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 Other Entities category. It has the ability to create 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 roughly 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 (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 bank entry.

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 transparent blue tentacles are used for propulsion, while the rest serve as the end tips of its main body's cloak.

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 infected the player is it will either attack or simply observe.

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 streamline the closer it gets. When at close range, the Warper will attack with its claws, raising them above its head, then letting out a cry and then bringing them down onto its target with considerable force, dealing 65 damage to the player or other infected organisms.

The Warper can shoot projectiles, which deal 5 damage per hit, travel very quickly and leave the player right next to the Warper. It is also cabable 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 in 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, and with large creatures like Crabsquids and Ampeels 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 simply 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.

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 certain 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.
 * Ampeel
 * Biter
 * Bleeder
 * Blood Crawler
 * Boneshark
 * Cave Crawler
 * Crabsquid
 * Lava Lizard
 * Mesmer
 * River Prowler
 * Sand Shark
 * Stalker

Story
Warpers were created by the Precursor Race by combining an existing life form with Precursor technology, replacing the digestive and pulmonary systems with a type of internal battery, inserting miniaturized phase technology beneath the skin that is connected to the central nervous system, allowing them to phase jump at will. The brain and central nervous system have been augmented with enhanced processing power and remote communications were added. They were built with an alloy that allows them to self-repair, as learned from an Alien Relic found in the Primary Containment Facility. Their main purpose is to eliminate any creature infected with the Kharaa Bacterium. They can also be found guarding Alien Bases.

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

 * 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 closely 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 both 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 the course of development, the damage of the Warper's projectile has varied from 5 damage to 90 damage. It was also considerably faster once.