Androgums are barbaric creatures of instinct, incapable of emotional depth and physically very strong, who probably hail from somewhere in the nine planets (wherever that is). They appear mostly humanoid; distinguishing features include their thick orange eyebrows and numerous facial warts. Bright, colorful, even garish clothing is much beloved by Androgums. Androgum society is organized into grigs, clan-like familial structures that each bear a distinctive name. Ties between more than one grig are common. The unit of currency on their planet is probably the narg, twenty of which seems to be a valuable sum.
Their most evident trait, however, is their supreme love of food. Androgums adore eating, and in fact they will eat almost anything, although they have very discriminating palates. They not only have nearly insatiable appetites, they also possess an incredible capacity for eating - a nine-course meal is barely a snack. Complementing Androgums' love of food is their keen sense of smell, with which they can detect the presence of possible edibles and determine the emotional state of animals. Male animals, called "jacks", are most prized. In Androgum society, chefs are highly valued. These individuals are so committed to their art and so finicky that they will taste the raw flavor of all ingredients - including meats - before even heating their cooking pots.
It is possible to increase the intelligence of an Androgum. An Androgum who has undergone such a procedure is known as an Androgum TA, for Technologically Augmented. The augmentation procedure seems to refine bearing as well as raising intelligence, and enables the augmented Androgum to read and absorb minds, even dead ones. The technology is not foolproof or completely permanent, however, and is also apparently an extremely stupid thing to do.
