Reptilian flier

Saurian flier
Sociocultural characteristics
Homeworld	Dathomir

Warning: The following parameters in the infobox are unrecognized: members

Saurian fliers, also known as saurians, and reptilian fliers (or flyers), were a species of winged reptavians. A number of them attacked Quinlan Vos when he first arrived on Dathomir in an ejector seat. The beasts tore him free of the seat's restraints, allowing him access to his lightsaber, which he used to defeat them. Some were hunted for their meat and hide. Ancient fliers were a known variety of saurians. They also had a leathery hide.

Biology and appearance

The species of reptavians known as saurian fliers were a type of large bird native to Dathomir, an obscure world in the Outer Rim Territories. Flocks of these dangerous creatures filled the skies, and roamed the forests and plains of the remote world. The reptilian, lizardlike vertebrates had leathery hides, the color of which typically included subdued palettes of grey, red or blue in the wild. However, when domesticated, their hides could come in a variety of different hues, including shades of orange and green. Distinguishing features of the bipedal creature included large, batlike wings, long tails, and horned heads featuring sharp teeth, and beady red eyes. The saurians attacked both aerial and ground targets with deadly speed and incredible ferocity. The four grasping claws on their feet allowed the winged creatures to grab their prey and tear them to pieces with their powerful jaws. Tougher victims were borne aloft by the creatures and dropped to their death, only to be subsequently consumed by the violent beasts, who left behind only a few larger bones and a spattering of remains. When vocalizing, they would emit a screech or cawing noise.

History

Saurian fliers could be killed and harvested for their resources, including their leathery hide, bones and meat. A number of them attacked Quinlan Vos in 31 BBY when he first arrived on Dathomir in an ejector seat. The beasts tore him free of the seat's restraints, allowing him access to his lightsaber, which he used to defeat them. Saurian fliers could also be domesticated by beast masters as personal companions or as a form of transport unto themselves as mountable beasts of burden.

By the time following the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY, a Dathomirian witch by the name of Rubina offered at least one spacer a decorative model of a saurian flier for their success in eliminating mutant rancors and members of the rival Spider Clan.

Behind the scenes

A mature saurian

Saurian fliers first appeared in the 2000 Star Wars: Republic comic, Star Wars 23: Infinity's End, Part 1, however they were not specifically named. The fliers were later included as creatures in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts, prior to its closure on December 15, 2011. Found on Dathomir, they were first simply identified as reptilian fliers (or flyers). In addition to the typical reptilian flier, there also existed other named types of fliers in the game, including ancient reptilian fliers, enraged reptilian fliers, mature reptilian fliers, and young reptilian fliers.

The creature is listed as reptilian fliers in several reference guides for Star Wars Galaxies, including the Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided: Prima's Official Strategy Guide (2003), the Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided Quick Reference Guide (2003), the Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed: Prima Official Game Guide (2004), the Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience: Prima Official Game Guide (2005), and the Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Guide: Prima Official Game Guide (2005). However, The Official Star Wars Fact File 139 (2004) identified the creature with the slightly different name of saurian flier. The magazine collated additional information on the overall behavior and characteristics of the creature.

With the release of Star Wars Galaxies, reptilian fliers could be domesticated as pets by players who pursued the creature handler profession. Following the release of Publish 25's New Game Enhancements on November 15, 2005, creature handlers were removed. However, with the release of Chapter 6: Masters of the Wild on May 22, 2007, beast masters were added as an expertise path, allowing players to incubate domesticated creatures. With the release of Game Update 17 on June 24, 2010, reptilian fliers could be successfully trained as mounts. When the Witches of Dathomir theme park was revamped as part of Game Update 18.2 on November 4, 2010, and Game Update 19 on December 14, 2010, a non-player character named Rubina would offer players a Reptilian Flyer Model as a reward option for completing quests requiring the elimination of mutant rancors or members of the Spider Clan.

Appearances

• Star Wars 23: Infinity's End, Part 1 (First appearance)
• Template:SWG (First identified as Reptilian flier/flyer)

Sources

• The Official Star Wars Fact File 139 (DAT3, Dathomir) (First identified as Reptilian flier)
• Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided: Prima's Official Strategy Guide (as Reptilian flier)
• Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided Quick Reference Guide (as Reptilian flier)
• Star Wars Galaxies: Jump to Lightspeed: Prima Official Game Guide (as Reptilian flier)
• Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience: Prima Official Game Guide (as Reptilian flier)
• Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Guide: Prima Official Game Guide (as Reptilian flier)

External links

• Reptilian flyer on SWG Pets
• Reptilian flier on the SWG Wiki
• Reptilian flyer on SWGANH Wiki

In other languages

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