Moltok/Legends

"Baji is my name From the planet Moltok I came."

- Baji

Moltok was a planet located in the Atrivis sector of the Outer Rim Territories. Orbiting close to its sun, the planet was quite warm, kept habitable only by the shielding action of active volcanoes. Beneath the ash they spewed forth, moist rain-forests covered the planet, home to a countless array of plant species. The planet was home to two sentient races, the Ho'Din and the Makurth. The former were known throughout the galaxy for their botanical skills, while the latter often found employment as bodyguards in the criminal underworld.

The planet was part of galactic society from at least 3,964 BBY, with its natives participating in the Mandalorian Wars and New Sith Wars. Moltok almost faced ecological disaster in 300 BBY when the Ho'Din began clearing large swathes of land for new industry. This led to a plague that could have spelled the extinction of the Ho'Din, had they not created an herbal remedy.

Description
Moltok was one of the inner planets of the Dartibek system located within the Atrivis sector of the Outer Rim Territories. It had such a swift orbit that on a planet of its proximity to a star, the atmospheric temperatures would typically be intolerable for life; however, Moltok had a number of active volcanoes that spewed ash into its skies. This layer shielded the planet from the worst of the heat, bringing its temperatures within a comfortable range. This ash also caused diffraction at dawn and dusk, creating brilliant shades of crimson in the sky. In the lower latitudes of the planet, the temperature reached up to 113 standard degrees during the day. There were occasional cold spells on Moltok, which caused the reptilian species on the planet to enter hibernation, Moltok had such a high degree of axial tilt that the polar regions of the planet were significantly cooler than equatorial regions and inhospitable to the Ho'Din.

The oxygen-rich world was covered in rain-forests of huge trees, within which varying amounts of light produced distinct layers. In the upper levels grew leafy greens, a staple diet for the native Ho'Din, as well as huge aerial vines that were fashioned into walkways and structural supports for the arboreal sentients. Enormous flowers up to several meters across also grew there, ranging in coloration from dark black to pale pink. On lower levels of the forests carnivorous plants grew, used by the Ho'Din as sentries to control insects and pests. Further down, the forest floor of Moltok teemed with organisms specializing in the breakdown of decaying matter. This action replenished the soil, ensuring the huge trees had adequate nourishment. Of particular note were the wuppa&mdash;its giant flowers of red and violet were reminiscent of Ho'Din tresses &mdash;and the Camba-Fruit.

History
Two reptilian sentient species evolved on Moltok; the Ho'Din and the Makurth. The Ho'Din were active in galactic society from as early as 3,964 BBY, when Oojoh was taken to be trained as a Jedi Knight on the Outer Rim world Taris. The planet also contributed to the Republic armed forces during the Mandalorian Wars, including Lieutenant Rutu of Moltok. Makurth were found offworld by 1,000 BBY when at least one participated in the New Sith Wars.



In 300 BBY, the arboreal Ho'Din began to shift to a more industrial society. This required widespread clearing of the planet's forest to make way for factories, cities, mines and farms. As certain flora became extinct, the aggressive organisms on the forest floor were forced to adapt; the parasites found a new home within Ho'Din digestive tracts. The Ho'Din suffered greatly from this parasite as it drained them of nourishment, eventually forcing them to withdraw back to the forests. After decades of research, the Ho'Din were able to overcome the parasite through herbal remedies; however, the experience had transformed them. The period of their strip-clearing became known as the "Great Rape of the Land," and the Ho'Din worked hard to restore the natural habitats of their planet.

This restoration was supported by their dominant religion, &#91;Dinante Fli'R&#93;. It described the Ho'Din evolving from mobile plants and later being transformed into animals as retribution for their sins against nature. Nature was considered a passive force known as &#91;Dinegia&#93;. The religion further taught that if the Ho'Din acted as good stewards of their environment they would fulfill &#91;Flik'a kirki&#93; and be reborn as plants. The priest of &#91;Dinante Fli'R&#93; became the main civic rulers of Moltok, and erased records of the advances in technology produced by Ho'Din in their strip-clearing years. They also ensured that what little technology was on the planet was strictly controlled. Crumbling ruins of the old factories and cities were the only reminder of this time. This repression led some Ho'Din to develop a fascination for technology.

The focus on botanical sciences bore fruit for the inhabitants of Moltok, as they were able to export their herbal medicines to the galaxy. Such Ho'Din products included Distilled Water of Moltokian Camba-Fruit and Ho'Din herbal teas. These strong exports, coupled with the minimal imports to the world, made it one of the richest planets in the galactic market. This wealth was frequently used to sponsor botanical projects on worlds struck by disasters, and to terraform other planets into "gardens" to enable other beings to commune with nature. Ho'Din also transported rare plants back to Moltok for botanists to study in greenhouses. Other studies that took place on Moltok included simulating the life cycle of the winged-stars of Caluula.

Ho'Din
"Ho'Din are not limited to their eyes and ears, princess. We never forget our friends."

- Spero

The Ho'Din were bipedal reptilians of green and yellow coloration, averaging between 2.5 and 3 meters in height. They had a lipless mouth, two bulging dark eyes, and their heads were topped with red and violent tresses that functioned as thermographic sensors. Ho'Din had four-fingered hands with suction pads that aided the arboreal sentients in climbing. The average Ho'Din lifespan was 120 years, reaching sexual maturity at age 30.

The &#91;Dinante Fli'R&#93; church was very important in Ho'Din life. Its consent was required for Ho'Din marriage, and the priestesses played a key intermediary role in the reproductive process, transferring the "seed of life" from the male to the female in imitation of insect facilitated pollination. Younglings produced outside this ceremony were drugged and sacrificed to the organisms of the forest floor. Dead of all ages were likewise deposited on the forest floor to nourish further life.

Many Ho'Din became botanists renown throughout the galaxy, such as Master Gardener Spero and the Jedi Master Plett who settled on Belsavis. However, a number became radical environmentalists, using their skills in acts of eco-terrorism. These included Ort Hoogra-D'En, Maki Salak, and Yansan.



Makurth
The Makurth were bipedal saurians, covered in green scales and with four prominent curved horns on their heads. They were nocturnal creatures, prone to snorting and flaring their nostrils in order to intimidate opponents. The carnivores also had a terrifying scream that they uttered before entering combat. Makurth found frequent employment with the criminal syndicate Black Sun as bodyguards. A notable Makurth was Fohargh, who trained as a Sith apprentice at the Brotherhood of Darkness Academy on Korriban. He was killed in a duel with the future Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Bane.

Behind the scenes
Moltok was first created in Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races by West End Games, which also created its primary sentient species, the Ho'Din. The second sentient species, the Makurth, were created by Decipher, Inc. for their collectible card game. No source has depicted or described the two species together, or detailed any interaction between the them.

Appearances

 * The Admiral's List: Jimas Veltraa Memorial Edition
 * Episode I Adventures 5: The Ghostling Children
 * Star Wars: Rebellion
 * The Lost City of the Jedi
 * Queen of the Empire
 * Children of the Jedi
 * The Unifying Force