Star Wars Universe Roleplaying Game

Parwan

Parwans are one of the galaxy’s strangest sentient Species—a cross between a drifting storm cloud and a bioluminescent jellyfish wrapped around a nervous system sharp enough to match any hardened operative. Native to the world of Parwa, they are built around a gas-filled internal sac that allows them to inflate, lift off the ground, and float with eerie grace. Where most humanoids rely on legs and lungs, Parwans move by adjusting the gas and pressure inside their bodies, drifting and bobbing through the air while their tentacle-like lower limbs and prehensile arms manipulate the world around them.

Their bodies are composed of flexible, almost plantlike tissue, with a mushroom-shaped central mass crowned by three keen eyes that ring their head like watchful lenses. From beneath that central body descend four long lower tentacles used for locomotion, bracing, and grappling, while two upper arms end in three-fingered hands capable of fine work with tools, weapons, and datapads. Many Parwans exhibit a faint, natural bioluminescent glow—soft blues, greens, or pale whites that brighten or dim with their mood or level of excitement. To some species this glow seems beautiful; to others, it is distracting or outright unnerving.

Biologically, Parwans are both fragile and resilient in unusual ways. Their tissues are light, their internal structure partially hollow, and their gas sacs highly flammable—blunt impacts and intense heat can be devastating. At the same time, their unusual physiology allows them to endure conditions that would overwhelm more conventional life: intense electric fields, heavy ionization, and exotic environments that would fry conventional nervous systems. Some Parwans can even generate or channel electrical discharges, either naturally or with the aid of specialized gear, turning their bodies into living capacitors or conduits.

Parwans are also extraordinarily long-lived. At least one known Parwan survived for more than a thousand years, and their homeworld’s multi-century seasonal cycles have shaped both their biology and their culture. Many Parwans regularly enter deep hibernation in rhythm with Parwa’s slow climatic shifts—sometimes for decades or centuries at a time. Those who travel offworld often maintain this habit, retreating into suspended stillness when circumstances allow, then returning to the galaxy renewed while entire regimes have risen and fallen in their absence.

Though rare, Parwans have left a noticeable imprint wherever they appear. In Jedi history, Obratuk Glii became renowned as a calm, patient diplomat whose long life and unusual perspective were invaluable during delicate negotiations. In darker corners of the galaxy, Parwan bounty hunter Derrown earned the title of “the Exterminator,” drifting through warzones and assassination assignments like a poisonous cloud. Between those extremes, Parwan doctors, scientists, and engineers have quietly served governments and militaries, leveraging their exotic biology and long-term outlook to work on projects that span decades.

Most beings who encounter a Parwan remember it. Floating, glowing, and humming softly in their own language or in oddly resonant Basic, Parwans look like they should belong in a strange cantina corner or a surreal holodrama, not on the front lines of galactic history. Yet time and again, individual Parwans have found their way to the center of events—sometimes as Jedi, sometimes as specialists or hunters for hire, and sometimes as patient observers who have seen more empires rise and fall than most species can imagine.

Home Planet: Parwa
Physical Description: Parwans are medium-sized, floating sapient beings built around a central, mushroom-shaped body topped with three expressive eyes. From their lower body extend four long, tentacle-like appendages used for locomotion, balance, and gripping surfaces, while two upper arms end in three-fingered hands capable of surprisingly delicate manipulation. Their tissues are light and flexible, with an internal gas sac that they can inflate or deflate to hover a short distance off the ground or adjust their altitude in low-ceilinged spaces. Their skin texture ranges from smooth and rubbery to faintly ridged, often with subtle bioluminescent patterns that pulse and flicker in response to mood and stress. Colors vary, but pale greens, muted blues, and soft violets are common, with their natural glow standing out in dim lighting. When fully inflated, a Parwan can appear larger than a Human, but they remain light in mass compared to their apparent size. Parwans lack traditional legs and feet, and their drifting, hovering locomotion makes their movement seem almost weightless. Their bodies are highly conductive and adapted to interact with intense electrical fields; some Parwans can safely endure or redirect currents that would be fatal to most humanoids. However, their gas-filled internals and flexible tissues are extremely vulnerable to blunt-force trauma and intense heat—injuries that rupture their sacs or ignite their internal gases can be catastrophic.

Average Height: Roughly comparable to a Human in overall size, though lighter and partially buoyant
Average Weight: Lighter than a typical humanoid of similar size due to gas-filled internal structures
Age of Adulthood: Approximately 50 years (though many live for centuries or longer)

Personality & Customs: Parwan personalities are as fluid as their movement: thoughtful, curious, and often quietly amused by the rush and panic of shorter-lived species. Their long lifespans and periodic hibernations encourage a detached, almost cosmic perspective. Problems that seem urgent to others may strike a Parwan as brief storms that will pass; plans that feel impossibly long-term to a Human may be something they fully expect to see through personally. Culturally, Parwans place high value on continuity, memory, and the careful transmission of knowledge from one waking era to the next. Stories, scientific data, and political histories are recorded in layered formats designed to survive both physical disasters and generational gaps, so that a Parwan waking after centuries of hibernation can reorient themselves without losing the thread of their people’s narrative. This emphasis on continuity makes Parwans cautious about taking sides in galactic conflicts—they know that most wars fade long before their species does. At the same time, individual Parwans can be intensely passionate. Some embrace roles as diplomats and mediators, using their longevity and emotional detachment to de-escalate crises. Others are drawn to the opposite extreme, turning their unusual physiology and mobility to combat, espionage, or bounty hunting. Their ability to hover, slip through complex environments, and endure exotic hazards can make them terrifying infiltrators. Parwans communicate in their own language—full of tonal shifts, strange harmonics, and subtle electrical modulation—as well as in Basic. Their speech in Basic can sound slightly delayed or resonant, as if echoing through their gas-filled internal chambers. Socially, they can seem distracted or distant to more grounded species, especially when their attention drifts between multiple sensory channels at once. However, those who take the time to understand them often find Parwans to be loyal allies with a deep sense of obligation to those who have earned their trust. Because of their bioluminescent glow and hovering movement, Parwans have developed rituals around visibility and concealment. Dimming one’s light is a sign of humility, submission, or stealth; brightening it can signal openness, warning, or challenge. Many Parwans who work in covert roles develop techniques—both natural and technological—for suppressing their glow and masking their unique silhouette, but among their own people, letting your light shine freely is a mark of honesty and comfort.

Languages: Parwan, Basic

Example Names: Obratuk Glii, Derrown, Gubacher