Saran
| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name: | Saran | 
|
| Segmentum: | Tempestus | ||
| Sector: | Eternum | ||
| Subsector: | Gothar | ||
| System: | Bugle | ||
| Population: | ~80,000 | ||
| Affiliation: | Imperial | ||
| Class: | Feral | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Solutio Tertius | ||
Overview
The largest of the so called Primitive Belt, the far worlds in the Gothar subsector that have little value and whose inhabitants have not progressed past the most simple technologies, Saran is a feral world that has evolved a unique set of flora and fauna that, over millennia, grown to use sonic waves for most applications. Trees and plants hide their fruit in resilient shells that only open when specific notes are played by fauna that has grown in a mutualistic relationship with the plant, while predators hunt not with teeth or claws but sonic organs that blast prey apart into nutritious slurry for slurping. The humans of Saran have adopted this method and instead of bows or simple swords, they utilize musical instruments enhanced by different organs of animals killed. These instruments are as beautiful as they are deadly and when focused can flense the flesh right off the native apex predator, the Clarionnarex.
The human tribes of this world have also adapted their hunting instruments to replace tribal wars and conflicts that so often plague similar feral worlds, with all disagreements and fights instead settled with displays of instrumental prowess. The best warriors of each tribe play their instruments, with the winner being selected by the Elder Orchestrates. The Elder Orchestrates are the priests of Saran who, through careful manipulation from Imperial Missionaries, maintain Saran faith and ensure it does not deviate from the 'star angel's' words that instruments are manifestations of His Voice. Saran has a small tithe owing to its feral world classification, with the best musical warriors being conscripted by the Imperium to serve as Ecclesiarchy musicians for sermons, Guard regiments as regimental bands, and well off nobles or Rogue Traders looking for the best talent to enhance their prestige. The world has also attracted the attention of those who follow Slaneesh, and although the Elder Orchestrates monitor the population as much as they can, occasionally a musical warrior becomes too obsessed with perfecting sound and either slaughters others for instrument parts or absconds with cultists to fight for the Prince of Excesses's attention. While the Imperium doesn't rate this corruption as a real threat, the Inquisition occasionally uses Saran as a training ground for Interrogators to relatively safely test their skills in discerning heresy from normal (if not pompous) behavior.