Ghoran

Originally created by an emanation of a plant-like primordial on lost Edras long before the Gap, ghorans are an ancient race whose ancestry is steeped in tragedy. Every aspect of ghoran physiology was designed to be perfect; unfortunately, that included “perfect taste”—their flesh-like rinds were so delicious that at one point other species hunted them nearly to extinction. Worse, each was able to produce only one seed, adding to the precariousness of their species.
 Over hundreds of generations, they evolved from shambling, vine-like creatures into their current humanoid forms, but they still found themselves ostracized by society. While the first peoples took to the stars, Edras' ghorans abandoned what is now the Galactic Alliance to forge a new identity for their people. They discovered a planet they named Ghorus Prime and terraformed it from a barren rock to a lush floral paradise. The ghorans flourished in this new world, eventually forming the Unified Colonies of Xitlal. Through genetic engineering, they have expanded their reproductive abilities, leading to the development of two ghoran subraces— the lithe and springy saplings and the tall and dense oaklings.
Ghorans are roughly the same size as elves, and are nearly as diverse physically, though unlike elves, ghorans can adjust their bodies’ shapes within their frames’ limits. Their “skin” is a complex layer of fibrous vines and rinds with a texture like moss-covered bark, while their faces consist of hundreds of layered petals that flush and flutter at a whim.
Each ghoran has a ghorus seed within its navel. A ghoran can expel this seed and if planted in fertile soil and left undisturbed, the seed grows into a sapling ghoran who physically mirrors the original. If left undisturbed for longer, the seed grows into an oakling ghoran instead. After a sapling ghoran has been fully grown, they can choose to grow into an oakling ghoran, a process that takes a few weeks. Every 20 years or so, a ghoran develops a new seed, allowing the race to slowly grow its numbers.
Many ghorans are withdrawn around flesh-and-blood creatures. They often prefer the company of vesk to other humanoids— in fact, a popular conspiracy holds that ghorans fed information about other Heirs to the vesk during the Silent War between the Galactic Alliance and the Veskarium. Thus, ghoran-colonized planets and the Alliance view each other with distrust. Despite these grounds for suspicion, ghoran society emphasizes the importance of community life, friendship, and companionship—all luxuries most ghorans could only dream of when they were few and hunted.

Origin/Ancestry

Heir of Edras

Lifespan

200+1d100 years

Average Height

5-6 ft.

Average Weight

120-180 lbs.