Within weeks of their arrival, the settlers encountered the Gungans, the planet's native sentient species. Although immediately distrustful of one another, neither species attacked the other and the humans were allowed to establish their first settlement without incident. Over the next several decades, the settlers slowly spread across the planet's largest landmass, building cities and villages to support their growing numbers. The human colonists kept to the grassy plains and ocean coastlines, only occasionally treading into Gungan territory. Despite this, tension between the humans and the Gungans remained strong.