The Hochog

The Hylochoerus
Boarlike warriors of numerous scattered worlds, the Hylochoerus are tough, cunning, and violent. Only their constant infighting keeps them from being a greater danger to humanity.

Appearance and Biology
Hylochoeruss are slightly larger than the average human, running far more toward muscle than fat. A tusked, porcine head is crowned with a crest of short bristles that trails down the creature’s spine. Males and females are usually indistinguishable to humans, which can cause occasional awkwardness. Hylochoerus worlds have atmosphere and biospheres miscible with human life, though the Hylochoerus tend to prefer slightly heavier gravity.

History
The Hylochoerus have always been part of the galactic landscape, having first expanded from their now-lost homeworld long before recorded history. The numerous Hylochoerus Packs tend to form around charismatic military leaders, and rarely long survived his or her death. Losing factions often fled for new worlds, gradually expanding the race’s reach. At the same time, their tendency to use brutal biological and environmental warfare against each other denuded some planets of Hylochoerus life. The result is a patchwork domain, with Hylochoerus worlds separated from each other by long stretches of emptiness. The Hylochoerus themselves are altogether disinterested in their past.They care about the present; about which Pack rules a world, how strong that Pack is, and how their own Pack might elevate itself to overcome their rivals.

Psychology
Hylochoerus are surprisingly cheerful, good-natured beings for entities of such violence. They fight and kill amongst themselves when more ritualized struggles fail to settle a point, but Hylochoerus do not hate the beings they kill- nor do they regret their actions. A Hylochoerus can trigger the viral extermination of all life on a planet and then enjoy an untroubled supper, if that action seems most effective for gaining preeminence for himself and his Pack. Hylochoerus hate sadism and pointless cruelty, however, and find it almost physically sickening. They will kill an enemy in any available way, but torture and methodical infliction of pain is viewed as a sign of incipient insanity in a Hylochoerus. Such a creature is a danger to the Pack, and there’s no telling what they might do if other Hylochoerus don’t put them down quickly. This combination of traits has resulted in some worlds inhabited by humans actually accepting Hylochoerus overlords as preferable to their former leadership. The Hylochoerus kill rebels without a blink, but they never pointlessly torment their subjects.