Lor San Tekka was a human male explorer and member of the Church of the Force who was born in the waning years of the Galactic Republic. He became a believer in the ideals of the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars, despite not being Force-sensitive, and followed the underground faith of his church during the dark times of the Galactic Empire's rule over the galaxy. San Tekka found Jedi lore that the Empire attempted to suppress, and his knowledge of the galaxy and its history was useful to the New Republic after it prevailed over the Empire during the Battle of Endor and began a period of galactic reconstruction. Lor San Tekka also helped Luke Skywalker, the last known Jedi Knight at the time, seek out Jedi lore that the Empire had attempted to destroy. At some point, San Tekka lived with the Crèche and learned about their spiritual culture.
After Skywalker's new generation of Jedi was destroyed by his nephew and apprentice, Kylo Ren, Skywalker went into exile and sought out the first Jedi Temple on Ahch-To. San Tekka, who retired to a spiritual village on the planet Jakku, discovered a fragment of a map that could lead to Ahch-To. He was sought by the Resistance, led by Skywalker's sister, General Leia Organa, as well as the resurgent Imperial force known as the First Order. San Tekka gave the map fragment to Resistance Commander Poe Dameron and was soon captured by Kylo Ren, who demanded to know where the map was. When San Tekka refused to comply, Ren killed him. San Tekka's sacrifice was not in vain; the map was given to the Resistance, and a young Force-user named Rey followed it to Ahch-To and found the exiled Jedi Master.