Voss (species)

The Voss were a sentient species native to the planet of the same name that resided in the Voss system of the Allied Tion sector in the Outer Rim Territories. Their capital city was Voss-Ka, a fortified settlement atop a mountain. Their utopian society was defended by Commandos and by Force-wielding Mystics who served as seers and healers. The Voss had a small population and were vastly outnumbered by their fellow sapients native to Voss, the Gormak, who saw them as an aberration that needed to be eliminated. For centuries, the Voss fended off the assaults of the Gormak.

Following the Treaty of Coruscant in 3,653 BBY, the planet Voss was accidentally discovered and became known to both the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. The Empire attempted to conquer the planet and the Republic moved in to defend the world from Imperial assault. The Voss Mystics, warned by their gift of prophecy, revealed themselves and were able to fend off both occupation forces. Following their mutual defeat, the Empire and Republic established embassies in Voss-Ka in an attempt to curry favor with the Voss.

Biology and appearance
Voss were humanoid sentients that displayed four different skin-colors, including shades of red and blue, as well as four unique patterns of markings that covered the face, neck, and body. The compound eyes of a Voss were orange. The bright colors and patterns of the Voss were reminicent of those found on poisonous frogs, and were ineffective as camouflage on their homeworld. Voss did not physically develop sexually until after marriage rituals were performed.

Society and culture
The Voss species resided in an isolated mountain-top city named Voss-Ka, and were vastly outnumbered by the other native sentient species of Voss, the Gormak, who were extremely hostile toward the Voss. The Voss were ruled by a totalitarian regime of Force-users known as the mystics, who were considered to be infallible, no matter their commandments. Voss tended to be reserved, speaking very little, with the exception being during funeral rites and times of hardship, when Voss became very publicly emotional.

The fortifications of this city and the efforts of Voss Commandos protected the Voss from attacks by the Gormak for centuries. Voss society was also aided by members of their native Force tradition, the Voss Mystics, who received Force visions that were consistently accurate. Force visions were so important to the Voss that they built the Tower of Prophecy, a prominent feature of Voss-Ka. Although the Gormak sought the utter destruction of the Voss, Voss society held a strict law against attempting to wipe the Gormak out due to one of the visions of their Mystics. Voss culture was such that this law was viewed as natural, and was not questioned. Despite their reliance upon and veneration of Force prophecies, the Voss held no formal knowledge of the Force and were uninterested in learning from either the Jedi or the Sith. Because of their non-standard perspective on the nature of the Force, the Voss Mystics were considered to be gray by the Jedi and the Sith.

The Voss were great lovers of art, and their architecture portrayed a distinctive artistic style that existed for thousands of years before contact with the Sith Empire and Galactic Republic. This style featured mono-chromatic patterns with heavy reliance on symbolism. Between the strong defenses and artistry of their home, as well as the guidance of their Mystics, Voss society was a veritable utopia. The citizens of the Voss were happy despite the totalitarian nature of their rulers. The Voss maintained a neutral stance in the Cold War between the Empire and the Republic, and both governments established embassies in Voss-Ka in order to curry favor with the natives. Some Voss did live outside their capital city, although the Mystics who resided in The Nightmare Lands of Voss were driven mad by the forest's corruptive influence.

History
Prior to contact with the rest of the galaxy, the Voss species was engaged in a centuries-long war with the Gormak, who outnumbered them by millions. The Gormak held an innate hatred for the Voss and their workings. Although the origin of this hatred was lost to time, the Gormak believed that the Voss must be destroyed so that they could flourish. The Voss fortified their mountain city of Voss-Ka, trained warriors as commandos, and relied on the prophecies of their Mystics in order to survive.

Not long after the Treaty of Coruscant in 3,653 BBY, the planet Voss was accidentally discovered by off-worlders. The Sith Empire planned to conquer the planet, and the Galactic Republic made plans to move in and defend the planet from Imperial assault. Warned of the occupation plans of both governments by the visions of their mystics, the Voss species intervened. This skirmish resulted in a humbling defeat for the Empire, caused an entire fleet to go missing, and nearly reignited the Great Galactic War. The Voss species successfully maintained the neutrality of their planet, and the two galactic governments established embassies in Voss-Ka, hoping to win the favor of the Voss through diplomacy.

Behind the scenes
The Voss were first introduced in a Holonet article for the Star Wars: The Old Republic video game. They were the result of BioWare writers' desire to add something new to Star Wars lore in the game.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: The Old Republic

Notes and references
Voss (Spezies)