Sullustan

Basic Information

Anatomy

A diminutive species of near-Humans, Sullustans range from 1 to 1.8 meters in height and bear round, tapered skulls. Sullustans are distinguishable for their almond-shaped black eyes, facial jowls called dewflaps and large, round ears.
Having evolved in the underground of their planet, their wide earlobes provide excellent hearing and sense of directional sound, and their large eyes provide exceptional low-light vision and excellent peripheral vision. Sullustans can see up to 20 meters in the dark without being sensitive to infra-red, meaning they could effectively read and see normally with no light at all. Perhaps due to their relative lack of exposure to natural light, Sullustans begin to suffer from corneal defects after 30 standard years. After significant deterioration, many chose to wear special visors to prevent further damage. Some Sullustans tattooed their heads as a form of individual expression.
Sullustans have many of the same organ composition as humans, though it is very difficult to get a Sullustan drunk, and Sullustans who do get drunk do not suffer hangovers.
Sullustans are pink-skinned and generally hairless, although facial hair is known to occur in some cases in males, usually as an isolated goatee. Cranial hair is rare for males, but females of the species often grow theirs out as a symbol of individuality.
Sullustans possess exceptional innate sense of direction and intuition since their civilization grew in underground tunnels; many are able to navigate a path after seeing a map only once. This ability extends to sublight and hyperspace navigation, as well as patrol work, making Sullustans natural excellent scouts, pilots and navigators; Sullustan pilots were the first to scout out the Rimma Trade Route.

Ecology and Habitats

Sullust is a terrestrial planet that occupies the fourth orbit from the star Sullust in the Sullust system in the Brema sector of the Outer Rim Territories region of the galaxy. Situated on the Rimma Trade Route and within the area known as the Trailing Sectors, Sullust has standard gravity and possesses two moons: a large planetoid named Sulon and an unremarkable hunk of rock named Umnub. Sullust's day lasts 20 standard hours and its year lasts 263 standard days. The planet is 12,780 kilometers in diameter and features terrain including mountains, volcanoes, rocky deserts, and caves; multicolored rock veined by channels of magma cover Sullust's entire surface.
The atmosphere of Sullust is barely breathable, with hot and thick clouds of toxic gases released in volcanic eruptions rendering the planet's surface lethal for sustained habitation and uncomfortable for short visits. Atmospheric blackouts occur on a regular basis due to large gouts of smoky ash. Its surface is also dangerously volatile; while Sullust's geology is poorly understood, the mantle between the planet's core and its thick crust appears to be semipermeable, allowing eruptions to occur frequently. Most of the opaque substances ejected by the volcanoes remain in the upper atmosphere while heavier gases flow back down, resulting in high surface visibility and noxious surface air.
Sullust is popularly known as "the volcano planet," but only certain portions of the world contained active volcanoes. Few of the volcanoes were reliably extinct, however. The Sullustan species evolved in the more hospitable underground of the planet, where a stable system of tunnels connected edible lichen gardens to pools of potable water.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Sullustans are generally outgoing and mercantile, friendly and pragmatic. As a species they are altogether lacking in xenophobia. Though fond of practical jokes and extremely shrewd in their business dealings, they are eager to explore and travel the galaxy. Inquisitive by nature, some have described Sullustans as reckless, especially for their preference to learn and discover whenever possible through personal experience.
Sullustans organize themselves into familial units known as Warren-clans. Each clan consists of one polyandrous female, several husbands and their young. Unmated females, known as "Fems", are active members of their communities until they reach the status of "Ready" which mark their breeding years. At the outset of Ready, "Fems" chose their mates and founded their own Warren-clans. Because of their relatively delayed reproductive development and tendency towards vision problems at a young age, many Sullustan women are blind or near-sighted.
Burial rites are given particular focus in Sullustan culture, with vast crypts and vaults maintained by crypt masters. Death, known as "Eternal Sleep", is viewed with great reverence. The most important of these rites is the Tomb-walling ceremony, an elaborate funeral procedure. Important leaders and famous Sullustans are entombed in the Gallery of Ancestors and the Catacomb of Eminents.
Sullustan religion includes a pantheon of gods like Triakk. Governmentally, Sullustan names referencing nobility is evidence of some form of monarchy, but all recorded history demonstrates the use of democracy, excluding the recent authoritarian takeover by SoroSuub.
Sullustans are also dedicated to the principles of capitalism and open markets, but are primarily motivated by the possibility of bettering their people, not greed. Sullust's technologically advanced underground cities bristle with shops and markets attractive to tourists from across the galaxy.

History

Early in their history, the Sullustans dug extensive networks of underground caves to avoid the inhospitable atmosphere of Sullust, perhaps contributing to the development of their diminutive stature. The caves would eventually develop into beautiful underground cities, such as Piringiisi. The skills developed in engineering their large underground civilization and navigating its tunnels, would later earn them galactic renown as civil engineers, scouts and pilots.
Sullustan interaction with the galaxy began early in recorded history, as they were known as lightsaber scientists for the young Jedi Order. Some records indicate that their developments were crucial in the evolution of the lightsaber to its final form and in the instruction of Jedi in the creation process.
By as early as 5400 BRS, Sullustan merchants had become common sights, and pioneered new hyperlanes like the Rimma Trade Route.
Deep mines were built on Sullust and its moons, and the profits were used to develop Sullustan technology. By 900 BRS, the mines on Sullust's moon Umnub had been tapped.
Sullustan technological development flourished, eventually giving rise to the SoroSuub Corporation. While a diversified corporation, its major holdings in mining and refinement made it a charter member of the Commerce Guild. A Sullustan also sat on the Trade Federation Directorate in 4 BRS and another acted as the commander of the Techno Union's Bulwark Fleet, but is unknown if they acted as a representatives of Sullust, SoroSuub, or a third party. SoroSuub came to dominate the Sullustan economy, employing over half the Sullustan population. In 2 BRS, a constitutional amendment passed allowing SoroSuub shareholders to vote in Sullustan Council elections, effectively making the post of SoroSuub CEO and Council President the same. Ostensibly, SoroSuub sided with the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars, although it is unknown if the general Sullustan population supported the Confederacy.
SoroSuub was an early supporter of the Galactic Empire, forcing increasingly stringent measures on the Sullustans to secure lucrative Imperial contracts. In 31 GSC, SoroSuub Chairman Siin Suub approved Corporate Proclamation 137d, which declared a complete political, economic and military takeover of Sullust by the SoroSuub Corporation. The same proclamation formally aligned Sullust with the Empire and issued a strong denouncement of the growing unrest in the Outer Rim.

GURPS Race Template: -4pts
Attributes
DX+1 [+20pts]; HT-1 [-10pts]
Secondary Attributes
SM +0 (1 to 1.8m in height)
Advantages
Absolute Direction (3D Spatial Sense) [+10pts];
Acute Senses (Acute Hearing+2, Easy to hit, -20%) [+3pts];
Night Vision+5 (Easy to hit, -20%) [+4pts];
Alcohol Tolerance [+1pts]
Disadvantages
Gregarious (Resist quite often, x1) [-10pts];
Curious (Resist quite rarely, x2) [-10pts];
Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5pts];
Xenophilia (Resist quite often, x1) [-10pts];
Likes (Practical Jokes) [-1pt]
Racial skills
Climbing DX+1 [+4pts]
Features
None

Naming Traditions

Sullustans follow a typical galactic naming tradition of a given name and a family surname with one notable exception. Since they are raised in Warren-clans, Surnames normally cycle through the Warren's husbands, with the first chosen husband's surname going on to the firstborn sons, and so on. Daughters traditionally retain their mother's surname.

Example Names

Darrin Arkanian, Mell Blank, Borkus, Den Dhur, Garron, Grom Goluum, Bolabo Hujaan, Jubieck, Jae Juun, Jem Lavar, Eyar Marath, Mayjeln, Neb Munb, Miel Muwn, Jalus Nebl, Dllr Nep, Dua Ningo, Niuk Niuv, Ten Numb, Aril Nunb, Nien Nunb, Sien Sovv, Elora Sund, Sian Tevv, Jaius Yorub, Nae Nuuv

Language Groups and Dialects

Sullustese is a common enough language among Outworld spacers, smugglers, and ship crews that it serves as an unofficial trade language in a few trading posts throughout the galaxy. There are even a few ports, such as the Gelgelar Free Port, where Sullustese is the official language for coordinating with offworld traffic.