Work In Progress Cathar [Canon]

[Jonyna Si]

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OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To codify, and improve on a planet that is near and dear to my character, the homeworld of Cathar
• Image Credit: Banner Image, Rainforest Image, Savannah Image, Mountains, Forest of Dreams, Great Plains, Volcano Image seems to be just a pinterest link. Sorry., Hope's Cradle
• Canon: Cathar
• Permissions: N/A
• Links:
  • Jonyna Si
  • Rara Gowisi
  • Si Tech
  • Ran Dom Kuun

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Planet Name: Cathar
• Demonym: Cathar
• Region: Quelli Sector
• System Name: Cathar
• System Features:
  • Nyota, the local star. Orange in color, the red giant is the central star of the Cathar system
  • Enkas Laha, the first planet in the Cathar System. Orbiting just close enough to Nyota to function as a planet without being torn apart, Enkas Laha or "Red Rock" spins around the planet so fast that some within the Cathar species assumed it was a beast, chasing it's own tail. The near constantly molten planet is made up mostly of unexploited iron, and is completely inhospitable to all forms of life that aren't hardened to standing in the backwash of solar radiation.
  • Mo'ki Vysok, the second planet in the system, also known as "Green Star", is a planet rife with life, but never went through the intelligent life explosion that most of the galaxy did. Untamed and overrun with animal life, the planet is practically entirely jungle.
  • Cathar, (See the Rest of the sub)
  • Lya dom tak Shaa'tuk, Cathar's single moon. It shines almost as bright as the sun, the stellar object circling only 363,300 km away from the planet in a near perfect orbit, leaving it in a constant state of "Supermoon"
  • Siny'ahzeli Mala'mi, the fourth planet in the Cathar system. A massive ocean planet, it's unknown if this planet has life on it or not, as it's oceans stretch across the entire planet, double the size of Cathar, and featuring a massive ring system around it that seems to have captured most, if not all of the remaining asteroids that would normally form a belt around the system.
  • Jonyna dom tak Shaa'tuk, the fifth planet of the Cathar system. A gas giant that seems to be a failed star, the planet known as the "Great Flame of the Night". While it's make up is unknown to the Cathar, it does act as a swirling red dot in the night sky.
• Location:
  • 
• Major Imports:
  • Luxury goods
  • Technology
• Major Exports:
  • Plant Fiber
  • Labor
  • Kyber Crystals
• Unexploited Resources:
  • Durasteel Ore
  • City-Tree Wood
  • Kyber Crystals
  • Wildlife

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

• Gravity: Standard
• Climate: Temperate, Mostly Rainforest
  • Cathar is known for it's significant, world-wide wet season, in which the Equator is often entirely covered in rainstorms, and can produced quite violent thunderstorms.
• Primary Terrain:
  • Rainforest: The equatorial ring, known to cover most of the planet, is a massive, near continuous rainforest that covers most of the planet, and contains most of it's life. A variety of species rely on it to keep them alive.
    
    
    
    
  • Savannah: The northern and southern hemisphere are covered in endless savannah, that acts as the home of the Cathar. Spotted with massive City-Trees, the savannah is known as a massive hub of trade and life for the species that share a name with the planet.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Mountains: Deep within the equatorial jungle, the Catharian Mountain Range that cuts the eastern jungle in half lies.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Oceans: To the west, the ocean of Cathar, Tyen Dze, sits. While not encompassing the entire planet, the massive saltwater body cuts off the northern savannah, and nearly splits the equatorial jungle in half. Other bodies spot the planet, acting as a lifeblood for the planet's massive population.
    
• Atmosphere: Type I
  • The Cathar atmosphere is practically hyper-oxygenated, the lack of industrial technology and massive plant life feeding a planet that supports massive incests and heavy felinoid anthropods.
    

LOCATION INFORMATION

• Capital City: N/A
  • Due to the tribal nature of the Cathar people, there is no true "Formal government", and thus a capital city entirely depends on which tribe you are referring to.
    
• Planetary Features: N/A
  • The Cathar believe in harmony with nature, as such, very little artificial features exist. Housing is carved directly into the trees, as are the space ports that act as the lifeline to the rest of the galaxy. While roads do exist, they are often mere footpaths that have been well traveled, rather than massive roadworks.
    
• Major Locations:
  • Hra dom Zarzêa: The "Forest of Dreams", surrounds the Force Nexus known as "The Tree of Life". The radiating light side energy seems to pacify all who enter the forest, and allow any buried there to linger for generations to visit. As such, it has become a traditional burial ground for the cathar, and place of meditation for those gifted in the Force. A place of incredible beauty, the tree's leaves glow a deep blue and the fruit from said trees are used in spiritial rituals that can heal a wounded force user's connection if it is severed.
    
    
    
    
    
  • The Great Plains of Amathafa: A name given to the open savannah of the southern hemisphere, the area is known for it's lack of city trees, and brilliantly golden grass. Some cathar use it for races, or as an open plain to practice flying starships. The plains stretch several hundred miles, and crossing it unaided is considered a feat of great skill.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Mwamba Msituni: The tallest mountain of Cathar, it's peak reaches up to 58'000 feet roughly, and actually breaks the atmosphere. While climbing it without modern technology is impossible, it is known for it's several impressive features. Towards the base, a two mile waterfall that feeds the jungle below, and is considered a sacred site within Cathar culture. Higher up, a small temple acts as a place of meditation for jedi of the planet, though this has long been abandoned. The mountain itself has a near constant circular storm that rotates around the mountain, and the mountain itself is actually a massive volcano, formed over several millenia of constant slow eruption.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Uwanja Dom Ushindi: Nestled into the northern savannah is what to the uncultured eye would seem as an uninteresting plain of savannah. But to the Cathar, it acts as a tribal battlefield where rivalries are settled, hatchets are buried, and the young are trained. It's significance comes from it's location as the only battle the Cathar ever succeeded in against the Mandalorian Empire, a battle won through tribal wit and skill. The place is marked with banners of old, and torches that act as a reminder of the flames that once burned the savannah.
    
    
  • Bonde Dom Upendi: On the south side of Mwamba Msituni sits a valley that is clear of jungle, and acts as a place of beauty for the locals. Known as the Valley of Love, the small stream that runs through it and gorgeous fields of flowers is a destination for many young couples, hoping to find a place to get to know each other.
    
    
  • Bonde Dom Mauti: The Valley of Death is a place of mourning for the Cathar. The first landing point of the Mandalorian Empire, it is where the slaughter began, and many Cathar tribes consider it a haunting place to visit, some actively avoiding it if they can. Located on the north eastern side of the northern hemisphere, the valley is sometimes known for it's deep wailing winds, that sound like a dying animal, and it's complete lack of vegetation.
• Force Nexus: Vetar's Ha'ja, Hope's Cradle
  
  
• Intent: To codify the place where the Cathar weathered the storm of the Mandalorian Genocide
• Nexus Name: Vetar's Ha'ja
• Nexus Alignment: Light
• Size: Small
  • Deep within the Equatorial Jungle, a tree no larger than a Cathar, sits, radiating the hope of those forlorn. An entire generation of Cathar fled here, hoping to find solace from the slaughter.
• Strength: Strong
  • The nexus, formed from the desperate hopes of a dying people, seems to affect the surrounding forest and cause the plants in the mile around it to glow a deep blue, and alters their biology to be incredibly strong in the force.
• Accessibility:
  • To the untrained, finding Vetar's Ha'ja is practically a feat of legend. Hidden deep within the jungle, and intentionally obscured by the Cathar people after generations since the tragedy, the original tree is hidden under a maze of twisting roots, in a massive network of city-trees, hidden deep under the canopy of the normal jungle and twisting terrain of the undergrowth.
• Effects:
  • Vetar's Ha'ja instills hope within anyone who go near it, acting as a place of meditation and rest for those in dire straights. Many feel a sense of calm just from approaching the surrounding forest, and some come here to instill items with that sense. Dark side creatures that may approach immediately feel a sense of being pulled to the light, and their dark thoughts suppressed in favor of hope for the future.

POPULATION

• Native Species:
  • Fauna:
    • Cathar - The native intelligent species of this planet, the felinoid species has a deep connection to the planet, and a storied history within the galaxy. Forming societies within the massive City Trees, they were known for their loyalty, passion, and temper. Quick and powerful, they were considered great warriors and dedicated, efficient predators. While many subspecies live within the jungles and mountains, the main domain is the savannahs to the north and south of the equatorial jungle
    • Kiltik - Originally a species of solemn encountered beetles, the massive species grew in size over millenia, and has over the last few centuries formed super-colonies within the ground of Cathar. The native Cathar species has attempted to keep the Kiltik population down through ritual "blood hunts", but the threat to the ecosystem remains as super-colonies will consume and strip entire sections of flora over the course of a month, and thus are considered vermin by the intelligent species of the planet.
    • Ha'ra Ranmi - Named "Horned Hoppers" by the Cathar, the Ha'ra are a native mammal that also grows to significant size due to the oxygen level of the atmosphere. The species is known to be skittish, and can be aggressive if encountered. Their first instinct is often to ram a threat headfirst, before running away if that doesn't solve the problem. As such, they are considered a prize hunt by the Cathar, the meat making for great stew, and the hides used in tribal rituals.
    • Skih Rých - Massive pachyderm creatures, the "Toe Walkers", are native to the jungles, long prehensile noses attached to massive faces, the beasts are known for their rough skin, and their strange stance, walking on the knuckles of all four limbs, using complex, opposable fingers to climb through the dense canopy of the equatorial jungle.
    • Wark - A creature known to be the megafauna of the savannah, the Wark is a docile fourlegged beast, known for it's massive antlers that it uses to duel other males for dominance, or to ward off predators, using them as either battering rams, or massive flails to swing at predators. Their thick brown skin is used to ward off smaller creatures, and is often used by the Cathar as leather for skins.
    • Syaw Mok - A small force sensitive creature known to live in the grasses of the endless savannah, the Syaw are a strange mammalian-reptile hybrid, thin fur covering a cold blooded skin, eating mostly smaller invertebrates. They live in colonies of matriarchal nature, and seem to communicate purely through telepathy.
    • Ziio Nya'mayu - A Raven-sized insect, a quad-winged buzzer that is well known as living within the same city-trees as the Cathar. Many Cathar take the bugs in as pets, as the bugs seem to be semi-sentient, and friendly. Originally much bigger and much more deadly, the Ziio was adopted by the Cathar millenia ago, and have been domesticated to the point of docile behavior.
  • Flora:
    • City-Trees: Massive trees that sometimes are mistaken from a distance as mountains, the City-Tree is the result of the near complete lack of ice caps on Cathar, the waterlogged planet forming these massive trees to fill the niche of soaking up the fresh water. Home to the Cathar, the trees act as a sort of mutual neighborhood for entire subspecies. The two variants of the city-tree exist to fill the same niche, one adapted to act as an anchor point for other species within the vast jungles of the equator, and the other acting as a lifeline between the savannahs.
    • Dki Syaw - The savannahs of the Cathar wilds are mainly a home of various types of grasses, one of which is the Dki, a brown-ish grass that grows in abundance in the northern hemisphere, and acts as the home of many species. It's known for it's resilience, and many species have learned to use it as weaving material, for nests, rope, tools, and various other needs.
    • Bul dom ii Zerpa'era - A flower that sprouts deep in the jungle, the bloom is part of a large bush that grows high within the jungle emergant layer, but it's mostly known for it's flowering petals that earn it it's name. "Picture of a Lady" in Basic, the flower is considered one of the most beautiful things on Cathar, and it is considered a great romantic gesture for a cathar to find, and present one to their mate. Formed on the vines that fall from the bush, the flower spreads it spores through the air, hoping the wind will carry it to another high bush. To climb up so high, on such thin vines, is considered the greatest gesture a Cathar could do.
    • Liko dom Virdeti - Another mega tree, this makes up much of the heavily forested areas of the jungle, it's deep roots sometimes completely overtaking the jungle floor, acting as a home for many smaller species. It's branches seem to produce massive vines that flower alongside other plants, allowing the
    • Mi Inri Vishu - A large plant that forms in the canopy of the jungle, the bucket shaped leaves of Mi Inri Vishu form massive ponds high in the forest, that can create entire micro-ecosystems, the plant evolving to persist mostly of the waste of these small ecosystems. It's flowering stems can be found hanging with a vibrant blue and gold, and are deadly poisonous to those who dare consume them.
    • Si'ved Syaw - A moss that grows on the sides of a savannah city trees, well known by the Cathar as a dangerous plant, as uncooked, it acts as a parasite that causes the user to become insatiable hungry. It's main target are the Kiltiks, which cause the Kiltiks to form mega-colonies, and destroy the surrounding ecosystem. Once that is done, the starving kiltiks die off, allowing the spores of the moss to spread and once more lie dormant.
    • Si'pa Raj - Known as the "Swamp Killers", these trees are known for two things. Their high roots that allow the trunk to reach above the waterline of the swamps of Cathar, and their carnivorous tendencies. On the underside of the trunk is a fruiting flower that is supposedly delicious, if it weren't for the fact that it acts as a lure for the plant itself. Once you enter the high root system to reach the fruit on the underside of the trunk, the tree slowly forming a stick film over the entrances of the roots, trapping it's prey inside, before slowly lowering into the water and drowning it's prey.
• Immigrated Species: Wookie, Gungan, Human
• Population: Sparce
• Demographics:
  • 90% Native Cathar
  • 10% Immigrated Species
  • Primary Languages: Catharese
  • Culture:
    • Cathar culture has always been a tribal one. Born in the Savannah, the Cathar species never really saw the need to adapt out of a tribal nature. While culture may vary between tribes, many core tenants carry between them. The Cathar culture holds a high regard for moral values, kits instilled with a sense of right and wrong from a young age, as well as a deep tie to their tribe. Many cathar see their tribe-mates as brothers and sisters, and will go out of their way to assist those even if they barely knew them.
      
      The Cathar Religion is as such, inspired by the tribal nature of the Cathar. Many tribes incorporate body markings, tattoos and body paint being used for various signifiers between tribes. Tattoos are often used to mark familial ties, or marital status. Body paint is often used in various rituals, such as weddings and tribal festivals. The Cathar religion features a ritual known as the "Blood hunt", in which adolescent cathar are pushed to hunt and wipe out kiltik colonies singlehandedly, under the guidance of an elder. This allows them to purge their darkness, and master their rage, while allowing the Cathar to keep the massive population of Kiltiks at a manageable size.
      
      The Cathar have a deep appreciation for the jedi, having been nearly wiped out by the Mandalorians, only to be saved by the original Republic. While the wounds of that war are long faded, the jedi are seen as the saviors of the Cathar people, and such it is expected of any cathar who shows force sensitivity to become a jedi. Many cathar jedi are displayed in murals on the city-trees of the tribes, as are other figures of historical note. To have your own mural is considered the highest award a Cathar can achieve within their tribe.
      
      Cathar culture sees the force and nature as one in the same. The light is the sun, the dark is the shadow. You cannot force them to change, nor can you force it to do something it doesn't want to. The Sun will always rise. The Moon will always linger in the sky. To attempt to try and force it, rather than work with it, it seen as an evil act.
      
      Cathar seem to have a non-functioning economy, but upon closer inspection one would find that Cathar simply never designed a monetary system, in favor of a culture that emphasizes helping thy neighbor. If a neighbor comes to you looking for a trade-skill, you are culturally obligated to help them should you be able to. While this functions within tribes, there is a barter system between tribes that allows them to keep a fairly even tribal economy.
      
      Much of the cross-cultural artifacts are the result of the repopulation after the genocide of Cathar, as tribes dissolved in favor of species survival.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

• Government: Tribal Council. While the tribes of the Cathar do not meet often, there is a governing body that meets at Vetar's Ha'ja in the case of significant, planet effecting events.
• Affiliation: Mandalorian Protectors (Currently)
• Wealth: Low
  • While Cathar's tribes do not normally use money, they do keep such for outside trade. The Cathar Tribal Council governs the outside trade with the rest of the galaxy, and with the rise of Si Tech, it has slowly gained a rise in Cathar wealth.
• Stability: High
  • With the lack of large cities, the Cathar tribes seem to keep to themselves, and crimes within the tribes are handled mostly internally, and violent crimes are rare.
• Freedom & Oppression:
  • Cathar society is incredibly progressive compared to other parts of the galaxy. The tribal nature of their people means that while certain xenophobic tendencies can propogate, cathar culture dictates that so long as you can pull your weight, it doesn't matter what the circumstances of your birth were. Simply keep up with the rest of the tribe, and help when you can.

MILITARY & TECHNOLOGY

• Military:
  • While the Cathar don't have a 'formal' military, their tribal council do hold a standing set of elite warriors from each tribe should the need arise.
• Technology:
  • While some would consider Cathar "backwards", Si Tech's influence has allowed Cathar to grow to an emerging planet that, while they often chose not to, understands the modern world and can invent new technology in it.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Long before the Mandalorian Wars, Cathar was a peaceful world where the Cathar tribes, a race of primitive felines, evolved into an intelligent race of tribal hunters, that kept to themselves. This changed in 100,000 BBY, when the Kwa made first contact, allowing the Cathar to venture out into the stars, teaching them the ways of the Force, the ways of civilization.

While the Cathar were never the space-faring species of their contemporaries, they did act as a standing member of the early jedi, and was well known by this point as a species of known warriors. Notable, the Cathar Sylvar fought in the Great Sith War, losing her mate to the dark side, and slaying Ulic Quel-Droma.

This all changed in 3973 BBY when the Mandalorian Crusaders scorched the planet, and slaughtered most of the Cathar species. the Survivors, only half a million, either fled to the stars, or to what is now Vetar's Ha'ja, hiding deep within the jungle and praying for the saviors of the stars to come. When the jedi, and the Republic finally liberated Cathar, it was a shadow of it's former self. Jungles that had once been vibrant with life now sat barren, and savannah that once loomed with active city trees now burned to the ground.

But the Cathar rebuilt. They became a known member of the Republic, and while they never sat as a beacon of technology, their recovery was considered a known miracle of Republic Power.

When the Seperatists came, hoping to control the junction between the Hydia Way and Braxant Run, the Cathar engaged in a brutal guerilla warfare campaign against them with the assistance from Jedi and Clone Forces, but with the fall of the republic, and the end of the clone wars, the Cathar once again fell into obscurity. Cathar became prized as slaves and workers. One notable individual from this era was the rogue jedi Jonyna Si , who notable helped ward off an Imperial takeover of the planet via disabling a star destroyer by bricking it's computer systems, then murdering the moff in charge of it.

Generations later, many Cathar joined the fledgling NJO, and fought in the Vong Wars, in which Cathar itself was taken over by the Vong.

Cathar has since been passed through many hands. The Silver Jedi, the One Sith, the New Imperial Order, and now the Mandalorian Protectors. What does it's future hold? Only time will tell...