Lurian

The Lurians were a humanoid species native to the planet Luria. They were rarely seen outside of the Ionite Nebula region. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

The Lurian government was controlled by the Royal Family of Luria. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

Physiology and culture Edit

The average Lurian stood approximately two meters tall, but had a much broader and heavier body. Lurians were grayish- or tan-skinned. Their most noteworthy feature was their narrow, elongated heads. They had wide mouths, puggish noses, and small, deep-set eyes. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?", "Emissary", et al.)

Morn (pictured) was the only Lurian ever seen on screen, but it was stated, in DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?", that most Lurians actually did have hair; Morn had just gone bald.
It remains unknown whether a large quantity of children is common for Lurians, or if it is just a coincidence that Morn had seventeen siblings.

Lurians were known to have multiple hearts, (DS9: "Through the Looking Glass") four lungs at the minimum, (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice") and two stomachs. As a result, they were not only more resistant to damage than most species, but were also able to withstand poisons and other toxins much better. They were able to store liquids in their second stomach for many years, if necessary. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

The detail about Lurians having two stomachs was devised by "Who Mourns for Morn?" writer Mark Gehred-O'Connell. He wasn't entirely certain how the concept came about. However, he admitted it made sense for him to conceive of the idea, since he lived in Wisconsin, a state with a large quantity of cows, which likewise have an elaborate digestive system. The exact location of the Lurian's second stomach wasn't decided, though Supervising Sound Editor Mace Matiosian had to consider this part of Lurian anatomy upon creating the sound of a Lurian regurgitating latinum from it. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, pp. 524 & 526)

At least some Lurians prefer to sleep in a 'hot tub' of mud. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

It was a Lurian custom to bring gifts of food and drink for the deceased, so they would have something to sustain them in the afterlife. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

Lurians Edit

Appendices Edit

Background information Edit

Mark Allen Shepherd in make up — Morn's Lurian makeup is tweaked

The species name "Lurian" was thought up by Mark Gehred-O'Connell and made its canon debut in "Who Mourns for Morn?". Gehred-O'Connell was permitted to name the species (and invent the idea of them having two stomachs) even though he was a freelance writer. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 524)

The name of the species was first used in behind-the-scenes reference sources, such as Cinefantastique (1993, Vol. 23, No. pp. 18 & 40) and The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1994, pp. 2 & 17).

Designing the facial appearance of a Lurian began with a sketch which Makeup Supervisor Michael Westmore illustrated on the back of a script, labeling the image simply "alien". (The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, p. 2) Westmore later likened the Lurian facial design to that of a bulldog. (The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine issue 1, p. 28)

It took multiple tries to perfect the Lurian appearance before one particular look was settled on. As such, several heads were made for Morn to appear in DS9: "Emissary". "[They] have not been seen since," laughed Michael Westmore. "That's because some of the heads they [the DS9 producers] felt were a little too far out, that they weren't quite Star Trek." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 123, p. 29) Ultimately, Morn's prosthetic head was sculpted by Vincent Niebla, [1] who won an Emmy for his work at only twenty-one years of age. [2]

According to Michael Westmore, the mouth part of the Lurian headpiece was designed so as to allow the actor playing him to speak, should the need arise. However, no Lurian ever spoke a single word on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ("Michael Westmore's Aliens: Season Four", DS9 Season 4 DVD special features)

External link Edit

Lurian at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

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