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OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To create a homeworld for Visanj T’shkali and a diverse, immersive location for future role-playing.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Planet Name: Dagata IV
Demonym: Dagatans
Region: Outer Rim Territories
System Name: Dagata System
System Features: The Dagata System contains the ruins of several shattered planets and moons, most in the form of asteroid belts. Only the gas giant, Dagata Prime, and its four moons (only one of which, Dagata IV, is habitable) remains intact. No one knows what caused the massive cataclysm millennia ago. Navigating the system is difficult for most, and virtually impossible for unshielded capital ships to avoid damage given the density of the field. The system can only be reached through ship captains and spacers with good navicomputers and skilled pilots, due to the extreme complexity and hazard of navigating the asteroids. Further, there are three orbital stations, whose design was borrowed from Cloud City on Bespin, which are engaged in the mining, refinement, and shipping of Tibanna gas, and its refined variant, Tibanna X. Dagata is not on a major trade route or hyperspace lane, requiring its traders to use confidential routes to reach these.
Coordinates: G-45
Major Imports: Dagata is self-sufficient, it had to learn to be during the four centuries of self-imposed sequestration during the Gulag Plague; it imports practically nothing beyond curios, luxury goods, and stolen or otherwise acquired technology and goods.
Major Exports: Ships, Technology, and Tibanna/TibannaX.
Unexploited Resources: None as yet discovered.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Gravity: 1.1 Standard
Climate: Temperate
Primary Terrain: Rainforest, mountains, oceans, and forest.
Atmosphere: Type 1, dense with common storms/rain.
LOCATION INFORMATION:
Capital City: Harastown
Planetary Features: Two major continents, one northern, one southern, each with polar regions beyond them. The capital (and only) city is located on a cluster of islands 2km off the north coast of the southern continent. The northern continent is mountainous and heavily forested, while the southern continent is more rainforest/jungle-type of terrain and climate. There is annual snowfall in the northern continent, and heavy year-round rain on the southern.
Major Locations:
POPULATION
Native Species: None
Immigrated Species: Twi’lek, Human, Togruta, Zeltron, Duros, Gossam, Verpine, Sullustan, Epicanthrix, Bothan, Mon Calamari, Kel Dor, Houk, Tognath, Muun, Pau’an, Imroosian, Nautolan.
Population: Moderate, 552,400 (Approximate)
Demographics: Twi’lek (20%) Human (17%) Togruta (9%) Zeltron (8%) Duros (7%) Gossam (5%) All other species (~5%)
Primary Languages: Outer Rim Basic, Dagatan Creole (a mixture of several demographics’ languages, heavily laced with idiom and slang), Mando’a, Ryl, Togruta, and Zeltron.
Society & Culture:
Dagata’s citizens hail from many points of origin, namely: Freed slaves, refugees, liberated workforces, disaffected veterans of a dozen wars, criminals, free spacers, and others whom the galaxy has forgotten and marginalized. On this commonality, they formed a society based on egalitarianism and meritocracy. That has evolved into a culture built around an extreme belief in liberty and fierce competition in every aspect of life.
From birth, Dagatans enter a world of absolute competition. Due to the small population size and the almost four centuries of sequestration during the Gulag Plague, the mixing of cultures fully saturated Dagatan life and society. Only the addition of Echani and Dathomiri much later would re-introduce distinctive cultural minorities in the wake of the fall of the Galactic Alliance and the return of the Sith Empire. As a result, Dagatan culture has become its own distinctive civilization, just as extensive inter-species breeding has brought about a more homogenous ethnicity.
Dagatan culture is fiercely competitive, with many distinctive warrior traditions and cultural influences prizing cunning, accomplishment, greed, and social status. Dagatans are, by nature, formidable and resilient, with notable pride, independence, and a sort of cultural code of honor that at once valued resourcefulness and cunning together with savvy mercantilism and entrepreneurship, but also protocol, shrewd diplomacy, and martial valor and prowess. Education rates are very high, and children began training in martial arts, survival, hunting, and warfare at a young age. However, there was also a thriving artistic community and widespread practices of mysticism and spirituality. A true son or daughter of Dagata was expected to know how to run a business, fight a war, compose a poem, play an instrument, know history, economics, government, engineering, and science with equal aplomb, play sports, in short, a sort of ‘renaissance ideal’ was in effect, with rigid codes of protocol, social hierarchy and status, competition in every aspect of life, and significant innovation and creativity. It was never enough to excel in just one or two areas, but rather a holistic excellence was sought-after. There was little room for laziness, apathy, cowardice, or neglect. Dagatan social culture could be amazingly rigid and strict, but privately deeply spiritual, holding that to achieve this holistic excellence required a strong connection to religion and spirituality. Family was important, as were friendships together with political and business relationships. Cunning was one thing, a lack of ethics was something else entirely. You could be ruthless, but had to do so ‘the right way’. Iconoclasm or ‘bucking the system’ was punished severely and quickly, as the price for social failure was almost always ruin. On Dagata, you win or you are relegated to the lowest rungs of the socio-economic ladder, a dishonor made all the worse by having made things harder on the next generation of your offspring. A typical Dagatan might seem haughty to outsiders, but really they simply understood that the world is not a place for weakness, and that constant effort and attention to self-betterment and the betterment of your family was the key to lasting success. The Dagatan work ethic was recognized across the galaxy, and anyone who found themselves at the top of the Dagatan social ladder was considered an extremely capable individual.
Private clubs and societies were common, and getting invited to join one or more was key to one’s elevation. So too was military honor, and many young Dagatans – being adventurous by nature – sought their fortunes in the ranks of the Militia. Dagatans did not shy from battle, or even a fight, and if you found yourself in battle against them, you needed to know that they feared losing more than death and view every fight as one for survival. Dagatans competed at everything, and a bold innovation or daring enterprise – if successful – could launch one up the social ladder much faster than merely excelling at one’s vocation. But a miscalculation or failed strategy might set you back just as much and just as fast. As a result, Dagatans always thought in terms of strategy, tactics, and calculating for precisely the right move and the perfect time to make it. Because of the stress of everyday life on Dagata, enjoying nature or the arts, recreation, time with family, or engaging in profound mystical and spiritual practices were welcome relief and deeply valued. This influenced Dagatan architecture and décor as well, as homes became sanctuaries and refuges from the competition and intensity, and gardens, ponds, aquariums, spaces for reclining and relaxation, all in an attempt to create spaces of tranquility and rejuvenation were common. Sports and fitness were popular too, and being sickly or unfit could cost you socially and even professionally. Beauty was prized, as was athleticism and martial prowess. Influences from Zeltron and Twi’lek culture make dressing provocatively, acting seductively and indulging in sensuality a commonplace feature of Dagatan society. Sexuality and courtship were not excused from competition, and rivalries for the most beautiful partners and mates, and those of the highest statuses, was common. As a result, courtship was highly developed, and suitors used song, poetry, charm, and wit to woo potential mates and win favor. Sexual prowess was another means of evaluating a prospective mate, and premarital relations were common. A man or woman needed to know their potential mate was a good lover before investing too much time and effort otherwise. “On Dagata, everything is an interview and a test” was a common saying. Duels were common, usually fought with blades or unarmed, but could be just as deadly as anything else. At the very least, a dueling scar was a common feature. Using Force abilities in a duel were considered unsporting, and this was reserved purely for fights with real enemies, not fellow Dagatans. There was a sense of patriotism and fraternity among Dagatans, for just as they competed with one another as individuals, they viewed competition with the galaxy as a collective to be of equal purpose and value. Outsiders were not readily valued, until they proved they had something to offer.
Celebrations were always big affairs, and throwing the best and most lavish parties and events was something else to compete for. Celebrating one’s accomplishments was a good way to prove one’s worth, and Dagatans did not miss the opportunity. Succulent and expensive foods, lavish gift-giving, and sensational entertainment were par for the course. Fashion and style was expected. It was said too, that on Dagata, you weren’t punished for breaking the law, you were punished for getting caught or doing it badly. If crime went unseen and unnoticed, it went unfettered. But woe to he who got caught! Because of this, some of the galaxy’s best criminals grew up here.
Dagatans were dutiful and diligent workers, perfectionists always vying to impress others with their work and stand out among their peers. As a result innovation was high, and when Dagata rejoined the galactic community, wealth came quickly. Craftsmanship, job performance, excellence was all astoundingly high, as everyone pushed to be the best in their chosen vocations. Success in one’s vocation commanded greater prestige, and with it greater wealth and opportunity for advancement in society. Corruption was present, and sloppy or flagrant corruption brought outrage and disgrace and was punished severely. On Dagata, getting to the top was everything, and those who couldn’t make it were quickly dismissed and passed over. Because of this, social stratification and personal excellence went hand in hand. The meritocracy and egalitarianism of the Founders lent itself to terrific battles for supremacy, as all had equal chance for both success and failure. Honor and excellence were everything, and one either attained them or not, and failure meant being relegated to lower social castes. Fail too often or too severely, and one was doomed to a low-class life. Divorce rates among lower classes were high, and children of low class parents often sought mentors elsewhere, hoping they could help them along better than their parents. Thus it was not uncommon for a young man or woman to become the protégé of someone outside of his or her family in hopes of better success, effectively exchanging their own family for an adopted one. Low-class Dagatans often went off-world, finding it easier to assimilate elsewhere or hoping to find new fortunes to allow them to return home better than they left.
GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY
Government Name: Dagatan Free State
Date Established: 3 ABY
Founder: Haras Mazah
Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy.
Head of Government: Jenn Fay, an elderly Pau’an statesman, has served as Prime Minister for most of the existence of the Dagatan Free State. The office of Baron(ess) has remained unfilled since it was ended with the death of Shalya Mazah in the early days of the Gulag Plague. The title, still passed through her descendants, is now held by Visanj T’shkali and remains only ceremonial now. The small Dagatan Parliament is the main legislative body. The Dagatan High Tribunal is the paramount court. Jenn Fay’s Cabinet, called ‘The Council’ is the main executive power.
Affiliation: Independent
Diplomacy: Friendly with the Galactic Alliance remnants, CIS, Outer Rim Coalition, Clan Rekali, and Underworld; poor or non-existent relations with the Sith Empire, First Order, Galactic Empire.
Wealth: High. Due to long years of good business, competition, and high-value acquisitions, and a nationalized tibanna mining enterprise, Dagata is very wealthy.
Stability: High. Dagatans have, since the beginning, had a strong sense of pride and patriotism, and their general dedication to the security, independence, and well-being of their society is notable. Due to the lack of any overwhelming majority species, and the common origins of their demographics in having been refugees, freed slaves, and others without homes, fleeing persecution and oppression, etc. there is little ethnic strife and a great deal of inter-species mixing at almost every level of society. However, Dagatans are wary of outsiders, and resist any notion of submitting to any wider confederacy or alliance, making them quasi-isolationists. A visitor, outside of the Den, will be judged suspiciously and receive cold or aloof responses from most people, unless a Dagatan Citizen is with them. It should be remembered that there is an intense and universal hatred for slavers here, and more than any, for Zyggerians. It is not illegal – and actually quite expected – for a self-respecting Dagatan to kill a Zyggerian on sight.
Freedom & Oppression: The Dagatan government exercises a ‘light touch’ with regards to governance, and civil liberty and market economy is high. Since the government takes its income in fees and percentages from commerce, individual citizens are not taxed, and there remains great opportunity for attaining wealth and social mobility. Slavery is illegal, and punished by death in every instance. Outside of the Den, crime is minimal and offenders are quickly caught by the Dagatan Security Corps. Inside the Den, however, there is a sort of ‘hands off’ policy, with law enforcement and government often looking the other way, even for crimes of murder and the like, making this District quite lawless. Yet, it isn’t a free-for-all either, as ships’ captains and business owners won’t tolerate activity which upsets commerce or endangers their people. Getting touchy with a dancer or cheating in cards, fighting and causing a public nuisance, or other outlandish or flagrant behavior is often regulated by the Den’s more powerful citizens, a practice which the government welcomes wholeheartedly. It should be noted, that speaking out against the memory of House Mazah-T’shkali, the Founders of Dagata, or against the Dagatan culture or way of life will earn you the ire of its citizens and push that too far, you may not live long.
MILITARY & TECHNOLOGY
Military: Dagata is protected by powerful planetary shield generators, and orbital defense platforms boasting heavy weaponry ensure a solid defense against an invader. Further, since the asteroid belt makes it almost impossible for capital ships to enter the system undetected, due to the limited access and the early warning sensors of the orbital platforms, any fleet seeking to attack will lack the element of surprise and very likely quickly lose heavy firepower sufficient to make a major invasion a very difficult operation to carry out. Of the twenty-two species making up the majority of the Dagatan population, most have long traditions as warrior cultures, and those traditions would be brought to bear quickly. Dagata does not have a standing military per se, but instead uses a system of part-time or reserve forces – the Dagatan Militia Corps – which comprises at any time several battalions of trained soldiers and a dozen squadrons of starfighters. In a time of war, the Baron(ess), who is the de facto supreme commander of the Dagatan military in times of war. The Privateer tradition and rule of Dagata remains, giving Dagata a ‘fleet’ of smugglers, pirates, bounty hunters, and mercenaries who will answer their world’s call, bringing experience and daring as always. It won’t be pretty, like some Chiss military parade, instead it will look like the Old Rebel Alliance, motley and determined, hard-bitten and resolute men and women from dozens of species, joined together to fight for their freedom. But if history is any judge, they will win. Dagata’s fighting spirit is the stuff of legends, guerillas and pirates, who will stop at nothing to preserve their liberty.
Technology: This planet draws from the resources and knowledge base of its many citizens. The Dagatan Shipwrights Association was founded by designers, engineers, and technicians liberated from the service of the Galactic Empire, and in their gratitude for their liberty and new home, they have provided significant expertise to the Dagatan Free State. Since then, Dagata has enjoyed considerable technological advancement and scientific discovery, easily on par with some of the most powerful factions and most notable corporations in the galaxy.
HISTORY
In the wake of the Imperial victory at Hoth during the Galactic Civil War, Haras Mazah, the smuggler-turned-Rebel Privateer, found himself at a crossroads. Since joining the Rebellion days after the Battle of Yavin, he and his crew of the Wayward Sun, had risen to become the most successful and storied band of privateers in the entire Alliance. But now, with the Alliance on the ropes, Haras wondered if he could continue the fight. His adopted daughter, Shalya Mazah, urged him to continue, but to no avail. Finally, Shalya proposed an intriguing option: She’d take on the leadership of their outfit, the Forgotten Squadron, while he would take the refugees, whose numbers were growing every day, to the remote moon of Dagata IV and give them a home. Haras lef them to Dagata IV, and using funds stolen from the Empire, began the foundations of what would become the Dagatan Free State.
Haras, along with most of the Forgotten, died in the Battle of Jakku, having returned to the fight to see the Empire finished once and for all. Disgusted by the failures of the New Republic, believing they had become as impotent and power-hungry as their predecessors, Shalya broke from it, and declared Dagata independent. She became its second Baron, or rather Baroness, and ruled as its leader for centuries. Under her leadership, Dagata blossomed. Shalya’s ‘hands off’ approach together with her encouragement of liberty, equality, and prosperity would see the city grow and evolve. The “Grey Lady” as she was called, studied and became a Jedi under the tutelage of Kel Miral, a Jedi survivor of the Great Purge and now a rogue whose ideas bordered on heresy. She eventually became more, but that is a topic for another time. Suffice to say, Harastown and Dagata would become a shining beacon to anyone who wished to truly be free.
The Dagatan Free State nationalized the Tibanna gas mining of the gas giant below, and the profits made them wealthy. Secluded, isolated, and remote, the Dagata System lived in peace and prosperity. The exploits of the Dagatan Militia against the First Order would ensure that would-be invaders and foes would take a second pause to consider if a war against a small world slavish devoted to its own liberty and willing to do anything to preserve it was worth the trouble. Their network of spies and agents across the galaxy was easily on par with any other intelligence service.
Dagata’s melting pot of cultures and ideas brought about the emergence of a hybridized culture, language (Dagatan Creole), and character. Shalya Mazah gave her life during the earliest days of the Gulag Plague, leading the fight to turn back a Hutt-led force determined to take over their world and make it a refuge from the plague spreading throughout the galaxy. Her sacrifice and example elevated her to legendary, if not almost religious worship. Her ideals of the ‘Grey Jedi’, tolerance and equality, the end of slavery and oppression throughout the galaxy, liberty in all forms, blended into a philosophy that guided Dagatan thought and society for four hundred years of self-imposed sequestration. When they emerged again, they saw ships carrying Dathomiri witches, Mandalorians who refused to bend and serve that culture’s new leadership, fugitives from Sith Empire expansionism, and they gave them a home among them. Dagata quickly resumed its prosperous trade empire, and its Militia continued to raid ships and outposts of corporations supporting the Sith, crime syndicates engaged in slavery, and Sith-aligned powers attempting to make inroads into the Outer Rim. A military build-up to maintain their independence followed soon after.
Today, Dagata remains independent, but has – for the first time – reached out to form relationships with like-minded entities such as the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Outer Rim Coalition, Underworld, and others who all shared their ideals, and a growing fear of the Sith Empire’s ambitions.
Intent: To create a homeworld for Visanj T’shkali and a diverse, immersive location for future role-playing.
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Canon: N/A
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Planet Name: Dagata IV
Demonym: Dagatans
Region: Outer Rim Territories
System Name: Dagata System
System Features: The Dagata System contains the ruins of several shattered planets and moons, most in the form of asteroid belts. Only the gas giant, Dagata Prime, and its four moons (only one of which, Dagata IV, is habitable) remains intact. No one knows what caused the massive cataclysm millennia ago. Navigating the system is difficult for most, and virtually impossible for unshielded capital ships to avoid damage given the density of the field. The system can only be reached through ship captains and spacers with good navicomputers and skilled pilots, due to the extreme complexity and hazard of navigating the asteroids. Further, there are three orbital stations, whose design was borrowed from Cloud City on Bespin, which are engaged in the mining, refinement, and shipping of Tibanna gas, and its refined variant, Tibanna X. Dagata is not on a major trade route or hyperspace lane, requiring its traders to use confidential routes to reach these.
Coordinates: G-45
Major Imports: Dagata is self-sufficient, it had to learn to be during the four centuries of self-imposed sequestration during the Gulag Plague; it imports practically nothing beyond curios, luxury goods, and stolen or otherwise acquired technology and goods.
Major Exports: Ships, Technology, and Tibanna/TibannaX.
Unexploited Resources: None as yet discovered.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Gravity: 1.1 Standard
Climate: Temperate
Primary Terrain: Rainforest, mountains, oceans, and forest.
Atmosphere: Type 1, dense with common storms/rain.
LOCATION INFORMATION:
Capital City: Harastown
Planetary Features: Two major continents, one northern, one southern, each with polar regions beyond them. The capital (and only) city is located on a cluster of islands 2km off the north coast of the southern continent. The northern continent is mountainous and heavily forested, while the southern continent is more rainforest/jungle-type of terrain and climate. There is annual snowfall in the northern continent, and heavy year-round rain on the southern.
Major Locations:
- Harastown: Dagata’s only city and in truth, its only ‘real’ settlement, Harastown was named for the Founder of the Dagatan Free State, Haras Mazah. Constructed with funds stolen from the Galactic Empire, Harastown’s first architects drew heavily on the old cities of Naboo for inspiration. Rusticated stone, domed tile roofs, cobblestone walks, gardens, waterfalls and canals, parks, these became the core of the city. As the city grew, new elements were added. Teeming with people by day, and glittering at night, Harastown is as alive and beautiful as any city one might visit. Divided into several Districts, Harastown is thriving and affluent, a home for half a million souls. Only landspeeders are permitted in Harastown. Built across several islands off the coast of the southern continent.
- District One - The oldest part of Harastown, it boasts landing pads and hangars, a tumultuous and vivacious night life, and many businesses and shops catering to spacers’ needs. Its spaceport is massive, with freighters, smugglers, pirates (called ‘Privateers’ on Dagata; ‘Pirate’ is a dirty word there), bounty hunters, mercenaries, and travelers coming and going day and night. Sometimes called the unofficial embassy of the Underworld, the Den, as it’s called, can be dangerous, exciting, and dynamic. Since Dagatan law makes bounty-hunting illegal outside of the Den, and makes all forms of crime both dangerous and rare outside as well, the Den is the hub for such behaviors. If you want a seedy club, filled with dancers, access to narcotics, stolen goods, intimate services for pay, really, if you want anything at all, you can get it in the Den if you have the credits. Outlaw techs stand ready to make upgrades and improvements to ships, many of which are illegal elsewhere in the galaxy. Fuel, repairs, parts, and even ships for sale can be found here. It’s Nar Shaddaa in miniature.
- District Two - The center of government, District Two or “Downtown”, boasts the home of the Parliament, apartments and luxury townhouses for political figures, consulates of foreign powers, financial institutions, upscale clubs and cantinas, museums, and luxury shopping can all be located Downtown. Also here, one finds the University of Dagata, the only institution of higher education on-world. Six centuries old, it is a venerable institution, with numerous departments and faculty noted for their academic accomplishments. Some ten thousand students attend classes here, and most Dagatans with collegiate and advanced degrees are counted as alumni.
- District Three - The Park, named for the large park there, boasting a manmade lake and canal system, gardens, outdoor concert venues, and tranquil locations. Around the park – called “Memorial Park” for its impressive memorial to Dagata’s Founders killed in the Galactic Civil War against the Empire – is found the city’s theatre scene, elite private clubs, art galleries, luxury townhouses, fine restaurants, mansions of the city’s wealthiest citizens, fashion houses, it is the tony part of Harastown, adjacent to the center of Dagatan political and economic power Downtown.
- District Four - The Groves, a large middle-class residential district with streets covered arches in fruit-and-flower-bearing trees lining either side. Most Dagatans live in the Groves, and some, usually the city’s avant-garde, dwell in houseboats along the canals. One can find many everyday shops, restaurants, and other businesses here.
- District Five – Lower-class residential area, pinched between the Den and the Groves, this is where the city’s working classes dwell.
- District Six – Adjacent to Downtown and the Park, this is the hub of the city’s entertainment scene. Luxury hotels, casinos, marinas, and rented beachfront houses line this district along the shores of the Dagatan Sea. Since Harastown is built across several large islands. Visitors here will find beaches filled with scantily-clad bathers, eager to show off the stereotypical Dagatan hard-bodies and beauty they are known for. Sailing, charter fishing, and swimming are common pasttimes. The fish markets here offer fresh caught seafood daily, and one can gamble in the casino, play a round of greenputt, watch a race at the track, or take in a game at the Capital Arena which boasts grav-ball and nuna-ball games.
POPULATION
Native Species: None
Immigrated Species: Twi’lek, Human, Togruta, Zeltron, Duros, Gossam, Verpine, Sullustan, Epicanthrix, Bothan, Mon Calamari, Kel Dor, Houk, Tognath, Muun, Pau’an, Imroosian, Nautolan.
Population: Moderate, 552,400 (Approximate)
Demographics: Twi’lek (20%) Human (17%) Togruta (9%) Zeltron (8%) Duros (7%) Gossam (5%) All other species (~5%)
Primary Languages: Outer Rim Basic, Dagatan Creole (a mixture of several demographics’ languages, heavily laced with idiom and slang), Mando’a, Ryl, Togruta, and Zeltron.
Society & Culture:
Dagata’s citizens hail from many points of origin, namely: Freed slaves, refugees, liberated workforces, disaffected veterans of a dozen wars, criminals, free spacers, and others whom the galaxy has forgotten and marginalized. On this commonality, they formed a society based on egalitarianism and meritocracy. That has evolved into a culture built around an extreme belief in liberty and fierce competition in every aspect of life.
From birth, Dagatans enter a world of absolute competition. Due to the small population size and the almost four centuries of sequestration during the Gulag Plague, the mixing of cultures fully saturated Dagatan life and society. Only the addition of Echani and Dathomiri much later would re-introduce distinctive cultural minorities in the wake of the fall of the Galactic Alliance and the return of the Sith Empire. As a result, Dagatan culture has become its own distinctive civilization, just as extensive inter-species breeding has brought about a more homogenous ethnicity.
Dagatan culture is fiercely competitive, with many distinctive warrior traditions and cultural influences prizing cunning, accomplishment, greed, and social status. Dagatans are, by nature, formidable and resilient, with notable pride, independence, and a sort of cultural code of honor that at once valued resourcefulness and cunning together with savvy mercantilism and entrepreneurship, but also protocol, shrewd diplomacy, and martial valor and prowess. Education rates are very high, and children began training in martial arts, survival, hunting, and warfare at a young age. However, there was also a thriving artistic community and widespread practices of mysticism and spirituality. A true son or daughter of Dagata was expected to know how to run a business, fight a war, compose a poem, play an instrument, know history, economics, government, engineering, and science with equal aplomb, play sports, in short, a sort of ‘renaissance ideal’ was in effect, with rigid codes of protocol, social hierarchy and status, competition in every aspect of life, and significant innovation and creativity. It was never enough to excel in just one or two areas, but rather a holistic excellence was sought-after. There was little room for laziness, apathy, cowardice, or neglect. Dagatan social culture could be amazingly rigid and strict, but privately deeply spiritual, holding that to achieve this holistic excellence required a strong connection to religion and spirituality. Family was important, as were friendships together with political and business relationships. Cunning was one thing, a lack of ethics was something else entirely. You could be ruthless, but had to do so ‘the right way’. Iconoclasm or ‘bucking the system’ was punished severely and quickly, as the price for social failure was almost always ruin. On Dagata, you win or you are relegated to the lowest rungs of the socio-economic ladder, a dishonor made all the worse by having made things harder on the next generation of your offspring. A typical Dagatan might seem haughty to outsiders, but really they simply understood that the world is not a place for weakness, and that constant effort and attention to self-betterment and the betterment of your family was the key to lasting success. The Dagatan work ethic was recognized across the galaxy, and anyone who found themselves at the top of the Dagatan social ladder was considered an extremely capable individual.
Private clubs and societies were common, and getting invited to join one or more was key to one’s elevation. So too was military honor, and many young Dagatans – being adventurous by nature – sought their fortunes in the ranks of the Militia. Dagatans did not shy from battle, or even a fight, and if you found yourself in battle against them, you needed to know that they feared losing more than death and view every fight as one for survival. Dagatans competed at everything, and a bold innovation or daring enterprise – if successful – could launch one up the social ladder much faster than merely excelling at one’s vocation. But a miscalculation or failed strategy might set you back just as much and just as fast. As a result, Dagatans always thought in terms of strategy, tactics, and calculating for precisely the right move and the perfect time to make it. Because of the stress of everyday life on Dagata, enjoying nature or the arts, recreation, time with family, or engaging in profound mystical and spiritual practices were welcome relief and deeply valued. This influenced Dagatan architecture and décor as well, as homes became sanctuaries and refuges from the competition and intensity, and gardens, ponds, aquariums, spaces for reclining and relaxation, all in an attempt to create spaces of tranquility and rejuvenation were common. Sports and fitness were popular too, and being sickly or unfit could cost you socially and even professionally. Beauty was prized, as was athleticism and martial prowess. Influences from Zeltron and Twi’lek culture make dressing provocatively, acting seductively and indulging in sensuality a commonplace feature of Dagatan society. Sexuality and courtship were not excused from competition, and rivalries for the most beautiful partners and mates, and those of the highest statuses, was common. As a result, courtship was highly developed, and suitors used song, poetry, charm, and wit to woo potential mates and win favor. Sexual prowess was another means of evaluating a prospective mate, and premarital relations were common. A man or woman needed to know their potential mate was a good lover before investing too much time and effort otherwise. “On Dagata, everything is an interview and a test” was a common saying. Duels were common, usually fought with blades or unarmed, but could be just as deadly as anything else. At the very least, a dueling scar was a common feature. Using Force abilities in a duel were considered unsporting, and this was reserved purely for fights with real enemies, not fellow Dagatans. There was a sense of patriotism and fraternity among Dagatans, for just as they competed with one another as individuals, they viewed competition with the galaxy as a collective to be of equal purpose and value. Outsiders were not readily valued, until they proved they had something to offer.
Celebrations were always big affairs, and throwing the best and most lavish parties and events was something else to compete for. Celebrating one’s accomplishments was a good way to prove one’s worth, and Dagatans did not miss the opportunity. Succulent and expensive foods, lavish gift-giving, and sensational entertainment were par for the course. Fashion and style was expected. It was said too, that on Dagata, you weren’t punished for breaking the law, you were punished for getting caught or doing it badly. If crime went unseen and unnoticed, it went unfettered. But woe to he who got caught! Because of this, some of the galaxy’s best criminals grew up here.
Dagatans were dutiful and diligent workers, perfectionists always vying to impress others with their work and stand out among their peers. As a result innovation was high, and when Dagata rejoined the galactic community, wealth came quickly. Craftsmanship, job performance, excellence was all astoundingly high, as everyone pushed to be the best in their chosen vocations. Success in one’s vocation commanded greater prestige, and with it greater wealth and opportunity for advancement in society. Corruption was present, and sloppy or flagrant corruption brought outrage and disgrace and was punished severely. On Dagata, getting to the top was everything, and those who couldn’t make it were quickly dismissed and passed over. Because of this, social stratification and personal excellence went hand in hand. The meritocracy and egalitarianism of the Founders lent itself to terrific battles for supremacy, as all had equal chance for both success and failure. Honor and excellence were everything, and one either attained them or not, and failure meant being relegated to lower social castes. Fail too often or too severely, and one was doomed to a low-class life. Divorce rates among lower classes were high, and children of low class parents often sought mentors elsewhere, hoping they could help them along better than their parents. Thus it was not uncommon for a young man or woman to become the protégé of someone outside of his or her family in hopes of better success, effectively exchanging their own family for an adopted one. Low-class Dagatans often went off-world, finding it easier to assimilate elsewhere or hoping to find new fortunes to allow them to return home better than they left.
GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY
Government Name: Dagatan Free State
Date Established: 3 ABY
Founder: Haras Mazah
Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy.
Head of Government: Jenn Fay, an elderly Pau’an statesman, has served as Prime Minister for most of the existence of the Dagatan Free State. The office of Baron(ess) has remained unfilled since it was ended with the death of Shalya Mazah in the early days of the Gulag Plague. The title, still passed through her descendants, is now held by Visanj T’shkali and remains only ceremonial now. The small Dagatan Parliament is the main legislative body. The Dagatan High Tribunal is the paramount court. Jenn Fay’s Cabinet, called ‘The Council’ is the main executive power.
Affiliation: Independent
Diplomacy: Friendly with the Galactic Alliance remnants, CIS, Outer Rim Coalition, Clan Rekali, and Underworld; poor or non-existent relations with the Sith Empire, First Order, Galactic Empire.
Wealth: High. Due to long years of good business, competition, and high-value acquisitions, and a nationalized tibanna mining enterprise, Dagata is very wealthy.
Stability: High. Dagatans have, since the beginning, had a strong sense of pride and patriotism, and their general dedication to the security, independence, and well-being of their society is notable. Due to the lack of any overwhelming majority species, and the common origins of their demographics in having been refugees, freed slaves, and others without homes, fleeing persecution and oppression, etc. there is little ethnic strife and a great deal of inter-species mixing at almost every level of society. However, Dagatans are wary of outsiders, and resist any notion of submitting to any wider confederacy or alliance, making them quasi-isolationists. A visitor, outside of the Den, will be judged suspiciously and receive cold or aloof responses from most people, unless a Dagatan Citizen is with them. It should be remembered that there is an intense and universal hatred for slavers here, and more than any, for Zyggerians. It is not illegal – and actually quite expected – for a self-respecting Dagatan to kill a Zyggerian on sight.
Freedom & Oppression: The Dagatan government exercises a ‘light touch’ with regards to governance, and civil liberty and market economy is high. Since the government takes its income in fees and percentages from commerce, individual citizens are not taxed, and there remains great opportunity for attaining wealth and social mobility. Slavery is illegal, and punished by death in every instance. Outside of the Den, crime is minimal and offenders are quickly caught by the Dagatan Security Corps. Inside the Den, however, there is a sort of ‘hands off’ policy, with law enforcement and government often looking the other way, even for crimes of murder and the like, making this District quite lawless. Yet, it isn’t a free-for-all either, as ships’ captains and business owners won’t tolerate activity which upsets commerce or endangers their people. Getting touchy with a dancer or cheating in cards, fighting and causing a public nuisance, or other outlandish or flagrant behavior is often regulated by the Den’s more powerful citizens, a practice which the government welcomes wholeheartedly. It should be noted, that speaking out against the memory of House Mazah-T’shkali, the Founders of Dagata, or against the Dagatan culture or way of life will earn you the ire of its citizens and push that too far, you may not live long.
MILITARY & TECHNOLOGY
Military: Dagata is protected by powerful planetary shield generators, and orbital defense platforms boasting heavy weaponry ensure a solid defense against an invader. Further, since the asteroid belt makes it almost impossible for capital ships to enter the system undetected, due to the limited access and the early warning sensors of the orbital platforms, any fleet seeking to attack will lack the element of surprise and very likely quickly lose heavy firepower sufficient to make a major invasion a very difficult operation to carry out. Of the twenty-two species making up the majority of the Dagatan population, most have long traditions as warrior cultures, and those traditions would be brought to bear quickly. Dagata does not have a standing military per se, but instead uses a system of part-time or reserve forces – the Dagatan Militia Corps – which comprises at any time several battalions of trained soldiers and a dozen squadrons of starfighters. In a time of war, the Baron(ess), who is the de facto supreme commander of the Dagatan military in times of war. The Privateer tradition and rule of Dagata remains, giving Dagata a ‘fleet’ of smugglers, pirates, bounty hunters, and mercenaries who will answer their world’s call, bringing experience and daring as always. It won’t be pretty, like some Chiss military parade, instead it will look like the Old Rebel Alliance, motley and determined, hard-bitten and resolute men and women from dozens of species, joined together to fight for their freedom. But if history is any judge, they will win. Dagata’s fighting spirit is the stuff of legends, guerillas and pirates, who will stop at nothing to preserve their liberty.
Technology: This planet draws from the resources and knowledge base of its many citizens. The Dagatan Shipwrights Association was founded by designers, engineers, and technicians liberated from the service of the Galactic Empire, and in their gratitude for their liberty and new home, they have provided significant expertise to the Dagatan Free State. Since then, Dagata has enjoyed considerable technological advancement and scientific discovery, easily on par with some of the most powerful factions and most notable corporations in the galaxy.
HISTORY
In the wake of the Imperial victory at Hoth during the Galactic Civil War, Haras Mazah, the smuggler-turned-Rebel Privateer, found himself at a crossroads. Since joining the Rebellion days after the Battle of Yavin, he and his crew of the Wayward Sun, had risen to become the most successful and storied band of privateers in the entire Alliance. But now, with the Alliance on the ropes, Haras wondered if he could continue the fight. His adopted daughter, Shalya Mazah, urged him to continue, but to no avail. Finally, Shalya proposed an intriguing option: She’d take on the leadership of their outfit, the Forgotten Squadron, while he would take the refugees, whose numbers were growing every day, to the remote moon of Dagata IV and give them a home. Haras lef them to Dagata IV, and using funds stolen from the Empire, began the foundations of what would become the Dagatan Free State.
Haras, along with most of the Forgotten, died in the Battle of Jakku, having returned to the fight to see the Empire finished once and for all. Disgusted by the failures of the New Republic, believing they had become as impotent and power-hungry as their predecessors, Shalya broke from it, and declared Dagata independent. She became its second Baron, or rather Baroness, and ruled as its leader for centuries. Under her leadership, Dagata blossomed. Shalya’s ‘hands off’ approach together with her encouragement of liberty, equality, and prosperity would see the city grow and evolve. The “Grey Lady” as she was called, studied and became a Jedi under the tutelage of Kel Miral, a Jedi survivor of the Great Purge and now a rogue whose ideas bordered on heresy. She eventually became more, but that is a topic for another time. Suffice to say, Harastown and Dagata would become a shining beacon to anyone who wished to truly be free.
The Dagatan Free State nationalized the Tibanna gas mining of the gas giant below, and the profits made them wealthy. Secluded, isolated, and remote, the Dagata System lived in peace and prosperity. The exploits of the Dagatan Militia against the First Order would ensure that would-be invaders and foes would take a second pause to consider if a war against a small world slavish devoted to its own liberty and willing to do anything to preserve it was worth the trouble. Their network of spies and agents across the galaxy was easily on par with any other intelligence service.
Dagata’s melting pot of cultures and ideas brought about the emergence of a hybridized culture, language (Dagatan Creole), and character. Shalya Mazah gave her life during the earliest days of the Gulag Plague, leading the fight to turn back a Hutt-led force determined to take over their world and make it a refuge from the plague spreading throughout the galaxy. Her sacrifice and example elevated her to legendary, if not almost religious worship. Her ideals of the ‘Grey Jedi’, tolerance and equality, the end of slavery and oppression throughout the galaxy, liberty in all forms, blended into a philosophy that guided Dagatan thought and society for four hundred years of self-imposed sequestration. When they emerged again, they saw ships carrying Dathomiri witches, Mandalorians who refused to bend and serve that culture’s new leadership, fugitives from Sith Empire expansionism, and they gave them a home among them. Dagata quickly resumed its prosperous trade empire, and its Militia continued to raid ships and outposts of corporations supporting the Sith, crime syndicates engaged in slavery, and Sith-aligned powers attempting to make inroads into the Outer Rim. A military build-up to maintain their independence followed soon after.
Today, Dagata remains independent, but has – for the first time – reached out to form relationships with like-minded entities such as the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Outer Rim Coalition, Underworld, and others who all shared their ideals, and a growing fear of the Sith Empire’s ambitions.
