Temolak

Last Updated: 11/8/2023

Name: Temolak

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Alternative

Homeworld: Zirulast

Coloration: Red and Brown

Biology: Temolaks were a humanoid species that were naturally heavyset, although they possessed outstanding musculature and an impressive stature to boot. They stood approximately 1.9 – 2.3 meters tall on average, with thick limbs and a rounded stomach. Temolaks had smooth, hairless skin that was brownish-red in coloration. They possessed jagged fins on the underside of their arms that ran from their wrist all the way to their elbows. Temolaks had thick necks and slightly hunched backs.

Their enlarged heads sported rounded features, although the top of their heads were uncharacteristically flat. They had very pronounced foreheads, and their elongated chins were lined with vertical, striated ridges. Their flat, upturned noses possessed special muscles that caused them to energetically flare out when a Temolak spoke. Temolaks had wide mouths full of uneven, jagged teeth. Their cheeks consisted of sunken pockets, and their small, solid white eyes were also set deep into their face. Additionally, they possessed a set of thin, curling horns that protruded from where their cheeks met their upper lip, almost giving the impression of a fleshy mustache, although the purpose of these horns, whether sensory or otherwise, is ultimately unknown.

Temolaks appeared to possess poor eyesight, but an enhanced sense of smell. They also had impeccable strength, even for beings of their size, and their resilience was almost unmatched. Due to the harsh nature of their homeworld, Temolaks could survive in most extreme environments. This included exceeding cold, deadly heat, and even the vacuum of space, at least for a short period of time. It is also theorized that they are, or at least were an aquatic species, meaning they potentially also had the capacity to breathe underwater.

All of this was made possible due to their “redundant organs,” meaning they possessed doubles of almost every organ that was natural for the average humanoid (i.e. livers, hearts, lungs), and they sometimes even had triple organs such as livers or spleens. Oftentimes these duplicate organs would remain inactive, serving as a sort of backup in-case an extreme scenario caused a primary organ to fail. These extra organs were the result of intense evolutionary adaptation, and were not always present within the Temolak race. Modern Temolaks had slightly elongated lifespans, often living to just over 100 years old. They also spoke a language known as Temolish, although they could pronounce Basic as well.

Lore: In the early days of the Old Republic, the Temolaks of Zirulast were known as a bountiful, intelligent, fairly well-off species. They weren’t especially popular among the galactic landscape, but they were secretive or isolationist either. Their luck would, unfortunately, run out around 2000 BBY when a mysterious catastrophe caused almost all of the water on Zirulast to instantly evaporate. This would, of course, send the planet spiraling into an apocalyptic state, and those who survived the initial ordeal would adapt and evolve to become a lowly survivalist species.

To make due on the hostile, barren wasteland that Zirulast had become, the remaining Temolaks began to become proficient scavengers. They put their intelligence and ingenuity to good use, seeing the value in what most others could only view as trash and transforming it into surprisingly complex and functional pieces of technology such as moisture vaporators, weaponry, and especially starships. Many Zirulast scrappers would actually leave their homeworld in their newly acquired salvage ships to collect scrap from all across the galaxy, continuing to expand their now lucrative scrapping empire.

These groups would eventually form into clans that would take up residence in different parts of the galaxy, often congregating near old space battlefields or other ship graveyards. These clans would often claim abandoned space stations, converting them into makeshift Temolak colonies and bases of operations. Temolak scrappers were relatively peaceful, although they were known for taking advantage of lower-intelligence species to get as much scrap from them as possible. They were also hard workers, and took on very few hobbies as their lives almost entirely revolved around the acquisition and subsequent utilization of space debris and trash.

By the tail end of the Old Republic era, the Temolaks had made quite the name for themselves as galactic scrappers, sometimes drawing the attention of pirate factions who were surprisingly met with extreme prejudice. When their colonies were threatened, Temolaks would shed their rather meek personas and pull all the stops to defend their junk. The Temolaks would eventually become a threat to larger scrapping organizations like the Scrapper Guild, and who attempted to strongarm them into submission. The Temolaks responded by uniting all of their colonies under one banner, formally known as the Temolak Salvage Consortium. This officially recognized conglomerate gained immunities and protection, halting these aggressions and allowing them to operate in peace.

That was until the rise of the Galactic Empire, when the galaxy became plagued with Imperial mandated laws and restrictions regarding scrapping. This especially impeded the Consortium’s operations, with the Empire specifically targeting them seemingly out of fear of their ability to band together, as well as their unpredictable technology and surprising might. Instead of rebelling, many Temolaks left the Consortium to become independent scrappers once again. This allowed them to bypass many Imperial laws, and quelled the Empire’s fears of an organized Temolak resistance. Still, some larger factions formed among them, which would mysteriously disappear one by one. Whether they fled into the unknown regions or if the Empire covertly wiped them out, we currently cannot say.

Temolaks were known for their simplicity when it came to things not related to their scrap inventions. This included their political opinions and governing systems, alliances and views of galactic events, and even their names which always consisted of only one word. They did not believe in the idea of last names, and family units weren’t particularly important among their culture. This meant that it was common to encounter Temolaks simply named stuff like Kurun, Chaiza, Zanvost, or Orborus.

Legends/Canon: The Temolaks are currently still exclusive to Star Wars Legends.

Unexplored: There’s actually not all too much left to be explored regarding the Temolaks, especially due to how simple their lives and ideals were as a whole. This is, of course, if canonically they retain the same lore, which is currently subject to any and all change. But saying that it does translate completely into Canon, then here are a few things that could stand to be expanded upon a little bit more. First and foremost, what happened on Zirulast to cause the mass evaporation event? How long did it take the surviving Temolaks to adapt, evolve, and move on? What was Temolak scrap tech like, how did it differ from other machinery, and what sort of aesthetic did it possess? How many Temolak colonies were there, and how widespread were they?

Were there any notable Temolak who deviated from their normal way of life? Did any individuals or colonies ally themselves with groups, factions, or organizations? What sort of confrontations did the Temolak Salvage Consortium have during the decades or potentially even centuries leading up to the Clone Wars? How much did they suffer at the hands of the Empire? Were there just social and political pressures, or were some groups really assassinated and wiped off the face of the galaxy? What became of the Temolak colonies and the remains of the Consortium following the collapse of the Empire? Did they regroup and resume operations like usual, or did they evolve once again as a people just like they had after the fall of Zirulast? Finally, some new depictions of different Temolaks in all shapes, sizes, ages, genders, etc. would be incredibly helpful, whether drawn illustrations, in CGI animation, or even live action!

Additional Notes: Not the most notable species in the Star Wars galaxy, but still one to keep an eye on for the future! The lore regarding their place as scrappers and the formation of the Consortium is pretty fascinating and unique, and their story left me wanting some sort of conclusion that, unfortunately, we will probably never receive…

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