Kriek

Last Updated: 12/6/2023

Name: Kriek

Humanoid: No

Classification: Reptilian/Amphibious

Homeworld: Kriekaal

Coloration: Unknown

Biology: Kriek were a very bizzare aquatic, and most likely amphibious, turtle-like creature hailing from the watery world of Kriekaal. They walked on all fours, with three-toed feet and massive, craggily nails. They possessed incredibly thick and scaly spotted skin, and while their color has never been specified, it is most likely a brown or green due to their home in marshy environments and the possible need to camouflage. They have a thick, muscular tail and a hardened, ridged shell that wraps all the way around their bodies, only allowing their limbs, tail, and neck to protrude. This shell can be a solid color, or can be mottled with darker spots, especially when they’re young.

Kriek have long, muscular necks and a turtle-like head with a mouth filled with sharp teeth. When young, the Kriek possess two short teeth and are much more approachable in nature, however, the older they get, the more horrifying and grotesque their visage becomes. Their lips slowly recede, revealing their massive, carnivorous teeth. Their eyes shrink in size and their once evident pupils become much less distinct, and they take on almost a skeletal appearance. It is speculated that Kriek can grow upwards of 2 meters in length. They appear capable of speech, although it is unknown whether they can only speak their own native dialect, or if they have the ability to speak Basic.

Lore: The Kriek are an enigma. Almost nothing is known about them, because there’s not much to know. They are perpetually stuck in a primitive state due to their lack of mobility, hands, resources, and influence. They have no true society, they possess no technology, and they definitely cannot travel by themselves. Although they appear animalistic, they have attained sentience and seemingly the ability to communicate, but to what end, who do not know yet. The Kriek rarely, if ever, interact with the outside galaxy, as Kriekaal is located deep within Wild Space. They can still be very ferocious and hostile, and until they evolve and develop into something a little more practical, they will remain forever in this state.

Legends/Canon: The Kriek only exist within Star Wars Legends, and have not been introduced into the current Canon as of yet.

Unexplored: So we aren’t given a whole lot to work with as far as this species is concerned. However, there are still a few questions to explore. How and why did they evolve in the manner that they did? What do they do with their sentience, and how exactly do they communicate? Do they still live animalistic lifestyles, or have they found a way to create communities, civilizations, and complex hierarchies? How did it do they react to offworlders appearing on their planet? Might they have been enslaved and used as gladiators or beasts of burden? If any were ever taken from their homeworld, where did they end up, and how many might be found spread out across the galaxy? On that note, how long could their lifespans be, seeing as they are based off of the long living turtle or tortoise, and could they possibly outlive those who captured or owned them?

They also need some serious additional artistic exploration, as the only two known official images of them are… outdated at best. What would they look like in a live action or animated format? How large would they generally be? What colors would their scales and shell be? How would they look alongside other more humanoid species? And how would they appear when submerged? These are all things that I think would be fun to explore, and would definitely flesh out this more rudimentary species, alongside the many general worldbuilding traits I often offer up in these articles.

Additional Notes: Because of their biological disposition, I’m torn between really wanting the Kriek in Canon and thinking they might be best left in the absurdity that was certain aspects of the EU. As mentioned above, I do think they could possibly make viable sentient “war beasts,” and they could also be good for taking on the role of the stereotypical wise mentor (as long as they can actually speak Basic), as cliché as that would be. Of course, you would then still have to address the issue of their mobility and reliance on outside sources to travel, although if they could do it with Jedi Master Thon, I don’t see why you couldn’t do something similar here. In the end, it all comes down to how creative of a writer you are, and if you think you can tackle a harder species than your average humanoid. If not, you could always just use a bipedal turtle-like species such as the Moragans or the Chelidae instead!

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