Fe'Zhor

Symbol used by the Zhtor Fe'Zhor prior to their defeat.

"Fe'Zhor" is a collective term for a collection of similar hostile and xenophobic sentient subraces. They formerly possessed a sizeable empire in the northern Halo Stars bordering the Segmentum Obscurus, where they became known for their raids on Imperial space and the violent and unforgiving way they waged war. This empire was thought destroyed in M36 by the Angels Vehement, but a final, suicidal move by the *pryktiDk'Tata* (rough high gothic translation: "High Dictator") of the Fe'Zhor threw its species into the warp and cursed the Angels Vehement forever. As the Great Rift tore across the galaxy, these lost xenos emerged on dozens of worlds across the galaxy, their incredible adaptiveness allowing them to form colonies in an attempt to return to their former glory.

There are several notable factors to the Fe'Zhor which, combined, make them a notorious foe. The first is the unique interaction between their harsh caste system, and the speed with which they evolve. The xenos have three main strands (Worker, Warrior, and Leader), who are all genetically distinct. However, the Fe'Zhor are capable of evolving completely to new conditions within a couple of generations, especially under the guidance of the Leader strands, and have even shown the ability to adapt at a genetic level within a single battle. Furthermore, the Fe'Zhor have access to a unique form of technology, given only to their most experienced Warriors and Leaders, which harnesses the powers of the warp to great effect. Despite this, relatively few Fe'Zhor have fallen to the trappings of Chaos.

## Biology

### Anatomy

The Fe'Zhor are divided into three genetically and biologically distinct strands, the Worker, the Warrior and the Leader, with the Erratic Strands standing apart from this. All are variations on the same base form, however. Each Fe'Zhor is roughly humanoid, with two legs and four arms. They have two sets of pectoral muscles to support these arms. Their skin is tough, able to resist lots of blunt force, and covered in sharp scales. These scales are naturally waterproof, a necessary adaptation from the heavy rains of their homeworld.

Fe'Zhor have a wider range of vision than humans, capable of seeing ultraviolet light as well as what humans classify as visual light. Their heads are set low to their chests, with very little neck. The face of a Fe'Zhor is tapered, the lower jaw splitting into two. Both their tongues and teeth are hollow and sharp. Genetors have theorised that this allowed the Fe'Zhor to draw blood and fluids from their victims, though this practice has yet to be observed.

The differences between the sexes of the Fe'Zhor is notable, perhaps comparable to that of Terran ants. Under the psychic control of the Leader strands, the "female" Fe'Zhor lay eggs, which are then fertilised. They hatch after approximately 6 Terran months into members of the same caste that fertilised them.

### Strands

#### Worker Strands

Worker strands make up the main bulk of Fe'Zhor society. They are the mass labour force, working as engineers, farmers, and, in times of need, gunners and pilots. They are shorter and lighter than the other strands, and their skin is often paler. Most Workers stand at 1.2 metres and only weigh 70 kilograms. In extreme cases, their second pair of arms are simply vestigal.

#### Warrior Strands

Warrior strands of the Fe'Zhor are, like the name suggests, the fighters and soldiers. They are stronger than the Workers, standings at 1.6 metres and weighing 90 kilograms. They are very muscely, easily able to overpower baseline humans in close combat. The scales of the Warrior strands are sharper and have a deeper colour. The Warrior strands have very fast reaction speeds and reflexes, and their hands are often adapted to handle weapons. Some Warriors grow insectoid wings.

#### Leader Strands

Leader strands are in many ways the apex of the Fe'Zhor. 2.2 metres tall and weighing 130 kilograms, each Leader strand is psychically powerful, able to empower their fellow Fe'Zhor to greater heights. The Leaders have two particularly notable traits. From their blood, a substance called Ae'Ther can be synthesised. This is used in the Fe'Zhor's most advanced weapons, and becomes more dangerous as the warp becomes more active. The Leader strands are also responsible for controlling the evolution of the rest of the colony. There can be multiple Leaders in each colony, though one takes overall control and grows larger than the rest. Their scales are incredibly deep in colour, shimmering darkly in the light.

#### Erratic Strands

The term "Erratic" covers any Fe'Zhor that does not fit in the classification of the other three Strands. They can vary in size, shape, and strength massively. Some have been little more than mindless brutes for use as manual labour or in the front of a breaching team, while others have shown remarkable intelligence and even risen to the rank of *zwtiDk'Tata*.

### Colonial Variants

As the Fe'Zhor evolve and adapt very quickly, distinct differences between the different colonies of their empire emerged. These differences became even more pronounced after they were thrown through the warp. Not only did their genetic code get scrambled by the influence of the warp, but without the overall command of Zhtor's Leader strands, the individual Leaders of each colony grew further and further from the baseline Fe'Zhor form.

## History

### Evolution

The Fe'Zhor grew to sentience on a volatile and dangerous jungle world in the northern Halo Stars, referred to as "Zhtor V" in the few Imperial records pertaining to this region, but called *rtinTs'Tito* (rough high gothic translation: "True Cradle" or "True Home") in the Fe'Zhor's own tongue. The world was subject to intense, alternating periods of rainfall and drought, due to its unique orbital path that took it near Zhtor's binary stars, and then far away.

It is thought that the galaxy-wide war known as the Horus Heresy, and the tumultuous nature of the warp in this period, contributed to the evolution of the Fe'Zhor from their early forms. Imperial Magos Biologis have theorised that the warp breached into realspace near the Zhtor system, and that the massive influx of warp energies mutated the wildlife of the Zhtor system, including the small, six-limbed lizard-like creatures that would later evolve into the Fe'Zhor.

Others have theorised that the Fe'Zhor grew to sentience much earlier, stating that it would be near impossible for a society of such complexity and strength could develop in a mere 5,000 years. The few Eldar that are knowledgeable on the Fe'Zhor have suggested that the nature of the Fe'Zhor as "living weapons" could imply that they were first created by the Old Ones, and for some reason their evolution was delayed by millions of years. If the Fe'Zhor themselves know the truth behind this, they do not reveal it, and so this truth will likely remain hidden for the foreseeable future.

### Tribal Strife

As the Fe'Zhor grew to sentience, they quickly proved to be a violent and competitive species. The nature of their homeworld meant space and resources were scarce. Even though the first Fe'Zhor were only found on the relatively temperate continent of Neuzeleth, they fought amongst themselves for these resources. This hindered any initial development, as the species was forced to remain as nomadic hunter-gatherers who migrated according to the weather patterns of their homeworld.

The fast adaptation that has become a hallmark of the Fe'Zhor meant that each tribe was subtly different, each adapted to the world in a unique way. For example, the Fe'Gtai had much longer limbs designed for moving through trees, living nearer the forest edges. The Fe'Mtin were shorter and more compact, with wider hands fit for digging. This subspecies hibernated in burrows to escape Zhtor's harsh droughts. The Fe'Zhor were the most violent and obviously warlike of their species. They hunted anything they could find, including other Fe'Zhor. They were the first to develop tools and weaponry, and quickly grew to dominate Neuzeleth, though they remained a fractured species, with little unity.

### Threat of Extinction

From the equatorial continent of Zaqeth, another species was growing. They are referred to only as *litriNt'Khot*, "damned predators", in Fe'Zhor history. The Nt'Khot unified themselves much faster than the Fe'Zhor, and began colonising Zhtor. They arrived on Neuzeleth with fire and steel, killing and enslaving the Fe'Zhor, almost driving them to extinction.

Unfortunately for the Nt'Khot, such a threat was all the Fe'Zhor needed to unite themselves. During this desperate war, the first Strands appeared. Though they were not as distinct as they would later become, there was a clear difference between the Warriors and the Workers - the Leader strand as such did not yet exist. The Fe'Zhor adapted to the Nt'Khot's weapons, growing hard skin to resist their blades and a disposable outer layer of scales to reduce the threat of their fire.

The Fe'Zhor had several advantages over the Nt'Khot. They were much faster and more mobile, able to use the environment of Neuzeleth to their advantage to outflank and ambush the much bulkier species. The Fe'Zhor also quickly came to mirror the dictatorial nature of the Nt'Khot, appointing a single figure as leader of a tribe with total power.

In many ways, this war defined the Fe'Zhor. The strategies and culture that they developed during this period would be used time and time again, albeit in different locations and with more advanced weaponry. What exactly happened to the Nt'Khot is unclear, as they were pushed from Neuzeleth back to Zaqeth, and when the Fe'Zhor next ventured into the desert continent, onnly the Nt'Khot's bones and ruins were to be found.

### Advanced Society

In the wake of the war with the *litriNt'Khot*, the Fe'Zhor experienced an explosion of cultural and scientific development. For the first time in their history, they created permanent structures designed for living and farming. This main group believed war achievements to be the peak of society, and so often found excuses to declare war on lesser tribes.

A fledgling religion also began to develop, consisting of deific embodiments of the many facets of war. This religion would grow in popularity, and was later enforced by the *pryktiDk'Tata*, after synthesising parts of the other Fe'Zhor religions.

What would become the capital of the new Fe'Zhor society began as a simple series of barracks, houses, temples and farms in the centre of Neuzeloth. As the Fe'Zhor grew in population and spread across the continent, so did the capital. Before long, it towered into the sky and dug deep into the ground, bigger than every other settlement on the planet by an order of magnitude.

By this time, the early forms of the Leader strand developed. They were larger, stronger, and more intelligent than the Workers and Warriors - who by now were firmly distinct. Under the command of the Leader strands, the Fe'Zhor flooded across the planet. Unprecedented technological developments like early firearms and internal combustion engines became common place, and it was not long before the Fe'Zhor could be found in nearly every corner of Zhtor.

### Civil War

The command of the Leader strands were significant in preventing civil war for the first centuries of the Fe'Zhor empire's existance. While it was not impossible for the Workers and Warriors to disobey the Leader strands, the *Dk'Tata* suggested that without the controlling hand of the Leaders the Fe'Zhor would collapse back into tribal strife - the worst of fates.

However, as with all empires, leaders become complacent. They become greedy, forgetting that their seat was earned, not given. Those distant from the seat of power realise that those in charge are not omnipotent figures, but as mortal and fallible as they are. It only takes a small fault to cause a civil war. For the Fe'Zhor, this fault was the execution of hundreds of Worker strands for faked charges of trauncy and sabotage.

Far in the north, the local *Dk'Tata* oversaw a stunning technological development. From the blood of the Leader strands could be synthesised a unique and powerful substance, soon named Ae'Ther. Unbeknownst to the Fe'Zhor, the Ae'Ther reacted to the warp, becoming more powerful as the warp riled and became active around it. As the Fe'Zhor capital showed weakness, the *Dk'Tata*, an ambitious figure known as Emti-Kti Rt (Note: Fe'Zhor names cannot be transcribed in high gothic well), saw his opportunity. Ordering the Ae'Ther to be turned into weapons, he declared his independence.

Soon after, other local colonies joined him. It only took a small display of the power of the Ae'Ther weapons - still in their rudimentary forms - to convince those who were reluctant. By the time the capital's forces arrived in the north, almost 3 years later, they were massacred. Even though the capital had access to the resources of the entire Fe'Zhor empire, they were slow to respond, and the army was poorly protected from the Ae'Ther weaponry. Additionally, forces loyal to Emti-Kti had mimiced the strategies used by the ancient Fe'Zhor, harassing the capital's army during its journey before fading back into the jungle.

After this stunning display, the civil war spread like wildfire. It culminated in a massive battle 10 years later around the capital, where the central temple was destroyed by Emti-Kti's most powerful weaponry, before the *pryktiDk'Tata* was shot in the chest, decapitated, then paraded around the ruined streets.

### Colonising the Zhtor System

In the wake of the successful rebellion, Emti-Kti knew he had to distract their unsettled populace, or risk another rebellion should he turn out to be lesser than he claimed. So, he turned his eyes to the stars. After repairing the damage done the cities of Zhtor, and implementing a series of momuntous reforms to improve the logistical power of the Fe'Zhor empire, he turned his species's entire scientific and industrial might towards getting to space.

In a mere 50 years, the Fe'Zhor went from a completely landlocked species, to one capable of unpowered flight, then powered flight, then launching artificial satellites into space, then landing on their planet's several moons, and finally creating self-contained colonies on these moons. Within decades, every moon was covered in colonies. The Fe'Zhor of these colonies were taller and thinner due to the reduced gravity, and before didn't shed their scales in the way of the Zhtorian Fe'Zhor, as a way to prevent filters being clogged by rogue shards of scale.

Though it took a further century, the other planets of the Zhtor system were soon terraformed and colonised. Each one contributed to the overall might of the Fe'Zhor empire, obligated to send their resources to Zhtor V and maintain both a standing army of Warrior strands, and train an elite force to be sent to the capital. By this time, the moons of Zhtor V had become almost more significant than Zhtor V itself. It was much easier to rule a solar empire from the void than a planet. The *pryktiDk'Tata* had even moved their seat to the largest moon.

Distinct cultural and biological differences emerged between the Fe'Zhor of the different planets. While Zhtor V's Fe'Zhor were much stronger, those of the violent desert world of Zhtor I had much more colourful scales, with shorter statures and second eyelids capable of protecting their eyes from sand.

### The Worker's Rebellion

In hindsight, it is perhaps no surprise that the Fe'Zhor experienced a second major wave of civil war a century after their solar empire had been solidified. They were a warlike and restless species, and so without something else to take up their attention, they turned their gazes inwards.

However, while the Zhtor V civil war had been a product of an ambitious mind seeing an opportunity for power, the solar civil war erupted from long-standing discontent from the Worker strands of the coreward planets. A series of sabotages and terrorist attacks killed several Leader strands. The growing realisation that the Workers were not under the complete control of the Leaders swept through the coreward planets, even causing discontent on Zhtor V and its moons.

It wasn't long before the Leaders of the Fe'Zhor realised there was a controlling hand behind the rebellions, stoking the religious flames of the Worker masses into a violent rising. The single-minded blunt force of the Fe'Zhor military was unsuited to dealing with the forces of the rebellion, who melted away into the depths of the urban areas when Warriors landed.

Over the course of a decade, the Worker rebellion slowly but surely gathered weapons and forces. The hidden hand behind the rebellion convinced several significant corewards *Dk'Tata* - as well as the *Dk'Tata* of Zhtor V itself - to side with the rebellion, and they marched on Zhtor V's moons.

The battle was hard, even with Zhtor V's forces turning on the High Dictator's during the battle, but they eventually reached the doors of the moon's temple. This is where the attack floundered, however. In their rush to get the battle done, they hadn't completely destroyed the Empire's fleet. The rebels were crushed between the Dictator's most elite forces inside the temple, and the reinforcements from the skies above.

The Empire's recovery from the civil war was a dramatic thing. With the bulk of the rebel forces utterly destroyed, the Empire implemented even harsher divides between the strands, enforcing the control of the Leaders to an even greater degree. Workers were made even weaker and with less independence than before. The High Dictator lived up to his name, and the Zhtor system soon became one of dystopian proportions.

### First Invasion Fleet

It was not long before the greedy eyes of the Fe'Zhor Empire set their sights further and further outside of what they had already conquered. As the High Dictator that had put down the Worker's Rebellion died, their successor gave a rousing speech, claiming that the stars were the Fe'Zhor's *rtinZkt'rali* - a word roughly translating to "birthright", but with a more complex meaning difficult to translate into high gothic.

Once again, the entire might of an empire was put to work, bullishly throwing resources and people at the problem of faster-than-light travel. Unlike many younger empires, the Fe'Zhor were incredibly well-suited to warp travel. Ae'Ther, in the right form, acted as both a fuel source, a Warp-Drive, and a rudimentary Gellar Field.

The first tests of warp travel were, perhaps predictably, a total failure. Early attempts to break into the warp didn't go past Zhtor's Mandeville Point. An entire moon was overrun by warp energies and shattered because of this, raising considerable opposition to further experimentation, but the tests continued. The next few lacked both Gellar Fields and sufficient fuel for the return journey, which put a stop to development of faster-than-light travel for several years. Eventually, however, a successful journey was made to a neighbouring system, and back, with casualties within an acceptable range.

In the wake of this massive success, the largest combined military force in the history of the Fe'Zhor was gathered, armed with state-of-the-art weaponry and led by *krtDk'Tata* ("war dictator") Emti-Lto Tt, the Fe'Zhor's most experienced general, who was considered old when the Worker's Rebellion started. The goal of the First Invasion Fleet was simple - expand the Fe'Zhor's lands, and utterly destroy all who got in their way.

The early years of Invasion Fleet were successful. System after system was secured by Emti-Lto, with colony ships sent after them before they had even left the system. The Fe'Zhor empire was expanding to sizes barely even dreamed of by those on Zhtor, the incredibly adaptability of the Fe'Zhor allowing them to live on even the most hostile of worlds.

However, the xenos soon encountered another species. Boldly, they declared war immediately. Unbeknownst to the *KrtDk'Tata*, the Republic, a collection of chaos-aligned xenos species, was much larger than they imagined, and their technology put that of the Fe'Zhor to shame. They began to raid the outer edges of the Republic with great success at first, not fully claiming worlds but testing out experimental weaponry, razing infrastructure, and stealing resources.

The Republic's response was swift and brutal. When faced with another force as large as their own, if not larger, the technology of the Fe'Zhor seemed woefully inadequate. In the face of rapidly rising losses, the Fe'Zhor began to retreat. Fe'Zhor scouts from nearby systems reported a second, massive fleet from a force not aligned with the Republic approaching. Emti-Lto Tt saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, and fled the Republic's system, drawing them with him - right into the path of the second fleet. As the two fought, the *krtDk'Tata* brought his fleet around to continue harassing the Republic.

Upon entering Republic space again, they saw something terrifying - a fleet, perhaps more than twice as large as the one they had just fled from, lay directly in their path. It was an expansionist fleet, diverted from its path to crush the nuisance that was the Fe'Zhor. Emti-Lto made a split-second decision, and ordered his ships in a suicidal charge - the Fe'Zhor's nature did not like retreat, and to flee back into the warp without even trying to fight would have been cowardice. Perhaps predicatably, this move was ill-fated. The Fe'Zhor ships were torn apart by the larger guns of the Republic, with only a few making it within boarding party range. Emti-Lto and his veterans personally tore a path through the Republic's flagship, but were ultimately slain before reaching the bridge. With the Invasion Fleet in shambles, the survivors fled. Barely a tenth of the fleet that had set out from Zhtor returned alive.

### Second Invasion Fleet

It took the Fe'Zhor almost 500 years to recover from the losses suffered in the First Invasion Fleet. They desperately poored their resources into defending their fledgling colonies, knowing that, if they could survive, they would be the key to the Fe'Zhor Empire's continuation.

While many of the more ambitious colonies fell to either disrepair, famine, or xenos attacks, the ones closer to Zhtor persisted. They extorted their worlds, draining them of resources. The Fe'Zhor underwent another period of development and recovery, but this time it was plagued with doubt and uncertainty. Local strikes and rebellions, nowhere near the severity of the Worker's Rebellion of the prior years, appeared without warning, disrupting the production of new weaponry and taking considerable effort to suppress.

Despite these difficulties, the Fe'Zhor scientists managed to reverse engineer what they had taken from the Republic during the First Invasion Fleet, and from other local groups in subsequent raids. Their technology improved massively, as did the stability of their warp-drives and gellar fields. The Fe'Zhor empire began to prosper once again, and with this prosperity came the desire for war.

Emboldened by the relative calmness of the systems around them, a Second Invasion Fleet was gathered, this time with almost total support from the Empire's populace. As it had the resources of five systems channeled into it, this Invasion Fleet was an order of magnitude larger than the first, filled to the brim with specially-engineered and trained Warrior strands. However, they made a conscious effort not to fall prey to the same mistakes they did last time. They progressed more slowly through the systems, thoroughly scouting their enemy before engaging. The Empire spread, new colonies erected with each system conquered.

The early years of M35 saw the Fe'Zhor's first major interaction with the Imperium - the equivalent of being thrown head first into cold water without being able to swim. After brushing through several poorly-defended world, they found the Saan system. As they destroyed the outer planets, Saan II was in far orbit. The Fe'Zhor scouts reported significant defenses on this world, but they noted the Space Marines as simply armoured humans and relatively low threats.

By the time the Fe'Zhor attacked Saan II, it was a fortress, defended by fully a third of the Angels Vehement. The Space Marines tore apart the Fe'Zhor in close combat, displaying a brutality that blunted the initial assault and forced the xenos into a retreat. The *krtDk'Tata* sent scouts to nearby systems to delay reinforcements, then commited the rest of the force to the Fortress-Monastery of the Angels Vehement, the Ark Sanguine.

It was a bloody and violent fight. The Imperium made the Fe'Zhor pay in thick, black blood for every step forward. Each Space Marine had to be carefully avoided, outmaneaouvred, then taken down by the Fe'Zhor's heavy Ae'Ther weapons. The xenos had breached the outer layers of the Ark Sanguine when the scouts in the southern systems went silent. Knowing that this meant reinforcements were on their way, the War Dictator ordered a final, massive assault.

By the time the rest of the Angels Vehement arrived in the Saan system, every last Space Marine was dead. The Fe'Zhor had fled, leaving only their countless dead. Kneeling in the centre of Saan II, surrounded by his dead brothers, Chapter Master Az'Kael swore vengeance, and called for an Imperial Crusade.

### Imperial Revenge

*Precise details to be added later, the below is just an outline*
When Chapter Master Az'Kael called for a Crusade, countless local Imperial forces responded. From Space Marine Chapters to Knight Houses to Imperial Guard regiments who had already felt the brutal force of the Fe'Zhor, all gathered above the ruined world of Saan II to exact vengeance upon the xenos.

The Fe'Zhor saw this great gathering of troops, and knew they had dire days ahead of them. They razed the planets they knew they could not keep, scouring them for any and all resources, and retreated towards the well-fortified Ygdarn subsector. The worlds of Ygdarn had been populated by the Fe'Zhor since the days of the First Invasion Fleet or shortly after, and each was bristling with fortifications and xenos willing to defend their homeworld with their lives. *PryktiDk'Tata* Emti-Rty Mk swore that none would reach Zhtor - the system was nestled in the very centre of the Ygdarn subsector, and occupied by the most elite and veteran Warriors and Leaders of the Fe'Zhor.

The single-minded might of the Imperial Crusade proved more than a match for the xenos, however. Breaking the first system proved tough, but quickly the Imperial commanders realised that targetting the Leader strands dramatically reduced the coherency and strength of those that remained. Carrying this knowledge into the rest of the war, the Imperials shot towards Zhtor.

The fighting in the home system of the Fe'Zhor was brutal beyond measure. It was filled to the brim with Fe'Zhor, no longer fighting for personal gain or glory, but for survival. They made the Imperials pay for every kilometer into the system they travelled, constantly harassing them with boarding actions and fast-moving ranged gunboats. The humans were much depleted by the time they landed on Denor V's largest moon.

It was the first time in millenia that a hostile force had landed on the core of the Fe'Zhor's civilisation. The surviving Angels Vehement pushed their way towards the capital, relentlessly outpacing their allies in their fury and desire for the blood of the Fe'Zhor's leader. With barely a quarter of the chapter remaining, they made it. They broke through the walls of the Fe'Zhor's great temple, and rushed for the *pryktiDk'Tata*. They found it sitting atop a throne made from the corpses of slain Angels Vehement.

The xenos did not survive long enough to laugh, but with his death a massive chain reaction rippled through the warp. The surviving Fe'Zhor felt this, and any coherency they had retained up to this point vanished. Some pockets of resistance remained - the old capital of the Fe'Zhor species, in the centre of the Neuzeleth continent, would not fall for another 2 years - but the *pryktiDk'Tata'*s death heralded a mass exodus from the system. Countless Fe'Zhor fled into the warp, where its infernal tides flung them across the galaxy. Those that didn't, died.

### Emergence

Over the next seven millenia, colonies of Fe'Zhor began to emerge. The survivors of the destruction of their empire were a sorry state. Many survived no longer than a century in the harsh galaxy, having taken massive losses travelling through the warp. Those that survived did so by hiding in the midst of forces more powerful than them. The underhive of Kdita Prime, for example, was infested by Fe'Zhor for millenia before an Inquisitor finally routed them and sent them back into flight.

As the Great Rift tore its way across the galaxy, the greatest number of Fe'Zhor emerged from the warp. They could be found across the galaxy, in colonies ranging from 10 to 10,000 individuals. Those without Leader strands were quick to die, the Warriors overwhelmed by the more numerous workers, or unable to adapt to the new conditions they found themselves in.

It did not take long for these different colonies to grow incredibly distinct from one another, both in culture and genetics. The fast adaptation of the Fe'Zhor meant they grew to fit their environment quickly. For example, the Fe'Zhor of Cassius's World grew gills and webbed limbs to better suit its oceanic environments. Those inhabiting the Space Hulk "Reason's Demise" are compact, with long, sharp claws on the end of their arms for close quarters fighting.

## Culture

### Language

Few Imperial scholars have attempted to study the Fe'Zhor tongue. It is very staccato and fast-paced, making it difficult to differentiate different words and sounds to the untrained human ear. Speaking Fe'Zhor without significant modifications is a nigh-impossible feat.

The Fe'Zhor language has an unusual structure. Nouns consist of two parts, divided by an apostrophe. The prefix is a general term, while the second narrows it down to a specific verb. A good example of this comes from the species very name. "Fe'Zhor" consists of two parts - "Fe", and "Zhor". "Fe" appears to refer to the overall species, while "Zhor" refers specifically to those from the homeworld, Zhtor V. Similarly, "Fe'Gtai" refered to a now-extinct subspecies from the Gtai mountains, and "Fe'Kdita" refers to the Fe'Zhor of the colony on Hive World Kdita. Adjectives and adverbs are compounded infront of the noun or verb they are describing. "pryktiDk'Tata" translates to "high dictator", for example.

The Fe'Zhor language is remarkably blunt and to-the-point, with relatively few synoyms. This is thought to be a deliberate attempt at cultural control by the Leader strands to reduce the range of free thought - indeed, the xenos do not appear to have a word for "peace", "free will", or "rebellion", instead referring to these concepts, among others, simply as "Rt'Ptin", or "blasphemy". The destruction brought upon the Fe'Zhor at the hands of the Angels Vehement and their allies meant much of their literature and architecture was utterly ruined. This has severely limited attempts to assemble a complete dictionary of the Fe'Zhor language. Additionally, the Fe'Zhor are at best an isolated threat, and few links between the ancient empire of Zhtor that almost killed a chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, and the new colonies that have been appearing, have been made. As such, those who believe the Fe'Zhor are worthy of study are few and far between. Below is a partial dictionary of known words.

### Colonies

The Fe'Zhor have always had a colonial mindset, even from their earliest days. Their empire has consistently followed a similar pattern of expansion, where Fe'Zhor would strike out into the unknown, establish a well-defended colony in a resource-rich location, then slowly expand the core empire to reach it. From the days of conquering first the continent of Neuzeleth, then Zhtor V, then the Zhtor system, and finally the systems surrounding it, this pattern has been inviolate and effective. It has enabled a constant flow of resources into the core of the Fe'Zhor empire at relatively little cost and risk.

After the Imperium crushed the Fe'Zhor empire, the survivors fled into the warp. These survivors have emerged from the warp slowly over the following millenia, often in small, poorly-equipped groups. They have been forced to hide from the gaze of forces much stronger than themselves in the hopes of carving out a small colony on which they can survive. These colonies are often bleak, devoid even of what little sense of connection the Fe'Zhor felt to their greater empire. Some, however, have managed to create a decent existance for themselves, though sustainable colonies are certainly rare and outliers.

Due to the speed with which the Fe'Zhor adapt and evolve, each colony consists of a genetically distinct subspecies. While most adaptations are relatively minor, some can be dramatic and make the Fe'Zhor appear as a different species entirely. This has made chronicalling them a difficult task. Known colonies are listed below:

* **Cassius's World** - The Fe'Zhor colony on the ocean shrine world of Cassius's World have evolved to become aquatic, allowing them to hide in the planet's depths away from the prying eye of the Imperium. They snuck onto the world while the Molten Fists were defending it alongside the Sisters of Battle, using the chaos invasion as a distraction. They have made a special effort to remain under the radar, recognising that the Imperium's revenge would be swift on such a venerated world.
* **Conrial** - The now-extinct Conrial colony posed a great threat to the Ascetics of Korit. A large colony emerged from the warp as the Great Rift tore its way across the galaxy, and quickly began to terrorise the world of Conrial. The Astartes responded to the xenos threat quickly, but the Fe'Zhor sold their lives to kill much of the chapter's leadership. What little remains of the Conrial colony is isolated and alone, and doomed to die in the next few years.
* **Zitrix** - Zitrix is a Daemon World in the Depths of Sector Baikal. A weakened colony of Fe'Zhor stumbled upon the world while they were in the warp, and were forced to swear loyalty to the Lord of Change that ruled it. The intense warp energy has given birth to many psychically-powered Erratics, meaning the long-term viability of the Colony is uncertain, but they have proven a great boon to the forces of Tzeentch in the area.
* **Halus** - The low-gravity of Halus has led to remarkably tall Fe'Zhor specimens in this colony. It is one of the more substantial colonies, and poses a significant threat to local Imperial forces.
* **Vesa'han** - The T'au Sept of Vesa'han is, surprisingly, home to a considerable colony of Fe'Zhor. When the fleet emerged from the warp into the system, the Tau offered to accept them into the Sept - it was, afterall, designed as a safe haven for xenos of all kind. The Leader turned down the offer, beginning to raid the Sept's outer edges, much to the dismay of both the Tau and the other Fe'Zhor in the fleet. In secret, Utzi-Vt Et, a popular member of the Worker Strands, contacted the T'au asking for weapons to facilitate a rebellion. As the Fe'Zhor ramped up their raids, the T'au agreed, and shortly after the Leader and sympathetic Warriors were overthrown. Now, the Vesa'han colony focuses on technological development, trying to distance themselves from their previous warlike ways.

## Religion

The Fe'Zhor have had an interesting and turbulent relationship with religion. Their early years were dominated by a pantheonic religion devoted to countless deities embodying different elements of warfare. *Eimto-Ht* represented the war against the environments, and was a figure of worship for the Fe'Zhor in the more distant and unstable colonies. Likewise, the deity of war with the purpose of total eradication was *Eimto-Rk*, and *Eimto-Tl* embodied a performative war with no practical purpose. These deities were multifaceted and innumerable, and in many cases overlapped in their purpose. After the Fe'Zhor were almost driven to extinction, the *pryktiDk'Tata* took control of this religion and used it to solidify its rule. The Fe'Zhor's capital on Zhtor V was built around a massive shrine to these gods of war.

This religion declined slowly as the Fe'Zhor spread throughout the Zhtor system, especially among the Warriors and Leaders. This decline was all but finalised by the historic and symbolic move of the Fe'Zhor capital from the great shrine on Zhtor V to a massive citadel on its primariy moon. However, the religion remained prominent among the Workers. A new deity spread like wildfire among the Worker Strands, despite the best efforts of the Leaders - *Uizto-Pk*, embodying the struggle against the dictatorial rule of the Leader Strands. During the Worker's Rebellion, this deity was harnessed to stoke the Worker's into a fury. After the Rebellion was crushed, religion was completely stamped out by the *pryktiDk'Tata*. The worship of any deity was deemed *Rt'Ptin*, and punished harshly.

As the Fe'Zhor spread out into the galaxy with the First and Second Invasion Fleets, religion grew again in the harsh conditions of the various colonies. This was limited, and often focused around *Eimto-Ht*. When the main Fe'Zhor empire caught up with these colonies, all traces of religion were once again stamped out.

Among the countless colonies that emerged from the warp after the Fe'Zhor empire was shattered, many have taken up the mantle of religion. *Eimto-Ht* has once again proven a popular target of worship, as has *Eimto-Bp*, who represents the war for territory. While many of these colonies still suffer under the control of the Leader Strands, without the overall control of the *pryktiDk'Tata* they have been forced to form their own opinions, meaning religion has become much less of a taboo topic.

## Military

The Fe'Zhor military was, like its society, harshly structured and stratified. The overall strategy favours highly mobile ranged combat, using Warrior Strands to soften the enemy, while elite squads of Leaders and highly-trained Warriors command the battlefield from the back, committing their forces at the crucial location. The Fe'Zhor are highly aggressive, and often try to leverage their adaptability to the best of their ability. For example, during the Second Invasion Fleet, the Fe'Zhor engaged the Imperial defenders of Fnae II in a costly guerilla campaign in the volcanic environments of its mountains. The Fe'Zhor's ability to adapt to the high heat and lack of water allowed them to outlast the humans and eventually crush them. Like all large forces, there is naturally a lot of variation between commanders, but this core strategy remains the same.

The Fe'Zhor's lack of insistence of melee combat may strike some as unusual at first. Their highly-aggressive nature and societal focus on warfare would suggest that in combat, the xenos would act similarly to Orks. However, this is not to case. Only Leaders and honoured Warriors are permitted to wield melee weapons, as they are seen as signs of their status and power. For lesser Warriors and Workers to touch a melee weapon is punishable by death. As such, ranged weaponry makes up the vast majority of the Fe'Zhor arsenal.

Three main types of weapons are used by the Fe'Zhor. They take a wide variety of forms, meaning the following classifications are deliberately wide and in places unclear:

* **Ballistic Weapons:** The cheapest, simplest and most numerous of all weapons in the Fe'Zhor arsenal. "Ballistic" weapons cover a wide range of weapons that all use physical projectiles. Rudimentary Scaleguns, that use gunpowder to launch specially cultivated Fe'Zhor scales, are given to the lowest-ranking Warriors and the occassional Worker. Shattercannons are similar, using shattered pieces of debris and metal to devastating effect at close ranges. The most deadly ballistic weapon the Fe'Zhor have to offer is a mighty railgun used by elite Warriors.
* **Energy Weapons:** The classification of energy weaponry covers the more exotic weaponry that utilises non-physical projectiles. After encountering the Imperium, lasweapons began to become more common for their low production cost and ease of recharge. Fire is a particularly common form of energy weapon used by the Fe'Zhor's Warriors. Its close range potential and destructive power is highly valued. In contrast, plasma weapons are reserved for elites and commanders. The Fe'Zhor appear to have found a way to stabilise the incredible power of most plasma weapons, meaning even the immense plasma arrays used on the Zhtor Weapon Platforms are relatively stable and rarely backfire.
* **Ae'Thear Weapons:** Ae'Thear weapons are truly unique to the Fe'Zhor. Refined from the blood of the Leader Strands, Ae'Thear is a strange substance that appears to react to the state of the warp around it, becoming more volatile as the warp becomes more active, like in the midst of battle. As the First Invasion Fleet set out, early forms of Ae'Thear weapons were being refined. By the time of the Empire's destruction, Ae'Thear was used in a vast variety of weapons. In the midst of a battle, Ae'Thear became incredibly dangerous, the discharge from these weapons able to cut through ceramite and damage the very soul. Every melee weapon used by the Fe'Zhor uses this substance.

Vehicles play a small role in the Fe'Zhor military. They focus mostly on infantry forces, and so when vehicles do appear in the Fe'Zhor ranks they are often fast, lightly armoured troop transports. Tanks stolen from the Imperium began to play a role in the battle plans of more eccentric commanders as the Second Invasion Fleet drew to a close, but they were few and far between. Mechs and heavy battle tanks are a strange sight in the Fe'Zhor military. They are rarely used as they do not fit the strategy used by most of the Fe'Zhor, though the Zhtor Pattern Weapons Platform - a truly massive tank bristling in the most advanced weaponry the Fe'Zhor had developed - became a mainstay of the Fe'Zhor defence during the last days of the Empire. It is suspected that only one or two still exist in M41.