Xamster
Species: Xan
Home Planet: Xagobah
Xamster:
Xamsters were a species of sentient reptiles who hailed from the Outer Rim planet Xagobah. Xamsters were characterized by their large ears, red or green eyes, and bicuspid beaks. Their scaly skin ranged in color from yellow to purple and sported several spiky crests. The reptiles stood slightly over one meter tall on two short legs with splay-toed feet. They had formidable claws and fangs.
The Xamsters cohabited with the myriad fungal lifeforms on Xagobah, caring for the malvil-trees and enjoying food, shelter, and useful spores in return. Much of Xamster technology centered on the harvesting and implementation of spores. Members of the species tended to be polite and peaceful with outsiders. Xamsters could be found off-world; the podracer Neva Kee participated in the Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY, for example.
During the galaxy-spanning Clone Wars, Xamsters found themselves confronting Separatist forces led by Wat Tambor of the Techno Union. The Separatist leader sequestered himself in a citadel called Mazariyan and enslaved Xamsters to defend him from the forces of the Galactic Republic. When Republic forces did arrive, they, too, drafted Xamster soldiers, and the species' population centers thinned to the point that not enough Xamsters remained to tend to the malvil-trees. A young bounty hunter named Boba Fett arrived during the Battle of Xagobah and befriended a member of the species named Xeran. With the help of this Xagobah native's knowledge of spore-based technology, Fett infiltrated Mazariyan and allowed the Republic to rout Tambor and his forces.
Biology & Appearance:
Xamsters were sentient, bipedal reptiles who walked on squat, bowed legs ending in flat feet with four splayed toes and dark, raised nails. Their arms, in contrast, were long, thin and muscular, and terminated in clawed, four-fingered hands. Members of the species ranged in height from as small as 1.07 meters to taller than a twelve-year-old Human. Each Xamster had a bulbous abdomen, which narrowed to a sunken chest and a long, thin neck. The reptiles were covered in loose folds of scaly skin that ranged in pigmentation from purple to green and yellow. This coloration could vary in a single individual: for instance, the Xamster Neva Kee featured one hue on the back of his torso and head, and the outside of his arms and legs; while scales of another color covered his belly, neck, and throat, and the insides of his arms, legs, and ears. Three crests of spiky growths punctuated the Xamster hide: one ran from the midpoint of the spine to the posterior, another ran down the length of the belly, and a third went from the dome of the head down the back of the skull.
The head itself was dominated by two bat-like ears that stood erect at both sides of the elongated, high-domed skull. The ears could be particolored, with insides and outsides of different hues. The cranium angled from a point in the back downward to the visage. The face tapered to a beak with two sharp, downward-curving points. Although this beak lacked lips, Xamsters were able to smile, a gesture that revealed their mouthful of white, razor-sharp teeth. Two small nostrils on the beak facilitated respiration, and two large, ellipsoidal eyes with pointed ends peered from beneath bony eye sockets. These lidless orbs could be jade green or red in color.
Society & Culture:
Xamsters lived in communities deep within the fungal forests of their homeworld. They coexisted symbiotically with the fungi: a family of Xamsters bound themselves to a particular type of fungus known as a malvil-tree and treated it like a beloved pet or even a member of the family. The reptiles gave their own malvil-tree a name and tended to its growth and feeding. In return, the tree permitted the Xamsters to take up residence inside it and obeyed simple commands, like raising or lowering its branches to afford the caretaker a better look at the surrounding terrain. Most importantly, the family was able to harvest the tree's spores. They could use these fungal products for diverse tasks. For example, certain spores could be used to coat someone's eyes, granting the ability to peer through the fog of spores that shrouded the surface of Xagobah. Malvil-tree spores also granted safe passage through the forest to those who coated themselves in it; otherwise, other hungry trees might mistake the traveler for a meal. Xamsters knew of other useful fungi as well, including Xabar, which could be used to make a potent form of spice with the power to paralyze the user. Although off-worlders used Xabar to simulate death and, they hoped, gain a glimpse of the afterlife, Xamsters used its coma-inducing properties to fake death and thus escape enemies.
By the time of the Clone Wars, Xamsters had adopted the same technology used throughout the galaxy to supplement their fungal tools. For example, members of the species fought with blaster rifles during hostilities on their world. Although some Xamsters went nude, others wore pouches to carry possessions, and those engaged in fighting on Xagobah wore purple-gray camouflage to blend in better with their planet's terrain.
Xamsters were naturally kind and non-violent. They spoke a language of sharp clicks and guttural growls. Their laughter especially sounded like growling, although a smile conveyed that the deep rumbling noise indicated amusement and humor rather than anger. The species reckoned time based on what they called the "turns of Xagobah." Some Xamsters went by two-part names, such as Neva Kee, while others introduced themselves by one name alone, such as Xeran.
Attribute Dice: 12D
DEXTERITY 2D/4D
KNOWLEDGE 2D/4D
MECHANICAL 2D/4D
PERCEPTION 2D/4D
STRENGTH 2D/4D
TECHNICAL 2D/4D
Special Abilities:
Cold Vulnerability: Xan cannot tolerate temperatures below one degree Celsius. Between zero and -10 degrees, Xan fall into a deep sleep, and temperatures below -10 Celsius kill a Xan.
Story Factors:
Oppressed: The Xan are oppressed by the human Algarian settlers which inhabit their homeworld. The Xan are sullen and resentful because of this. Xan are forbidden by the Algarians to travel into space.
Move: 6/8
Size: 1.5 to 1.75 meters tall
Source: Alien Encounters (pages 171-172), Planets Collection (pages 188-189)