Тheir cycle of reproduction is unusual, similar to a digger wasp's: the Puppeteers consider themselves to have three genders (two male, one female), except their two "male" genders are the equivalent of human female and male (one has an ovipositor, the other a penis, of sorts) and the "female" is the (non-sentient) parasitised host into which the ovum and spermatozoon are deposited. Almost all puppeteers rely on synthesized food, real food being a costly luxury. At least one world's entire economy is put toward growing food to feed them. Puppeteers are extremely long-lived, with a lifespan of at least several centuries and as a result the Puppeteer homeworld has a population of over a trillion.
On occasion a puppeteer will express its amusement by facing its two heads towards each other, in effect, looking at itself, an equivalent to ironic human laughter. The natural odor of the Puppeteers is characteristic and reminds Humans of some spice mixtures. In that occasion heads are turned backwards and spread wide, to triangulate on the target. The hind leg is also used in conflicts: when a Puppeteer is threatened, it can turn its back, spin on his forelegs and lash out with the hind leg.
The hump features thick hair usually curled, dyed or decorated. The heads do not contain the Puppeteer's brain it resides near the shoulder in a massive mane-covered hump from which the heads emerge. Puppeteers have no issue learning most languages spoken in Known Space, though their native language is all but impossible for other species to duplicate naturally. Each neck contains three sets of something analogous to vocal cords, making the puppeteer's lingual ability extensive. They use the "mouths" to manipulate objects, as a humanoid uses hands. The heads are very small, containing a forked tongue, extensive rubbery lips, rimmed with finger-like knobs, and a single eye per head.
Pierson's Puppeteers have two forelegs and a single hindleg ending in hooved feet and two snake-like heads instead of a humanoid upper body. 4 Politics and relations with other species.
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