Nature of the screamers

[Gizmoh]

So, Screamers. As far as I know, there are two distinct instances of screamers being created, the first Morrigi screamers by the Siren, and the second Leviathan by the Hidden(¿?) right?, so a couple of questions:

What's the difference between the Morrigi screamers and the human screamers? According to the backstory of one of the morrigi harpy leader I think morrigi screamers are capable of independent land based action yes?
What happens when a Suul'ka turns a ship's crew into screamers? related, does one say a ship is a screamer? or it's a morrigi/human vessel with screamer crew?
And finally, I had this weird thought that the concept of the "Screamers" involved the Suul'ka taking control of every single mind on a ship, and mashing them together, twisting their minds into something new, something monstruous, a mockery of metaconcert if you will. many bodies bound to a single will, forever concious of the horror of it's own existence, is this anywhere near canon?
Excuse my ramblings, and thank you for bearing with me.

[Erinys]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually do have a name for this phenomenon. A ship which has been turned, the sanity of the crew obliterated, is called a "Screamship" in my notes.

So far as the difference between the Leviathan and the Morrigi goes...they were turned by different psions. The Hidden is at a much lower level of ability than the Siren, in the art of coercion. She is able to seize the biochemical pathways of love, passion, devotion, loyalty, the need to protect. All of that emotion was enslaved to her, and her will; she could access the same pathways to channel hatred and destruction on the original target of those feelings.

It is her nature to be able to coopt love and to make her victim hate/destroy the former object of love--while the cognitive dissonance of these emotions tears the victim apart.

The victims of the Hidden are much more mercifully mad, in a way. He has no direct control over them, although they are constantly aware of him, alert to his location in the universe. They have no strong or presiding memories of who they once were or what their mission was, and no greatly personal need to seek out and destroy their own loved ones, friends or homes. They scream, but it is more a primal, random ape roar of rage and hunger and territorialism than of tormented love and hate. They ravage and destroy and feed but they are not particularly intelligent or sadistic in their actions; they stay away from high risk actions like diving into a gravity well or straying too far from their ship. He has essentially stripped the gears, ripped them down to the aggressive, adrenaline-crazed primate bedrock of the brain. They remember how to fight and fly and use all the tools they need, but not...who they are, why one should do/not do certain things.

And yes, you are correct that the full psionic potential of a screamship is usually unleashed in the process of taking it over. The crew are essentially a crude and violent metaconcert, if they weren't already psionically linked. It is a nasty thing for any fully psionic species to have to deal with, to be too close to such a vessel. Even Horde Zuul do not care to be close to such things.

--Arinn

[Ciurrioc]

aahhh soooooo his victims being aware of where he is had something to do with him getting dusted by solforce yes because again a guy who excels and subterfuge and stealth to die first was baffling lol

[ScoSteSal118]

Huh, so the whole story of the Hidden and the SFS Leviathan was in a sense one of hubris: the Hidden wanted to get into the psionic coercion game in the biggest and flashiest way possible, and in doing so overreached in a way that led to his doom?

[Gizmoh]

Enlightening, thanks Erinys.
You know, I used to believe that mind control in this universe was the usual "Wololo, you are now my puppet", now I know it's a much more fundamental process.
So, Screamers are fully aware they are being coerced? They know they are being forced to hunt down and kill their loved ones? Morrigi screamers I mean.

[Erinys]

The Morrigi are a highly psionic species. They are familiar with emotional and mental wrestling matches. Feeling themselves corrupted and subverted was painful and distressing for them. And yes, they felt it and could understand consciously what was happening.

--Arinn

[Gizmoh]

And now on a somewhat related topic to mental coercion. What's up with the puppet master?
I'm guessing it's not a psionic entity, or perhaps it was just a limitation of the game at the time?
What happens to a planet that get's dominated by the PM, if dominated is the word?

[Erinys]

The Puppetmaster is literally not from this universe.

-_Arinn

[Gizmoh]

I see, our very own "outside context villain" as seen on a website I fear mention, lest you people lose yourselves in it's depths.

[Mecron]

lol don't we have an entire page there?

[Gizmoh]

Yes you do, and for that I'm glad. It reminds me of the huge world of SotS, even though I don't have the time to play as I used to do, I can still pass the time thinking about the universe.