#chevin

Been awhile since I've been into WTNV and I'm absolutely enamoured by Kevin and Charles 💕

Bloody version under the cut!!

"ELEPHANT MAN" OF A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY.

PIC INFO: Spotlight on a lesser known character of the "STAR WARS" galaxy -- Ephant Mon was a Force-sensitive Chevin male from the planet Vinsoth. His previous occupations included: mercenary, gunrunner, and chief security officer to Jabba's Palace.

Artwork by Michael Butkus, from "STAR WARS: The Essential Guide to Characters" (1995), published by Del Rey Books.

SW/ROTJ/FUN FACT: The name Ephant Mon is likely a pun on the real-life Elephant Man, Joseph Merrick (1862-1890). Indeed, Ephant Mon was referred to as Elephant Man during pre-production of "Return of the Jedi."

Chevin were a pachydermoid species native to Vinsoth, in the Outer Rim. The Chevin shared their homeworld with the humanoid Chev, whom they enslaved. They were mildly nomadic, living in wheeled cart cities, a sentiment that extended to their widespread exploration in the galaxy. Despite their ponderous appearances, Chevin were as nimble and quick as humans.

Source: The New Essential Guide to Alien Species (Art: Chris Trevas; 2006)

First Appearance: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi novel (1983)

During the Clone Wars, Vinsoth was located within Separatist space.

After the Battle of Endor, Ephant Mon established a Force-cult Temple on the planet and advocated Chev liberation. During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Vinsoth was conquered by the invaders at the beginning of the conflict. After the Yuuzhan Vong War, many Chevins favored abolishing slavery and joining the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. However, they had to form secret societies, as they were persecuted as traitors by the local dictators, who sent assassins after them.

During the Second Imperial Civil War, Vinsoth was contained within the boundaries of the Fel Empire. During the war, however, Vinsoth was lost to Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire.

Beginning as simple hunters and gatherers, the Chevin went on to conquer the Chev settlements and extend their nomadic civilization to dominate their homeworld. Vinsoth was rich in food and plant cover, and was eventually visited by offworlders seeking covert bases and food supplies. The Chevin soon gained galactic-level technology through trade, eventually manufacturing their own sophisticated weapons and vehicles. Though their technology was mostly acquired from offworld sources, they reverse-engineered products like starships in order to produce their own designs. Chevin starships were noted for their spacious cargo bays, roomy cabins, and large crews. Most of their technical advances went towards keeping their slaves in line and ensuring the continued domination of their homeworld. Chevin wore clothes only because other species did.

Chevin lived in small, mobile communities, with homes mounted on great wheeled carts. Even after they gained access to galactic technology, they continued to live as nomads (though more affluent Chevin mounted their lodges on large repulsorlift vehicles instead.) Their Chev slaves were usually forced to follow on foot. Nomadic groups of Chevin kept in touch via comlinks, and often converged on a single location to deal with danger.

The only Chevin settlements which stayed in place for more than one standard month were the "Government Villages", where Chevin dictators lived with their hand-picked advisors. Even these settlements were movable when necessary. Each of the roughly two dozen Government Villages ruled a Chevin nation.

These nations rarely warred against each other, beyond the occasional border skirmish, though economic competition was fierce. Warrior-politicians who won their positions through single combat roved from camp to camp, providing information to Chevin dictators.

The Chevin saw themselves as opportunistic realists interested in self-safety. Their culture valued the acquisition of power, wealth, and status by any means necessary. Most Chevin preferred to meet their goals through intrigue and subterfuge, letting others fight for them when necessary. They were calm and even-tempered if treated with respect, but quick to become bullies if angered, or retaliate if slighted or cheated.

The Chevin evolved from smaller relatives of the giant mammals who were wiped out when an asteroid collided with Vinsoth millions of years before the time of the Galactic Republic. Chevin had long snouts which hung down nearly to their ankles. Combined with their intellect, this made them skilled hunters of animals such as backshin, because they could smell out their prey or feed while keeping their eyes on the horizon. It was also their hunting prowess which allowed them to dominate their homeworld and conquer the Chevs. Chevin had thick legs, massive wide bodies, thin rope-like tails, and arms so long their three-fingered hands often brushed the ground.

Despite their ungainly appearance, they could walk or run almost as fast as more nimble-looking humanoids. Chevin boasted a double set of eyelids, one of which was transparent to prevent dust and wind from interfering with their vision. Their thick gray skin and efficient circulatory system kept them cool in warm climates and warm in cold climates, though they preferred semi-tropical conditions. The traditional Chevin costume consisted of long, elaborately patterned robes (though they did not wear clothing until they were contacted by other species) and jewelry. One Chevin even possessed the ability to kill a human with just his forehead.

Adult Chevin stand roughly 2 to 3 meters or 6.6 to 9.8 feet tall.

Chevin age at the following stages:

1 - 12 Child

13 - 18 Young Adult

19 - 155 Adult

156 - 211 Middle Age

212 - 256 Old

Examples of Names: Ephant Mon, Goorin, Hagalor, Negna Mundro, Osman, Pedna Scotian.

Languages: Chevin was the native tongue of the Chevin species and the official language of planet Vinsoth.

There was another native species to Vinsoth besides of the Chevins: The Chevs, who had their own language. However, the Chevs were slaves to the Chevins, and the Chevins forced their Chev slaves to learn Chevin language (usually they also made them learn Basic). Thus, the Chevin language was spoken by both Chevs and Chevins, while Chev language was spoken only by the Chevs.