SWmud

The Gungans are the amphibious native inhabitants of the planet Naboo. Their hardy lungs enable them to hold their breath for extended periods of time, allowing them to be as comfortable in water as they are on land. There are a number of different types of Gungan subspecies, but most tend to be tall and lanky. Their humanoid skeletal structure is extremely flexible, being made of a cartilaginous material instead of hard bone. This enables their faces to be extremely expressive and their bodies more resistant to damage, making them fierce warriors. Gungans have strong leg muscles for swimming, also aided by their long fin-like ears and self-sealing nostrils. Their powerful arms end in four-fingered hands, and Gungan feet have three stubby toes each. There isn't much visible physical difference between female and male Gungans, though females tend to be slightly smaller, with sleeker faces, often tying their long ears back. Gungans have tough, yet flexible bills which they use for burrowing and rooting out food. They also have long muscular tongues which they use to scoop mollusks and lesser amphibians from the Naboo swamps. Their teeth are large and blunt, capable of cracking through shellfish.

Though the gangly amphibians come across to most spacefarers as primitives, the Gungans have developed an advanced, albeit unique, organic technology. They grow the basic structures of buildings and vehicles, then adorn them with artistic flourishes and organic lines. This gives Gungan technology a very fluid, non-rectilinear look. The Gungans' power source behind their technology is a mysterious blue-white energy "goo" that is mined in the depths of Naboo's oceans; this viscious plasmic material also forms the basis of Gungan weaponry. The Gungans have mastered energy field technology for a number of uses: their underwater cities employ hydrostatic fields to create large bubbles of atmosphere for them to live in. Similarly, Gungan ground troops carry portable frames which generate a protective energy field capable of deflecting blaster fire. In large-scale combat, giant Gungan shield generators can create an immense umbrella of protective shield energy that can stop laser bolts and physical objects with great kinetic energy. However, despite their technological accomplishments, Gungans still employ beasts of burden for transportation. Their most common mount is the kaadu, a wingless reptilian avian which the Gungans adorn with feathers and ride into combat. Other favored Gungan mounts include the large, stubborn falumpaset. For truly heavy loads, the Gungans have domesticated the fambaa, a nine-meter tall four-legged swamp lizard.

The Gungans maintain a large standing armed force, called the Gungan Grand Army. This huge collection of foot soldiers carries cestas, electropoles, and atlatls capable of hurling plasmic energy spheres called boomers. Gungan catapults hurl even larger boomers great distances.

The Gungans are ruled by Boss Nass and his Rep Council, from the High Tower Board Room of Otoh Gunga. The Gungans have had an uneasy relationship with the Naboo, the human colonists on the planet. Many Naboo look down upon the Gungans, seeing them as primitive, and the Gungans in turn try to avoid any contact with the surface-dwellers. This uncertain relationship may be reaching a balance, as the two cultures became joined in peace after a battle with the Trade Federation during Queen Amidala's reign.

Gungan characters benefit from military training with riding animals and throwing weapons. In addition, their ...unconventional... style of movement makes them harder for an enemy to hit.