Myneyrsh

The Myneyrshi were characterized as tall, slender, sentient, and bipedal humanoid beings. Their bodies featured a unique arrangement of two upper torsos, positioned one above the other. Female members of the species possessed more prominent breasts compared to the males, who also had nipples on their torsos. Each torso was equipped with a pair of lengthy, muscular arms, resulting in a total of four arms per Myneyrsh. They had one dominant hand and three auxiliary hands, allowing them to wield weapons in each hand or utilize two hands for larger armaments like a spear. Each hand had four fingers, including an opposable thumb, with joints resembling those of a Human. The presence of four arms also enhanced their climbing abilities, and in one instance, enabled a Force-sensitive Myneyrsh to wield three lightsabers during combat. Their feet were small with several large toes.

The Myneyrshi had upward-pointing ears, which they frequently pierced and adorned with ornaments. Instead of a nose, they possessed a short, downward-pointing snout. Their twin eyes were white and lacked visible pupils. With an average height of nearly two meters, their bodies were enveloped in a smooth, crystalline layer of flesh, giving them the appearance of being crafted from a type of glass. Their skin exhibited shades of blue ranging from greenish-teal to almost purple. This crystalline skin served as a form of armor against basic weapons like arrows, spears, and knives. Scientists from the New Republic proposed that this layer was a result of a chemical reaction involving the moisture and oxygen in the atmosphere. Myneyrshi typically had long, dark hair in shades of brown, green, and blue. Following the sabotaged Ossus Project, an attempt to revitalize the devastated surface of their homeworld, Wayland, numerous Myneyrshi underwent mutations. They transformed into large, gray-skinned beings with jagged protrusions covering their bodies.

The Myneyrshi experienced aging and physical development at a rate comparable to most sentient species in the galaxy. They were considered children until the age of twelve standard years, reaching adulthood at eighteen. By fifty standard years, they were regarded as middle-aged, and were considered old until eighty-five standard years, with those exceeding that age being deemed venerable.

The Myneyrshi were a species deeply rooted in superstition, with their lives heavily influenced by ritualistic practices. They adhered to rituals for various everyday activities, including walking, eating, and sleeping. During a mission to infiltrate an Imperial base in Mount Tantiss, considered forbidden by Wayland's inhabitants, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and the smuggler Han Solo encountered a Myneyrsh tribe and participated in a ritual involving the offering of a fowl as "satna-chakka," a gesture of peace. While the bird was displayed on a ritual staff, any form of physical or verbal conflict was prohibited. Upon completion of the ritual, the Myneyrshi presented the staff to their guests as a symbol of unity and friendship. Skywalker accepted the staff, signifying his group's permission to freely traverse the planet.

The Myneyrshi excelled as hunters and trackers, capable of moving silently through forests. Luke Skywalker once likened their perception and awareness of their surroundings to that of Force-sensitive individuals. They possessed sufficient spiritual fortitude to withstand severe mental manipulation. When Joruus C'baoth, an insane clone of a Jedi Master, attempted to force the Myneyrshi and the Psadan to coexist, the four-armed species resisted his rule long enough to forge an alliance with their former adversaries.

The Myneyrshi wore simple garments, typically robes that draped from the waist down or were fastened over their shoulders. These robes varied in color from dark brown to white and light orange, often adorned with intricate, golden designs and patterns. They commonly carried quivers on their backs and pouches for storing items strapped to their waists. Members of the species did not wear footwear and often wore gold bracelets around their arms. Some Myneyrshi sported tattoos on their bodies. Their hairstyles ranged from short and spiky to dense braids or ponytails.

Due to their isolation from the broader galactic society, both the Galactic Empire and the New Republic had limited knowledge of the Myneyrshi. Their technological development never progressed beyond the use of spears, daggers, and bows. They relied on domesticated animals for transportation and for the limited power required for basic local agriculture.

The Myneyrshi were known for their stubbornness, similar to their Psadan rivals, particularly in their interactions with Humans and other offworlders. They harbored a long-standing aversion to technology, which was intensified by the Imperial occupation of Wayland, during which the use of advanced technology by Humans resulted in their enslavement. Following the departure of the Imperials, the Myneyrshi actively opposed the use of technology, viewing it as a symbol of their Imperial oppressors. Shamans among the Myneyrshi declared anything technological as an "item of shame," advocating for its avoidance whenever possible. Conversely, Myneyrshi residing offworld did utilize technology for their own benefit, employing blasters or piloting airspeeders.

The Myneyrshi held a deep-seated hatred for the Psadan, Wayland's other native species, and were perpetually engaged in conflict with them. The Psadan were a more primitive species who revered nature and were always ready to fight. During the Empire's arrival on Wayland, the two species attempted to unite against their oppressors, but their efforts were unsuccessful. After the Empire withdrew from their homeworld, the Myneyrshi established treaties with the other indigenous species of Wayland, although they remained cautious of their neighbors.

The Myneyrshi communicated through a primitive language composed of snorts, honks, and deep vocalizations known as Myneyrsh. While the language lacked a written form, the Myneyrshi transmitted their knowledge and history orally. Most members of the species were also proficient in Psadan. Although uncommon, some Myneyrshi could speak Galactic Basic Standard. Examples of Myneyrsh names include Chyresh, Eychani, Orychee, and Panaysha.

The Myneyrshi evolved on the planet Wayland, alongside the Psadan, another sentient species. The two species shared a long history of animosity and violence, engaging in numerous wars and bitter conflicts. During the Galactic Republic's second period of expansion, Human colonists were dispatched to Wayland but crash-landed on the planet's surface. A clerical error in the Republic's planetary registry resulted in the removal of Wayland, its colonists, and all information about its native inhabitants from all known charts. For a brief period, the forgotten Humans dominated the more primitive species, wielding blasters and advanced weaponry that instilled fear in the Myneyrshi. However, lacking the means to replenish the power packs in their weapons, the colonists eventually adopted bows and arrows after several generations, leading to a more balanced struggle. Ultimately, the three species forged an uneasy peace after years of warfare.

When the Galactic Empire gained power in 19 BBY, they established a secret storage facility for the Emperor on Wayland. The Myneyrshi and the Psadan once again united to resist the invaders; however, they soon discovered that their [crossbows](/article/crossbow-legends], while potent, were insufficient to penetrate Imperial Battle armor. The Empire easily conquered the planet, enslaving the Myneyrshi and their allies and forcing them to construct a massive Imperial complex beneath Mount Tantiss. The Imperial occupation of Wayland concluded shortly after the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY.

The Emperor had a particular interest in Wayland, stationing a Guardian to safeguard his facility within Mount Tantiss. Following the Emperor's death during the Battle of Endor, Wayland was once again relegated to obscurity. Growing restless after five years without Imperial contact, the Guardian decided to establish a small kingdom and brought together Wayland's three ruling species to build a city southwest of the mountain over which he presided. Eventually, the insane clone Joruus C'baoth defeated the Guardian and assumed his position. He exploited his mental manipulative abilities to continue subjugating the city's inhabitants, although the resilient Myneyrshi never fully submitted to his rule.

During Grand Admiral Thrawn's visit to their home planet, the Myneyrshi observed the Imperials working at Mount Tantiss, refraining from resorting to their warlike tendencies. They had learned from past mistakes of attacking better-equipped adversaries and patiently endured the suffering. In 9 ABY, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and a New Republic team arrived to thwart Thrawn's efforts to revive the Empire. After being stalked by Myneyrshi during their arduous journey through the Wayland jungles, the team encountered a tribe of Myneyrshi. The Humans employed the protocol droid C-3PO as an interpreter and learned about the species' history. Initially, the natives were wary of Skywalker, perceiving his group as mere invaders. Skywalker convinced them of his desire to liberate them from the Empire and was granted free passage on the planet's surface. Skywalker's party successfully destroyed the Mount Tantiss storehouse and killed C'Baoth in the process. Following Thrawn's death aboard his flagship during the Battle of Bilbringi, the Myneyrshi were freed from their ties to the Empire and granted independence. Shortly after the destruction of the Emperor's facility, the New Republic initiated research into the planet of Wayland and its history. Although factual, New Republic researchers were unable to corroborate Myneyrsh and Psadan accounts of C'Baoth's killing the Guardian, dismissing these stories as mythical. A prominent theory suggested that the Guardian and C'Baoth were the same individual. At some point during the New Republic's reign, the Shi'ido anthropologist Mammon Hoole included an entry on the Myneyrshi in his publication, The Essential Guide to Alien Species.

In 25 ABY, the extra-galactic Yuuzhan Vong species invaded the galaxy and conquered worlds in the Outer Rim Territories, including Wayland, making the Myneyrshi one of the most severely affected species during the war. Many Myneyrshi fled the war-torn planet, some to the squalid conditions of Refugee Facility 17, but the majority of the species refused to abandon their homeworld. The invaders attempted to exterminate the species, forcing survivors to seek refuge in the forests. A group known as the Free People, led by a Myneyrsh named Txer, sought to expel the Yuuzhan Vong from Wayland. Its members included not only Myneyrshi but also Psadans and native Humans, all united by the same objective. They utilized any available weapons, provided they were not technological, and even employed their enemy's own bioform weapons. During their campaign, the Free People encountered rescue pilot Uldir Lochett. After assisting him in locating the Jedi Klin-Fa Gi, a Yuuzhan Vong force attacked them while activating a parasitic Vongspawn worm, a Chom-Vrone, which began consuming a portion of land. Rather than engage in combat, the Free People fled the area after helping Gi and Lochett gain access to the worm, where captured Jedi were being held. After the war's conclusion, an infestation of the Chom-Vrone took hold on Wayland, devastating the planet's ecology. With the world barely habitable, most Myneyrshi fled as refugees, though a few remained, struggling to survive.

In the year 126 ABY, Kol Skywalker, a Jedi Knight, spearheaded a mission to Wayland. The purpose of this endeavor was to restore the planet's habitability as a component of the Ossus Project. The team, under Skywalker's leadership, successfully rendered Wayland habitable again by employing Yuuzhan Vong terraforming techniques provided by Nei Rin, a Shaper. Roax, the Chieftain of the Myneyrshi, expressed gratitude for Skywalker's efforts and offered assistance from his people to the project.

However, unbeknownst to those involved in the Ossus Project, Zenoc Quah, a renegade Yuuzhan Vong, had undermined their work by introducing a Vongspawn virus to Wayland. A mere six months following the apparent rehabilitation of the planet, its landscape was transformed into an uninhabitable Vong-formed terrain. The Myneyrshi were also affected, undergoing mutations into large, monstrous versions of themselves with gray skin and jagged projections, and becoming invisible to the Force. The Myneyrshi held Nei Rin responsible for their plight and demanded that she undergo their punishment rite. Skywalker and his team were forced to flee the planet in an attempt to discover a cure for the mutations and to protect the shaper; as their ship departed, the Myneyrshi vowed to kill them. Simultaneously, Fionah Ti, a female Human proficient in Yuuzhan Vong shaper technology, journeyed to Wayland, suspecting sabotage and seeking to reverse it.

Eleven years later, in 137 ABY, Cade Skywalker, the son of the leader of the earlier Ossus Project team, led a group of bounty hunters to Wayland. They were hired by a Feeorin pirate named Rav for this mission. Upon arrival, they faced an attack from the Vongformed Myneyrshi, who overwhelmed them. Jariah Syn, a Human crew member who became separated from the group, encountered Fionah Ti. She revealed that she had achieved some success in reversing the effects of the virus on the planet's lifeforms.

The Myneyrshi showed no desire to leave their native world and communities. Their seclusion, aversion to technology, and negative experiences with the Empire and the Yuuzhan Vong all contributed to their reluctance to explore the galaxy. While highly improbable, Myneyrshi who found themselves stranded away from Wayland could potentially overcome their fear of technologically advanced civilizations and technology itself, embracing a life of adventure among the stars, often serving as scouts or fringers. One offworld Myneyrsh supported the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars in 20 BBY. He operated a landspeeder on Drongar, a planet embroiled in a stalemate with the Confederacy of Independent Systems over the valuable medicinal plant bota. His role was to transport individuals to Republic Mobile Surgical Unit 7. Similarly, Vaklin was one of the few planets to host a sizable expatriate Myneyrshi population. These Myneyrshi were fully integrated into society, interacting with other species and holding ordinary jobs, such as bartending.

There was also a Myneyrsh Jedi Knight named Cho'na Bene who fought wielding three lightsabers simultaneously. Bene survived the execution of Order 66 in 19 BBY and sought refuge on Vaklin, a planet where the population still revered the Jedi Order despite the Galactic Empire's propaganda. Bene became a leader in the Vaklin insurgency, which actively resisted the Empire. A female Myneyrsh also fought in the insurgency, wielding a blaster rifle and wearing a concealing shift. When Darth Vader, the Galactic Emperor Palpatine's enforcer, attempted to capture Bene and suppress the rebellion, he was unprepared for the Jedi's popularity among the people. Oniye Namada, a Human Major in the Imperial Security Bureau, advised Vader to erase all traces of the Jedi from Vaklin. Vader lured Bene into a public setting, where the intimidated populace witnessed his assassination by Imperial stormtroopers. The rebellion quickly collapsed afterward.

Years later, during the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Myneyrsh Txer led the Free People, a group that resisted the Yuuzhan Vong following their invasion of Wayland. Txer was a staunch advocate of the Myneyrshi way of life, viewing technology with disdain. His organization employed Yuuzhan Vong bioforms and other primitive weapons to fight the "Cut-Up-People." After Txer aided Uldir Lochett in finding Klin-Fa Gi, the group was ambushed, and the Yuuzhan Vong began activating the Chom-Vrone of the planet. Instead of engaging the Yuuzhan Vong directly, Txer and his followers secured ropes to the nearest worm and climbed away to avoid the conflict, leading Lochett into the worm before departing. Following the Yuuzhan Vong War, most Myneyrshi left their homeworld due to the devastation inflicted by the Yuuzhan Vong.

The Myneyrshi were mentioned in the first two books of the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn, but they only appeared in the final book, The Last Command, published in 1993. Their first visual representation was created by David Plunkett for The Last Command Sourcebook, an adaptation of the novel for the West End Games Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. Eric S. Trautmann authored the book, which also expanded on the species' background and culture.

The comic book mini-series adaptation of The Last Command, originally published by Dark Horse Comics from 1997 to 1998, presented an alternative appearance for the Myneyrshi. In the comic, Edvin Biukovic (penciler), Eric Shanower (inker), and Pamela Rambo (colorist) depicted the species in the fifth issue with tan skin, a prominent square jaw, and only three fingers on each hand. The mini-series has since been re-released as a trade paperback dedicated to The Last Command and another, which includes all issues from the Thrawn Trilogy comics. Both reprints retain the alternative appearance for the species. Since then, the Myneyrshi's coloring has remained consistent with the West End Games sourcebook description, as seen in the Ultimate Alien Anthology.

In the West End roleplaying game supplements, Myneyrshi faced a disadvantage compared to Humans, as they were intended as non-player characters only. Myneyrshi in the game had lower maximum potential levels in various attributes, half that of Humans and many other species. However, they received a strength bonus to represent their natural armor, making them more resistant to attacks. They also possessed the ability to wield multiple weapons simultaneously, with one dominant hand and three off-hands. The Wizards of the Coast version of the roleplaying game largely depicted Myneyrshi similarly, but with more specific details. As a primitive species, Myneyrshi characters had less aptitude for intelligence and knowledge than Humans, but more for perception and willpower. They retained their natural armor and ability to use multiple weapons but suffered significant penalties when using technology. Their alert and stealthy nature was also emphasized, granting them advantages in certain situations. Myneyrshi started with the ability to speak their native language and Psadan.

Sources that expanded on Myneyrsh history questioned in-universe whether Joruus C'baoth actually killed the Guardian that controlled Wayland, suggesting that they might have been the same entity. This ambiguity persisted in later materials, including C'baoth's Databank entry. The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (2008) definitively stated that the Mount Tantiss settlement was controlled by two separate regimes.

MedStar I: Battle Surgeons, a 2004 novel by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry, featured a Myneyrsh offworld during the Clone Wars. Wayland's location had been removed from records for approximately 20,000 years at that time, creating continuity issues. No explanation has been provided for how a Myneyrshi found himself offworld, why this individual used a blaster and drove a speeder (considered "items of shame" by his people), or why Republic Admiral Tarnese Bleyd was familiar with the species and its aversion to technology. However, Bleyd's knowledge indicates that the authors intentionally portrayed the Myneyrsh as an anomaly. Bleyd's casual knowledge of the Myneyrshi also challenges the idea that Wayland was hidden during that period. The comic books Star Wars: Purge: The Tyrant's Fist by Alexander Freed, released in December 2012 and January 2013, depicted several Myneyrshi offworld, all of whom embraced more advanced weaponry than their ancestors. Furthermore, one of these Myneyrshi was portrayed as a well-known Jedi with knowledge of his homeworld and culture, although the planet was not named. Notably, a battle of the Mandalorian Wars took place in the Wayland system in 3963 BBY, which includes the planet Wayland. Therefore, it is plausible that the Thrawn campaign was not the first time the galaxy rediscovered the planet.