Difference between revisions of "Gand"

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The Gands are a species of sentient life that has developed in the gases of the planet Gand.  
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The Gands are a species of sentient life that has developed in the gases of the planet [[Gand (Planet)]].  
  
  

Revision as of 02:51, 23 November 2011



Gand
HomeworldGand (Planet)
LanguageGand
DistinctionsThree digit hands (some have five), exoskeleton


The Gands are a species of sentient life that has developed in the gases of the planet Gand (Planet).


Biology and Appearance

Although the Gands are able to survive in the various gases of their home planet, they require a special breathing apparatus in order to survive in oxygen-based atmospheres. The lungs of the Gand are quite efficient, able to utilize nearly 85 percent of the atmosphere they breathe in with each breath. It was discovered, after the Galactic Civil War, that the Gand have certain regenerative properties.

Gands have a stocky humanoid with an insectoid appearance. The Gand body is covered in a chitinous exoskeleton that served as a natural, durable armor that allowed them to shrug off injuries that would have crippled most other species. The Gand exoskeleton provided extra protection in the clavicle region, which prevents most nerve or pressure point strikes to the neck and shoulder.

Gands have a large compound eyes with a visual range that include the ultraviolet spectrum and allowed for excellent night vision. They however are not able to see colors in absolute darkness. A Gand's eyes are shielded by a keratinous substance that protect it from airbourne debris. A Gands natural eye colors vary from silver to grey to black to yellow.


The Gand species had two sexes: male and female. Despite the species' refusal to be studied, xenobiologists managed to document several physical varieties of the species, which varied in the color of the exoskeleton, from brown to green, and even in the shape of the head; some Gands had rounded heads, while others possessed elongated craniums. The head in some specimens divided into sections, while for others it had pronounced cranial ridges. While most Gands possessed three fingers, there were a few who had five. The surface of the exoskeleton varied, as some Gands exhibited pronounced plating, while others had a smoother texture. The eye color also varied from silver to gray, black, and yellow. [1]

Despite these variations, however, most Gands were classified into two sub-species: lungless and "breathers." Scientists were not sure if the breathers were of an older evolutionary stock destined to die out or further evolve, or if they were another viable race. Such Gands possessed lungs, along with the usual assortment of internal organs that were typical in most species.[2] The lungs functioned rather efficiently, able to utilize nearly eighty-five percent of the atmosphere with each breath. Gands with lungs nevertheless were adapted to breathing only ammonia and required breath masks or similar equipment to survive in the more common oxygen-rich environments found on many planets. Oxygen exposure scoured the inside of the lungs like acid and required organ transplants if the Gand did not suffocate. If a Gand survived the initial exposure, that individual could display various respiratory symptoms, which included chest pain, shortness of breath, and coughing, which sometimes brought up blood. Since the proper bronchial and lung treatments necessary to repair the damage were uncommon off the species' homeworld, Gands stricken with oxygen inhalation usually did not survive for long.[1]

A breathing Gand was able to hold his or her breath when needed and reduce the perceptibility of bodily functions to a point where an observer might think that the Gand had died. It is possible to make use of compressed ammonia canisters to extend respiration cessation for several days. The lungless Gand sub-species did not respire, as they obtained all the metabolic sustenance they needed through the ingestion of their food. Ingested materials aided in gas exchange, and waste passed through openings in the exoskeleton. This made lungless Gands immune to poisonous gases and allowed them to forgo respirators when they ventured offworld. Nevertheless, some lungless Gands wore such equipment anyway, usually to maintain anonymity.[1]

Gands needed only a fraction of the sleep normally required by Humans. This trait was common throughout the Gand varieties, so scientists attributed it to culture, rather than breeding. To stay awake and aware was more beneficial to the work of findsmen—a Force-sensitive religious tradition of bounty hunters that was unique to the Gand—and was a skill that was honed throughout a lifetime. However, Gands were able to "store" the restorative properties of sleep for use when suspension of consciousness was inadvisable. Gands possessed regenerative abilities. The consumption of alcohol often provoked a depressed mood in the species. Gands could also be afflicted with asthma. [1]


Society and Culture

The Gand have developed a totalitarian monarchy, and various colonies of Gand live in pockets of mist in the gas giant's atmosphere. When renegade Gand are sought, findsmen are sent out to locate them. When the Empire overran the planet, the findsmen were presented with advanced technology with which to hunt their targets. The better findsmen became bounty hunters.

The Gand hold their names in great reverence. A Gand who has accomplished nothing in his life is simply known as 'Gand'. When a Gand completes a task, they are given their family's surname. A further accomplishment provides the Gand with a proper name. Pronouns are almost never used, and are reserved for those famous Gand who have accomplished so much that their deeds are known by all. If a Gand does something to be ashamed of, or causes offence to another Gand, their name is reduced.

Gand speak a language of the same name, made up of a series of clicks and drones. Typical Gands were unable to speak Basic due to a lack of vocal cords, although some Gands were born with the vocal cords needed to speak Basic.


Gands were considered by galactic society to be a very humble species. This was a result of their culture, which dictated that an individual's identity had to be earned. Accordingly, most Gands were self-deprecating and polite, and usually referred to themselves in the third person. First-person pronouns were reserved for the most legendary of Gands, as the usage presumed that one was so renowned that everyone knew one's name. However, an accomplished Gand often responded with humility if praised and even downplayed his or her achievements. [1]

Within Gand culture was one of the species' more notable professions: the findsmen. Shamanistic bounty hunters, these Gands tracked their quarry by divining omens sent to them via rituals based around the religious worship of the thick ammonia mists that covered their homeworld. Although their methods were sometimes viewed as arcane, the accuracy of the findsmen could be unsettling to the casual observer. [1]

The Gands lived in pocket colonies that dotted the surface of their homeworld. These colonies, separated by seemingly endless kilometers of thick ammonia mists, were each ruled by Gand's totalitarian monarchy. The Gands made use of galactic technology, and were proficient with the usage of advanced weaponry.However, they either outsourced their starship manufacturing to other companies, such as Byblos Drive Yards, or heavily modified captured ships, such as was done with the vehicles that were utilized by the ruetsavii.[1]

The planet's mists were influential in Gand culture, and the religious findsmen sects worshiped them, divining omens and signs from the currents to pinpoint the location of hidden prey. Gands had an active slave trade and penal system, and they employed the findsmen to locate runaway slaves and prisoners hiding in the enshrouding fog banks.[1]

The Gands conducted trade and commerce on orbiting space stations that allowed visitors to avoid the poisonous atmosphere of the planet itself. Despite such contact with offworlders, Gands were seen as insular and somewhat xenophobic. Outsiders were rarely, if ever, allowed on the surface of Gand, as the insectoid species did not want their society to be tainted with the ideas of independence and self-worth that offworlders might bring. The few non-Gand allowed onto the planet were usually under the sponsorship of a legendary Gand, or were considered hinwuine—beings of standing. Nevertheless, Gand protocol mandated that visitors tell no one of their time on Gand; to talk of such visits was considered an insult to their Gand hosts. [1]

References: [1] - http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Gand