Lorrdian

"We'd be honored to have you bunk with us, Lieutenant."
"Much appreciated. And perhaps you'd like to join us for a few hands of sabacc before we turn in?"
"Sabacc with masters of nonverbal communication? I may be a product of accelerated aging, Lieutenant, but I wasn't born yesterday."

―Clone Captain CT-7567 and Lorrdian Lieutenant Sollaw ap-Orwien^[1]

The Lorrdians, a Human culture from the planet Lorrd in the Kanz sector, were genetically identical to baseline Humans. However, because their unique culture and history set them apart from other Humans, they were sometimes classified as Near-Humans.

During the Clone Wars, Lorrdian senator Nee Alavar represented the Kanz sector during the final days of the Galactic Republic. She wore heavy cloaks in order to keep others from gleaning any information from her body language. Another famous Lorrdian during the Imperial era was Fiolla of Lorrd, an associate of Han Solo and executive with the Corporate Sector Authority.

Society and culture[]

During the Kanz Disorders, the Lorrdians were enslaved by the Argazdan Myrialites who forbade them from speaking on pain of death. As a consequence, the Lorrdians were forced to develop a system of subtle gestures, facial expressions, and body postures to talk to each other. Beginning as a simple battle tongue used to co-ordinate guerrilla groups, this eventually became a sophisticated language known as "kinetic communication." This nonverbal form of communication would still be in use millennia later, during the Galactic Civil War.^[2]^[3]^[4]

They also learned how to interpret the body language of others to determine their emotional state and intentions with uncanny accuracy. By the Imperial era, Lorrdians also became among the galaxy's best mimics, able to imitate a wide variety of mannerisms and voices (even those of many non-Humans). Due to their experience as slaves under the Argazdan Redoubt, many were outspoken anti-slavery critics and activists who tried to ensure that the galaxy's populace did not forget the lessons of the Kanz Disorders.

History[]

During the Kanz Disorders (3970–3670 BBY), the Lorrdians supported the Amaltannan resistance against Governor Myrial's Myrialites who had broken away from the Galactic Republic and established the independent Argazdan Redoubt. Under Argazdan rule, they were forbidden by their masters from speaking with each other and were forced to develop a system of subtle gestures, facial expressions, and body postures to talk to each other. Such communication allowed for the coordination of various Lorrdian resistance movements as well.

The totalitarian Argazdan Redoubt would last for three hundred years. Any attempt made by the Galactic Republic and the Jedi to end the disorders was cut short by the Mandalorian Wars followed by the more devastating Jedi and Sith Civil Wars.^[4] The Republic was further preoccupied by a G0-T0 droid revolt in the Gordian Reach in 3946 BBY.^[5].

After three centuries and the loss of over 500 million Lorrdian lives, the Kanz Disorders finally ended when the Republic and Jedi finally intervened. A Republic and Jedi task force under the Lorrdian Jedi Master Mari-Elan Nora defeated the Myrialites and recaptured Lorrd after dogged fighting. The descendant of Lorrdians freed by the Jedi from a lunar slave colony, Nora joined the Jedi Order and had vowed to bring justice to her people.

Towards the end of the Kanz Disorders, the last ruling Argazdan Regent Torphceris constructed the legendary Slave Pits of Lorrd at the cost of the lives of thousands of Lorrdian slaves. In an attempt to counteract the Republic, he made a pact with a demonic "alien" "artisan-shaper" to create a bio-engineered monster. The alien had come to the known galaxy from the Intergalactic Void and displayed much expertise in bioengineering.^[6]

The newly liberated Lorrdians continued to pass their knowledge of kinetic communication down to each generation and they became famous offworld for these special abilities. By the time of the Imperial era, most Argazdans regarded their ancestors' treatment of the Lorrdians as shameful. Most Lorrdians and Argazdans in the sector got on well despite the repercussions of the conflict.^[6]