Cularin

Cularin, the system's namesake planet, is covered in lush rain forests and jungles. Mountain ranges reach through the trees and almost touch the skies, forming plains and deep valleys between them. Thick trees cover the whole planet, except in a few places where logging companies have been active in years past. The climate is mild and humid, reaching uncomfortably high temperatures during the height of summer. At night, the inhabitants enjoy cool temperatures. Rain falls almost every day, though not strongly enough to disrupt activities or threaten lives.

Among the planet's many trees are a number of rare hardwoods and the mysterious ch'hala trees. Ch'hala trees are tall with thick drooping foliage. Their greenish-purple bark produces swirling color patterns across its surface. Some of the softer woods are highly prized, attracting great interest from various corporations.

Cularin is a world rich in lifeforms. Great lizards called kilassin occupy the top of the food chain. Of the many varieties of kilassin that live deep in the jungles, most are omnivorous, but some prefer live prey to plants. As settlements continue to appear, the lumbering beasts are driven farther from civilization. A few have been captured and domesticated. Corporations such as the Metatheran Cartel use them as labor beasts when they cannot take repulsorsleds into the jungles.

Much farther down the food chain, small creatures called mulissiki scavenge for food. Commonly seen around Tarasin settlements, these scavengers keep villages clean by devouring waste just about as fast as it is produced. Because they scurry away from any approaching creature, they do not really pose a problem to the Tarasin. In the cities, however, mulissiki are a nuisance. Once they get into the platform cities, they cannot escape. Instead, they make nests in whatever dark corners they can find.

The mountain ranges that cut through Cularin's jungles reach beyond the clouds. The lower ridges support Tarasin villages and other life, but the higher reaches are devoid of all creatures except mulissiki. One range, the Kiallquis, has a sheer face that is particularly suited to speeder racing and mountain climbing. In the past, the Tarasin used it to test the truth claims of suspected criminals (by lowering them over the edge), but in modern times, the ridge is used more for sponsored speeder races.

The intelligent natives of Cularin are called Tarasin. These sentients are remotely related to the great kilassin. Both evolved from the same ancestors, but along different paths. Tarasin developed a tribal society, while the kilassin continued to migrate in herds. Tarasin tribes, called irstats, usually contain between thirty and fifty members. Larger tribes also exist. For instance, the Hiironi irstat contains more than three hundred members. However, most Tarasin prefer smaller tribes and simpler lives.

The Tarasin believe they maintain a symbiotic relationship with their world, a belief that motivates their religion. Through an attunement to the natural world, Tarasin can sense the Force naturally. Traditionally, their religious figures have become Force adepts, but their race did not fully understand the Force until Jedi came to the system. Their religion is based around a simple appreciation for nature. They sense life around them through their quills and value it too much to break the circle of symbiosis. Because of this spiritual closeness, Tarasin do not travel very far from Cularin for extended periods. In fact, they are fiercely protective of their world and its resources, violently protecting it from outsiders. This attitude has forced them into conflict with offworlders twice in their history.

Tarasin tribes elect the second eldest female as chief. She assumes the title of Irstat-Kes, which means "tribal leader." Their society is not matriarchal in the sense that females dominate. In Tarasin culture, females remain in the villages while male Tarasin hunt for resources. Thus, it makes sense that someone who is at the village should be the leader. The oldest female of each irstat becomes a wise woman whom the Tarasin call "Mother." Tarasin Mothers embody the best aspects of the Tarasin way of life, and all look up to them. Tarasin Irstat-Kes and Mothers are often Force adepts as well, although this is not required.

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