Lugubraa

"Explume is lost to the Lugubraa, six hexes be upon them. Cloak and evacuate the nestlings while I – Awwwwkk!"

- Shell Conjurer Firtha

The Lugubraa were a sentient species, native to the Stratos Distribution, in the Unknown Regions.

Biology and appearance
The Lugubraa were a leech-like species, having evolved from wormlike “chewers”. They evolved in the Stratos Distribution, which was a large asteroid field fully exposed to the vacuum of space. As such, Lugubraa were capable of surviving almost indefinitely in vacuum, as well as in thin or toxic atmospheres.

The average Lugubraa stood on two short, thick legs at 1.5 meters, not including a small tail. They lacked eyes entirely, and were physically blind to visual light. However, they possessed numerous spots on either side of their head, which accurately monitored their surroundings for heat signatures. They also possessed echolocation pingers which mentally mapped out their surroundings in radar-like form.

The main feature of a Lugubraa's face was its large gaping maw, ringed with pink flesh and filled with razor sharp teeth in a circular pattern. The numerous teeth overlapped, and chewed in a gearlike pattern. Once something (or someone) entered their maw, it was nearly impossible to escape. They could digest both organic and inorganic matter, able to drain rocks of their minerals. The average Lugubraa was obsessed with fresh meat, however, finding it delicious beyond parallel.

A Lugubraa's smooth, thick skin not only provided protection, but also functioned as their source of hearing. Lugubraa had no ears, and their skin instead detected sound vibrations. Their skin color could be a dark gray, but the majority were a pale grub-like white. They were naturally strong and very durable, able to stand at attention for days on end without rest and suffer numerous wounds before succumbing.

Though a Lugubraa possessed four arms, the lower two were little more than saggy, useless stubs. Their upper arms were very long, with five long fingers that were tipped with large suction cups. Each suction cup was filled with needlelike barbs. These dangerous digits gave a Lugubraa extra purchase when climbing or holding down their prey.

Lugubraa reproduced by creating a “splitling”, which formed on the underbelly of its parent. The splitling detached from the parent once it reached a few kilos in size, and would grow at an extremely rapid pace, reaching full size within a week. Rapid eating of a parent Lugubraa resulted in quicker reproduction of splitlings. Lugubraa younglings required no nuturing.

For the first six months of a Lugubraa's life, they possessed nothing more than the intelligence of a domesticated animal, and were treated as such by employers or owners. If they survived past six months, they would then mature into a form of low intelligence, able to speak in short sentences and follow more complex instructions. At the age of 50, Lugubraa would undergo a second cognitive “kick-start”, becoming very intelligent. It was these relative geniuses who would lead the species whenever they were present.

Society and culture
Lugubraa, whether alone or in a horde of hundreds, were driven by little more than hunger. As such, Lugubraa of all ages, from a week old to hundreds of years, were seen as a cheap and readily available labor. Those who survived to their second cognitive level would deal in credits, selling or renting their horde to others. They would then spend this money not only on themselves, seeking to satiate their never-ending hunger, but also on the well-being of their horde. The elders would buy high-energy food to stave off the prospect of famine amongst their younger brethren, a common problem among overpopulated Lugubraa hordes.

Many governments and organizations across the Unknown Regions used Lugubraa mercenaries, and they were well known for their loyalty, tenacity, and deadliness. A Lugubraa would often find themselves used in one of several ways. The most obvious use was as soldiers—indeed, their overwhelming numbers and voracity led many generals to use them idly, throwing them into battle in suicide waves. They were also of use as guards and sentries, as they were able to stand at attention for days on end. Some corporations and governments mandated that visitors to their systems or planets be accompanied by a Lugubraa guard at all time. The organization would tell the visitors this was for their own protection, but it was truly to keep the visitors under constant watch. Sometimes the visitors would even be required to feed and lodge the Lugubraa guard aboard their ship, if they were traveling from planet to planet. Lugubraa were so common in the Unknown Regions that they could be found at almost any stellar-class starport.

Lugubraa would rarely wear any clothing, unless provided by their employer or elders. In that case, it would consist of little more than metal or plastoid armor. Because of their essential blindness, Lugubraa were terrible shots with ranged weapons like blasters, and their employers would rarely provide them with anything more than a spear or power lance. If more deadly weapons were needed, they would be given flamethrowers or sonic blasters, which would cut down wide swaths of enemies without aiming.

In some places, the rapid rate of Lugubraa breeding created a huge population with no elder control. These Lugubraa were not intelligent enough to control themselves or make profits from their abilities, and as the horde increased further and further, it would result in a general “dumbing down” of the group. The Lugubraa would then ravage and destroy entire cities and landscapes if left unchecked, and were even capable of stripping entire continents bare. While this happened countless times on many worlds, one of the most famous occurrences was the devastation of the worlds in the Croke Reach, after the native Croke sought to use the Lugubraa in their civil war.

History
The Lugubraa originated in the Stratos Distribution, and were apparently known to the Wharls, who had named the area.

The Croke, while engaging in a vicious civil war among their own kind, introduced the Lugubraa to their homeworlds in the Croke Reach. The Lugubraa proved so tenacious and deadly that for over 300 years, they spread, destroying Croke settlements across the region, no longer under the control of their original employers. One of the settlements they destroyed was Explume Minor. The Croke sought the help of the cloners of Kamino, believing that they needed to fight the Lugubraa with members of their own kind. The Kaminoans created a genetic variant known as Leech Legion, but these clones proved to be just as deady to the Croke as their predecessors.