Ximpi

Last Updated: 2/6/2024

Name: Ximpi

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Teacup/Alternative

Homeworld: Shuraden

Coloration: Blue or Green

Biology: The Ximpi were a tiny, sentient, fairy-like creature found throughout the galaxy. They “stood” no more than .3 meters in height, with a slightly hunched posture, as well as a wingspan upwards of .25 meters wide. They had dark grayish-blue or pale bluish-green skin, and long black hairs protruding sporadically from their bodies, centered primarily around the top of their head. While thin, they were relatively muscular, although you could generally see their rib cage and other bones pressing against their skin, especially when observing Ximpi found off of their homeworld. Technically being bipedal in nature, the species had two arms and two legs, with four-fingered hands, as well as what appeared to be three-toed feet, each bearing rather sharp claws.

Ximpi necks were thick, and their heads were incredibly wide. They also had naturally downturned mouths, large, wide noses, and wide-set eyes with purple or black irises. While they were covered in black hairs which were concentrated around their head and face when young, baldness seemed to quickly set in upon reaching a certain age. Their ears were rather large and pointed, and protruded straight out the side of their slightly bulbous heads. They also had four wings arranged in two sets of two extending from their backs, specifically between their shoulder blades. These wings were thin and fairy-like, taking on a translucent, often greenish appearance. While seeming relatively small and flimsy, they were more than strong enough to keep the Ximpi in the air for long periods of time.

The species generally had a very gruff and unappealing visage, which didn’t help by their usual lack of hygiene. While simple beings, Ximpi had the capacity to be fairly clever, having relatively large brains for a species of their size. They also had incredible relative strength, able to lift objects at least twice as heavy as their own body weight. The species could be a bit clumsy, although they were very fast and nimble fliers. Additionally, it was believed they had an omnivorous diet, and at the very, least we know they did eat meat. Ximpi had the ability to comprehend and speak Galactic Basic Standard fluently, and it would also seem that they had fairly long lifespans.

Lore: The Ximpi hailed from a little-explored planet known as Shuraden, a relatively rocky world found in the Outer Rim, situated among the “Galactic Frontier” during the early days of the High Republic era. Some time prior to 232 BBY the Ximpi species were discovered by Republic explorers, who introduced them to many outside concepts, including various crude tools and technologies, as well as the Galactic Basic standard language that the species would quickly adopt as their primary form of communication. They also had a number of encounters with the Jedi, who they viewed as grand warriors and protectors, and did everything they could to accommodate them while they were present on their world. The Ximpi were very friendly and hospitable to offworlders, desiring to learn new things and hear updates regarding the current state of the galaxy beyond Shuraden.

They were considered underdeveloped by galactic standards, still living in technically rudimentary structures, living simple lifestyles free of complex politics and technologies, and wearing little in the way of clothing, although they did occasionally don more ornate jewelries. Their villages were few and far between, built to closely resemble clusters of large rocks or trees in an attempt to camouflage their settlements from larger predators’ eyes. While these communities were small, they still hosted a number of close knit Ximpi communities and families as they did not require much personal room to live, and usually spent their time outside flying among their natural landscape. The Ximpi had no idea whether they were a part of the Galactic Republic or not (they weren’t as of the height of the High Republic), but considered the Republic their mysterious benefactors and allies, and reveled anytime they were visited by envoys of the intergalactic government or Jedi Order.

The Jedi themselves would occasionally utilize Shuraden as a remote training ground, as was the case when Jedi Master and Apprentice Sskeer and Keeve Trennis visited the world. Unfortunately, that expedition coincided with the migration of the massive Ridadi star-locusts, who visited Shuraden once a generation. Usually, this proved no issue for the Ximpi population, but the magnetic pulses generated by the Jedi’s arrival attracted the Ridadi towards a populated portion of the surface, resulting in the destruction of at least one of the already few Ximpi cities. Fortunately, this did not ruin relations with the Jedi, who subsequently helped the Ximpi rebuild and reinforced their perception that the Jedi were saviors and the best of the outside galaxy.

At some point, however, the Jedi stopped visiting the Ximpi, and eventually, Shuraden seemed to have fallen within the jurisdiction of the Galactic Empire. By that point, a handful of Ximpi started popping up outside of their homeworld, which had apparently fallen into some sort of ruin. Instead of the once friendly, cheerful, innocent Ximpi, who were bright-eyed and full of wonder, those seen out among the galaxy were gruff, disillusioned, nasty criminals who were known primarily for intimidating appearances and manipulative ways. These Ximpi often served pirate captains or crime lords, like the infamous Papa Toren, and while greedy, did prove themselves as loyal. They were fairly skilled as translators, spies, pickpockets, or even bodyguards, using their small size and unique ability to fly to their advantage as they committed less than savory acts, which apparently included consuming other sentient beings.

Legends/Canon: The Ximpi are a species exclusive to Star Wars Canon.

Unexplored: We get a few good glimpses into the lives of various Ximpi groups, but there’s still quite a bit left up the imagination more or less, so that’s what we’ll be tackling in this section. The following are questions that I believe, if answered, will help us better understand the Ximpi as a whole, and thus better characterize and write them in future projects! So, to begin, we need to first ask when the Ximpi were initially discovered? Who did they first interact with? Were they potentially lost Jedi, Republic mappers and researchers, or someone else? How long had they known about the outside galaxy by the time of the Ridadi incident, and what all outside the Basic did they adopt and integrate into their own culture? Were the Ximpi known for being impressionable, and how frequently were they visited by offworlders?

Were the Ximpi ever made formal members of the Republic, gaining representation on the Senate? And when did the Jedi finally stop visiting their world? How heavy was the Imperial presence, if any, and why would they have occupied the system or world? Did Shuraden suffer during the Galactic Civil War, and was their local ecosystem thrown into disarray, or was there simply a societal collapse due to the Ximpi’s realization that the galaxy wasn’t as kind as they were once led to believe? Did Shuraden become some sort of hive of scum and villainy, or did the Ximpi there still hold onto at least some hope, while those that traveled offworld were the ones that garnered their distasteful reputations? And what happened to the species as a whole after the Empire’s collapse? I think it would be a great idea to explore the answers to some of these, as well as broader worldbuilding concepts like their evolution, diets, societies, governments, economies, religions, philosophies, traditions, arts, etc.

Additional Notes: It took me quite some time to warm up to the Ximpi design, as for a long time I just couldn’t make myself accept that they fit well into the established universe. Fortunately, we have gotten quite a bit of additionally lore and appearances from them in the years since their initial debut, which has really won me over to the concept. They’re like an uglier version of the Wistie, who also seem to have a much more tragic existence. Overall, I think their implied history is vastly more interesting than what’s been shown so far, but that leaves a ton of possibility for future stories that I can’t wit to see fleshed out!

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