Herod
Herod is an Mining World of the Imperium. The crystals yielded from Herod's desert mountain mesas, are used in the manufacture of las-weapons across the Achilles subsector.[1]
| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name: | Herod | 
|
| Segmentum: | Segmentum Obscurus | ||
| Sector: | Unknown | ||
| Subsector: | Achilles Subsector | ||
| System: | Unknown | ||
| Population: | Unknown | ||
| Affiliation: | Imperium | ||
| Class: | Desert World, Mining World | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Unknown | ||
During the 13th Black Crusade, a rebellion started by the Shinarii chaos cult nearly overwhelmed the planet and many figures in the government wereexecuted by crucifixion. A small task force of the Iron Hands chapter assaulted the Shinarii's citadel stronghold in the planet's capital Antipas. Within moments, the cultists' grip on the citadel was broken and with it the heart of the cult's strength. The remaining pockets of resistance were rooted out and put down quickly and effectively by the Iron Hands and the planet's PDF. In the space of thirty-six hours standard, Imperial forces had been able to take back control of Herod.[1a]
With the planet back under control of the Imperium, the Irons hands could continue with their main mission on the planet: finding the Araken artefact called the Bei'bul Stone. Traveling to a cave, amid the vast deserts of Herod, the Iron Hands found a large cultist shrine. In the middle of the shrine stood the Bei'bul Stone. There the remaining Shinarii cult's forces where involved in some ritual, around the stone. Also guarding the stone were a squad of Word Bearers Chaos Space Marines, led by the Dark Apostle, the Iscariot, the true power behind the cult.[1b]
Acting quickly before the ritual could be finished, the Iron Hands attacked both the cult and their Word Bearers masters. It was too late however and the ritual was finished, forcing the Iron Hands to retreat as the cave collapsed around them. They could do nothing, but look on as the Dark Apostle opened a warp portal in front of the stone and walked through it, causing the stone to explode. The explosion caused a large earthquake that nearly killed the escaping Iron Hands and created a vast sinkhole where the cave was once located.[1c]
The Irons Hands later learned that the energy released by the Bei'bul Stone's destruction had increased the size of the nearby Araken Warpstorm, somehow dissipating its energy in the process.[1d]
