Talid

The Talid were a sentient species that were indigenous to the planet of Ando Prime. Ten-Abu Donba was a Talid.

Scattered across the planet, the Talids remained largely nomadic, apart from the human settlements. Their monasteries and shrines were very ancient by the Rise of the Empire, and inhabited by Bendu monks. While primitive and tribal, their civilization's traditions were ancient and rich, rooted in their long history.

Talids's hair was white or blond, usually naturally, but died to these colors if naturally dark. Their hair was wiry, usually grown long, strung with beads made of stone or bone indicating wealth and status. Animal fat was applied to the hair for stealth to keep the beads from shining. Males sported beards, and both genders had some body hair. The Talids had stocky bodies with thick hides, and could survive harsh weather, but were not particularly agile. Their eyes were narrow and their noses flat. Talids' bodies and faces were usually covered, like those of Jawas, for protection from the harsh environment. They dressed in all-temperature cloaks made of furs that allowed them to blend into the snowy environment.

Also like Jawas, their interactions with humans were usually limited to trade and salvage. Though possessed of a playful spirit, this characteristic of their personality was seldom seen by non-Talids due to the species's xenophobia. After opening trade negotioations with a short ceremony, Talids got straight to the point. Talids concepts of trade were similar to those of the Killiks, engaging in direct barter to achieve an equilibrium before formally closing negotiations, sometimes after months or even years. The subtleties of this practice were lost on many offworlders, resulting in human colonists often misundertanding the Talids to be thieves. However, the Talids also understood the concept of money.

Patient opportunists, they were very aggressive in salvaging operations, and would position slugthrower-equipped snipers to drive off anyone approaching junk they considered rightfully their own. They often salvaged wrecked podracers. Unfortunately, many offworlder pilots were ignorant the Talids existed: At some point, former podracer Ree and his team were trying to scavenge some mining scanning gear from wrecked podracers at Juaka Canyon, but they were attacked by Talids, who also claimed to own that scrap. It should be noted, nevertheless, that Ree had been led to the Canyon by native Geon Justic, who did not tell him about the Talids hoping that Ree would be killed.

From an early age, all Talids learned how to survive in the wilds and how to handle and ride tantas, reptomammals which were larger, quadrupedal relatives of Tauntauns. Talids' knowledge of terrain and use of tantas helped them in salvage disputes.

The Talids, at the time of the Rise of the Empire, apparently had no other spoken language other than Basic. They seldom learned other spoken languages. However, they used a unique system of hand signals and noises known as "Talid signaling."

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode I Racer