Gran

Grans are the three-eyed, goat-snouted herd-dwellers of Kinyen, a species you have almost certainly seen without knowing the name: Ree-Yees, the surly criminal hanging around Jabba's palace, was one, as was the Podracer pilot Mawhonic and the Republic senator Ask Aak who pushed hard for the clone army in the last days before the Empire. They turn up across the galaxy as senators, pilots, merchants, and outcasts, which is fitting for a people whose whole identity is built around belonging to a group.

The three eyes are the first thing anyone notices, set above a flat, goat-like muzzle on a face that reads as part herbivore, part diplomat. That triple-eyed arrangement is not just for show: Grans see a far wider band of color than humans do and can perceive into the infrared, which lets them read body heat the way another species reads a facial expression. Their hands are thick and heavy, usually with broad blunt digits, and small antennae-like nubs sit atop the head. Internally they carry two stomachs, a holdover from a grazing, plant-eating ancestry.

Their homeworld, Kinyen, lies in the Mid Rim, and the Grans there had kept a peaceful civilization running for something like ten thousand years before the Old Republic fell. They evolved from herbivores that lived in large herds on the planet's mountains and highlands, prey animals rather than predators, and that origin shaped everything that came after. Gran colonies spread to other worlds as well, including Malastare and Hok. (In Legends, the relationship between the homeworld Grans and the colonists soured badly: the Gran Protectorate of Malastare subjugated the native Dug population, and the Kinyen Grans were so appalled they declared their colonial kin a separate people.)

Because they can sense one another's mood through shifts in body heat and skin color, Gran society runs on an almost constant emotional read of the room, and most Grans on Kinyen are calm, cooperative beings who genuinely dislike violence and look for a peaceful way out of trouble first. The flip side is brutal: a Gran needs the company of others, and one cut off from the herd for too long will slide into despair. (In Legends, exile was the most feared punishment of all, and outcast Grans, often dressed in black to forget the colorful cities they had lost, rarely survived more than a few years before their mental health collapsed.)

Ree-Yees is the Gran most fans have actually met on screen. In Legends accounts he was born with a recessive deformity of the hands that made him a pariah at home, and that exile pushed him off Kinyen and into the criminal underworld, where he ended up in Jabba the Hutt's court babysitting the frog-dog Bubo and plotting, badly, against his boss. He died when Jabba's sail barge was destroyed over the Sarlacc. At the other end of respectability sits Ask Aak, the Malastare senator who stood with Palpatine's Loyalist faction, argued for meeting the Separatists with force, and was later swept up and killed once the Republic became the Empire, a tidy illustration of how far a Gran's path can range from outcast to statesman.

For a SWURPG player, a Gran is the social glue of a party rather than its muscle. The Triocular Vision trait turns that infrared, wide-spectrum sight into a perception edge, while Cooperative Instincts and the +2 Wisdom and +1 Charisma reward you for reading people and working the room (their Peaceable Reputation opens doors that a heavily armed stranger would find shut). The trade-off is physical: the −1 Strength and −1 Dexterity reflect a body built for grazing and herding, not brawling. The standout, though, is Solitude Averse, which bakes the species' defining trait straight into your character, a Gran is not meant to adventure alone, and is at their best surrounded by a crew they can sense, soothe, and stand beside.

Gran are easily recognizable by their three eyes, which provide exceptional stereoscopic depth perception and emotional sensitivity. Their eyes are typically arranged with two on either side of the face and one centrally located, allowing near-complete panoramic vision. This triocular configuration gives them superior motion detection and the ability to read micro-expressions or body cues that escape most humanoids. Their skin tones range from light tan to reddish-brown, often accompanied by textured folds that help regulate heat in their temperate homeland.

Physically, Grans are bipedal and lean, with long limbs and slightly elongated necks. Their stature is generally modest, but their balance and posture reflect evolutionary adaptation to agricultural and community-based lifestyles. Their mouths are narrow, and their nostrils small, giving their faces an angular look that is nonetheless expressive. Their ears sit slightly lower than those of most humanoids, contributing to their distinctive silhouette.

Gran clothing tends to favor functionality and comfort, often incorporating soft fabrics and layered garments suitable for their mild climate. Offworld, they adapt their attire to professional roles—diplomats may wear ceremonial robes, while travelers and explorers equip themselves with more durable gear. Even in unfamiliar environments, their calm demeanor and gentle posture make them approachable.

Gran culture places extraordinary emphasis on family unity, community bonds, and ethical cooperation. Their society is structured around extended families known as "clans," which share collective responsibility for raising children, managing resources, and resolving disputes. Emotion plays a central role in Gran communication, and their triocular vision enables them to intuit emotions that might otherwise go unspoken. As a result, deception is culturally discouraged, and sincerity is held as a core virtue.

Their customs include seasonal gatherings, communal meals, and council deliberations that involve extensive discussion until consensus is reached. This slow, thoughtful approach to governance reflects their long-term worldview and preference for stability. Nevertheless, Gran societies can become rigid when faced with threats, sometimes adopting conservative or isolationist policies to protect their communities from perceived external dangers.

As adventurers, Grans blend diplomacy with perceptiveness. They excel as negotiators, mediators, scholars, or civic leaders, bringing clarity and empathy to their teams. Their desire for harmony complements groups that value cooperation, though their sensitivity to emotional tension may challenge them in chaotic or morally ambiguous campaigns.