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21-04-2023, 05:00 PM
Author: Aodh (Hazlem)
Twi’lek Physiology
The Twi’lek people are a varied and disparate people, which is reflected to a high degree in their physical form. They can range in colour anywhere from shades like human flesh to purples, greens, yellows and orange. Moreover, there are at least two distinct subraces within the Twi’lek diaspora, the blue Rutians and the red Lethan; the former slightly rarer than the average Twi’lek colour populations and the latter much rarer than their compatriots (though in truth with the vast amount of Twi’lek populating the galaxy this caveat means surprisingly little.) The children of Ryloth tend to weigh and be similarly proportioned to humans, though often they will naturally err on a slightly taller and thinner physique than humanity. Unless they have interbred in the past, as countless Twi’lek bloodlines have, the Twi’lek are entirely hairless aside from a row of short eyelashes.
Twi’lek are descended from creatures born for speed in eons gone by, and although evolution may have exchanged most of that alacrity for opposable thumbs and sapience the modern day Twi’lek often still move with a certain grace and natural speed, suiting them well when it comes to dance or certain forms of combat. The bones of a Twi’lek are similar to that of a humans, though slightly less dense around the torso. Similarly, the muscles of a Twi’lek are not dissimilar to the human race, although they are naturally stronger in their legs. All purebred Twi’lek have naturally long, claw-like nails on the ends of their fingers, and the extremities of a Twi’lek tend to be more flexible than many other races. Due to the scarcity of water on Ryloth many Twi’lek native to that planet find swimming an unfamiliar concept, although most of those that were born off-world have adapted to the process well.
The cardiovascular system of a Twi’lek is functionally identical to a human’s, with the only difference being a slightly more powerful heart in order to keep up with their faster movements. Similarly, their blood is also red. Their respiratory system however is significantly different, with the lungs being positioned around the heart instead of simply in-front of it as they are in a human. This function seems to serve no purpose besides being a relic left over from their mammalian heritage. The eyes of a Twi’lek come in a wide array of colours, from orange to violet, and contains a tapetum lucidum akin to dogs and cats. This gives them moderately better night vision than a human would have by reflecting light back through the retina, allowing greater amounts of light to hit the photoreceptors.
Twi’lek are omnivorous creatures, natively consuming a diet consisting of foraged berries, the few hardy crops capable of being grown on Ryloth and meat from the local Rycit. The bottom row of a Twi’lek’s teeth comprise of a row of incisors framed by four molars, and the top row consist of a similar make-up to human dental patterns, albeit with much larger incisors.
A Twi’lek’s immune system is relatively standard in the modern day, being able to handle diseases across the galaxy about as well as humanity can. This was not always the case, however, and upon their discovery and subsequent mass exposure to galactic society around 10,000 BBY diseases which the Twi’lek had not developed defences against ravaged Ryloth’s population. This was all the more true for the initial generations of slaves taken off of Ryloth, these poor souls finding themselves immersed in societies which ran rampant with diseases they simply had no defence against, compounded by the fact that the slaves were often not privy to the more hygenic sectors of society. Over time this weakness has been rectified naturally by the Twi’lek’s own immune system.
Lekku are perhaps the single most distinguishing feature of a Twi’lek, and they fulfill a large number of functions beyond ornamentation. The inside of a Lek is a creation of intense complexity and evolutionary wonder, their skin is littered with afferent nerves, most notably thermoreceptors and mechanoreceptors. These afferent nerves send signals relating to heat, pressure, distortion, general tactile sensation, spatial information and pain back to the central nervous system. In order to deal with and best utilize this sensory information the Lekku are home to a number of ganglia devoted to sensory processing and feeding back to the CNS. Beyond these, deeper inside the Lekku, are singular neuroanatomical structures similar to the hippocampus of a human. These structures are responsible for encoding and storing memories, though learning and muscle memory are handled within the main brain. A Lek is somewhat vulnerable due to it’s relatively unprotected soft tissue and a simple grab or tug can cause permanent brain damage. The loss of or damage to a Lek usually manifests as a partial or complete retrograde amnesia, although the neuroplasticity of a Twi’lek’s brain will typically adjust to be able to store new memories in another Lek or the main brain relatively quickly. That said, being able to take hold of a Twi’lek’s Lekku is difficult as the organs are prehensile. Moreover, they are near-impossible to get the element of surprise upon- many a duel has ended when a foe has reached for a Lek and gotten stabbed because of the target’s sudden knowledge of their position, momentum and an array of other information.
The Twi’lek, as with all naturally occuring life within the galaxy, evolved from a specific predecessor. One possible creature that may have begat the modern Twi’lek roamed the plains, savannas and forests of Ryloth’s temperate belt as a grazing herbivore that would occasionally fall back onto meat-eating if times were especially tough. These creatures resembled the bovine Antelope, but entirely hairless and with four clawed paws. Indeed, these creatures could be found in the same Rutian and Lethan patterns as modern day Twi’lek have. Interestingly, it seems that the horns of these “Arsiyur” as they are known may have later become Lekku, eventually hollowing and filling with excess brain tissue before the horns gradually became more and more saturated with epithelial tissue and less and less with bone. Unfortunately research has become difficult as the Arsiyur had been in a slow decline until the discoverers of Ryloth massacred their remnants so as to prevent them from trampling spice operations and paleontology is not a field that the Twi’lek people have a lot of time for in their current state.
Twi’lek Religion
In any race as scattered as the Twi’lek, a disparity in religion is exceedingly likely. The first and foremost of these religions at the current time is the worship of a nameless mother goddess, known quite simply to many Twi’lek as the Goddess or the Twi’lek Goddess. This goddess was not always nameless, tales passed down through word of mouth dictate that she bore a name before the Hutt cartel and its affiliates took Ryloth, at which point their occupation and mass enslavement eradicated so many aspects of the native culture that much of the central religion was lost. The Goddess’ name was amongst the information that died in that calamity, though many modern day Twi’lek are making efforts to recover the pertinent information. Although many of the rites and celebrations of the Goddesses’ religion have been lost, prayers live on, said by midwives and families of women in labour, whispered over family meals and by the resurgent priesthood of the Goddess.
This deity is often used as an exclamation of surprise or wonderment similar to the phrase “By the force!” used in common galactic vernacular, usually such as “By the Goddess!”. The Goddesses’ priesthood is almost entirely matriarchal, with its highest extant rank being that of ‘A’k Kiva’ or High Priestess. These A’k Kiva minister to the religious needs of an entire tribe, acting as the closest thing to a head of religion that exists in modern times. Ranking directly below them are the Kiva or Priestess, who act either as assistants to an A’k Kiva or minister to a specific village belonging to a wider tribe. Much of the generalised duties of the church belong to the Kiva. The lowest rank is that of the Ahsak, or Affirmed. This role can be anything from a caretaker to a low level cleric to a historical researcher, fulfilling the essential needs of the faith. Ahsak is the only rank that can be occupied by men, but this not to say that those men who become Ahsak are not afforded respect. Instead, some of the more senior Ahsak can be extremely influential in the faith and often control the religion’s logistics. There is some small archaeological evidence that there was another rank before the Hutt occupation, that of a planet-wide religious leader who filled the role of a living avatar of the Goddess.
Another religion, and one that has remained more intact than the previous topic, is that of Rylothian ancestor veneration. This is a more casual religion, it runs through Twi’lek culture as a subtle undercurrent. Homes on Ryloth will usually contain a small shrine to the families ancestors, containing a few treasured artifacts owned by passed-on relatives centered around the most important piece of the shrine; the Kalikori. A Kalikori is a wooden structure constructed of an array of art crafted by each member of the family as they reach maturity. These artifacts are regarded as pricelessly important by the family they belong to. The members of a family may attempt to commune with their ancestors by casting acrid Rythlothian herbs onto a fire and meditating before the Kalikori. Some Twi’lek swear to have made the connection, though whether that is truth, falsehood or a byproduct of the burning herbs is difficult to say.
Twi’lek Culture
Family- The concept of the family unit was and is of immense importance to the Rylothian Twi’lek. It is their tie to their ancestry, their strength in the face of those who would oppress them, and a considerable element of their personal identity. The opinions and authority of elders are sacrosanct, and filial piety (termed “Ercio Bac”) is considered to be the duty of all children. With that said, these family units are rarely formal or uncomfortable groups. Similarly to children having a duty to their parents, parents are regarded as having a duty to provide not just materially but also emotionally for their offspring. Families on Ryloth are warm, close-knit groups that never miss a chance to help their kin. With this said, although the idea of old Rylothian family units have survived the various tragedies of the Twi’lek race, they have not come out completely intact. Various traditions have been lost to time, and the people are regarded as placing less importance on family in modern times. Nothing serves as a better example of this than the post-Hutt occurance of Twi’lek parents selling their children into slavery, an act that would horrify their ancestors.
Those Twi’lek who have left or been trafficked off of Ryloth have often outright lost the concept of family. With their family units shattered, the offspring of trafficked Twi’lek tend to merely adopt the familial traditions of their new homes.
Gender roles- Ancient Twi’lek clans and families tended to operate around a dual-leadership model. The patriarch would lead the clan militarily, and the matriarch would lead the clan in spiritual and civil matters. This allowed the clan to keep functioning while they fought against other clans, the native wildlife of Ryloth, and eventually the Hutt cartel. Besides the matriarch and patriarch, and the almost exclusively female priesthood, members of the clan were free to choose their path in life as long as it benefited the clan. Modern gender roles on Ryloth have been somewhat relaxed with one exception. With the forced reliance of the Twi’lek race upon defence and resistance when the Hutts invaded, Twi’lek clan structure changed. Now many of the Twi’lek clans have turned from nomadic lifestyles or isolationism and instead live in cities. These cities are led by a “head clan” or “Kora”. These Kora consist of five male infants, chosen from prestigious bloodlines long ago when the city was founded, who are raised as a council to lead each city.
Slavery- Slavery has shaped the Twi’lek race unlike any other force in the galaxy. The practice of slavery was extremely rare upon Ryloth before the arrival of the Hutt Cartel, and when it was practiced it was almost never in the form of chattel slavery. Nowadays the experience visited upon the Twi’lek by the Hutts and the wider galaxy has twisted them into a angrier, more insular race. At the same time, some clans on Ryloth were so driven to desperation in the wake of the Hutt’s arrival that they turned to selling their own children to the Hutts. This practice has now grown to be more than simple desperation, and instead has become almost an engrained tradition. When life gets hard, some clans simply turn to this tradition without questioning it.
Traditional Twi’lek weaponry- Post-arrival of the Hutt Cartel, weaponry on Ryloth typically takes the form of a mishmash of outdated Hutt and Republic technology. Before their joining the galaxy, however, the Twi’lek had to create their own weaponry, some of which have survived to the modern day.
Gutkurr Clirwirsa (Gutkurr Blade): Crafted out of either two curved lengths of chitin (traditionally the claw of a Gutkurr) or rough metal, the Gutkurr Clirwirsa takes the form of two bladed crescents overlaid over one another with a handle grafted onto one of cresents. This weapon was used as an extremely close-range, dual-wielded and often concealed tool of death. They also functioned as specialised tool for disarming a foe or for breaking their weapon. They were especially successful in combat against weapons of longer reach, such as a spear or longsword, and had great speed and precision.
Falma Clirwer (Herb Knife): Half-tool and half weapon, the Twi’lek clan members responsible for gathering the hardy crops and herbs found on Ryloth required an equivalent to a scythe found upon other worlds that they could use both to gather their quarry and to fight off any rival clans or beasts that could find them as they gathered the vegetation. And so, the Falma Clirwer was forged. It is a long, thin knife which practically qualifies as a sword, and possesses a broad curve at its end that allows for cutting plants out of the ground as well as giving it the weight to both slice into thick seeds and foe’s skulls.
Bemir Vloran (Devil Crown): The Doashim is a terrible and much-feared beast on Ryloth, and a Twi’lek warrior defeating one in single combat is and was regarded as a mark of glory. The victor of these battles would remove the beast’s horns and return them to their clan’s weapon masters who would carve the horns and affix them to a small disk of metal as a weapon for victorious Twi’lek. These Bemir Vloran are rare, but they are powerful parrying weapons and are typically used by a warrior who remains in a low stance, mitigating the chance for their vital organs to remain open. After parrying their foe’s weapons, the Vloran may be used to stab with the horns or as a punching weapon.
Turwa Jela (Punch Sword): Wide and relatively long blades mounted atop a H shaped grip. The standard weapons of the ancient Twi’lek clan’s warriors, it was the Turwa Jela that tens of thousands of Twi’lek died holding in the defence of Ryloth against the Hutt Cartel millennia ago. Whenever the Twi’lek marched to war or to eradicate a Lylek nest they would carry these due to their ability both as slicing weapons but primarily due to their ability to pierce armour when thrust akin to a punch. In modern times, these have often been modified to have two low-power blasters affixed to their grip both to give them more damage when thrust but also to give them limited long range ability. The addition of blasters does, however, slow the weapons down in melee.
Tislera aan Vlan (Mother’s Cry): The priesthood of Ryloth, dwelling on such a dangerous planet, required a weapon to protect themselves that did not seem too questionable for a holy woman to possess. In response to this need, they invented Ryloth’s first formal staff weapon. This took the form of a length of polished bone, topped by a metal tip and ring surrounded by other small rings. This tip could be used as a thrusting weapon, and the staff itself used as a bludgeon. The collection of rings clattered together as the priestess walked, a sound described as the holy words of the Mother Goddess made manifest into the world.
Sama aan Rayarja (Daughter’s Revenge): The most recent of the weaponry invented upon Ryloth, this weapon was crafted during the early years of the Hutt occupation. Rather than being made to defend the clan, or serve as weapons of war, this was a more subtle tool of death. It is made out of a collection of decorate metals, scales and other such trinkets, and essentially functions as an elaborate finger-cover resembling a claw. It was decorative enough to enter the palaces of the beings who were oppressing the Twi’lek, and hid a capsule of Lylek venom mixed with various poisonous herbs native to Ryloth, creating a deadly toxin. This claw was named Daughter’s Revenge because of its purpose; the mothers of daughters who had been stolen and been subjected to such indignity became deadly assassins. Unfortunately the Cartel soon took notice of this and put a stop to it, but the Sama aan Rayarja has since taken on roles in wider assassin culture as well as the vicious intra-clan politics of Ryloth.
Hammer of Ryloth- The Hammer of Ryloth (Also known as Byt in Ryl) is a native, and somewhat ancient, Twi’lek martial art. It accentuates the natural leg strength of the Twi’lek, as well as serving the fast, loosely organised militaries of the ancient Twi’lek clans. It’s usage is mostly seen now within gladiatorial combat, or within certain clans that use it as a method of improvised self-defence.The Hammer of Ryloth fighting style uses both the fists, feet and some unconventional techniques. The punching technique of Byt is functionally very similar to that of boxing found throughout the galaxy, incorporating standard hooks, crosses, jabs and uppercuts. The use of feet however, is somewhat unique.
The kicks used within Byt emphasise grace and strength, using techniques such as the ‘Dem’ in which the practitioner executes a roundhouse kick, making contact with their toes and relying on the hardened leather and chitin boots that most Rylothian Twi’lek wear to protect their feet. The Rycrit kick, however, takes the form of the user twisting their hip and raising their leg while the leg is bent slightly, and then straightening it rapidly in a piston-like movement. This takes advantage of the forward momentum of the hip and the piston momentum to deliver immense force through the Twi’lek’s heel, and can cause permanent damage to the foe’s kneecap if it strikes it. The ‘Fos’ kick involves a Twi’lek raising their leg in an almost circular motion, so that the sole of their shoe strikes at a foe’s face or neck. The final form of kick in Byt is that of the ‘Ilar’ kick, a simple low sweep aimed towards the foe’s shin with the inside of the practitioner's foot.
Byt also has provisions for miscellaneous moves, including relatively standard throws and headbutts. It also makes use of thrusts using the elbow, strikes with the knee, and most notably; foot-thrusts and stamps. The Byt foot thrusts revolve around jabbing forward with their foot in a similar movement to the Rycrit kick, aimed at keeping foes at a distance. The standard foot thrust is faster that the Rycrit kick, but foregoes the distinctive movement that grants the Rycrit kick it’s formidable impact, losing a good deal of it’s impact due to this and likely only disturbing the foe’s balance if it does land.
The stamp is less of a standard move, and more of a method of finishing a fight. It involves raising one’s leg into the air, slightly bent, and thrusting it downwards while straightening it out. This was invented as a method of shattering ribs or cracking sternums after taking a foe down in battle, and in the hands of a Twi’lek master has been rumoured to be capable of cracking rocks. It is fitting, then, that it is called ‘Neo’ in Ryl, translating to ‘end’ in basic.
Food-
Sweet ⭐️⭐️
Sour ⭐️⭐️
Spicy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bitter ⭐️⭐️
Salty ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Umami (“savory”) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twi’lek have very similar taste buds to that of humanity, and the tastes of the Twi’lek race have evolved primarily socially and psychologically due to their barren homeworld. Wild legumes and root vegetables are extensively used, as is a hardy and nutritious plant somewhat similar to rice. There is also a limited array of fruits available on Ryloth, such as the sweet Feen which was often eaten raw or stewed with grains to provide more flavour to them. Spices are difficult to come across on Ryloth, and but the ones that do exist are typically moderately spicy or characteristically bitter.
Most meat dishes eaten on Ryloth are relatively simple, taking the form of stews and broths made from the flesh of Rycrit and Collypods, though the Twi’lek do also eat the small lizards that scuttle across the planet’s surface on spits. A clan very rarely has the requisite amount of meat to feed to the entire clan and thus the aforementioned stews and broths are popular, as is curry. The Twi’lek also derive yoghurt from their domesticated Rycrit.
Fungus products are a celebrated and essential base for Twi’lek food, as they grow plentifully below the surface of Ryloth within its numerous caves. Bread and beer are both made from fungus, and raw munch-fungus is often the travel-food of choice for Twi’lek scouting parties. Izzy-mold is a smaller, sweeter variety that is often eaten as an appetizer, given to guests, or handed around at social gatherings.
The Twi’lek have developed a fairly wide variety of alcoholic drinks, perhaps due to the dismal nature of their homeland. The most generic of this is referred to as Jenyola, literally translating to liquor. This drink is brewed from an often random medley of Rylothian plant life, and tends to be green in colour. It also happens to almost invariably be blisteringly powerful, and will intoxicate it’s imbibers rapidly. Yurp is another alcoholic drink, typically brewed using Rycrit milk as a base. Finally, T’ssolock is a sort of localised drink, each major clan has their own unique recipe and taste. What does tend to remain the same, however, is that the drink has a uniquely vile taste, but is followed by a distinctive and pleasant aftertaste. Leaking the recipe of a clan’s T’ssolock to another clan is a grave social taboo, and crossing it may even see the offending member exiled.
Twi’lek Physiology
The Twi’lek people are a varied and disparate people, which is reflected to a high degree in their physical form. They can range in colour anywhere from shades like human flesh to purples, greens, yellows and orange. Moreover, there are at least two distinct subraces within the Twi’lek diaspora, the blue Rutians and the red Lethan; the former slightly rarer than the average Twi’lek colour populations and the latter much rarer than their compatriots (though in truth with the vast amount of Twi’lek populating the galaxy this caveat means surprisingly little.) The children of Ryloth tend to weigh and be similarly proportioned to humans, though often they will naturally err on a slightly taller and thinner physique than humanity. Unless they have interbred in the past, as countless Twi’lek bloodlines have, the Twi’lek are entirely hairless aside from a row of short eyelashes.
| Species | Average Adult Height | Average Adult Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Twi’lek | 172 cm ♂ / 170 cm ♀ | 87 kg ♂ / 80 kg ♀ |
| Human | 170 cm ♂ / 164 cm ♀ | 87 kg ♂ / 72 kg ♀ |
| Life Stage | Infancy | Toddler | Child | Adolescence | Adulthood | Old Adult | Ancient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age(s) | 0-1 | 1-3 | 3-12 | 12-18 | 18-60 | 60-90 | 90+ |
Twi’lek are descended from creatures born for speed in eons gone by, and although evolution may have exchanged most of that alacrity for opposable thumbs and sapience the modern day Twi’lek often still move with a certain grace and natural speed, suiting them well when it comes to dance or certain forms of combat. The bones of a Twi’lek are similar to that of a humans, though slightly less dense around the torso. Similarly, the muscles of a Twi’lek are not dissimilar to the human race, although they are naturally stronger in their legs. All purebred Twi’lek have naturally long, claw-like nails on the ends of their fingers, and the extremities of a Twi’lek tend to be more flexible than many other races. Due to the scarcity of water on Ryloth many Twi’lek native to that planet find swimming an unfamiliar concept, although most of those that were born off-world have adapted to the process well.
The cardiovascular system of a Twi’lek is functionally identical to a human’s, with the only difference being a slightly more powerful heart in order to keep up with their faster movements. Similarly, their blood is also red. Their respiratory system however is significantly different, with the lungs being positioned around the heart instead of simply in-front of it as they are in a human. This function seems to serve no purpose besides being a relic left over from their mammalian heritage. The eyes of a Twi’lek come in a wide array of colours, from orange to violet, and contains a tapetum lucidum akin to dogs and cats. This gives them moderately better night vision than a human would have by reflecting light back through the retina, allowing greater amounts of light to hit the photoreceptors.
Twi’lek are omnivorous creatures, natively consuming a diet consisting of foraged berries, the few hardy crops capable of being grown on Ryloth and meat from the local Rycit. The bottom row of a Twi’lek’s teeth comprise of a row of incisors framed by four molars, and the top row consist of a similar make-up to human dental patterns, albeit with much larger incisors.
A Twi’lek’s immune system is relatively standard in the modern day, being able to handle diseases across the galaxy about as well as humanity can. This was not always the case, however, and upon their discovery and subsequent mass exposure to galactic society around 10,000 BBY diseases which the Twi’lek had not developed defences against ravaged Ryloth’s population. This was all the more true for the initial generations of slaves taken off of Ryloth, these poor souls finding themselves immersed in societies which ran rampant with diseases they simply had no defence against, compounded by the fact that the slaves were often not privy to the more hygenic sectors of society. Over time this weakness has been rectified naturally by the Twi’lek’s own immune system.
Lekku are perhaps the single most distinguishing feature of a Twi’lek, and they fulfill a large number of functions beyond ornamentation. The inside of a Lek is a creation of intense complexity and evolutionary wonder, their skin is littered with afferent nerves, most notably thermoreceptors and mechanoreceptors. These afferent nerves send signals relating to heat, pressure, distortion, general tactile sensation, spatial information and pain back to the central nervous system. In order to deal with and best utilize this sensory information the Lekku are home to a number of ganglia devoted to sensory processing and feeding back to the CNS. Beyond these, deeper inside the Lekku, are singular neuroanatomical structures similar to the hippocampus of a human. These structures are responsible for encoding and storing memories, though learning and muscle memory are handled within the main brain. A Lek is somewhat vulnerable due to it’s relatively unprotected soft tissue and a simple grab or tug can cause permanent brain damage. The loss of or damage to a Lek usually manifests as a partial or complete retrograde amnesia, although the neuroplasticity of a Twi’lek’s brain will typically adjust to be able to store new memories in another Lek or the main brain relatively quickly. That said, being able to take hold of a Twi’lek’s Lekku is difficult as the organs are prehensile. Moreover, they are near-impossible to get the element of surprise upon- many a duel has ended when a foe has reached for a Lek and gotten stabbed because of the target’s sudden knowledge of their position, momentum and an array of other information.
The Twi’lek, as with all naturally occuring life within the galaxy, evolved from a specific predecessor. One possible creature that may have begat the modern Twi’lek roamed the plains, savannas and forests of Ryloth’s temperate belt as a grazing herbivore that would occasionally fall back onto meat-eating if times were especially tough. These creatures resembled the bovine Antelope, but entirely hairless and with four clawed paws. Indeed, these creatures could be found in the same Rutian and Lethan patterns as modern day Twi’lek have. Interestingly, it seems that the horns of these “Arsiyur” as they are known may have later become Lekku, eventually hollowing and filling with excess brain tissue before the horns gradually became more and more saturated with epithelial tissue and less and less with bone. Unfortunately research has become difficult as the Arsiyur had been in a slow decline until the discoverers of Ryloth massacred their remnants so as to prevent them from trampling spice operations and paleontology is not a field that the Twi’lek people have a lot of time for in their current state.
Twi’lek Religion
In any race as scattered as the Twi’lek, a disparity in religion is exceedingly likely. The first and foremost of these religions at the current time is the worship of a nameless mother goddess, known quite simply to many Twi’lek as the Goddess or the Twi’lek Goddess. This goddess was not always nameless, tales passed down through word of mouth dictate that she bore a name before the Hutt cartel and its affiliates took Ryloth, at which point their occupation and mass enslavement eradicated so many aspects of the native culture that much of the central religion was lost. The Goddess’ name was amongst the information that died in that calamity, though many modern day Twi’lek are making efforts to recover the pertinent information. Although many of the rites and celebrations of the Goddesses’ religion have been lost, prayers live on, said by midwives and families of women in labour, whispered over family meals and by the resurgent priesthood of the Goddess.
“Mliry Beera, tislera bo Rd'ok vil xaeo ercio,
Gan arni'soyacho toe cea y sirja vil banirkan cea dan tlosank gei zen'ka”
“Great Goddess, mother of Ryloth and her children,
We thank you for this meal and ask that you protect our family”
-Prayer of grace said over a meal-
Gan arni'soyacho toe cea y sirja vil banirkan cea dan tlosank gei zen'ka”
“Great Goddess, mother of Ryloth and her children,
We thank you for this meal and ask that you protect our family”
-Prayer of grace said over a meal-
“Sei Beera, jinqa imhalyan kukae vahs Cme'as,
Gan tasat dan toe dei tlosank bo cea y goc ercio,
Jinqa cahsinark sildan ootay ji juh bo dei mlitan xeed korjin culran ro ar dei lluhk”
“My Goddess, who watches over all Twi'lek,
We beseech you for your protection of this new child,
Who will walk in the light of your grace until they return to your bosom”
-Traditional Twi’lek midwives prayer-
Gan tasat dan toe dei tlosank bo cea y goc ercio,
Jinqa cahsinark sildan ootay ji juh bo dei mlitan xeed korjin culran ro ar dei lluhk”
“My Goddess, who watches over all Twi'lek,
We beseech you for your protection of this new child,
Who will walk in the light of your grace until they return to your bosom”
-Traditional Twi’lek midwives prayer-
This deity is often used as an exclamation of surprise or wonderment similar to the phrase “By the force!” used in common galactic vernacular, usually such as “By the Goddess!”. The Goddesses’ priesthood is almost entirely matriarchal, with its highest extant rank being that of ‘A’k Kiva’ or High Priestess. These A’k Kiva minister to the religious needs of an entire tribe, acting as the closest thing to a head of religion that exists in modern times. Ranking directly below them are the Kiva or Priestess, who act either as assistants to an A’k Kiva or minister to a specific village belonging to a wider tribe. Much of the generalised duties of the church belong to the Kiva. The lowest rank is that of the Ahsak, or Affirmed. This role can be anything from a caretaker to a low level cleric to a historical researcher, fulfilling the essential needs of the faith. Ahsak is the only rank that can be occupied by men, but this not to say that those men who become Ahsak are not afforded respect. Instead, some of the more senior Ahsak can be extremely influential in the faith and often control the religion’s logistics. There is some small archaeological evidence that there was another rank before the Hutt occupation, that of a planet-wide religious leader who filled the role of a living avatar of the Goddess.
Another religion, and one that has remained more intact than the previous topic, is that of Rylothian ancestor veneration. This is a more casual religion, it runs through Twi’lek culture as a subtle undercurrent. Homes on Ryloth will usually contain a small shrine to the families ancestors, containing a few treasured artifacts owned by passed-on relatives centered around the most important piece of the shrine; the Kalikori. A Kalikori is a wooden structure constructed of an array of art crafted by each member of the family as they reach maturity. These artifacts are regarded as pricelessly important by the family they belong to. The members of a family may attempt to commune with their ancestors by casting acrid Rythlothian herbs onto a fire and meditating before the Kalikori. Some Twi’lek swear to have made the connection, though whether that is truth, falsehood or a byproduct of the burning herbs is difficult to say.
Twi’lek Culture
Family- The concept of the family unit was and is of immense importance to the Rylothian Twi’lek. It is their tie to their ancestry, their strength in the face of those who would oppress them, and a considerable element of their personal identity. The opinions and authority of elders are sacrosanct, and filial piety (termed “Ercio Bac”) is considered to be the duty of all children. With that said, these family units are rarely formal or uncomfortable groups. Similarly to children having a duty to their parents, parents are regarded as having a duty to provide not just materially but also emotionally for their offspring. Families on Ryloth are warm, close-knit groups that never miss a chance to help their kin. With this said, although the idea of old Rylothian family units have survived the various tragedies of the Twi’lek race, they have not come out completely intact. Various traditions have been lost to time, and the people are regarded as placing less importance on family in modern times. Nothing serves as a better example of this than the post-Hutt occurance of Twi’lek parents selling their children into slavery, an act that would horrify their ancestors.
Those Twi’lek who have left or been trafficked off of Ryloth have often outright lost the concept of family. With their family units shattered, the offspring of trafficked Twi’lek tend to merely adopt the familial traditions of their new homes.
Gender roles- Ancient Twi’lek clans and families tended to operate around a dual-leadership model. The patriarch would lead the clan militarily, and the matriarch would lead the clan in spiritual and civil matters. This allowed the clan to keep functioning while they fought against other clans, the native wildlife of Ryloth, and eventually the Hutt cartel. Besides the matriarch and patriarch, and the almost exclusively female priesthood, members of the clan were free to choose their path in life as long as it benefited the clan. Modern gender roles on Ryloth have been somewhat relaxed with one exception. With the forced reliance of the Twi’lek race upon defence and resistance when the Hutts invaded, Twi’lek clan structure changed. Now many of the Twi’lek clans have turned from nomadic lifestyles or isolationism and instead live in cities. These cities are led by a “head clan” or “Kora”. These Kora consist of five male infants, chosen from prestigious bloodlines long ago when the city was founded, who are raised as a council to lead each city.
Slavery- Slavery has shaped the Twi’lek race unlike any other force in the galaxy. The practice of slavery was extremely rare upon Ryloth before the arrival of the Hutt Cartel, and when it was practiced it was almost never in the form of chattel slavery. Nowadays the experience visited upon the Twi’lek by the Hutts and the wider galaxy has twisted them into a angrier, more insular race. At the same time, some clans on Ryloth were so driven to desperation in the wake of the Hutt’s arrival that they turned to selling their own children to the Hutts. This practice has now grown to be more than simple desperation, and instead has become almost an engrained tradition. When life gets hard, some clans simply turn to this tradition without questioning it.
Traditional Twi’lek weaponry- Post-arrival of the Hutt Cartel, weaponry on Ryloth typically takes the form of a mishmash of outdated Hutt and Republic technology. Before their joining the galaxy, however, the Twi’lek had to create their own weaponry, some of which have survived to the modern day.
Gutkurr Clirwirsa (Gutkurr Blade): Crafted out of either two curved lengths of chitin (traditionally the claw of a Gutkurr) or rough metal, the Gutkurr Clirwirsa takes the form of two bladed crescents overlaid over one another with a handle grafted onto one of cresents. This weapon was used as an extremely close-range, dual-wielded and often concealed tool of death. They also functioned as specialised tool for disarming a foe or for breaking their weapon. They were especially successful in combat against weapons of longer reach, such as a spear or longsword, and had great speed and precision.
Falma Clirwer (Herb Knife): Half-tool and half weapon, the Twi’lek clan members responsible for gathering the hardy crops and herbs found on Ryloth required an equivalent to a scythe found upon other worlds that they could use both to gather their quarry and to fight off any rival clans or beasts that could find them as they gathered the vegetation. And so, the Falma Clirwer was forged. It is a long, thin knife which practically qualifies as a sword, and possesses a broad curve at its end that allows for cutting plants out of the ground as well as giving it the weight to both slice into thick seeds and foe’s skulls.
Bemir Vloran (Devil Crown): The Doashim is a terrible and much-feared beast on Ryloth, and a Twi’lek warrior defeating one in single combat is and was regarded as a mark of glory. The victor of these battles would remove the beast’s horns and return them to their clan’s weapon masters who would carve the horns and affix them to a small disk of metal as a weapon for victorious Twi’lek. These Bemir Vloran are rare, but they are powerful parrying weapons and are typically used by a warrior who remains in a low stance, mitigating the chance for their vital organs to remain open. After parrying their foe’s weapons, the Vloran may be used to stab with the horns or as a punching weapon.
Turwa Jela (Punch Sword): Wide and relatively long blades mounted atop a H shaped grip. The standard weapons of the ancient Twi’lek clan’s warriors, it was the Turwa Jela that tens of thousands of Twi’lek died holding in the defence of Ryloth against the Hutt Cartel millennia ago. Whenever the Twi’lek marched to war or to eradicate a Lylek nest they would carry these due to their ability both as slicing weapons but primarily due to their ability to pierce armour when thrust akin to a punch. In modern times, these have often been modified to have two low-power blasters affixed to their grip both to give them more damage when thrust but also to give them limited long range ability. The addition of blasters does, however, slow the weapons down in melee.
Tislera aan Vlan (Mother’s Cry): The priesthood of Ryloth, dwelling on such a dangerous planet, required a weapon to protect themselves that did not seem too questionable for a holy woman to possess. In response to this need, they invented Ryloth’s first formal staff weapon. This took the form of a length of polished bone, topped by a metal tip and ring surrounded by other small rings. This tip could be used as a thrusting weapon, and the staff itself used as a bludgeon. The collection of rings clattered together as the priestess walked, a sound described as the holy words of the Mother Goddess made manifest into the world.
Sama aan Rayarja (Daughter’s Revenge): The most recent of the weaponry invented upon Ryloth, this weapon was crafted during the early years of the Hutt occupation. Rather than being made to defend the clan, or serve as weapons of war, this was a more subtle tool of death. It is made out of a collection of decorate metals, scales and other such trinkets, and essentially functions as an elaborate finger-cover resembling a claw. It was decorative enough to enter the palaces of the beings who were oppressing the Twi’lek, and hid a capsule of Lylek venom mixed with various poisonous herbs native to Ryloth, creating a deadly toxin. This claw was named Daughter’s Revenge because of its purpose; the mothers of daughters who had been stolen and been subjected to such indignity became deadly assassins. Unfortunately the Cartel soon took notice of this and put a stop to it, but the Sama aan Rayarja has since taken on roles in wider assassin culture as well as the vicious intra-clan politics of Ryloth.
Hammer of Ryloth- The Hammer of Ryloth (Also known as Byt in Ryl) is a native, and somewhat ancient, Twi’lek martial art. It accentuates the natural leg strength of the Twi’lek, as well as serving the fast, loosely organised militaries of the ancient Twi’lek clans. It’s usage is mostly seen now within gladiatorial combat, or within certain clans that use it as a method of improvised self-defence.The Hammer of Ryloth fighting style uses both the fists, feet and some unconventional techniques. The punching technique of Byt is functionally very similar to that of boxing found throughout the galaxy, incorporating standard hooks, crosses, jabs and uppercuts. The use of feet however, is somewhat unique.
The kicks used within Byt emphasise grace and strength, using techniques such as the ‘Dem’ in which the practitioner executes a roundhouse kick, making contact with their toes and relying on the hardened leather and chitin boots that most Rylothian Twi’lek wear to protect their feet. The Rycrit kick, however, takes the form of the user twisting their hip and raising their leg while the leg is bent slightly, and then straightening it rapidly in a piston-like movement. This takes advantage of the forward momentum of the hip and the piston momentum to deliver immense force through the Twi’lek’s heel, and can cause permanent damage to the foe’s kneecap if it strikes it. The ‘Fos’ kick involves a Twi’lek raising their leg in an almost circular motion, so that the sole of their shoe strikes at a foe’s face or neck. The final form of kick in Byt is that of the ‘Ilar’ kick, a simple low sweep aimed towards the foe’s shin with the inside of the practitioner's foot.
Byt also has provisions for miscellaneous moves, including relatively standard throws and headbutts. It also makes use of thrusts using the elbow, strikes with the knee, and most notably; foot-thrusts and stamps. The Byt foot thrusts revolve around jabbing forward with their foot in a similar movement to the Rycrit kick, aimed at keeping foes at a distance. The standard foot thrust is faster that the Rycrit kick, but foregoes the distinctive movement that grants the Rycrit kick it’s formidable impact, losing a good deal of it’s impact due to this and likely only disturbing the foe’s balance if it does land.
The stamp is less of a standard move, and more of a method of finishing a fight. It involves raising one’s leg into the air, slightly bent, and thrusting it downwards while straightening it out. This was invented as a method of shattering ribs or cracking sternums after taking a foe down in battle, and in the hands of a Twi’lek master has been rumoured to be capable of cracking rocks. It is fitting, then, that it is called ‘Neo’ in Ryl, translating to ‘end’ in basic.
Food-
Sweet ⭐️⭐️
Sour ⭐️⭐️
Spicy ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bitter ⭐️⭐️
Salty ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Umami (“savory”) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twi’lek have very similar taste buds to that of humanity, and the tastes of the Twi’lek race have evolved primarily socially and psychologically due to their barren homeworld. Wild legumes and root vegetables are extensively used, as is a hardy and nutritious plant somewhat similar to rice. There is also a limited array of fruits available on Ryloth, such as the sweet Feen which was often eaten raw or stewed with grains to provide more flavour to them. Spices are difficult to come across on Ryloth, and but the ones that do exist are typically moderately spicy or characteristically bitter.
Most meat dishes eaten on Ryloth are relatively simple, taking the form of stews and broths made from the flesh of Rycrit and Collypods, though the Twi’lek do also eat the small lizards that scuttle across the planet’s surface on spits. A clan very rarely has the requisite amount of meat to feed to the entire clan and thus the aforementioned stews and broths are popular, as is curry. The Twi’lek also derive yoghurt from their domesticated Rycrit.
Fungus products are a celebrated and essential base for Twi’lek food, as they grow plentifully below the surface of Ryloth within its numerous caves. Bread and beer are both made from fungus, and raw munch-fungus is often the travel-food of choice for Twi’lek scouting parties. Izzy-mold is a smaller, sweeter variety that is often eaten as an appetizer, given to guests, or handed around at social gatherings.
The Twi’lek have developed a fairly wide variety of alcoholic drinks, perhaps due to the dismal nature of their homeland. The most generic of this is referred to as Jenyola, literally translating to liquor. This drink is brewed from an often random medley of Rylothian plant life, and tends to be green in colour. It also happens to almost invariably be blisteringly powerful, and will intoxicate it’s imbibers rapidly. Yurp is another alcoholic drink, typically brewed using Rycrit milk as a base. Finally, T’ssolock is a sort of localised drink, each major clan has their own unique recipe and taste. What does tend to remain the same, however, is that the drink has a uniquely vile taste, but is followed by a distinctive and pleasant aftertaste. Leaking the recipe of a clan’s T’ssolock to another clan is a grave social taboo, and crossing it may even see the offending member exiled.
