INFO: Chironians were centauriforms native to the planet Chiron. Young Chironians had cranial velvet horn-knobs which would eventually grow into horns towards adulthood. If their velvet horn-knobs were cut, they would die from cranial injuries. Chironians were covered in red-gold skin which were dotted by white spots. They had six limbs, the lower four of which allowed members of the species to run greater distances than most bipedal sentient beings.
RACE: Chironian
HEIGHT: 1.5 Meters Tall
SKIN: Red-gold (FUR: Gray or black)
DISTINCTION: Centauriform, Horn-knobs
LANGUAGE: Chironese
HOMEWORLD:Chiron was the home planet of Lusa, on the other side of the galaxy from Belkadan, possibly near Munto Codru. Shortly before the Yuuzhan Vong conquest of Coruscant, Lusa was killed on Chiron by a voxyn.
BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE:The Chironians (once called Centaurs by humans) are among the most massive of the major races and are the only one of the major races to be descended from herbivores. An adult Chironian stands about 1.5 meters at the shoulder and between 2.0 and 2.4 meters tall when standing erect. They are bilaterally symmetrical, hexapodal, and homeothermic. They bear some resemblance to the centaurs of ancient Terran myth, a trait noted by the earliest human explorers.
The word Chironian comes from their own language, and translates literally as all the nobles, or more broadly, The Herd.
The Chironian are covered with a short gray or black fur and with a dense black mane covering the head and neck and upper back of both sexes. Unlike Terran mammals, the young are fed partially digested, regurgitated food instead of milk. Males average 15 percent to 20 percent larger than females.
Chironian are extremely conservative in all aspects of their culture. Ceremonial military units (such as bodyguards) are armed with equipment which Chironian military technology outdated centuries ago, and (aside from modifications made necessary by the discovery of space flight) Chironian government has not changed significantly in centuries.
Because of their origins as plains-dwelling herd animals, the Chironian are claustrophobics; they cannot stand to be enclosed. Chironian cities are clumps of low, broad, buildings; the interior is never more than one story in height, which allows the sky to be visible. Internal building divisions are achieved with curtains or tapestries.
Chironian are extremely gregarious. They are never found alone, and will quickly sicken and die if left by themselves for any length of time. Receiving a trade or diplomatic delegation from the Chironian means entertaining the entire family (one or more wives, servants, scribes, assistants, etc.) of the merchant or the ambassador. The Chironian word for "my" refers to a possession of an individual's herd, not to that of an individual. Privacy and individuality are exotic and little understood concepts for the Chironian.
CULTURE AND HISTORY:Chironian society is divided into castes. The system is a remnant of ancient times which no longer fits Chironian culture perfectly, but the Chironian stick with it because it is traditional. There are hundreds of castes, but the distinctions are too faint for non-Chironian to understand. For simplicity, castes can be divided into three general groupings: noble, merchant, and servant. It is possible for a family to rise in caste, but this is a rare occurrence. The lowest caste, the servants, has come to include farmers, factory workers, and unskilled laborers as well as servants for all classes.
The next higher caste, the merchants, includes most skilled workers, scientists, engineers, technicians, scribes, and government administrators, as well as merchants and businessmen. Nobles are the governmental officials (the Krurruna and others), the high military officers, diplomats, and heads of trade and manufacturing concerns. Nobles are usually garbed in much more ornate fashion than the lower castes.
Every male Chironian must serve a term in the military upon coming of age. Warriors are drawn from all castes; rank in the military is determined by the caste of origin (nobles enter the service as general officer trainees, merchants as lower officers and noncommissioned officers, etc.). Upon completing the required term of service, a warrior returns to his original caste and position. Warriors are the only Chironian permitted to bear weapons, and they are further distinguished by their peculiar flared and horned helmets. They serve as soldiers, police, firefighters, and bodyguards for diplomatic and mercantile expeditions. Female Chironian are casteless, and take on the caste of their father or husband. Females have no position in government or society other than the rearing of young.
GOVERNMENT:The basis of Chironian government is rooted in the traditional herd system. The basic unit of government is the herd, which consists of thousands of individuals of all sexes, castes, and ages led by krurruna (literally: bosses) under a single steppelord.
In recent times, most herds have been assigned specific geographic areas (several may be assigned to a city or a single herd may be assigned millions of hectares of farmland). A number of herds are governed by a single "lord of steppelords" (usually the ruler of a planet); and the Chironian race as a whole is ruled by a "Steppelord of the 2000 Worlds". The Chironian have fought one war with another Major Race the Hivers see Hiver-K'kree War.
APPEARANCES:The Crystal Star (First appearance)
Young Jedi Knights: Delusions of Grandeur
Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Bounty
Young Jedi Knights: The Emperor's Plague
Young Jedi Knights: Trouble on Cloud City
Young Jedi Knights: Crisis at Crystal Reef
Star by Star
SOURCES:None
I would like to thank Wookieepedia for this info.
