Part 1 - The Opening
Sevra was a planet lauded by many in the Inner Rim for its peerless beauty, despite being in the Unknown Regions, an area of space shrouded in mystery due to the multitude of a cosmic phenomenon that nullified any attempt to chart it fully. The planet was seen by most of the nobility of the Inner Rim as the perfect place to engage in their darker vices due to its location, mostly for being in one of the more navigable areas of the Unknown Regions.
Trees as tall as buildings, green as emerald gems, and plentiful as food for a Twi’lek ambassador swarmed over the planet to the point of domination. Mountain ranges as equal in size, colour, and intensity tore through the canopy, giving the illusion of a planetary wide swirling motion that appeased the eyes from orbit. This, paired with its snow-capped peaks, provided a pairing which served to enhance its beauty. Beneath the canopy hides an array of wildlife common to every jungle-type planet. But what matched the beauty of this planet, was what roamed the forest floors below. Vicious apex creatures moved like shadows, their skins, and coats marred by horrific scarring. The smaller wildlife provided suitable prey for the animals; but the poison that either drenched their bodies like a cloak or remained dormant in sacs or within hollowed teeth, ready to course through the bloodstreams of any that were caught in the mesmerizing gaze of their skin or eyes, provided a suitable challenge for the larger beasts. This resulted in animals that showed an unnatural resistance to poison.
The waters were equally merciless to its inhabitants as well. Calm cerulean seas provided a tranquil atmosphere to the more coastal regions of the planet. During the storm season, they were, however, susceptible to turning into raging torrents that battered the coasts, destroying Villages and ship alike. Within this season, maelstroms churred the oceans. Any ship caught anywhere near or in this was doomed to add to the collection that rested down on the ocean floors below. Their crew was to either join the ships or be devoured by the sea creatures that followed these storms. Very rarely are ships seen during these times.
The creatures of Sevra weren’t as beautiful as their planet, what they lacked in aesthetics was made up in determination and strength. Larger than an average Nexu cat, the aptly named “Fury” or “Furies” in its pluralistic form, are the apex fauna predators. They are as every bit of a feline predator as can be found on any other planet. But what makes them different is their biology. They possess sacs filled with a poison that targets the neurological functions of its prey. These sacs are not located in their mouths but in their limbs, however. A Fury’s retractable claws are hallowed and work similarly to a serpentine animal’s fangs. Their dark coats range from black to grey and blend well in the dark forest floors as they track their prey. When not on the hunt, these beasts are remarkably docile creatures unless threatened.
The flora collectively is another creature entirely, both literally and figuratively. The forest floor is teaming with an abundance of life ranging from swarms of fungi to towering plants that fight the trees for supremacy. With the ability to grow vines as thick as a human’s limbs, the plant life is as voracious as the animal life. The most predatory of these plant-forms was named ‘Fairymoss.’ A colourful fungal organism with an above average level of sentience, this parasite infects all flora and fauna it comes into contact with, driving them into a state of dementia and paranoia. The spores produced by the plant glitter with a sheen that lures unsuspecting creatures and persons alike, hence it’s naming. With its ability to withstand an array of varying temperatures and conditions, this fungus has been heavily cultivated by the nobles living on the planet as a way to rid themselves of their enemies and rivals. Unlike the docile natures of the Fury, this plant is an infestation that seeks its prey regardless of time and measures have been taken to prevent its spreading by the inhabitants.
Despite the technological age of the galaxy at that time, the impact of a large meteorite had caused a near cataclysmic change in the planet’s atmospheric conditions since before the days of the Old Republic. While this drastic change mellowed out over the many millennia, to the point where its ability to sustain life was once again feasible; it did cause enough permanent change, however, to wreak havoc upon star engines in the form of unpredictable weather patterns and conditions. This change was due to the meteorite itself which harbored an unknown spore that seemed to infect the entire ecosystem on the planet and the meteor itself. The large rock was of near planetoid in size and the glancing impact on the planet, resulted in the creation of a ring of debris that surrounds the planet, which still remains to this day. The rock did survive but was trapped by the gravitational pull of the planet and has been its moon since.
This geological forced even the most advanced space-faring armies, to commit to the usage of ground-based assaults and long drawn out sieges instead of relying on orbital bombardment. Coupled with the inhabitants’ heavy use of both domed cities with vast underground networks spanning the entire planet itself was the reason that Sevra, and it’s ruling House, had remained unassailable for the past 1900 years.
The Humans of Sevra hold a steadfast belief in the religious idea of the Two Fates. This serves to bolster the planetary inhabitants in terms of moral, giving them a universal sense of direction. The people were a hardy folk already, albeit by artificial means and not natural, and the belief that an afterlife was based on the King’s decision made them fearfully loyal to the ruling crown. The result is the creation of a sub-species of Humans that are unilaterally above average when compared to the more common Humans of the wider galaxy. This deviation was to the point of near ascendancy.
The history was Sevra changed once the Old Republic arrived. With no sentient species to control, the humans on the Inner Rim simply took control. Instead of drawing the resources of the planet for profit, they used it for the purpose of satisfying their darker vices by having involved all manner’s of Human and aliens alike. Used as a form of blood sport but in a larger sense, the trapped Humans were gathered in large armies and forced to fight long and bloody wars against the aliens as the Nobles made bets on the supposed winner. This seemed to only whet their appetites until the arrival of the Kaminoans. Facing the near total destruction of their people, the ‘Grey Skins,’ as they were called by the Humans slaves, saw this as an opportunity to hone their skills in genetic manipulation before using it upon themselves.
The end result was the creation of soldiers like Xuner Holst.