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#name: Korhal: Overview
Throne world of the Terran Dominion, Korhal IV is an irradiated testament to mankinds war-torn history in the Koprulu sector. The fourth world in the Korhal system, the planet (often referred to simply as Korhal) was originally lush and temperate, and it was colonized by Tarsonian settlers in the early expansion years. Soon Korhal became a vital member of the thirteen Confederate core worlds, gaining recognition for its advanced science and research facilities and contributing to many key military and technological advances. However, as with all of the core worlds, Korhal IV remained a vassal to the Terran Confederacy and the corrupt Old Families of Tarsonis. Over time, tensions rose on Korhal IV, and agitators called for outright secession from the Confederacy.

A dynamic and respected Korhalian senator, Angus Mengsk, became the voice of this movement. His efforts culminated in a senate vote to declare war on the Confederacy if Korhals demands for greater autonomy were not satisfied. The Confederacy responded by sending ghosts  psionically enhanced assassins  to kill Senator Mengsk and his family, hoping to stifle the secession by silencing its greatest and most vocal advocate. The ghosts were lethally effective, slaying every member of the Mengsk family on Korhal IV.

The senators only son, Arcturus, was off planet at the time. Driven by his anger and grief over the brutal murder of his family, Arcturus Mengsk became a central figure in the resistance against the Confederacy. He led a devastatingly successful insurgent campaign that cost the Old Families of Tarsonis billions. The Confederacy chose a stringent response: a nuclear bombardment of Korhal IV that slaughtered millions and transformed the verdant planet into a radioactive wasteland of black glass.

Arcturus Mengsk was on the planet Umoja during the attack, making plans with the separatist factions he had been able to contact. He witnessed the destruction of his home planet from the Spy Deck in the Umojan Protectorate. His fury and determination only grew, and he renamed his resistance movement the Sons of Korhal. Public outrage over the nuclear holocaust of Korhal IV brought an endless stream of support and volunteers. Taking advantage of the militarys focus on the zerg invasion, Mengsk overthrew the Terran Confederacy to become emperor of the new Terran Dominion. One of his first decrees was to begin reconstruction of Korhal IV, electing to make it the executive seat of his fledgling government.

Vast fortunes have been lavished on the cleanup and rebuilding of Korhal IV, although portions of the irradiated desert have been left untouched in honor of those who died. The capital city of Augustgrad  named in honor of Arcturuss grandfather Augustus  is crowned by Mengsks own imperial palace.

Korhal IV was subject to a brief occupation during the incursion of the United Earth Directorate, but the planet was recaptured by an alliance of terran and protoss forces assisted by the zerg Queen of Blades  all united by their enmity to the UED. Korhal IVs defenses have been massively increased since Arcturus Mengsk retook the throne, and hes turned Korhal into the most heavily fortified planet in the Koprulu sector.