Draethos (Jedi Renaissance)

"Draethos have almost always found the call of the Archivist irresistible. Emulating Master Odan-Urr, the future generations of Draethos Jedi have a high inclination to train as Consulars and wield their lightsabers sparingly. Those who did stray from the norm were always fierce warriors and proud Knights. No middle ground, and never settling for second best, Draethos Jedi can only be described as existing within the extremes of the Order's hierarchy."

- Jedi Knight Horen Hote, writing about Draethos in the Jedi Order.

Draethos were a predatory humanoid species from the world of in the  region of the galaxy. Evolving on a planet of windswept mountains and deep caves, it was believed that they were descended from a race of subterranean reptomammals and that their lipless mouths were a genetic mutation that proved useful in scrapping off the nutrient-laden lichen in the deepest, moistest parts of the caves. Prominent members of the Jedi Order during the earliest centuries of the Order, the culture on Thosa was not quite in line with the values of the Galactic Republic. and participated in the Acquisition Division of the Order's Jedi recruitment program. Because of a high rate of Force-sensitives born each year the Order's ranks were filled with Devaronian Knights and Padawans, though a rare few achieved Mastery.

Biology and appearance
Draethos possessed large teeth, which grew outside of their lipless mouths in what appeared to be an overbite. Their scaly skin ranged in color from blue to purple to black. Their hands retained an interstitial web between the fingers, each of which ended in narrow clawed tips. Evolved to see in low-light environments, a natural aspect springing from their cave-dwelling ancestors, the Draethos could live to be nearly a millennium old. Despite their long lives, their childhood was quite short. They matured quickly, grew out of adolescence at 18, then enjoyed a healthy adulthood which lasted approximately four hundred years. At four hundred a Draethos was considered middle aged. It was not until age seven hundred that a Draethos was considered elderly.

Power and abilities
Draethos, warrior and intellectual alike, possessed a natural telepathic ability, including the ability to communicate with any sentient being in a radius of approximately five hundred meters. The ability was limited to communication; a Draethos could not invade the thoughts of others without special Force-sensitivity. Indeed, Draethos who were trained in the Force had a strong ability to compel people at will, making them unable to resist the commands of the manipulator, even over a period of time. Aside from their natural inclination towards physical strength, Draethos educated in the Force could leap great distances and life several times their own weight.

History and culture
Partly due to their long lives, Draethos society was slow to evolve and relied heavily on tradition. The Draethos was a warrior culture; those living on the homeworld were expected to demonstrate their martial or hunting prowess making life on Thosa was harsh, with arrogant aristocrats squabbling among one another for social standing and wealth. Warriors were perpetually in high demand as gladiators, mercenaries, hunters, and soldiers. Pacifistic philosophies were despised on Thosa and those who made a conscious decision to abandon the way of the warrior were exiled to seek a new life among aliens. Therefore, paradoxically, despite their reputation as fierce combatants, most Draethos encountered offworld were peaceful and intellectual. They were usually enthralled with learning as much as they could, even if they might never apply their detailed knowledge of a given subject. The stability of the Draethos culture caused exiled Draethos to have troubles while understanding the complex and relatively rapid changes in other societies.

Draethos Jedi
Force-sensitive Draethos were prized by the early Jedi Order not only for their martial skills but also their mental capacity for law and philosophy. One of the early Order's greatest examples of Draethos intellectuals, Jedi Grand Master Odan-Urr, was a prolific warrior during his apprenticeship but most famously attributed with the creation of the Great Library of Ossus. Several decades after the death of Odan-Urr, Sora-Dene'bra served as a Jedi Knight during the Jedi Civil War. At the onset of the Dark Wars which followed, Sora-Dene'bra attempted to stop the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Nihilus from wiping out the Jedi Conclave on Katarr. Reaching out with her lightsaber, Sora-Dene'bra was felled by the Sith Lord, but history remembered her courage and her lightning-fast reflexes.

Other Draethos Jedi which gained notoriety throughout the Order's history for their exceptional skill include Jedi Master Esma-Yerem one of the Order's premiere instructors of levitation at the time of the Clone Wars. A Knight known for his diplomatic skills and the Watchman of the Wyl sector, Qwal-Epido was appointed to the Council of Reconciliation in 15 ABY, serving the Republic with distinction as the Order's representative in the Senate.

Like all species which served in the Order, Draethos were represented in the Grand Temple on Ossus. Within the main entrance of the Temple, known as the Hall of Meditating Masters, a larger-than-life bronzium statue was erected in dedication to all Draethos to serve alongside the likenesses of hundred of other species. The kneeling Master, a female Draethos in the likeness of the posthumously elevated Jedi Knight Sora-Dene'bra, sat in quiet meditation of the Force. In the Sword of the Jedi tower, the lightsabers of all Jedi were placed in memory of fallen warriors and scholars alike. A multitude of weapons once owned by Draethos Jedi were housed here, even the ancient hilt fragments of Master Odan-Urr himself, recovered by Master Ood Bnar. The Edifice of Heroes also commemorated past Draethos Jedi with painting, statues and other works of art presented as memorial and museum to each and every Jedi to have served the Order. A statue to Odan-Urr was erected in the plaza of the Great Library to honor his life and legacy.