Random lore thought - do Kheldians age?

[Greycat]

All right, "yes." In their native form, they age. Part of the point of the Nictus going... Nictus-y was to live longer, after all (and as I'm recalling lore, before they started merging with other life forms.) Otherwise, 10 years and poof.

 

However, does the host of a bonded Kheldian - or Nictus - age?

 

We know, in game tech, they have people with grey hair and wrinkles, so it's simply a choice to have X NPC (or player character) show age. (I want to say the Center does show it, too, but I'm going from memory there. Several contacts do as well.) Neither Arakhn or Requiem show age, though, and they've been around since (or since before) WWII. Even at the time of the game's release, they've been around quite a while.

 

We also know joining does increase both the lifespan of the Kheldian (I'm just going to say Kheldian, but this includes Nictus) and the host. (While Shadowstar has been around 5000+ years, that's *just* the Warshade half of her - she has been through many, many hosts.)

 

In addition, we know they make a copy of what they've joined with before - the Mefnanim /Hulmanim and Ruktur/Kurukt.

 

So, all of that has my brain just wondering if a host ages physically or not. I don't think there's a definitive Lore answer. If a Kheld merges with you at 27 - and makes a copy of anything it merges with - does it "reset" its host every time a host switches forms? Turn 40, still bonded - reset to a 27 year old body. Live to 100 - 27 year old body, just have to swap forms. Or is this just slowed?

 

Also, why are there not more Kheldian spies? I'd see this more as a Nictus thing to do, but could one, say, join temporarily in someone's sleep (not really awake so they're not fighting it, and they might pass it off as a strange dream,) then go and do things as "them?" (Or pull other things like that with past - or current - willing hosts, even.)

 

Somewhat idle Kheld questions I figured I'd throw out for those interested in lore to kick around...

[Blackbird71]

There's no mention of hosts not aging in the lore document, though it likely went through some revisions before the EATs went live.  Still, that seems like a big departure from the initial concept.  There's not even a mention of hosts' lifespans being lengthened by the merge; just that the Kheldian itself can live as long as the host (and longer if it transfers to a new host).  There's actually a reference to Nictus shortening the lifespans of the hosts they inhabit; they have to offset this by draining energy from other lifeforms.  Perhaps this is the reason for Arakhn's and Requiem's extended lives - living off of the lives of others.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XroAWgGCTcrqSzP5Ea_OPENsHFDNMkJdWVI-0Nmmnrc/edit

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Blackbird71

[JasperStone]

Always pictured Khledians and Nicuts like Dax from Deep Space Nine. Normal aging does slow done a tad, but eventually a new host is needed.

[Techwright]

9 hours ago, Greycat said:

 

In addition, we know they make a copy of what they've joined with before - the Mefnanim /Hulmanim and Ruktur/Kurukt.

 

I'd always assumed that line was the answer to the question.  The host wears out and is replaced, but a copy is retained.  Whether the host slows in aging or not, I've not seen anything to suggest, pro or con.