Drach’nam

Last Updated: 2/13/2024

Name: Drach’nam

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Reptilian

Homeworld: La’drach

Coloration: Unknown

Biology: The Drach’nam were a race of large, sentient, subterranean reptiloids. Being humanoid and bipedal in nature, Drach’nam had two arms and two legs, with a fairly Human-like frame. They were a muscular species, covered in a thick hide, although aside from being pale, we don’t actually know what colorations they could be. They seemingly stood somewhere between 1.8 and 2 meters tall on average, with long, firm limbs, each ending in three-digit appendages.

Drach’nam had elongated, reptilian heads, with large, black, triangular eyes that granted them great vision in low-light environments. They also had forward-facing exposed nostrils, as well as what appeared to be one or more slits on the back sides of their head that gave way to their aural cavities. One of the Drach’nam’s most noticeable traits was the wide, indented ridge running all the way up from the top of their upper lip, between their nostrils and eyes, and up and around the back of their head.

This ridge was described as almost taking on the appearance of “tire tracks,” with angled lines segmenting the inverted ridge, meeting at a deep groove in the middle. Around this track was a thin, fleshy strip that almost seemed like melted flesh, which also made up all but the upper center portion of their lips. Their mouths were wide, with four large fangs protruding from their upper jaw, and two extending from their lower. Drach’nam were known for their durability and strength, as well as their low baseline intelligence. Additionally, they were described as having light pink blood.

Lore: The Drach’nam hailed from a little known world called La’drach, whose location in the galaxy remains unknown. The planet’s surface may not have been considered very habitable, as the Drach’nam dwelled almost exclusively underground, building cities and communities among the vast caverns and network of tunnels. They were a rather dimwitted and nasty species, most well known for wearing little clothing and hosting a fairly prominent slaving consortium sometimes known as the “Greatness.”

This organization was almost religious in nature, establishing their presence on other worlds like Kvabja and Torpris, primarily operating out of a massive fortress on Torpris which was heavily guarded, and serving the powerful crime boss, Chay Praysh, who called himself the “First Greatness.” They primarily trafficked Humans during their years of operation, and had an especial disdain for women, staffed almost entirely by male Drach’nam instead. In 18 ABY, however, these slavers made themselves an enemy of the New Republic, and were defeated and apprehended shortly after by New Republic forces led by Luke Skywalker, who subsequently freed all of their slaves.

Continuity: The Drach’nam have only ever been mentioned in EU media.

Unexplored: There’s honestly quite a bit here that’s left up in the air regarding the Drach’nam; questions I’d like to see answered should they ever be faithfully adapted into the current Star Wars Canon. For starters, when were they discovered, where was their homeworld located, and what exactly was the surface environment(s) like? Did they ever live above ground, possibly driven below the surface following some catastrophe, or did they evolve directly from a subterranean reptile? What colorations could they be, what distinct anatomical or biological traits did they possess that we’re not aware of yet, and was there some purpose in their facial groove?

Was the majority of the species involved in the slave trade, or did those on La’drach disapprove of the Greatness’ methods, forcing them to move their operations offworld? Did the Drach’nam have a poor reputation among the galaxy as a whole, or were they so obscure that there wasn’t any public perception of them at all? Did they ever have any major alliances, including being a part of the Republic at some point? And who were the Greatness’ primary clients? Is it possible they had dealings with the CIS or even the Empire? What happened to them after the New Republic’s intervention, and did their dastardly ways cease completely, or did their antisocial behavior only increase?

If we can get answers to some of the above questions, as well as expansion regarding the following general worldbuilding traits, I think their fairly unique appearance is enough to possibly make them a real standout species some time in the future! As for the aforementioned concepts, we really need a deep dive on their origins, history, evolution, development, architecture, advancements, governments, politics, society, culture, economy, exports, galactic contributions, technologies, religions, philosophies, traditions, cultural practices, habits, diets, languages, etc. It would also be nice to have some updated illustrations or depictions, giving us a better look at their appearance from different angles, as well as just having some color!

Additional Notes: Definitely on the more obscure side of the species I’ve covered so far, and I don’t see them making the leap into Canon anytime soon. That being said, I really do like the design of their head, it’s classic Star Wars, so I really do want to see someone bring them into the modern age eventually, even if their lore has to change drastically to accommodate their appearance!

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