Lurian

Lurian
Type:	Humanoid
Place of origin:	Luria

For the similarly-named Vulcan, please see Lorian.

The Lurians were a humanoid species native to the planet Luria. In the 24th century, they were rarely seen outside of the Ionite Nebula region. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

Physiology and culture

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.)

While all Lurians actually seen on screen so far have been bald, it was stated, in DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?", that Morn actually did have hair; he 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.

According to Odo, Morn is androgynous. (DS9: "If Wishes Were Horses") However, this might have been a jest since Morn was since only referred to as a male.

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 preferred to sleep in a "hot tub" of mud. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

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

History

In the 24th century, the Lurian government was controlled by the Royal Family of Luria. (DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn?")

In 2384 Grom, a Lurian Starfleet Academy cadet, was a member of the Nova Squadron. (PRO: "Into the Breach, Part I")

After the Burn in the mid-31st century, Lurians were present in both Starfleet and the Emerald Chain. (DIS: "That Hope Is You, Part 1", "Kobayashi Maru")

Lurians

Named

• Grom
• Morn

Unnamed

• Unnamed Lurians

Appendices

Appearances

• TNG: "Birthright, Part I"
• DS9:
  • "Emissary" (Season One) (first appearance)
  • "A Man Alone"
  • "Past Prologue"
  • "Babel"
  • "Captive Pursuit"
  • "Q-Less"
  • "Dax"
  • "The Passenger"
  • "Move Along Home"
  • "The Nagus"
  • "Vortex"
  • "Battle Lines"
  • "The Storyteller"
  • "Progress"
  • "If Wishes Were Horses"
  • "The Forsaken"
  • "Dramatis Personae"
  • "Duet"
  • "In the Hands of the Prophets"
  • "The Siege" (Season Two)
  • "Melora"
  • "Rules of Acquisition"
  • "Necessary Evil"
  • "Sanctuary"
  • "Rivals"
  • "The Alternate"
  • "Playing God"
  • "Profit and Loss"
  • "The Wire"
  • "The Jem'Hadar"
  • "The House of Quark" (Season Three)
  • "Fascination"
  • "Prophet Motive"
  • "Visionary"
  • "Explorers"
  • "Family Business"
  • "Shakaar"
  • "Facets"
  • "The Way of the Warrior" (Season Four)
  • "The Visitor"
  • "Rejoined"
  • "Little Green Men"
  • "Starship Down"
  • "Homefront"
  • "Sons of Mogh"
  • "Bar Association"
  • "Accession"
  • "Rules of Engagement"
  • "Body Parts"
  • "Apocalypse Rising" (Season Five)
  • "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places"
  • "Trials and Tribble-ations"
  • "The Assignment"
  • "Let He Who Is Without Sin..."
  • "Rapture"
  • "In Purgatory's Shadow"
  • "Doctor Bashir, I Presume"
  • "A Simple Investigation"
  • "Business as Usual"
  • "Ferengi Love Songs"
  • "Empok Nor"
  • "In the Cards"
  • "Call to Arms"
  • "A Time to Stand" (Season Six)
  • "Behind the Lines"
  • "Favor the Bold"
  • "You Are Cordially Invited"
  • "Resurrection"
  • "Statistical Probabilities"
  • "The Magnificent Ferengi"
  • "Who Mourns for Morn?"
  • "One Little Ship"
  • "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night"
  • "Inquisition"
  • "His Way"
  • "The Reckoning"
  • "Valiant"
  • "Profit and Lace"
  • "Time's Orphan"
  • "The Sound of Her Voice"
  • "Tears of the Prophets"
  • "Image in the Sand" (Season Seven)
  • "Afterimage"
  • "Take Me Out to the Holosuite"
  • "Chrysalis"
  • "Once More Unto the Breach"
  • "The Emperor's New Cloak"
  • "Field of Fire"
  • "Chimera"
  • "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang"
  • "Penumbra"
  • "The Dogs of War"
  • "What You Leave Behind"
• VOY: "Caretaker"
• DIS:
  • "That Hope Is You, Part 1" (Season Three)
  • "People of Earth"
  • "Kobayashi Maru" (Season Four)
  • "Choose to Live"
  • "Stormy Weather"
  • "...But to Connect"
  • "All In"
  • "The Galactic Barrier"
  • "Rosetta"
  • "Red Directive" (Season Five)
• LD:
  • "Envoys" (Season One)
  • "An Embarrassment Of Dooplers" (Season Two)
  • "Reflections" (Season Three)
  • "Hear All, Trust Nothing"
• PRO:
  • "Lost and Found" (Season One)
  • "A Moral Star, Part 2"
  • "Into the Breach, Part I" (Season Two)
  • "Into the Breach, Part II"

Background information

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)

StarTrek.com identified Valentine from DIS: "Brother" as a Lurian, although his makeup appeared to be Betelgeusian. [3]

Though Morn was stated to have gone bald as a result of storing Latinum in his stomach, every other Lurian shown on screen is depicted as being similarly bald.

Apocrypha

The short story "Foundlings" in the anthology book Prophecy and Change established that the Lurians were neutral during the Dominion War.

The Star Trek: Titan novella Absent Enemies depicts the planet Garadius IV, as mentioned in TNG: "The Next Phase", as including a settlement of Baladonians, a breakaway faction of Lurians rejecting pacifism.

External link

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