Changes

|Segmentum= [[Ultima SegmentumEastern Fringe]]{{Fn|1c}}|Sector=[[Damocles Gulf]]{{Fn|5}}

|System=[[Yuxa System]]{{Fn|5}}

|Class=[[Feral World]], [[Ocean World]]{{Fn|1b}}

'''Phaedra''' ('''Fi’draah''' to the [[T’au|t'au]]{{Fn|2}}) is an inhospitable [[Ocean World|ocean world]] noted for its exceptionally difficult biosphere, with only its lack of macropredators or extreme cataclysmic geological events preventing it from being classified as a true [[Death World|death world]].{{Fn|1b}} It is home to the [[Abhuman|abhuman]] [[Saathlaa]] , a sanctioned strain of mutants descended from humanity, and may itself be [[List of sentient species|sentient]].{{Fn|1e}}{{Fn|1b}}

{{SpoilerSpoilerNewTest|source=[[A Sanctuary of Wyrms (Short Story)]], [[Altar of Maws (Short Story)]], [[Fire Caste (Novel)}}''{{Spoiler|source=A Sanctuary of Wyrms ]], [[Adeptus Mechanicus: Vanguard (Short Story)]]}}''

Located One of two inhabited worlds of the eleven planets in the [[Eastern FringeYuxa System]],{{Fn|5}} itself part of the [[Damocles Gulf]]{{Fn|1c5}} region of the Imperium’s [[Ultima SegmentumEastern Fringe]], {{Fn|1c}} Phaedra is described as a “grey-green hell” and “too lazy to be a death world, too bitter to be anything else”.{{Fn|1b}} Its surface is over eighty-percent water,{{Fn|2}} which takes on a yellow, blotchy, curdled appearance and smells of sewage thanks to glutinous algae blooms,{{Fn|1d}} divided into oceans and typhoon-wracked seas such as the '''Sargaatha'''.{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|1f}} Ancient coral growths form landmasses, some considered continents, the largest of which is [[Dolorosa]].{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|2}} This archipelago comprises many islands, notably those designated by the Imperium as '''Topaz''', '''Vermillion''', '''Magenta''', and '''Azure'''.{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|1c}}{{Fn|1e}}{{Fn|1h}} At least one is large enough to contain an inland sea, named '''Lake Amrythaa''', meaning “Wellspring of Life” in the [[Saathlaa|local tongue]].{{Fn|1j}}

Dense jungles of fleshy trees with bladder-like fronds, caustic '''spidervines''', enormous, omnipresent, bioluminescent fungi, and stinging, anemone-like '''wyrmtrees''' known collectively as the '''Mire''' grow in the grey mud produced by the slow breakdown of dead mega-corals and the constant sticky rain.{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|1d}}{{Fn|2}} Spores are shed in such numbers from these jungles that both off-worlders and engines often require sophisticated filters to function, particularly in the high-altitude band dubbed the “'''Strangle Zone'''”.{{Fn|1e}}{{Fn|1j}}{{Fn|2}} Narcotics can be rendered from certain spore strains, including the [[Stimm|stimm]] '''Glory'''.{{Fn|1b}} Despite the cloying atmospheric canopy , global temperatures never drop low enough for “winter” conditions.{{Fn|1b}}

Rivers cut across the coral, turgid and milky and swarming with vermin save when something worse than them slips into the water.{{Fn|4}} Snaking its way across Dolorosa is the great '''Qalaqexi River''', fed by a tangle of inland tributaries at the heart of the continent. {{Fn|1g}} This, the darkest, dense-ist, and most dangerous land on the planet, is called '''Sector 0-31''' by the T’au and the '''Dolorosa Coil''' by the Imperium.{{Fn|2}} Entering the tainted Coil may trap or corrupt the trespasser or even shunt them to another realm, a process known colloquially as “slipping.”{{Fn|4}}

Phaedra is home to a variety of fauna, like the aquatic '''[[Mirewyrm|mirewyrm''' ]] and the poisonous '''[[Skrab|skrab''']].{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|1f}} The planet is also a breeding ground for invasive diseases and fungal pathogens, including '''[[Foot rot|foot rot''']], '''[[Gutrot|gutrot''']], '''[[Mire fever|mire fever''']], '''[[Swamp burn|swamp burn''']], '''[[Greyscale rash|greyscale rash''']], and '''[[Splinterskin|splinterskin''']].{{Fn|1j}} Humans, t’auT’au, [[Kroot|kroot]] of various strainsbreeds, and [[Tyranid|tyranidsTyranids]] have all been infected by various local diseases.{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|1j}}{{Fn|1k}}{{Fn|2}} One of the rarest- and most extreme- of these found on Phaedra is '''[[Fungal leprosy|fungal leprosy''']]. Only one in a thousand humans have the correct blood type to foster its growth, but once such a person is infested there is no cure.{{Fn|1d}} Natural disasters like spore tsunamis, silt quakes, and hurricanes are not unheard of.{{Fn|3}}  During the final years of the planet’s failed second pacification a [[Warp Rift|Warp anomaly]] nicknamed '''the Ghostblight''' appeared above Phaedra’s troposphere.{{Fn|3}} At first invisible except to [[Psyker|psy-sensitives]] and advanced instrumentation, projections estimated it was feeding off of the planet’s corruption (or vice versa) and would rapidly growing into a Category Gamma [[Warp Storm]].{{Fn|3}}

Some deployed to Phaedra, humans and t’au alike, insist that the planet itself is [[List of sentient species|sentient]]. Enough merit was found in the claim for the [[Ecclesiarchy]] to investigate, quickly focusing on the mega-coral islands. Though they confirmed that the corals do pulse and breathe the official finding was that they are only minor xenos, akin to mindless animals, and no sapience was present. Despite this, many doubt the firmly reject those findings and it remains common to refer to “Lady Phaedra”, “She”, and “Her”.{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|1j}}{{Fn|2}}

Likely found and settled by humans during the [[Dark Age of Technology]], when the [[Imperium of Man]] rediscovered and pacified Phaedra roughly 1,000 one thousand years prior to the t’au’s T’au’s arrival, its inhabitants had [[AbhumanMutant|significantly degenerated]] from baseline mankindover the previous tens of thousands of years.{{Fn|1c}} Without access to any stone deposits the population first learned to shape coral, creating cities of globular, organic buildings both above and tunneled deep beneath the surface.{{Fn|1b}} Temples dedicated to now-forgotten gods dominated their districts and outposts, the structures later being noted to both completely prevent plant growth nearby, and no jungle plants will grow in a wide radius around themserve to imprison some of the horrors with which their builders once consorted. {{Fn|4}} Eventually these cities were abandoned and their now-tribal inhabitants, calling themselves the [[Saathlaa]], reduced to squatting in villages of igloos built from sticks, stretched animal hides, and fungus, centered built around their chieftain’s halls.{{Fn|1f}}{{Fn|1g}}{{Fn|1k}}{{Fn|2}}

Limited One account holds that limited industrial infrastructure began to be installed by the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] shortly after the first pacification, including the sizable offshore [[Promethium]] rig-city later known as the '''Iron Diadem'''.{{Fn|1j}} At Another story, however, says the platform is much newer, dating back only two centuries before the T’au conflict, and was primarily built to protect an [[Explorator]] starship.{{Fn|3}} It is certain that at some point an [[Inquisition]] research base was built in the '''Dolorosa Coil''' and garrisoned by the [[Deathwatch]] of the [[Ordo Xenos]]. Applications for the planet’s infectious fungi were studied there, primarily as weapons and poisons, but the program was abandoned and the station sealed decades before the conflict with the T’au, following disastrous fungus-[[Genestealer]] hybridization and containment breach.{{Fn|2}}

===Conflict with the T’auSecond Pacification===''See also — [[Wintertide Concordance]]''<br>T’au forces lead by the [[Ethereal]] '''Aun’o Hamaan''' engaged the Imperium at Phaedra.{{Fn|1m}}{{Fn|1o}} Through extensive diplomatic work by the [[Water Caste]] diplomats under Por’o Dal’yth Seishin much of the indigenous population and even local Adeptus Mechanicus under '''Magos Kaul''' embraced the [[Greater Good]], forming a pro-[[T’au Empire]] rebellion called the [[Wintertide Concordance]]. This movement, taking its name from legendary [[Fire Warrior]] '''Commander Wintertide''',{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|1e}}{{Fn|1i}}{{Fn|1j}} was backed by a few thousand Fire Warriors, battlesuits, armor, drones, and [[Cuttlefish|Cuttlefish transports]]transports.{{Fn|1j}}{{Fn|1l}} Additionally, contingents of [[Vespid|vespids]], [[Kroot|kroot]], mercenary [[Loxatl|loxatl]], and great numbers of [[Gue%27vesa Auxiliaries|gue’vesa auxiliaries]] provided support, including suicide bombers.{{Fn|1b}}{{Fn|1f}}{{Fn|1g}} For a time the local Adeptus Mechanicus under [[Adeptus Mechanicus|Magos]] [[Caul]] (also spelled “Kaul”{{Fn|1j}}) aligned with the Concordance, creating [[Heretek|blasphemous combinations]] of Imperial and xenos technology.{{Fn|1j}}

Imperial authorities tasked Imperial Commander '''Zebasteyn Kircher''', self-styled as the “Sky Marshall”, with Phaedra’s second pacification, which he oversees oversaw from the crippled [[Imperial Navy]] ship '''Requiem of Virtue''' in orbituntil its loss to the [[Warp]].{{Fn|1c}} Over the course of the conflict many [[Astra Militarum]] elements have been were deployed, including the 19th [[Arkan Confederates]],{{Fn|1a}} 6th [[Verzante]] [[Verzante Tempest|Tempest]],{{Fn|1b}} [[Iwuijii Jungle Sharks]],{{Fn|1d}} 12th [[Galantai Ghurkas]],{{Fn|1e}} and 77th [[Oberai Redeemers]],{{Fn|1g}} totaling at times one hundred thousand men, most operating out of '''Seabase Antigone''' or the small camp '''Dolorosa Breach'''.{{Fn|1e}}{{Fn|1f}}{{Fn|1l}}

[[Lethean Penitents]] under '''[[Vyodor Karjalan|Admiral Vyodor Karjalan''' ]] and his adviser [[Confessor]] [[Yosiv Gurdjief]]{{Fn|1d}} deployed [[Aquatic Vessel|aquatic vessels]] to assist the fight, supplying transports, amphibious [[Triton-pattern gunboat|Triton-pattern gunboats]], [[Argonaut-class battle cruiser|Argonaut-class battle cruisers]], and even the [[Poseidon-class battleship]] '''Puissance'''.{{Fn|1d}}{{Fn|1g}}{{Fn|1h}}

Following the early deaths of Aun’o Hamaan and leader of the Fire Warriors '''Shas’o Gheza''', and widespread defections from the Imperial Guard to the rebels, the '''Invisible Accord''', a secret treaty to prolong the war, was signed between the two sides.{{Fn|1f}}{{Fn|1l}} By holding back from decisive action the Imperium gained a politically-expedient warzone to send disfavored regiments, and the Water Caste acquired a low-cost way to grind down Imperial manpower in the Eastern Fringeusing only their own unwanted personnel.{{Fn|1d}}{{Fn|1l}}{{Fn|4}} This arrangement prospered for fifty years, long enough for some Guardsmen on Phaedra to have children who, in turn, were inducted.{{Fn|1c}}{{Fn|1h}}

*{{Endn|2}}: [[A Sanctuary of Wyrms (Short Story)]]*{{Endn|3}}: [[Adeptus Mechanicus: Vanguard (Short Story)]]*{{Endn|4}}: [[Altar of Maws (Short Story)]]*{{Endn|5}}: [[The Greater Evil (Short Story)]] ===Uncited==={{uncited}}*{{Endn|6}}: [[Requiem Infernal (Novel)]] ==Trivia=={{Trivia}}If it’s confirmed that the [[Undying Martyr]] is the same person as [[Lethean Penitents]] confessor [[Yosiv Gurdjief]] then Phaedra is the birthplace of the [[Lethean Revelation]] religion.