Star Wars Alien Species - Gungan
The Gungans, a sentient, amphibious humanoid race native to the terrestrial planet known as Naboo. Prior to the Invasion of Naboo, an event that took place in 32 BBY, the Gungans were a largely isolationist society. They were able to combine machinery with biology. They lived in large bubble-like domes under water.
At some point in Galactic history, there was at least one Otolla Gungan who was a Sith.
The Gungans were believed to be indigenous to Naboo, but this is uncertain. Biologists believe the Gungans, wherever their original home, evolved originally as land-dwellers.
On Naboo, evidence of Gungan habitation extended for ages, as there are records of battles of survival with the woolly veermoks during an ice age. However, the primary reason they developed warfare technology was the threat of the bursas that often attacked their settlements. The Gungans assembled a "Grand Army" to meet this threat, eventually driving the bursas into extinction. Their technology was peculiar in that everything, from tools to structures is not constructed, but "grown", each device being therefore organically unique.
Ancient starfarers told tales of great Gungan migrations across the plains of Naboo prior to their shift to more aquatic environments. The reason most commonly accepted for their flight to the water revolves around an alien civilization of reptilian humanoids remembered as the "Elders", who colonized Naboo. They engaged in warfare with the Gungans, forcing them to retreat underwater, giving rise to modern Gungan civilization. Undoubtedly, the presence of healthful underwater plants and tasty gumfish did much to solidify their change in lifestyle.
The Ankura and Otolla branches of Gungans united, forming a symbiotic relationship. They dominated Naboo for millennia afterwards, though largely keeping to the swamps and waterways; the mountains and grasslands were considered 'desert-like'.
About 3000 BBY, Gungans were separated in tribes that fought against each other (War of the Gungan tribes), until united under Boss Gallo. Gungans from various cities migrated to a new large city, Otoh Gunga, which was the major and capital city of Naboo (as far as Gungans were concerned).
Around five hundred years before the Battle of Naboo, a number of needy Gungan locals were approached by recruiters sent by Hugo Bartyn. Bartyn wanted amphibian fishermen to settle a new city in Lamaredd and tempted these poverty-stricken individuals with promises of untouched seas in a new frontier. Once they arrived, however, they became slave laborers.
The Gungans and the Human inhabitants of Naboo did not get along, as the Gungans believed the Naboo to be pompous cowards while the Naboo believed the Gungans to be barbarians. This attitude lasted until Queen Amidala united the Gungans and Naboo to fight the Trade Federation in the Battle of Naboo. Gungans, over the millennia of Human presence, have developed their own dialect based on their language, called Gungan Basic.
After the Battle of Naboo, the Gungans attained representation in the Galactic Republic Senate through Representative Jar Jar Binks. The Gungans also colonized the moon of Ohma-D'un, due to overcrowding on Naboo. A number of extremist Gungans colonized Naboo's other moon, Rori, at about the same time. During the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, a CIS biological weapon known as the "Swamp gas" was unleashed on Ohma-D'un and wiped out much of the population. Later, a Jedi task force defeated the CIS forces on the moon during the Battle of Ohma-D'un, thus saving Naboo.
Following the end of the war, the newly formed Galactic Empire established a presence on Naboo. Fearing enslavement, the Gungans went into semi-seclusion. However, Gungan resistance fighters fought a number of clashes with Imperial forces. At least one Gungan worked on the nearby Rori Space Station. After the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, the Gungans and the Humans of Naboo banded together once more to oust the Imperial presence from their world, reclaiming the world as free for both species. As a result, the species began traveling in much larger numbers, across Naboo and the galaxy.
Long ago, explorers on Naboo discovered the Gung Slabs, a set of ancient stones engraved with Olys Corellisi on one side and Old Gungan on the reverse. These relics, coupled with the work of philologist Burro Flats of the Baobab Archives, helped the galaxy to better understand the culture and language of the Gungan people.
Gungans spoke a variation of Basic known as Gungan Basic, or "Gunganese," which occasionally incorporated elements of Old Gungan, a language spoken during the time of the Old Republic. In fact, the Gung Slabs, a series of ancient monoliths, were essential for the translation of Old Gungan. Few Gungans were able to speak the pure Gungan language.
The later Gungan language was largely a pidgin dialect that most users fluent in Basic could understand. Gunganese, as it was commonly referred to, combined slightly-altered Basic words with the occasional Old Gungan term (i.e. "Seeks doopeewees isa berry good" is translated as "Six landspeeders are very good.")
Utilizing their own unique phraseology, Gungans established a rather successful history of scholarly excellence, albeit unknown to the galaxy at large. Among their achievements include the epic poem Das Depu Epu Sea, or Deep Dark Water. This ode to Da Beauty Al' Round was a source of great pride to these noble beings.
Gungan alpha-males often exhibited a series of oral clicks when aggravated or angered. The Gungan military was made up of mostly male volunteers.
Gungans were generally a generous and peaceful race until the Trade Federation invaded. They truly loved to have visitors and warmly welcomed them; however, they would remain suspicious until the visitors had earned their respect.
Gungans were not tolerant of anyone who threatened their peaceful culture. They had very strict laws, and would go to the extremes to punish anyone who had committed a minor crime. Vandals, for example, could be given a sentence of exile, caning, or even stoning.
If a Gungan was cast out of society, it was very difficult for them to return. If they did manage to return legally, they would often be subjected to heavy discrimination. This could make life very difficult for them and could go on for months or years, until their past offenses disappeared from memory. In addition, returning back to the settlement they were exiled illegally will sometimes result in the death penalty, especially if they brought along outsiders. It usually requires a significant deed to not only have their exile revoked, but also be welcomed back to the fold, such as the time when Jar Jar Binks, due to his actions in uniting the Gungans and Naboo together to fight the Trade Federation, had his exile revoked and promoted to Bombad General by Boss Rugor Nass.
Gungans were also known to produce Force-sensitive children and the Gungans Kin-Ya Dosun and Kosa-Yin Hadu served as members of the Jedi Order, while the Gungan child Roo-Roo Page was considered as a candidate to receive Jedi training. The Gungans relied on the semi-sentient mollusk Kresch for much of their knowledge on matters as varied as Gungan civilization and the fauna of Ohma-D'un. The Kresch was consulted by Gungans as an encyclopedia of sorts.
Gungans also organized yearly the Festival of Warriors, in which Militiagungs gathered to celebrate the Gungan's militaristic culture. An arena was scheduled for construction in Lake Umberbool for the festivity.
Gungans were known to venerate certain deities exclusive to their culture known as guds, such as Mekamok, Wamka Pol, Balmtop, Dobbis, Kobble, Nododo, Balam, Gobba, and their chief god, Oma-Oma. By 1 ABY, the fundamentalist sect of the Ultragungans was active on Naboo. This cult was responsible for stealing an artifact from Boss Rugor Nass, later retrieved by a spacer hired by the Boss.
The Gungans possessed a large military force, known as the Gungan Grand Army. Most of their transportation were beasts, although there were some biomechanical constructs in one of their heavy weapons. Their vehicles are generally named after native fauna within the Naboo wetlands.
The Gungans were separated into two races: the lanky orange, yellow or red-skinned Otolla race, and the heavier green-skinned Ankura race. However, they all exhibited many of the same basic physical traits.
Starting life as tadpoles, Gungans developed into tall beings with extremely flexible cartilaginous skeletons. Strong leg muscles allowed for powerful and quick frog-kick style swimming through water as well as a remarkable jumping ability while on land. Fin-like ears called haillu also aided them in swimming, as well as expressing emotions like aggression, friendship, and fear. They had partially retractable eyestalks with nictitating membranes when underwater. They also possessed a unique mucus creating organ that helped when being underwater which they use to stop water from entering their nasal passages and mouth. Green eyes were unusual amongst Gungans.
Expressive faces and long bills with flaring nostrils were signatures of Gungan physiology. Lengthy muscular tongues and large blunt teeth allowed them to eat lesser amphibians, while a layer of tough skin on the head allowed for burrowing. A Gungan's arms ended in four digits, and their feet had three stubby toes. Females were smaller with sleeker faces and tended to tie their ears back. Females Gungans with light-colored ear flaps were considered very attractive by male Gungans, while the ones with dark-colored haillu were thought of as 'boyish'. As male Gungans aged, some, like Roos Tarpals, developed prominent whiskers.
Gungans had nostrils that sealed when they entered the water. They also boasted very strong compound lungs, allowing them to both hold their breath for extended periods of time, breathe underwater, and withstand the pressure of deep water, along with well-padded kneecaps and powerful calves and legs for increased swimming speed. However, because they were so well-adapted to their watery environment, their skin dried easily in hot and arid climates, which Jar Jar Binks experienced during his visit to Tatooine.
The Gungans appeared to be related to the Glurrgs, whom they used as a worker caste in their society.
Gungans range from 1.6 to 2 meters or 5.2 to 6.6 feet tall and weight 70 kilograms or 154 pounds.
Gungans age at the following stages:
1- 12 Child
13 - 15 Young Adult
16 - 35 Adult
36 - 54 Middle Age
55 - 64 Old
Examples of Names: Fassa, Jar Jar, Rugor, Tarpals, Toba, Tobler Ceel, Yoss.
Languages: Gungans speak, read, and write both Gunganese and Basic.
