Star Wars Alien Species - Gossam
Castell was a terrestrial planet located along the Perlemian Trade Route in the Colonies region of the galaxy. The homeworld of the Gossam, Castell was a major foundry planet for the Commerce Guild.
Like most reptiles, Gossam young were hatched from eggs. Gossam mothers watched over the eggs more for the status than for any practical purpose. Because the species was so appearance driven, Gossam families would build nests of elegant warm fabrics and cushions to show off their young before they were even hatched. They would also throw egg parties where the eager parents would receive gifts from their friends and relatives. The higher the status of the parents, the larger the gifts. The parties were thrown late in the eggs' incubation period in the hope that the egg would hatch during the event.
Gossams held their appearances as extremely important, and dressed in elaborate clothing in an attempt to impress other sentients. Females used oil-based creams to mold their hair into a wave that traditionally swept up from the back of their heads. Wealthy Gossam aristocrats and trade negotiators often wore elevated footwear to appear taller when dealing with other species, in addition to the exotic robes and finery favored by most Gossam.
Most Gossam were selfish, scheming beings skilled at the art of business. Though most Gossam were intelligent and independently minded, many spent much of their lives working for the Commerce Guild, who offered them food, housing and a decent income for a ten year exclusive contract. Gossam goods were generally cheap to manufacture, and overpriced. Always looking for an angle they can play to come out on top, Gossam were considered untrustworthy by other beings.
The Gossam had a military in the form of Gossam Commandos, a group of male Gossam soldiers who wore heavy armor and used heavy repeating blasters. They also used a heavy shoulder-mounted cannon that took two Gossams to operate—one to fire and one to reload. Commerce Guild Presidente Shu Mai personally authorized their use in the Outer Rim Sieges during the Clone Wars.
Circa 27,000 BBY, the Gossam experimented and developed the tumble hyperdrive which allowed them to colonize several distant worlds including Felucia . Due to the aggressive plants and animals on that world, colonization was limited and the planet was used as a resort for wealthy Gossam and their servants.
For ten years before the Invasion of Naboo, the Gossam homeworld of Castell suffered a devastating economic depression due to the heavy taxation of trade routes. This resulted in a loss of profits and little demand for goods from Castell. Many Gossam resorted to fighting over food, jobs and passage offworld, until the Commerce Guild appointed Shu Mai as its president. Mai almost single-handedly helped Castell out of this depression due to her aggressive business practices, her support of the Gossam workforce, and her taciturn negotiation tactics. Mai had each able Gossam serve as an indentured servant of the Commerce Guild for a portion of their lives. In return, they were offered food, housing and a modest income. Most Gossam saw this as the dreary reality. Once Castell grew out of its economic depression, this tradition continued, with most young Gossams taking indentured contracts to gain business experience before venturing out into the corporate world alone. Many Gossam made large profits by investing their credits in offworld bank accounts, not trusting their own people. Still others built offworld estates on Saleucami and Felucia, thus starting Gossam colonies on those Outer Rim worlds.
Just before the outbreak of the Clone Wars, Shu Mai secretly pledged her support to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, despite realizing that it would amount to treason. Her reasons were simple—she couldn't resist a potentially profitable venture. The Commerce Guild pledged massive amounts of DSD1 dwarf spider droids, as well as the Gossam Commandos. The Gossam as a species did not pledge their support to the CIS, but as they were considered the property of the Commerce Guild, they were expected to help the war effort whenever possible. Due to this, during the Clone Wars, Gossam were banished from Coruscant. Amita Fonti, a Gossam senator, attended a convening of the Separatist Parliament on the planet Raxus, where she supported a motion to open peace negotiations with the Republic.
In the months after the Clone Wars, many Gossam on Coruscant joined Whiplash, a resistance movement working against the Galactic Empire. The Gossam were ultimately enslaved by the Galactic Empire, and very few were able to join the Alliance to Restore the Republic after its formation. Due to their former alliance with the CIS, the Gossam and their planet were a primary target of Palpatine's reign of terror against non-Human species. Not until after the Alliance's victory did they receive their freedom; however, Castell still had not fully recovered as of the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War.
After the Yuuzhan Vong War, several Gossam worked for the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. It was unclear whether the Gossam joined the Confederation after the Corporate Sector Authority allied itself with the Confederation. However, this was unlikely because several were seen working for the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances with a supply company.
Gossam stood roughly 1.25 meters or 4.1 feet high, had pebbly green or blue skin, elongated necks, wide yellow eyes and a tapered head that sloped back on an incline. Gossam balanced their thin bodies on two three-toed feet, and had long, graceful three fingered hands.
Gossams age at the following stages:
Examples of Names: Min Cho, Xiri Gan, Zim Li, Shu Mai, Shan Sien, Mei Tran.
Languages: Gossam speak a language of the same name. It consists of lispy vocalizations, croaks, and trills. Written Gossam has a jagged alphabet that combines into short words and long sentences. Most Gossam learn Basic.
