the heart is electrically stimulated, a painful howl is emitted from somewhere in the building indicating the creature (or another being) can feel it. The creature itself is also used as a power source.
Automation is heavily-used. Bridge and ramp systems have to be actively-deployed, similar to Doom 3. Damage to critical systems is often met by the deployment of repair bots which operate autonomously. In critical structures, repair bots can number in the hundreds and possibly thousands.
[edit] Culture and language
As the Strogg military is controlled by the linked neurocytes, and the brain functions of stroggifed humans quickly atrophy, it is possible the Strogg are not even consciously aware at an individual level. Therefore it is an open question as to whether the Strogg are a cybernetic race carrying out computer programs, a collective group mind, or if any native Strogg exist with independent thought. It seems likely, however, that the Strogg have at least some form of emotion, since they can be observed making expressions of anger and contempt while in battle; this vehemence may stem from their organic brains, or somehow originate from the Nexus itself. The Quake II manual (presented as an 'intelligence brief') states that the Makron acts as a dictator over the Strogg, having been chosen from among a group of warlords, however, in Quake 4 we learn that a new, bigger, stronger Makron has been specifically created in response to the human invasion of Stroggos.
Throughout Strogg facilities and bases are a variety of banners and signs with the insignia of a skull or lightning bolt with stylized wings spreading up on both sides. The presence of nationalistic symbols suggests the Strogg had a culture that was heavily suppressed by imperialistic expansion and their highly disciplined industrial priority. The neural implants that allow them to communicate also overrode their individualism so that they serve their purpose in society and only that purpose. Those that work only work and those that fight only fight. The only form of art and culture present is in the form of racial representation (flags, emblems, etc.). These may be remnants of their original culture, and now likely only serve the purpose of symbolism so that they may refer or represent themselves by something other than "us". If the Strogg express creativity or self-exploration through art, music or literature, it has not yet been portrayed in the Quake series.
The Strogg, despite being able to transmit information through electromagnetic radiation (whether with radio or microwave is never explained) rely on written text for consoles, machinery and location signs. This language is presumably also that which is spoken by the Strogg when the player encounters them.
[edit] Other
Much of the back story of the Strogg is not fully explained in Quake II (apart from the manual), but a great deal more is learnt about them in Quake 4. According to the Quake II manual, the Strogg launched their attack on Earth "while their ships still sizzled with re-entry heat", giving some hint at their ferocity.
It is interesting to note that the Strogg insignia can be found on some crates in the first levels of each episode of the original Quake. However it should be noted that Quake II should not be considered a direct sequel to Quake (in the same way that Quake 4 is to Quake II); rather, the name Quake was kept for primarily commercial purposes[1].
One soldier on the Hannibal ship in Quake 4 states that he heard a rumor that the Strogg were a race of super soldiers left over from an ancient war in a different part of the galaxy, and that the main reason they invaded Earth was because it would be a tactical strong-point from which to launch invasions of other civilizations.
Humans have developed derogatory names for the Strogg, calling them "squibs".
Tank Jr., a bot character from Quake III: Arena is described by the game manual as the offspring of an Iron Maiden and Tank Commander from Quake II. He is one of many cybernetic characters in Quake III, although he is the only one depicted as a Strogg. His design borrows elements from a number of Quake II monsters. Tank Jr.'s origin is more than likely directly related to an Easter Egg in Quake II, which shows a grinning Tank Commander seated in a large throne, with a pair of Iron Maidens reclining across his body in highly sexual positions.
[edit] Strains
[edit] Notable Strogg
- The Makron
- TankJr
- Corporal Matthew Kane
- Lieutenant Scott Voss
