GAND

Return to Home

Return to Star Wars Setting Guide

Return to Star Wars Species Guide

Go to Species Directory

The Gands, or Gand, were a sentient species of humanoids that xenobiologists believed to have evolved from an insect genus that inhabited the ammonia-gas planet of Gand. Several physical varieties of the species existed, differing from one another in the structure of the head and the texture and color of the exoskeleton, but the species was usually divided into two main subspecies: those with lungs and those without. Gands with such organs were adapted to their home world's atmosphere, but like Kel Dors, required specialized breathing gear if they wanted to leave Gand to manage potentially poisonous off-world gas mixtures. Gands without lungs, however, did not respire and were immune to poisonous gases; thus they could venture off-world without worry of suffocation. Both species possessed an exoskeleton and regenerative properties.

Gands were considered by galactic society to be a very humble species, a trait resultant of their culture, which dictated that an individual's identity had to be earned. Accordingly, most Gands were self-deprecating and polite, and usually referred to themselves in the third person. First-person pronouns were reserved for the most legendary of Gands, as the usage presumed that one was so renowned that everyone knew one's name. However, an accomplished Gand often responded with humility if praised and even downplayed his or her achievements.

Within Gand culture was one of the species' more notable professions: the findsmen. Shamanistic bounty hunters, these Gands tracked their quarry by divining omens sent to them via rituals based around the religious worship of the thick ammonia mists that covered their home world. Although their methods were sometimes viewed as arcane, the accuracy of the findsmen was considered unsettling to the casual observer. Zuckuss, a bounty hunter, and Ooryl Qrygg, a pilot in Rogue Squadron, were two notable Gands.

Gands, or Gand were sentient, stocky humanoids whose insectoid bodies were covered in a chitinous exoskeleton. The natural, durable armor allowed the Gand to shrug off injuries that would cripple most other species. Zuckuss, a Gand bounty hunter, jumped from a third-story window, was caught in an explosion, and was even shot in the shoulder, yet he was able to continue his duties without so much as a disorienting effect. The Gand exoskeleton provided extra protection in the clavicle region, which prevented most nerve or pressure-point strikes to the neck and shoulders. In addition, Gands had the remarkable ability to regrow lost limbs. If a Gand was dismembered, it could regrow a lost limb in a few days. Most Gands usually stood around 1.4 to 1.6 meters, and on average weighed 70 to 80 kilograms, although there were some who were even shorter.

The Gands possessed earholes, and large, compound eyes with a visual range that included the ultraviolet spectrum and afforded excellent night vision; however, they could not perceive colors in total darkness. The eyes were shielded with a keratin substance that served to protect them from airborne debris, such as that present in a sandstorm. Most Gands had three fingers on each hand; the digits were capable of punching through stormtrooper armor, as evidenced by Ooryl Qrygg, a Gand pilot with Rogue Squadron, on the planet Talasea. Their durability was utilized in a Gand martial arts technique known as "*Piercing Touch*."

The Gand species had two sexes: male and female. Despite the species' refusal to be studied, xenobiologists managed to document several of their physical variations, which included differences in exoskeleton color from brown to green, and purple. Even the shape of the head differed among individuals; some were rounded, while others, like Vaabesh, a Clone Wars–generation Gand Padawan, possessed elongated craniums. The head in some specimens divided into sections, while others had pronounced cranial ridges. Although most Gands possessed three fingers, there were a few, like the assassin R'Kayza, who had five. The surface of the exoskeleton varied, as some Gands exhibited pronounced plating, while others had a smoother texture. The eye color also varied from silver to gray, black, yellow, and turquoise.

Despite the widespread diversity, however, most Gands were classified into two subspecies: lungless and "breathers." Scientists were unsure if the breathers were of an older evolutionary stock destined to die out or further evolve, or if they were another viable species. Such Gands possessed lungs, along with the usual assortment of internal organs that were typical in most species. The lungs functioned rather efficiently, able to utilize nearly eighty–five percent of the atmosphere with each breath. Gands with lungs nevertheless were adapted to breathing only ammonia and required breath masks or similar equipment to survive in the more common oxygen–rich environments found on many planets. Oxygen exposure scoured the inside of the lungs like acid and required organ transplants if the Gand did not suffocate. If a Gand survived the initial exposure, that individual could display various respiratory symptoms, which included chest pain, shortness of breath, and coughing, which sometimes brought up blood. Since the proper bronchial and lung treatments necessary to repair the damage were uncommon off the species' home world, Gands stricken with oxygen inhalation were characterized by a high rate of mortality.

A breathing Gand was able to hold its breath when needed and induce a comatose state, which would reduce the perceptibility of bodily functions to a point where an observer might mistake them for dead. Zuckuss demonstrated the ability while working with another bounty hunter named Boba Fett; however, he made use of compressed ammonia canisters to extend respiration cessation for several days. The lungless Gand sub-species did not respire, as they obtained all the metabolic sustenance they needed through the ingestion of their food. Ingested materials aided in gas exchange, and waste passed through openings in the exoskeleton. This made lungless Gands immune to poisonous gases and allowed them to forgo respirators when they ventured off-world. Nevertheless, some lungless Gands wore such equipment anyway, usually to maintain anonymity.

Usually, Gands spoke their native language, also known as Gand, which to off-worlders sounded like a jumble of drones and clicks. For communication with members of other species, however, lungless Gands required the aid of a muscular gas bladder. This organ, among its other uses, allowed the Gand to draw in gases and expel them at a controlled rate through pieces of the exoskeleton that vibrated to approximate speech. Such Gands also made use of translator vocoders to compensate for their lack of vocal cords. Although most Gands were incapable of speaking Basic, some Gand varieties were born with the proper organs and structure to speak other languages, Zuckuss being an example.

Gands needed only a fraction of the sleep normally required by Humans. This trait was common throughout the Gand varieties, so scientists attributed it to culture, rather than breeding. To stay awake and aware was more beneficial to the work of findsmen—a Force-sensitive religious tradition of bounty hunters that was unique to the Gand—and was a skill that was honed throughout a lifetime. Some of these findsman could communicate telepathically to all species within 60 meters of them. However, Gands were able to "store" the restorative properties of sleep for use when suspension of consciousness was inadvisable. Gands possessed regenerative abilities; for example, Ooryl Qrygg was able to regrow a severed arm within months, although he was assisted by a bacta cast. The exoskeleton appeared more pale and chalky in hue than normal until the regeneration process was complete. The consumption of alcohol often provoked a depressed mood in the species, and at least one Gand, Zuckuss, was known to suffer from schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder. Gands could also be afflicted with asthma.

The Gands evolved on the planet of Gand, an isolated Outer Rim world that boasted an atmosphere comprised of ammonia, which made it potentially lethal to oxygen-breathers. This atmosphere resulted in very little galactic influence on the planet, a state of affairs that allowed the Gands to develop a rich, yet peculiar, culture. They were considered by most other species to be a very humble society, its members soft-spoken and polite.

Gand society placed heavy importance on the achievements of an individual and held that an individual had no name, and thus no worth, until he or she proved otherwise. The speech patterns of Gands utilized third-person self-reference within each level of identity earned. Young or unproven Gands were all called "Gand," as they were considered merely aspects of the same whole. Major accomplishments earned the use of a family surname. Mastering a skill, such as becoming a findsman, allowed for the use of the given name, all with third-person self-reference. This manner of speaking was common within the spoken and written Gand language but was more predominant when a Gand spoke Basic; it was often a source of amusement to outsiders. At least one Gand, Ooryl Qrygg, expressed confusion as to what a pronoun was.

A storied Gand could earn the right to use first-person pronouns after many feats and accomplishments and the ritual aptitude test, the *Janwuine-jika*. In order for the Elders of Gand—the leaders of Gand society—to deem a Gand worthy to become *janwuine*, the highest honor a Gand could receive, they sent the *ruetsavii*—a group of Gands who were renowned for their own accomplishments and therefore considered able to judge the deeds of others—to observe and chronicle the exploits of the Gand in question. The *ruetsavii* then made the determination whether that Gand was ready to undergo the ceremony. Use of the first-person self-reference otherwise was considered arrogant, as it implied to those to whom a Gand spoke that he or she was so great that everyone knew his or her name. Once a Gand became *janwuine*, however, this presumption was considered a reasonable one, as all other Gands were expected to know the individual's name and accomplishments. However, even an accomplished Gand warrior often downplayed his or her achievements, and feelings of shame at one's actions made a Gand assume a reduction of accomplishments, and thus in his or her name. Such name reduction was a show of penance, and depending on the level of identity previously earned, the Gand might take to referring to him- or herself by just the surname or even as "this Gand." Some Gands who committed unspeakable acts were exiled from their society and planet. They were assumed to have discarded their culture and thus could refer to themselves in any way they wished. Failure to become a findsman was sometimes grounds for exile.

The Gands lived in pocket colonies that dotted the surface of their home world. These colonies, separated by seemingly endless kilometers of thick ammonia mists, were each ruled by Gand's central government. While some historians believed that the government of the Gand was a totalitarian monarchy, Gands did not possess a word for king or queen in their language, and no royal houses existed in their society. Scholars debated whether monarchies were isolated to colony worlds, if the species had moved away from this form of government, or if the original research into the government was confusing the insect-like characteristics for monarchy. During the Galactic Civil War, sociologists speculated that the Gand might govern themselves in a type of meritocratic democracy. Others theorized that the cultural and political shifts in Gand society were so frequent that the confusion derived from a rapidly changing environment. The Gands, while a primitive society, made use of galactic technology, and were proficient with the usage of advanced weaponry. However, they either outsourced their starship manufacturing to other companies, such as Byblos Drive Yards, or heavily modified captured ships, such as was done with the vehicles that were utilized by the *ruetsavii*. The Gand discharger was a weapon that was considered the pinnacle of Gand technology; dischargers could both paralyze or kill enemies, and they were very rare because few Gand earned them.

The planet's mists were influential in Gand culture, and the religious findsmen sects worshiped them, divining omens and signs from the currents to pinpoint the location of hidden prey. Gands had an active slave trade and penal system, and they employed the findsmen to locate runaway slaves and prisoners hiding in the enshrouding fog banks.

The Gands conducted trade and commerce on orbiting space stations that allowed visitors to avoid the poisonous atmosphere of the planet itself. Despite such contact with off-worlders, Gands were seen as insular and somewhat xenophobic. Outsiders were rarely, if ever, allowed on the surface of Gand, as the insectoid species did not want their society to be tainted with the ideas of independence and self-worth that off-worlders might bring. The few non-Gand allowed onto the planet were usually under the sponsorship of a *janwuine* Gand, or were considered *hinwuine*—beings of standing. Nevertheless, Gand protocol mandated that visitors tell no one of their time on Gand; to talk of such visits was considered an insult to their Gand hosts. In 7 ABY, General Airen Cracken and several other members of Rogue Squadron were invited onto Gand to witness the *janwuine-jika* ceremony for the pilot Ooryl Qrygg. Cracken admitted to finding the ceremony to be unsettling.

Within Gand society, a select few felt the call to the path of the findsman. The findsmen dated back to ancient times in the Gand society, when certain individuals would demonstrate the ability to find their way between the settlements. This ability was regarded highly within the colonies, and those trackers eventually became known as "findsmen." Over the years, findsmen served as scouts and hunters for their ancient warlords.

Findsmen belonged to a religious sect that worshiped and interpreted the movements of the gaseous mists on Gand to predict the location of criminals. Part shaman, part law enforcer, a findsman augured the location of a fugitive, tracked the target, and brought the wanted being to justice. The findsmen rituals were known to take at least three hours to complete, but were considered to be very reliable. Many off-worlders attributed the sect's success to the Force, believing that findsmen were actually Force-sensitive. However, the findsmen themselves claimed otherwise. The title of findsman was sometimes granted to a Gand during the *janwuine-jika*.

Individual findsman sects existed within the profession; each held a different set of beliefs regarding its duties and responsibilities, and performed its rituals in its own distinctive way. Findsmen sects also fought with one another, conflicts that usually stemmed from competition over the apprehension of the same target. These skirmishes sometimes escalated into war until another, neutral sect intervened. Some findsmen groups subjected their pupils to chemical baths and even genetic manipulation to induce the appearance of knob-like growths on specific portions of the exoskeleton. These serrated ridges, which were often located on the arms and legs and could measure four to five centimeters in length, were used as weapons in hand-to-hand combat. Gand findsmen also made use of the shockprod staff, an electrical stun weapon that ended in a V-shaped twin prod.

Findsman training required devotion and study, and to leave the tradition was seen at times as a death sentence for the wayward hunter. If other members of the findsman's sect learned of their initiate's divergence from the path, they often deemed the Gand a rogue and even tried to kill him or her on sight. Members of other species often viewed the findsman tradition to be a strange sect that was devoted to a hunting religion, although the Gands themselves considered the findsmen to be "on the path to truth." Prior to 3 ABY, the tradition began its decline and many findsmen took their talents off-world. Gand shockstaffs were developed by Gand Findsmen to help them herd prey—they had powerful stunning capabilities and a sharp tip.

The Gands evolved on the planet Gand. There, they spread across the surface, founded pocket colonies, and developed a planetary monarchy. Their home world was discovered by outsiders sometime prior to 3951 BBY, during the Kanz Disorders. An inhospitable and isolated world located in the Shadola sector, just beyond the Centrality and near the border of Wild Space, the planet was not located on any major hyperlanes. This isolation allowed the Gand society to develop without the influence of the Galactic Republic. During the Clone Wars, aside from the participation of individual members, Gand society remained independent of the Republic.

The findsman tradition was established by the planet's monarchy and thrived for centuries until the intervention of the Galactic Empire. The Imperials took control of the slave trade and brought with them their advanced technology, which kept the number of runaways down and rendered the findsmen useless. Many Gand findsmen retired or tried to find new professions. Two such Gands were the renegade Vytor Shrike and the Rebel operative Venlyss Pnorr. However, rather than allow the tradition to face extinction, many other Gands, notably Zuckuss, took the profession off-world, finding work as bounty hunters, security advisors, and even assassins.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Gand home world once again had no involvement in the war, aside from the activities of various individuals. Aside from the Empire's involvement in the planet's slave trade, the Gands were largely overlooked by the Imperials. The planet managed to avoid invasion during the Yuuzhan Vong War, as well. Although many Gand refugees sought asylum on Ruan, the planet itself was overlooked by the galactic invaders. The Gands also remained removed from affairs during the Second Galactic Civil War.

Since the coming of the Empire, the insular Gands maintained tight control over how much influence outsiders had on their people. Most visitors to the planet Gand only got as close as the orbiting space stations. There were five of these structures, which were the centers of Gand commerce. Any visitors permitted on the surface of the world were sequestered in the alien quarters located in the spaceports. A few non-Gands were afforded the honor of admission into Gand society but only under the sponsorship of the *janwuine* or the *ruetsavii*. After the changeover from Galactic Empire to New Republic, the Shi'ido anthropologist Mammon Hoole included an entry on the Gands in his publication *The Essential Guide to Alien Species*.

Gands were a space-faring species and those who left their home world could be found working in a variety of positions, such as within the Jedi Order, as bounty hunters, pilots, and smugglers. Findsmen who had taken their trade to the wider galaxy often were hired as bounty hunters, security advisors, and assassins. Gands were employed by various crime lords, the Bounty Hunters' Guild, the Galactic Empire, and the Rebel Alliance. They were found on a number of different planets, such as in the Outer Rim Territories, including Taris, Dorvalla, Orvax IV, and Onadax. Some Gands made their home on Tatooine, while others were found on Coruscant. A Gand warrior who had earned the name Ossluk Noslee lived sometime before the Dark Wars, and a pair of gloves that were believed to have been owned by him were available for purchase during the Dark Wars.

A large number of off-world Gands found work as bounty hunters or mercenaries. One group of Gands with pink carapaces served under the exiled Lord Tytonus of Begeren. The Gand enforcers accompanied Tytonus's private army to the jungle beyond the lowest levels of the Kaas City expansion district on the reconstituted Sith Empire throne world of Dromund Kaas during the Cold War. Before the force could mount their invasion of Dromund Kaas, however, a group of Imperial operatives assaulted their position and destroyed their shuttles, which stymied Tytonus's plans. A number of Gands were imprisoned on the planet Belsavis by the Republic, and a group of them were forced to participate in Project Noble Focus—combat experiments to determine the combat capabilities of various species. When the Sith Empire attacked Belsavis, the Gands were among the prisoners who were freed in the chaos, and they kidnapped several Republic scientists before retreating to a Rakatan vault in the High Security Section. The group was led by two Gands named Zyyskel and Naarud Nyydo, but Republic forces eventually stormed the vault and rescued the scientists.

Since then, many Gands—primarily a group of bounty hunters who left to live on Nar Shaddaa—regularly visited Jekk'Jekk Tarr, an exotic cantina where they could find gas fumes similar to those present on their home world. Later, a group of Gands that were members of the same nest as the Jekk'Jekk Tarr group was present on the *Visionary*, a yacht that belonged to G0-T0, the leader of a criminal organization known as the Exchange. Many of them were killed by Meetra Surik—a Human woman who chose to disobey the Jedi High Council and aid the Republic in the war against the invading Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders—first during her search for the Quarren Exchange crime lord, Visquis, and later when the Exile stormed the *Visionary* to defeat G0-T0. A Gand bounty hunter was present on Ord Mantell during the hunt for the Jedi Quinlan Vos in 30 BBY. Another Gand hunter was present on the Rig shortly after the Battle of Geonosis, around 21 BBY, when Jedi Master Mace Windu arrived seeking information on who in the Bounty Hunters' Guild was responsible for the bounties posted on Jedi. This particular hunter was killed by Windu in the resulting scuffle. A Gand bounty hunter attempted to collect a bounty on Connor Freeman, who was wanted by an individual named Tayand for beating the crime lord at a game of sabacc, but this Gand failed after being felled by a blaster shot from Freeman.

After the Clone Wars, since the intervention of the Empire on their home world's slave trade, many former findsmen took their trade off-world, where they were able to find employment in a variety of agencies. Such findsmen included Zuckuss, a bounty hunter who was known in the trade as "the Uncanny One," due to his abilities. He often partnered with 4-LOM, a droid bounty hunter. He was considered to be one of the best Gand findsmen, and his talents brought him to the attention of the Bounty Hunters' Guild, the Hutt Cartel, the Galactic Empire and even the Rebel Alliance for a time. Zuckuss's career had seen some upsets; during the Galactic Civil War, he had suffered a life-threatening lung injury and while acquiring the necessary credits to afford an organ transplant, he accepted a job with the Rebellion to track down Imperial Governor Nardix. His involvement in the affair resulted in death warrants being posted for both him and 4-LOM, though those postings were overlooked when the pair were contracted to hunt down the *Millennium Falcon* shortly after the Battle of Hoth.

Soon afterward, Zuckuss and 4-LOM defected to the Rebel Alliance, where Zuckuss received the necessary medical treatment to repair his oxygen-burned lungs. He was later involved in a mission to reclaim the carbonite-encased Han Solo from rival hunter Boba Fett. The mission, however, was a failure, and after the destruction of 4-LOM, Zuckuss left the Rebellion to concentrate on rebuilding his partner. 4-LOM, after having received a memory wipe, lost his loyalties to Zuckuss and intended to work alone. Zuckuss managed to convince the droid to partner together for one last hunt, though they soon parted ways, with Zuckuss relocating to the Outer Rim. Due to his Alliance sympathies, Zuckuss began to take primarily New Republic contracts. He was later incarcerated in a penal facility on Coruscant, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder.

Zuckuss's second-cousin and fellow findsman, Lu'daal-ud, worked for the Granse Confederacy, which was a coalition of bounty hunters and trackers that was formed shortly after the Battle of Yavin. Another findsman, Vaskau Farg, had once tracked a Sakiyan witch to the planet Arkania. Vytor Shrike was an active bounty hunter on Tatooine, and at some point, he joined a group of freedom fighters who were led by Adar Tallon, a renowned military starfighter tactician and naval commander. Venlyss Pnorr worked under the guise of being a hunter and transported Rebel Alliance operatives to safehouses. After a mission ended with the death of one of his charges, Pnorr went into hiding. Another Gand Findsman who found work as a bounty hunter was Vrixx'tt, who attempted to negotiate a weapons contract with the Geonosian Piddock on behalf of a group of Gand bounty hunters.

There were some Gands who pursued what most considered to be nobler professions, such as serving with the Jedi Order. Vaabesh, an orphaned Padawan during the waning years of the Galactic Republic, served as a commander for the Grand Army of the Republic. However, he lost his life during the Second Battle of Jabiim in 21 BBY. Another Gand, Jedi Master Tyffix, served as a general for the Galactic Republic. During the Battle of Thustra, he sacrificed his life to save those of his and Master Tyr's Padawans when their command center was struck by a bomb. During the time of the Galactic Republic, Gands worked in such professions as merchants, such as Qoussk, a Gand who operated a specialty goods kiosk on Coruscant, and Yuun, a findsman, was employed as a technician with the Republic Army.

During the Galactic Civil War, another Gand, Ooryl Qrygg, served as a pilot for the newly-reformed Rogue Squadron. Through learning how to pilot a ship, Ooryl was granted the right to refer to himself by his surname, Qrygg. After he mastered advanced flight training and astrogation, he was able to use his given name. Ooryl was present on Talasea, where he used his martial arts training to help counter a raid on the Rebel base. He also participated in an abortive mission to Borleias, where Rogue Squadron hoped to capture the planet codenamed Blackmoon. If the mission was successful, it was hoped by the Rebel fleet that the location could be used as a staging point for capturing Coruscant. However, due to a breakdown in Bothan intelligence, the Rebels missed the TIE fighter squadrons that were stationed in the Alderaan Biotics facility. In the resulting battle, Ooryl lost his arm after he was ejected from his X-wing. With the usage of a bacta cast, Ooryl was able to regenerate his arm at an accelerated rate. He had recovered in time to participate in a mission to potentially liberate Coruscant. Due to his biology, Ooryl was able to pass unaffected through a nerve gas-congested area in a subsidiary computer center, where he retrieved breathing equipment for his squadmates.

In 7 ABY, a trio of *ruetsavii* Gands, Syron Aalun, Ussar Vlee, and Vviir Wiamdi, were sent to observe Qrygg and aided in several raids during the Bacta War, a conflict that stemmed from the conquest of Thyferra and subsequent retaliation by Rogue Squadron in the Battle of Thyferra. Ooryl was deemed to have attained sufficient heroic status and after undergoing the *janwuine-jika* ritual, he was granted the right to refer to himself in first person. Ooryl fought in the Thrawn campaign and was an active squadron member during the liberation of the Ciutric Hegemony, following the resurrection of Emperor Palpatine. He unknowingly faced off against fellow pilot Corran Horn and was left adrift until he was rescued and returned to the fleet. Alongside Luke Skywalker, Qrygg also used his findsman talents to track down Horn while the latter was undercover. The trio later stormed the Jensaarai fortress on Susevfi and freed Mirax Terrik, Corran's wife, from captivity. At a later date, Ooryl attended the wedding of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade.

Gands were seen on Taris as early as 3964 BBY; one was present when suspected murderer and former Padawan Zayne Carrick returned to the planet. Tarisian Gands also participated in Sok Brok's Fiftieth Annual Pet Show, in 43 ABY, when Gand pet owners displayed their domesticated animals in the "Insectoid" division. Another Gand, Ossluk Noslee, was a prominent warrior who had earned two names as testimony of his accomplishments; a pair of his gloves had survived into the period of the Dark Wars. Gands were also seen in 33 BBY in a cantina on Dorvalla, a planet in the Outer Rim Territories; they were also present on the slave trade planet Orvax IV. Some Gands allied themselves with smugglers, such as the Gand who served as a crewmember on the *Scarlet Vertha*, a custom-made ship owned by the Morseerian Nabrun Leids. Other Gands worked as smugglers themselves or, like R'Kayza, found employment as assassins. In 28 ABY, another Gand was seen in a cantina on the Minos Cluster planet of Onadax. During the pan-galactic Yuuzhan Vong War, to elude capture or destruction by the invading Yuuzhan Vong, many Gands had taken refuge in the squalid Refugee Facility 17 that had been established on the planet Ruan.

**GAND SPECIES TRAITS**

• • +2 Wis, -2 Cha

• • Medium Size: As Medium creatures, Gands have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• • Speed: Gand base speed is 10 meters.

• • Gands gain a +2 Natural Armor bonus to Damage Reduction

• • Darkvision: Gand can see in the dark up to 20 meters. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and Gands can function just fine with no light at all.

• • Automatic Languages: Gand.