Caridan

Caridans came from the planet whose Imperial academy trained stormtroopers, and when Kyp Durron drove the Sun Crusher's resonance torpedo into their sun in 11 ABY, most of the species died with their world. The few who lived were the ones already off-planet: traders working distant markets, fringers, and the occasional New Republic operative. Before that, they were known across the sector less as soldiers than as the hardest negotiators a buyer was likely to meet (all of the Caridan material is Star Wars Legends).

Physically they were built by their gravity. Carida pulled hard, and a species over two meters tall carried the dense musculature that kind of weight demands just to stand and walk. Sources differ on the rest of the build: one description gives them wide, rounded torsos with heavy pectoral muscles but oddly spindly arms and legs, skin pulled tight over the bone, small three-fingered hands, no real neck, a rounded head and a double chin (In Legends, that spindly-limbed account sits awkwardly beside the "dense musculature" line, so treat the exact silhouette as unsettled). What both agree on is that a Caridan was strong, heavy, and at home under a load that would flatten most humanoids.

Carida itself sat at the center of their story. It was a high-gravity world, which is why offworlders trained there to harden their bodies, and it anchored a Caridan economy built on active markets and homegrown industrial firms. The planet's military base was enormous, normally holding more than 150,000 personnel, and the academy tucked inside it was a fraction of that footprint. Cadets called the academy "Cliffside" because it perched on the Spinara Plateau above a five-hundred-foot drop. The Caridans ran it in partnership first with the Republic and then with the Empire.

Outside the parade grounds, Caridan life ran on commerce. Their society was mercantile to the core, organized around its markets and its merchant houses, and Caridans had a galaxy-wide reputation for appraisal and bartering. They could price a thing on sight and talk a counterpart down to it. That instinct, more than any blaster, was the cultural inheritance a Caridan carried offworld, and it was the skill that kept the survivors alive after the homeworld was gone.

Their best-known figure was Ambassador Furgan of Carida, who put the species' Imperial loyalty on display. At a Coruscant gathering he splashed Mon Mothma with a drink laced with a nano-destroyer, poisoning the New Republic's Chief of State, then openly denounced the New Republic and declared Carida wanted no part of it. The reckoning came soon after. Kyp Durron, a fallen Jedi acting under the dead Sith Lord Exar Kun, came to Carida hunting word of his brother Zeth, who had been conscripted as a stormtrooper. After a skirmish over the academy, Kyp fired a resonance torpedo into Caridan, the system's star. The shockwave scoured the planet of life and cracked its shell, and the homeworld of the species was finished.

In SWURPG a Caridan plays as the muscle who would rather close a deal than start a fight. The high-gravity build shows up directly: a strong Strength bonus and a Constitution bump, paired with penalties to Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom that read as heavy and deliberate rather than nimble, and proficiency in Endurance to match a body raised to carry weight. The Slow to React trait fits the same frame, and Imperial Training reflects the academy world they helped run. The signature, though, is Haggling Expert: their whole culture was the appraisal and the bargain, so that is the trait to lean on at any market table.

Caridans are tall and imposing humanoids ranging from 2.1 to 2.4 meters in height, with strong avian ancestry evident in their bone structure, posture, and facial design. They typically possess elongated, angular skulls, sharp features, and deep-set eyes adapted for long-distance focus. Their bodies are lean yet muscular, supported by digitigrade legs built for powerful leaps and sustained running across rugged terrain.

Their skin ranges from light tan to deep ochre, sometimes featuring feather-like ridges along the forearms, scalp, or shoulders. Caridans’ broad chests and elongated arms provide exceptional climbing ability and strong leverage in melee combat. Their voices carry a sharp, resonant timbre that reflects both avian heritage and physical maturity.

Caridan attire varies by region. Traditional clans wear layered hides, carved ornaments, and rope harnesses for cliff traversal, while modern Caridans favor tactical gear, reinforced fabrics, and lightweight armor suited to martial or security roles.

Caridans are disciplined, proud, and intensely loyal to their clans and comrades. Their upbringing emphasizes endurance, self-control, and respect for hierarchical skill rather than birthright. Those who demonstrate exceptional strength or strategic ability rise quickly to leadership roles, and clan bonds remain strong even in diaspora.

Caridan customs often involve ritualized combat, controlled sparring, or feats of athletic prowess to determine status and resolve disputes. Clans prize individuals who show restraint and honor more than raw aggression, and those who break tradition for personal gain face severe social consequences.

As adventurers, Caridans bring a blend of martial efficiency, tactical awareness, and steadfast loyalty. Their presence reinforces group stability in combat or exploration, and their personal narratives often revolve around overcoming prejudice, preserving heritage, or navigating the legacy of their Imperial-era homeworld.