Angels Light

Angels Light is a an irradiated feral world that serves as an Adeptus Astartes Chapter Homeworld of the ferocious and bellicose Charnel Brethren Space Marine Chapter. The local population of this deadly world are hardy and violent, making for ideal recruitment stock as potential Astartes for the Chapter.

Background
Initially the Charnel Brethren were a Crusading Chapter until they discovered the world of Angels Light in M35. Taking the world's name as an omen, they claimed the world for themselves and constructed their massive fortress-monastery in the wastes of the planets primary moon. The World of Angels Light is very much like that of Baal's moons, a heavily irradiated wasteland where pure human tribes battle for supremacy against foul cannibalistic mutant tribes and ferocious predators. Settlements are few and far between and are more mobile fortresses than mere villages as they must fight a constant battle for survival.

The world's inhabitants are of pre-blackpowder era, and have been found to be perfect Astartes recruits, To ascertain who is worthy to join the ranks of the Charnel Brethren, the adolescents of the feral tribes of Angels Light who would be Charnel Brethren Aspirants take part in violent games and tournaments once every 100 years, battling against the harsh landscape and their peers. Angels Light has a large population of feral scavenger tribes who have to compete with those foul mutants. Needless to say, men from these tribes make for formidable Space Marine Aspirants.

From orbit Angels Light appears as a lifeless orb, devoid of life but that is far from the truth, even in the irradiated wastes life has clung on but it is a harsh existence, humanity does not claim control over the world, they must constantly battle for supremacy with the native wildlife and the aforementioned mutants. The tribes themselves have been reduced to a feral state very reminiscent of the ancient terran period known as the stone age, life is a constant battle and it is a rare day that blood is not spilled in their never ending fight to survive, the vast numbers of mutants ensure that a constant vigilance must be shown lest the tribes are overrun and slaughtered.

Amongst the tribes the Emperor is worshipped as the Allfather and the Charnel Brethren as his emissary’s, cannibalism and the ritual flaying of sacrifices is the favoured method of worship, a trait first thought to have that has been transferred to the Charnel Brethren themselves but know known to have been present within them since the day of their founding. The tribes are especially bloodthirsty and open bloodletting between them is commonplace, often for the capture of sacrifices but often just for the thrill of battle, this leaves them open to corruption the Chaos Gods, most especially Khorne and the Charnel Brethren have had to destroy several tribes in the past.

Although most of the Tribes are nomadic, moving from one water source to the next there are permanent settlements scattered across the wastes and cantered on the planets few natural water sources and the only place to obtain fresh and clean water, what the feral tribes who rely on the life-giving liquid cannot know is that these sources are actually reservoirs, created by ancient systems that pump the water from deep in the planet's crust and left over from the civilizations that came before. As stated these are the only places to obtain fresh water, naturally they are a magnet for all manner of creatures and as such are heavily defended, water can be found in other paces but these are horribly irradiated and only the mutants and native fauna can drink it without dying.

The most prominent of the settlements is Angel's Hope, the closest the world has to a planetary capital, it is a great walled city that houses the greatest concentration of humans on the planet, the wall hold great markets where all manner of goods are bartered and a massive arena where once every 100 years great gladiatorial games take place, these are the trials that will determine the next generation of Charnel Brethren aspirants, every tribe will travel for these games in the hope that their sons will be chosen, most will fail as only the greatest are chosen to receive the Gene-Seed of Sanguinius and become so more than they will ever have dreamed of.

The Chapter's exact location of their homeworld is unknown in currant Imperial records, but it may be located in the Segmentum Ultima as the Blood Angels were known to have captured a world known as Angels Light during the Great Crusade ten millennia earlier, but whether their Chapter planet is one and the same, is unknown.

So it came to be that consciously or subconsciously the Charnel Brethren have found or maybe even created a second baal, all the better as it is from the ashes that an Angel rises.

Notable Flora and Fauna

 * Bantfeed -The most prominent foodstuff known on the world, a hardy and fast growing wheat like plant that can survive almost anywhere on the most meagre of water, growing up to five metres above the ground its stem is as strong as wood and has all manner of uses, a domesticated species is grown wherever humans can be found while it's wild variants are the main food for the planets herbivores, it is doubtful that without it, life could even survive.
 * Tycroe -  A bovine like species of herbivore, it lives in vast herds that migrate across the wastes. A massive beast, a full grown bull male will stand 3 metres at the shoulder with horns over a metre long, weighing as much as 10 tons and with a foul temper it is a formidable opponent but the fact that just one of these beasts can provide enough food for an entire family means it is hunted by the nomadic tribes for its meat while its hide is used in all manner of ways, from clothing to the covering of the tribes tents, nothing of this great animal will go to waste, it is also the main prey for the Leovex. Its horns are prized for their strength and fine ivory like characteristics, carved examples are used for barter at the settlements markets and weapon handles are often made from it.
 * Scarlex - A little known and mysterious creature, as big as an Astartes it is humanoid in shape, massively muscled, its arms end in taloned hands whilst massive fangs jut from its lipless mouth, it is fully capable of killing anything it comes across. Where they came from is unknown but those who have encountered them and lived say that if you look into their eyes you see the glint of humanity looking back.
 * Leovex - The planets apex predator, a huge feline like beast very similar to the ancient prehistoric sabretooth tiger of Terra's Pleistocene epoch. Full grown males are between 5 and 6 metres long (approximately 20 feet) and can grow to be 800 to 900 kilograms (about 2000 pounds) in weight once it reaches adulthood. Its hide is striped like a Terran tiger and large fangs protrude from its maw. Leovex are fierce and deadly predators, and one is easily capable of bringing down a human. A Leovex is able to resist the cuts of blades or even more advanced weaponry due to its thick hide. Aspirants often hunt own these creatures as test of their strength and skill. One particular Leovex was said to be a giant with a hide the colour of the ancient terran snow leopard, in size comparable to a normal Leovex as a Leovex is to a gyrinx, it's thick hide almost bulletproof and impervious to any weapon the tribespeople carried, known as the Beast of the Eastmarch it stalked throughout its range taking any prey it wanted, it was slain by the Archangel Michaelus who hunted it unarmed and wearing only a loincloth, he killed it with his bare hands now wears its hide as a warcloak.