Krolla
Type: Terrestrial (Radioactive)
Temperature: Searing (Average of 74 degrees Celsius)
Atmosphere: Type IV
Hydrosphere: Moderate
Gravity: High
Terrain: Volcano, Mountain, and Plateau
Length of Day: 36 hours
Length of Year: 650 days
Sapient Species: Krolls, Mega-Dragons
Starport: Limited Services
Population: 180 million Krolls, 25,000 Mega-Dragons
Planet Function: Homeworld
Government: Feudal
Tech Level: Feudal
Major Exports: Music, Exotic Life Forms
Major Imports: Luxury Items, High Technology
Capsule: Krolla is one of the least-likely worlds in the galaxy to develop life, much less sentient life. Even so, despite being a high-gravity radioactive hellhole, Krolla is home to a bewildering array of life forms. From the tiny drukka-worms that burrow mindlessly through the basalt and obsidian towers that dot the landscape of Krolla to the massive Krollan Mega-Dragon the fauna of Krolla covers the entire range of life one would expect on any other world. The flora of Krolla is no less impressive, with wonders such as the horrifyingly lethal Krollan Sunflower and the majestic Ironthistle Pine. This combined with the high mountains, stony plateaus, deep gorges, and numerous inland seas and lakes makes for some of the most breath-taking vistas in the galaxy.
As one might expect, much of the life on Krolla feeds on the ravening radiation that bathes the world. Ergivores, radiovores, magnetovores, and photovores are all in abundance alongside the more traditional carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. Indeed, Krollan omnivores are typically much more literally omnivorous than on other worlds, being able to feed on fellow plants and animals or subsist for decades on nothing more than raw energy.
Despite being constantly bombarded with radiation, Krolla boasts a large number of sizable inland seas. Most worlds with such high levels of radioactivity have little standing water, but the Krollan hydrosphere is saturated with immense amounts of water. Were Krolla less radioactive, it would be completely covered in water. As it is, large lakes and inland seas cover the surface of the planet with depths ranging from a few dozen meters to a number of ultra-deep lakes sporting sub-sea thermal vents that reach all the way to the planet's mantle. Just as on the surface of Krolla, the undersea environment is alive with countless varieties of life, both large and small.
The question of what species is truly dominant on Krolla is still open. Despite having attained sentience and civilization, the Krolls of Krolla still struggle day to day for survival on a world that does not forgive weakness. Even though the Krolla have mastered rudimentary metalworking, agriculture, animal husbandry, and basic economics, achievements that would place most species firmly at the top of the local food chain, the sheer brutality of life on Krolla makes it uncertain whether or not Krollish civilization will prevail. The fossil record on Krolla indicates that no less than twenty past species have attained sentience and subsequently sunk into extinction, with three of those races leaving behind the remains of civilizations exceeding the current sophistication of the Krolls. Only the recent discovery of Krolla by independent scouts might firmly tip the balance in the favor of the Krollish people.
Unknown to all but the Mega-Dragons themselves, there are in fact two sentient species on Krolla. The Mega-Dragons attained sentience shortly after the Krolls did and have lived silently alongside the Krolls since that time. Mega-Dragon civilization is based entirely upon thoughts and ideas rather than physical accomplishments. As such, there are no artifacts of their civilization to tip off the Krolls or off-world scouts and xenologists to their sentience. There has been little contact between the Mega-Dragons and the Krolls over their history together. The Krolls see the Mega-Dragons as immense beasts of ineffable wisdom and power who are beyond mortal comprehension. The Mega-Dragons regard the Kroll as "little brothers" who are to be protected whenever possible. Though there are records of rogue Mega-Dragons becoming rampaging terrors among the Kroll, only a tiny handful of Mega-Dragons have ever betrayed the secret of their existence to the Krolls (See below).
Notable Locations:
The Amphitheater of Endless Song: A truly colossal structure built out of blocks of basalt cut from a nearby mountain range, the Amphitheater is something of a legend among the Kroll and a true marvel to the Mega-Dragons who create no buildings of their own. Built by Kroll to Mega-Dragon scale, the Amphitheater is the legendary home of the Sentinels of the Eternal Melody, the Krollish and Mega-Dragon analogy to the Jedi Knights. The majority of the greatest Krollish works of music come from the Amphitheater, lending it an especially celebrated place in Kroll society.
Physically the Amphitheater is just that: a massive amphitheater large enough to seat a thousand Mega-Dragons comfortably. Unsurprisingly, the amphitheater fills a small valley from top to bottom. Literally millions of steps are carved into the sides of the amphitheater sized for Krollish feet along with hundreds of immense terraces for Krolls and Mega-Dragons alike.
Ders Joppha: Ders Joppha is the largest city-warren on Krolla, being home to nearly ten million Krolls. Ders Joppha, like all Krollish cities, is a subterranean settlement consisting of thousands of miles of tunnels and caverns. Even the starport, the only one of its kind on the entire planet, is located in an immense underground cavern more than a mile wide and two and a half miles long.
Flora and Fauna of Krolla
Drukka-Worms
Type: Mindless Burrowing Pest
Dexterity: 1D
Perception: 1D
Strength: 2D
Special Abilities:
Radiation Resistant: Effectively immune to exposure to hard radiation
Teeth: Drukka-Worms have chewing, grinding teeth that can eventually tear through virtually anything. For every round of uninterrupted chewing, add +1D to the damage the Drukka-Worm's teeth cause. This damage will not let a Drukka-Worm destroy a starship, but will let it burrow into its hull, possibly causing minute breaches in the ship's structural integrity.
Energy Hibernation: If deprived of food for a week, Drukka-Worms may go into hibernation and survive on ambient energy for up to two years. This ability may only be used in a very high radiation environment such as on Krolla or near an unshielded nuclear reactor.
Move: 3
Size: 5-10 centimeters
Scale: Character
Capsule: Looking much like a mottled gray length of intestine, Drukka-Worms are perhaps the most homely creatures in the galaxy. Their habit of chewing through anything they can get their teeth to grip upon does little to improve their reputation. Drukka-Worms can and will eat virtually anything and given time can chew through virtually any material. This can be dangerous for starships since the creatures will burrow directly into a ship's hull leaving a tiny hull breach in its wake.
Tekernals
Type: Vicious Pack Hunters
Dexterity: 4D
Dodge 6D, Brawling Parry 5D, Running 6D
Perception: 3D
Search 5D, Sneak 6D
Strength: 7D
Special Abilities:
Thick Hide: +2D versus Physical attacks, +1D versus Energy Attacks
Radiation Resistance: +2D versus Radiation (cumulative with armor bonus)
Slashing Claws: Strength +5D damage
Teeth: Strength +2D damage
Food-Dependent: Unlike most species on Krolla, Tekernals are unable to go into energy hibernation if deprived of food. Tekernals starve at the same rate as normal creatures.
Move: 30 running, 3 digging
Size: 2.5 meters at the shoulder
Scale: Character
Capsule: Low-slung reptilian pack-hunters, Tekernals fill the same ecological niches that nashtahs and vornskyrs fill on other worlds. Being natives of Krolla simply means these creatures are all the more formidable. Sporting a thick, radiation resistant hide and wickedly sharp slashing claws, a pack of Tekernals can take down all but the largest or craftiest of Krolla's animals. Tekernals travel in packs of between eight and twenty individuals with leadership going to the strongest females who are slightly larger and smarter than the males. Tekernals are on the bleeding-edge of sentience, being intelligent enough to use fear as part of their hunting arsenal. Tekernals have been observed engineering stampedes of Krollan Dewbacks that drive the frightened herbivores off cliffs and to their deaths. A pack of Tekernals is capable of digging out and killing an entire family of Krolls in only a few minutes. More sinister are reports of well-fed Tekernals running down and slaying smaller animals and then not eating the body. This suggests that Tekernals may have the capacity to kill purely for sport and pleasure.
Krollan Dewback
Type: Huge Omnivore
Dexterity: 2D
Perception 2D
Strength: 4D+2
Orneriness: 3D
Special Abilities:
Armored Hide: +2D versus physical and energy attacks
Radiation Resistance: +2D versus radiation (cumulative with armor bonus)
Teeth: 6D damage
Energy Hibernation: Krollan Dewbacks may go into hibernation if deprived of food for more than a month. While in hibernation the creature survives solely on ambient radiation and can do so for up to eight years before finally starving to death. This ability may only be used in a very high radiation environment such as Krolla or near an unshielded nuclear reactor.
Move: 25
Size: 5 meters at the shoulder
Scale: Speeder
Capsule: Obviously not a true relation to the Dewbacks of Tatooine, the Krollan Dewback gains its name from the fact that it looks almost exactly like a double-size version of the more well-known creature. Big, stupid, and capable of eating virtually any organic material, Krollan Dewbacks are the most common herd beast of Krolla. Their body parts are used for virtually everything by the Krolls, from building materials to food to decoration. Krollan Dewbacks are an integral part of Krollish life, filling the same niche that banthas and nerfs serve in the rest of the galaxy.
Core Crawlers
Type: Immense Burrowing Crustacean
Dexterity: 2D
Perception: 2D
Strength: 5D
Special Abilities:
Armored Hide: +3D versus physical and energy attacks
Radiation Immunity: Core Crawlers are completely immune to the effects of hard radiation exposure
Bite: Strength +4D damage
Pincers: Strength +3D damage
Energy Hibernation: Core Crawlers may go into hibernation if deprived of food for more than a month. While in hibernation the creature survives solely on ambient radiation and can do so for up to fiftyyears before finally starving to death. This ability may only be used in a very high radiation environment such as Krolla or near an unshielded nuclear reactor.
Move: 55 crawling on the surface, 21 digging
Size: 750-1,500 meters
Scale: Capital
Capsule: Core Crawlers are thought to be the largest terrestrial creatures in the galaxy. Immense almost beyond imagining, these behemoths spend most of their lives swimming through the mantle of Krolla and occasionally tunneling through the deepest parts of Krolla's crust. The name "core crawler" is actually a misnomer since they never venture beyond the mantle of Krolla. Looking like a gargantuan combination of a millipede and a lobster, core crawlers grow to lengths rivaling a Star Destroyer. For all their size, core crawlers are essentially mindless creatures, operating on pure instinct. They eat radioactive ore in the crust of Krolla but spend most of their time cruising the magma currents of Krolla's mantle. Three times in a core crawler's life it will burrow to the surface of Krolla to mate. Why they must mate on the surface is not known, but when they do journey to the surface their passage can cause intense local seismic activity. After mating, they return to the warmth of the mantle, usually leaving a pair of small volcanoes in their wake, one for the hole created coming up and another for the hole created going back. It is unknown whether core crawlers have any natural predators. No other creatures are known to live in Krolla's mantle and any would-be predator would have to live there in order to hunt the creatures.
Razorwings
Type: Avian Predator
Dexterity: 4D
Dodge: 6D
Perception: 3D
Search: 6D
Strength: 3D
Flight: 5D
Special Abilities:
Razor-Edged Wings: Razorwings have solid bones on the leading edge of their wings that extend past the skin of the wing and are razor sharp. Razorwings attack by swooping down and slashing at prey with their wings as they pass. A diving slash inflicts Strength +3D damage and a power dive will inflict Strength +6D damage, but can only be done every other round as the power dive takes an entire round for the razorwing to get the altitude it needs for the attack.
Talons: While the main weapons of Razorwings are their sharpened wing edges, they also have powerful talons capable of inflicting Strength +3D Damage Beak: Razorwings have a sharp beak capable of inflicting Strength +3D damage
Radiation Resistance: +4D versus radiation
Food-Dependent: Unlike most species on Krolla, Tekernals are unable to go into energy hibernation if deprived of food. Razorwings starve at the same rate as normal creatures.
Move: 5 on the ground, 55 in normal flight, 105 on a power dive
Size: 10 meter wingspan
Scale: Speeder
Capsule: Razorwings are the premier avian predators of Krolla. In the skies a Razorwing is second only to a Mega-Dragon in terms of deadliness. Even the fearsome Mega-Drake will flee a large flock of Razorwings, being too stupid to intelligently battle the cunning creatures. Razorwings are exceptionally intelligent and will work together to bring down large animals such as a Krollan Dewback. A flock of Razorwings numbers between 5 and 10 individuals and there are few sights in the galaxy more majestic than a group of these immense avians flying in formation. Few sights in the galaxy are more terrifying than a group of Razorwings flying in formation and on an attack run on one's position.
Krollan Sunflower
Type: Lethal Plant
Dexterity: 3D
Blasters: Sunray 6D
Perception 3D
Search: Motion Detection 6D
Strength: 4D
Special Abilities:
Radiation Immunity: Krollan Sunflowers are effectively immune to hard radiation
Focussed Light Beams: A defensive evolutionary adaptation. Damage is variable depending on the size of the flower cluster. Small clusters of five flowers inflict between 6D-8D Character scale damage. Large patches of 50 or more flowers might inflict up to 8D Starfighter scale damage. Range is 0-25/50/75 meters
Size: 5 centimeters across for an individual flower. One square meter for a patch of five flowers. 25 square meters for a patch of 50 flowers.
Scale: Character
Capsule: A typical example of plant life on Krolla, Krollan Sunflowers are notable in that they do not settle for passive defenses such as poison or spines, but harness the radiation of their surroundings to reduce predators to mounds of fertile ash to grow in. Sunflower roots are extremely sensitive to vibration and grow outward just under the surface of the soil. When the roots detect movement, all flowers in a given patch of Sunflowers swivel towards the movement, firing a massive barrage of naturally generated lasers.
Ironthistle Pine
Type: Ultra-Dense Tree
Dexterity: 0D
Perception: 0D
Strength: 5D-15D
Special Abilities:
Radiation Immunity: Krollan Sunflowers are effectively immune to hard radiation
Incredible Durability: Ironthistle wood retains its incredible structural integrity even after death and conversion into lumber. Weapons made from Ironthistle wood retain the hull code and scale of the tree they are taken from. Armor is exceptionally difficult to make out of Ironthistle wood due to the need for flexibility, ease of movement, and low weight. See below for details.
Size: 50-500 meters
Scale: Walker
Capsule: Growing to immense sizes, the Ironthistle is the primary megaflora of Krolla and are among the largest planet-based life forms in the galaxy. Growing in huge forests of hundreds of thousands of plants, these massive trees supply much of the building material that Krollan Dewbacks do not provide for the Krolls. Weapons made out of the wood of Ironthistle trees are incredibly resistant to damage and breakage, retaining the "body dice" of the tree the weapon was taken from (I.E., A mace made from a 500 meter tall Ironthistle will resist damage with 15D Walker Scale strength.)
Sentients of Krolla:
Species Name: Krolls
Homeworld: Krolla
Attribute Dice: 14D
Dexterity 1D/3D
Knowledge 2D/4D
Mechanical 1D/3D
Perception 3D/5D
Strength 4D/6D
Technical 1D/3D
Height: 2.8-3.5 meters
Move: 14/18, 3/5 Digging
Special Skills:
Mechanical Skills:
Musical Instrument: Salandotar (special): Time to Use: 1 round. Krollish Salandotars are a combination of stringed instrument and bagpipes. They have a nearly hypnotic effect on most listeners and skilled non-Kroll practitioners may even affect emotions as though they were Krolls. Krolls learn this skill as a specialization, while non-Krolls learn it as an Advanced skill. Krollish Salandotar players may add their Salandotar skill dice to their Singing dice (-1D for multiple actions) when altering moods. Non-Krollish players of the Salandotar may roll their Salandotar skill dice to affect moods as though they were Krollish singers, but with a +10 difficulty penalty. Only Krollish singers may combine their Salandotar skill dice with their Singing skill dice to affect moods.
Perception Skills:
Singing: Time to Use: 1 round. Krolls are natural singers and can actually alter moods with their songs. See below for the details of their mood-altering song ability.
Strength Skills:
Digging: Time to Use: 1 to 5 rounds. This skill is used by Krolls to dig out burrows and tunnels in the densely packed, high-gravity ground of Krolla. Their incredible strength combined with huge, strong, and sharp digging claws lets them burrow through the earth at astounding speeds. If the Kroll wishes to leave a structurally sound tunnel behind him, he must take extra time packing the soil as he digs through it. If tunneling for speed, the Kroll may dig at a rate of 5 meters per round. If tunneling for stability, this rate slows to 5 meters every five rounds.
Breath Holding: Occasionally a tunnel will collapse on a Kroll or the Kroll may find it necessary to purposely collapse a tunnel. Krolls have developed high-capacity lungs and the ability to hold their breath for long periods of time to deal with this. Consult the following table to determine how long a Kroll can hold its breath when required to do so.
5-20 minutes: Very Easy
21-40 minutes: Easy
41-60 minutes: Moderate
61-80 minutes: Difficult
81-100 minutes: Very Difficult
101-120 minutes: Heroic
Special Abilities:
Acute Non-Visual Senses: Krollish hearing, smell, and unique vibration-detection abilities allow them to function in darkness and low-light conditions with only half the normal penalties.
Armor: Thick, plated exoskeleton gives +3D versus physical and energy attacks.
Radiation Resistance: +3D versus hard radiation (this bonus is cumulative with the armor bonus versus energy attacks)
Claws: Long, ultra-hard retractable digging claws inflict Strength +4D damage
Intimidation: Krolls are fierce-looking, primitive creatures. Because of this all Krolls start with an Intimidation skill of 5D. This may not be improved with starting skill dice, but does not count against starting skill dice either.
Emotion Control: Krolls may alter the emotions of an audience with their singing skills. Krolls possess ultra-fine tonal control that extends into the subsonic and hypersonic ranges. They may incite audiences to extremes of emotion with their singing. Language is not a barrier, but species is. Use the following modifiers to determine the effect on the audience.
Mood Alteration is:
Current Mood, but amplified: Very Easy
Slight Change from Current Mood: Easy
Moderate Change from Current Mood: Moderate
Drastic Change from Current Mood: Difficult
Extreme Change from Current Mood: Very Difficult
Diametrically Opposite Change from Current Mood: Heroic
Audience Species is:
Krollish: No modifier
Very Similar: +5
Slightly Different: +10
Moderately Different: +15
Drastically Different: +20
Extremely Different: +25
Totally Different: +30
Mixed Audience: Average of the above numbers +5
Audience Size is:
1-100: Very Easy
101-500: Easy
501-1,000: Moderate
1,001-5,001: Difficult
5,001-10,000: Very Difficult
10,001-50,000: Heroic
Energy Hibernation: If deprived of material food for more than one month, a Kroll can enter a kind of hibernation period during which it can subsist solely on ambient energy to survive. This state can be maintained for one year per die in Stamina before the character starves to death. This ability may only be used in a very high radiation environment such as the Krollish homeworld or near an unshielded nuclear reactor.
Singing: Krolls are masters of song, enjoying a +2D bonus to their Singing skill (a Perception skill).
Stamina: Due to the harshness of their home environment and their steadfast, unyielding nature, Krolls receive +2D to Stamina and Willpower
Special Penalties:
Poor Vision: Krolls depend primarily upon scent and hearing to explore their world. This, combined with the darkness of their native cavern environment results in a -1D penalty to all actions involving vision at a range of greater than 50 meters.
Primitive: Beginning Kroll characters may not put any skill dice into skills that would not normally exist in an Iron Age environment.
Voice Box: Krolls find Basic extremely difficult to pronounce. Krolls with less than 5D in Languages must succeed in a Moderate Languages skill roll to be understood by others when speaking Basic. Oddly, this does not affect a Kroll's ability to sing lyrics, so that even if the requisite Language skill is not possessed, if the Kroll knows the song, he can still sing it with clarity.
Agoraphobic: Krolls evolved underground and are never comfortable without a roof overhead and walls close by. When functioning without a roof within eye-sight (I.E., above ground and in the open) Krolls make all reaction rolls at -2D due to fear and distraction. This penalty ALWAYS applies when aboard aircraft or spacecraft, despite having a roof, as the Kroll cannot shake the awareness that he is not in contact with the comforting ground.
Requires Breath Mask Off-world: Krolls are tough creatures, being able to handle the rigors of life outside their native environment for the most part. One thing they do require when off-world are special breath masks that filter the air they breath through a chamber of high-intensity radiation to properly alter the chemistry for their metabolism.
Combat Penalty: Despite the fact that some Krolls make a living defending caravans and warrens, Krolls simply do not make good warriors. All combat skills other than dodge cost double the normal amount of character points to improve.
Story Factors:
Force Sensitive: 1 out of every 1,000 Krolls is Force Sensitive, making Force Sensitivity comparatively common among their people
Belief in Magic: Krolls are a primitive people who equate the Force with magic. Non-Kroll wielders of the Force will be regarded as magicians, witches, demons, or worse depending on the situation.
Superstitious: Krolls see omens everywhere around them and are very much affected by those omens. At the beginning of every game session the Game Master should privately roll 1D. On a 6 the omens are favorable and on a 1 the omens are unfavorable. A roll of 2-4 indicates that the good and ill omens surrounding the Kroll are roughly equal in power at the moment. If the omens favor the Kroll, the character effectively has an extra 5 character points to draw upon for the duration of the session. These are NOT true character points and may not be saved from session to session. They merely represent the confidence and boldness the Kroll feels due to the good omens. If the omens are unfavorable, the GM has 5 "penalty dice" that he may (or may not) use during the session. At any time, purely at the GM's discretion, the Game Master may use one of those dice to impose a -1D penalty on ANY roll the Kroll makes. In the alternative, the GM may use up all 5 penalty dice and simply declare that a given action was a failure. Such failures NEVER involve mishaps as with a badly rolled wild die. The chosen action simply fails, regardless of how well the player might roll. As with the confidence engendered by good omens, the ill omens surrounding the Kroll make him hesitant and fearful, resulting in skill degradation and/or stupid mistakes that would not normally happen. Note that the GM is not required to use the penalty dice, though it is suggested that they be used the majority of the time the omens come up negative. If the GM chooses not to impose any penalties for the duration of the game session it can be assumed that the Spirits have decided to be lenient or are busy making some other poor Kroll's life miserable.
Capsule: Krolls are the most obviously sentient species on Krolla. They are one of the latest in a long line of attempts by evolution to establish a lasting sentient species on Krolla. Standing an average of 3 meters tall, and massing nearly half a metric ton, Krolls would be intimidating sights even without their plated exoskeletons and long digging claws. Looking much like anthropomorphic armadillos, Krolla are among the toughest sentient beings in the galaxy, a result of evolving on one of the most hostile planets in the galaxy. They are also deceptively fast due to their evolution on a high-gravity world. Their exoskeletons are typically a dull tan or beige, but it is common for Krolls to decorate themselves with body paints in bright colors and intricate patterns. Their narrow skulls are heavily plated with exoskeletal armor and their eyes seem to be little more than tiny black dots recessed in armored cowlings. Obviously their eyesight is quite poor, but this is made up for by extremely sensitive auditory and olfactory centers. They also possess an ability to detect minute vibrations in their surroundings.
Krolls live underground in immense warrens that can stretch for hundreds, or even thousands of miles in all directions. Their primitive society is vaguely similar to conventional feudal societies, but differs in that the leader of any given freehold will always be the best singer of the group. This leader is called the Songmaster and is accorded a status much like that of a king. Generally peaceful by nature, status in Krollish culture is garnered through musical excellence. Of special note are Salandotar players. A skilled Salandotar player holds a place in Krollish society much like a priest might in a religious human culture. Salandotar Masters are regarded as beings of holy stature and given incredible respect and reverence by their fellow Kroll.
Krolls are an exceptionally empathic people, being able to affect emotions with their voices and Salandotars, and having a relatively high number of Force Sensitives. As a result, they prefer to work in harmony with one another and others. They do not dislike change, but find chaos distasteful and discomforting. Individually and as a species, Krolls have tremendous willpower, a probably result of evolving in an environment where anything less than complete and total commitment to survival means death. Krolls do not take hard-line positions lightly, but once a course of action has been decided upon, the stars themselves will yield before the Kroll back down.
Despite the claws and armored exoskeleton that make them seem natural warriors, Kroll despise conflict. Among their own people, they never violently war with one another, disagreements being settled through contests of song or Salandotar playing. Violent conflict with their environment is inevitable, however, leading to the existence of a special type of warrior in Kroll society, the Guardian. Krollish Guardians are fighting men trained to defend their community against the many predators of Krolla, especially the dreaded Terkenal hunting packs who are brave enough and intelligent enough to venture below ground in search of prey. With a low native technology, Krolls are generally limited to melee weapons. Due to the underground environment they live in, Krolls prefer stabbing swords and short spears or, often studded with wicked barbs and serrations or short, heavy spiked maces. Spiked and bladed gauntlets are also common Krollish weapons. Despite the tremendous damage their claws can inflict, it is considered vulgar to use them in combat. While Krolls who fight with their claws are not considered honorless criminals like Wookiees who use their climbing claws in combat, they are regarded as crude and uncouth brutes on the fringes of civilized society.
Though they are predominantly a subterranean race, Krolls do venture forth from their burrows for a few things such as trade with other warren-cities and hunting expeditions. Krollish merchant caravans often have dozens of crudely built wagons made predominantly from Dewback hide and bone with the wagon wheels often being cross-section cuts from ironwood trees. The average Kroll finds open sky disconcerting at best and so it is that caravan riders are considered to be misfits and loners in Kroll society. Caravan riders are also the most adventurous segment of Kroll civilization, often blazing the very trails that they ride to other Kroll warren-cities. The highest concentration of Kroll Guardians can be found in the ranks of the caravan riders.
Kroll religion is centered around the notion that spirits exist in all things and those spirits make their will known through the use of omens. Krolls see omens everywhere around them and are totally convinced of the power of those omens to make or break a person. While all things contain a spirit, according to Krolls, not all spirits are equal. A boulder's spirit is stronger than a pebble's spirit, for instance and a tekernal's spirit is greater than that possessed by a drukka worm. At the pinnacle of the Spirit World are Archetypal Spirits, spirits that represent the ideal form of a given thing. Thus, while the boulder's spirit is stronger than the pebble's spirit, the Great Stone Spirit is the greatest of all stony objects. Sometimes a name is attributed to an Archetype Spirit, such as Old Slash-Claw in reference to the archetypal tekernal spirit and Little Rock Eater for the archetypal drukka worm spirit. The greatest of animal spirits is, of course, Mighty Fire Belcher, the Mega-Dragon archetypal spirit. Ruling over all spirits is Eversong, the spirit of the Eternal Melody, or what off-worlders call the Force. In the Krollish creation myth, Eversong began singing one day and the world (and universe) came into being. Krolls believe that should Eversong ever quit singing, the world will end. As such, every song that is sung and every note that is played is considered a direct prayer to Eversong to continue singing.
Krollish relations with the outside galaxy are generally cordial, with the Krolls taking a neutral stance in the galactic civil war. The Empire would love to enslave the Krolls, but considers the task of digging them out of their burrows on such a hellish world as Krolla to be more trouble than it would be worth. Every attempt to establish mining operations on Krolla has ended in disaster, mainly due to Drukka-Worm infestation of mining equipment. Aside from the odd music enthusiast who has heard tales of Krollish music, there is little to recommend the world to the outside galaxy.
Only a tiny portion of the Krollish population is aware of the sentient nature of the Mega-Dragons of Krolla. These few Krolls live apart from standard Krollish society and call themselves the Sentinels of the Eternal Melody, or Melodic Sentinels. They are one of only two organized groups of Force Users on Krolla and fill much the same function that the Jedi Knights did during the time of the Republic. Due to the general lack of evil and discord in Krollish society, there are far fewer Sentinels than there ever were Jedi, and the organization mainly exists to teach those who are strong in the Force how to use their gifts. The other group of Force Users are those Sentinels who have fallen to the Dark Side. Known throughout Krollish society as Void Singers or Servants of the Dire Rhythm, these foul-hearted beings are as evil as any Sith Lord and command many of the same dark powers. Void Singers are responsible for the one and only major war in Krollish history. This war ended with the near-total annihilation of the Void Singer cult.
Weapons of the Kroll
Krolls do not make very good warriors, but they have devised a number of weapons to defend themselves against marauding Tekernals and other predators. Most Krollish weapons are designed for stabbing since the tight quarters of a tunnel makes it difficult to swing weapons in wide arcs. Bruntuur maces are among the few non-stabbing weapons used by the Krolls and are predominantly used by caravan guards traveling on the surface where swinging room is not an issue.
Jurtal Blade
Type: Traditional Kroll Short Sword
Skill: Melee Weapons: Jurta Blade
Cost: 750 credits
Availability: 3
Difficulty: Difficult
Damage: Strength +3D+1 damage
Description: A short, heavy stabbing blade, the Jurtal blade is a favorite among Guardians for its durability and versatility. Usually made out of Ironthistle wood, a typical Jurtal Blade resists damage with a body dice of 10D Walker Scale. The high cost is due to the rarity and workmanship put into each Jurtal blade. Despite being made of wood, Jurtal blades can last for generations.
Froomtaa Spear
Type: Barbed Combat Spear
Skill: Melee Combat or Thrown Weapons
Cost: 900 credits
Availability: 3
Difficulty: Moderate
Damage: Strength +3D damage + special
Range: 1-5/15/25 meters
Special: Barbs cause spear to lodge in wound. Removing the spear takes one round and inflicts damage equal the to strength of the creature removing the spear +3D.
Description: A viciously barbed throwing spear, the Froomtaa spear is made of the same Ironthistle wood as most other Krollish weapons. Being relatively fragile, Froomtaa spears typically have a body die strength of 5D Walker Scale. Again, the cost is due to the workmanship put into these weapons which are often older than the Guardian wielding them. Due to the density of the wood used in construction, a wielder must have 3D or better strength to adequately throw these spears.
Bruntuur Mace
Type: Spiked Battle Mace
Skill: Melee Combat
Cost: 500 credits
Availability: 3
Difficulty: Moderate
Damage: Strength +4D+1 damage
Description: Big, heavy, and nasty-looking, Bruntuur maces are immense, requiring at least a 3D strength to wield properly. Not as ornately decorated as Jurtal blades or Froomtaa spears, Bruntuur maces still command an high price due to their incredible durability. Bruntur maces resist damage with a body code of 15D Walker Scale.
Fist of Doom
Type: Heavy Battle Gauntlet
Skill: Brawling
Cost: 500 credits
Availability: 3
Difficulty: As per Brawling
Damage: Strength +3D+1
Description: Heavy leather gauntlets made from Krollan Dewback hide, these battle gloves are imbedded with Ironthistle spikes and obsidian blades for punching and slashing and reinforced with strips of Ironthistle wood for added strength and protection. In addition to serving as weapons, these sturdy gloves provide +2D versus Physical and Energy attacks for the hands and lower arms only.
Charthorn Armor
Type: Light Defensive Armor
Cost: 2,500 credits or 3,250 credits
Availability: 3 or 4, F
Armor Value: +3D+1 versus Physical and Energy attacks, +6D+1 versus hard radiation attacks
Penalties: -1D to all Dexterity-Based skills, doubled if Strength is less than 4D. Movement reduced by 1/3rd.
Description: Beautifully carved and engraved, Charthorn armor is favored by travelers on Krolla due to its balance of excellent protection and relatively good mobility. Ekkar Arms, a Coynite-run company hailing from Elrood Sector markets an extremely rare variant of this armor that has been combined with a light vacuum suit with a six hour air supply, gyro-compensator (+1D to dexterity in micro-gravity), and rocket pack (Space 1, Maneuverability 1D). This enhanced space armor costs 3,250 credits and has an availability of 4, F.
Ghurrthon Armor
Type: Medium Combat Armor
Cost: 5,000 credits or 10,000 credits
Availability: 3 or 4, F
Armor Value: +4D+1 versus Physical and Energy Attacks, +8D+1 versus hard radiation attacks
Penalties: -2D to all Dexterity-Based skills, doubled if Strength is less than 4D. Running, Stealth, and Swimming skills are impossible to use. Movement is reduced by ?.
Description: As incredibly rare as it is incredibly ornate, this armor is rarely used except by Krollish Guardians who are on patrol in tunnels known to be dangerous. Ekkar Arms markets a high-tech version that adds a vacuum suit with a six hour air supply, enhanced gyro-compensator (+2D to dexterity in micro-gravity), directional rocket harness (Space 2, Maneuverability 2D), and a spring-operated retractable Jurtal Blade (Strength +3D+1 damage).
Thruutton Armor
Type: Heavy Battle Armor
Cost: 10,000 credits or
Availability: 4
Armor Value: +5D+1 versus Physical and Energy Attacks, +10D+1 versus hard radiation attacks
Penalties: -3D to all Dexterity-Based skills, doubled if Strength is less than 4D. Running, Stealth, and Swimming skills are impossible to use. Movement is reduced by 2/3rd.
Description: Nearly impossible to find anywhere, Thruutton armor is only used by Krollish Guardians who are expecting heavy combat, usually with a large pack of Tekernals or similar predator. Thruutton armor is designed with the philosophy that one will be struck in combat and it is better to survive the inevitable than to futilely attempt to avoid it. Warriors in Thruutton armor are slow, ungainly, and nearly invulnerable to Tekernal attacks. Another reason for the "stand and deliver" design of the armor is that most Guardians are tasked with holding positions rather than going in and taking them. Unlike Charthorn and Ghurrthon armor, Ekkar Arms has not yet seen fit to market a version of this armor.
Species Name: Mega-Dragons
Homeworld: Krolla
Attribute Dice: 18D
Dexterity: 1D/3D
Knowledge: 3D/5D
Mechanical: 1D/2D
Perception: 4D/6D
Strength: 6D/8D
Technical: 1D/3D
Height/Length: 50-70 meters at the shoulder, 150-200 meters long
Move: 21/25 walking, 3/5 digging, 350/400 flying (Space of 7/9)
Scale: Starfighter
Special Skills:
Dexterity Skills:
Expel Radiation: Time to Use: 1 round. Mega-Dragons use this skill to attack with their breath weapon.
Strength Skills:
Flying: Time to Use: 1 Round. Filling the same role as Running for ground-based movement, this skill is used for long-distance flying and aerial dodging and acrobatics.
Special Abilities:
Armored Hide: +4D versus physical and energy attacks
Claws: Strength +2D damage
Teeth: Strength +3D damage
Intimidation: Due to their immense size and capabilities, a Mega-Dragon enjoys +3D to all Intimidation attempts.
Pure Radiovore: Mega-Dragons survives exclusively on radiation, requiring no other form of nourishment, food, or water. On Krolla this is not a problem. On other worlds a Mega-Dragon must wear a special harness with a small fusion reactor mounted on it. The reactor produces the radiation necessary to keep the Mega-Dragon alive.
Expel Radiation: Mega-Dragons may expel a jet of fusion-temperature radioactive plasma inflicting Strength Damage to a range of 300/500/700 meters (Space Range: 3/5/7)
Force Sensitive: 1 in 100 Mega-Dragons is force sensitive. Mega-Dragon culture is readily able to train these individuals so that starting Mega-Dragon characters begin with 4D to split between Control, Sense, and Alter.
Special Penalties:
Radiation Dependent: Mega-Dragons are incapable of going into a hibernation state like most creatures on Krolla and are so dependent on the high levels of radiation on Krolla that they will sicken and die if removed from their high-radiation environment at the same rate that most species starve. Off of Krolla a Mega-Dragon requires the equivalent of an unshielded man-portable fusion reactor to survive without ill effects. Obviously, this makes them unsuitable long-term traveling companions.
Voice Box: Mega-Dragons are incapable of speaking Basic, though most have Force Powers that allow them to get around this difficulty. They are completely able to understand Basic.
Huge: A typical Mega-Dragon is the size of a medium freighter and masses many tens of thousands of metric tons. As a result, and combined with their game-imbalancing power, Mega-Dragons are not suggested as Player Characters.
Slow Learners: All character point costs to increase skills are doubled.
Story Factors:
Not Known To Be Sentient: Only a tiny fraction of Krollish society knows that Mega-Dragons are anything but immense, devastatingly powerful reptilians. As a result most people react to Mega-Dragons as though they are corvette-sized menaces and die accordingly. Long Lifespan: A Mega-Dragon lives for 2,000-3,000 years on average with some living as long as 5,000 years. As a result, most Mega-Dragons have hundreds of lifetimes worth of experience to draw upon. Young Sentients: As a species, Mega-Dragons have only recently developed sentience. The first sentient Mega-Dragons appeared on Krolla roughly 15,000 years ago and there are still a number of truly ancient pre-sentient Mega-Dragons, commonly known as Mega-Drakes by Mega-Dragons and Sentinels of the Eternal Melody, roaming Krolla. These clever, yet ill-tempered beasts are the ones most likely to go rogue and become a near-unstoppable terror to the Krolls. Non-Sentient Mega-Dragons have the following statistics:
Mega-Drake
Type: Neanderthal Mega-Dragon
Dexterity 2D
Brawling Parry 5D, Dodge 6D, Expel Radiation 6D
Knowledge 0D
Intimidation 8D
Perception 5D
Sneak 6D
Strength: 7D
Brawling 8D, Stamina 8D
Height/Length: 60meters at the shoulder, 175meters long
Move: 23walking, 4 digging, 365 flying (Space of 8)
Scale: Starfighter
Special Skills:
See Mega-Dragon
Special Abilities:
See Mega-Dragon
Special Penalties:
See Mega-Dragon
Capsule: Though the name lacks creativity, "Mega-Dragon" truly does describe the majestic, terrifying, and massive sentient reptilian behemoths who share Krolla with the Krolls. As sentients go, Mega-Dragons are incredibly young, with no more than five generations having passed since the first sentient Mega-Dragons flew the skies of Krolla. This combined with their tremendously long lifespan has resulted in a unique mindset that is naive and wise in equal measure. Despite their high capacity for learning, Mega-Dragons know little more than the Krolls and would have a stone age level of technology if not for their observation of the Krolls.
Mega-Dragons learn and assimilate information at a much slower rate than Krolls and have a hard time grasping the seemingly frenzied mindset with which the Krolls live their life. To a Mega-Dragon with a multi-thousand year lifespan it seems as though Krolls live in a perpetual state of "fast forward". This inability to "live" at the same speed as the Krolls is disconcerting and even frightening to many Mega-Dragons, who hold the Krolls in awe for their seemingly blinding mental abilities.
Mega-Dragon society is centered around the immediate family unit, with the eldest Mega-Dragon leading the family. Mega-Dragon families typically number a dozen or more individuals which means there are only a few thousand Mega-Dragon families in existence. Mega-Dragons are creatures of philosophy and studied wisdom, and they lack a true civilization in the manner that most xenologists would recognize. They build nothing, use no tools, have no written language, and have only a very primitive religion. Despite their vast intellects, Mega-Dragons truly are primitive creatures.
As with Krolls, many Mega-Dragons are Force Sensitive, indeed their religion centers around the Force or the Eternal Melody as the Kroll call it. A tiny portion of the Mega-Dragon populace has allied itself with a similarly small group of Krolls in learning to use and manipulate the Eternal Melody. While practitioners of the Eternal Melody are considered holy warriors among the Kroll, Mega-Dragons with a true gift for the Force are deemed incarnations of the Divine and hailed as demigods in Mega-Dragon society. Krollish Melodic Sentinels are thought to be celestial beings given physical form and are nearly as revered by Mega-Dragons as members of their own species with force skills.
Unlike the subterranean Krolls, Mega-Dragons nest among the peaks of the massive basalt and obsidian mountains of Krolla. A typical Mega-Dragon family lives in among the calderas of extinct or inactive volcanoes, being much too large to lair in caverns. The one exception to this is the immense and legendary Amphitheater of Endless Song where the Krollish and Mega-Dragon people come together to learn the ways of the Eternal Melody.
Sentinels of the Eternal Melody: The Force on Krolla
Formed roughly ten thousand years ago by a conclave of six Mega-Dragons and six Krolls, the Sentinels of the Eternal Melody are a benevolent order of ascetic priest-monks similar to the Jedi Knights. The Sentinels play dramatically different roles in the two societies that they exist in. Within Krollish society, the Sentinels are looked upon as specially-empowered shamans, priests, healers, protectors, guardians, and wise-beings. They are accorded nearly as much honor and resect as Songmasters and Salandotar Masters. Those few Melodic Sentinels who are also masters of the Salandotar are regarded with the awe and reverence other species reserve for incarnate deities.
Mega-Dragon civilization is in many ways much more primitive than Krollish civilization. As such, Mega-Dragons find it difficult to separate mortal Mega-Dragon practitioners of the Force from that which is truly divine. Even a Mega-Dragon with only the most basic and rudimentary understanding of the Force is considered to be a servant of the Gods. A true master of the Eternal Melody is considered to actually be an incarnate god and is treated as such.
Nearly seven and a half millennia ago a splinter branch of the Sentinels of the Eternal Melody formed devoted to the destruction of the world. Started by an insane and evil Mega-Dragon, the Servants of the Dire Rhythm, also called Void Singers, are as evil and as powerful as any Sith Lord. The Void Singers have taken the teachings and training regimen of the Melodic Sentinels and perverted them into foul prayers and supplications to Darkness. The Void Singers are essentially a death cult that believes Eversong is a blasphemy upon the perfect nothingness of the Void. They seek to silence Eversong's singing and return the universe to the Void from whence it came. Void Singers pervert and distort the purity of Eversong's music in hopes of disrupting the Eternal Melody. It is worth noting that the Mega-Dragon who began the cult is still alive, extremely powerful, and just as insane as the day he founded the cult. Six thousand years ago a massive war broke out between the two factions that ended with the decimation of the Void Singers. Even at the height of this ancient war, every effort was made to hide the sentient nature of the Mega-Dragons from the Kroll. This need for secrecy on both sides led to the creation of the Dragon Riders, a sub-order within both sects that paired off a team consisting of one Kroll and one Mega-Dragon who would work together, supplement one another, and act in unison to hide the intelligence of the Mega-Dragons. With the end of that ancient war, the Void Singers adopted a policy of intense secrecy that they have maintained ever since. Only the most powerful, evil, and insane Void Singers break this code of silence to conquer lands and wreak havoc. These juggernauts of evil rarely last long. The Melodic Sentinels openly oppose them and their quieter brethren among the Void Singers work surreptitiously to bring them down lest the Sentinels realize that the Void Singers were never truly wiped out.
Training for an aspiring Sentinel begins early in life, no later than the onset of puberty. Training for Krollish Sentinels is undergone on the surface of Krolla where the trainee is introduced to the true harshness of life on Krolla. Communion with nature and development of survival skills are both part of Sentinel training. The hardship of life on the surface of Krolla toughens the mind, body, and spirit of Krollish Sentinels such that they come to truly appreciate their former lives below the surface and understand how fragile their existence individually and as a people really is.
Mega-Dragon Sentinels endure training every bit as arduous as their Krollish brethren. For the entirety of their time as Sentinels-in-training, Mega-Dragons are forbidden to fly. This unnatural situation is meant to mirror the hardship that Krollish Sentinels endure by being forced to exist on the surface during their training. Mega-Dragon Sentinels are the only Mega-Dragons allowed to learn the Running and Swimming skills. Spending years restricted to the surface of Krolla also serves to teach the mighty Mega-Dragons humility. They learn to understand what it is like to be denied access to the skies they so cherish and in doing so better understands the nature of the Krolls.
Just as all Jedi are taught the use of the lightsabre, all Melodic Sentinels learn to use the Salandotar. Indeed, Melodic Sentinels are taught special ways to tweak the Eternal Melody and enhance the effectiveness of their instruments. The Salandotar symbolizes the Sentinels of the Eternal Melody just as strongly as the lightsabre symbolizes the Jedi Knights.
Unique Force Powers:
Control:
Salandotar Trance:
Control Difficulty: Moderate
This Power May Be Kept "Up"
Effect: A Sentinel of the Eternal Melody may use this power to enter into a kind of musical trance during which the Sentinel's ability to affect emotions with the Salandotar are greatly increased. On the round this power is activated, a Moderate Control roll, Moderate Salandotar roll, and Moderate Singing roll is made (all with the attendant -2D multiple action penalty). The next turn the character adds his Control dice to his Salandotar skill which can drastically increase a character's ability to affect emotions..
For example, Kroshus the Tall is a Songmaster, Salandotar player, and Sentinel of the Eternal Melody. He has 9D+2 in Singing, 6D+1 in Musical Instrument: Salandotar, and Control 4D. Kroshus successfully activates this power and on the following turn may add 7D+2 (Salandotar skill -2D for multiple actions), 4D+1 (Singing skill -2D for multiple actions), and 4D together, for a total of 16D, to alter the emotions of listeners!
Non-Krolls using this power are not allowed to add in their Singing skills, if any, when rolling to alter emotions. So if Kroshus happened to be a Duros, he would only roll Control and Salandotar skill to activate the power (with a -1D multiple action penalty) and roll 8D+2 (Salandotar skill -1D for multiple actions) along with 4D, total of 12D+2, to alter emotions.
Krolla and the Star Wars Timeline
As envisioned, the galaxy does not discover the Krolla until shortly before the Heir to the Empire trilogy and Ekkar Arms does not begin making high-tech knock-offs of native Krollish armor until a few months after the events of that trilogy. This places the highly-force sensitive Krolls and Mega-Dragons safely outside the grasp of the Emperor.
If one wishes to incorporate Krolla into the Classic Era, I suggest that Krolla be on the outer edge of the Unknown Regions where even the Emperor and his minions might not notice a world with a large concentration of Force Users. If you prefer to assume the Emperor would automatically sense such world, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to make Krolla a world under Imperial Blockade. No one is allowed onto or off of Krolla without orders coming directly from the Emperor (And ONLY the Emperor!!!). With the Rebellion underway, the Emperor doesn't have time to personally subdue the Sentinels and is uncertain that Vader or any of his lesser minions could succeed. As such, he's decided to lock down the system and forget about it until he has more time and more minions. Possible reasons to visit Krolla in the Classic Era might be to find what's so important that the Empire must blockade an entire world (any investigations turn up no stated reason other than "By order of Emperor Palpatine") with no explanation. Another possibility would be a commission by a particularly eccentric crime lord or noble to smuggle a Krollish Salandotar Master offworld to serve as an entertainer. Maybe the Empire is attempting to create bio-genetically modified warriors out of native Krollan life forms. And maybe, just maybe, the party's Jedi, who has no teacher at the moment, has been receiving visions from a Krollish (or Mega-Dragon!!!) Master Sentinel!
If used in the Tales of the Jedi era, I suggest Krolla be a newly discovered world not yet a member of the Republic. Again, place Krolla in a wild and lawless region for maximum adventure possibilities. In this era the Jedi are strong and vital and would certainly send a delegation to Krolla to meet with the Sentinels of the Eternal Melody and trade notes, as it were. Should a rogue Void Singer make it offworld the Jedi would definitely want the expert opinions of a Melodic Sentinel or three to hunt him down. Another reason to visit Krolla during this time period would be to open up any potential avenues of trade with the Krolls.
In the time between Episode 1 and the Rise of the Empire Krolla might be within Trade Federation territory. If so, the Trade Federation would certainly make attempts to use Krolls as slave labor, something any self-respecting group of heroic Star Wars PCs would want to put a stop to. In this time period, it is the Trade Federation that makes knock-offs of native Krollish armor. Additionally, the Trade Federation might restrict access to Krolla due to the uniquely exploitable nature of the primitive world. These same ideas would apply should you choose to place Krolla within the boundaries of the Corporate Sector Authority.
During the New Jedi Order era, Krolla will be notable in that it is home to one of the few planetary ecosystems that could successfully repulse a Yuuzhan Vong invasion force. The Vong will want Krolla as a base of operations and planetary laboratory. The Republic will want to expend special resources defending Krolla to deny the Vong access to such powerful genetic stock as well as to secure an alliance with the Krollish people who would individually be a match for a fully-armed and armored Vong warrior.
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