The Ky`Knomi (/ˌkaɪ.kˈnoʊ.mi:/) were a sentient race hailing from Tyras in the Unknown Regions. They were as well-known for their artistic inclinations and culture as they were for their distinctive hammer-shaped heads.
Biology and appearance[]
Tall semi-humanoids, the Ky`Knomi were most easily recognizable by their unusual heads. Their wide, flat faces were accented by the curves of flesh which grew out of both sides of their heads; their eyes were situated on these curves. A Ky`Knomi's large brain took up most of the space in its central cranium and extended partly into both eye branches. Those with the requisite knowledge occasionally compared the Ky`Knomi to both Ithorians and Rakata.
Ky`Knomi had skin which ranged from yellow to green, and eyes in shades of brown, including a glossy copper. Due to the twelve moons of their homeworld and the resultant brighteness at all times of night, Ky`Knomi evolved poor night vision. The omnivorous Ky`Knomi had broad builds but were lightly muscled, and had large hands with long fingers.
The Ky`Knomi gestation period was over a standard year. Female Ky`Knomi gave birth to a single live youngling at a time; pregnancy with or delivery of more than a single child nearly always resulted in the death of one or both fetuses and/or the mother.
Society and culture[]
The Ky`Knomi were best known in the galaxy for their artistry. Attention to artistic and aesthetic detail was expected of all Ky`Knomi, regardless of profession or status in life. Deliberate artistic endeavor was considered the noblest pursuit available to a sentient being, and writers, actors, fashion designers, architects, musicians, singers, and visual artists were highly honored. Ky`Knomi had a great appreciation for both natural and created beauty, and preserved nature on their homeworld as much as possible.
Due to their artistic nature, the Ky`Knomi had eliminated many professions from their society. Droids attended to maintenance and cleaning work, and though the Ky`Knomi could eat meat, the slaughtering of animals was viewed as such a low profession that only the poorest Ky`Knomi would indulge in it. As a result of its scarcity, meat was considered a delicacy of the fantastically rich before Tyras joined the Golden Empire.
The Samayus Palace of Opera was Tyras's most distinguished performing hall for concerts, recitals, plays, and musicals; performing at Samayus was considered the height of a Ky`Knomi's career, and many young Ky`Knomi stated it as their dream goal before settling on more achievable ambitions.
History[]
The Ky`Knomi evolved with no notable natural predators and in a stable geological environment, which sociologists believed contributed to their emphasis on artistry and grace. Warfare existed among the Ky`Knomi, but was highly ritualized and formulaic, and dignity was prized more greatly than ruthlessness or efficiency.
Centuries before the Battle of Yavin, the Ky`Knomi had unified themselves under a single, planet-spanning government. Technology progressed to the point that most menial labor could be done by droids. The Ky`Knomi explored all twelve of Tyras's moons and much of the outer system, and constructed a handful of permanent space stations in orbit.
In 114 ABY, the Golden Empire intercepted a space probe dispatched from Tyras and followed it back to the Ky`Knomi homeworld. The Ky`Knomi agreed to join the Empire; while they found the militance of the government distasteful, this was far outweighed by the ability to share their art with other cultures and find new forms of art as well. Tyras quickly became an influential cultural center of the Empire, and along with Classaeria, the holovid center, derived most of its export income from luxury goods.
In the galaxy[]
Many species under the rule of the Golden Empire found the Ky`Knomi emphasis on artistry and refusal to participate in more "blue collar" occupations a sign of elitism and snobbery. Nonetheless, Tyrasi designs were very influental in the fashion world, and Ky`Knomi architects were often paid lavish commissions for offworld work. The Samayus Palace of Opera's reputation spread throughout the Empire, and it was believed that only the very best offworlders would earn the right to perform there.
In 146 ABY, a group of Ky`Knomi jewelers and artisans was among the experts consulted to take Rayne Turgachia's designs for the crown of Rin Sakaros and make them a reality.
The Centurion Terran Saul was a famous Ky`Knomi, who only became more so when he died as the second of the Shest Minor Seven.