Liber Thought Experiments - Orks

[Kelborn]

So here we go.

Again, the following are just some notes and ideas I'd like to elaborate when the time is right.

 

 

The Warbeasts

 

"Blood and honor!"

 

- The Warbeasts were once part of the Unnumbered Sons, acting as Lord Guilimans scouts, hunters and enforcers.

- During the Indomitus Crusade, the 16th chapter of the Greyshields was tasked with certain erradication campaigns, razing those worlds, which were utterly lost to both, Chaos and Xenos alike. He used them for the most horrendous tasks, just like his father did with the chapter's primogenitor.

- The majority of the 16th chapter consisted of both, Terran and Fenrisian recruits, which were gifted with the legacy of Leman Russ. While the Terran Primaris suffered from a raised tendency to all out brutality and annihilation, did the Fenrisian recruits temper their bloodlust, acting soon as the steward of their brothers.

- It was both, their heritage and gifted talent and their commitment to the cause of the Indomitus Crusade, that made them a suitable and successfull weapon in the hands of the Lord Commander.

- During one battle, they fought at the side of the Deathwatch. Among these was an old Wolfpriest, who acknowledged them as distant cousins but not as brothers. This especially bothered the Fenrisian members of the 16th chapter, as they were constantly trying to proof themselves in order to become worthy of their heroic brothers.

- When the Indomitus Crusade came to an end, Lord Guiliman gave orders to his seasoned armies. Some were task to support their brothers, who had to face extinction, Others, like the 16th chapter, received certain realms or important strategic positions to protect. The 16th chapter was tasked to reengage the Dominion of Storms within the Imperium Nihilus.

- The Dominion was known as a large realm, covered in unstable storms and other stelar phenomena. It was also home of the Astartes Tempesti, an ancient order consisting of three chapters and their allies. It still had the potential of an valuable bulwark, a staging point from which the requisition of the northern half of the galaxy could begin.

- Thus, the 16th chapter was sent into unknown climes. Surprisingly enough, did they get support in form of a smal pack of their brother chapter, the Space Wolves. Led by the same Wolfpriest at whose side they once had fought, this pack was send by none other than Logan Grimnar in order to act as some kind of spiritual guides for their newly discovered brothers. The Wolfpriest and his pack shall teach these Primaris of what I meant to be a Fenrisian and a true son of Russ. Further, they shall guide them to establish themselves in the confusion after the Great Rift's opening.

- Here's some conflict potential as the Primaris of the 16th chapter recognize the Legion during the time of Russ himself. Some had even seen their genefather. Their current brothers differed a lot from what they remembered. They (16th chapter) see themselves as the true sons of Fenris and further, of Russ. So here we might have some development progress as both ideologies have to face each other and find a common solution.

- After entering the Dominion, they rediscovered the Domerian cluster and one of the Astartes Tempesti, the Phantom Blades.

- In order to support their newfound allies in securing the Domerian realm and further, the Dominion bit by bit, the 16th chapter decided to take a world for their own need of recruits. With the helpf of both, the Wolfpriest's pack and the Phantom Blades did they found a suitable world, Zerus (not 100% decided)

- As a result, they start to settle down, while fighting alongside the Phantom Blades.

- They still haven't settled everything until now, for now, there is another culture which becomes important to them: those of their new people, the population of Zerus.

- The Wolfpriest encouraged them by stating that they have to walk their own path and find themselves upon Zerus.

- Along the newly adapted culture of Zerus and the support of their Wolfborn brothers, do the renamed Warbeasts start to change: taking up arms for close combat, start to differ from the words of their former Lord Guiliman, developing their own culture, etc.

- If that would not be enough, the remaining Dominion had to be freed from the shackle of the Heretic, the Mutant and the Xenos. There was still a lot lurking out there. And the Warbeasts were here to chase them down. They were born in blood, raised in war and will die in honor. For Russ!

 

That's what I got thus far regarding their foundation, the Indomitus crusade and so on.

When I'm ready to work with them (after revising the Phantom Blades), I'll expand upon this and turn it into a full Primaris article.

 

Hope that it's at least reasonable enough for now to understand.

 

*edit*

 

Things for future consideration:

- reaction of the Phantom Blades towards the Warbeasts and the revelation they brought with them

- said reaction of the other Astartes Tempesti, as for now, both are MIA

- acceptance of the Space Wolves - yes or no?

- what will happen with the Wolfborn, who joined the Warbeasts?

- are more Primaris on their way to bolster the ranks of the Tempesti? How will they react?

- interaction between Warbeasts and the Dominion (people, Imperial Guard, AdMech, Knights and so on)

 

*edit**edit*

Sorry for doubleposting!

Edited September 29, 2017 by Kelborn

[Ace Debonair]

Looks good - I like the conflict between the modern Space Wolves and the Primaris ones from the scouring era, I could see both sides being equally baffled and argumentative on how things should be done, with the result that the Chapter keeps shifting how it operates, looking for that all-important middle ground where everyone can get along.

 

It'd be interesting to see what the culture of their homeworld does for the Warbeasts - is Zerus another Fenris-style Viking-inspired world, or is it something different?

[Kelborn]

Thanks.

Yeah, their should be definetely a conflict as the 40K Wolves differ imho from the 30K Legion. They are more caring, while the Legion was more remorseless, only caring for themselves, etc. There's also the possible confrontation between Primaris and the hardliner Wolves like Bjorn, who stated that he would've destroyed his brothers creating of the Hardening back in 32.M.

 

My initial concept for the Warbeasts was to make them a canon version of my BotL Legion, the Predators. Thus, their culture was intended to be a mixture of western African tribes, Caribbean Voodoo and an amalgamation of White Scars / Night Lords influences, with emphasis being the African theme. One could reckognize some WoW Troll implications as well.

 

These days, (and after the release of both, Primaris and 8th edition) Space Wolves successor became a thing. As the Wolves are the first Legion / chapter, which really brought me into 40K lore (5th edition codex was my first one and I don't even play the game ^^), I revised their concept. Now, I compared both concepts with each other and this is what I've got thus far:

 

Concept A - The canon Predators aka the Black Panthers

- Theme: Zandalari, Caribbean, Western African tribes, bit of Aztec
- Source: WoW (Zandalari, Hunters, Beastmasters), White Scars
- Homeworld:  Jungle, Africa, Marvel's Wakanda
- Combat Doctrine: Ambushes, Fast Attacks, Search & Destroy; fast and mobile troops, use feints and schemes to lure their enemies into traps and ambushes; animal companions accompany scouts / Reivers
- Organization: see White Scars, mixed with Troll concepts; brotherhoods / tribes instead of companies, led by chieftains; chapter master being the High Chieftain
- Culture: venerate ancestors / spirits as guides, connected to nature and their homeworld, some kind of druidism, honorable, sophisticated culture

 

Concept A - The 30K Vlka aka the Warbeasts

- Theme: Nomadic tribes, "desert Vikings", Orcs, Nomads
- Source: WoW (Orcs, Warriors, Warsong), Terran Space Wolves, maybe Dune's Fremen and / or Fury Road
- Homeworld: Jungle, magma fields, ice poles, steppes, vast deserts; constant struggle between jungle and wastes; native plant-based species; WoW's Draenor
- Combat Doctrine: Decapitation strikes, Shock Assaults, Purgation; overwhelming brutality, close combat, animal companions for scouts
- Organization: divided into Hordes, led by a chieftain/ warleader, Warchief is chosen during large engagements
- Culture: survival of the fittest, power through strength, challenges, venerate close combat, shamanism, nomads

 

I divided both concepts and I once had the idea of creating Liber articles for both of them, naming concept A the Black Panthers (which are influenced by Marvel's Black Panther) and keep concept B as the Warbeasts.

 

The animal companion thing was something I'd came along from the very beginning for the Warbeasts. I'm not sure which chapter should receive it, tbh. It would fit both of them (I'm not intending an African version of the wolfy mc'wolfonson meme). Somehow, I feel like it would fit the Black Panthers more but I'm not sure about it.

 

If you're not familiar with all the WoW references, here are some links, which might help.

 

Draenor - https://wow.gamepedia.com/Draenor_(alternate_universe)

Trolls - https://wow.gamepedia.com/Troll

Zandalari - https://wow.gamepedia.com/Zandalari_troll

Beastmasters - https://wow.gamepedia.com/Beastmaster

Orcs - https://wow.gamepedia.com/Orc

Warson Orcs - https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warsong_clan_(alternate_universe)

Edited September 30, 2017 by Kelborn

[Ace Debonair]

Both concepts sound quite good, to be fair.

The only thing I'd suggest is coming up with an alternate name for the Black Panthers, simply because the name is just lifted directly from your source of inspiration.

 

It'd be like me naming my new Primaris Chapter the Knights of the Round Table, for example. It's a clear indication of what you want, but perhaps a little too direct.

 

I'm having a hard time coming up with a good alternative name though.

Shadow Panthers? Black Sentinels? Maybe there's other big cats you could use. Black Lions? Black Ocelots? Or, given the Black Panther is a king from a line of kings, you could have something referencing the Chapter's link to their ancestor, The Emperor? Emperor's Panthers sounds pretty good and it isn't quite as obvious where the name's come from, for example.

[Kelborn]

To be honest,

 

Black Panthers is their WIP name.

I do like Emperor's Panthers, thanks for that. :)

 

Currently working on my Phantom Blades. Afterwards, either my Storm Riders will get an update or the Warbeasts will get fleshed out.

 

Panthers will be another chapter, which will be added to the Dominion of Storms, sometime in the future. :)

[Conn Eremon]

With a name like Warbeasts, you'd expect them to have actual warbeast companions. For the Emperor's/Black Panthers, to differentiate them, perhaps you can make a culture out of their use of psyber familiars. Psyber-Ravens are common among Librarians, and Librarians hold a special place in the hierarchy of the White Scars, which I assume they're a successor of. The Chapter could make a practice of falconry.

[Kelborn]

THAT is a grandiose idea!

Haven't thought of psyber familiars before, thanks Conn.

 

After re-watching the cutscenes of Halo Wars 2 (especially this one

),

I got a new idea regarding the Panthers by making them the canon version of my Predators Legion. But not as a loyal chapter. Rather as a renegade force from beyond the unknown realms something comparable to the Banished of said game (https://www.halopedia.org/Banished). This might sound mary-sueish but by leaving their past a rumored mystery, it might work. Or I'll reshape the Banished into a Blackshield force during the HH, led by a Word Bearer, who apostatized and survived the Legions purge. ^^

 

But all this does not belong into a Primaris themed thread. When the time is right, I'll let you know.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Kelborn

[Conn Eremon]

Experimentum Ultima-het

The Unnumbered Sons

 

It is the Imperium’s darkest hour – torn asunder by the very manifestation of madness, assailed on all sides by the enemies of humanity, and bought to its knees by an endless war. Only a son of the God-Emperor could save Mankind. That son was the Thirteenth: Roboute Guilliman, the Lord Commander of the Imperium. Beside him strode rank upon rank of Primaris Astartes – Warriors who had slept in a ten thousand year long vigil, as the frozen guardians of the tombs of ancient kings. With his father’s creation on the very brink of collapse, the Primarch spoke: a new crusade, for order and unity, and survival. The Indomitus Crusade.

 

If the Black Legion is the legion of the long war, then the Unnumbered Sons of the Primarchs are the Imperium’s long overdue answer. Formed from the genetic lines of the loyalist primarchs, the Unnumbered Sons were divided into nine great armies that took the names and liveries of their lord fathers. For example, a primaris bearing the gene-seed of the Lion el’Jonson would be an Unnumbered Son of the Lion and wore his colors and sigil. These nine armies were further divided into Chapter-like formations. Uniting the Unnumbered Sons were the grey chevrons that crossed over their lineage badges, giving rise to the informal name of Greyshields. The organization of the Unnumbered Sons did not remain in this format. As the Indomitus Crusade progressed and losses suffered, the Unnumbered Sons were reorganized into a single, unified force of mixed gene-lines down to the squad level. Perhaps by fighting alongside each other the differences of the past would be forgotten.

 

This is the last experiment to be dedicated to the Primaris Space Marines, to create a formation of the Unnumbered Sons during the course of the Indomitus Crusade.

 

You can base your formation before or after the reorganization, as the Unnumbered Sons of your favored primarch or the intermingling Greyshields. The formation can be temporary, such as a particular order of battle, or enduring, fostering a lasting brotherhood. You can focus solely upon the formation’s history during the Indomitus Crusade, or follow them beyond it. Perhaps these are the primaris that become your new DIY Chapter, reinforce an existing one, or otherwise lend aid to your war efforts. For those whose DIYs are the enemies of the Imperium, you can take a look at your foes from their perspective.

 

Due to some time constraints I’ll have in the coming weekdays, I’m going to shift the schedule up a couple of days and say that this experiment ends October 14th.

Edited October 4, 2017 by Conn Eremon

[Conn Eremon]

No submissions for the last experiment, which I did sort of expect. I at least wanted to provide the opportunity, to show that the Greyshields can also be DIYs.

 

But, with the conclusion of that experiment, it's time to move on from the primaris and the rest of humanity. The Bolter and Chainsword has grown in scope quite a bit this year. Now that the Liber can be home to xenos DIYs, it's time to explore them with some thought experiments.

 

Experimentum Xenos-kaf

Aeldari of Ynnead

 

The final gasp of an ancient race is marked by more than the cruel laughter of the depraved. Every whispering soul of these once powerful beings is a beat of the heart of an unborn god. Many will denounce those who call to it, frightened by its promises of death and life. Though the numbers of the faithful will be few, they will include among them giants and sages. Though opposed, they will stand in greater unity than any since an age of empire. These followers of the Seventh Path will alter the course of history for many races beyond their own, and by their actions does a god stir from slumber.  Should the Eldar race ever again retain its place among the heights, it will do so because of the Ynnari.
 
To start off the series of xenos-related experiments, we're going to take a look at the newest alien faction of 40k. The Ynnari are a cross-section of the Eldar, containing elements from nearly every other Eldar faction. They all follow Yvraine, as the emissary of Ynnead, but many of the Ynnari joined when other greater than life Eldar took to her cause, such as the exiled prince Yriel, the chief farseer Eldrad Ulthran, the dark gladiator Lelith Hespirax and over half of the known Phoenix Lords. Sub-factions do appear to exist as well, centered around these figures. In many ways the future and makeup of the Ynnari is centered upon the cults of personality that surround these Eldar, among others.
 
So for the first xenos experiment, let us create a sub-faction of the followers of Ynnead, the Ynnari.
 
There are a few canon sub-factions already. Some are wholly new groups specific to the Ynnari, such as Yvraine's Aeldari Bladehost or the Visarch's Soulbound Vanguard. Others existed before the Ynnari, and continue to exist in their previous form within it. This includes the Eldritch Raiders, the Masque of the Midnight Sorrow and the Wych Cult of Strife. So your DIY sub-faction can be something new, old or anywhere in-between, and don't forget that you can mix in any and all types of Eldar. Remember also that these experiments can be used to flesh out the enemies of your other DIYs, giving them identities all their own that can give the battles between them and yours that much more impact.
 
More xenos experiments will come, on October 28th!

[Doctor Perils]

THE ADUAMARI SCHISM

"We cannot get out, we cannot get out. The Legions of She-who-thirsts batter at our doors, ceaselessly and relentlessly. Cassanlil and Keurdeth have fallen, protecting their kindred as they retreated to the halls of the Infinity Circuit. We still hold the craftworld, but hope is fading now. We have been in the great ocean too long, and She-who-thirsts grows near. The end comes soon. We hear drums, drums in the deep.

"They are-

"Blinding light. The Infinity Circuit! It is glowing! I hear screaming..."

- Last thoughts imprinted on the Spirit Stone of Tesselia Starbinder, citizen of Aduamar.

 

The birth scream of Ynnead rattled throughout the Galaxy and the Warp, impacting all Aeldari alive and dead. For most, this would become a symbol of renewed hope, a sign that the time of the Aeldari was not yet over.

For Aduamar, set adrift into the Warp by the Shadow Wolves many years ago, Ynnead's birth would be bittersweet - although the psychic backlash ripped the craftworld out of the Immaterium back into real-space, the physical destruction of warp exit caused the death of more than four hundred of the remaining Aduamari on board. Sorrow, rather then joy, engulfed the eldar, mourning their kindred lost over the unknowable time spent in the Great Ocean.

Soon, Eldar calling themselves the “Ynnari” arrived as envoys on the bereaved craftworld, to enter negotiations for a possible integration of Aduamar. The current king of Aduamar, Namandaar Blacksun, was a pragmatic man - despite reservations of entering an alliance with Drukhari, he mainly considered the aid that the Ynnari could bring to the craftworlder: therefore, he accepted their offers, and reconstruction could commence.

Namandaar had not considered though what his once-brother Arthadan might do: the Exarch, still erroneously believing in the Aduan Dynasty's birthright to the Eldar Empire, was suspicious of what political consequences joining the Ynnari might have for the Craftworld, as he saw the alliance as a loss of sovereignty. Gathering about him like-minded exarchs and spirit-seers, Arthadan spoke to the survivors of Aduamar – he told them of the great destiny of their craftworld, and then required the council of elders to allow the inhabitants to vote on the matter, as he saw Namandaar's unilateral decision as a usurpation of Aduamari rights.

The young king was unsure of how to react. With the death of all Farseers of the craftworld when it was lost in the warp, Namandaar had no-one else to turn to then his old mentor, the spiritseer Eädharios Wersior. Though they could not truly read the strands of fate, they could easily predict that either allowing a vote on Aduamar’s future or dismissing Arthadan’s demands would plunge the craftworld into chaos and violence, and Aduamar would not survive that. Namandaar had to find a third path.

 

On the morning of the third cycle since the arrival of the Ynnari embassy, Namandaar spoke to his people: to the shock of all, he abdicated his throne, citing the threat of She-who-thirsts and the new hope of Ynnead’s birth as reason enough for him to leave the Craftworld and form a new Ynnari army with the help of the Masque of the Mirrormoons – further, he said that all that would join him would be welcomed with open arms and the love of the living god of the dead, and that together they would fight back darkness and reestablish Aeldari dominance over the galaxy.

And so was the Court of the Old King born.

[Conn Eremon]

Nicely done, Thorn. My instincts tell me that most Ynnari DIYs will likely be rebellious groups defying the status quo and the wills of their superiors, and in fact I'm pretty sure mine might. Nice to see it start off with the reverse, with the Ynnari being the defied superiors rather than the rebellious.

 

I've been struggling with mine, and I've been making the mistake of trying to get it just right behind the scenes before posting. The whole point of these exercises is not to get it right, but to just do something and see where it goes from there. What's workable, what's not. Just see what comes up when you just dive in.

 

So! Of all my eldar ideas, the most developed are the Craftworld Eldar. Makes sense that they'd be the one to tie an Ynnari idea to. Admittedly, they're pretty undeveloped still, and this isn't the time to dive into the craftworld itself, so here's just some basic ideas surrounding them.

 

I'm trying to go for an aquatic vibe, the craftworld as a submerged vessel. I'm pulling references from Atlantis to depict the Fall of the Eldar Empire, and from Captain Nemo and the Nautilus to show their current state. They have a fixation on non-eldar psykers, weeding them out as a cautionary defense against one of the lesser species recreating their own disaster. The most obvious path toward the Ynnari would be mutiny, if I stay true to theme.

 

So! This will probably be a bit of a ramble as I try to get my ideas in order.

 

 

Bedwyr Silverspear, warlock of the Aylidan Craftworld, was an exarch of the Grey Wardens, what the Imperials would call a witch-killer. A spiritseer, as those aeldari of other craftworlds would say, for he was attuned to the wraiths and the bound souls within. A thankless job for an Aylidan eldar, for such tasks are widely considered the basest form of necromancy. It was this familiarity that made him the first among the Aylidan warhost to bear witness to the stirrings of Ynnead, for he witnessed the fire that burned within their dead souls and the invigoration of their stiff limbs. So awakened, Bedwyr led them from their support position into the thick of battle against the grey armored monkeigh witch-warriors. The lively wraith-constructs only sealed their fate, for the battle had already tipped in favor of the Aylidan warhost. As the foreseen threat lay headless upon the rocks, surrounded by his dead brothers, the Aylidan withdrew into the portal they had so suddenly appeared from. Elsewhere on the world, daemonic forces rampaged unmolested.

 

Bedwyr's participation in the battle was not met with gratitude or even the anger of his superiors for defying orders, but with the open disgust and outrage of seeing one of their own betray the very tenets of their society. For the act of prohibited magicks and the defilement of the ancestor-spirits, Bedwyr was brought back to the craftworld in chains. Bedwyr's protests fell on deaf ears, for the farseers were blind to the growing presence of an eldar god, so focused was their sight. He was not without sympathy among others disillusioned over the years by the seer council's leadership and Grey Warden commanders. Ever ostracized by his superiors, many such individuals looked up to him and his defiance until it became a form of hero-worship. Many risked censure to listen to his words, for they both feared and were excited by the import of what he said. Once fully returned to Aylidan, that audience grew greatly in spite of the seer council's efforts. His words gained greater weight as others of the craftworld announced their own experiences. The infinity circuit hummed with a life it never before possessed, the ancestor-spirits restless and eager.

 

The seer council denied the rumors, and warned against the dangers posed by the very idea of a new eldar god. Those eldar that proved unremittingly defiant found themselves in cells alongside Bedwyr, and soon those that had not yet fully recognized that they had become the faithful of Ynnead were an imprisoned people. Talks of execution began to be more seriously debated among the farseers. However, the unity of purpose came not from Bedwyr but from Gwalchilde. If the hero-worship of Bedwyr had increasingly grown to a high pitch, it still paled in comparison to that of the long-dead autarch. Granted the relative peace of the infinity circuit for her incomparable service to the craftworld, her soul had whispered to all who would listen since the first moment of Ynnead's awakening. It was Gwalchilde that assembled the faithful who yet remained free, who placed the autarch within the construct of a Wraithlord so that she could walk among them. The gathering expanded greatly, with many of the ancestor-spirits joining the cause within other wraith-constructs. Led by their most revered ancestor, the faithful stormed the craftworld brig. Though there was resistance, there was little bloodshed, for even the gaolers themselves were of divided minds.

 

With the swings of a ghostglaive, Gwalchilde freed Bedwyr and other failthful from their cells. As turmoil enveloped the craftworld, the followers of Bedwyr and Gwalchilde ascended to the pier of portal-ships maintained as lifeboats, avoiding conflict where possible. It was as they began to commandeer these craft that true resistance met them, for what remained of the infinity circuit and the wraith-constructs was only revealed when it was no longer held by the mutinous. Cries of sacrilege rang out as their perfidy was lain bare, and the Grey Wardens fervently mobilized the Aspects to reclaim what had been stolen. By then it was too late stop them all, though over a hundred were yanked back as the craft pulled free from their moorings. Fleeing into the Webway and pursued by the Aylidan, Bedwyr and Gwalchilde led them through the twisting paths. For every turn, the pursuers found their way hindered by the silent machinations of Harlequin troupes until the trail went cold. The Ynnari had come to claim more of the faithful.

 

Back on Aylidan, those that had been captured were publicly executed. Those souls recovered never returned to the infinity circuit nor to the few remaining wraith-constructs.

 

 

And, I guess that's it for an origin? Definitely needs to be rewritten to be less of a mess, but the elements involved I do kinda like.

 

Was kinda hoping a name would leap out at me while writing that out though.

 

Wraiths definitely seem like they're a big deal with this group, led by both a younger, hotheaded warlock that specializes in leading wraiths into battle and their craftworld's greatest martial hero inside a wraith-construct.

 

The Warwraiths?

[Conn Eremon]

Experimentum Xenos-lamed

Necron Tombworlds & Dynasties

 

Though the immediate threat to the Imperium is undoubtedly the assault of Chaos through the Great Rift, the awakening of the Necron Tombworlds may well prove to be more insidious, and ultimately more dangerous to the whole galaxy even then the Tyranid invasion. The oldest xenos race of the Milky Way to have persisted into the 41st Millennium, the arcano-technological marvels of the Necrons could wipe out all the stars that shine there, or else the tyrannical masterminds leading legions of living metal could very well enslave all sentient life of the galaxy. In the end, the inscrutable objectives of the Necrons will shape the galaxy for millennia to come.

 

With Halloween right around the corner, what better time than now than to explore the Necrons, that ancient race of once-immeasurable power rising now from the grave? These skeletal horrors have carved immense pocket domains from the fabric of the galaxy, greatly disrupting the already embattled unity of the Imperium. Upon these dark tombworlds are dynasties founded, watched over by the terrible intelligences of overlords and phaerons alike. Augmenting their technological marvels are the shattered remains of the C'tan, eldritch star-gods that can remake reality even in their diminished state. 

 

This fortnight's challenge, then, is to create a Necron Dynasty or Tombworld, and expose their dark machinations to take back control of the Galaxy.

 

There are quite a few questions that can be asked that may help you develop your Necron tombworld. Which side did they fight on in the Necrontyr Wars of Seccession, or the later rebellion against the C'tan? Where and when did they awaken, and in what state? What damage did they suffer in the intervening epochs? Is this a tombworld that swears fealty to one of the great dynasties already known to us, or is it the capital of an entirely new dynasty? There also remains a portion of the fandom out there that prefers the older lore of the Necrons, and we'd be happy to see those too. Plenty of room for (cascading) errors for a tombworld come back to life without the individuality that has been since added. As always, this experiment can be an opportunity to expand upon the enemies of your DIYs.

 

The next experiment will arrive on November 11th.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Conn Eremon

[Kelborn]

Great opportunity to turn a Thousand Sons warband idea into a Necron tombworld or dynasty, the Setekh-Dynasty, named and themed after the Egyptian god Seth.

 

As I only got the latest Necron codex, how exactly do the current ones differ from the older editions? :)

Edited October 28, 2017 by Kelborn

[Doctor Perils]

Great opportunity to turn a Thousand Sons warband idea into a Necron tombworld or dynasty, the Setekh-Dynasty, named and themed after the Egyptian god Seth.

As I only got the latest Necron codex, how exactly do the current ones differ from the older editions?

Older iterations were considerably closer to the Terminator, with a gauss rifle, and... not much else XD

Nah, in fairness, they were quite well developped, but they were designed to not have personalities - also, the two C'tan survivors were still whole and hadn't been overturned by the Necron.

Anyway, here's my tithe:

The Tombworld of Kayrach had always been an exemplar of the Oruscar dynasty - the arcane devices crafted by the Cryptek conclaves of that world were prized throughout the Necrontyr realms. It's phalanxes fought bravely under the Oruscar Overlords that ruled its surface, and they claimed the lives of many of the perfidious creations of the Ancient Ones.

However, the bio-transferance would change them to their very cores, just as it had with the rest of the Necrontyr race. Then, the Silent King defeated the C'tan, and the Necrons went into a deep slumber for millions of years.

When Kayrach awoke, they discovered that many of their number had been destroyed by stellar flares over that time: among them, all of the Oruscar nobility that once ruled the planet. Sensing an opportunity, the Cryptek Conclaves of Kayrach came together to declare a Technocracy, a government for Technology and Science, ruled by the Conclaves themselves. Further, they swore allegiance to Imotekh's Sautekh dynasty, whose rising empire would not be challenged even by the Oruscar dynasty - in return for supplying him with a steady flow of arcanic devices, the Stormlord would allow them to control their planet how they saw fit.

In this context then, feeling safe from rival dynasties and tombworlds, the Kayrach Technocracy extended their field of vision to the neighbouring stars, to learn what had been happening in the galaxy since they joined the Great Sleep. They discovered the near destruction of their ancient enemies the Eldar, and the existence of a galaxy spanning Imperium of a young race of usurpers called mankind. They found that the mad creation of the Ancient Ones, the Warp, had finally turned its back on life, and spewed forth surreal creatures that slaughtered with no discerning, whose demented destruction was only surpassed by that of an alien species from outside the Milky Way, that mankind called the Tyranid. Further, they discovered that a large region of space close to Kayrach had once been dominated by a now-extinct race called the Azuryle, who controlled younger species through the creation of false gods: this technology, unknown to the Necrons, obviously awoke a deep hunger in the minds of the Cryptek masters of the Technocracy. Whether to use new creatures to feed C'tan shards, or to lord over lesser beings, or even to craft new bodies of flesh and blood for the Necron, the Technocracy would claim this process.

[Conn Eremon]

Great opportunity to turn a Thousand Sons warband idea into a Necron tombworld or dynasty, the Setekh-Dynasty, named and themed after the Egyptian god Seth.

 

Go for it. Set is definitely a good choice for inspiration. In fact, that was going to be my original choice before deviating and looking outside of Egypt.

 

As I only got the latest Necron codex, how exactly do the current ones differ from the older editions?

 

As Thorn said, the older lore had them bereft of personalities and identities, the Deceiver and Nightbringer were awakening gods rather than shards. The highest level of Necron leaders still retained their intelligences in a sort of dreamy fugue state, but otherwise they were basically terminators.

 

Which isn't to say that they were less than the current iteration. Individual Necrons had no personality, but the Necron faction had plenty. They can still exist, but are no longer the standard.

 

 

I've done some work on my Necron Dynasty already, which stalled a bit until I get some inspiration. I wanted to go with a Necron idea that looked beyond ancient Egypt for cultural inspiration. I kept within the subset of pyramid-makers though, and eventually settled on an Aztec/Angkor mix. In the end, it ended up being that the human colonization of their worlds were Khmer in theme, while the Necrons themselves were Aztek.

 

I’m still working on details for the Dynasty themselves, so for right now I’m going to set it up for their awakening.

 

Subsector Srokamp

 

This subsector of Imperial space is named for the colonial-governor Anachak Srokamp that led the initial century of human colonization of its worlds. As the colonials originated in their entirety from the Hives of Funenla, each of the worlds began with a shared culture and architectural style, though deviations did occur over the three thousand years since. On a handful of worlds, ancient structures predating the colonists were uncovered in the thick jungles. Black as the night and yet lit by an ambient glow, the curiosity of humanity lent them great importance. In time these structures became religious centers. Over the course of centuries, artisans would build upon these structures ornate and multi-tiered statuary. Only in the most isolated of these sites of worship were the original monoliths still visible from without.

 

Feast of the Emperor’s Sons Massacre

 

Across the subsector, a holiday was celebrated toward the end of the Imperial calendar year, though inconsistencies among local calendars led to staggered festivities. Upon the capital world of Anachak lay the largest of these religious complexes. The obsidian stone of the root structure was so enveloped by the galleried temple built upon it that it became more akin to a mountain.  The temple-mountainside was covered in extensive bas-reliefs depicting grandeur and harmony. Upon its peak were quincuncial towers, to which only the most elite had access.

 

As was customary, the Anachak gubernatorial family and other powerful figures of Srokamp society celebrated the feast within the central spire. They, and others in the surrounding towers, were among the first to die when the ground beneath shifted. For those upon the upper-terrace balconies of the nearest hive, a flash of pale green light caught their attention. A cacophony of noise erupted from the surrounding jungles as clouds of avians burst from the tree cover. Dust from pulverized stone billowed from the base of the complex and the thin towers upon the peak crumpled and toppled over. Crumbling statuary streamed down the temple-mountain’s face in an avalanche of stone and the distant rumble would shake the hive itself, causing further loss of life.

 

This scene would repeat itself across Anachak, and a handful of other worlds. Black obelisks and monoliths, many enveloped by Imperial artisanry, would shake free of earth and temple like a snake shedding its skin to rise into the starry sky. Most would remain upon the land, rising only to bring the full structure to the surface, many still capped by the sturdy Imperial architecture. The once-smooth surfaces revealed green-lit portals from which skeletal warriors and worse monstrosities marched. Unified resistance was attempted, but ultimately proved futile.

 

The Necrons had awakened and taken back their worlds.

[Kelborn]

Soooo...

I always imagined the Necrons to consist of a ruling caste, which kept their individualities and "simple" warriors, which were a nearly mindless mass. At least that is what I was intending to work with.

 

Those warriors do have their personalities in the newest editions? Or did I understood it wrong? Really need to reread the latest codex.

 

And is it correct that the Pariahs are no more?

[Doctor Perils]

Soooo...

I always imagined the Necrons to consist of a ruling caste, which kept their individualities and "simple" warriors, which were a nearly mindless mass. At least that is what I was intending to work with.

 

Those warriors do have their personalities in the newest editions? Or did I understood it wrong? Really need to reread the latest codex.

 

And is it correct that the Pariahs are no more?

Previously they were all mostly mindless, and there weren't really differences between different factions. In essence they were all robots, only the Lords were more sophisticated robots that could give commands and converse with their foes and stuff.

And yes, officially pariahs are no more (though they were in part replaced by the lychguard), but I'm pretty sure you'd be able to still use them if you explain their presence well enough.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

Soooo...

I always imagined the Necrons to consist of a ruling caste, which kept their individualities and "simple" warriors, which were a nearly mindless mass. At least that is what I was intending to work with.

 

Those warriors do have their personalities in the newest editions? Or did I understood it wrong? Really need to reread the latest codex.

 

And is it correct that the Pariahs are no more?

Warriors don’t really have personalities, and Immortals can be argued either way. They can speak, but it is purely for commanding warriors, reporting to more intelligent beings, and being intermediaries when a Lychguard would be too much of an asset to risk when delivering a message in person. There is a blurb in the 7th ed codex with a named Immortal, who does show some thought, but most of it is contempt for the enemy he’s fighting. How much he really remembers isn’t fully elaborated upon (and I don’t fully remember myself, ironic).

 

For my own dynasty, I am operating on the assumption that the minds of the rank and file were copied just like the noblility’s brains were, but not put into what amounted to memory RAM and put in cold storage instead. The current Phaeron is currently trying to find the gestalts of a phalanx of 18 warriors as a reward for saving his daughter’s “life” and protecting her from something that may have obliterated her (only two warriors permanently died), and since it was done selflessly (as much as they could think), he thinks that deserves their memories returned to them. That’s just a personal thought, but I find it hard to believe a massively efficient empire like the Necrontyr empire built two different kinds of machines for biotransferrance.

 

Whether or not that made any sense, I hope it helps.

 

I’m not qualified to discuss Pariahs, as I got into the game after they got Squatted.

[Conn Eremon]

EXPERIMENTUM XENOS-mem

Asuryani of the Craftworlds

 

Great disasters have plagued the galaxy since time immemorial. The First Ones invited their own doom to fight the Yngir. The Mon-keigh Emperor entrusted his vision into the hands of those who would tear it apart. But no sentient error has ever compared to that of the Fall of the Aeldari. Their empire had stretched across the galaxy for untold millennia, their power so great and absolute as to leave them want for nothing. So their end was sealed, for greater acts of debauchery and hedonism were called for to grasp once more that spark of life that has eluded them since the mere act of survival ceased to be a struggle. Ever an emotional race, intrinsically linked to the tumultuous warp that mirrors reality, such debased deeds developed deep within its own spark of life. A twisted divinity fashioned in their own image. All sentient life knows the disaster of this birth, now that its mark stretches across the face of the galaxy. None know more than those vanishing few Aeldari to survive their own mistake.

 

The Great Rift and troubled slumber of Ynnead has galvanized the Aeldari, many forming into the Ynnari at the promise of freedom from She Who Thirsts. Most still follow the Paths, for they have been tried and found true. The Asuryani, those craftworld eldar, are as ever independent and self-sufficient, by design. Though many of their population has been lost to war, to exile, to the god of death or worse still, they remain as powerful nation-states cast into the darkness between stars. Lesser races either quail in fear or learn by harsh lessons what they should have feared, though they are not immune to internal vies for power, whether along the traditional lines of the paths of the seer and the warrior, or along the lines of reuniting with ancient rivals or keeping sovereignty within their own lands. The Asuryani are the very image of contradiction, a highly emotive race that binds itself to a series of disciplines they call the Ai'elethra, and yet they are guided along these paths by those who have become lost upon them. 

 

For this Thought Experiment, you are to describe the Craftworld Eldar in this new state of the galaxy, either as a new Craftworld, or perhaps a particular Eldar Path or Warrior Aspect of your own design.

 

There are many avenues to explore with Craftworlds in this new age. Many of the Asuryani remain hopeful in the return of empire, and the combined weakened state of the monolithic Mon-keigh kingdom and the promises of Ynnead may provide the answer. Others see the god of the dead as a terrible omen, a prophecy soon to pass that demands the death of all Aeldari, and so they fight against it. Many still find themselves cast adrift within the scar upon reality, locked within the very torment they had sought to flee all those millennia ago. As stated, this experiment does not need to restrict itself solely to the creation of a DIY craftworld, for the Eldar also divide their many Paths into varied and diverse Aspects. Those we know of can be found in most, if not all, craftworlds, however many more exist that are simply less widespread and may even be exclusive to a particular craftworld, such as the Slicing Orbs of Craftworld Zandros. Once again, this experiment can also assist you in fleshing out the villains of your stories, giving greater depth to the enemies of your DIYs.

 

The next experiment will begin on November 25th.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Conn Eremon

[Doctor Perils]

The Slaaneshi Daemonettes had been forcing the Eldar back within the very bowels of Aduamar for centuries. The square of midnight stars had been abandonned, and three hundred had died, their priceless soulstones sucked dry by the invaders. More and more eldar heeded the call of the Path of the Warrior, and the craftworld had lost more asuryani on the path of the Exarch then it had since the chaotic days following the Fall. Finally, even the deepest of the aspect temples were reopened by those who fell to the call of Khaine.
Of those long forgotten shrines, the most mysterious were the temples of the Brass Lions. The noble traditions of the followers of Aduanash had in those distant times led to the creation of this rare aspect, where skilled riders eschewed the higher speeds of the Eldar Jetbike in favour of the ability to dismount and fight on foot: created in the style of the ancient warriors of the first Aeldari, the grav-chariots of the Brass Lions had once criss-crossed the artificial skies of Aduamar.
With the advent of more powerful eldar grav tanks, like the Wave Serpent and the Falcon, the aspect of the Brass Lions gradually drew fewer and fewer Aduamari, until finally it had been completely forgotten.
However, while in the Great Ocean, with most of the Craftworld overrun, the bonesingers were monopolised with ensuring the integrity of Aduamar's hull: they could spare no time to repair the large grav vehicles, much less produce new ones, and, year by year, battle after battle, Wave Serpents and then even Vypers grew fewer and far between. With the need for them greater then ever, the shrines of the Brass Lions called out, and new Exarchs came to take up mantles that had been set down millenia ago.
The first of these was a young Eldar male, who had been following the path of the Autarch - his name was Arthadan Aduan, and he had also been king of Aduamar. With Arthadan's surrender to the call of Khaine, the council of seers of Aduamar found themselves obliged to take away his crown and grant it to his twin brother, Namandaar Blacksun; they then stripped him of his name and dynasty, ensuring the continuation of the law that kept any Exarch from ruling the Craftworld.
And yet, they need not have worried: Arthadan's will was strong, but it still melded with the memories of those that had worn that suit of armour before him. He remembered the days preceding the Fall, when Aduamar had left the heart of the Aeldari Empire, and his training under Asurmen; he remembered the first clashes of Aduamar with the Imperium of Mankind, and their talks with the Hrud; but he also remembered the battle within Aduamar against the legions of She-Who-Thirsts. Together, they became once more Geale

[Conn Eremon]

EXPERIMENTUM XENOS-resh

Greenskins

 

Orks, famed for their brutal cunning and their cunning brutality but never for their intelligence, have proven themselves to be among the most resilient of alien life. Their technology should not work and their economy should collapse, such as it is. Yet for as long as the Ork kind has existed, they have been one of the greatest threats to sapient life, up to and including themselves. They have no room for mercy, no attempts at peace can ever be reached. For their wants and needs are simple: to fight.

 

Ork mobs look to the biggest, toughest and meanest of them to lead their warband as their warboss, and a collective of warbands is known as an Ork tribe, their largest social unit. Such mighty tribes might rocket to the heavens upon a bloody Waaagh! or they may be part of the far more terrifying Ork empires, resistant to all efforts of extermination. Threading throughout Ork society is their culture. While tribes and warbands are often temporary and ephemeral, Ork clans are eternal. Your typical tribe will contain Orks of many different clans, often defined by distinct personalities, and though the half dozen well-known Ork clans may stretch across the entire galaxy, there are far more that are less prolific. The Orks are not the only members of their social and cultural constructs. High populations of subservient Gretchins cower at the Orks’ feet or rage at their knees, for they are not known for their size. Squigs fill almost every remaining niche, from beasts of burden to gargantuan warbeasts to stylish hair products.

 

The fourth xenos experiment then, is to create and detail a gathering of Orks in any of their possible iterations: the horrifying Ork empires, an Ork tribe, one of the lesser Ork clans or the most famous of all, an Ork Waaagh!

 

Orks can be the most simple of xenos DIYs to define. They are green and spoiling for a fight, and not much else needs to be said. That’s what makes them one of the most common enemies that we like to pit our other DIYs against. However, there’s a lot of room for greater complexity if one desires to look deeper. Like all other 40k DIYs, there’s plenty of opportunity for something new and fresh when built from the ground up. While not necessary, Orks also provide opportunity to inject a little humor into 40k, such as a NASCAR variation of the Kult of Speed or an ill-fated Gretchin revolution. As always, if you are interested not in creating an Ork DIY, but in fleshing them out as an opponent to a DIY, then we will still be interested to see what you provide.

 

Next experiment will begin December 9th.