Post by Red on Feb 4, 2007 15:36:19 GMT -5
Twi'leks were an omnivorous humanoid species originating from the planet Ryloth. They tended to eat cultivated molds, fungi, and rycrit meat. Their distinctive features included colorful skin, which varied in pigment from individual to individual, and a pair of shapely prehensile tentacles that grew from the base of their skulls. The tentacles were called lekku, or head-tails. Twi'leks possessed a fairly standard humanoid vocal structure and were capable of learning most alien languages; however, they usually preferred their native language of Twi'leki, which incorporated subtle movement of the lekku. The beauty of female Twi'leks was well known throughout the Galaxy, and as a result many were sold into slavery, becoming dancers or status symbols, most notably by Jabba the Hutt.
The two most striking features of a Twi'lek were their broad range of skin coloration within the species, and pair of head-tails. The head tails, also called "Tchun-Tchin" or "lekku", protruded down the back of the skull and contained part of a Twi'lek's brain. The very word "Twi'lek" is believed to be derived from semi-Basic "twin lekku". A Twi'lek's head-tails served many purposes in their daily lives and culture, storing fat and being used as erogenous zones. The Twi'lek's native language of Twi'leki was spoken using a combination of words and subtle movements of the lekku.
A Twi'lek's head-tails were highly sensitive, and grabbing them forcefully was so painful that it could easily incapacitate almost any Twi'lek. Sometimes, damage to the head tails caused lasting damage to the Twi'lek's brain.
Long or shapely lekku were considered great status symbols, and often went hand-in-hand with respect, influence, and wealth. A Twi'lek's head-tails could be likened to phallic symbols, and for both sexes, larger lekku brought with them some indistinct positive connotations.
Their head-tails were a source of great pride to Twi'leks, especially when confronted by other species. The name "tchun-tchin" actually referred to each lekku—'tchun' being the left leku, while 'tchin' was the right. In casual conversation the Twi'leks would usually refer to their lekku as 'tchun' or 'tchin.'
The range of possible Twi'lek skin colors was extremely diverse, including green, orange, brown, yellow, blue, white, and purple—all in varying shades and hues. Other types of Twi'leks included the particularly rare turquoise-skinned Twi'leks, known as Rutian Twi'leks, and the rarest red pigment of the Lethan Twi'leks, whose skin color was caused by a mutation of the genetic code. Some Twi'leks took to dying their skin to produce a pattern