Seylott (species)

A mammalian species, the Seylott were bipedal, although they could walk on either pair of limbs. A Forceful race, each member was attuned to the Force. With large stomachs supported on short legs, the Seylott were typically muscular and tall with strong arms from swinging on the branches and vines of the forest. They had flat faces with whiskers around their nose, and no discernible neck.

Living on the Outer Rim of the galaxy, the Seylott were not often visited by other species and were free to develop their society in seclusion. Creating a civilization of large stone monuments and structures deep within the forests of Seylott, the species developed a religious order whose members were known as the Disciples of Shaa. As all members of the species were Force-sensitive, they could all worship the god Shaa which was seen as two halves of the same whole; the Mother and the Infant.

Due to an unknown cause, Seylott society steeply declined and their society diminished. By the time of the Clone Wars, all that remained were primitive groups left worshiping Shaa in hopes of a brighter future. Those who could still control the Force were shamans or priests while the rest of the species could barely wield its power.

An isolated world on the Outer Rim, the Seylott homeworld was located on the borders of Republic space and not often visited by other races. Developing a culture and society independent of the galactic community, the species developed a religious order based around massive idols of the Mother and the Infant of Shaa. Constructing temples of white stone, the society thrived in peace for centuries. By the time of the Republic's Separatist Crisis, the Seylott society had fallen upon hard times and their society was rendered almost completely primitive.

During this time the Annoo-dat political terrorist Ashaar Khorda learned of the Infant of Shaa's existence and began an effort to recover the ancient relic for use as a superweapon. Although it was in his possession for a time, a Seylott devotee stole the idol in an attempt to preserve his species' culture and hide their past crimes. The Infant was eventually returned to Khorda by the bounty hunter Jango Fett, and the Annoo-dat was able to commence with his plans to use the idol to destroy the Republic's capital world, Coruscant. Khorda and very nearly succeeded in destroying the city-world, but failed due to the timely intervention of Jango Fett, his comrade Zam Wesell, and the Jedi Master Yarael Poof. Before it could bring harm to any of Khorda's targets, Poof succeeded in disarming the Infant of Shaa and gave it to Fett to return to Seylott. Placing the Infant back in its temple pleased the Seylott, as they believed that when the Mother and the Infant were separated, their world would decline further.

• The Official Star Wars Fact File122