Tharkad

Tharkad is an Imperial Ice World, Fortress World, capital of the Tharkad Cluster, and the homeworld of the Lyran Guard Space Marine Chapter. The planet currently possesses a population of approximately 10 million and is devoted to the defense and protection of the Narfasker Sub-Sector. Although it is somewhat isolated from other Imperial worlds with the exception of its sister planet of Horneburg, Tharkad’s central location makes it an ideal staging ground for troops responding to any xeno or chaos incursions within the sub-sector.

The Lyran Guard were founded on Tharkad during the 12th Founding as part of the strengthening of the Imperium’s space marine contingency as a result of the Nova Terra Interregnum. They continue to serve as the protectors of the Gierland Sector while also contributing companies to various ongoing battles throughout the Imperium. Despite serving as the Chapter’s homeworld, Tharkad is not explicitly ruled by the Chapter Master of the Lyran Guard having been given a certain level of autonomy by the Chapter’s first Chapter Master, Hersten Rehnquist. Instead, it is effectively ruled by a council assembled from the planet’s technocratic elite led by a single Chief-Technocrat. Mikaela Lindahl has held this position since 990.M41.

Pre-Imperium
Discovered during the 18th Millennium, Tharkad was an arid and mountainous world rich with minerals; as a result, it was claimed and colonized by mankind to be mined for its resources. The population saw consistent growth throughout the Dark Age of Technology until it reached several hundreds of billions. Tharkad’s cities had grown so large that the planet bordered ecumenopolist-status by the time of the Age of Strife. Cut off from the rest of mankind, the people of Tharkad grew to be self-sufficient at the cost of its own industrial capacity and—for several centuries—Tharkad was its own successful isolated civilization. However, the effects of the previously uncontrolled exploitation of the planet proved to be irreversible. The gradual buildup of smog in the atmosphere eventually led to a crisis of planetary cool-down despite best efforts. The officially recorded date of irreversible cooldown is 326.M25.

The planet’s technological elite immediately began work on several projects to save as much of the population as possible, this included pursuits into reconstructing parts of the old ecomenoplis to withstand the projected sub-zero temperatures as well as starships and space stations to harbor people off the planet’s surface. Only one space station was successfully completed, Sanddalr. The additional five projected to be constructed were cancelled as Sanddalr had proven time-consuming and difficult to build. Efforts, instead, were focused on the ongoing underground city project and the construction of starships that would ferry survivors to the nearby planet of Horneburg where a small colony had been previously established.

Tharkad’s ice age began during the 27th Millennium, records in the Archives of Asgard set the tentative beginning date of the Endless Snows on 701.M26. Much of the Tharkad survival projects continued for the next six years until the snowfall had become unmanageable. The last remaining flights to Horneburg took place on 707.M26 and the emergency order for those granted access to the underground cities was issued the same year. Only a small fraction of the population managed to escape the ice age and, without oversight of the planetary government, the surface devolved into complete anarchy. Billions of people perished in the ensuing natural cataclysm and resulting societal chaos. Small pockets of survivors would eventually manage to establish themselves in the ruins of former Tharkad. The old cities fell into disrepair and became massively collapsed ruins, tall structures and transportation networks capable of being seen from Horneburg when small pockets of calm would pass over the planet.

The Endless Snows finally came to an end on 989.M29 and the first expeditions from the underground cities began to explore the surface for the first time in over two millennia. This also marked the first communication between Tharkad and Horneburg since the start of the ice age, atmospheric conditions having made it nearly impossible since the Great Exodus. As the skies began to clear, the people of Tharkad, Horneburg, and the Sanddalr space station began to take stock of the damage inflicted by the ice age. Of the thirty underground cities constructed prior to disaster, only eighteen managed to survive.

Extensive reconstruction began during the time period of the 30th millennium. By the time the Emperor of Mankind launched his Great Crusade from Terra, Tharkad had risen again as an advanced technological society—in tandem with Horneburg—albeit the size of Tharkad’s civilization was a shadow of its former self.

Geography
Tharkad is a cold and rugged world characterized by its mountainous terrain and nearly planet-spanning ruins. It possesses four major continents and a single island chain all of which are separated by massive oceans of liquid nitrogen. The largest continent of Kolbeinsdalr is home to the planet’s capital city of Asgard as well as seven of the other eighteen major city-states. The continent of Jokulsfiroir contains some of the most unexplored ruins of former Tharkad and is host to only three of the major cities. The Lyran Guard fortress-monastery is located in the Leirhofn Islands and—given the fierce atmospheric weather conditions over the Skorraey Sea—is primarily accessible via a massive space elevator connected to the defensive space station Sanddalr. Although it is possible to traverse the Skorraey Sea via air, only the most stout of Imperial aircraft are capable of surviving the journey.

Kolbeinsdalr

 * Mioskali AR - Capital: Linakradalr - Total Number of Cities: 3 - The planetary capital of Asgard is located in Mioskali.
 * Kaldakinn AR - Capital: Skagi - Total Number of Cities: 2
 * Skaro AR - Capital: Hvinir - Total Number of Cities: 2

Ashildarmyrr

 * Fabeinsa AR - Capital: Merrhaefi - Total Number of Cities: 2
 * Rykinskvik AR - Capital: Reykjaa - Total Number of Cities: 2

Aoalvik

 * Knafaholr AR - Capital: Mostr - Total Number of Cities: 2
 * Lambastaoir AR - Capital: Haukagil - Total Number of Cities: 2

Jokulsfiroir

 * Drifandi AR - Capital: Raumsdalr - Total Number of Cities: 3

Leirhofn Islands

 * Leirhofn AR - Although Leirhofn counts as its own administrative region, it is solely occupied by the Lyran Guard and their fortress-monastery of Coventry.