GM Fervious – Feudal World of Ritual Violence – Ignis Aeternus WH 40K campaign notes

Classification: Imperial Feudal World (formerly Vasenrule)
Location: Drusus Marches, Calixis Sector, Segmentum Obscurus

Warp routes to Fervious are unstable and erratic, making it one of the most rarely visited worlds in the Drusus Marches.
This instability isolates the planet, leaving it largely cut off from Imperial oversight and subject to its own brutal cultural evolution.

The entire population lives within a single sprawling shanty-city, built atop the ruins of an ancient, long-forgotten civilization.
Ritual violence dominates daily life: murder, dueling, and sacrifice are socially accepted paths to wealth, prestige, and religious devotion.
Numerous death cults and doomsday prophets hold sway, with entire clans defined by their adherence to violent rites.
Fervious is said to have once displeased the Cult Mechanicus, who withdrew their protection and allowed the world to collapse into decay and blood-worship.

Fervious Serpent: A deadly native snake whose venom is highly prized. Blades, darts, and caltrops are often coated with its toxin.
Styger: A hardy beast of burden, central to survival. Its milk contains potent anti-poison properties, making it both a staple food and an economic lifeline. “Dairy clans” have risen to prominence by controlling herds of styger.

Long-Sabre: Razor-curved swords forged from exceptionally tough local ores. The preferred weapon of nobles, warriors, and cultists alike.
Chain-Sticks: Two short batons linked by sinew, often coated with serpent venom. Effective in close brawls but as dangerous to the wielder as to the foe.
Banded Armour: Layered hide and leather gear designed to resist cuts and repeated poison strikes. Common among tribal fighters.
Venom Caltrops: Spiked traps scattered across alleys and battlefield approaches, designed to inflict agonizing, lingering wounds.

Despite its savagery, Fervious trades in valuable goods:

Styger Milk: A rare commodity, prized both for its anti-toxin effects and for its nutrient-dense properties. Exported through dangerous warp channels at great profit.
Weaponry & Armor: Locally forged long-sabres, chain-sticks, and armor have gained notoriety for their durability and deadly craftsmanship. These items find their way off-world via Rogue Traders and Ecclesiarchy militias.

No central authority exists. Instead, power is fractured between warlords, cult leaders, and prophet-princes who control fiefdoms within the shanty-city.
Religion and violence are inseparable: death cults dominate every aspect of governance, ritualizing bloodshed as both political tool and sacrament.
The Ecclesiarchy maintains only a token presence, preferring to classify the planet as a feudal backwater of little importance—though some Inquisitors quietly note that its death-worship traditions could be a breeding ground for heresy.