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| {{Infobox Species
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| |image = Sycorax_close_up.jpg
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| |name = Sycorax
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| |aka=
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| |type = [[Humanoid]]
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| |affiliation = [[The Alliance (The Pandorica Opens)|The Alliance]]
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| |origin =
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| |first = The Christmas Invasion (TV story)
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| |appearances = [[Sycorax - list of appearances|'''''see list''''']]
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| |individuals = [[Fadros Pallujikaa]], [[Haxan Craw]]
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| |clip = Doctor Who Series 2 - Clip 1
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| }}The '''Sycorax''' were a superstitious race of warriors and intergalactic plunderers.
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| == Biology ==
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| The Sycorax had both an endo- and [[exoskeleton]]. The latter covered part of their head (giving them a skull-like appearance), leaving the the rest of their skinless faces exposed to the elements. The exoskeleton could vary from a smooth, skull-like shape ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'') to a more jagged, horned shape. Some had long flowing hair. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Widow's Curse (comic story)|The Widow's Curse]]'') The Sycorax also mounted horse-like creatures with the same biological facts, suggesting that they were related. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Widow's Curse (comic story)|The Widow's Curse]]'')
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| == Culture ==
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| Sycorax men wore the ribs of their wives as a marriage bond. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Widow's Curse (comic story)|The Widow's Curse]]'')
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| The native language of the Sycorax was [[Sycoraxic]], and in this language, the words for 'argument' and 'fight' were the same word. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Harvest of the Sycorax (audio story)|Harvest of the Sycorax]]'') The Sycorax practised [[slavery]]. They attempted to enslave humans in their Christmas Day invasion. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'')
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| === Religion ===
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| [[File:Sycorax Shamans.jpg|thumb|right|The Sycorax females. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Widow's Curse (comic story)|The Widow's Curse]]'')]]The Sycorax were a superstitious race who believed in [[magic]] and [[witch]]craft. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'') They worshipped the [[god]] [[Astrophia]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Final Darkness]]'') Some Sycorax worshipped in churches. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Widow's Curse (comic story)|The Widow's Curse]]'')
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| They also dedicated a huge room of their spaceships as a cathedral-like group worship chamber, regulated by a Sycorax priest. Within the chamber was a giant statue of Sycorax form, called a 'Wish of Bones', which was fashioned out of the skulls of the species that they had murdered and conquered. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Harvest of the Sycorax (audio story)|Harvest of the Sycorax]]'')
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| == Technology ==
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| The Sycorax could detect energy signatures, letting them identify advanced technology. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Final Darkness]]'') They also had crystal ball-like devices which functioned as [[Black Box recorder]]s, allowing later viewings of events. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Widow's Curse (comic story)|The Widow's Curse]]'')
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| The Sycorax used [[Sycorax whip|energy whips]] which could destroy all the flesh in a body, leaving only burnt bones. During the invasion of Earth, they also used [[blood control]]. They understood, but did not speak, Earth languages such as [[English language|English]] as this would "dirty their tongues". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'')
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| The Sycorax ship was, in fact, a hollowed-out meteor and contained rooms such as a main hall, a grand worship chamber and sleeping quarters. The ship itself used the molten core of the meteor as its fuel. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Harvest of the Sycorax (audio story)|Harvest of the Sycorax]]'')
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| == History ==
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| In [[102]], the Sycorax were among the races who joined [[the Alliance (The Pandorica Opens)|the Alliance]]. They came to [[Stonehenge]] and helped imprison the [[Eleventh Doctor]] in the [[Pandorica]] to "save" the [[universe]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]'')
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| [[File:2644.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Sycorax leader]], with his mask. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'')]]
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| At [[Christmas]] [[2006]] a Sycorax [[Sycorax spaceship|asteroid ship]] entered the [[Sol system]]. When the [[space probe]] ''[[Guinevere One]]'' crashed into them, they used the [[blood]] sample for [[blood control]], threatening to kill every human with A+ blood unless they were given half the population as slaves. The [[Tenth Doctor]] (who had just [[regeneration|regenerated]]) and his allies [[Mickey Smith|Mickey]] and [[Rose Tyler|Rose]] were inside [[the Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]]. The Sycorax picked up a signal from the TARDIS' advanced technology and [[teleport]]ed them to their ship. The Doctor activated the blood control, knowing human survival instincts would break its hold. The Doctor challenged and defeated their leader in a sword [[duel]], forcing the Sycorax to leave [[Earth]] and humanity alone. However, as the Sycorax ship was leaving Earth, [[Harriet Jones]] ordered [[Torchwood Institute|Torchwood]] to fire at it with a salvaged alien ray weapon, from a [[Jathaa sunglider]], destroying it. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'')
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| In [[2010]], a [[Sycorax (The End of Time)|Sycorax]] was seen at the [[Zaggit Zagoo bar]] when the Tenth Doctor came to visit [[Jack Harkness]] one last time before his regeneration. ([[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
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| The Sycorax was one of the 11 creatures who appeared in the [[hologram]] projection shown by the [[Atraxi]] as they were scanning [[Earth]]'s history to check if it was protected. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
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| A [[Sycorax (The Magician's Apprentice)|Sycorax]] was present in [[the Maldovarium]] when [[Colony Sarff]] visited the establishment while searching for the [[Twelfth Doctor]] on behalf of [[Davros]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]]'')
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| The Sycorax returned to Earth in the late [[21st century]] with hostile intentions but returned home quickly. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Snowglobe 7 (novel)|Snowglobe 7]]'')
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| During the [[41st century]], the [[Astrophia Tribe]] died out during the [[Valhalla wars]]. The Tenth Doctor and [[Martha Jones]] met a lone survivor, a hunter collecting the last members of extinct species. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Agent Provocateur]]'')
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| In the future of the [[Human Empire]], the Sycorax entered a secret deal with [[Pharma Corps]], a pharmaceutical company that had the blood of every human sealed away in its vaults. With Pharma Corps controlling the emotions of every human in the Empire, they were able to give the Sycorax access to the blood of ninety nine percent of the human race. Just as the Sycorax were finding the means to enter its vault, the [[Seventh Doctor]] and new accomplice [[Zanzibar Hashtag]], were able to trick the Sycorax by using the blood of a dead Sycorax in a blood controller, thus placing the whole fleet into a state of hibernation. Whilst under control, all of the Sycorax fleet were teleported back onto their ship and sent away. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Harvest of the Sycorax (audio story)|Harvest of the Sycorax]]'')
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| The Tenth Doctor told Martha that the Sycorax survived the [[end of the universe]], along with [[human]]s and another unidentified species. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[Agent Provocateur]]'')
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| === Alternate timeline ===
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| In an alternate timeline, the Sycorax tried to invade [[Mandorla]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Enemy Lines (audio story)|Enemy Lines]]'')
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| == Other references ==
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| In [[1599]], the Tenth Doctor, in the presence of [[William Shakespeare]], noted how an animal skull reminded him of a Sycorax inspring the name of the mother of Caliban in Shakespeare's play; Tempest. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Shakespeare Code (TV story)|The Shakespeare Code]]'')
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| The [[Great Intelligence]] mentioned, among others, the death of "[[Fadros Pallujikaa|the leader of the Sycorax]]" at the hands of [[the Doctor]] to dispute [[Vastra|Madame Vastra]]'s claim that the Doctor was never "blood-soaked". ([[TV]]: ''[[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|The Name of the Doctor]]'') Their destruction was also mentioned by a version of [[Kate Stewart]] during negotiations between [[UNIT]] and the [[Zygon]]s in the [[Black Archive]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
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| Sometime in [[2010]], [[Mr Smith]] stated that his sensors were fully occupied by a Sycorax ship. He further mentioned that the Sycorax were not coming to [[Earth]] that day and there was nothing to worry about. ([[WC]]: ''[[CBBC Extra: Attic Padz (webcast)|Attic Padz]]'')
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| == Behind the scenes ==
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| [[Russell T Davies]]' original concept for the [[Shadow Proclamation]] scene in ''[[The Stolen Earth]]'' included an appearance by several Sycorax, but his plans to feature a "rogues gallery" of alien races in the scene fell through; ultimately the [[Judoon]] were the only returning race featured.
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| === ''The Visual Dictionary'' ===
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| The [[Tardis:Valid sources|non-narrative]] source ''[[Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary]]'' gave further information about the Sycorax.
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| They could [[lifespan|live]] up to four hundred years. The Sycorax were organised into the Sycorax empire, divided into large tribes.
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| Sycorax had pride, honour, and some respect for the rules of war. Leadership was earned by trials of strength and combat. They wore skull-helmets to impress their enemies, and red-robes as a sign of leadership. They would take trophies of body parts such as bones, skin or hair from conquered races. Some wore belts of [[Judoon]] skin.
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| Sycorax had many ancient rituals involving [[star|suns]] and [[moon]]s. They left a hole in their space-ships for the solar and lunar light to get in.
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| Despite being spacefaring, many Sycorax relied on simple weapons, such as [[sword]]s and knives, generally adorned with trophies.
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| The Sycorax used [[asteroid]]s fitted with an All Speed Inter-System Type K engine as spacecraft. [[Sycorax spaceship|The first of these asteroids]] was the home world of the Sycorax, the Fire Trap. At some point in Sycorax history, an [[alien]] [[spaceship]] crashed into the Fire Trap. They used its engines to turn their asteroid into a spaceship. More asteroids were added by other tribes, creating the Sycorax Armada. They used [[teleport]]ers to move to and from the ship.
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| Many tribes left their home region in their asteroid ships to explore space, to conquer and enslave other planets, expanding the empire.
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| The tribe that invaded Earth in 2006 was called the Halvinor tribe.
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| === ''The Time Traveller's Almanac'' ===
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| According to the [[Tardis:Valid sources|non-narrative]] source ''[[The Time Traveller's Almanac]]'', they had the capability to translate the languages of other species.
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| == External links ==
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| {{Dwlx}}
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| {{NameSort}}
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| [[pl:Sycorax]] | | [[pl:Sycorax]] |
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