| Dreeud |
The Dreeud are a plant race. Most of the time they appear human, except with green skin and leafy vines instead of hair. They drink, but do not eat, instead gaining energy from light as a plant does. If they are deprived of light for more than a few days they will wither and die. However, they can go into hibernation to survive for much longer.
Approximately ever forty days a Dreeud must enter a sedentary state that last about ten days. During this time their plant heritage becomes more apparent, as they take root, a layer of bark forms on their skin and new branches grow from their body. After ten days or so, the Dreeud will shed the bark and branches and re-emerge in their active form. The Dreeud make very good spies because of this. They can take on the form of a bush or tree. And who would suspect the potted plant in the conference room to be listening in on secret conversations?
During this sedentary state a Dreeud can fundamentally alter its form. They can control the amount, location and direction of the new growth on them, giving their bodies new forms, and shedding old ones. Thus a Dreeud can take on the superficial appearance of any of the other races, in addition to more exotic and original shapes.
In general the Dreeud are a very patient and non-violent race. They tend to take the long view of events and generally don't get involved in what they see as the petty and fleeting squabbles of other races. They generally prefer to simply wait for things to change.
However, if pushed they can defend themselves quite capably. Their patient and detached point of view often makes Dreeud some of the best military strategist. More than once they have been able to emerge victorious from battles they had no business winning.
The Dreeud are driven by a constant desire for knowledge. In response they are avid explorers of new frontiers and ideas. Because of this it is not unusual to find groups of Dreeud living virtually everywhere. A proportionally large number of Dreeud act as scientist, studying anything they can get their hands on. Wherever they live, they usually take on the basic form of the majority race. This helps them blend in everywhere they go, though due to their plant heritage they are rarely mistaken for the race they are currently in the form of. Even on planets where they are not welcome, there are usually groups living there. But on these planets they take on the forms of the plants and trees.
Despite their extensive understanding of science they seem to have very little technology of their own. However, more than once there have been reports of them being able to quickly construct extremely advanced devices when necessary. I seems that while they love to learn new things, they have little interest of putting it to practical applications.
Much about the Dreeud remains a mystery to other races. Nobody is quite sure where exactly their home planet is, or how large their population is. Many speculate they aren't even from the same galaxy, and that the ones here are merely a group of explorers. It is also unknown how long the average Dreeud lifetime is, since they tend to change form, they only ever look as old as they want to. However, it is generally agreed to be a very long time, given their patient view on life.
Reactions to the Dreeud are generally mixed. Many races covet their abilities in strategic thinking, and espionage. Also, their extensive knowledge of science and of poorly explored areas can be invaluable. Because of this, they are often approached to ally themselves with one race or another. To which they usually show a profound disinterest. However they have been known to provide their services for an exchange for knowledge. Some also view them as invaders, spreading everywhere like a weed, which is often used as a derogatory term for them. However, in general their presence is tolerated wherever they go.
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