- "It's a trap! An end to our pleasurable days!"
- ―An elder ecorb
Ecorbs were a sentient species that inhabited the Detral Pits. They had coiled attachments called hampas on their gelatinous heads and possessed red, pulsating blup sacks. Ecorbs were said to have grown hampas after excessively feeding themselves with a particular species of radiant orange and blue flower, a trait that was supposedly hereditarily transmitted to following generations.
Biology and appearance[]
- "Ow! My head is killing me!"
"Get it off! Get it off!" - ―Two ecorbs crying after hampas suddenly sprout on their heads
Ecorbs were dark yellow-colored, scaly-skinned sentient social beings hatched from eggs in nests. Each ecorb possessed a gelatinous head with a painfully constricting, coiled shell-like hampa on top and a large red blup sack that pulsated rhythmically when the individual was happy. The species was capable of dreaming while sleeping and was known to have nightmares on occasion. Ecorbs had sharp teeth and amber-colored eyes, as well as dark patterns on their backs. They were able to speak and possessed at least two sexes, male and female. Older ecorbs were known to produce spit from their nostrils. They inhabited a location known as the Detral Pits, and they freely and unhurriedly slid across the region.[1]
History[]
- "If you eat this tantalizing creature, things will change forever!"
"Things are going to change anyway." - ―Exchange between two ecorbs, deciding whether or not they should eat the orange and blue flowers
According to a story known to every ecorb, their species did not always have hampas on their heads. During a period referred to as "the Mercurial and Long Time Away From Here Times," they lived happily and slid freely and lazily across the Detral Pits, until one night an orange and blue flower grew from a slimy rock. The ecorbs, never before having seen a flower, were tantalized. All of them gathered around it, puzzled by its appearance. They then discussed what it could be and what they should do with it, eventually deciding on eating the flower. An elder ecorb warned against this, but he was ultimately ignored. The flower petals were divided among the ecorbs and eaten.[1]
The plant had a psychotropic effect on the ecorbs, who felt giddy, laughed, and danced. After they went to sleep, however, they had nightmares of disembodied eyes and bloody teeth. When the morning came, hundreds of orange and blue flowers blossomed, surrounding the ecorbs. They decided to eat all of the flowers, against the advice of the older ecorb, who eventually proved to be right: the overeating of the plants made them feel very sick. Painfully, hampas then suddenly started to sprout on the top of their heads, which made the ecorbs feel constantly miserable from that point on, while the flowers had all but disappeared, never to be seen again. According to the story, hampa growth became a hereditary trait passed down to new generations due to this incident.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
The Eborsisk, from Willow
The ecorbs were featured in a one-page story titled "How the Ecorb Got Its Hampa," written by Bob Carrau for the 1993 book Monsters and Aliens from George Lucas, a publication that combines creature designs and photographs from various projects of George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars franchise, with original text by Carrau.[1] The ecorb's physical appearance was based on final production design by Richard Van der Wende for the two-headed Eborsisk creature from Willow, a 1988 fantasy film directed by Ron Howard and based on a story by Lucas.[2][3] Lucasfilm employee Leland Chee, who maintains the Holocron continuity database, has indicated that information contained in the book is non-canonical.[4]
Sources[]
- Monsters and Aliens from George Lucas (First mentioned)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Monsters and Aliens from George Lucas
- ↑ Industrial Light & Magic: Into the Digital Realm by Mark Cotta Vaz & Patricia Rose Duignan on www.amazon.com (October 1, 1996) (archived from the original on November 27, 2019)
- ↑ The Crossroads - A Willow Webpage Excerpts from the book Industrial Light + Magic: Into the Digital Realm] by Mark Cotta Vaz & Patricia Rose Duignan on www.lepconnie.com (archived from The Crossroads - A Willow Webpage the original] on May 13, 2009)
- ↑
Holocron continuity database questions on StarWars.com Message Boards. Posted by Leland Y Chee on May 3, 2006 at 5:45 PM. (content now obsolete; backup link) "Unless referred to by a source that is in-continuity, the information is non-continuity. With that said, if it makes sense for an author to incorporate some of that information into continuity, I wouldn't stop them."