Ssi-ruu

The Ssi-ruuk were a bipedal saurian species of considerable size, exhibiting characteristics reminiscent of avians. Their locomotion involved walking on two powerful rear limbs, with balance maintained by a robust tail and two upper limbs featuring three prehensile claws. Despite their reptilian nature, they were, in fact, a warm-blooded species. An average adult's height ranged from 1.9 to 2.2 meters (approximately 7.2 feet), with a weight of approximately 350 kg (~770 pounds). They were renowned for their exceptional physical strength, comparable to that of a typical adult Wookiee. These creatures were known to move with surprising grace and speed, considering their size. Their thick skin provided substantial protection, capable of withstanding blaster fire with only minor burns. The massive bodies of adult Ssi-ruuk were covered in shimmering scales, ranging in color from brown to turquoise. They possessed elongated, beak-like muzzles containing sharp teeth, and their carnivorous nature led them to utilize their talons for hunting prey.

Regarding their visual capabilities, Ssi-ruuk exhibited extreme sensitivity to light, necessitating the presence of triple eyelids to safeguard their vision from sudden bursts of illumination. Their large, black eyes shared the common reptilian trait of poor eyesight. The unique structure of their eyelids significantly reduced their susceptibility to blindness from sudden flashes of light. Nevertheless, the species did not solely rely on their eyes as Humans do. Instead, they utilized a highly developed sense of smell, enhanced by two forked "tongues" that extended from their nostrils. This heightened olfactory sense enabled them to discern the emotional state of others based on scent variations, allowing Ssi-ruuk to effectively "read" individuals. These olfactory sensory organs, typically referred to as "scent tongues", were black and flickered when in use. This capability was only effective once a Ssi-ruuk was familiar with the "scent" of an individual, enabling them to detect signs of deception, making it challenging to deceive them. However, they generally found the scents of other species unpleasant. Their own odor was described as strong and acrid, with a distinct reptilian scent.

The Ssi-Ruuvi language was constructed from a sequence of musical tweets and whistles. This intricate language employed bird-like honks, whistles, growls, and throat clicks. Some of the higher-pitched sounds in the Ssi-ruuvi vocabulary were beyond the range of human hearing. Ssi-ruuvi chord-phrases could convey a significant amount of information in just a few notes. It was believed that species like Humans were either incapable or struggled to speak their language due to their mouths lacking the necessary components for producing the critical sounds. Instances of humans speaking Ssi-ruuvi were described by native speakers as a halting and stuttering approximation of their own language. Instead of wearing clothing, they utilized bandoleers to carry their tools, weapons, and other equipment. This practice led them to find the concept of covering the body in clothing amusing, and as such, they did not wear anything that concealed their thick, scaly hides.

The average lifespan of a Ssi-ruu ranged from 100 to 120 standard years, although members of their ruling hierarchy lived considerably longer. Individuals were considered children between the ages of 1 and 5, followed by young adulthood from 6 to 10 years. Adulthood spanned from 11 to 55 years, with middle age occurring between 56 and 90 years. Ssi-ruuk entered old age from 91 to 115 years, and those exceeding 116 years were regarded as venerable elders.

It was generally accepted that there were no Force users among the Ssi-ruuk, as they were believed to be blind to the Force as a species.

Within the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, power was divided between two primary bodies: the Conclave, which served as the religious authority, and the Elders' Council, which handled political matters. Competition for control of the empire often arose between the Conclave and the Elders' Council, and only the leader of the Imperium could prevent civil war. This leader was known as His Potency the Shreeftut, who held supreme authority over the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium. Both councils acted in an advisory capacity to the Shreeftut. Ssi-ruuvi society was primarily structured around clans, deeply rooted in tradition and family history. These clans were led by patriarchs, and those who demonstrated charisma could command multiple clans. Control over a large number of clans earned patriarchs significant respect from their peers.

Similar to the long-extinct Sith species, Ssi-ruuvi society was rigidly stratified by a hereditary caste system. However, unlike the Sith, the Ssi-ruuvi caste system was based solely on skin color. This system comprised six main groups: blue, gold, yellow, red, black, and green. A Ssi-ruuk's skin color symbolized their socio-economic standing within society. Each Ssi-ruuk's body was dominated by a single color, and mating with a Ssi-ruuk of a different color was strictly prohibited. Offspring from mixed births had brown skin and were considered illegitimate, relegated to the lowest and most menial positions in society. Additionally, a related species known as the P'w'ecks were considered an inferior race and used as slaves.

The known castes included:

• Blue: Representing the noble caste [6], Blue Ssi-ruuk were the politicians and leaders of Ssi-ruuvi society, holding most political positions and dominating the executive Elders' Council, which administered the Imperium. They were distinguished by their blue scales, smaller body size, and longer tails. As the highest caste, they received the most honor and praise, and they tended to be extremely perceptive and ambitious. An example of this caste was Sh'tk'ith, commonly known as Bluescale. [7]
• Gold: Gold Ssi-ruuk constituted the religious caste of Ssi-ruuvi society. They were few in number and stature but dominated the Conclave, which was entirely concerned with religious affairs. Gold Ssi-ruuk also performed religious ceremonies like the Consecration Ceremony, which "consecrated" foreign planets to enable their annexation by the Imperium. [7] [8]
• Yellow: Yellow Ssi-ruuk studied the sciences and operated the technology employed by the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium. [8]
• Red: Red Ssi-ruuk comprised the military caste. These Ssi-ruuk tended to be broader and stronger than other Ssi-ruuk and also had a predatory nature as well, these Ssi-ruu also have the ability to not be sensed when they are alone or in pairs. An example from this caste was Admiral Ivpikkis, who commanded the first invasion of Bakura. [7] [8]
• Green: Green Ssi-ruuk were the largest caste. This caste was the lowest that still possessed respect. They had never held any position of power but staunchly upheld the caste system as workers. [1] [8] [9]
• Black: Very rare, Black Ssi-ruuk worked as assassins and espionage agents for the Imperium. They were honored among other Ssi-ruu tribe members. [9] [8]
• Brown: Brown Ssi-ruuk were considered the outcasts of Ssi-ruuvi society, being the offspring of two Ssi-ruuvi from different castes. Since class intermarriage was strictly forbidden, many were destroyed at birth. They performed the most menial jobs and were commonly believed to be the ancient progenitors of the P'w'ecks. According to the G'nnoch, the birth of a multi-colored Ssi-ruu known as the Keeramak would herald a popular rising by the oppressed brown Ssi-ruuk and P'w'ecks. Following the punitive Chiss/New Republic incursions circa. 4 ABY, the Keeramak was born. [9] [8]

Ssi-ruuvi culture was significantly shaped by two primary elements: their speciesism and their religious beliefs. These factors led them to believe in their physical, mental, and spiritual superiority. This prejudice resulted in them viewing themselves as inherently superior to all other species, while all other species were considered inferior. Culturally, the Ssi-ruuk exhibited a speciesist attitude toward other species, considering them suitable only for slavery and entechment, the latter involving the use of life energies from sentient beings as a power source for their mechanical technology.

This perspective influenced their interactions with other sentient species, ranging from their lowly saurian P'w'eck cousins to the advanced mammalian Human and Chiss civilizations. Consequently, the Ssi-ruuk sought to conquer and subjugate other civilizations to exploit their labor and resources. In fact, most Ssi-ruuk dedicated their lives to preserving and expanding their Imperium, often at the cost of subjugating other races. As a result, relations between the Ssi-ruuk and neighboring powers like the Chiss Ascendancy, Galactic Alliance, and the Yuuzhan Vong were virtually non-existent as of 28 ABY. However, they did not share the genocidal beliefs that motivated the Yevetha of the Duskhan League during the Yevethan Purge and Black Fleet Crisis.

Their speciesism was justified by their intense spiritual beliefs. According to their sacred text, the G'nnoch, four eggs were formed at the creation of the universe. The first hatched Ssi and P'w'itthki, the progenitors of the Ssi-ruuk and P'w'eck species, respectively. Ssi's children hatched from the second egg, while P'w'itthki's children hatched from the third egg. The fourth egg was reserved for Ssi-Ruuk who earned a place in the afterlife. Ssi eventually fought and defeated P'w'itthki, allowing P'w'itthki's hatchlings to live on the condition of serving Ssi's children for eternity. This myth explained the origin of the relationship between the Ssi-ruuk (Ssi's hatchlings) and the P'w'ecks (P'w'itthki's hatchlings) and their belief in supremacy over all other sentient species.

A crucial concept in Ssi-ruuvi culture was the belief in souls and an afterlife. Most Ssi-ruuk highly valued the souls of their own kind, believing that if a Ssi-ruu died on an "un-consecrated world," their soul would be denied access to the fourth egg, the Ssi-ruuvi afterlife, and would wander the universe alone. This was considered a horrifying fate. Consequently, most Ssi-ruuk avoided direct combat when away from their homeworld. This belief explained why they rarely traveled into the galaxy, remaining in their star cluster. However, dwindling resources in their isolated space forced them to expand their Imperium into the fringes of the known galaxy by 1 BBY. To compensate for this disadvantage, the Ssi-ruuk used large numbers of droids and P'w'ecks, a smaller species enslaved by the Ssi-Ruuk, to support their fleets. Around this time, Emperor and Dark Lord of the Sith Palpatine contacted the species through the Force, offering them dozens of worlds and millions of humans for entechment in exchange for the use of Ssi-ruuvi entechment technology.

Furthermore, priests would conduct an hour-long ceremony to consecrate a conquered planet. At the end of the ceremony, the Ssi-Ruuk would dedicate the planet to the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium and give it a Ssi-Ruuvi name. The only known example was the planet Bakura, which was consecrated as Xwhee as a prelude to an invasion in 28 ABY.

Less well known was the Ssi-ruuvi religious concept based on the prophetic coming of a Ssi-ruu of many colors whose arrival would result in the overturning of Ssi-ruuvi society. This prophecy eventually came to pass with the birth of the Keeramak. However, the Keeramak was merely a tool of Yuuzhan Vong infiltrators who had infiltrated the weakened Imperium between 4 ABY and 28 ABY following its defeat by the Alliance of Free Planets and the Galactic Empire at Bakura during the Invasion of Bakura in 4 ABY. In 23 ABY, the Imperium engineered a faux popular rising of the P'w'eck Emancipation Movement under the Keeramak to fulfill this prophecy. Ultimately, this plot to reconquer Bakura was thwarted by a genuine P'w'eck uprising and the death of the Keeramak.

The Ssi-ruuk language, known as Ssi-ruuvi, was composed of melodic clicks and whistles, resembling the sound of a flute, earning the Ssi-ruuvi the nickname "Fluties." Due to the species' unique physiology, Humans, lacking the necessary organs, could not reproduce the language. While Ssi-ruuk could speak other languages, limited contact with other species meant they often relied on translators when offworld. Ssi-ruuk traveling outside their space were often accompanied by a droid, slave, or hireling who translated on their behalf.

The staple diet of the Ssi-ruuk and their P'w'eck cousins consisted of small fft reptiles, consumed with ceremonial knives.

A defining characteristic of Ssi-ruuk technology was the use of entechment, a process where a living being's life-energy was electronically extracted and used as a power source for machines. Entechment powered a wide range of their technology, including starships, power stations, Ssi-ruuvi security droids, and ion paddle beamers. Despite Ssi-ruuk claims that entechment was painless, victims remained in agony during and after the process.

Even when installed into power cells and machinery, these disembodied beings remained in continuous agony until their life energies expired. Given the excruciating pain and resulting death, the Ssi-ruuk did not entech their own people, preferring to use "inferior" sentient species, particularly P'w'ecks, a similar saurian species reduced to servitude. When the Ssi-ruuk attacked Bakura in 4 ABY, they discovered that Humans were a far more potent energy source than P'w'ecks after taking Imperial prisoners.

By 28 ABY, the entechment process had been refined. The Ssi-ruuk discovered ways to nourish enteched souls, using life energy distilled from concentrated banks of algae and other microscopic life to prevent decay and reduce torment. This preserved the enteched life energy, reducing the need for frequent replenishment. The Ssi-ruuk also attempted a second invasion of Bakura, but their plot backfired when their P'w'eck slaves revolted.

Another unique technology was the ion paddle beamer, their equivalent of the ubiquitous blaster rifle. These paddle beamers were unique in that they were unblockable by lightsabers since the beam would bend around the lightsaber's blade and strike its target. After much practice, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker managed to change the setting of his lightsaber to block the blast fired from paddle beamers. However, this change in setting meant that the lightsaber was unable to block blaster bolts.

The Ssi-ruuk's evolutionary origins lie on the planet Lwhekk, situated within a remote star cluster at the galaxy's edge. Their lineage can be traced back to packs of carnivorous animals inhabiting their jungle homeworld. Over time, they organized into tribes, each composed of members sharing the same skin color. The Blue and Gold scaled tribes emerged as the most dominant, with the Blue scaled Ssi-ruuk wielding significant political influence and the Gold-scaled establishing Ssi-ruuvi religion. These two tribes would eventually form the Ssi-ruuvi upper class. The Ssi-ruuk eventually encountered the smaller yet more common P'w'ecks, leading to conflict between the two species. Ultimately, the P'w'ecks were subjugated and enslaved. The Blue and Gold tribes then forged an alliance and selected the first Shreeftut. The Ssi-ruuvi Imperium was established, and the Blue and Gold tribes proceeded to subjugate the rest of Lwhekk, dividing them into castes. The Conclave and the Elders' Council were formed, and the Ssi-ruuk eventually expanded their empire into space. A primary challenge faced by their race was the scarcity of natural resources. This, combined with their failure to develop fusion technology, significantly hindered their exploration efforts, as the Ssi-ruuk were forced to carry substantial fuel reserves. Consequently, the Ssi-ruuk's initial expeditions beyond their home system were driven by the search for new energy sources and resources. The inability to create more efficient energy sources and dwindling resources led to the development of entechment technology. This process involved extracting life energies from living beings and channeling them into technology to power it. This procedure was first applied to the P'w'eck race, whose energy was harnessed to create a stable energy source that the Ssi-ruuk could maintain. Initially, this practice was considered distasteful but was deemed necessary for energy production.

They eventually began to settle many of the nearby planets. These chain of events saw an expansion into the Ssi-ruuk's star cluster which contained six other inhabitable worlds all of which were conquered with the native races cleansed as part of the testing phase of the entechment process. The practice of entechment of lower life forms became common; even the P'w'ecks, cousins of the Ssi-ruu were used. But gradually it was learned that containment of these "souls" for long periods would result in madness and it was decided that the Imperium needed to expand its realm once again. Another reason was due to the dwindling resources in their isolated region of space. After the discovery of entechment, the Ssi-ruuk sacrificed countless P'w'eck's to power entire hordes of battle droids which they used as part of their forces when they emerged from their stellar cluster. Prior to that, the Imperium had never before dared to expand beyond its cluster, partly because of the large distances involved, partly due to the xenophobic nature of the Ssi-ruuk, and partly because of their religious fear of traveling to 'unconsecrated' worlds. Due to the aforementioned lack of resources, around 100 BBY, the Shreeftut ordered the Imperium to begin expansion, and they spread further than ever before, conquering a wide swath of the Unknown Regions. The Shreeftut pointed to a controversial interpretation of the G'nnoch to justify his actions.

During the era of the Old Republic, scattered references were made to encounters with a reptilian species in the Outer Rim, but it was never definitively determined whether these were Ssi-ruu. Consequently, it was believed that the Ssi-ruuk's existence remained unknown to the broader galactic population prior to the Rebellion era.

Previously, the Ssi-ruuk's attention was directed outward, but a growing conflict with a rival empire led by the Chiss compelled them to dispatch probes towards the Core Worlds. This specific mission aimed to gather "recruits" for piloting their starships. Consequently, the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium launched attacks on several isolated colonies in the Outer Rim before encountering the Imperial Navy. However, instead of deploying the full might of the Imperial Military against these invaders, the Emperor chose to establish a clandestine alliance with the Ssi-ruuk. In exchange for their knowledge of entechment, the Emperor secretly agreed to surrender control of several Outer Rim colonies to the Ssi-ruuvi, allowing them to utilize these territories as they saw fit. In 1 BBY, as the Ssi-Ruuk approached the outer reaches of the Galactic Empire, the Ssi-ruuvi's supreme leader, the Shreeftut, experienced Force visions of a hooded Human who identified himself as Emperor Palpatine, the ruler of the galaxy. He proposed offering the Ssi-ruuvi dozens of worlds and millions of Humans for entechment in return for access to Ssi-ruuvi technology. Therefore, they made the decision to venture into Wild Space, where they conquered the small Human colony of G'rho, capturing and enteching numerous members of the populace. Due to their covert agreement with the Ssi-ruuk, Imperial authorities concealed the incident and falsely blamed the Alliance to Restore the Republic for the assault.

Among those captured was a Human boy named Dev Sibwarra, who was subjected to mind control techniques by the Elder Sh'tk'ith to brainwash him. They were astonished to discover that the boy possessed strange powers that allowed him to sense others. It was through this boy that Ssi-ruuk Admiral Ivpikkis learned that Humans were the dominant species in the galaxy. He also discovered that humanoids had longer containment time when enteched and could last longer than most other species. Because of Sibwarra's Force abilities and his capacity to communicate with other Humans, the Ssi-ruuk utilized Dev Sibwarra to pacify the subjects undergoing entechment.

However, in 4 ABY, Emperor Palpatine met his demise during the Battle of Endor aboard the Second Death Star. With the Emperor unable to uphold his end of the bargain, the Ssi-ruuvi initiated an invasion of the edge of the known galaxy. Expeditionary forces were deployed against both the galaxy itself and the neighboring government in the Unknown Regions, known as the Chiss Ascendancy. Nevertheless, neither expedition achieved significant success: the Ssi-ruuvi barely managed to conquer the Human world of Cattamascar, and suffered a decisive defeat at Bakura.

Similarly, while a few minor Chiss worlds were seized, the Chiss response was overwhelming and unexpected, resulting in the devastation of the Ssi-ruuvi capital, Lwhekk. Following the Chiss raid on the Imperium, a small Rebel Alliance task force appeared in Ssi-ruuvi Space. The Rebel force had come to stop the Imperium's expansion into the known galaxy. Observing the Imperium in ruins, the Rebel Alliance concluded that the Ssi-ruuk threat was over. The Alliance initiated diplomatic efforts with the Ssi-ruuk, who were in no position to wage a war on two fronts. These discussions persisted for many years and into the New Jedi Order era, although they did not eliminate border skirmishes. Ultimately, diplomatic relations remained strained due to the Ssi-ruuk's inherent disdain for other species.

More than two decades passed before the Ssi-ruuvi had sufficiently rebuilt to consider resuming their expansion. During this period, the Ssi-ruuk discovered novel methods for preserving enteched souls. Two significant events transpired during this time. One was the birth of the Keeramak, a pivotal event in Ssi-ruuvi religious beliefs. The Keeramak itself, a mutant Ssi-ruu, possessed exceptional strategic and political acumen. The other event involved the covert takeover of the Imperium by the Yuuzhan Vong, who secretly infiltrated one of their own, E'thinaa, into a high-ranking general position. The Yuuzhan Vong were acutely aware of threats throughout the Unknown Regions and sought to neutralize the Ssi-ruuk early on.

Together, E'thinaa and the Keeramak formulated a new strategy for continuing the invasion. They forged a secret agreement with the Prime Minister of Bakura, Molierre Cundertol, and orchestrated a false P'w'eck slave rebellion, positioning the Keeramak as its leader. Together, they succeeded in consecrating Bakura and launching a second invasion of the planet, but when the P'w'eck's actually did revolt and managed to kill the Keeramak, all was lost. Cundertol himself fled back to Lwhekk, where E'thinaa killed him. The P'w'eck revolt managed to overturn the political and religious caste system on Lwhekk, and a military dictatorship was formed under the former soldier caste.

The Ssi'ruuk bear a striking resemblance to carnivorous dinosaurs. In an interview, Kathy Tyers, the author of The Truce at Bakura, revealed that the Ssi-ruuk were inspired by dinosaurs, specifically dinosaur books that belonged to Tyers's son. Tyers recounted in an interview with Ilene Rosenberg for Star Wars Adventure Journal 4 that her editor had requested five storyline concepts, and the one Tyers favored most involved an alien threat that would compel the Rebel Alliance and the Empire to briefly cooperate.

The The Unknown Regions campaign guide reverses the position of the green and red caste Ssi-ruu by stating that the former are warriors whilst the latter are workers which contradicts previous material.