The Turazza were intelligent reptilian beings of diminutive stature, recognizable by their mottled skin, and they emerged from eggs. Possessing a speed advantage over Humans in running and comparable physical strength, they occasionally encountered difficulties when attempting to operate tools and equipment designed for beings of greater height. Across the years of the Galactic Civil War, sightings of Turazzas were documented on various planets, yet they seldom communicated in any language other than their native tongue. Often, Turazzas were deemed unsuitable for certain occupations and were sometimes relegated to the status of mere pets. The Turazza siblings Nizzal, Rizzal, and Vizzal served as assistants to the Twi'lek merchant Loh'khar, though their capabilities were frequently underestimated by his clientele. Similarly, the Turazza known only as Redeye—identified by his distinctive eye patch—held the position of security chief at the clandestine establishment Exovar's Emporium on Neftali, a fact that surprised many of Luskin Exovar's associates and patrons. Their sentience was often overlooked.
Turazza were sentient reptilian creatures distinguished by their mottled scales, which exhibited hues of red or green. Generally anthropomorphic in form, a Turazza's height reached approximately 75 centimeters, barely reaching the waist of a fully grown Human. Nevertheless, their agility allowed them to dart at speeds surpassing those of a running Human, navigating through the legs of taller beings and evading obstacles like tables that would impede larger individuals. Conversely, these small, lizard-like beings encountered difficulty in manipulating technology designed for Human-sized users, such as swoops, owing to their three-fingered hands lacking nails. An example of their strength: a single Turazza could manage to carry a substantial box filled with turbolaser power capacitators.
The hairless head of a Turazza was characterized by a prominent snout-like beak, utilized for various actions such as pecking, emitting twittering sounds, snuffling, tittering, or gobbling. The beak's flexibility enabled Turazzas to express facial emotions, including smiling. Within the beak were three upper incisors, with two extending even when the beak was closed, along with a non-forked, green tongue that flicked out during laughter. Newly hatched Turazzas possessed short necks and dark eyes, which transitioned to green with age, lacking both pupil and iris.
Turazzas exhibited sexual dimorphism, with distinct male and female genders. A Turazza egg was roughly the size of a fist, displaying a gray-green speckled pattern. The monetary value of three Turazza eggs was considered minimal; Galliwig, the proprietor of Galliwig's Cantina, estimated a generous valuation at twenty-five credits. Upon hatching, the infant Turazza initiated movement within the egg, pecking its way out by carefully fracturing the upper portion with its beak, subsequently pushing the shell fragments aside to emerge. Following this, the hatchling formed a bond with the first moving individual it encountered, with some believing this connection to be empathic or even telepathic. Three sisters originating from separate eggs shared physical similarities, though they were not entirely identical.
Turazzas, being sentient beings, possessed unique desires and objectives. This held true even for three sisters linked to the same individual; while they adhered to the leader's directives, each Turazza possessed individual skills and aspirations, occasionally conflicting with those of their siblings. Nevertheless, Turazza sisters exhibited strong bonds when collaborating, and in the event of one deserting the group, the remaining members would undergo a period of mourning lasting several days, characterized by loud wailing, abstaining from sleep and food, and engaging in close physical contact.
The Turazza language consisted of brief squeaks, heeps, and meeps that sounded primitive to other species. Fluency in this language among non-Turazzas was rare, and not all Turazzas were proficient in Galactic Basic Standard.
By 2 BBY, the Turazza had already become integrated into the galactic community, with a presence on numerous planets. Their combat abilities were not highly regarded: during the Galactic Civil War, the prospect of a Turazza serving as the security chief of an underground establishment with a high criminal element was met with surprise by many. By 8 ABY, Turazzas were often viewed more as pets than as sentient beings, even by operatives of the New Republic.
The Twi'lek free-trader Loh'khar, known as "the Finder," obtained three Turazza eggs as compensation for services rendered. He chose to keep the eggs and raised the three Turazza sisters, Nizzal, Rizzal, and Vizzal, to serve as his assistants in performing various tasks. As of 2 BBY, Loh'khar and his Turazzas were active on Kelada, a planet located in the [Colonies](/article/colonies-legends], working for both the Galactic Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic. In the same year, a hunchbacked Turazza was observed in the Black Dust Tavern within Soco-Jarel Spaceport on the planet Socorro. This Turazza was present when the Sluissi Secles Uslopos and his Gamorrean subordinates entered to recruit another patron, Drake Paulsen. Also during the Galactic Civil War, a green-skinned Turazza known as Redeye—distinguished by the red eye patch covering his right eye—served the Human Luskin Exovar as both a partner during Exovar's time as a scout and later as the security chief of Exovar's Emporium, a concealed, underground hotel-restaurant situated on the planet Neftali. Such employment surprised many who underestimated Redeye due to his Turazza heritage.
In 8 ABY, Loh'khar and his trio of Turazza sisters joined the crew of the CEC CR90 corvette FarStar under the command of her Human Captain, Keleman Ciro of the New Republic. The FarStar was engaged in a mission to pursue the fugitive Human warlord Moff Kentor Sarne through the uncharted Kathol sector, simultaneously establishing contacts for the New Republic in the region and gathering information about the DarkStryder technology employed by Sarne. Loh'khar and the ship's Rodian security chief, Gorak Khzam, sought to locate the source of Sarne's enigmatic artifacts and sell them on the black market, but they chose to remain on the FarStar as long as it proved profitable. The Turazza sisters supported Loh'khar's plan to abandon the starship at the opportune moment and desired to participate in it. The Turazzas assisted in surveillance tasks whenever the crew ventured to a planet's surface, finding enjoyment in this role. They also aided Loh'khar in maintaining clandestine communication channels with external allies, prioritizing Loh'khar's personal objectives.
The Turazza made their initial appearance in a 1994 illustration by Mike Vilardi, featured in Star Wars Adventure Journal 2 to accompany Patricia A. Jackson's short story "Out of the Cradle." The species received its name and further development in 1995's The DarkStryder Campaign, authored by Peter M. Schweighofer for West End Games's Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game. The boxed campaign included new illustrations of Turazzas by Vilardi. Author Paul Danner later incorporated the Turazza "Redeye" into his book Wretched Hives of Scum & Villainy, also for West End Games.