Lorrdian

Lorrdians

Species: Lorrdian
Home Planet: Lorrd

Lorrdian:
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 & 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.

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 (3,970–3,670 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.

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. The Republic was further preoccupied by a G0-T0 droid revolt in the Gordian Reach in 3,946 BBY.

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.

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.

Lorrdian
Attribute Dice: 12D
DEXTERITY 2D/4D
KNOWLEDGE 2D/4D
MECHANICAL 1D/4D
PERCEPTION 3D/5D
STRENGTH 2D/4D
TECHNICAL 1D/4D

Special Skills:
Kinetic Communication: Time to use: One round to one minute. This is the ability of Lorrdians to communicate with one another through hand gestures, facial tics, and very subtle body movements. Unless the Lorrdian trying to communicate is under direct observation, the difficulty is Very Easy. When a Lorrdian is under direct observation, the observer must roll a Perception check to notice that the Lorrdian is communicating a message; the difficulty to spot the communication is the Lorrdians’s kinetic communication total.

Individuals who know telekinetic conversation are considered fluent in that “language” and will need to make rolls to understand a message only when it is extremely technical or detailed.

Body Language:
Time to use: One round.
Traditionally raised Lorrdians can interpret body gestures and movements, and can often tell a person’s disposition just by their posture. Given enough time, a Lorrdian can get a fairly accurate idea of a person’s emotional state. The difficulty is determined based on the target’s state of mind and how hard the target is trying to conceal his or her emotional state. Allow a Lorrdian character to make a body language or Perception roll based on the difficulties below. These difficulties should be modified based on a number of factors, including if the Lorrdian is familiar with the person’s culture, whether the person is attempting to coneal their feelings, or if they are using unfamiliar gestures or mannerisms.
Difficulty Emotional State
Very Easy - Extremely intense state (rage, hate,intense sorrow, ecstatic).

Easy - Intense emotional state (agitation, anger,happiness).

Moderate - Moderate emotional state (one emotion is slightly significant over all others).

Difficult - Mild emotion or character is actively trying to hide emotional state (must make a willpower roll to hide emotion; base difficulty on intensity of emotion. Very Difficult for extremely intense emotion. Difficult for intense emotion. Moderate for moderate emotion. Easy for mild emotion. Very Easy for very mild emotion).

Very Difficult - Very Mild emotion or character is very actively trying to hide emotional state.

Special Abilities:
Kinetic Communication: Lorrdians can communicate with one another by means of a language of subtle facial expressions, muscle ticks and body gestures. In game terms, this means that two Lorrdians who can see one another can surreptitiously communicate in total silence.This is a special ability because the language is so complex that only an individual raised fully in the Lorrdian culture can learn the subtleties of the language.

Story Factors:
Former Slaves: Lorrdians were enslaved during the Kanz Disorders and have a great sympathy for any who are enslaved now. They will never knowingly deal with slavers, or turn their back on a slave who is trying to escape.

Move: 10/12
Size: 1.4-2 meters tall
Source: Alien Encounters (pages 104-105), Han Solo and the Corporate Sector Sourcebook (pages 132-133)