K’aarg

Last Updated: 4/24/2024

Name: K’aarg

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Reptilian/Saurian

Homeworld: Shira

Coloration: Unknown

Biology: The K’aarg were a humanoid reptilian, specifically saurian species with a rather striking appearance. They stood slightly taller than that of baseline Humans, usually averaging out between 1.8 and 2.2 meters in height. They were also an incredibly strong and muscular species, with toned bodies and defined features. Though it’s unclear what color they were, we know that K’aarg were covered in a thick layer of flat scales that were nearly imperceptible unless closely examined. They were also a hairless species, though certain portions of their body like their stomachs were segmented, while others, like their shoulders, arms, and legs, sported large, hooked spikes that were solid and sharp.

Being a bipedal species, the K’aarg had two arms and two legs, their feet possessing three toes while their hands ended in five fingers, each digit tipped with an incredibly sharp and jagged claw. The species had broad shoulders, with a thick neck perched between. K’aarg heads were elongated, with most of their faces used to display their enormous mouths. These gaping maws were tall, with each jaw bearing between eight and ten massive teeth so long that they were incapable of closing their mouths. The upper portion of their head also sported two large, flat eyes with tiny, beady pupils, a pair of small nostril slits, a pronounced, spiky brow, and what appeared to be two downward turning, pointed ears.

K’aargs had an incredible bite force, and just impressive strength all around, making their spike-covered bodies more or less living weapons. The species’ scales also made them resistant to basic puncture wounds, and they also had an immunity to nearly every known poison. K’aargs had a relatively low baseline intelligence given what we’ve observed, and it’s unclear what language(s) they spoke, however, given the shape of their mouths, there’s a decent chance they were physically incapable of pronouncing Galactic Basic Standard. There is currently no recorded case of a K’aarg being Force Sensitive, and they may have had a low midi-chlorian count similar to many other sentient reptilians.

Lore: The K’aargs are a unique case as the species they evolved from was actually much more advanced than they are in the modern age, though we know next to nothing about their predecessor species, including their name, any of their history, or what sort of beings THEY may have evolved from. Despite the complex nature of their ancestors, the K’aarg, as they were now known as, have devolved into rather simple creatures, just barely past their “stone age” as of what is considered to be the “modern era” of the overall galaxy. Tribes of K’aarg could be found all across their homeworld, Shira, an obscure planet in the Outer Rim covered in mountainous jungles.

The K’aargs themselves took up residence almost exclusively within the caves that dotted Shira’s surface, though they were not considered subterranean, and spent much time outside of their damp, dank homes. During this time, K’aargs had access to basic wooden and stone tools and weapons, though few other advancements had been achieved, and their lifestyles could be described as rudimentary at best. The species were primarily hunter-gatherers, living off of the land and local fauna, though there’s no evidence that they had developed a strong concept of farming. They were also ill-exposed to the concept of offworlders, and seemed rather superstitious, though they initially possessed no unified religion.

Various skirmishes from tribal warfare took place, with K’aarg colonies fighting over territories and resources, though overall, the various clans generally seemed to get along, or at least tolerate each other. At some point in the past, a lone Dathomirian Nightsister became stranded on Shira, and between her ship and her Magicks, all who saw her immediately regarded her as a deity from the stars. This Nightsister relished in the newfound worship she had stumbled upon, and quickly proved herself a strict and malicious goddess, viewing the K’aargs as little more than playthings. As more and more K’aargs flocked to her service, a species-wide religion was seemingly born, and she would place more and more restrictive rules on her followers.

If a K’aarg were to disobey the goddess, she would use an unknown spell to remove their sense of identity, turning them into more than hollow slaves. Many of these mindless servants, known as the “Chosen of the Goddess,” would then be assigned as leaders of the various K’aarg colonies, and would exist solely to do the Nightsister’s bidding and make the K’args in their stead even more subservient to their all-seeing overlord. Over the following years, this witch would establish an empire and would be given nearly everything she could desire, aside from what she found she wanted most, a way off of Shira.

Feeling trapped, she would seemingly grow tired of playing goddess, and would slowly make the K’aargs existence a living nightmare. In these latter years, many of the K’aargs would grow disillusioned with their deity as well, and would retreat deep into the jungles to live solitary lives as nomads, free from the threats of their mysterious ruler. Most K’aargs would also develop a disdain for outsiders, becoming incredibly unwelcoming, a fact that would be made evident when archaeologists from the University of Coruscant would arrive on their world. Not expecting any sort of welcome from this enigma of a world, it was quickly made known that these men were not welcomed on Shira, though the Nightsister saw this as her long awaited opportunity to start again.

As far as we know, this false deity would escape, hijacking the archaeologists vessel, which would leave the researchers stranded on the planet for half a year. During this time, they would have to learn to live with the K’aarg, who were still incredibly wary of their presence and presumably in disarray due to the sudden disappearance of their goddess. Still, the archaeologists, led by professor Jonas Tylers, would continue their excavation attempts and uncover secrets regarding the K’aargs previous existence, managing to avoid getting on the native’s bad sides and surviving until Tylers’ daughter could finally come to their rescue. Following their departure, the future of this species, as well as the discoveries made over this six-month span, remain unknown.

Continuity: The K’aargs are an incredibly obscure species introduced within the annals of the EU, specifically debuting in a little-known roleplaying game released within a France-exclusive RPG magazine. As such, some of their lore can be considered dubious, and other aspects not really covered here, remain completely subjective, ultimately up to the players to establish, shape, and uncover.

Unexplored: There’s still quite a bit we know nothing about in regards to before and after the brief snapshot we received of the K’aargs. For starters, we need to look into their history and ask questions such as: When did the K’aarg’s predecessors first develop sentience and what sort of creatures might they have evolved from? How long did it take them to move past their primitive existence and stone age the first time around, and when did they finally reach the peak of their apparently super advanced society? Did they achieve this independently, or had other ancient groups or species assisted in their development? What was this ancestor species known as, were they the ones to designate their homeworld Shira, and ultimately, what led to their collapse and regression?

When did the collapse of their precursors take place, and how long did it take for the K’aarg to devolve to their current state as of the Galactic Civil War? Had they begun to develop once again, or were they at the absolutely lowest point they’d been in for millennia? Had they been visited by other offworlders prior to the arrival of the infamous Nightsister? Who all knew of the K’aarg’s existence, and is it possible the galaxy, or at least the Republic, was aware of their predecessors but just assumed they’d gone extinct? Who was the witch who took control of the species, what was her name, why did she get stranded on Shira in the first place, and what happened to her after her escape, especially mindless “Chosen?” What exactly went down while the archaeologists were there, what did they discover, and what did the future of the species look like after they left? Finally, we really need to explore a number of other general worldbuilding traits regarding their philosophies, habits, traditions, etc. and it’d be nice to finally learn about their coloration as well!

Additional Notes: I think the K’aarg’s design is really striking, and sad I’m they haven’t reused this one since their initial appearance so that more people could be aware of them! It’s a shame they’re only foray in-universe is inaccessible to nearly everyone… I’m not even sure if they could just bring this species into Canon without potentially having to jump through some legal hoops, the far reaches of the EU were sort of weird like that. Still, I think there’s a chance they could appear again someday, whether their established lore returns or not, and I would be pretty hyped if they even went as far as to say Carib Diss is a modified version of the Canon iteration of this species! At least one can hope!

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