Death World

Galaxy Portal Planets

This article is about the planetary classification; for the Imperial Guard novel by Steve Lyons, see Death World (Novel).

Image of a Death World

A δτ-class^[2] or Death World (sometimes spelled as Deathworld^[6]) is a planet in which the native flora and fauna has evolved into naturally aggressive and dangerous forms. These eco-systems are finely balanced between continual destruction and lightning-fast reproduction. Death worlds take many forms, ranging from jungle-covered hell-holes with carnivorous plants and animals to barren, volcanic wastelands racked by ion storms. The most famous and notorious Death World is the hellish planet of Catachan^[2]

Some worlds can be turned into Death Worlds, like what occurred on Indiga after numerous captive giant predators escaped from their zoos. When this happens, these worlds are labeled as Man-Made Death Worlds.^[7]

Humans can, and do, live on these worlds, but it is a never-ending struggle. On many death worlds it is as if the entire bio-mass of the planet were consciously motivated against human settlement - concentrating forces against intruders to destroy them.^[1] Death worlds with human settlements or colonies can have populations of 1,000 to 15,000,000.^[2]

Death worlds are not usually inhabited, and are nearly impossible to colonise but still need to be explored, which means the establishment of outposts and other support facilities. Some planets have rich mineral wealth, animal life, vegetables or gases, so tithes might range from Solutio Tertius to Solutio Prima.^[2]

Some Imperial ledgers refer to a Death world as In Articulo Mortis — "at the moment of demise". The planet Caliban was referred to as such prior to its destruction.^[5]

Notable Death Worlds

Planet name	Segmentum	Sector	Subsector	System	Population	Notes
XIII	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Ag'Ni	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Alfrost	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Corvus Sub-Sector	Unknown	Unknown
Autega	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Baal	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Baal System	122,000	Homeworld of the Blood Angels Chapter
Baal Secundus	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Baal System	Unknown	One of the twin moons which orbit Baal
Belisarius IV	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also Desert World
Byssta	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Caldera	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also Hive World
Caliban (destroyed)	Segmentum Obscurus	Unknown	Unknown	Caliban System	N/A	Original homeworld of the Dark Angels Legion
Canak	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Catachan	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Catachan System	12,000,000	Considered the most notorious Death World and home to the brutal Catachan Jungle Fighters
Cesstium	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Cthelle	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Crake's World	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Cretacia	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Homeworld of the Flesh Tearers Chapter
Croatoa	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Damnia	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also recruiting world for the Angels of Vengeance Chapter
Demogorgon IV	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also War World.
Denkari Minor	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Tropical world where Imperium, including the Tekarn 11th Heavy Tank Company, fought with Waaagh! Grughakh
Denkari-Prime	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Death world where Imperium, including the Tekarn 90th Armoured Regiment, 23rd Imperial Navy Bomber Wing and 123rd Death Korps Armoured Regiment, 15th Heavy Company with the Macharius (Heavy Tank)s, fought with some enemy
Derwynia	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Endymion Prime	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Fedrid	Segmentum Obscurus	Calixis Sector	Markayn Marches	Unknown	Unknown	Also — Feral World
Fenris	Segmentum Obscurus	Unknown	Unknown	Fenris System	Unknown	Homeworld of the Space Wolves Chapter
Gath Rimmon	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Gorang	Tempestus	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Gregorn	Obscurus	Askellon Sector	Cyclopia Sub-Sector	Unknown	Unknown	Also a Feral World and Jungle World, heavy Ork presence
Haddrack	Segmentum Obscurus	Calixis Sector	Drusus Marches	Unknown	Unknown	Also an Explorator Base and minor Forge World of the Adeptus Mechanicus
Hyperion [Needs Citation]	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Iax	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Ultramar	Iax System	Unknown	Former Paradise World/Agri World
Indiga	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Former Menagerie World
Jjojos	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Kanak	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Karrik	Segmentum Obscurus	Calixis Sector	Markayn Marches	Unknown	Unknown	Also Ice World
Kenov III	Segmentum Obscurus	Calixis Sector	Malfian Sub-Sector	Unknown	N/A
Khymara	Ultima Segmentum	Maelstrom	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also a Mining World
Kragadam	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Krakan	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also Jungle World
Krieg	Segmentum Tempestus	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Laius Rift	Unknown	Crucis Sector	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Lesser Nox	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Lost Hope	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Luther Macintyre IX	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Makron V[3]	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Volcanic Death World
Malmar	Obscurus	Eye of Terror	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also Ocean World
Maypax	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Megiddio Primus	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Menazoid Epsilon	Segmentum Pacificus	Sabbat Worlds	Unknown	Menazoid Clasp	Unknown
Messia	Segmentum Obscurus	Screaming Vortex	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Affilation - Chaos
Midgardia (former, now - destroyed)	Segmentum Obscurus	Unknown	Unknown	Fenris System	6'500'000'000 (before the destruction)	Now — destroyed
Miral	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Moraz III	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also Jungle World. Infested with Genestealers
Mortressa	Segmentum Obscurus	Calixis Sector	Adrantis Subsector	Unknown	Unknown
Murder (One-Forty-Twenty)	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Nectavus VI	Ultima Segmentum	Traxis Sector	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also — Jungle World
Nepenthis	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Nocturne	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	15,000,000
Parasis	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Phyrr	Segmentum Obscurus	Calixis Sector	Hazeroth Abyss	Unknown	Unknown
Piscina	Obscurus	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Praxetl	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Pythos	Ultima Segmentum	Demeter Sector	Unknown	Pandorax System	Unknown
Sagasitane II [4]	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Bane's Landing System	Unknown	Also - training facility of the Tempestus Scion
Sans Gaviria	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Settler's Bane	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Sycorax	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	360,000
Tethys	Segmentum Solar	Sector Solar	Subsector Sol	Sol System	Unknown	Moon of Saturn; Inquisition classified object
Traigo	Unknown (just outside of Segmentum Solar)	Unknown	Unknown	Quintillus System	Unknown	Also - Recruiting World
UB-26	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Vallyx V	Ultima Segmentum	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Varestus Prime	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy fight there with Orks
Vityris	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Also — Mining World
Woe	Segmentum Obscurus	Calixis Sector	Josian Reach	Unknown	Unknown
Zel Secundus	Segmentum Obscurus	Calixis Sector	Drusus Marches	Unknown	Unknown

Sources

• 1: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, pg. 134
• 2: Warhammer 40,000 3rd Edition Rulebook, pg. 115
• 3: Codex: Militarum Tempestus (6th Edition) — Regiments of the Militarum Tempestus
• 4: Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition Rulebook, pg. 166 — The Blood Crusade
• 5: Savage Weapons (Short Story)
• 6: Codex Imperialis (Background Book), pg. 8
• 7: Codex: Astra Militarum (9th Edition), pg. 20 - Indigan Praefects