Swokes Swokes

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The Swokes Swokes were a species native to Makem Te. They had sharp, protruding teeth, a series of horns crowning their pallid heads, three nostrils, and no hair on their bodies. They had long, heavy, spiked tails.

Swokes Swokes had the ability to regenerate lost limbs, which was perhaps the reason for their fanatical approach to battle—indeed, members of this species were seen to have a high degree of bravado on the battlefield. Death was a prominent aspect of their culture. They were known to view jewelry as status symbols, and Swokes Swokes often had such objects implanted in their bodies, close to vital organs.

Makem Te society was under-advanced, with little high-technology, and cities constructed from delicate-looking yet sturdy cast iron. Transport for the Swokes Swokes was little more than domesticated schingas. The Swokes Swokes were represented in the Galactic Senate by Senator Yeb Yeb Adem'thorn around the time of the Invasion of Naboo.

Swokes Swokes had trouble telling how old a Human was by their appearance.

Contents 1 Biology and appearance 2 History 3 Society and culture 3.1 Institutions 3.2 Trade and technology 4 In the Galaxy 5 Behind the scenes 6 Appearances 7 Sources 8 Notes and references

[edit] Biology and appearance

The Swokes Swokes were stocky bipeds with thick, spiked tails and clawed limbs. They stood between 1.4 to 2 meters tall.^[1][2][3] Their glistening skin ranged in color from sallow gray to ashen off-white,^[1] and their soft tissue was thick and rubbery.^[4][5] The Swokes Swokes visage featured two large, lidless,^[1] black eyes, a gaping grin of fanglike teeth,^[4] and three nostrils.^[3] The bulbous head was ringed by a series of sharp horns. The overall effect was that of a creature from the nightmares common to many cultures.^[4]

Internally, Swokes Swokes biology resembled that of more primitive lifeforms, such as flatworms.^[4] The Swokes Swokes nervous system was underdeveloped in comparison to other sapient species, lacking all but the most essential pain receptors.^[1] This gave the Swokes Swokes a remarkably high pain threshhold, but it also made their sense of touch less accute than in other species. Swokes Swokes blood had the consistency of watery sap and oozed through their bodies. Like flatworms, Swokes Swokes had the ability to regenerate lost body parts.^[4] Regrowing a missing limb took about 10 standard days, provided the invidividual avoided physical exertion.^[5] Coupled with their naturally damage-resistent hides and resistence to pain, this made Swokes Swokes fierce, relentless opponents in battle.^[6]

Swokes Swokes entered adolescence at 9 standard years and were considered adults at 14 standard years. The average Swokes Swokes lived to 75 standard years old.^[1] Swokes Swokes grew tougher and and more resilient with age. The oldest Swokes Swokes were often the most difficult to take down in a fight.^[5]

[edit] History

The Swokes Swokes evolved on Makem Te, a desert world in the Outer Rim Territories. With no surface water to drink, they learned to dig into the planet's subterranean aquifers, which were replenished by heavy rains twice each local year. A number of families rose to prominence and came to dominate the rest of the species. The heads of these families, known as caliphs, waged war on one another for generations. The Swoke Swokes relied on cast iron as a building material for their cities, as it was one of the few materials known to withstand the constant onslaught of rival armies. At some point before or shortly after the Republic discovered their world, the Swokes Swokes royalty joined forces to form the Congress of Caliphs, a governing body with planetwide jurisdiction.^[4]

The Swokes Swokes developed a native religion based on ancestor worship. Religion joined warfare at the pinnacle of Swokes Swokes endeavor, and a planetwide graveyard known as the Tract began to take shape from an early date.^[4]

Sometime between 25,000 and 24,000 BBY, a Republic scout visited the Makem system while mapping the Perlemian Trade Route. The explorer made little note of Makem Te and even mistook the Tract for an ice cap. The scout's report made no mention of the Swokes Swokes. Long after the discovery, a Republic beacon crew came to install a nav buoy in the system. Intrigued by Makem Te's large "ice cap", the mission sent a team of scientists to visit the surface. There, they learned of the Tract's true nature and made contact with the Swokes Swokes. At this point the Tract had already sprawled to 2,300 km on a side. The scientists entered the Swokes Swokes' iron cities and learned more about the planet and its lifeforms.^[4]

Although Makem Te joined the Republic at some point,^[3] the Swokes Swokes and their planet were little more than a passing interest in the early days of their contacts with the Galaxy at large. The Republic installed a fueling station in orbit around Makem Te and left the world largely to its own devices. However, a pair of bored geologists, stuck at the orbiting station for a long period, visited the surface and investigated one of the quarries where Tract stones were obtained. What they saw astounded them: Makem Te housed rich deposits of metal ores and medicinal spices. News of the discovery spread, and soon Republic investors struck a deal with the Congress of Caliphs to allow them to establish mining operations on Makem Te.^[4]

Offworlders and advanced technology quickly became common sites on the planet and profoundly affected Swokes Swokes society. The miners paid little heed to environmental safeties, and the already harsh biosphere of Makem Te became even more inhospitable. As a people comfortable with ancient traditions, the infusion of foreign influences made some Swokes Swokes question their ages-old faith and institutions. Religious sects sprung up across the planet. One of these was the Temple of the Beautific Razor, which preached a faith of blind religious fervor and violent protest. As the Razor's popularity grew, the Temple's 11 High Mystics and swelling ranks of penitents gained enough influence to challenge the primacy of the Congress of Caliphs.^[4]

The planetary government responded by calling in the aid of the Republic Judicial department. Security officers were dispatched to quell the Razor-led rebellions, pleasing the caliphs but outraging the populace and driving more adherents to the Razor's cause. After the outbreak of the Clone Wars, the Beautific Razor eliminated all Republic peacekeepers on the planet. The Republic, already taxed from waging the Clone Wars, recalled its troops from the planet and abandoned its mission. Seeing little choice, the caliphs approached Count Dooku and the Separatists for help in repelling the Razor's aggressions. Troops from the separatist-allied Techno Union undertook the task of repelling of Razor penitents and propping up of the caliphs. They became common sites near Thousand Thousand, the planet's largest city. Upon the rise of the Empire, the Galactic Empire maintained deals brokered with the Separatists. Rather than sending large contingents of stormtroopers to keep the peace on the planet, however, the Empire supplied advanced weaponry to the caliphs. Despite the defeat of the Empire at the Battle of Endor, the Council of Caliphs remained affiliated with various Imperial remnants for nearly another 20 years. When its final Imperial patron was defeated, the caliphs chose to remain neutral in galactic affairs and refused to join the New Republic. During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, the invaders targeted Makem Te in an attempt to disrupt the Perlemian Trade Route. They bombarded the orbital fueling station, still in use since its creation millennia ago, and caused it to crash to the surface of the planet. It narrowly missed the Tract.^[4]

[edit] Society and culture

The Swokes Swokes had a reputation as merciless, unscrupled, overbearing ruffians who only cared for personal prestige. This desire manifest differently from being to being, with some Swokes Swokes guided by mercurial longing for money and others more concerned for fame, notoriety, or influence over others.^[1] This attitude was reinforced by official Swokes Swokes institutions and religious doctrines. Wealth was one measure of status, and expensive gifts were a sure way to gain an audience with a Swokes Swokes. A popular status symbol wsa to have jewelry surgically embedded in the flesh near vital organs. The practice became so common that bioscanners were installed in most Swokes Swokes buildings so that the relative status of the individuals inside could be monitored and instantly detected. This prevented all but the most determined Swokes Swokes from trying to pass themselves off as coming from a higher station than their own.^[4]

Swokes Swokes were known for their fierceness in battle and their violent culture.^[4] The beings seemed made to fight, what with their resistence to pain, ability to regenerate lost limbs, natural weapons, and belligerent natures.^[7] Swokes Swokes relished conservatism and tradition. Ancient traditions guided the people for millennia, and the species disliked change. The most visible manifestation of this penchant was in Swoke Swokes religious beliefs.^[4] Cannibalism was acceptable in Swokes Swokes culture.^[8]

The Swokes Swokes' language was known as Swoken. Other species found the language harsh and guttural. Written Swoken used a primitive alphabet.^[1] Most Swokes Swokes could speak and read Basic as well.^[5] Swokes Swokes names commonly consisted of a given name followed by one other elements. For some, this was a region of origin or a notable feature. Examples include Burba of Strekk and Fabswa the Mutilated.^[9] Other Swokes Swokes had two different names, such as Oakie Dokes.^[10] Notable Swokes Swokes adopted a double name as a symbol of their fame.^[4] Examples include Woorta Woorta^[11] and Yeb Yeb Adem'thorn.^[3]

[edit] Institutions

Makem Te's two billion Swokes Swokes were ruled by the Congress of Caliphs, a body made up of hereditary family leaders known as caliphs. Individual caliphs had sovereignty over individual settlements or portions of a larger settlement. For example, Thousand Thousand, with some two million inhabitants, was ruled by 12 caliphs. The caliphs often hired Swokes Swokes or offworlders to do various services, especially if such jobseekers brought appropriate offerings.^[4]

Several rival religious sects vied for the devotion of the people. The most prominent of these was the Temple of the Beautific Razor. Its doctrines stressed fanatical devotion and the use of violence against those who violated the order's precepts. Some Razor penitents flayed large strips of flesh from their bodies as a sign of their devoutness. Such individuals appeared thinner than most Swokes Swokes.^[11] The Temple was ruled by 11 High Mystics. Its radical policies, violent protests, and ever-growing popularity led to it being outlawed by the Council of Caliphs.^[4]

Regardless of their sect, most Swokes Swokes believed in the veneration of their ancestors. They carried relics of their deceased relatives, such as their ashes or small body parts such as fingers, gallstones, or teeth, in small pouches.^[1] These were considered good luck charms. This zealous devoutness was most readily apparent in the Tract, an enormous patch of the planet made up of two-meter-wide squares of polished stone, each housing a monument called a stela. Each tile was thought to contain the soul of a deceased Swokes Swokes. At one point, the Tract was home to more than 1.2 trillion stela and made up 7% of Makem Te's landmass. When Republic scouts first discovered Makem Te some 25,000 to 24,000 years before the Battle of Yavin, the Tract had already reached 2,300 km on a side. The Tract was visible from space, where it appeared as a large, white mass. The Tract was listed among the Twenty Wonders of the Galaxy.^[4]

The Tract was of such importance to the Swokes Swokes that it supported its own industry. The maintenance of the area and the continued expansion required vast outflows of capital and a large workforce. This was overseen by the Tract Conviction. Record-keeping and accounting alone required millions of Conviction employees. Other Swokes Swokes, known as flatstenders, traveled the Tract in landspeeders, looking for areas in need of repair or for supplicants in need of help. Tract stones came from rock quarries.^[4] Flying over the Tract or traveling its expanse in vehicles was verboten and met with force from Makem Te defenses.^[11] Instead, supplicants were expected to enter only at specified points, register with the Conviction, and pay a fee of up to 500 credits. This covered the necessary sacraments, including a spotted robe of a color that signfied which portions of the Tract the supplicant had the right to access. Even with flatstenders on the lookout for pilgrims in trouble, visitors still fell prey to desert hazards or attacks by wild schingas.^[4] Offworlders faced the additional threat from penitents of the Beautific Razor, who considered visits form offworlders as sacrilege and attacked such interlopers.^[11]

[edit] Trade and technology

Before contact with the Republic, the Swokes Swokes had access to only primitive technology. They perfected the relatively primitive industries of metal working and animal husbandry. For example, Swokes Swokes cities were made of cast iron. Although this was originally a survival mechanism, as iron was superior to other materials for withstanding the constant wars on the planet, Swokes Swokes smiths embraced the material and developed it to new heights of aesthetics. While such a material might prove clumsy or unworkable to some species, Swokes Swokes smiths learned to create buildings and structures with intricate, even delicate, designs.^[4]

The Swokes Swokesdomesticated species of the serpent-like schinga, the dominant lifeform on Makem Te. For example, the schinga equa was used for its strength and obedience, while the schinga shikou was the most condusive to riding. To ride a schinga, the Swokes Swokes developed equipment known as a coiling tack set. This included a bit, bridle, reins, and saddle. A long electropole was used to guide the schinga (and as an impromptu weapon in the event of an attack).^[4] Schinga shikou breeding was an important industry on Makem Te; the creatures were pricey signs of status.^[5]

Makem Te lay along the Perlemian Trade Route and enjoyed a steady flow of space traffic. Hundreds of mining machines operated on the planet. Although the machines were owned by offworld interests, a cut of the profits from the ores and spices extracted went to the Council of Caliphs. The mining machines were common targets for the Temple of the Beautific Razor, which opposed foreign influences on Makem Te. Major exports from Makem Te included raw ores and spices, while major imports are food and high technology.^[4]

[edit] In the Galaxy

Those Swokes Swokes who left Makem Te often capitalized on their natural fighting abilities and found employment as bodyguards, bounty hunters, and mercenaries. Higher ranking Swokes Swokes sometimes took up residence on lesser-known planets and became involved in organized crime.^[1]

Swokes Swokes of note included Gragra, a gorgmonger on Tatooine, Okie Dokes, an artist on Coruscant, and Yeb Yeb Adem'thorn, the Makem Te senator during the last days of the Republic.^[3][8] Woorta Woorta was an influential importer and schinga breeder on Makem Te. Finally, Fabswa the Mutilated was the First Glorious Assassin of the Temple of the Beautific Razor.^[11]

[edit] Behind the scenes

The Swokes Swokes were named after Live Action Creature Effects Supervisor Nick Dudman's wife, Sue Oakes.^[12]

The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide depicts Swokes Swokes with large tails, but the Hasbro action figure of Gragra has no tail. This may be a continuity error, although it is possible Gragra lost her tail and had yet to regrow it.

In the Star Wars Roleplaying Game by Wizards of the Coast, the Swokes Swokes are stronger and hardier than most species but less agile, clever, and likeable.^[5]

[edit] Appearances

• Survivors
• Podracing Tales
• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace comic
• Star Wars Republic: Outlander
• The Bounty Hunters: Aurra Sing
•  SPECIAL REPORT: The Death Stick Scourge—HoloNet News Vol. 531 49
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
• Best Birthday Ever (Non-canonical appearance)
• Rookies: Rendezvous

[edit] Sources

• The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide
• Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds
•  Gragra in the Databank
•  Oakie Dokes in the Databank

[edit] Notes and references