Homo Sapiens Abomination: Regenerative

Humanoid in shape, with a general human anatomy, Regeneratives are usually taller by a couple of Ft in height. Their arms are longer, with talon-like tough fingernails & toenails. They generally are more adapted to eating fresh meat mow so have slight changes to their digestive system to allow for this. Though saying this they will eat plant material if need to. Their ears are also slightly pointed and have gnarly skin usually coloured greenish due a shift in colour pigmentation. Stronger & more lithe than many humans they aren't as intelligent overall driven more by base emotions than any higher ideals.

The Regeneratives are humanoids averaging 7' to 8' in height, and their legs are slightly shorter than the rest of their bodies. They are quite lithe with many having pot-bellies. Wart-like greenish skin caused by some unknown interaction between their regenerative abilities and the natural skin colouring found in their dermal layers. Sometimes the environment can cause changes in their overall general appearance & minor abilities.   One thing that sets them apart from many species, including humans, is the mutant gene they carry for Lin28a. This gives them a hardy constitution where damaged, destroyed or missing organs can regrow within seconds. If parts are separated they can be reattached with ease, and even regrow the remainder of their bodies if cut up. Only fire or acid damage seems to stop this happening.

Based on human stock, the Regeneratives are known to have extensively modified genes. The gene 'Lin28a' is responsible for reprogramming somatic cells into stem cells allowing the body to regenerate damaged tissue. This has been strengthened & tweaked in such a way that it acts far faster, and more pronounced in Regeneratives. At the same time, a side effect from the use of growth hormones used to speed up the process. This caused deformation in some of the other aspects causing the arms to extend to a degree longer, and the nails strengthening.   Like any Hominid, Regeneratives are dimorphic, with males & females present, and no distinction in in any other way.

The Regeneratives grow at an accelerated rate. When one is born, it takes no more than five years to reach adolescence, and another five years to reach adulthood. Nobody knows what age they die of old age, even if they truly reach 'old age'. From the time they reach adolescence onwards they can breed but pregnancy & birth rates are low, and well below standard human averages.

Regeneratives are found throughout many habitats on worlds, as long as there is some type of breathable atmosphere, a water source, and a food source. Many are found in hostile conditions that would kill equivalent species due to their ability to regenerate damage quickly & easily. Sometimes this can lead to variations in cosmetic looks, and other abilities depending on environmental factors.

Regeneratives are primarily obligatory carnivores, eating other species where & when they can, including carrion. They will eat plant material where they have to, and human food stuffs. The latter two are due to their human ancestry, but they don't get as much nutrients from these as a standard human.   They never store foodstuffs and constantly hungry with their regenerative power instils an overarching need for sustenance. They regularly clear an area out of food supplies before moving on. They set up rough camps in out of the way places before moving on again. Sometimes they leave a number of such camps in a region so it's easier to travel between.

Notoriously aggressive, the Regeneratives are constantly roaming for food, and will actively attack slums, small settlements, and any other group they consider weaker. Intelligent enough to use basic weapons, armour, boltholes, and to avoid armed groups, they regularly disappear to other areas quickly. They can survive in regions high in radioactive, biological & chemical contaminants making it hard at times to catch up & deal with them.   A few prefer living in the worst areas of the largest cities where they live off eating the lost & forgotten or hiring themselves out as mercenaries. Some are found off-world in colonies acting as basic guards or as workers doing basic jobs in dangerous environments. They generally don't take orders well though, and can easily get distracted by food or acts of mindless violence.   Each Regenerative rarely works with others unless there is sufficient food in a region, and in cases where a strong leader amongst them appears.

Most are have no actual social structure only meeting up to mate, but a few show leadership characteristics. This allows them to set up basic societies where the strongest rule. A few shows a tendency to be able to be trained and used in human society following orders as bodyguards, mercenaries, and working in tough dangerous environments.

The Regeneratives can be exploited to clear areas of other abominations or clear areas of dangerous fallout of some kind.  Also, their stomach acid is as strong as vulture stomach acid and can be used in certain biochemical processes if extracted.

Sharp teeth are common with noticeable large or pointed noses. Greasy hair on the head and eyebrows.

Found in harsh regions in many human controlled worlds, settlements and the like.

Below average human intelligence.

Many Regeneratives have slightly better smell & hearing than standard humans, allowing them to track prey over great distances. Capable of feeling some pain they are generally tougher in harsher conditions than the norm.

The Regeneratives use any number of ways to name themselves. Usually they prefer either human names, item names of place names. They rarely use surnames.

They generally rely on basic male / female identities though are truly equal, making no distinction between genders. They don't seem to have any LGBTQ+ representation in their species at all.

When a male & female meet they may pair bond for a while, at least until the female gives birth after 9 months. The male may stay around for a few years after to make sure the young survives long enough. The male must be able to demonstrate that he can provide for the female, especially by hunting down good fresh meat, all the while avoiding death squads sent out to kill them. If this is met there is a chance for them to mate.

Regeneratives rarely have much contact with each other, mainly due to their eating habits can drain an area of fresh meat quickly. In places where there is enough numbers of prey, some may band together in small communities under a strong leader who keeps the peace so to speak. They distrust if not outright hate humans. This is to do with both them viewing humans as a potential source of prey, and the humans will hunt them down, either killing the Regeneratives or enslaving them.

Though not that intelligent, they can easily make use of simple human technology. Some basic forms of work tools & advanced weapons have been retrofitted to allow them to use. They cannot seem to use advanced technological systems as it is just beyond their capacity for some reason. It seems to have something to do with their brains not having the capacity for this, and have atrophied, while the need to satiate their hunger has increased in capacity. The need for violence & aggression has also been neurally augmented whether by design or by accident.

The Regeneratives wear basic clothing usually tattered and damaged. They regularly replace them when needed and will use animal skins or basic armour if they are available.

They rarely have any culture to speak off, and when found in the rare groups that form, they are raiders looking nothing more than food, water, and shelter.

Regeneratives have existed now for about 75 years roughly. They were created in a laboratory in 2053 initially as a way to help injured soldiers who had fought in the grinding wars that have plagued Scandinavia for decades against the old Russian Dictatorship. The hidden bunker that they were created in is out there in the Scandes Mountains, where they fought their way out.   The experiments were initially using an artificially created viral strain of HIV to bypass the immune system to rewrite & improve the Lin28a gene. This was meant to be able to turn cells back into stem cells that the body could use. All animals tested on failed horrifically, turning the animals into horrific abominations. Eventually the strain was perfected, or so the scientists thought.   When the first batch of patients were tested, they turned into a number of different abominations that were quickly dealt with. The second fared better but had the misfortune of changing the individual into the Regeneratives (1st generation). When this happened, they banded together to escape and fought their way out. When it turned out they were only affected by fire & acid, it was too late and the damage was done. The Regeneratives escaped destroying much of the basic research, and escaping. They got out into the mountains & spread out, taking many of the other abominations with them.   They have gradually spread out from there through the Baltic region, into Russia, and down into Europe. At the same time, a few have been captured to be experimented on, forced to act as shock troops & guards, and to be taken off-world to serve as labourers in the harsher settlements. In a few of these cases they have proven troublesome, and breed enough to keep their numbers up.

One major myth exists in the Regeneratives that there is a safe haven for them. Some claim is that it exists in the remainder of the far north of the Scandes Mountain Range, and another in a planet somewhere close to the Solar System. If it exists nobody is sure but it doesn't stop many Regeneratives from looking for it.   Another myth found in many human nations is that the Regeneratives is a group of monsters born in the flesh. It is claimed, and used as a slur against them, that they are descendants of Trolls. If anything the Regeneratives are constantly being compared & portrayed as such. They hate this and feel it is humanity that should look to themselves as monsters of old legend.

The Regeneratives are generally hated by almost all other known Hominid species generally because of the damage they do, the lives & livelihoods they destroy, and as a form of abomination. A few will work with them seeing them as a perfect form of shock troop, and born survivors.   As for the Regeneratives., they don't seem to care as long as they are left alone to the wilderness areas, and in out of the way places where they can satisfy their constant hunger.