Zabrak

The Zabrak are an early spacefaring race distinguished by patterns of vestigial horns on their heads.  Zabrak hail from many worlds and have been spacefarers for so long that they define themselves and each other according to the colony from which they originate.

The harshness of Iridonia, their homworld, forged in the Zabrak an iron will to survive.  Driven to escape their world, they sought to obtain the knowledge of space flight.  When Duros scouts began exploring the Mid Rim Territories, they encountered Zabrak in eight thriving colonies in five different systems.

Each Zabrak colony considered itself a sovereign system.  However, each colony and Iridonia itself saw the value of Republic membership from the start.  For millenia, the Zabrak-settled worlds marked a galactic frontier, and as the Republic crumbled, the independent-minded Zabrak resisted Imperial control, though not for long.

The Zabrak were made to serve as examples to any other species or planetary group that dared resist the Emperor's will.  The Empire established garrisons on all Zabrak-inhabited worlds, plundered or dismantled the Zabrak factories, subjected trade routes through Zabrak-inhabited systems to heavy taxes, and allowed disease to run rampant through Zabrak colonies.

Imperial oppression reunited the Zabrak colonies.  Underground resistance movements formed.  As the New Republic established itself, the Zabrak sent a single representative to the Galactic Caucus, positioning themselves as a unified state.  Whatever the fate the future holds, the Zabrak will never again yield to oppression.

## **Personality**

Zabrak tend to be dedicated, intense, and focused.  They are sometimes considered single-minded.

## **Physical Description**

   Zabrak resemble Humans except for the patterns of vestigial horns that adorn their heads.  Several races of Zabrak exist, each with different horn patterns.  Female Zabrak have slighter builds than the males, but both stand between 1.6 and 2.1 meters tall as adults.

## **Alien Type:  Near-Human**

Near-Human is a general term for any of the many species or subspecies in the galaxy which are very closely related biologically to baseline Humans.  In contrast, other humanoid species only had general external similarities to Humans and have no biological connnection.

Most Near-Humans share close external similarites to Humans, usually with small differences in skin and eye color or bone structure.  Biologically, many Near-Humans are capable of interbreeding with baseline Humans.  Some are close enough to the Human baseline to be considered a race or ethnic group of Humans, rather than a seperate species.

Zabrak were Near-Human, but had a number of significant physical characteristics that set them apart from baseline Humanity.  The most striking of these are a series of vestigial horns that crown the heads of both males and females.  These horns grow at puberty in varying patterns and signified that the time of their rite of passage is at hand.

The horns are one trait shared by the many Zabrak subspecies, which are divided by a number of physical chracteristics that differ from subspecies to subspecies.  It should be noted that most Zabraks, unlike Humans, cannot grow eyelashes or facial hair (there are some rare exceptions), and eye color (which have certain pigmentations that Humans lack, such as purple, yellow, red, and orange.

Another trait that makes a Zabrak instantly recognizable are their facial tattoos, which are usually made up of thin lines received during their rite of passage.  These symbolize many things, including but not limited to family lineage, place of birth, or even a design that reflects their individual personalities.

Internally, Zabraks possess a secondary heart.  They also have a great resistance to physical pain.

Zabraks are capable of breeding with Humans, and a hybrid sub-species evolved on Dathomir called the Dathomirians, formed from the mating of Nightbrother Zabraks and Nightsister Humans.

## **Homeworld**

**Iridonia** , located in the Mid Rim.  Deep canyons scar the planet's landscape.  Great winds rip through these canyons, sometimes reaching over 200 kilometers per hour.  Seas of frothing acid swirl up into "acid spouts" that soar hundreds of kilometers into the sky.  Worse still, these acid seas are home to gigantic predators.

## **Language**

Zabrak speak their own language (Zabrak) and Basic.

## **Example Names**

* Aagh Odok
* Agen Kolar
* Darth Maul
* Eeth Koth
* Eryl Jeth
* Kaz Lo
* Kooth Aan
* Orth Maag
* Ro Vira
* Sayla Voth
* Shad Raal
* Tiran Vos
* Zag Leer
* Zyn Aador

## **Age in Years**

* Child  (1 - 8)
* Young Adult  (9 - 14)
* Adult  (15 - 44)
* Middle Age  (45 - 55)
* Old  (56 - 69)
* Venerable  (70+)

## **Adventurers**

    Zabrak adventurers love to explore the galaxy.  No challenge is too great to deter a Zabrak.  Zabrak adventurers range from Fringers from distant colony worlds, to Noble ambassadors and merchants, to Scouts, Soldiers, and even Jedi.

## **Zabrak Species Traits**

 **Languages:** | Zabraks begin play speaking Zabrak and Basic.  Zabraks with high Intelligence scores can learn any language (except secret languages).

## **Iridonian Double-Bladed Fighting Pike (Zhaboka)**

    According to Iridonian tradition, the first *zhaboka* were simple wooden sticks with sharp scraps of metal scavenged from shipwrecks bound to either end.  The modern double-bladed fighting pike is roughly 2 meters long and consists of a quarter-meter-long leather-bound central grip with tempered, durasteel blade on each end.  Once used to slay and fend off Iridonia's predators, this elegant weapon has achieved a significant ceremonial role in Zabrak culture.  Many Iridonian Zabrak train in the zhaboka as a matter of ancestral pride.

The wielder can use both ends of the double-bladed fighting pike, incurring the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with two weapons.  In this case, the wielder fights as though armed with a one-handed weapon and a light weapon.  A creature wielding the zhaboka in one hand can't use it as a double weapon.

Each end of the zhaboka is treated as a seperate weapon for the purposes of creating mastercraft versions.  Thus, a zhaboka with one mastercraft +1 blade and one normal blade costs 2,000 credits (double the weapon's normal price); if both blades were mastercraft +1 items, the cost of the weapon would be 4,000 credits.

A zhaboka can be unlocked at the grip, folded in half, and carried in a shoulder scabbard for ease of transport.  For simplicity, the cost of the should scabbard is included in the weapon's price.

 **Damage:**  1D8/1D8
 **Critical:**  20
 **Range Increment:**  -
 **Weight:**  5.2 kg

## **Creator's Notes**

So far, during my research, I've only been able to find three subspecies of Zabrak.  These are some quick notes I made about them, these are only my notes, and should not be taken as the gospel truth when making a Zabrak character.

### **Iridonian Zabraks**

Iridonian Zabraks tend to have skin colors very much like those found in the Human phenotype. They range from pale and fair, to more ruddy coloring, to dark tans and blacks.  Their facial tattoos tend to be singular fine lines that only accent their skin color but do not detract from it.

### **Dathomirian Zabraks**

Dathomirian Zabraks not only have facial tattoos but have their entire bodies tattooed.  Their skin colors range from crimson red to bright orange, tans, browns and yellows.  Their tattoo designs are always in black and are very wide covering large portions of skin.

### **Mantellian Zabraks**

Mantellian Zabraks (found on Ord Mantell)  have the same skin color range as those of Iridonians (possibly they have a shorter evolutionary history than that of Dathomirian Zabraks.  Their horns appear to grow in a single row up the forehead, and not around the crown of their heads like other Zabrak subspecies.