The Malakashi are a race of desert nomads native to the planet Varlaash, which is situated in the Mid Rim. They are a tall and elegant humanoid race, known for their incredible speed and sureness of foot. They dress in flowing robes of a native silk that covers them from head to toe, revealing only their eyes, which are a vivid lilac in colour. They travel across the dunes of their homeworld, hunting the native marlash lizard, for food and hides. A hardy race they are extremely well adapted to the heat of Varlaash, with an innate ability to internally ration their body’s water, preventing them from dehydrating in some of the harshest conditions. Some Malakashi have been known to go without water for weeks, without suffering any physical effects.

Varlaash is a desert planet, with huge sand dunes covering much of its surface. All of the planet’s water comes from underground lakes and cisterns that are accessed from the surface via a network of tunnels. Many of these tunnel systems have grown into small communities where those whose wander lust has ebbed and those too young to travel the desert are settled. These are responsible for the hydroponics facilities, which provide the Malakashi with numerous varieties of edible fungus, which supplement their diet of marlash meat. It is a sparsely populated planet, as the inhospitable climate does not encourage visitors to settle. There is, however, a growing interest in Varlaash from the ranks of the galaxy’s professional athletes. The harshness of the planet’s climate and the athletic renown of its natives have served to draw athletes from around the galaxy to undertake stamina and endurance training with the Malakashi. This has substantially increased the planet’s profile and led to their mid-sized capital city and spaceport, which is situated in the mountains at the North Pole (where it is coolest), being dramatically enlarged in recent years.

Attribute Dice: 12D

DEXTERITY 2D/4D
KNOWLEDGE 1D+1/3D+1
MECHANICAL 1D+1/3D
PERCEPTION 2D+1/4D
STRENGTH 2D/4D
TECHNICAL 1D+1/3D+1

Special Abilities:

Desert Walker: Due to the Malakashi’s unique physiology, they are able to go for days, and in some cases even weeks, without water. In hot and arid conditions, Malakashi are not required to make stamina checks for the first 3 days that they have to exist without water. After the initial 3 days, they get a 2D bonus to their stamina roles to resist dehydration.

Sure footed: Malakashi are supremely sure footed. This comes from their ability to run across miles of shifting dunes, teaching them how best to place and spread their weight in environments where the footing could be considered treacherous and difficult. This ability manifests itself in the following ways: +1D to Acrobatics and any Dexterity checks that would be required for a character to remain standing do to the effects of terrain or environment.

Survivors: At character creation add +1D to the character’s Survival skill. This is in addition to any other dice that are put into this skill.

Story Factors:

Wanderlust: Malakashi are born wanderers and, since the recent increase in their homeworld’s profile, they have spread beyond the boundaries of their small desert planet. Malakashi can now be found on almost any inhabited planet in the galaxy. Regardless of their location, they maintain their native tradition of covering their entire bodies except for their eyes, however, they do not all choose to wear the native robes. Many have chosen to wear less conspicuous clothing, particularly in areas of Imperial control, so that they stand out less from the crowd.
The Malakashi’s wanderlust sets in during their late teen’s and continues for approximately ten years, before they start to settle down. They never completely lose their enjoyment of travel, but as they proceed into adulthood, the desire to keep moving drives them less.

Racial Weapon: The chosen weapon of the Malakashi is a large curved sword, similar to a scimitar though wielded in two hands. With regards to ranged weapons, they are happy to use whatever is available at the time of need, having no blasters or firearms unique to Varlaash.
 

Move: 14
Size: 1.7-2.5m