INFO: The Myneyrshi (singular, Myneyrsh) were the native sentient species of the arboreal planet Wayland located in the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy. A primitive, warlike species, the Myneyrshi were constantly at war with another of Wayland's sentient species—the Psadans. Myneyrshi were unadvanced technologically—they relied solely on bows and arrows, as well as spears and knives, as their prime weapons. They lived an extremely ritualistic life, with rituals for everyday actions such as walking, eating and sleeping.
Myneyrshi were tall, thinly built bipedal humanoids, with four arms and a smooth layer of strange blue crystalline flesh, which made them appear to be made of glass, which also acted as a sort of armor. Myneyrshi had two upper torsos, one on top of the other, pointed ears and a short trunk in place of a nose.
Myneyrshi were excellent hunters and trackers, and could move through forested areas without making a sound. Their awareness of their environment was so responsive that Luke Skywalker likened their perception skills to those of a Force-sensitive when he visited the planet in 9 ABY.
During the Galactic Civil War, the Empire conquered Wayland, turning it into a secret storehouse for the Emperor. One of the species that the mad clone Joruus C'baoth kept under his rule from Mount Tantiss, the Myneyrshi were nearly wiped out by the Yuuzhan Vong during the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, despite uniting with the Psadan in a failed attempt to fight off the invaders. The remaining Myneyrsh were driven deep into the jungle.
RACE: Myneyrsh
HEIGHT: 1.9 Meters Tall
SKIN: Blue
DISTINCTION: Four arms
LANGUAGE: Myneyrsh
HOMEWORLD:Wayland was a lush, semi-tropical planet in the Outer Rim Territories. Wayland was discovered and colonized during the Galactic Republic's second wave of expansion, and served as a field hospital during the Mandalorian Wars. It was also the site of a factory for Lhosan Industries. A filing error removed all record of the planet from astrogation charts and planetary logs, so that years later, people were unsure if "Wayland" was the planet's real name or an Imperial codename. The Human colonists quickly came into conflict with Wayland's indigenous sentient species, the "crystal-skinned" Myneyrshi and the "lumpy armor-plated" Psadans. In their early years, the colonists came to dominate the Myneryrshi and Psadans with Republic technology, but isolated over time, the colonists technologically regressed to the level of the indigenous species.
Centuries later, Wayland was rediscovered by Palpatine, who determined its isolation and uncharted nature made it ideal for a storehouse of arcane artifacts and secret technology. Palpatine built his storehouse into Mount Tantiss in Wayland's northern hemisphere and placed a Dark Jedi as its guardian. This may or may not have been Joruus C'baoth, an insane clone of the Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth; accounts differ. C'baoth remembers a Force duel with the guardian, as do the inhabitants of Wayland. Whether this really happened, or is the result of Force-induced mass delusion spread from C'baoth to the inhabitants, is unknown.
C'baoth, hungry for power, established himself as the hand of justice on Wayland, installing a cruel, twisted Jedi code. The mad clone used his powers to bring a forced peace between the Humans, Psadans and Myneryrshi, culminating in a tense coexistence in a city southwest of Mount Tantiss.
In 9 ABY, Grand Admiral Thrawn descended upon Wayland to claim the cloaking shield technology and thousands of Spaarti cloning cylinders that he used in his war against the New Republic. The Mount Tantiss storehouse was eventually destroyed by Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca, and C'baoth killed by Mara Jade.
After the destruction of Mount Tantiss, Wayland became a planet of particular interest to the New Republic. Researchers and Intelligence officers scoured the planet and ruins for clues to aid in their defeat of Imperial warlords, discovering evidence that would lead to the political fallout of Bothan involvement in the destruction of Caamas. The New Republic also relocated the Noghri to the colony of New Nystao on Wayland to escape their collapsing home world of Honoghr.
In 14 ABY, Corran Horn was dispatched to Wayland to determine whether or not the Disciples of Ragnos had visited the planet to drain its Force energy.
In 25 ABY, Wayland acted as the site of the first interrogation of the Yuuzhan Vong priestess Elan and her familiar Vergere, but due to an attack by Yuuzhan Vong forces they were relocated. It also served as a safe world for New Republic personnel during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. Wayland's secrecy was disrupted by Elan, who transmitted its location to the Vong with a hidden villip. The Yuuzhan Vong subjugated Wayland, converted it to a organic weaponry breeding ground and destroyed much of the planet's crust and mantle with Chom-Vrone. The New Republic later raided the world.
The world was later one of the first subjects of the Ossus Project, but it was also one of the first failures of the project. In addition, it served as the site of Cade's father, Jedi Master Kol Skywalker
BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE:Myneyrshi were tall, thin bipedal humanoids. They had two upper torsos, positioned in such a way that one was on top of the other. Each torso had a pair of long, muscular arms, giving a Myneyrsh four arms. Myneyrshi had one primary hand and three off hands, although they could carry weapons in each hand, or use two hands to carry a larger weapons, such as a spear. Having four arms also aided a Myneyrsh's ability to climb. They had small feet with several large toes.
Myneyrshi had upwards pointing ears, which they often pierced and hung things from. Instead of a nose, Myneyrshi had a short, downward-pointing snout. Averaging at almost two meters tall, Myneyrshi were covered in a layer of smooth, crystalline blue flesh, which made them look as if they were made of a type of glass. The skin acted as a sort of armor to basic weapons similar to their own—arrows, spears and knives. New Republic scientists theorized that this layer existed as a result of a chemical reaction to the moisture and oxygen in the air. Myneyrshi usually had long, dark hair, which was sometimes tied back into a ponytail.
Myneyrshi wore simple clothing; they usually wore robes from the waist down, or tied up them up over their shoulders. These robes varied in color from dark brown, to white, to light orange. The robes often had intricate, golden designs and patterns on them. Myneyrshi usually wore quivers on their backs and pouches for storing items strapped to their waists. Myneyrshi did not wear footwear, and often wore gold bracelets around their arms.
Myneyrshi aged and physically developed at a rate similar to most sentient species in the galaxy. Considered younglings until they were twelve standard years old, a Myneyrsh became an adult when they reached eighteen. By the time they reached fifty standard years, Myneyrshi were regarded as middle-aged by society. They were thought old until they reached the age of eighty-five standard years, and anyone older than that was considered venerable.
CULTURE AND HISTORY:Due to their isolation from the Galactic community, very little was known of the Myneyrsh, by either the Empire, or the New Republic.
Myneyrshi were obstinate beings, especially when dealing with Humans and other offworlders. Their experience with the Imperial occupation of Wayland and their enslavement by the Empire soured their perception of Humans and technology. After the departure of the Imperials, Myneyrshi became actively defiant of technology, because it was seen as a representative of their Imperial conquers. Myneyrshi shamans declared anything technological in nature as an "item of shame", and that they must avoid technology if at all possible.
Myneyrshi never evolved past the stage of using primitive weapons, such as spears, daggers and bows. Their only means of transport was the domesticated animals of their home planet, who also provided the small amount of power needed for local rudimentary agriculture.
The Myneyrsh hated and were constantly at war with their planetary neighbors, the Psadan. The Psadan were an unintelligent species, who worshiped nature and were always eager to fight. When the Empire arrived on Wayland, the two species attempted to unify and defeat their oppressors, although the attempt failed. When the Empire departed their homeworld, the Myneyrshi set up treaties with the other indigenous species of Wayland, although they remained wary of their neighbors.
Most of Myneyrsh life is centered on ritualistic behavior. They had rituals for all sorts of every day activities, such as walking, eating, and sleeping. One such ritual, as witnessed by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in 9 ABY was the offering of a fowl as satnachakka, or a peace offering. While the bird was elevated on the spire, no physical or verbal conflict could be made. Another Myneyrshi ritual was the presentation of a ritual staff, a gesture to show unity and friendship.
Myneyrshi were excellent hunters and trackers—they had the ability to move through a forest without making any noise whatsoever. Luke Skywalker once compared their perception and awareness of their surroundings to those of Force-sensitives, although because of their isolation, no Myneyrshi ever joined the ranks of the Jedi Order.
The Myneyrshi, like their enemies the Psadan, were extremely strong-willed, with enough spiritual mettle to combat severe mental manipulations. When Joruus C'Baoth tried to Force the Myneyrshi and the Psadan to cohabitate, the four-armed species resisted his rule long enough to form an alliance with their former enemies.
Myneyrshi spoke a primitive language of snorts, honks, and deep vocalizations known as Myneyrsh. While no written form of the language ever existed, the Myneyrshi passed on their knowledge and history orally. Although extremely rare, it was not unheard of for a Myneyrsh to speak Galactic Basic Standard. Common Myneyrsh names included Chyresh, Eychani, Orychee and Panaysha.
An error in the Galactic Republic planetary registry removed the planet Wayland, and all knowledge of its native creatures, including the Myneyrshi, from all known charts, and doomed the exploratory vessel seeking to settle a colony on the thickly forested world. Once on Wayland, the colonists were forgotten, completely alone because of a simple mistake in the registration system.
Before the Human colonists arrived on their homeworld, the Myneyrshi and the Psadan had had a long, bitter history of hatred, violence, and warfare. However, when the Human colonists crashed on Wayland, they became the new enemy. For a short time, the Humans dominated the more primitive species, brandishing blasters and high-tech weapons, which the Myneyrshi feared. However, when the Humans' weapons failed them, the struggle became more even sided, and eventually the three species formed an uneasy peace after years of warfare.
When the Galactic Empire rose to power in 19 BBY, they built a secret storehouse for the Emperor on Wayland. The Myneyrshi and the Psadan once again joined forces to attempt to defeat their invaders,[1] however they soon found out that their crossbows, while powerful, were not strong enough to pierce Imperial battle armor. The Empire conquered the planet easily, and enslave the Myneyrshi and their allies, putting them to work building an immense Imperial complex beneath Mount Tantiss. The Imperial occupation of Wayland ended shortly after the Battle of Endor.
The Emperor had taken a special interest in the world—he had installed a guardian to protect his facility under Mount Tantiss. Eventually, the insane clone Joruus C'Baoth became that guardian. He boasted that had defeated the original guardian, although he may have simply been that guardian in the first place. He used his mental manipulatory powers to force the inhabitants of the world to live together peacefully. He had Humans, Psadans and Myneyrshi build a city to the southwest of Mount Tantiss, although the strong willed Myneyrshi never truly submitted to his rule.
During Grand Admiral Thrawn's visit to their home planet, the Myneyrshi watched the Imperials work at Mount Tantiss, rather than returning to their warlike ways. They had learned from their mistakes of attacking better equipped adversaries in the past.
During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the extra-Galactic species conquered Wayland, and although thousands fled the war torn planet, the Myneyrshi refused to leave their homeworld. The Yuuzhan Vong exterminated the species, although some managed to flee to the deepest forests on the planet. With so few tribes remaining, the future of the Myneyrshi species was in doubt.
IN THE GALAXY:
Myneyrshi expressed no desire to leave their homeworld and communities. Their isolation, their dislike of technology, and their unpleasant encounters with the Empire and the Yuuzhan Vong discouraged them from roaming the galaxy. Although extremely unlikely, Myneyrshi trapped away from Wayland could learn to overcome his fear of more technologically advanced civilisations, as well as their fear of technology, and live a life of adventure among the stars, often acting as scouts or fringers.
Very few Myneyrsh made a name for themselves offplanet. One individual who did was Txer, a male Myneyrsh native to Wayland. Txer was the leader of the Free People, a group who fought the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of Wayland. Txer found and aided Uldir Lochett in his search for Jedi Knight Klin-Fa Gi.
APPEARANCES:MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
Star Wars: Empire at War (Mentioned only)
Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption (Mentioned only)
Heir to the Empire (First mentioned)
Dark Force Rising (Mentioned only)
The Last Command (First appearance)
Specter of the Past
Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
Star Wars Legacy 43: Monster, Part 1 (Appears in flashback(s))
SOURCES:Heir to the Empire Sourcebook
The Last Command Sourcebook
The Essential Guide to Alien Species
The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
Star Wars Encyclopedia
Ultimate Alien Anthology
Power of the Jedi Sourcebook (Picture only)
Wayland in the Databank
I would like to thank Wookieepedia for this info.
