Extrogens

Replication: Necessary for life’s continuance, replication is the only way to create a new being. Those on Owunda know this better than most. The primary residents of Owunda are the Extrogens. While their true form is thought to be a prehensile globular mass, capable of near instant fission or fusion with those around it, the Extrogens are most interesting for their shapeshifting abilities. Able to accurately mimic almost any object, they are neigh on undetectable versus the original except for a pheromone secretion which is so strong it borders on toxic to those around it. While capable of mating with any living form, the Extrogens prefer “gathering” an act where they join with all other Estrogens around set scheduled star patterns. It is said that their intelligences merge during this process and create a super-computational and hyper-emotionally aware consciousness. When they separate back into individual organisms, they often swap memories and characteristics with others from “the swarm”.
The Extrogens are characterized by frequent famines, as their love of replication often leads to food shortages. Thus, they commonly inhabit other planets in secret until their populations are inevitably rooted out and destroyed. Distrusted by many of the other 8, they are often hired as prostitutes, look alikes, or assassins. In addition, all animal and plant life from Owunda are easily replicated and are thus highly prized as sources of inexpensive food.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The true anatomical structure of the Extrogens is only described in one specific account. Jejorso H'icklemer, a renounded Iadidai ethnobiologist was once able to sneak into a Extrogen gathering and witness the event from a hidden viewpoint. His work on the Extrogens will be cited here in several places. In terms of structure he described them as "a set of large wiggling masses of gray fibrous jelly. They remained quite uniform, and appeared to move by shifting couple hairs, which protruded consistently across the body, along the ground. They lacked any clear sensory organs, ... [but] possessed multiple sets of deep set holes that undulated rythmically."
It is well known that the Extrogens more purposeful existance lays outside of their true form. They are able to shapeshift into any being they've seen with incredible accuracy. The only ways to tell a Extrogen mimic from the host is through their subtle yet powerful pheremone excretion or via their imperfect knowledge of the subjects life. The bests mimics have found fixes for both of these problems. There is a story of a Doi male whose mate of twenty years suddenly left him without explanation. A decade later she returned looking the same age as when they met, it turned out that she had been an Extrogen the entire time and left out of unbearable guilt.
Additionally, they have been known to take the form of non-sentient objects and animals although they are limited by size and dimensions.

Genetics and Reproduction

Extrogens are rapid multipliers, and frequently give birth to dozens of life offspring at a time. These 'infants' lack the mental faculties of adults but are immediately capable of shifting their forms. Extrogen infants and children seem to get great pleasure out of mimiking objects around them, resulting in much mayhem in their households.
Unfortunately, while food does grow quickly on Owunda, a single mating pair of Extrogens are capable of creating thousands of offsprings per star cycle. As mating is seen as a high pleasure in their society, and contraceptives are banned, many couples come close to this maximum. Due to the incredibly high populations on Owunda, starvation is a constant threat and one which they seem incapable of correcting. Rather populations rise and fall due to a natural cycle of famine and plenty.
While Extrogens are capable of mimiking, and thereby mating, with an other living creature there have been no reported births of a mixed Extrogen non-Extrogen parentage. This appears to be due to an acidic solution which resides inside their reproductive organs and destroys non-Extrogen embryos. This makes it so that even if contraception was desired by both parties, it would not be possible outside of a laboratory setting.
Genetic material from Extrogens is known to remain living, and flexible for up to three days after the individuals death.

Growth Rate & Stages

As noted previously, Extrogens grow breed fast. They also grow quickly, with an adult maturing in only three years. Given enough food, their natural lifespan is quite long, perhaps into the two hundreds. However, most rarely live a fraction of that time.

Ecology and Habitats

The world of Owunda is a beautiful, lush land with fertile soil. In it all manner of creatures replicate quickly, the naturally occuring minerals are replenished through their Orphelian but are still limited by the amount of availible biomatter.
Unlike the Belogors, another quick growing species, the Extrogens live in houses and experience a society much closer to that of the other 7.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Though their home planet of Owunda contains the vast majority of their population, Extrogen communities are frequently found on all planets except for Mi’vrr’ei. Initially these colonies are rarely detected as they can mimik the appearance of the planets inhabitants (including creatures). However, due to their quick expansion, it inevitably becomes obvious that Extrogens have settled nearby. Due to their pressure on the local environment, illegal Extrogen colonies are the only settlements of the 9 with zero protection from 9 laws. Erradicating them is not punished, and is actually promoted as the safest course of action.

Average Intelligence

Extrogen intelligence is average to above average for a 9 species, but fails in one spectacular regard. While able to intellectually reconcile their destructive tendency to multiply incessently, they are unable to prevent such actions. Thus comes the phrase "a single Extrogen is a saint, a second is a sinner".

Scientific Name

Extrogenous Clarentus

Lifespan

10-20 years

Average Height

1.6-2.2 meters

Average Weight

70 kg