Vitruvius Bakara
| Vitruvius Bakara | |
 | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Race | Wookiee |
| Homeworld | Kashyyyk |
| Clan | Bakara |
| Mother | Mondrekka Bakara |
| Father | Krrsantius Bakara |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Spouse | None |
| Siblings | None |
| Children | None |
| Languages | Shyriiwook Galactic Basic |
| Religion | the Way (Natural Mystics) |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 2 meters |
| Weight | Slim, mesomorph |
| Coloring | Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark |
| Political Information | |
| Affiliation | The Natural Mystics Independent Business Network |
| Rank | Faction Leader |
| Prior Affiliation | Veritas Press |
Vitruvius Bakara is a male Wookiee from the planet of Kashyyyk in the Mytaranor sector. While he came from a family clan of warriors and fighters, he left his homeworld and kin to become a scholarly man and learned mystic, with an unquenchable thirst for new knowledge and lore on the histories and cultures of the galaxy.
For many years, he held the position of Editor-in-Chief at Veritas Press, and eventually founded the Natural Mystics, a production company focused on providing the best deals on ships to the Galaxy. He remains the sole owner of the organisation to this day.
Contents
Biography
Early life on Kashyyyk
Vitruvius Bakara was born on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk into a clan that lived in the city of Rwookrrorro and who were locally known for their prowess as warriors and fighters. Throughout the clan’s history, Bakara family members were trained in the martial arts and combat from an early age, and this was no different for Vitruvius. However, already from an early age it became apparent that he held little to no interest in the warrior aspect of Wookiee culture and society. While his cousins and friends often challenged one another to games of strength, wrestled each other for sport, or fiercely debated their peers as to which weapons were the best in any combat situation, Vitruvius preferred to sit with the elders of his local community and listen to their tales of history and legend. He would often ask questions that even Wookiee adults rarely if ever bothered themselves with, his inquiries often pertaining to philosophical matters such as life and death, the Force, or anyone’s reason for being. While he would never dare to slack in his duties or to refuse that which was asked of him, whenever he could he would spend time with the local elders, or within the small repositories of Wookiee lore and history they tended to. Regardless of how many answers they gave Vitruvius, or how many scrolls and inscribed texts he consumed, the young Wookiee was never intellectually satisfied.
When Vitruvius neared his age of maturity, it was expected of him to embark on his initiation rite to adulthood as Wookiee and family clan tradition dictated. The Hrrtayyk ceremony involved the one undergoing the rite travelling down into the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk from the Wroshyr tree they lived in, and killing a beast native to the perpetually obscured surface of the planet. As the forest floor of the Wookiee homeworld is a mortally dangerous place, this rite was a test of strength, wit, and natural capability to survive in a perilous environment. Vitruvius made the journey down into the Shadowlands on his own and had little difficulty with tracking down a particularly vicious katarn, and killing it. Yet, instead of continuing the hunt for even more prestigious kills or returning to his family clan to boast of the battle like most of his fellows did, the young Bakara scion remained down in the Shadowlands for an extended period of time.
Finding solace and peace of mind at the base of one of the Wroshyr trees that Rwookrrorro was built within, Vitruvius spent days and nights in quiet meditation. Seemingly drawing sustenance out of the energies of the surrounding environment itself, the young Wookiee would sit still in place for hours if not days at a time, with predators and prey running by him without even noticing him. During his meditation, he came to the conclusion that life on Kashyyyk did not satisfy his natural curiosity and desire for adventure. After careful deliberations and considering all possible alternatives that he could think of, Vitruvius came to the conclusion that only by venturing out into the galaxy could he truly attempt to quench his thirst for knowledge, which he knew he could only obtain through lived experience. Thus, shortly upon his eventual return from the Hrrtayyk ceremony, Vitruvius packed the belongings he deemed he would need or value most, and departed his homeworld of Kashyyyk in pursuit of new knowledge.
Early travels and Veritas Press
In order to survive on his own, Vitruvius understood that he needed to make a living. As such, he chose the profession that most Wookiees with a knack for mechanical work and technical intricacy chose, namely that of a starship pilot. He accepted jobs both within the civilian transportation sector as well as commercial cargo shipping, and swiftly built up a reputation of being a trustworthy, loyal, and dedicated pilot with a highly commended work ethic by colleagues and employers alike. Yet, while his jobs took him to the most wondrous and historic places of the galaxy, Vitruvius found that the travels themselves were insufficient to quench his thirst for knowledge. As such, while his fellow pilots and peers spent their hard earned credits on things like weapons, personal ships, and other materialistic pursuits, the Bakara scion invested his credits in the acquisition of datacards with valuable information and knowledge, and at one point even managed to purchase a priceless and ancient Holocron that proved to be a veritable treasure trove of new information. This intense study allowed Vitruvius to become a learned man, with great knowledge about the histories and cultures of various species and civilizations of the galaxy, both contemporary and ancient.
His work as a pilot eventually brought Vitruvius into contact with one of the leading news agencies in the galaxy, namely Veritas Press. While running a number of transportation jobs for them, he quickly became enamoured with their noble goal of bringing the denizens of the galaxy truth through professional journalism. So it happened that by the end of his brief piloting contract with Veritas Press, he formally quit his work within transportation and shipping and applied for work within the news agency he had come to value so greatly. His previously acquired knowledge and scholarly-oriented mind proved to be invaluable when he started writing his first articles for Veritas Press, which drew the eyes of those higher up in the organisation. Throughout the time period that followed, Vitruvius once again proved to have an impeccable working ethic with a great dedication to fact-finding, which eventually led to him being promoted to Editor-in-Chief of Veritas Press. It was in this position that the Wookiee wordsmith managed to realise his true passion and ambitions, as he embarked on his greatest journey for knowledge yet, namely to study and document the social interactions of sentients across the galaxy.
Unfortunately, in the years that followed, Vitruvius started to recognise that the leadership of Veritas Press had changed its values and lost touch with its noble goals that drew him to become a part of the news agency all those years ago. Eventually, the Wookiee Editor-in-Chief resigned his position at Veritas Press and secured a position within a local government.
Founding the Natural Mystics & IBN
Vitruvius’ time within the public sector of the local interstellar government he was employed with became socially rewarding for the Wookiee, as he managed to establish lasting cordial working relations with his colleagues and fellows, and even proceeded to forge a number of enduring friendships. Nonetheless, the ever-shifting whims of politics and the lack of freedom to function as a fully independent individual chafed immensely at Bakara's sense of self, and his enjoyment of life and the experiences it offered. Feeling like a cog in a ruthless machine that ploughed on without regard for any of its individual parts, the Wookiee yearned to emancipate himself like he had on Kashyyyk, and go down a path he forged himself. So it happened that the Bakara scion cut ties with the old once more, and embarked on a journey with a number of dear friends to form the Natural Mystics in Year 16, and formally found it in Year 20, Day 325. The organisation became a group dedicated to following what they referred to as the Way, wherein all living beings are considered equal and in which they are respected as equals, all the while being guided by the Eternal Energy. Vitruvius’ knowledge and lived experiences allowed him to help guide this newly formed organisation as its sole owner, all while acquiring new information and experience to help continue shaping the destiny of the Natural Mystics. The organisation based itself on the planet Ord Canfre in the Cassander sector.
Yet, Vitruvius' enterprising spirit did not rest after founding the Natural Mystics. As the leader of a business he came in contact with many like-minded and similarly independent individuals, groups, and companies that actively worked to remain uninvolved in the major conflicts of the galaxy. As good friendships arose between Bakara and his business contacts and associates, the desire to form a more cohesive group started to coalesce into something more tangible. As Vitruvius's collective of friends and allies recognised that the Galactic Civil War raging across the galaxy posed a threat to free trade, and endangered small traders and large corporations alike, the group set out to form the Independent Business Network in Year 23. Adopting neutrality, community, business networking and development as its core values, the organisation refused to take any side in the galaxy-spanning conflict and took the protection of independent traders and businesses as its primary goal. Presently, the IBN prides itself in having set all politics aside while promoting and securing free commerce among reputable traders and businesses.
Appearance
Towering, broad shoulders, a strong frame, and hairy, Vitruvius conforms to the textbook image of a Wookiee male in his prime. He stands about two metres tall and has a slim physique with a mesomorph posture. The Wookiee has a thick coat of hair that is largely uniform in colour across his body, namely a warm brown shade. His eyes are a deep dark brown and often have an intense look about them, especially when he is deep in thought or especially focused on his work. It is easy to spot the inner peace and contentment he experiences on the inside within his eyes, the windows to his soul.
Vitruvius gives off the appearance of a dedicated and hard Wookiee worker. His fur is often quite shaggy all over the place, while smears of oil and grease break up the uniformity of the brown hair colour. One might think that Vitruvius adorns his fur coat with tiny pieces of jewellery and ornaments, yet upon a closer look it becomes evident these are pieces of raw materials and metals that cling to his fur. In terms of clothing, he usually likes to wear simple brown robes, and prefers to not carry weapons.
Personality
A man with a scholarly-oriented mind and unwavering adherence to stoic philosophies, Vitruvius is a Wookiee of great knowledge and insight which he developed over his long life through intense self-study and lived experience. He has an unquenchable thirst for new information and opportunities to learn about the history of the galaxy, the existence of cultures both ancient and extant, as well as the dynamics behind social interactions between various peoples, species, and cultures. It is this element of his personality that had set the Wookiee apart from his peers while he lived on Kashyyyk, yet throughout his life he remained true to his own nature and always pursued his happiness on his own terms.
Despite his devotion to academics and scholarly development, Vitruvius has a fairly laid-back nature when it comes to social interactions. He has often been described by friends and strangers alike as a pleasant Wook with a mellow personality, and who will show genuine interest in others and their thoughts. Nonetheless, when it comes to his working ethic he is a dedicated and loyal worker who does not shy away from getting his hands dirty doing hard work. This in combination with his scholarly and well-educated mind make him a capable leader with natural charm and charisma.
In line with his firm belief in and adherence to stoicism, Vitruvius remains neutral in regard to the conflicts and wars that sweep across the galaxy, and seeks to inspire a similar sense of neutrality and lack of politics within others. Based upon the studies he performed on the social interactions of people across the galaxy, he came to the conclusion that there is yet to be a true government that exists for sentients, by sentients. For Bakara holds the conviction that the current states, nations, and organisations of the galaxy function in an oligarchical manner where the many work for the benefit and wealth of an elite inner group. He himself experienced what it was to be merely a cog in a greater machine, and has constantly strived to liberate himself, and through his own success liberate others from the oligarchic systems of the galaxy. As such, the ideals that Vitruvius upholds above all else are independence, freedom and honesty. It should therefore come as no surprise that he would rather trust a reputable trader over a charismatic politician.
