Colchis is the destroyed homeworld of Lorgar Aurelian and the Word Bearers Legion. It’s where the Imperium’s most devout Legion was born, and where its faith curdled into the Chaos worship that helped spark the Horus Heresy.
What Colchis was
Colchis sat in Segmentum Pacificus, a massive world roughly three times the size of Terra. Its orbit around its sun took about 4.8 Terran years, and a single rotation lasted roughly 170 Terran hours, so its day-night cycle was far longer than humans could naturally adapt to.
To cope, Colchisian civilisations split the solar day into seven sub-days: Dawnaway, Mornday, Long Noon, Post-noon, Duskeve, Coldfall, and High Night. Each sub-day was further divided into wake-rise, wake-main, and rest-eve to line up with a normal Terran day.
- Segmentum Pacificus
- Three times Terra’s size
- 4.8-year orbit, 170.4-hour rotation
- Capital: Vharadesh, the City of Grey Flowers
Life under the Covenant
Mountains and deserts covered most of Colchis, so its people clustered along the coasts and relied on water and air travel between settlements. The capital city-state was Vharadesh, known as the City of Grey Flowers.
The Covenant, a religious institution, controlled the cities. Slavery was widespread, and desert nomads outside the cities were branded the Declined, considered damned by the Great Powers. Before Lorgar arrived, the planet had regressed from a technologically advanced past to a feudal state, with ancient ruins scattered across the surface and derelict starships still in orbit.
Lorgar and the Word Bearers
When the Emperor found Lorgar on Colchis, the world became the recruiting ground and spiritual heart of the Word Bearers Legion. Lorgar shaped it into what he saw as a planet of peace and prosperity, and he asked that it be left that way when he left to serve the Imperium.
That hope didn’t survive the Great Crusade. After the Emperor humiliated Lorgar at Monarchia, the Legion’s devotion twisted toward the Chaos Powers, and Colchis became a foundation for the heresy that followed.
How Colchis died
After the Horus Heresy, Colchis was bombed from orbit until it submitted. Its unusual geological makeup meant the bombardment didn’t just scar the surface. The planet fractured and broke apart, leaving nothing but debris.
The world was destroyed around 035.M31. Its exact location is now a secret the Inquisition keeps guarded, which is why you won’t find it marked on most modern Imperial charts.
Key facts
- Colchis was the Word Bearers’ original homeworld and Lorgar’s adopted planet.
- It was a huge world, about three times Terra’s size, with a 170.4-hour day.
- The Covenant controlled its cities and practiced widespread slavery.
- It was destroyed around 035.M31 when bombardment caused the planet to break apart.
- Its location is now a secret guarded by the Inquisition.
FAQ
What is Colchis in Warhammer 40k?
It’s the dead homeworld of Lorgar and the Word Bearers Legion, destroyed in the aftermath of the Horus Heresy. Its location is hidden by the Inquisition.
Why is Colchis important?
It’s where the Word Bearers were founded and where Lorgar’s faith took root. That faith eventually turned to Chaos and helped set the stage for the Horus Heresy.
When was Colchis destroyed?
Around 035.M31, after the Horus Heresy, when orbital bombardment caused the planet to fracture and explode.