The Sthenelus System is the star system that contains Medusa, homeworld of the Iron Hands. Fans also call it the Medusan System, and it sits in Segmentum Obscurus with nine worlds circling a volatile star.
What and where it is
Sthenelus is a nine-world system orbiting a star of the same name, described as angry and unforgiving. Most of it is hostile to life, and only scattered Iron Hands and Adeptus Mechanicus elements live there.
It’s sometimes called the Medusan System after its most famous world. Medusa is the Iron Hands’ homeworld, which is why the system matters at all.
The worlds of Sthenelus
The system’s roster runs from dead rocks to gas giants, with a single hive of industry and research. Here’s how the nine worlds break down.
| World | Type |
|---|---|
| Sthenelus | Sun |
| Thoosa | Dead World |
| Graea | Dead World |
| Medusa | Iron Hands homeworld |
| Skylla | Mining World |
| Ladon | Gas Giant |
| Hesperos | Gas Giant |
| Pindar | Gas Giant |
| Raeon | Death World |
| Thennos | Adeptus Mechanicus research world |
The debris belt and the Necron theory
Between Raeon and Thennos there’s a debris belt. The common view is that it’s the wreckage of an unnamed planet destroyed during the Age of Strife by unknown means.
The Ordo Astra has a bigger idea. Its agents speculate that the belt, and possibly the dead worlds Thoosa and Graea, are fragments of prosperous planets shattered in an ancient clash between the Necrons and their old enemies. Nobody’s proved it. But Medusan folklore hints at a Necron presence on Medusa itself as late as the Age of Strife, which keeps the theory alive.
Why it’s contested
The system’s value comes from Medusa and the Iron Hands, plus Mechanicus interest in Thennos and Skylla’s mining output. That makes it a target worth fighting over in a region where the Imperium can’t afford to lose a First Founding homeworld.
The Necron theory adds a second kind of contest: more than who holds the system now, but who held it long before humanity arrived.
Key facts
- The Sthenelus System is also known as the Medusan System.
- It has nine worlds orbiting the star Sthenelus.
- Medusa, the Iron Hands homeworld, is the system’s most important world.
- A debris belt between Raeon and Thennos may be a planet destroyed in the Age of Strife.
- The Ordo Astra suspects the system saw an ancient Necron clash, though it’s unproven.
- The system lies in Segmentum Obscurus.
FAQ
Is the Sthenelus System the same as the Medusan System?
Yes. Sources use both names for the same system, with Medusan referring to its most important world, Medusa.
How many worlds are in the Sthenelus System?
Nine, including Medusa, the dead worlds Thoosa and Graea, three gas giants, and the mining and research worlds Skylla and Thennos.
Where does the name Sthenelus come from?
It likely nods to Stheno, one of the Gorgons in Greek myth and a sister of Medusa.