The Chaf family held a position as a ruling family within the Chiss Ascendancy, a nation where they stood in opposition to the Mitth family. However, they did not fully support the Irizi family's goal of forming an alliance. A Chaf task force was focused on capturing a large starship that originated from Lesser Space, which is the region of space located beyond the Unknown Regions. However, Syndic Thrass of the Mitth family, along with a human female from Lesser Space, stole the starship and subsequently crashed it. Senior Commander Afpriuh was a part of the Chaf family.
Sometime around 18 BBY, the Chaf patriarch formed an alliance with "Jixtus," the coordinator of the warlike species known as the Grysk. As a result of his alliance, he obtained several Grysk warships, while in return, the patriarch provided Jixtus's vessels with fuel, supplies, and a secure harbor. The warships then departed from their harbor and headed towards the Chiss planet Schesa, where all of Jixtus's fleet prepared to destroy Senior Captain Thrawn's fleet located on the planet Sunrise. Unfortunately for both Jixtus and the Chaf family, all of the Grysk warships were destroyed by Thrawn's forces. This led to an investigation into the Chaf patriarch's dealings with Jixtus, which ultimately resulted in his resignation.
The Chaf family was initially referenced in the 2020 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, which is the first installment in The Ascendancy Trilogy written by Timothy Zahn. The family's members made their first appearance with Senior Commander Afpriuh in the 2021 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good, the second book in The Ascendancy Trilogy.