Loremaster:
WowGain
Mysterious and seclusive, the Agarans are a species of seemingly fungoid beings who have an enigmatic relationship with the Floran. Having arisen from the same region of space, some claim they arose from Florus alongside the Floran species itself, just another one of the mysterious beings that come from the bizarre melting pot of advanced plantoid and fungoid lifeforms from the jungle world.
The Agarans are one of the least understood sapient species to have arisen from a planet in CivSpace, with few being daring enough to study their culture for very long. A source of many mysterious disappearances, the fate of those who are captured by the Agarans is unknown, but from what few logs have escaped these doomed explorers and scientists, is one that anyone would pray they never have to face.
The Agarans, almost as if an analog to the Florans, are a species of humanoid fungoid beings. The skin of an Agaran is typically described as being a beige or cream white, with a rubbery texture comparable to a mushroom stalk in firmness. The eyes are small and pure black, highly reflective and lustrous, one can vividly see their own eye's reflection as they gaze into theirs. Each Agaran typically has a large decorative lobe which sprouts from their head, resembling the fruiting body of mundane fungi, such as mushrooms and spore sacs. These growths seem to be a ruse, as all study done has shown that they have little to do with reproduction in Agarans, outside of perhaps being a sign of health for those looking to mate. Reproduction itself isn't well documented, and as such little is known when compared to most other species. Agarans appear to be hermaphroditic in nature, capable of copulation with any other Agaran. In similarity to the Florans, their reproductive systems show great pliability, being capable of remarkably large macro-evolutionary change in several generations, a large asset to their capability to assimilate and take control of near any environment in a relatively short time frame, however all reproduction methods involves the fertilization of spores inside the designated "female" of a specific breeding round, after which point these spores are left to grow in nutrient-dense food, from which a large fungal structure grows, treelike in nature. These growths are spurred on by proper food being encased in a typical food storage pod which is then treated with special enzymes within Agaran Spores meant to modify its growth for the specific purpose of offering nutrients to growing Agarans, starting from spores let loose on the surface of the pod. These large "trees" eventually sprout pods from which adolescent Agarans will sprout after 8 months. These adolescents will fully grow after 11 short years. Each "tree" can release up to 50 fully grown Agarans throughout its life-cycle, making Agaran reproduction extremely virile.
Agaran feeding seems to involve the Agarans taking root in whatever they have deemed suitable for ingestion, quickly sending out a myriad of mycelium which begin the process of breaking down and absorbing basic organic chemicals with powerful enzymes. As a decomposer, Agarans are capable of feeding on anything organic, and have been seen feeding on anything from captured prey to the walls of homes left behind by those who fled the incoming Agaran hordes. In the case of prey that has been captured and is meant to be shared for longer periods of time, or to be used as food for growing Agarans, a hunter can expend additional effort to form a husk-like shell over the prey, which is then suspended in a vitamin-rich fluid that supports thousands of mycelium running through the new food supply. These shells now only need be touched momentarily by an Agaran for them to draw nutrients out.
Key to the society of the Agarans is the idea of never-ending spreading and feeding, assimilating all viable organic material into the fold of their de-facto empire. This obsession with constant growth has garnered the Agarans an association with being a form of sapient plague in some ways, a machine that will not stop once it arrives on a planet, only content once all of it has been put under the web of their mycelium growths. However, this association can be rightly justified in many ways, as many a fledgling colony has fallen due to Agaran influence. In CivSpace, they are deemed an indigenous nation, often considered separate from CivSpace treatises and pacts. This does not seem to bother the Agarans much, though, as they appear rather apathetic to political organizations such as CivSpace and their neighboring species' empires.
Agaran society organizes itself in tribal collectives with some as of yet unknown tie pushing them along toward similar enigmatic goals of expansion, ever reaching for their "goal". It is suggested that this uniting force between Agarans could be related to what they refer to as "Nubhalka", roughly translating to "One Divine", this motif appears central to most Agaran religion, but little research has been done to do more than speculate on its intricacies.
3110-3283
"The visage of the Agaran is a menace that many colonies fear, and with good reason. There need be only one Agaran with fertilized spores to visit a colony to begin their neigh unstoppable march to bring about the Agaran colonization of an entire continent. This power for destruction is one of the greatest reasons that they have become a feared force in the Galaxy, few daring to even approach them, let alone begin research on their mysterious ways." -The Pulse of Growth: Agaran Mysteries
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A century ago, the growth of the Agarans was slow and controlled, following known routes of Floran expansion, spores clinging to the ships as an unknown stowaway. This progression was controlled, at least for the Agarans, and had not yet been able to burst out to lead to the eventual de-facto empire we now experience. At this time they were only known by few outside of the Florans because of their limited exposure, but this all began to change with the coming war. Clinging to Hylotl ships, Agarans were able to send spores which would remain dormant before meeting with proper kickstarter organic material on Hylotl colonies, the Agaran menace had begun. Colonies of Agarans flourished on the generally tropical worlds which Hylotl colonists were more accustomed to. While cities were built near the sea and below the waves by colonists, Agarans could grow rampant in the jungle underbrush of islands and small continents, thriving in the deep and dark forests and the shallow underground, far from sight, biding their time slowly. Waiting to claim these worlds for their own, waiting for control of the power of FTL technology which would guarantee them immortality in the galaxy.
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In 3167, still in midst of the Second War between the Floran and the Hylotl Empires, the Agarans finally achieved this goal, securing their key to their affluence in number and the impossibility to remove them totally from the Galaxy. A Floran blitzkrieg on a Hylotl outreach colony weakened the surrounding forces enough to pull them from the lone colony of Xichuen 5, a small tropical colony which was left with only a small standing army force and a few transport frigates. The Agarans who had been slowly amassing since near the start of the war sprung forth, attacking the colony and slaughtering most of the Hylotl there. The survivors left on one of the Frigates, abandoning all their advanced technologies on the doomed world behind them in a desperate attempt at fleeing. With this technology now in the hands of the Agarans, the bounds of their empire were limitless. With a similar means of incorporation of technology with biological systems, odd ships that seemed to mesh technology with biology were constructed of the Frigates, torn apart and examined by the Agarans. Suited with reconstructed Hylotl Armor, weaponry, and ships, this small massing of Agarans began to colonize the stars with reckless abandon, disseminating the knowledge of their discoveries to any Agarans they found along the way. The foundation for the Agaran's mighty pseudo-empire had begun.
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Now in the era of the Fringe's first major colonization efforts by the empires of the southern Galaxy, the Agarans were truly able to show their capability for ruthless brutality and expansion. Because of the Agaran's innate desire for growth and consumption, rather than reinforcement of existing infrastructure in population centers, they had an early start over the other colonizing species, many planets already having the touch of their fungal spread by the time major colonies were being built by other species within the Fringe. The war had broken out, territories clashing, blood of all creeds and colors was shed, and the Agarans did not hesitate to indulge in this carnal bloodsport. Agaran Mycelites, the ravaging warriors of the species, lay waste to countless fledgling colonies during this period, leaving hundreds upon hundreds of spore trees to grow from the bodies and remains they left behind. It was from this era the equivocal Agaran report, often referred to as the Agaran Menace, came from. The tale of the lone Hylotl scientist who barely escaped the brutality of the Agarans who ravaged their scientific vessel rocked the core worlds of the empires in the south, and has been viewed as a strong piece of evidence that was used by peace organizations who sought to seek an end to the galactic war.
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Following the end of the Galactic War, the Agarans didn't change much of their attitude. They continue their conquest of worlds, although not as rampant as during the war, the sight of Agarans on a Fringe world still often brings as much anxiety to the people of those worlds as it used to all those years ago. An insatiable desire for unity under the root-like branches of their mycelium, never fully satisfied. The Agarans will likely continue as they always do, expanding and consuming all which falls to their feet, taking the mana of the earth back into their fold, re-purposing it for the fuel of life which drives their species forward.