Myneyrsh

"A knife never runs out of ammunition."

- Myneyrshi saying

The Myneyrshi (singular, Myneyrsh) were a native sentient species of the arboreal planet Wayland located in the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy. A primitive, warlike species, the Myneyrshi were constantly at war with another of Wayland's sentient species&mdash;the Psadans. Myneyrshi were unadvanced technologically&mdash;they relied solely on bows and arrows, as well as spears and knives, as their prime weapons. They lived an extremely ritualistic life, with rituals for everyday actions such as walking, eating and sleeping.

Myneyrshi were tall, thinly built bipedal humanoids, with four arms and a smooth layer of blue crystalline flesh, which made them appear to be made of glass. It also provided them with a form of armor. Myneyrshi had two upper torsos, one on top of the other, pointed ears and a short trunk in place of a nose.

Myneyrshi were excellent hunters and trackers, and could move through forested areas without making a sound. Their awareness of their environment was so responsive that Luke Skywalker likened their perception skills to those of a Force-sensitive when he visited the planet in 9 ABY.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Empire conquered Wayland, turning it into a secret storehouse for the Emperor. After the Emperor was deposed, the mad clone Joruus C'baoth took over a secret Imperial storehouse inside Mount Tantiss, enslaving the Myneyrsh and other species of the planet. They were freed upon Joruus's death. Decades later, the Myneyrshi were nearly wiped out by the Yuuzhan Vong during the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, despite uniting with the Psadan in a failed attempt to fight off the invaders, and survivors were driven deep into the jungle. The Yuuzhan Vong would later release a species of parasitic worm to make the planet unihabitable, forcing most Myneyrsh to flee their homeworld entirely though some stayed.

One hundred years later, Wayland was designated as a planet that would be restored using Yuuzhan Vong terraforming technology as part of the Ossus Project. While it showed great success at first, the project was sabotaged and made the planet inhospitable once again. At the same time, many Myneyrsh were mutated as a result, warping them into hulking, gray-skinned beings with jagged protrusions all over their bodies.

Biology and appearance
Myneyrshi were tall, thin bipedal humanoids. They had two upper torsos, positioned in such a way that one was on top of the other. Each torso had a pair of long, muscular arms, giving a Myneyrsh four arms. Myneyrshi had one primary hand and three off hands, although they could carry weapons in each hand, or use two hands to carry larger weapons, such as a spear. Having four arms also aided a Myneyrsh's ability to climb. They had small feet with several large toes.

Myneyrshi had upwards pointing ears, which they often pierced and hung things from. Instead of a nose, Myneyrshi had a short, downward-pointing snout. Averaging almost two meters tall, Myneyrshi were covered in a layer of smooth, crystalline blue flesh, which made them look as if they were made of a type of glass. The skin acted as a sort of armor to basic weapons similar to their own&mdash;arrows, spears and knives. New Republic scientists theorized that this layer existed as a result of a chemical reaction to the moisture and oxygen in the air. Myneyrshi usually had long, dark hair, which was sometimes tied back into a ponytail. In the aftermath of the sabotaged Ossus Project, an attempt to restore the devastated surface of Wayland, many Myneyrsh were mutated. They became large, gray-skinned beings with sharp portrusions all over their skin.

Myneyrshi wore simple clothing; they usually wore robes from the waist down, or tied up them up over their shoulders. These robes varied in color from dark brown, to white, to light orange. The robes often had intricate, golden designs and patterns on them. Myneyrshi usually wore quivers on their backs and pouches for storing items strapped to their waists. Myneyrshi did not wear footwear, and often wore gold bracelets around their arms.

Myneyrshi aged and physically developed at a rate similar to most sentient species in the galaxy. Considered younglings until they were twelve standard years old, a Myneyrsh became an adult when they reached eighteen. By the time they reached fifty standard years, Myneyrshi were regarded as middle-aged by society. They were thought old until they reached the age of eighty-five standard years, and anyone older than that was considered venerable.

Culture and ritual
"The hearts of the Myneyrshi people overflow with gratitude, Jedi Skywalker. Our debt to you is great.''" "''Your happiness fills us, Roax. Your debt is paid."

- Chieftain Roax and Kol Skywalker after the seeming conclusion of the Ossus Project

Most of Myneyrsh life was centered on ritualistic behavior. They had rituals for all sorts of everyday activities, such as walking, eating, and sleeping. One such ritual, as witnessed by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo in 9 ABY, while they attempted to infiltrate a secret Imperial base on the planet, was the offering of a fowl as satnachakka, or a peace offering. While the bird was elevated on a ritual staff, no physical or verbal conflict could be made. Once this ritual was completed, the Myneyrshi presented that staff to guests, a gesture to show unity and friendship. Skywalker received the staff, a sign the Myneyrshi allowed his group to roam the planet freely.

Myneyrshi were excellent hunters and trackers&mdash;they had the ability to move through a forest without making any noise whatsoever. Luke Skywalker once compared their perception and awareness of their surroundings to those of Force-sensitives. The Myneyrshi had enough spiritual mettle to combat severe mental manipulations. When Joruus C'baoth, a clone of a Jedi Master that had gone insane, tried to force the Myneyrshi and the Psadan to cohabitate, the four-armed species resisted his rule long enough to form an alliance with their former enemies. Despite this, as a result of their species' natural isolative nature, no Myneyrshi ever joined the ranks of the Jedi Order.

Technology and inter-species relations
"A knife never runs out of ammunition"

- A Myneyrshi expression

Due to their isolation from the galactic community, very little was known of the Myneyrsh, by either the Galactic Empire or the New Republic. Myneyrshi never evolved past the stage of using weapons such as spears, daggers and bows. Their only means of transport was the domesticated animals of their home planet, which also provided the small amount of power needed for local rudimentary agriculture.

The Myneyrshi were obstinate beings, much like their their Psadan rivals, especially when dealing with Humans and other offworlders. They had a long-standing aversion to technology, which was heightened by the Imperial occupation of Wayland during which the use of exotic technology by Humans forced them into servitude. After the departure of the Imperials, Myneyrshi became actively opposed to the use of technology; because it was seen as a representation of their Imperial conquers. Myneyrshi shamans declared anything technological in nature as an "item of shame", and that they must avoid technology if at all possible. In contrast, Myneyrshi living offworld did utilise technology for their own benefit, fighting with blasters or piloting airspeeders, though these individuals generally did not live on Wayland.

The Myneyrsh hated and were constantly at war with Wayland's other native species, the Psadan. The Psadan were a more primitive species who worshiped nature and were always eager to fight. When the Empire arrived on Wayland, the two species attempted to unify and defeat their oppressors though the attempt failed. When the Empire departed their homeworld, the Myneyrshi set up treaties with the other indigenous species of Wayland, always remaining wary of their neighbors.

Language
Myneyrshi spoke a primitive language of snorts, honks, and deep vocalizations known as Myneyrsh. While no written form of the language ever existed, the Myneyrshi passed on their knowledge and history orally. Most members of the species could also speak the Psadan language. Although extremely rare, it was not unheard of for a Myneyrsh to speak Galactic Basic Standard. Sample Myneyrsh names included Chyresh, Eychani, Orychee and Panaysha.

History
"Cade? What happened to all the people?''" "''There weren't many. The Vong did a number on Wayland during the Yuuzhan Vong War. Didn't leave much but scorched rock. Only a few Myneyrshi had stayed on after that. Any of them who were on planet when the Ossus Project went bad got Vongspawned. Probably dead by now."

- Deliah Blue and Cade Skywalker

Before Human colonists arrived on their homeworld, the Myneyrshi and the Psadan had a long, bitter history of hatred, violence, and warfare. However, when the Human colonists crashed on Wayland, they became the new enemy. An error in the Galactic Republic planetary registry removed the planet Wayland, and all knowledge of its native creatures, including the Myneyrshi, from all known charts, dooming the colonists seeking to settle on the thickly forested world. The colonists were forgotten by the galaxy, completely alone because of that simple mistake. For a short time, the Humans dominated the more primitive species, brandishing blasters and high-tech weapons, which the Myneyrshi feared. However, when the Humans' weapons failed them after generations had passed, the struggle became less one-sided, and eventually the three species formed an uneasy peace after years of warfare.

When the Galactic Empire rose to power in 19 BBY, they built a secret storehouse for the Emperor on Wayland. The Myneyrshi and the Psadan once again joined forces to attempt to defeat their invaders, however they soon found out that their crossbows, while powerful, were not strong enough to pierce Imperial battle armor. The Empire conquered the planet easily, enslaving the Myneyrshi and their allies, putting them to work building an immense Imperial complex beneath Mount Tantiss. The Imperial occupation of Wayland ended shortly after the Battle of Endor.

The Emperor had taken a special interest in the world&mdash;he had installed a guardian to protect his facility under Mount Tantiss. The Empire was later deposed and Wayland was again lost to obscurity. Eventually, the insane clone Joruus C'baoth defeated the guardian, taking his place. He used his mental manipulatory powers to force the inhabitants of the world to live together peacefully. He had Humans, Psadans and Myneyrshi build a city to the southwest of Mount Tantiss, although the strong willed Myneyrshi never truly submitted to his rule.

During Grand Admiral Thrawn's visit to their home planet, the Myneyrshi watched the Imperials work at Mount Tantiss, rather than returning to their warlike ways. They had learned from their mistakes of attacking better equipped adversaries in the past, waiting until C'Boath and Thrawn both died to seek their indepencence.

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, the extra-galactic species conquered Wayland, and although thousands of Myneyrshi fled the war-torn planet, the bulk of the species refused to leave their homeworld. The Yuuzhan Vong tried to exterminate the species, although some managed to flee into the safety of the deepest forests.

After the war ended, an infestation of Yuuzhan Vong chrom-vrones, a type of worm that had been bioengineered by the Vong to render a planet uninhabitable, took root on Wayland and decimated the planet's ecology. With the world barely able to sustain life, most Myneyrshi fled as refugees. A few remained on the world, however, barely eking out an existence there.

The Ossus Project
In 126 ABY, the Jedi Knight Kol Skywalker led a mission to Wayland to try to rehabilitate the planet as part of the Ossus Project. Using Yuuzhan Vong terraforming technology provided by Shaper Nei Rin, Skywalker's team rendered Wayland habitable once again. The Myneyrshi chieftain Roax was appreciative of Skylwalker's efforts and had his people aid the project.

Unbeknownst to the Ossus Project team, a rogue Yuuzhan Vong named Zenoc Quah had sabotaged the endeavor by introducing a Vongspawn virus onto Wayland. A mere six months after the planet had seemingly been rehabilitated, its terrain was replaced by an inhospitable Vongformed landscape. The Myneyrshi too were affected, mutating into large, monstrous versions of themselves, covered in gray skin with jagged projections and now invisible to the Force. The Myneyrshi placed all blame for their misfortune on Nei Rin and demanded that she face their rite of punishment. Skywalker and his team fled the world to try to find a cure for the mutations and to save the shaper's life; the Myneyrshi swore to kill them as they watched the ship depart. A female Human named Fionah Ti, trained in Yuuzhan Vong shaper technology, traveled to Wayland suspecting the sabotage there and seeking to reverse it.

In 137 ABY, Cade Skywalker, son of the man who had led the Ossus Project team a decade earlier, led a cadre of bounty hunters to Wayland on a mission for a Feeorin pirate named Rav. There, they were attacked and overwhelmed by Vongformed Myneyrshi. Separated from the others, the Human crewman Jariah Syn encountered Fionah Ti, who revealed that she had had some success reversing the virus affecting the planet's lifeforms.

Myneyrshi in the galaxy
Myneyrshi expressed no desire to leave their homeworld and communities. Their isolation, their dislike of technology, and their unpleasant encounters with the Empire and the Yuuzhan Vong discouraged them from roaming the galaxy. Although extremely unlikely, Myneyrshi trapped away from Wayland could learn to overcome his fear of more technologically advanced civilisations, as well as their fear of technology, and live a life of adventure among the stars, often acting as scouts or fringers.

After the Yuuzhan Vong War, most Myneyrshi evacuated their homeworld due to its decimation at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Very few Myneyrsh made a name for themselves offplanet. One individual who did was Txer, a male Myneyrsh native to Wayland. Txer was the leader of the Free People, a group who fought the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of Wayland. Txer found and aided Uldir Lochett in his search for Jedi Knight Klin-Fa Gi.

Behind the scenes
Although mentioned throughout the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn, the Myneyrshi only appear in the final book in that series, the 1993 novel The Last Command. However, it was not until The Last Command was adapted into a suppliment to the West End Games Star Wars roleplaying game that they were pictured. In The Last Command Sourcebook, the Myneyrshi were drawn by David Plunkett and their entry was written by Eric Trautmann.

The novel was also later collected as a comic book mini-series pubished by Dark Horse Comics from 1997 to 1998, penciled and inked by Edvin Biukovic and Eric Shanower respecively with Pamela Rambo responsible for coloring. In the fifth issue of that comic, the typical Myneyrshi is shown with tan skin, a square jaw that juts out from the skull, and only three fingers per hand. The mini-series was later reprinted as a trade paperback dedicated solely to the The Last Command serial and another which includes all issues from the Thrawn Trilogy comics, both of which maintain the variant appearance for the species. Since then, as in the Ultimate Alien Anthology, their coloring has remained faithful to the West End Games sourcebook description.

In the supplements to the West End roleplaying game, Myneyrshi suffer a distinct disadvantage to their Human counterparts, as they are intended only as non-playable characters. Myneyrshi in the game have a much lower maximum level of potential at the game's various attributes, half that of Humans and many other species. Myneyrshi do, however, receive a bonus to their strength to represent their glass armor, making them more resistant to various blows. They also have the ability to wield several weapons at once, though with a single dominant hand and three off-hands.

The Wizards of the Coast version of the role-playing game depicts Mynershi in largely the same way, but in a more specific manner. As a primitive species, characters of this species have less aptitude that Humans at intelligence and knowledge, but more for perception and willpower. They retain their natural armor and ability to use multiple weapons, but they suffer major penalties when attempting to use technology of any kind. Their alert, stealthy manner is also depicted in this version, giving them advantages in certain situations. Myneyrshi begin with the ability to speak their native tongue and the Psadan language.

Appearances

 * MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
 * Star Wars: Empire at War
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Heir to the Empire
 * Dark Force Rising
 * The Last Command
 * The Last Command comics
 * Specter of the Past
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Star Wars Legacy 43: Monster, Part 1
 * Star Wars Legacy 44: Monster, Part 2