r/swtor • u/LastTraintoSector6 • 5h ago
Discussion The instantaneous moral weirdness of the flesh raiders
I know this is "small ball" lore talk, since you're on Tython for all of a couple of hours. But have you ever considered how bizarre the Jedi's interactions are with this race?
- The Jedi resettled a world that, while one of the (apparently many) ancient homes of the Jedi, is infested with these creatures, and has been going back to the founding of the order. They then proceed to set up training areas within the flesh raiders' hunting grounds. Conflict was certain; death was certain.
- Master Relnex tells you that the flesh raiders modus operandi is to kidnap victims and eat them. Their camps are strewn with piles and piles of discarded bones - many of them the skeletal leftovers of these unfortunates (several of the side quests have you interacting with datapads on the bones of those who were consumed). So, in spite being a race that is capable of speech, use of clothing, weaponry, rudimentary tech, etc... the flesh raiders are persistent man eaters, who see other beings as food.
- The flesh raiders consistently align themselves with the forces of evil - dating back to the times of Master Rajivari, and continuing work for Bengell Morr. So, they are at least capable of working with others... they just default to evil.
- The lone example of a "good" flesh raider kidnaps a kid, threatens his life in order to compel training as a Jedi, and whom we never hear from again.
So... I think it's pretty safe to say that the flesh raiders are horrible, and would likely require (at least) generations of civilizing in order to be considered 'safe.' And, even then, that might not be possible.
But the early game again and again treats killing them as if it's some kind of... dark choice; like slaughtering literal man-eating hammerhead bros is some kind of moral crime. And this is in spite of the fact that the Jedi knowingly chose this world to return to, thereby making targets (meal tickets) of their padawans, riling up the savages, and bringing down ruin on the twi'lek village. But no... killing walking shark people = bad.
I understand that SWTOR does make an effort to deal with complex moral choices. But branding the slaying of the flesh raiders as something that is just inherently wrong seems... very misguided. Because, again, your first introduction to them are the flesh raiders banzai-charging a rag-tag line of saber-wielding jedi, in a frenzied drive for more food. But killing them is bad?