Mirialans were a deeply religious, near-human species that originated from the planet Mirial. They were also identical to humans, but differed in skin color, varying from yellow-green to paler skin. Mirialans were also an extremely flexible and agile race, making them formidable opponents in battle - something which the Jedi among them would use to their advantage.
History: After the return of the Sith Empire and the subsequent invasion of the Galactic Republic, the Mirialans elected to promote their planet as a haven for Outer Rim refugees. Due to this, the Miralans were some of the many species to experience the surge of victims of the war. This would eventually convince many Mirialans to enlist in the Republic Military, while the Force-Sensitives among them would be inducted into the Jedi Order, learning how to utilize their Force Abilities in conjunction with their skill with a lightsaber. The Mirialans continued to serve in the Jedi Order up until the Great Jedi Purge. The most notable Mirialans was Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her former Padawan, Barriss Offee. As the general of the 41st Elite Corps as well as a Galactic Republic naval task force, Luminara and Barriss would often be leading the battle on the front lines, such as the Invasion of Geonosis during the Clone Wars.
Society and Culture: A deeply religious species, the Mirialan people also practiced a near-primitive understanding of the Force, using it to develop a strong connection to the world around them. Much like the Miraluka, the Mirialan people believed that an individual’s destiny was determined by their actions, with their past and future triumphs serving as determining factors of their fate. Working alongside this belief was the ideology that each action would ripple through the Force, affecting the entirety of the species - not just the individual. Due to their understanding of the Force being more focused towards the Cosmic Force (the Force that connects the Living Force to a unified holist), non-Force-Sensitives still placed their faith in this fate, as it was ingrained into their society. It was also a tradition amongst Mirialan Jedi to take on fellow Mirialans as their Padawans, as they would develop the most stable and strongest connections with each other, maximizing their potential as Jedi. To represent a personal achievement - such as learning a skill, completing a test, etc. - the Mirialans would place a unique tattoo (repeated geometrically) on their face and hands, signifying that they had completed a certain test/task, or to represent a certain adeptness for a skill. Theoretically, the more tattoos a Mirialan had the higher their wisdom and skill, inferring that they are to be treated with the utmost respect. In addition to this, those who had more markings were offered greater opportunities in their stratified society due to their dedication and earned status. However, the majority of Mirialans were not educated in the entirety of the history behind the tattoo placement and meaning. This can be seen as abnormal to Mirialan society, considering the importance and extreme sensitivity behind the meaning of the tattoos, and what they signify. The placement of the tattoo as well as the positioning of each shape can have a drastic effect on the meaning behind it.
Appearance and Biology: Mirialans were a near-human species, only differing in their skin tone and facial tattoos. The most common skin tones amongst Mirialans were yellow-green and pink, although it was not unheard of to have purple skin. They were restricted to two hair colors - black and brown, as well as three eye colors - brown, blue, or purple. Despite being near-human, Mirialans were known to have much more flexibility as well as agility, a trait which would prove to be advantageous to the Jedi amongst them. Interestingly, not all Mirialan families approved of the traditional facial tattoos. Whilst the traditional families among them were strict in their belief - receiving the tattoos, honoring their meaning - the more appreciative Mirialan and half-Miralans rejected the brandishing of the tattoos, perceiving them to be nothing more than an ego-booster, a symbol to represent superiority and status.