Fungham

The **Fungham** are a unique race of fungi-based bipeds native to the planet Hamgal. The Fungham spread by emitting spores that spread through the cosmos on solar winds. Fungham actually have greater intelligence when they are not rooted to the ground. Fungham society seems to be deceptively simple; in actuality is operates on a complex caste system, with rulebreakers being "planted".

## Biology and appearance

The Fungham are a unique race of fungi-based bipeds native to the planet Hamgal. Fungham have a round body that has a face and four arms, two stump-like legs, and a large cap. Unlike many fungi, the Fungham possess actual intelligence, a trait that grows the longer a Fungham spends time out of the soil. If a fungham roots down, they connect into a hivemind of nearby fungi. If large quantities of time are spent rooted, the Fungham looses their mind and eventually becomes non-sentient, a punishment called being "planted" in Fungham culture. Counting their large cap, Fungham are usually 1.4 meters in height and weigh around 33 kilograms.

Fungham don't have a head, more so, their face is located in the center of the torso. The only features of the face are two eye-like organs and the mouth. The mouth lacks any teeth or lips, simply being a flap that can open to suck in nutrients. The eyes are even ore rudimentary, simply being minuscule translucent orbs that react to light. The eyes are rarely useful, making the Fungham no better than blind. At the top of the head is the cap; consisting of three "leaves" with squishy lined surfaces and miniature spikes. These "leaves" can unfurl to reveal the gill, the organ that is capable of emitting fungal spores.

The four arms of the Fungham lack any bones, and have claw-shaped hands, only really capable of grasping objects. These arms have protective spikes much like the cap's leaves. The two legs are large and wide, and capable of extending hyphae in any direction, though they typically take a flat form for sturdiness. The Fungham's entire body is soft and squishy with slow regenerative abilities. The main body is dark purple in color. The claws and legs are mossy green. There is also decorative patterns of pale red around the cap and back.

Because they are fungi, Fungham can survive in space. Fungham reproduce by periodically unfurling their cap and releasing an assortment of spores. These spores are commonly released in space environments, and can drift on solar winds for up to several centuries until they reach another planetary body. Once rooted, the spores take 22 years to grow, gaining intelligence around the age of 18. Adult Fungham become mobile and can live up 110 years of age. Fungham lack any kind of biological sex.

## Society and culture

Many presume that the Fungham are a primitive species due to their lack of technology and fungus nature, but this is not true. In actuality, Fungham culture operates on a complex caste system. At the top are the Fungham "Borsch Le", these Fungham operate above the law and pass on their own ideas to the "Corsch Le" and "Porsch Le". The "Porsch Le" are the lawmakers as well as the "Storsch Le", though the "Storsch Le" are not quantifiable with the "Yorsch Le". The "Corsch Le" act upon the law and can arrest troublemakers, nicknamed the "Goorsch Le". Most Fungham operate under the "Forsch Le" caste, the "common folk". As punishment for crimes "Qorsch Le" or "Goorsch Le" who have committed terrible crimes are "planted", a punishment comparable to execution.

Fungham were able to spread due to the gravity wells amongst their homeworld, Hamgal, causing random flotation events around the crust. These allowed Fungham random access to space, allowing them to spread.

Fungham mainly speak Fung Speak, a language understood by few other species.

## History

The Fungham first evolved from a fungi species on the planet Hamgal. They were able to spread to nearby planets over the course of thousands of years with gravity wells and the solar winds. The Fungham were first discovered by the OGC at 1,775 YAO during the Western Expansions. Since then, the Fungham have become and remained members of the government, but have no meaningful presence due to their strange fungal nature.

## Fungham in the galaxy

Though the Fungham are a well-known species across the galaxy, they have spread very little, remaining on Hamgal and it's nearby systems. Outside of Hamgal, Fungham can be rarely found throughout the OGC. Because they don't need any air, the Fungham can be located in many places other races cannot go.