The Fosh were a sentient avian species from an unknown world, possibly hailing from the Corporate Sector.
Biology and appearance[]
The Fosh were bird-like creatures with slim torsos and delicate arms tipped with four-fingered, talon-like hands that evolved over tens of thousands of years from wings. Due to the frail nature of their bodies, Fosh tended to shy away from conflict and confrontation. Their necks in particular were most vulnerable, and were reflexively guarded during combat. They were, however, agile creatures with a typically avian digitigrade stance and flay-toed feet useful for jumping.
The Fosh had a convex face ending in a beak-like mouth, around which were tufts of soft whiskers. The head of the Fosh was capped with two twisting antennae, the use of which remains unknown, and a feather-lined ridge protruding from the skull. These feathers shifted color depending on the Fosh's mood: Green indicated inquisitiveness, thoughtfulness or amusement; orange was a sign of happiness; blue meant apathy; and gray was anger, disgust, irritation or seriousness.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the species was the chemical makeup of their tears. Female Fosh especially had lacrimal glands that enabled them to alter their tears to produce a variety of pheromonal substances that affected males during mating. The Sith apprentice Vergere had such a control over her tears that they could, with the aid of the Force, be engineered to produce any number of chemical substances ranging from poisons to healing fluids more powerful than bacta.
Society and culture[]
The Fosh as a people were very private, preferring to remain unnoticed by the larger galaxy. They commonly spoke only on matters of great importance, content to simply listen at other times. It was believed that the Fosh population was small, although this may simply have been an effect of their ability to conceal themselves from other species.
The Fosh were, however, adept at political intrigue, and culturally, they were a manipulative species similar to the Bothans, but much more devious—many Fosh were bigots, looking upon other races as inferior, sometimes even as toys for their own amusement. They would create plots within plots to achieve either highly complex or at times very simple goals. They spoke indirectly to others, rarely revealing their true desires, and were fond of riddles and analogies designed to confuse and confound. Because of this, the Fosh were a highly self-serving, self-interested species that was only generous when their actions hid an ulterior motive. The Fosh were, however, wise enough to spot the dangers inherent in other species, and were vigilant in their dealings with outside races.
History[]
Due to their secretive, private nature, Fosh were little seen in the galaxy at any point in its history. It was possible that the species was one of those targeted for extinction by Emperor Palpatine, though even as of the decade prior to the Clone Wars, the species was considered to be largely extinct.
The only notable Fosh to have an impact outside of the species' homeworld was the Jedi Knight Vergere, active during the final decades of the Galactic Republic. After the Yuuzhan Vong attacked Zonama Sekot, Vergere traveled with the alien invaders for many years, ultimately returning to the civilized galaxy with Jacen Solo. Up until this time, even New Republic Intelligence was not aware of the species' existence. However, Droma once saw a Fosh in the Corporate Sector.
Behind the scenes[]
The Fosh pictured in The New Essential Guide to Alien Species has knees that bend like a humanoid's, however it is stated that they bend backwards like a crane's. As with most vertebrates, this joint is actually the ankle, rather than the knee.
Appearances[]
- Darth Plagueis
- Darth Plagueis audiobook
- Cloak of Deception
- Rogue Planet (First appearance) (message to Anakin Skywalker)
- The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
- The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
- The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
- The New Jedi Order: Star by Star
- The New Jedi Order: Traitor
- The New Jedi Order: Destiny's Way
- The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic III: Reunion (As one of Sekot's visible forms)
- The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force (As one of Sekot's visible forms)
- Legacy of the Force: Betrayal (Indirect mention only)
- Legacy (2006) 18 (In flashback(s))
Sources[]
- The Essential Guide to Alien Species
- The New Jedi Order Sourcebook
- The New Essential Guide to Characters
- Power of the Jedi Sourcebook
- "Vergere, Master of Mystery" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 138 (HEA1-2, Healing and Healers)
- The Official Star Wars Fact File 140 (YUU11, Do Or Die)
- The New Essential Guide to Alien Species
- Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Galaxy of Intrigue
- The Essential Guide to Warfare