Flesh Raiders were a sub-species of the Rakata, rulers of the Infinite Empire. Mass-mutated and bred as lower-caste soldiers in servitude to the Empire, some members of this species were abandoned on the planet Tython long before the time of the Cold War between the resurgent Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic, allowing the Flesh Raiders' survival past the collapse of the Rakatan Empire.
Biology and appearance[]
Originally the mutated semi-sentient lower-caste members of the Rakata species, these Rakata were extremely primitive and violent. Bulky bipedal humanoids, Flesh Raiders had razor-sharp teeth, which they used to strip the bones of both sentient and non-sentient prey. Eight small olfactory slits lined their upper lip and two stumpy eye stalks protruded from the sides of their box-shaped heads.[2]
From what little study of the creatures the Jedi Order was able to perform, the Flesh Raiders of Tython appeared to have devolved into their primitive and cannibalistic forms after the other colonists of the planet disappeared. Another theory was that the aforementioned society was attacked by the Sith and subjected to bizarre experiments which reduced them to maddened hostiles.
It was also of some note that a few members of the Raiders species were observed as possessing sentient minds and Force-sensitivity.[2]
Society and culture[]
- "Flesh Raiders are a species of hostile natives. They're smart enough to use tools and violent beyond reason."
- ―Derrin Weller
Having no established cities or formal government on Tythan, the Flesh Raiders were tribal and erected crude shelters on Tythos Ridge. There, they practiced a form of spiritual worship, as shamans lurked throughout inside their small settlements, and idols made of rock were placed around their lairs. They also used signal fires to communicate over great distances and, preferring naked earth, the Flesh Raiders would scour the land they chose to occupy, burning away grass and trees and littering the earth with the bones of their prey. The Tythans were also scavengers, who would make use of almost any material found for clothing or armoring themselves.[2]
History[]
Abandoned by the Infinite Empire following the Force Wars on Tython, the Flesh Raiders' origins was otherwise lost to history, and the species themselves did not appear to keep any such records. Members of the Jedi Order around the time of the Cold War between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire speculated that the modern Tythan Raider was formed from a once civilized society that fell as other colonists of Tython disappeared, or that they were the result of individuals who fell victim to the onslaught of the Sith, and were subjected to their arcane alchemy which reduced them to their adverse state.[2]
Tythos Ridge was eventually conquered by Flesh Raiders as the Jedi Order relocated to Tython after the Great Galactic War. Under the barbaric Raiders, its ground was rendered an inhospitable ruin, filled with bones across the few paths that carved across the landscape. Thus dashed the plans were for a Jedi meditative retreat to be constructed there, as proposed by Jedi Master Shol Bestros.[2] By 3643 BBY,[4] the Raiders, now displaying greater cunning and proficient in arms such as the vibroblade, had built settlements at the Ridge and posed a deadly threat to outsiders as they occupied the path between the ruins of Kaleth to the west,[5] frequented by Jedi from their new Temple, to the northwest,[5] and the Twi'lek Kalikori village to the north.[5][2]
While few in number, the Raiders posed a recognized threat to the Jedi presence on Tython during the Cold War. It was then that a member of the Flesh Raider species, Fashk, surfaced to the attention of the Jedi, who discovered the male's Force-sensitivity, as well as a likewise unprecedented case of sentience within a Flesh Raider individual.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
The Flesh Raider was created for the 2011 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Appearances[]
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 1
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 2
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 3
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 4
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 5
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (First appearance)
- Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel
- Star Wars: The Old Republic: Galactic Strongholds (Picture only)
- Star Wars: The Old Republic: Onslaught (Vision)
Sources[]
- "Class Wars!" — Star Wars Insider 114
- Concept Art – Flesh Raider on The Old Republic's official website (link obsolete; content only found on older version of webpage: backup link)
- Studio Insider – Flesh Raiders on The Old Republic's official website (link obsolete; content only found on older version of webpage: backup link)
- The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Old Republic
- Star Wars: The Old Republic Explorer's Guide
- The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural
- Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia
- Nexus of Power
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia, p. 263
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 Star Wars: The Old Republic
- ↑ Star Wars: The Old Republic — Jedi Knight Mission: "Attack of the Flesh Raiders" on Tython
- ↑ STAR WARS: The Old Republic - Question ! :) - Page 3 on The Old Republic's official website (backup link) places Star Wars: The Old Republic about ten to twelve years after the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, which is dated to 3653 BBY by Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia. The Old Republic—The Lost Suns 2 takes place ten years after the treaty, one week after the mission to Nar Shaddaa, and around the time of the SpecForce Incident. Since the mission and the incident are respectively part of Act I of the Jedi Knight and Republic Trooper's storylines, and the Trooper's Act I occurs concurrent to Act I of the Smuggler storyline, the general events of the Prologue and Act I for all classes can be assumed to occur in 3643 BBY. Since the Jedi Consular Prologue mission "Pilgrims" refers to Sumari as the Kalikori village's reigning Matriarch and Sumari dies in the course of the Jedi Knight Prologue, during the mission "The Face of the Enemy," the beginning of the Jedi Consular storyline must take place at some point by 3643 BBY. As this article section assumes 100% game completion and that the player chooses only "light side" options when available during the course of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the Jedi Consular must have encountered the Flesh Raider camps on Tythos Ridge during their time on Tython.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Star Wars: The Old Republic Explorer's Guide states that the Hollows was a valley north of Tythos Ridge and south of Kalikori village, in agreement with the assumption that Star Wars: The Old Republic's in-game map of Tython is shown where the direction of north is upwards. Hence, the aforementioned map is canonically oriented with north at the top.