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Gormak and Voss Origins

In the beginning, the Gormak were the only species on Voss--semisentient humanoids marked with a strong, though undeveloped, affinity for the Force. However, the history of the Gormak was forever altered several thousand years ago when they were discovered and enslaved by a small group of Sith.

A minor Jedi contingent of explorers arrived soon after. Bowing to pressure from a group of Gormak elders who had escaped the Sith, the Jedi taught a handful of the tribes the ways of the Force. They had no way of knowing that doing so would alter the path of their natural evolution so that they underwent profound physical and mental changes over the next several generations. The creatures ceased to be Gormak and became something else entirely--the Voss.

The Jedi preached temperance and defense but the newly formed Voss immediately attacked the Sith who still lurked among the Gormak primitives. The Voss destroyed the Sith, but in the process they were touched by the dark side, further altering their radically sensitive evolutionary path. Later the small group of Jedi explorers disappeared, having gone home or dying to accident or Voss aggression. Whatever the case, the strange happenings on Voss were never recorded in any archive.

Ascending to the top of Voss's tallest peak, the new species turned to its most powerful Force-users for leadership. Myths about their origins began as the newly ordained "Mystics" tried to explain what had happened and eventually it was believed that the Voss had simply always been. In time this myth became the accepted truth, until even the Mystics themselves forgot the real origins of their people.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141116506689843478

XP Level: 44

FQN: cdx.​lore.​voss.​gormak_and_voss_origins

Gormak Society

"Once dismissed as a primitive society locked in a generational conflict with the Voss, careful study of the Gormak has revealed a complex--if insular--people, based in part on the Gormak view of the physical world: 'What you create is part of you.'

Not just master craftspeople with a healthy respect for artistry, the Gormak consider each tool and the product of their efforts extensions of their physical body. This central tenet connects each Gormak household with their neighbors. Each member of a tribe becomes a part of a larger unified body, creating nearly unbreakable bonds.

This worldview helps explain the Gormak's affinity for using alien technology and adapting it to their needs. Rumors abound that the Gormak possess a novel ability with the Force, much like the Voss, but no proof has ever been found to support these theories. The truth is that the Gormak plainly reject the Force.

It doesn't escape academic awareness, however, that the Voss and the Gormak seem to be two pieces ready to complete one grand puzzle."

--From "Hand and Hammer: Insight into the Closed World of Gormak Beliefs," by Dr. Eksa Fa'kar

Category: Lore

XP Level: 1

FQN: cdx.​lore.​voss.​gormak_society

Mystic Visions

For the Voss, a Mystic's vision is a rare and solemn event. While visions are always believed to serve the greater good of the Voss people, in the short term they can mean great upheaval and suffering. Following the visions of their Mystics, the Voss have waged bloody war on one another, torn down and rebuilt half of Voss-Ka and spent centuries digging underground in search of sacred crystals--but experience has shown that those who ignore visions do so at their peril. The predictions of the Mystics have never been wrong.

For these reasons, a Mystic's vision is treated with great care. No Mystic determines himself how the Voss act upon his vision; instead, the vision is described to the experienced interpreters at the Tower of Prophecy. The interpreters debate its meaning and meditate before they present their analysis, and the Three--or another to whom the vision is directed--act on the interpretation, confident in the knowledge that whatever action is necessary, it is ultimately for the benefit of all Voss.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141116506689843478

XP Level: 44

FQN: cdx.​lore.​voss.​mystic_visions

The Imperial Attack on Voss

When the Empire first learned of Voss--a primitive world with powerful Force-sensitive Mystics--it was quickly marked for conquest. "Ambassadors" sent to the capital reported that Voss-Ka appeared wholly undefended. Soon after, the Imperial General Khypes arrived with a battle cruiser and several army divisions to demand that the Voss surrender.

Before any official communication could be sent to the Voss government, Khypes's battle cruiser exploded. Its escorts were destroyed moments later, whether caught in the cruiser's blast or eliminated through other means. The invasion was over before it had begun.

In the hours that followed, both Imperial and Republic forces scrambled to determine what had happened. No trace of an energy discharge was found, suggesting planetary defenses were not involved. The Empire suspected Republic sabotage or secret Voss weapons. The Republic theorized that the destruction was the result of Sith infighting. The Voss called it destiny.

Regardless, the Empire realized it had underestimated the Voss and hastily recalled its forces, claiming General Khypes was a rogue acting without orders. Soon, the Empire began to attempt more diplomatic overtures to the Voss people.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141116506689843478

XP Level: 44

FQN: cdx.​lore.​voss.​the_imperial_attack

The Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Healing

Tales of the miraculous powers possessed by the Mystics at the Shrine of Healing have spread across the galaxy, and many offworlders have flocked to Voss in the hopes of being cured of their various ailments and afflictions. Before they can petition the healers, however, those seeking aid must embark on a dangerous and arduous pilgrimage to the shrine's remote location.

This journey is more than merely symbolic. Facing the trials of the pilgrimage purifies the spirit of the petitioner--an essential requirement, the Voss say, for those seeking aid. Voss healing rituals disperse an affliction across multiple individuals, diluting it until it no longer has any ill effects. If the ritual is performed on one who has not been purified, the Mystics believe there is a chance the malady will instead infect all involved in the ritual, making the necessity of the pilgrimage readily apparent.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141116506689843478

XP Level: 44

FQN: cdx.​lore.​voss.​the_pilgrimage_to_the_shrine_of_healing

The Three

Many outsiders believe that the Voss are directly governed by their Mystics; an understandable mistake, given the Mystics' importance. In fact, the Mystics' visions are first interpreted, then conveyed to the Three--the secular governing body based in Voss-Ka, who base their executive orders upon the visions' interpretations.

The Three are chosen by Mystics after meditation or according to visions, but have little direct contact with the Mystics on a day-to-day basis. Working from the Tower of Prophecy, the Three administer Voss-Ka, make policy decisions and coordinate the endless war against the Gormak.

Depending on the advice of the Mystics, appointment to the Three can last a lifetime or just hours. The current members of the Three are the calm, authoritative Sonn-Vi; Gunta-Mer, who was chosen by the Mystics only weeks ago; and Nen-Ji, the longest-serving member, who has been part of the Three since childhood.

Category: Lore

Planet: 16141116506689843478

XP Level: 44

FQN: cdx.​lore.​voss.​the_three