Raquor'daan
Raquor'daan, commonly known as dark wolves or Sriluurian dark wolves, were a species of nocturnal canine predator native to the planet Sriluur. Members of the species possessed stinger tipped tails and claws capable of delivering poison as well as thick leathery hide on their shoulders and upper back to defend them from their own tails. The natural enemy of the Bandigo species, the wolves earned the respect of the sentient Weequay species also native to Sriluur, who sometimes tamed them for use in war, including the Houk–Weequay conflicts.
Biology and appearance
Dark wolves were a species of nocturnal canine predator. Similar to other canines they had a quadruped form with four legs, a head and tail. Dark wolves tails however were tripion-like in nature and were tipped with a larger stinger capable of delivering poison which caused paralysis. To defend themselves from their own tail, the upper back and shoulders of dark wolves were covered in a layer of thick leathery hide which could also protect them from the sandstorms that frequently occurred on Sriluur. Aside from their tail, dark wolf claws were also poisoned with a substance which weakened those it affected as opposed to paralysing them. The Wolves possessed fur on their body, including a pair of ears, which was black in color and had yellow eyes.
History
Dark wolves evolved on the planet Sriluur, a desert world in the Sriluur system of the Si'Klaata Cluster, a part of the region of the galaxy known as Hutt Space.[3] On Sriluur they became the natural enemy of another species of predator named the Bandigo, which earned them the respect of the native sentient Weequay species who named the Dark Wolves raquor'daan. The name stemmed from the fact that in Weequay lore their, god of the night, known as Raquor, took the form of a Dark Wolf when he traversed the wastes of Sriluur. Weequay also favored Dark Wolves as they sometimes attacked the Houk settlements near their territory. Due to the species natural climbing ability despite their homeworld's lack of trees, scientists speculated that Dark Wolves might be analogous or related to the Nightdweller species native to the planet Kashyyyk in the Mid Rim.
During the Houk–Weequay conflicts, a series of battles between 282 BBY and 0 BBY, Dark Wolves were used in combat by Weequay species also native to Sriluur against the immigrated Houk species. Some members of the Dnalvec Militia became Dark Wolf handlers including Adazian Liebke, a Weequay who later went on to join the Alliance to Restore the Republic taking his finest pack Dark Wolves with him.
Behind the scenes
Dark wolves first appeared in the supplement book Star Wars Adventure Journal 6, designed for use as part of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game by West End Games. The book was published in 1995 and the Dark Wolves were mentioned in an article called "The Greel Wood Haven" written by Craig Robert Carey. The wolves were then mentioned in the later West End games sourcebook Alliance Intelligence Reports which was published in 1995 and written by Bill Smith. Following this Dark Wolves then appeared in two sourcebooks for the Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Roleplaying Game; Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds by a number of authors in 2004 and The Unknown Regions in 2010 by Daniel Wallace, Sterling Hershey and Rodney Thompson.
Appearances
- Scourge (Mentioned only)
Sources
"The Greel Wood Haven" – Star Wars Adventure Journal 6 (First mentioned)- Alliance Intelligence Reports (As "dark wolf")
- Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens — Enemies and Allies
- Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds
- The Unknown Regions
- Lords of Nal Hutta
