Kerkoiden

Last Updated: 2/2/2024

Name: Kerkoiden (Kerk)

Humanoid: No

Classification: Alternative/Beast

Homeworld: Kerkoidia

Skin Color: Blue or Green

Biology: Kerkoiden were a bipedal species known for their fairly peculiar silhouette. They have flat feet sporting at least two toes, as well as wide hips, incredibly thin waists, and broad chests. Their hands had four fingers ending in sharp claws that extended upwards 15 centimeters in length. Their skin was often a light blue or green in coloration, although it grew darker in shade the further up their body it went. They had a thick hide that was somewhat wrinkled, with mottled spots found on key areas like their head, chest, and possibly arms. Additionally, the species only stood about 1.5 meters in height on average, with somewhat of a hunched posture accentuated by their protruding deltoid muscles.

The Kerkoiden had large, protruding backs and massive, conical heads. The back of their skull stood up in a rounded point, and their faces were long and almost warthog-like. Their bulging eyes were red with black pupils. They had long, sharp teeth, and two elongated tusks extruding from their lower jaws that curved out and upwards. They also had a long nose structure sprouting from the center of their face, with angled nostrils on the side, in addition to gaping aural cavities located on the upper back sides of their head.

Though usually relying on their native tongue, “Kerkoidese,” and despite their strange facial structure, the Kerkoiden did have the ability to speak Galactic Basic Standard, although usually they had what many would consider to be a thick “Scottish” accent. It was said they had evolved from a quadrupedal, carnivorous jungle predator native to Kerkoidia some time in the distant past, and still maintained some of those animalistic instincts, including a natural aggressiveness, as well as, if their teeth are any indication, as diet still consisting of quite a bit of meat. They had made active efforts to mask these urges, however, and to many, they appeared much more levelheaded and civilized in nature than they truly were. They also had a lifespan similar to that of Humans, rarely living past the age of ninety

Society: The Kerkoiden were a once wealthy powerful species known for their partial ownership of the prolific galactic banking conglomeration known as the “Retail Caucus.” Shortly before the start of the Clone Wars, the Caucus had seceded from Republic jurisdiction, publicly backing the Separatist movement and earning a less prominent role among the shady Separatist Council under the leadership of the banker-turned-general Whorm Loathsom. Supposedly, Kerkoidia’s own military presence had grown quite substantially over the years, with their “Planetary Defense Force” gaining galaxy-wide reputation. Given their planet’s status hidden deep within the Expansion Region’s “Trailing Sectors,” they had secretly been bolstering their forces to a point where they were able to contribute might to the CIS’s collective army, although there was little need for their soldiers after the droid army became fully established.

Unfortunately for the Kerkoiden, General Loathsom was defeated and apprehended right at the beginning of the Clone Wars, leaving the Retail Caucus with little leadership or prominence throughout the rest of the war (although the General may have been freed when fellow Separatist Council members Wat Tambor and Poggle the Lesser escaped from a high priority prison on Coruscant through currently unknown means). Following the war, some of the former Kerkoiden militants seemingly found employment as bodyguards for various criminals, although their world itself was occupied by the Galactic Empire and suppressed due to their previous Separatist involvements. After the death of the Emperor, the New Republic managed to swoop in and liberate Kerkoidia, placing it and its people under their protection. Supposedly, the species were also occasionally referred to as the “Kerk,” although this appears to have been an unwelcomed nickname with rather disrespectful connotations.

Continuity: Kerkoiden originally existed within the EU, although all of the information above (aside from the name of their native language) still exists within the current Canon. Additionally, a few minor facts such as their green coloration, as well as the Imperial occupation and subsequent New Republic liberation of Kerkoidia, are pieces of lore exclusive to Canon.

Unexplored: I feel like there are quite a few CIS-allied species, whether associated with the Confederacy Parliament or Separatist Council, that have been shown and named but just never adequately explored, with races like the Leyakians and Holwuff coming to mind! With the CIS being such a rich and varied faction, this really is a shame, so below are a handful of questions that, if ever answered, I believe would help really flesh out the Kerkoiden and make them a truly memorable aspect of the franchise. Firstly, when were the Kerkoiden initially discovered, and how long after that did they rise to the height of their prominence? How long were they associated with the Galactic Republic, and was it just the Retail Caucus that first allied with the Separatists, or did the whole world intend to secede in a manner not unlike species like the Neimoidians or even the Quarren?

What exactly did the Retail Caucus look like, how many species or worlds were considered a part of their co-op, and were the Kerkoiden the most prominent members, or just one of a number with influence? How wealthy were the species at their height, and how large had their planetary defense force grown by the start of the Clone Wars? Were they able to recover with the loss of their most prolific general, and how did they fare during the Imperial occupation of Kerkoidia? Adding to that, what happened to the species after their liberation? Did they officially join the New Republic, or possibly rebuild their defense force to protect themselves as a newly independent world? Alongside these questions, it wouldn’t hurt to also explore some of their more general worldbuilding traits, a list of which can be found in many of the articles on this site!

Additional Notes: There is so much potential here as a species that I hope gets explored rather soon! The different groups and peoples associated with the CIS are already uniquely fascinating on their own, and there’s a lot of room for more exploration and storytelling here, both as a race, as well as with individual Kerkoiden characters. Originally, the Kerkoiden were based off of concept art of the Nemoidians from The Phantom Menace, however, they eventually took shape and became their own thing, and I think we’re all the better for it. I personally hold onto a headcanon that sees the Holwuffs as another member species of the Retail Caucus, explaining away the reason why we never saw the Kerkoidens in Attack of the Clones. Given their similar appearances, I could even see the two species being distantly related! Regardless, I really hope someone explores more of the Kerkoiden society in a book, comic, etc. soon, especially set during or shortly prior to the Clone Wars era, because I would read about that in a heartbeat!

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