Cogre

With the destruction of their homeworld eminent, the **Cogre** focused on space travel in an effort to preserve their species. Using settlement ships, Cogres embarked across the galaxy in search of a new home. Some settlement ships chose to explore, making the first maps of the galaxy and unintentionally spreading the invention of space travel to intelligent species. The Cogre began to use their far advanced technology to conquer worlds. Their role in the galaxy and their population has greatly diminished, but Cogre continue to advance space technology. Known for their small bodies and enlarged heads, Cogre can only survive in specific environments, preferring to stay isolated on their ships.

## Biology and appearance

Cogre are small humanoid bipeds. Recognized from their bulbous heads, large eyes, and frail bodies, Cogres are semi-adaptable but prone to avoiding extreme environments. Cogre skin is leathery and hairless. Cogre bodies lack external features beyond their eyes, nostrils, and mouth cavity. When under stress, Cogres secrete layers of slime.

Due to heavy use of artificial methods over time, the Cogre have lost the ability to naturally reproduce, instead relying on cloning technology or test tube birth. Despite heavy biological similarities with the Circittans, the two species are incompatible in reproducing with each other. Circittans lost the idea of gender over time, with gene splicing eventually making the specie agender.

Cogre eyes are sensitive to light levels and lack eyelids, instead having a flim clear protective covering. Cogre brains are larger than average, affording the specie naturally enhanced intelligence and an attraction to advanced technologies. When focused, Cogre can create a weak electrical current through their body, able to power small devices.

## Society and culture

Much of Cogre culture has been lost to time and the near extinction of the specie. Due to unknown reasons, the Cogre gained a considerable advantage in their development. What aspects of the original Cogre culture survived due to being transported on their seed ships. Most of these ships were deconstructed to aid development of Cogre settlements. As such, there is no clear image of how the original Cogre lived or developed so fast. One of the main surviving aspects grants some galactic power to the remaining Cogre, that being how to shift jump routes. Some attribute the early success of the Cogre to the progenitor theory, but this remains little more than a conspiracy.

The Cogre have an innate interest in technology and exploration. Much of early Cogre exploration was done for the sake of exploration and surveying new technologies and species. Species deemed advanced enough or useful were utilized as means to form an early galactic empire. The Cogre-Orspeer Empire was impactful in spreading Cogre technology, culture, and language as the standard of the galaxy. Even as the empire faded away, the standard usage of space travel and jump gates both derive from Cogre designs, along with Galactic Standard being directly evolved from the Cogre language and the ACE time scale being derived from the rotational period of the Cogre homeworld.

During their emergence, the Cogre used their advanced technology to conquer large swaths of the galaxy, using its resources to conduct experiments on how to further improve their specie. Most of the efforts, like the ones that produced the Circittan specie, failed, but had some permanent benefits through increased intelligence, the ability to create an electrical charge, and the loss of biological reproduction and gender in favor of mass-produced test-tube reproduction.

In the modern day, the Cogre retain these benefits, along with natural leadership skills and their attraction to technology. However, having lost the ability to further influence their gene modifications, Cogres are prone to breaking down on the molecular level, with many Cogre becoming dangerously unhinged to devolving into structureless messes. This, coupled with Cogre disinterest in improving their reproductive methods, threatens the specie with extinction and the permanent loss of whatever Cogre knowledge remains.

## History

Around 100 BCE, the Cogre discovered through astronomical methods that their homeworld of Sector BKN faced imminent destruction from core collapse. This discovery fueled a technological revolution, as the Cogre, already advanced technologically wise, developed methods to retreat to new world. Early tests of space flight and the jump gate technology were slow but essential, with Cogre able to expand to systems within the Criminal Sector. When Sector BKN finally collapsed around 0 ACE, the Cogre had prepared a fleet of seed ships, aiming to explore and implant Cogre settlements on new worlds. Using initial biological tests on the worlds of Circita and Sector JXI to design and perfect their methods, the Cogre began their emergence across Andromeda.

The Cogre encountered the Orspeer early. Their development showing promise, the Orspeer joined the Cogre in their explorative efforts. Over time, the breadth of Andromeda was charted, and a majority of the inner sectors was under the control of the Cogre-Orspeer Empire. This early empire relied on the combined forces of the Orspeer and Cogre and usage of slave labor from other species. The Cogre emergence continued, until large swaths of Cogre surveyors were sought out and destroyed by Reptoid forces. The Reptoids mobilized their fleet to attack the planets owned by the Cogre, the Cogre mobilized defenses against them. Over time, the strength and dominance of the Cogre specie was worn down by constant fighting against the oppressive Reptoid fleets. The wars climaxed with the Reptoids shelling Exumasphere and destroying much of the planet's urban centers, along with important Cogre technological centers. Though victorious, the Cogre and Orspeer races were severely diminished, and their empire soon collapsed.

The Orspeer reorganized with other Core Sector species to form the Core Alliance. The Cogre largely withdrew from the galactic scene. Experiments on remote planets were reignited, attempting to rebuild losses from the Reptoid Wars. Some Cogre remained with the Core Alliance, but the species largely disappeared from the public view. On facilities on Palus, efforts to improve the anti-bodies of the Cogre by Cogre scientists went horribly wrong, inadvertently creating a highly lethal disease. Cogre fleeing from the planet's facilities unknowingly spread the disease among other Cogre refuges. The disease, which turns Cogre immune systems against their own cells, proved the under doing of the Cogre. The disease spread rapidly and lethally, killing off a majority of the Cogre population. The last remaining Cogre organized and quarantined themselves. Once deemed safe, the majority of the survivors retreated to Circita.

Though the Cogre lost most of the influence, the Cogre still played important parts in the development of the galaxy. Many Cogre worked with and helped establish the Circittan World Coalition, mainly to control methods of jump gate control. Other Cogre returned to the Core Sector and assisted the fledging Planetary Union in expansion efforts, helping to develop the modern charting system and surveying remaining dark spots across Andromeda. Some Cogre joined academic groups in documenting the remnants of Cogre civilization. Still, by-and-large, the Cogre avoided major roles in the galactic scene.

In the present, small groups of Cogre remain, most within the Coalition. Still commanding some influence over the jump gates, most other efforts to record early Cogre technology and culture were abandoned. The Cogre still suffer from population issues and have mostly abandoned their former roles as conquerors.