(MORE-oh-CASH-ik)
This enigmatic shape-shifting species was all but unknown to humanity. Until they suddenly attacked across all of human space, beginning the Second Galactic War. The Stellar Decay that had affected the center of the galaxy took a heavy toll on the Morocaschics. As their red dwarf stars cooled more quickly than the larger and hotter yellow-white stars, around which other species called home.
This caused a species-wide rage to find out what was responsible for their plight. After a thousand years, they encountered humans and laid blame upon them. Over the following 500 years, humanity was infiltrated, a plague was unleashed, and finally they waged open conflict against us. Humanity was brought to its knees in a matter of decades.
Territory: They formerly inhabited a large swath of the Norma and Scutum-Centaurus Arms, on the far side of the galaxy from human space. At the end of the Second Galactic War, they were nearly wiped out by the Lacir counterattack. They now live mostly on human worlds, permanently hiding their identity and slowly going extinct. Some of their kind still choose to disrupt human infrastructure when possible.
Biology: Morocaschics are extremely adept natural shapeshifters/mimics. Their neutral form appears as mass of reddish, fleshy tendrils around a small core with a pair of eye stalks. However, they assume forms most ideal to their local environment. On their home-world, that was a rough humanoid shape, with two legs, four arms, and an earless, vaguely feline, head.
They are native to a planet with an irregular orbit around a red dwarf star. Life struggled to gain a foothold in such a place. With widely varying climate conditions throughout its year, all life there evolved rapid cellular regeneration for quickly adapting to the dynamic environment.
Their mimicry is a combination of creating a rough shape by bundling their tendrils together, then flexing their flesh into more detailed form. Like some cephalopods, they can vary the color and texture of their skin. They can mimic any organic object roughly their same size. Sharp lines and hard edges of artificial objects are too difficult for them. Mimicking a Lacir is possible, but they can be discovered by weight, as they have far less body mass. Small-to-medium humanoid shapes are ideal for their biomass. Due to their reddish coloration, they have a penchant for redheads when in human guise.
Life Span: Given their constant regeneration, they do not seem to have a quantifiable lifespan.
Magic: Morocaschics are unable to use magic and have a slight innate defense against it. Note: Their hive mind abilities are actually routed through the Inner Realms, much like the Ptalar do with their technology, but the Morocaschics due so entirely biologically.
Advantages: Shape shifting/mimicry. They can assume any other similar sized organic form quite quickly, usually within 10 seconds. They can also harden their skin into a mild natural armor and/or claws and spikes. They can maintain their shape, even while unconscious, it takes a conscious effort to change their form.
Due to their regenerative metabolisms, they are not susceptible to blood loss and can will heal at an accelerated rate. They are immune to slow acting poisons and most diseases. They are affected by radiation as normal.
Disadvantages: They have a high caloric need. They must eat about 3 times what a human would need to sustain themselves. Their long lifespans and voracious appetite rapid led to them being the apex predator of their habitat. If they don’t eat for 3 days, they will fall into a torpor, after one month, they will die.
The majority of Morocaschics are a bit naïve, behaving like human adolescents. When they were greater in number, they had a weak local hive-mind that allowed them to function better as a group. As they are now largely isolated, many have lost that connection and some amount of cognitive ability along with it. This also caused their hatred of humanity to fade as well.
Due to their involvement in the Second Galactic War, the near genocide of humanity and continued conflicts during the Consolidation wars. They are hated enemies of humans and Lacir alike. They may be attacked on sight if they are identified. If a player character chooses to be a Morocaschic, they will likely keep their identity a secret, even to their friends/fellow adventurers.
They are more comfortable in low light due to evolving around red dwarf stars. They need to wear sunglasses in bright daylight or have trouble seeing clearly.