The Geelan, sometimes referred to as Geel, constituted a species of sentient, bipedal canine beings distinguished by their noticeable pot bellies, elongated arms, and short, stocky legs. A dense covering of fur enveloped the majority of their bodies, with the exception of sections of their faces and hands. Each Geelan possessed a pair of prominent, yellow eyes, a moist, dark nose, and a snout filled with pointed teeth. Originating from Needan, a planet situated deep within Wild Space, they dwelled in established cities and organized themselves into tribal nests under the supreme authority of the Geeloniran, also known as the "Master Geel." Inherent nosiness and greed characterized this species, leading them to become inveterate collectors of trinkets and knick-knacks. A typical Geelan would actively seek opportunities for haggling daily, viewing it as a sport devoid of any restrictions. While this aggressive behavior did not endear them to many outside their species, it fostered their exceptional skills as entrepreneurs and businesspeople.
Once a thriving and verdant world, Needan suffered a cataclysmic event when a passing comet collided with the planet, displacing it from its original orbit. The subsequent drop in temperature compelled the Geelan to retreat into protective domed cities for survival. Upon initial contact with representatives from the galactic community, numerous Geelan chose to leave Needan, pursuing careers as business operators and traders throughout the galaxy. Among their more conspicuous commercial ventures was the space station known as Zirtran's Anchor, jointly owned and managed by multiple nests. The Galactic Empire dispatched an envoy to the station, demanding that the Geelan fulfill their obligation to pay appropriate taxes and collect necessary tariffs, a request that irked the canine species. At some point, Zirtran's Anchor vanished under mysterious circumstances in an incident later dubbed "the Vanishing." Rumors among spacers abounded regarding the cause of its disappearance, but the station eventually reappeared in another region of the galaxy, completely devoid of life. The Geelan promptly reclaimed their errant property and resumed business operations. Nevertheless, the shadow of the station's previous fate lingered over the establishment.
The Geelan, also known as the Geel, were sentient canine mammals easily recognizable by their bulging abdomens and coarse, dark fur. Their bodies were short and stout, generally conforming to a humanoid structure. However, their arms were noticeably longer in proportion to their short legs. The species varied in height from 0.75 to 1.5 meters, although older individuals sometimes appeared shorter due to a tendency to stoop. Their hands featured five fingers equipped with sharp claws. Dense fur covered their bodies, with the exception of most of their faces and fingers. The Geelan species consisted of two distinct sexes: male and female.
The Geelan face was characterized by wrinkles and a lack of fur, save for a hairy beard along the chin. A pair of striking, yellow eyes were positioned above a snout filled with sharp teeth that remained visible even when the mouth was closed. While some Geelan possessed short, upturned muzzles, the majority exhibited long, prominent snouts. A dark, moist nose was situated at the tip of the snout. Pointed ears stood upright on either side of the head, varying in size from large to small among different individuals. Most taller species did not perceive the Geelan's appearance as particularly intimidating.
Originally, the Geelan inhabited cities within the tropical forests of their homeworld, Needan. However, following a dramatic cooling of the planet to arctic temperatures, they transitioned to living in domed habitats that provided protection from the harsh elements. Many Geelan also resided on Zirtran's Anchor, a space station acquired by the species after their planet's frigid period had commenced. Within this artificial environment, various Geelan groups established their dwellings in the central area of the station, known as the Hub.
The Geelan were organized into independent, tribe-like groups referred to as nests. Each member of a nest was assigned a specific role for the collective benefit, including positions such as Nest Leader, negotiator, secretary, treasurer, and even assassin and spy. The nest leader was accountable to an individual known in the Geelan's native language as the Geeloniran, a term translating to "Great Geel" or "Master Geel." This Geeloniran held supreme authority over all Geelan throughout the galaxy and oversaw all ventures and agreements affecting the Geelan as a whole. During the Galactic Civil War, a presence of the Imperial faction aboard Zirtran's Anchor maintained some level of control over Geelan affairs.
The Geelan personality was primarily driven by two overriding objectives: the accumulation of an ever-growing collection of possessions, and the achievement of this through successful negotiation tactics that exploited others. They were widely known for being intrusive, bothersome, covetous, and driven by personal greed. These characteristics often led non-Geelan to dismiss them as meddling, self-centered, and irritating, resulting in a general avoidance of the species whenever feasible.
However, the Geelan's natural talent for bargaining and their inclination to hoard valuables meant that some individuals had no choice but to engage with the diminutive canines. Geelan were inherently skilled hagglers with a well-deserved reputation as negotiation experts. Transactions with Geelan deviated significantly from the established norms of most other species. Geelan bargaining was characterized by a complete absence of rules, employing any available means to gain an advantage over their opponents, including blackmail, bribery, intimidation, and even physical violence. Despite possessing sharp claws, the Geelan were relatively weak in comparison to many other species. Consequently, they preferred to negotiate with multiple compatriots present. They utilized their wealth to employ larger, more formidable individuals for protection, such as assassins, bounty hunters, and mercenaries. Most Geelan also carried sidearms for added security. On Zirtran's Anchor, the space station owned and operated by the Geelan, excessively violent business disputes were typically intervened upon by the security firm Defensus Solar before escalating too far. Geelan favored complex deals, believing that the more intricate a deal was, the better. Overall, most non-Geelan found the species' negotiating style to be exhausting. However, their passion for deal-making was a weakness that could be exploited. Geelan considered any day without a new acquisition to be a day wasted.
Their aptitude for haggling translated into astute business acumen. The Geelan embraced a laissez-faire approach to free enterprise, allowing traders to conduct business on Zirtran's Anchor with minimal bureaucratic interference, even welcoming known outlaws to engage with the species or other inhabitants of the space station. Consequently, the canines were resourceful entrepreneurs, motivated by both profit and the intrinsic satisfaction derived from success in the private sector. Nevertheless, their unrestrained approach to negotiations made Zirtran's Anchor a challenging environment for conducting business. Geelan preferred to operate as a nest, with each nest owing a percentage of its profits to the Master Geel, although this cut was merely a nominal tariff. They often interfered in transactions between visitors to Zirtran's Anchor who sought to exclude the Geelan, with any bargaining session potentially interrupted by a handler representing a particular Geelan nest, attempting to integrate their nest's interests into the outsiders' deals.
The ultimate objective of such haggling was, of course, the acquisition of new items for the Geelan nest. While they favored valuable commodities such as credits, gems, and spice, or shiny, eye-catching objects, Geelan were inveterate hoarders who valued virtually anything, provided it was in their possession. The only means of separating a Geelan from their property was through a trade or a threat to their life. Many of these possessions were amassed in a communal treasure hoard collectively owned by a particular nest. Such treasure troves were concealed from public view, but rumors circulated about collections large enough to fill a shuttle bay, containing items ranging from artwork to creosol to spice, as well as more unusual items. Stories even suggested that average treasure hoards held sufficient wealth to purchase an entire fleet of starships. Geelan nests made effective use of their stores, leveraging their wealth to gain an advantage when negotiating with outsiders, particularly when dealing with customers seeking rare items found within the nest's hoard. They also acted as information brokers.
Geelan wore clothing typical of other galactically integrated species, including vests and trousers. At least some Geelan had a slovenly appearance and wore dirty, ragged clothing. Some Geelan also pierced their ears and wore rings on their fingers, and most members of the species carried pouches with them in which to hold new acquisitions.
For the majority of its existence, Needan was a lush planet, with two-thirds of its surface covered by oceans and the remainder consisting of jungle-covered continents. A diverse range of life forms evolved on the world, with high levels of biodiversity on both land and in the sea. Within the forests, a species of canine pack animals evolved and eventually developed sentience, becoming the Geelan. Their pack instincts drove them to establish cities and develop the concept of tribal nests. At some point, these groups recognized the authority of a single ruler, the Geeloniran. Geelan scientists developed new technologies, and the species entered its information age. A passing comet altered the course of Geelan history when its orbit brought it crashing into their world. The impact shifted Needan into a wider orbit, causing a significant cooling of the environment, eventually reaching frigid temperatures. The majority of the world's species were unable to adapt to the new conditions and experienced mass extinction. The Geelan responded by constructing domed habitats to protect themselves from the arctic wastes outside.
The Geelan persevered for some time, but they realized that their energy reserves would eventually deplete, leaving them vulnerable to the elements once more. Scientists sent distress signals into the void of space in the hope that an outside civilization would be drawn to Needan and offer assistance. The strategy proved successful: visitors from the stars arrived, aliens known as Arcona, who had detected the Geelan's transmissions from their medical starship. These visitors introduced advanced technology that secured the Geelan's survival, allowing their domed dwellings to continue operating into the future.
However, this new technology also enabled the Geelan to leave Needan, and with the knowledge that conditions on their world were deteriorating, significant numbers of Geelan chose to do so. The traumatic events on Needan profoundly impacted the Geelan psyche, instilling an overwhelming desire to accumulate possessions, a desire that bordered on avarice. The Geelan became relatively common throughout the galaxy, working in diverse roles ranging from infochants to investors to entrepreneurs, including proprietors of cantinas, casinos, spaceports, and other businesses, all eager to acquire new items for their hoards. As the canines spread throughout the galaxy, they preferred to work exclusively for other Geelan, so a business employing a Geelan often indicated some degree of Geelan ownership. Meanwhile, their cousins remained on Needan, which came to be considered part of Wild Space, far from the edge of the Outer Rim Territories on the southern edge of the galactic disc.
During the reign of Emperor Palpatine over the galaxy, one of the new wave of Geelan investments was the joint purchase by several nests of a prototype space barge designated KV-29233-44B. The ship had become a financial failure for its previous owners, the brothers Teebo and Urbo Zirtran, after its hyperdrive malfunctioned, leaving it derelict in the Besberra system, located in the Cegul sector of the Outer Rim Territories. The Geelan converted the barge into a space station, attracting customers with the promise of a place to conduct business free from the interference and speciesism of the Galactic Empire. This stance aligned with the species' neutral ideology during the Galactic Civil War, during which they sold information to both the Galactic Empire and its opponent, the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
The strategy proved effective: merchants flocked to the station, and many chose to remain permanently. By docking their ships with the barge and with each other, the mass of spacecraft evolved into a conglomeration of vessels connected by accessways and pressure tunnels. The Geelan christened the station Zirtran's Anchor, in honor of the brothers from whom they had acquired it. The Geelan's inability to discard anything meant that when sections of the assemblage became unstable or incapable of sustaining life, they simply sealed them off rather than removing them from the station. Zirtran's Anchor proved to be an economic boon for the Geelan, as their no-holds-barred system of business prevailed there, and they received a portion of all business conducted on the station. Zirtran's Anchor soon became the species' primary source of revenue.
Despite the Geelan's desire to remain uninvolved with the Empire, the galactic government pressured them to comply with Imperial trade laws, collect Imperial tariffs on goods passing through the station, and more rigorously regulate the commerce conducted there. The Empire eventually stationed Admiral Vence Tabok aboard Zirtran's Anchor to monitor the Geelan's adherence to these directives. Tabok was accompanied by stormtroopers and starfighters, and upon his arrival, he declared martial law and apprehended suspected criminals and Rebel Alliance sympathizers. The Geelan were dismayed by Tabok's actions. Rumor had it that an elderly Geelan resident of the station known as Whisk the Elder, possibly the Geeloniran himself, warned the admiral that if the Empire persisted in this manner, Zirtran's Anchor would suffer a catastrophe affecting everyone on board. However, Tabok dismissed him with contempt.
Mere days later, Whisk's reported prophecy materialized: visitors to the Besberra system found no trace of Zirtran's Anchor or its inhabitants. Rumors spread throughout the galaxy that the station had been the victim of an attack, either by Rebels, pirates, or the Empire. Other tales attributed the station's disappearance to the misfortune of the Zirtran brothers finally catching up to the Geelan, a vengeful entity dwelling in Wild Space retaliating for a stolen artifact, or the hyperdrive of the barge at the heart of Zirtran's Anchor finally becoming operational again, taking the station with it. Another story claimed that Emperor Palpatine ordered an active investigation into the station's whereabouts. The event acquired the mystique of a folk tale, referred to enigmatically as "the Vanishing."
Zirtran's Anchor had not simply vanished, however; it had relocated. The station soon reappeared near the Phosphura Belt Nebula in the Atravis sector of the Outer Rim. Investigators found no lifeforms on board, not even microbes, and the remaining droids had no recollection of what had transpired on the station. Geelan entrepreneurs quickly re-established their presence on Zirtran's Anchor, seemingly unconcerned with the fate of their predecessors. The post-Vanishing Geeloniran maintained his headquarters on Needan and rarely visited the station, and when he did, he was accompanied by various functionaries and a bodyguard named Tiny. The smuggler Platt Okeefe was under the impression that the Geeloniran never left Needan.
The Geelan solicited further investment in the station, hoping to rebuild it into the hub of free trade it had once been. Traders slowly returned, although the perception that the station was somehow cursed or dangerous proved difficult for the Geelan to overcome. The Empire also re-established a presence on Zirtran's Anchor, albeit only as a small customs office. The Geelan maintained their neutrality in the Galactic Civil War, and at one point, a nest even brokered an arms deal with an Imperial governor, although the Rebel Alliance sent agents to Zirtran's Anchor to thwart the deal. A university historian was transported to the station by a group of spacers to interview the Geelan about the Vanishing as the intrigue between the Empire and Rebellion unfolded. The Geelan proved reluctant to discuss the station's previous fate, although the historian and the spacers did uncover the arms deal.
The Geelan were conceived by author Anthony Russo for the article "Zirtran's Anchor," featured in Star Wars Adventure Journal 5 in February 1995. This article, created for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game by West End Games, serves as a tie-in to the book Platt's Starport Guide, published in the same year, and details the space station of the same name, owned and operated by members of the Geelan species. "Zirtan's Anchor" presents conflicting information regarding the Geeloniran: according to Platt Okeefe, who provides in-universe commentary on the text, the post-Vanishing Master Geel never leaves his homeworld. However, the text later states that he does leave on occasion. According to "Zirtran's Anchor," the average member of the species is highly dexterous and proficient at firing a blaster, picking pockets, bargaining, running a business, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. However, the statistics provided are not in a format suitable for players to portray Geelan characters.
Author Brian Smithson expanded upon Russo's description of the Geelan for his article, "Alien Encounters," which appeared in Star Wars Adventure Journal 13 in May 1997. Smithson's expansion includes game statistics to enable players of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game to portray Geelan characters, depicting them as more agile and perceptive than Humans, but weaker and less intelligent. The Adventure Journal article presents different statistics for a typical Geelan, making them more dexterous and perceptive than the game's average, but removing the various skills attributed to them in Russo's article. Pablo Hidalgo illustrated the Geelan for the "Alien Encounters" article, marking the first time they were depicted in any source. Smithson's write-up of the species and their statistics were reprinted in a slightly altered form in the book Alien Encounters, published in 1998. The book features an illustration of the species that differs significantly from Hidalgo's version and from the text itself. The description above assumes that this is a legitimate variant of the species' phenotype and not simply an error.
- " Zirtran's Anchor " — Star Wars Adventure Journal 5 (First mentioned)
- Pirates & Privateers
- " Alien Encounters " — Star Wars Adventure Journal 13
- Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Alien Encounters
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia