Eye-Ra

"Nothing is worse than the Eye-Ra. Nothing is less right and more frightening than being stared at by a single, bright yellow, 5 feet wide eye. And see it ignite and explode, destroying buildings, burning enemies, its acid flesh raining down far and wide. By far the most horrific creation ever achieved on that foul world Yavia, which I hope never to visit again."

- Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Eye-Ra

Eye-Ra (less commonly Great Eyes or Dire Eyes, or Ghio-Ra) were a bizarre, semi-artificial species native to the planet Yavia. Eye-Ra were the results of many centuries of breeding and bio-locking to produce a perfect explosive monster that could be used to destroy enemies. It is thought the original creature who's DNA would eventually become Eye-Ra was a simple, mollusk like creature. The Eye-Ra were first introduced by the Abunakki tribe.

Eye-Ra were unique in that their whole body was designed to self destruct in a massive explosion. Their fleshy red mantle was rich in strong acid. This acid helped the creature feed, but its main purpose was to undergo an explosive chemical reaction with an alkali (which was held inside the creature's great eye), creating a massive destructive blast that could level buildings and kill enemies.

Etymology
Eye-Ra evolved from Ghio-Ra, a term coined by the Abunakki tribe. It combines the word Ghio, meaning eye, with the suffix -Ra meaning demon, creature or menace. In short, the name meant something like "Eye-Monster".

Biology and Appearance
Eye-Ra had very simple biology. Their massive mantle actually consisted of many layers, each capable of absorbing nutrients with maximum surface area. The whole mantle was full of organic acid, which helped dissolve the nutrients. The huge eye of the eye could see incredible distances in almost complete darkness, and it could identify its target in this way. The main role of the eye, however, was to contain the powerful alkali that, when released, would react with the acid in the mantle, causing the whole Eye-Ra to explode.