Medusa (Planet)
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This article is about the Planet; for the other uses, see Medusa (disambiguation). |
| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
  Medusa |
Name: | Medusa IV[5b] | 
|
| Segmentum: | Segmentum Obscurus | ||
| Sector: | |||
| Subsector: | Medusan Sub-sector[6b] | ||
| System: | Sthenelus System | ||
| Population: | 500,000 approx.[9] | ||
| Affiliation: | Imperium[1] | ||
| Class: | Adeptus Astartes Homeworld[1], Waste World, unofficially a Death World[9] | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Adeptus Non[1], post-industrial resource null as a Waste World[9] | ||
Medusa IV[5b], commonly referred to as Medusa, is the Homeworld of the Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter.[9]
Contents
Overview
Medusa is a Waste World[9], that is a harsh realm of perpetual gloom, located extremely close to the Eye of Terror. With a dark and polluted sky, Medusa's sun rarely shines on the planet's surface and the world's geology is highly unstable, with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions constantly creating and destroying mountain ranges and seas. The people of Medusa are hardy and flourish despite the hostile environment. The population is broken up into clans who viciously compete and vie for natural resources and safe ground, as the unpredictable nature of Medusa's landscape means little can built in one place for long, save a few areas of relative calm which are mostly reserved for the Iron Hands Chapter. As the nomadic clans seek a new settlement, great caterpillar-like mining haulers carry their personal possessions and resources.[1] It is because of its harsh environment that Medusa is considered to be a Death World, in all but name.[9]
History
It is speculated by the Ordo Astra that Medusa was once the site of a battle between the Necrons and their ancient foes, and that a Necron presence on the world could endure to this day.[6a]
Medusa was also referenced as a world rich in rare elements and technological wonders in the ancient human text, Legend of Sthenelus. This led it to be actively sought after by Rogue Traders and Mechanicum Explorators alike, when the Age of the Imperium began.[9]
When the Primarch Ferrus Manus arrived on Medusa, he developed a great love for the harsh world that tempered him. He later became troubled by the weakness he saw in the Imperium, after being reunited with the Emperor, and deliberately chose not to conquer or change Medusa's environment because of this. As a result, the world was largely untouched by the Primarch, save for the creation of the Iron Hands and locations meant to support them.[9]
During the 13th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler, Medusa would come under massive invasion from Chaos forces. The ensuing clash saw the largest tank battle in the Imperium since the Horus Heresy.[2]
Sometime after the formation of the Great Rift, Chaos Space Marine forces from the Death Guard, Cleaved, and Purge raided Medusa. Though the Iron Hands drove off the attack, the damage was great and parts of Medusa have since been quarantined due to infection.[4]
Geography
Known Locations
- Felgarrthi Mountains is a great mountain range that rose high over the basin of the plain. It consists of ten big countenances, each hundreds of metres in height, towering from the stormblasted summit.[5c]
- The Eye of Medusa — sacred place deep in this region.[5c] Acts as they meeting place of the Iron Council[10a]
- Felgarrthi Steppe is a plain at the foot of the mountains of the same name[5e].
- Meduson, the only permanent settlement on Medusa.[5e]
- Karaashi, the great Ice Pinnacle where Ferrus Manus originally crashed onto Medusa, is still present to this day. However it is said to be half the size it once was.[1]
- Oraanus Rocks — a mountain ridge that extended for several hundred kilometers (north to south of the planet) and consists of ultra-hard lumps of diorite — a metamorphic crystal peculiar only to Medusa planet. It is a place of the Trial of Rocks — a test for Neophytes of the Iron Hands.[5a]
- Halls of Conquest - The 10 mobile Land Behemoths of each Iron Hands Clan.[6a]
- Telstarax, a colossal planet-circling space station dating back to the Dark Age of Technology. It is believed that the Telstarax was used to plunder Medusa of its resources.[3]
- Gorgon's Forge - Tech-Vault originally built by Ferrus Manus.[6a]
- Spukarri - The Land of Shadow and the site where Ferrus Manus bested Asirnoth, the Great Silver Wyrm. The mountain raise is said to have been personally collapsed by Ferrus himself.[6a]
- Oraanus - Realm of Clan Dorrvok which serves as a testing ground for new recruits.[6c]
Fauna and Flora
- Mountain Yarrk — Creatures resembling something between a giant leopard and primate, several meters tall and with broad shoulders. Their long arms and powerful bodies are covered with black shaggy hair and their heads had manes. Yarrks are very fierce beasts and frequently used by the young Medusan clanmen to compete with for the attention of the Iron Hands recruiting new neophytes.[5d]
- Oryx — Beasts with antlers.[5d]
Society
The inhabitants of Medusa, including the Iron Hands, speak a variety of dialects of a language known as Medusan. Known dialects include:
- Ekfrasi - Spoken by Clan Kaargul.[7]
- Tergiza - Spoken by Clan Raukaan.[8]
See also
Sources
- 1: Index Astartes IV, pgs. 47–48
- 2: The 13th Black Crusade (Background Book), pg. 73
- 3: The Horus Heresy Book Two - Massacre, pg. 70
- 4: Codex: Death Guard (8th Edition), pg .22
- 5: The Eye of Medusa (Novel)
- 6: Codex Supplement: Iron Hands (8th Edition)
- 7: Medusan Wings (Novella) — On Wings of Blood (Anthology), -02.0-
- 8: Wrath of Iron (Novel), Chapter One
- 9: First Founding (Background Book), pgs. 196-197 - Iron Hands: Home World
