Sand People

A violently xenophobic species from Tatooine, the Sand People are more formally referred to as the Ghorfa. Most at home in Tatooine’s endless deserts and canyons, the nomadic Sand People survive by hunting and raiding larger settlements and by raising banthas as mounts and for food, milk and materials. To outsiders, they can appear incomprehensibly hostile–but while virtually all encounters with Sand People end in violence, their culture is more complex internally.

Sand People have strict taboos against showing exposed flesh except in very rare and specific circumstances and keep themselves wrapped in heavy coverings. Those who violate this sacred custom are banished from the tribe; a fate that typically ends in a lonely death in the desert. Despite their insular nature, Sand People are known to adopt and raise young children of other species orphaned by their attacks. Once these orphans reach adulthood, they are encouraged to leave the tribe and return to their own people.

The history of the Sand People is maintained through the tales of revered tribal storytellers. Many of their legends describe a golden age of technological miracles, seemingly indicating the Sand People were once a highly advanced civilization. This had led to speculation that the Ghorfa are descended from the now extinct Kumumgah species that lived on Tatooine roughly thirty thousand years ago.