fig 1. various morphologies of Taï
- Intent: Expand upon the lore of an underutilized canon aquatic species.
- Image Credit: Luca concept art [D23]
- Canon: Yes
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: N/A
- Name: Taï
- Pronunciation: ta • ee
- Designation: Sentient
- Origins: Taypho
- Average Lifespan: 100-120 years
- Estimated Population: Planetary
- Description: The Taï are an amphibious race of humanoid aquatics from the Mid Rim world of Taypho. While their bodies exhibit the normal human proportions, the Taï are shorter on average from baseline humans. However, they possess prehensile tails that can grow to be as long as their bodies. These tails are one of the most visually distinctive parts of the Taï, boasting dorsal sails along the length that demonstrate the same variety of color and shine as the scales on the Taï's body. Taï are able to breathe a Type I atmosphere, either in water or air due to possessing both lungs and gills; however, few Taï are comfortable leaving the water.
- Breathes: Type I
- Average Height of Adults: 154 cm
- Average Length of Adults: 148 cm (male) | 160 cm (female)
- Skin color: Taï demonstrate a green-blue-violet spectrum of skin colors, which are further varied by the scales that cover their bodies. These scales can be a solid color or contain two or more colors depending on the individual, with the variation of scale color dispersal being analogous to fingerprints in a human.
- Hair color: N/A
- Distinctions: Taï possess a baseline humanoid shape that is distinguished by the inclusion of a prehensile tail. Taï demonstate sexual dimorphism with their tails -- male tales are slightly shorter than the body length, while female tails are longer than the body length. Mature Taï are shorter on average than human from head to foot. Small fins are present on the spine, forearms, and calves, with a prominent sail extending the length of the tail. While Taï do not have hair on their bodies, the scales on the head (and face of some males) may resemble some styles of hair or facial hair.
- Races: N/A
- Force Sensitivity: Low
- Amphibious Anatomy. Taï possess both gills and lungs, allowing them to function in any oxygenated environment in either an air or water medium. They excel in ocean environments, where their swimming ability is matched only by the Mon Calamari.
- Prehensile Tail. Taï demonstrate remarkable control and dexterity with their tails, with some individuals even able to operate instruments or fine tools with them.
- Specialized Anatomy. Taï have webbed fingers and toes, making it difficult for them to use certain weapons, clothing, or tools that require more digital range of motion. Their tails can also be cumbersome on dry land, as their balance is different when walking upright. If they're not mindful, their tails can drag along the ground and become caught or knock something over.
- Terrestrial Agoraphobia. Taï live their lives in water. Most never step foot on dry land and so never learn to walk. This unfamiliarity with dry land breeds a common anxiety for situations where the Taï is removed from aquatic environments. As a result, few Taï involve themselves in business dealings or affairs involving terrestrial species.
- Diet: Omnivore. Taï cuisine reflects their aquatic society, heavily featuring fish, sea cucumbers, and seaweed.
- Communication: As with Nautolans, Quarren, and Mon Calamari, Taï demonstrate the ability to verbalize speech underwater with no ill effect or distortion. Taï speak and write Galactic Basic, having lost their indigenous languages, which fell out of use following contact with the Galactic Republic.
- Technology level: Galactic Standard. Taï technology incorporates their aquatic dispositions, even more so than Mon Calamari design. Taï ships feature fully enclosed aquatic ecosystems so that any terrestrial passenger would require the use of a breathing apparatus.
- Religion/Beliefs: While some Taï expressed agnostic or atheist beliefs, the dominant religions of faithful Taï centered around the Force, with the Order of the Esoteric Pulsar and Church of the Force being the major religious organizations within Taï society. While actual Force Sensitivity among Taï was rare, some were discovered by the Jedi and adopted their religious tenants. There are no known Taï practitioners of the Sith or other Force cults.
- General behavior: Taï are aquatic natives that primarily dwell on their homeworld of Taypho in an egalitarian society that is simplistic by baseline galactic standard. While capable of functioning out of water, as a general rule the Taï are uncomfortable in terrestrial environments where access to water may be restricted or where they may face dry, arid climates that are uncomfortable for their scaly skin. Most Taï never learn to walk, as they see themselves as having no need. As a result, they trade and conduct business almost exclusively with other aquatic or amphibious races. Similarly, when Taï travel off-world, they generally frequent aquatic worlds, such as Lamaredd, Glee Anselm, or Manaan.
The Taï are Mid Rim natives whose home star is distant and remote from any hyperlanes, resulting in their isolation from the galaxy for most of history.
Their homeworld of Taypho was charted by the Galactic Republic during the Pius Dea Crusades, though the Crusaders merely recorded the planet's location in the Mid Rim as it offered no available landmass as was deemed of negligible value -- to include the fact that it was quite distant from either of the main Corellian hyperlanes. As a result, first contact with the galaxy would not happen until nearly a century after the Crusades, when a Herglic trade consortium arrived to prospect the planet for undersea minerals. This initial foray into galactic politics went well, with the Taï finding the Herglic and Mon Calamari to be well-received by Taï society. Other races, such as the Tynnans, were easily accommodated, yet starkly alien. And initial contact with humanity went poorly, as the Taï found that they had little in common. Despite this miscommunication, Taï are well-regarded with a reputation for being a gentle and friendly people.
Introduction to the Galactic Republic was particularly stressful, with the Taï ambassador to Coruscant suffering a panic attack upon arrival at the ecumenopolis. After several attempts at formal diplomatic relations, the Taï opted to allow the Herglic to represent them in the Galactic Senate. There was a nominal delegate from Taypho to the Herglic entourage, but they rarely made appearances on Coruscant. During the Clone Wars, the Taï at least nominally supported the Republic.
Following the Declaration of a New Order and consolidation into the first Galactic Empire, Taypho was placed under the control of a Quarren Imperial Governor, which resulted in many Taï joining the Rebellion during the Galactic Civil War. So, while the Taï had been passive members of the Old Republic, the species became more active in its interstellar relations by the time of the New Republic. Though rarely venturing from their distant home in the Mid Rim, the Taï continued to represent themselves and their world to interstellar alliances until the Gulag Plague, when the planet (like the remainder of the galaxy) became isolated as trade between world ceased and communication relays faded from use. Of the few Taï caught off-world at the time of the crisis, none returned home or are known to have survived.
During the Four Hundred Years Darkness, the Taï had reorganized their society into a more agricultural one, with seaweed farms and fisheries providing for their populace, with controlled growth through government programs to limit the number of children per family. Undersea mining was limited, with little research or technological development was performed during this period, but the Taï emerged from out of the Four Hundred Years Darkness with their society and culture mostly intact -- save for having lost their indigenous languages as they fell out of use in modern society.
Still a distant and remove world in the Mid Rim, seen as unimportant by many, Taypho was not even on some star charts in 841 ABY, when the Taï were visited by a ship for the first time in centuries. And, while the Taï remain a friendly people, most would prefer to keep to their own waters as rumors of war continue to pass through with the infrequent visitors to their distant star.
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