Clak'dor VII

*Homebrew Reference Book: Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds*

*See also: Galactic Gazetteer*

Once a teeming, well-kept garden world overseen by the technologically sophisticated Bith, Clak'dor VII (the numerals are often dropped in common use) is now an ecological disaster area. In the distant past, the Bith used gene-altering bio-weaponry in a war that transformed the planet into a toxic wasteland. The Bith now live in hermetically sealed domed cities that protect them from the ecological monstrocity they created.

Very little animal life survived the mutation period, but many plants did. In the aftermath, jungles of bizarre, mutated plants sprouted from pink, bubbling swamps. Over a few decades, the mutated plants choked out the natural plant life. The resultant ecosystem is self-sustaining but lethal to anything that doesn't originate from it, notably the Bith. The plants produce a foul mixture of gases that make the air deadly to nearly all known life forms.

The one bright spot of this devastation is that the Bith learned their lesson. After the initial devastation, the citizens of Clak'dor immediately resolved their differences. Though their attempt at clean-up failed, the entire planet worked together to try, cementing a global society where fragmented nationalism had existed before. Further, Bith representatives in the Galactic Senate became powerful, outspoken advocates of pacifism, and biological warfare is now anathema to the Bith mindset.

Clak'dor VII is the only inhabited planet in its star system. Their star, Colu, is a large, white star that swallowed Clak'dor I roughly eight thousand years ago, but it has seemed happy to let the rest of the system live in peace since. The Bith mine the other planets and asteroids for raw materials, though water still has to be imported from other systems to support life.

Located near the end of the Rimma Trade Route, the Bith have allies in their space-faring neighbors along the route. Small numbers of Bith still live on Sullust, Eriadu, and Sluis Van.

### Clak'dor VII Statistics

**Region:** The Outer Rim

**Climate:** Toxic Wasteland

**Gravity:** Standard

**Moons:** 0

**Length of Day:** 26 Standard Hours

**Length of Year:** 647 Local Days

**Sapient Species:** 79% Bith (Native), 21% Other Species

**Government:** Government Assembly

**Capital:** Weogar

**Major Exports:** Art, Cybernetics, High Technology, Medicine

**Major Imports:** Foodstuffs, Raw Materials, Water

## History

During The Old Republic Era, well before Palpatine usurped leadership in the galaxy, leaders of two of Clak'dor VII's largest city-states, Nozho and Weogar, went to war over complex nationalist issues. In addition to conventional fighting, they resorted to biological weapons designed to destroy the other city's ecology. The weapons worked exceptionally well, and the planet was terraformed into a biological wasteland in a matter of decades.

Mutual destruction was averted only because each city and its allies were prepared to defend against its own weapons. As the genetic composition of the planet's flora proved irreversible and the atmosphere became increasingly noxious, the Bith constructed domes around their cities. Horrified by what they had done, they renounced violence and became resolute pacifists.

Emergency aid from Republic allies kept the Bith from starving, but Clak'dor was incapable of sustaining life afterward. The Bith became completely dependent on imports to feed the populace.

During the Rebellion, the Bith withdrew from the galaxy, rejecting violence in any form, even as a means to overthrow the corrupt Empire. A planet of pacifists far into The Outer Rim was of little interest to the Empire, so the Bith spent most of the Rebellion sequestered in their dome cities.

However, being neither Humans nor particularly useful to the Empire, the Bith were in danger of dying again from lack of food and water. In desperation, the Governmental Assembly began a program of hiring out Bith volunteers to clients around the galaxy as technical consultants and engineers. Portions of their wages were garnered by the government to purchase food and water for planetary use. During this time, other Bith left the planet and made their way as entertainers, musicians, or freelance technicians.

After the Rebellion, under The New Republic's auspices, humanitarian aid was again given to the devastated planet. Sadly, one of the few planets that would actually welcome transformation by the Yuuzhan Vong were ignored by the invaders, and the Bith now frantically attempt to develop planetary defenses and counter-agents against the invaders' brutal organic technology.

## People

The Bith are pale-skinned humanoids with large heads and shiny, bulbous black eyes. The average Bith stands 2 meters high and weighs 90 kilograms. Usually quiet and intellectual, they can become suddenly outspoken when campaigning against violence or discussing an area of specialty.

These hyperintelligent people are superb technologists. Bith have mastered nearly all forms of conventional technology and science, but their specialty is in biological and ecological sciences. It is a testament to their technological achievement that they survived the plague of their own creation. However, this categorization would do harm to every other field of rigorous thought in which they excel, such as astrophysics, physics, chemistry, bionics, astronomy, economics, and history. Perhaps the only common field in which the Bith do not excel is Droid construction, which seems more a matter of disinterest than inability.

In addition to their technological mastery, many Bith are skilled entertainers, orators, and musicians. Bith musicians play all over the galaxy in every conceivable venue, from palaces to street corners. One of the highlights of the Clak'dor social calendar is the yearly Nozho University ecological symposium, which ends with an improvised orchestral concert played by the same ecologists who just finished presenting and defending scientific theses to each other.

Because of their history, the Bith are devoutly pacifist. Individuals, especially those who have been off-world for a long time, sometimes buck this trend, but everyone who lives on Clak'dor is firmly devoted to nonaggression. The planet has no defenses, and most Bith consider violence to be not the failure of diplomacy, but rather an unacceptable diplomatic choice.

Clak'dor government is a republic, made of representatives from each city-state who convene in a Government Assembly. City-states have different methods for assigning representatives, from election to heredity appointment, but all Assembly members are equal in the Assembly House.

## Locations

Clak'dor VII has a number of interesting locations for heroes to visit, including those described below.

### Nozho University

Nozho is home to the largest university on the planet. Specializing in biological and ecological technology, Nozho University is very selective about the non-Bith students it accepts. Being accepted at NU is both a joy and a dread for serious scholars. The breadth and depth of technical knowledge is impressive enough, but the Bith relate the technical knowledge to the environment and the arts in ways that many people litery cannot understand. Learning to "Think Bith" is an unofficial requirement for attending University on Clak'dor, and the washout rate for non-Bith students is over 90 percent.

Nozho also contains the planet's largest hydroponic garden. The garden feeds half the city, and water recycling facilities make it almost self-sustaining.

### Weogar

Weogar houses the Government Assembly of Clak'dor VII and one of the greatest music halls on the planet. These two aspects make Weogar a cultural center of the planet, attracting public figures and entertainers alike. Every night, artistic performances or notable lectures grace he city's scores of concert halls and entertainment venues.

Visiting orchestras and musical groups from various cities perform at the world-famous Purghom Musical Performance Hall. Occasionally, noted musicians from other worlds play limited engagements here, too. Bith are egalitarian when it comes to music- no style or instrument is too "Common" to be performed at Purghom. However, performers must be truly excellent to play such a distinguished venue.

### Mezhra Station

Clak'dor VII has no natural satellites, but the Bith have created a large ship docking station that some Bith jokingly refer to as "Clak'dor VIII." Starships dock at Mezhra and offload cargo to smaller shuttles that can land on the surface, or within cargo airlocks connected to the domed cities.

The station itself contains experimental ecosystems that rotate on a biannual basis. The unveiling of a new ecosystem is always a public spectacle. Apart from putting their best scientific face forward to visitors, the contained ecosystem on Mezhra serves a research purpose. A self-sustaining environment that can survive the inhospitality of a space station has a greater chance of surviving down on Clak'dor, perhaps reclaiming the surface for habitation.

## Adventure Hooks

*See also: Omow Moder, Prozzen Fosky, Talrin Youp*

Clak'dor is a peaceful planet, but conflict doesn't always mean violence. Feel free to use or adapt the following adventure hooks for your home campaign.

### Beat of a Different Drum

The galactic touring percussion group, Shluur, has come to do two weeks of sellout performances at Purghom Hall. Shluur's members are comprised of more than two dozen different Species who mix percussive rhythms and vocalizations from myriad cultures into their repertoire.

One of their arrangers, the Wookiee known as Wurokkk, is dangerously avant-garde. As an experiment, he has arranged a piece designed to subliminally encourage aggressive behavior in Bith listeners through vibrations based on their biorhythms and brainwave patterns. After a week, some Bith have behaved erratically: shouting, damaging property, and in an extreme case, one Bith hurled a datapad at another.

The Bith public is mortified. A low-ranking government official asks the heroes to quietly investigate. Getting the offenders to acknowledge their behavior requires some deft diplomacy, but if they ask around enough, the heroes learn that every Bith who has experienced violent outbursts has also attended multiple Shluur performances.

If investigated and confronted, Wurokkk is delighted at his success. Still shocked by the behavior, the Bith again ask the heroes' help to conduct the Wookiee composer off planet. Wurokkk might have other sonic-based surprises in store for his escorts.

### Bombs Away

The Bith Degred Hon has developed a new gene bomb that he believes will alter the current ecology and return his homeworld to something resembling its original state. His colleagues find his experimental evidence uncompelling and possibly irresponsible.

Degred, however, fiercely believes in his unorthodox approach. He plans to prove he's right by releasing his gene bomb from a hijacked shuttle and let the planet watch as a new Clak'dor blossoms before their eyes. He's hired an off-world pilot and some Gamorrean security to make sure his plans go smoothly. His security has strict instructions not to attack but simply to restrain anyone who tries to stop him.

The heroes are on Mezhra Station when Degred moves to steal a shuttle. If the heroes are violent, the Gamorreans might forget their instructions. If the heroes give chase, Bith scientists from Mezhra contact them on their ship and warn them not to shoot down Degred's shuttle- crashing the ship could have the same effect as dropping the bomb. No one knows exactly what would happen if the bomb went off, but another explosive change in environment is not something the Bith want to tinker with.

### Accepting Implants

Some Bith scientists are ravenously interested in studying samples of plant life taken from worlds terraformed by the Yuuzhan Vong. If they can unlock the invaders' biological methodology, they believe they can simultaneously end galactic aggression and return Clak'dor to a liveable state- the two ultimate goals of Clak'dor science.

To that end, they have invited Yuuzhan Vong representatives to the planet for a friendly summit. This is deeply naïve, but the scientists believe they can counter the biological weaponry with their own technology is necessary.

The Yuuzhan Vong have graciously accepted and inform the Bith that they will send representatives with sample cuttings for their inspection. The remaining New Republic shards have begged the Bith to reconsider, but they are resolute. As a final effort, Republic officials ask the heroes to attend the summit as "Observers."