Founders of the Concord: Bothans in Mythic Space

 

Before the Illithid Invasion, the Bothans had a reputation for being sneaky, greedy, and untrustworthy. Many felt like they were smug and in on some joke only they knew the punchline to. Bothans gave the impression that they were merchants and no one gave them much thought, but during the Illithid Invasion they showed that they were much more than simple traders; they were a species to be respected and even feared.

            Not long after the Bothan joined the Galactic Concord, they made it known to their allies that they controlled a vast spy network. The revelation caused some very heated discussions about just how vast their network was, but suffice to say the Bothans had information on all of the stellar nations involved and beyond, many of whom were stellar nations the Bothans had not even officially met until the months leading up to the formation of the Concord. Their network also had gathered information on their attackers.

            The Illithid Invasion was more of a blitzkrieg, and they left little in the way of witnesses or survivors to their attacks. Therefore, information on the Illithids and their forces and technology was spotty at best and it was difficult for most intelligence agencies to separate fact from spacer fantasy. The intel from the Bothan Spynet helped change the course of the war. The allies now had a source of information that was more concrete than anything else collected. It was information from the Bothan Spynet that clued the allies in that the Ith-Kon may be a key to sowing discord in the Illithid ranks, for instance.

            Physical Description/Biology: Bothans are bipedal humanoids that are covered in fur that ripples in tune with their emotional state. Their fur ranges in color from light tan to stark black. They are shorter than the average human at around 5 feet in height. They have large ears, and long faces that make some humans think of a cross between a dog and goat. Both genders are capable of growing beards, but doing so has gone out of fashion among Bothan females.

            Personality: Knowledge is power. That has been the Bothan creed for since time out of memory. In the days before they took to the stars, Bothan clans would spy on each other, ferreting out weaknesses and secrets to exploit. Later, it was corporations and nations stealing plans, sabotaging projects, and waging wars of misinformation. To the non-Bothan, this makes their society look chaotic, disingenuous, and even narcisstic. Bothans would point out that their history has been marked by far more character assassinations than true assassinations. More Bothan corporations and nations have fallen in bloodless revolts due to espionage and propaganda than many of the other Concord member states.

            Bothans are seen as overly cautious, sneaky, and manipulative. However, Bothans are also seen as curious, brave, and strangely loyal. They make no bones about attempting to make the most of all information at their disposal, but they rarely use negative intelligence against someone who has not done something to warrant bring struck down. Those that have earned an Bothan’s trust will find that they are true friends that always have their back, even when they don’t realize it.

            Homeworld: Bothans hail from the planet, Bothawui in the Bothai system. They have colonized some nearby systems as well with Kothlis and Torolis being two of the more populous colonies.

            Religion: Much of their belief system is based on a system of Renown. Bothans revere those that have succeeded in ways far beyond that of the average Bothan. Not only do they see warriors and great leaders as near-deified heroes, but also those that have mastered a craft or trade or developed technology that benefited all of Bothan culture. The birthdays of their heroes and heroines are celebrated with various ceremonies usually tied to what the hero is famous for. Bothans in a field will often attempt to emulate the success of their chosen hero as they go about their work.

            Mutations: Bothan genetics are just as prone to wild and dramatic mutation as in humans. Mutants are common in the poorer regions of Bothan industrial complexes. Much like among humans, mutants are seen with a mixture of disgust, fear, and pity; they are shunned by most and offered meager help by others. The Bothan government has had to deal with allegations that they are shipping their mutants to remote colonies that are poorly supplied and maintained, just to keep the image of Bothawui as clean and pristine as possible. Not surprisingly, little concrete proof of such practices has been able to be brought to light.

            Cybernetics: Bothans are capable of having cybernetic implants. There is little to no stigma in using cybernetics in their culture.

            Psionics: Bothans can be psionically capable. As one can imagine, in a culture of subterfuge and espionage, having people who can divine the minds of others with simple concentration is seen as both a boon and a source of fear. Bothan psions are often sponsored by corporations and various power groups in their government, but they are kept on short leashes with many anti-psionic counter-measures being used throughout Bothan culture. Being around so many more psionically-capable species has made the Bothans a bit more paranoid than normal.

Bothan Species Traits

·         Agile: Bothans start play with a d6 in Agility.

·         Sharp Senses: Bothans are skilled in using their senses to gather information about what’s going on around them, which grants them a +2 bonus to Notice checks.

·         Fragile: Bothans aren’t as tough as other species and suffer a -1 penalty to Toughness.

·         Cautious: Bothans rarely do anything “off the cuff’. They think their words and their actions through. Bothans start play with the Cautious Hindrance. 

Bothan Species Traits (Rogue Space)

Archetypes: Scoundrels and Technicians, and add +1 to either Acquiring or Science.

Sharp Senses: Bothans gain a +1 bonus to Acquiring rolls made in relation to noticing important details through sight and sound. 

Psionics: Bothans can become Espers. Telepathy is the most common power, but all are open to them. 

Bothan Savage Worlds stats modified from Mike Glanville's excellent Savage Star Wars fanbook.