Kint (Spherus Imperus)

A common form of insect which inhabits Spherus Magna and other planets in the Spherus system.

History
The kint was the first prototype of biomechanical life in the Spherus Imperus universe designed by Heremus and his team of Great Beings. It was successful, and the Prototype Kint, as it came to be known, was a prime motivation to develop truly sentient mechanical life, as the kint was insect-like and thus did not possess the necessary brain capacity. When the Demonkin invaded, plans to mass produce any kind of biomechanical life were abandoned and the kint was, instead, redesigned as a biological organism.

From there on out, the kint reproduced extensively, spreading to every habitable planet in the Spherus system. In different environments, they rapidly evolved and adapted to meet change, and they became the most common insect in the entire system. They were considered a pest in some regions as, although they pollinated crops and allowed them to grow better, they also fed on many natural fibres and materials which made up clothing, and some varieties even learned to feed on metallic armour, proving them a hazard, especially for inhabitants of the hotter regions of Spherus Magna.

When the war with Teridax and the Brotherhood of Makuta occurred, hundreds of thousands of these insects were killed as the Makuta devastated environments to make land totally unusable by the Toa Confederacy. Following the war, the species was considered endangered and dedicated efforts were made to breed them back from that status. In the present day, the kint has once again risen to prominence and is a common sight wherever one goes on most of the planets in the Spherus system.

Habitat
The kint could live in almost any given habitat as their high adaptability allowed them to feed on planets, metal, natural fibres, and even rocks and minerals found in places such as Onu-Wahi. However, they could not survive in the vacuum of space, as they still required oxygen to function; additionally, very few species lived in areas such as Vo-Wahi, as although there is an abundance of water, the constant thunderstorms make the kints easy conducting targets.

Powers
The kint had very few natural abilities to speak of; they were able to pollinate flowers, and their ability of flight made them one of the few naturally occurring flying creatures in the Spherus system. However, later breeds, after extended exposure to the elemental energy present in the various areas of Spherus Magna, evolved limited elemental energies. Kint-Ta, for example, could give off small embers to ward off predators and to illuminate their way at night.

Examples
There has not been dedicated effort by the Onu-Koro researchers to archive and document every last species of kint, but recent initiatives have been starting to overturn this. A few species are currently known to exist, as well as several family types: The last three family types are unique, as micro-kint come in very few known varieties, there have only been three recorded queen kint, and the only prototype kint is currently preserved in the archives. The first two are the primary species inhabiting Spherus Magna and the surrounding planets:
 * Long-winged kint
 * Short-winged kint
 * Micro-kint
 * Queen Kint
 * Prototype kint
 * Kint-Onu (A species which inhabits the caves and mines of Onu-Koro and Onu-Wahi, and feeds on minerals, rocks, and some forms of underground fauna)
 * Kint-Ga (A species which inhabits large bodies of water such as at Ga-Wahi and Ga-Koro, and feeds on underwater plants, the water itself, and even some small forms of Rahi)