Dread secrets kept by the High Lords of Terra and the Inquisition; these worlds have bathed in the foul essence of the Warp, and are never trusted again.
“To say that a planet that has been lost to the Warp is horrifying is a severe understatement. It is every sin, fear, and desire of the human psyche made real.”
–Confessor Berenice Chartrand, Manifestations of the Fallen
Characteristic modifiers
Willpower, + Perception, – Fellowship
Fate threshold
3 (Emperor’s Blessing 4+)
Home world bonus
Touched by the Warp: A Daemon world native begins with one Rank in the Psyniscience skill. Should he gain this skill again in a later step of character creation, he instead gains one additional Rank in the skill. Note that he cannot purchase more Ranks of this skill unless he acquires the Psyker aptitude. This character also begins with 1d10+5 Corruption points.
Home World aptitude
Willpower
Wounds
A Daemon world character starts with 7+1d5 wounds.
Recommended backgrounds
Adeptus Astra Telepathica, Adeptus Ministorum, Exorcised, Outcast
Random selection
If using Table 2–1: Random Home World from page 31 of the D ark Heresy Core Rulebook, a Daemon world can be generated on any roll where the results of the two d10 dice add to a sum of 8.
Citizens of the Imperium hail from all manner of dangerous planets and locations, but none rival the horrors of Daemon worlds. Chaos rules in these locations, and creatures of the Warp roam twisted landscapes made of nightmare and insanity. These hell-worlds are created by immersion in the Immaterium from Warp Storms. Some are even brought into life through deliberate machinations, the acts of those who keep the Left Hand of the Emperor ever watchful. Daemon worlds require investigation to seek the seeds of the Ruinous Powers’ evil harvest, so that it can be prevented elsewhere—for once a world has been steeped in the stuff of Chaos, it is never the same again. Regardless of their origins, these planets are twisted parodies of reality, where
the improbable is often made manifest and corruption infuses the land. Those who live there are often reduced to amusing prey or tortured slaves for the Ruinous Powers, and survival is more than just staying alive—it is also a struggle to stay human.
Life on a daemon world
Most Inquisitorial visits to Daemon worlds are short-lived and matters of dire necessity. This makes useful information regarding how a planet bathed in Warp energies appears or behaves very rare indeed. The few reliable accounts, however, detail that survival comes at a high cost and a portion of one’s soul is almost always the first down payment. Tales of being hunted by Daemons over changing terrain are common, confrontations with one’s worst fears frequent; seeing friends and loved ones die is a prevailing theme. Natural laws cease to be constants. Rocks bleed or cry out when picked up. Some tales speak of mortals having to reassemble
their bodies every morning in order to get up. There is no shortage of madness on these worlds.
Some sages of forbidden lores postulate that either those trapped on these worlds control some of makeup of the world or that the Daemons rely on the constant stream of emotional output to ensure the survival and continued propagation of their “guests.” Though other ideas are shopped among the halls of the greatest daemonologists, what is very clear is that there are
very few human beings strong enough to survive the barrage of horrors these worlds create. The few who have survived, and who have been able to tell their tales, have commented that the luckiest among them are those already dead.
Some Daemon worlds are devoted to a single Chaos God, or ruled by a powerful Daemon Prince, but many are cauldrons of unending war where no individual or faction dominates. While not improbable, places where Daemons can find stability outside of their nightmare realm are a rare commodity, and thus attract much competition from other denizens of the Warp. Many of
the explored Daemon worlds are eternal battlegrounds, where any human inhabitants are caught in the daemonic crossfire.
Daemon world characters
When a planet is classified as a Daemon world, it is present in realspace or has been at some time. It is in these rare moments that Imperial agencies such as the Adeptus Astartes might be tasked with reconnaissance of the location. Occasionally, along with lost relics and new insights, survivors are found with sanity and souls intact. The blessed individual who has withstood the horrors of a Daemon world offers the Inquisition unique opportunities. Since most others who are still alive are certifiably insane or catatonic, they are a source of somewhat reliable information which is all but impossible to obtain any other way. Though always sequestered after rescue to ensure safety, many of these people have skill sets far too valuable to leave dormant behind locked doors. Those who make it off these accursed worlds often come from backgrounds that lend themselves to withstanding the horrors of the Warp.
One characteristic that many of these survivors show is a stronger connection to the Warp. They are forever attuned to disturbances and entities from the other side of the veil. While this skill only seems to be active in realspace, this sensitivity allows them to know when daemonic entities or psychic phenomena are nearby. Those few capable of explaining how it works for them indicate that it is an infusion of colour and brilliance in what is largely a grey world. These rare individuals come to an Inquisitor’s service bearing the scars of exposure. Odd compulsions, night terrors, and paranoia are common among these survivors. Many display wills of steel, forged in their daily resistance to their daemonic homeland, or possess humour bitter and dark to reflect the horrors they have lived through. Knowing this, Inquisitors using Acolytes from a Daemon world maintain a short leash on these individuals, for the threat of corruption is always strong.
Sample daemon world: Infractus
Infractus is a small planet close to the far Rimward edge of the Thule Sub-Sector. A former research colony, the equatorial band of the planet is now a single Warp rift that circumnavigates the orb.
Vox transmissions coming from the rift have drawn the attention of the Inquisition, as the dating codes on them seem to be from during the Great Expansion and the time of the Heresy. Attempts to research the emissions have proven to be fruitless thus far as the surface of the landmasses seems to be in constant flux near the rift. Inquisitor Rolf Sortjarl maintains his orbiting listening post trying to decipher the meaning of the messages, but refuses to send anyone to the surface. Despite this, multiple individuals have claimed, even under excruciations or psychic probes, to have come from this world. How they escaped, or who (or what) aided them, is still unknown.
Ignis Aeternus WH 40K campaign notes 