The Alien EXPLAINED

[The Old One]

To alleviate any unclearness on the current topic, here's a breakdown of the Alien biology in the current recognised continuity, using sources such as Alien The RPG and Alien The Cold Forge.

Three types of Egg and Facehugger exist, Regular, Royal and Praetomorph. The Regular produces the most recognisable types of Alien- the Soldier (Also known as the Drone or Warrior) is born from a human being, seen in Alien 1979, Aliens 1986, Isolation and described in The Cold Forge. The Sentry (Also known as the Runner or Defender) is born from animals, with minute alterations depending upon the host, seen in Alien³ 1992. The Praetomorph (Also known as the Stalker) is born from humans and animals alike now so far as we know, with no biomechanical exoskeleton, seen in Alien Covenant.

The reason the Carapace (perhaps) changes is ultimately unknown but Ash observes the creature in the original film changing it's cellular structure to adapt to the present environment, so that is most likely although the RPG Corebook believes losing the Carapace shows maturation developing thicker armour. Other theories postulate retaining the Carapace is a choice in appearance or denotes higher intelligence. During an epidemic, above is probable to be the most of the Alien population.

A Queen comes from a Praetorian, from a Royal Chestburster, from a Royal Facehugger, from a Royal Egg, always identical and "pure" unaffected by the host (Human, anything) it's birthed from. It exists to propagate the species, potentially using Plagarius Praepotens to do so.

The Regular or Praetomorph Alien is also capable of transforming a host with Plagarius Praepotens into a Royal Egg with parts creating the Royal Facehugger within, if necessary to ensure the species' survival.

Plagarius Praepotens is the Pathogen, but genetically programmed by the Alien species so that the implantation of a host is near instantaneous, near undetectable and uses the present host components to create itself.
(Suggesting complete immunity to the Pathogen)

Plagarius Praepotens then creates the gestating Alien within.

When the population reaches high numbers the Specialisations begin to appear. Generally taking over five years.

The Bipedal Praetorian or "Guard" (Potentially een in AVP2001)- the potential of a Soldier, having advantages and disadvantages though, such as great strength but also great weight, a Soldier or any bipedal hosted Alien can become a Guard through cocooning itself with the necessary "raw materials" and also eventually replace the Queen if necessary by cocooning again into one.

The Quadrupedal Praetorian or "Charger" (Potentially seen in AVP2000)- the potential of a Sentry, having advantages and disadvantages though, as before, a Sentry or any quadrupedal hosted Alien can become a Charger through cocooning itself with the necessary "raw materials" and also eventually replace the Queen if necessary by cocooning again into one.

The Praetomorph always stays as is, with no further development, as yet.

A Soldier or Sentry can also become a "Worker" if the Alien's hive environment is no longer able to completely sustain itself when it reaches an enormous range, the creature becomes significantly more pale, sacrificing biomass regularly, it alters itself to maintain.
(A purely speculative process)

My own supposition: The Empress- When a planet becomes sufficiently infested with multiple "colonies" each with a Queen of it's own, the often oldest, but always strongest Empress rules over the rest.

My own supposition: The PredAlien- A hybrid of an Alien and an individual from the species known only as the Predators, resembling a Soldier and Sentry, but with four mandibles instead concealing the inner jaw.

[426Buddy]

I dont remember the crusher in avp2000? You mean ACM?

[The Old One]

I dare not mention that travesty, and I thought it in terms of reference material, the next best thing as it uses all the behaviour of one, it's origin is unexplained and it's an easy comparison to compare the AVP 2000 and AVP 2001 versions.

[426Buddy]

Oh I get it, i forgot the praetorian in avp runs on all 4s a lot.

[The Old One]

Yes, it certainly does, it also pounces, charges and crushes eliminating human beings with one swift movement. As the terminology implies, it's unique to the bipedal hosted Praetorian.

[Kenner_Alien_Kaste]

Huh, this is pretty cool! I think I understand it a little better now-I will admit I kind of like the new additions, and they make sense given what we've seen in the movies (The Runner's aggression and speed enabling it to become a Sentry, which makes sense given its explosive nature within the films and how it viciously slaughtered any threats. To that end, the Warriors that always hung around the Queen in Alien also make sense as 'Sentries', or a caste that act as medians between the Royals and Queens)

Also, regarding the Praetorians, I found a neat little tidbit on the wiki:

-Praetorians seemingly share several traits with the way real-life clownfish operate in terms of social structure. Clownfish live in groups led by the largest member (who is always female), the second-largest (always male) being the second in command, and all other members (always sexless) being of equal rank regardless of size. If the female dies, the male matures into a female, and the largest sexless member matures into a male. It is unknown whether the writers were aware of this when the Xenomorph Praetorian was first conceived.-

Finally, I'm curious if there are any mention of 'auxiliary castes', or the ilk of Prodos Games' suggestions. And I apologize if I seem rude or disparaging-I find this all incredibly interesting! I'm also curious that now that we know Praetomorphs are still contemporary relatives to the mainstream breed, how would they interact?)

[The Old One]

No "auxiliary castes" so far, but expansion packs may yet reveal more, and don't apologize you're alright.

[Kenner_Alien_Kaste]

No "auxiliary castes" so far, but expansion packs may yet reveal more, and don't apologize you're alright.

Thank you-Just curious. But all of this is still really cool!

[The Cruentus]

Alien versus Predator extinction is not canon so the purebreed concept is moot, besides the transbreed/purebred thing has been contradicted by Requiem and the life and death comic i.e the queen does take traits and keeps them even at adulthood.

I am not sure on the canonicity of the rpg, but it seems like an interesting read. You will have to post the biology of the alien types in the future, so we can all have a good read of it.

EDIT
Also why did you use the common clickbait title? I.e explained. Too many plagiarists love using that.

[judge death]

Have some points to question:

In that explanation it seems only Praetomorph can eggmorph but we have seen drones/warriors doing it so they should then also be enabled in the explanation.

Also I dont think we have ever seena  royal egg, the one in alien 3 was a normal egg to my eyes, just being upside down.

As some others have mentioned several games and books and comics have shown the pure breed arent that pure and can breed in other ways like the predalien which according to the movie was a young queen. But enough of it as the RPG book focus on its own lore.
Question to SM: Is the RPG book canon and supported by the movies etc or is it more its own thing?

About preatorians being bipedal or on all fours: I wouldnt class them as different versions, to me they are the same, as we see it in avp classic to run on two legs and also four depending on situation in the game, in avp 2 more on 2 legs. But then we could do the same to the drones and warriors as they run on all fours in avp2010 and most games after 2001, even in covenant the protomorph runs on all four rather than on two legs.
so by the same logic we should have four legged drones and bipedal drones, and then also a explanation what factor determines what the drone will be from impregnation of a host?

Another issue that has never been solved is: what determines if a human based xeno becomes a drone or a warrior, seems sof ar random and only theory that makes sense so far is that all human born xenos starts as drones and as they get older becomes the warrior as the dome head disappears as their heads becomes more armoured but movies and comics goes against this several times, not sure what the RPG book says about this?

Also I find the names of the xenos confusing: Crusher, stalker, are names of xenos from other comics and books and looks way different than what the RPG book means, but that could be me that is so deep in the alien lore from the past where those xenos were called differently Also Praetomorph and preatorian names are way close and easily confused when one dont take the time to read properly, or that is just my experience.

So it seems this RPG book make the albino alien canon then, as you mention some xenos becomes workers: more pal and weak xeno then, dont really see the use of these as a normal drone can do the task and do it better, would be a waste to the hive to make workers/albino aliens as they dont add anything to the hive.
Prety much what SM have concluded with the warrior zenos are good enough to defend the queen instead of preatorians.

Sentry I take it is a attempt at naming a xenos role differently than the old lore wanted: dog alien or alienr unner, but isnt the only difference froma  alien runner and a drone that they come from bipedal animals instead of a human, else they pretty much do the same things in the novels, comics and games: eliminate enemies, catch hosts for breeding, and do hive work, just a bit different in its looks.

Predalien however have more differences with being able to be stronger and implant embryos into hosts etc.

[The Old One]

AVP/AVPR/AVP 2010 exist in their own canon and continuity without any bearing on the Alien Franchise.

I said the Regular or Praetomorph Alien is capable of it, also I specified that the Praetorian Guard is the end result of a Soldier and the Praetorian Charger is the end result of a Sentry, that goes for all of your questions I already answered before, in my original post apart from the next two.

It's not relevant whether the one at the end of Aliens/beginning of Alien³ is a Royal Egg/Facehugger or not, but it is a unique design from ones we see elsewhere and it's stated a Royal Egg is required to produce a Royal Facehugger.

The rest of your questions I've already answered, re-read the original post, I thought it very clear with the New Expanded Universe (Ever since the new line of Alien DH Graphic Novels) the (New) Expanded Universe is more focused on consistency between projects, in that way apart from the films themselves the RPG takes precedence over other material and especially everything before Alien Covenant's release.

[Voodoo Magic]

EDIT
Also why did you use the common clickbait title? I.e explained. Too many plagiarists love using that.

Aw, come on Cruentus, give her a break. The thread title is fine.



Nicely done F.I.!   I enjoyed the read, as well as the responses! 

[The Old One]

Thank you, also, of course Alien The RPG is part of the current canon and current continuity.

Also I'd like to clarify that the new sources make no mention of the last two paragraphs in my original post, that's totally wholecloth by myself as just for fun, considering I'd like to see them added.

[judge death]

The title of the thread is just fine, nothing wrong with it I would say

Ah gotcha, became logical now when I realised Plagarius Praepotens is eggmorphing as it was called before this new EU.

Find it strange AVP 2010 is not counted in when it has ties to AVP classic and why those games are counted in as they are even older and have other games released afterwards like infestation avp psp, aliens thanatos encounter etc, but I take it as only AVP classic/gold and avp 2 is then canon according to the RPG and new EU? I counted all alien material as canon before

I take it as the theatrical cut of alien 3 is not canon anymore as in that version a normal facehugger can produce a queen alien,and many comics in the 90s which ahd the same idea: normal facehugger can when extremly rare cases produce a queen alien. And at the end of a queens life produces normal facehuggers but they carry queens only.
Then I know I can start forget those old ideas from the old EU.

Hmm alright, if I ignore all alien games besides avp classic and avp 2 and isolation then The Bipedal Praetorian and The Quadrupedal Praetorian ideas you presented makes sense, like I said I counted all comics, games, novels, movies etc as part of the franchise and then it went against with what we saw and me being confused why there arent then bipedal drones and Quadrupedal drones etc. Thanks, now I have more things to think through and melt and sink in

About the new EU: I have dark horse defiance 1 and 2, fire and stone and the prometheus based comics from dark horse and, sea of sorrow, out of the shadows, the cold forge, is there a list of which comics/novels and games that is the new EU somewhere or suggestion which ones I need to read? Besides the new RPG book that I have ordered home now

[The Old One]

Honestly, I just used the Praetorians in AVP 2000 and AVP 2001 as examples, as I wanted to give the reader an image to put the idea to, as we've got with the rest of the variations. But that does not necessarily mean the original stories became canon or part of the current continuity, although a reference to them is definitely present in the locations section of the Alien RPG corebook.

The Alien RPG Corebook does actually say a Regular Facehugger is theorized to create a Royal "Embryo" if necessary, but in that case we only see the one and it's a Royal Egg, meaning a Royal Facehugger must be present, that can implant multiple individuals, one Royal strain and Regular protectors.

Personally, I suggest you read Alien The Cold Forge, as the Alien RPG Corebook sources constantly from it.

Otherwise no definitive list exists, but Isolation, Dead Orbit and everything released after Alien Covenant is definitely valid and part of the Alien RPG Corebook.