In Star Control 2, the Druuge are a race of highly unpleasant aliens. Their home base is on their trade world of Zeta Persei I, which may or may not be their original homeworld.

Though bipedal and basically humanoid, the Druuge are anything but attractive to human eyes. They have piggish faces, lumpen bodies, and vaguely demonic curved horns. The disturbing appearance is exacerbated by their choice in "furniture," which consists of various chains, manacles, and barbed hooks from which the Druuge hang suspended. They are also reported to have horrendous body odor (though video games in 1992 fortunately did not include Smell-O-Vision).

In personality and society they are no prettier. Druuge are callous, amoral and entirely mercenary. The concepts of love and honor are unknown to them. Every interaction is evaluated in finanical terms, including necessities such as mating and reproduction. The cost of raising and educating a child is considered an investment, because parents receive a percentage of their offspring's income for life.

Druuge society is entirely controlled by a business called the Crimson Corporation. It owns literally all the resources of the race, from spaceships and alien artifacts right down to the planetary air. Every member of the race serves as an employee of the Corporation, and in return receives employee benefits such as breathing rights.

A recent example of the Corporation's morality can be seen in their dealings with their neighbors, the peaceful and wise Burvixese. That race obtained advance warning that the Kohr-Ah war fleet was approaching, tracking Druuge Hyperwave emissions in its quest to destroy all sentient life in the galaxy. The Burvixese sent a friendly warning to the Druuge; the Druuge response was to shut down all their own emitters, and secretly build a ginormous Hyperwave broadcaster on the moon of the Burvix homeworld. When the Kohr-Ah fleet arrived it overlooked the cowering Druuge, followed the "Here I Am" signal to the Arcturus system, and annihilated the Burvixese in three days of orbital bombardment.

The warship of the Druuge race is known as the Mauler, and strongly resembles a giant mobile cannon with a small ship built around it. The cannon has long range, packs an impressive punch, and has such a powerful recoil that it makes for a useful method of propulsion. Though a Mauler is quite sluggish under engine power, it can build up a very high speed in reverse simply by firing the gun a few times.

The Mauler's main disadvantage is its high energy consumption. Its onboard batteries hold enough juice for just eight shots, and recharge extremely slowly. When low on ammo, a Druuge captain can generate a quick surge of extra power by hurling crewmembers into the matter converter. This is done as frequently as necessary, with no more regret than stepping on the gas pedal in your car.

Druuge are not bumbling, comical merchants like Ferengi. They are vile, murderous, genocidal slavers who think nothing of burning their own people alive as firewood. Do not invite them to dinner.

Game Spoilers:
Completing Star Control 2 requires that you trade with the Druuge at least once, to obtain the Rosy Sphere-- a Precursor artifact. The preferred trade for the Sphere is an egg case of a Mycon Deep Child, which can be obtained on two shattered worlds in Gamma Brahe and Beta Copernicus.

The Druuge will try to unload some other artifacts on you, and also sell you fuel, in exchange for members of your crew. Avoid these trades, for a few reasons. First, all their artifacts (except the Rosy Sphere) are useless crap. Second, even if you aren't disturbed by the idea of trafficking in slaves, you'll gain an unsavory reputation that will make it far more costly to recruit replacement crew.

Once the Utwig tell you where to find the Precursor bomb, you will end up in an unavoidable confrontation with the Druuge. Claiming that they are the bomb's true owners, and that you and the Utwig have cheated them out of their property, they will attack you. From that point onward all Druuge ships you encounter will be hostile.

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