The ophidian grotesques represented design styles that were prevalent within the oldest sections of the planet Coruscant. These grotesques were characterized by winding designs, which were interpreted in different ways as being either snakes, vines, or even tentacles.
Experts in the Pre-Republic era, for instance Doctor Insmot Bowen, recognized repeating artistic themes like the ophidian grotesques within ancient cultures. These cultures were thought to have interacted with the Celestials. Similar themes were also discovered on the planets Caulus Tertius and Shatuun, despite the fact that these planets had become incapable of supporting life due to mysterious cataclysms. Bowen theorized that the Celestials were responsible for these cataclysms.
Following his victory over the dark side entity known as Abeloth in the year 44 ABY, Jedi Luke Skywalker carried out an investigation of old structures located on Abeloth's planet. During this investigation, he came across designs that bore a resemblance to the ophidian grotesques.