Chiss

"The Chiss do not simply accept alien concepts without careful consideration.  We certainly do not submit to domination.  By anyone."

- Mitth'raw'nuruodo (Thrawn)

The Chiss are a tall, blue-skinned Near-Human civilization from the planet Csilla in the Unknown Regions. Best known to most Humans as the people to which Grand Admiral Thrawn belonged to. Due to the remote position of their home territory in the Chiss Ascendancy, they remained largely an enigma to the rest of the galaxy, and contact with outsiders was limited even in the days of the Galactic Alliance.

The Chiss are a Near-Human species hailing from the planet Csilla in the Unknown Regions. Their existence was a mystery to the galaxy at large until some five years after the Battle of Endor, when Grand Admiral Thrawn, a Chiss, rallied the scattered Imperial Forces and almost destroyed the New Republic. Even then, Thrawn's species remained virtually unknown until a decade later.

The Chiss control over two dozen star systems from the Chiss homeworld. New Republic scientists (and many Chiss historians) believe that the species is descended from a very old Human colony, perhaps even predating the founding of the Old Republic.

The Chiss species has a rigid, disciplined society that xenosociologists attribute to the cold climate of their homeworld. They do not show signs of decadent or greedy behavior, so most relate Chiss colonial expansion to a desire to impose order onto chaotic nearby star systems. Chiss society is controlled by four ruling "families" - not true biological groups, but effectively four separate branches of government. The Csapla clan dictates colonial issues, natural resources, and agriculture; the Nuruodo family (the clan of the famed Grand Admiral Thrawn) controls the military and foreign affairs; the Inrokini handle industry, the sciences, communication, and nonmilitary technology; and the Sabosen clan oversees justice, public health, and education.

The Chiss are a proud and highly intelligent species, valuing a knack for strategy and subterfuge over brute force. Although isolated in the Unknown Regions of the galaxy within their so-called "Chiss Ascendancy", the Chiss were singled out by the Sith Empire as potential servants and allies because of their outsider status and their relative lack of moral qualms. It is not that the Chiss are evil by nature, but that they value pragmatism and efficiency and recognize both of these qualities in the Empire.

Chiss codes of conduct forbid them to strike first. (Thrawn violated this code by executing a preemptive strike against the Outbound Flight project, a Jedi expedition launched just before the fall of the Galactic Republic.  His exile eventually brought him to the attention of Emperor Palpatine). Once attacked, the Chiss do not rest until the attackers are destroyed or completely subjugated. The Ssi-ruuk Imperium was all but destroyed by Chiss fleets after their reptillian conquerors assaulted outlying Chiss colonies, for example.

Chiss who have dealt with the Sith Empire, the Galactic Empire, or the New Republic have almost universally been operatives of the Nuruodo family.

Personality
As a species, the Chiss are disciplined, cold, and arrogant. They strive to gain the advantage in any tactical or social situation. Chiss who consort with non-Chiss never completely shake their xenophobic instincts. Around non-Chiss and other potential enemies, a Chiss remains pensive and aloof, constantly plotting tactics to ensure victory in a possible confrontation. After suffering a defeat or setback, a Chiss often contemplates what might be done differently to ensure victory the next time.

Chiss display a great deal of interest in the arts and sciences of other cultures. They study the culture of a potential enemy the way a biologist would observe the behavior of a dangerous insect - with detachment and extreme caution.

Physical Description
The Chiss have blue skin and glowing red eyes, the shades of which grow darker depending on the level of oxygen in the atmosphere they breathe. The higher the level of oxygen, the more intense the color of the Chiss' eyes and skin. Their hair is usually black, although in some rare cases it turns gray with age. This is particularly common among females and it signifies someone whose children will have great impact on Chiss society.

Male and female Chiss tend to be more powerfully built than baseline Humans, but otherwise they exhibit the same variances that exist between humanoid sexes. They stand between 1.6 meters and 2.1 meters tall.

Alien Type:  Near-Human
Near-Human is a general term for any of the many species or subspecies in the galaxy which are very closely related biologically to baseline Humans. In contrast, other humanoid species only had general external similarities to Humans and have no biological connection.

Most Near-Humans share close external similarities to Humans, usually with small differences in skin and eye color or bone structure. Biologically, many Near-Humans are capable of interbreeding with baseline Humans. Some are close enough to the Human baseline to be considered a race or ethnic group of Humans, rather than a seperate species.

The Chiss, a race that dwells in the Unknown Regions, are a Near-Human people that have pale blue skin, generally black hair, and red reflective or fluorescent eyes which gives them excellent low-light vision. Their growth cycle differs from Humans, with an early maturation, for example. They are differentiated enough from baseline Humans to be considered a new species. In other aspects they resemble normal Humans:  they bleed red blood, and the cloning tanks used to clone Human Stormtroopers also work on Chiss physiology.

Homeworld
Csilla, a frigid world in the Unknown Regions.

Language
Chiss speak and read Cheunh, a complex language. To master the language, non-Chiss must spend 2 points for the Linguistics (Cheunh) skill. Chiss can speak Basic with ease, but few know the language since it is uncommon in their empire.

Example Names
Chiss have long three-part names, which they abbreviate when dealing with non-Chiss. Case in point, the Chiss named Mitth'raw'nuruodo is better known as Thrawn.

Other abreviated names:  Dreel, Prakk, Karynee, Lev, Sorn, Szarda, Voss, Zilvad.

Age in Years

 * Child  (1 - 10)
 * Young Adult  (11 - 13)
 * Adult  (14 - 50)
 * Middle Age  (51 - 62)
 * Old  (63 - 79)
 * Venerable  (80+)

Adventurers
Chiss adventurers tend to be nobles, scoundrels, scouts, or soldiers. It is unknown whether they have any Force traditions.

Charric (Chiss Blaster Rifle)
In combat, the Chiss use two-handed rifles called Charrics. About the size of a standard blaster rifle, a Charric emits a maser-guided particle beam. The intense microwaves of the maser beam easily penetrate nonmetallic armor (including ceramic and polymer-based armor), ignoring the armor's damage reduction. Although metallic armor retains its damage reduction against the Charric's intense microwaves, contact creates an electrical discharge that can either stun or knock out a target.

A variant model of the Charric includes an actual stun setting. On this model, the particle beam is shut off and the maser is replaced with a green EM-charge specifically designed to disrupt neurological patterns.

A Charric requires a power pack to operate. After 40 shots, the power pack must be replaced.

Chiss Faction Affiliations

 * The Chiss Ascendancy  (5,000 BBY - )
 * The Sith Empire  (3,951 BBY - c. 2,000 BBY)
 * The Brotherhood of Darkness  (c. 1,000 BBY)
 * The Galactic Federation of Free Alliances  (28 ABY - 41 ABY)
 * Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire  (130 ABY - 138 ABY)