ZeHethbra

The ZeHethbra are furry, anthropomorphic sentients with vestigial tail, claws and fangs. They possess an acute sense of smell that they can use to detect their fellow ZeHethbra's pheromones and thus gather information about them. They can secrete a natural biochemical spray to blind and stun foes in a fight, although other ZeHethbra are immune to its effects. ZeHethbra are moody and bad-tempered, and value honesty and social status. As they are aggressive and strong, they commonly find employment in security forces, military organizations, or related fields, such as bounty hunting.

The ZeHethbra evolved on the Mid Rim world of ZeHeth, joining the Galactic Republic millennia before the rise of the Galactic Empire. The species founded settlements on several planets, giving rise to autonomous ZeHethbra cultural groups. While trying to establish a colony on Malastare, they waged a war against the Dugs.

Biology and Appearance
The ZeHethbra are a species of sentient, robust, strong humanoids who reach the considerable height of 1.90 to 2.30 meters in adulthood. Their athletic constitution provide them with a great physical power. They retain vestigial fangs in their mouths and small claws on their paw-like hands; although these were ineffective in combat, they are useful when threatening members of other species. Each of the hands have three fingers plus one opposable thumb. A ZeHethbra has raised, triangular ears. Some ZeHethbra pierce these organs to attach one or more earrings to them. ZeHethbra retain a short tail from their evolutionary past. In the time of the Galactic Republic, the species was fully bipedal and had no need for a tail; indeed, they can run as fast as a Human.

ZeHethbra are mammals, and each is covered in short fur with one predominant color that depended on the place of birth: ZeHethbra from the south pole of their planet, ZeHeth, have white-blue fur, while those from the mountains in the northern hemisphere are brown or red. Crossbreeds could show spots or mottling. Coat colors range from black to mottled brown. No matter the main color, a ZeHethbra always have a stripe of white fur that start at the snout, passes over the top of the head, thickens as it went down the back, until it reached the tail. This stripe is narrower in females, and males' stripes branch while females' do not. ZeHethbra also commonly have three long whiskers at each side of the snout.

The ZeHethbra snout give the species an acute sense of smell. They are known to produce sophisticated, natural pheromones that identify the individual's origins, although only another ZeHethbra can interpret that information from such a smell. Thus, the cocktail of biochemical pheromones secreted by a ZeHethbra serve as a unique identifier of that individual.

In moments of danger or rage, a ZeHethbra is able to generate a powerful biochemical spray that can be used to disorient, sting, stun, and blind any opponent hit by it. This spray affects any organic being—except for other ZeHethbra—in a three-meter radius. Weaker victims are known to suffer from a severe nausea that prevent them from counter-attacking, and some targets even collapsed temporarily.

With a life expectancy of eighty-five standard years, the ZeHethbra start their adolescence at ten years of age. Reaching biological maturity at sixteen, they do not suffer the ill effects of age before forty-five. Even then they rarely have to retire before sixty-five.

Society and Culture
The ZeHethbra group themselves into clans and use pheromones as the basis for most of their cultural identity. A person's pheromones identify unambiguously that individual's clan and, as a consequence, his or her family history. The ZeHethbra are known to value honesty and social status, and they show a great deal of respect for people with leadership qualities.

When on their homeworld, ZeHeth, the ZeHethbra live either in sprawling urban complexes or in rural lairs that they built among the roots of humungous trees. The ZeHethbra dislike violators of personal space, so they fiercely protect their living areas, families, clans and territories from trespassers. Although they are covered in fur, ZeHethbra donned clothing to cover their hairy bodies.

ZeHethbra are temperamental beings, prone to attack verbally or physically anyone who cause them discomfort. The common ZeHethbra response to a perceived adversary is to growl and even spit. Should the target of such ire be another ZeHethbra, he or she joined the instigator in an aggressive snorting contest. Occasionally, agitated ZeHethbra violently attack a perceived foe with what other species consider little provocation; in fact, a ZeHethbra might even pounce upon a physically superior opponent. Such attacks sometimes involve the ZeHethbra's natural spray as well. Although these outbursts rarely ended in death, many a young ZeHethbra met his or her match, and fate, in this way.

The ZeHethbra have an official language, known also as ZeHethbra, which most members of the species learn to speak and write. To a layperson's ear, this seemed to be formed of gurgles, gnarls and grunts uttered in a tantrum. Many ZeHethbra learn to speak Galactic Basic Standard as their second language. A ZeHethbra commonly has a single-word name, such as Fyntarr, Rygulan or Sarnizak. At least one galaxy-roaming individual added the epithet "the ZeHethbra" after his one-word moniker.

History
The ZeHethbra evolved on the temperate planet ZeHeth, in the Dustig sector of the Mid Rim. ZeHeth is between the nearby Pax system in the Expansion Region, and the Malastare system, also in the Mid Rim. In their past, the ZeHethbra developed a number of adaptative traits that eventually lost their original functions through evolutions, but remained in the civilized species in vestigial form. These phenotypes included the tail, fangs, and claws, although the latter were still used for intimidation.

The ZeHethbra first came into contact with the Galactic Republic at some point between 8,000 BBY and 5,500 BBY. From that moment on, the species began travelling through the galaxy and settling down on several planets, creating disparate racial, cultural and ethnic groups due to the differences in geography and history. Each group developed its own distinctions, including body language, skin markings, pheromones and linguistic accent. The ZeHethbra recognize no fewer than eighty such groups during the times of the Galactic Empire, but these sub-units are too similar for non-ZeHethbra to recognize more than six of them.

In 3,700 BBY, the galaxy-crossing super-hyperroute known as the Hydian Way was created with ZeHeth falling along its path. This allowed the ZeHethbra to move more easily throughout the galaxy. At some point before 1,000 BBY, the ZeHethbra founded several colonies in the Malastare system. The native Dugs, a species prone to anger and violence, disliked their new neighbors. This led to open war between the ZeHethbra and the Dugs. There was no clear winner in this conflict but, eventually, the Galactic Republic disarmed the Dugs; the conflict with the ZeHethbra was one contributing factor precipitating this sanction.

During the Clone Wars, the ZeHethbra homeworld was in the territory belonging to the Galactic Republic, as opposed to that controlled by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Circa 25 ABY, during the first stages of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the population of ZeHeth was in the billions.

ZeHethbra in the Galaxy
The ZeHethbra are a technologically-advanced well-known species in the outer galaxy. Being muscled, quick, and intelligent, the ZeHethbra are in great demand as guards and soldiers. They work for either governments or criminals, and members of the species are commonly found in military jobs. A few Force-sensitive ZeHethbra followed the path of the Jedi Order and became Jedi Knights.

RPG D6 Stats
Home Planet or System: ZeHeth

Attribute Dice: 12D

DEXTERITY 1D/4D

KNOWLEDGE 1D/4D

MECHANICAL 2D/4D+1

PERCEPTION 1D+1/3D+1

STRENGTH 1D/4D

TECHNICAL 1D+2/3D+2

Special Abilities:

Venom Spray: ZeHethbra can prject a stinging spray that can blind and stun those within a three-meter radius. All characters within the range must make a Difficult willpower roll or take 5D stun damage; if the result is wounded or worse, the character is overcome by the scents and collapses to the ground for one minute.

Move: 9/12

Size: 1.9-2.3 meters tall

Lifespan: 85 standard years