INFO: The Mrlssi or Mrlssti of Mrlsst in the Tapani Sector were a species renowned throughout the sector as scholars and scientists.
RACE: Mrlssti
HEIGHT: 1.3 meters
SKIN: Light blue (FEATHERS: Gray on body, brown on head (bright colors developing with age))
DISTINCTION: Flightless avians, blunt noses
LANGUAGE: Mrlsstese
HOMEWORLD:Mrlsst was a planet located in the Tapani sector's Freeworlds Region on the Shapani Bypass. It was the homeworld of the Mrlssi and a voting member of the League of Tapani Freeworlds.
Mrlsst was the only planet in the sector with an indigenous alien race. It was a moist and humid world, with terrain dominated by marshes and sandy swamps. Nearly everywhere, one could find the towering greenstalk plants that grew all over the planet, except the poles.
A thick asteroid field surrounded the planet, which was used for raw materials and was the location of several research stations.
The first contact between the Mrlssi and Humans occurred sometime before 7,000 BBY. Mrlsst joined the Galactic Republic 6,997 BBY. Canny Mandary Bertar represented the planet in the Galactic Senate, and after the Republic was reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, the Imperial Senate.
Thousands of years ago, the planet's continents were unstable, resulting in frequent groundquakes and tidal waves; the natives became used to losing possessions amidst such disasters, and came to appreciate knowledge as a result. The planet had grown much more stable by the time of the Galactic Civil War, but the tradition of learning endured among the Mrlssi.
Mrlsst was the home of the famous Mrlsst Academy, the best university in the sector, and one of the best beyond the Core Worlds.
Jedi Master Daakman Barrek hailed from Mrlsst.
BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE:The Mrlssti are diminutive flightless avian humanoids. Unlike most avians, they are born live. They are covered in soft gray feathers, except on the head, which is bare except for a fringe of delicate feathers which cover the back of the head above the large orb-like eyes. Mrlssti speak Basic with little difficulty, but their high piping voice grate on some humans. Others find it charming.
Young Mrlssti have a dusky-brown, facial plumage that gradually shifts to more colorful coloring as they age. The condition and color of one's facial plumage plays an important social role in Mrlssti society. Elders are highly honored for their colorful plumage, which represents the wisdom that is gained in living a long life. "Show your colors" is a saying used to chastise adults not acting their age.
CULTURE AND HISTORY:When their civilization was first developing, Mrlsst was geologically unstable. Mrlssi found that while possessions and buildings were impermanent, knowledge could not be lost. Millennia later, once their continents had stabilized, this tradition continued. Though the Mrlssi still had not developed space travel when Galactic Republic and Tapani scouts made contact with them circa 7,000 BBY, they quickly caught up to the rest of the galaxy by reverse-engineering hyperdrives and modern computers. By the time of the Galactic Empire, Mrlssi universities were among the finest in the Tapani Sector, attracting students of all species.
Mrlssi were flightless avian humanoids, less than one meter tall on average. Their bodies were covered in gray feathers, while their head was bare except for a fringe of feathers covering the back of their head. Their head feathers were brown in young Mrlssi, but became more colorful with age.
Mrlssi should not be confused with the Mrissi of Mrisst, in the GaTir system, who were also a small, scholarly race of flightless birds.
APPEARANCES:Marked (Picture only)
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
Study: Pollution Standards Still Endanger Many—HoloNet News Vol. 531 49 (Mentioned only)
Boba Fett: Hunted
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous (Mentioned only)
Star Wars Republic: Into the Unknown
Death Star (Mentioned only)
X-wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Affair (First appearance)
X-wing Rogue Squadron: Masquerade (Mentioned only)
The Last Command comic
Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
SOURCES:Player's Guide to Tapani
Lords of the Expanse
The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
Alien Encounters
The Essential Guide to Alien Species
Alien Anthology
Ultimate Alien Anthology
I would like to thank Wookieepedia for this info.
