Creature:Zuckhs

The Zuckhs, later known as Zxxon (to those who could pronounce the name), were a feathered herbivorous mammalian humanoids from the planet Noph in the. Their colonial empire was the first known civilisation dedicated to the worship of in said galaxy, and they along with the  and Cyberion were the only species known to be part of both the Second Galactic Federation and the later.

History
The first Zuckhs civilisation was formed around 9000 BC within several fertile river valleys surrounding a large gulf. As the local priesthood developed increasingly sophisticated magic tricks, they were able to convice neighbouring societies of their divine power and, along with an increasingly strong military force, were able to establish a global theocracy within three thousand years. The priesthood were forced to secretly develop more advanced technology in order to maintain their control over an increasingly less credulous populace, and eventually the offshoots of this process led to industrial and then spacefaring technology.

During the 5th millennium BC, the Zuckhs built a large colonial Zealot empire near the base of the Southern Arm, setting themselves up as a ruling species. During this time, they somehow discovered the religion of and allowed this to replace their previous faith, perhaps due to inherent similarities between the two.

However, the Zuckhs Empire came into conflict with the circa 4100 BC, and then the Grox around 200 years later. Despite joining the for protection, their civilisation crumbled, and many lower-class Zuckhs turned to Shamanism instead, taking on the identity of the "Savvy Zxxon Monks" and peacefully spreading across the galaxy. However, their aggressive mentality remained, and the Zxxon monasteries found work in exterminating violent death cults, as well as hunting down extremist members of their former Spode-worshipping religion, being one of the few remnants of the Second Federation era to survive to the time of the.

Society and Culture
The political structure of the Zuckhs Empire is one of the most well-documented in the Girdo Galaxy. The Empire was led by a priestly Zuckhs aristocracy, with a Pharaoh at its head. Other species occupied lower levels in society, being divided into several castes. The government itself was composed of the Zuckhs castes. The pharaonic caste was the ultimate ruling authority, consisting of the Pharoah himself, his second-in-command the Vizier, the Nomarchs (leaders of individual star systems), and their large extended families. The day-to-day running of the Empire was controlled by the bureaucratic caste, while loyalty and authority were maintained by the priestly and military castes.

Each Zuckhs was given shining armour and shielding after hatching, and upon reaching adulthood, they were further gifted with additional technological items which were used to keep unruly members of other species under control via mind control and trickery. Ultimately, the aim of this was to make the Zuckhs appear to be in possession of magical powers, maintaining their religious control as well as providing physical protection.

Despite their rigid social structure, the Zuckhs Empire was remarkably free, with mobility and marriage between castes being commonplace, and government surveillance almost absent. Regardless of this, the Savvy Zxxon Monks strove to free themselves from their innate hierarchial tendencies, but did not succeed until opening their ranks to other species.

Notable Individuals
Agent Atirieil, leader of Girdo Intelligence during the, was the highest-ranking Zxxon in the Girdo Empire.

Trivia

 * The Zuckhs were first created, as the "Zxxon" (named for an in-game reference), as a species assimilated into the Tokzhalan Empire for the Imperial Civil War (and of which Atirieil was not a member), a conflict that was eventually heavily retconned into the Girdo Campaigns. Later, the Zuckhs were introduced into the Mirror Universe as the leaders of the, and a backstory was soon created requiring a Girdo-native equivalent empire.
 * Noph is a name given to an ancient Egyptian city, fitting with the pharaonic government of the Zuckhs Empire. The same is true for the Tsajaginykar's homeworld of Tjenu.