Pirate Prince
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To sub an alien species native to the planet Chaldea.
- Image Credit: Madeline Boni | Artem Chebokha
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Transfer essence
- Name: The Bamarri
- Designation: Sentient
- Origins: Bamarre, Chaldea
- Average Lifespan: Regardless of whether or not they possess another body, their energies will run out after around 500 Chaldean years (1 year = 690 days of 26 hours each).
- Estimated Population: Unique (there is usually only one member of this species in existence; it is extremely rare for two Bamarri to exist at the same time, and three or more have never been recorded)
- Description: Created when lightning strikes Chaldean marble, the Bamarri are a species of energy beings whose physicality depends on their inhabiting other structures. Their natural form is the crystalline body which is formed from the marble at the time of their birth. If this is rendered uninhabitable, and they still wish to go on existing, they have been known to possess the bodies of the deceased or droids/machines. It is for this reason, and the sheer rarity of their kind, that many doubt their existence, believing they are mythical creatures invented to populate ghost stories.
- Breathes: Type I
- Average Height of Adults: Generally somewhere between 1.77 meters (5'10") and 1.87 meters (6'2") in their natural forms.
- Average Length of Adults: N/A
- Skin color: N/A
- Hair color: N/A
- Distinctions: The Bamarri do not have sexes in their natural forms.
- Races: N/A
- Force Sensitivity: All
- Self-Sustaining: They do not need to eat or sleep to survive. This carries over if they possess a flesh and blood form, as they are able to sustain the cells of said body with their own energies.
- Skinjacking: If their natural crystal form is destroyed, the Bamarri contained within has a choice. They can either become one with the Force, or they can continue to exist by quickly (within three Chaldean days) finding another vessel to harbor their spirit. The quality of the vessel they choose varies - and once they have chosen it, it is extremely difficult to leave and seek out another if it proves less than satisfactory.
- Lightning in a Bottle: Due to the unique nature of their creation, this species is extremely rare, with usually only one member existing at a time. They all originate in one region on a specific planet, and only under very special circumstances is a Bamarri born. They do not reproduce on their own, and therefore cannot make more of their kind.
- Clear As Crystal: Their natural forms are made out of crystal and are extremely fragile. It only takes one or two hits to shatter their body, forcing the energy being contained within to leave the broken vessel behind and either become one with the Force or seek out a new host.
- Resonant Frequency: Because their initial body is made of crystal and contains natural defects, Bamarri are vulnerable to vibroweapons and sonic weaponry, which can shatter them. Most of them have an intense phobia of loud, high-pitched noises and strong vibrations as a result. In fact, they tend to prefer silence and stillness in general.
- Ghost Stories: Bamarri who possess the body of a dead person in order to continue their existence do not discriminate as far as the level of decomposition goes. This means they have been known to reanimate not only the recently deceased, but rotting carcasses or skeletal remains. The Bamarri are naïve as to the nature of flesh and don't realize how horrific and off-putting this is (although it should be noted that the decomposition process stops once a Bamarri possesses the body). In addition, a dying Bamarri whose life force is fading will lose the ability to heal or prevent a corpse from decomposing further.
- Sacrosanct Flesh: No Bamarri has ever possessed the body of a being that was still living (that is, still harboring their essence). They seem to find the mere idea of seizing control of a host from another spirit very disturbing, if not evil or disgusting.
- Diet: They are self-sustaining, subsisting on the finite energies given to them at birth. In a flesh form, they may choose to eat for pleasure.
- Communication: An interesting question - they appear to have no natural form of communication amongst themselves, given that they usually do not encounter other members of their kind. In their natural crystalline forms, they have been observed to communicate with other beings through telepathy, albeit in a barrage of emotions and images rather than coherent readable thoughts. Those that have possessed the bodies of other species can learn that species' method of communication, provided the means of communicating are still intact (the vocal cords of a human begin to decompose after death, which may impair speech - obviously a Bamarri which possesses mere bones will not be able to speak). Bamarri who have particularly intense fears of noise may be unable to learn vocal speech, or at least prefer not to communicate that way.
- Technology level: Given that they have been shown to be able to take control of machinery, I would say they meet the qualifications to be considered Galactic Standard, at least. It may be possible for them to inhabit more advanced technology, such as starships, but they'd have to have not only the opportunity but the impetus to do so.
- Religion/Beliefs: None apparent, though they are all Force sensitive and seem to be very much aware of the energy field that binds all things. A Bamarri who possesses flesh could become a Jedi, a Sith, or something in between should they choose to do so.
- General behavior: The Bamarri are known for their intense curiosity, their interest in other sentient beings, and their naive, childlike nature. Those who are Force sensitive have observed that they give off a strong aura of pliable purity, similar to that of small children, though this is usually streaked with a profound loneliness. Ignorant of what it is like to be made of flesh, they are strangers to hunger, sleep, and sickness. Bamarri who take control of a new form are typically considered dangerous, because they are suddenly thrust into a very different state of being and are granted a new and strange sort of power with which they can get into all sorts of trouble and mischief. That said, it is a mistake to consider them monsters to be shunned or destroyed; the best way to deal with a Bamarri who is stumbling about in a stolen body is with patience and understanding, not fear and loathing.
Rare enough to be considered a myth by many, the Bamarri were nonetheless recorded by the earliest colonists on Chaldea as one of the planet's native species. They were initially thought to be purely spiritual beings before their crystalline nature and origins were discovered.
Centuries ago, the wealthy would purchase a block of Chaldean marble from Bamarre, which they would place outside their homes in hopes of witnessing the birth of a Bamarri. Those few who have seen this spectacle describe a flame blooming in the stone where the bolt struck, which produces a billowing steam rather than smoke. The light grows and expands, releasing more steam and forcing the Chaldean marble to crack open like an egg. At that point the crystal shape of the Bamarri can be seen curled up within. The newborn creature gets its bearings quickly and departs to find shelter and safety. The Bamarri's size at birth is dependent on the mass of the marble it is born from.
Usually, only one Bamarri exists at a time. They are typically nomadic and wander the earth aimlessly, driven only by their curiosity about other living things. Their natural forms are extremely fragile and easy to shatter. In the event that one is destroyed, the spirit contained within has the option of either becoming one with the Force, or finding a new vessel within three Chaldean days in order to continue their mortal existence. They tend to be quite naïve when it comes to choosing a new host, often going with whatever is nearby at the time of their original body's destruction. The most common options include the dead bodies of animals and sentient beings, ranging from the recently deceased to skeletal remains. Once they have occupied a new form, it is very difficult and requires an incredible force of will to leave their body - or the body must be completely destroyed and their spirit free to begin wandering again.
These are where the "ghost stories" involving Bamarri come in. No Bamarri has ever possessed a still-living body that was already occupied by another soul, though it is unknown if it's because they can't, or they simply don't. Some of their kind don't gravitate towards flesh and blood hosts, preferring to get inside droids and other machinery instead.
There is a famous folktale involving a Bamarri which is of great interest. In the story, a young human woman named Ava falls off a cliff to her death, and before her body is even cold it is seized by the spirit of a recently destroyed Bamarri. After healing her wounds, she returns home without mentioning what happened and is able to fool the people who know her into believing she is the same as she has always been. "Ava" then goes on to marry and have children. However, while Ava's husband and children eventually grow old and die, she remains young, permanently stuck at the physical age she was when she fell off the cliff. This raises the suspicions of the people around her, so she leaves town and moves elsewhere to start anew. She marries again and has another family, only for them to grow old and die as well. The loneliness endemic to all Bamarri begins to fester in her as her loved ones continually pass away, leaving her behind again and again, until she eventually goes mad. She violently murders her final family, including her spouse and young children. This horrific act prompts the local authorities to arrest her, but she puts up a fight and manages to defeat them. Five centuries have passed, however, and her energies are finally spent. The Bamarri spirit within her body is released, but since this is a fairytale, rather than becoming one with the Force the spirit is cast into the darkest reaches of the Netherworld as punishment for the murders she committed.
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