Lorca, an inhabited planet, is located in either the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrants. It is geologically active and rich in aluminium. Its population is extremely scattered, and it appears primeval and unfinished, not ready for human habitation. It is named after a famous Earth playwright.
History[]
In the 2160s, a travelling theatre troupe’s spaceship, of antitechnologists seeking a simple, communal residence, was orbiting the planet when a massive volcanic eruption tore through the atmosphere. This catastrophic event caused the ship to crash, and the eruption also created a permanent cloud around the planet, resulting in a perpetually low temperature and making life difficult and various technologies impossible to use. The people then stranded on Lorca developed a unique feudal culture based on chivalry and the wearing of masks as a symbol of one's social status.
Around 2365 the Lorcans began to trade masks and a endemic flame retardant moss with the Ferengi for manufactured goods like Synthehol. (TNG novel: Masks)