Of all the currently confirmed NPCs, the Voss belong to a very special club in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The Voss are one of two species designed by BioWare specifically for the game. Although the planet Voss already existed in the Expanded Universe, BioWare used the planets obscurity as a blank canvas to create this mystical, enigmatic race.
The planet Voss is located in the Voss system of the Allied Tion sector sector in the Outer Rim Territories. The Voss are known to live solely in Voss-Ka, their capital city. Resting on a mountain top, the city is defended by Commandos and the Force-using Mystics. The Voss share the planet with another sentient race, the Gormak, with whom they are at constant war.
The war between these two species stretches back for centuries. The specifics of the war's beginning are unknown, but the reason it started is fairly clear: the Gormak believe that the only way to guarantee their own survival is to exterminate the Voss. To survive the assaults put forth by their technologically focused neighbors, the Voss reinforced their capital city and began training commandos, their amazingly capable warriors. The Voss also rely on the prophetic abilities of their Mystics to remain alive.
After the Treaty of Coruscant, the Republic discovered Voss, followed shortly by the Sith Empire. The Sith attempted to conquer the planet, but the Republic succeeded in repelling them. Voss Mystics predicted the attempted conquest, however, and the Voss were able to launch a counterattack against the Empire and the Republic. The Empire was defeated, though the battle nearly reignited the war. The reserved Voss decided to remain neutral in the conflict, despite the intrusions by the Empire and the Republic. Stymied by the stalemate, both factions established embassies in Voss-Ka.
Though sentient humanoids, the Voss are actually very different from humans. Their skin tones vary in color, including shades of blue and red, with unique patterns displayed on their face, neck, and body. Going beyond simple aesthetics, their orange, compound eyes, function similarly to the eyes of an insect. Additionally, the Voss do not develop sexually until they undergo a physical change during their marriage ceremony.
The Voss live in a totalitarian society, ruled by a council of Mystics whose word is absolute. The Voss, protected and culturally stimulated, are content with this system. The Mystics create each of the Voss' laws as well, which they base off of their visions. For example, the Mystics strictly forbid the annihilation of the Gormaks.
The Mystics rely heavily on the Force. They are naturally able to use their abilities to accurately predict the future. In honor of this important and intrinsic power, the Voss erected the Tower of Prophecy. The Tower of Prophecy is now a prominent landmark of Voss-Ka. The Voss, however, have no formal knowledge of the Force and are disinterested in learning from either the Jedi or the Sith. Both factions consider the Mystics to be Grey since they neither embrace the Light Side or the Dark Side. The Mystics operate side by side with the Commandos, soldiers of the Voss, in the protection of Voss-Ka. The Commandos undergo disciplined training in both combat and survival.
The Voss have a rich, artistic culture. Their ancient, architectural style is unique to the galaxy. Their architectural aesthetic relies heavily on monochromatic patterns and symbolism.
There still isn't a lot of information on the Voss. However, as players progress through TOR the Voss will undoubtedly develop into a familiar part of the Star Wars lexicon. Because the storylines of player characters in The Old Republic pass through the planet Voss, the strange, foreign story of this peace-loving race will become an inextricable part of the story of us all.
Sources:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Voss_(species)
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Voss_(planet)
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Gormak
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Voss-Ka
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Posted 11/1/2011 4:17:10 PMI like what Bioware is doing here, I have always been interested in the fact that really hasn't been explored much until very recently in the EU that the Jedi and Sith are 'religions' of the Force and that there are others out there.