Difference between revisions of "Chiss"

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== Biology and Appearance ==
 
== Biology and Appearance ==
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Native to the planet [[Csilla]], the Chiss are a race that very closely resemble humans, but there are significant differences between the two, most notably in outward appearance and their vocal cords. Chiss have black hair and glowing red eyes while their skin colour ranges from pale to dark blue; it is believed that their coloration and the eye color is influenced by the level of oxygen in the environment. They also have an increased metabolic rate, which typically results in a very lean physique with well-defined musculature.
 
Native to the planet [[Csilla]], the Chiss are a race that very closely resemble humans, but there are significant differences between the two, most notably in outward appearance and their vocal cords. Chiss have black hair and glowing red eyes while their skin colour ranges from pale to dark blue; it is believed that their coloration and the eye color is influenced by the level of oxygen in the environment. They also have an increased metabolic rate, which typically results in a very lean physique with well-defined musculature.
  
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The Chiss vocal mechanism was noted for being similar to Humans but there were apparent differences which was evident in their capacity to speak their native language.
 
The Chiss vocal mechanism was noted for being similar to Humans but there were apparent differences which was evident in their capacity to speak their native language.
  
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In addition, their growth rate was greatly accelerated to the point that they matured quickly and much faster when compared to Humans. Chiss of the age of 10-years of age held the physical maturity of a 20-year old Human. This in turn resulted in a culturally-imprinted emotional maturity that was many times above that of their Human counterparts. They were capable of living up to 80 years old where a Chiss was considered venerable; children were between 1-10 whilst they became adults between 11-13 and were considered full adults by 15-50. Middle-age was between the ages of 51-62 and those between the ages of 63-79 which was considered old.
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In addition, their growth rate was greatly accelerated to the point that they matured quickly and much faster when compared to Humans. Chiss of the age of 10-years of age held the physical maturity of a 20-year old Human. This in turn resulted in a culturally-imprinted emotional maturity that was many times above that of their Human counterparts. They were capable of living up to 80 years old where a Chiss was considered venerable; children were between 1-10 whilst they became adults between 11-14 and were considered full adults by 16-50. Middle-age was between the ages of 51-62 and those between the ages of 63-79 which was considered old.
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== Culture ==
 
  
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== Culture and Society ==
  
 
The species were highly reserved in their emotions and often did not display feelings openly; either by smiling or by warm gestures. As such, they rarely were vocal about any feelings of anger or frustration though they did possess some curse words to employ should the situation warrant such an expression.
 
The species were highly reserved in their emotions and often did not display feelings openly; either by smiling or by warm gestures. As such, they rarely were vocal about any feelings of anger or frustration though they did possess some curse words to employ should the situation warrant such an expression.
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The Chiss are also known as being very deliberate and composed in their actions and their disciplined manner has been credited to their upbringing. In Chiss society a child's maturity is accelerated; they almost entirely bypass an adolescent period before being accepted as an adult. Chiss culture is largely based on customs and courtesies. For a time in their history there were Ruling Families, also called Ruling Houses. The number of these extended families would wax and wane depending on the governing needs of the time, and eventually faded from direct political power, but a legacy of social practices from their era still lingers. One such tradition is the elaborate welcoming ritual, in the form of colours and ceremony, that marks the visit of a member of a former Family into the domain of another.
 
The Chiss are also known as being very deliberate and composed in their actions and their disciplined manner has been credited to their upbringing. In Chiss society a child's maturity is accelerated; they almost entirely bypass an adolescent period before being accepted as an adult. Chiss culture is largely based on customs and courtesies. For a time in their history there were Ruling Families, also called Ruling Houses. The number of these extended families would wax and wane depending on the governing needs of the time, and eventually faded from direct political power, but a legacy of social practices from their era still lingers. One such tradition is the elaborate welcoming ritual, in the form of colours and ceremony, that marks the visit of a member of a former Family into the domain of another.
  
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Honour is very important to the Chiss race, and the actions of a Chiss are always subject to scrutiny. As such, the Chiss tend to be very formal and always considerate of how their actions can affect their Family and themselves. They are also very intelligent and often gifted in strategic thinking, as well as private and insular. The Chiss language is called [[Cheunh]], but many also speak the trade languages including [[Basic]].
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Honour is very important to the Chiss race, and the actions of a Chiss are always subject to scrutiny. As such, the Chiss tend to be very formal and always considerate of how their actions can affect their Family and themselves. They are also very intelligent and often gifted in strategic thinking, as well as private and insular. The Chiss language is called [[Cheunh]], but many also speak the trade languages including [[Basic]], Minnistat and Sy Bisti.
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Chiss military culture has always been a proud one. Thanks to their early space flight achievements the Chiss managed to gain a certain status in the unknown regions. Their main source of military achievements was the top secret "seekers" program. unknown to most of the galaxy, and many Chiss alike. seekers program was focused on hyperspace navigation in the unknown regions. While to other species it could take weeks to travel between two coordinates in the unknown regions, Chiss would always be there within a few days. This level of speed was achieved through The Force, or as the Chiss call it Third Sight. While in 3rd sight, a person could navigate a ship through normally hard to travel unknown regions. This was achieved by a common ability in The Force - a short insinght into the future. The so-called Skywalker would tap into The Force and see the immediate danger ahead of them, and navigate slowly around them, enabling the ship to travel in hyper space for a longer period of time, instead of going jump by jump.  For Centuries, the only Chiss with the power to tap into The Force were Children. The Force was strong with a newborn Child, but the powers faded over time, until around 12-14 years old, most Chiss lost their ability to navigate ships. It is important to note that during the Vagaari Wars this fading process became lower and lower, and thus enabling Chiss to retain their Force abilities into adulthood. However, by 0 CGT the Chiss experienced the same issue of fewer and fewer children demonstrating force ability that was impacting the rest of the galaxy.
  
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Chiss military culture has always been a proud one. Thanks to their early space flight achievements the Chiss managed to gain a certain status in the unknown regions.
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Other important aspect of the Chiss martial culture was the no preemptive strike policy, imposed during the isolationist era of the Ascendancy, with the reasons being officially hidden but known to have some connection to the alliance between the Ascendancy and the ancient Sith Empire. This directive forbade ships from firing upon other ships unless directly fired upon. This directive was later been abolished by the time of the Chiss Civil Dispute, but was resurrected, with some caveats,  under Grand Syndic [[Cong`liddo Nollaig]] upon his ascension to the Grand Syndicacy in 24 CGT.
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Their main source of military achievements was the top secret "seekers" program. unknown to most of the galaxy, and many Chiss alike. seekers program was focused on hyperspace navigation in the unknown regions. While to other species it could take weeks to travel between two coordinates in the unknown regions, Chiss would always be there within a few days. This level of speed was achieved through The Force, or as the Chiss call it 3rd sight.
 
  
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While in 3rd sight, a person could navigate a ship through normally hard to travel unknown regions. This was achieved by a common ability in The Force - a short insinght into the future. The so-called Skywalker would tap into The Force and see the immediate danger ahead of them, and navigate slowly around them, enabling the ship to travel in hyper space for a longer period of time, instead of going jump by jump.
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Chiss receive their primary education either from their family or a primary school. At age 11 or 12, they must choose either enrollment at a military academy, government internship, or apprenticeship in a private company. At age 16, they are permitted one year to do as they wish before entering their chosen field if they have completed their training. Chiss in this stage may either choose to become travellers(with their costs funded by their families or by taking temporary work), or  enter their chosen line of work immediately. An exception was made for Skywalkers, who were permitted this time from the time they lost their powers until age 17, but had to be accompanied by a guardian  until they were 16. In the years following the Chiss Civil Dispute, these younglings became prime recruitment targets for the Vesci Houses.
  
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sadly, the only Chiss with the power to tap into The Force were Children. The Force was strong with a newborn Child, but the powers faded over time, until around 12 years old, most Chiss lost their ability to navigate ships. It is important to note that during the ACGT this fading process became lower and lower, and thus enableing Chiss to retain their Force abilities into adulthood.
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=== Language ===
  
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Other important aspect of the Chiss martial culture was the no preamptive strike policy, during the isolationist era of the Ascendancy. This directive forbid the ships from firing upon other ships unless directly fired upon. This directive has later been abolished.
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Cheunh is the primary language of the Chiss. For non-native speakers, it is a very dense, difficult-to-understand language, where subtle differences of pronunciation are extremely important to the message. Both the written symbols and spoken language are referred to as Cheunh.
  
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====Spoken Cheunh:====
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The spoken language is a complex series of compound words and phrases used to communicate ideas. Root words are used as the core of the word meaning, and built up with the context of the idea or statement. Pronunciation is extremely strict, and even minor differences in a pronounced sound can lead to a radical difference in the word’s meaning. Aspirations on a sound (the soft expelling of air when making the sound) can change the meaning entirely, as can the use (or omission) of a pause in the pronunciation, known as a glottal stop. The Chiss have a much more pliant vocal system than most other species, allowing them to make such throaty pauses much more easily. Cheunh is a very context-heavy language, and is considerably more precise than Basic, Huttese, or any of the other major languages outside Ascendancy Space. To an outsider, a Chiss speaking proper Cheunh often sounds like he or she is stuttering. When a non-Chiss speaks Cheunh their inability to fully pronounce it all can warp the meaning of the words.
  
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===Galactic archives===
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====Written Cheunh:====
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The written form of Cheunh is described by non-native writers as flowing, in comparison to the blockier written form of Basic. Written Cheunh does not use letters the way that Basic does, but instead uses ideograms that symbolize concepts and ideas. Combining these ideograms formulates each word, in much the same what that adding on to root words does in the spoken form. Written Cheunh comes in several differing levels of formality, to cover the necessary level of respect the communication much express. Technical Cheunh uses many more, less complex ideograms than casual Cheunh. Formal Cheunh adds in the use of flourishes and shading to further express deference or respect for the one being written to or about. Formal Cheunh is almost always used to sign a document, though casual Cheunh is most often used for day to day communications.
  
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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. What was known about them was mediated largely through encounter with military units, and through a few high-level contacts with political and diplomatic delegations. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the military and the ruling class were the best understood aspects of Chiss society; or at least, the best documented.
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Translating Cheunh documents into Basic is a challenge as it frequently requires the use of a secondary, rarely used character on datapads to do so.
  
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The impression held by the galaxy was also that the Chiss were arrogant, aloof and calculating beings. However, whilst this was true in some cases, the Chiss demonstrated varying personality types similar to other species. General traits demonstrated by them, however, were being well-educated, artistic and cautious when dealing with outsiders. Outsiders had the general impression that the Chiss were very polite and highly civilized species. Their reputation meant that they were both respected and, in some cases, feared.
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==== Chiss Names – Past and Present:====
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The most confusing aspect of Chiss Society involves the names of individuals.
  
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For record-keeping by non-chiss, this once created a problem as the original format for naming changed throughout the course of a Chiss’s life.
  
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== Society and politics ==
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A Chiss started their life if a first name from one parent, a middle name for the individual(consisting of 2-5 syllables), and a last name from another parent. The Chiss would be individually known by a Core Name, consisting of the last syllable of their first name, their entire middle name, and the first syllable of their last name. To make things even more confusing the name of the more prominent family tended to be placed first, to help the Chiss have a higher social status.
  
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Young Chiss identified as rising talents were recruited by the Chiss Houses as Merit Adoptives would have their first name changed to match the name of their new House.
  
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''Their society was highly structured and ordered with the rule of law being enforced by a group of affiliations known as the Ruling Families, also known as the Ruling Circle, that consisted of a number of clans or houses.''
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The last name could be changed as an identifier of occupational assignment, if they obtained a more seior rank within the House that conrolled the government bureau in which they worked.
  
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Legal Reforms in Year 7 CGT abolished the traditional renaming practice, but recent advocacy by chiss traditionalists has allowed chiss to use traditional styled names for galactic record keeping purposes(renaming is still not permitted).
  
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These were not biological family groupings but instead different branches of their government. As of today (year 24 day 282) their ranks included the [[House H'zebi]], [[House Csohn]], [[Kimril Kiil]], [[Nuruodo]] and [[Mitth]]. In reality, the family names were more of a cultural holdover as the bloodlines had grown so co-meddled that any Chiss could claim affiliation to any of the ruling families. As families themselves were not in competition, rivalries themselves were rare according to one report by the University of Sanbra as a Chiss' allegiance to one family did not normally affect their day-to-day living. In spite of the outward impression of calm and order that the Chiss liked to project to outsiders, there were evidently tensions within the Families. This was evident by the fact that there was a tricky balance of power amongst the families.  
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===Chiss and the Force===
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The earliest records of chiss history attest that chiss who displayed what would later be called force sensitivity were exiled and organized communities that would coalesce into the [[Chiss Sages]]. The Sages were scholars who studied the force from a Chiss perspective. When the Ascendancy was founded, they provided the initial training for the Ozyly-Esehembo("Sky-walkers"). Following the Chiss Civil Dispute, where they would migrate to sarvchi, only to return to csilla in greatly reduced numbers and with the only explanation that there was a civil war on Sarvchi between [[House Chaf]] and the Sages. Upon their return to Csilla, the Sages became a mutual aid society, independent of any governing authority of Csilla. As a result of the [[Treaty of Csilla]], the Sages found themselves under the Chiss Ascendancy and began cooperating with the Jedi Order.
  
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===Ruling families===
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In Year 24, the Ozyly-Esehembo were restored and the Chiss Sages were declared abolished. The Ozyly-Esehembo now oversaw all operations regarding the force.
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[[File:Chiss syndic.png|frame|right| an ilustration of important family member]]
 
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Ruling families were commonly known as families in charge of the Ascendancy. As a general rule, the Ruling families have have a Aristocra in charge of family matters. In ancient times they were the once making strategic and economical decisions in a goverment structure known as Council of Families where all the Aristocra of all the ruling families gathered. As the society progressed it became apparent that the disputes between each member of the Council of Families slowed down the Ascendancy, and brought it down. In current ages, the ruling families retain mostly advisory role to the Chiss Ascendancy, and primarily serve as the centre of the Chiss society. Even after the ruling families lost its power over Ascendancy, Chiss generaly did not take part in any action that would bring shame on their house with entire family lines exiled due to the actions of a single member. A tradition of shadow children was also recorded, these were offspring who were kept safely anonymous to prevent a family bloodline being fully exterminated.
 
  
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'''structure:'''
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However, some other Chiss have already joined other force traditions and there have been Chiss Jedi and Chiss Sith.
  
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* Aristorcra - head of the family
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===Chiss Houses===
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* Blood - in past known as the true ancestors of the family
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[[File:Chiss syndic.png|frame|right| a Chiss House member]]
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* Trial Born - position awarded to those deemed profitable to the family at large. Usually involving some sort of trial/ceremony.
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The origin of Chiss Houses remains shrouded in mystery. All that is known is that at some point, certain families were elevated above others and became governors of territory on Csilla. These Houses competed over territory and influence, while also forging alliances. The culmination of this process was the founding of the Chiss Ascendancy. The Houses with the most influence became known as the Ruling Houses, while all the others became designated as Great Houses. The assembly of Chiss Houses was known as the Council of Families. The Council lasted until it was finally dissolved by the Chiss Parliament in 2 BCGT. [[Carn`ilo Sabosen]] revived the Council of Families in 10 CGT and has since evolved into the administrative body of the Chiss Ascendancy until reforms in 22 CGT made it an assembly of Houses once again. Internal disputes led to the Council of Families being dissolved by 23, before the adoption of the [[Ascendancy Articles]] in 24 CGT.
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* Merit Adoptive - a custom status for any newly rematched Chiss.
 
  
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Under the Ascendancy Articles Chiss Houses do not direct Chiss Ascendancy policy but serve as a link between the Galactic Chiss Community and the Chiss Ascendancy itself. Houses that have broken Chiss law are known as Exiled Houses.
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Houses that are not seated in the Council are known as Vesci Houses.
  
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As the ranks of the families became more and more intertwined, almost any Chiss is now able to claim blood to the ruling families. This resulted in a significant shift in the Chiss society and the families within.
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====Positions====
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The following positions are within each Chiss House:
  
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'''''Merit Adoptive''''': Newest Recruits to the Chiss House. Historically, merit adoptives have been allowed to leave a House at anytime they choose.
  
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The families themselves were quite aware of any opportunity where they were able to exploit the weakness of a rival. As such, they were quick to take offense at any insult that was perceived against their position. Those Chiss caught in the middle of inter-house rivalries spent much of their time in intelligence gathering in order to get useful information that could be used for blackmail even if it was only capable of being used many years in the future. This trait made the Chiss excellent counterintelligence agents with a trained member of their kind able to see through disguises, evaluate body language, detect idiosyncrasies in speech pattern and even distinguish authentic items from forgeries. Chiss officers informed that the highest structures of power and influence within the Family hierarchies were kept largely secret from those outside them.
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'''''Trial-Born''''': Merit Adoptives who have passed one of more House Trials, which vary from House to House. Trial Born who transfer must notify House leadership, prior to leaving. This is the highest position attainable for Non-Chiss members of a House.
  
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The number of Ruling Families within Chiss society was not a fixed number and was in a state of flux. As stated, over the various centuries, there had been as many as twelve and as few as three Ruling Families that led the Chiss..  
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'''''Blood Born''''': The traditional positions of Blood, Cousin and Ranking Distant were been merged under the reforms of House Positions advocated by the Chiss Diaspora. Blood Born are the most respected members of the houses and the respect is shown by making them eligible for House leadership. The leader is counted as a Blood Born. A Speaker who is Chiss is also counted as a Blood-Born.
  
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===Politics===
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'''''Speaker''''': The Second in Command of the House. They serve also as the Regent in the event the House Leader dies or is unavailable.
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The heart of Chiss politics and government was on their homeworld of [[Csilla]] where the ruling families met the House Palace at the capital city of Csaplar. It was there that both the Cabinet and Parliament resided. Representatives of the 28 colony worlds were located at Parliament where they were appointed as governors or House leaders. The Cabinet handled the intricacies of governing with all their decisions being approved by one of the four families. Chiss governmental structure existed to move important decisions up the chain of command and ultimately to the ruling families themselves. As such, individual colonies had their voices heard in the Parliament with these being taken up by the departments of the Cabinet after which they were finally given to the families The positions in Parliament were democractically chosen by colonial vote which differed compared to Cabinet who were all appointed by the families.
 
  
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Their government was highly structured and ordered with the rule of law being enforced by the ruling families. These were not biological family groupings but instead different branches of their government. All families along with the average Chiss citizen were represented at Parliament. Though not led by a dictator, the Chiss believed that only rigid discipline and superior technology were needed to hold the forces of anarchy at bay. The ruling class were known to engage in constant power struggles but despite this fact, the Ascendancy maintained strict controls over its territory which led to its civilization to prosper.
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'''''Patriarch/Matriarch''''': The leader of a Chiss House. How they are chosen varies from House to House. Some Houses appoint their leaders and others elect them.
  
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However, the federal powers of these representatives, who seem to have been known collectively as "Senators", were largely limited to voicing concerns that would then be responded to by a central oligarchy, consisting of the Family hierarchy—perhaps in the form of the Council of Families—acting in conjunction with the Cabinet, a cadre of administrative officials appointed by the Families themselves. It was this élite that was apparently responsible for all aspects of policy and strategy, shaping and directing Chiss society across the Ascendancy through controlling the allocation of resources in a highly-controlled and money-free command economy.
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====The Houses====
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While Chiss Houses may be founded or dissolved at anytime, the Chiss Ascendancy never did have(and still does not) any authority to dissolve a Chiss House.
  
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Chiss diplomats were typically assigned a staff of twenty who wore their own house colors and were capable of being assigned two squads of six warriors as an honor guard though these units also wore military black.
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However, the Grand Syndic may seat a Chiss House within the Council of Families as a Minor House, elevate a Minor House to Major House, or demote a Major House to Minor House.
  
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These are the Chiss Houses known to have existed in modern galactic history:
  
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== Language ==
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[[House Adelina]]
  
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The Chiss language was [[Cheunh]] and was first accepted during the developing years of their civilization when they formed a planet-wide government which consisted of single tongue that their society accepted. It was known to be a dense and difficult synthetic language to master as complicated ideas were expressed by uniting unrelated words into larger words. Thus, it had relatively few core words though the syntax required the speaker to piece together compound words which was complex and involved.
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[[House Amals]]
  
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One factor that certainly added to the complexity of the language was the fact that in writing, Cheunh did not possess an abstract alphabet like Aurebesh. Cheunh instead used ideograms representing concepts and complex ideas being expressed by combining simpler ideograms. The Chiss held great pride in not only understanding but conversing in such a convoluted language. It was hard for outsiders to understand though Car'das believed it to be a logical, and the Chiss believed that the grammar was logical and easy to learn. However, the Chiss believed it was quite impossible for non-Chiss to learn to speak it properly. Though this complex nuance filled language was difficult for non-Chiss to master due to its intricacies, the Chiss themselves had little trouble mastering Basic though many were unfamiliar with it. At least some phrases in the language were highly idiomatic – the pejorative ''moactan teel'' literally meant "fair-haired", implying that something about the addressee was non-Chiss, and thus barbarous.
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[[House Ar`togl]]
  
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[[House Csapla]]
  
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===naming system===
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[[House Csohn]]
  
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Traditionally, Chiss names consisted of a long tripartite structure with three distinct sections. Usually, this followed the convention of the first and last being family names and the middle being the given name. Abbreviated versions of these were known as core names with their usage being a questionable choice. This was because full names were required for formal occasions, strangers and those that were believed to be the speakers social inferior. However, this policy was capable of being broken if there were good and valid reasons for doing so. Such was the case when dealing with outsiders who had trouble pronouncing Chiss full names. The predominance of core names, at least in communication with outsiders, was such that a number of such names were recorded without the full name being known. Apparently, the core name was typically formed by combining the short central section of the name with the last sound of the preceding section and the opening sound of the following. The name of the Ruling Family to which they belong is used as the first element of their full name, and this also defines the opening sound of their core name.
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[[Hosue Evaro]]
  
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[[House Foner]]
  
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[[House H`zebi]]
  
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[[House Ilone]]
  
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[[House Inronkini]]
  
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[[House Kim`ril]]
  
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During their childhood, Chiss were taught to read through the great stacks of data of the great library on [[Csilla]]. These contained basic information that every Chiss absorbed during their childhood after years of intense schooling.
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[[House Mitth]]
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The species were highly reserved in their emotions and often did not display feelings openly; either by smiling or by warm gestures. As such, they rarely were vocal about any feelings of anger or frustration though they did possess some curse words to employ should the situation warrant such an expression.
 
  
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Though this was the impression projected, the Chiss were also a thoughtful people. While they were deliberate and calculating, they were not above wondering about how certain events might have turned differently had circumstances been altered. Much of their ability to solve problems stemmed from their reliance on data and when facing unpredictable situations, typical Chiss behavior meant that they would rather flee in the scene. This was not a universal characteristic as certain individuals with the ability to learn under such circumstances were able to continue to fight. In fact, whenever a Chiss suffered a setback or even a defeat, they often contemplated what might had been done differently in order to ensure that a victory was achieved in the next engagement. Chiss were noted for possessing an unparalleled aptitude for tactical thinking. The ideals of the Chiss were idolized in the form of the Red Flame which was a combination of courage, discipline and cunning.
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[[House Nakesh]]
  
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The long spacefaring history of the Chiss led to them creating a superior combat force with their starfighter pilots being infamous throughout the Unknown Regions. Such squadrons were ruled by discipline and their pilots were known to spare disabled starships if they broadcasted a surrender. They also did not celebrate until their duty was completed as any celebrations made before such an event were considered false. Despite this, they were highly committed in their duties and a Chiss warrior if given an order would carry it out even if they disagreed with it which highlighted their belief in the chain of command. It was also known that the Chiss as a culture had an aversion to suicide and expendability as they found those actions to be wasteful.Though this was the case, there were occasions where Chiss gave their lives rather then surrender. In such circumstances, this was either due to the importance of the strategy for their people or because surrendering to a certain foe was considered a fate worse than death.
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[[House Nuroudo]]
  
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The Chiss had a keen interest in art and science and were skilled in mathematics. Their thought processes were based around a logical mindset which meant that they were interested in philosophy and in learning about other cultures. On the other hand, they were also xenophobic and any knowledge they gained from other cultures was used as a means of gaining a advantage over a potential foe.
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[[House Oblivion]]
  
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Their clinical detachment was similar to how a biologist studied an insect which was how the Chiss view their foes and they often engaged in extreme caution in such circumstances. When among non-Chiss, individual members of the race were often aloof and pensive as they plotted tactics which would ensure a victory if a confrontation were to occur. Chiss never truly lost their xenophobic instincts, even when they were amongst members of other species for long periods of time. Ultimately, Chiss were loyal to their own kind and looked down upon aliens as being barbaric as well as immature. Despite this fact, most Chiss were considered peaceful and abided by the strict code of conduct that governed their race.In addition, though xenophobic, they were at times willing to accept members of other races into their ranks so long as they proved to be exceptional as well as trustworthy individuals. Furthermore, the subject needed to prove themselves capable of following Chiss disciplines in order to gain their loyalty and respect. The Chiss were considered an honorable people who did not kill more than they thought was necessary to accomplish their goals. However, they were not above using biological weapons of mass destruction against a foe should it be felt that their survival was threatened.
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[[House Rono]]
  
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In Chiss society, there was no concept of finances or money with everything being provided for by the state. They also maintained tightly controlled borders that were self-sufficient in the isolated territory that they rule. Their colonies supplied them with both food and resources whilst developing technology comparable to the rest of the galaxy. As such, they saw no need in trade and their culturally derived contempt of "lesser races" also prohibited them from forming better relations with their neighbors. In fact, the motive for their exploration and expansion was dificult to determine as they lacked the passion for conquering the unknown which was a trait that Humans possessed. In addition, they did not claim new territory out of greed or for a hunger for power. Their space program was mostly governed by the basic need to manage their population and gathering resources without upsetting their homeworlds ecosystem. Their territory sufficed for their entire population needs. A report by the University of Sanbra indicated that the Chiss population numbered nearly 5 trillion. Despite their growing border, they still fostered a cultural contempt for other species. Instead, they believed in isolation and the preservation of their heritage.
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[[House Royan]]
  
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It was believed by many xenosociologists that the rigid and disciplined nature of Chiss society stemmed from their cold environment on their homeworld. They were noted for displaying no signs of decadent or greedy behavior and thus it was concluded that any signs of colonial expansion were mostly due to the Chiss desiring to put order onto chaotic locations. This was in fact the leading theory by the University of Sanbra who concluded that the motivation for Chiss expansion was their ideal of seeking to impose order on what they saw as a chaotic and barbaric region. Being nearly impossible to enrage, they preferred to only act when all factors had been taken into account with the issue itself analysed. In addition, they believed firmly in the chain of command as well as positions of authority. In fact, Chiss were taught to respect the position itself rather then the person holding that title. As such, Chiss often responded when an individual called out the rank rather then their name.
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[[House Sabosen]]
  
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Some reports indicated that there were no Chiss [[Jedi]] and it was not known whether there was a Force-tradition within Chiss society.
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[[House Yar]]
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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((see also: [[Chiss Ascendancy|History of the Chiss Ascendancy]]))
  
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The origin of the Chiss were largely unknown, even to the Chiss themselves though some scientists thought that they were the result of a long forgotten Human colony that had been lost to time.This was the leading theory held by not only Chiss historians but scientists within the New Republic who held the view that this colony predated the formation of the Old Republic. A report by the University of Sanbra indicated that very little was known of Chiss history due to their own records being carefully guarded on their homeworld.
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The origins of the Chiss Race are subject to debate. While the view observed by the wider galaxy is that Chiss are descended from the human colonists who arrived on Csilla circa 30,000 BCGT. Most scholars of this view point out no only the near human physiology of Chiss, but also that there was a zhellic tribe on ancient [[Coruscant]] that worshipped "Csil", the God of Justice in the Zhellic religion. The tribe was one the "Thirteen Battalions of zhell".
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According to Chiss legend, their homeworld was once a warm and tropical planet. However, the planet was later locked in an ice age with profound glaciation encompassing the terrestrial world which forced the Chiss ancestors to travel along the ice front's leading age in order to survive at the temperate front as glaciers began spreading across the planet. It was believed that the glacialation process occured over an extended period of time and at an age when the Chiss were already technologically advanced which allowed them to overcome these challenges to their survival by way of technological adaptations. This led to many to conclude that the early Chiss existed on [[Csilla]] prior to it succumbing to an ice age. Thus, [[Csilla]] became later nearly became almost inhospitable by 5,000 BBY and it was only by living underground did this divergent species survive. It was this later act that furthered the genetic changes notably seen in their skin tone and eyes which marked the Chiss being very different from their ancestral race. As such, it was believed that by going underground, the race gradually began to diverge from the baseline Human species and the glacial mineral content began to alter their physiology into its more modern form.
 
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However newer studies conducted during the 7th Ascendancy on the [[Chiss cultural oasis]] have stated that the origin of Chiss may not be result of a direct colony descension, but rather genetic engineering. In their latest report, Chiss [[Prard`aga Rono]], [[Arizi Tez Faorusdo]] and [[Boadil OK Isan]] informed the public on the possibility that their species may have been experimented upon by the ancient Rakata species in an effort to in their words create a "slave race" to rise in the galaxy many thousands of years BCGT.
 
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These reports have been largely controversial in the Chiss culture and in many cases even declared "heresy"
 
  
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Xenosociologists believed that this period had a profound impact on the developing Chiss and led to them evolving to their current mindset. However, little was known of these early Chiss as certain legends indicated that a decadent culture had formed in the tropics that were unprepared for this ice age. Related parables even stated that northern dwelling Chiss slaughtered their decadent southern cousins when resources became sparse and chilling temperatures befell the planet. Regardless, it was known that the Chiss adapted well to their planet during its climatic change and began tapping into geothermal energy as a power source. This led to them to build several populous cities amongst the glaciers and were quick to develop a global government. Thus, they avoided the adolscence period on developing worlds that saw nations compete with one another as well as adopted a planet-wide tongue. Eventually, their species mastered star travel independently with some speculation that they tapped into the ancient memories of the colonization effort that first brought them to [[Csilla]].  
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Newer research counters this view, dismissing that differences of Chiss in skin and eye coloration could not have taken place over such a short time as the 25 centuries between the earliest chiss records and the founding of the Chiss Ascendancy. These researchers also note that Csilla's ice age began 5000 years ago, and no adaptation could be implemented in such a short span without the aid of genetic engineering, and chiss have no greater resistance to ice and cold than any human.
  
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Over the centuries, the Chiss organized their society into a government, the Chiss Ascendancy. An Invasion and a Civil Dispute led to the disintegration of what Chiss Historians would call the Ancient Chiss Ascendancy. The restoration of the [[Chiss Ascendancy]] would become the goal various Chiss beginning in Year 7.
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From 30,000 BCGT to circa 5000 BCGT, Csilla was a verdant garden world. However, territory appeared to have been divided between the Chiss Houses, with non-house territory being neutral paths of trade or areas controlled by the Chiss Sages. The Sages held an annual festival as a means to foster better relations between the Houses and by 5000 BCGT, one of these festivals would result in the founding of the Chiss Ascendancy.
  
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The wider galaxy would have their first encounter with the Chiss in 3600 BCGT when the Chiss would enter an alliance with the Sith Empire that would last until 3400 CGT, when the alliance was ended and the Chiss began a policy of Isolation.
  
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The Chiss Ascendancy would initially be mired by a Civil Dispute in 11BCGT and then a war against the Vesci Houses in 2 BCGT. By then, all the worlds outside Csilla were unreachable and Csilla itself was devastated. The tunnels became a refuge from the Five Year War(which lasted almost 9 years) and communities who ignored whoever governed above remained until 23 CGT, when recolonization and economic development caused the tunnel population to leave the tunnels and settle in cities on Csilla and other colonies both inside and outside the Csilla system.
  
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A vibrant diaspora community also existed, and they organized as the [[Chiss Society]] in 7 CGT. By 10 CGT, the restored Chiss Ascendancy had replaced the Chiss Society as the main entity for connecting the diaspora Chiss to Chiss culture.
  
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Another oddity has been humans who have recently been discovered to actually be Chiss, revealing that there were Chiss who settled in the wider galaxy and settled among the human population in the centuries following the alliance with the Sith.
  
  
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{{Under Construction}}
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[[Category:Sentient Species]][[Category:Chiss]]
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[[Category:Sentient Species]]
 

Revision as of 11:54, 14 February 2024

This is about the Chiss Race. If you are interested in Chiss Organisations, then you are looking for Chiss Ascendancy

Chiss1.jpg
Chiss
HomeworldCsilla
LanguageCheunh
Skin colorBlue
Hair colorGleaming black
DistinctionsGlowing red eyes, above-average night vision
Average lifespanUp to 80 standard years old
Known MembersList of known Chiss


The Chiss are a race that very closely resemble humans, but there are significant differences between the two, most notably in outward appearance. Chiss have black hair and glowing red eyes while their skin colour ranges from pale to dark blue; it is believed that their coloration and the eye color is influenced by the level of oxygen in the environment. They also have an increased metabolic rate, which typically results in a very lean physique with well-defined musculature.

The Chiss are known as being very deliberate and composed in their actions and their disciplined manner has been credited to their upbringing. In Chiss society a child's maturity is accelerated; they almost entirely bypass an adolescent period before being accepted as an adult. Chiss culture is largely based on customs and courtesies. For a time in their history there were Ruling Families, also called Ruling Houses. The number of these extended families would wax and wane depending on the governing needs of the time, and eventually faded from direct political power, but a legacy of social practices from their era still lingers. One such tradition is the elaborate welcoming ritual, in the form of colours and ceremony, that marks the visit of a member of a former Family into the domain of another.

Honour is very important to the Chiss race, and the actions of a Chiss are always subject to scrutiny. As such, the Chiss tend to be very formal and always considerate of how their actions can affect their Family and themselves. They are also very intelligent and often gifted in strategic thinking, as well as private and insular. The Chiss language is called Cheunh, but many also speak the trade languages including Basic.

Csilla, the Chiss home world, is located in the Unknown Regions and is an icy wasteland ever since the sudden beginning of a planetary Ice Age over fifty centuries ago. In order to survive the harsh climate, the Chiss built energy-efficient warrens under the ice, as close to the warmth of the planet core as possible.


Biology and Appearance

Native to the planet Csilla, the Chiss are a race that very closely resemble humans, but there are significant differences between the two, most notably in outward appearance and their vocal cords. Chiss have black hair and glowing red eyes while their skin colour ranges from pale to dark blue; it is believed that their coloration and the eye color is influenced by the level of oxygen in the environment. They also have an increased metabolic rate, which typically results in a very lean physique with well-defined musculature.

Whilst their hair was typically jet black, it did on rare occasions go gray with age which was seen amongst their females and was a sign that they had borne children that would have a great impact on their society. Their physical form led to some speculation on whether they were an offshoot of humanity's ancient expansions into the galaxy or whether their physical form coincidentally matched that of Humans. However, genetic analysis indicated that they were an offshoot of humanity and it was believed that moving underground led to a divergence between them and base line Humans. Their unique skin tone was seen to be the result of glacial minerals.

Male and female Chiss tend to be more powerfully built when compared to Humans but exhibit the same variances as Humanoid sexes. A Chiss stood between either 1.6 to 2.1 meters in height though an average height of an adult was believed to be 1.7 meters.

The Chiss vocal mechanism was noted for being similar to Humans but there were apparent differences which was evident in their capacity to speak their native language.

In addition, their growth rate was greatly accelerated to the point that they matured quickly and much faster when compared to Humans. Chiss of the age of 10-years of age held the physical maturity of a 20-year old Human. This in turn resulted in a culturally-imprinted emotional maturity that was many times above that of their Human counterparts. They were capable of living up to 80 years old where a Chiss was considered venerable; children were between 1-10 whilst they became adults between 11-14 and were considered full adults by 16-50. Middle-age was between the ages of 51-62 and those between the ages of 63-79 which was considered old.


Culture and Society

The species were highly reserved in their emotions and often did not display feelings openly; either by smiling or by warm gestures. As such, they rarely were vocal about any feelings of anger or frustration though they did possess some curse words to employ should the situation warrant such an expression.

The Chiss are also known as being very deliberate and composed in their actions and their disciplined manner has been credited to their upbringing. In Chiss society a child's maturity is accelerated; they almost entirely bypass an adolescent period before being accepted as an adult. Chiss culture is largely based on customs and courtesies. For a time in their history there were Ruling Families, also called Ruling Houses. The number of these extended families would wax and wane depending on the governing needs of the time, and eventually faded from direct political power, but a legacy of social practices from their era still lingers. One such tradition is the elaborate welcoming ritual, in the form of colours and ceremony, that marks the visit of a member of a former Family into the domain of another.

Honour is very important to the Chiss race, and the actions of a Chiss are always subject to scrutiny. As such, the Chiss tend to be very formal and always considerate of how their actions can affect their Family and themselves. They are also very intelligent and often gifted in strategic thinking, as well as private and insular. The Chiss language is called Cheunh, but many also speak the trade languages including Basic, Minnistat and Sy Bisti.

Chiss military culture has always been a proud one. Thanks to their early space flight achievements the Chiss managed to gain a certain status in the unknown regions. Their main source of military achievements was the top secret "seekers" program. unknown to most of the galaxy, and many Chiss alike. seekers program was focused on hyperspace navigation in the unknown regions. While to other species it could take weeks to travel between two coordinates in the unknown regions, Chiss would always be there within a few days. This level of speed was achieved through The Force, or as the Chiss call it Third Sight. While in 3rd sight, a person could navigate a ship through normally hard to travel unknown regions. This was achieved by a common ability in The Force - a short insinght into the future. The so-called Skywalker would tap into The Force and see the immediate danger ahead of them, and navigate slowly around them, enabling the ship to travel in hyper space for a longer period of time, instead of going jump by jump. For Centuries, the only Chiss with the power to tap into The Force were Children. The Force was strong with a newborn Child, but the powers faded over time, until around 12-14 years old, most Chiss lost their ability to navigate ships. It is important to note that during the Vagaari Wars this fading process became lower and lower, and thus enabling Chiss to retain their Force abilities into adulthood. However, by 0 CGT the Chiss experienced the same issue of fewer and fewer children demonstrating force ability that was impacting the rest of the galaxy.

Other important aspect of the Chiss martial culture was the no preemptive strike policy, imposed during the isolationist era of the Ascendancy, with the reasons being officially hidden but known to have some connection to the alliance between the Ascendancy and the ancient Sith Empire. This directive forbade ships from firing upon other ships unless directly fired upon. This directive was later been abolished by the time of the Chiss Civil Dispute, but was resurrected, with some caveats, under Grand Syndic Cong`liddo Nollaig upon his ascension to the Grand Syndicacy in 24 CGT.

Chiss receive their primary education either from their family or a primary school. At age 11 or 12, they must choose either enrollment at a military academy, government internship, or apprenticeship in a private company. At age 16, they are permitted one year to do as they wish before entering their chosen field if they have completed their training. Chiss in this stage may either choose to become travellers(with their costs funded by their families or by taking temporary work), or enter their chosen line of work immediately. An exception was made for Skywalkers, who were permitted this time from the time they lost their powers until age 17, but had to be accompanied by a guardian until they were 16. In the years following the Chiss Civil Dispute, these younglings became prime recruitment targets for the Vesci Houses.

Language

Cheunh is the primary language of the Chiss. For non-native speakers, it is a very dense, difficult-to-understand language, where subtle differences of pronunciation are extremely important to the message. Both the written symbols and spoken language are referred to as Cheunh.

Spoken Cheunh:

The spoken language is a complex series of compound words and phrases used to communicate ideas. Root words are used as the core of the word meaning, and built up with the context of the idea or statement. Pronunciation is extremely strict, and even minor differences in a pronounced sound can lead to a radical difference in the word’s meaning. Aspirations on a sound (the soft expelling of air when making the sound) can change the meaning entirely, as can the use (or omission) of a pause in the pronunciation, known as a glottal stop. The Chiss have a much more pliant vocal system than most other species, allowing them to make such throaty pauses much more easily. Cheunh is a very context-heavy language, and is considerably more precise than Basic, Huttese, or any of the other major languages outside Ascendancy Space. To an outsider, a Chiss speaking proper Cheunh often sounds like he or she is stuttering. When a non-Chiss speaks Cheunh their inability to fully pronounce it all can warp the meaning of the words.

Written Cheunh:

The written form of Cheunh is described by non-native writers as flowing, in comparison to the blockier written form of Basic. Written Cheunh does not use letters the way that Basic does, but instead uses ideograms that symbolize concepts and ideas. Combining these ideograms formulates each word, in much the same what that adding on to root words does in the spoken form. Written Cheunh comes in several differing levels of formality, to cover the necessary level of respect the communication much express. Technical Cheunh uses many more, less complex ideograms than casual Cheunh. Formal Cheunh adds in the use of flourishes and shading to further express deference or respect for the one being written to or about. Formal Cheunh is almost always used to sign a document, though casual Cheunh is most often used for day to day communications.

Translating Cheunh documents into Basic is a challenge as it frequently requires the use of a secondary, rarely used character on datapads to do so.

Chiss Names – Past and Present:

The most confusing aspect of Chiss Society involves the names of individuals.

For record-keeping by non-chiss, this once created a problem as the original format for naming changed throughout the course of a Chiss’s life.

A Chiss started their life if a first name from one parent, a middle name for the individual(consisting of 2-5 syllables), and a last name from another parent. The Chiss would be individually known by a Core Name, consisting of the last syllable of their first name, their entire middle name, and the first syllable of their last name. To make things even more confusing the name of the more prominent family tended to be placed first, to help the Chiss have a higher social status.

Young Chiss identified as rising talents were recruited by the Chiss Houses as Merit Adoptives would have their first name changed to match the name of their new House.

The last name could be changed as an identifier of occupational assignment, if they obtained a more seior rank within the House that conrolled the government bureau in which they worked.

Legal Reforms in Year 7 CGT abolished the traditional renaming practice, but recent advocacy by chiss traditionalists has allowed chiss to use traditional styled names for galactic record keeping purposes(renaming is still not permitted).

Chiss and the Force

The earliest records of chiss history attest that chiss who displayed what would later be called force sensitivity were exiled and organized communities that would coalesce into the Chiss Sages. The Sages were scholars who studied the force from a Chiss perspective. When the Ascendancy was founded, they provided the initial training for the Ozyly-Esehembo("Sky-walkers"). Following the Chiss Civil Dispute, where they would migrate to sarvchi, only to return to csilla in greatly reduced numbers and with the only explanation that there was a civil war on Sarvchi between House Chaf and the Sages. Upon their return to Csilla, the Sages became a mutual aid society, independent of any governing authority of Csilla. As a result of the Treaty of Csilla, the Sages found themselves under the Chiss Ascendancy and began cooperating with the Jedi Order.

In Year 24, the Ozyly-Esehembo were restored and the Chiss Sages were declared abolished. The Ozyly-Esehembo now oversaw all operations regarding the force.

However, some other Chiss have already joined other force traditions and there have been Chiss Jedi and Chiss Sith.

Chiss Houses

a Chiss House member

The origin of Chiss Houses remains shrouded in mystery. All that is known is that at some point, certain families were elevated above others and became governors of territory on Csilla. These Houses competed over territory and influence, while also forging alliances. The culmination of this process was the founding of the Chiss Ascendancy. The Houses with the most influence became known as the Ruling Houses, while all the others became designated as Great Houses. The assembly of Chiss Houses was known as the Council of Families. The Council lasted until it was finally dissolved by the Chiss Parliament in 2 BCGT. Carn`ilo Sabosen revived the Council of Families in 10 CGT and has since evolved into the administrative body of the Chiss Ascendancy until reforms in 22 CGT made it an assembly of Houses once again. Internal disputes led to the Council of Families being dissolved by 23, before the adoption of the Ascendancy Articles in 24 CGT.

Under the Ascendancy Articles Chiss Houses do not direct Chiss Ascendancy policy but serve as a link between the Galactic Chiss Community and the Chiss Ascendancy itself. Houses that have broken Chiss law are known as Exiled Houses. Houses that are not seated in the Council are known as Vesci Houses.

Positions

The following positions are within each Chiss House:

Merit Adoptive: Newest Recruits to the Chiss House. Historically, merit adoptives have been allowed to leave a House at anytime they choose.

Trial-Born: Merit Adoptives who have passed one of more House Trials, which vary from House to House. Trial Born who transfer must notify House leadership, prior to leaving. This is the highest position attainable for Non-Chiss members of a House.

Blood Born: The traditional positions of Blood, Cousin and Ranking Distant were been merged under the reforms of House Positions advocated by the Chiss Diaspora. Blood Born are the most respected members of the houses and the respect is shown by making them eligible for House leadership. The leader is counted as a Blood Born. A Speaker who is Chiss is also counted as a Blood-Born.

Speaker: The Second in Command of the House. They serve also as the Regent in the event the House Leader dies or is unavailable.

Patriarch/Matriarch: The leader of a Chiss House. How they are chosen varies from House to House. Some Houses appoint their leaders and others elect them.

The Houses

While Chiss Houses may be founded or dissolved at anytime, the Chiss Ascendancy never did have(and still does not) any authority to dissolve a Chiss House.

However, the Grand Syndic may seat a Chiss House within the Council of Families as a Minor House, elevate a Minor House to Major House, or demote a Major House to Minor House.

These are the Chiss Houses known to have existed in modern galactic history:

House Adelina

House Amals

House Ar`togl

House Csapla

House Csohn

Hosue Evaro

House Foner

House H`zebi

House Ilone

House Inronkini

House Kim`ril

House Mitth

House Nakesh

House Nuroudo

House Oblivion

House Rono

House Royan

House Sabosen

House Yar

History

((see also: History of the Chiss Ascendancy))

The origins of the Chiss Race are subject to debate. While the view observed by the wider galaxy is that Chiss are descended from the human colonists who arrived on Csilla circa 30,000 BCGT. Most scholars of this view point out no only the near human physiology of Chiss, but also that there was a zhellic tribe on ancient Coruscant that worshipped "Csil", the God of Justice in the Zhellic religion. The tribe was one the "Thirteen Battalions of zhell".

Newer research counters this view, dismissing that differences of Chiss in skin and eye coloration could not have taken place over such a short time as the 25 centuries between the earliest chiss records and the founding of the Chiss Ascendancy. These researchers also note that Csilla's ice age began 5000 years ago, and no adaptation could be implemented in such a short span without the aid of genetic engineering, and chiss have no greater resistance to ice and cold than any human.

From 30,000 BCGT to circa 5000 BCGT, Csilla was a verdant garden world. However, territory appeared to have been divided between the Chiss Houses, with non-house territory being neutral paths of trade or areas controlled by the Chiss Sages. The Sages held an annual festival as a means to foster better relations between the Houses and by 5000 BCGT, one of these festivals would result in the founding of the Chiss Ascendancy.

The wider galaxy would have their first encounter with the Chiss in 3600 BCGT when the Chiss would enter an alliance with the Sith Empire that would last until 3400 CGT, when the alliance was ended and the Chiss began a policy of Isolation.

The Chiss Ascendancy would initially be mired by a Civil Dispute in 11BCGT and then a war against the Vesci Houses in 2 BCGT. By then, all the worlds outside Csilla were unreachable and Csilla itself was devastated. The tunnels became a refuge from the Five Year War(which lasted almost 9 years) and communities who ignored whoever governed above remained until 23 CGT, when recolonization and economic development caused the tunnel population to leave the tunnels and settle in cities on Csilla and other colonies both inside and outside the Csilla system.

A vibrant diaspora community also existed, and they organized as the Chiss Society in 7 CGT. By 10 CGT, the restored Chiss Ascendancy had replaced the Chiss Society as the main entity for connecting the diaspora Chiss to Chiss culture.

Another oddity has been humans who have recently been discovered to actually be Chiss, revealing that there were Chiss who settled in the wider galaxy and settled among the human population in the centuries following the alliance with the Sith.

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