- "At approximately 3900 BBY, Queen Tasia of Grizmallt sponsored one of the last of her world's colonization missions."
- ―A New Republic historical document by Voren Na'al
Queen Elsinoré den Tasia ruled the planet Grizmallt beginning around 3950 BBY. She sponsored numerous colonization expeditions throughout her reign, including one that led to the Human occupation of the Renatasia system. Many of the expeditions failed, and around 3900 BBY, Tasia sponsored the last of those expeditions, which was carried out by three colony ships; the Beneficent Tasia, Constant, and Mother Vima. Tasia died shortly afterward, wishing the ships would find a home in her final moments. The ships would later land on the planet Naboo, which the colonists inhabited, becoming known as the Naboo. Some purported descendants of the colonists wore a style of clothing that acknowledged a connection to Tasia thousands of years later.
Biography[]
Queen of Grizmallt[]
- "They are traditionalists—tonsorially as well as politically. The style of dress and facial adornments pay homage to the regalia of Queen Elsinore [sic] den Tasia of Grizmallt, who dispatched an expeditionary fleet of humans to the planet some four thousand years ago, and to whom some Naboo claim to be able to trace an unbroken ancestry."
- ―Larsh Hill, about the Naboo
Elsinoré den Tasia was a female who ascended as queen of[1] the Core Worlds[4] planet Grizmallt around 3950 BBY. At the beginning of her reign, Tasia ushered in a new age of exploration and colonization,[1] sponsoring fourteen colonies in 3950 BBY,[4] including the Human colonies on the eight planets of the Renatasia system,[5] which became isolated from the rest of the galaxy.[4] In the following decades, Grizmallt launched hundreds of expeditions into unexplored areas of space beyond known hyperlanes, although many of the colony ships were destroyed or lost.[1] In approximately 3900 BBY,[2] in the midst of a civil war on Grizmallt,[6] the dying Tasia sponsored the last such expedition, which consisted of three[1] colony ships—[4] Beneficent Tasia, Constant, and Mother Vima—[1] carrying Human Grizmallti refugees from the war.[6]
The expedition was blessed by a famous Jedi Master,[1] and led by the explorer Kwilaan,[7] with the passengers of the starships seeking fortune and glory away from mainstream galactic civilization. The three colony ships were headed for the dangerous southern quadrant of the galaxy, and Tasia's dying wish was that the expedition would find a habitable world. After her death, Grizmallt lost contact with the Beneficient Tasia, and the expedition was assumed to have failed. However, the expedition eventually reached the orbit of the planet Naboo[1] in the Mid Rim,[4] as if guided by Tasia's last wish.[1]
Legacy[]
- "There, the Royal Script still graces the Palazzo Reina and other buildings dating to the rule of Queen Tasia, and is used on street signs in the capital's Old Quarter."
- ―Doctor Milanda Vorgan, writing about Grizmallt in "The Written Word: A Brief Introduction to the Writing Systems of Galactic Basic"
One of the ships crashed on Naboo,[9] while the others landed safely. The Humans carried by the ships found Naboo to be a pleasant pastoral world. They colonized the planet, and the descendants of the colonists became the Naboo,[1] although the Grizmallti would not learn their fate for some time afterward.[2] Some members of the Naboo claimed to be able to trace an unbroken ancestry to Tasia almost 4,000 years later. The dress style and facial adornments of some Naboo paid homage to Queen Tasia, a fact acknowledged by the Muun financier Larsh Hill in a meeting with the Naboo King Ars Veruna between 67 BBY and 65 BBY.[3]
The lost Human colonies in Renatasia were ultimately rediscovered in 13 BBY. Tasia's role in the colonization of Naboo was mentioned in a New Republic historical document written in 36 ABY by historian Voren Na'al,[2] as well as in the academic text "The Written Word: A Brief Introduction to the Writing Systems of Galactic Basic" in 38 ABY by Doctor Milanda Vorgan. The text acknowledged that the Palazzo Reina and other buildings from Tasia's reign still stood, bearing the Royal Script of Grizmallt.[8]
Personality and traits[]
Queen Tasia financially supported multiple colonial endeavors throughout her life and wished for the safe landing of the last expedition in her final moments.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
- "And, given the vaguely old-world European culture of Naboo, it's possible that a little Spanish infuence could crop up in naming conventions, making it possible to refer to Queen Tasia as 'Reina Tasia.' "
- ―Daniel Wallace
Elsinoré den Tasia was originally created by Daniel Wallace and W. Haden Blackman for The Essential Guide to Episode I, a reference book that was ultimately canceled. Blackman later included information about Tasia in the DataBank entry for the Naboo[10] in the 2001 LucasArts video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds.[1] Wallace named the character as an Easter egg to the[10] 1983 novel Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon by L. Neil Smith, which mentions the lost colonies in the Renatasia system.[11] Taking influence from the vaguely European culture of Naboo, Wallace considered that a Spanish influence could appear in the naming conventions, combining the Spanish word for queen, "reina," with Tasia's surname, becoming "Reina Tasia." Wallace hoped that fans would appreciate the retcon.[10]
When writing The Written Word, an article for the Hyperspace subscription service on StarWars.com, author John Hazlett acknowledged Wallace's earlier backstory by mentioning the Palazzo Reina, which could be roughly translated as "Queen's Palace."[12] Tasia's sponsoring of the Renatasia colony would later become canon in the Star Wars Legends continuity in 2009's The Essential Atlas, written by Wallace and Jason Fry.[4] Her name was misspelled as "Elsinore den Tasia" in the 2012 novel Darth Plagueis by James Luceno.[3]
Appearances[]
- Darth Plagueis (and audiobook) (Mentioned only) (as Elsinore den Tasia)
- Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds (First mentioned)
- Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- The New Essential Chronology
- "Lostwords: The Essential Guide to Episode I" — Continuity, Criticisms, and Captain Panaka — Daniel Wallace's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Atlas
- The Written Word on Hyperspace (article) (content obsolete and backup link not available)
- "Endnotes for The Written Word" — jSarek's Infonet — John Hazlett's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Essential Guide to Episode I (Canceled)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The New Essential Chronology
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Darth Plagueis
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 The Essential Atlas
- ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 92 ("Renatasia system")
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nexus of Power
- ↑ Secrets of Naboo
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Written Word on Hyperspace (article) (content obsolete and backup link not available)
- ↑ "Crisis on Naboo" - The Clone Wars Episode Guide on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Lostwords: The Essential Guide to Episode I" — Continuity, Criticisms, and Captain Panaka — Daniel Wallace's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon
- ↑ "Endnotes for The Written Word" — jSarek's Infonet — John Hazlett's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link)