Wookiee

"*The Wookiees, although primitive compared to us, are surprisingly capable warriors. They're pretty strong, and pick up combat techniques pretty quickly.*"

Large, battle oriented, and tough to boot, Wookiees are some of the toughest warriors in the universe. While they mostly stay to their own devices on their home world of Kashyyyk, some members of the species have been known to leave the forests of Kashyyyk to explore the universe.

Quick to pick up on battle strategy and even quicker to pick a fight, Wookiees are ideal as bodyguards or hired muscle, often times finding themselves working with smugglers or criminals. Despite this, some Wookiees have found themselves in high honor, working alongside the Citadel Council and other noted officials throughout the universe.

### Biology

Though appearing humanoid, Wookiee can be more compared to walking bears than humans. With most Wookiees averaging seven feet in height, they often tower over other races, intimidating them with their large frames and imposing growls.

Having been raised in the Jungles of Kashyyyk, Wookiees are natural tree climbers, having strong backs, retractable claws in their fingers and strong calf muscles. Thanks to this upbringing and their natural strength, Wookiees are often feared when in combative situations, many Wookiees able to tear apart lesser races with nothing but their bare hands.

Their most distinguishable feature is their coat of water-shedding fur, which can range from a light brown to an almost black coloration. Some Albino Wookiees have been known to exist, though this is a very rare sight. No one has seen a Wookiee without its fur, and those who have refuse to describe what they saw.

### Culture

Wookiees greatly value loyalty and honor, with their notions of family consisting of more than just blood ties. Those who are invited into a Wookiee family should be greatly honored, as they do not simply choose anyone to become a family member. In most cases, the honored family member is a long time family friend or a person who they owe a life debt to, in which the person in question has saved the life of the Wookiee, regardless of the species.

Despite their large builds and imposing nature, Wookiees are not considered warlike. When not in conflict, they are considered peaceful and benevolent. However, their tempers are on very short fuses, with an infuriated Wookiee able to erupt into a fit of berserker rage with very little warning. When they need to fight, they use mostly primitive weaponry like spears, bows and slings, but have been known to fight more often with their bare hands. They don't seem to have a distinct fighting style when fighting unarmed, however, leading some to feeling their fighting style is to charge forward and wail on their target.

Despite their strength and temper, they rarely fight over trivial pretexts. When arguing in public, two Wookiees will engage in a dual of stomping and posturing rather than trading blows. Even when fighting in a true conflict, Wookiees often stick to their code of honor, under which their retractable claws are not to be used for fighting. And Wookiee who uses their claws in combat is exiled as a "Madclaw."

### Their Place in the Universe

Wookiees mostly stay on the planet Kashyyyk, trading with those who visit the planet. They trade away their rich resources, like the wood of the trees that grow on their planet that can be stronger than steel, as well as the many creatures in the jungles which they hunt. They trade these items for things they don't natively have, like certain building materials, weaponry, vehicles and exotic food.

Those that do make it off the planet often do so as a way to repay a debt to a friend, because they are exiled, or simply because they feel they can find work to support a future family. Many Wookiees are hired by traders as bodyguards thanks to their imposing nature, though many more have been hired for general labor, delivery services, construction and more.