Nurth
Nurth is a Dead World.[1d]
| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name: | Nurth | 
|
| Segmentum: | Unknown | ||
| Sector: | Unknown | ||
| Subsector: | Unknown | ||
| System: | Unknown | ||
| Population: | None | ||
| Affiliation: | None | ||
| Class: | Dead World | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Aptus non | ||
History
Discovered during the Great Crusade by the 670th Expedition Fleet, Nurth was a lost Human colony world. The population refused the offer of entry into the Imperium of Man, resulting in a drawn-out compliance action that eventually culminated in the death of the entire world.[1d]
When contacted by the Imperium, Nurth was a low-tech, largely desert planet, with geographic features fairly typical of such an environment. An exception to this was the harbour of Mon Lo, home of a city of the same name. The harbour, while appearing perfectly natural to the ordinary onlooker, was actually an entirely artificial construction, the entire area heavily landscaped by the Xenos organisation known as the Cabal some eleven thousand, eight hundred and twenty-six years before the arrival of the Imperium on the world. Before natural environmental change filled the harbour with water, the bay was a giant landing pad and spaceport facility (or 'halting station') for the Cabal. As such, a detailed orbital scan of Mon Lo will reveal features and layout similar to that found on other worlds where Cabal waystations were built.[1c]
Another location that featured unusual terrain was the town of Tel Khat, also known as Visages. The plain surrounding the town was littered with old, weathered diorite sculptures of human heads, appearing in sizes ranging from pebble to boulder.[1b]
For unknown reasons, the ground of Nurth was a strong combination of reds and oranges in colour and the sky often a strong, vibrant blue. This, combined with the brightness of a desert environment, meant that glare-protection was essential equipment on the planet to avoid disorientation and eventual eye damage.[1a]
Nurth was eventually destroyed by the Nurthene themselves, as, on the verge of losing the war against the Imperial forces, the Echvehnurth activated a Chaotic weapon known as a Black Cube. This weapon, through unknown means, altered the climate of the planet, turning the air into noxious vapours utterly inimical to any form of life, stirring the winds to levels that scoured the earth from the bedrock and raised the temperature to the point where the ocean boiled. Despite warnings from Alpharius to evacuate, the Imperial force pressed the attack, spelling doom for many of them even as they realized the danger too late. Practically overnight, the Nurthene and much of the Imperial force were exterminated in an ecological holocaust. In a matter of days, the process was completed, leaving Nurth a dead rock.[1d]
