Ithaka

Ithaka is an Imperial Ocean world, located in the Reef Stars region of  the Segementum Obscurus. Ithaka is commenly referred to as the Cradle of Snakes by its indigenous population. It would be just another backwater planet of the Imperium if not for the fact that it is the homeworld of the Iron Snakes chapter and their recruiting grounds for Neophytes.

Ithaka is largely covered in very deep oceans and home to a variety of sea life, including the great serpentine Water Wyrms. Ithaka does possess significant landmass, including tropical islands and viciously cold polar regions. The Iron Snakes are therefore able to train in a number of environments, although the sea is most precious to them. Ithaka's oceans are home to a variety of sea-life, including the indigenous giant Water Wyrms. A kraretyer, or mature male bull Water Wyrm, is known to grow up to 300 metres in length. The Chapter uses these Wyrms in hunting exercises for its Initiates, and in the ritual punishment of Oethanar. The Water Wyrms are known to cause retyarion (Wyrm-Storm), ferocious squalls that seem to follow the movement of the marine serpents. A retyarion eventually causes seunenae (the folding walls of iron), giant tsunamis that rise out of the deep waters and come crashing into the settled islands while standing kilometres-high.

The water from its oceans is considered sacred, and is carried by the Chapter to anoint every planet that they step foot on, in what is called the Rite of the Giving of Water. When those marines return home, what remains is given back to Ithaka

The Iron Snakes' actual Fortress-Monastery, which they refer to as the Chapter House, is located on Ithaka's fortress moon, Karybdis, and features a great bell as large as a Space Marine Drop Pod. The Chapter House is a mighty bastion with sloped turrets lined with Earthshaker Cannons, massive curtain walls, and hardpoint blisters of Hydra batteries. The Chapter House contains armouries, forges, training halls, a chapel and an Apothecarion. It also contains a main bath pool known as the Hall of the Balneary. The Balneary is fifty metres square and filled with sacred sea-water imported from Ithaka. The Tholos lay beneath the Chapter House, anchored deep in the rocky crust of Karybdis. This was a stockade for Astartes of the Iron Snakes that was seldom used due to the meticulous discipline of the Chapter. Its most common residents were prisoners of war, held pending interrogation under the watchful eyes of the Veteran Astartes who served as the wardens known as Archons.

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