Gand

General Appearance
The gand (plural: gands) is a sentient humanoid that has an insect-like body and appearance. According to the research of xenobiologists, specialists of the various life forms of the universe, the gands have evolved from a genus of primitive insect that are accustomed to the harsh environment of their planet also named gand. These humanoids grow to around 1.4 to 1.6 meters in height and they could way up to around 70 to 80 kilograms. A common trait shared by all gands is the ability to regenerate parts of their bodies. During this phase, the exoskeleton would turn pale and would continue to be so until the whole process ends.

There are a number of physical varieties that exist within the same species. Both male and female gands share these varying physical traits. Their whole body is covered with a sturdy exoskeleton. Due to this protective covering, the gands are able to deal with or take blows that would normally impair members of other species. The appearance and texture of the exoskeleton can vary from one gand to the next. In some gands, the exoskeleton appears with more pronounced plating while for the rest, the exoskeletons were smoother. Around the clavicle region, the exoskeleton gets thicker, providing extra protection to the neck and shoulders. The color of the exoskeleton could vary from brown to green.

The shape of the head differed among the gands. Some had round-shaped heads while others had elongated craniums. Also, some heads were divided into sections while the rest had heads that bore cranial ridges. Located on their heads is a pair of large eyes that are covered with a transparent layer of keratin. This keratin layer protects both eyes from airborne debris or fragments. Their eyes give them the ability to see clearly in the night and to see within the spectrum of ultraviolet. The eyes vary in color. Gands are seen to have yellow, silver, gray, or black colored eyes. These beings though do not possess ears. In their place, they have a hole in the opposite sides of their heads that serve as ears. Most gands are also seen to have upper limbs that end with three fingers. These pair of three fingers is used in the gand martial arts technique known as the Piercing Touch. Not known to many, there are some gands that possess five fingers on each hand.

Two Main Subdivisions
Despite all the varying physical traits of the species, gands can be subdivided into two groups: those with lungs or breathers, and those without lungs. Gands with lungs are also said to have the internal organs that are common to other species of other worlds. Their lungs are quite efficient. They are able to utilize nearly 85 percent of the atmosphere with each breath. Their lungs are adapted to the atmosphere of the planet. They are able to breathe in ammonia which is abundant in their atmosphere.

Breathers are able to hold their breath and induce a coma when desired. Because of this, their body functions on a lower rate, making them appear as though they are dead. Venturing out to other planets would be fatal to them since their lungs are not accustomed to the oxygen-rich atmospheres of the other worlds. So in order to do so, they would need the use of breath masks or any other similar equipment. Exposure to oxygen would greatly damage their lungs. If they were to survive this exposure, they would require organ transplants. These individuals would experience symptoms similar to those of respiratory diseases. Symptoms include chest pain, coughing (sometimes with blood), and shortness of breath. Treatments of these types of injuries are uncommon to them hence, a high rate of death.

The other group of gands, those without lungs, has no need for respiration. All the sustenance that they need, they get from the food that they eat. And all waste and ingested matter used in the exchange of gas throughout the body are excreted through openings all throughout their exoskeleton. Since this group of gands has no need to respire, they are not affected by the composition of any type of atmosphere whether it be ammonia or oxygen-based. This would mean that they have no need for breath masks or any similar equipment in traveling to other worlds.

Both groups of gands are able to communicate with each other using their own language which is also known as gand. Breathers are able to communicate with other species using other languages because of a muscular gas bladder that they possess which mediates the flow of gas to-and-fro the pieces of their exoskeleton causing vibrations in a controlled manner giving them the ability for speech. The lungless gands on the other hand are incapable of communicating with other species because they lack the particular gland. In order to communicate with other species, they have to use a mechanism known as vocabulators. These vocabulators are the same ones that are fitted onto droids so that they would be communicate with sentient beings using the intended galactic language.

Habitat
The gands come from the planet gand which is located in the Outer Rim Territories. What makes this world stand out is its ammonia-based atmosphere, making it lethal to any oxygen-based life forms. Due to this type of atmosphere, the galactic empire was unable to exert much of its influence on this world. This allowed the gands to develop a culture of their own, far from any external influence of any kind.

Gands lived in small colonies that covered the surface of the planet. These colonies are controlled by a totalitarian government, governing every facet of the gands’ lives. The colonies are separated from each other by thick mists that would span kilometers. These mists are highly influential in their culture. These are worshiped by the religious sect, known as the findsmen, and are used by these individuals in locating their targets.

Culture
The gands are secretive to offworlders about their biology, lifestyles, and society as a whole. That is why not much is known about the physical varieties that exist among them. Offworlders are rarely welcomed on gand. Usually, these individuals are only allowed to reside on one of the orbiting space stations of the planet. These space stations also serve as bases for trade and commerce with other species. Some offworlders who are allowed passage onto the surface of the planet are restricted to a specified area, the Alien Quarters, which are located in spaceports. Those very few who are allowed to into the gand society and culture itself are able to do so through the sponsorship of the janwuine, a gand who has attained the highest honor possible, or through the acknowledgement of the ruetsavii, the ruling councils. These sponsored/acknowledged few are accepted and regarded in the society as a hinwuine – a being of standing.

Members of other species throughout the galaxy regard the gands to be humble, polite, and soft-spoken. The gands greatly value the name and the accomplishments of individuals in their society. Their identities have to be earned through attaining noteworthy accomplishments. The gands refer to themselves in the third person. Depending on the status they’ve earned, they may or may not refer to themselves by name. A gand who has yet to accomplish anything in life is simply known as “gand”. Further accomplishments would warrant them the use of their family name. And when an individual has become a master of a skill, such as becoming a findman, or when he/she has received well-deserved recognition and praise, that individual is finally granted the use of his/her given name.

Referring to oneself in the first person would only mean that the individual has accomplished historic feats and that the individual has passed the ritual aptitude test known as the Janwuine-jika. Using first person pronouns outside of being a janwuine is considered to be brash and arrogant. Gands, however, downplay their achievements. If gands are seen to commit dishonorable and immoral acts, they believe that these acts of theirs reduce the feats that they have accomplished throughout their lives. To atone for this mistake, they have to undergo name reduction to show penance. A gand that was known to use the family name can now only use gand to refer to himself/herself, and so on. There are times though when a gand commits highly unspeakable acts. Doing so would grant that gand exile from their society. Being in exile, they may do whatever they want and call themselves with whatever they want.

Gands make use of the slave trade and penal system in their society. Runaway slaves and escaped prisoners are sought out by findsmen.

Findsmen
Only a few members in gand society feel the call into becoming findsmen. There are times when the title of findsman is is granted during ritual aptitude test janwuine-jika. The findsmen were seen to be Force-sensitive beings, though claiming that their abilities are not rooted on the Force. This religious sect worshiped and interpreted the planet’s mists, divining signs and omens from its movements in order to locate fugitives, criminals, and targets. These figures also took on the role of law enforcers. Aside from locating the mentioned individuals, they too track them down and bring them into custody. Aside from locating beings, they could also locate objects, places, and events by conducting rituals that could take at least three hours to complete. The findsmen have grown in reverence around the galaxy for their accuracy and expertise.

Within this sect, individual findsman profession exists with each having their own sets of beliefs, duties, and responsibilities while performing rituals in their own ways. Competition existed among the various findsmen. They had conflicts with each other regarding the apprehension of same targets. These conflicts would tend to escalate into wars until a neutral findsman party would intervene.

Findsmen took in apprentices, often subjecting them to chemical baths and gene manipulation in order to generate sharp protrusions that are four to five centimeters in length around the upper and lower limb areas of the exoskeleton. These protrusions aid them in hand-to-hand combat. The findsmen also made use of a staff-like weapon, called the shockprod staff, which is an electric weapon that can stun the receivers.

<p style="text-align:justify">Findsmen were often hired as investigators, security advisors, bodyguards, bounty hunters, and even as assassins. The path into becoming a findsman required total devotion and study. Leaving this tradition would mean nothing else but death. If findsmen were to learn of the intentions of deserting by other members and initiates, they would be considered rouge and killed on sight.