Baal is the nominal homeworld of the Blood Angels chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. Baal itself is a dry, dusty and desert world, scarcely inhabited by mutants and feral animals. However its two moons, Baal Prime and Baal Secundus support notable human settlements and were once "Paradises for mortal men".
Little is known about the past circumstances of these two moons, but at some time in the past (probably during the Dark Age of Technology or the Age of Strife) a cataclysmic conflict arose and led to the widespread use of both viral and nuclear weapons, destroying the ecosystems of both satellites and contaminating their biospheres with radioactive fallout, chemical pollution and biological agents.
Baal Prime
First and smallest of the moons, a colony was established after Horus Heresy and is also inhabited by several tribes worthy enough for the Blood Angels to recruit from.
Baal Secundus
Location of the landing site of Sanguinius, Angel's Fall. The Blood Angels made Baal Secundus their home and base of operations and the site of the chapter's fortress-monastery. It has a large population (compared to the other worlds in the system), of scavenger tribes how have to compete with vicious predators such as the infamous Fire Scorpions. Needless to say, men from these tribes make for formidable aspirants.
Inhabitants
The indigenous peoples of Baal Prime and Baal Secundus suffered greatly from the aftermath of the conflict and gradually became degenerate, mutated and sickly, the survivors banding together into semi-nomadic tribes. These tribespeople appear to have maintained some technology as mention is made of rad-counters, rad-suits (self-evidently advanced technological equipment to protect from the effects of radiation), vehicular transport and advanced weaponry.
Many tribes turned to cannibalism and became even further corrupted by the toxins endemic to their environment, but at least one tribe maintained a noble and enlightened outlook; known as the 'Ones of Pure Blood', often contracted simply to 'The Blood'. It was The Blood who encountered the infant Primarch Sanguinius when he came to rest on Baal Secundus, and they adopted him as one of their own. The tribespeople were astonished at the young Primarch's rate of growth, constitution and strength, and he soon became a hero among them, on at least one occasion defending The Blood against an attack by another, mutant tribe, and killing many of them. It was in this capacity that he was discovered by the Emperor during the Great Crusade. Sanguinius instantly recognised the master of mankind and swore fealty to him, taking command of the Blood Angels legion created from his own genes.
- This article is a stub. You can help the Warhammer 40k Wiki by fixing it.