Dridect

The Dridect are a unique form of Warp Entity. Like many of the horrors that come from the Warp, the Dridect are considered dangerous and evil by mortal institutions like that of the Imperium. However the Dridect possess an unusual mindset for creatures born of the Empyrean. The Dridect possess a highly ordered and controlled nature that is usually not found in creatures hailing from the Realm of Chaos. Wishing to desert the Warp, the driving ambition of the Dridect is to migrate to real Space and create a perfect empire.
==Overview==
The exact circumstances by which the Dridect came to be is unknown. it is a popular theory among those scholars that specialize in the obscure, and macabre lore of the Warp that the Dridect came into existence due to the psychic impression of either the mortal's desire to impose order on their surroundings, or the need to control upon the Warp. However no solid evidence rsupporting this theory has ever been found, and as with many subjects pertaining to the enigmatic Warp the truth of the matter has remained obscured.
There is some idea as to the history of these creatures, but how accurate this history is, is questionable. According to accounts from the Dridect themselves they spawned within the Warp in ancient times, and according to them they were alrady in existence before the first Chaos Gods came into existence. Supposedly during this time the Dridect created a lawful, and civlized society within the Warp, or the closest thing to it that Warp Entities are capable of. However as the power of Chaos rose to prominence in the warp their civlization crumbled before the mounting Discord within the Grey Wastes. The credibility of this story is dubious given that the only ones to corroborate it is the Dridect themselves. None the less it is the only account of their history available to mortals.
What is known is that the Dridect do have a destinct hatred for Chaos. Whether this is the result of their supposed downfall, or simply because of their ordered, controlled natures is unknown. Their distaste for disorder also seems to extend to the Warp in general, as the realm has inevitably been shaped by the touch of Chaos. For this reason the Dridect hope to leave the Warp, and colonize Real Space. The Dridect favor the material universe far more highly than their home plane. As a realm ruled by universal laws such as physics, mathematics and other logical systems the Dridect view Real Space as a paradice, even often referring to it as "Heaven" or the "Holy Realm".
The Dridect have no love for mortals, who they view at best as subjects to subjugated and civilized, and at worst as vermin to be exterminated depeding upon the "Refinement" of the race in question. To this end the Dridect will possess mortals, and infiltrate civlized societies, or outright invade Real Space to calim new territory. It should be noted that while the Dridect possess a highly lawful and hierarchical nature, they are still malevolent and insane by the standards of mortals as if befitting their status as creatures of the Warp.
The Ordo Malleus has deemed the Dridect as threat to the wellbeing of the Imperium, and its citezens. Thus they are to be rooted out, and exterminated when found. However the Inquisition has deemd them to be of a lesser threat than the Daemons of Chaos, and thus the dealing with of these strange creatures has been given far lower priority and resources than the manifestations of Chaos.
==Interactions with Mortals==
While interacting with Dridect is not as common as that of Daemons, as a race that hopes to make Real Space their new home it still happens regularly. The Dridect are constantly trying to get into the Materium, and set up their own empire. In doing this they seek to bring mortals under their rule. The Dridect usually do this via one of two ways. These ways are by infiltration, or invasion.
Like Daemons the Dridect hav the ability to possess mortals, and take control of them. Psykers are naturally the most vulnerable to this, though it has been noted by the Ordo Malleus that individuals with compulsive, pathological needs to maintain order in their environment also seem vulnerable to possession by Dridect. It should also be noted that the dridect avoid those whose minds are filled with chaotic thoughts, and thus avoid those that are truly mad.
Once a victim has been possessed the Dridect continues to live as the victim as normal. The Dridect is question will from then on be an ideal members of whatever society they are a part of. They will be utterly obedient to their superiors, will report rule breakers and criminals,  will eagerly obey any and all rules and will enforce them to the best of their ability if they are in a position to do so. It is noted that those possessed by the Dridect always seem satisfied with their lot, and never bemoan their circumstances. This is likely because those Dridect of higher rank would never deign to possess someone beneath their station.
While the Dridect is enjoying himself in his new station the warp entity constantly searches for new hosts for other Dridect, and when the creature finds one it assists one of its kin to possess the mortal. Thus over the course of several years an increasing number of mortals become possessed, and the Dridect slowly gain power. Signs of wide spread Dridect possession include a marked decrease in crime, and an increase in productivity regardless of the efficiency of the operation of the society in question. Once enough Dridect have come through, and they have attained enough power in the society they will inevitably attmept to open a Warp Rift. This usually leads to the second method of Dridect conquest.
Once a Warp Rift has been established the Dridect can directly manifest within the Materium. They then proceed to take control over the world they appear on. If enough hosts of high position had been possessed previously the regime change might be peaceful, with the Dridect demanding subserviance and the people, lead by their dridect possessed leaders, timidly obeying. If the invasion came without previous infiltration, or if total control could not be established by the Dridect that were possessing the mortals, then control is established by military force.
Once control is established the Dridect quickly begin reforming the society that was conquered, and making new laws. The mortals that lived previously are usually allowed to live, but from then on they are considered the subjects of the Dridect, and must obey their Warp-Born masters. The mortals often find themselves in dire straights as Dridect society is totalitarian. The Dridect have no tolerance for criminals or rule breakers. Even the most inconsequential of crimes is met with harsh, cruel and often violent punishments. This can pose a serious problem for the mortal subjects as some of the laws that the Dridect may put in place can be irrational to the mortal mind, or impossible to acquiesce to. Thus mortals usually suffer under Dridect rule. The dridect themselves do not view themselves as tyrannical, and believe their laws to be perfectly reasonable. Thus they do not understand why their subjects object to their rule.
It should be noted that direct rule over a world by the Dridect rarely lasts long. There are three reasons for this. The first is that given the harshness of the Dridects laws the mortals under their care often participate in rebel or insurrectionist movements in order to liberate themselves from their overlords. The second isthat in the case of planets that are a part of interstellar empires the direct rule of the Dridect usually prompts retaliation. The final reaon is perhaps the most inevitalbe, and unfortunate for all involved. In order for the Dridect to maintain a direct presence in Real space at all times they must keep a Warp Rift open. The presence of an open gateway into the Materium inevitably draws the Daemons of Chaos. These Daemons then come in conflict with the Dridect. More often than not the Daemons eventually prove the superior force, and drive the Dridect from the world, taking it for themselves much to the chargin of the Dridect and the dread of the remaining mortals. This is the primary concern of the Ordo Malleus when dealing with Dridect.
In addition to their activities in conquering the material world, Dridect can be summoned, form contracts and become familiars much like Daemons can. However Dridect are rarely summoned by mortals for this. The rituals needed to summon a Dridect are often complex, and the method of executing these rituals must be strictly followed. Furthermore the interaction between the summoner and the newly summoned Dridect often envolves a unique etiquette that must be observed. The slightest infraction of decorum during the ritual or immediately following it will offend the Dridect, and will likely lead to them not responding to the summons, leaving or becoming violent in the case of serious violations. Thus most of those people who dabble in the Warp view summoning and dealing with Dridect to be more trouble than it is worth. In addition to this the Dridect will not contract with any mortal that openly worships Chaos, and in such cases when they are summoned by Chaos followers they usually turn violent.
Despite this Dridect can be very useful if a summoners is willing to go through all of the pomp and circumstance needed to contract with them. Contracts with Dridect tend to be handled by the Dridect as transactions. The contracts have very specific terms, and tend to be more straightforward than those that are offered by Daemons. Once a contract is made a Dridect will follow it to the letter. Dridect make extremely good familiars since they will follow their master loyally, and with unquestioning obedience. This makes them different from Daemons, whose unpredictable nature and extreme dispostions might drive to betray their contractor.
==Appearance==
The Dridect take the form of guant, almost skeletal humanoids. They possess long, thin limbs. Each of their hands possesses three long, bony fingers and a thumb. Each of these digits has a sharp, slender talon at the end of it. A Dridects legs are avian in appearance. they have two toes in front, and one in back, all of which have talons. A Dridect's leg bends backwards at the knee.
The Dridect have a round, bulbous cranium. They have no discernable nose, and those it is believed that they breath  through the mouth, if at all. They have an extended jawline. Their mouth is filled with flat, humanoid teeth. The exception to this are the canines, which are long, and wickedly sharp. all of this gives a Dridect a facial structure somewhat reminiscent of a Baboon or Mandrill. Their eye sockets are rather large, and they possess large, green eyes. Their ears are long and pointed.
A Dridect's skin is colored dirty yellow, and the Dridect are completely hairless. This skin seems to be stretch over the Dridects' skeletal frame, and they possess no lips, or eyelids. While they look fragile this skin is shown to be quite durable.
The height of a Dridect seems to be indicitive of their rank. Most Dridect are artound the same hieght as the average human. The dregs of dridect society can be as small as a dwarf. On the opposite end of the spectrum higher ranking Dridect tend to be taller. Noble Dridect often reach seven feet in height.
The Dridect commonly wear robes of various colors and designs, though black seems to be popular. In the case of warriors and commanders they wear decorative ceremonial armor. In both cases the outfit of the Dridect tends to become more elaborate as they ascend in status.
The Dridect are monogender, How or if they reproduce is not currently known. While the Dridect don't have a gender they usually use masculine pronouns.
==Society==
Being a race that is obsessed with order and rules, the Dridect have an extremely lawful and hierarchical society. However despite this mortals have extreme difficulty understanding the ways of the Dridect. The Dridect naturally live by laws. However their laws are so numerous, complex and nonsensical from a mortal's perspective that even the most dedicated Arbites judge could never hope to make sense of them.
The Dridect live by a strict hierarchy, with lower ranking Dridect being blindly obedient to those that outrank them. To the Dridect this hierarchy is absolute, and the differences between one Dridect and another is as clear as day. However mortals find the Dridect chain of command rather confusing. The Dridect hierachy has hundreds of thousands of ranks and positions. The difference in position and role between these ranks can often be so slight that an outsider couldn't tell the difference.
To make things somewhat easier to understand mortals tend to classify the Dridect into three groups. These groups are made up of Serfs, Overseers and Noble Dridect. The Serfs are those Dridect that are of low standing. They are weak, not particularly intelligent, and seem to not only be obedient, but to actually take some form of joy from following the orders of their betters. The Overseers are those Dridect that mortals deem to be of middle rank. While not pathetic sycphants as the Serfs are, Overseers are highly dutiful and loyal to their superiors, and demanding to those beneath them. The Final group are those referred to as Noble Dridect. These are those Dridect that mortals can clearly deduce to be of high station. They are tall, intelligent and powerful. As the ruling ranks Noble Dridect have a commanding presence to them. To these Dridect the very iudea of a subordinate disobeying them is shocking, and they are likely to become insulted should such a thing occur.
It is interesting to note that as Dridect increase in rank and prestige they seem to acquire more, and more titles. One Ordo Malleus Inquisitor insightfully noted that an accurate way to determine a Dridect's standing in their society is to count the number of titles they possess. The more they have, the more authority they possess. However this method can be inefficient as the Dridect can take the number of titles they possess to an extreme. The most notable example of this was when the world of Placmor VII was taken over by the Dridect. The leading Dridect present, Full Arbitor Magistrate 2nd Gorverning Steward Zxct'par'hk'bcyn, delivered a speech to his new subjects to mark his inauguration as the new ruler of the world. Before this his herald introduced him, and in the introduction included his full list of titles. According to eye witnesses the recitation of all these titles took a full hour.
While the Dridect view the Materium as mortals might view the concept of Heaven, their view of mortals seems to vary. They view most mortals as creatures of wasted potential. Mortals live in a universe that is infinitely more stable and ordered than that of the Warp, and yet so many mortals insist upon turining their backs on ordered society to engage in chaotic behaviors. Furthermore the Dridect can not understand why a mortal would bemoan their station in life, as it gives them structure and purpose. However the Dridect seem to have a great admiration for the Necrons based on their few interactions with them. The Dridect seem to view them as near ideal. On the opposite side there is the Orks. The Dridect hate and fear the Orks for their savage, disorderly dispositions. The Dridect view the Orks as the Materium's equivalent to the Daemons of Chaos in the Warp. Thus one of their long term goals is to rid the Materium of the Greenskin menace.
The Dridect possess technology that is best described as a mix of archaic and steampunk design. A Dridect may sport something as basic as ornate armor and sword or spear, or as bizarre as a seemingly steam powered, fully automatic crossbow. Given their basic design most would assume that such tools would be primitive and ineffective with regards to space age technology. However their origin as tools born of the warp means that these tools can have unexpected functions, and can be just as good if not better than contemporary space age tech.
==Powers and Abilities==
As creatures of the Warp the Dridect have access to powers and abilities beyond that of most mortal creatures. Their inherently psychic nature means that they are intuned with the powers of the Warp. They may also possess physical capabilities that are normally impossbile for mortals. Howver it has been clearly observed that the capabilities demonstrated by a Dridect are directly related to the Dridect's rank and station.
Dridect increase in both power and intelligence as their rank increases. In addition to this Dridect seem to often have powers that allow them to better perform their specific role within the byzantine hierarchy of their society. Serfs are practically never known to display psychic power or sorcery, and are often weaker than most mortals, such as humans. Overseers seem to display moderate psychic abilities, and are often the equal or slightly superior to mortals in terms of physical prowess. Noble Dridect possess great power and intellect. They often have psychic abilites on par with the higher levels of mortal psykers, and they can easily fight might mortal champions to a standstill. There has been some debate among the Ordo Malleus over whether a Dridect is born with these powers and is simply given an appropriate rank to match, experiences changes in their abiliteis and are promoted or demoted to match, or whether the very act of recieving a rank or title bestows the abilities upon the Dridect in question. Like many questions about the Warp this one may never be answered.
In terms of Psychic abilities the Dridect tend to be powerful, but limited in their choices of powers. Those dridect that possess psychic aptitude tend to have a set number of psychic powers to call upon. A Dridect may not learn disciplines or acquire powers outside of these abilities. Higher ranking Dridect tend to have a larger number of psychic abilities to choose from, and more generic ranks have greater variety. With dimished position comes fewer powers, and ranks and positions with a specific purpose tend to develope powers that suit their jobs. As stated above the powers of the dridect can range from having practically no power at all to being the equal of the most powerful mortal Psykers all depending on a Dridect's rank.
Category:The Warp
Category:Creatures
Category:Warp Entities