Liber Xenos Horrificus - Codex Demiurg [WIP]

[MECHFACE]

Hello folks - I just finished my initial base for a Codex Demiurg for 9th. Based on the lore and references from the HH and 40k sources. So to be clear these aren't squats but a xenos race with a similar sci-fi/fantasy trope. Right now its mostly expanded lore, units and weapon profiles with point and power ratings. I think after I get some feedback I'll then think about the next phases for Stratagems, Warlord Traits, Relics and then the later work on Crusade rules (which revolve around the whole mining, technocratic and mercantile ideas planted here).

Any thoughts please fire away. Presently no artwork so don't take that against me!

LIBER XENOS

HORRIFICUS

CODEX

DEMIURG

The Demiurg are an ancient race of miners and techno-artisans who reside on the far Eastern Fringe of the Milky Way Galaxy and the Ultima Segmentum. Once the Brotherhoods of the Demiurg operated an almost galactic wide commerce network with many other xenos civilizations and empires. However, after the genocidal campaigns made by the Imperium of Mankind during the Great Crusade, many of their client species were wiped out of existence. Though they will freely trade with human worlds, the commerce fleets of the Demiurg are still an uncommon sight in the Imperium, despite the number of sightings of them having increased over recent centuries. They are an almost purely space-borne in their massive and majestic commerce vessels. Though prone to avoid unnecessary conflict, the Demiurg are capable of aggressive actions when protecting their fleets, mining operations, and production quotas.

This document contains all of the rules and additional datasheets that you will need in order to fight battles as the forces of the Demiurg Botherhoods. This is intended to serve as a fan-made Codex to compliment those rules presented in the 9^th Edition Warhammer 40,000 Core Book and supplements. Where and if such overlap occurs those parent rules & datasheets will be found in that parent volume instead of being republished here, except in those circumstances where such reproduction is of benefit to the completeness of the Codex. In such instances the rules common to those described below are referenced in the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book as well as in any of the unique datasheets presented here.




THE LIBER XENOS HORRIFICUS: CODEX
DEMIURG
XENOS HORRIFICUS PROFILE:

HISTORY

The Demiurg reside on the far Eastern Fringe of the Milky Way Galaxy and within the Ultima Segmentum hinterlands. Once more wide spread throughout the Milky Way, their trading networks with numerous other xenos civilizations and isolated human colony worlds collapsed with the arrival of the expeditionary fleets of the Great Crusade. The Demiurg were still until recently an uncommon sight outside of the Galactic East and the Imperium, though sightings of their Commerce Fleets within Imperium Nihilus have increased since the Waning of the Imperium’s influence and the arrival of the Great Rift.

The Demiurg are an almost purely space-borne race, traversing the void in their massive and majestic commerce vessels. Known to readily establish trading agreements and commerce rights with numerous other civilizations, they have most recently made alliances with the T'au. Serving as economic allies of that newfound races’ Empire, they were initially introduced to the T'au via their mutual relations with the Kroot xenos. From the Demiurg Brotherhoods of Srry'Tok the T’au gained the knowledge of Ion Cannon technology, which is now used heavily by the T'au in their armies and fleets. The Brotherhood of Thurm is known to have joined the T'au Empire outright in exchange for numerous Asteroid mining rights and fabrication contracts, whilst being provided T’au military support for the protection of such operations in hostile neighbouring Imperial space.

The history of the Demiurg, known in the T’au Lexicon as the "Bentu'sin" or "wise-gifted ones", is long and sometimes cryptic. Hailing from an unknown area, likely within the Eastern Fringe, the Demiurg were a technologically mid-level civilizations beginning to explore the void immediately close to their Homeworld. However, this changed with the arrival of an advanced fleet of elegant starships led by the entity the Demiurg would later refer to as Thawl’l, as well as by the other titles of ‘the Great Maker’, ‘the Teacher’, and ‘the First Artisan’. According to the Demiurg, who by nature of their unique silicon-based physiology have an almost eidetic race memory, Thawl’l came to the worlds surrounding the Demiurg’s cradle for resources to begin the Great Imperative, and nurtured the ancient Demiurg in the means by which to harvest and shape the extensive ‘Nightstone’ deposits of which their worlds were plentiful. The Demiurg, in awe of such great scientific and artistry gladly began to assist Thawl’l and his kind in the Great Imperative, craving up their home world’s resources, and those in the neighbouring system, loading the precious Nightstone cargo into the great vessels and transportation gateways of Thawl’ls fleet. However, only shortly after the initial completion of the Demiurg’s efforts, Thawl’l and the fleets of his kind vanished, leaving the Demiurg alone and without a stable homeworld.

Seemingly abandoned by Thawl’l and their servitor races, the people of Demiurg decided to follow their teachers’ example and reach out into the wider galaxy. Shouldering the mantle of Great Imperative that they were handed the Demiurg built enormous interstellar Strongholds, robust void craft from which the newly founded Brotherhoods could survive. From these fleets, comprising all the necessary forges, factories and processing plants, and required, the Demiurg and their Ghola mining machines would seek to harvest the resources of the galaxy, and turn those raw materials into marvels with which to trade with the other races they encountered. Where possible the Brotherhoods would teach the knowledge to other species and civilizations in the ways to harvest their own resources and continue to ways of building and craftmanship. And so Thawl’ls Great Imperative would continue until completed.

BIOLOGY

The Demiurg are a race of short stocky humanoids, with an unusual biochemistry. Evolving on a long-forgotten world of great mineral wealth, the Demiurg have a silicon-based biology meaning that they are composed of a diversity micro-crystalline blockcells and quasi-neural networks. When replicated under certain electromagnetic conditions these crystals can form complex organo-fabricated structures which perpetuate in a mutualistic manner similar to the various cells and organ types in bio-organic lifeforms.

The manner by which such silicon-based species and lifeforms evolve are poorly understood by the carbon-centric lifeforms of the universe. However, other such species have been well documented by Imperial scholars, including the parasitic xenos Nekulli Necro-worms and the titanic Void Kraken monstrosities which plague multiple sectors of space. The Demiurg, for example, are known to be exceptional robust in their biology owing to this geo-organic evolution, and appear to be practically immune to many of the poisons, toxins, radiation types that prove exceptionally deadly to bio-organic matter. In fact, it appears that the exposure to certain types of radiation and electromagnetic forces is a necessary component to the life history and reproduction (or more appropriately replication) of the Demiurg species.

The Demiurg are a genderless species, in that they reproduce using geo-organic replication of their tissue-like crystalline blockcells and neural structures. Usually, events which require a Brotherhood to replicate further descendants from their original lineages, meaning that reproduction to the Demiurg is never unplanned but a facet of their unending schedule of ore extraction efficiency and the meeting of production quotas. Such events include the loss of multiple Brotherhood commerce clans, such as via mining accidents or armed conflicts, or when a new mining operation of immense size is required that needs new Demiurg Brotherhood clan groups to oversee and operate. However, such replication used by the Demiurg is not cloning however, as the resulting Demiurg produced by the electromagnetic excitation of its progenitors crystalline ‘cuttings’ is never a complete identical copy. As the Geo-organic structures grow and weave together, a number of influences factors be they radiological, electromagnetic or even gravitic can lead to micro changes in the growth of any single Demiurg’s mass, composition and even its silico-crystal neural complex or ‘brain’ in organic terminology.

In particular it is the brains of the Demiurg which are very unique even by Silicon-based life-form standards. As the Demiurg reproduce through self-replication they are able to manipulate the silico-crystal matrices that constitute their species memories. As such the Demiurg as a race have a shared also eidetic memory of their past, or at least the past of the particular Brotherhood lineage they are replicated from. Ever focused on the practical over the emotional, the Demiurg have removed information deemed ‘necessary’ from their race memory where it holds no useful place in serving Thawl’ls Great Imperative. Though the Demiurg can remember the past quota schedules and mining acquisition tithes to almost perfect recall from their ancestors, they have forgotten basic historic facts. Such as the location of their home sector, the fact that they previously had more genders which they evolved away from, and the way of life that the Demiurg pursued before the coming Thawl’l and the Great Maker’s Fleet.

The Demiurg appear as short solid humanoids with grey ‘skin’, reflective gold-amber eyes and outcrops of bluish fine hair-like crystals that form around their temples. As a Demiurg ages, these outgrowths of crystalize further forming clumped together nodules which steadily crown the head of the individual in a mass of prismatic callosities. Capable of living, if a rock can live, for periods of time measured on the geological rather than organic temporal scale, those Demiurg Overseers, Grandees and Arch-patricians often appear to be unable to stand or walk correctly due to the weight of these massed crystal callosities which serve as a mark of the individuals great age and wisdom.

As their bodies are shaped by the silicon-based processes began on their long lost homeworld, the Demiurg mindset is also greatly affected by the same traits of their geo-organic forms as well. Individual Demiurg think more pragmatically than empathically, and will carry on with their decided and planned course of action in the face of other logic forms presented by other species. Many a world has been mined-hollow by the well-intentioned Demiurg Commerce Fleet even in the face of that planets population’s outcry to stop. The concept that any civilized race or culture not wanting to completely harness a planets mineral wealth to further Thawl’ls Great Imperative is completely alien and somewhat beyond a Demiurg’s comprehension. It is also this reason that the Demiurg are particularly resistant to the influence and corrupting power of the Warp and outward Psychic manipulation. This is not by the fact that they actively resist it but are ill-equipped to even perceive it correctly in their rigid stone-like logic. How Thawl’l was able to convince such an innately stubborn and mentally rigid species as the Demiurg towards the Great Imperative is a complete mystery. However, it may have been exactly this quality that made the Demiurg exceptionally suitable for mining the large Noctilith or ‘Nightstone’ deposits required during the ‘War in the Heavens’, which necessitated the start of the Great Imperative in the first place.

SOCIETY

Currently, it is unknown how many of the Demiurg’s commerce fleets and attending Brotherhoods are full members of the T'au Empire. Either in the capacity of allies, mercenaries or advisors. What is known is that they are involved heavily in commercial and economic relations of the T'au and in particular those relating to the extraction of resources and mass manufacture of technology. The Demiurg have abandoned almost all need for terrestrial interactions in favour of the use of their immense spacecraft. They are known to avoid Imperial space unless invited in by a sector governing body, or an opportunistic Rogue Trader, making them an uncommon sight beyond the edges of the Imperium.

Often described as defensively-hostile and non-militaristic, the Demiurg view armed conflict as a necessary facet of the Great Imperatives undertaking. Though the Demiurg will undertake all efforts to establish contact and mutual understanding with other cultures and species, it is the case that there will always be certain factions which misunderstand the ways of the Great Imperative. When conflict does erupt, and a fleets Brotherhoods see the abandonment of their intended mining-resource deemed unacceptable they will turn their immense arsenal of mining machines and automated Ghola constructs upon their enemies with brutal if not workman efficiency.

The Demiurg have organized their society based on the structure of related lineages, known by the term "Brotherhoods", which share a heritage with the first Demiurg explorers who set out from their home system countless millennia ago. Each of the surviving Brotherhood lineages represents the skills and specializations, that have been retained via the unique eidetic race memory of the Demiurg, from one of the first explorers. Therefore, these Brotherhoods themselves will be specialists in a given area of the Demiurg’s array of scientific and operational knowledge. For example, the Brotherhood of Srry’Tok trace their lineage back to ‘Srry’Tok the Spirited Armourer’ who was expert in the crafting of Ion technologies, whilst the Brotherhood of Vozlok trace their lineage back to ‘Vozlok the Wise Operator’ who was expert in the crafting and use of Ghola Automatons. There are many such Brotherhood which have survived to the present era due to the fact that the Brotherhoods spread their members out across the Demiurg Commerce Fleets, their members taking up the mantle required for the smooth running of the mining and manufacturing operations required for the Great Imperative.

Though there are a variety of Demiurg vessel types, commonly the Bastion-Class and larger Stronghold-Class vessels are the most regularly used, each holding a number of Brotherhood Clan Groups required to undertake that vessels primary tasks. Usually only one Brotherhood is typically present upon a given Bastion-class Commerce Vessel as these usually only undertake one specialist activity if required, whilst two to three specialist Brotherhood Clan Groups are present on the larger Stronghold-class Commerce Vessel. It is usual that these larger Stronghold vessels undertake multiple types of operation, from deep-space asteroid mining to the whole scale manufacturing of new machines, weapons and merchandise for their willing trade partners. When new Commerce Vessel or Fleet production is agreed amongst the Demiurg Brotherhoods for undertaking new opportunities in opening sectors, whole new Clan Groups are produced via their replication technologies from the necessary Brotherhood lineages to maintain, operate and oversee those new vessels.

The Head of a Brotherhood, known as the Arch-Patrician, is the oldest surviving member of his Brotherhoods lineage. These greatly encrusted ancient individuals are often unable to move of their own ability, the marked callosities of their age making them like statues of glowing crystalline growth. However, their minds have the oldest intact silicon-matrices and so have the most complete memory architectures dating back to the beginning of the Thawl’ls Great Imperative. They may have also seen first-hand the likely galactic events of Mankind’s first ascent to the stars and its war with their own failed attempts to create artificial servants, as well as the Fall of the Eldar race. Under the Arch-Patrician there are numerous Grandees who are the eldest member of their past Clan, they and their Brother Grandees now the heads of dispersed Brotherhood Clan Groups and their operations. The Grandees too of great age, are often unable to walk of their own ability, so often use hovering Thrones kept aloft by electromagnetic manipulator fields as they inspect the work of their descendants in the Clan Group. The Clan Group is further divided into smaller tasked work groups, kept in check by the directly replicated brothers of the Clans Grandee, known as overseers, as they undertake the various roles of miner, manufacturer, artisan, planner, administrator, prospector, operator and astrotechnician.

Though the Demiurg are very capable of defending their interests, be they a deep-space mining operation or a planet-based extraction colony, through the weaponizing of their standard (and exceptional potent) mining machines and cutting beams, they will often seek the martial services of other races and mercenaries to protect their endeavours. This is due to the fact that sometimes when dealing with hostile biological organisms, one needs an allied biological organism to be effective in their dealings. Whereas the Demiurg mind is rigid in the pursuit of furthering the Great Imperative, the Brotherhoods often perceive organic carbon-based lifeforms as often more erratic in its emotions and actions, so gaining advice and council from trusted intermediaries can be of great benefit in avoiding unnecessary conflict and reducing impact on important production quotas.

It is not uncommon to see all manner of other xenos species, as well as occasional Imperial renegade bands and non-Imperial humans, within their fleets as advisers, guards and mercenary soldiers. For example, the Kroot seem to have acted as a long-term associate race to the Demiurg and facilitated their meeting and trade negotiations with the growing T’au Empire. Other less commonly recognizable xenos races to even the most experienced Rogue Trader and Ordo Xenos Inquisitor including the mercenary packs of the Tarellian Dog-Soldiers, Piscean Warrior Cohorts, Morrallian Deathsworn, Nekulli Corpse-Harvester Clans, and Scythian Kill-Squads. Most blessed to the Demiurg are those Brotherhoods who boast to have drawn the attention of Thawl’ls own children, the ingenious techno-nomads of the Jokaero of whom the Demiurg hold great honour and praise, which is even more surprising to other non-Demiurg onlookers who have likely never seen a Demiurg quite as animated before then.

TECHNOLOGY

When the Demiurg abandoned their homeworld, after stripping it bare of all resources to build their initial exploration fleet, they created and invested a high level of technology in their majestic vessels since they are required to perform a number of tasks; Stronghold-class vessels, for instance are often used as the base of a particular endeavour, containing vast factories facilities and processing units, whereas Bastion-class starships are more often configured for use in prospecting for resources, direct asteroid mining, and searching for prospective trading partners. The direction of these fleets’ actions is most likely driven by the opportunities for commerce generated by manufacturing items on-location in the starships is very lucrative when dealing with multiple client species and for resupplying their mining operations with fresh supplies of mining machines and equipment.

Of the technology developed, adopted and utilized by the Brotherhoods, three key areas are most unique to the Demiurg race. These include the use of devices which can control and manipulate electromagnetic forces; the manufacture of ranged mining beams and rays which can be turned into effective weapons when the needs arise; and finally, the semi-sentient automatons and mining machines known as ‘Ghola’ which they employ in truly vast numbers across all sectors of the Demiurg’s operations and way of life.

When first setting out from their home sector of space, most likely in the Galactic East of the Milky Way Galaxy, the original Demiurg Brotherhood explorers were both thrilled and overwhelmed at the diversity and extent of the resources the wider Galaxy had to offer them in the pursuit of meeting Thawl’ls Great Imperative. Knowing full well that they, a long-lived and slowly replicating species, would likely be unable to undertake the task purely of their own manual power despite the technological advances they had made since the visitation by the First Artisan and the Old Kind. Again, taking guidance from Thawl’l example the Demiurg would create their own servitor race of semi-sentient machines, much like the biological servitor races employed by Thawl’ls own empire. However, the production of such bio-organic lifeforms was beyond the understanding, and even comprehension, of the early Brotherhoods, so instead used their own unique crysto-cerebral neurology to create synthetic minds similar to their own. Thus, the Ghola were first created and have faithfully served the Demiurg since those earliest of times.

Though sharing a common synthetic neural-architecture to the Demiurg themselves, comprising great lattices or complex crystalline matrices, the outward appearance of these robots vary to a staggering degree. This is due to a combination of the Brotherhoods personal preferences, the precise operational environment to which the machines are designed to operate within most optimally, and the material resources most available to the Brotherhoods in charge of that Ghola Clades manufacture. From giant hulking multi-limbed monstrosities to small hovering drones, clinker-shelled, comprised of reflective precious metals. Those Ghola most associated to Asteroid Mining and low gravity environments have the appearance of large bulbous arachnids, equipped with multiple stiletto legs, powerful pulverizing jaws and cutting beams of high intensity. However, other designs and models can appear vastly different, from hunched stomping mockeries of early Terran primates glad in golden carapace, to tentacled squig-like cylinders moving on cushions of electromagnetic force composed of clear diamond hard synth-crystal. Usually, these Ghola are not directly controlled by the Demiurg themselves, and operate in a practically automatous manner. This is likely due to the relatively few Demiurg in a given Clan Group’s population in comparison to the huge Ghola workforce they oversee and direct. Furthermore, through great techno-artistry, the Demiurg will often install a workforce of Ghola into an Asteroid or rogue Planetoid to work completely in isolation away from the Commerce Vessel. Ingenious use of Electromagnetic ‘Shunt’ Networks and Conveyor Stations, operated by similar Command-Ghola constructs, propelling these resource-rich interplanetary bodies from prospecting fields to their intended destinations. Sometimes these operations take hundreds of years, a blink in the eye to many Demiurg, but by the time the asteroid arrives in-system the automated mining machines have excavated and processed the arranged shipment of mineral-resources. Though armed specifically to undertake their intended tasks if attacked, and the intended shipment was in danger, these Ghola will activate automatous logic engines and respond in kind. These machines use a territorial logic when left to operate in such extended periods of operation, possessing a territorial logic to protect their masters prospecting rights and acquired resources.

The Demiurg are true masters of the development of various forms of energetic manipulation and control. In particular related to the use of high-intensity laser, radiation and microwave-fusion technologies used to excavate their sort after resources to fuel the Great Imperative. However, it is their masterful use of devices for the manipulation of Electromagnetic forces, one of the principle governing forces of the universe, in which they have truly excelled compared to other races and civilizations. From handled manipulators to their largely automated Demiurg vessels, these devices can be used to delicately move matter and energy in precise surgical ways, or brutally force such matter to travel at great speeds.

The large commerce vessels of the Demiurg often use such giant Electromagnetic Field Manipulators or ‘E-Mag’ drives to scoop up interstellar hydrogen, which is then compressed inside the vessel and ejected towards the rear, creating a form of fusion ram-jet engine. The engines of Demiurg starships are relatively slow in comparison to Imperial starship technology, however a combination of the robust geo-organic bodies of the Demiurg and the complex shielding systems required to maintain these insitu E-Mag field generators allow the vessels to travel at truly fast levels of acceleration when engaged, compared to Imperial sub-warp engines, that would normally pulverize purely bio-organic lifeforms. Therefore, Commerce Fleets are relatively slow compared to the vessels of other races, lacking any technologies or psykers to utilize any form of effective warp-travel. However, the Demiurg concept of time is greatly different to that of short-lived species, such as humans, and as such this slower yet more purposely accurate form of propulsion more than adequate to the Demiurg’s requirements.

Another key piece of technologies developed by the Brotherhoods of the Demiurg is the creation of Ionic Shielding and weaponry. Though to be one of the Demiurg’s earliest technological achievements, these devices are wholly used for the personal defence and armament of the Demiurg’s fighting forces when required. Such technologies, though effective over larger ranges than most of the Brotherhoods arsenal of mining technologies, can still be unstable if used ineffectively, especially by soft-bodied organic lifeforms. As such these are commonly employed by expendable Ghola soldiers manufactured in bulk as required but also traded to other races and civilizations in exchange of aid and potential mining and manufacturing rights. As already shown in recent times, the Demiurg are only too willing to share their Ionic-based technologies to other developing races, such as the T’au, in order to garner allies in their pursuit of Thawl’ls great imperative.

Edited April 23, 2021 by MECHFACE

[MECHFACE]

ABILITIES OF THE DEMIURG

 

 

A unit’s datasheet will list all the abilities it has unless the space requirements of this document dictate that certain abilities that are common to many units are only referenced on the datasheets rather than described in full. These are described below:

 

Demiurg

 

The Demiurg are relatively unique amongst other sentient races in the Milky Way Galaxy in that they are Silicon-Based Geo-Organic lifeforms. As such all units with the Demiurg keyword benefit from the following two special abilities that are described below: Born of Stone; Minds of Artifice.

 

Born of Stone: all units with this rule may roll a D6 each time they lose a wound. On a 6+ that wound is not lost. In addition, the unit is counted as having the Vehicle Keyword with respects to any “Poison-based” attacks made against them. They may therefore further ignore any aura-based mortal wounds or passive negative effects to their stat-line values as a result of “Radiation”, “Disease” or “Poison” related abilities or auras from enemy units including but not limited to;

 

Rad-Wreathed (Codex Necrons), Radiant Disciples (Codex Adeptus Mechanicus), Luminary Suffusion (Codex Adeptus Mechanicus), Rad-Saturation (Codex Adeptus Mechanicus), Hypertoxic Poison Cloud (Codex Tyranids), Toxic Miasma (Codex Tyranids), Enhanced Toxic Miasma (Codex Tyranids), Hypertoxic Miasma (Codex Tyranids), Toxin Sacs (Codex Tyranids), Poisoned Weapon (Codex Drukhari), Poisoner’s Ampule (Codex Drukhari), The Serpent’s Kiss (Codex Drukhari), Spirit-Sting (Codex Drukhari), Masters Of Mutagens (Codex Drukhari), Poisoned Weapon Enhancements (Codex Drukhari), Plague Weapon (Codex Death Guard), Diseased Effluents (Codex Death Guard), Release The Toxins (Codex Death Guard), Rancid Vomit (Gellerpox Infected), Arch-Contaminator (Codex Death Guard), Foul Effluents (Codex Death Guard), Plague Brewers (Codex Death Guard), Shrieker Cannon Shrieker Profile (Codex Harlequins), The Maugetar Shrieker Profile (Codex Craftworlds), Deathwatch Heavy Flamer Hellfire Profile (Codex Supplement Deathwatch), Hellfire Shells (Codex Space Marines), Special-Issue Ammunition Hellfire Rounds (Codex Supplement Deathwatch).

 

Please Note: Those effects related to toxins that specify that they can affect vehicles or inorganic matter can affect units with the Born of Stone special ability (for example the Death Guard Contagions of Nurgle, Virulent Fever, Corrosive Filth, Ferric Miasma abilities work as normal against the Demiurg).

 

Minds of Artifice: all units with this rule may ignore any or all negative modifier effects when undertaking Combat Attrition Tests. Furthermore, all <Brotherhood> units with the Ghola keyword within 3” of this unit may use its WS and BS values instead of their own.

 

Ghola

 

The Ghola are a race of mechanical semi-sentient machines which can act automatously when stationed away from their Demiurg masters. Due to their synthetic structure and synthetic neural-matrices all units with the Ghola keyword benefit from the following two special abilities that are described below: Ghola-Machine; Protect and Serve.

 

Ghola-Machine: this unit may only attack the closest enemy unit during the Shooting Phase, and may only ever make a charge move towards the closet visible enemy unit within range unless it is within the influence distance of a friendly unit with the Command Node or Minds of Artifice ability.

 

Serve and Protect: while a friendly <Brotherhood> Demiurg Character unit is within 3" of this unit, enemy models cannot target that unit with ranged attacks. In addition, this unit may automatically pass all Moral Tests they are required to take when within the 3” of a friendly <Brotherhood> Demiurg Character unit.

 

 

 

 

WEAPON DEFINITIONS OF THE DEMIURG

 

Some rules refer to ‘Ion’, ‘Fusion’, ‘Laser’, ‘E-Mag’ or ‘Manipulator’ weapons. The definitions of these weapons for the purposes of such rules can be found below:

 

Ion Weapons

 

 

A ‘Ion’ weapon is any weapon whose profile includes the word ‘Ion’ or ‘Ionic’ (Ion Pistol, Ion Blaster, Ionic Accelerator etc.), and any Relic that replaces a bolt weapon (e.g., Srry’Tok’s Hammer - Relic). If an Ion weapon has a shooting and melee profile, rules that apply to Ion weapons only apply to the shooting profile of that weapon.

 

Laser Weapons

 

 

A ‘Lazer’ weapon is any weapon whose profile includes the word ‘Lazer’ (Laser Cutter, Mining Laser, Fulguration Laser etc). If an Lazer weapon has a shooting and melee profile, rules that apply to Lazer weapons only apply to the shooting profile of that weapon.

 

Fusion Weapons

 

A ‘Fusion’ weapon is any weapon whose profile includes the word ‘Fusion’ (Fusion Cutter, Fusion Blaster, Cyclonic Fusion Collider etc.), any Relic that replaces a Fusion weapon. Rules that apply to Fusion weapons only apply to the ranged Fusion profile of any combined ranged & melee weapons.

 

 

E-Mag Weapons

 

 

An ‘E-Mag’ weapon is any weapon whose profile includes the word ‘E-Mag’ (E-Mag Hammer, E-Mag Pulverizor, E-Mag Pulse

Accelerator etc.), and any Relic that replaces an E-Mag weapon. Rules that apply to E-Mag weapons apply to both the ranged and melee profiles of any E-Mag ranged & melee combined weapons.

 

 

Manipulator Weapons

 

 

A ‘Manipulator’ weapon is any weapon whose profile includes the word ‘Manipulator’ (Manipulator Rod, Manipulator Stave, Manipulator-Array etc.), and any Relic that replaces a Manipulator weapon. Rules that apply to Manipulator weapons apply to both the ranged and melee profiles of any Manipulator ranged & melee combined weapons.

 

 

 

 

DETACHMENT RULES OF THE DEMIURG BROTHERHOODS

 

A Demiurg Brotherhoods Detachment is one that only includes models with the Demiurg Brotherhoods keyword. Adeptus Astartes A Demiurg Brotherhoods Detachment gains the Clan Group Hierarchy, Mercenary Cadres, Brotherhood Lineage abilities. <Brotherhood> units in Demiurg Brotherhoods Detachments gain the Brotherhood Lineage ability only if all units in that Detachment share the same <Brotherhood> keyword. Units with the ‘Troop’ Battlefield Role in Demiurg Brotherhoods Detachments gain the Objective Secured ability. These detachment abilities are listed below:

 

Objective Secured

 

Some units have an ability called Objective Secured. A player controls an objective marker if they have any models with this ability within range of that objective marker, even if there are more enemy models within range of that objective marker. If an enemy model within range of an objective marker also has this ability (or a similar ability), then the objective marker is controlled by the player who has the most models within range of that objective marker as normal.

 

Clan Group Hierarchy

 

 

When the Demiurg Brotherhoods and their smaller Clan Groups are deployed into battle, the task to direct them usually falls to the Brotherhood Grandee of a Clan Group and his trusted Overseers. In turn these Overseers have the ability to direct their younger brethren and descendants making up the specialized Astrotechs and Janissaries. Therefore, you can include a maximum of one Grandee model in any single Detachment, and up to two Overseer models for each Grandee model included in your army. Furthermore, each Detachment is limited to a maximum of two Astrotech models and two Janissary Clade units for each Overseer model present in that same Detachment.

 

Mercenary Cadres

 

If your army is Battle-forged, and contains Detachments comprising of Demiurg units with the same matching <Brotherhood> keyword, you may still include up to any three of the following Mercenary Datasheets, and multiples thereof, per Demiurg Grandee model in your Army without losing its Battle-forged status, including:

 

• Kroot Tracker
• Piscean Warrior
• Morrallian Deathsworn
• Jokaero Weaponsmith
• Nekulli Harvestman
• Tarellian Jagesh
• Scythian Talon-Master

 

In addition, these units do not take up a slot in a given detachment so long as there are no more than three such Mercenary Cadre units per Demiurg Grandee model in your Army. Please note that it is also possible to include other allied or mercenary units in a Demiurg Battle-forged army as Cadre Units and Cadre Detachments through the use of Stratagems and other Crusade rule abilities. In these cases where these appropriate exceptions are used, these Cadre Units and Cadre Detachments do not affect a Demiurg Brotherhoods army’s Battle-forged status.

 

Brotherhood Lineage

 

When a Demiurg Brotherhoods Detachment comprises units from a single <Brotherhood>, such Detachments will gain access to that <Brotherhood> special Lineage Trait, either from those of an existing Brotherhood from the following choices below, or from a Custom Brotherhood using the list of Custom Demiurg Brotherhood Lineage Traits.

 

• Brotherhood of Thurm
• Brotherhood of Srry’Tok
• Brotherhood of Vozlok
• Brotherhood of Quurk
• Brotherhood of Drua’Xom
• Brotherhood of Thuok

In addition, each of the known <Brotherhood> choices above can access supplementary options for <Brotherhood> Warlord Traits, <Brotherhood> Stratagems, and <Brotherhood> Relics.  

 

Whenever a unit belongs to a specific <Brotherhood> Lineage replace all instances of that <Brotherhood> with the chosen keyword selected from above or of your own choosing if building a unique <Brotherhood> Lineage using the list of Custom Demiurg Brotherhood Lineage Traits.

 

 

Warlord Traits

 

If your Warlord is a Demiurg Character unit from a Demiurg Brotherhoods Detachment, you may choose to provide them with a Warlord Trait from the Demiurg Warlord Trait table to determine what Warlord Traits they have. Should the Demiurg Character unit also possess a known <Brotherhood> lineage replace the <Brotherhood> keyword in all instances in that Warlord Trait (if any) with the chosen <Brotherhood> keyword.

 

 

Relics of the Brotherhoods

 

All Demiurg Character Warlords have access to the ‘Gifts of Thawl’l’ Wargear Relic list. In addition, where those Stratagems or Abilities possessed by certain Demiurg detachments or Stratagems allow Ghola units to access Relics these are selected from the ‘Artisan Constructs’ Relic List. Finally, should a Demiurg Character possess a known <Brotherhood> lineage, this unit may access the specific ‘Gifts of <Brotherhood>’ Relic List.

 

 

Stratagems

 

If your Army is Battle-forged, and all Demiurg Brotherhood Detachments comprise of units with the same <Brotherhood> keyword, then they may access the Demiurg Stratagems list. Those armies which include units with a specifically known <Brotherhood> lineage, may access the specific ‘<Brotherhood>’ marked Stratagems, with these Stratagems only effecting those units with the same <Brotherhood> lineage.

 

 

 

DEMIURG BROTHERHOOD LINEAGE TRAIT RULES

 

Brotherhood of Thurm

 

Tracing their lineage back to ‘Thurm the Master Builder’ the members of the Brotherhood of Thurm craft mining machines and vehicles of great strength and durability. Such marvelous creations can withstand the high temperatures and great strains of gravitic pressure when mining the deep-cores of massive planetary bodies.

 

Lineage Trait: Demiurg Vehicle models and units with the Brotherhood of Thurm lineage gain an additional +1 to their Armour Save (this does not extend to Invulnerable Saves) against incoming Ranged and Melee attacks. In addition, all Vehicle models with a degrading stat-line may always count their remaining wound count as double for the purposes of determining the unit’s characteristics used.

 

Brotherhood of Srry’Tok

 

The Brotherhood of Srry’Tok are renowned experts in the development and utilization of Ion technologies even amongst the technologically adept Demiurg Brotherhoods. Tracing a lineage back the first of their name ‘Srry’Tok the Spirited Armourer’ the members of this Brotherhood can rain down ferocious volleys of ionized particles to shred those who oppose the Great Imperative.

 

Lineage Trait: Demiurg models and units with the Brotherhood of Srry’Tok lineage, and all Ghola units within a radius of those Demiurg units influence, may re-roll any unmodified 1’s made during the Shooting Phase, or when undertaking any Overwatch, if they did not move during their previous Movement Phase.

In addition, all attacks made with Ion Weapons in the Shooting Phase gain an additional -1 to that weapons AP (i.e., an Ion Weapon with an AP-2 becomes AP-3).          

 

Brotherhood of Vozlok

 

Tracing their lineage back to the esteemed ‘Vozlok the Wise Operator’ the members of the Brotherhood of Vozlok are highly adept at the direction and operation of their Ghola constructs. This extends to both their efficiency in undertaking the operations of the Great Imperative as well as in defense of the Brotherhoods Commerce Fleets.

 

Lineage Trait: all Demiurg Brotherhood of Vozlok models with the Minds of Artifice ability may double the range of their ability to influence the effectiveness of units with the Ghola keyword. In addition, all Ghola units with the Brotherhood of Thurm keyword may use the Overwatch stratagem even though they may be outside of the influence distance of any Demiurg Brotherhood of Vozlok units.

 

Brotherhood of Quurk

 

The Brotherhood of Quurk have established themselves as the unprecedented masters of Electromagnetic technologies, their Brotherhoods and creations in great demand from the other Brotherhoods in the Commerce Fleets. Tracing a lineage back the first of their name ‘Quurk the First Astrotech’ the members of this Brotherhood excel in their use of offensive and defensive Electromagnetism.

 

Lineage Trait: Demiurg models and units with the Brotherhood of Quurk lineage, and all Ghola units within a radius of those Demiurg units influence, may add +1 to hit with all Manipulator Weapons and E-Mag Weapons in the Shooting and Fight Phases. In addition, they further gain a +1 bonus to any Invulnerable Saves using Manipulator and E-Mag fields.

     

Brotherhood of Drua’Xom

 

The Brotherhood of Drua’Xom have developed a reputation amongst the other Demiurg Brotherhoods for their unusually aggressive nature and combative approach to the undertaking of the Great Imperative. Tracing a lineage back the first of their name ‘Drua’Xom the Bold Negotiator’ the members of this Brotherhood try to end disputes quickly with the application of overwhelming force.

 

Lineage Trait: Demiurg models and units with the Brotherhood of Drua’Xom lineage, and all Ghola units within a radius of those Demiurg units influence, don’t suffer the -1 modifier to hit with Assault weapons in the same turn they Advanced in the previous Movement Phase. In addition, all Pistol and Rapid-Fire weapons may be used as Assault weapons if a Demiurg units with the Brotherhood of Quurk lineage, and all Ghola units within a radius of those Demiurg units influence, Advanced in the previous Movement Phase (however such Pistol and Rapid-Fire weapons still suffer the -1 to hit modifier if used as Assault weapons in this manner).

 

Brotherhood of Thuok

 

Tracing their lineage back to the legendary prospector ‘Thuok the Great Excavator’ the members of the Brotherhood of Thuok are highly adept at withstanding the great heat and use of Fusion based technologies to clear a path to uncover new veins and sources of mineral wealth. This extends to both their deep-space mining operations as well as in the destruction of those in the way of the Great Imperative.

 

Lineage Trait: all Demiurg Brotherhood of Thuok models with the Body of Stone ability may ignore the first 2 points of AP for all incoming Flame, Melta, Plasma, Volkite, and Fusion attacks made against them (i.e., a Melta Weapon with an AP-4 becomes AP-2, Whilst a Flame Weapon with an AP-1 becomes AP0). In addition, all Demiurg and Ghola units with the Brotherhood of Thuok keyword gain a +3” to the effective range of all Fusion Weapons with the Pistol and Assault type, and +6” effective range for all Fusion Weapons with the Heavy type.

 

 

 

CUSTOM DEMIURG BROTHERHOOD TRAITS

 

When selecting a <Brotherhood> lineage for the units within a Battle-forged army, you may choose to create a custom Demiurg <Brotherhood> Lineage Trait by selecting two of the following traits, first from the Ancestor trait list, and then from the Artisan secondary traits list under each Ancestor type chosen:

 

ANCESTOR TRAIT:

Deep-Space Brotherhood

 

Many Demiurg Brotherhoods are specialists at mining the mineral and ore wealth of deep-space asteroids and other interstellar bodies such as rogue planets. Tracing their lineages back to the original Demiurg explorers with skills and knowledge of such undertaking these Brotherhoods excel in the application of that ancestral mining knowledge. However, these erstwhile Brotherhoods consider themselves more traditional than their Technocratic and Mercantile cousins and their place as the foundation of the Great Imperative’s work.

 

Ancestor Trait: Demiurg models and units with this Ancestor Trait lineage, and all friendly Ghola units within a radius of those Demiurg units influence, may re-roll all wound rolls made against enemy units with the Vehicle or Building keyword.

 

In addition to this Ancestor Trait, select up to one of the following Artisan Traits to complete your Custom Brotherhood.

 

Artisan Trait: Superior Laser Capacitors - All Demiurg and Ghola units which are equipped with Laser Weapons gain a +1 bonus to the weapons Strength and Damage Value when used in the Shooting Phase against targets which are with half of that weapons range.

 

Artisan Trait: Superior Ablative Shielding - All Demiurg Vehicle units reduce the AP of all incoming ranged attacks by -1 (i.e., a weapon with an AP of -2 would be reduced to AP -1). Note that this stacks with the added effects of any additional Ablative Shielding that Vehicle may be equipped with (e.g., Ablative Hazard Shielding and Hostile Environment Ablative-Shielding) and abilities that model may already possess (e.g., Excavator-Ghola and Demolition-Ghola).

 

Artisan Trait: Superior Astrotechnicians - All Demiurg units with the Minds of Artifice ability may at the end of the Movement Phase repair a single friendly <Brotherhood> unit with the Ghola or Vehicle keyword within 3". That unit repaired regains 1 lost wound. No unit may be repaired by the same Demiurg Unit more than once per turn.

 

Artisan Trait: Superior Suspension Drives – Whenever any Demiurg units with the Fly Advance do not roll any dice, the unit may move up to its maximum allowable Advance distance.

 

ANCESTOR TRAIT:

Technocratic Brotherhood

 

All Demiurg Brotherhoods are innately attuned to the use of technology and its application for solving complex logic problems. However, where as most Brotherhoods are skilled in such abilities those with lineages tracing back to the original techno-scientists of the Demiurg race are exceptional. Experts in the use and development of the Demiurg’s principle regenerative and electromagnetic sciences, these Technocratic Brotherhoods and their inventions are in high demand by other Mining and Mercantile Brotherhoods.    

 

Ancestor Trait: Demiurg models with the Born of Stone ability with this Ancestor Trait lineage may ignore any wound suffered on a roll of 5+ instead of 6+ roll.

 

In addition to this Ancestor Trait, select up to one of the following Artisan Traits to complete your Custom Brotherhood.

 

Artisan Trait: Enhanced Shield Emitters - All Demiurg and Ghola units which are equipped with an Invulnerable Save granted via an Ion, E-Mag or Manipulator device gain a +1 bonus to that units Invulnerable Save to a maximum Invulnerable Save of 3+ (e.g., a model with a 5+ Invulnerable Save has a 4+ Invulnerable Save).

 

Artisan Trait: Enhanced Manipulator Beams - All Demiurg units which are equipped with a Manipulator Weapon gain a +6” bonus to the effective range of that weapon.

 

Artisan Trait: Enhanced E-Mag Discharge - All Demiurg units which are equipped with an E-Mag Weapon may re-roll all failed wound rolls made in the Shooting and Fight Phases.

 

Artisan Trait: Enhanced Electromagnetic Aura - All Demiurg and Ghola units which are equipped with either a Manipulator or E-Mag field-device to cause all Enemy Units within their Engagement Range to suffer a -1 to their Strength values and the Strength of any Ranged weapons they are equipped with whilst they remain within that Engagement Range.

 

ANCESTOR TRAIT:

Mercantile Brotherhood

 

Those Demiurg Brotherhoods which come into most regular contact with other intelligent species and interstellar races are those of the Mercantile Brotherhoods. These Demiurg trace their lineages back to those original Demiurg explorers who sort to perfect the manufacture and trade in wares created in the course of the Great Imperative. As such these Demiurg Brotherhoods form the greatest alliances with other civilizations and are adept in the direction of such organic lifeforms and mercenaries. However, in comparison to the other Brotherhoods of Mining and Technocratic lineage, these merchants Demiurg as considered to be the most unconventional of their race.

 

Ancestor Trait: Demiurg units with the Mind of Artifice ability with this Ancestor Trait lineage gain a +1 to they Leadership value, which further extends to all friendly units with the Ghola and Mercenary Keywords in the same detachment.

 

In addition to this Ancestor Trait, select up to one of the following Artisan Traits to complete your Custom Brotherhood.

 

Artisan Trait: Peerless Machine Programming - All Ghola units in a Demiurg Detachment which shares this Artisan Trait gain a +1 bonus to their BS and WS values.

 

Artisan Trait: Peerless Mercenary Contract – all Mercenary Cadre units (including those included via Stratagems, Warlord Traits or Crusade abilities) within a detachment that includes any Demiurg units with this Ancestor Trait lineage automatically pass the first moral test they are required to take.

 

Artisan Trait: Peerless Alliance Pact - roll a D6 each time a friendly model (including those units without the Demiurg or a different <Brotherhood> lineage) is Slain or flees as a result of a failed Combat Attrition test within 6” of a Demiurg unit with the Mind of Artifice or Command Node ability with this Artisan Trait lineage. On a roll of 6 that model refuses to yield; either that model is not slain (and has 1 wound remaining), or that model does not flee.

 

Artisan Trait: Peerless Garrison Manufacture – All Ghola Infantry units in a Demiurg Detachment which shares this Artisan Trait receive a +1 bonus to their Armour Save against incoming ranged and melee attacks (this does not include any Invulnerable Saves that unit may have).

Edited April 23, 2021 by MECHFACE

[MECHFACE]

DEMIURG DETACHMENT UNIT DATASHEETS

A Demiurg Brotherhoods army comprises of units selected from the Datasheets available to them from the following choices. These are described in the summaries below and in detail in each individual Datasheet.

Demiurg Brotherhood Grandee

HQ BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The oldest and most venerable member of a Brotherhood Clan Group. Usually, they and their brothers from the same replication event of a similar age will each direct the actions of a sperate Clan Group of the same Brotherhood. Due to their immense age, they have limited mobility as large craggy outgrowths of geo-organic crystalline structure cover a large portion of their head and upper body. As such these venerable beings are seated upon master-crafted electromagnetic suspension thrones inlaid with an impressive arsenal of weapons and defensive devices.

Demiurg Brotherhood Overseer

HQ BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The Demiurg Overseers are those members of a Brotherhood who are tasked with ensuring that their operations proceed smoothly and that production quotas are met. Trained in the use of specific control rod devices, these Demiurg have a greater mastery of their Brotherhoods Ghola creations.

Demiurg Command-Ghola

HQ BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The majority of Ghola construct machines used by a Demiurg Commerce Fleet are most automatous and have little enough sentience to operate with any Initiative. However, Command-Ghola are designed with crystalline neural-architectures which more closely match the minds of their Demiurg masters. As such these Ghola are capable of greater feats of logic, reasoning and to a certain extent engram recall of the Demiurg’s shared eidetic race memories.

Demiurg Auto-Ghola Glade

TROOPS BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Auto-Ghola are the most basic and numerous of the Demiurg Ghola construct machines. They are used for a staggering number of basic operational tasks from cleaning, manufacturing, and very simple mining duties. Though the most lacking of the Ghola in cognitive reasoning and ability, they are fast to produce so these Auto-Ghola form the core of the Demiurg’s pseudo-soldiery who can drown hostile aggressors on mass.

Demiurg Ore-Hauler

DEDICATED TRANSPORT BATTLEROLE

Usually used for hauling ore and other rich ion-particulate orbs held in electromagnetic suspension fields, these simple hovering haulers make effective transportation units when the mass movement Auto-Ghola are needed to areas beyond the range of environments which the larger trans-orbital bulk haulers can operate.

Demiurg Astrotechnician

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The Demiurg Astrotechnicians of a Brotherhood are the most naturally gifted techno-scientists amongst an already technologically adept race. Taking up a myriad mantel of engineers, scholars, scientists and philosophers. These individuals are often tailed by loyal packs of skittering Ghola drones as they go about their duties to repair and keep the majestic engines of the Demiurg’s Great Imperative running in smooth order.

Demiurg Janissary Clade

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The Demiurg are by their society more prone towards commerce, trade and negotiation then the direct bearing of arms. However, when matters need to be taken into hand and their automaton Ghola are not adequate enough to counter an opposing force. These Demiurg Brothers of the younger Clan Groups will take up weapons in the capacity of volunteer Janissaries, comprised of those Demiurg of a more bellicose manner, who direct their repurposed Ghola constructs against those who threaten the Great Imperative.

Demiurg Excavation-Ghola Clade

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

By the demands required for the undertaking of Thawl’ls Great Imperative gifted on to the Demiurg to burden, the first Brotherhood explorers needed to create machines which could assist them. The Commerce Fleets of the Demiurg, and their isolated automatous mining facilities, contain a dazzlingly array of such Ghola of uncountable design and complexity. Of these the most common used in the Brotherhoods mining operations are the Excavation-Ghola, medium sized bulky robots which when tasked swarm across Asteroid and Enemy alike with their powerful extraction tools and cutting beams.

Demiurg Command-Drone

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Many of the vast operations undertaken by the Brotherhoods of the Demiurg cannot be directly supervised by the Overseers and Astrotechnicians directly. Instead, they must rely on Command Node enabled Ghola, designed with crystalline neural-architectures which more closely match the minds of the Demiurg masters to keep the majority of the mining and manufacturing machines working effectively. Command-Drones are Ghola intelligences of feats of logic beyond the average Ghola construct in the surrounding robotic work force.

Demiurg Survey-Drone Clade

FAST ATTACK BATTLEFIELD ROLE

When prospecting for new ore and mineral resources for extraction, the Demiurg use a variety of complex scanners and energy-augurs to locate those of great value and extractability. The Demiurg ‘Survey-Glass’ is a well-known piece of technology often traded to other races which allow the user to connect to these augur-arrays when deployed in a host of remote machines. Survey-Drones employed by the Demiurg Brotherhoods are small orb like Ghola fitted hovering suspension and neuro-transmitters which can rely this scanned information back to an operator. This information is valuable for undertaking deep-asteroid prospecting as well as for uncovering the location of malicious intruders within the Brotherhood facilities and remote mining-operations.

Demiurg Drone-Dog Clade

FAST ATTACK BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Demiurg Drone-Dogs are small scurrying Ghola constructs often propelling themselves at rapid speeds on many stiletto type-legs. Named “dogs” these constructs often appear more like small arachnids rather than old Terran canids. However, these Ghola often form close attachments to singular Demiurg companions and will follow that said individual closely by their heels until required to perform any services required. In particular such Drone-Dogs will closely follow the Astrotechnicians of the Brotherhood as they undertake their repair duties, providing assistance with fetching necessary tools and welding any fractures before the Demiurg even needs to ask.

Demiurg Heavy Survey-Drone

FAST ATTACK BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The Demiurg ‘Survey-Glass’ is a well-known piece of technology often traded to other races which allow the user to connect to these augur-arrays when deployed in a host of remote prospecting machines. Heavy Survey-Drones are employed by the Demiurg Brotherhoods when long-range exploration is required from the Commerce Fleet or Planetary Mining-Colony Facility. These medium to large size Ghola constructs usually appear like larger robust versions of the smaller Survey-Drones, though this can vary greatly between Demiurg Brotherhood Clan Groups and Commerce Fleets. They are equipped with the same complex augur systems and transponder nodes for Demiurg Survey-Glass devices, as well as larger sized weapon-tools to clear pathways through obscuring material or in their defence against hostile creatures encountered.

[MECHFACE]

Demiurg Heavy Excavation-Ghola

HEAVY SUPPORT BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Much like the smaller designed Excavation-Ghola, these heavier mining robots were created for the purpose to assist the Demiurg with undertaking the Great Imperatives duty to extract the base resources of the Galaxy, so that they could be fashioned into creations of artisan utility. Though their forms vary these hulking large Ghola machines can be installed in near isolation from the Commerce Fleets for hundreds of Terran years. Continuously excavating the required ore and mineral wealth of the target interplanetary body, these machines can operate under minimal supervision from other Command-Ghola constructs. When required, these automatons can be repurposed Ghola make effective war machines, decimating intruders and threats to the Demiurg Brotherhood’s mining and manufacturing rights and facilities.

Demiurg Turret-Class Bulk Hauler

HEAVY SUPPORT BATTLEFIELD ROLE

True masters of the use of electromagnetic field technologies, the Demiurg and their semi-intelligent Ghola servants will use such manipulating energies to attract and suspend a host of mineral, ore and atomized particles into streams and floating spheres or molten rock, ionized gas and hyper-fluids for movement. However, the energy requirements to transport extracted materials in this manner across the void of space can be limiting dependent upon the size of the operation. Therefore, the Demiurg will often use remotely piloted or even manned Bulk Haulers which can traverse the void and even planetary atmospheric condition to transport such raw materials for process and manufacture into countless creations. The Turret-Class Bulk hauler is the smallest of such heavy transportation machines, and serve as excellent deployment vessels for the Brotherhoods Ghola larbour force.

Demiurg Ballista Survey-Craft

FLYERS BATTLEFIELD ROLE

When Demiurg prospecting teams are dispatched from their Commerce Fleet vessel bases they use a variety of survey-craft, both manned and automatously controlled by their semi-sentient Ghola constructs. Usually most of the activity of directing mining, processing and manufacture of materials are undertaken by a host of machines. However, the Demiurg Overseers, Astrotechs and other mining personnel will still directly investigate a future interplanetary target to plan the exact process for the facilities creation, extraction processes and quota schedules. The Ballista class Survey-Craft in one such type of vehicle capable of allowing Demiurg mining experts to directly assess such resource rich interstellar bodies, whilst also serving as light attack craft and potentially repurposed unmanned missiles when required.

Demiurg Mangonel Demolition-Craft

FLYERS BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The Demiurg Commerce Fleets, assorted mining facilities and other mobile platforms possess a staggering array of powerful directed energy weapons. These can be used to completely demolish unwanted rock strata or impeding materials, as effective repurposed weapons of high yields and great intensity. In addition, when a Brotherhood completes a specific task, such as the successful mining of an asteroid, it will also most likely completely demolish all of the specifically crafted mining facilities and Ghola machines used in that excavation. The brutally designed Mangonel Class Demolition-Craft in one such instrument used as a manned or semi-automatous vehicle to undertake such demolition work. Using high intensity ionic or fusion beams it obliterates past constructs into raw resources again for recycled manufacture into new structures or machines for the Commerce Fleet’s next operation for furthering the Great Imperative.

Demiurg Rampart-Class Bulk Hauler

LORDS OF WAR BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Like the smaller Turret Class Bulk Hauler, the Rampart Hauler uses sophisticated Electromagnetic Manipulator Fields and E-Mag Pulse-Emitters to transport vast quantities of mined molten base metals, atomized particles and condensed hyper-fluids between the source mining facility and the primary Bastion or even Stronghold Commerce Vessels for process and assembly into new constructs and artisan creations. As well as the obvious use as a massive drop-ship to deliver the Demiurg’s Ghola labour force to the intended mining site for operation, these giant bulk-haulers also serve as effective fortresses from which the Brotherhoods can defend their operations and mining rights. Such trans-planetary Haulers can be fitted with a range of additional service support devices with which to local repair and re-programme their Ghola machines including automatous Fabrication Arrays and Command Node relays.

Demiurg Demolition-Ghola

LORDS OF WAR BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Though the Technocratic Savants of the Demiurg are capable of crafting Ghola engines and machines the colossal sizes rivalling the Battle Titans and even Navy Frigates of the Imperium of Mankind, the Brotherhoods only design such behemoth machines when extracting resources from the deep-cores of large rogue planets or other planet-sized bodies. Usually, the Brotherhoods in a Commerce Fleet will limit the size of such mining machines so that they can be better suited to operate in the relatively smaller confines of asteroids and interplanetary comets. However, when large demolition projects are required to further the Great Imperative the Demiurg will construct Ghola of incredible destructive ability, either to access the source veins of precious material or to dissemble unnecessary machines and facility to be re-forged by the Commerce Fleets extensive manufactories. To do so these gargantuan Demolition-Ghola are armed with mighty cutting lasers, such as the powerful Fulguration Laser, or the destructive E-Mag Pulse Accelerator.

Demiurg Shield-Generator Platform

FORTIFICATIONS BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Demiurg Mining-Platform

FORTIFICATIONS BATTLEFIELD ROLE

[MECHFACE]

DEMIURG MERCENARY CADRE UNIT DATASHEETS

Demiurg Brotherhood armies can also contain many non-Demiurg units in the form of Mercenary Cadres. These singular individuals originate from numerous other xenos species and factions who have, for interests of profit, honour or revenge, sell their services to the Demiurg as hired guns, bodyguards and assassins. These Cadre Units comprise of the selected Datasheets available from the following choices. These are described in the summaries below and in detail in each individual Datasheet.

Demiurg Mercenary Kroot Tracker

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The Kroot are a race of Avian-like Xenos who excel at the tracking and hunting of other races and xenos creatures. Though appearing as barbaric low-technology tribes, the Kroot are adept at the manufacture of complex machines and weapons, ranging from specialist laser weapons to massive interstellar spacecraft capable of warp-travel. It is hypothesized that the Kroot were once a far more technologically sophisticated race but chose to turn away from further advancement in favour of a more simplified low-technology tribal existence centered around the Kroot two primary vocations; the hunting of other life-forms and the shaping of their species genetic stock. This is achieved through their apparently unique biology of genetic adaptation through the consumption of other life-forms.

The Kroot Kindreds have a long association with the Brotherhoods of the Demiurg, often acting as mercenaries, guides, and intermediaries between Commerce Fleets and other races of their acquaintance. Most recently this includes the young T’au Empire of whom the Brotherhoods of the Srry’Tok and Thurm have established close alliance pacts with seeing the T’au Greater Good as a natural ally to Thawl’ls Great Imperative.

Demiurg Mercenary Tarellian Jagesh

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The reptilian Tarellian xeno-breed have a tragic history, which forced their evolving culture into one of the professional mercenaries and refugees. Originally a mid-level technological civilization developing in the Ultima Segmentum, within the Tarel system, capable of limited interstellar spacefaring across the Dmasladash Sub-Sector. However, upon meeting the Imperium they were almost systematically eradicated by the Great Crusade – their arid Homeworlds and outer colonies cleansed via Exterminatus using cataclysmic Virus-Bombs. However, unlike the countless other emergent xenos races and empires similarly cleansed throughout the galaxy at this time of great upheaval, the surviving Tarellian colonies and starcraft went into hiding, eventually needing the sell their services as mercenaries to other races to survive.

Tarellians today are well-built, stocky, scaled humanoids, which have adapted to utilise the salvaged technologies of other species. Though a minor race, there potential to affect galactic affairs taken savagely from them by Humans, they have spread out towards most parts of the Galaxy forming hidden Sanctuary Colonies or ‘Urdaks’ where they stockpile caches of supplies, arms, and wargear, as well as house their hatcheries and training facilities for young Tarellians. From these hidden bases they send out Mercenary Packs known as ‘Zardans’ to undertake contracts for paying clients, ranging from Bodyguards, Auxiliaries, or small Armies, earning them the name of Dog-Soldiers by the Imperial forces they encounter. They pride themselves on their martial ability and ‘dogged’ loyalty to their clients so long as they keep paying, whilst accepting direct currency, trade in supplies or even Battlefield salvage rights and the robbing of the slain for Trophy-Weapons. They also gain the Dog-Soldier moniker from imperial guardsmen who often see the long-snouted Tarellian mercenaries sprinting on all fours when moving at great speeds on foot, they weapons slung on their backs, to then stand upright on powerful stocky legs.

Demiurg Mercenary Morrallian Deathsworn

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Hailing from the blighted worlds of the Morrallian Cluster of the Ultima Segmentum, the Morallians or ‘Methane-Breathers’ as they are commonly called, are a technologically advanced xenos species that have totally industrialized they entire civilization. Morrallian worlds share a resemblance to the planet-wide factorums and refiners of the Mechanicum of Mars, with all Morallians serving a part in the colossal engine of works for the manufacture and refining of many prized fuels and chemical products sought by other xenos races. Such wholescale production has turned these worlds into Rad and Chem polluted wastelands, though to the Morallians such hazardous environments are purely normal and not impactful to their biology. However, millennia of reliance on technology have left them have physically withered and reliant on powered-suits and robotic-frames to undertake their daily labours of factory work and refinement.

The Morrallian facilities are protected by a standing army of trained warriors known as the Deathsworn, who employ dangerous Rad-Beamers, Chem-Throwers, Choke-Vents and Toxic Burst-Launchers from their sealed methane enviro-suits with an armour capacity equivalent to the Terminators of the Adeptus Astartes. The honour-based hierarchies of the Deathsworn military are highly complex and confusing to non-Morrallians. However, many Deathsworn often leave the Morrallian Factoryworlds in pursuit of occupation as mercenaries after failure to maintain their honour. These disgraced Deathsworn and Deathsworn Mercenary Companies are highly prized by the Demiurg in their mercenary cadres due to their martial strength and resilience in many hazardous environs where they two can venture by nature of their own resilient biologies.

Demiurg Mercenary Piscean Warrior

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

Though certainly not as prevalent as the Kroot and Tarellian xenos within the mercenary cadres of the Demiurg Commerce Fleets, the predatory Piscean Warriors do offer their services to Demiurg Brotherhoods as personal bodyguards and shock troopers. These Piscean Xenos Warriors, known as the Saharduin amongst the various intelligent species of the Dagon Shoals and Gulf, resemble ancient Terran aquatic predators akin to ferocious squalids and sinuous muraenids. Evolved of an enormous stature like that of the Astartes in size and bulk, within their wide mouths are triple-rowed of razor-sharp fangs able to puncture through the toughest of armour in single bite. In addition, the Saharduin are armed with the deadly Bolt Drivers analogues to the many Imperial Bolter designs. However, to function both in standard atmospheric conditions and within the crushing depths of the species home aquatic environments, the Dagonoi have harnessed the powers of Gravitic energy to power such mass-drivers and their many bulbous forms of war machines.

Though the Dagonoi, comprised of the Piscean, Cephalocean, and Cnidarean xeno-breeds, once held a large technologically sophisticated empire throughout the abyssal depths of the Dagon Gulf and Shoal Worlds, their expansion was halted by the actions of humanity during the Great Crusade Era of expansion and unity. However, so furious was the armed response of the Saharduin and their Dagonoi allies that the nascent Imperium thought it better to quarantine their realm than allow for its expansion. A steady stalemate was held for countless millennia between the blockading human fleets and fortress worlds and the blockade running Saharduin vessels bring back resources and the spoils of their hunts. However, this would change when the Space Wolves Chapter heard rumours of such an unacceptable status quo between Mankind’s Imperium and the Piscean Realm, launching a campaign of violence and destruction against the Dagonoi. To this day, hidden deep in the sanctuary Abyssal-Refuge Colonies of their ravaged worlds, the Piscean Warriors take great pains to exact revenge upon Humanity by hiring out their services as valued anti-Imperial mercenaries.

Demiurg Mercenary Nekulli Harvestman

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The chittering groups of the Corpse-Harvesting Nekulli Xenos are often seen trading in the company of Demiurg Commerce Fleets, in particular in the role as contracted enforcers protecting various Brotherhood operations and void-salvage disputes. These spacefaring scavengers and mercenaries of deep-space will gladly exchange their services as mercenaries for the Demiurg, known as profitable clients who will continue to pay valuable allies in highly prized resources. In particular many an Demiurg Brotherhood Grandee has exchanged valuable resources for cunning Nekulli mercenaries to serve as bodyguards and retainers, particular due to the Nekulli’s reputation as becoming steadfastly loyal to those clients who pay well for the services.

The Nekulli are an intelligent parasitic species, using the recently deceased body of other species to hatch and host their young. These, parasite will hijack the remains of the recently dead, replacing that organism’s nervous system structures with snaking tendrils of ferro-organic receptors which reanimate the dead cells, organs muscle fibres into action. As the young parasite grows, the real mass of the Nekulli necro-parasite is situated in the upper-torso and back of the corpse, giving it a hunched like statue and waddle like gate. Great spines erupt from along the back of the cadaver’s heads and spinal columns, and the parasites two front chittering fangs protruding from the corpses mouth.

All Nekulli warriors are adept at void warfare, raiding, and scavenging. As can be imagined the void is plentiful in floating hulks of ruined star vessels and space hulks that by many misadventures become exposed to the cold airless vacuum of space. The frozen suffocated dead crew of such vessel-carcasses providing numerous future hosts for the clan kin of the Nekulli. However, when conflict is necessary the Nekulli and the Harvestman elites are well equipped to subdue lesser threats wielding deadly sub-sonic Echo Carbines and Whisper Weapons. For the Demiurg however, it is the ingenious yet unfathomable Nano-technologies employed by the Nekulli which are their primary draw as mercenaries, which can eat through metal, as well as specialized anti-psionic weapons and defences.

Demiurg Mercenary Scythian Talon-Master

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The warrior monks of the Scythian Xenos are often considered in high regard for their service as mercenaries, bodyguards, and assassins by the Brotherhood Grandees of a Commerce Fleet, due to their reputation as exceptional warriors and their formidable envenomed combat weapons. Originally a deeply spiritual culture, they were subject to the wholescale cleansing of their home system by the Crimson Fists Chapter of the Imperium, after slaying the legendary hero, Alexis Polux. These superlative warriors now exist in small mercenary monastic-clades readily selling their services to clients with intentions to cause great harm to the interests of the Imperium of Mankind. Besides their acrobatic Martial Skill and specialist venom laced wargear, such as the blade like Venom-Talon, the Scythians own great hatred for humanity drive them into cold killing furies.

Demiurg Mercenary Jokaero Weaponsmith

ELITES BATTLEFIELD ROLE

The Jokaero are a race of xenos techno-nomads and weaponsmiths, which exist in small spacefaring kin troops, appear similar to ancient sapient primates from old Earth’s unpolluted past. Approximately the same size as the average human, they seemly have no discernible language or higher intellectual functioning beyond their personal or family group survival, in a manner similar to other non-sentient animals. However, the species appears immensely gifted with crafting and ingeniously inventing highly complex technological weapons, armour, defensive drones, and even spacecraft as is needed for the situation or environment they are in. Occasionally younger Jokaero will leave the troop on certain worlds, searching out other races to associate with and sometimes serve as engineers and weaponsmiths (for what reason remains a complete mystery) until they become satisfied and search out their own kind again. Those Demiurg that are lucky enough to coax a Jokaero, whom they describe as the Children of Thawl’l, into their service are indeed held in high esteem by their fellow Clan Group Grandees and other Brotherhoods in the Commerce-Fleet as well.

Edited April 23, 2021 by MECHFACE

[thesilverback]

Great job and so complete.  Makes me want to form a Demiburg Army especially with all the various Xeno Auxiliaries.