Kwol

The Kwol are a biped, saurial race hailing from Mayda-Portamus in the Kallanor sytem. They typically stand six feet tall with jet black scaly skin and a non-prehensile tail three feet long. Their front limbs end in clawed hands which are of average dexterity but provide good climbing ability. Their reptilian heads have two forward looking eyes, nostrils at the end of their snouts, ears located behind their eyes and a mouthful of sharp teeth.

Biology
In spite of what many sentients think, Kwol are warm blooded.They are an oxygen breathing species with similar temperature bounds to that of humans.
Their green blood is pumped around the body by two synchronous hearts. They have three stomachs which digest food as a series of processes, and they do not 'chew their cud'.
Brain activity, nervous and immune systems are similar to many humanoid species.

Communication
Kwol communicate primarily through verbal means. They speak both their own native common and Basic, albeit with an extreme accent. The design of the Kwol mouth and tongue produces a hissing sound when pronouncing "S" syllables.
A peculiarity of the Kwol race is a large patch of skin beneath their throat that changes colour with mood or emotion. Loosely defined, these colours are:

Red Rage/Anger
Orange Bitterness/Distrust
Yellow Fear/Anxiety
White Peace/Serenity
Green Gladness/Excitement
Blue Happiness/Admiration
Purple Amorousness
Black Death
Grey Sickness/Pain

Sociology and Anthropology
Kwol are divided into two sub-species. The swamp-dwelling Emydura have developed a high level of technology and culture with their cities, and view Rugosa, their rock-dwelling cousins, as uncivilised savages.
Within the swamp cities of the Kwol can be found several castes, or social classes.

Caste Kwol Name
Warriors Sabha-Nor
Aristocrats Kuge
Nobles Mooshi
Shamans/Priests Koor-Da
Crasftsmen Nuhi
Landowners Sakor
Tenant Farmers Loke
Peasants Eta

The head of the Sabha-Nor is the Ko-wan, and is the de facto ruler of the Kwol. The current ruler, Lord No-Pata-Na, is more of a figure head than an authority figure. Many Kwol consider that the lower castes, especially the Eta and Loke, are less than pure Kwol.

History
Emydura Kwol history begins long before written records when, it is believed, the great Mayda (egg-layer) created the planet Mayda-Portamus and raised the Kwol to be her planetary guardians. Modern Kwol teachings hold that Kwol changed by Nuh-Koor ("the shedding of many skins", quite similar to evolution) from a species of small lizard that is still found in the swamp. Either way, the Kwol came to be the dominant species on the planet.
The Kwol first written history tells of a race of hunter-gatherers that roamed the swamps in small groups  (usually family tribes), hunting the wild animals and fish and gathering available roots and berries. As the tribes grew the demand for food exceeded what the swamp provided so the Kwol began to farm the surrounding swamp, both for meat and plant life (Kwol prefer fresh meat to cooked).
It was during this period that castes began to form. Since not everyone could posess their own farms, swamplords took control of regions,  employing labourers to work the marshes and paying them either in kind or crude forms of credits. Militia were also employed to protect the regions from neighboring swamplords and the more hazardous beasts of the deep swamps. This militia formed the basis for the Sabha-Nor.
Eventually the political landscape stabilised to the point where the militia felt unneeded and they formed their own class led by the Ko-Wan, or military leader. This class currently maintains order and social stability across the planet whilst maintaining the head of the Kwol, Lord No-Pata-Na.

Rugosa Kwol history dates back only an estimated few thousand years, mainly consisting of tribal wars. They have not developed technologically, preferring the ways of their ancestors.

 

Typical Kwol (NPC- to create a PC, add 6D to these stats):

DEXTERITY 2D

PERCEPTION 2D+1

KNOWLEDGE 2D+2

STRENGTH 2D

MECHANICAL 1D+1

TECHNICAL 1D+2