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{{IronHandsPortal}}
{{otheruses|USE=Planet|OTHERPAGE=Medusa (disambiguation)}}
{{Planet
|Map=Galaxy-Rift-Obscurus.jpg
|Cross Text=Medusa
|Planetary Image=MedusaPlanet.jpg
|Name=Medusa IV|Segmentum=[[Segmentum Obscurus]]
|Sector=Unknown
|System=[[Sthenelus System]]
|Tithe Grade=[[Adeptus Non]]
}}
'''Medusa IV'''{{Fn|5b}} is the [[Adeptus Astartes Homeworld|homeworld]] of the [[Iron Hands]] [[Space Marine Chapter]].
==Overview==
Medusa 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.{{Fn|1}}
==History==It is speculated by the [[Ordo Astra]] that Medusa was once the site of a battle between the [[Necrons]] and their [[Old Ones|ancient foes]], and that a Necron presence on the world could endure to this day.{{Fn|66a}}
During the [[13th Black Crusade]] of [[Abaddon the Despoiler]], Medusa would come under [[Battle of Medusa|massive invasion]] from [[Chaos]] forces. The ensuing clash saw the largest tank battle in the [[Imperium]] since the [[Horus Heresy]].{{Fn|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.{{Fn|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.{{Fn|5c}}
**[[The Eye of Medusa]] — sacred place deep in this region.{{Fn|5c}}
*'''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.{{Fn|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 [[Neophyte]]s of the Iron Hands.{{Fn|5a}}
*'''Halls of Conquest''' - The 10 mobile [[Land Behemoth]]s of each Iron Hands Clan.{{Fn|66a}}
*'''[[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.{{Fn|3}} By the time of
*'''Eye of Medusa''' - Vault that acts as the meeting place of the [[Iron Council]].{{Fn|66a}}*'''[[Gorgon's Forge]]''' - Tech-Vault originally built by [[Ferrus Manus]].{{Fn|66a}}*'''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.{{Fn|66a}}*'''Oraanus''' - Realm of [[Clan Dorrvok]] which serves as a testing ground for new recruits.{{Fn|6a6b}}
==Life Forms=Fauna and Flora===
*'''Mountain Yarrk''' — resembles something between a giant leopard and primate, several meters tall and with a broad shoulders. Its long arms and powerful body covered with black shaggy hair and its head had a mane. Yarrks is very fierce beasts and frequently used by the young Medusan clanmen to compete with for the attention of the Iron Hands recruiting new neophytes.{{Fn|5d}}
*'''Oryx''' — beast with antlers.{{Fn|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]].{{Fn|7}}
*[[Tergiza]] - Spoken by [[Clan Raukaan]].{{Fn|8}}
==Related Articles==
*{{Endn|3}}: [[The Horus Heresy Book Two - Massacre]], pg. 70
*{{Endn|4}}: [[Codex: Death Guard (8th Edition)]], pg .22
*5: [[The Eye of Medusa (Novel)]] by [[David Guymer]]
**{{Endn|5a}}: Chapter 2
**{{Endn|5b}}: Chapter 5, VI
**{{Endn|5c}}: Chapter 7, V
**{{Endn|5d}}: Chapter 7, III
*{{Endn|6}}: [[Codex Supplement: Iron Hands (8th Edition)]] pg**{{Endn|6a}}: pgs.8-9**{{Endn|6a6b}}: pg.21*{{Endn|7}}: [[Medusan Wings (Novella)]] - [[On Wings of Blood (Anthology)]], ''-02.0-''*{{Endn|8}}: [[Wrath of Iron (Novel)]], Chapter One
[[Category:Adeptus Astartes Homeworlds]]
[[Category:Black Crusades]]
[[Category:Iron Hands]]
[[Category:Segmentum Obscurus]]
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