Creature:Hertic

Biology
The hertics are an offshoot of the heroic race, and are very similar in their biology. However they have gained numerous mutations both intended and not intended since their separation. They lost two of their fingers in exchange for larger talons, to symbolize their rejection of Spode (it was believed that the five fingers represented the five arms of the galaxy). They changed their feathers to black to distinguish themselves from the heroics, however their red eyes were an unexpected mutation from the damaging atmosphere of their new home.

Connection to the Heroics
The hertics were once heroics, over ten thousand years ago, but their race was born in the renegade group of heroics who did not believe in Spode. After years of distrust and arguments, the leaders of the renegade group decided to leave, although not before a lot of pressure was put on them to do so. After they set out, they came across technical problems and were forced to crash land. On the world of Hita, a desolate world scared with frequent dust storms and radioactive storms. The heroics who steeped out from the ship onto the barren world called out that Spode Himself had caused their misfortune, and they declared themselves not only renegades, but enemies of Spode, all who worshiped Him, and all who protected those who worshiped Him. They set about on their new world and for generations suffered long, but they came out as a different race, no longer heroic, and changed their name to hertic, which means both renegade and enemy in the heroic language, and it means "us" in the hertic's new language.