KaLa

Found everywhere throughout the galaxy, the ancient species known as the KaLa are a hairless large headed alien race that have diverged into two societies so distinct, most beings believe they are two separate species.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The KaLa are humanoids with smooth skin in either blue or green hues, red goggle-like eyes, lipless mouths, long thin noseless faces and green blood. They are slight of build and stand between 1.6 and 2 meters in height. Olfactory organs beneath their eyes are responsible for their sense of smell. Both females and males are bald, though both genders are easily distinguished.  Females lay eggs but take care of their offspring from birth.
KaLa have two distinct subtypes - the Inga KaLa, whose skin colors are shades of blue, and the Foga KaLa, who have green skin tones. While the two look very different, they are genetically the same species. Skin color is determined by the female in cases of cross-breeding within the Species.

Genetics and Reproduction

KaLa reproduce sexually, and are egg-layers.  If the egg is fertilized, the outer membrane slowly hardens into a shell and then is expelled from the female.  The infant KaLa is hatched three to four months later.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

KaLa can be found in every part of the galaxy, from the glittering cities of the Core Worlds and positions of power, to the smallest hamlet on the furthest planet in the Outer Rim, begging for sustenance.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

KaLa have standard sight, hearing, vision and smell typical with most sentient Species.  KaLa manifest supernatural talent at an equivalent rate to Humans.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Both subspecies of KaLa value business and trade. The Inga KaLa prioritize exploration to make new alliances to advance trade and are known for being adventurous, even rash. They tend to be gregarious, with a wealth of tales and stories that they relish telling. They often wear functional clothing; it is common to see an Inga KaLa dressed in an ship suit or enviro-suit, ready for their next expedition.
In contrast, the Foga KaLa take the KaLa inclination towards business to the furthest degree. They are always striving to acquire just one more credit but trying to make sure that someone else takes whatever risks are associated with getting it. Any agreements or promises they make are typically full of loopholes and caveats, since the Foga KaLa never want to suffer the embarrassment of a bad deal or risk being unable to predict every eventuality. Foga KaLa hate manual labor and physical activity, a throwback from their generations of enslavement. They are very fond of mechanical equipment that does work for them and they are enthralled by labor-saving devices of all kinds. Robots are especially popular among the Foga KaLa. Foga KaLa favor expensive clothing and are always seen in public wearing whatever symbols of office or rank they possess.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

During the pre-space history of Badatel, the KaLa developed a religion that embraced luck as a force, originally giving luck physical form in the persona of a god, then as a conceptual force that guided and shaped a person's life.  Many KaLa still hold to this religion, called the Faith of Itanos.  The Faith is one of the few things that transcends both Inga and Foga KaLa; both ethnicities have adherents of the Faith and both cultures celebrate the Itanos holy days.

History

The KaLa originated on the core world of Badatel, an earth-like world with dense cloud cover and near-constant winds.  Their civilization developed at different rates depending on the continent: the blue-skinned Inga KaLa made rapid advancements in science, art and philosophy, while the green-skinned Foga KaLa advanced more slowly. During an exploration phase, the Inga KaLa discovered the western continent where the Foga KaLa lived. Concluding that they were an inferior race, they enslaved their green-skinned cousins for centuries, using them as a servant class. This state of affairs continued into space, until after the colonization of several systems, a civil rights movement succeeded in freeing the Foga KaLa and making them equal in society. As part of the reparations their prior state of enslavement and maltreatment, the Inga KaLa ceded total control of one of their explored worlds, Cato Iokota.  The Foga KaLa, still suspicious of their blue-skinned cousins, cut the majority of their ties with the Badatel Federation, as the Inga KaLa's coalition of planets was then called.
As the Second Breath began, both societies moved in different directions. As one of the first cultures to develop hyperdrive spacecraft (some even believe the first), the Inga KaLa-charted trade routes were among the oldest hyperspace routes still in use today. Likewise, the KaLa language formed the basis for the eventual common language spoken or understood by every galactic species. Inga KaLa were one of the founding races of the Galactic Republic.
The Foga KaLa, meanwhile, remained on their planets until contact was made by explorers of other races. The Foga KaLa quickly find a place in galactic civilization, excited by the prospect of markets beyond their own worlds. For several centuries, they were among the leading forces behind the construction of new starports and the upgrade of existing ones. They traded with everyone, because to the Foga KaLa, all that matters is a market for their goods. They founded the Commerce Combine, a federation of mercantile and trade guilds interests that, driven by Foga KaLa greed, became so powerful during the Republic era, it held seats in the Republic Senate. Even today, the Commerce Combine, while nowhere near as powerful, still is an influential stellar mega-corporation.

Attributes:
6 HPs
KaLa start with the Heritage Trait Innate Luck.
Innate Luck - A KaLa may reroll one Test per session.

Geographic Distribution

• Badatel