Various Tarentus Headcanons, in no particular order:
• As an agri-world, Tarentus does a lot of dry farming. So, most of the yield like tomatoes, maize, and beans goes off world. But the natives cultivate cacti and prickly-pear for themselves (the rest of the Imperium doesn't find it palatable).
• "Wine" is made in Tarentus, but it's either a Tequila or Mezcal type spirit. So it's STRONG. Tarentus Wine is not for the faint of heart.
• Also, the natives make their own alcohol, a pulque type drink. Once again, not very palatable to the foreign taste. Mostly because of the slimy texture.
• Sooooo many delicacies. I'm talking Mesquite cakes, Quince cheese, Bird peppers, Pitaya, Rattlesnake consome! You name it. It's a badlands buffet over here.
• Since I imagine the place is all low brush and bramble, with the occasional crags and creeks, I'd say there's lots of hares and jackrabbits and small game: like armadillos and praire dogs.
• There's tons of coyotes and spiders and scorpions, too. But bigger and meaner because something something grim darkness and / or reverse island syndrome.
• Tarentine peoples are both very very zealous in their faith of the Emperor, while also being very locally superstitious and they often combine their folk beliefs into their worship. Yeah, they believe in the big guy on the golden throne and the primarchs. But also they ask their desert saints for small favors and easy summers when they can. (Multiculturalism win)
• Life in Tarentus is, by imperial standards, pretty alright. Yeah, you do have to work grueling hours toiling under the desert sun, meanwhile the nights are bone-chilling cold and full of the howling of coyotes, and sure, if you’re new you probably don't like the taste of roasted agave hearts garnished with red worm larvae, and of course, you could just get unlucky and fall over dead one day because you forgot to check for scorpions before putting on your shoes, but it could be worse! IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE.
• Because the enviroment is so harsh the people are close knit and they take care of each other. And when shit hits the fan, it's all hands on deck, even a few nobles and guardsmen get rotated in to dethorn some cacti or scare off coyotes.
It ain't much, but it's home
