Ts'viriko

Ts'viriko (sometimes spelled Ts'viriko), pronounced [ts-vEH-rEE-koh] or [ts-vEE-rEE-koh] were a species.

Origin and History
The species originated in Hutt Space around 9,000 BBY. Originally Ts’viriko were sickly Human slaves that worked in highly hazardous factories in the lower cities of industrial planets like Nar Shaddaa and developed various mutations from the radiation and pollution.

By 6,200 BBY, when the Ts'viriko were already widely inhabiting Hutt Space, the first rebellions began to arise and several sectors from Nar Shaddaa and Nal Hutta overthrew their Hutt masters and departed for the farthest corners of the galaxy, ridden of urban decay and crude industrialized areas to live an isolated life. Some eventually settled on water planets where the final stages of their development were completed.

Hair
Males had straight, single-toned hair, the color of which could only be of blond or brown shades. It was rough and wiry to the touch. Females had ether single-toned or two-toned hair that could be either straight or wavy. Single-toned hair could only be of a light shade of either blond, brown or red, and one texture – very soft and feathery. Two-toned hair grew in layers (top and bottom) and always had both textures – feathery and rough/wiry, single texture per color. Top layer hair could only be a light shade of either blond, brown or red and the bottom layer could be of any color. Their hair stopped growing normally at age 15 (for both males and females) and would later regenerate very slowly.

Eyes
Their eyes could be of any color, except white and black (the pupil was black). Green and yellow were the most common iris colors. A nictitating membrane covered their eyes and served the purpose of moistening the eyes so that an individual wouldn’t have to blink when preferred. It was also rumored to play an important role in regenerating the eyesight after any damage, which is why all Ts'viriko had perfect eyesight at all times.

Bones
They had 3 types of bones: weak and fragile (arms, hands, hips, pelvis); strong and not easily breakable (skull, top and bottom of spine, legs and feet, ribs); strong and flexible (middle of spine). They had two sets of ribs, one wide (upper) and one narrow (lower) protecting the twin hearts. Because of the heavy rib cages and weak pelvis, the species had to lean back slightly to maintain balance. In general their arm and leg bones were significantly longer than those of a Human. Their bones would stop developing at the age of 17 (for both males and females) and afterward would not grow back when broken, which is why artificial bone replacements were commonly used.

Twin Hearts
The Ts'viriko had two hearts. One (two times bigger and thicker than a Human heart) which was located in the upper ribcage had all of the body’s muscles connected to it and controlled an individual’s nerve system. Damaging this heart didn’t kill the individual, but paralyzed them completely. The second heart (the size of a regular Human heart) which was located in the lower ribcage had a separate blood stream stemming from it that was connected to the blood stream of the brain. It was supplied with cells that could rid the body of most poisons. When an individual is healthy, the blood circulates within its closed system, but when a poison or bacteria enter the body, the cells from the heart stream are automatically released into the brain blood stream, thus both streams start circulating as one. This heart could fully regenerate after damage, but removing it made an individual vulnerable to even the most minor of bacteria. For some reason the two hearts never beat in tact.

Brain
The brain served the same functions as a Human brain did and in addition to that, half of a Human heart’s functions. A separate blood stream, supplied with only a Human equivalent of red blood cells was connected to the brain and stemmed throughout the entire body. It was responsible for basic blood circulation – it only transferred oxygen and substances. The memory center of the brain was especially big, which is why the Ts’viriko had exceptional memory.

Lifespan and Aging
Males lived from 40 to 45 years, while females lived from 30 to 40 years. The upcoming death of a Ts’viriko could be easily seen; exactly a standart year before their death their bodies would go through several changes: their hair turned white; the nictitating membranes pulled over their eyes permanently, making them hazy; their skin turned gray-ish; their lips lost color and blended with the skin; their vocal chords got partially sealed together and they couldn’t talk too much or too clear.

Voices
Males had a raspy voice that resembled a loud whisper. Though slightly hoarse, the voice was pleasant and soothing to listen to. Because of how weak the males’ vocal chords were, they weren’t able to raise their voice enough to shout. Females had a double-voice, main voice and ghost voice (echo). The main voice was similar to that of a human female’s, thought clearer and not as high-pitched, while the echo was quiet and deep, slightly breathless. Because of this combination, females possessed a perfect singing voice.

Language and Speech
The Ts’viriko didn’t have a language of their own, however because of their memory they could memorize most languages very quickly and speak whichever they preferred. In the beginning they spoke Huttese and Galactic Basic. Because of how their vocal chords were developed, they emphasized a single word twice which made it slightly hard for a Human to get used to hearing, as to them it sounded like a single word was separated into several syllables.