Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
For the purposes of facilitating games of Dark Heresy to be set in and around The Tau Empire.
Thanks to Faith for stimulating the idea and the rest of you on Sanity Lost for getting enthusiasm
up!
First Sphere
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Table 1-3 The Past - <Choose from the eight First Sphere Septs>
Second Sphere
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Table 1-5 The Past - <One of the eight Second Sphere septs>
Third Sphere
The Tau of the Third Sphere, be they inhabitants of the newly founded septs, or expansionary forces
dispatched from the elder septs, they are uniquely skilled. Selectively bred and trained for additional
qualities important in the uncertain worlds on the borders of known space, they mark the new-
orthodox training and are marked with a vigour for enterprise.
<More text to go here>
Table 1-5 The Past - <Sept, Expansion Fleet, Outpost, Warworld, Farflung>
Kroot
Kroot originate from the tropical forest-world of Pech in the north-western reaches of the Tau
Empire. Aliens standing wiry and tall, their impressive physiology tells of a fantastically potent
digestive system incorporating an ability to adaptively and intelligently process food, mostly in
subconscious selection of rate of metabolism. Beyond this, the race displays an remarkable quality
in absorbent processing of the basic genetic information of other flora and fauna, via ingesting their
prey.
Specialised kroot, known as shapers, are the leader of their tribal societies, organised on a basic
level known as kindreds. These extended family units weave generations of genetically similar
kroot together into, their genetic drift and evolution guided by the wisdom of the shapers. The kroot
are a deceptively primitive species. Though they lead primitive lives, wield low-tech weaponry and
confine themselves to smaller, itinerant communities, the kroot themselves lack very little in the
way of higher social functions. They are capable, thoughtful, witty and inventive yet largely show
an aversion towards extensive learning or academia, broadly preferring practical skills and short
term, functional plans.
A further aspect of their intellects is an impressive capacity for linguistics and communication.
They are natural beast handlers and can become rapidly proficient in languages and their
interpersonal skills. For such reasons, many kroot across the empire are seconded to expeditionary
forces, becoming valued experts in local liaison, integration and cultural exchange organisations.
Contrary to their seemingly simple lifestyle, the kroot are extremely practical, sceptical even
cynical in their actions. Their mild avarice is perhaps their only motivation for expansion; being
self-sufficient for almost all basic needs. Their academic endeavours extend only so far as
economics, population dynamics and 'earth sciences'. They pay little heed to lofty goals,
recognising only a species-level imperative to sample genetic material. This adds to their itinerant
nature, to their wanderlust, driving them out into the galaxy as mercenaries and travellers.
Their cynical aversion to idealism and fanaticism makes them remarkably dependable soldiers of
fortune. Many outsiders see them as poorly treated by their position in the Tau Empire, low-level
shareholders in an endeavour which they contribute much. The kroot conversely see this
arrangement as highly advantageous; their culture and attitude is impressively resilient to the Tau's
colonial overtures and their ultimate goals boosted by the Tau Empire's vigorous expansion.
Kroot PCs
Kroot PCs are those amongst the most versatile of the Kroot species. They often stem from more
well-travelled kindreds, sometimes their family having met grim ends leaving them scattered or
disparate survivors to be dispersed amongst the empire. Some are those whose wanderlust and
desire for walkabout exceed the desires of their kindred. Some even are those whose mercenary
skills lead them to settlements on colony- and frontier-worlds. Some are even those eager to set foot
amidst the stars stemming from a kindred who have themselves returned from beyond the borders
of the empire. Regardless, the kroot are an entirely practical species. They care little so long as their
rewards are palpable (not grand) and their work is constant. Boredom is not something kroot cope
easily with or tolerate for prolonged periods, the Tau have long recognised the importance of
occupation and freedom in maintaining the goodwill and easy cooperation of the kroot.
Kroot Traits
'Second Brain' Kroot have the fantastic addition of what is basically a load of neural tissue
attached to their stomach. Like the Feral Worlder's trait, but +20 to carouse
tests and tests to resist toxins ingested via the stomach. Furthermore, on
character creation, you may opt roll twice on the Minor Mutations Table and
Once on the Major Mutations table. You may select up to one of these three
results, but are not compelled to do so. This reflects the (mis)adventures of
your kindred prior to your birth.
Arboreal life Begin played with the Climb (Ag) skill, with Survival (Int) and Wrangling
(Int) as basic skill.
Feast on the dead When near freshly deceased fleash, or particularly peculiar flora, the kroot
will show now compunction or hesitation on at least nibbling on a little of the
material. Kroot metabolism is potent and thus they typically find themselves
possessed of an advanced, if undiscerning, appetite. Kroot must pass a
Willpower test to avoid (or stop) eating such materials. Once the test is
passed, they're no-longer affected for that item.
Wiry Savages Kroot PCs automatically begin play with the Leap Up talent.
Mimicry The kroot are surprisingly adept in learning new languages; able to produce
an impressive array of sounds and with excellent hearing and eyesight are
thus quite able to take many details often otherwise unnoticed in
communication. The kroot treat Lip Reading as a basic skill and gain the
Mimic talent. Furthermore, kroot may use the Mimic talent even in relation to
other species. (GMs should therefore consider awarding bonus skills/Elite
Advances to players who are attentive in their experiences of communication,
e.g. by gaining Speak Language skills with apparent ease)
Galg PCs
Galg Traits
Tentacles of Doom The galg are physically, as a species, are little more than blue blobs
with tentacles and eye-stalks. In practice these many tentacles are
surprisingly dexterous, being used in ambulation, lifting, manipulating
with extensive skill. In this respect, treat galg characters as having five
arms and four legs (each contributing fractionally to their overall skills
for the purposes of reflecting injuries, limb-loss etc). Except in
obvious cases (e.g. holding five items rather than two), allow for only
carrying two weapons and so forth.
Alien Physiology The very alien nature of the galg is decidedly perturbing to most
humanoids. Tentacles writhing, eye-stalks drifting, sacs bulging and
unidentifiable features undulating; in any case galg therefore have
Fear (1). Further, armour and weapons are typically unwieldy and,
unless tailored specifically for the galg, near impossible to use
precisely; galg suffer -20 to tests to use such equipment.
Sense of Self The galg have a peculiarly organised culture which, strange as it
seems to outsiders, is suggested to stem from their sensory systems.
Touch is massively importance to the galg, being central to much of
their predominant philosophies and world-views. As such galg are
intimately possessive of things which they wear and carry, but have
little interest in the concept of ownership outside of things which they
immediately experience. Galg have Heightened Senses (Touch).
Thoughtful Galg are typically disposed towards idle thoughtfulness, boasting a
large number of amateur experts in fields outside their own speciality
of training and can be very quick to embrace new, attractive or
inventive ideas with a mild enthusiasm. Galg treat Logic as a basic
skill and modify their characteristics by -3WP.
The Past -
<hmmm>
Vespid Cloud Islands
Vespid PCs
Vespid Traits
The Past -
Korvesa Laboratories
Drone PCs
Drone Traits
The Past -
Demiurg Brotherhoods
The demiurg are a remarkable race, noted isolationists and fiercely industrial, they are rare sights in
the galaxy. Legend and myth of their presence and passing is sown throughout the cultures of the
galaxy; tale of machine men in visitation to primitive cultures, the stories of the starsmiths. the
legacy of the void-walkers spread far. Fragments and artefacts positively identified as demiurg have
been traced on a thousand worlds throughout the five segmentae of the galaxy, across the aeons. To
the tau they are known as the bentu'sin, the wise-gifted ones. It is supposed that no reliable accounts
of direct visual contact with a 'bare' demiurg have been known. At best reports suggest squat semi-
humanoids heavily insulated in technologically sophisticated suits bedecked with exquisite devices
and esoteric trappings. It is remarked that due to their resistance to scans, some thinkers suggest that
these suits could be little more than facsimiles or imposters, that the real demiurg remain hidden, if,
sceptics wonder, they even exist at all. What are increasingly common throughout the isolated
regions of the galxy is the presence of the demiurg's creations; automatons, robots, artificial life and
self-propelled machines acting out obscure tasks across the galaxy.
It is said that the demiurg organise in loose groupings, known to the Imperium as brotherhoods. As
a society they appear distinctly solitary, their starships and stations, known as commerce vessels,
hanging in the dark between worlds, deep in the corona of stars, embedded in the hidden wastes of
exotic stellar phenomena plying the stars and carrying on in their unknown endeavours. Their ships
and squadrons are said, through the tales of trade and rumour, to be home single brotherhoods
number some dozen demiurg. More than this it is known that they play host to thousands of varied
artificial life forms. The vessels are not only industrial hothouses, but also harvesters and resource
gatherers. It is proposed that they serve not only as manufacturing plants, but as centres of research,
invention and processing of raw materials.
Through trade, the demiurg have exchanged massive amounts of quality items. On many worlds and
in many conflicts they bargain with cultures in exchange for access to raw materials. Stories abound
of the terms of agreement being adhered to strictly and literally, tales of stolen moons and gaping
craters left in place of antiquated cultural ruins. The tau empire is known to have been in open trade
with the demiurg for many decades, reports going back to the first sphere expansion and the era of
the Tau'n Campaign.
Though not a common sight in the tau empire, the presence of commerce vessels from the Srry'tok
and Thurm brotherhoods hang silently, discreetly and working furiously in the regions of the septs
unreachable or unwanted by other species. It is told that there hangs a starforge deep in the corona
of the T'au star itself, of processing stations in the lagrange point between the twin-suns of D'yanoi.
Demiurg produced machines and artefacts are to be found across the tau empire, with curious
appearances as far afield as the Gothic sector and the deep cradle, with mechanical servants leased
and sold far and wide. More sophisticated and ubiquitous machines often find themselves afford
subject status within the tau empire on strict conditions and with set remits, fully functional assets
of the tau'va.
Automaton PCs
The basic form of the 'generic' automaton is anything but standard. They vary from bipedal, tracked,
hovering with unnatural abilities and often disturbingly 'natural' idiosyncracies and many
inexplicable mannerisms. Though some are distinctly individual, many automata stem from the
fantastic legions of demiurg devices leased for industrial activities, manufacturing lines or even
combat deployment. Many exhibit little in sophistication of programming, being little more than
robust specialist systems. Many would bring an entire explorator fleet upon a planet seeking
vengeful extermination of the heretical abominable intelligence.
As characters, the automaton is an exotic individual. Hamstrung by curious programming, their
attitudes and methods can be at once familiar and utterly bizarre. To be a machine mind is to be
distrusted, even 'enlightened' societies like that of the tau empire struggle in overcoming basic
prejudices. Most humanoids find suitably artificial looking automaton perfectly adequate, but begin
to struggle with social interaction with those whose forms mimic there own too closely, imperfectly.
To close a match and many begin to identify with them as if they were the same. The automaton is
inherently an atypical specimen. Some can be resentful, obedient, brilliant or difficult, some can be
the very icon of mechanical perfection.
Automaton Traits
Mechanoid Demiurg automata are independent, thinking machines. Be they expert
systems with added automation and functionality or fully manifested
artificial intelligences, they are subject to the Machine (2) talent.
Abominable Intelligence Automata are subject to the social revulsion of dozens of society. In
one form or another, this begins to reflect upon their life and actions,
even within the tau empire. It is typically an undercurrent, something
which never manifests in any discernible change of method
or attitude. But it is there, their association in the warp triggers an
unsettling thought in the souls of those who perceive them. Automata
begin play with 5 corruption points.
Ingenious Mechanisms Automata characters begin play with one of the following traits or
talents: Chem-Geld, Disturbing Voice, Crawler, Hoverer (3), Sonar
Sense or Sturdy.
The Past -
Automata come in many varied forms and patterns. Typical encounters with automata lead to most
becoming quickly characterised based on popular social conventions; regardless of whether they fit
the bill or not. Many automata can thus find themselves quickly pigeon-holed, rightly or wrongly.
Roll D100:
01 – 10 Misanthrope The automaton is displays a certain lack of enthusiasm for many social
aspects, casually disregarding conventions and customs in favour of its own
vision of society.
11 – 20 Host The automaton is perfectly at ease in its role, finding the service of others,
cooperation and facilitation of arrangements activating reward algorithms as a
primary motivation. Hosts are often well organised, eager and obliging.
21 – 30 Warbot The automaton is disposed towards violence and highly practical thinking. It
exhibits imagination and inventive thinking only in execution of its duties,
having little time for extraneous details.
31 – 40 In Disguise The automaton is capable of undergoing transformations to disguise its
nature. This can be a simple exercise in functionality or an impressive and
extreme change in outward aesthetic.
41 – 50 Meatbag The automaton is contemptuous of organic life, valuing and venerating the
elegance and functionality of the machine. What purpose such design features
could serve is quite mysterious.
51 – 60 Bender The automaton is peculiarly single-functioned and could complete its basic
task without many or indeed most of its other systems. That it is possessed of
such ubiquity and dynamism is a peculiar aspect of its design.
61 – 70 Gelatinous Orbs The automaton is fundamentally artificial but features a vast array of
innovative and often unsettling wetware, or 'artificial organic tissue' as
it is often known.
71 – 80 Edward The automaton is visibly unfinished, featuring many half-completed systems
and partially functioning mechanisms.
81 – 90 Number 5 The automaton started out as something distinctly lesser; a non-thinking
machine. Somewhere, at somepoint, the machine was exposed to a catalyst,
suffered an emergence cascade, perhaps some other unintended event. The
product is often only aesthetically similar to its precursor state.
91 – 00 Exterminator The automaton is driven and relentless, highly resistant to change or
distraction from duty. Basic commands and imperatives drive its desires,
though capable of advance and change, its will is inherently drawn to
fulfilling its fundamental parameters.
Nicassar Caravan
Nicassar PCs
Nicassar Traits
The Past -