Thisspiasian

Last Updated: 11/20/2023

Name: Thisspiasian

Humanoid: No

Classification: Reptilian/Serpentine

Homeworld: Thisspias

Coloration: Green and Tan

Biology: The Thisspiasians were one of the many Serpentine species found throughout the galaxy. Their bodies were covered in small green, often mottled scales, although their stomachs and the underside of their tails were usually much more tan in coloration. Their bodies were naturally incredibly fit and muscular, with their tails being nearly 100% muscle.

Said tails were prehensile and very versatile, often used to securely grip things, carry heavy objects, or even crush enemies. While this tail did act as a sort of limb, they also possessed four arms in total. While thin, these arms were still very robust, with their long fingers ending in either longer, sharp fingernails. Interestingly, their second, smaller set of arms were almost never utilized and were usually kept tucked away and motionless beneath their clothing.

Thisspiasian bodies were approximately 3 to 3.5 meters long when full grown, with 2 meters worth of tail, however when “standing” upright, they came across as rather short due to their upper torso being less than 1.5 meters tall. They did have the ability to raise up and make themselves much taller using their tails, but this was only used when attempting to intimidate other individuals. Some Thisspiasian tails also possessed barbs at the end, although this was not a trait shared among all members of the species.

Thisspiasians had seemingly short necks, although we don’t have a clear idea of what their heads and faces actually looked like due to their incredibly thick beards. These beefy beards originally developed as a defense mechanism for both male and female Thisspiasians, protecting their faces from “Cygnats” and other pesky predators found on their homeworld. Thisspiasian beards were dark brown when young, however they slowly became pure white with age. From what we do see, their eyes’ sclera were white, yellow, orange in coloration, and were surrounded by red, fleshy eyelids. They also had nose-less, flat nostrils, and naturally downturned mouths.

Thisspiasians were believed to be cold-blooded much like other sentient Serpentines, although any signs of this have never been displayed. Also like many snake-like species, the Thisspiasians went through certain shedding cycles, usually either yearly or bi-yearly. However, while they once molted their skin all in one portion, they have long since learned to coat themselves in a special oil and remove their outer coating bit by bit.

This species also had a unique rest cycle, requiring only a couple hours of sleep each day to survive, but also needing to enter a “meditative state” unique to the Thisspiasians. This trance-like state was more so rest for the mind than for the body, and they would suffer from mental instability should they not reach their daily meditation quota. Individuals would become extremely agitated or enter bouts of extreme depression, anxiety, or even intense weeping should this occur, a display that was viewed as distasteful by their species. The length of meditation required differed between Thisspiasian to Thisspiasian, and could last anywhere from thirty minutes to up to six hours.

Thisspiasians were omnivores, although they often embraced much more carnivorous tendencies due to their long history of hunting and consuming rodents on their homeworld of Thisspias. They had the ability to unhinge their jaw and swallow rather large prey whole, although they rarely did so in front of others in the “modern” age. Still, they preferred eating live food, and believed that cooked foods or vegetables lacked a certain flavor or just didn’t taste quite right.

Thisspiasians had lifespans slightly longer than the average Human or Human-like species, usually living upwards of 200 years, although we currently don’t know of an age cap. They could also speak Galactic Basic quite easily, although they preferred to speak in their native tongue, also called “Thisspiasian.” It is believed that they had a higher natural baseline Midichlorian-count than the average galactic citizen, however this has rarely been displayed, especially in Canon.

Lore: The Thisspiasians were a notoriously emotionally complex species in the Star Wars universe. While often perceived as peaceful or even pacifistic, that couldn’t be further from the truth. It is true that the Thisspiasians valued tranquility and peace of mind, but they were also fierce warriors and were passionate about preserving the calm by using whatever honorable tactics available. Still, this passion was often veiled behind their emotionless appearances.

The display of strong emotions was considered taboo within Thisspiasian culture, and they frowned upon individuals who actively shared their emotions, despite the fact that they acknowledged and respected each other’s deep-rooted passions. This most likely came from the fact that the species naturally loses control of their emotions should they not enter their trance-like meditative state on a regular basis.

Because of this, designated meditation times and breaks were prevalent among their everyday lives and were generally a societal norm, at least among the Thisspiasians on Thisspias. Thisspiasians who let themselves enter an emotional state were generally shunned, but there were no serious punishments outside of losing the respect of your peers. Over the course of their long lifespans, they found it easier and easier to suppress their emotions to the point where it was securely second nature.

Alongside being warriors, Thisspiasians were skilled trappers and hunters, and commonly captured the abundant rodents and other small animals populating their homeworld. Because they preferred to eat their prey live, hunting and farming were very popular professions among the natives of Thisspias. Of course, eating live animals was frowned upon by most other sentients in the galaxy, so the Thisspiasians have long since learned to consume cooked meats or even vegetables, the only downside being they thought these foods lacked a certain enjoyable flavor.

Another societal taboo was the use of one’s second, bottom set of arms, especially when not in combat. It wasn’t as big of a deal for the common Thisspiasian, however, influential individuals or Thisspiasian socialites found it embarrassing and very distasteful, and so most members of the species kept their smaller arms securely bound to their torsos and hidden under their clothing. It is believed that many Thisspiasians were ashamed of how small their second set of arms were, although this line of reasoning was never officially confirmed.

Overall, Thisspiasians were very welcoming and often even sought validation from other species. They tried to accommodate any outsiders and adopted many traditions that didn’t conflict with their pre-established beliefs. Many Thisspiasians also traveled offworld to offer their combat services to individuals or businesses seeking bodyguards or enforcers, originally prioritizing those who were associated with the Galactic Republic. These warriors were honorable, but not to the point of being prideful, almost always taking jobs that they viewed as morally justified.

The Thisspiasians originally formed a monarchy, being ruled by a “Blood Monarch,” individuals belonging to the longstanding and powerful royal family. There could only be one Blood Monarch at a time, either a King or Queen, and their reigns could often last for hundreds of years. Over the years, however, this governmental system had lost favor among most of Thisspias’ population, and despite their attempts to stay relevant, a democratic parliament was eventually instated to help establish laws, deal with longstanding legislative issues and discrepancies, and rebuild the public’s faith in the government through elections and public representatives while allowing the Blood Monarch and their family to retain power.

The Republic first discovered Thisspias and it’s inhabitants during the early days of the Old Republic era, and the Thisspiasians quickly allied themselves with the budding galactic government, becoming one of it’s first members. As powerful warriors, they helped clean up less-than-savory Republic worlds and acted as a pseudo-police force. The monarchy submitted to the Republic and allowed them to influence the planet’s politics, and sometime after this event was when the Thisspiasian Parliament was established. 

The Thisspiasians enjoyed relative tranquility under the Republic’s rule, although growing corruption among the Galactic Republic as well as the Thisspiasian government did take it’s toll on the people of Thisspias. During what is now known as the High Republic (although the High Republic had yet to be conceptualized in Legends when this story was created), their current Blood Monarch was assassinated, and her brother who was next in line, Jedi Master Oppo Rancisis, refused to fill the role as he valued the Jedi Order more than the Thisspiasian monarchy. This threw Thisspias into a short period of chaos as they searched for a new Blood Monarch, although it was seemingly resolved by the start of the Clone Wars.

During the rise of the Empire, the Emperor personally designated the Thisspiasians as a top priority for subjugation. Whether this was due to their long history with and love for the Republic, their extensive experience and abundance of warriors, or their reputation for producing an above average number of Force sensitive individuals, the Empire immediately took action against this potential threat.

A coordinated orbital bombardment caused the death of countless Thisspias citizens, and while they were still recoiling from the near-genocidal ambush, the Empire swooped in and quickly established their own government. It wasn’t until sometime later when the now established Imperial Governor executed the current Blood Monarch and apprehended their successor that the Thisspiasians finally decided to come together and revolt. The Thisspiasian rebellion was short lived as they were crushed by the overwhelming Imperial forces, causing the remaining Thisspiasians to nearly give up all hope.

The early Rebel Alliance saw this as the perfect opportunity to make a statement, and deployed spies to recruit Thisspiasian operatives as well as free the captive prince. This renewed the fervor of the Thisspiasian warriors who remained, and they fought back against the Governor with the assistance of the Rebel Alliance. After some Imperial infighting, the Governor was executed and an even greater Imperial presence was deployed to Thisspias under one of the Emperor’s personal agents.

The Rebellion was forced to pull out, and this brutal Imperial occupation remained enacted until after the Battle of Endor. The Rebellion finally returned to Thisspias and disposed of the now weakened Imperial forces, bringing with them the Thisspiasian prince they had freed years prior. The Thisspiasian monarchy and parliament were restored, much to many progressive Thisspiasian’s disapproval, and the Thisspiasians fully devoted themselves to the Rebellion as they began to clean up the galaxy and eliminate the Imperial Remnant. This would lead the Thisspiasians toeagerly  join the New Republic, where they would remain until it’s eventual collapse at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Legends/Canon: Thisspiasian biology lore has remained fairly consistent between Canon and Legends, with only minor additional details being mentioned in some Legends media that could easily be inferred via what we’ve seen in Canon. Their history and societal lore, however, is currently exclusive to Star Wars Legends, at least as of the initial posting of this article. 

Unexplored: The Thisspiasians were one of those species that have been incredibly fleshed out in Legends, but have yet to receive really any lore in Canon. And at this point, much Thisspiasian lore now conflicts with established Canon, so it cannot be adapted verbatim. So the question becomes, should it remain similar with just small updates regarding the Old Republic and High Republic, as well as Oppo Rancisis and his history, or should it be completely overhauled and take on a new identity within Canon? Both are viable and would bring their own interesting aspects to the current Star Wars mythos.

On a much smaller scale, it would be nice to have things like an established Thisspiasian lifespan, fleshed out examples of their mood outbursts when they lack meditation, images of their homeworld, confirmation or denial of their potentially elevated Midichlorian levels, details surrounding the Imperial occupation of Thisspias (if it still canonically happens), Thisspiasian contractors or even Rebels, and/or even just a live action representation of Thisspiasians moving or fighting (especially using their second set of arms) as the one instance we saw in the films almost never moved. They have such a unique and fascinating design, and it’s just a shame that it hasn’t been taken advantage of more already.

Additional Notes: This right here is one of my favorite species to come out of the Prequels, and I always geek out when we get the chase to see them. I’ve always been a big fan of their Legends lore and found it both unique and memorable, so I anticipate the day when we get some hint at it in Canon. The High Republic seems like a fantastic place to do so, and I’m glad Oppo Rancisis has already made an appearance during that time period. Overall I just need more of the Thisspiasians, and if more info comes out, I will excitedly update this article accordingly.

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