Warper

The Warper, or the Self-Warping Quarantine Enforcer Unit as named by the Precursors, is a bio-mechanical life form created by the Precursor race, belonging to the Fauna category. It can generate a teleportation gate, which it uses to warp itself and other life forms of its size or smaller at will. Warpers can be found in some of the deeper biomes (those that go lower than 300 meters), but are especially prevalent around Alien Bases.

An inactive Warper, along with many separate Warper parts can be found within the Disease Research Facility in the Lost River, where they were being built, having been stopped mid-construction likely due to the attack on the facility by the Sea Dragon Leviathan. This inactive Warper can be scanned to obtain the Self-Warping Quarantine Enforcer Unit data.

Appearance
The Warper's head is round and flat, with two small flat sacs visible behind it. It sports a circular mouth consisting of a pair of mandibles to either side and two large, blunt teeth in the center. It has four small eyes that give out a distinct magenta bioluminescent glow.

Its body is mostly covered with a thick, purple, cloak-like skin overlaying its translucent pale blue body. Visible within its body is a dark purple ribcage-like formation, many bright pink bioluminescent veins, and what appears to be a heart. It also features two spiked arms cloaked with a transparent blue membrane. The Warper's lower section consists of six tentacles, of which only the two translucent blue limbs are used for propulsion, while the rest serve as the end tips of its main body's cloak.

While patrolling, it moves in slow arcing trajectories, propelled by its tentacles with its upper body perfectly still, before changing course with a sudden jerk.

Behavior
The Warper patrols a small area around its spawn point, warping out once it reaches the end and then reappearing at the beginning. The Warper can be drawn from its path by infected fauna, which it will pursue and attempt to kill, or by the approach of the player, who, depending on how contaminated the player is it will either attack or merely observe. When close to a Warper, it emits loud electronic frequencies, bearing a resemblance to white noise.

It travels in seemingly random directions, seeking out creatures infected with the Kharaa Bacterium. Once it detects one, it will fire a teleportation orb at it. It is possible to dodge the orbs and avoid being warped. If the orb is dodged, it will travel for a short distance and then dissipate. However, this will result in the Warper relentlessly hunting down their prey, often being evasive and becoming more streamlined the closer it gets. When at close range, the Warper will attack with its claws, raising them above its head, then let out a cry and then bring them down onto its target with considerable force, dealing high amounts of damage to the player or other infected organisms. The amount of damage the Warper deals depends on the infection stage of the player.

The Warper can shoot projectiles, which deal five damage per hit, travel very quickly, and leave the player right next to the Warper. It is also capable of warping in aggressive fauna corresponding to the biome which the player is in. For example, if the player is in the Northern Blood Kelp Zone, the Warper could teleport in a Blood Crawler, a Blighter, an Ampeel, or a Crabsquid. The number of Fauna warped can also vary, with tiny creatures like Bleeders, the number can be as many as seven. For small creatures like Biters and Blighters, anywhere from two to six can be warped in at one time. With medium-sized creatures, such as Lava Lizards and Bonesharks, up to two can be warped in at once. With larger creatures like Crabsquids and Ampeels, only one may be warped in at a time. These creatures will stay for a short amount of time before the portal reopens and they disappear. If the biome that the Warper is in does not have any aggressive fauna to warp (e.g. the Grand Reef) the portal will close without spawning any creatures.

If a player is operating a Seamoth or Prawn Suit, a Warper can teleport the player out of the vehicle into nearby waters. This leaves the player highly vulnerable to attacks that they would be impervious to inside that vehicle. However, the Warper is unable to warp the player out of a Cyclops. When a Warper is frozen by the Stasis Rifle, it will freeze for a few moments before warping out, giving the tool limited use against them. However, a charged blast from the Seamoth Perimeter Defense System is enough to cause them to warp away.

Player Hostility
Warpers are initially passive towards the player. However, as the player progresses through the game, they will eventually become hostile. This is based on the player's infection level which raises as they visit specific locations. After the player has cured themselves of the Kharaa Bacterium through the use of Baby Leviathan Enzymes, Warpers will once again become passive for the remainder of the game.

Warpable Creatures
Creatures that Warpers will bring in to attack their target. Which creatures will be warped in is dependent on the biome that the Warper is in. The creatures will then proceed to attack the player.

Story
Warpers were created through the combination of dozens of different off-world animals and the integration of Precursor technology. The PDA states that a tiny amount of the Warper's genome is taken from local life forms, likely added to allow it to function correctly in the environment of 4546B. The digestive and pulmonary systems were replaced with an internal battery. A miniaturized phase system was implanted beneath the skin and connected to the central nervous system, allowing them to phase jump themselves and others at will. The brain and central nervous system were augmented for increased processing power, likely giving them greater hunting prowess, tactical thought and intelligent communication with other Warpers, for which purpose a remote communications system was added, allowing Warpers to share data with each other. They were built with self-repairing systems, as learned from an Alien Relic found in the Primary Containment Facility. Warpers were programmed to hunt any life form infected by Kharaa relentlessly.

After a Sea Dragon Leviathan destroys the Disease Research Facility, Warper construction comes to a halt, as it was the only place where they could be constructed and repaired, leaving an unspecified number active within The Crater. After the Precursors' presumed demise, the Warpers continued in upholding their creators' intention of neutralizing Kharaa's presence, as well as guarding the four bases set up.

When the Degasi crashed on 4546B, it is highly likely that the three survivors encountered Warpers, as Bart confirmed that himself, Paul, and Marguerit were infected although they never document this.

Upon crashing, the Aurora's survivors are detected by the active Warpers, although only a few are seemingly killed by them. One survivor, Ryley Robinson was fortunate enough to land in the Safe Shallows, an area where the Warpers did not patrol. However, upon exploring, the Warpers become aware of his presence and attempt to kill him. Ryley also becomes aware of the fact after his Radio picks up a message being broadcasted between Warpers. Ryley eventually comes across the demolished Disease Research Facility and scans the inactive Warper within, and he learns that they are not natural creatures and are actually biologically engineered hunters, and knowing that his infection level has risen, realizes that the Warpers will stop at nothing to kill him. Ryley at some point is able to successfully scan a Warper, and learns more about them. After being cured of Kharaa, Ryley is no longer hunted by the Warpers, and they continue their task of eliminating the bacterium.

With the release of the Sea Emperor Juveniles and Enzyme 42 by extension, it is unknown what will happen to the Warpers when the planet is eventually purged of Kharaa.

Audio


Data Bank Entries
Warper= Entry given for scanning an active Warper unit. Self-Warping Quarantine Enforcer Unit= Entry given for scanning the inactive Warper unit in the Disease Research Facility.

Gallery
Screenshots=

Trivia

 * Aggressive fauna species are highly aggressive towards Warpers and will go out of their way to attack them. This is likely a learned response after seeing Warpers killing others of their species.
 * Warpers have a similar general shape to the Sea Emperor Leviathan, as seen with its scythe-like limbs, mandibles situated on either side of the mouth, tentacles and four eyes. Despite this, it has been stated by art director Cory Strader that their similarities are unintended and that they were not modeled after the Sea Emperor Leviathan.
 * If one listens carefully to the Warper's sounds from the third relay message, it becomes apparent that the sounds used for it are the original sounds for the Sea Emperor Leviathan.
 * The Warper is loosely based on the Fade from Natural Selection 2, another game developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment, as both have similar arms and can teleport.
 * The Warpers appear to have a degree of intelligence, as shown in three of the messages from the Radio.
 * Although classified as a carnivore by the PDA, the Warper has no digestive system and does not eat at all.
 * Throughout development, the damage of the Warper's projectile has varied from 5 damage to 90 damage. It was also considerably faster once.
 * The Warper is the only fauna in the game to be both aggressive and passive, depending on your stage of infection.
 * When the player does enough damage to a Warper, instead of dying, it will simply teleport away. This is likely done for story purposes, as Warpers are no longer being produced and are therefore in limited supply.