Devaronian (Jedi Renaissance)

"I know the difference between a demon and a Devaronian and I'd rather trust a demon."

- Naradan D'ulin

Devaronians were a horned humanoid species from the world of in the  region of the galaxy. Evolving on a planet of low mountains and deep valleys linked by thousands of rivers, it was believed that they were descended from a race of mountain-dwelling primates and that their horns were a genetic mutation that proved useful in fending off predatory birds. Having a long and storied history which intertwined with both the Jedi Order and the Sith Empire, the Devaron government was a staunchly loyal planet in the Galactic Republic and participated in the Acquisition Division of the Order's Jedi recruitment program.

Biology and appearance
The Devaronians were a species which demonstrated a dramatic gender dimorphism in appearance and temperament. The males were aggressive by nature, many being described as brash or bull-headed, with typically red-tinted skin and a pair of large horns growing from their heads. They took great pride in their horns, and groomed them quite regularly. Female Devaronians were covered in thick fur that ranged in color from brown to white and had prominent canine teeth. Having merely vestigial horns, the females of the race displayed at most two small bumps on their head where males developed their cranial horns. While they were docile, non-aggressive creatures they tended to be dominant in their culture, being the only ones allowed to participate in government and politics. In addition, the teeth of the males were all sharp incisors, but the females also had molars and prominent canines. One in fifty Devaronian males had two sets of teeth, however, having an inner set of sharp "male" teeth and an outer, retractable set of "female" teeth. In primitive times, such males were used as solitary scouts by Devaronian tribes, since they could survive on either meat or plants. Males also had an extremely long tongue, while females did not share this trait. Their bodies were denser than most humanoids' and as a result they were heavier than their appearance would tend to indicate. As a result they had multiple livers and their single hear pumped silver-based blood.

History and society
First devising the tumble hyperdrive around 27,000 BBY, Devaronians were one of the first species in the galaxy to develop interstellar travel. The males of the species had been common sights in spaceports throughout the galaxy for thousands of years by the time of the. Devaronian males were driven by an urge to wander, usually taking the first opportunity to move on from one place to another. As such, they were often found traveling the galaxy as tramp freighter captains and scouts. Female Devaronians, on the other hand, were content to remain in a single location, and, as such, raised the young and ran the government of Devaron. The males sent as much money as they could manage back to their homeworld to support their families, but otherwise hardly ever returned once they had begun to travel the stars. The females were content with this arrangement, as they tended to view the restless males as disruptive to home life. Mating rituals consisted of the season of Koh'hibril. Females were dominant therefore, as that was the only time couples spent long periods together.

Devaronian Jedi
Force-sensitive Devaronians have garnered the attention of organizations dedicated to the study of the Force since time immemorial. Sought out by the Tho Yor in 36,453 BBY, Devaronian scholars eagerly boarded the ship and were whisked away to the Deep Core world of Tython where they thrived for millennia as members of the Je'daii Order and as citizens of the Settled Worlds. From the ashes of the Force Wars, the conflict which saw the death of the Je'daii and the awakening of the Jedi Order, the Devaronians continued to feel the Force and join the Order in attempts to study and learn.

One of the early Order's greatest examples of Devaronian strength is the history of Jedi Master Chamma Targon. While still a Knight, Targon was dispatched to Athiss where he was seduced to the dark side of the Force while defending himself from Sith cultist. Ashamed at his failings, Targon went into hiding on H'ratth where he meditated in solitude on his fall to the dark side. Twenty years later, a Master from the Jedi fortressworld of Ossus sought out Targon and redeemed him to the light. After the rank of Master was bestowed upon Targon by the Jedi High Council the Devaronian returned to H'ratth where he opened a chapter house for the Order where he trained students until his death. His mind continues to be preserved in the Noetikon of Secrets long after his death and into the modern era.

Other Devaronian Jedi which gained notoriety throughout the Order's history for their exceptional skill include Jedi Knight Dvakvar Grahrk, known as the Martyr of Gizer; Sian Jeisel, first Headmaster of the Tython Grand Temple during the Renaissance and the keeper of the Codex of Tython; and Hivrekh'wao'Cheklev, the Lord Protector of the Vale of Arryn and arguably the most powerful male Devaronian Jedi in history as claimed by historian.

Like all species which served in the Order, Devaronians were represented in the Grand Temple on Ossus. Within the main entrance of the Temple, known as the Hall of Meditating Masters, a larger-than-life bronzium statue was erected in dedication to all Devaronians to serve alongside the likenesses of hundred of other species. The kneeling Master, a male Devaronian, was not made to represent any particular Jedi but was an alter for reflection of members of the species who practiced the Jedi arts. Int he Sword of the Jedi tower, the lightsabers of all Jedi were placed in memory of fallen warriors and scholars alike. A multitude of weapons once owned by Devaronian Jedi were housed here, even the ancient hilt fragments of Master Targon. The Edifice of Heroes also commemorated past Devaronian Jedi with painting, statues and other works of art presented as memorial and museum to each and every Jedi to have served the Order.