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Name: Eeo’c’ke'k-O’ceu (Blind Ones)
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Monastery
Language: Ouo-Uo’cuue, though they have the ability to learn Ortolan, Basic, and other languages (just not ones which involve tentacles or pheromones)
Average height of adults: 1.9 m
Skin color: Anywhere from white to light grey (however, if a Blind One is sick their skin becomes a sickly yellow). The skin is also slightly transparent, and in some individuals the veins are visible.
Hair color: No hair!
Breathes: Type I and Type II
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
[*]Hypersensitive Hearing: Since their hearing is so acute, it is easy to incapacitate or even deafen a Blind One with just the right sound at just the right decibel outside of water, since the air isn’t able to cushion the ports of their auditory organs.
[*]Light Sensitivity: Spending their days primarily in the dark, the Blind Ones’ skins are highly sensitive to light exposure. While artificial light isn’t much of a problem (thanks to a mucous covering), natural light will cut right through it. The result is their skin turns red and starts to create boils. Eventually, after an extended amount of time of exposure a Blind One will actually burn up. As kind of a “screw you”, though, the burned carcass also releases a pungent smell which can cause those of weaker dispositions to lose their stomach contents.
[*]Atmospheric Pressure: As stated before, Blind Ones are able to withstand greater pressure than most other humanoids. That being said, if they are subjected to less pressure than what they’re used to (i.e. zero gravity, or the upper atmosphere of a planet), a Blind One will suffer from nausea, vertigo, etc. The less pressure there is, the greater the effects of the symptoms. That being said, it is possible for their bodies to adjust after a while, but constant adjustment of the pressure will leave them incapacitated indefinitely.
[*]Underwater Only: The grace and agility which the Blind Ones exhibit underwater absolutely cannot be replicated on-land – they become clumsy, often tripping over their own feet and knocking things over. It doesn’t help that they’re almost 2 meters tall.
[*]Music Sensitivity: Since their culture and general lifestyle relies greatly on noise and music, it is possible to manipulate a Blind One using different musical pieces (i.e. play a soft, soothing lullaby to calm or put to sleep, play a war song to get their blood pumping, etc.)
Distinctions:
Average Lifespan: 90-125 years, though some have been reported to live as long as 140.
Races:
Estimated Population: Found only on Monastery (though a few here and there have been kidnapped off-world as slaves or pets), and are common only in the deeper parts of the cave systems.
Diet: Algae and other plant life; small fish and newts/salamanders which live within the caves – no meat outside of that. Red meat will make a Blind One sick. Fish and plants can be eaten either raw or cooked, though raw is the default choice.
Communication: Verbal, consisting of clicks, hisses, and long moaning noises (like a mix between a whale, a snake, and a cicada)
Culture:
Gods: The Blind Ones do not have gods, per se, but they do pray to ancestors who were renowned for something – usually preventing the destruction of the species. Since there aren’t really many events that’ve happened, and since the ancestors remembered depends on which herd you’re in, there are very few monogamous “gods”. They are, as listed:
Being a culture which revolves almost entirely around music and sound, the Blind Ones’ language is made primarily of vowels, though the consonants “c” and “k” are also used, with “c” sounding like and “s” and “k” retaining its harsh click noise. There are no actual spaces within a sentence, and dashes ( “-“ ) are used instead, as a space or pause indicates the end of a sentence. Similarly, apostrophes are used before “c” and “k” to indicate a transition from a vowel to a consonant. Words such as “My”, “his”, “hers”, and “yours” would become “me”, “she”, “he”, and “you”, regardless of what context it is in, meaning translators must also rely largely on the context of a sentence to understand its meaning. “I”, however, is still used. Also, one may use the following key to translate Basic to Ouo-Uo’cuue and vice-versa:
Since it’d be hard to decipher such a clear-cut sentence, the Blind Ones often speak very descriptively, resulting in their sentences, when translated, to sound slightly long-winded.
Here is an example: “My cake is in the Hutt’s mouth” would become “Me delicious sugar bread food is within the eating apparatus of the large slug creature known as a Hutt,” which in turn becomes “ ‘Ce-‘keeo’coouu-uuu’co-eoe’c’k-ooo’k-ou-‘kouuo’c-uue-e’cuo’cu-‘cee’co’cuuu-oo-uue-e’coue-ueuu-‘coe’cuuoe-‘k’co’k’c-‘cu-‘c-Uuuu.” People who are not Blind Ones also end up sounding like dying whales when attempting to replicate their language.
Their naming conventions follow suit with their speaking habits, oftentimes being a descriptor of what the child was or what happened during the child’s life. Usually, children are born with simple names (i.e. Daughter of So-and-So, Son of So-and-so, Eldest Child of So-and-So) until they reach ten years of age. At this point, the children choose the names they feel fit them best, and as such traditional names include (in both Basic and Ouo-Uo’cuue): The One With Eyes / Uue-O’ce-‘Kouu-E’ceu; Mighty Hunter / ‘Couuu’c-Uu’cueo; Wise Beyond Age / ‘Koue-Ee’co’c’k-‘Cue; etc. Also, if a child were to take the name of one of his or her parents, it would be “The Second Mighty Hunter”, “The Third Mighty Hunter,” and so on and so forth. A parent may only lend his or her name to one of their children, but this normally doesn’t pose much of a problem due to the relatively low birth rates.
There are no actual castes within the herds, but the three major ones are broken down into even smaller groups, whose names depend on who’s leading them at the time (i.e. Tribe of Mighty Warrior of the Forest Traveller Herd, Tribe of The Star Gazer of the Peaceful Waters Herd, etc.) These “mini herds” are led by a “High So-and-So” and his/her mate. The Highs in turn rally under the “Highest So-and-So” and his/her mate. The Highest lead their own mini herd, but are capable of rallying all members of the mini tribes into just the major herd. In the event of a catastrophic event which requires the conjoining of all herds into The Great Herd, all three Highests (bar their mates) will meet together in one of their sacred places and vote on what to do. No one is allowed to abstain a vote.
Part of the reason why there are no castes, outside of “leader” and “not a leader”, is because there are no actual designated positions. Everyone, bar couples with developing eggs, have the chance to be selected to go on a food-gathering party. The parties consist of anywhere from 4 to 7 individuals, male and female, who go out and gather algae and other food, carrying them in nets and sacks also made from dried and braided plant strands. Also, most of the members are taught some form of basic medicine treatement, with the leaders and their mates knowing the most.
Since there isn’t much a blind species can do when it comes to art, the Blind Ones have taken up sculpting. Unlike most sculptures, though, these ones don’t depend on what you see – rather, it’s how the sound bounces in and off of them. Many of the greatest sculptors were ones whose works creating haunting noises. They are carved out of either petrified wood, using sharp rocks, or by molding them out of clay or mud. The way that the Blind Ones are able to carve is by using their echolocation, which allows them to detect the grooves and holes made on the stone or wood. When the noises bounce off of the sculpture in a way that the artist likes, then he or she knows it’s done.
Examples:
http://www.bodyofart.com/site_media/user/galleries/MarbleMan/stone-sculptures/homeboaboa-envsrcboawebsitesite_media4supermassiveblackhole_1.jpg
http://www.trevisan-international-art.com/images_artists_current/leeman_yvonne/gallery/leeman/leeman_sculpture_with_holes.jpg
http://www.dailyartmuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/kukla_twisted.jpg
When they come of mating age (typically 20-23 years of age), a Blind One will create their own special stonepiece to wear around their neck. These stones are normally flat and smooth, either square-ish or circular, and have one hole carved into the center. Each stone is unique to their creator, and is worn around the neck by creating twine out of dried and intricately braided plant strands.
Technology level: As far as technology goes, they haven’t hit the blaster yet. Or anything involving guns, really. The most advanced weapon the Blind Ones have are spear pikes. This isn’t because they aren’t smart enough to develop more advanced weapons – if anything, it’s because they not only lack the resources but also the motivation to do so.
General behavior:
Since Blind Ones mate for life, it is imperative that a compatible mate be selected. As such, every three years, those who are of age go to one of three sacred sites for the ritual. (The sites themselves are opened to all, which is why there are cases of interracial mating, but generally speaking each herd sticks to one.) The unmated Blind Ones then begin to sing a special, unique “mating song”. The result is a symphony of organized chaos, with everything both in harmony and out of sync. However, a Blind One will harmonize with only a handful of those present, narrowing down the search. From the leftover candidates, the Blind One will track down the one which harmonizes the most with his or her own song, and from their a new ritual begins: the two will make an attempt to harmonize perfectly with one another, and if it works, the two will stop singing and will exchange stonepieces. If not, the pair renews their search.
After the rituals are performed, the pairs of mates carve matching symbols onto their stonepieces to make the coupling permanent. It is unheard of for any mated Blind One to remove his or her stonepiece, even if his or her mate is dead.
Another cultural behaviour the Blind Ones have is the general acceptance that it’s not always the deed itself which is evil, but the intent. This is why She Who Enchants All was forgiven so quickly – she wanted to rule, yes, but she wasn’t planning on becoming a mass murderer or anything. At the same time, it’s also why He Who Deserves No Name was so hated – yes, he killed many, many Blind Ones, but he also did so with the intent to force everyone to obey him by using fear, and oftentimes killed just for the heck of it.
History: While it was disputed whether or not Ashaa, the Mother Machine, created Twi’leks and Zabraks, the Blind Ones really were one of her “children” she was asked to make for the Rakata. While the original specimens (and their descendents) all were born with Force Sensitivity, the thing the Rakata were looking for, their appearance so disgusted their creators that, despite Ashaa’s objections, the Rakata dumped the creatures on the far-away planet of Monastery and promptly forgot them. From there, the Blind Ones hid in the caves and over the years, not only developed their extreme sensitivity to light and aridness, but also expanded their vocal abilities. Outside of the events associated with the aforementioned gods, nothing of extravagance really happened (except for a few inter-tribal feuds over land here and there). Their contact with the Order of the Sacred Circle sputtered out and died over the centuries, and though both parties were aware of each other’s existence, the Blind Ones mostly hid from the monks.
Because of their isolation, most of the major galactic events had no effect on them. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, there have been records that a recon unit from the Yuuzhan Vong came to Monastery and discovered the Blind Ones, but since the creatures posed no threat and earned points for not using machines (and maybe from their appearance as well), they were once again left alone. However, many of their people had been transported and presumed dead from the Netherworld event, leaving all of the herds in a panic and calling for another Great Leader.
Notable Player-Characters: Ue-‘Kuo-‘Koe’c’cu-Eou (He Who Dreams Big -- will be made if this is approved)
Intent: Aside from adding my own playable species to the mix? I want to create a sort of “monstrous”-looking character that was also an original. After all, it seems like a lot of the species that people have (not all, mind you) are aesthetically pleasing. And there’s too many Twi’leks running around, dangit!
Head:
Body’s general appearance:
Skin pattern examples (when viewed under a blacklight or in darkness):
Name: Eeo’c’ke'k-O’ceu (Blind Ones)
Designation: Sentient
Homeworld: Monastery
Language: Ouo-Uo’cuue, though they have the ability to learn Ortolan, Basic, and other languages (just not ones which involve tentacles or pheromones)
Average height of adults: 1.9 m
Skin color: Anywhere from white to light grey (however, if a Blind One is sick their skin becomes a sickly yellow). The skin is also slightly transparent, and in some individuals the veins are visible.
Hair color: No hair!
Breathes: Type I and Type II
Strengths:
- Underwater Agility: As evidenced by their physiological structure, Blind Ones are incredibly agile in water, able to perform feats which less-bendy creatures wouldn’t be able to.
- Noise Capacity: Since the Blind Ones live primarily underwater, they’ve developed the ability to create sound waves which will not only travel easier in water, but also farther. This means they can create pitches both above (ultrasonic) and below (subsonic) what most humanoids can hear. This also means that their vocal chords are capable of replicating some other humanoid languages.
- Echolocation: Part of the reason why “c” and “k” are the only consonants in their language is because the Blind Ones use echolocation to detect their surroundings.
- Hypersensitive Hearing: Though they don’t have your run-of-the-mill ears, per se, Blind Ones have hypersensitive auditory organs which allow them to hear the faintest of noises, even outside of water.
- Force Sense: As part of their evolution in survival, every member of the species is Force Sensitive – but only so that they may use the ability “Force Sense”. Even then, the greatest capacity is usually adept level. That being said, it is possible for a Blind One to be able to make greater use of its Force Connection, but these individuals usually number 1 in 1000. [member="Coryth Elaris"]
- Water Pressure: They are able to withstand greater water/atmospheric pressure than most other humanoids, as most of their food source is found in deeper areas of water.
Weaknesses:
- Humidity: When aboveground, the Blind Ones secrete a mucous covering to keep their skin moist. In order to keep the mucous consistent, though, there must be a sufficient amount of humidity present. If not, then the mucous will start to dry up, which then leads to: skin cracking and peeling from dryness, and a musky, slightly unpleasant odour being given off.
A side effect of low humidity is the fact that, as the skin dries and cracks, the chances of a Blind One contracting an infection or virus increases substantially (particularly since their immune system, rarely having to deal with such things, is only average)
[*]Hypersensitive Hearing: Since their hearing is so acute, it is easy to incapacitate or even deafen a Blind One with just the right sound at just the right decibel outside of water, since the air isn’t able to cushion the ports of their auditory organs.
[*]Light Sensitivity: Spending their days primarily in the dark, the Blind Ones’ skins are highly sensitive to light exposure. While artificial light isn’t much of a problem (thanks to a mucous covering), natural light will cut right through it. The result is their skin turns red and starts to create boils. Eventually, after an extended amount of time of exposure a Blind One will actually burn up. As kind of a “screw you”, though, the burned carcass also releases a pungent smell which can cause those of weaker dispositions to lose their stomach contents.
[*]Atmospheric Pressure: As stated before, Blind Ones are able to withstand greater pressure than most other humanoids. That being said, if they are subjected to less pressure than what they’re used to (i.e. zero gravity, or the upper atmosphere of a planet), a Blind One will suffer from nausea, vertigo, etc. The less pressure there is, the greater the effects of the symptoms. That being said, it is possible for their bodies to adjust after a while, but constant adjustment of the pressure will leave them incapacitated indefinitely.
[*]Underwater Only: The grace and agility which the Blind Ones exhibit underwater absolutely cannot be replicated on-land – they become clumsy, often tripping over their own feet and knocking things over. It doesn’t help that they’re almost 2 meters tall.
[*]Music Sensitivity: Since their culture and general lifestyle relies greatly on noise and music, it is possible to manipulate a Blind One using different musical pieces (i.e. play a soft, soothing lullaby to calm or put to sleep, play a war song to get their blood pumping, etc.)
Distinctions:
- Gills: On their head, mostly, and on their neck, they have gills which allow them to breathe underwater fairly easily. Outside of the water, these gills function as openings to their lungs, filtering the air and only drawing in what they can breathe.
- Bioluminescence: Each Blind One is born with small clusters of special cells scattered across their bodies which give off bioluminescence. While the primary function of this is to attract the small fish and creatures they prey on, there is also another function: rudimentary identification of gender and herd membership. While each cell cluster produces the same light, they are not the same color throughout the entire species. Rather, they are broken into three categories of light: green, blue, and violet (which, as explained later on, are also the colours of the three major herds). These in turn are broken into “Lighter Shade” (male) and “Darker Shade” (female), and while the shade variations are small, they are nonetheless noticeable by other Blind Ones, and here’s why. As seen in this chart, each wave of light has a different length, with violet being shorter and more condensed than blue and green, green being longer and less condensed than violet and blue, and blue being in the middle. It also stands to reason that a darker shade of green would be slightly more condensed than a lighter shade of green, a darker shade of blue would be slightly more condensed than a lighter shade, etc. Because of this, the cells actually give off faint vibrations as they activate, creating the necessary energy to “light ‘em up.” These vibrations vary on which waves are being produced. The waves from the vibrations then impact the water molecules, jostling them and producing “sound” waves which the Blind Ones can then hear (it works in very much the same way as hearing a phone vibrate on a table).
- Mucous: The mucous they secrete on their skins allows the Blind Ones to travel out of the water, like if they want to explore “dry” caverns or traverse the rainforests of their home. As stated before, though, without humidity in the air the mucous soon becomes useless.
- Teeth: Their teeth are actually bristles similar to the teeth of a humpback whale’s, and serve a similar purpose. The bristles act as a way to filter out water while at the same time keeping the food inside. There are no molars, as the food is swallowed whole. However, the bristles are a bit wider and tougher than a whale’s.
- Gender Distinctions: Aside from the lights, there are no ways to tell a male from a female.
- Offspring: While Blind Ones mate in the same way as mammalian humanoids, their offspring come out of an egg – When the zygote makes the transition over to an embryo, the development of other organs and whatnot halts in favour of creating a hard outer shell, which grows fully in two-three weeks. The egg, which by this time is about ten inches in height and has a diametre of roughly six inches, exits the womb and will take another four to five months until the embryo has finished growing and developing. Meanwhile, the parents build a nest or “cocoon” underwater to shelter the egg until it’s done. There are no more than one egg produced at a time, and the average rate of birth for a mated couple in their entire lifespan is one to three offspring.
- Nocturnal: Because of their necessary dependence on the darkness and natural aversion to the light, Blind Ones are nocturnal, i.e. sleep during the day and awake at night.
Average Lifespan: 90-125 years, though some have been reported to live as long as 140.
Races:
- Forest Traveller (Green) Herd: These are the Blind Ones with the green lights, and are called such because they spend most of their time travelling the rainforests while awake. It has also been speculate that the reason why their lights are green is because, unlike the other two herds, these ones eat more “above water” greens than algae, though they still eat fish and other small amphibious/aquatic animals. While the general land clumsiness is there, the Forest Travellers are actually much more graceful than their two counterparts. They also exhibit more curiosity towards outsiders, and are less startled by “otherworldly” visitors, displaying more bravery than the other two.
- Deeper Caverns (Violet) Herd: These Blind Ones are the ones which can tolerate the highest amount of pressure, out of the whole species (thanks to their skin bein thicker and more insulating than the other two). They are called “Deeper Caverns” because they live near the hydrothermal vents, which are only found in the deeper parts of the cave systems on Monastery. The few scientists which have met members of this herd speculate that the violet color is due in part to the amount of sulfides the vents give off, which in turn are absorbed by this Herd. Because of their relative isolation, the Deeper Caverns Herd tend to seem a bit “snubbish” to outsiders, showing little to no curiosity towards new and strange things, and prefer, over all, to keep to themselves and let the world go on.
- Peaceful Waters (Blue) Herd: Last but not least, these guys are named for their tendency to settle in cavern pools which do not have any direct contact with currents, leaving the waters to be still. The most subdued of the three races, the Peaceful Waters members display shy curiosity towards new things, and focus more on the spiritual aspect of the Blind Ones’ culture. Since there is no actual cause for the color of their spots, many have theorized that the Peaceful Waters Herd was the original or “default” group, until different-minded individuals split off. Indeed, this would certainly coincide with the legends that talk about the official emergence of the three herds.
Estimated Population: Found only on Monastery (though a few here and there have been kidnapped off-world as slaves or pets), and are common only in the deeper parts of the cave systems.
Diet: Algae and other plant life; small fish and newts/salamanders which live within the caves – no meat outside of that. Red meat will make a Blind One sick. Fish and plants can be eaten either raw or cooked, though raw is the default choice.
Communication: Verbal, consisting of clicks, hisses, and long moaning noises (like a mix between a whale, a snake, and a cicada)
Culture:
Religion:
Like most cultures, the Blind Ones have a “heaven” and a “hell”, a place of “good” and a place of “bad”. Unlike other cultures, however, “White” and “light” do not represent good, nor do “Black” and “darkness” represent evil – rather, it is the opposite. The Undying Darkness is the place where the souls of Blind Ones are sent to sleep peacefully and spend their days without care, answering the prayers of their loved ones. The Burning Light, however, is where the wicked are sent to repent for their cruel deeds. “May your afterlife be eternally spent in the Undying Darkness” is a phrase of respect, used when parting ways with friends, families, or those you respect. “I hope you rot and burn in the brightest pits of the Burning Light”, however, is a phrase only said to those you really, really hate and is considered one of the worst insults to be received. Gods: The Blind Ones do not have gods, per se, but they do pray to ancestors who were renowned for something – usually preventing the destruction of the species. Since there aren’t really many events that’ve happened, and since the ancestors remembered depends on which herd you’re in, there are very few monogamous “gods”. They are, as listed:
- The One With Eyes – This Blind One, a female from the First Great Herd, was the only member in the entirety of the race to be born with “eyes”; on the part of the skull where the eyes normally were on other humanoids, the bone was ingressed and there was a thin layer of skin covering two eyelike structures. Though they lacked defined irises and pupils, they nonetheless gave The One With Eyes a gift no other Blind One to this day has ever received: sight. According to the legends, she is actually the reason why there are three herds today. Being able to soak in the visual wonders of their world, The One With Eyes was more curious than her fellow Blind Ones, exploring the world at night and being the first to see and describe the stars. She was also the one who first came into contact with the Order of the Sacred Circle monks, and acted as liaison between the two. However, her activities and reports led to three groups being formed: Those who wanted to continue to explore (Forest Travellers), those who wanted to stay where they were (Peaceful Waters), and those who saw the new world as dangerous, choosing instead to move to deeper waters (Deeper Caverns). While the first two still view her in a relatively positive light, the last one holds her in contempt to this day. She is generally prayed to for guidance when negotiating things, as well as protection when travelling or exploring.
- The Creator of Beautiful Statues – A male from the Deeper Caverns Herd, this one was born many years after The One With Eyes passed away. Even before the age of ten, The Creator of Beautiful Statues exhibited a remarkable talent for creating statues, and many of his works hold the highest places of honor at sacred sites. He is generally prayed to for assistance with creative endeavors that even go beyond basic sculpting.
- She Who Enchants All – A female from the Peaceful Waters Herd, She Who Enchants All was born as The Girl Without A Voice, yet another abnormality within the species. From birth to about 23 years of age, she never spoke a peep, and was often shunned by her peers (mostly because they didn’t even know she was there to begin with). When she turned 18, though, her voice finally appeared, and her name was changed to She Who Enchants All, for her voice was reported to be the most beautiful sound ever heard. Unlike other Blind Ones, her voice was so amazing that it could harmonize with almost anyone, and almost no one was left untouched. This soon proved to be problematic because, allowing the attention to go to her head, She Who Enchants All started to attempt a takeover of all herds, causing almost everyone to fall under her thrall. However, a Blind One who eventually became known as The Second Great Leader managed to put a stop to her plans by shattering the haze she’d built up in her mind. Relenting in her pursuit of rulership, She Who Enchants All took The Second Great Leader as a mate and was content to simply live, but was killed by He Who Deserves No Name. Though the memory of her attempted dictatorship is still around, Blind Ones nonetheless pray to her in matters such as finding a mate and her name is one of many used for blessings, such as: “May She Who Enchants All grant you the clearest voice and the sweetest of melodies.”
- The Great Leader and The Second Great Leader – The Great Leader was a Blind One who was the first one to unite the Herds in a time of crisis, and ironically was the relative of The One With Eyes. The Great Leader’s gender changes from tribe to tribe, as well as their exact familial relationship to The One With Eyes. The gist of the story, however, remains the same: a few centuries after the splitting of the original herd, a devastating drought seized hold of the Blind Ones’ habitats, causing starvation and death all around, as well as tempers to run high. Realising that the Blind Ones would need to cooperate if they were to be saved, The Great Leader took the lead and managed to convince the three herds to become One Great Herd, stating that only together could they find a new home. Thanks to The Great Leader’s charisma and ability to get everyone to work together, the Blind Ones managed to relocate to a temporary place and wait out the drought before returning. The Second Great Leader was the great-grandson of The Great Leader, and as stated before managed to stop She Who Enchants All from taking over completely. Though several tribes attempted to convince The Second Great Leader to become their High or even their Highest, he refused, instead taking She Who Enchants All as his mate and settling down with the Peaceful Waters Herd. Despite his refusal to lead, many Blind Ones still held him in high esteem simply because of the sheer amount of people She Who Enchants All had swayed, and the relative ease with which she’d done it. He is also held in such high esteem because, a few years later, The Second Great Leader helped to put down yet another attempt at total rule, which is why he ranks up there with The Great Leader. It has been lost to the ages what herd The Great Leader and the Second Great Leader were born to, but all three pray to these two for strength, wisdom, and courage.
- He Who Deserves No Name – Born to the Deeper Caverns Herd, He Who Deserves No Name was one of the many who’d been enthralled by She Who Enchants All. After The Second Great Leader returned things to normal, He Who Deserves No Name found awakened in him his own lust for power, and secretly began to plan his own takeover. After several years, He Who Deserves No Name gathered enough supporters to attempt to rule everyone, killing various key individuals and using both charisma and fear to strengthen his campaign. Begged by his peers, The Second Great Leader came out of his peaceful living, and together with She Who Enchants All attempted to stop He Who Deserves No Name before it was too late. One day, The Second Great Leader and his companions were ambushed by the followers of He Who Deserves No Name, and She Who Enchants All was killed. Absolutely distraught by the death of his mate, The Second Great Leader renewed his resolve to bring down He Who Deserves No Name once and for all. After another year or so of cat-and-mouse with one another, the two went toe-to-toe in one of the more remote caverns, near a ledge called “Thundering Current” due to the loud – and powerful – waterfall next to it. After much wrestling and fighting, The Second Great Leader eventually stabbed He Who Deserves No Name in the heart and shoved him into the crashing waters below. He Who Deserves No Name isn’t so much a “god” as he is a boogeyman, with parents telling the tales of his exploits to their children in order to get them to behave. If anyone were to pray to him, it would be to assist them in whatever nefarious plot they’re planning.
Language:
Being a culture which revolves almost entirely around music and sound, the Blind Ones’ language is made primarily of vowels, though the consonants “c” and “k” are also used, with “c” sounding like and “s” and “k” retaining its harsh click noise. There are no actual spaces within a sentence, and dashes ( “-“ ) are used instead, as a space or pause indicates the end of a sentence. Similarly, apostrophes are used before “c” and “k” to indicate a transition from a vowel to a consonant. Words such as “My”, “his”, “hers”, and “yours” would become “me”, “she”, “he”, and “you”, regardless of what context it is in, meaning translators must also rely largely on the context of a sentence to understand its meaning. “I”, however, is still used. Also, one may use the following key to translate Basic to Ouo-Uo’cuue and vice-versa:
C – a, m, n, y
E – b, l, p, x,
K – d, j, q, w
O – f, I, r, v, z
U – g, h, s, t
Here is an example: “My cake is in the Hutt’s mouth” would translate to “ ‘Ce-‘cc’ke-ou-o’c-uue-Uuuuu-‘couuu.”Since it’d be hard to decipher such a clear-cut sentence, the Blind Ones often speak very descriptively, resulting in their sentences, when translated, to sound slightly long-winded.
Here is an example: “My cake is in the Hutt’s mouth” would become “Me delicious sugar bread food is within the eating apparatus of the large slug creature known as a Hutt,” which in turn becomes “ ‘Ce-‘keeo’coouu-uuu’co-eoe’c’k-ooo’k-ou-‘kouuo’c-uue-e’cuo’cu-‘cee’co’cuuu-oo-uue-e’coue-ueuu-‘coe’cuuoe-‘k’co’k’c-‘cu-‘c-Uuuu.” People who are not Blind Ones also end up sounding like dying whales when attempting to replicate their language.
Their naming conventions follow suit with their speaking habits, oftentimes being a descriptor of what the child was or what happened during the child’s life. Usually, children are born with simple names (i.e. Daughter of So-and-So, Son of So-and-so, Eldest Child of So-and-So) until they reach ten years of age. At this point, the children choose the names they feel fit them best, and as such traditional names include (in both Basic and Ouo-Uo’cuue): The One With Eyes / Uue-O’ce-‘Kouu-E’ceu; Mighty Hunter / ‘Couuu’c-Uu’cueo; Wise Beyond Age / ‘Koue-Ee’co’c’k-‘Cue; etc. Also, if a child were to take the name of one of his or her parents, it would be “The Second Mighty Hunter”, “The Third Mighty Hunter,” and so on and so forth. A parent may only lend his or her name to one of their children, but this normally doesn’t pose much of a problem due to the relatively low birth rates.
Castes:
There are no actual castes within the herds, but the three major ones are broken down into even smaller groups, whose names depend on who’s leading them at the time (i.e. Tribe of Mighty Warrior of the Forest Traveller Herd, Tribe of The Star Gazer of the Peaceful Waters Herd, etc.) These “mini herds” are led by a “High So-and-So” and his/her mate. The Highs in turn rally under the “Highest So-and-So” and his/her mate. The Highest lead their own mini herd, but are capable of rallying all members of the mini tribes into just the major herd. In the event of a catastrophic event which requires the conjoining of all herds into The Great Herd, all three Highests (bar their mates) will meet together in one of their sacred places and vote on what to do. No one is allowed to abstain a vote.
Part of the reason why there are no castes, outside of “leader” and “not a leader”, is because there are no actual designated positions. Everyone, bar couples with developing eggs, have the chance to be selected to go on a food-gathering party. The parties consist of anywhere from 4 to 7 individuals, male and female, who go out and gather algae and other food, carrying them in nets and sacks also made from dried and braided plant strands. Also, most of the members are taught some form of basic medicine treatement, with the leaders and their mates knowing the most.
Art:
Since there isn’t much a blind species can do when it comes to art, the Blind Ones have taken up sculpting. Unlike most sculptures, though, these ones don’t depend on what you see – rather, it’s how the sound bounces in and off of them. Many of the greatest sculptors were ones whose works creating haunting noises. They are carved out of either petrified wood, using sharp rocks, or by molding them out of clay or mud. The way that the Blind Ones are able to carve is by using their echolocation, which allows them to detect the grooves and holes made on the stone or wood. When the noises bounce off of the sculpture in a way that the artist likes, then he or she knows it’s done.
Examples:
http://www.bodyofart.com/site_media/user/galleries/MarbleMan/stone-sculptures/homeboaboa-envsrcboawebsitesite_media4supermassiveblackhole_1.jpg
http://www.trevisan-international-art.com/images_artists_current/leeman_yvonne/gallery/leeman/leeman_sculpture_with_holes.jpg
http://www.dailyartmuse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/kukla_twisted.jpg
When they come of mating age (typically 20-23 years of age), a Blind One will create their own special stonepiece to wear around their neck. These stones are normally flat and smooth, either square-ish or circular, and have one hole carved into the center. Each stone is unique to their creator, and is worn around the neck by creating twine out of dried and intricately braided plant strands.
Technology level: As far as technology goes, they haven’t hit the blaster yet. Or anything involving guns, really. The most advanced weapon the Blind Ones have are spear pikes. This isn’t because they aren’t smart enough to develop more advanced weapons – if anything, it’s because they not only lack the resources but also the motivation to do so.
General behavior:
Mating Rituals:
Since Blind Ones mate for life, it is imperative that a compatible mate be selected. As such, every three years, those who are of age go to one of three sacred sites for the ritual. (The sites themselves are opened to all, which is why there are cases of interracial mating, but generally speaking each herd sticks to one.) The unmated Blind Ones then begin to sing a special, unique “mating song”. The result is a symphony of organized chaos, with everything both in harmony and out of sync. However, a Blind One will harmonize with only a handful of those present, narrowing down the search. From the leftover candidates, the Blind One will track down the one which harmonizes the most with his or her own song, and from their a new ritual begins: the two will make an attempt to harmonize perfectly with one another, and if it works, the two will stop singing and will exchange stonepieces. If not, the pair renews their search.
After the rituals are performed, the pairs of mates carve matching symbols onto their stonepieces to make the coupling permanent. It is unheard of for any mated Blind One to remove his or her stonepiece, even if his or her mate is dead.
Temperament:
While it varies from herd to herd, Blind Ones are usually slow to anger or become violent, and on the whole are fairly peaceful creatures, choosing to avoid conflict and killing only when necessary. Other Behaviour:
The Forest Traveller Herd is the most outgoing, the Peaceful Waters Herd is the most, well, peaceful and accepting, and the Deeper Caverns Herd is the group most likely to snub outsiders. That being said, however, a recurrent theme in all herds is the care and fierce protection given to the children from birth to when they are of mating age. The most likely reason behind this is the low birth rates, making any young Blind One valuable to his or her tribe. Any crimes committed against a child are immediately punishable by death, and domestic abuse against a child is almost unheard of (which was why He Who Deserves No Name was so loathed after his death, when the full extent of his deeds became known). Another cultural behaviour the Blind Ones have is the general acceptance that it’s not always the deed itself which is evil, but the intent. This is why She Who Enchants All was forgiven so quickly – she wanted to rule, yes, but she wasn’t planning on becoming a mass murderer or anything. At the same time, it’s also why He Who Deserves No Name was so hated – yes, he killed many, many Blind Ones, but he also did so with the intent to force everyone to obey him by using fear, and oftentimes killed just for the heck of it.
History: While it was disputed whether or not Ashaa, the Mother Machine, created Twi’leks and Zabraks, the Blind Ones really were one of her “children” she was asked to make for the Rakata. While the original specimens (and their descendents) all were born with Force Sensitivity, the thing the Rakata were looking for, their appearance so disgusted their creators that, despite Ashaa’s objections, the Rakata dumped the creatures on the far-away planet of Monastery and promptly forgot them. From there, the Blind Ones hid in the caves and over the years, not only developed their extreme sensitivity to light and aridness, but also expanded their vocal abilities. Outside of the events associated with the aforementioned gods, nothing of extravagance really happened (except for a few inter-tribal feuds over land here and there). Their contact with the Order of the Sacred Circle sputtered out and died over the centuries, and though both parties were aware of each other’s existence, the Blind Ones mostly hid from the monks.
Because of their isolation, most of the major galactic events had no effect on them. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, there have been records that a recon unit from the Yuuzhan Vong came to Monastery and discovered the Blind Ones, but since the creatures posed no threat and earned points for not using machines (and maybe from their appearance as well), they were once again left alone. However, many of their people had been transported and presumed dead from the Netherworld event, leaving all of the herds in a panic and calling for another Great Leader.
Notable Player-Characters: Ue-‘Kuo-‘Koe’c’cu-Eou (He Who Dreams Big -- will be made if this is approved)
Intent: Aside from adding my own playable species to the mix? I want to create a sort of “monstrous”-looking character that was also an original. After all, it seems like a lot of the species that people have (not all, mind you) are aesthetically pleasing. And there’s too many Twi’leks running around, dangit!
