Death World

Not to be confused with Deathworld, a homebrew alternate universe setting inspired by a picture of Barack Obama looking badass in a Soviet uniform.

A Death World (Mundus in Articulo Mortis, which is Latin High Gothic for "world at the moment of demise) is a classification of world used by the Imperium of Man to describe various worlds where everything on the planet is trying to kill its human population, much like the good o'Ice Age. You know the old saying if you can't adapt to an environment, make it adapt to you? Doesn't apply on Death Worlds. You have predators the size of Land Speeders, environments so extremely hot or cold most don't make it into their teens (let alone out of them) and resources are so scarce that every human settlement has adopted a philosophy of "kill or be killed" toward outsiders.

One must ask why the Imperium allows such worlds to exist, and there's only one reason: if you can survive all of that, then you're badass enough to become an Aspirant into the Space Marines. The leftovers? They become the most badass of the Imperial Guard.

Noted Death Worlds

• Baal and its moons, homeworld of the Blood Angels.
• Barbarus, homeworld of the Death Guard (subjected to Exterminatus during the Great Scouring)
• Australia.
• Caliban, homeworld of the Dark Angels (destroyed). Though they were determined to civilize it, consequences be damned.
• Catachan, homeworld of the Catachan Jungle Fighters.
• Fenris, homeworld of the Space Wolves.
• Australia
• Medusa, homeworld of the Iron Hands
• Nocturne, homeworld of the Salamanders.
• Cretacia, homeworld of the Flesh Tearers.
• Did we mention Australia? The Amazon, Sahara Desert, Antartica, Ice-Age, Carboniferous period, Permian era and anything coming from the Mesozoic era (Eg. Dinosaurs!) makes Australia look like wonderland in comparison, there is a reason why the first three areas are considered "uninhabited" by humans... pussies... But seriously, everybody knows Australia is the most dangerous place on Earth. Try visiting Ilha de Queimada Grande in Brazil, the uninhabited-island only native population is the Golden Lancehead Viper, one of the most venomous snakes out there; so much so that even Hardcore survivalists try to urge travelers NOT to go there...