Cularin space slug

The Cularin space slug was a variety of space slug—gigantic silicon-based lifeforms that live in the vacuum of space—found in the Cularin system. Cularin space slugs were more docile than the space slugs found elsewhere in the galaxy and could be trained as guards. It was speculated that they descended from domesticated creatures on the Cularin system planet Oblis, a world that's destruction formed the Cularin asteroid belt.

Biology and appearance

The Cularin space slug was a variety of space slug, colossal, wormlike silicon-based lifeforms that resided in space. They could grow up to 900 meters in length and were large enough to engorge whole starships. The inside of a Cularin space slug's mouth contained a pressurised atmosphere in which other creatures could survive with the assistance of a breath mask.^[1]

The slugs were long-lived and were believed to have lifespans of tens of thousands of years. Their metabolic rate was also slow and the slugs were capable of digesting and fully consuming both organic and inorganic substances over the course of tens of thousands of years. They reproduced via fission, whereby a slug that grew sufficiently large would divide into two independent smaller creatures.^[1]

Behavior

Cularin space slugs could be found on large asteroids, where they resided in caves and hollows. They fed on minerals and it was possible for a group of the slugs to strip an asteroid of all its mineral resources.^[1]

A unique trait that distinguished Cularin space slugs from other varieties of space slug was their docility. The slugs were receptive to instruction and could easily be seasoned to undertake basic tasks.^[1]

History

Found in the Cularin system,^[1] in the Thaere sector,^[2] Cularin space slugs were present in the star system's asteroid belt. Due to their pliant nature, it was speculated that Cularin space slugs were descended from domesticated creatures. It was also believed that they possibly originated from Oblis, a jungle planet destroyed^[1] by the Darkstaff Sith artifact many years before the Clone Wars,^[3] the remains of which formed the Cularin asteroid field. According to this theory, following Oblis's destruction, the slugs' ancestors endured and adjusted to life in the vacuum of space.^[1]

Cularin space slugs in the galaxy

Smugglers based in the Cularin asteroid belt were known to utilize tamed Cularin space slugs as guards. Some such smugglers professed to be able to dock their starships inside the mouths of their slugs to evade passing military vessels. The captains of space transports often tried to avoid Cularin space slugs out of fear that pirates could lie in wait inside the slugs' mouths to ambush passing freighters, though most Cularin system government sources denied that pirates followed this practice.^[1]

Behind the scenes

Cularin space slugs were mentioned in the article Creature Feature: Cularin Space Slug, which was written by Jeff Quick and published on Wizards.com on April 26 2001. The article formed part of the Creature Feature series and provided roleplaying statistics for Cularin space slugs to feature in Wizards of the Coasts Star Wars Roleplaying Game.^[1] The 2003 roleplaying adventure Who Goes Thaere? later depicted a juvenile space slug on the Cularin system moon Ostfrei, though the adventure did not specify whether this space slug was of the Cularin variety.^[4]

Sources

• Creature Feature: Cularin Space Slug on Wizards.com (original site is defunct) (First mentioned)

Notes and references