INFO: The Vaathkree people evolved on the planet of Vaathkree. They were covered by armored plates, making them appear to be made from stone and metal. Vaathkree were well-known for their devotion to trade and bartering. In fact, the name of their religion (roughly translated to Basic) was "The Deal."
RACE: Vaathkree
HEIGHT: upto 1.5 Meters Tall
SKIN: Dark bluish gray
DISTINCTION: Armored skin, high resistance to physical attacks, long life spans
LANGUAGE: Vaathkreea, Galactic Basic
HOMEWORLD:The planet Vaathkree was the homeworld of the Vaathkree species, located within The Periphery's Vaath'kror system on the Outer Rim of the galaxy. It was an incredibly harsh world with heavy gravity, a poisonous atmosphere, a constant rain of meteors, and huge plains of lava and exposed radioactive metals.
The merchant-oriented Vaathkree created domed cities on their world to house off-worlders. Called vnals, or "life towns," these cities were semi-organic in nature and capable of communicating with their inhabitants.
Adopted world GarnibGarnib was the primary world of the Garnib system. It was subjugated by the Galactic Empire and many native Balinaka (considered to be the galaxy's most artistic beings) were exported as slaves to the breeding farms on Karfeddion. The planet was headquarters of Garnib Crystal Corporation, which exported Garnib crystals.
It was a cold world covered in frigid oceans and glaciers.
Garnib was also the adopted world of the Vernol species who emigrated when their homeworld shifted in its orbit and become uninhabitable.
BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE:Vaathkree had a long lifespan (300 to 350 standard years) and a two-staged life cycle. They began their lives as small, shapeless non-sentients called Stonesingers. Stonesingers roamed the lava flats of Vaathkree, incorporating bits of stone and metal into their body structure. Their metabolism allowed them to absorb minerals which would be turned into tough armor scales on the outside of the skin. At about nine years of age, the Stonesingers were about one meter tall, but still had a fluid form. They also began to develop rudimentary intelligence, and were instructed by adult Vaathkree into the ways of The Deal.
As their minds developed, the young Stonesingers lost their fluidity, and had to choose a particular form. Since the Vaathkree had been active in the Galactic Republic for several millennia, this was usually a Human-sized humanoid form. Others chose variant forms suited to their chosen professions. Stonesingers became adult Vaathkree at about twenty years of age.
CULTURE AND HISTORY:Concepts such as barter, haggling, sales technique, and supply and demand were deeply ingrained in Vaathkree culture. As a result, they were one of the most renowned trading species in the galaxy. A trade route, the Vaathkree Trade Corridor, was named after them. Over time, the Vaathkree had developed a complicated trade language for discussing business matters. Non-Vaathkree found this language especially hard to decipher, which usually worked in the Vaathkree's favor.
Vaathkree are long-lived compared to many other species, with their natural life span averaging 300 to 500 Standard years. They have a multi-staged life cycle and begin their lives as "Stonesingers": small nodes of living metal that inhabit the deep crevasses in the surface of Vaathkree. They are mobile, though they have no cognitive abilities at this age. They "roam" the lava flats at night, absorbing lava and bits of stone, which are incorporated into their body structure. After about nine years, the Stonesinger begins to develop some rudimentary thought processes (at this point, the Stonesinger has normally grown to be about 1 meter tall, but still has a fluid, almost shapeless, body structure).
The Stonesinger takes a full two decades to evolve into a mature Vaathkree. During this time, the evolving alien must pick a "permanent form." The alien decides on a form and must concentrate on retaining that form. Eventually, the growing Vaathkree finds that he is no longer capable to altering his form, so thus it is very important that the maturing Vaathkree choose a form he finds pleasing. As the Vaathkree have been active members of the Republic for many millennia and most alien species are roughly humanoid in form, many Vaathkree select a humanoid adult form. Others choose forms to suit their professions.
The Vaathkree also invented a two-dimensional artform known as Flatsculp, similar in style to Paonidd Extrassa Art.
Notable Vaathkree in the galaxy included Valka, employed by the Herglic Hamar-Chaktak as a henchman, and Grosteek, the proprietor of the Farrimmer Cafe onboard Mynock 7 Space Station.
THE DEAL:The Deal - the code of trade and barter that all Vaathkree live by - is taught to the Stonesingers as soon as their cognitive abilities have begun to form. The concepts of supply and demand, sales technique, and (most importantly) haggling are so deeply ingrained in the consciousness of the Vaathkree that the idea of not passing these ideas and beliefs on to their young is simply unthinkable.
APPEARANCES:Heir to the Empire (First mentioned)
The Last Command (First appearance)
"The Farrimmer Cafe" - Star Wars Adventure Journal 11
SOURCES:The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook
Tapani Sector Instant Adventures
Secrets of the Sisar Run
Alien Encounters
Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds
The Essential Atlas
I would like to thank Wookieepedia for this info.
