Star Wars Universe Roleplaying Game

Mrlssi

The Mrlssi are a small, flightless avian species native to the Colonies Region world of Mrlsst. Evolved from small ground-dwelling birds, they are instantly recognizable by their large black eyes, hooked beaks, and fine feathered bodies, paired with small, clawed hands and feet. Though their physical presence is unassuming, the Mrlssi are renowned across the Tapani sector and beyond as brilliant scholars, engineers, and scientists whose institutions and research have quietly shaped galactic civilization for millennia.

Mrlsst is famed for its universities and research academies, most notably the Mrlsst Trade and Science Academy, a leading center for applied sciences, starship engineering, and logistics. From Mrlssi laboratories and lecture halls come innovations in food preservation, livestock transport, construction methods, and starship and speeder design. Mrlssi engineers excel at refining and improving existing technology rather than chasing flashy breakthroughs, spotting design flaws and iterating until they arrive at elegant, efficient solutions.

Historically, the Mrlssi have preferred to remain neutral and distant from the galaxy’s wars. Their world stayed largely untouched throughout the rise and fall of the Galactic Empire, though Imperial propaganda sought to denigrate non-Human scholarship and diminish the prestige of Mrlssi institutions. True devastation only arrived years after Palpatine’s death, when Grand Admiral Thrawn besieged and bombarded Mrlsst, destroying many of its ancient campuses. Even then, the Mrlssi responded not with armies, but with rebuilding and renewed dedication to learning.

Their resilience is intellectual as much as cultural: when new threats like the Yuuzhan Vong emerged, Mrlssi scientists and students threw themselves into understanding and countering alien biotechnologies. Over time, Mrlssi scholars became deeply woven into galactic academic networks, teaching at prestigious universities such as the University of Byblos and serving quietly as experts, consultants, and problem-solvers for governments, corporations, and private patrons.

Most Mrlssi rarely leave their home system, traveling only for specific research projects, academic postings, or carefully chosen contracts. Those who do venture widely into the galaxy tend to be explorers, archaeologists, specialist technicians, or—more discreetly—operatives who exploit the widespread assumption that a bookish little bird-person could never be a serious threat. Whether debating starship designs in a faculty lounge or unraveling ancient mysteries on a forgotten world, the Mrlssi bring sharp minds, dry humor, and a relentless love of knowledge wherever they go.

Home Planet: Mrlsst
Physical Description: Mrlssi are small, blue-skinned avian humanoids typically standing between 0.7 and 1.3 meters tall, with an average adult height of about 1.2 meters. Their bodies are covered in soft feathers, while their arms, legs, and faces are scaly, giving them a distinctive blend of avian and reptilian features. Young Mrlssi usually sport brown or gray plumage, which gradually shifts into brighter, more vivid colors as they age, turning elders into quite striking figures amid the lecture halls and archives of Mrlsst. Their faces are dominated by large, dark eyes and a hooked beak, lending them an intense, birdlike focus when they study or scrutinize a design. Each hand and foot ends in three clawed digits, nimble enough for precise tool use, dataterminal work, and delicate mechanical adjustments. Though they evolved from avians, Mrlssi are fully flightless and lightly built, with bones and muscles that favor agility and fine motor control over raw strength. Their voices are high and piping, and when they speak Mrlsstese, their native language, many listeners describe it as musical and pleasant. When they speak Basic, however, the same vocal qualities can sound shrill or grating to other species. Combined with their small stature and somewhat comical proportions, this often leads outsiders to underestimate them—an error few repeat once they see a Mrlssi at work on a complex technical problem.

Average Height: 1.2 meters
Average Weight: 40 kilograms
Age of Adulthood: 9 years

Personality & Customs: Mrlssi are quick-witted, curious, and intensely detail-oriented. They place far greater value on knowledge, ideas, and insight than on material wealth, and even the wealthiest Mrlssi tend to live modestly while amassing extensive personal archives of rare texts, datafiles, and research notes. They are natural problem-solvers who delight in puzzles, mysteries, and systems; given time with a flawed design, a Mrlssi engineer will almost inevitably find ways to streamline, stabilize, or improve it. Culturally, they revere education, research, and open intellectual debate. Academic life shapes much of Mrlssi society, with universities and institutes serving as centers not just of learning but of civic identity. They enjoy spirited discussions about starship configurations, hyperdrive efficiency, architectural methods, and theoretical physics, and their conversations often blend serious analysis with layers of sly, deadpan humor. Mrlssi consider themselves among the galaxy’s best humorists, though their jokes and wordplay are often so dry and convoluted that outsiders struggle to recognize when they are joking. Mrlssi tend to be cautious rather than bold, preferring careful planning and incremental improvement over reckless risk-taking. They seldom seek adventure for its own sake and generally avoid direct involvement in galactic conflicts, a habit rooted in their early history on a geologically unstable world where buildings toppled but knowledge endured. When they do leave home, it is usually for a clearly defined goal—an archaeological expedition, a research posting, or a specific contract—after which most return to Mrlsst as quickly as possible. A rare minority channel their skills into espionage or intelligence work, leveraging the widespread perception of Mrlssi as harmless academics. Such agents have been quietly employed by Bothan intelligence networks and the Rebel Alliance, slipping into corporate, academic, or government environments where no one expects the small, bookish professor to be the one stealing the data.

Languages: Mrlsstese, Basic; many also learn Durese and Arkanian to study classic scientific texts.

Example Names: Kepor Dagwa, Virssl Jasst, Crlisst Herssek, Krssibel Waray, Pagda Luwa