Houk

The Houk were a people with a reputation for raw strength and short tempers. They were very powerful due to their large bulk of pure muscle. They were among the largest and strongest humanoid sentients, rivaled only by species such as the Wookiees for physical power.

Appearance and Biology
The Houk are hulking humanoids with deep violet or dark blue skin, and tiny, piercing yellow eyes set deep in their thick, bone-ridged skull. They average 200 kilograms and are normally over two meters tall.

Personality
The Houk are known for their rather short tempers and preference to solve most problems through violence, yet they lack the explosive rages of the Wookiees. Simply put, the Houk see violence as a preferred means of solving a problem situation. This attitude often causes problems, but that is beside the point. In nearly all disputes between the Houk and another party, the Houk have declared war: sadly, these wars tend to help the Houk gain what they want, despite excessive destruction.

Houk belligerence is not often in plain view, however: they often wage war on another group without formal declaration. fn personal combat, they often sneak up on their opponents to gain as much advantage as possible- particularly when the opponent may be a match for the Houk in question. This practice has earned them a reputation of being cowards. They are often accused of negotiating in bad faith, as treaties are seldom adhered to.

History and Culture
The Houk originally hailed from the Ansuroer sector, but immediately upon their contact with spacefaring Vaathkree traders, they established a number of colonies throughout neighboring systems. The history of each Houk colony is markedly different, with different standards of behavior and varying systems of government. Recent Houk history has been marred by continual strife: for example, the colonies established in the Lesser Cueva Expanse on the Weequay homeworld Sriluur have only recently arranged a peace after many years of conflict.

Secretly, the Empire has sought to breed the "perfect slave": strong, resilient and capable of working with Imperial technology. Many Houk were abducted and "enrolled" in this program, and have not been heard from since.

The largest Houk population still resides in the Ansuroer sector, primarily on Lijuter, a planet in the Reibrin system. The Empire's research labs are aboard one of the orbiting space stations around Lijuter's second moon.

Politics
The Houk are administered chiefly by the Lijuter Congress, though each of the present 31 Houk colonies have a government that in turn answers to the central Congress. Houk politics, like Houk combat, are often conniving and deceitful.

Technology
Though they produce few technological items of their own, the Houk are well adapted to the galactic standard. They use hyperdrive-equipped starships and are particularly fond of cruel modern weapons, such as neuronic whips.

Houk in the Galaxy
One of the most famous Houk was Anchor Blue, a fierce gladiator who fought in The Cauldron on Rattatak. Other members of the Houk species included cantina owner Gorb Drig and criminals Lun Rask and Egome Fass.

Gundark, the infamous arms dealer, was suspected to be a Houk by CorSec.

RPG D6 Stats
Attribute Dice: 12D

DEXTERITY 1D/3D

KNOWLEDGE 1D/3D

MECHANICAL 1D/3D

PERCEPTION 1D/3D+1

STRENGTH 2D+1/5D+2

TECHNICAL 1D/3D

Story Factors:

Belligerence: For most Houk. violence is often the only means to achieving a desired end. Most Houk are generally regarded as brutes who can not be trusted.

Imperial Experiment Subjects: Many Houk have disappeared after being taken into custody by Imperial science teams.

Move: 8/10

Size: 2.0-2.6 meters tall