Chiss
This is about the Chiss Race. If you are interested in Chiss Organisations, then you are looking for Chiss Ascendancy
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| Chiss | |
| Homeworld | Csilla |
| Language | Cheunh |
| Skin color | Blue |
| Hair color | Gleaming black |
| Distinctions | Glowing red eyes, above-average night vision |
| Average lifespan | Up to 80 standard years old |
| Known Members | List 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.
Contents
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
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:
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.
