Fenris

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Targetdrone.gif Fenrisian redirects here. For the language, see Fenris Vulgaris.
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Fenris
 Name: Fenris FenrisPic.jpg
Segmentum: Segmentum Solar[2][29][Conflicting sources]
Sector: Fenris Sector[29]
Subsector: Svarteldari Sub-Sector[29]
System: Fenris System[29]
Population: ~3,400,000 (Pre-Siege)[7a][29]
Affiliation: Imperium (Space Wolves)[29]
Class: Adeptus Astartes Homeworld, Feral World, Death World[2a][29]
Tithe Grade: Solutio Exceptius[7a][29]

Fenris is the homeworld of the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter and their Fortress-Monastery, The Fang. It is located relatively close to the Eye of Terror.[1]

Overview

A planet of fire and ice, Fenris orbits its sun once every 3-4 Terran years.[8b] During the summer months volcanoes erupt, burning great areas with lava flows and churning the seas, spreading great floods and tidal waves.[10c] As the planet enters its long winter, the temperature drops so far that most of it actually ices over, giving the planet the appearance of a snowball from orbit.[38a] The planet has an elliptical orbit around it's pale star, known as the Wolf's Eye. Fenris spends most of the year in winter, far from the dim star.[12b]

History

Geography

Apart from a single area of the planet that is permanently land-locked, Fenris is a world of shifting geography and mostly oceans.[2a] Numerous asteroid strikes, mutable coastlines and even swiftly risen or sunk island masses have resulted in the population becoming one of largely nomadic barbarian tribes. The tribes constantly seek secure territory, and as a result skirmishes and feuds over land between rival tribes are common. The people are hardened to the changes in temperature and extremes, and so is the fauna. The only continent that remains constant is Asaheim, standing on top of the crest of the world[2] — it's northern pole.[12b] During the summer, it is covered in lava and magma flows, but is habitable during the winter.[2]

The central sea of Fenris is the Savage Sea or Worldsea[19], home to most of the planet's wildlife, most of which are vicious sea creatures. Nonetheless the sea provides most of the planet's inhabitants with their food.[2]

Notable Locations

  • Asaheim — The only stable continent on Fenris, located on its northern pole. Here there are many unique creatures not seen elsewhere on the world such as bears, elks, mastodons, ice trolls, shape-shifting doppelgangrels, and ice wyrms. Asaheim is surrounded by cliffs thousands of feet high, separating it from the rest of the planet. The tribesmen of Fenris consider it the land of the Gods.[12b]
    • The Seven Great Peaks of Asaheim:[16]
      • Allfather's Peak: The site where Leman Russ initially landed on Fenris.
      • Ammagrimgul
      • Asfryk
      • Broddja
      • Friemiaki
      • Krakgard: The Vlka Fenryka’s funeral mount, and possessed by the whispering voices of brooding spirits.[10c]
      • Tror
    • The Aett (The Fang) - Fortress-Monastery of the Space Wolves. Located in the centre of the peaks.[12b]
  • Worldsea or Savage Sea[2] - Fenris' single enormous ocean, home to many sea monsters and other dreadful creatures. It experiences constant and violent weather fluctuations such as ice storms and hurricanes.[19]
    • Island of the Iron Masters - Home to a tribe with a level of technology that includes iron weapons and steam engines. Fenrisians make difficult journeys to travel and trade with the Iron Masters, who maintain formidable forces to deter any pirates. The Iron Masters will sometimes train with Space Wolves Aspirants and Chapter Serfs.[13d]
    • Kraken's Spur - A volcanic island that periodically rises and sinks. It is home to a Kraken graveyard, making it a site of potential plunder for Fenrisians while it is surfaced.[20] The ruins of the Temple of Morkai are also here.[38b]
  • Cavern Cities - These subterranean cities were built in Fenris' northern pole by the first Human colonists. Built from the remains of their colonisation vessels, they became a shelter during the Age of Strife but were ultimately abandoned for unknown reasons, though worship of Chaos, mutation, and the unleashing of ancient weaponry are all proposed. The remaining settlers inside eventually mutated into horrific monsters known as "nightgangers". Leman Russ later forbade any from entering the caverns. Deep within the caverns is an ancient temple of Tzeentch built by the Nightgangers.[18b]
  • Fire Breather - Active and violent volcano.[2b]
  • Thunder Mountain - Stable peak mounted with great rune stones. Home of the Thunderfist tribe.[2a]
  • Syrtyr's Door — A volcanic cavern with mystical properties, considered by the people of Fenris to be the door to the Underverse.[10b]
  • Valley of Burning Stones - An ominous valley with a dark reputation. Its Tribe, the Vulture Clan, would chain sacrificial offerings to the rocks above their settlement and set them alight. After Psykers in the Clan were discovered, they were mostly purged by the Space Wolves.[6b]
  • Iron Isles - Range of volcanic islands in the Boiling Sea that serve as the forge for Space Wolves Rune Priests.

Fauna, Flora and Funga

Because of its harsh conditions, there is little native plant life on Fenris. Many studies have concluded that Fenrisian animals are amongst the most dangerous in the galaxy.[38a] Due to the nature of the planet's geography and seasons, the vast majority of life on Fenris lives in its seas.[12b]

Fauna

Flora

Funga

Seasons

"It is said that in the Time of Making, the Allfather cast the sphere of Fenris into the Sea of Stars, reckoning it to be no place fit for life. Fenris felt the cold of the dark and ran back to the warmth of the Wolf's Eye. The heat of the eye proved too great, and Fenris fled into the outer dark once again. So it is each great year that Fenris races towards the sun in summer and flees again, plunging all into the cold embrace of winter."

-The Telling of Haakon Yellow-Eye[12b]


Helwinter

Main article: Helwinter Season

"So it was, over the course of the seasons, that Fenris flung itself from heat to chill and back again, and in the process came the savage season – the Helwinter, when the seas rose wild, the ice shifted and the mountains crumbled."[13a]

Fimbolsommer

During the brief and intense summers on Fenris, the planet orbits dangerously close to the sun.[10c][38b] Imperial astronomers opined that if Fenris' solar apsis were a few hundred thousand kilometres closer, or if the close orbital pass were a few days longer, the planet would have been uninhabitable. The summer solstice is a violent time of cataclysmic storms and earthquakes, fire and lava, flooding and waves, and the teeming vitality of life unfettered.[10c]

The beating sun melts all the world's ice — or at least retreats its poles[12b] — causing the human inhabitants' island homes to be drowned. Only those that take to their ships might survive.[10c][38b] The brief spring brings warmth that spawns a bounty of kryll and bladefish for the dweller of the deep to feast on.[12b] The seas are painted rust-brown with enormous qualities of kryll, while titanic monsters eat them in cavernous mouthfuls. The clans of people sailing the tumultuous seas must navigate and combat the monster strewn oceans whilst fighting other tribes for new lands. Winter follows shortly after the summer solstice.[10c]

At the peak of summer when closest to the sun, the sub-oceanic crust breaks and twists; the seas boil and skies fill with ash from new islands rising and old ones being subsumed.[12b] So violent is the pull of the Wolf's Eye that the planet teeters on its axis and as a result, day and night are not of regular lengths. A summer night could last for a week and the next for a only few hours. The proximity to the star increases the gravitational strain on the world's molten core, causing volcanoes to erupt across the world. The skies boil with clouds of soot and ash that flicker with lightning. Higher still, the planet is encased in dazzling aurorae brought forth by the merciless force of the solar wind. The edges of the sun in the sky lost constancy, as the writhing tendrils of coronal mass ejections are perceivable from the world's surface.[10c]

During the summer solstice, the door to the Underverse opens on Fenris. Runepriests might ascend the Krakgard's peak to commune with the spirits of the Vlka Fenryka buried there and the world spirit of Fenris.[10c]

Society

The population of Fenris is small, yet hardy and tough. Fenrisians are born warriors from cradle to grave, battling not only the planetary conditions but also each other. Land is the most precious commodity of the planet, and as a result tribes frequently clash with one another for its control. Tribal fighting escalates during the Time of Ice and Fire when new landmasses can rise from the ocean. But despite these hardships, the Fenrisians consider themselves blessed, for they have a chance to join the "Dwellers Above the Clouds", the Space Wolves. The Space Wolves carefully watch their tribal brethren, but never appear openly among them. To Fenrisians the Space Wolves are known as the Sky Warriors and have a mythical status.[2a] The Fenrisians take to the seas in simple wooden sail vessels known as Dragonships.[8a]

From a Fenrisian perspective, prospective candidates are mainly chosen from young warriors who fall in battle with grievous wounds, or perform prodigious feats of arms. These youths are taken from their tribes, and their wounds are treated if necessary, and taken to The Fang to train as Aspirants in camps scattered around Asaheim. Apart from the aspirants, the only normal permanent human inhabitants of Asaheim are the Kaerls, the Space Wolves' Chapter Serfs, who also serve as the planet's Defence Force.[16]

During the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy the Fenrisian Kaerls Solar Auxilia Regiments mustered from Fenris.[32]

The star Fenris orbits is known to its inhabitants as the Wolf's Eye.[10c]

Known tribes

  • The Russ - Powerful tribe which Leman Russ himself eventually became king of.[14]
  • Iron Masters - The most technologically advanced tribe on Fenris with iron and steam technology. They live on the isolated Island of the Iron Masters, trading with those who may brave the journey.[13d]
  • Iron Blood - The tribe Logan Grimnar once belonged to.[38b]
  • Tide Hounds - Ally to the Iron Blood tribe during the time of Logan Grimnar.[38b]
  • Sea Devil - A ruthless and cunning tribe once led by Thorgil Icetooth and his Kraken Guard during the time of Logan Grimnar.[38b]
  • Ice Fang[38b]
  • Vulture Clan - This tribe would chain sacrificial offerings to the rocks above their settlement and set them alight. After Psykers in the Clan were discovered, they were mostly purged by the Space Wolves.[6b]
  • Ascomani[8a]
  • Balt[8a]
  • Hradcana - Major power in the west[8a].
  • Vakreyr[21]

The Great Wolf of the Space Wolves also bears the title "High King of Fenris", and is the planet's de facto Governor.[29]

Language

Main article: Fenris Vulgaris

The dominant form of Low Gothic spoken on Fenris is Fenris Vulgaris,[34] in its own language it is called Juvykka.[30a] Fenrisian language is rarely written in Imperial Gothic. Local records are usually written in Fenrisian runic script. The script varies between different areas of Fenris. Because of these varieties, many words and terms of the Fenrisian Lexicon have multiple accepted variations within the Imperial records.[33]

Religion

Fenrisians have a tribal and highly superstitious religion. They worship the planet itself as Mother Fenris, routinely giving offerings to the soil and believing it can ward off evil spirits dubbed Maleficarum. They have shamans who take part in ritualistic acts and carve runes to harness the natural energy of Fenris.[8a]

The Fenrisians refer to their pantheon of deities and spirits as Aesir.[8a] Their supreme deity is the Allfather, or the Emperor of Mankind. Fenrisians also believe that those who die of old age are cowards and thus are condemned to the court of the Erlking.[10b]

Satellites

  • Valdrmani — The Wolf's Moon[5a]. Valdrmani is home to the Longhowl astropathic station. The domed city is the only habitable location on the radiation-soaked moon.[7a]

Other Planetary Information

Trivia

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The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

  • In Norse mythology, Fenrir is the son of Loki, who usually takes the form of a monstrous wolf.

Conflicting sources

See also

Sources

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