Zabrak

The Zabrak, also known as Iridonians (when referring to the Zabrak who came from Iridonia), were a humanoid species native to Iridonia, a planet located in the Mid Rim known for its inhospitable terrain and fierce predatory life. They were a race known for having a fierce sense of self-determination and an equally dominant need for independence. 
==Biology and Appreance==
Zabrak resembled Humans to some degree, but had a number of significant physical characteristics that set them apart from baseline Humanity. The most striking of these were a series of vestigial horns that crowned the heads of both males and females. These horns grew at puberty in varying patterns and signified that the time of their rite of passage was drawing near. The horns were one trait shared by the many Zabrak subspecies, which were divided by a number of physical characteristics that differed from subspecies to subspecies. These could include different skin tones (which included peachy white, yellow, red, tan, brown and black), horn patterns, hair growth (though it should be noted that Zabraks, unlike Humans, could not grow eyelashes or facial hair) and eye color (which have certain pigmentations that Humans lack, such as purple, yellow, red and orange).
Another of the traits that made Zabrak instantly recognizable were their facial tattoos, which were made up of thin lines received during their rite of passage. These could symbolize many things, including but not limited to family lineage, place of birth, or even a design that reflected their individual personalities. 
==Personality==
Zabrak were often seen by most other species as being single-minded, an observation that was not terribly incorrect. This single-minded determination came from the fact that they were a race with a strong sense of self-assuredness, confident that they were able to accomplish any task that they set out to do. However, this did not lead a Zabrak to develop a sense of prideful superiority towards others, though there was often the occasional competition between colonies. This was not seen as a negative, however, for the Zabraks believed that the various experiences of the different colonies only served to add values to the race's overall value to the galaxy.
Zabrak were proud, strong, and confident beings. They believed that nothing was truly impossible, and strove to prove skeptics wrong at every turn. Some Zabraks carried themselves with an air of superiority, frequently discussing the achievements of their people with pride that could border on arrogance. As warriors or adventurers, Zabrak tended to be dedicated, intense, and extremely focused.
Zabrak from Iridonia were considered to be more war-like than Zabrak from their colony worlds, most likely due to the rugged terrain that made up their home world. As such, they developed a highly physical style of martial arts, which were a requirement for young Zabrak to learn. It was not uncommon for Zabrak from Iridonia to be among the best hand-to-hand fighters and weaponsmiths in the galaxy. Zabrak from colony worlds also shared that drive for excellence, but encouraged their children to express it in other ways. It was thus not surprising to see that the Zabrak met with success in many fields, ranging from medicine to entertainment.
Zabrak would commonly take their names from animals native to Iridonia, with many Zabrak families were named after the Bukk. Many Zabrak males were named after the Blok, Lok, and Zur. Many Zabrak females were known to take their names from the Triz.
==History==
As one of the earliest spacefaring species in the galaxy, the Zabrak played a major role in Galactic affairs. Like the early Humans, the Zabrak established many colonies outside their home system early in their history, such as on the planet Iridia. The Elomin species was believed by some xenoarchaeologists to be descended from Zabrak colonists who settled Elom in the distant past. By the time the Zabrak encountered the Republic, they had a total of eight colonies in five systems.
Long ago, the Sith had made contacts with the high council of Iridonia in order to hire the services of their most talented mercenaries. This influence remained with the Zabrak people long after the Sith were thought to be wiped out at the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, though it remained more closely associated with the Zabrak of Iridonia than the Zabrak of their colony worlds.
Eeth Koth and Agen Kolar were two Zabrak that served on the Jedi High Council in the period leading up to the fall of the Galactic Republic. Koth was a noteworthy addition to the Jedi Order in that he was born on Nar Shaddaa instead of Iridonia or one of the colony worlds and was taken as a Youngling at the relatively advanced age of four. The mental and physical disciplines of his natural Zabrak heritage, along with his potential, allowed him to be an exception to the rule that required Jedi initiates to be taken in at infancy. Both Koth and Kolar were killed during the Clone Wars, Koth at the Battle of Geonosis and Kolar during an attempt to arrest Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, recently revealed to have been Darth Sidious.
In the time following the formation of the Galactic Empire, the natural strong-willed nature of the Zabrak people allowed them to resist Imperial occupation. This defiant spirit continued in the face of various actions that the Empire took against them, including garrisoning all of their worlds, destroying their industrial base, and raising taxes that drove them to near poverty.
Category:Species