Ungooma

The Ungooma are a species of adaptive-intelligence beings that evolved as thought-parasites and later developed their own means of thinking. Before they became sapient they would take control of the higher animals on their world, using the bodies and minds of their hosts for their own needs.

They are tiny, and their intellect is derived from the combined thought impulses of large numbers of Ungooma. There are trillions of Ungooma and their combined thoughts form many thousands of distinct composite personalities.

Ungooma no longer possess the ability to take over a host, but they retain the vestigial ability to exert a limited form of mind control at a distance. They are able to control other species for brief periods, and their victims often wake up not knowing how they came to be where they are.

Starting Narrative
''The Ungooma are an intensely curious people. In recent times their naturally high caution has given way to a growing need to let go of their collective fear of the unknown and explore the universe around them. You are one of the greatest Ungooma minds, consisting of an unusually large number of individual Ungooma. The other Ungooma collective minds look to you for guidance.''

Special Ability
Travel Disruptors: The Ungooma are mischievous. You can bump all ships in star lanes backward to their stars of origin.