Kerestian

Last Updated: 5/15/2024

Name: Kerestian

Humanoid: Yes

Classification: Near-Human/Alternative

Homeworld: Kerest

Coloration: Brown, Tan, or Yellow

Biology: Kerestians were large, bipedal humanoids sharing a number of anatomical traits with Humans. They were considered mammalians, and were said to have evolved from some sort of carnivorous beast once native to Kerest. The species had two arms and two legs, with the same general frame as the average Human, though they were somewhat taller, generally growing upwards of 2.2 meters in height though even shorter Kerestians even out at around 1.8 meters. Kerestians were an incredibly muscular and strong species, with toned, muscular bodies, and pale skin that could be brown, tan, or even yellow. Male Kerestians were seemingly noticeably taller and wider than females, with flatter chests and larger arms. All Kerestians had five-fingered hands, and dark hair on certain areas of their body that could range from brown to black.

Kerestian heads featured faces with downward-turning mouths filled with sharp white or yellow teeth, as well as a large, split upper lip. Their beady eyes were situated underneath their pronounced brows, and housed bright green pupils. Kerestians possessed no true noses, but instead two methods for breathing or just intaking and expelling oxygen. The first was their single, true nostril, which could be found within the aforementioned vertical lip split, while the second was made up of two sets of “breather tube” openings, one running up each cheekbone, consisting of approximately four protruding openings in an upward curved row. Kerestian ears were rounded, surrounded by fleshy lobes and situated on the lower sides of their heads. The top of their cranium featured two vertical strips of dark hair, as well a pair of pointed, bony ridges running parallel to their hair, as well as other lines and protrusions that covered their forehead, brow, and nose ridge.

Kerestians were known for having a low baseline intelligence, and were actually considered to have been a much more refined species in the past. Though at present, they usually only communicate by speaking either Galactic Basic Standard or their native tongue of Kerestese, they could once also communicate by emitting high pitched noises from the breather tubes on their face in a method even more complex than their distinct language. It is unclear how, when, or why they lost this ability, though it seems they could still emit sounds from said tubes. Kerestians had enhanced strength and durable skin, able to withstand harsh weather conditions and relatively extreme temperatures. And while their diets may or may not have now evolved to become more omnivorous, they were still well-suited to consume meat and were once strictly carnivores. There is no known record of a Force Sensitive Kerestian.

Lore: The Kerestians have a rather mysterious and seemingly sparsely documented history, evolving from mindless carnivorous predators into a highly sophisticated society with widespread reach and advanced technologies. Kerestian civilizations were powered by complex “fusion tech” which fueled their advancements, and they had begun traveling to nearby astronomical bodies like their moons Pharna and Karoliston, though they had yet to unlock the possibilities of hyperspace travel. Unfortunately, before they had the chance, they experienced a global catastrophe in the form of a dysfunctional sun. Losing much of its mass unexpectedly, essentially deemed “inactive,” most of Kerest was plunged into a devastating ice age as temperatures plummeted, ecosystems were completely altered, and their day/night cycle changed. Their moons became completely uninhabitable, initiating mass exoduses, though much of the population simply would not survive this tumultuous time.

Kerest devolved into a post-apocalyptic doomscape, with the major cities abandoned as the surviving Kerestings began migrating to the only semi-warm locations on their planet situated along the equator, forming into tribal clans and taking on much more animalistic traits to prolong their survival. Civility was discarded in favor of violence as Kerestians were forced to become hunter-gatherers, scavenging their home for the few remaining animals, and eventually becoming comfortable with the casual killing of one another over food, territory, or even sometimes simply for sport. Kerestians became wary, untrustworthy, unpredictable individuals, sometimes remaining in small clans, though it became more and more viable to exist solely as solitary nomads. Many females would seek out lone males to mate with in an attempt to preserve their species, though it was a toss up whether these savage men would accept the invitation or murder the propositioner, leading to an even greater decline in the Kerestian population and pushing them to the brink of extinction.

It wasn’t until shortly before the fall of the Republic that the Kerestians were first discovered by the outside galaxy, specifically due to influential “House of Tagge,” who immediately swooped in and “employed” a number the locals, seeing their value as trained killers. These first Kerestian “exports” worked for nearly nothing, satisfied with simply being whisked away from the death trap that was their homeworld, and were specifically given the role of assassins who would brutally take out anyone who opposed the Tagge Family. Shortly after their introduction into the greater galaxy, others would begin to take note of their ferocity, skill, and relative loyalty and cheapness, flocking to Kerest to snatch as many Kerestians as they could for themselves. In the years that followed, it was relatively common to encounter Kerestians operating within criminal roles, including working for syndicates like the Hutt Empire and Black Sun, as well as various corrupt mining corporations, while others could be encountered as anything from pirates to mercenaries to street thugs to reputable bounty hunters to even Mandalorian extremists.

At some point around the reign of the Galactic Empire, a handful of mysterious vessels were recovered containing a fair number of Kerestians held unaging in stasis. It turns out that prior to their original collapse, a program had been developed with the intent to colonize distant worlds by loading up communities of Kerestians into colony ships and launching them out into space at sunlight speeds, where they would eventually reach unknowable, ancient worlds. These ships had been slowly making their way across the galaxy for millennia, and when awoken, the Kerestians found onboard had no idea of their homeworld’s collapse. They were intelligent, well-spoken, and are the main source of modern Kerestian history, helping to educate their less civilized brethren in their advanced ways of old. Many modern Kerestians, however, had become wildly superstitious, forming religious beliefs surrounding an afterlife known as the “Great Darkness.” Spurred on by the darkness that had suddenly bathed their world, they had collectively adopted the baseless idea that when they died, Kerestians would be sent to a hellish dimension of total darkness where they would roam for all eternity.

Over time, however, the Kerestians had learned not to fear the Great Darkness that supposedly awaited them, but instead looked forward to exploring its expanse and being embraced by the maw. These beliefs were entirely embodied within one of the most unique traits surrounding the Kerestians, their signature weapons, the “Darksticks.” Originally developed as refined tools prior to the collapse, these large, curved, sickle-like blades took on a new meaning during Kerest’s barbarian age. Used as hunting instruments, they began to symbolize the line between life and death, the brutality of existence and the silent abruptness of its end, and over time, they would begin to be forged and colored with dark material, perpetually reminding their wielders of the dimension they inevitably awaited them someday. After being reintroduced to modern intergalactic technologies, it was common for Darksticks to be enhanced with tech like an array of “light-absorbing cells” which could obscure the weapons, making them perfect as assassination weaponry. They would also blind or stun most beings at the moment of activation, and so it became commonplace for Kerestians to don goggles or helmets to prevent themselves from being caught off guard by their own weapons.

Continuity: While nearly every depiction and lore tidbit surrounding the Kerestians remains exclusive to Star Wars Legends, the species are technically Canon, with a masked humanoid named Iothene Jacontro who appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story later being identified as a Kerestian in supplementary media. Still, we do not know what the species looks like in Canon, nor nearly anything about them, aside from the fact that they come from a planet named Kerest, were seen throughout the galaxy as of the Galactic Civil War, and seemingly have some Human-like features

Unexplored: While they never appeared all that much throughout the EU, most of the general worldbuilding bases were covered in the lore we received. That being said, outside of the fact that they’re essentially a blank canvas within the present Star Wars Canon, there are still some questions we can pose based off of what was established within Legends, so we’re going to use that as the primary basis for this section at the moment! For starters, what is the timeline of their evolution, advancement, and collapse relative to the outside galaxy? Did the pre-collapse Kerestians look different to the post? What benefits did their high-pitched breather-tube communications offer as opposed to regular speaking, and why exactly did they lose these abilities? Was it simply due to their eventual anti-social nature? What was the extent of the tolerance of the cold the surviving members of the species had evolved? And how much of the population was still around by the time the Tagges finally arrived on Kerest?

Why had they never been discovered prior to this time? Or had they been uncovered by someone before and it simply wasn’t reported or deemed important enough? When exactly had they launched their colony ships? What did those Kerestians think when they finally awoke thousands of years after their species’ presumed near-extinction? How many of these advanced Kerestians were found, and aboard how many ships? Where did they live following their discovery? And how did they interact with their “modern” peers? What specific traits did the species possess that made them so valuable? What sorts of specific philosophical and religious beliefs did they develop surrounding death and the afterlife? And what were some of the additional forging, blessing, coloring, or enhancing elements of the creation of the Darksticks? What of these elements could, should, can, and/or will make it into Canon? Do they still look the same, and is the mask Iothene Jacontro wears potentially in relation to his personal Darkstick, or just coincidental? Exploring these various questions, as well as other general worldbuilding traits across either continuity, could genuinely never hurt!

Additional Notes: I honestly really enjoy the Kerestians as a species, and was surprised at how fleshed out and compelling their lore was despite their few EU appearances! Though their design is simple, it’s still alien and unique enough to be memorable, and their general portrayal throughout the EU as well as the distinctness of their Darkstick weaponry makes them a classic deserving of more recognition in my book. Retroactively introducing them into Canon via Solo is definitely a step in the right direction, but I suppose we’ll still really just need to wait to see if the current continuity can truly do this species justice!

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