Hydri

Hydri

The Hydri are a reptilian race that strongly resembles a small hydra but with 3 heads instead of 7,arms, and a spiked club like tail that makes them around 15 feet long along with average intelligence. Despite the lack of eyes, ears or other visible sense organs they are fully aware of their surroundings, like common snakes they smell with their incredibly receptive forked tongues, sight and hearing are solved in different ways than snakes though, as the small spikes on top and sides of their middle head are very sensitive and pick up vibrations which allow them to hear far better than beings with conventional ears, for sight their 3 heads all send out rapid ultrasonic pings which provide accurate real time 3d image of where things are however due to it being sound based it is slower and is compounded with light sensitive areas on their heads that give them a faster albeit fuzzier picture of their surroundings. In tandem with their stupidly good hearing they can navigate just as easily as a being with more conventional sensory organs. They are massive for a sentient race standing at around 8 feet tall as adults while moving on their long tails and have the strength to match. They are believed to have been much more dangerous in the past standing at around 50 feet tall with a nigh invincible healing factor that could only be overcome by destroying all 3 of their heads at the same time or completely destroying their body and skin that approached heavy vehicle armour in durability, but in the present they are much smaller with their healing factor reduced to above average wound healing speed, with small cuts and scrapes disappearing almost immediately and larger wounds being repaired faster than for most races and having above average resistance to harm coupled with resistance to disease and radiation. If given proper medical attention a Hydrus can even regrow a severed limb or even head (This takes a long time, mostly many months unless they are given a boost somehow.) This regeneration means their cells can replicate indefinitely and Hydri never succumb to the ravages of time, the downside is Hydri breed incredibly slowly and take a long time to reach maturity often over a billion years from conception to maturity. In the distant past some ancient and long forgotten empire genetically modified the Hydrus race resulting in several sub species of Hydri to exist, after a near eternity of existence theses modified Hydri have fully integrated into the population. A full list of mutations can be found below:

* Super Hydri are believed to have been the first Hydrus sub species to have been created, they posses 7 heads and as such a much greater intelligence along with an improved regeneration leading to cuts healing faster and heads and limbs regrowing within a few months. They are also slightly better than average Hydri (slightly faster, stronger, quicker reaction time) these are by far the most common Hydri variant and on average ¼ of the Hydri population has at least one extra head with the most ever recorded being an incredibly intelligent 10 headed Hydrus responsible for many scientific discoveries including Schrabidium, Solonium, and Element 228.
* Fire Hydri were modified to carry flame producing organs within their mouths. They can have them in one or multiple mouths and produce a sticky substance that burns at temperatures of up to 800 °C in short bursts by combining two chemicals to produce a sticky easily flammable substance. They can only spit a limited amount at a time before their body has to produce more. They have special glands that produce an oil that causes the substance to slide off, they can give it to others to protect them from their breath weapon. (TLDR they spit napalm in short bursts and recharge one shot every hour and store them. They are not hurt by their own fire.)
* Tesla Hydri are gifted with extraordinarily powerful electricity generating organs in their bodies, along with bio metallic mandibles covered by a thin insulating film. They can electrify their bodies to deter close quarters combat or retract the insulating film to channel the electricity towards their mouths and direct it towards more distant targets. This electricity is powerful enough to kill living beings and ignite flammable substances but the Hydrus cannot control its power so it will always be lethal and it has a tendency to jump between objects regardless if they are friend or foe. After discharging electricity they have to wait for it to recharge (TLDR souped up electric eels that can fire lightning at targets but cannot control lightning target and need a cooldown after firing.)
* Panzer Hydri have been modified to have their entire body become covered in thick bio engineered plates. These plates are non conductive and can withstand temperatures up to 1000 °C while keeping the Hyrdus unharmed, along with energy blasts from handheld laser weapons and most bullets (Extraordinary high calibre shots and very high powered lasers can get through though) plus acid and radiation, they also make the Hydrus almost completely impervious to melee attacks from un heated weapons as they don't have the power to pierce the plates. These Hydri are much slower than a normal Hydrus and sacrifice some of their regenerative capabilities for their armour (TLDR have heat resistant and electricity proof heavy full body Armor but  are slower and once you do get through they are more vulnerable.)
* Atom Hydri are the final and most crazy version of Hydri, these exceedingly rare variants have internal organs that function as breeder reactors allowing nuclear fission to occur. The waste is spread through the Hydri's body making them mildly radioactive but fortunately they accumulate lead in their cells to prevent a lethal dose of radiation from leaking (The coating is far too thin to act as Armor but prevents them from killing everything around them) while powering all their life functions essentially meaning they have near unlimited energy and don't need to eat or drink, eventually the non radioactive waste is mostly passed but some lead is kept to build aforementioned protective coating. These Hydri can also unleash a massive pulse of radiation from their mouths killing essentially all life in front of them but this makes them extremely tired and sluggish for a while as they just lost their energy source. In a truly desperate situation they can even vomit the radioactive material at their targets but unless they consume more later they will be permanently more sluggish due to less fuel. (TLDR They are walking nuclear reactors that can spew radiation at the cost of depleting their energy)

Although rare, combinations of two mutations can exist but in those cases they are both weakened (E.x. A fire panzer hybrid has weaker plates and weaker napalm but it does have both. Super hybrids tend to suffer less from this but it is still slightly noticeable) Due to their excellent capabilities as fighters many hydri pursue this lifestyle leading to most records of their past being lost to war. Hydri venerate a Hydrus known as Scales who is believed to be the longest surviving Hyrus and the only “Ultra Hydrus” meaning he possesses the powers of every Hydrus subspecies and their ancient powers while going even beyond their maximums. Hydri are a very sociable race, and love to interact with others and make new friends, their massive strength meaning they are almost certainly the muscle of any group. Their massive size and appearance means that some mistrust them but in the end there is almost no one more loyal than a Hydrus and find those who betray others absolutely despicable. Once a Hydrus has become your friend they will stay true to you for as long as either of you live and protect you from harm as well as help you out in life and try to find you more trustworthy friends so that you can all be one big happy group. Strangely Hydri have remained unaffected by most galactic conflicts as the oldest among them have seen countless empires rise and fall each greater than the last, and each promising that their empire will last forever, as such Hydri can be found on all sides of the galaxy from the Dominion to the Militia and every faction in between just watching and working as the universe passes by them.