Dantari

The Dantari were among the intelligent indigenous inhabitants of Dantooine. As a Near-Human species, they bore a strong resemblance to standard Humans, but were noticeably more muscular and robust in build. A key characteristic of all Dantari was their broad, flat faces, coupled with black hair and tanned, leathery skin.

A Dantari was considered a child up to the age of eleven, with young adulthood beginning at twelve. Adolescence ended at sixteen, after which they lived as adults for nineteen years. By thirty-six, a Dantari was regarded as middle-aged, old at fifty-five, and "venerable" after seventy.

The Dantari, as a whole, represented a civilization with a stone level of technological advancement, displaying a lack of technological understanding. Even during the Galactic Civil War, despite having occasional interactions with off-worlders for 4000 years, they remained completely unaware of starships traveling through space above their planet. They had neither adopted agriculture as a means of sustenance nor unlocked the secrets of metallurgy. The Dantari spent their lives traversing the plains in search of sustenance, employing basic tools like stone axes and spears for hunting. Typically, they would establish a temporary settlement at day's end, dismantling their tents each morning to resume their constant movement. These settlements consisted of simple shelters made from animal skins, with multiple campfires burning in front of them.

Several Dantari tribes existed, including the Janta, Kunga, and Mokk. Within each tribe, all crucial decisions were collectively made by a council of five to six elders, chosen from the tribe's most experienced and senior members. This council was responsible for resolving any challenges faced by the tribe. While the Dantari lacked a king or chief, one individual held particular significance: the garoo. This respected member of the tribe functioned as a hybrid of priest and sorcerer. They were believed to possess the ability to command animal spirits, and the Dantari held that a garoo never told a lie.

The Dantari possessed extensive knowledge of the medicinal qualities found in local plants and animals. They greatly valued the root of the Vincha plant for its potent anesthetic properties. They also engaged in a complex system of gift-giving to foster connections between individuals and tribes. Any item could be exchanged, including magic stones, weapons, wooden carvings, and even the prized Vincha plant.

Their native language, known as Dantarian, relied on a limited vocabulary, supplemented by facial cues and hand signals.

The Dantari had been present since the start of modern Republic colonization, around 4000 BBY, but interaction between the natives and colonists was scarce. Their population was so small that the Republic considered Dantooine an uninhabited world. There was speculation that they descended from an early, lost Republic colony, but this theory has never been substantiated.

During the era of the New Republic, a small colony was established by the Republic for the people of Eol Sha. However, Admiral Daala discovered this colony and targeted it in one of her first attacks. Under the command of Commander Kratas, a regiment of AT-AT's was deployed. The ensuing battle resulted in the colony's complete destruction and the loss of a single AT-AT.

Consequently, the Dantari came to view the Imperials as deities. Some Dantari bore rudimentary tattoos depicting AT-ATs, the Imperial insignia, images of Imperial blasters, or outlines of stormtrooper armor on their torsos. The Dantari also attempted to replicate the pilots flight jumpsuit with their clothing, and crafted tools and weapons from fragments of AT-AT armor.

Later, the Dantari attempted communication with refugees sent by the New Republic. However, the Yuuzhan Vong invaded and massacred the refugees, before turning their aggression towards the Dantari. This resulted in the near extinction of the Dantari people.