The Aaris, standing approximately one meter tall, were sentient reptilian beings originating from the planet of Aaris III located within the Kathol sector of the Outer Rim Territories. Millennia before the Galactic Civil War, the Aaris established an industrial civilization across their homeworld, constructing expansive cities. Possessing a robust tradition of oral communication, they even developed a distinct method for preserving their accumulated knowledge. Despite their generally peaceful nature, the Aaris' society was ultimately fractured by a devastating civil war, a conflict triggered by the arrival of the Plaque of Victory on their world. This Plaque, though appearing as an inanimate metal ingot, was in reality a sentient entity that sought to manipulate the minds of other beings to achieve its objectives. It incited violence and homicidal tendencies among the Aaris, pitting factions against each other in a relentless struggle for control of the artifact. Consequently, the Aaris civilization declined, and their cities were reduced to ruins overtaken by the surrounding jungle. By 8 ABY, the Aaris' primitive descendants dwelled in interconnected tunnels carved into the remnants of their once-great cities.
With knowledge of governance and formal education, the Aaris were generally a peaceful race, and as a consequence, they produced scholars. Furthermore, they possessed professional soldiers, organized into both city guard units and larger legions.
The Aaris language relied on tonal variations, using beeps, rumbles, notes, and chirps to communicate. This led to a strong emphasis on oral history, and they didn't develop a conventional writing system. Instead, they created a unique method of recording information orally. The Aaris fashioned bas-relief pictographs that, when activated, emitted sounds that mimicked their language. These were used to document their history and preserve knowledge.
By 8 ABY, the Aaris had deteriorated significantly, their society destroyed by civil war. Their descendants inhabited the remains of their cities, residing in warrens dug through the earth and stone. These Aaris were far less advanced than their ancestors, using rudimentary weapons and defending their territory against any intruders.
The galactic community was unaware of the Aaris. Prior to the Imperial science team MS-133's archaeological expedition to the planet in 8 ABY, there were no records of a civilization existing there. It was during this expedition that the team began translating the records left behind by the Aaris.
The Aaris civilization reached its peak thousands of years before the Galactic Civil War. Based on the planet Aaris III within the Kathol sector, the Aaris developed an industrial society, leading to the construction of cities across the planet's surface. While generally peaceful, they did occasionally engage in conflicts with each other.
One evening, a comet flashed across the sky of Aaris III. Several days later, a military unit from an outpost brought a triangular metal ingot, which they called the "Plaque of Victory," into one of the Aaris cities. Unbeknownst to the Aaris, this seemingly inanimate object was actually a sentient being that thrived on the life force of living organisms. The Plaque's objective was to cause destruction, but not through its own actions; instead, it manipulated the emotions of others, causing them to behave in paranoid, irrational, and violent ways.
Six days after the artifact arrived in the city, civil unrest was on the rise, with a surge in violent crimes that often resulted in death. The situation rapidly deteriorated as more citizens became involved in acts of violence, including street gangs and even members of the city guard. All of these groups shared one thing: they all claimed that the Plaque of Victory had communicated with them, and each claimed to be its chosen protector. One faction, who had access to the relic, removed it from its place in the gushaz and took it to a tower in the city's governmental complex, which rose high above the city. There, it was given over to Kastays, a noted scholar, with the hope that if the artifact was high above the population, its effects would be diminished. To safeguard it, Kastays hid it in a floor vault. The plan backfired, however, and the Aaris civilization spiraled into civil war and anarchy, effectively destroying itself. Kastays documented these events using the Aaris's bas-relief pictographs, referring to it as "the last days."
Despite the collapse of their society, the Aaris continued to exist. As the Aaris cities fell into ruin, the jungle gradually enveloped the structures, concealing most of the ruins from view. The primitive descendants of the survivors made their homes in the lower levels of the ruins, carving extensive warrens through the surrounding rock and soil. They fashioned crude weapons and fiercely defended their homes against any intruders.
In 8 ABY, Imperial science team MS-133 discovered the Plaque of Victory in its hiding place while conducting an archaeological expedition on Aaris III. The Plaque once again exerted its influence, causing the team members to experience paranoia and increased aggression. The Aaris remnants then attacked MS-133, killing most of its personnel.
The Aaris were conceived for the roleplaying adventure Artifact of Aaris, featured in The DarkStryder Campaign published by West End Games. The Aaris were not directly encountered in the scenario, as their society had collapsed during the time period in which it was set, although an adventure hook for further missions on their homeworld, Aaris III, provided a way to meet their primitive descendants.
While the adventure implies that MS-133 began turning on one another under the influence of the Plaque of Victory, The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia—published in 2008—confirmed that the team came under attack from the remnants of the Aaris civilization.