#gotal

Introducing… ✨Bunako!✨ {she/they} She's a Cathar/Gotal/Devaronian hybrid :3 Felt too lazy to draw her in clothes here xD

The Gotal species evolved on Antar 4, the mineral-rich fourth moon of the gas giant Antar in the Prindaar system. As the moon of a gas giant, Antar 4 was a world with a complex day/night cycle. Sometimes, one side of Antar 4 would be illuminated by the sun Prindaar, while the other received almost the same amount of light from the highly reflective surface of the gas giant Antar. At other times, Antar would block all sunlight to both hemispheres. As light was not always available there, Antarian animal life could not rely on sight as a primary sense. To compensate for this, the ancestors of the Gotals evolved cranial horns as receptors to sense electromagnetism and other energy emissions.

Although they were easily disoriented around devices that produced high levels of electromagnetic interference, the Gotals managed to develop quite sophisticated levels of technology. Using chemical reactions where other species would use electronics, the Gotals managed to colonize four of Antar's other five moons, and set up mining operations on the fifth, even before Galactic Republic explorers contacted them.

The Gotals joined the Galactic Republic between 25,000 and 22,000 BBY, becoming one of the first species to send representatives to its newly formed Galactic Senate. Kith Kark, a Jedi killed during the Freedon Nadd Uprising, is the earliest known Gotal to make his mark on galactic history. Goethar Kleej and his son Aubin came to prominence during the Mandalorian Wars a few decades later as swoop-duelists on the space station Jervo's World.

In later centuries, one of their most notable contributions to Republic society was the Antarian Rangers, founded in 620 BBY to assist the Jedi. Co-founded by the Human Jedi Master Marus Timpel and the Gotal businessman Kaskutal, this organization grew to become a major non-Jedi paramilitary auxiliary, working alongside the Jedi Order to protect the Galactic Republic.

In the Republic's final years, however, the relationship between the Gotals and the rest of the galaxy became increasingly strained. The Duinuogwuin-Gotal conflict was a short, but intense struggle which required the intervention of the Jedi Masters Jorus C'baoth and Tra's M'ins to bring to an end. Tensions between the Gotals and the rest of the galaxy continued over the next decade, however.

During the Separatist Crisis of 22 BBY, many Gotals supported the Gotal Assembly for Separation, or its more violent splinter group the Roshu Sune. After Roshu Sune terrorists set off bombs in Antarian Ranger chapterhouses, the Jedi and their Antarian Ranger allies invaded Antar 4 in retaliation. During the Battle of Antar 4, the Jedi and the Antarian Rangers took heavy casualties. They used electromagnetic pulse weapons in desperation, even though such weapons caused immense pain and disorientation for civilian Gotals caught in the crossfire. The Jedi response turned the Gotals, and the people of thousands of other worlds, against the Republic. After the battle, many Gotal refugees fled to Atzerri, leading to the Gotal hostage standoff. During this crisis, the Roshu Sune militants captured a commuter hopper that had 25 passengers, one of whom was Nathanjo Nirrelz. A taskforce of Jedi led by Sarrissa Jeng attempted to negotiate with the hijackers, but when blasterfire spooked the militants, they executed some of their hostages. The Jedi forced their way into the hopper and killed the Gotal militants. Gotal Foreign Affairs Commune leader Shagrad Loset castigated the Jedi for their "lightsaber diplomacy," asserting that the Gotals should have been allowed to solve the crisis themselves. Although a poll conducted by HoloNet News showed that a majority of respondents believed that violence was inevitable in the crisis, the events provided the impetus for the Clone Wars that engulfed the galaxy for the next few years. During the Clone Wars, Antar 4 was conquered by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Gotals did not benefit from the war, and were greatly impoverished during the Confederate occupation. Around this time, a Gotal team was entered in the Cularin Classic swoop race on the planet Cularin and was represented by the racer Arum Oru.

At the war's end, the Gotals became subjects of the Galactic Empire. The Imperial military refused to let Gotals serve in the military, believing they were too apt to empathize with their enemies. Only a minority of Gotals were willing to work with the Empire in any case, since their empathic sense led them to distrust the promises of Imperial diplomats.

During the time of the New Republic, Gotals were one of the nonhuman races targeted in Warlord Zsinj's plot to destabilize the New Republic. The operation was able to brainwash certain individuals to attempt to assassinate major leaders in the New Republic. Three of the targets included Wedge Antilles, Admiral Ackbar, and Mon Mothma, whose intended assassin was Tolokai, her trusted Gotal bodyguard. The intent of the operation was to breed distrust between Humans and prominent nonhuman races of the New Republic. The operation was ultimately foiled. By 9 ABY, the New Republic had liberated their homeworld, together with the rest of the Inner Rim Territories. At the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Antar 4 became a part of the Galactic Alliance. Gotal senator Ta'laam Ranth served on the Alliance's High Council as Minister of Justice. Circa 25 ABY, Antar 4's population was between one and ten billion. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Antar system was attacked by the Yuuzhan Vong. At some point during the New Republic's existence, the Shi'ido anthropologist Mammon Hoole included an entry on the Gotals in his publication The Essential Guide to Alien Species.

In 130 ABY, at least two Gotals were involved with the new Sith Order: an unnamed Sith who took part in the Massacre at Ossus, and the spy and information broker Attatag Gosem. By 137 ABY, the Antar system fell within territory controlled by Darth Krayt as part of his Sith Empire, and Gotals were still active in the galactic community.

In addition to sensing energy emissions in their environment and the presence of their prey animals, Gotals used their cones to monitor subtle changes in one another's electromagnetic auras. This ability to quickly and easily judge another Gotal's emotional state was fundamental to their culture. For example, Gotals were able to avoid angry members of their species, share in the joy of happy ones, and seek out depressed ones to cheer them up. Gotal communities were considered among the most harmonious civilizations in the galaxy. They had difficulty interpreting the emotions of other alien species, however, often mistaking basic emotions such as affection or anger for extremes such as love and murderous intent. Sufficient exposure to the galactic community could help them overcome this, however.

Gotals formed intense bonds with one another upon first meeting, and love at first "sight" was the norm among Gotals, whose empathic nature made the elaborate courtship rituals of other sentients unnecessary. Gotal would mate for life, and would bear young as soon as their lifestyles permitted it. Gotals only spoke to each other to relay abstract information, since they had no need to vocally express their emotions.

Young Gotals often had trouble assimilating the information arriving from their cones, and were in a constant state of agitated confusion until they learned to filter unwanted signals after about one standard year. Even then, it took them until the age of twelve to attain emotional maturity, and they could sometimes be nearly psychotic until then. Despite this, Gotal parents were devoted to their children. Mature Gotals were generally calm and peaceful individuals.

Gotal sensory cones allowed them to keep their emotions to themselves. They tended to keep a calm and restrained demeanor when dealing with others, speaking of emotions only abstractly. This led some non-Gotals to assume the species lacked emotion entirely, and many species to be uncomfortable around and mistrustful of Gotals. Some felt that they were at a disadvantage when dealing with Gotals and their sensitive head cones, and other, more superstitious species, were wary of what they saw as the Gotals' supernatural powers. Nevertheless, the quirks of Gotals made them effective diplomats, mediators, businesspeople, and gamblers. Unless they sensed evil intentions, Gotals were generally diplomatic and polite when interacting with members of other species.

The ruthless Imperial era financier Sarlim Gastess was among the few Gotals whose cones were non-functional. Perhaps because of his inability to sense emotions, this "blind" Gotal was a fearsome psychopath by his people's standards.

Some Gotals became romantically attached to non-Gotals, but they only seemed to be sexually attracted to other creatures with cones or horns on their heads.

Gotals possess cranial horns as receptors to sense electromagnetism and other energy emissions. These nerve-ending filled cones could sense the natural electromagnetic fields produced by Antar, Prindaar, and Antar 4's magnetite-rich crust, allowing the species to operate even in total darkness. Their senses also picked up the electromagnetic auras from other life forms. Gotal hunters could sense their quarry from up to ten kilometers away, and could track herds of quivry for weeks. While hunting, a Gotal could determine the amount, species type, and level of sickness of animals by relying on their cones alone. When close to their target, they could ascertain information on its mood, awareness, and state of mind. As such, Gotals numbered among the most sought-after hunters in the galaxy.

Gotal cones could detect another being's emotional state and intentions. Gotal horns were even sensitive enough to pick up such indistinct signals as neutrino emissions. Electronic devices could also be sensed by Gotals: in fact, most droids gave off enough electromagnetic emissions to at least annoy a Gotal, and at worst to seriously disorient the horned beings. Consequently, the species was notoriously distrustful of droids. Gotals relied heavily on their cones, with their eyesight and hearing being quite weak, and their sense of smell almost completely absent.

At least some Gotals were able to sense the Force with their cones. Nevertheless, standard reference works such as the Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy were silent on the subject, and the writings of Mammon Hoole described this as a rumor which had "yet to be proven." Other sources indicated that both the Jedi Order and the Galactic Empire had conducted inconclusive research which attempted to train Gotals to sense the Force. The records of the Gotals themselves were split on the issue. Those sources which did describe Gotals sensing the Force varied in their descriptions. Some sources described it as an intense, overwhelming sensation, while others treated it as a mere "indistinct buzzing." At least one Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker, believed that sensing the Force could cause Gotals headaches. Any ability to sense the use of the Force with their cones did not hinder Gotals who were Force-sensitive in the conventional sense from learning to use the Force, however.

Gotals had flat, elongated faces with reddish, heavy-lidded eyes, small, flat noses, and a wide, downturned mouth full of blunt, yellow or white teeth. Their eyes varied in color, with individuals sporting shades of red, orange, yellow, gray, green, and black. Coarse, shaggy fur covered most of their bodies with the exception of the face, chest, and abdomen. Gotals were classified as mammals. Their overall body plan was humanoid, with proportions generally similar to Humans. Some Gotals had four fingers and a thumb with short, conical claws on each digit;[3] others had only four or three digits per limb with much longer claws making up a large portion of each finger. Their skin color varied from gray-brown to black, and their fur came in white or shades of brown or gray. While male Gotals typically had a thick fringe of hair around their cheeks and chins, this was absent in female Gotals. Gotals shed their fur and most Gotals learned to control this process. Under extreme stress or nerves, however—as when surprised or frightened—Gotals could lose control of this process and begin shedding large clumps of fur. Gotals' natural body odor was similar to the smell of mildew and old sweat. Gotals were resistant to the venom produced by members of the Killik species.

A typical Gotal stands at 1.8 meters or 5.9 feet tall and weighs 70 kilograms or 154 pounds.

Gotal age at the following stages: 1 - 9 Child 10 - 12 Young Adult 13 - 40 Adult 41 - 60 Middle Age 61 - 75 Old

Examples of Names: Abav Ghart, Glott, Kith Kark, Lishma, Mnor Nha, Pari Notgoth, Tolokai, To-yel.