The Vaa-tumor, a unique augmentation for Yuuzhan Vong Master Shapers, was thought to be a fragment of brain tissue from the goddess Yun-Ne'Shel. This tumor was surgically placed inside the brain of a prospective Master Shaper, who was then required to undergo a phase of self-denial during the procedure. The tumor's design allowed it to reshape the Shaper's brain, improving the host's memory. Once the Shaper had reached the necessary level, the tumor granted the ability to quickly memorize the information contained within a qahsa. Once this learning process was complete, the vaa-tumor would be surgically removed.