The planet Gharar is a harsh, rugged world located at the periphery of the Uli system. A once-abundant world turned into a fortress of suffering, it was chosen deliberately for its extreme environment—an inhospitable place, yet just hospitable enough for a specific purpose: confinement and control.
Environment and ArchitectureThe landscape of Gharar is a twisted, rocky terrain of jagged mountains, deep chasms, and ash-laden plains. The atmosphere is thick with toxic gases, clouds of ash, and magnetic storms—conditions that deter most natural life and make escape nearly impossible.
The Gharar's surface is dotted with heavily fortified complexes—massive subterranean labs, shadow- reinforced prisons, and sprawling shadowed cities carved into the rock, connected by long tunnels and shadow portals. These complexes are surrounded by geometric barriers of shadow crystal and psionic suppression fields designed to prevent escape and infiltrations.
The deepest vaults contain the most dangerous prisoners—species that have been captured, experimented upon, and bred for submission and labor. These vaults are protected by layers of shadow wards, unbreakable seals, and brutal guard patrols.
The Enslaved Species of Gharar
The Mahasimu have captured and bred a variety of species across the systems—species they see as dangerous, resilient, or potentially useful for their shadow empire. On Gharar, the most treacherous are kept under absolute control:
1. Thal'Karn — The Shadow BeastsAppearance: Large, feline-like predator species, with sleek, armored bodies covered in dark scales that shimmer with shadow energy. Their eyes glow with an unnatural green, and their claws are capable of tearing through energy shields.Characteristics: Highly aggressive, intelligent, and fiercely territorial. They have a remarkable ability to meld into shadows, making them perfect for guarding the most high-value prisoners or hunting rogue escapees.Purpose: Used as deadly enforcers and executioners—trained to obey commands but only through shadow dominance. 2. Khar'Zun — The MindbreakersAppearance: Humanoid but with elongated limbs, pallid skin infused with shadow-spores, and cracks running like scars across their bodies. Their eyes glow faint violet, and their minds are malleable through shadow psionics.Characteristics: Highly intelligent, but mentally broken and conditioned to obey the Mahasimu. They are used as interrogators, saboteurs, and mental slaves.Purpose: Carry out psychological warfare, torture, and mind control—alliances of fear and obedience.3. Morthai — The Flesh ShapersAppearance: Slender, tentacled creatures with sharp, insectoid appendages and a carapace of black chitin. Their bodies are covered in stitched scars and shadow runes.Characteristics: Brutally resilient, capable of reshaping flesh and bones—used for brutal experimentation and physical labor.Purpose: Utilized in the Flesh Labsfor creating other monstrous hybrids and terror weapons.4. The Unseen Hive—The UmbariGuardAppearance: A dark, spider-like caste—eight-legged, four-armed soldiers with chitinous exoskeletons. Their eyes are multiple and unblinking, fused with shadow-infused biomodifications.Characteristics: Ruthless, relentless, and brutal in combat. They are the Mahasimu's primary enforcers—guarding the most dangerous prisoners or conducting the silent executions.Purpose: To patrol, control, and execute the Queen's will within the prisons and contested territories.The Purpose of Gharar is designed not only as a holding facility but as a foundation for breeding and transforming species into obedient tools—dangerous beasts, mental slaves, or hybrid abominations—shaped by shadow science to serve the empire's dark ambitions.
The Mahasimu see this world as the crucible of their power—a place of suffering but also of unrelenting expansion, where the most dangerous species are forged into shadows of terror across the galaxy.
Gharar: The Shadow Fortress — Political Control Structure
1. The Shadow Overseers — The Obsidian CustodiansRole: The supreme custodians of Gharar, answerable only to Saumu herself.
Members: Former scientists, high-ranking Umbari, and specially bred obedience species—each known as The Obsidian Custodians. Leadership: Led by Xal'thar
Their purpose is to enforce the shadow laws, maintain the ecosystem of terror, and oversee all operations within the prison complex.
Authority: They wield near-absolute control over all sectors—discussing everything from the Aura Disciplinary Units to the Flesh Re-Forge—and are only answerable to Saumu's direct commands.
2. The Shadow Crux — The Nexus of NightLocation: Deep within the heart of Gharar, layered into the bedrock.
Function: The Nexus of Night is the command hub—an enormous monolithic structure pulsating with shadow-psionic defenses and control systems.
Leadership: Overseen by The High Shadow Architect, a shadow-bred entity named Vraxar M'Shal, a ruthless mind master and master tactician, answerable only to Saumu.
Responsibilities: Monitoring all security, psionic suppression, and inter-sector control through the Brood-Towers, massive shadow-structures overseeing prisoner activity and maintaining the entire system's integrity.
3. The Enforcers — The Shadowclaw Legion (The Umbari Cadre)Role: The brutal backbone of Gharar's security; they patrol halls, execute prisoners, and crush rebellions—fierce, unyielding, and loyal.
Hierarchy: Divided into squads led by Lieutenant officers known as The Fang Lieutenants, answerable directly to the Nexus of Night.
Members: The Shadowclaw—eight-legged, four-armed warriors—are bred for brutality and obedience. Their armor is infused with shadow crystals, and their weapons pulse with dark energy.
4. The Mind's Veil — The Psionic TribunalRole: Specially trained shadow-psionics responsible for controlling prisoners' minds, interrogation, and brainwashing.
Leadership: Led by The Psionic High Lord, a master of mental domination named The Mindweaver—a deadly creature capable of implanting memories or wiping consciousness entirely.
Function: They suppress resistance and extract intelligence through relentless terror, ensuring all prisoners are fully subordinate.
5. The Flesh Re-Forge Authority — The Creators of ChaosLocation: Hidden deep within the biological laboratories.
Leadership: Overseen by The Chitin-Masters, shadow-bred biotechnicians loyal only to the Obsidian Custodians.
Role: They manipulate DNA, creating hybrids and obedient bio-constructs—delivering the Flesh-Shrouds—cursed abominations with enhanced resilience and obedience, designed for torture and labor.
6. The External Administrative Council — The Shadow ConcordRole: The shadowy body responsible for logistics, supply chains, and systemic coordination with Saumu's fleet.
Members: Trusted Saumu agents and Obsidian Custodians.
Authority: They manage enforcement across the system, ensuring loyalty, security, and seamless operation between Gharar and the Mahasimu empire's broader command.
7. The Secret Order of Shadow Scholars — The Dark CultivatorsRole: The clandestine scientists and shadow priests who oversee the breeding, genetic manipulation, and ritualistic dark craft that sustain Gharar.
Leadership: Answer only to the Obsidian Custodians—their knowledge is a closely guarded secret, essential for maintaining Gharar's biological and psionic infrastructure.
Summary of the Power StructureGharar is a brutal, meticulously ordered domain of shadows—each faction ruthlessly loyal to their overlords, answerable only to Saumu or the high command. The Obsidian Custodians hold ultimate control, managing the entire complex with relentless discipline. Subordinates enforce the shadow laws, maintain the Flesh-Shrouds, and ensure the prisoners remain broken—filling Saumu's empire with obedient, fearsome shadows.
**In this place, rebellion is crushed without mercy, and the very essence of terror is woven into the fabric of the prison—an unyielding testament to the Mahasimu's unrelenting rise.