Elom/Legends

Eloms were a short, stocky, bipedal species, with a thick pelt of oily, dark fur, native to the frigid, mineral-rich desert planet Elom. The primitive species had extremely tough skin, several layers of fat and their hands and feet were coated by thick callouses.

As a result of living in dark caves where the only light was created by phosphorescent crystals, Eloms had exceptional eyesight, though they could not tolerate bright light. Rarely leaving there underground habitats, Eloms were pacifist, peaceful herbivores, despite their despite their savage and fearsome appearance.

Highly ambitious and intelligent, Eloms were often manipulated, becoming involved in illegal activities, mainly acting as thugs. With an average lifespan similar to humans', Eloms remained undiscovered by Old Republic scouts, although the species they shared the planet with, the tall humanoid Elomin, had made contact with the scouts long before they had even discovered the Eloms.

Biology and appearance
Eloms were short, stocky mammalian bipeds with tough skin under a thick, oily pelt of dark, stringy fur. They had several layers of fat, designed to capture moisture&mdash;this meant they were especially equipped for life in the harsh, desert environment. Eloms' hands and feet each had hard, hooked claws, perfect for digging, and prehensile toes on each foot, which could be used as grip tools. The species' hands and feet were also covered with thick callouses. Because of their subterranean existence, in which phosphorescent crystals were the only source of light, Eloms had exceptional night vision. However, their small, beady, dark eyes, located on the far ends of their wide faces, were easily overpowered by bright light, sometimes to the extent that it incapacitated them. The sturdy beings had two rock hard, sharp tusks protruding from their mouths, with thick, pouchy jowls in which food was stored. Averaging at about one and a half meters when fully grown, Eloms evolved in a dry environment, and their biological systems were adapted for desert survival.

Society and culture


Eloms originally developed on the surface of the planet Elom, but were forced to move underground when water became scarce. Since then, they remained isolated from the rest of the Galaxy, with many Eloms continuing to retreat further underground, especially once the planet came under the heel of the Galactic Empire.

Community-minded, Elom culture developed groups called 'cseria'. These cseria, while scattered throughout the underground caverns of the planet, occasionally met for community get-togethers and trade meetings.

Elomin interaction
There was another intelligent species in the planet, the horned humanoid Elomin. Both species lived on different parts of Elom, unaware of the other's existence. When the Elomins re-discovered the Eloms, they tried to make the Galactic Republic believe that they were only unintelligent animals. The truth was eventually discovered and Eloms were granted the rights of any other sentient species. However, Eloms seemed not to be interested in politics, and continued to live in their cseria.

Imperial domination


During the Empire's domination of the planet, the Elom moved their cserias deeper underground to avoid Imperial enslavement. The elder Elom preferred not to get involved with 'Imperial entanglements', but some of the younger Elom staged mining accidents in order to free the Elomin slaves.

Elom in the Galaxy
Offworld Elom sometimes displayed sociopathic tendencies, possibly due to the distances from their homeworld and families.

Prominent Elom

 * Kav Dryfus
 * Tanus Spijek

Behind the scenes

 * During production of Return of the Jedi, the Elom costume was nicknamed "mole". Mole spelled backward became the species name.

Appearances



 * Star Wars: Jango Fett
 * Star Wars Republic 65: Show of Force, Part 1
 * Rogue's Gallery
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * The Jabba Tape
 * X-wing: The Krytos Trap
 * Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood