Abinyshi

Last Updated: 05/29/2024

Name: Abinyshi

Humanoid: No

Classification: Reptilian/Alternative/Diminutive

Homeworld: Inysh

Coloration: Yellowish-Green

Biology: The Abinyshi were a diminutive, reptilian species who were generally classified as bipedal, though the unique shape of their bodies seemed to allow for quadrupedal locomotion as well. The species could stand anywhere between 1.2 and 1.6 meters tall, though they usually assumed a hunched posture. Their “skin” was primarily yellow-green in coloration, with either scales or some sort of coarse, mottled texture. Their stomachs consisted of a number of thin, horizontal segments, which extended from the base of their tail to the bottom of their necks, and were much lighter in coloration than the rest of their bodies. The species was very bony, with little in the way of musculature visible on most areas of their body, outside of their biceps and thighs.

Abinyshi had digitigrade legs, with protruding bones sticking up and out from each of their four “knees.” Their feet were large, with four large, dark, rounded nails on each, one on each of the four sides of a foot, with the largest being situated on the front. The species had elongated arms with only one, pointed elbow joint each. They had rounded wrists and spindly, four-fingered hands that seemed to lack claws or nails. Abinyshi heads were oblong, with flat faces bearing naturally downturned mouths, exposed nostrils and aural cavities, and large, pupil-less eyes that were light in coloration. Their skull also sported a receded chin and pointed cranium. Additionally, the Abinyshi possesses long, two-pronged, prehensile tails, which could be used as an additional limb and could be nearly the same length as an individual’s height. (There’s reason to believe the species also possessed a herbivorous diet.)

Lore: The Abinyshi hailed from a planet named Inysh nestled within the southern region of the Core Worlds. Despite their lack of recognition, the Abinyshi were one of the earlier species to develop spacefaring technology and seemingly even hyperspace-capable vessels, leaving their homeworld around the same time species like the Duros and even the Humans of Corellia took to the stars, seemingly some time between 100,000 BBY and 25,000 BBY. This means that they were one of the earliest species still alive during the “modern age” to develop sentience, though there is no recorded instance of them ever being visited by the ancient races such as the Rakatans, the Kwa, or the Columi.

That being said, the Abinyshi’s tech was much less advanced than their expanding peers, and they really only ever managed to colonize the worlds surrounding their own. As such, they were not considered one of the founding species of the Galactic Republic, and there’s no evidence to support the idea that they were even ever allied with the Republic at any point throughout history. The Abinyshi appeared to live intentionally primitive lifestyles, wearing little to no clothing, and developing non-invasive settlements that did not affect the lush local ecosystems of Inysh. At some point in their history, it seems the majority of the species left their colonies and returned to their original place of origin, though their population size was also supposedly perpetually small compared to most other species.

Despite not being one of the more influential species of their era, they still had a number of popular exports, including their refined culinary masterpieces, as well as many of their profound arts and literature. The species was generally perceived as friendly, despite their unsettling appearances, and they were considered peaceful, if not completely pacifistic. This meant that the species never got involved in major intergalactic wars or conflicts, and never experienced any notable internal conflict. Despite their welcoming attitudes, it seems it was rather uncommon for offworlders to visit or dwell on Inysh in the years leading up to the collapse of the Galactic Republic, and the planet remained a beautiful haven for the various flora and fauna that could be found there.

Shortly after the Galactic Empire was established, Imperial scouts visited Inysh to survey it, discovering the planet had a rich, untapped deposit of Kalonterium, a crude ore utilized by the early Empire for the development of various armaments. Almost immediately the planet was swarmed by Imperial personnel and Mining Guild staff, who, in a joint effort, established mining facilities all across the planet’s surface. Initially showing little to no regard for the native population, these dig sites produced an excess of toxic waste which was distributed across the world, killing off most of the local plant and animal life and turning Inysh into a nearly uninhabitable wasteland. Due to their relatively secluded status, news of this takeover would not become mainstream, and the planet suffered for many years under perpetually worsening conditions.

As Imperial laborers became more spread out, the Abinyshi eventually began to be enslaved, used as a secondary workforce. Though their peaceful ideals were challenged, they would not fight back for quite some time, accepting their fate as they slowly began to die out. Due to the slaves being overworked, and the other Abinyshi growing sick due to the severe pollution, it was eventually believed that the species had been effectively rendered extinct, and as the mines went dry, the Empire and Mining Guild would eventually leave, off to bleed another planet dry. Imperial propaganda would eventually state that the species of vicious primitives had actually killed each other off due to a massive civil war, however, a handful of Abinyshi had actually survived in hiding, and would be forced to abandon their once verdant home. Due to their longsuffering, many of the survivors would ally themselves with the Rebel Alliance, finally willing to take up arms so others would not have to suffer as they had.

Continuity: The Abinyshi currently remain exclusive to Star Wars Legends.

Unexplored: There are thousands and thousands of years worth of Abinyshi that are just ripe for exploration! I’ll pose a few questions that could help us understand the species a little better, but honestly there is no end to where you could take this species well before or even after the ecological destruction of Inysh. How early did the species develop sentience? Were they ever visited by any of the ancients? How quickly did they advance, both socially and technologically, and at what point did they initially discover how to make flying vessels that could withstand the many factors of space travel (and potentially even hyperspace)? Who were the first outsiders they interacted with? How far was their initial reach? And how many colony worlds did they have at the height of their expansion?

Did the species have any minor or major interactions with the Galactic Republic, and did the Republic ever offer them membership or was there a specific reason as to why they may not have? When did the Abinyshi begin to recede back to their homeworld, how many, if any of their outside colonies remained, and what was the reason for this? Why was the species always so few in numbers? Was there a biological reason, circumstantial, or something else? What did the species think of the various major galactic conflicts and eras? Why had they never been pulled into wars or majorly affected by less-than-savory factions in the past? What sorts of food and arts did they produce, and why was it so sought after? Did they know of the Kalonterium veins on their world, or were they oblivious? What did they initially think of the Galactic Empire and Mining Guild?

How long was Inysh occupied by the Empire? Did any areas of the planet remain untouched or unaffected by the growing pollution? What percentage of the population avoided capture? And how many actually survived until the miners eventually pulled out? Did they mining to find a hiding place on Inysh, or was it possible they had to flee to one of their other abandoned colonies? On that note, how many, if any, Abinyshi could be found out and among the galaxy during the Galactic Civil War? Were there other pockets or colonies elsewhere in the galaxy that went undocumented? And would they have been made aware of their brethren’s suffering? How many members of the species joined the Rebel Alliance, was it the majority, and what sorts of roles did they take up? Were they used as support staff, an example of the Empire’s atrocities used as diplomats to recruit others, or were they actually combatants? What happened to the species after the war and in the eras beyond, and were they ever able to clean up and resettle their home?

Additional Notes: For being essentially one of the OGs, it’s sad that the species never got more appearances or lore within the EU, though I suppose what’s been established can help explain away the reason why. Still, I feel we should have gotten at least a few more tidbits over the years, whether references or illustrations, and I can only hope they’re acknowledged canonically some time down the road. I need to see them both in color and in action, and I feel there’s a ton of untapped potential just waiting to be explored should their Legends lore still serve as a basis for whatever their new iteration will come to be!

Reference Images:

N/A