The B'omarr Monastery
Civilization truly began on Tatooine with the arrival of the B'omarr monks. A Human religious sect devoted to contemplation and self-exploration, the B'omarr had long sought a world where they would neither be disturbed nor distracted by the presence of settlements. Forgotten by the Republic and populated only by uncommunicative local tribes, Tatooine offered a perfect haven.
The monks of the B'omarr arrived aboard half a dozen cargo ships, which formed the basis of their original monastery on Tatooine. They covered their structure after their first sandstorm and enclosed it after their first encounter with the Sand People.
The period of B-'omarr isolation ended with the arrival of an offworld pirate named Alkhara, whose callous treatment of the natives earned him the wrath of a group of Sand People. Seeking refuge from both the authorities and the vengeance of the Sand People. Alkhara seized the B'omarr monastery. Unbeknownst to Alkhara, previously bandits and smugglers had temporarily infiltrated the edifice, making use of rough corridors and halls apparently abandoned by the monks. Alkhara was surprised to find himself welcomed by the B'omarr and told to make their refuge his refuge. Alkhara and his followers moved in.
The B'omarr Rule
Where any of these various villains religious scholars, they might not have been so keen to occupy the B'omarr monastery. The B'omarr monks take the concept of physical denial to a startling extreme, first excising unnecessary comforts, then speech, then movement.
When a monk is deemed ready, his brain is physically removed from his body and placed in a spherical jar filled with nutrients, forever to contemplate the mysteries of the mind in perfect peace. The monks consider this such a gift that they grant it as payment for those who have rendered service - such as Alkhara and every crime lord since.
A monk's studies prepare him or her for this destiny, but those for whom the process has been expedited need constant supervision to avoid madness. To the untrained mind, the prospect of being disembodied is horrifying. It can take many months for an unprepared mind to fully acclimate to a bodiless existence.
For those who have already accepted total enlightenment, life as a disembodied brain is a paradise, an endless period of pure thought. Those of the B'omarr Order generally contemplate the cosmos; others spend their time trying to forget their previous, physical lives. But all eventually learn a form of limited telepathy that allows them to communicate with one another, then with others. In time, and when there is need, the enlightened B'omarr monks eventually learn to summon a brain walker.
The statistics below are for a lesser B'omarr monk - one who has not yet shed his physical trappings to embrace pure thought, but who assists in the procedure.
Generic B'omarr Monk Initiate: Male or female (any species) Expert 2; Init - 1; Defense 9 (-1 Dex); Spd 10m; VP/WP -/8; Atk +0 melee (1d3-1, punch) or +0 ranged; SV Fort -1, Ref -1, Will +7; SZ M; FP 0; DSP 0; Rep 0; Str 8, Dex 8, Con 8, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 9, Chalenge Code: A
Equipment: Monk's robes.
Skills: Computer Use +5, Knowledge (B'omarr Order) +5, Knowledge (Tatooine) +5, Repair +5, Survival +7, Treat Injury +7.
Feats: Iron Will.
B'omarr Brain Walker
B'omarr brain walker droids serve the most enlightened B'omarr monks as walking converyances. They have only rudimentary processors with sensors tuned to detect certain energy signals associated with telepathic activity - the only way the disembodied B'omarr monks can summon a brain walker to carry them about. The built-in brain support unit allows the living brain of the monk to survive while it is not attached directly to the support equipment in the deepest parts of the B'omarr monastery.
The less enlightended membership of the B'omarr monks - those who still have bodies - construct brain walker droids from readily obtained parts, according to an ancient set of blueprints. Around the time of the Battle of Yavin, some of the physical monks have begun experimenting with alternative designs, resulting in several models bearing five or six legs, instead of the usual four.
B'omarr Brain Walker: Walking conveyor droid: Commoner; Init -1; Defense 9 (-1 Dex); Spd 8m; VP/WP -/8; Atk -1 melee (1d3-1, foot) or -1 ranged; SV Fort -1, Ref -1, Will -4; SZ M; Rep 0; Str 8, Dex 8, Con 8, Int 2, Wis 2, Cha 2; Challenge code: A
Equipment: Processor, brain support unit.
Skills: None.
Unspent Skill Points: 1.
Cost: 800 credits.
B'omarr Enlightenment
Thanks to reliable anesthesia, the process of transfering a living being's brain into a suitable container is painless. But it is certainly not easy, requiring a Treat Injury check (DC 30) to keep the brain alive long enough for transplantation. The B'omarr order has over the centuries developed numerous mechanical devices to assist in the procedure, givng them a +15 bonus to their Treat Injury checks when performing the enlightenment surgery. Failure on the check means that the brain does not survive and is discarded along with the lifeless corpse.
Once the brain regains consciousness after being separated from the body, psychosis is a distinct possibility. An immediate Will saving throw (DC 20) is repuired; failure means that the enlightened being's Intelligence score drops immediately to 1, as its awareness of its situation prompts a scream - with, unfortunately, no need to stop for a breath. The disembodied brain may attempt the Will save again each day. For each success, the brain regains one lost Intelligence point, up to its original total. Brins in this situation are generally distanced from the other enlightened monks, to prevent disturbing their meditations.
Though extremely rare, it is possible for the B'omarr to transplant one of their enlightened members into a physical form again. The operation requires a Treat Injury check (DC 30), and, of course, a living receptacle. Unfortunately, the B'omarr have no specialized machinery to aid in this process, so it is considerably mor risky than the original procedure.
