Quolas was a tree-city inhabited by the Sathari species on the planet Arbooine.
Overview[]
A tree-city on the planet Arbooine, Quolas was smaller than the planet's capital city Zeilo, but still one of the largest settlements on the world. Populated completely by Sathari natives, the tree-city was governed by a Reeve who led the city from a manor located at the summit of the tree.
Built into the boughs of a massive elrit tree, the city's structures were orb-like in shape and made of branches and other natural material. Suspended from the ancient and thick branches of the tree, each building was connected by rope bridges. Additionally, the Sathari had carved out narrow, cramped tunnels that spread throughout the tree's trunk and root system. Large, open areas allowed for residents from multiple levels to move freely through the otherwise dense foliage. The bark and branches of the tree were exquisitely carved by artisans into massive reliefs, statues, patterns and art. Because the city was located within a tree, fire could not be used to illuminate the city and therefore the Sathari relied on natural light. During the day, light was shunted into the city using large amber lenses at the top of the tree and reflected down using large mirrors. The light passing through the large red leaves cast the city in a perpetual dusk throughout daylight hours, while glowrods illuminated the walkways during the evening. Fire torches were only used on the exterior battlements as it frightened away bearsloths and other predators.
Layout[]
The Pillar of the Ancenstors
The city of Quolas was a vertical city, located in the boughs, roots and trunk of a living, healthy elrit tree that towered above the surrounding plains and forests. The city spanned hundreds of meters in diameter, and was several times taller than it was wide. Quolas proper was connected to several smaller satellite tree-towns by rope bridges and ladders. Connecting the orb-like structures were bridges, ramps, rope-drawn elevators, stairs, and ladders; though the Sathari were more than capable of flying between levels or riding on the back of domesticated tarvixes. The tarvixes were kept within stables in the city's lower levels; citizens kept their own mounts there and they were occasionally loaned to visitors in need of transportation.
The only entrance to the city is found at ground level, where a large metal gate was built into the tree's outer wall. Due to a lack of visitors, the gates were generally kept closed to prevent wild animals from entering the trunk of the tree. As the city is also accessible from air and by climbing the trunk, battlements and barricades were set at intervals along the trunk's length to stop climbing beasts on their ascent. Guardhouses at each battlement installation staffed the walls and formed the city watch. A large prison was seldom used before the reign of Gel Marcolf, during which the prison was overflowing with political opponents. The city proper was higher up in the tree's branches, where they formed many, many levels. The more wealthy residents of the city lived higher up in the branches, while the Reeve's manor was located at the tree's apex. Because of the historic feud between the Tumris and Helshar houses, both families are divided into sizable districts just beneath the Reeve's manor. Amid the homes and storefronts was the Sathir Temple, a small religious site where Sathiri went to pray and worship nature. Another focal point of the city was the Pillar of Ancestors, a wooden column carved from woven branches. Hundreds of meters tall, the Pillar was thousands of years old and depicted the history of the city.
History[]
Established long before the Clone Wars, the city of Quolas found itself divided economically, politically, and socially between the Helshar and Tumris clans. While not all citizens of the tree-city were part of the two families, those who were not were often times forced into supporting a side. In the final days of the Galactic Republic, the feud between the families erupted into open conflict. Both Tumris and Helshar leaders declared themselves Reeve and their respective supporters began attacking one another.
Drawn to the planet by a vision, Jedi Knight Suljo Warde entered the city and brought the conflict to a temporary halt. Invoking his authority as a general of the Grand Army of the Republic, Warde appointed his young friend Gel Marcolf as interim Magistrate of the city until he could return with Republic forces to assist in restoring the peace. When Warde never returned and the Republic was replaced by the Galactic Empire, the citizens of Quolas rose up against Marcolf's rule in the wake of the Empire's assent to power, arguing that the authority which placed him in power no longer existed. Refusing to step down, Marcolf unwittingly used the Force to draw in and control a close cadre of guards and hired mercenaries to secure himself as Reeve. Soon after, the Imperial governor agreed to acknowledge Marcolf's reign so long as taxes continued to be paid on time. While Marcolf allowed the two houses to remain prominent fixtures in the city's economics, the new Reeve drastically reduced their power compared to his own to ensure that a coup was not possible.
By the time of the Galactic Civil War, a band of offworlders visited the city in search of a kyber crystal in the possession of Marcolf. Finding the city's residents living in constant fear of their Reeve and forced to toil endlessly just to pay their taxes, the offworlders hoped to retrieve the crystal quickly. As they learned that Marcolf had been responsible for destroying many ancient statues and reliefs, they came across Pathran Helshar and his city-wide resistance movement. The offworlders managed to retrieve the crystal, but the events surrounding this exchange are lost to history.
