ANOMID

Willowy humanoids native to the Yablari system. Most Anomids have pale, virtually translucent skin that is delicate due to the lack of exposure to the elements. Those that do expose their flesh become more ruddy in complexion, but are considered upstarts and dissidents by the Anomid majority. These so-called 'radicals' are nonconformists who seem to delight in their differences and scoff at the weighty garments and pale complexions of more 'typical' Anomids. They have six-toed feet, and slender hands.

Anomids have large silver to pale blue eyes. Noses are thin and elongated, and their peach-tinged lips are wide and pronounced. Their ears are hand-sized and leaf-like, pressed back against the sides of their head. Wispy grey to black hair rings their naturally bald heads.

Most of these facial features are hidden from outsiders, however, this is due to their not having vocal chords and thus they tend to wear elaborate 'vocaliser masks' to synthesise speech that obscure most of their faces.

Clothing tends to be the oversized, hooded dendrite robes that brush the ground. Sleeves hang below the hands which are invariably gloved. The idea is that they are protected from sun, wind, or rain. The non-conformists promote sleeveless tunics and no head coverings. This also conceals them almost one-hundred percent, a useful disguise used many times to great effect by spies and agents .

When communicating among themselves, they employ a beautiful and complex sign language that some cultures consider an art form. the flurry of graceful finger movements conveys messages and emotions and usually draws the attention of nearby off-worlders. Many merchants who regularly deal with the Anomids have protocol droids programmed to understand the sign language since many concepts have not yet been fully translated to speech. Unfortunately, due to the six-fingered Anomid anatomy, most humanoid beings (and their counterpart five-fingered droids) can not communicate in the complex language.

Anomids are a peaceful people who tend to shun violence and concentrate on cerebral and economic pursuits. From an early age, children are taught that life is too short to waste a moment on unnecessary physical aggression. researchers believe this pacifistic nature goes back millennia, as there is no evidence of any major wars on the planets in the Yablari system. Formal disputes among the Anomids tend to be settled through careful and drawn-out arbitration, and this lengthy procedure causes most people to settle their differences quickly, amicably, and without legal interference.

Natural galactic tourists, Anomids relish meeting off-worlders and studying new cultures. They delight in absorbing ideas and mannerisms that better their own society. They are fond of saying that Anomids select the best aspects of the galaxy and embrace them as their own. Quick learners, they are known to spend hours contemplating other species' customs and behaviours. Anomid children are prone to mimicking strangers gestures, and their awkward movement to both adult Anomids and the copied off-worlders. Still, the young are encouraged to study every new being they meet, but the adults are quick to point out incorrect behaviour or customs that the children should never adopt.

When confronted with violence, Anomids are known for not fighting back. Instead, they tend to look for means of escape or peaceful settlement of the dispute. This pacifist trait makes Anomid travellers easy marks in spaceports and cantinas, where the less savoury element of the galaxy is fast to pounce on the weak. Of course, there are exceptions, and the younger Anomids seem to be more willing to take blaster rifle in hand to protect themselves and their people. Although not considered a brave species, not all of them run from danger. They are more apt to analyse a situation and try peaceful methods. Because they are fond of observing aliens, they are frequently encountered in spaceports, and many of them can be found working in jobs that allow them to come into contact with strangers.

Quick to strike up conversation with strangers, they especially enjoy listening to spacers' tales and are willing to spend hours at a stranger's elbow if it means an opportunity to hear about a new culture or place in the galaxy they have not yet visited. Anomids have long memories and can readily recognise others with whom they have shared stories and food, even if they only met them briefly many years ago.

Anomids developed faster-than-light travel nearly a century before actually sending out their first probes. The Anomids sought to develop advanced technology for the sheer sake of meeting the challenge, but they had little desire to actually leave their home system. However, a severe drought on the homeworld, Yablari, forced them to seek out other systems. Those Anomids explorers found a world that could supply the necessary food, as well as a small Duros colony. Soon thereafter, the Anomids formally entered the Old Republic, and for the past 15,000 years they have travelled the galaxy, feeding their curiosity about other systems and peoples.

Wealthy enough to even tour the galaxy during the upheaval of the Rebellion, the Anomids very wealthy society is due to their natural technological aptitude and those Anomid Techno-nobles with the greatest riches have custom-designed ships that copy the motif of their vocalising masks.

Non-conformist Anomids, those who look down on their brothers' and sisters' cumbersome clothes and pacifist ways, are fierce "nationalists." They shun the customs of the past and regard violence as a sometimes necessary means to protect the rights of the Anomid people. they surfaced only half a century ago and although they are only a small percentage of the Anomid population, an increasing number of young people are becoming interested in their wilder way of life. Few of these Anomids leave their homeworld, as they devote their energies to swaying more of their peers to their side. However,  those non-conformists who do leave explore the galaxy with the intention of bringing back new technologies to benefit those they left behind.

The Yablari system is governed by a group of Anomids called the Central Council. During the Rebellion the council members' loyalties are divided between the Empire and the Alliance; both groups seem to offer much. In typical Anomid fashion, the council members put their differences aside so that they could properly address the homeworld's needs and opted to support the Empire, thus preserving peace and freedom for the Anomid people.

Council members are appointed by regional factions comprised of techno-nobles, business leaders, and scholars, and they serve terms that range from one to seven years. Laws are proposed by the regional factions, and once enacted they are never repealed. The Anomids believe that erasing a law would be like erasing a piece of history and hiding their intellectual growth. When a law becomes outdated and cumbersome, the council enacts new laws to counter or supersede the troublesome ones. Most outsiders consider the Anomids' legal system, with its countless laws that fill computer databanks, complex and extremely difficult to fathom. Students of law have been known to spend years studying growth of the Anomids' legal system.

A few societies in nearby systems borrow the best elements of the Anomid's laws, while others use the ponderous legal system as an example of what not to do. In any event, off-worlder scholars are frequently found pouring over computer files filled with enigmatic decrees, complex legislation, cryptic analyses and seemingly non-sensical rulings.

The Anomids have standard galactic technology, including hyperdrive, large trading vessels, droids and computers. Due to the fear of another cataclysmic drought, the Anomids acquired advanced agriculture technologies from the Ithorian herd ship Bazaar, and the Anomid people have a strong feeling of gratitude towards the Ithorian people.

The Yablari system's main imports are foodstuffs, while the major exports are foodstuffs, computers and computer components. Although the Anomids' homeworld is fertile and dotted with extensive farming communities, the people delight in sampling food from across the galaxy. The Anomids in the Central Council want to retain good ties with the galactic food industry in case another drought hits the world. They also believe that sharing their grains and tubers with the rest of the galaxy is an important cultural transaction.

Much of the Anomids' technology is wrapped around its food trade. Bulk freighters transport foodstuffs to and from the planet. Food processors, growth stimulators, preserver units, and dehydrator modules are constantly being improved, refined, and marketed. The Anomids' devices were adopted by Rebel safe worlds needing to stretch limited supplies. Rebels were also quick to befriend Anomids since they often made sizeable donations to the Rebel cause. Likewise, the Empire also worked to earn their loyalty, with measured words and gifts, (since a demonstration of force would only have served to turn the peaceful Anomid people against them). Steady manipulation and careful use of words resulted in several Anomids taking up positions on the worlds then controlled by the Empire.

In the Yablari system, exotic restaurants can be found in every city and spaceport. New technology is constantly being tested to enhance the flavour of food, increase its nutritional value, and keep it fresh longer. A considerable percentage of the Anomids' young population earns credits by working in the food industry; these credits are later applied to higher education and technical training. Many off-worlders in the system find work in the food industry and on Anomid food transport ships.

Anomid computer technology tends to be equivalent to standard computer tech, but they have focused on miniaturising components and circuitry. These components command premium prices, but also save valuable space and mass aboard starships. The Anomids normally refuse to work on components with direct military applications.

Although most Anomids remain in the Yablari system, Anomid technicians, explorers, and wealthy travellers can be found throughout the galaxy.

Typical names include: Zadan Isp, Vap Killif, Magris Quill, Wif Sissk, Yin Vocta, Drezzim Zar.

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