Polymorphous, atavistic hybrids, bioengineered by an unknown, alien intelligence. The creatures were designed to be used as ground troops and for manual labor. Their cellular structure is highly malleable, influenced by the ecological system where they are introduced. Proteans are born inside corms, life-support pods that house their bodies during interstellar travel. While inside the corm the protean is not yet fully formed and exists in a state of suspension where cellular decay is halted.
Early experiments revealed that the nascent protean’s body is amoeboid in shape, possessing a rudimentary humanoid shape but without much in the way of features or definition. When dropped onto a planet’s surface, the corm feeds environmental data into the protean via a conductive fluid that surrounds the creature. We do not yet understand how this data is transmitted nor how it is absorbed by the protean. The end result is that the corm programs the creatures DNA and this determines the creature’s ultimate form. Because of size constraints, the proteans are birthed at a roughly humanoid size but may grow larger as they age.
Development of the newborn protean into an adult occurs at a highly accelerated pace. Protean embyros are globules of organic matter kept in cryogenic suspension. Once thawed, the globule may be manipulated to induce mitosis, allowing for an exponential increase in the supply of protean DNA. Once thawed, the embryonic globule must be housed in a corm or it will be rendered nonviable. The most curious trait of the protean is that it may be returned to its corm and “decompiled” back into a prenatal state. This process takes up to a year to complete and effectively kills the creature inside.
The terrestrial form of the protean on Earth is called a “goat”: a bipedal humanoid, approximately two meters tall with slight variances. They possess honeycombed bone structures and dense muscles, making them strong and agile. Protean goats are named as such due to the short horns that grow from their foreheads. A smaller pair of nubs grows from the creature’s lower jaw and erupts from its chin. Goats are red-green color blind and light sensitive, causing many to adopt tinted goggles to protect their eyes from UV rays. Hearing is slightly better than a human’s but their sense of smell and taste is muted. Goats aspirate through their mouths and a fluted, nostril-like orifice. They have a large lung capacity and are at home in low oxygen, high altitude environments. They display discomfort in humid or polluted conditions and wear respirator masks to assist in breathing. Their skin tones are pale and body hair is fine and sparse. The most unusual features are their long arms, allowing them to ambulate using their hoof-like hands and feet. Goat hands are not especially dextrous, their most obvious handicap. Each hand is comprised of an opposable thumb-like appendage, a finger approximating a human index finger, and a horned “hoof” that can be walked or used as a blunt tool but not for fine manipulation. Goats curl their thumb and forefinger up and use the hoof-hand for locomotion. Using this method, they have a loping, quadrupedal gait and can move rapidly, albeit ungainly.