Gands are
insectoids who evolved on the planet Gand. There are two main sub-species of Gands: those with lungs, which are very rare, and those without. Gands with lungs are adapted to Gand's
ammonia-rich
atmosphere, but they are poisoned by
oxygen and must use a special breathing apparatus if they want to leave Gand. Gands without lungs have special regeneration properties, demonstrated by their ability to recover quickly from injuries and even regrow lost limbs (As shown by Ooryl Qrygg in the
X-wing series by
Michael Stackpole). Gands are not allowed to use personal pronouns unless they have achieved something extraordinary. A young or underachieving Gand talks about himself or herself in
third person and calls themselves "Gand". If a Gand achieves something notable, they can use their family's
surname, but will still use the third person. A second, more impressive feat allows the heroic Gand to choose a first name for himself. Only the best-known Gands are allowed to use the
first person, and then only after their aptitude has been audited by a
jury, in what is called a
janwuine-jika, after which they are declared
janwuine. However, should a Gand be ashamed of their deeds, they would "reduce" their name when talking about themselves. Many Gands choose a strange profession, the Findsman. A Findsman is a
shaman as well as a
police officer. The Findsman will interpret the shapes of gases and make
prophecies, usually about
fugitives. Then, the Findsman will track the fugitive to bring him to justice. During the reign of the Empire, some Findsmen became
bounty hunters. One of the best-known Gands is Zuckuss, who was a bounty hunter employed by
Darth Vader to hunt down
Han Solo, and was at one time the assistant to
Bossk. Another well known Gand is Ooryl Qrygg, a pilot in Rogue Squadron, and a very good friend of Corran Horn, both of whom are characters in the book I, Jedi. Ooryl lacked lungs and therefore did not need a mask for normal oxygen environments. He became so honored among Gands that he was given the honor of referring to himself in the first person. It is apparent, based on Corran's observations, that if Ooryl was troubled or distressed he would speak in the third person until the problem was solved. An example of such an occurrence would be when Corran and Ooryl were in the mess hall on a Mon Calamari cruiser: Ooryl, in mid-conversation, began speaking in the third person, and Corran immediately noticed something was troubling him, with the author (who narrates from Corran's point of view) noting that Ooryl only did this when something was bothering him. ==Gank==