Caamasi

Caamasi are unexceptional in size, with a typical male averaging 1.8 meters tall and 80 kilograms in weight. They are more notable for other aspects of their appearance, including a dense coat of gray or brown fur. Their hands are unusually thin, with only three fingers, but Caamasi can grip a blaster or datapad firmly. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of their appearance is a beak-like snout, lined with sharp teeth, creating a far more fearsome impression than the species’ pacifist culture would indicate.

Few societies value peace more than the Caamasi. They were staunch loyalists to the Republic’s ideals, and the Caamasi remained firmly dedicated throughout the Separatist Crisis. Flowever, the Caamasi opposed the Republic’s armament for the Clone Wars, including the Senate’s adoption of clone troopers, so the Caamasi lobbied for a peaceful end to the conflict. Both their love of the Republic and their condemnation of its war effort led the emergent Empire to label the Caamasi as dissidents, leading to the bombardment of their homeworld and the devastation of the species.

The planet Caamas is the second planet in the Cirius system, along the Commenor Run hyperlane in the Core Worlds. Once a temperate world with a highly varied climate and ecosystem, Caamas is now scorched and polluted beyond habitability. Shortly after the rise of the Empire, the planet was bombarded by Star Destroyers on the Emperor’s orders. The planetary shields were lowered by infiltrating agents, allowing the orbital firepower to saturate the planet. The little life that survived the assault was devastated by the total collapse of the planet’s ecosystem and the firestorms that raged across the planet’s surface for years.

The Caamasi species was reduced to a slim fraction of its former numbers, but a new generation has since pulled them from the brink of extinction. Officially, the devastation wrought on Caamas was the result of bombs planted by the Separatists, and too few survivors made it offworld to contradict the Imperial propaganda. However, many Caamasi find the Empire’s story too convenient for their liking, especially in the wake of the destruction of Alderaan. The Rebellion is a popular cause for the new generation of Caamasi, who join in the hope that no one else loses a homeworld to the Empire.

Caamasi is the name of both the language and the species that originated on the world of Caamas, and with its bombardment, both are in danger of disappearing from the galaxy. Caamasi make a habit of learning the native languages of other species they encounter, and a Caamasi without fluency in Basic is practically unheard of. Their emphasis on learning the languages of others may have put their own language in danger, but surviving Caamasi elders have begun passing down their native tongue through lessons and the sharing of memnii.

Unsurprisingly, Caamasi tend toward occupations that fit their affinity for peaceful resolutions and nonviolent action. Many serve as mediators and ambassadors for the Rebellion, but other outlets for their pacifist attitude are common as well. Caamasi with a technical or scientific aptitude might become mechanics or doctors, seeking to fix what war has broken.

Despite their pacifist inclinations, Caamasi serving among the Rebels are likely to be more accustomed to violence than others of their kind. When operating in such circumstances, taking the life of Imperial soldiers and operatives might be seen as a regrettable necessity in order to protect countless more lives, and a personal sacrifice for the greater good. Those who take this step usually do so with the utmost commitment, and they are as painstaking in their efforts to eradicate the Empire as they are in avoiding collateral damage and unnecessary casualties.

A memnis is an imprinted Caamasi experience, more vivid than a normal memory, and it never loses its intensity. When a Caamasi experiences a memnis, the recollection is always the same, whether shortly after the event has taken place or long after, through a memnis that has been passed down for generations. The process of sharing memnii is commonly thought of as passing down remembrances of past events, but this is not entirely accurate.

Sharing memnii does not entirely improve the Caamasi’s powers of recollection, as the creation of memnii cannot be controlled, and details that were not observed at the time of its formation are cloudy upon reflection. However, when a Caamasi views a memnis, he can be entirely certain of what was experienced at the time.

If a Caamasi shares a relevant memnis with a member of his species, his fellow would have great difficulty refuting an argument drawing upon the evidence within the memnis. At the GM’s discretion, this can be reflected with one or more ■ on subsequent checks to convince the recipient of the Caamasi’s sincerity.

Spending too much time observing memnii can leave a psychological strain on a Caamasi, leading to an obsession with past events or an excess of emotion welling from the power of the memory. Even positive memnii, such as a time spent with a loved one or meeting a personal idol, can be dangerous if the Caamasi dwells too deeply and ignores his present life. As such, the Caamasi view memnii with both reverence and caution, and treat every shared memnis as a significant occasion.

As the few Caamasi old enough to remember their homeworld and history grow fearful of their memories vanishing from the galaxy, this attitude is being tested. The younger generation may be able to take up the keeping of their species’ history, or they may be overwhelmed as too much is pressed upon them.