Baden-Baden
| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name: | Baden-Baden | 
|
| Segmentum: | Tempestus | ||
| Sector: | Eternum | ||
| Subsector: | Gothar | ||
| System: | Corsari | ||
| Population: | ~12,000,000 | ||
| Affiliation: | Imperial | ||
| Class: | Death World | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Solutio Tertius | ||
Overview
A unique death world Baden-Baden has no terrifying wildlife, plants, horrific weather, or warp taint, in fact, Baden-Baden would be idyllic were it not for one fact the original colonists only learned when they attempted to travel off world for the first time; Baden-Baden's tall orange yellow grasses and flora possess and saturate the atmosphere with a unique narcotic compound that slightly changes the genome of any who breathe it in or ingest it over the course of a couple days - the end result being a total dependency on this compound. Cardamine, as the compound is called, has utterly tainted the population of Baden-Baden, with the only way to survive off world for the tainted being them bringing the gaseous form of Cardamine with them to breathe. Cardamine does have some beneficial effects however, extending the life of the addicted and causing euphoria and increased reaction times, though it also causes a lower libido, docileness, and aggression in some individuals. Life on Baden-Baden is ruled by syndicates who control concentrated Cardamine distilleries. The vast majority of Baden-Baden's population exist in a state of stupor, always searching for more concentrated Cardamine to either fight better or forget their lot, and this dependence on stronger versions of Cardamine allows the syndicates to maintain armies and workers. Baden-Baden is a violent planet, with even the capital wrecked by constant syndicate wars over territory or refineries. Although nominally part of the Imperium, Baden-Baden has little interest in the galaxy at large, and due to their unique conditions most tithes are likewise useless as Cardamine would have to be constantly supplied to off worlders. Thus the only tithes levied upon Baden-Baden are Cardamine shipments (for Magos Biologis research) and fighter pilots who are also supplied Cardamine by the syndicates. The Imperial Navy does prize Baden-Baden's pilots as their enhanced reaction times give them a significant edge in combat, though only a small amount can be raised owing to their dependence on a drug found only on one world. Baden-Baden is left alone and allowed to govern itself (with the governor the Don of the most powerful syndicate) on three conditions: The tithe must always be met, Cardamine must not be exported to any but the Adeptus Mechanicus (though the more bold syndicates often smuggle it out anyway), and Eternum's nobility are allowed to banish individuals who are too connected to properly imprison or kill but too dangerous (or inconvenient) to let free, with a stipulation that the syndicates must not directly harm the banished. This has kept the peace, or at least kept the Imperium from cleansing the world, but were it not for the population being continually doped it very well would be a breeding ground for unrest and heretical cults.