Burden King
2015-09-20, 03:48 AM
Like the name says, this thread is to construct a Xenos faction that can be used in the table top games Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader/ ETC.
These Xenos won't be just some small time pirates that may be sprinkled into rogue groups of pirates, or some local population on some backwater planet, but a rapidly growing empire in a sector. This empire is fueled on captured alien technology, warp magicks, and the various eccentric biologies of these rare and varied Xenos that make up this union of Survivors. The Race should be survivors of Imperial attempts at exterminatus, which the Sector of space has proven to be terrible at doing since the Original two species not only escaped extermination, but rallied together and began to thrive.
There are so far two Xenos me and some friends (mostly my friends in some cases) have set up to be the original two factions to join together and form this Empire of Survivors. The Legion will be the main race, as their entire remaining population escaped and they're the best qualified. However, the other races should play major roles in keeping the empire alive, and helping the other races by providing things and abilities the other lack.
1st Race: Xenos Communi-Animo Legionatus
History:Evolving on the Temperate Garden world of Catairn V, the Xenos Cummuni-Animo Legionatus species were discovered by imperial Settlers to be a highly primitive, steel age level technology society. This low tech level initially convinced the Imperial citizens that the conquest of the planet would be incredibly easy. And initially, it was. Most major settlements of the xenos population were destroyed within a week of the invasion, the imperial citizens bare minimum technology more then a match for the surprised Xenos population. Confidence was high with the Imperials, and they had begun to set up their settlements well before they were close to eliminating the native population. This proved to be the greatest mistake of the sector.
With a place where the Imperials technology would be stockpiled, the Xenos immediately realized their chance at salvation against the invaders. In an invasion that the surviving settlers swear "Was planned by Chaos god Tzeencth himself", the Xenos raided the settlement, took every bit of technology, and killed everyone.
The raid not only weaponized the force, but also provided technology to listen into imperial communications and a small ship able to exit the planets gravity well. However, without any training, the rest of the Imperium civilian fleet in orbit thought that they would simply have to worry about the lost weapons. Imperial guard assistance was called, and the Imperium military came to quickly handle the problem.
At first, with the arrival of the Imperium forces, the xenos forces were driven back, or so it seemed. For although they had the military superiority, their enemy knew the lay of the land better than they did. Unlike humans, their cause was not lost with the dead of presumed leaders. However, as they struck surgically and got rid of a few select officers and comissars, their guerrilla tactics started undermining the efficiency of the enemy, and the legion had a chance to strike back.
They made the fight for Catairn V a very slow grind to a halt for the Imperium, though considering the greater threats, the legion was never really seen as more than a problem limited to that single world, and therefore, nothing that required attention of any astartes chapter or the adeptas sororitas. And so, human reinforces dwindled slowly and offered no new tactics that the enemy hadn't studied and learned.
The legion forces then pulled one last trick and lured the enemy into believing that the forces that they fought now were but a rebelling remainder of their race, and pushed them to do a final attack into one of their cities. The true forces were awaiting their arrival underground and quickly overwhelmed the foe.
With communications dead planet-side, those in orbit began to fear what would come next. A few tried to leave, some to plead immediate aid to those that hadn't seen this enemy as a potential threat at first. But those who remained didn't have much time left either, for after so many years, their enemy had learned from them, and the legion struck them at full force, now with many salvaged vessels and weaponry taken from the imperium.
And so, the Legion claimed their first great victory, and in very few years jumped from a steel age civilization to a powerful spacefaring force, taking over their home system, and soon moving to liberate other lesser xenos forces from the Imperium's grasp, assimilating them into their own ranks, their strength only growing, and their focus forevermore set on destroying the children of Terra.
Biology(WIP): The Legion (imperial Short hand for the Xenos full designation) are a race of humanoids of thus far undeterminable variety. While possessing some features similar to insects, their physiology have thus far proven to have little analogue by Terran fauna. Their bodies are covered in strong armor, strong enough to take multiple shots from low impact las weaponry while being apparently light enough to not hinder their mobility. Initial contact with the species odd physical form lead imperial colonists to believe the Xenos had some form of odd armor on their bodies at all times, leading to immediate higher grade weaponry being used. It was only later found out their autopsy done by Magos Biologis sent accompanying the colonists that the armor was in actuality the Xenos actual skin. While noted as being interesting by the Magos, it did little to hamper colonial pursuits even when the the Xenos began to field troops with actual armor, which seemed designed to redirect primitive weapons designed to pierce armor.
The Xenos appear to lack visual organs comparable to any previously engaged xenos species, possessing a single massive eye like structure on their head. This structure appears capable to send visual information at all angles it is able to view to it's brain and process it at instant speed, granting the Xenos access to situational awareness and peripheral vision that far exceeds that of humans. It is structured like a smooth rounded surface, with what appears to be hexagonal shapes lightly etched in, leading to the theory it is in actuality a compound eye of some form. While there was no way to determine just what these eyes were capable of completely, colonist reports told of Xenos being able to watch any action performed by a human and replicate it perfectly while also figuring out the meaning and purpose of the actions in mere seconds after through frightening deductive reasoning. This includes tactical hand signs, maintenance rituals, vehicle and weapon handling, and even general body language. This vision seemed to be hampered in dark conditions, however the xenos appeared to be able to compensate effectively enough to make it a negligible issue.
Finally, the Xenos also appears to have some psyker potential universally. However, sanctioned Psykers brought into study specimens have confirmed that if they are, they are incapable of using it in any meaningful way. Except, as discovered through extensive testing and researching contact reports, through communication. The Xenos possess a very efficient and frighteningly potent form of hivemind that connects them all together. Each Xenos individual is in facts it's own creature, however they all seems connected and aware of a consciousness they can share with others. This hivemind is rather weak in small populations, only able to vaguely share shadows of ideas in groups of 2 to 5. However, as quickly discovered by colonists and imperial Guard forces, this Hivemind rapidly grows more effective and efficient the more Xenos there are. This increase in power also leads to an increase in range, leading to rapid and instant sharing of information, tactics, ideas, and other such things.
It was this hivemind that allowed the xenos to succeed in their survival on their planet, and evidently against the Imperium. Luckily, they are unable to figure out how to reconstruct or recreate most imperial technology on their own, requiring the experience of seeing it done before them. However, they are able to modify what they learn, so what they know how to create and build now will only lead them to creating their own versions of Imperium technology, and eventually allow them to acquire the basic knowledge to begin to learn to replicate more imperial technology.
Military style: Legion forces tend to be incredibly suited for warfare focusing on hit and run tactics and Guerrilla tactics, using their hivmeind and information gathering abilities. One can seperate their military tactics into three phases. First phases, watch and learn. This phas eis where they confront their enemy as little as possible, learning all they can about the enemy to better combat them and capitalize on their weaknesses. The second phase, probe and adapt, is where they begin hit and run tactics in order to test their plans and to force the enemy to play any card they have hidden to better be prepared for the final phase. The final Phase, Attack and destroy, where they use all their knowledge of the enemy, the environment, the time, and anything else they have to completely out maneuver and decimate hostile forces.
In all phases of attack, one can expect the Legion to field any number of technologies not of their own design, ranging from Imperial to Tau technology. This leads to a very unfortunate fact that their weaponry and attacks can come in many forms, and preparation for such things by the enemy are pointless.
(Gonna post the next Xeno after I wake up later. Been working on this for awhile XD Hope to see some interest in this whole endeavor.)
These Xenos won't be just some small time pirates that may be sprinkled into rogue groups of pirates, or some local population on some backwater planet, but a rapidly growing empire in a sector. This empire is fueled on captured alien technology, warp magicks, and the various eccentric biologies of these rare and varied Xenos that make up this union of Survivors. The Race should be survivors of Imperial attempts at exterminatus, which the Sector of space has proven to be terrible at doing since the Original two species not only escaped extermination, but rallied together and began to thrive.
There are so far two Xenos me and some friends (mostly my friends in some cases) have set up to be the original two factions to join together and form this Empire of Survivors. The Legion will be the main race, as their entire remaining population escaped and they're the best qualified. However, the other races should play major roles in keeping the empire alive, and helping the other races by providing things and abilities the other lack.
1st Race: Xenos Communi-Animo Legionatus
History:Evolving on the Temperate Garden world of Catairn V, the Xenos Cummuni-Animo Legionatus species were discovered by imperial Settlers to be a highly primitive, steel age level technology society. This low tech level initially convinced the Imperial citizens that the conquest of the planet would be incredibly easy. And initially, it was. Most major settlements of the xenos population were destroyed within a week of the invasion, the imperial citizens bare minimum technology more then a match for the surprised Xenos population. Confidence was high with the Imperials, and they had begun to set up their settlements well before they were close to eliminating the native population. This proved to be the greatest mistake of the sector.
With a place where the Imperials technology would be stockpiled, the Xenos immediately realized their chance at salvation against the invaders. In an invasion that the surviving settlers swear "Was planned by Chaos god Tzeencth himself", the Xenos raided the settlement, took every bit of technology, and killed everyone.
The raid not only weaponized the force, but also provided technology to listen into imperial communications and a small ship able to exit the planets gravity well. However, without any training, the rest of the Imperium civilian fleet in orbit thought that they would simply have to worry about the lost weapons. Imperial guard assistance was called, and the Imperium military came to quickly handle the problem.
At first, with the arrival of the Imperium forces, the xenos forces were driven back, or so it seemed. For although they had the military superiority, their enemy knew the lay of the land better than they did. Unlike humans, their cause was not lost with the dead of presumed leaders. However, as they struck surgically and got rid of a few select officers and comissars, their guerrilla tactics started undermining the efficiency of the enemy, and the legion had a chance to strike back.
They made the fight for Catairn V a very slow grind to a halt for the Imperium, though considering the greater threats, the legion was never really seen as more than a problem limited to that single world, and therefore, nothing that required attention of any astartes chapter or the adeptas sororitas. And so, human reinforces dwindled slowly and offered no new tactics that the enemy hadn't studied and learned.
The legion forces then pulled one last trick and lured the enemy into believing that the forces that they fought now were but a rebelling remainder of their race, and pushed them to do a final attack into one of their cities. The true forces were awaiting their arrival underground and quickly overwhelmed the foe.
With communications dead planet-side, those in orbit began to fear what would come next. A few tried to leave, some to plead immediate aid to those that hadn't seen this enemy as a potential threat at first. But those who remained didn't have much time left either, for after so many years, their enemy had learned from them, and the legion struck them at full force, now with many salvaged vessels and weaponry taken from the imperium.
And so, the Legion claimed their first great victory, and in very few years jumped from a steel age civilization to a powerful spacefaring force, taking over their home system, and soon moving to liberate other lesser xenos forces from the Imperium's grasp, assimilating them into their own ranks, their strength only growing, and their focus forevermore set on destroying the children of Terra.
Biology(WIP): The Legion (imperial Short hand for the Xenos full designation) are a race of humanoids of thus far undeterminable variety. While possessing some features similar to insects, their physiology have thus far proven to have little analogue by Terran fauna. Their bodies are covered in strong armor, strong enough to take multiple shots from low impact las weaponry while being apparently light enough to not hinder their mobility. Initial contact with the species odd physical form lead imperial colonists to believe the Xenos had some form of odd armor on their bodies at all times, leading to immediate higher grade weaponry being used. It was only later found out their autopsy done by Magos Biologis sent accompanying the colonists that the armor was in actuality the Xenos actual skin. While noted as being interesting by the Magos, it did little to hamper colonial pursuits even when the the Xenos began to field troops with actual armor, which seemed designed to redirect primitive weapons designed to pierce armor.
The Xenos appear to lack visual organs comparable to any previously engaged xenos species, possessing a single massive eye like structure on their head. This structure appears capable to send visual information at all angles it is able to view to it's brain and process it at instant speed, granting the Xenos access to situational awareness and peripheral vision that far exceeds that of humans. It is structured like a smooth rounded surface, with what appears to be hexagonal shapes lightly etched in, leading to the theory it is in actuality a compound eye of some form. While there was no way to determine just what these eyes were capable of completely, colonist reports told of Xenos being able to watch any action performed by a human and replicate it perfectly while also figuring out the meaning and purpose of the actions in mere seconds after through frightening deductive reasoning. This includes tactical hand signs, maintenance rituals, vehicle and weapon handling, and even general body language. This vision seemed to be hampered in dark conditions, however the xenos appeared to be able to compensate effectively enough to make it a negligible issue.
Finally, the Xenos also appears to have some psyker potential universally. However, sanctioned Psykers brought into study specimens have confirmed that if they are, they are incapable of using it in any meaningful way. Except, as discovered through extensive testing and researching contact reports, through communication. The Xenos possess a very efficient and frighteningly potent form of hivemind that connects them all together. Each Xenos individual is in facts it's own creature, however they all seems connected and aware of a consciousness they can share with others. This hivemind is rather weak in small populations, only able to vaguely share shadows of ideas in groups of 2 to 5. However, as quickly discovered by colonists and imperial Guard forces, this Hivemind rapidly grows more effective and efficient the more Xenos there are. This increase in power also leads to an increase in range, leading to rapid and instant sharing of information, tactics, ideas, and other such things.
It was this hivemind that allowed the xenos to succeed in their survival on their planet, and evidently against the Imperium. Luckily, they are unable to figure out how to reconstruct or recreate most imperial technology on their own, requiring the experience of seeing it done before them. However, they are able to modify what they learn, so what they know how to create and build now will only lead them to creating their own versions of Imperium technology, and eventually allow them to acquire the basic knowledge to begin to learn to replicate more imperial technology.
Military style: Legion forces tend to be incredibly suited for warfare focusing on hit and run tactics and Guerrilla tactics, using their hivmeind and information gathering abilities. One can seperate their military tactics into three phases. First phases, watch and learn. This phas eis where they confront their enemy as little as possible, learning all they can about the enemy to better combat them and capitalize on their weaknesses. The second phase, probe and adapt, is where they begin hit and run tactics in order to test their plans and to force the enemy to play any card they have hidden to better be prepared for the final phase. The final Phase, Attack and destroy, where they use all their knowledge of the enemy, the environment, the time, and anything else they have to completely out maneuver and decimate hostile forces.
In all phases of attack, one can expect the Legion to field any number of technologies not of their own design, ranging from Imperial to Tau technology. This leads to a very unfortunate fact that their weaponry and attacks can come in many forms, and preparation for such things by the enemy are pointless.
(Gonna post the next Xeno after I wake up later. Been working on this for awhile XD Hope to see some interest in this whole endeavor.)