Note: In addition to the information presented here, students should refer to the Emperor's Hammer System Manual located at https://www.emperorshammer.org/sysman/ or on the Emperor's Hammer Wiki. As of July 2022, the System Manual was being migrated to the Wiki.

In addition to these materials make sure to review the data on Hades found in the System Manual.

Until the arrival of the Emperor's Hammer the world known as Hades was home only to a small research facility, the hellish conditions on the planets surface making any greater presence unwise and untenable. However, with the advances made in radiation shielding at the research station, great progress has been made on Hades itself. Like Mustafar and Sarapin the world’s tormented geology brings vast quantities of natural minerals and alloys to the surface. The mining of these was approved by the Fleet Commander with the intention of supplying the shipyards in orbit and those throughout the Hammer.

A discussion of the terrain and geography of the planet suffers from the inherently changeable nature of Hades surface, whilst a number of more stable geological areas exist, allowing permanent settlement, much of the planet's surface is constantly undergoing change as the roiling molten seas, subject to the intense gravitational fields generated by the liquid core of the planet and to continually heavy seismic activity as the floating tectonic plates crash against one another. The stable areas are normally characterized by mountainous ridges, the ravines and valleys between them providing limited shelter for settlement. Much of the surface is lacking in any defining elevations excepting the protrusions of certain rock types occasionally puncturing the cracked surface.