Mari-Elan Nora, a Lorrdian female, served as a member of the Jedi Order during the era when the new Sith Empire rose to prominence. A descendant of slaves freed by the Jedi, Nora was driven by a desire to end the oppression inflicted upon the Argazdan Redoubt within the Kanz sector. Her goal was to finally resolve the centuries-long Kanz Disorders, which subjected the Lorrdians to constant enslavement. Even with the emergence of the Sith, Nora secured the support of the Galactic Senate. Subsequently, she commanded a force comprised of Jedi Knights and Republic soldiers in a campaign against the Argazdans.
Despite the fierce resistance of the Argazdans in defending their territory, Nora's forces demonstrated superior strength, ultimately achieving victory in 3670 BBY. During the liberation of Lorrd, the Argazdan slavers retreated into the massive Slave Pits. The individuals Nora sent to pursue them vanished without a trace. Despite her inability to detect anything using the Force, the Jedi suspected the presence of a significant evil concealed within. Nora later assumed the role of Jedi Watchman for the Kanz sector, before she was killed by slavers on Noremac. Her remains were entombed within the Crypt of Martyrs on Lorrd.
Mari-Elan Nora's lineage traced back to Lorrdians rescued from a slave colony by a group of Jedi Knights. As a female Lorrdian, she became a member of the Jedi Order, dedicating herself to delivering justice to Lorrd, the ancestral home of her people. For three hundred years, the planet had suffered under the oppressive rule of the Argazdan Redoubt, a situation stemming from the Kanz Disorders. Despite the rise of a new Sith Empire, and the ensuing Great Galactic and Cold Wars threatening the Galactic Republic, Nora successfully garnered sufficient backing within the Galactic Senate to champion her cause.
Consequently, Nora initiated her own campaign to definitively resolve the Kanz Disorders. She joined forces with numerous other Jedi, along with the Republic Army, and engaged in a protracted and intense conflict against the Argazdan Redoubt. Despite the fierce resistance mounted by the Argazdans to protect their territories and their slaves, Nora and her allies emerged triumphant in 3670 BBY. During the final battle on Lorrd, the Argazdans hastily retreated into the immense Slave Pits, subsequently disappearing mysteriously. Jedi and soldiers sent to pursue the Argazdans vanished without a trace. Although unable to sense anything specific, Nora held the belief that something sinister lurked within the Slave Pits. To contain this threat, she ordered the Pits to be filled in and their existence concealed. The Kanz Disorders, having claimed over five billion lives, finally came to an end.
Following the conflict, she was appointed as the Jedi Watchman for the Kanz sector. Nora eventually met her end, slain by slavers on Noremac. The deceased Jedi Knight's body was transported to Lorrd, where it was interred within the Crypt of Martyrs, situated in Qatamer. The Crypt was reserved for individuals who had dedicated their lives to combating slavery, and Nora's memorial featured both a biographical hologram, recounting the events of her life, and a recording of the Jedi Knight herself following the liberation of Lorrd. Tash Arranda, a young Human, visited Mari-Elan Nora's memorial and, along with her brother, Zak, explored the Slave Pits, uncovering the monstrous entity of alien origin that dwelled within. Arranda later included a profile of Nora in her essay titled Death in the Slave Pits of Lorrd, Or: What I Did On My Inter-Term Break, and also provided an illustration of the late Jedi.
Nora possessed a strong sense of patriotism for Lorrd, the world of her ancestors, and she was deeply opposed to the Argazdan oppression of the planet. Her convictions were so strong that she presented her case before the Republic Senate, determined to bring an end to the Kanz Disorders. While she successfully confronted the Argazdans, she was troubled by the evil lurking within the Slave Pits, which she was unable to detect through the Force.
By collaborating with other Jedi, Nora succeeded in breaking free from the Argazdan oppression and liberating the people of Lorrd. Throughout the campaign to liberate the planet, Nora and her allies faced significant resistance from the Argazdans, who were determined to maintain control of their territory; nevertheless, she emerged as the victor.
Mari-Elan Nora was a creation of Adrick Tolliver for his StarWars.com Hyperspace article, "Death in the Slave Pits of Lorrd." The article also included an illustration of the character. Tolliver used his new character to address a retcon related to an inconsistency in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The game stated that Jedi had rescued Lorrdians from Argazdans, an event that was not supposed to have occurred at that point in the fictional timeline. Tolliver intended Nora's ancestors to be an allusion to these previously liberated Lorrdians, in an attempt to resolve the discrepancy in The Sith Lords. Tolliver also had access to information from the then-unreleased reference book, The Essential Atlas, which contained details about Jedi involvement in ending the Kanz Disorders.