Anointed People


 * "The Masterhome expedition, the only one ever sent to that planet, reported that the Anointed People were bloodthirsty primitives living in a feudal state almost lacking in advanced technology. The Empire has long ignored Masterhome; we cannot."
 * ―Santhou Lazith'chika

The Anointed People were a species of sentient reptiles native to the planet Abonshee. Their bodies were sturdy and roughly humanoid, standing on two feet with a tail used for balance. Members of the species used sharp teeth and a spiked tail as natural weapons and hard, green skin as armor. As of 1 ABY, the Anointed People had a feudal society divided into castes, including the working-class Unwashed and the ruling Godlings, all serving a planetary monarch known as the Godking.

The galactic community believed them to be a primitive and hostile species, based on obsolete scouting reports from the time of the Galactic Republic that portrayed the Anointed People as a non-technological, unsophisticated species that constantly waged civil wars. However, soon after the Battle of Yavin, representatives of the Alliance to Restore the Republic rediscovered the Anointed People and found them to be intelligent and sophisticated, if still not technological. By that point, the Anointed People, mostly under the rule of Godking Trisstan, had made important social advances, replacing their constant warring with a sport-like activity.

The agents of the Alliance tried to convince the Anointed People to join their faction in the Galactic Civil War, but Godking Trisstan was reluctant to agree: he had recently been the victim of Jayhawk, a con artist who claimed to be a member of the Alliance. Trisstan tested the might and the nature of the aliens before deciding. The Anointed People eventually joined the Alliance in their fight against the Galactic Empire and fought Imperial stormtroopers when the Empire landed on Abonshee.

Biology and Appearance
The self-designated Anointed People were a sentient species that evolved on the planet Abonshee. The Anointed People were reptiles, like many of the animal lifeforms on their planet, and like most reptiles, they lacked hair. Although their precursor species were four-legged, non-shelled, scaled animals, they evolved into anthropoids that walked on two legs—with their long tail providing additional balance. They also evolved strong bones that protected them from bludgeoning damage.

The Anointed People had natural weapons in the form of a thagomizer—a spiked tail—and that of big, pointed teeth in their narrow, long heads. They had hard, green skin that provided them with a natural armor against physical and, to a lesser extent, energetic damage. Generally stronger and taller than Humans, members of the species ranged in height from 1.5 to 2.5 meters. As a norm, the Anointed People were clumsier and less dexterous than Humans.

Hierarchy

 * "Space guys, huh? [sighs] Just what I need. [Aide whispers in his ear] Huh? Oh, right. As lord high Godking of the most holy Anointed People, I most graciously welcome you travelers from a most distant land to the blessed shores of Masterhome, etc., etc. [sic] So, what's on your mind?"
 * ―Godking Trisstan

During the last years of the Galactic Republic and until at least the time of the Galactic Civil War, the Anointed People lived in a feudal society, primitive by galactic standards. Political power was centralized in the hands of one individual, known as the Godking. This person's subjects belonged to two classes: the Unwashed and the Godlings. The Unwashed were stout serfs and workers, while the Godlings were aristocrats, ruling over a number of Unwashed individuals — mostly through verbose and meaningless speeches — and in turn obeying the Godking's orders. Some Godlings also occupied roles as the Godking's aides. Both groups favored brightly-colored clothing; the Godlings enjoyed expensive scale armor while the Unwashed were permitted to wear only common robes. As of 1 ABY, parts of their grandiose pomp and nobiliary titles were only symbolic remnants of a previous age, lacking any practical value.

The aristocracy kept the Unwashed content but uneducated, and they were unaware of life on other planets beyond their native Abonshee, a place called "Masterhome" by the locals. Consequently, the Unwashed concentrated their leisure time in domestic ventures and entertainment, such as drinking distilled beverages and gambling. In contrast, the Godlings were aware of intelligent life from beyond the stars and understood that it could be a great opportunity for them; at the same time the Godlings were frightened by their limited knowledge of life beyond the stars, including ignorance of the goals and abilities of those aliens. As such, the Godlings were commonly cautious when dealing with alien sentients, directing them to the Godking.

The Godking dynasties were selected from among the Unwashed families. The Godking was supposed to retain power only as long as he could stop any Godling from overthrowing him. As such, the Godking commonly tried to manipulate ambitious aristocrats into infighting and internal rivalries.

Technology
With a medieval technological level, and no proof of more advanced technology on their planet, the Anointed People were technologically unsophisticated by the standards of spacefaring cultures. They used carts pulled by draft animals and had the usual problems of pre-industrial societies, including poor medical care and a high rate of infant mortality.

With their limited mechanization, the Anointed People built homes from stone and wood, commonly a one- or two-floor house or farm in a forest clearing. The Godlings lived in small castles, built as military structures and usually surrounded by five-meter high walls and a moat, with a personal guard of fifteen People. The castle was commonly built near some water well or a path crossing, and some two dozen houses surrounded it, forming a town. Individual farms could be beyond the sight of the castle.

The greatest city of the northern hemisphere, which was the seat of the Godking government, was inhabited by twenty thousand Anointed People, spaced across six square kilometers. The Godking lived in a palace, three times as large as any Godling castle, baroquely decorated with tapestries and full of courtesans and pages. Its guard also tripled the defense complement of any Godling.

For large engagements, the Anointed People used catapults and ballistas. Typical melee weapons used by the Godlings included broadswords and shields, while the Unwashed had to make do even more primitive clubs. For hunting, some males used only a bag and a spear; with just these tools, they still managing to capture forest-dwelling griffs, whose meat was considered a delicacy. However, none of this gear was enough to deal with the gargantuan local predator known as the eater. Some wealthy males rode the native likka, using reigns tied to the beast's eyelids.

The Anointed People were known to use gold and jewelry in their treasure, and silver to build the crown of the Godking.

Customs
Although not technologically sophisticated, the Anointed People had a complex culture. Having previously been a warlike people, they adapted and changed to minimize bloodshed as much as possible—in part, because they considered physical bloodshed to be aesthetically unpleasant, but also because they erroneously believed advanced civilizations, such as a galaxy-spanning ones, would naturally tend to be peaceful.

By the time of the Galactic Empire, the Anointed People had renounced waging violent civil wars against each other. However, due to their tendency to respect and maintain ancient traditions, the Anointed People evolved this practice by fighting mock battles. Every spring, almost every Godling would recruit his or her vassals, equip them, and go to a neighboring castle. The marching army would then formally challenge the other Godling to battle and wait for that person to arrange his or her own army. The resulting battle used only clubs—no edged weapons—meaning that the strong bones of the Anointed People protected them from permanent damage; the bludgeoning weapons rarely caused real injuries, and any damage inflicted was comparable to what might be expected from a sports match.

Eventually, one of the belligerents would surrender or retire. Custom dictated that the losing Godling pay tribute to the victor, commonly sponsoring a three-day fiesta for both armies. The Unwashed particularly enjoyed these events, taking the opportunity to dress in comical clothes, see other lands, meet potential mates, and most of all, thrill at the final jamboree.

The Anointed People had a language that outsiders could learn using recorded tapes.

RPG D6 Stats
Home Planet: Abonshee

Attribute Dice: 12D

DEXTERITY 1D/3D

KNOWLEDGE 1D/3D+2

MECHANICAL 1D/3D

PERCEPTION 2D/4D

STRENGTH 2D/4D+2

TECHNICAL 1D/3D

Special Abilities:

Armored Bodies: Anointed People have thick hides, giving them +1D against physical attacks and +2 against energy attacks.

Story Factors:

Primitive: The Anointed People are a technologically primitive species and tend to be very unsophisticated.

Move: 8/9

Size: 1.5-2.5 meters tall