Yun-Ne'Shel, also known as the Modeler or She-Who-Shapes, held the position of Goddess of Life within the Yuuzhan Vong religion.
Similar to the other Yuuzhan Vong deities of lesser status, Yun-Ne'Shel was brought into existence by Yun-Yuuzhan, the supreme god in the Yuuzhan Vong religious system. Yun-Yuuzhan pledged to Yun-Ne'Shel, along with her fellow divine beings, that they would experience ascension similar to his own, once mortal beings had reached perfection themselves and taken the places of the lesser gods.
The story tells that after Yun-Yuuzhan completed the creation of the universe, he was depleted and exhausted from his efforts. Approached by Yun-Harla, the Goddess of Deceit, a lower-ranking deity, Yun-Yuuzhan was deceived into divulging the secrets behind his creation. Yun-Ne'Shel, serving as Yun-Harla's assistant, was then given this knowledge. This granted Yun-Ne'Shel the ability to model and mold life, thus earning her the title of the Modeler. Other accounts suggest that Yun-Yuuzhan directly provided Yun-Ne'Shel with the tools necessary to shape life.
Regardless of the different versions of how Yun-Ne'Shel acquired the secrets of creation, she was subsequently regarded as the deity in charge of establishing the fundamental appearances of all living creatures and regulating their life cycles. Yun-Ne'Shel desired to create a utopian existence, characterized by peace and harmony, using her newfound abilities. However, her vision was disrupted by Yun-Yammka and Yun-Harla, the Twin Gods representing war and trickery, respectively, who brought suffering and pain into the Modeler's paradise. Instead of Yuuzhan Vong stories praising Yun-Ne'Shel as a visionary, the majority criticized her for her innocence and lack of wisdom. The beings she had shaped were intended to compete for the status of godhood, which the Yuuzhan Vong believed could only be achieved through the pain, betrayal, and suffering introduced into Yun-Ne'Shel's paradise by the Twin Gods.
Yun-Ne'Shel was frequently depicted as a close companion of the Lovers, Yun-Txiin and Yun-Q'aah, the god and goddess of love and intimacy. They, in turn, were rivals of the Twin Gods, who had brought pain and suffering into the Modeler's paradise. She also shared a connection with Yun-Shuno, the protector of the oppressed and those without hope, who had the ability to request Yun-Ne'Shel to show kindness towards her followers.
When the Yuuzhan Vong started their invasion of another galaxy in 25 ABY, after spending millennia journeying through the intergalactic void, a trend emerged among the species of associating traits of several of their deities with those of Jedi who were defending the galaxy. Onimi, an outcast Shamed One who utilized the Force to manipulate Supreme Overlord Shimrra, the leader of the Yuuzhan Vong, started to perceive certain Jedi as the embodiments of the gods, believing they were plotting against him. Tahiri Veila, a young Jedi who had undergone Yuuzhan Vong genetic experiments, was considered by Onimi to be the living representation of Yun-Ne'Shel, due to both her history and his ability to sense her presence in the Force.
Yun-Ne'Shel was a female Yuuzhan Vong deity. Seen as youthful, benevolent, and compassionate, she was also regarded as unwise and naive by some within Yuuzhan Vong society. As the goddess of creativity and childbirth, Yun-Ne'Shel oversaw the more gentle aspects of Yuuzhan Vong existence, even though the organisms she had shaped were often used as weapons by the Yuuzhan Vong in their aggressive lifestyle. Because of her position as the deity responsible for the physical appearance of living beings, Yun-Ne'Shel had a role in the lives of the Shamed Ones, those Yuuzhan Vong whose bodies had rejected the implants associated with rank and who were ostracized by society. Shamed Ones would frequently pray to their patron, Yun-Shuno, who, according to legend, could approach the Modeler and plead with her to improve the lives of the more deserving Shamed Ones.
Yuuzhan Vong sculptures and artwork varied in their depictions of the gods based on the region producing the work, but Yun-Ne'Shel was consistently portrayed in these mediums with infants, farming tools, gentle animals, and artisan tools. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, a rebellious movement emerged among the Shamed Ones, who started to revere the Jedi. The movement's leader, the Prophet Yu'shaa, connected Yun-Ne'Shel with the Jedi Order, because both the goddess and the Jedi held life in high regard.
Yun-Ne'Shel stood apart from other Yuuzhan Vong gods in that she did not demand sacrifices from those seeking her assistance. Instead, the Modeler would observe the actions of those needing her help and respond accordingly. Priests of Yun-Ne'Shel existed, as they did for all Yuuzhan Vong gods, although they were often compelled to acknowledge that the goddess's idealism had been misguided and unproductive. Almost any female Yuuzhan Vong who became pregnant would appeal to Yun-Ne'Shel, as the goddess of childbirth, for a healthy child and a trouble-free pregnancy. The Modeler's priests would, in exchange for payment from the petitioner, provide assistance during childbirth.
Members of the intendant caste—those in charge of the administrative and bureaucratic functions within Yuuzhan Vong society—often turned to Yun-Ne'Shel when they required creative inspiration for challenging tasks. Warriors, despite their impatience with Yun-Ne'Shel's perceived misguided idealism, would occasionally invoke the Modeler's name when implementing new strategies and tactics. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Warmaster Tsavong Lah of the warrior caste assembled an armada to destroy the New Republic presence at Ebaq 9. Each battle group within his armada was named after a Yuuzhan Vong deity; only Yun-Shuno, Yun-Lingni, and Yun-Ne'Shel were not honored in this way.
Yun-Ne'Shel was primarily worshiped by the shaper caste—the caste responsible for developing and maintaining Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology—due to her position as the goddess of creation and design.
Those shapers who were considered skilled and successful in their use of Yun-Ne'Shel's gifts were said to have the goddess's favor. Decades after the Yuuzhan Vong War, members of the shaper caste collaborated with the Jedi Order to transform worlds devastated by the invasion into flourishing paradises. Master Shaper Nei Rin came to believe that the Jedi Master Kol Skywalker, with whom she collaborated on the Ossus Project, as the initiative was called, was viewed favorably by Yun-Ne'Shel.