Kroot

“The best mercenaries are those for whom war is part of their base nature: they understand instinctively the requirement for loyalty to one’s employer and the pointlessness of betrayal. Those who die at the hands of their own hirelings do not understand this fact.”
–remark attributed to Rogue Trader Hiarm Sult
The Kroot are a predatory, often mercenary, avian breed of
alien who fight with ferocity and feed on the dead. The Kroot
maintain a nomadic society strangely divided between feral
savagery and proficient tech-use. Their homeworld is Pech
and is fully part of the Tau Empire. However many Kroot
fight for others as mercenaries, which is at odds with the
Greater Good and something the Kroot seek to keep from the
Tau. These mercenary kindreds will fight for anyone for the
right price. They are thinly spread across the galaxy and cross
the voids in imposing warspheres, yet they abandon almost
all of their technology to live and fight in a feral fashion
once set down upon a habitable world.
Most disturbingly, the Kroot eat the flesh of other species with an avid, selective
hunger, and the ugly forms of their future generations take on
some characteristics of the consumed. Much of their culture
is driven by these unholy acts, carried out at the direction
of their leaders, beasts known as Shapers. Every warsphere
contains many branches of the Kroot breed, made diverse and
often corrupt by their Shapers’ past choice of victims---some
of which were clearly human. Marauding Kroot warspheres
move across the Koronus Expanse very infrequently, though
none can say from whence they came or what destination
they see ahead. Some Rogue Traders have taken a handful
of Kroot mercenaries into their employ where they have
encountered them, but others exterminate them on sight,
weary of so predacious a species gaining a foothold in the
region.
==Overview==
The Kroot homeworld of Pech lies within the Ultima
Segmentum, not far from the Tau Empire. On this
world, massive evergreen forests of the hardy jagga
tree cover most of the prime continent. The other regions of
Pech that are not covered by forest are mainly inhospitable
ranges of rock cliffs and jagged mountains. It is from Pech’s
deep forests that the Kroot originated, and there, they live
within arboreal colonies in family groups known as Kindreds,
led by wise and ancient Kroot called Shapers. Most make
their homes, nestled amongst the higher branches of the
trees, from animal hides and regurgitated dead wood pulp.
The Kroot are a tall race, averaging two metres in height,
and their lanky frames have a deceptively fragile appearance. In
reality, Kroot musculature is composed of dense fiber spindles
that are extremely efficient and powerful. This structure
possesses a higher power to mass ratio than humans, and rapid
muscle contractions create a whiplash effect---meaning that a
Kroot can deliver a rapid series of powerful blows. Kroot can
hop from tree to tree with great speed, and on the ground
they move with a hopping, bounding gait that eats up distance.
Kroot are clearly evolved from avian stock, possessing a light
but strong bone structure, a quill-like “ruff,” and a beak.
The Kroot remain a primitive culture in many ways. They
favor harnesses worked from animal hides and often adorn
themselves with bones, handcrafted amulets, and circlets.
Kroot culture reflects the savage environment of their origin---they are fierce and ruthless warriors with few scruples,
but they possess many noble qualities as well. Kroot are
courageous, tenacious, and often proud. They are well-known
for honoring any agreement to the letter. Kroot are often
confused by advanced technology, but they learn quickly and
have adapted to many improvements made to gear that they
are already familiar with, such as the enhanced ammunition
and the Kroot rifles adapted to fire that ammunition, both
provided by the Tau.
The most infamous habit of the Kroot is their preference
for eating the flesh of the dead. Even in the midst of combat,
Kroot will often ritually devour the corpses of those they have
killed, and there is almost nothing beyond their tastes.
The Kroot digestive system is a marvel of efficiency, capable
of breaking down almost any organic material into a form of
energy stored in specialized organs called nymunes scattered
throughout their bodies. By far, the strangest quirk of Kroot
digestion is their ability to extract potentially useful strands of
their food’s DNA. Much of the double-helix structure of the
Kroot’s own DNA is somehow “blank,” used to separate those
areas that do contain useful genetic information. The Kroot
have inherited a unique mutation that gives them the
ability to incorporate useful DNA codes into their own
genetic structure. With guidance from the Shapers,
successive generations of Kroot may exhibit
special qualities of those gene-codes.
The presence of the Kroot in the Koronus Expanse is an
intriguing mystery. Whilst the Shapers have not answered
questions on the subject, it is rumored that a number of
Kroot Warspheres entered the Expanse via a previously unknown
warp gate---a gate that somehow links the Expanse
to the vastly distant Eastern Fringe.
==Alien Biology==
Like all aliens, Kroot differ from humanity in a number
of ways---some obvious, others less so. The most evident
differences are listed in their own sections: the Kroot’s avian
characteristics, enhanced senses, unusual musculature, and
unnatural hunger for the dead. Other, more subtle differences
are noted below.
Medical Attention
Kroot physiology is completely unlike that of any human.
Because the use of the Medicae Skill is oriented primarily
towards humans, treating a Xenos creature of any kind is a
challenge. Any Medicae Tests used on a Kroot are automatically
one degree harder in difficulty. Typically, human-made drugs
have little to no effect upon a Kroot, although poisons and
toxins have their normal effect. The GM should decide if a
particular drug should effect a Kroot, and to what extent.
Bionics are completely unknown amongst the Kroot, and
their unusual musculature and bone structure make bionic
limbs nearly impossible to correctly install on a Kroot’s body.
The GM may allow a Kroot to acquire certain bionics or
cybernetic implants at his discretion, but such things should
be considered unnatural to the Kroot, both physically and
culturally. The GM should consider very carefully before he
allows a Kroot character to gain any bionic or cybernetic
implants.
==Kroot and Technology==
Generally speaking, the Kroot are still a mostly primitive
culture. The Kroot have learned how to operate some
examples of advanced technology, including their Tau-adapted
Kroot rifles and warsphere spacecraft, but a typical
Kroot still lives as his ancestors did centuries
ago. Kroot generally disdain any kind of heavy armor,
preferring the range of motion their unique musculature and
skeletal structures allow. Their unique shape and distinctive
movements also render human armor thoroughly incompatible.
Customizing equipment for a Kroot is an expensive process.
Any human weapons, armor, or gear modified for a Kroot’s
body increases its Rarity by one step, due to the effort
involved.
==An Alien Mind==
Kroot differ from humanity in mind as well as in body. Apart from the Kroot’s interest in eating the dead and strengthening
their race’s genetic makeup, Kroot have other significant psychological divergences that are listed below.
Kroot and Gender
While the Kroot do possess two genders, there are no real cultural differences between a male and a female Kroot.
Physically, female Kroot are very difficult to distinguish from the males, and most observers find it nearly impossible to
tell which is which. The Kroot’s unusual senses mean that the sexes are mostly distinct in ways unnoticeable to a human,
and by the same token, most humans appear just as sexless to the Kroot! Kroot gain a +20 bonus to any attempt to resist
seduction against a non-Kroot.
Kroot and Corruption
The temptations of the Ruinous Powers do not have the same lure for the Kroot as they do for other races. Kroot
characters suffer Corruption Points as normal, but the effects of Corruption Points are slightly different. The GM should
carefully consider the effects of a malignancy upon a Kroot character. Generally, corruption from the warp expresses
itself in the Kroot as a regression towards their more feral, crude origins. A highly corrupt Kroot, for example, may have
abandoned firearms entirely in favour of devouring other sentient beings with his bare hands---ripping them into bloody
gobbets to be greedily swallowed down at the slightest provocation.
Kroot and Insanity
Like most other thinking creatures, Kroot possess a measurable level of sanity, and this may be affected by their
environment and experiences much like the mind of a human. Kroot characters suffer Insanity Points as normal. The GM
should carefully consider the applications of various disorders on a Kroot character. For example, a Kroot is unlikely to
suffer a phobia of the dead.
==Kroot Kindreds==
Among the Kroot, a Kindred represents a combination of clan
and tribe---a group of warriors serving the same Shaper (or
Shaper council). They are brethren, fiercely loyal to each other
and trained in the same beliefs and traditions since birth. A
Kroot character must select one of the following Kindreds:
Bold Hunter
This Kroot was born into a Kindred that has selected prey
possessing great courage. Many such Kindreds have feasted
upon the apex predators of a dozen of worlds, passing on the
gifts of increased bravery, excellent hand-eye coordination,
and coolness under fire.
Benefits: The Kroot gains +5 BS, a +5 bonus to Wrangling
Tests, and a +10 bonus to resist Fear or Pinning.
Cunning Hybrid
Upon entering the Koronus Expanse, the Kroot soon
encountered the devious alien merchants known as the
Stryxis. They were delicious. Shapers who have directed their
Kindred to feed upon Stryxis notice a proclivity for cunning
and deviousness in later generations of Kroot.
Benefits: The Kroot gains +10 Int, a +5 bonus to Barter and
Deceive Tests, and a +1 bonus to Initiative.
Greenskin Hybrid
The Kroot have battled against Orks for centuries, and it was
during a major battle on their homeworld of Pech that the
Kroot and Tau first formed an alliance. Many times since, the
Orks have encountered Kroot mercenaries as both enemies
and allies, and the Shapers have learned to strengthen their
Kindred by devouring Ork flesh. Doing so produces a
startling resilience in a Kroot’s frame.
Benefits: The Kroot gains +10 Toughness. This bonus is
applied after calculating starting Wounds.
Headhunter
Certain Kindred of Kroot have fed upon the most poisonous
creatures they could hunt. The resulting generations of Kroot
are nearly impervious to all forms of poison and are capable
of secreting a highly corrosive acid that burns the exposed
flesh of their enemies.
Benefits: The Kroot automatically passes all Toughness
Tests to resist toxins and weapons with the Toxic Quality.
The Kroot’s beak loses the Primitive Quality and gains the
Toxic Quality.
Stalker
The predecessors of these Kroot habitually preyed upon
chameleonic reptiles and other such creatures that blend
into their surroundings. The resulting Kindred are incredibly
stealthy, and their skin ripples with colors and patterns that
make them nearly invisible when they wish to hide.
Benefits: The Kroot may make Concealment and Silent Move
Tests as a Free Action and may do so even while being observed.
==Kroot Mercenary==
“The Kroot are bred for battle.”
–Teknar Krawk, Kroot Mercenary
The Tau Empire has entirely integrated the Kroot
homeworld of Pech, but that is not to say that all Kroot
fight for the Tau. In fact, many mercenary forces of
Kroot can be found fighting alongside Eldar and human
forces---and occasionally even amongst the ranks of foul
Chaos renegades or the Ork hordes. Kroot mercenaries
hold no prejudices against any particular race, and care
only that they are well paid for their services. Naturally,
such behavior is anathema to the Tau’s philosophy of
the Greater Good. Thus, the Kroot hide their mercenary
activities and avoid contact with Tau forces if at all possible.
In the end, strengthening the Kroot’s genetic makeup is
of paramount importance, and the Koronus Expanse is an
opportunity the Kroot simply cannot ignore.
Like all Kroot, the mercenaries can interpret sensory
information very quickly, and their senses are all finely
tuned, linked through a series of ganglia that run the
length of their crests. This makes it very difficult to hide
from a Kroot, and some mercenaries have been known
to track prey across hundreds of
miles of inhospitable terrain in
order to make the kill. Kroot
mercenaries are also content
to wait out their prey if
necessary, and can initiate a
state of hibernation at will---sustained by the energy stored
in their nymunes.
Kroot are fearsome opponents in
an assault, able to fight far more
effectively at close quarters than
most humans---this ability due
in part to the Kroot’s sharp
senses and superior corded
musculature. However,
unlike other soldiers
who fight for what they
believe in, secure in the
knowledge that they are serving a higher purpose, Kroot
fight solely for reward. This philosophy means that Kroot
mercenaries fight harder and more tenaciously for greater
payments, so their battlefield discipline is unpredictable at
best. Many individuals in the Koronus Expanse who disobey
Imperial prohibitions on xenos contact and would otherwise
deal with xenos species will avoid arrangements with the
Kroot for this very reason.
However, the vast wealth and resources of a Rogue Trader
are a perfect fit for the Kroot Mercenary’s approach, and
more than a few Rogue Traders who operate in the Koronus
Expanse, such as the famous Madam Charabelle, are known
to employ Kroot amongst their armsmen. Some particularly
cunning or resourceful Kroot take their place amongst a
Rogue Trader’s closest confidantes and advisors. In this
capacity, Kroot serve as a bodyguard or chief warrior whilst
providing the benefits of the Kroot’s superior senses and
ferocity when trouble strikes.
Sometimes, Radical members of the Inquisition make use of Kroot mercenaries. In one of the only recorded instances of Kroot in the Calixis Sector in late 977.M41, one Inquisitor Forstav attended a conclave in the Tricorn Palace, attended by a bodyguard of three-dozen Kroot mercenaries. The response from Forstav’s fellow Inquisitors when he entered the great hall flanked by his savage companions was mixed, but a sizeable number of Puritans denounced him on the spot. Bloodshed followed, and a number of the denouncers were slain.
Unfortunately for Inquisitor Forstav, his Kroot bodyguards set to devouring the flesh of those they had slain, as is their species’ habit, a sight that proved too much for even the most liberal of Inquisitors attending the Conclave. Forstav was forced to fight his way out of the Tricorn Palace, a feat which, amazingly, he succeeded in, making it out, severely wounded, with a dozen of his bodyguard at his side. Inquisitor Forstav is thought to be at large somewhere in the Malfian Sub-sector, and a number of Inquisitors present that day are said to be seeking him still.
==Kroot Shaper==
“Sharpen your knives, my kin. I will strengthen you, and the Kindred that come after.”
–Master Shaper Anghkor Prok
Shapers are leaders amongst the Kroot, often credited
with ancient wisdom and shamanic powers of insight.
A Shaper is usually an elder Kroot who has proven
his ability to survive through battle and storm. Shapers are
revered amongst Kroot culture, and few Kroot have the
patience and inner strength required to achieve this lofty title.
Shapers possess a unique ability to analyze the content of
their stomach and extract from it characteristics that may be of
use to the Kroot genetic code. This task is performed rapidly
and intuitively, meaning that a Shaper will know whether or
not a meal will be beneficial to his Kindred within a few bites.
Once a characteristic of the prey is identified, the Shaper
directs members of the kindred to consume this particular
prey animal. Afterwards, the Kindred’s breeding is controlled
to ensure that those who have absorbed the chosen genetic
morsel fix it as part of their own DNA. This rapidly advanced
evolutionary eugenics program ensures that the Kroot remain
the dominant species of Pech and continue to advance---none
are certain what the upper limits of such evolution are, or
even if such limits exist.
Each Shaper belongs to a
single Kindred, and guides
that Kindred along a slightly
different path from the
others, meaning that
each Kindred possesses a
fractionally different genetic code.
This diversity is necessary, for the
Kroot, like many lifeforms native
to Pech, risk being trapped into
a single DNA structure that is
effectively a dead-end, with no
more variety possible. There
are a number of other,
related creatures from
Pech that have suffered
this fate---Knarlocs,
Krootoxen, and Kroot Hounds
are just a few examples. These
beings are all closely related
to the Kroot, and may have, in
fact, even been Kroot at some
point in the distant past
until they encountered an
evolutionary roadblock.
In addition to their ability to guide the evolution of
their Kindred, Shapers are distinct from other Kroot in
a number of ways. First, Shapers are often larger than
their kin, their frames packed with gnarled muscle and
tough, leathery hide. Shapers also serve as spiritual leaders
for their Kindred, and many are credited with prophetic
dreams and a primal connection to the Kindred’s totem
animals---often a creature from their homeworld, such as
the widely revered Kroothawk.
Many Kindreds of Kroot have ventured into the Koronus
Expanse, seeking new and different DNA to add to their
genetic code---hopefully, to return in triumph to Pech, laden
with trophies and wealth from a dozen distant worlds. As the
Kroot came to the Expanse, so too did the Shapers, and the
wisdom of the elders has led to a number of alliances between
Kroot Kindreds and the Rogue Traders who operate within
the region. Whilst some Rogue Traders are content to hire
Kroot mercenaries to fill out their armed forces, others make
a point of harnessing the wisdom, experience, and special
abilities of the Shapers for the benefit of both groups.
Elite Advance
Kroot Shaper is an elite advance that may be selected by a
Kroot explorer.
Required Race: Kroot
Alternate Rank: Rank 3 or higher (10,000 XP)
Other Requirements: You must be the nominal leader for a
number of Kroot (usually a group of ten or more) who are
part of your Kindred.
Benefit: You gain the Instinctual Understanding
and Shamanic Powers Traits.
==Unique Equipment==
“They may look like something you’d see on a muck-covered feral worlder, but their weapons are actually strangely advanced.”
–Xenographer Klung
Kroot Rifle
The basic Kroot Rifle is simple and reliable, firing a charged
pulse round. Rumor says that these are an upgraded version
of their primitive native weapon, but no one knows who
may have accomplished this upgrade, as the technology is
unfamiliar even to Calixian Ordo Xenos scholars. Kroot Rifles
are balanced to fit deadly combat blades, allowing them to
function as a halberd in close combat, especially in the hands
of a Kroot Warrior.
Basic, 110m, S/2/–, 1d10+5, E, PEN 1, Clip 6, RLD 2Full, WT 6kg, Extremely Rare
Pulse Weapons
Often Kroot Mercenaries are seen using weapons far more
advanced than their regular rifles, weapons that rival many of
the finest Imperial devices. They refuse to reveal their origin,
only saying mysteriously that they were given in payment for
services “for the good of all.” These weapons are commonly
referred to as Pulse Weapons, as they fire micro-pulses of
accelerated plasma at high power and over great distance,
comparable in effectiveness to Imperial Bolter weapons. The
specialised Pulse Carbine variant sacrifices distance in order
to incorporate an under-slung grenade launcher. Treat this
as a Mezoa Pattern Grenade Launcher. The Pulse carbine may only fire either the grenade
launcher or the carbine in a single turn. Most Pulse
Carbines in the Expanse have been modified to fire
the wide variety of human grenades available,
although there are versions only designed to
fire photon grenades.
Pulse Pistol: Pistol, 40m, S/2/-, 2d10+2, E, PEN 4, CLIP 16, RLD Half, Gyro-Stabilized, WT 3kg, Very Rare
Pulse Rifle: Basic, 150m, S/2/4, 2d10+3, E, PEN 4, CLIP 36, RLD Half, Gyro-Stabilized, WT 8kg, Very Rare
Pulse Carbine: Basic, 60m, S/-/3, 2d10+2, E, PEN 4,, CLIP 24, RLD Full, Gyro-Stabilized, WT 6kg, Very Rare