Talk:Rachni

The "trivia" section needs cleaning up, especially the part about Arachnids. I can see many spelling errors, and the meaning isn't clear the way it has been worded. There are some grammatical errors as well. 65.188.241.8 23:34, 27 October 2008 (UTC)

The Queen leaving...
How is she supposed to escape Noveria? Obviously no one is going to volunteer to give her a ride.
 * I wondered about that too -- Ventralis says that the cold kills rachni soldiers -- but then again, remember the rachni queens lived on planets with extremely hazardous environments during the Rachni Wars, that's why the Council couldn't negotiate with them. I suppose she's planning to live out there, so I imagine Binary Helix will be leaving Noveria in a big hurry. --Tullis 15:56, 9 November 2008 (UTC)

Type of Ship
I know this may seem like I'm quibbling over semantics, but after all, the devil is in the details: Was it ever stated that the rachni queen egg was found on a warship? All I remember was Yaroslev Tartakovsky saying the egg was found on a ship. SpartHawg948 21:45, 25 June 2009 (UTC)
 * I can't remember his exact phrase, but Han Olar talks about it too, though he only mentions it was "waiting since the last battles" so he could have been talking about the queen's egg or the ship. --Tullis 22:00, 25 June 2009 (UTC)

I just played through Noveria and no he doesn't say warship he says "ship". 83.183.219.250 03:17, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Trivia
whoever cleaned up the trivia need to distinguish a little more between "cleaning" and "carpet-bombing back to the stone-age", there's nothing left and it's all pressed into a block of text that's badly formatted. 83.183.219.250 05:48, 19 July 2009 (UTC)


 * I dunno, I think the trivia cleanup was spot on, and the formatting looks good to me. If you have any suggestions though, this is the place for them. SpartHawg948 09:15, 19 July 2009 (UTC)


 * I'm starting to clamp down on trivia because every similarity - however tenuous - from every other franchise is creeping into trivia sections. This was intended to merge those similarities into one, with the most likely similarity left alone (the Arachnids). But yes, if you have formatting suggestions, please tell us. --Tullis 12:10, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

That "rachni" is part of "Arachnid" is more a reference to the insect class arachnid than to Starship Troopers.


 * In what way? It shows a direct correlation between the previously established and well known precedent (the Arachnids) and the in-game race whose name is a reference to them (the Rachni). If it were more a reference to the arachnid class, I would expect the Rachni to actually resemble spiders. As it stands, the Rachni bear a much closer resemblance to the Arachnid warriors from the film version of Starship Troopers than they do spiders, further re-reinforcing the point (although it should of course be pointed out that the Arachnids in the film bore little resemblance to those described in the book). SpartHawg948 09:10, 17 August 2009 (UTC)


 * The rachni are eight-limbed and joint-limbed insects, like scorpions, whereas Starship Troopers bugs are not. Also the rachni are sapient individual creatures that share a hive-mind but are still very smart on their own, while the bugs from Starship troopers are more like the Geth in organisation, diversity, individuality and objectives.


 * No, not really. The Arachnids in Starship Troopers are actually very similar to the Rachni. The main difference is that, unlike the Rachni, an Arachnid queen exists almost solely to produce offspring, with the actual direction of the general populace left to the "Brain Bugs", who control the warriors and workers. Sound familiar at all? As for the Rachni being "a hive-mind but... still very smart on their own", where are you getting this? As soon as the warriors are separated from the queen, as happened on Noveria and with the Cerberus Rachni, they become mindless killing machines. Not very smart at all. Captain Ventralis even comments on the fact that they seem to lack even a basic animal intelligence. And again, the Rachni bear little resemblance to the arachnid class, as they carry themselves on four legs, as opposed to eight, and the head at the rear of the body leaning forward does make them bear a noticable resemblance to the Arachnid warriors from the film. So to reiterate, a clear corrolation can be drawn, both sociologically and physiologically, to the Arachnids from Starship Troopers, thus justifying the trivia. SpartHawg948 10:26, 17 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Please don't say that that TERRIBLE movie was referenced in one of my favorite games! Besides, as far as I can tell, your argument is that, since they walk on four legs and are dumb, they are a reference to some alien bugs in some cheap movie, because they look kinda the same. Of course, it's not like space bugs are a common theme in sci-fi, or that there have ever been essentially "super-ants" in fiction. It's GOTTA be a reference to Starship Troopers, commonly known as one of the worst movies ever made based on a book by one of the most insane authors ever born. Toast 17:12, March 3, 2010 (UTC)
 * No, I said that one of the best sci-fi novels of all time was referenced in this game. My argument is a little more than "since they walk with four legs and are dumb...". My argument was that, as they are an intelligent, space-faring alien race whose societal organization and caste structure are very similar to the Arachnids, and as (as has been pointed out by others) the name rachni is the core of the name Arachnid, it's worthy of mention. I didn't say it had to be a reference to the book (the book, not the movie) Starship Troopers, just that it's possible. And Starship Troopers is a great novel by a brilliant author who has had his name sullied by halfwits. Halfwits like... Paul Verhoeven. SpartHawg948 20:09, March 3, 2010 (UTC)
 * Also, it might be worth pointing out that this would hardly be the first reference to Heinlein or any of his works in Mass Effect. After all, the turians were inspired by the Terran Federation of Starship Troopers (which I suppose could be construed as one of your favorite games being referenced by that "TERRIBLE movie".) And the poetry Ashley Williams recites in the first game? Well, Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson was not the writers first choice. Their original pick? Robert Heinlein. Unfortunately, the convoluted process of obtaining rights prevented Cool Green Hills of Earth from being used. So yeah, Heinlein is fairly well represented in Mass Effect. SpartHawg948 21:17, March 3, 2010 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I was going a little far. Also, I was wrong to call it a terrible movie and terrible book by a terrible author. However, I would like you to show me what the Racni's social structure actually is. The little we know is from this game, where the queen talks about songs, and harmonies, and other gobbledegook that is really kind of hard to translate into english. As far as we know, they are space ants, because the queen leads the workers. Note that in the actual novel of Starship Troopers, they aren't mainly reffered to as Arachnids, but Bugs. It was the movie that called the Arachnids in particular. Also in the book, Arachnids are revealed to have a caste system, which is NEVER revealed in Mass Effect about the Rachni. Additionally, the book Bugs have lazer guns. However, the Bugs in the movie are generic mindless bugs, ruled by a queen. However, in the movie, they reproduce using spores, while in Mass Effect, they reproduce using eggs. All this shows that the Rachni bear very little resemblance to either depiction of the Arachnids in particular, except that they are four-legged and dumb without their queen, which can be said of many, MANY insects. But what I really don't understand is why you keep mentioning that the Rachni have a societal system. There is no mention of "brain bugs" anywhere, and it's not particularily significant that the Rachni that grew up away from the queen were vicious; as Tali said, "A baby kept in a closet until she was a teenager would not be sane." This merely shows that the Rachni are a sentient race like any other, and need to be parented, unlike an instinctual animal. Normally I would never revive an argument like this, but you were being such an asshole, I had to do it. - Same guy as before 24.72.49.251 21:04, April 27, 2010 (UTC)
 * The racnhi have no caste system? So I suppose the whole worker, soldier, brood warrior, queen thing means nothing? After all, those are largely the same groupings as the Arachnids have, although you'd have to swap brood warrior for brain. After all, pretty much all that is said of Arachnid 'society' is that all castes are subordinate to the queens. Sounds a lot like the rachni. And actually, the rachni do bear a pretty decent resemblance to the Arachnids from the book (although maybe not so much from the movie). After all, both are caste-driven (or stratified, or whatever you want to call them) space-faring insects whose warriors, far and away the most commonly seen by their foes, display similar behavior. I mention that the rachni have a societal system because (big shocker here) they do! They are a sentient, space-faring race. Kind of hard to do that without a society of some sort. Finally, please be sure to watch how you address other users. The Community Guidelines section on Banning specifically mentions that "Insulting other users" (by doing things like calling them assholes, for example) will result in a ban. Disagree without being disagreeable, and leave the ad hominems at home. SpartHawg948 03:42, April 28, 2010 (UTC)
 * Alright, I'm sorry for breaking a rule that says that insulting other people is ok, as long as you do so with a clean mouth, like SpartHawg does every day. I know you'll probably say you don't insult people, but every argument I've seen you partake in, you imply the other person is either a jerk or unintelligent. Maybe it's unintentional, but it's harder to tell on the net, so you should be careful if you didn't mean to do any of that. Anyway, note that humans do not have a caste system, because it is not rigid and people can choose what role they wish to have, and they are a space faring race. And, I noticed you said "Actually, the Rachni do bear a pretty decent resemblence to the Aracnids from the book." when I brought up many specific arguments that showed, if anything, they are like the ones from the movie. I also notice you brought up one point for why the Rachni had a caste, then proceeded to spend the rest of the paragraph saying the same thing. Now, note that a Brood Warrior is a bug that leads the rest of the brood, or faction if you want human terms. I don't know what the brain bugs did in Starship Troopers, but I assume that, since brain is in their name, they didn't do much physical stuff, and controlled the others psychically, which is the opposite of a Brood Warrior. I don't understand why you continued this argument when all you essentially said was "Don't call me names, the bugs have caste-like names." That is very little evidence compared to what I previously said, which disproved many things you said. Anyway, sincere sorry for calling you a name, and sorry for reviving the argument. 24.72.49.251 01:33, April 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * Actually, my last statement wasn't "Don't call me names, the bugs have caste-like names". I pointed out that the bugs clearly have a hierarchical system with clearly delineated roles and functions nearly identical to those of the Arachnids from Starship Troopers. I then asked you to please obey site guidelines and policy. A bit more expansive then your oversimplification. I also responded to your claim that the racnhi have no apparent societal system, but you decided not to mention that in your oversimplified account of what I said. As for your allegation that I myself violate site rules on a regular basis, this is simply not true. You can cherry-pick snippets of conversation with a few problem users and attempt to cite this, but the fact remains that I do not insult other users, especially not by calling them derogatory names such as asshole. That is infantile behavior, as well as unsound argumentation (as name-calling is merely a form of ad hominem attack). The "implied" insults you refer to are, in fact, not insults at all. No offense is intended in my comments, and can only be inferred by someone reading too deeply into them. Please don't tell me to be careful how I address other users after flagrantly violating the rules yourself. Regardless, your claim that you 'disproved' many things I said doesn't really hold any water. You really refuted nothing, as I in turn refuted your claims of lack of society or a caste (or extremely caste-like) system. SpartHawg948 01:48, April 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * 1. We know almost nothing about the Rachni. I don't even know what the Rachni workers work on. So, their functions aren't clearly defined. 2. Yes, I called you a name, I already said sorry twice, so the one being immature right now is you for continuously bringing it up. I do not read very deeply into your posts. In fact, just look at this most recent one. You said "infantile behaviour, unsound argumentation, liar." Not only did you prove me correct, but you had the gall to ignore it yourself. And don't say that you weren't insulting me, just telling the truth, because you are somewhat of what I called you, and that was true enough of an insult for you. 3. I disproved that the Rachni were anything like the bugs from the book, which you quickly ignored, and I also proved they reproduced differently in the movie. Please note that in Starship Troopers, there is none of the "song" and "music" stuff, like the Rachni, which is arguably their most noticable trait. 4. Ok, they do have a caste, and it doesn't have brain bugs. I was wrong, I see now they do have a caste. 24.72.49.251 02:06, April 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * We know that they are a space-faring insect race with a caste (or caste-like) society, ruled by queens, with clearly delineated workers and warriors. This does make them similar to the Arachnids. There are, admittedly, differences, especially the fact that the rachni use this whole 'song' thing and allegorical verbal communication, which the Arachnids don't seem to, and the Arachnid warriors use energy weapons, and the Arachnids also have the ability and the inclination to communicate with (and ally with) other sentient races (ie the Skinnies), although one could argue that this may also be the case with the rachni circa ME and especially ME2 if spared. You are correct that we don't know what specifically the workers work on, other than ships, as we now know from conversations in ME2. We also don't know what Arachnid workers work on. Again, you really didn't disprove any of the points I was making, and I did disprove one of yours (the caste/society thing). Additionally, please do not put words in my mouth. I never called you a liar. Not once. As for whether I was insulting you, no, I was not. I was commenting on my complete and utter dislike of ad hominem attacks. It is, after all, possible to criticize ideas and arguments without criticizing the person who made them. I acknowledge your apology, and respect that were a big enough person to make it, but we've been having so many issues in the past few days with this (I've had to ask at least 5 people in as many days to please not call other users assholes, or pricks, or freaking idiots, or pissbrained something-or-others, or f****** n00bs, on and on and on) that I am trying to stress that this is unacceptable. I may have overdone it this time. If so, I apologize. However, I never called you a liar, and would appreciate you not claiming that I did. SpartHawg948 02:18, April 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * Ok, well, sorry for assuming you insulted me. I can't remember why I thought you called me a liar, but sorry for that also. Thank you for explaining yourself, and accepting my apology. I am also sorry for rejecting your opinions. When I first started arguing with you, I was much more immature, but I've changed quite a lot recently. I'm sorry for arguing with you despite this. I will never believe the Rachni were based on the Arachnids, but I don't think it's worth the effort to try and convince you, when you are about as willing to concede as I am. 24.72.49.251 02:30, April 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * No worries. Again, there are a lot of underlying similarities with the Arachnids, and given the fairly heavy Heinlein influences (I mean, we know for a devconfirmed fact that there is another race that is heavily based on the humans of Starship Troopers) the trivia seems pretty valid to me. I see where you are coming from, but the similarities, even down to the name (after all, rachni is Arachnid minus the R and the D), and the Heinlein influences, made this one seem kosher. SpartHawg948 02:38, April 30, 2010 (UTC)
 * I'm noticing the trivia section stealthily expanding. Is there any way we can trim this down again? --Tullis 15:55, September 10, 2009 (UTC)


 * Ok, well the only new bit that was in there was the tidbit about how the rachni "may allude" to the Alien films. Upon futher examination, I decided that the link was rather tenuous, so removed it. SpartHawg948 20:21, September 10, 2009 (UTC)
 * The Rachni on noveria weren't stupid, they still used tactics and the like. They were insane. The reason they attacked everyone is because they were insane. The reason they threw themselves at the barricade was because they were insane. Properly nurtured rachni would be smart on their own, for sure.--71.234.106.119 08:10, December 24, 2009 (UTC)
 * You're right! If only I had said that myself... oh, that's right! I DID! Funny how that works out. SpartHawg948 08:12, December 24, 2009 (UTC)

The scientist named "Flores" - any chance this is a reference to the character "Dizzy" Flores from Starship troopers?John117XL 03:17, January 24, 2010 (UTC)
 * It's possible, but I'd say unlikely, especially if we're talking the book Starship Troopers, maybe a little less unlikely if we're talking the film. Do I think Major Elena Flores, a high ranking female Cerberus officer placed in charge of (or at least in a position of authority in) a major Cerberus operation has any relation to Private "Dizzy" Flores, a male enlisted infantryman in no position of any authority whose most notable (and pretty much only) acts were getting shot by a Skinny and succumbing to his wounds? See where I'm coming from here? SpartHawg948 04:04, January 24, 2010 (UTC)

Enders Game
Am I the only one that sees any resemblance to the buggers from Ender’s Game? Insect race threatens to destroy civilization only to be repelled, and then many years later the egg of a queen is found and allowed to live in peace, starting a new colony, despite what its kind did? I think that anybody who has read Ender’s Game would see this.
 * Including, possibly, the person who already added it to the trivia section of this article. : ) --Tullis 16:02, October 11, 2009 (UTC)

oops... sorry about that I was thinking though, I think that they match up with the buggers more than they with the Arachnids and after actualy reading the trivia section i think that the buggers need a bit more mention than the Arachnids.


 * The trivia section for this page has been getting out of control, so we've been keeping it to an absolute minimum (see above). Yes, the rachni resemble a lot of insectoid species in lots of books and movies, but that's because insectoid hive-minded aliens are a sci-fi staple. Seeing as the rachni's very name seems to be a reference to the Arachnids and their hierarchy is similar, I don't think giving this reference more credence is out of place. --Tullis 17:08, October 11, 2009 (UTC)


 * You also have to take into account that fact that the Formics (aka "Buggers") and Arachnids are also fairly similar. The only major differences I see are the facts that (like the Rachni) the Arachnids have a societal hierarchy with several classes all serving various roles, while I haven't seen any real evidence of a Formic hierarchy, and also the fact that (like the Rachni) when the Arachnid leadership is eliminated, the Arachnid soldiers can still function and fight, albeit less effectively, whereas when the Formic queen is killed, Formic soldiers simply lose all ability to function. So while the back story of the rachni may more resemble Ender's Game than Starship Troopers, the rachni themselves seem to more closely resemble the Arachnids than they do the Formics. SpartHawg948 21:21, October 11, 2009 (UTC)

Well, what I am saying is that I think their story is definitely inspired by the “formics” (I don’t remember them calling them that is the book but I'll take you word for it) and the similarities to the Arachnids mentioned in the section above where you discuss the trivia section were a coincidence, the rachni were purely original. If anybody here worked on them in the game just tell me if I’m wrong.


 * I don't understand what you mean. The rachni clearly aren't purely original. Besides, isn't UNC: Listening Post Alpha based on Starship Troopers? --Tullis 22:00, October 14, 2009 (UTC)

Purely original was a bad choice of words. I meant that they were not inspired by the Arachnids, they could have been inspired by something else. Listening post alpha is a good point though, maybe I'm wrong.


 * Mass Effect uses a lot of sci-fi staples from different places. I think the rachni are "the hive-minded hostile insect race" as the asari are the "beautiful green-skinned alien girls" (thank you, The Art of Mass Effect). So they're going to resemble a lot of different species from different sci-fi backgrounds -- the aliens from the Alien movies, the Formics, the Arachnids, etc. Since their actual name is apparently taken from the Arachnids, they get mowed down by space marines and they have a hive mind, claiming they resemble the Arachnids isn't unwarranted. My personal opinion is that debating who they resemble more is like trying to pick out which ingredient "makes" the stew. : ) --Tullis 22:26, October 14, 2009 (UTC)

Good point, I agree with that first sentance there. I still keep my idea that they are mostly taken from the Formics, but thats just me. They probably are just the "hive-minded hostle insect race" as you say.


 * Well, the whole 'single egg leads to survival of extinct species' looks like a very clear poiner toward Enders's game; at least it was the first thing that came to my mind when the queen started talking to Shepard. The shape of the Rachni is another matter. In any case, the creaters of Mass Effect seem to like mixing Sci-Fi stereotypes to come up with little surprises. E.g. The Krogan are introduced as the typical 'proud warrior race' that lives only to fight (Sort of like Klingons taken to the extreme), while in practice most seem quite pragmatic and can be reasoned with. Similarly, the Asari ar introduced as a sort of empathic, philosophical race and then turn out to produce some of the most cold-blooded killers in the Mass Effect universe. Ajvanmarle 09:31, February 15, 2010 (UTC)
 * Just to throw some gee-whiz info out there, clear some things up as I had to inform someone else of this earlier too (when they deemed a comparison between Klingons and krogan worthy of being placed in the Biology section of the krogan article, go figure on that one!), the comparison between krogan and Klingons is not really a valid one, at least not as far as the whole "warrior race" thing goes. The krogan have a well-established history of being a so-called warrior-race, but while many people think the Klingons do as well, they really don't. As has been stated many times (with, IMO, the best example being the Enterprise episode "Judgment", the Klingons were not always a race of warriors who reveled in battle and conquest. This was actually a rather recent (in Star Trek terms) cultural shift for the Klingons. So no, the krogan aren't really like the Klingons to the extreme, because the Klingons don't have the underlying warrior culture that the krogan do. Just so gee-whiz info that really contributed nothing to this! :P SpartHawg948 09:56, February 15, 2010 (UTC)

I know. The comparison isn't very good. I just reached for an example everyone is familiar with. The way the Krogan are described you can even draw a parallel with Tolkien's Uruk-Hai. Personally, I was very pleasanttly surprised how the individual Krogan turn out in the game. They actually think before they act, which most stereotyped warrier races seem to be incapable off. The only Krogan so far who actually behaves a bit like the warrior race archetype is Grunt, but that seems to have as much to do with his age as with him being a Krogan. Ajvanmarle 10:20, February 15, 2010 (UTC)

Brood warriors
"They are the 'elder males' of the hive and usually mate with the queen" Didn't Yaroslev Tartakovsky say that the rachni queen did not need males to mate, and that it basically reproduces with itself?--209.208.106.214 02:07, November 12, 2009 (UTC)
 * He specifically says "they carry the genetic code of their fathers", meaning that the queen can still reproduce if the hive is in crisis and there are no brood warriors. But for the sake of preserving the rachni genetically -- to prevent inbreeding occurring from this -- the brood warriors fill that role. I assume the rachni have some biological safeguard that changes the brood warriors' DNA, even though they hatch from the same queen. Mostly speculation on my part, but this explanation seems to make sense. I think the Codex or mission text mentions that the brood warriors are the drones (males) of the rachni hive. --Tullis 15:11, November 12, 2009 (UTC)

That makes sense--209.208.106.233 21:02, November 12, 2009 (UTC)


 * Yeah, the codex entry does mention that the brood warriors are male. SpartHawg948 21:06, November 12, 2009 (UTC)

Rachni Song
Are there any clips of this supposed Rachni "song" anywhere? I've been to several of the locations where the wiki says that the Rachni song can be heard, but haven't heard anything special; I just get either silence or the normal theme that seems to play fairly randomly anywhere. Uecasm 02:25, January 5, 2010 (UTC)

Removal of Speculation
I believe this should be removed as the phrasing "A tone from space hushed one voice after another. It forced the singers to resonate with its own sour yellow note." may be indicative of some sort of indoctrination interference from the Reapers or Collectors it still falls into line with speculation and needs to be removed or thrown into trivia and not the bulk of the article. A proper phrasing of the section I feel, should be addressed as, "The rachni queen on Noveria alludes to a foreign body causing disruption among the rachni and forcing them to all sing "its own sour yellow note." Which may have been the reason the rachni were unable to be negotiated with."--Xaero Dumort 02:27, January 21, 2010 (UTC)

The tone from space was the Krogan wiping the Rachni out. A sour, yellow note probably means they were afraid. Sort of like the phrase "yellow bellied" in the old West. It's the "We only heard discordance. Songs the color of oily shadows." that probably actually alludes to indoctrination or some sort of corruption. Oily shadows could be the Reapers, an allegory for lies or both. Could even be an allusion to Plato's Cave. --Mallissin 02:12, March 19, 2010 (UTC)

There is a short discussion with an Asari on Illium that confirms this. The queen (if you let her live during Mass Effect) sends an explicit message, that the peopleyou are fighting are the same ones that messed with her race and promises her help in the future. 78.23.64.243 11:28, February 14, 2010 (UTC)

"Song"
What exactly is this "singing" heard on Altahe, Luna, And the Nephmos mine? I don't doubt it exists but I am extremely interested. Is there a way someone could post a sound clip? If that's to much to ask could I get a description?209.208.106.244 03:41, January 24, 2010 (UTC)
 * If I recall correctly, it somewhat resembles Whale song. I don't think you can hear it while in the Mako (either that, or driving is too noisy and blocks it out), but if you get out and stand around awhile, it's very noticable. Completely freaked me out the first time I heard it (it's quite loud!) --WarlockSoL 19:12, January 29, 2010 (UTC)
 * Most of them sound like whale song. But I'm at an abandoned mining camp on the northeast side of the Nepmos map right now, next to what looks like a rachni spot, and there are both whale sounds and something that sounds like a train whistle. (More specifically, I'm standing outside the Mako about an equal distance between the north little building and the rachni pit. You CAN hear it inside the Mako, too.) I didn't hear it at first either, just kept seeing spots people had marked on maps as places you could hear it. If you have been to those places, I recommend wandering around them a bit... sometimes it's a pretty specific few meters you have to be in to hear it. Also, I think it's a sound effect, because I have the music turned all the way down in the game. Hope this helps. --Sobekcroc 19:05, March 21, 2010 (UTC)
 * Heard it on Rayingri towards the nothern edge of the map. And yeah it is quite unexpected. For one the planet has this enternal dust storm thing going on and everything has a reddish haze....and then all of a sudden in that desolation one hears the very haunting Rachni song....IP no. 59.95.169.10 17:05, June 20, 2010 (UTC)
 * Is it a lengthy sound file or a second-long sound byte? I was driving around on Luna yesterday (in the northeastern mountainous area, if that matters) and I heard a VERY distinct warble (almost like a low-frequency version of the sound that lizard-like creature Obi-Wan Kenobi rides on Utapau makes). Is that it?
 * That's it. It's a lengthy file, but most of it is very quiet. For best results, get out of the Mako and turn the volume up. Just remember to turn the volume back down before you get back into the Mako. :) PhoenixBlue 21:56, July 2, 2010 (UTC)
 * That's it. It's a lengthy file, but most of it is very quiet. For best results, get out of the Mako and turn the volume up. Just remember to turn the volume back down before you get back into the Mako. :) PhoenixBlue 21:56, July 2, 2010 (UTC)

ME2
On Omega, if you listen to the news report screen at the back of Afterlife long enough, you can hear someone talk about how explorer vessels are discovering ships of similar design to ancient rachni scouting vessels, but the "rachni" ships quickly flee and the Council are launching a full investigation. Worth a mention? For reference, I had a male Paragon who let the queen live. 217.43.94.6 20:22, January 30, 2010 (UTC)

I let the queen live, as well, and there's a little bit of dialogue on Illium involving the Rachni as well. 71.57.141.100 04:15, February 5, 2010 (UTC)

Purpose
Can anyone figure out or have any ideas as to what the purpose was of the Reapers sending the Rachni to war against the other Citadel races? --Babyhenchy1 12:25, February 13, 2010 (UTC)

Well, for one thing it kept them from becoming allies. Since the Rachni were apperently a formidable enemy, their inclusion into the Citadel civilization would have greatly added to the defensive strength of the citadel races. Also, being completely different from the other races in terms of biology, culture etc., they might have been less likely to follow the pre-set path that the reapers want everyone to follow, making them a more tricky opponent. The Rachni war got them out of the way. Ajvanmarle 23:50, February 13, 2010 (UTC)

Presumably the Reapers have lots of experience in galactic conquest, and have developed strategies to deal with the organic races. With the Protheans, they were the only (as far as we know) galactic power in their time, so there was no point in being subtle and no other options than outright invasion. Perhaps faced with numerous races (possibly with a combined power greater than the Protheans?), their strategy changes to weaken them before the initial invasion. Though given what we know of Reaper motives, large-scale civil war (and presumably huge casualties to organics) would not be in their interest. Perhaps there is a meeting point between galactic unity and numbers of organics that they were aiming for. Definitely not a united coalition of organics, but neither a massive war that would decimate their numbers. Bronzey 10:34, February 15, 2010 (UTC)

The evidence points to the rachni being Nazara's (e.g. Sovereign's) last plan (that we know of) to invade the Citadel before he found Saren. Nazara probably chose the rachni because they were isolated, reproduced rapidly, had starship technology that appears to have been on par with the Council's and could be easily controlled via indoctrination via their hive link. mdwall1234 12:08, January 22, 2011 (UTC)
 * I totally agree with your assessment, I just feel the need, as an admin and all that, to point out that the "evidence" in question is all circumstantial, at best. What we do know certainly does point to the conclusions you reach, but we don't really know much. I personally am in complete agreement with you, it just needs to be pointed out that there is, as yet, no real solid proof. SpartHawg948 05:22, January 22, 2011 (UTC)

article needs MAJOR editing 70% of the stuff written is wrong
when you recive the message from the rachni on mass effect 2 you are told that the rachni were forced into the war by the reapers

you are also told that the rachni are very peaceful and dont like fighting

these facts alone make the majority of the article wrong but she also can tell you other things with questioned that clash with other "facts" listed here


 * only can get this scene on illium if you saved the rachni in mass effect 1*

but i can edit this much failure from the community here so please try to fix the incorect facts yourself if you added any. thank you


 * You are told that about the rachni now, with statements about the rachni in the past made by a rachni who wasn't alive at the time. Shepard is never told that the rachni were forced into war by the Reapers. The rachni's rep makes some suggestive statements and Shepard jumps to the conclusion that the rachni must be referring to the Reapers. As for being peaceful and not liking to fight, history would suggest otherwise, wouldn't it? Peaceful races who don't like to fight don't start wars and refuse to negotiate. And you have to remember that the paragraphs above the spoiler tags are for information that is "common knowledge" type stuff (aka Codex-type info) and the Codex states "Unfortunately, the rachni were not peaceful, and the galaxy was plunged into a series of conflicts known as the Rachni Wars. Attempts to negotiate were futile, as it was impossible to make contact with the hive queens that guided the race from beneath the surface of their toxic homeworld." Feel free to add the ME2 info yourself (and quick note, no such thing as Mass Effect 1) but the article is not 70% inaccurate, not even close. SpartHawg948 00:23, February 21, 2010 (UTC)
 * A) The Rachni WAS alive at the time. She was inside the egg, but clearly conscious to some extent. She describes a limited awareness of outside events in her eggstage when you meet her in ME1


 * B) The whole point about "peaceful and not liking to fight" is that apparently the Rachni were OUTSIDE their normal behaviour. At least according the Rachni rep on Illium. Whether this is correct or not we don't know yet, but it means that the war in itself is not proof of their warlike nature.


 * C) All reports about the Rachni war come through the filter of the council species and frankly I don't consider them very reliable. For one thing, history getting written by the victors is really taken to an extreme here, since the losers no longer exist. Secondly, they have been known to be wrong about other things (pretty much any discussion you have with them) and finally, they are not above editing history to suit their personal preference. The judgement of the council has been so incredibly unsound in any number of situatons that I would hesitate to take their word for anthing.


 * D) The codex entry doesn't mean anything. Those enries seem to represent a sort of 'common knowledge' encyclopedia, which may or may not be correct. In fact in-game knowledge shows that several entries are at least partially wrong. The entry on Reapers says they're just a legend, we know they aren't; The entry on the Rachni says they are exinct, again, not so much. The entry on the Krogan says the genophage is slowly exterminating them. We know from Mordin Solus, that they were already evolving to overcome the original plague and that even the modified plague keeps the population stagnant rather than killing them off. (Again, cannot be sure that Mordin is teling the truth, but it is clear that the situation isn't nearly as simple as the codex entry tells it. Even Wrex in ME1 states that the Kroan should focus on breeding for a few generations and seems to think that that could solve replenish their numbers.) Clearly, the codex is not the absolute truth. Ajvanmarle 14:58, February 21, 2010 (UTC)


 * Ok- A) You are correct. Alive was a poor choice of wording. I should have said present. The rachni queen in question was in an egg, therefor was unable to actually observe the happenings of the war. The queen did have the genetic memory of her forbears, but we don't know at what point in their history she was concieved (ie pre-war, early in the war, late in the war, whatever). So we can't really take her word for it over the Codex.
 * B) As you say, the entire "peaceful and not liking to fight" thing is, quite literally, hearsay, passed on to Shepard by a "friend of the queen", and as you say, we don't know if this info is correct or not. We do, however, know that historical precedent (ie events that actually happened, as opposed to hearsay originating from a hardly unbiased source) show the rachni to be aggressive, and being fully capable of launching wars of aggression. When it's hearsay vs history, history wins.
 * C) So, you don't consider reports about the rachni war viewed "through the filter of the council species" reliable, yet you seem to be willing to take the word of a rachni queen (hardly an impartial source) about the events of the war at face value? I'm sorry, but I just don't understand that.
 * D) You are correct that the Codex entries are "Common knowledge info". I said so myself "And you have to remember that the paragraphs above the spoiler tags are for information that is "common knowledge" type stuff (aka Codex-type info)" (emphasis added). SpartHawg948 15:09, February 21, 2010 (UTC)
 * I know, deciding who to believe is pretty much hopeless. On the other hand, I have no proof that the Rachni queen deliberately lied to me, nor does she come across as stupid. For me the problem is, that the council comes across as either so inept, or deliberately lying most of the time, that I don't really trust their word on anything. perhaps we should just lable everything about the Rachni as 'speculation'.
 * No, because the Codex spells out some pretty clear info about them, and the Codex is generally viewed as the be-all, end-all source except in a few instances when information is deliberately wrong for spoiler purposes (ie calling the rachni extinct and calling Sovereign a dreadnought). And again, regardless of whether you trust the Council or not, there is the little matter of history and historical precedent. It's fact that the rachni started a war against the Citadel. Peaceful races who don't like to fight don't start and carry out massive wars of aggression. The only supposed mitigating factor here is that the queen claims the rachni were being controlled by outside influences, which is not provable, and given the fact that she was under threat of extermination when she said it, is open to a bit of skepticism. SpartHawg948 20:06, February 22, 2010 (UTC)
 * Well, I don't see how it's so unlikely that the reapers controlled the rachni, as they are known for mind-control, as well as attempting genocide. Also, if the reapers mind controlled them at just the right point, they could have initiated the war, or made the rachni feel threatened and try to defend themselves. Also, even if they weren't mind controlled, negotiation wasn't refused, it was impossible, thanks to dangerous conditions of the planets they lived on. Plus, why would the codex be thought of as the best source of info? Most of the information on it is dealt with in a skeptical and citadel-race focused way, referring to the reapers as just a myth, and the protheans as the ones who made the mass relays. Obviously to keep spoilers out, but it's unreliable anyway. And if the Rachni queen wanted to trick Shepard just to escape, why would she both thank him and not attack him, and even send him a message about how they were doing two years later? Anyway, it doesn't matter if the council is right or if the queen is right, the point is, there is no reason to leave out what the queen says, as it is still information on the rachni, which is what this wiki is supposed to contain, rather than whatever viewpoint you find most appealing. Toast 17:32, March 3, 2010 (UTC)
 * I never said it's unlikely the rachni were controlled by the Reapers. In fact, I believe that to be the case. In my opinion, the sour yellow tone is an obvious reference to Reaper Indoctrination. That is why I never once stated that it's unlikely. Not once. However, we do have evidence that the rachni started the war, but no evidence that they did so due to Reaper Indoctrination. Therefore, one can be stated as fact, while the other is speculation. As for the Codex, it's considered a reliable source because it's the in-game encyclopedia, and it tends to be very accurate on topics where it isn't forced to be intentionally vague. You are correct that the Codex entry on Reapers states they are a myth, but at the same time has a lengthy and accurate piece on Reaper Indoctrination. As for why the rachni queen didn't just thank him and not attack him, I presume you mean why didn't she lie to him to get out, then attack him? Simple. She'd just watched Shepard and company take down a sizeable number of geth, asari commandos, and Matriarch Benezia. The rachni queen wasn't stupid. If Benezia and her forces couldn't stop Shepard, what hope could she have? As for talking to Shepard on Illium, why wouldn't she? I never claimed the rachni queen wasn't genuine in her desire to rebuild in peace, just that she wasn't really in a position to know what had happened at the outbreak of the war, so wasn't the best source. And if she had known, it's plausible she'd have fudged some of the details to increase her odds of making it out alive. In conclusion, you are absolutely correct that we need to have this information in the article. It's a valid viewpoint, an examination of the issue from another perspective. Fortunately, it's already in the article, and has been for some time. SpartHawg948 20:24, March 3, 2010 (UTC)

Keepers are to Rachni as Collectors are to Protheans?
Anyone think there is a possibility that the keepers are rachni genetically modified by the reapers much like the collectors are genetically-modified protheans? We know from the rachni queen's message on Illium that the rachni were influenced by a message (or a "song") that caused them to attack against their will. It's heavily implied that it was from the reapers. The asari you meet on Illium also mentions how the rachni repaired her ship quickly and even improved it and compares them to the keepers. There's also a physical resemblance between the rachni and the keepers; look at the legs, and worker rachni are green. The signal from the reapers that the keepers are supposed to respond to could be a modification of the rachni means of communication. So, maybe the reapers didn't have to modify the rachni as much as they did the protheans.

It's also a mystery where the keepers come from on the Citadel. Perhaps somewhere, there are indoctrinated queens churning out workers similar to the how elves, humans, dwarfs, and qunari are transformed into broodmothers that produce darkspawn in Dragon Age.TheUnknown285 16:46, May 31, 2010 (UTC)


 * Nope . . . . not a possibility, the keepers predate the reapers considerably, the reapers have been doing this for at least 37 million years, and i dont think the rachni are that old. But the reapers do seem to have a preference for insectoid races. ralok 16:57, May 31, 2010 (UTC)
 * Agreed, the keepers have been around longer than the rachni. The rachni communicate though song, and changing that song is like mindcontrol as the asari put it. While yes it is implied that it was from Reapers, we don't know for certain and neither does the queen. As to them being genetically modified, I don't think so. As to a connection between the keepers and the rachni, we don't know where the keepers originally came from and a link doesn't seem practical. Also the fact they look alike, so so many insects, which the rachni and keepers, in my opinion, are based off of. Lancer1289 16:59, May 31, 2010 (UTC)

I meant the keepers predate the rachni, but they also predate the reapers seemingly aswell if you read teh in game information, its said they could have been created by the sa e people who created the reapers. ralok 17:07, May 31, 2010 (UTC)

Rachni as a creature.
I was looking the "Art of Mass Effect" and found something that I didnt gave much attention the last time I checked the "Art of Mass Effect".

Its this: Rachni Creature.JPG

Do you think that Rachni look like this? Living inside a Bio-Suit? Having Bio-Suits (as the aliens in the "Independence Day" movie) makes sense because building starships and dont have a suit...I doesnt makes sense to me. SoulRipper 13:11, August 24, 2010 (UTC)

Rachni communication and songs
The Rachni Queen at Noveria says: "This one. Serves as our voice. We cannot sing. Not in these low spaces. Yout musics are colorless". What I see here is that the Rachni Queen used the asari to vocalize what the Rachni Queen wanted to say to Shepard and that she cannot communicate (sing) in the way humans or other aliens do with vocal chords. Later she says : "Our kind sings through touchings of thought. We pluck the strings, and the other understands. She is weak to urging". That may mean that the rachni (or at least the Rachni Queens) may use telepathy or some kind of "brain waves". That can explain why the song can be heard on Luna where there is no atmosphere and the sound cant travel. But it has to be really strong or powerful to be heard light years away from the source. Maybe those songs come since the Rachni Wars and (like light which travels "for ever") can be heard today. SoulRipper 20:10, September 3, 2010 (UTC)
 * But this is based on the assumption that rachni can communicate across the open void of space, and this does not appear to be the case. If it were, the Rachni War could likely have been avoided, or at the very least, ended before the rachni were essentially wiped out. After all, the reason that the war turned into a war of annihilation was because it was impossible to contact the racnhi, since (from the Codex) "it was impossible to make contact with the hive queens that guided the race from beneath the surface of their toxic homeworld." This would seem to imply that the rachni queens were either unwilling or unable to make contact with the Citadel races while those races remained outside of the underground lairs of the rachni, and by the time there were Citadel forces in the rachni lairs, it was too late, as those were krogan troops, and the krogan, as we've seen, weren't big on negotiation or diplomacy back then. SpartHawg948 22:12, September 3, 2010 (UTC)
 * Im talking about how old those songs can be. It cant be recent cause even if you released the queen its impossible to a wave to travell in such a short time (even one year with light speed) from Noveria to even the closest star, unless those waves can use the Mass Relays, I dont know.
 * You know that light when starts from the source (lets say the sun) travels for millions or even billions of years untill it hits something (damn you Newton :P ). The same happens with all waves. What Im saying is that those songs can be even before the rachni wars or even thousans of years old (the diameter of the Milky Way is about 100,000 light years or 9.4605284×10^20 meters ). SoulRipper 09:49, September 4, 2010 (UTC)
 * But again, that is presupposed on the theory that their songs can even reach the open void of space, which has not been proven. How old the songs are is irrelevant if they can't communicate across open space (even with millions or billions of years of time delay), as if they can't, the theory falls apart. You are automatically assuming that these 'songs' can reach across open space in a manner similar to light, whereas I am simply pointing out that this assumption currently has no supporting factual evidence. SpartHawg948 10:15, September 4, 2010 (UTC)
 * And how then is possible to hear the song on Luna where there is open void? No atmospere, no molecules to vibrate so the sound can be heard. Does a Rachni Queen live on Luna? No. So it has to come from either the Queen at Noveria (which is impossible for even light to travel that fast from a star to another) or somewere else. The only known queen is the one from Noveria (and the only one that exists according to what she says). The other rachni cannot "sing" (again according to what the queen says), so none of the rachni that is encountered on any planet is able to produce these songs. And even if they could its impossible to hear a song that comes, as an example, from Styx Theta on Luna. Even with light speed that would take thousands of years, unless as I said earlier, the songs can use the Mass Relays and independently go wherever they want.SoulRipper 12:23, September 4, 2010 (UTC)
 * Riiiggghhhttt... because literally the only possible answer is that rachni telepathy crosses space, huh? Glad you ruled out all other options. However, given that your statement contains at least one other inaccuracy (the Moon does have an atmosphere, albeit one that is practically nonexistent), you'll forgive me if I don't jump up and instantly become a cheerleader for your idea, which does not seem practical to me. For instance, it's extremely likely that the rachni use other forms of communication, as it would be all but impossible to conduct a massive war across multiple solar systems without some form of communication faster than telepathy. This could easily be a stray radio signal (or other such signal) that Shep's comm system happens to pick up. It could be a psychological warfare tactic, with Hannibal broadcasting it to Shepard's helmet. Or, for all you know, there could be a rachni queen on the Moon. If not a fully grown one, than perhaps another egg, in a downed ship. You dismiss this out of hand, but did you check every square inch of the lunar surface? Remember, the Citadel also believed there couldn't be any rachni. Turns out they were wrong. There are many other alternatives besides your implausible 'rachni telepathy crosses deep space in a manner similar to light', and your even more implausible 'rachni telepathy can use Mass Relays and is capable of independent thought'. SpartHawg948 20:17, September 4, 2010 (UTC)
 * Come on, atmosphere on moon? Its near Vacum. 10 metric tons? A tuck weights more than that.
 * I will agree with signals but again those cant be recent. And I didnt said that those songs are telepathy, I talked about waves in general. I said that the rachni use telepathy to communicate (the one with the other) and thatcould explain why the songs can be heard on Luna. Then I said that the songs must be realy powerfull or strong to be heard light years away from the source if they come from the Rachni Queen (she definitely does not have a comm device to send signals). And because those songs cant be from the Rachni Queen on Noveria thats why I said that the songs may come from the rachni wars or even before. They can be echos (not sound echos) that travel thousends of years and can be heard now. And those songs are definitely not from Hannibal because even if you shot down the VI (as I have already done before I shot the video) the song can still be heard.
 * According to the Rachni Queen she is the last queen. A downed ship? And the humans didnt find that ship? With about 230 years of space travel (in ME) and bases on Luna?
 * What I said about the Mass Relays was completely ironic and of course I dont believe such thing. SoulRipper 17:21, September 5, 2010 (UTC)
 * The rachni queen says she is the last queen. And the Citadel Council said there were no rachni queens. Dialogue is only as well-informed as the person issuing it, and a rachni queen who hadn't even been born at the time the war ended can't be considered the most well-informed source. The rachni queen also says that her people are a peaceful people who don't like to fight, yet historical precedent clearly demonstrates that this is false. We have it from good sources (i.e. the people who wrote the game) that dialogue is often less than accurate, due to the fact that the speaker simply doesn't really know for sure what they're talking about.
 * As for a downed ship on the moon, what? You think that it'd be easy to find? Humans would go to space and decide, 'hey, let's comb the surface and subsurface of the moon looking for crashed alien ships'? Are we doing that now? Then why would they start later? The civilizations of the galaxy missed a big 'ol derelict Reaper just chilling in space. The people living on the Citadel have no idea what parts of the station even look like or contain. It took the settlers on Mars (with about 230 years of space travel and bases there) 45 years after setting up their cities to find the Prothean ruins. Yet somehow, humans are supposed to know every square inch of the moon both on and below the surface? I didn't say that this was the only plausible answer, just that it is A plausible answer, and one that seems to me to be more plausible than rachni 'brain waves' (which was, after all, what you claimed the songs heard on Luna to be in your first post).
 * As for Hannibal, funny thing about broadcasts. They can be set up to loop and repeat even after the person or construct that started them is destroyed. Shepard stopped Hannibal, but that doesn't mean that the recordings would then have to necessarily stop right away. All I was trying to do was to point out some unproven assumptions your original theory (which was telepathy/'brain waves') was based on that give me pause. Then in another post you pretty much declared that no other theory besides your 'waves' theory could work, so I simply tried to present viable alternatives, which all these are. SpartHawg948 21:29, September 5, 2010 (UTC)

Image Placement Issue
The picture of the rachni egg on Altahe seems to be placed in the Mass Effect 2 section. I recommend someone move it to a more appropriate location or replace it with a more relevant picture, as this may cause some confusion (I would do it myself, but editing pictures is something I have yet to master on wikia >_<). 96.249.136.180 23:35, October 23, 2010 (UTC)