Stigmata has more dangerous flora and fauna than any other world in the Empire, save Severus. The denizens here are usually larger and less subtle than the deceptive Severan wildlife, ranging from the poison-spraying Maendus Tree to the infamous Stigmatan Marsh Eel, to giant Yarav Mammoths, who breathe fire when enraged or endangered.
The largest continent is Duriah, home to most of Stigmata's strange phenomena. Villagers report strange lights and craft flying about, symbiot ghosts marching through villages, and odd disconnected voices chattering in some foreign language. The Gattan-Blach mountain range in the western edge of the continent has a cavernous underground, still largely unexplored. It is rumored that a lost colony of Ukar made it to Stigmata and still resides miles underground to this day. The strangest phenomena of all is a region known as Avernus. This blasted wasteland is under constant cloudcover, and is strangely unpenetrable by any sensors, psi or theurgy powers. Lightning strikes prevent anyone from going too far into Avernus, and both the Symbiots and humans have lost many expeditions to the storms. One explorer using some high-tech visual equipment claimed to see odd structures near the epicenter of the storms just before his signal was cut-off. Victims usually report a faint smell of flowers in the air just before a lightning strike occurs. Duriah is largely jungle, and stretches north into the polar regions, no large human or Symbiot settlements of note exist, as there is little fighting on this continent.
Brivamante is the only other large landmass of note on Stigmata, this is where almost all of the fighting on Stigmata takes place. The continent is a mix of swamp and jungle, with an inland sea known as Tsaidas. The largest human settlement is the city of Chonyra, which houses the planet's main starport and agora. Chonyra is a smaller version of Leagueheim, with bustling streets and a sky filled with flitters and hoppers. Large water distillation plants and their backups run constantly, demanding heavy protection from the Garrison, lest the Symbiots infest the water with some horrific organism. At night the inhabitants party heartily, as it may be their last chance to do so. Chonyra lies in the northeastern region of Brivamante while its counterpart, the Hiranzus Ridge Hive, lies on the southern tip of the continent. The largest of 3 PTS (Planet to space) installations, the Kadeen Station, is on this continent, as is Fort Gota, which the Symbiots seem to attack almost daily in some form or another. Symbiot corpses have been turning up in some areas, leading both sides to believe there may be another force at work here. Brivamante's most noteworthy feature is the Red Jungle of Nuadima, where all the flora takes a blood-red coloring during the day, and where the hero Nuadima fought his last battle (see below).
A small set of islands known as the Ia-Rel Archipelago stretches out southwestward from Brivamante. Over 2,500 islands ranging from 11 sq. feet to 40 sq. miles make up this picturesque chain of underwater mountains. This area would be a giant tourist hot-spot if the fighting ever stopped. Hundreds of small fishing villages dot the archipelago, and a famous painter by the name of Thomas Cole has recently come here to "capture the scene for all time." Symbiot attacks are rare here, for some reason, and the Garrison is scant. A small "continent" about half the size of Australia sits in the equatorial regions far west of Brivamante. Its official name is Maniskan but Stigmatans call it Archeron. It was once home to many hives and hordes of Symbiots, but the previous Garrison commander ordered it bombarded to the barren wasteland which it is today. No Symbiot or human settlements exist here, save Fort Falkris, where retiring Garrison veterans go for an easy last few months. Garrison Commander Dulcinea has arranged for the Imperial Eye and her own personal troops to secretly watch these retiring veterans for Symbiot taint, so none of the shapeshifters are released to the general public. Strange fires still burn here, seemingly without fuel, and occasionally a lone figure is seen wandering the wastes....
Baroness Lucinda Dulcinea of House Hazat is the present commander. Emperor Alexius chose her during his regency before the wars were over for two reasons : 1. to strip her house of a talented strategist during the last phases of the war, and 2. because she is a Dulcinea. The Dulcinea family honors duty and ethics above all else, and is known for their integrity in such issues ,and Lucinda takes it upon herself to separate her duty to her house from her duty to the Ministry ; her sense of duty demands that she put her personal agendas aside and do the task bestowed upon her. Other Hazat come here seeking glory, as do members of other noble houses. Here, Hawkwood and Decados troops (usually) put their personal differences aside, while the Li Halan come here to fight in the holy war against the vile invaders. House al-Malik, like the Muster, have a vested interest in keeping Stigmata free, since their homeworld is one jump from Stigmata (as is the Muster's). The Emperor is giving away land on Stigmata to retired veterans who survived tours of duty in the Garrison, and it is rumored that some veterans are secretly banding together to form their own house, since they are landed.
Scravers often show up looking for ruined cities and old items of value lost in the jungle, the Muster come to fight under contracts and to insure that Bannockburn does not see the same fate as Stigmata. It is rumored that the Reeves are hiring mass amounts of Muster to serve a tour on Stigmata so that they may buy the land the veterans get after their tour. Engineers are mostly welcome, bringing new gadgets and weapons to combat the Symbiots, but are kept under close watch for proscribed bio-weapons research and smuggling Symbiot tech off-planet.
he Church has several famous members here (look under Noted Individuals in each section in the main rulebook, I think there's an Amalthean, an Orthodox, and a Brother Battle). Eskatonics are brought in to foretell major offensives as well as find weakpoints in Symbiot lines, Sanctuary Aeon has their work cut-out for them, the Orthodoxy rallies the troops before and during battle, and Brother Battle fights seemingly nonstop (an army with Stoic Mind and Body would suck to fight against - they don't have to sleep!).
Not long ago a great warrior known as Nuadima died in the Red Jungle, and many still search for his legacy. Nuadima had a cybernetic arm, blessed by a powerful Theurgist - the perfect fusion of magic and technology. The arm was said to bestow great strength and speed to its user, as well as immunity to Symbiot possesion and some Symbiot attacks. Nuadima's equipment and entourage were found in the jungle a few months ago, but there was no sign of Nuadima or his arm. He was assumed dead and granted sainthood shortly thereafter.
About two months ago a Brother Battle known as Sister Kantarra, the Iron Flower, destroyed a hive near Kadeen station with a handful of other Brother Battle monks. One of the monks claimed she took the form of an Empyrean angel of mercy during the battle, while another saw her as an angel of death. Kantarra left shortly after the battle, but a small cult may be forming around her and the events at the Kadeen hive.