Utai (Jedi Renaissance)

"It was once believed that the first Jedi Temple was built on utapau; though neither the Pau'ans nor the Utai have found any evidence in support of this. Since the early days of our Order, the occasional Pau'an found service among the Jedi, with their desire for diplomacy and understanding being recognized as the Force's core truth that connects all beings. Pau'an Jedi typically sense the deeper connections in the present moment, concerning themselves less with the past or the future, possessing a serene detachment. While their unnerving appearance can unnerve some, these Pau'an Jedi simply draw upon the Force to find the great truth that unites all beings. Many Pau'ans have been attracted to the Consular or Mystic schools of thought; though Sentinels and Guardians have found esteem within our ranks."

- Jedi Knight Horen Hote, writing about Pau'ans in the Jedi Order.

The Utai were a race of amphibians from the terrestrial world of Utapau, a rocky planet located in the of the galaxy. A relative of the Ongree species, Utai were diminutive and labor-oriented. Often referred to as the Shorts due to their short-lifespans in relation to their Pau'an neighbors, the Utai and the Pau'ans living peacefully together in great subterranean cities on their homeworld. Insofar as their evolution, the Utai were not as developed as the Pau'ans and were content to be ruled by the taller race while the Utai species served as Utapau's laborer class. Despite the remoteness of their homeworld and the isolationist policies of the Pau'ans, Utai could be encountered in the greater galaxy, finding work in mass-construction sites and serving in the Trade Federation. Forceful members of the species were recruited by the Jedi Order in the wake of the Sith Wars, serving as Sentinels and Warriors across countless generations.

Biology and appearance
Utai were a sentient species of amphibians that evolved on the verdant world of Utapau. Sharing a common ancestor with the Ongree, Utai were a clan-based society that still bore common traits seen in baser cave-dwelling animals. Utai were bipedal beings with a bilateral symmetry, having a front and a back end, as well as an upside and downside. Their body comprised a head, neck, torso, and four limbs. The upper limbs, called arms, ended in hands which had four fingers; each finger had multiple points of articulation and one of them was an opposable thumb that allowed for fine manipulation. The lower limbs, called legs, were short and stubby and ended in feet with two toes. Finally, they had one head, which contained the brain, perched atop a torso with a face set into an oblong skull which sloped backwards. A thick, distended eyestalk protruded from either side of their skull, giving them binocular vision and possessing extremely sharp vision in low-light environments. Below their eyestalks, face tapered to a small, puckered mouth filled with flat, grinding teeth. Utai were cold-blooded omnivores, meaning they grew sluggish in cold environments if they did not have access to high amounts of food to draw energy from. Utai were born hermaphroditic, but developed into either male and female after spawning in early adulthood. Male and females were virtually indistinguishable, aside from their genitalia and pitch of their voice. Having overall physiological uniformity, Utai did not vary greatly in appearance; though no two Utai looked exactly alike. One of the diversity factors was height. Utai averaged 1.22 meters in height, although some could grow as tall as 1.5 meters. Their pinkish skin tone was a side effect of evolving as a subterranean species exposed periodically to the light that dotted their caves and sinkholes.

Utai were sexually-reproduced animals, requiring the mating of an opposite sex couple to produce offspring. Developing in eggs released by their mother, Utai females produced 200 eggs; only 8 were likely to fully develop from their tadpoles stage. As tadpoles, Utai young would consume their smaller siblings, constantly clearing out the Youth Pools that were situated deep in the Utai's subterranean habitat. Developing legs and lungs during adolescence, Utai quickly entered into adulthood and the planetary workforce. According to the Records of Law on Utapau, the legal transition from childhood to adulthood was only attained after twelve standard years of life. Utai had an average lifespan of 73 standard years, though because of their Force-sensitivity, many trained in the Force could live up to a 150. At any rate, individuals past the age of 80 were considered to have reached an age worthy of veneration. Natural signs of ageing in Utai included the loss of teeth, appearance of dark spots or blemishes on their skin, and blindness. Old Utai experienced a decline in their cognitive processes, becoming dependent on others for care and basic sanitation.

Society and culture
A society diverse in culture and style, the Pau'ans were deeply influenced by the ancient merger between their people and the Utai species. Developing into an industrial age society on the surface of Utapau in the ancient past, the Pau'ans were driven below ground by climate change. Forced to start anew with the sinkhole-dwelling Utai, the Pau'ans brought with them an expertise in manufacturing and ingenuity that was bolstered by the Utai cultural understanding of the planet and hard-work. Establishing massive port cities on the walls of the massive sinkholes that dotted the world, the Pau'an-Utai culture developed side by side as they blended architectural styles, artistry, government, and technology.

Government
The government of the Pau'an people of Utapau, the center of Pau'an culture and society, was a geniocracy wherein problem-solving, creative intelligence, and compassion compelled those in office to govern. While the Pau'ans were one of two dominant species on the planet, the diminutive Utai willingly ceded sovereignty over their lives to the Pau'an, whom they regarded as wise and compassionate. Having long been governed through meritocratic corporatism as surface dwellers, the Pau'ans were forced to revise their cultural norms when climate change forced them below ground. Forming a new unified planetary government from the ruins of their former culture, the corporations that once ruled the planet put their wealth towards renewable resources and harnessing wind energy. Scholars, philosophers, and political scientists gathered together at the massive sinkhole of U'loo'la'tun to begin assembling a new set of laws to govern by under the de facto leadership of philanthropist and entrepreneur, Timon Medon. Restructuring the role of corporations, the Pau'ans agreed that a trade-based economy would require massive ports for shipments to be transferred between their new subterranean nation-states. Taking a cue from their past, the committee in U'loo'la'tun demanded that each nation-state put forth a Master of Port Administration to represent their interests in a planetary government. Each Port Administrator would oversee the trade flowing through their nation-state's capital-port and meet with ministers tasked with managing the going's-on at their particular level of the city.

With the planetary capital placed in the sinkhole of U'loo'la'tun, and named Pau City, Timon Medon was named Port Administrator for the bustling port and sat on the Utapauan Administrative Committee as Chairman. As Chairman, Medon was tasked with convening the Committee and leading the discussion among the Port Administrators from across the planet. Chosen for their intelligence and compassion, the Port Administrators set an agenda focusing firstly on the global economy of free trade; then on planetary environmental health and sustainability of resources; and then on the rights and well-being of the Pau'an and Utai people. In this way, the Committee hoped to ensure the prosperity of the world, not just in the short-term, but for future generations to come. A hereditary title, the Masters of Port Administration were guided in their decisions by an advisory council comprised of specialists in a multitude of fields. The advisory council and the Port Administrator of each city was largely autonomous and self-sufficient; rarely was the planetary government needed to intervene in local matters. Remaining a neutral planet within the greater galactic society, the Committee and Chairman refused admittance into the Galactic Republic and avoided the Sith Empire when it came to power. Forming short-term contracts and trade agreements with different galactic groups, the Pau'ans were able to travel abroad and interact with other societies, while still remaining isolated in their own system.

Despite the lasting peace of Utapau, conflict between cities was not unheard of. Largely fought over a debate table rather than a battlefield, disagreements in philosophical matters could cause tension between two or more city-states. While sanctions and soft power were the go-to means of punishing a rogue city-state, the Pau'ans did maintain a small planetary and local militia made up of both ground units and a skyforce of armed Pau'ans astride the winged dactillions. Further militarization was limited due to an arms embargo implemented by the Trade Federation upon remote galactic regions. The Utapaun army because of this, was equipped with downscaled warships only, many of which were designed and built on Utapau itself based on foreign designs or brought in piecemeal through imports. Helpful for law enforcement and the disruption and deterrence of pirate activity in the system, the ships could not prevent an invasion or a significant attack on the planet.

Technology
An industrial level society, the lack of resources on their porous homeworld and constant ecological changes led the Pau'ans to rely heavily on wind and solar energy to power their cities. Erecting large wind turbines on the surface of Utapau, the Pau'ans turned the dangerous and violent windstorms that made the surface unlivable into an economic boon. Powering the entirety of the global power grid through wind power alone, solar energy collection plates and mirrors were used to transfer heat into the lowest levels of the city.

Medical technology on Utapau was fairly advanced and on a level comparable to most Core Worlds. Disease was practically eradicated and health benefits were provided through the government. Because of their sensitive hearing, Pau'ans covered their audio cavities with muffling plates which filtered out ambient noise and quieted sounds to a more bearable level. Carving out an existence in the vast and cavernous sinkholes across the planet, the Pau'ans were reliant on ground-moving technology developed by their Utai neighbors. With the Utai digging tech and understanding of the interior of the planet, the Pau'ans used their knowledge of turbines to install powerful energy collecting machines in the subterranean oceans that flowed through the bases of each sinkhole city. While the Pau'ans imported starships and more advanced technology through trade agreements, much of Utapau relied on domesticated beasts for transportation. To keep emissions low, Pau'ans rode on the backs of varactyl lizards instead of using speeders, and flying dactillions were used for single-person air-traffic for those traveling from one level to another in a city. Slow-moving jamel were used to haul carts through the city streets, while Utai were often employed to haul rickshaws on behalf of the Pau'ans.

Customs
Despite their overall species-wide embrace of reason and the pursuit of knowledge, Pau'ans were divided culturally by city-state. All Pau'ans venerated the arts and architectural skill was always viewed as invaluably good to society. Chief careers popular across Pau'an society, deemed the most honorable and disciplined were politicians, architects, and artisans. From an early age, Pau'ans were exposed to the different forms of art and encouraged to pursue its many variances. Visiting museums and historical buildings, children were taught in open-air plazas under the world's famous ruhau-bone structures that were cantilevered out over the sinkhole. Indeed, Ossic architecture was the defining art form of Utapau, utilizing the skeletons of massive beasts to combine art and nature in an urban setting. Combining different styles to create art fusions, the sinkhole was striated with historic and modern techniques, borrowed from offworld and the ancient past of their own people.

The color red had a prominent place in Pau'an society, and was valued above all other colors. Symbolic of health and prosperity, red was the color chosen by the planetary government for their standard and their finery. Politicians as well as warriors were garbed in red garments, the finest of which was spun by the giant ginntho spiders. A protected species of cave spiders, ginntho were welcome in the homes of all and considered a blessing from nature when a ginntho spun its web in a public place.

Religion and the Force
Shaped around spiritualism and an individualistic world view, Pau'ans had long since abandoned the fertility and rain gods of their agrarian past. In the wake of the climatic shift that drove them beneath the surface, most Pau'an communities turned towards the philosophical realm of thought and pursuit of happiness. Prevailing wisdom espoused the belief that being grounded in the present and understanding the world and those in it was the best way to live. Renowned philosophers the world over agreed that the ideal state for an enlightened being was a sort of serene detachment from the events of the past and the mysteries of the future. Force-sensitive Pau'ans were revered as some of the greatest philosophers and thinkers the species produced. As a species, Pau'ans were inclined towards Force-sensitivity, with Forcefulness appearing in 1 out of every 400 individuals. Desiring both diplomacy and serenity, nearly all spiritual Pau'ans sought to embody these ideals and put others at ease. This philosophical belief prevailed in governance, as the Pau'ans proved to be benevolent rulers of the working class Utai people.

Astrography
Pau'ans evolved on the planet Utapau, a terrestrial world in the Utapau system. Located in the Tarabba sector of the Outer Rim Territories, Utapau orbited a single star, also called Utapau, and was the fourth of seven planets in the star system. Orbited by nine moons, all of which were fully mapped and explored, Utapau's moons were used for mining purposes, as well as hosting a planetary security outpost and a penal colony. Once boasting a diverse above ground ecology, Utapau suffered from overpopulation and dramatic climatic shifts due to pollution. This climate change rendered the surface nearly uninhabitable due to the endless windstorms that relentlessly buffeted the world. Because of the porous nature of the planet's crust, all population centers moved below ground to the the caverns and sinkholes that dotted the world. 51,000 light years from the core, Utapau had a small molten metallic core, with a rocky mantle and rocky, calcareous crust. Before climatic shifts caused by Pau'an activity, the great seas of Utapau were deep and legendary. All that changed with the Pau'un civilization causing great and irreparable changes to the planet, causing the oceans to leak away beneath the crust of the world, forming a vast subterranean ocean. As the subterranean ocean washed away the salt beds, limestone, and carbonate rock, giant sinkholes opened up on the surface and exposed the great magma tunnels that ran below the surface.

Beyond Utapau, Pau'ans colonized their neighboring planet Unistros, and constructed massive archives dedicated to art and architecture. Governed by the League of Curators, Unistros was home to a series of massive universities where Pau'ans from Utapau could seek higher education and improve themselves intellectually. Moving beyond the Utapau system, Pau'ans established a colony on the world Arkonne III within the Arkonne system. A world of great plains and frozen wastes, the Pau'an settlers mingled with Human colonists for thousands of years, building vast cities and a manufacturing-based economy. Nearly a hundred years before the Clone Wars, a tribe of Amani arrived on the world mysteriously and settled in an archipelago off of the southern continent of Bugio. Pau'ans would also cohabitate with Humans on colony worlds such as Glova and Tarabba Prime. Their greatest non-Human ally were the Ongree of the Skustell Cluster; cousins of the Utai people, the Ongree understood and related to the culture of Utapau and made strong trading and political allies.

Early history
A species of subterranean mammals, Pau'ans were originally a cave-dwelling animal that subsisted off of fish and rodents common in the deep parts of the earth. Developing sentience and emerging from their caves circa 57,000 BrS, the people who would become known as the Pau'ans evolved to stand upright, see in the sunlight, and form into small communities. Developing a tribal system, Pau'ans learned to build shelter out of sticks and mud, thatching roofs, and hunting their prey in the wilds of their world. Early in their civilization, the Pau'ans first crossed paths with the Utai people, an amphibious sentient species that remained underground. Avoiding one another, the Pau'ans continued to develop their language through cave drawings and exotic artwork using the bones of their prey and their blood to form complex painted sculptures and entire scenes in a collection of story caves. These story caves served as visual depictions of the past, detailing ancient hunts, wars, and times of peace. Forming an agrarian society with the domestication of the jamel, the Pau'ans began to form alliances with neighboring communities to further their own development. Trading field crops for wood harvested from the forest societies, Pau'ans across the world learned to farm, fish, and build more secure homes. Establishing towns and cities in place of their migratory villages, trade roads were dug and great walls built to keep out intruders. Better weapons were forged, and an armed militia established to protect the fields and granaries from thieves. For over a thousand years, the Pau'ans continued to farm the land and worship fertility goddesses; making commerce and survival key goals of their people. The arts were cherished in town centers, while war was fought on the plains. Cities crumbled, towns were pillaged, temples erected, and unions formed as times swept across the world.

Industrial Age
When mass-production finally took hold on Utapau, its people formed vast nation-states and fought for resources. Once fertile cropland was developed into great mining colonies, stripping the land of its limited and scarce minerals made rare due to the porous nature of the planet's crust. Overfishing of the vast oceans of Utapau caused a food shortage that resulted in the need for artificial foods to be cultivated in laboratories and factories. Quickly realizing that their world was strapped for resources, the collective states of Utapau funded scientists to develop new ways to find resources and keep the momentum of progress going. Stripping ancient ruins of all their valuables, Pau'ans recycled the past to fund the future, and after a brief few centuries, shifted the Pau'an species towards space exploration. Harnessing the power of nuclear energy, Pau'ans launched themselves to the nine moons and found them plentiful with ores and minerals. Transporting the riches of the moons back to Utapau, the Pau'ans began to rapidly expand their society, forming great cities of steel and glass towers. Becoming glutenous and corrupt, the Pau'an corporate class came to utterly control the means of production and directed the entirety of Pau'an life and culture from the clouds. Despite the warning from climate scientists, regulation of pollutants was fought bitterly in the halls of government, warning that prohibiting businesses from further developing would cause economic collapse. Realizing the threat to society the corporate governments of the world posed, philanthropists from across the planet organized in what countries would support them and sent a colonization team to the neighboring world of Unistros. Establishing an enlightened society of scientists and scholars, Unistros was covered in sprawling art archives and museums, as well as universities and colleges dedicated to the arts and architecture. Controlled by the League of Curators, Unistros became a haven for those Pau'ans fearing utter catastrophe on the surface of Utapau.

Climate disaster
Despite the assurances of the corporate elite, climate disaster was indeed a real phenomenon that had past the point of no return. In less than a decade, severe weather and geological instability caused by strip-mining drove Pau'an culture to the brink of collapse. First, surface water rapidly diminished by 10% every year; leaking through the porous surface made unstable by generations of mining. This water formed great subterranean seas which eroded weak points in the planet's crust causing sinkholes to open up. These sinkholes in and around urban areas, swallowing entire population centers in a matter of weeks. The death toll was catastrophic. Ghastly windstorms swept the surface unabated, free to gust for thousands of miles due to the removal of forests and the leveling of mountains by greedy corporations seeking more and more profit. Academics still on the surface devised a plan to restructure Pau'an culture and ensure the species survived. Reaching out to the subterranean Utai populations, the Pau'ans formed an alliance with their neighbors and dug in underground. When the worst of the crust collapse subsided, Utai surveyors found the most stable sinkhole walls and helped the Pau'ans build their cities into the walls. Using the bones of the great ruhau whales stranded in dried out oceans to construct their cities, the newly formed Administrative Committee of Utapau struck out to build and ecologically sound society built on renewable resources and environmental conservation. Harnessing wind energy to power their cities, the Pau'ans and the Utai assimilated, building great cultural centers in their sinkhole port cities.

Converting the moon of Pau-Pau into a security waypoint, the Pau'ans commissioned the construction of a colony ship to take them beyond their star system and into the greater system. Founding colonies on Arkonne III, Glova, and Tarabba Prime over the millennia, the Pau'ans established trade deals with other worlds to bring in starfighters, advanced technology, and foodstuffs manufactured abroad. When the Administrative Committee formed a deal with the Trade Federation, they gave up the ability to import weapons and starships in favor of receiving inexpensive foodstuffs, art, and medicine. Continuing to manufacture small ships and weapons across the moons and Arkonne III, the Pau'ans interacted with few independent traders beyond those intrigued by rumors that the waters on the planet had miraculous healing properties. While Humans in the sector were friendly with the often fearsome looking Pau'ans, their greatest allies were the Ongree from the Skustell Cluster. Known for their medical technology, the Ongree shared a common ancestor with the Utai and felt honorbound to assist their genetic brethren in times of need. Trading and supporting with Utapau, the Ongree visited the world infrequently, but would come to Utapau's defense when called.

Joining the Republic
The Pau'an culture was disturbed during the Clone Wars by the Confederacy of Independent Systems; though the neutral Utapauns attempted to rebuff the invaders, the CIS succeeded in conquering the planet as a stronghold. Chairman Tion Medon was forced to host General Grievous in the capital, as well as secure a safehouse for the Confederacy's executive board of financiers. Scuttling their fleet and warning the milita to stay hidden from Separatist forces so as not to become embroiled in the war with the Republic, Medon immediately sought out Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi after his unexpected arrival on the world. Pledging the planetary government's support to the Republic, Chairman Medon authorized Kenobi to act covertly on the world to rout the Confederacy. When the Republic arrived and General Grievous was hunted down and killed, the Pau'ans agreed to join the Republic. Sending planetary representatives to Coruscant to serve as Senators, the Pau'ans agreed to test all citizens, Pau'an and Utai alike, for Force-sensitivity and send those who tested positive to Ossus for training with the Jedi Order.

Utai Jedi
Recruitment among the Utai by the Jedi Order began during the Inter-Sith War Era, as the Order began to rebuild in the wake of the disastrous Jedi Civil War. Finding the Utai to be less compatible with the Jedi path then their Pau'an neighbors, the Utai still had high numbers accepted into the Order due to the greater population size of their race. Training the amphibious species at the academy on Coruscant, many Utai graduated the academy to become Sentinels and Warriors, preferring to work with their hands and focus on the physical aspects of the Force. Brave and humble, Utai Jedi found much work in the Service Corps; whether they had failed to find rank as a Knight or chose to dedicated their skills to the Corps on their own accord. Commonly driven to serve the galaxy as members of the Agricultural Corps, Utai Jedi worked well in groups and were eager to drive others toward success. Ranking Knights often served the Technical Division as a Sentinel, pursuing a specialization as techs or artisans. Utai Starfighter Aces were not unheard of, flying in combat situations with ease, and possessing an agility common to diminutive species.

Utai Sith
Located on the border of space periodically controlled by the Sith Empire, the Utai homeworld was occasionally used as a recruiting ground for Sith slaves, soldiers, and Forceful acolytes. Those rare Utai who showed interest in the Sith philosophy were trained on Korriban to compete with other hopefuls to ascend through the hierarchy of the Sith Order and ascend to the rank of Lord. Other Utai to join the Sith forces were self-trained, or even fallen Jedi Knights.