Bwap

Starport	A	Excellent: Starship Construction, Overhaul, Refined fuel
Size	5	Medium (8,000 km, 0.40g - 0.57g)
Atmosphere	6	Standard
Hydrographics	9	Wet World 90%
Population	7	Moderate (80 million)
Government	A	Charismatic Dictator
Law	B	Extreme Law (control of movement)
Tech Level	D	Average Stellar (holo data)

Primary Star

G4 V M0 V M2 V M6 V

Atmosphere

Standard

Off-world presence

Yes

Zoetic individuals

Yes

Source

Reference

"Contact! Newts." Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 11 12-16.

Canon

Yes

Also see

The Bwaps, full native name Bawapakerwa-a-a-awapawab are an intelligent Minor Non-Human Race native to Marhaban (Empty Quarter 0426). They are also known by Humans as Newts due to their appearance. The Bwap are one of the most widespread and successful of the Minor Races, having long been valued as administrators and bookkeepers by planetary governments and interstellar empires.

Physical Sophontology[edit]

Bwaps average 1.4 meters in height and mass between 30 and 50 kilograms. They are upright, bipedal, homoeothermic, and gonochoric (individuals are either male or female), with an internal skeleton and a closed circulatory system. This species has a conventional carbon-water based biochemistry, and uses a conventional respiration cycle consisting of oxygen-nitrogen inhalant and carbon dioxide exhalant.

Body markings vary tremendously from clan ("tree") to clan, each one having a distinctive pattern. The pattern is determined by genetic factors and the color is determined by careful manipulation of the mother’s diet during the formation of the egg. Greens, browns, yellows and blues are most common, usually in patterns of darker colors over a lighter base color.

The equivalent to hemoglobin in Bwap blood is copper-based, a deep blue in color, making their skin a faint greenish-blue in areas without pigmentation.

Morphology[edit]

Amphibianoid

Semi-humanoid
Bilateral symmetry (2-ial)
Tetrapod (4-ped)
- 2 limbs used for manipulation; "arms"
- 2 limbs used for locomotion; "legs"
- 1 tail
Body consists of three segments
- Head
- Torso
- Abdomen

Limbs are naturally regenerative.

Climate and environment preferences[edit]

This species holds the following environmental preferences:

Terrestrial planet
Temperate climate
Swamp and littoral ecotopes
Standard gravity
Standard atmosphere (humid)

Bwaps are uncomfortable in less than 98% humidity, as their skin must be kept moist. With special clothing, they can exist indefinitely in humidity as low as 25%, provided they have adequate water. This clothing normally consists of a loosely fitting kaftan-like garment and a hood covering the head. The cloth of these garments is permeated with a network of fine tubes, through which water flows and keeps the cloth moist. In occupations where they must handle paper or other items which would suffer from moisture, Bwaps wear thin water-proof gloves. In humidity of less than 25%, they must use sealed environment suits. All clothing is colored with a stylized representation of their body, since recognition of body pattern is an important part of their greeting ritual.

Diet and trophics[edit]

This species survives using the following methods of consumption:

Omnivore / Gatherer ^[1]^[2]

Life Cycle and reproduction[edit]

This species has the following reproductive characteristics:

Two genders (male & female)
- Mild sexual dimorphism
(sexual reproduction)
- Conjugal intercourse
- Varied mating systems (primarily serial polygamy) (1m:2f average)
Oviparous birth
- (Iteroparous): Uses K-selection and have few offspring that require considerable amounts of time to raise to maturity.

Bwaps are ovoviviparous (eggs are hatched within the body), each female incubating a single, non-amniotic egg in a special pouch on her lower abdomen. After hatching, the young remain in this pouch for several weeks, occasionally coming out to be fed, until they are strong enough to survive outside. The young reach maturity after fourteen years.

Genetic code[edit]

Bwaps use the following IISS code:

SAVIES-SP
- Strength
- Agility
- Vigor
- Intelligence
- Education
- Social Standing
- Sanity
- Psionics

Images[edit]

Basic size and shape comparison for examples of Humaniti and Bwap

Archaeological Sophontology[edit]

Bwaps can be found throughout the Imperium and beyond, more commonly in the region trailing and coreward of Capital (Core 2118). Fewer than twelve Imperial worlds are fully controlled by Bwaps; most of these are classed as religious dictatorships. Bwap merchants and administrators can be found throughout known space, but are less common outside the Imperium.

This species has a long history and is widely known for its keen organizational skills and natural aptitude for bureaucracy.

Evolution[edit]

This species developed intelligence in response to climactic change and interspecies competition.

Prior to obtaining civilization, proto-Bwaps lived in densely wooded, mangrove-like swamps. They burrowed under and among the root systems of large trees, forming dens for the communal protection of their young. Their culture of ritual interactions originated at this time. A shift in weather patterns later caused the marshy areas to shrink, forcing Bwaps into increased competition with other animals in the region. The discovery of tools and then agriculture permitted the Bwaps to gain a tremendous advantage over their competition, and put them on the road to civilization.

Major Historical Events Timeline[edit]

First Imperium contact was around Imperial Date -5000. The Vilani contacted the Bwap on Pekawapawab-a, the world today known as Marhaban (Empty Quarter 0426). The native Bwaps had a world-spanning society at TL–5, but this rapidly progressed to TL–9 within a single century. The introduction of advanced technologies such as jump drive had no major effect on their culture, and the Bwaps prospered greatly in the intervening centuries. Unlike most races annexed by the Vilani, they thrived in the ordered, bureaucratic culture fostered by Vilani social norms, and travelled widely across charted space.

Cultural Sophontology[edit]

From the human point of view, Bwaps are obsessed with minutiae, patterns, and the order of things. Driven by this internal desire to see everything in its proper place, they make excellent bureaucrats, officials, mathematicians, bookkeepers, scientists, and historians.

However, their obsession with ritual and proper conduct can make them difficult to deal with. Those who violate the rituals will be lectured to, at length, on propriety. Dealing with Bwaps takes time, but trying to speed things up only takes more time.

Morality and ethics[edit]

Criminal behavior is extremely rare, and is considered the worst form of mental disorder among Bwaps, since it disrupts the proper order of things.

Their worldview means that their definition of crime is often at variance with Imperial norms, but, fortunately, most Bwap courts consider exile to be sufficient punishment, especially in the case of aliens such as humans.

Motivation[edit]

Society is dominated by the Bwap world-view, which holds that each individual has a place in the Wapawab (lit. "tree") -- a view stemming from their habitat, but including phratry, bloodlines, country, and place of duty.

The literal tree is intricately tied into the planetary ecology, providing shelter and oxygen, converting water and minerals into food, etc. The figurative tree is much harder to define, but is roughly equivalent to a clan or tribal group. Both sorts of trees are part of a planet, which is part of a solar system, which is part of a cluster, which is part of a galaxy, which is part of the cosmos.

Everything the Bwaps do reflects this complex, wheels-within-wheels outlook. Each individual takes great pride in being one small, functional and unique cog in a vast, ever-changing universe of interlinked patterns. Their ritual of greeting, for instance, seems like meaningless formality and windy chitchat to non-Bwaps, but communicates: "I am in this place, and doing my part. Where are you and what are you doing?"

Linguistic Sophontology[edit]

The common Bwap language is known as Wawa-pakekeke-wawa. Bwap merchants are known for their facility with the languages of other sophonts. Many Bwap merchants are renowned for their ability to speak a wide variety of languages flawlessly, without accent.

Societal Sophontology[edit]

Bwaps encountered away from their homeworlds are often in service to the Imperium or other interstellar entities as merchants and administrators. Such Bwaps serve as ideal Merchant and Professional characters.

Please see Atapas-atta-wapawab, or the Grand Council of Crèches, for more information.
Talaa: Extended family line, aspect of Bwap kinship system.

Government and politics[edit]

The Atapas-atta-wapawab is characterized as having a high degree of centralization, which sets uniform policies that direct the entire multi-system state and disregards local (planetary) differences. The Atapas-atta-wapawab government is usually classified as a Federal Republic, a form of Unitary State, with theocratic tendencies.

The Bwap government is an enormous bureaucracy, but it seems to work for the Bwap despite (likely because of) the massive body of law and regulation. Bwap seem to have a natural talent for navigating their Byzantine maze of rules and regulations, which confound foreign sophont species.

Please see polity entry at Grand Council of Crèches for more information.

Military and intelligence[edit]

All Bwap worlds maintain a local constabulary and many are garrisoned with Imperial and colonial military units.

Bwap military vessels include the following:

Abaewa-Pa-class Light Cruiser
Abupappabwapuu-class Interdiction Cruiser (often used by the Imperial Navy in the Empty Quarter)
Apa-Pakwa-class Medium Fighter
Beseke-class Patrol Corvette
Eaaetatka-class Monitor
Efaweape-class Scout
Pese-Teko-We-class Destroyer
Sasabease-Wa-A-class Battleship
Tabewarke-class System Defense Boat

Martial Tradition[edit]

The Bwap need for high humidity makes their soldiery less flexible than troops of other species, although that doesn't flatten the martial spirit of those Bwaps drawn to a military role.

Many Bwaps serve in the Imperial military, although mostly in support roles rather than as combatants, and even Bwap mercenary units are known. However, as previously mentioned, Bwaps most often excel when put in charge of materials or organization; they are best represented as administrators, logisticians, quartermasters, and in supply roles.

Business and Trade[edit]

The Bwaps did not discover fire until late, due to their humid environment, which hindered development of metalworking and similar pursuits. When discovered by the Vilani, the Bwaps had reached a point of TL-5 or TL-7 (reports from so long ago are unclear) and stabilized there. The introduction of advanced technologies such as jump drive had no major effect on their culture, which indeed is notably resistant to divergence even when communities are isolated for generations. Most Bwap worlds are TL–7 to TL–11 averaging TL–9 to TL–10.

Bwap merchants and administrators can be found throughout Charted Space, but are less common outside the Imperium. Average Bwap technology ranges from TL–10 to TL–14 and Bwap merchants are known to always be searching for new technology acquisitions.

Bwap merchant craft include the Koteak-Wo class Trader.

Astrography[edit]

This race is primarily located in the following areas:

Homeworld[edit]

The homeworld of this race is Marhaban (Empty Quarter 0426)

World Listing: 1105[edit]

Significant communities of this race are known to dwell within the following systems and worlds:

57 of 57 World articles in Bwap

Abse-eb • Adni • Aerzorak • Akiva • Amumakuga • Ardamashii • Arlu • Bha Kakharkh • Cooke (EQ 2030) • Datawo • Ebwathwa • Enzaeng • Fathwaas • Gagukam • Ghothu Flange • Ghuekvar • Ghungzon • Gimushi • Gohgin • Gudina • Guezdhe • Harshad • Ikon • Irikrough • Ka-aswa • Kaekhaenae • Kawatas • Kewepab • Khinumi • Kourae • Kuell • Lumzashgu • Marhaban (EQ 0426) • Miinagi • Miir • Mugama • Mukusi • Nulinad • Odzsouu • Oloe • Paweba • Payabyab • Perpethwe • Praveer • Rasu • Roenksu • Sadus • Saerrogh • Sandardin • Sarrebrinor • Tapawa • Ushiik • Ushmigad • Wabeab • Wesaswek • Woswaab • Ziruushda •

startbacknext(57 listed)

References[edit]

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

Loren Wiseman. "Contact! Newts." Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society 11 (1982): 12-16.
Timothy B. Brown. Aliens Archive (Imperium Games, 1996), 69-78.
Steve Jackson, Loren Wiseman. Alien Races 4 (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), 22-37.
Jason Kemp. "The Bwaps, a minor race of the Imperium for T20." Stellar Reaches 01 (2005): 4-5.
Paul Drye, Loren Wiseman, Jon F. Zeigler. Interstellar Wars (Steve Jackson Games, 2006), 82-83,144.
Robert Eaglestone. Deneb Sector (Mongoose Publishing, 2012), 60.
Jae Campbell. Encyclopaedia Dagudashaag (Signal-GK, 2017), 57.
Darren Bulmer. Aliens of Charted Space: Volume 3 (Mongoose Publishing, 2022), 228.
Peter Gray. BARD CARI 9008^{dead link}

↑ Timothy B. Brown. Aliens Archive (Imperium Games, 1996), 69.
↑ Steve Jackson, Loren Wiseman. Alien Races 4 (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), 36.

[1] Timothy B. Brown. Aliens Archive (Imperium Games, 1996), 69.

[2] Steve Jackson, Loren Wiseman. Alien Races 4 (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), 36.

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