Star Wars Universe Roleplaying Game

Ortolan

Ortolans are solidly built, squat humanoids native to the frozen world of Orto in the Outer Rim. Life on Orto is defined by scarcity—especially when it comes to food. The planet’s short, unpredictable growing seasons and frequent famines have shaped Ortolan biology and culture around one central priority: never going hungry. To survive the brutal cold and frequent shortage of resources, Ortolans rely on a thick layer of insulating blubber that stores both warmth and energy, allowing them to endure long stretches when food is rare. As a result, they eat whenever they can and in great quantities, gorging themselves at every opportunity and treating a full belly as the foundation of happiness and security.

Although they are not among the most technologically advanced Species in the galaxy, Ortolans have developed a highly efficient mining culture. Orto is rich in minerals, and Ortolan communities have become expert at extracting ore from beneath the ice. Their economy is heavily barter-based, trading raw materials for imported foodstuffs and delicacies. Manufacturers and corporations that arrive on Orto with holds full of exotic or high-quality provisions can strike extremely favorable deals, walking away with low-cost raw materials in exchange for keeping Ortolan bellies full. During the era of the Galactic Civil War, this pragmatic neutrality allowed Ortolans to trade with both the Empire and the Alliance, so long as the shipments flowed and no one tried too hard to control their world.

Beyond their obsession with food, Ortolans are also renowned for their love of music. Their highly attuned sense of hearing can pick up subtleties, overtones, and harmonics that many other Species simply miss, turning every performance into a layered, immersive experience. Even familiar songs sound new to an Ortolan when played live or recorded in a different space. This deep appreciation for sound has produced talented musicians, composers, and performers—some of whom use the perception of others that Ortolans are harmless or dimwitted to quietly gather secrets or move in circles far above their apparent station.

Home Planet: Orto
Physical Description: Ortolans are squat, blue-skinned bipeds with a distinctly elephantine look. They have large, floppy ears, beady black eyes, and long trunklike noses that dominate their faces. Their small mouths are tucked behind the base of the trunk, filled with blunted teeth suited to their omnivorous diet. A thick, baggy hide covered in short, velvetlike blue fur hangs over their chubby, blubber-laden bodies, providing insulation against the vicious cold of Orto. Each hand ends in four stubby, suction-tipped fingers, and their short legs have poorly articulated joints that give them a waddling gait. Their ears and trunks are not just expressive features but important sensory tools. Ortolans possess a highly developed sense of hearing that lets them detect subtle tonal shifts and sounds beyond the normal range of many other Species. Their sense of smell is similarly refined, allowing them to pick up scents, trace food sources, or follow a trail over significant distances. Adult Ortolans typically stand between 1.1 and 1.7 meters tall, with much of their bulk coming from insulating fat rather than muscle.

Average Height: 1.1–1.7 meters
Average Weight: 60 kilograms
Age of Adulthood: 12 years

Personality & Customs: Ortolans are generally cheerful, easygoing beings—at least when they are well fed. A full stomach is the foundation of their emotional stability, and many of their decisions and priorities are filtered through an instinctive concern for where the next meal is coming from. Because they are often willing to work for food alone, outsiders frequently misjudge Ortolans as simple, naive, or dimwitted. In reality, many Ortolans are observant, opportunistic, and far shrewder than they appear, content to let others underestimate them while they quietly gather information or exploit overlooked angles. Their barter-based culture has made Ortolans practical negotiators, though their primary interest is often culinary rather than financial. Exotic dishes, rare ingredients, and generous banquets can carry as much weight in an Ortolan’s estimation as credits or formal contracts. Social gatherings almost always revolve around shared meals and music, reinforcing communal bonds through feasting and performance. Their humor tends to be warm and good-natured, and genuine malice is rare—but when pushed into hardship or famine, the same survival instincts that drive their constant quest for food can make them surprisingly determined and resourceful. Music is central to Ortolan life and identity. Thanks to their finely tuned hearing, they revel in the subtle differences between live performances, acoustic spaces, and arrangements that other Species might barely notice. Many Ortolans become musicians, sound technicians, or performers, and traveling bands of Ortolan entertainers can be found far from Orto, playing for room, board, and enough food to see them comfortably through the next leg of their journey.

Languages: Ortolan, Basic

Example Names: Bedo, Eembek, Miebar, Nabkess, Ooben, Rebo, Ruznee, Yddc