Fluff Related Inquiry: Flesh Tearers

[Aothaine]

Hey everyone!

 

So I jump all over the forums, never know where the next great idea will come from, and I saw a post by Sawtooth here:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/336507-fluff-question-detecting-genestealer-infiltration/

 

It hit me like a ton of bricks... I was wondering if anyone knew exactly how the reinforcements of Gulliman into Blood Angels & Successors is happening and if it would be possible that a Genestealer Brood maybe infiltrated into the recruits of the Flesh Tearers. The Recruit would be exceptionally vicious and would easily fit in with the Flesh Tearers. Perhaps even rising ranks fairly quickly.

 

I ask this because my Primaris force is going to be Flesh Tearers. I know that already. But I wanted to check with the community to find out if a Genestealer Brood could infiltrate the recruit pool of the Flesh Tearers and survive the process of becoming a Space Marine. 

 

If so, I think I'll be modifying my Primaris without helmets to show small signs of Genestealer DNA. I don't mean to take anything away from Sawtooth, but I'm super excited about this. Just want to make sure it is possible before I start Green Stuffing my miniatures.

[The Unseen]

Fluffwise? Not a chance in hell. Space marine recruits go through a ridiculous screening process that includes full body scans and genetic testing.

But hey, its a big universe, and its your army man.

[Aothaine]

Nah... if it wouldn't be possible I won't do it. I like fluffy things.

[Arkangilos]

It doesn't have to be recruits. It could be that the genestealers got hold of a squad.

[Aothaine]

It doesn't have to be recruits. It could be that the genestealers got hold of a squad.

 

You think that would work? Do they implant them and take them over? I thought the Genestealers were more based around gene manipulation. I don't know a lot about this. If it can be sourced I'll totally accept it.

[Panzer]

Dunno if it would work on full fledged Marines, but it would probably work on Scouts. The problem is that a squad that got deployed somewhere with even the slightest hint of GSC movement they'd get checked immediately once they returned anyway.

 

Hell even T'au learned how to look out for Genestealer and that one planet only got infiltrated because, as naive as they are, tried to study this weird alien symbiont thingy. So Space Marines who already know about them for quite some time and are super xenophobic should definitely be on the look out for something like that.

[Arkhanist]

Genestealers use their hypnotise gaze to immobilize and wipe the memory of their victim, then inject a small organism that psychically controls its victim. An initial victim won't show any outward signs of infection, but their children will be mutant hybrids between genestealers and (usually) human. 1st generation hybrids aren't even close to human, with later generations getting closer and closer to human, until 5th generation at which point you get some purestrain 'stealers.

 

So a space marine could possibly be infected by a 'stealer, but they're sterile - and presumably the apothecaries would be watching for that sort of thing. The other option would be a 4th generation hybrid that looks mostly human, somehow getting themselves into the marine recruitment pool, avoiding the many, many tests and checks performed on recruits, and survive the transformation process without being discovered. Which seems... unlikely.

 

You'd need some fluff reason for the neophyte (4th gen) recruits to have got past the normal checks for taint. Ironically, primaris might be easier to justify - cawl recruited from such a large pool, over such a long timespan, and he had to operate in secret for all of it, so had little or no help. Perhaps a cult intentionally or accidentally got their neophytes picked up, transformed and put on ice - particularly if it happened before genestealer cults were the well known threat they are in the current time and cawl wasn't aware of what he should have been looking for.

 

Then once they're deposited in the Tearers, you'd arguably need to justify them avoiding being discovered by modern marines who have likely already fought cults. Perhaps infected serfs, drawn to their psychic beacon helping to swap out blood tests and things? I dunno. But chaos managed it just fine with corrupted marines secretly growing in strength until well, the heresy, and even in current 40k time companies or entire chapters defect, so it's not like marines are perfect at spotting corruption in their midst.

 

Modelling wise, you probably want to avoid obvious head ridges. Those are a clear sign, and seems very unlikely that'd get missed in the close quarters of marine living and fighting. At the very least, it'd be deeply suspicous. A bit of a purple skin shade though, and subtler head shaping would work...

[Panzer]

Yeah that as well. Space Marines are a dead end for Genestealer as far as it goes for being a Cult. They could be a nice addition to the fighting force of a Cult if their mind control is strong enough....and if they can hide the fact that they got their claws on some long enough without having half of the chapter wiping them out early. ^^

[Panzer]

Primaris are rather unlikely tho. His whole work was based around taking their genes apart and reassembling them. He noticed all the taints and could even confirm that the geneseed of the traitor legions are untainted and ready to use by the time he finished the Primaris project.

[Aothaine]

Modelling wise, you probably want to avoid obvious head ridges. Those are a clear sign, and seems very unlikely that'd get missed in the close quarters of marine living and fighting. At the very least, it'd be deeply suspicous. A bit of a purple skin shade though, and subtler head shaping would work...

 

Awesome! Sounds like it could be possible then. Yeah it would only with my Primaris. Though they would have had to been picked up by accident. If it was intentional then having them become sterile marines would be pointless as it would not allow them to reproduce. It would be really difficult to have them spread throughout the company since they can't reproduce. Can they each hypnotize and implant recruits? Could it be possible that enough of them got into good enough positions that they would be able to control an entire company of Flesh Tearers? Could they have evolved in a way that would allow them to protect themselves from the current screening processes?

 

So many questions. But it is looking more likely that there would only be one and even that one wouldn't last long. Might have to just stick to the IG brood brothers.

[Arkhanist]

sfPanzer, on 27 Jul 2017 - 9:42 PM, said:

Primaris are rather unlikely tho. His whole work was based around taking their genes apart and reassembling them. He noticed all the taints and could even confirm that the geneseed of the traitor legions are untainted and ready to use by the time he finished the Primaris project.

 

 

Presumably he was only doing that while designing the process - he won't have dissected the genes of every single primaris marine personally, he's produced far too many. There's some hints that he was partly responsible for the cursed founding in 36k being a bit... well, pretty much entirely screwed. So he must have still been working on the design at that point.

 

(I'm thinking giant rows of conversion tanks, massively mechanised and automated production with all the genius of a master of the adeptus mechanicus. OK, now I'm thinking of that scene from the matrix with all the pods.)

Edited July 27, 2017 by Arkhanist

[Arkhanist]

 

 It would be really difficult to have them spread throughout the company since they can't reproduce. Can they each hypnotize and implant recruits? Could it be possible that enough of them got into good enough positions that they would be able to control an entire company of Flesh Tearers? Could they have evolved in a way that would allow them to protect themselves from the current screening processes?

So many questions. But it is looking more likely that there would only be one and even that one wouldn't last long. Might have to just stick to the IG brood brothers.

 

 

Only genestealers have the ovipositor (the long tongue) to infect new victims - hybrids rely on the gene taint to pass through their children. However, the Flesh Tearers have recently been involved in a vast fight with the tyranids, where many Sons of Sanguinius died. The primaris were involved in the cleanup stages after the Crusade came calling, so maybe those 4th generation hybrids posing as primaris managed to form a psychic bond with a lone 'stealer (they are missing their original Patriarch, after all!), protect him and smuggle him aboad a battle barge or other ship. All human ships in 40k have plenty of little-travelled spaces aboard.

 

That'd allow you to start infecting chapter serfs, and the psychic powers of 4th gen hybrids can be quite strong. Getting new hybrids would be tricky though, since not many women hanging around Marines or even serfs.

[Aothaine]

 

 

 

Only genestealers have the ovipositor (the long tongue) to infect new victims - hybrids rely on the gene taint to pass through their children. However, the Flesh Tearers have recently been involved in a vast fight with the tyranids, where many Sons of Sanguinius died. The primaris were involved in the cleanup stages after the Crusade came calling, so maybe those 4th generation hybrids posing as primaris managed to form a psychic bond with a lone 'stealer (they are missing their original Patriarch, after all!), protect him and smuggle him aboad a battle barge or other ship. All human ships in 40k have plenty of little-travelled spaces aboard.

 

That'd allow you to start infecting chapter serfs, and the psychic powers of 4th gen hybrids can be quite strong. Getting new hybrids would be tricky though, since not many women hanging around Marines or even serfs.

 

 

Still possible though... I might do up a command squad, captain and librarian with Genestealer hints. That would allow them to all stay together and be protected by the librarian.. and would fit really well as an addition to GC army when it is built.

 

Also an apothecary for sure. Need to make sure that tainted geneseed is protected.

Edited July 28, 2017 by Aothaine

[Crimson Ghost IX]

Hmmm. Interesting idea.

 

Something that occurs to me is that Blood Angels are one of the chapters with the most exposure to Genestealers in the fluff. (Space Hulk n stuff)

You would think they would have considered long ago how to keep the genestealer threat out of the recruit pool.

 

I suppose that could also be argued as a primary reason for them being a target for a super sneaky infiltration on Baal / Cretacia  etc.

Neat idea.

 

Not sure if I dig it or not yet... but certainly thought provoking Aothaine  =)

Have FUN with it man !!

[Leonaides]

I seem to recall the space hulk fluff where some nids captured and infected 2 techmarines did nasty genetic things to them, obvious to the terminators sent after them at least who didnt even need a medic to check them. Although there was a deathwatch story where a brood overpowered a salamander marine iirc enough that he attacked his squadmates.

[Panzer]

Yeah it's definitely possible for a GSC to infector control Marines...however it usually is a dead end for them one way or another.

[Xenith]

Infect and control a single Marine, yes, however this will be pretty obvious. Genetic tests before recruitment trials would rapidly weed out any potential hybrids, and then that whole world would be put to the torch.

[Aothaine]

Fair enough. I'll just have to stick to the IG side of things for the GSC when I do them up. I'm sure my currect Flesh Tearer models will be relieved that I will not be green stuffing things onto them lol!

[Tonius]

I hope the Great Angel, in his wisdom, will clear you of these filthy ideas...

[rayvn26]

Wait a minute. What about all the normal humans that make up all logistical staff for a marine chapter? What if some of them got infected, and there are quite a few that hold pretty high positions within the chapters, and they figured out a way to infect marines and the geneseed all the while remaining in the shadows like they do? For instance they'd first infect/corrupt the apothecaries and have them overlook or whatever the geneseed and then place the infection into new recruits letting it do it's thing to the marines all the while the logistical staff are going on and on making little hybrid babies becoming more and more powerful within the chapter. Now you have a full blown cult in your chapter controlled by a Patriarch. By this time more and more of the chapter would be under thrall to the cult, even the captains and chaplains. Seems like a feasible however highly unlikely scenario, but could happen that way.  

Tyranids, being the most adaptable race the galaxy has ever seen or known, could adapt the geneseed if they had access to a large enough supply of it.

Edited August 7, 2017 by rayvn26