Approved Planet Mahadra

[Lorekeeper]

PLANET MAHADRA

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a culturally rich, high-wealth planet that serves as a hub for religious philosophy and oligarchic intrigue, offering a setting with distinct geographical and cultural divides.
• Image Credit: All images created by Gemini AI
• Canon: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Links: N/A

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Planet Name: Mahadra
• Demonym: Mahadran
• Region: Inner Rim
• System Name: The Rishi-Vara System
• System Features: One expansive yellow sun (Surya), two small moons that create complex tidal patterns, and a dense asteroid belt on the system's edge known as "The Veil." Orbital period is 380 standard days; rotational period is 26 standard hours. The planet has a small ring system at a high angle inclination.
• Location: Located within the Inner Rim, along a major hyperlane connecting to the Core Worlds.
• Major Imports: Advanced cooling technology, starship fuel cells, industrial machinery, off-world security droids.
• Major Exports: Rare spices (Saffron-analogues), finely cut gemstones (Rubies, Sapphires), intricately woven textiles/silks, religious artifacts, quarried marble and granite.
• Unexploited Resources: Deep-crust geothermal energy pockets beneath the equatorial desert, largely untouched due to religious taboos regarding the "burning land."

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

• Gravity: Standard
• Climate: Tropical and Humid. The planet is dominated by thick, wet heat and monsoon seasons. However, a massive, scorching arid belt wraps entirely around the equator, creating a natural barrier of dry heat and sand.
• Primary Terrain: Dense Rainforests, River Deltas, Mountain Ranges (Granite/Quartz rich), Equatorial Desert (The Gilded Waste).
• Atmosphere: Type I

LOCATION INFORMATION

• Capital City: Rajavara (The City of Kings) - This is both the capital of the planet and northern Hemisphere. It is well connected to the rest of the world by tunnels once used to ship ore and in more recent times, a large spaceport built into one of the surrounding mountains.
  
  
• Planetary Features: The planet is architecturally defined by its use of white marble, pink sandstone, and polished quartz. Cities are not built "up" into skyscrapers, but "out" into sprawling palace complexes featuring onion-shaped domes, towering spires, and intricate latticework windows. The separation of the hemispheres by the equatorial desert has created two distinct biodiversity zones; the North is characterized by high mountains and valleys, while the South is dominated by wetlands and coastal mega-cities.
• Major Locations:
  • The Lotus Spire: Located a couple of kilometres from the capital, this is the seat of the Grand Pontiff. It is a massive structure made of translucent quartz and white marble that glows golden during the sunset. It sits in the center of a massive artificial lake. There is a smaller, very similar structure on a lake in the capital that is used as the seat of local government and used to accommodate dignitaries.
    
    
  • Sitaarah (City of stars): The second city of the planet and de facto capital of the southern Hemisphere. A bustling, metropolitan and multicultural centre and location of the largest spaceport on the planet.
    
    
  • The Gilded Waste: The equatorial desert belt. It is sparsely populated, inhabited only by nomads and hermits. It serves as a physical border that makes land travel between the Northern and Southern hemispheres difficult, forcing most travel to go sub-orbital.
    
    
  • The Step-Wells of Varuna: Ancient, inverted pyramid structures dug deep into the earth to collect monsoon rains. These serve as community hubs and places of worship for the lower classes.
    
    
  Force Nexus (Optional):
  • Intent: To provide a location for spiritual pilgrimage and conflict between the religious elite and the populace.
  • Nexus Name: The Silent Peaks
  • Nexus Alignment: Neutral
  • Size: Medium
  • Strength: Moderate Accessibility: Located high in the northern granite mountains, accessible only by a treacherous pilgrimage path carved into the cliffside. It is technically open to the public, but the physical toll of the climb limits visitors.
  • Effects: The Nexus projects an aura of profound stillness and clarity. It suppresses intense emotions, allowing for deep meditation, but prolonged exposure can cause a sense of detachment from reality and a loss of personal ambition.

POPULATION

• Native Species: Humans
• Immigrated Species: Togruta, Twi'lek, Gran (mostly merchant classes).
• Population: Heavy (Approximately 11 Billion)
• Demographics: The population is stratified heavily by region and social standing.
  • Northern Hemisphere Humans (52%): Approximately 5.7 billion. Phenotypically darker-skinned due to the intense solar reflection off the northern granite peaks. Culturally distinct, speaking a sharper, faster dialect of the planetary language.
  • Southern Hemisphere Humans (38%): Approximately 4.2 billion. Historically separated by the equatorial desert. The culture here is more fluid and coastal.
  • Equatorial Nomads (3.5%): Approximately 350 million. A mix of humans and hearty alien species who live in the desert belt. They are often looked down upon by the hemispheric elites.
  • Non-Human Immigrants (9%): Approximately 1 billion. Mostly concentrated in the spaceports and trade districts. While wealthy aliens are accepted, they are rarely granted entry into the inner circles of the religious oligarchy.
• Indigenous Flora:
  • Sunpetal Bloom: A large, luminous flower native to the humid regions, known for its vibrant, shifting colors and intoxicating scent, used in religious ceremonies and perfumes.
  • Shadowsilk Vine: A fast-growing jungle vine with leaves that absorb most light, creating cool, darkened pockets even in direct sunlight. Its fibers are highly prized for textiles.
  • Desert Lantern Cactus: A hardy, bioluminescent cactus found in the Gilded Waste, its fruit is a vital water source for nomads, and its glow aids navigation at night.
  • Cloudfruit Tree: Towering trees of the southern wetlands, their dense canopy traps atmospheric moisture, creating small, localized rain showers even during dry seasons. Their fruit is a staple food.
• Indigenous Fauna:
  • Raj-Cobra: A massive, highly venomous snake native to the southern river deltas, revered in some local cults and known for its iridescent scales. It is notoriously difficult to capture.
  • Rishi-Moth: A nocturnal insect whose wings secrete a sticky, gold-flecked silk, highly valuable for the planet's luxury textile market. They are carefully farmed in large, climate-controlled conservatories.
  • Dune Stalker: A pack-hunting mammal of the Gilded Waste. It possesses reflective, mirror-like hides to manage the heat, making it nearly invisible against the shimmering desert sands. Nomads domesticate them for guarding herds.
• Primary Languages: Galactic Basic (Trade), Mahadric (Native - divided into Northern and Southern dialects).
• Culture: Mahadran culture is deeply communal yet rigidly hierarchical. Life revolves around the "Grand Cycle," a religious philosophy dictating that one's station in life is a result of past actions.
  • Architecture: Buildings are ornately decorated. Even the lower classes live in structures of stone and clay with vibrant paintings. The upper classes live in sprawling estates of marble with open-air courtyards to catch the breeze.
  • Dress: Both men and women favor loose, unstitched lengths of colorful fabric draped over the body to handle the humidity, often accented with gold jewelry.
  • Food: Heavily spiced, utilizing the planet's vast array of peppers and aromatic herbs.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

• Government: Theocratic Oligarchy. A single "Grand Pontiff" rules for life, selected by a council of the "Highborn Families" (Oligarchs).
• Affiliation: Independent (leans toward Core World alliances for trade).
• Wealth: Wealthy. The planet sits on massive veins of quartz and precious stones, and its textile industry dominates the sector luxury market. The wealth, however, is concentrated in the top 10% of the population.
• Stability: Medium. While the government has a strong grip, the cultural divide between the North and South, exacerbated by the difficult travel across the desert belt, causes political friction. The North feels they provide the resources (stone/ore), while the South controls the trade ports.
• Freedom & Oppression: Social mobility is low. While there are no chains, the social hierarchy is rigid. Dissent against the religious order is treated as heresy. However, within one's social stratum, there is a great deal of personal freedom regarding art, expression, and family life.

MILITARY & TECHNOLOGY

• Military: The planet maintains a "Temple Guard" - a highly trained paramilitary force equipped with elegant but deadly energy-pikes and shield generators. Many recruits from the mountainous north are also permitted to carry wicked vibro-kukri based on their traditional homeland weapons. The Mahadrans possess a small and well equipped Pontificate Navy, but lack a heavy navy by galactic standards, relying on mercenaries or hired corporate fleets for space defense.
• Technology: Galactic Standard, with a specialization in hydro-engineering and atmospheric cooling systems to combat the humidity.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION Mahadra was discovered early in the expansion of the Republic. Initial scouts viewed the equatorial desert, the "Gilded Waste," as a sign of a dying world, but further scans revealed the lush, resource-rich hemispheres on either side. Settlement occurred simultaneously in the North and South, but the harsh desert prevented easy physical unification for centuries. This led to the development of two distinct cultural identities: the stoic, mountain-dwelling Northerners and the mercantile, river-faring Southerners. Unification only came about through the rise of the first Grand Pontiff, a religious figure who claimed that the desert was not a barrier, but a test of faith. He established the Oligarchy, uniting the wealthy mining families of the North with the trade princes of the South. Today, the planet is a beacon of high culture and wealth in the Inner Rim, though the ancient cultural divide remains beneath the surface.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Lorekeeper

[APPROVED]