Athnalu

"The Sayormi... they have... touched my soul, a part of me that can never be restored. I can feel my soul rotting, falling away like summer to fall."

- Athnalu Athnalu was a female Wookiee who lived in Kerritamba Village on the planet Kashyyyk during the Galactic Civil War. In 1.5 ABY, Athnalu came under the impression that she had been possessed by members of the Sayormi, a mysterious species that lived in the Deep Forest. Mentally unstable and in constant physical pain, Athnalu hired a passing spacer to find several objects that she thought would cure her. The spacer located five Sayormi voodoo dolls, shadevale eyes, mouf hair, and a Mysess Blossom. Believing herself cured of the curse, Athnalu thanked the spacer for the being's help and paid the traveler 2,200 credits and a ceremonial chair.

Biography
"Like threaded knives, I can feel them scrape at my soul. They use little dolls to control me.. control my soul, my mind and fill it with little voices. Little dolls and little voices. Do the dolls speak to me? Will you help me fix my soul? Will you?!"

- Athnalu to the spacer

A female Wookiee, Athnalu lived in Kerritamba Village nearby the Kkowir Forest on the planet Kashyyyk during the Galactic Civil War. In 1.5 ABY, Athnalu came under the belief that the Sayormi people&mdash;a mysterious species that lived in the Kkowir Forest&mdash;had put a spell on her, causing Athnalu to grow increasingly mentally unstable. Feeling her very soul rot away, Athnalu lived under constant pain and fear.

That same year, Athnalu was approached by a spacer visiting her village. Athnalu explained her situation and the curse she believed she was under and pleaded for the spacer to help her. The spacer accepted the Wookiee's request for assistance, and Athnalu tasked the traveler with collecting five Sayormi voodoo dolls that she thought would help her understand why the Sayormi had placed the curse on her. After the spacer had completed this and returned to Athnalu, the Wookiee rewarded the being with 1,000 credits.

However, unsatisfied with the results from the dolls, Athnalu again asked the spacer for assistance. The spacer agreed, and Athnalu told the traveler to find three more items needed to cure her: the eyes of shadevale, snakes that lived in the nearby lakes and streem; hairs from a mouf, large, wooly creatures that wondered the forest; and finally a Mysess Blossom, which grew in the village. The spacer dutifully collected all she requested and brought them to Athnalu, which the Wookiee mixed together into a potion and consumed it. Now satisfied that she was free of the curse's influence, she thanked the spacer and rewarded the being with another 1,200 credits and a special ceremonial chair from the village.

Personality and traits
"Please.. before it's too late! I can feel their hands around my soul, sqeezing tighter. All hope is lost to me. My mind aches..."

- Athnula

While thinking herself under the power of a Sayormi curse, Athnalu became crazed and unbalanced, believing her very soul was dying. She could also hear voices inside her head, which would also bring Athnalu a great deal of pain and suffering, causing her to whimper at times. When the spacer attempted to talk to her, Athnalu would act distant, by often looking off into space or occasionally not responding to the beings' questions.

Athnalu was desperate to find a cure for her supposed curse, at one point grabbing onto the spacer's shoulder, demanding that the traveler find her the five voodoo dolls, injuring the spacer. Athnalu had light brown hair and black eyes.

Behind the scenes
Athnalu made her first appearance in the 2005 Rage of the Wookiees, an expansion pack for the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies. In the game, Athnalu has a pair of quests the player can undertake, known as "A Possessed Soul" and "Athnalu's Cure". Although the player can choose to not take part in Athnalus' quests, this article assumes 100% game completion.

Athnalu later appeared in the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game expansion set Squadrons Over Corellia&mdash;released in 2008&mdash;having a card depicting the Wookiee also entitled "A Possessed Soul."