The Lugubraa were a sapient race that hailed from the Stratos Distribution located within the Unknown Regions.
Evolving from worm-like "chewers," the Lugubraa possessed a leech-like physiology. Their evolutionary journey took place in the Stratos Distribution, a vast asteroid belt exposed directly to the vacuum of space. Consequently, Lugubraa exhibited remarkable resilience, capable of surviving indefinitely in vacuum conditions, as well as in environments with thin or toxic atmospheres.
An average Lugubraa individual stood approximately 1.5 meters tall on two stubby, robust legs, excluding a small tail. Notably, they lacked eyes altogether, rendering them visually blind to light. Instead, they possessed numerous heat-sensitive spots on either side of their heads, enabling them to accurately perceive their surroundings through thermal signatures. Additionally, they employed echolocation, emitting pings that created a mental radar-like map of their environment.
A prominent feature of the Lugubraa's face was a large, gaping maw, surrounded by pink flesh and lined with circularly arranged, razor-sharp teeth. These teeth interlocked and chewed in a gear-like fashion, making escape virtually impossible for anything (or anyone) that entered their mouth. They possessed the ability to digest both organic and inorganic materials, extracting minerals from rocks. However, Lugubraa harbored an insatiable craving for fresh meat, considering it an unparalleled delicacy.
Their smooth, thick skin served not only as protection but also as their auditory sense organ. Lacking external ears, Lugubraa relied on their skin to detect sound vibrations. Their skin color typically ranged from dark gray to a pale, grub-like white. They possessed natural strength and exceptional durability, capable of standing at attention for extended periods without rest and enduring numerous injuries before succumbing.
Although Lugubraa possessed four arms, the lower pair were rudimentary, serving little practical purpose. In contrast, their upper arms were elongated, terminating in five long fingers equipped with large suction cups. Each suction cup contained needle-like barbs, providing Lugubraa with enhanced grip when climbing or restraining prey.
Lugubraa reproduced through a process of "splitling," where a new individual formed on the underbelly of the parent. Once the splitling reached a weight of a few kilograms, it detached and underwent rapid growth, reaching full size within a week. Accelerated consumption by the parent Lugubraa expedited the reproduction of splitlings. Lugubraa offspring did not require parental care.
During the initial six months of their lives, Lugubraa exhibited intelligence comparable to that of domesticated animals, often being treated as such by employers or owners. If they survived beyond this period, they matured into a form of low intelligence, capable of speaking in short sentences and following more complex instructions. At the age of 50, Lugubraa experienced a second cognitive surge, becoming highly intelligent. These intellectual elites assumed leadership roles within the species whenever present.
Driven primarily by hunger, Lugubraa, whether solitary or in massive hordes, were often viewed as a readily available and inexpensive labor force. Lugubraa of all ages, from newborns to centuries-old individuals, were exploited for their labor. Those who reached their second cognitive level engaged in transactions involving credits, selling or renting out their hordes to others. They used these earnings to satisfy their insatiable hunger and to provide for the well-being of their horde. Elders prioritized purchasing high-energy food to mitigate the risk of famine, a common issue among overpopulated Lugubraa groups.
Various governments and organizations throughout the Unknown Regions employed Lugubraa mercenaries, who were renowned for their unwavering loyalty, tenacity, and lethality. Lugubraa were commonly utilized in several capacities. Their overwhelming numbers and voraciousness made them ideal as soldiers, often deployed in reckless suicide waves. They also served as guards and sentries, capable of maintaining vigilance for extended periods. Some corporations and governments mandated that visitors be accompanied by a Lugubraa guard, ostensibly for protection but primarily for constant surveillance. Visitors were sometimes required to provide food and lodging for the Lugubraa guard aboard their vessels when traveling between planets. Lugubraa were ubiquitous in the Unknown Regions, readily found at nearly every stellar-class starport.
Lugubraa typically wore minimal clothing, unless provided by their employers or elders, which usually consisted of simple metal or plastoid armor. Due to their inherent blindness, Lugubraa were poor marksmen with ranged weapons such as blasters, and their employers rarely equipped them with more than a spear or power lance. When more destructive weaponry was required, they were given flamethrowers or sonic blasters, enabling them to decimate wide areas without precise aiming.
They communicated in their native language, Lugubraal, but were also proficient in several other languages, including trade languages of the Unknown Regions such as Sy Bisti and Rammocate.
In certain regions, the rapid breeding rate of Lugubraa led to uncontrolled population explosions, lacking the guidance of elders. These Lugubraa lacked the intelligence to govern themselves or profit from their abilities, resulting in a decline in overall intelligence as the horde expanded. Unchecked, these Lugubraa ravaged and destroyed entire cities and landscapes, capable of stripping continents bare. While this occurred repeatedly on numerous worlds, the devastation of the worlds in the Croke Reach following the Croke's attempt to use the Lugubraa in their civil war stands as one of the most infamous examples.
Originating in the Stratos Distribution, the Lugubraa were known to the Wharls, who had named the region. The grimoires of the Gree Enclave, a client species of the Celestials, considered the Lugubraa to be one of two "curses" unleashed by the Rakata during their conflict with the Celestials. The Gree referred to the Lugubraa as "the Faceless Mouths" and "the Eaters of Worlds."
During a brutal civil war, the Croke introduced the Lugubraa to their homeworlds in the Croke Reach. The Lugubraa proved so resilient and deadly that they spread for over 300 years, destroying Croke settlements throughout the region, no longer under the control of their initial employers. Explume Minor was among the settlements they destroyed. The Croke sought assistance from the cloners of Kamino, believing that they needed to combat the Lugubraa with their own kind. The Kaminoans created a genetic variant known as the Leech Legion, but these clones proved to be just as destructive to the Croke as their predecessors.