The Ogorians, products of ambitious genetic modifications of the human geneline on Ceres as funded largely by Felix Frag - and undertaken by Nanotrasen, epitomize one of humanity's first attempts at large-scale gene-hybridization with an extraterrestrial species. The idea was to combine the natural resilience present in Tyrmalin with the stature and musculature of modified Human genomes, in order to produce an ideal labor race for use in cargo transit operations; supplementing mechanical assets in the transit, sorting, and off-loading of high-mass cargo.
Ogorians retained a number of features from their Tyrmalin geneline despite remaining Human dominant in their biological structure such as their characteristic green-hued skin and elongated pointy ears, as well as a number of unique - though not entirely beneficial features originating from their genetic modification including polyphyodont dentition and frequent supernumerary organs. Physical adaptations render them resilient in strenuous environments, excelling in roles requiring strength and endurance, while their emotional regulation, a result of genetic modifications, mitigates interpersonal conflicts as transpired by Ogorians themselves.
Incorporated into the Orion Confederation, Ogorians persist primarily on Ceres and outer belt colonies, adapting to diverse occupations. Facing challenges like high infant mortality and shortened life-spans owing to a combination of accelerated growth from their Tyrmalin genetics and health conditions originating from the “botched” nature of their hybridization, Ogorians celebrate milestones in the face of adversity. Linguistically and culturally diverse, they are perceived with a spectrum of attitudes, from admiration for their existence as living milestones in the field of genetic science, to facing skepticism regarding the consequences of genetic hybridization experimentation. In essence, the Ogorians encapsulate a nuanced legacy of corporate-backed genetic innovation, environmental adaptation, and ongoing societal integration in the face of prejudice within the dynamic Sol system.
Biology
Physicality
One of the more ambitious features of the Ogorian genetic modifications was the modification of the Tyrmalin’s pigmentation gene, in an attempt to incorporate mutated pigments from the Tyrmalin geneline into a partially photosynthetic method of energy production. The rationale behind this was to alleviate the heightened metabolic rates of Ogorians, especially when planet-side or within cargo vessels, where sustenance might be limited - and therefore, would be partially supplied via specialized UV lighting in work and crew habitation areas.
The goal was to harness chlorophyll and chloroplast production in their modified skin cells, envisioning a form of energy generation akin to plants to supplement their dietary intakes. Unfortunately, the full realization of this concept proved elusive, with the production of chloroplasts within the limitations of human xeno-biology remaining an unattainable feat. Despite this setback, Ogorians retained their distinctive green hue as a result of Chlorophyll generation having been successfully ordained prior to the cutting of the project's funding.
The average Ogorian stands anywhere from 7ft (210cm) to 8’8” (271cm), with females generally falling toward the shorter end of this spectrum. Some fall below or above this range, though not usually by more than a couple of inches. They are often of stout build, with a natural inclination toward impressive musculature most often stuck beneath a thick subdermal layer of lipids for optimal thermal regulation. They tend to generate large amounts of natural body heat, lending toward a preference regarding “scantier” clothing than most species, such as sleeveless garments, skirts, kilts, and other low-coverage clothing items.
Supernumerary Organs, and their forgotten medical potential
Ogorians were subjected to experimentation aimed at generating easily-transferable auxiliary organs as a result of interests stemming from secondary investors in the medical field, with the vision of becoming ideal candidates for philanthropic medical transplantation. The outcome, however, quickly fell short of expectations. The genetic modification responsible for this auxiliary organ generation frequently led to the synthesis of supernumerary organs- but these additions to their physiology often proved benign or even malignant in nature, rather than serving as fully-functional auxiliaries which could then be safely removed and transplanted, as originally intended.
The unintended consequences of this experimentation resulted in shortened life-spans for many Ogorians, marking a significant drawback in their otherwise resilient and adaptive genetic makeup, especially when combined with their accelerated growth rates as a result of their Tyrmalin genetic material. Most Ogorians have at least one supernumerary organ, be it a malformed kidney, an extra lung, or even a heart- if not more. However, these provide very little, if any, benefits to their host - and in fact, tend to increase their already monstrous dietary requirements in order to support these additional internal facilities, as well as weakening their overall health and reducing their natural life expectancy.
Polyphyodont Dentition
In addition to interest showcased by investors in the medical organ transplantation sector, Ogorians were also designed to serve as a potential solution for dental transplantation needs in individuals predisposed against or intolerant of prosthesis or synthetic augmentations, leading to the introduction of polyphyodont dentition within their geneline. This genetic modification caused Ogorians to continuously grow and replace their teeth throughout their entire life spans, utilizing spliced DNA drawn from gene-bank catalogs of the natively extinct Terran-originated Carcharodon Carcharias- otherwise known as Great White Sharks.
While initially intended as a viable solution for dental health in order to offer cheap, accessible biological alternatives to synthetic dentures and tooth replacements, the rapid dental growth introduced unforeseen challenges. Ogorians frequently experienced dental discomfort and a host of oral health issues in addition to primarily producing ungainly, extremely sharp and often-times misshapen teeth, rendering the theory of creating a dental transplantation-ready species highly impractical. The rapid growth and replacement of teeth became a distinctive trait among Ogorians, showcasing the complexities and sometimes unintended consequences of genetic experimentation.
*Mechanical (In Game) implications of the above
As a result of their humongous stature and musculature coupled with their often-times malignant or at best benign supernumerary organs, they have out-right apex metabolisms in order to sustain their physicality. However, they are - quite often - not all that refined in taste. Given their imposing dental structures and Tyrmalin dietary practices, most are inherently inclined to serve as natural trash cans- preferring to simply ingest protein substances in their totality rather than bothering to withdraw them from their packaging, for the sake of time and effort.
Given their highly robust forms and immense stature, they are both highly endurant, and their skeletal structure is naturally reinforced in order to deal with both the strain of their own bodies coupled with the turmoils of frequenting both low and high-gravity environments. Akin to Tyrmalin, they have a resistance to brute damage owing to a naturally thick dermal layer. They make for fantastic haulers of heavy and bulky goods, capable of carrying much more than the average human before becoming encumbered by their payload.
Despite their Tyrmalian genetic integration, as a result of their poorly optimized vascular systems and the frequent presence of benign or malignant secondary organs, they suffer from a variety of maladies - they are massively vulnerable to toxins and radiation exposure, as their body struggles to filter such harmful particulates once exposed, and they require more oxygen owing, quite simply, to their larger lungs and greater cardiovascular requirements. Furthermore, they have inherited the Photosensitivity from their Tyrmalin geneline, and they lack the natural haste of their smaller, partial genetic ancestors- combined with their sheer mass and dense skeletal structure, this causes them to experience a natural slowdown in speed.
Mentality
The primary focus of Ogorian development was to ensure their seamless integration into the physically and mentally demanding and oftentimes perilous quarters of both orbital and planetary cargo vessels. Recognizing the potential risks of interpersonal conflicts, especially given the intended sheer physical strength of the Ogorians, measures were implemented to foster docility in their behavior both despite and in spite of their physical prowess. One key aspect of this approach involved purposefully stunting the development of the amygdala in the brain- the region associated with fear and anger responses. By limiting emotional reactions to external stimuli, particularly those rooted in fear and anger, the Ogorians were designed to navigate their tasks with a sense of relative calm and discipline, mitigating the risk of disastrous conflicts within the cargo transport environment.
As a result, although Ogorians can still most certainly exhibit hostile behaviors, they tend to require quite a considerable amount of provocation before resorting to physical violence and surprisingly rarely seek it on their own accord. However, they hardly make for good negotiators or pioneers of de-escalation lending toward their - generally - low-levels of intelligence and formal education, coupled with the suppression of their ability to feel fear in tandem with anger. They often misinterpret the extent of threats and the perceived intensity of hostile situations as a result, potentially leading to inadvertent escalation with other parties.
They share many of the same communal habits of Tyrmalin peoples, though are, by comparison, rather volatile and have a tendency to act toward a greater degree of self-interest owing to their human-dominant genetic structure. Even still, they tend to easily form strong interpersonal bonds among themselves, as well as particularly with the similarly social Tyrmalin populations and among more socially-inclusive Humans.
History
Origin System: Sol System.
Homeworld: Ceres, though largely diffuse throughout Sol, with significant migrant populations present on Mars, as well as among Tyrmalin Clanfleets.
History
Felix Frag, a ubiquitous cargo transportation company at the forefront of interplanetary logistics, played a pivotal role in the development and the creation of Ogorians as a Human-Tyrmalin hybridization, which were ultimately classified as an independent geneline originating from the Sol system. Recognizing the need for efficient manual labor given the high-stress environment of operating upon mass-transit orbital and planetary cargo craft, Felix Frag worked on the frontier of early gene-modification in the Sol system via heavy financial investment made in tandem with Nanotrasen’s bio-modification department in order to create the ideal workforce for the onloading, offloading, and sorting of cargo from and to interplanetary long-haul vessels.
The strategic emphasis on creating a workforce that could function efficiently and cooperatively in the challenging conditions of cargo transport led to the emergence of Ogorians as reliable and disciplined laborers. Their physical strength, combined with their controlled emotional responses, made them integral to the success of Felix Frag's cargo transportation operations. As a result, Felix Frag's investment in Ogorian development was not only meant to transform the nature of manual labor in the cargo industry, but also was meant to solidify the company's position as a leader in the field of interplanetary logistics.
However, after four decades of development, the Ogorians were ultimately deemed a failure in achieving their intended goals. Despite being generally perceived as a successful hybridization and modification of hybrid Human-Tyrmalin genetic material and successfully generating a (relatively) biologically stable and self-reproducible gene-line, the changing landscape of technology and logistics led Felix Frag to reassess the role of the Ogorian genesis project - and the perceived value of genetic modification as a whole - in their operations in light of a number of minor failures and problems generated both ethically and functionally through their development. Funding for the Ogorian project was cut in interest of pursuing other ventures and minimizing potentially negative public perceptions in the early epoch of genetic modification, marking the end of formal artificial development in the Ogorian genetic line that had spanned for a total of 42 solar years.
The decision to discontinue the Ogorian genesis project was driven by the emergence of more advanced and autonomous robotic methods for cargo handling. Felix Frag, always at the forefront of logistical innovation, shifted its focus - and monetary investment - toward the implementation of cutting-edge technologies to streamline its operations, shifting the bulk of their focus back to the automation and high-technology which had ultimately driven their workforce since their conception in the solar expansion.
Despite now being defunct of their original purpose, Ogorians continued to exist, mostly in small populations on their home planet of Ceres and on fringe orbital industrial colonies floating in the belt of the outermost reaches of the Sol system. In limited populations, they persisted in their roles related to manual labor, finding niches in various fields such as low-ranking manual-laborers in interplanetary cargo transit organizations (still including Felix Frag), participating in asteroid-mining operations within the Sol system's outer belt, and contributing to manufactory roles in particularly dangerous moon and orbit-bound industrial sectors spread throughout the system.
Other groups, in an attempt to escape the ostracization they faced in Sol, migrated en-masse toward the Tyrmalin home-world of Goss Agoz in order to join the nomadic Clanfleets they meet in interception, where they have been largely accepted for their adaptability and physical resilience, making them just as apt in mining and scraping operations among their fellow Tyrmalin in handling industrial mining machinery and sorting mass quantities of heavy material as they were in organizing bulk cargo and manipulating cargo transit technologies. The sheer resilience and adaptability ingrained in the Ogorians allowed them to carve out a continued existence, even as the technological landscape around them evolved.
Nanotrasen, having accumulated a wealth of knowledge from the Ogorian experimentation, redirected its genetic modification ventures toward new frontiers. The lessons learned from the Ogorian project paved the way for more sophisticated and targeted genetic modifications in subsequent endeavors, contributing to the ongoing exploration and development of novel applications for human geneline modifications. While the Ogorians may have faded from the forefront of cutting-edge logistics, their legacy endured in the continued pursuit of genetic advancements and the ongoing narrative of humanity's quest for innovation. Current Racial Status/Government: Most Ogorians still reside within the Sol system, and as a result, the majority of them are legally seen as citizens of the Orion Confederation. Although originated from Humanity and originally seen as a mere genetic modification, Ogorians are now legally defined as a distinct species in accordance with their radically altered physiological and psychological facilities, owing largely to their ability to reproduce and impart offspring with their genetic features.
Notable, though comparatively fringe populations, have since migrated back toward the Tyrmalin homeworld of Goss Agoz, hoping to find lives comparatively free of ostracism among the nomadic Clanfleets, finding new lives as scrap-mongers and being valued for their comparative great stature and strength.
Notable Racial Factions/Entities
Despite being declared an independent race within the Orion Confederation, Ogorians fail to constitute the majority of any notable, unified factions, sects, or businesses. Most subscribe to the corporate charter of existing corporations or government bodies, or otherwise find purpose among Tyrmalin populations both native to and outside of the Sol system. They make for solid confidants, workers, and companions.
Technological Advancements as Understood by NanoTrasen
Rather uniquely, Ogorians are viewed as an early example of Nanotrasen’s own technological advancements within the Sol system as opposed to being proprietors of their own technologies. No individual Ogorian has been accredited as an inventor of any particularly interesting or innovative technology, though they are highly adaptable to learning the operation of existing machinery owing to their natural curiosity and complex neural systems originating from their Human-Tyrmalin geneline/
Culture
The Typical Life of an Ogorian
The majority of Ogorians (Approx. 37%) are born, live, and die on Ceres- most often working as manual laborers in a wide-variety of fields, with the remainder largely occupying Mars or other industry-rich sects of the Sol system, and approximately ten percent living among Tyrmalin clan-fleets outside of the Sol system. Of those born on Ceres, only some lucky few manage to find exo-planetary employment, most often as cargo workers, asteroid belt-miners, or as technical operators within industrial foundries and manufacturing plants. A lucky few occasionally find employment in the private security sector, as well. As an unfortunate result of the nature of their being, pre-conceptions regarding their status and the ill-thought genetic modifications which hinder their overall lifespans, most Ogorians will spend their lives in abject poverty. Ogorians working in fields of science, art, philosophy and psychology are quite rare as well, although not entirely unheard of.
Infant mortality rates are rather high, owing to their plethora of minor genetic defects combined with their accelerated lifespans, and the average life expectancy of an Ogorian in ideal conditions is only around Fifty solar years. To live beyond this is a rarity and, moreover, tends to lend toward an extremely uncomfortable existence in one’s elder years unless heavily augmented and supported by modern medical and gene-editing technologies. As a result, successful births as well as birthdays are often seen as a cause for large celebrations with families and friends, when their individual circumstances allow for it. Akin to Tyrmalin, it is common for Ogorian families to breed en-masse in an attempt to counteract these mortality rates, though unlike Tyrmalin they are less inclined to give birth in “litters”, and females often carry their child for a period of time between seven and eight months as opposed to the Tyrmalin average of six. Twins, however, are not uncommon. Ogorians gain physical mass and stature exceedingly quickly, often matching the physical stature, though not the appearance of an average human at only thirteen to fifteen sol-years of age; however, they are not considered to be “Mature” until about the age of nineteen.
Language
Originating from the Sol system, Ogorians most commonly speak Sol Common and Galactic Common, though given the nature of their origins as intended “perfect” workers for the early industrial and cargo-transit sects of employment, Tradeband is rather ubiquitous among concentrated Ogorian populations as well.
Naming Conventions
Ogorians follow a largely Sol-centric naming convention, utilizing many common names found in and used primarily within the Sol system. However, they also often lack a last name when born outside of Sol space, and may occasionally have names wrought from exo-systematic naming conventions as a result of their frequent interaction throughout the post-expansion era in mining and trade roles reaching out and into the frontier.
Religion
Ogorians, much like the base humans from which their geneline was created, subscribe to a very wide variety of religions and some choose to identify as agnostic.
Rumors & Speculation
Many inhabitants of the Sol system view Ogorians with a wide set of pre connotations and misconceptions regarding their nature based primarily on outward appearances alone; they are often viewed as inherently brutish, and blame is often times quick to fall upon Ogorians present in scenes of conflict even when in instances in which they have played little to no part in their coalescence.
They furthermore hold an odd spot in the early history of large-scale human genetic extraterrestrial cross-hybridization in the Sol system, and as a result, they are oftentimes held in peculiar lenses by certain groups: well-educated individuals with a respect for the modern art of Gene-editing view their existence as an important stepping stone which lead to many important discoveries in the field, helping to shape it to the relatively safe and stable practice which it is today. There are more often those, however, who view their existence as one of the earliest affronts to perceived ideals and notions relating to abstract ideals such as personal religions and conducts relating to biological “purity”, seeing them as a long-standing testament to science gone too far- though rather mundane now, by all modern standards.
Above all else, though, Ogorians can and are often seen as hard-working individuals, oftentimes very loyal to their respective governments, companies, family, and friends - as well as staunchly oppositional toward those which they view to stand in contest against their perceived allied groups. However, these definitions vary greatly from Ogorian to Ogorian, as a result of their inherent individuality as amplified by their human-centric Sol origins.