Embrüoids

Embrüoids are a fictional sapient lifeform that appears in science fiction and speculative world-building. The term is often used to denote beings characterized by social connectivity and the capacity to form transient collective minds, or "embrue" unions, through shared neural or bioelectrical activity. The name derives from a root meaning embrace or bond.

Physical traits: They show wide diversity; many individuals are gelatinous or amorphous, with flexible envelopes and surface-based sensory structures. Some have tentacles or membranes that can engorge or contract. Their coloration can be bioluminescent and adaptive to environment. They may lack fixed morphology, allowing rapid shape changes.

Biology and ecology: They often inhabit moist environments—ocean worlds, subterranean lakes, or damp caves. They rely on symbiotic microbes and chemical signaling for metabolism. Reproduction varies by narrative: budding, fragmentation, or genetic exchange; some lines describe a life cycle that includes a temporary "fusion" phase.

Social structure and cognition: A central feature is the ability to link minds for problem-solving or collective decision-making during embrue episodes. This can create strong social cohesion but raises questions about individuality, consent, and autonomy. Social organization ranges from egalitarian clans to hierarchical networks; language tends to be non-linear and multisensory.

Cultural use and critical reception: Embrüoids are used to explore themes of empathy, otherness, and the tension between group identity and personal agency. They appear in novels, games, and films, often as allegories for interconnected societies or diaspora communities. In real-world science, they are a fictional construct.