Wookieepedia:Featured article queue/May 21, 2011

Bilars were one of the few examples of a true group mind in the galaxy. Evolved from small, vegetarian primates on the tectonically active but highly fertile planet Mima II, each member of the species was a hairless, pink creature with large, dark eyes, a short muzzle, and two rounded ears. An individual Bilar was unintelligent, but the species had the ability to pool the knowledge and consciousnesses of groups of Bilars who shared a special bond with one another, creating conglomerations known as a claqas. Thus, a pair of Bilars collectively was as intelligent as a trained domestic animal, but a group of four achieved true sentience. The group mind developed shortly after the birth of those Bilars born nearby and within a few minutes of each other. The group mind depended on single Bilars sharing thoughts through pheromones, physical and visual contact, and telepathy. Larger claqas grew progressively smarter, with seven-member groups achieving genius-level intellects. Claqas with more than ten members were rare, and claqas generally referred to themselves as a single individual and went by a single name. Separation of any of the constituent Bilars resulted in a temporary loss of intelligence, and the death of a Bilar sent his or her claqa into a deep depression, sometimes leading to catatonia or the death of the whole.

The plant life of Mima II was so lush that it provided the Bilars with a comfortable and carefree existence. Claqas of five or more members preferred to live in urban environments situated in stable fields on the planet, and the species had access to mass production and other advanced technology. However, the goods they had to offer were of little interest to outsiders. Coupled with the fact that many non-Bilars found interacting with a group mind unnerving, Bilars had limited contact with the rest of the galaxy. When they did manage to venture offworld, their generally carefree existences on Mima II left them unused to deprivation. Nevertheless, a few Bilar claqas did venture into the greater galaxy to work at occupations that made use of their ability to work together seamlessly.