Index Xenos: The Kagetakh Dynasty

[Mileposter]

THE KAGETAKH DYNASTY

 

Status . . . . . Partially Awakened
Phaeron. . . . . Dakhara the Shrouded
Crownworld . . . Imos
Size . . . . . . Seven Known Awakened Worlds
Location . . . . Marilith Zone, Veiled Region, Segmentum Pacificus
Colors . . . . . Deep Red, Black Steel, and Aged Brass
Allies . . . . . None Known

Primary Data

"Mortal, you have trampled upon the ancestral domain of those many times your greater. The Stone Vault would demand recompense. Yet, you have amused me. You flail at the darkness of things you can barely comprehend with declarations of strength beyond your grasp. Thus, a choice now stands before you: lose all that your feeble struggles have won your people, or... Would you like to play a game?"

 

 

-- Challenge issued by Dakhara to Planetary Governor Omi Suragard

 

 

O

f the Dynasties, the subdivisions that form the basis of the Necron race, the Kagetakh Dynasty is one of the smaller examples. Initially open dissenters against the Triarch, they struck out to claim glory during the Wars of Succession and were laid low by the chaos that followed. Despite their limited numbers they still managed to amass a sizable empire of worlds before their subjugation through feats of guile and misdirection. Now, after their awakening, they have struck out once again as agents of mercurial manipulation against the galaxy at large. Other Necron dynasties are still wary of any arrangement or bargain struck with the Lords of Kagetakh as they see any interaction but one more weapon within their arsenal.

 

 

History

 

Glyph of the Kagetakh Dynasty

B

efore the second Wars of Succession, the Kagetakh Dynasty was of little note to the larger Necrontyr empire. They favored an isolationist agenda and participated little in the political maneuverings of the larger courts in favor of trade or scientific arrangements. Thus, their influence was believed to be minor, and they were passed over or dismissed as opponents in the early days of the war. When the Kagetakh finally declared openly their attempt to bring their isolationist views to power, their true tactics were revealed. They had silently and subtly secured many political allies and agents through their practical partnerships and their impact quickly became substantial. Unfortunately, this tactic was not enough to overcome the more militaristic minded Dynasties, and so the Kagetakh name became just as lost amid the others in the constant battle for supremacy.

By the time the War In Heaven engaged again in full, the Kagetakh Dynasty had lost many of its ties with the other Dynasties through sacrifices in political manipulations or for fear of military reprisal. As their enemy, the ever enigmatic Old Ones, cared nothing for barter or trade - nor would the Necrontyr engage if they had - the Kagetakh's preferred weaponry remained unspent and their name once again became unremarkable in the purge of the stars. They instead used their tact to select their engagements, encouraging the Nemesors of their galatic conquest for preferred deployments and coercing allied Phaerons to take the brunt of support. As such, the Kagetakh Dynasty managed to mitigate much of the losses of war.

While their influence dwindled once again, their wealth flourished. Their skilled manipulations saw that they were able to partake in great spoils of war and spend little of their own resources. They amassed great treasuries of relics and large vaults of precious items. As more and more of the servants of the Old Ones fell, Kagetakh agents stole away vast amounts of spoils in dedicated Vault Worlds.

 

 

The Great Sleep

 

D

uring the preparations for the Great Sleep, the Kagetakh Overlords secretly migrated much of their amassed riches to Vault Worlds being constructed within the area of the Veiled Region now known as the Marilith Zone. Rather than follow the traditional Tomb World structures of their brethren, their Vault Worlds were converted to accommodate the Stasis Tombs required for their long slumber. Valuable selections of their wealth were entombed with their Overlords, and each Vault World was entrusted to maintain vigil over their fortune. To maintain the secrecy of transporting their affluence through the millennia, some of the Kagetakh ranks were sacrificed - their Stasis Tombs left adrift within the vastness of the stars rather than attract the attention of their peers from crafting greater constructs.

The constant insistence on isolationist ideas and the secrecy with which they put into every aspect of their hoarding ensured that the Kagetakh Vault Worlds passed through the millennia relatively unscathed. However, not all of their wealth had been transported, and the tomb shards left adrift in the darkness between the stars eventually found their own trouble. Many of the Vault Worlds left within the larger galaxy fell prey to the Eldar's fanatical hunt for vengeance, or to the later races in looting raids, or to the catastrophes of time. The fragments of their forces drifted into the fatal heat of distant suns, or fell onto worlds too far removed from Necron influence, or were awakened by contact with other races only to be decimated in short order. Whatever the case, the realm of the Kagetakh became as isolated as their philosophy.

But even the Vault Worlds that remained safe were not without incident. Modifications to the Tomb World design were not without their cost, and they were not immune to malfunction. The most notable is Imos itself. The Master Program did not properly engage the stasis protocols - leaving the entire Crownworld frozen but awake. As a result the Kagetakh Overlords are painfully aware of exactly how much of their former fortune has been denied to them. Their desire to see the wealth of their vaults restored has become nigh overwhelming over the countless ages.

 

 

Reawakening

 

Demands in the Dark

Something moved in the night, a darker shape amid the deep shadows. Victor froze. His hand raised to ignite his flare, and his eyes narrowed. The shadow advanced with sudden purpose, and Victor smelled a faint whiff of something he'd never smelled before. Something... Other.
Victor rolled himself forward, as far and as fast as he could, coming to his feet with a shout. He flung the flare as hard as he could one way even as he hurled himself in the other direction. Answering shouts arose, one near at hand and another farther off, and additional flares followed. By then Victor was running into a hard sprint with the dark figure right behind him.
Desperately Victor ducked around a corner to slip and stumbled his frantic way up and over a rubble heap. He flung himself forward into a sprawl as his pursuer's arm came down and then froze as a long alien blade sliced out of the night to hack that reaching arm away. The assailant shrieked in astonished pain. Then the sword came slicing again, it's owner not slowing in stride.
The dark-plated skeleton stepped forward from its victim into a spin, bringing its blade directly into the path of another attacker's shoulder as they rounded the same corner. As it swung, the Necron hissed something sharp and triumphantly challenging that Victor didn't understand. The Necron's sword bit into flesh again, removing the knee of the second fighter. That fighter reeled, whimpering, and fell.
And then it turned on Victor. "Tribute. Pay."

D

akhara, known as Dakhara the Shrouded and Phaeron of the Kagetakh Dynasty, was finally released from his purgatory by the arrival of the Orks. The greenskin horde had trampled onto Imos as they assaulted the system with their upstart WAAAGH! attempt. Under the leadership of Warboss Toofkrakka, they plundered the ancestral vaults of the covetous Necrons, causing the Master Program to break the torturous stasis to respond.

The Phaeron immediately engaged the Orks directly and challenged the bold Warboss. The demand was simple: return what was stolen and pay tribute or be slain. The Ork Warboss naturally refused. Dakhara was swift to enact retribution for their taken treasures, slaughtering the unprepared Orkz and driving them away from their territory, though the tenacious Toofkrakka managed to survive the engagement.

Little did the Kagetakh Overlords know that they had driven the Orks directly into a frontline push from the Space Marines in the Marilith Zone, effectively trapping the greenskins and ending their attempts at a WAAAGH!. It wasn't until some time later, when Dakhara sought to reawaken their sister Vault Worlds nearby, that the Kagetakh came into contact with the forces of the Imperium.

 

 

Notable Campaigns

The Ransom of Suufari - After receiving the customary opportunity to vacate before an invasion begins in earnest, Planetary Governor Omi Suragard engaged in negotiations with the Phaeron in an attempt to stall the invasion for Space Marine reinforcements to arrive. Those reinforcements would never appear, as they were waylaid en route, forcing the Governor into a precarious position. Drakhara found the engagement amusing, and offered an alternative that Omi could not avoid: pay tribute to the Necron Overlord, or be faced with the invasion immediately. Immediately following the payment of tribute, the Necron forces removed themselves from the system and have not returned - much to the surprise of everyone.

The Lucern Object Incident - The astronomical object labelled 'Lucern Object 1504' was unremarkable enough to never merit a name orbiting a minor star in the outreaches of Segmentum Obscurus, eventually impacting an uninhabited planet near an Imperial Hive World. This object was revealed to be a tomb shard, one of the several segments of the Kagetakh legions sent floating out in the void. It awoke with fury after the impact, and a retaliation of Imperial Guard forces put the small incursion down. This prompted the removal of all unidentified astronomical objects from the system - which included a large portion of an asteroid belt, that was taken to a sector Forge World for use as raw material.

War Game Antuka - Embroiled in a fierce fight with the Space Marine chapter Eclipse Marines, Dakhara the Shrouded led a smaller force to Hannar, one of the moons of Ialdon. While there, the Necron Overlord challenged the Chapter leadership to a trial by combat of sorts; a wargame with a significantly smaller engagement from both sides but would specifically include the leaders of both forces. The challenge laid was simple: allow the wargame to determine the larger conflict. The Space Marines brought their fiercest champions to bear, and did eventually prevail in the trials, though not without cost: In the shuffle to accommodate the wargame, the Eclipse Marines supply lines were revealed. Dakhara later would abscond with an entire cruisers worth of stolen supplies as 'tribute' to the Kagetakh Dynasty.

 

 

Military Strength

 

D

ue to the abandonment of many lower caste warriors in their adaptation of the Tomb World design, the Kagetakh Dynasty is considerably less militarily focused than other Dynasties. When they do engage in combat, Kagetakh Overlords are more likely to engage with smaller phalanxes of specialized combatants against specific targets rather than waging a standard ground war of attrition. Combined with the Kagetakh penchant for deception and misdirection this leads them to remaining formidable opponents despite their lower numbers.

The Kagetakh nobles also manifest a far more patient temper than the rulers of other Necron dynasties, taking pleasure in outsmarting their adversaries rather than simply seeking to smite those who oppose them with sheer strength.

 

 

The Nimaet Gate

 

Lord Bekashet

"Stars crumble into nothing at my command. Worlds burn at my whim. It is but for your treasures that you yet live - tribute unto the Necrontyr and the rebirth of our Empire. Revel that you may play such a part."

O

ne of the greatest treasures of the Kagetakh Dynasty is the still functioning Dolmen Gate on the Crownworld of Imos. This artifact, housed within the strange structures that lattice the planet, allows the Necron to utilize portions of the Webway temporarily to travel between segments of material space. Surprise raids, sudden incursions, and clandestine thefts have all been carried out thanks to the use of access to the Webway.

But using a Dolmen Gate is not without its own perils. The Webway is a curious, shifting place - and seems to adjust to intrusion on its own. For every few of their successful raids into Imperial space, at least one has gone utterly wrong in some fashion. In most cases this has simply led to Kagetakh forces arriving in strange places far from their intended goals. Other cases, however, have ended with the entire loss of a strike force.

Despite its dangers, the immediate access to the Webway has been a boon to the Dynasty in its attempts to reclaim their lost treasures.

 

 

Known Entities of the Kagetakh

Dakhara the Shrouded - The Phaeron of the Kagetakh Dynasty is a creature of meticulous calculation and immense greed. Every interaction is weighed and evaluated and Dakhara almost never makes any statement or action without well informed motives. This has served him well both before and after the biotransference: leading his Dynasty through sharp wit and gambits into untold wealth. Worst than any other Kagetakh Overlord, he has become consumed by the drive to restore their lost opulence, and nearly the entirety of his calculating cerebral prowess is dedicated to this task.

Lord Bekashet - Once a skilled seducer and courtesan, earning her prestige through the manipulative tact the Dynasty was known for, her skillset and experience have become all but useless after the biotransference. This has translated instead to a cruel rage and uncaring ruthlessness after awakening once more to the galaxy. Some suspect she displays the beginnings of the Flayer Virus, others simply believe she is uncreatively overcompensating to cling to power. Whatever the case, she has become an ambitious reclaimer of lost Vaults to shore her status.

 

 

Notable Domains

 

Vault Worlds

The Necrons' underground tombs are generally quite large and cavernous, containing repair facilities, stasis units, and command rooms. A Vault World forgoes as large a selection of stasis units in exchange for singular storage caverns that can hold large amounts of amassed wealth. The repair facilities are also improved, to compensate for the leaner numbers.
The singular goal of the Kagetakh Dynasty after milennia of watching their wealth be stolen away by upstart races is to see these Vault Worlds filled to the brim with great treasures.

I

t has of yet been impossible to positively compile an exact list of worlds that belong to the Kagetakh Dynasty, as the Dynasty is still awakening, but it would appear that at least a portion of what is now the Marilith Zone was established on worlds that used to belong to Kagetakh rule. What is believed, however, is that the awakened world of Imos is not the only Crownworld belonging to the Dynasty and that those remaining Crownworlds remain dormant. It is a prominent driving force for the Astartes Chapter in the Marilith Zone that they might be able to nip a threat to the Imperium in the bud by destroying these worlds before the return to strength.

Imos (Abandoned World) - Crownworld of the Kagetakh Dynasty, current seat of its budding empire, and Vault World of the Phaeron. Imos is covered in greenery and abundant growth, which has hidden the lattice of structures and tunnels the Necrons incorporated into Vaults long ago. A minor infestation of Orks plagues the surface as well, but the Kagetakh Overlords care little for the trappings of the jungles unless things interfere with their operations below. Untold trinkets and baubles hide beneath the surface within the labyrinthine halls, but so do too uncounted weapons of unknown strength.

Gaven (Dead World) - The ash wastes of Gaven were once fertile grounds, being scouted by Imperial settlers for establishing a new Agri World. The planet has since been the site of several apocalyptic encounters - from the Ork Waaagh! rampaging the settlements to the Kagetakh laying waste to the Ork leadership. Imperial savants claim that the world is not truly scorched beyond repair, but that the grasslands will return richer for the soil that has been tilled by destruction.

Manatoa (Ice World) - This ice covered rock of a planet is under constant battle between the Imperium Forces and Orks, who both wish to lay claim to the Vault World beneath, and slowly exterminate whatever Necron presence they uncover in the process. Due to the constant conflict and the sheer amount of committed forces both sides have on the surface - along with a regular amount of interference from nearby Eldar Exodites - the Kagetakh have been unable to liberate the Vault World from the grip of war.

 

 

Kagetakh Appearance

 

T

he Kagetakh Dynasty can be largely distinguished by their darker necrodermis and the orange glow their power sources and weaponry produces. They also display a noticeable lack of gold decoration, where a deep brass is found instead. Lords and elite units can be found with crimson colorations and markings that proclaim their vanity and status. Even lowly Necron Warriors are seen with markings of ownership, declaring them a part of one Lord or another's collection and thus an extension of the unquenchable greed of Kagetakh.

 

Edited August 9, 2023 by Mileposter

[Qkhitai]

I'm not massively clued up on Necron lore, so I can't offer much in that department, but I just wanted to say this is really well written and presented. You carry the central themes of isolation and greed through really well, and I think the dynasty has been very believably integrated into the galaxy. I'll look forward to any more!

 

A few spelling/grammatical things to change:

 

 

they have struck out once again as agents of murcurial manipulation against the galaxy at large.

 

'mercurial' 

 

 

When the Kagetakh finally declaired openly their attempt to bring their isolationist views to power

 

'declared'

 

 

and so the Kagetakh name became just as lost amid the others in the constant vie for supremacy.

 

'Vying' or something else, like 'struggle', since I don't think 'vie' reads well here.

 

 

encouraging the Nemesors of their galatic cnoquest for preferred deployments and coercing allied Phaerons to take the brunt of support

'galactic conquest'

 

 

Some suspect she displays the beginings of the Flayer Virus

'beginnings' 

 

[Mileposter]

I'm not massively clued up on Necron lore, so I can't offer much in that department, but I just wanted to say this is really well written and presented. You carry the central themes of isolation and greed through really well, and I think the dynasty has been very believably integrated into the galaxy. I'll look forward to any more!

Thanks! Part of the revamped Necron fluff was that differing Dynasties had 'quirks' oftentimes as a result of the Great Sleep and malfunctions, and I thought that supported a different take on the Prime Directive given to all Necrons to "Rebuild the Necron Empire". Wealth is one way to build up an empire, after all!

 

And while the grammatical/typo issues were quite embarrassing to see that some had escaped my pruning, they have been fixed. Thanks for the astute eyes.