Rattataki
Rattataki are a species of near-Human that are visibly recognized by their chalk-white skin, nearly complete lack of hair and spiral knotwork tattoos.
The species as a whole is uncommon in the Outer Rim and a rare sight in the rest of the galaxy. More often than not, a Rattataki is mistaken for a Dathomirian who has shaved their head.
Rattatak, their homeworld, is a desert world with gray and red rocky mountains and white gypsum sand dunes in the planet's wide desert flatlands. As the world is such an unforgiving place, and rather remote which limits trade, the rattataki cultures developed a combat-oriented society due to competition for resources. As the people there gained access to space travel ( through reverse engineering a Republic scout ship ), they did begin to trade but in the form of piracy.
Those rattataki that have left their homeworld have either done so voluntarily to become 'merchant raiders', mercenaries or bounty hunters. Another subset that left the world is "The Dispossessed". These are rattataki that are abducted and pressed into service - usually for a Hutt or another crime lord - to act as a bodyguard or simply fight in a gladiatorial arena for the Hutt's amusement.
What little the galaxy does know about rattataki is rumors that they are primitives and savages. This is not true. Technology is highly prized on rattatak as a scarce resource. When a rattataki house gains a new type of technology, no effort is spared in reverse-engineering the device so the house has the blueprints - which are the most valuable part. Advances in things from hyperdrives to med gloves have come out of this, but the suspicious nature of the rattataki prevents them from easily sharing these advancements with others. Also, in one way or another, all reverse-engineered or improved designs go to support the defense of the particular rattataki house.
Family System and a Rattataki Erdu
An Erdu - or 'House' to the Rattataki - represents a family, both immediate and extended. The concept comes from the earliest records on Rattatak where groups of natives didn't gather based on landholdings, but instead out of survival based on a combination of skills. The primary among those would be strategy, tactics, and physical combat. But it isn't limited to just those. The 'extended family' of an erdu includes distant relatives and deceased members as well. Reverence to the point of worship of ancestors is common among the Rattatak Houses to the point that each House maintains a shrine to their ancestors. This can be a small nook in the home to something more elaborate on larger estates. Rattataki Erdus maintain their own culture and in their own way are ethnic groups of the Rattataki. But there are aspects that all erdu share. In general, a rattataki house is divided into three main groups that work together to maintain the security and stability of the erdu. That would be the Jori ( 'They who lead' ), the Haulgir ( 'They who heal' ), and the Onna ( 'They who build' ). These aren't caste or classes and a rattataki isn't placed there by birth. Each division represented a broad category of jobs necessary for the functioning of a rattataki house. While the individual tasks did vary from erdu to erdu, the general concepts remained the same. Each division of an Erdu also maintains its own educators to help an individual find the path they feel best suited to follow. Note that no matter what discipline an individual follows, all members of a Rattataki Erdu are combat trained. This enables them to fight in the Rattataki gladiatorial pits or fight in defense of the erdu if attacked by another erdu.Jori ( "Those who lead" )
Despite the term 'lead', members of this division are the most combat-trained of all branches. They are the front-line warriors and strategists. They are also responsible for handling trade negotiations with other Erdu and settling member conflicts much like a local magistrate. Pilots fall under this group as well.Haulgir ( "Those who heal" )
The second division does handle medicine and healing, but they are also responsible for agriculture, geology surveys, food storage and food preparation. This division handles research into different biologies of plants and animals to identify what crops would work best for the desert or mountain region the particular erdu calls home.Onna ( "Those who build" )
The last division contains members of the erdu that specialize in reverse-engineering technology. This is the 'outlaw technicians', mechanics and similar disciplines.Erdu Leadership
Unlike other parts of the galaxy, a Rattataki Erdu doesn't have a single lord, leader, or chieftain. Instead, the leadership is a triumvirate of one representative from each part of an erdu. Membership in this triumvirate is determined by combat among members of each division and lasts for a standard Rattatak year. More details about Erdus are contained in the listings for each Rattataki Erdu.Erdu and the "branch family"
The concept of a Rattataki Erdu's extended family goes beyond those tied by marriage or blood. It also extends to those individuals or families that come to reside with an Erdu, work with the Erdu ( some for generations ) yet have no tie in blood or marriage. These are considered "branch families" and are treated as extended blood relatives with the only exception that they may not enter a participant in the yearly combat elections for the triumvirate.Anatomy & Morphology
Anatomically, this species is nearly identical to humans right down to both mammalian male and female anatomy. The differences lie in their physical appearance which is a reflection of the environment on their homeworld. Rattataki normally has chalk-white skin and this is their natural skin tone. But in direct sunlight, the tone rapidly can shift in reaction to the light that's needed to be absorbed to a pale blue-white to an almost olive-white tone. It shifts back if the rattataki move back undercover for a few hours. They have only three known eye colors: gray, white or bright emerald green. All of which have a slightly bioluminescent effect in low light or black light. In those situations, the glow is a complementary color to their eyes. Most interesting is that the Rattataki have a higher tolerance for low-level radiation and hot climates. The pigmentation change of their skin is part of how they physically regulate the radiation, by either absorbing or blocking the radiation energy. As for heat, their bodies tend to have a lower body temperature than average humans. This allows the species to operate in climates hotter than what average humans can tolerate. But this comes with a price. The lower body temperature and matching heart rate mean Rattataki get cold much faster than an average human. On ice worlds, such as Hoth, Rattataki needs extra layers or other means to keep warm that average humans do not.
Average Height
1.5-2.0 meters tall
Related Ethnicities
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