Abrian

The Abrians were a humanoid species native to the planet Tabri in the Rotulus Sector. The Abrians had one of the oldest and richest cultures in the sector, though during The Jedi Civil War (Second Sith War) they suffered greatly at the hands of the Sith Empire.

Description & Biology
Abrians resembled Humans in appearance, and were distinguished by a series of four to seven horizontal ridges across their noses. The Abrian heart was mirrored along a horizontal axis, unlike the Human heart, which was mirrored along a vertical axis. A puncture in the lower ventricle of the heart would cause instantaneous death. Abrian women gestated for only five months, forming an intricate network of blood vessels between the mother and the fetus. During the pregnancy, Abrian women were frequently afflicted by bouts of uncontrollable sneezing.

An Abrian's life-force, or pagh, gave one their strength, and could be felt by touching one's earlobes.

History
Xenoarcheologists believe that the Abrian civilization began between 20,000 and 25,000 BBY. The ancient Abrians were renowned for their accomplishments in science, mathematics, philosophy, and the arts. They built magnificent cities such as B'hala.

A great phase of Abrian civilization began approximately 10,000 BBY, when the first of the Tears of the Prophets were discovered above Tabri. Over the course of 1,000 years, a total of nine orbs, glowing hourglass-shaped energy repositories, appeared in the skies of Tabri. These artifacts ushered in a new era of spiritual connection with the Abrian gods, the Prophets. This period came to an end with the annexation of Tabri by Darth Revan’s Sith Empire. Prior to the Sith occupation, Abrians followed a strict system of castes known as D'jarras, traditional occupations and roles set for their families.

Sith Occupation
During the Second Sith War the Abrian homeworld of Tabri was under the control of the Sith Empire. During the occupation, the Sith perpetrated a coordinated scheme of strip-mining, forced labor, and genocide across the planet. The occupation gave rise to the fierce Abrian Resistance, which used guerrilla and terror tactics to eventually force the Sith to withdraw. Many Abrians also fled the occupation and settled on planets all over the known galaxy, but almost everywhere they remained separated from other peoples, living under the poorest circumstances in refugee camps.

Government
Following the Sith withdrawal from Tabri, the interim Abrian Provisional Government was set up to administer the planet and its various colonies. Abrian politics was balanced between the secular Chamber of Ministers, led by the First Minister, and the religious Vedek Assembly, led by the kai. It is possible for one individual to be both the kai and the First Minister simultaneously.

Religion & Spirituality
Abrians had a deeply spiritual society, and the Abrian religion was a major unifying force on the planet; the spiritual leader, or kai, wielded a great deal of moral and political authority, advising and influencing the planet's political leader, the First Minister. The kai was chosen from a council of Vedeks, the title given to Abrian religious leaders. Other religious titles were ranjen and prylar. The Abrian religion was based upon the revelations of the Prophets, who resided in what the Abrians called the Celestial Temple. Part of the Abrian religion involved the use of the Tears of the Prophets, reality-distorting energy orbs produced by the Prophets. Several of these were stolen by the Sith during the occupation.

The Tears of the Prophets were kept in ornate jeweled containers, and when people consulted the Orbs, they could relive an event from their past or be granted a vision of the future. These Orb experiences could last minutes, hours or days.

Culture
Abrian culture and customs were closely tied with Tabri's religious beliefs.

Names
Abrian custom places the surname (or family name) before the given name. Therefore, Kai Winn Adami would properly be addressed as Kai Winn, not Kai Adami.

Childbirth
The traditional Abrian birthing ceremony was attended by the woman's family and a midwife. The objective of the ritual was to induce complete relaxation through a combination of breathing exercises, rhythmic percussion music and incense, allowing the woman to give birth without pain. However, the birth had to take place in a certain period of time, or the level of endorphins within the mother's system would build to toxic levels.

When the child was born, he or she was greeted with the following words: "Awake child, we await you with love and welcome you into the world."

Funerary Customs
The Abrians generally buried their deceased in graves marked with a decorated arch. Abrian funeral rites could be quite elaborate; for example, the Abrian death chant was over two hours long. However, the preservation of the body itself was not of particular significance to the Abrians, who believed that after death a person's pagh joined the Prophets in the Celestial Temple, leaving only an empty shell. To mourn the death of a loved one, Abrians lit duranja lamps.

RPG D6 Stats
Technology Level: Space

Government: Theocracy

Home Planet or System: Tabri

Attribute Dice: 12D

DEXTERITY 2D/4D

KNOWLEDGE 2D/4D+1

MECHANICAL 2D/4D

PERCEPTION 2D/4D+1

STRENGTH 2D/4D

TECHNICAL 2D/4D+1

Special Abilities:

Skill Bonus: Pick two of the following skills--art, bureaucracy, cultures, scholar, bargain, persuasion, first aid or medicine. They receive a +1D bonus to those skills and can advance them at half cost.

Story Factors:

Religious: The Abrian people are deeply committed to their spirituality. Their religious faith and devotion to the gods they call the Prophets is the most powerful force in their society and has always underlain every aspect of their lives.

Move: 10/12

Size: 1.4-2 meters tall

Lifespan: 110 standard years

Behind the Scenes
The Abrian are a cross-over species, based on the Bajorans from Star Trek canon.