Star Wars Alien Species - Ayrou
The homeworld of the Ayrou, Maya Kovel was a windswept planet in the Moddell sector of the Outer Rim Territories. The atmosphere of the planet was thinner then average and the taste and smell of the air was considered acrid. The world was regularly inundated by intense windstorms, exposing the iron-rich soil and rock to the air giving the world a reddish appearance. Long crevices formed in the surface, allowing for a form of lichen to thrive. This green lichen produced durable seedcases which would erupt when out of the wind and near water, even if it took decades to meet these conditions.
Initially considered a planet in the Unknown Regions, Maya Kovel was formally admitted into the Republic as part of the Moddell sector, now considered a part of the Outer Rim, in 50 BBY. Located along the Annaj-Houche Run, the native Ayrou were the dominant species in the system and had colonized many of the surrounding planets. As economies spread and grew, the Ayrou worked with the Thonnermen of Thonner to help farm the lichen which flourished on Maya Kovel. While a part of the Republic, Maya Kovel did not play a role in any galactic wars, remaining outside of the fighting during the Clone Wars. When the Galactic Empire rose to power, the remoteness of the Moddell sector attracted the Imperials responsible for constructing the second Death Star. When the Empire fell to the New Republic, Maya Kovel's native Ayrou made up the sector's delegation to Coruscant and represented the planets throughout the reign of the Galactic Alliance. When Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire rose to power, Maya Kovel was engulfed in Imperial rule.
Ayrou had an instinct to hoard items for future use: a trait non-Ayrou sometimes mistook for simple greed, but which the Ayrou themselves regarded as merely practical. This trait carried over to a drive to collect as much information as possible about anything and everything. It also made them treat haggling and negotiations as an art form. It did not carry over to aggressiveness or covetousness, however. Ayrou considered violence the mark of those who could not succeed through their intellects.
Ayrou leaders would often debate a cultural or religious issue for several generations, before abruptly coming to a single conclusion. These sudden switches often baffled non-Ayrou observers.
The harmonics in their voices made many species uncomfortable. Some Humans described Ayrou vocalizations as "blood-curdling", and other listeners likened the Ayrou language to a songbird being strangled. Some species even claimed actual physical harm, such as lost egg clutches, from hearing Ayrou speak. Their version of a snort was a warbling scream.
Though their voices were often considered unpleasant, their appearance was generally held to be attractive. They were a tall, slim species, typically around 2 meters or 6.6 feet tall but only 65 kilograms or 143 pounds in mass. They had long, triple-jointed limbs, with four tapered fingers on each hand. Their skin ranged from milky white to light purple. Ayrou had wide-spaced eyes, which came in brilliant shades of red, blue, or green. Their avian ancestry was obvious from the dazzling plumage they had instead of hair. Ayrou spent much of their time preening their feathers, since their appearance reflected their health and social status.
Ayrous age at the following stages:
1 - 7 Child
8 - 12 Young Adult
13 - 44 Adult
45 - 55 Middle Age
56 - 79 Old
Examples of Names: Chee'ad, Tircee, Noreekee, Kuusa, Tessyn.
Languages: Ayrou speak and read Ayrou. The trilling, shrieking Ayrou language is often compared to the sound of a songbird being strangled.
