Keshiri

The Keshiri were a near-Human sentient species native to the planet of Kesh. Powerfully-built, they had pale purple skin and silver hair. They were typically found to be very attractive by Human standards, although the two species were different enough biologically to be incapable of reproduction. The Keshiri worshipped gods known as the Skyborn, whom they believed had defeated the Otherside, the Skyborn's enemies, in a Great Battle. They believed that the injured Skyborn had bled sand into the oceans, forming all of the land on Kesh, from which the Keshiri were born. They also believed in the Destructors, who they feared would one day destroy Kesh and all life on the planet. The Keshiri religion and government was led by the Neshtovar, the revered riders of uvak&mdash;reptavian creatures native to Kesh&mdash;who believed in the importance of tradition and religion above science and technological progress.

In 5,000 BBY a group of Sith crashed onto the planet in their starship, the Omen, after being knocked offcourse during a hyperspace jump. The Keshiri believed them to be the Skyborn, and gave themselves over to lives of service to the Sith, helping them to build a new Temple and expand their capital city, Tahv. Although the Keshiri eventually found that the Sith were not their gods, they continued serving them for thousands of years. By 41 ABY, they had come to be seen almost as equals to the Sith, and several were accepted into the Sith tribe, with at least one serving on the governing council, the Circle of Lords. Around the time of the Second Galactic Civil War, members of the Keshiri species were able to travel offworld for the first time in the newly-formed Sith armada.

Biology and appearance
The Keshiri were a race of near-Humans from the remote Outer Rim Territories world of Kesh. They were powerfully built, with silver hair and rather large eyes. Their skin was typically a pale purple, although it could fluctuate from darker to ligther shades as their emotions shifted. Keshiri were extremely similar to Humans in their appearance, and were found by members of the Human species to be particularly attractive. As such, they often intermarried with the Human population on Kesh, despite the fact that the two species were fundamentally different enough on a biological level to prevent reproduction.

Society and culture
"But you know that all that is Kesh came from the Skyborn. Nothing can be born of Kesh anew!"

- Izri Dazh

Keshiri life was centered around their religion. They worshipped a group of gods called the Skyborn, also known as the Protectors, a sandy-blooded race whom were believed to have lived in the stars. The Keshiri believed that the Skyborn created the planet of Kesh and everything on it. According to Keshiri legend, the Skyborn's enemies were the Otherside&mdash;beings of fire, rebellion, sickness, and death, about whom very little was known other than that they had "come from below". The Keshiri believed that the Skyborn, riding gigantic uvak made of crystal, fought with the Otherside among the stars in what the Keshiri religious leaders called the Great Battle. According to the legend, the battle lasted for eons, until the Otherside were finally defeated. The Skyborn, however, had been injured, and their blood fell into the oceans, forming the land that gave birth to the Keshiri. As such, the Keshiri believed that the land of Kesh was a part of the Skyborn, and that the Skyborn caused earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and storms on Kesh.

Another point of Keshiri religion was the Destructors, a mysterious species that was said to return to the galaxy every few eons to destroy all civilization, returning all beings to their primitive origins. The Destructors' enemies, the Skyborn, were said to be destined to defend Kesh from the Destructors. Research conducted in the time leading up to 41 ABY seemed to indicate that a catastrophe much like that which the Destructors were believed to cause had indeed occurred on Kesh at least once previously.

The leaders of Keshiri government and religion were known as the Neshtovar, the self-proclaimed "Sons of the Skyborn". They were known for breeding and riding uvak, membranous-winged reptillian creatures native to the planet. Traditionally, when a member of the Neshtovar died, the rest of his family was killed by the Keshiri community, however, this practice had been discontinued by 5,000 BBY. The Neshtovar were expected to be experts at riding uvak&mdash;to fall off one of the creatures was equivilent to being "claimed by the Otherside". The Neshtovar governed the Keshiri from the Circle Eternal, a plaza located in their capital city of Tahv. Although they had very little tolerance for beings who went against their religion, the Keshiri were typically a peaceful species. More interested in tradition and religion than learning, they were less developed technologically than much of the outside galaxy, and didn't have a number high enough to count how many beings their species numbered.

An isolated species, the Keshiri made their first contact with other beings in the galaxy in 5,000 BBY, when a group of Sith crash-landed on the planet in their starship, the Omen. After witnessing the newcomers' powers, the Keshiri came to believe that the newcomers were their Protectors, the Skyborn, and committed themselves to lives of servitude to the Sith. They lived among the Sith for millennia, and the Neshtovar were replaced by the Tribe's ruling council, the Circle of Lords, as the governing body of Kesh. Though the Keshiri finally came to realize that the Sith were not their gods, many aspects of the Keshiri religion were not lost, as, even thousasnds of years after their initial meeting, several members of the Tribe of Sith that formed from the survivors of the crash came to believe some aspects of the Keshiri religion. Over time the social status differencial between the Sith and the Keshiri narrowed significantly, although the Keshiri were still considered to be inferior to the Humans. By 37 ABY, however, several Force-sensitive Keshiri were allowed to train with the Sith, and one way in which they could gain admission to the Tribe was in a festival known as Presentation.

History
"We have come from above, as you say. We have come to visit the land that was a piece of us, and the people of that land. And Kesh has welcomed us."

- Yaru Korsin, claiming the Sith are indeed the Skyborn

The Keshiri evolved on the planet of Kesh thousands of years before the Battle of Yavin. By 5,000 BBY, while the rest of the galaxy was immersed in the Great Hyperspace War, the Keshiri had built several towns and cities, although they remained technologically inferior to much of the galaxy. In that year, a Keshiri geologist, Adari Vaal, found evidence that the land on Kesh had been created by volcanoes, rather than the Skyborn, as was commonly believed. She was branded a heretic for her teachings and forced to flee from Tahv. Meanwhile, the Omen, a Sith warship under the command of Yaru Korsin and tasked with delivering a shipment of Lignan crystals to the Sith Lord Naga Sadow, was knocked off-course during a hyperspace jump, causing it to crash-land on Kesh.

The survivors of the accident first made contact with Vaal, who had fled to the Takara Mountains, where the Omen had crashed. At the request of the Sith, Vaal used herself as bait to draw the Neshtovar to the crash-site of the Omen, where they were shocked by the appearance of the Sith. After witnessing the Sith's great powers, the Neshtovar decided that the newcomers were actually their gods, the Skyborn, and that they had come down from the stars to visit their home. As such, after three days of rescue operations to get the Sith down from the mountain, the Keshiri willingly decided to submit themselves to lives of service to the Sith. They helped the Sith to build a new Temple at the crash site of the Omen, and assisted in the further construction and expansion of Tahv.

The Keshiri lived alongside the Sith for thousands of years, and over time they found that the Sith were not truly their gods. Still, several Keshiri remained as servants or slaves of the Sith, and the race as a whole was generally seen as inferior to the Humans. By the time of the Second Galactic Civil War, however, the social status differencial had narrowed somewhat between the two societies. Although interbreeding was impossible, many of the Human Sith took Keshiri as lovers, considering them to be very attractive. The two cultures intermingled and several Keshiri eventually rose to positions of power within the Tribe; by 37 ABY several Keshiri had been allowed into the Sith tribe, and by 41 ABY at least one Keshiri was on the Sith Circle of Lords, the ruling council of the Tribe and governing body of the planet. In that year, Ship, a Sith Meditation Sphere, arrived on Kesh to help train the Tribe's apprentices and form a Sith armada. Ship helped the Tribe capture starships, and after five thousand years of being stranded, the Sith and Keshiri finally had the means to travel offworld. Two years later several Keshiri Sith were chosen to be on the select Sith strike team sent to kill Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker.

Keshiri in the galaxy
"Ben, who the black empty void is that?"

- Luke Skywalker



The Keshiri were technologically inferior to much of the galaxy, and thus never left Kesh of their own accord. Also, as Kesh was a remote planet, the species remained undiscovered by the outside galaxy until the arrival of the Sith in 5,000 BBY. Because the Sith's starship was damaged in the crash, however, the Keshiri remained stranded on Kesh until Ship, a Sith Meditation Sphere, arrived in 41 ABY and began to help the Sith form an armada. Members of the Keshiri species were finally able to travel offworld on starships in the armada, and a few Keshiri Sith, such as Baad Walusari and Ahri Raas, later traveled into the Maw aboard the warship Eternal Crusader as a part of the Sith strike team sent to track Ship and kill Skywalker. However, none of the Keshiri on the strike team survived the mission.

Behind the scenes
The Keshiri first appeared briefly in Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn, an eBook written by John Jackson Miller, and a tie-in to the Fate of the Jedi series. They were first identified as Keshiri in the second novel of the Fate of the Jedi series, Omen, written by Christie Golden.

Appearances

 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn
 * Imprint
 * Omen
 * Abyss