Srrors'tok

Srrors'toks, while possessing humanoid features, were fundamentally sentient felines. Adults typically ranged from 1.4 to 1.7 meters in height, adopting a digitigrade stance on their hind legs, each foot bearing four clawed toes. They generally possessed a more robust build than a Human of comparable height. Their forelimbs terminated in hands with three clawed digits. Their speed of movement was comparable to that of a Human. Reflecting their evolutionary origins as predators, Srrors'toks possessed a tail and sharp teeth that could be used as weapons. Their facial structure was relatively flat, featuring slit-pupiled eyes, a triangular nose, pronounced jowls adorned with whiskers, large, triangular ears, and a mouth characterized by a cleft upper lip that accommodated the U-shaped lower jaw.

Srrors'toks exhibited a tolerance for high to moderate temperatures, but they felt discomfort in cold environments without clothing due to their short fur providing inadequate insulation. Their fur typically displayed golden, yellow, or gray hues, often accented with brown streaks. Some Srrors'toks developed longer hair around their necks, forming a mane, which typically differed in color from their body fur.

Certain Srrors'toks possessed the ability to project their voices, creating the illusion that sounds originated from various locations nearby. This skill could be used to confuse prey, leading them to believe they were surrounded by multiple Srrors'toks.

Srrors'toks organized themselves into small, close-knit groups based on blood ties. Shared activities, such as communal hunts, strengthened the bonds within each tribe. Srrors'tok culture had largely remained untouched by advanced technology by the era of the Galactic Civil War, although some individuals made use of blasters. Aware of their vulnerability to cold temperatures, Srrors'toks commonly wore warm garments when venturing into cold regions. Some chose to pierce their ears, but otherwise they generally preferred minimal clothing, opting for bags to carry their tools.

The language of this race, Hras'kkk'rarr, was built upon a complex and elaborate combination of naturally produced sounds such as growls, grunts, and clicks. Effective communication in Hras'kkk'rarr also involved non-verbal cues, including body language and gestures. The display of fangs was sometimes interpreted as a Srrors'tok equivalent of smiling. Communication with other species posed challenges for Srrors'toks, as their mouths were not well-suited for the easy pronunciation of Galactic Basic Standard. Srrors'toks would only attempt to speak complex Basic words if they were confident that the listener was already familiar with the Srrors'tok dialect of Basic.

The bedrock of Srrors'tok society was a strict code of honor. Betrayal of friends or fellow Srrors'toks was unthinkable, as was abandoning them to their fate. The very concept of such actions was beyond the comprehension of some Srrors'toks.

A central tenet of this honor-bound social framework was the tradition of life debts, which bore similarities to the customs of the Wookiees. If a Srrors'tok owed their life to another, they were compelled to pledge their service to that individual, often as a protector. This debt persisted until the death of either party. Failure to fulfill this life-debt, whether intentional or due to circumstances, resulted in dishonor and the expectation of suicide as atonement. Srrors'toks sometimes found themselves indebted to dishonorable individuals, a situation they abhorred. However, even in such cases, they felt obligated to protect the individual to the best of their ability.

On occasion, a Srrors'tok might incur two simultaneous life-debts, with the recipients being enemies. In such situations, the Srrors'tok could choose to either nullify the earlier debt or consider both debts void. However, the act of deliberately incurring a second life-debt was considered deeply shameful, as it was feared that allowing such actions would lead to a tangled web of interconnected debts and the disintegration of their culture.

The Srrors'toks originated on the planet of Jankok, situated within the Bozhnee sector in the Outer Rim Territories. By the time of the Galactic Empire, Jankok had been discovered by the galactic community. However, the jungle planet offered few resources of interest, resulting in infrequent visits. The few off-world visitors were typically scouts and traders who occasionally sought to trade with the native Srrors'toks. Due to this lack of interest, Jankok lacked a dedicated spaceport.

Very few Srrors'toks ventured beyond Jankok, largely due to the limited traffic to their home planet. Nevertheless, traveling Srrors'tok merchants were not unknown, and some Srrors'tok families established settlements on planets such as Sellasas.

Some Srrors'toks journeyed through the galaxy because they were bound by a life-debt to a highly mobile individual. Ahnjai Rahmma, for example, became the bodyguard, jester, and occasional killer of High Inquisitor Antinnis Tremayne after incurring a life-debt to him. A Srrors'tok bound by a life-debt might travel alongside their savior or independently if it better served their interests. Tyionsis Cex, born into a trading family on Sellasas, lost his family during a Rebel Alliance raid targeting the local Imperial presence. After his life was saved by Imperial officer Amara Jedselk, Cex became an almost-independent mercenary due to his resulting life-debt, taking jobs for the Empire and only seeing Jedselk occasionally. Imperial administrator Matagorn once ridiculed Cex as Tremayne's lackey; shortly thereafter, Matagorn disappeared, with parts of his body surfacing in Gevis City and Verdson.

The Srrors'toks were initially introduced in the 1993 Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments from the Rim tabletop game supplement, written by Simon Smith and Eric S. Trautmann. Ahnjai Rahmma served as the representative character for the species. Mike Vilardi created the accompanying illustration of a Srrors'tok. The following year, Tyionsis Cex was introduced in Galaxy Guide 10: Bounty Hunters. The species received further development in Alien Encounters, another roleplaying game supplement published in 1998.