Thiem

**Thiem** are a reptilian species native to the jungle planet of Tel-Thanar. They are divided into two subspecies: the smaller Maga-Thiem and the larger Taga-Thiem.

## History

The Galactic Proletariat discovered Tel-Thanar shortly after the Gritch homeworld, but it took them much longer to discover the Thiem themselves. Tel-Thanar was so thickly covered in jungle that it was difficult to conduct relevant life sign scans through the thousand-foot mega-canopy of the surface. As such, early expeditions onto the planet consisted of small Yiedden recon teams with Vanon commanders and a few service Gritch. It was quickly determined that the planet was not safe for foot patrols due to the local wildlife, and the compact recon teams were soon replaced with fully armored battle suits. During one of these missions, GP operators in their orbiting satellite picked up a strange report from the team below shortly before they were destroyed. The battlesuits had come under attack by a small group of green-skinned bipeds who were clearly sapient, displaying all manner of carved weapons and ceremonial armor. Through their combat monitors, the operators saw the battle suits frantically firing and swiping at the creatures, but to no avail. All but the reaver-pattern suits were taken down in minutes. The last thing from the feed before it cut out was the tiny shape of a much smaller creature wearing an elaborate headdress. It lifted up a small green hand, pulled its fingers together, and the feed went dark.

In the following weeks, a heavily armed combat platoon numbering fifty suits and several larger war walkers made planetfall a few miles from where the explorers had met their ends. With plasma and blade, they burned a path through the smaller trees, paving through the forest to the place where the suits' trackers had been taken. When they found the Thiem city, it was magnificent. A vast pale-stone ziggurat with platforms jutting out in all directions, big enough to make the surrounding mega-forest look like one on any world. Almost as soon as they breached the clearing, the Thiem emerged, pouring out of the great metropolis in their thousands to meet the twenty-five war machines at their doorstep. The ensuing battle was endless and impossibly gruesome. Thousands upon thousands of Thiem flung themselves into the blue flames of Proletariat plasma, ending their lives as burnt husks upon the forest floor. After the eighth hour of slaughter, there was a crack like thunder, and the warriors stopped rushing. A figure had emerged from the great ziggurat and was walking slowly towards the bloody battlefield. The creature was tiny, and seemed very old, hunching and hobbled in its ancientness. The tiny thing stopped mere feet from the guns of the largest walker and spoke. Its words would be remembered forever in the minds and hearts of all Thiem.

*Hear this, oh children of Tel-Thanar. These are not demons, but the ancient gods returned. Here to set us free, and unleash us upon the stars, as was foretold. Welcome home, oh holy ones. Welcome home, Vana-Thiem.*

Moments after this proclamation, every surviving Thiem knelt and bowed before the grey machines that they had been trying so desperately to destroy, and the war ended before it had truly begun.

Over the next few centuries of GP conquest, the Thiem were invaluable as fearless shock troops and the first powerful psykers to enter the Proletariat. A common strategy was to arm them en-mass and send them onto target worlds to overwhelm planetary defenses before sending in better-armed Yiedden troopers to bring the planetary government to heel.

## Statistics

### Abilities

Tribal Background, Hex Stone Carving, Shamanic Blood

## Maga-Thiem Abilities

Tribal Background: -2 to tech checks. Start with the Primitive Weapons skill.

Hex Stone Carving: With a DC 15 Psi check, a Maga-Thiem can create a hex stone, which can be consumed as a free action to add 3 damage to a psionic attack as it is being cast. Only one hex stone may be used on a single psychic power. A Maga-Thiem may only have three hex stones at a time.

Shamanic Blood: Maga-Thiem get +1 to hit with psychic attacks.

## Statistics

### Abilities

Heightened Senses 1, Tribal Background, Warrior Code, Trophy Making

## Taga-Thiem Abilities

Heightened Senses 1

Tribal Background: -2 to tech checks. Start with the Primitive Weapons skill.

Warrior Code: +2 to intimidation checks.

Trophy Making: A Taga-Thiem may create a trophy out of any body part that can be preserved. These will provide different bonuses. Only one trophy may be active at a time, but a Taga-Thiem may possess all three.

#### Trophies

* Scalehide Trophy: +2 Soak
* Wrathblood Trophy: +2 Str
* Windclaw Trophy: +2 Dex

## Homeworld

Tel-Thanar is an intensely hostile jungle planet filled with deadly wildlife. Its most notable feature is the presence of mega-forests along its equatorial belt. Here, trees grow hundreds of feet tall and are strong enough for ships to land on with ease.

## Factions

Thiem can be found in all major factions.

## Biology

Thiem come in two subspecies, the Maga-Thiem and the Taga Thiem. Maga-Thiem are diminutive scaly creatures with burning orange eyes and a crown of stout horns on their heads. They are versatile fighters and possess a natural psychic acuity that often leads them into lives as trained psykers. Taga-Thiem share the scales and horns of their smaller brethren but are much larger and more muscular. Their long sinous arms and powerful legs make them both agile and brutally strong in the heat of melee combat.

## Culture

Maga-Thiem uphold the mystical traditions of their race. They are often excellent storytellers, and have good memories for myth and legend. Thiem have a rich oral tradition that connects intimately with their warrior culture, vectoring the actions of their mighty heroes far into the future and connecting all Thiem to a shared identity of glory and wisdom. Taga-Thiem have their own separate warrior culture that praises physical prowess and glory in battle, with more seasoned warriors at the top of the hierarchy. Unlike many other warrior cultures, the Taga-Thiem do not scorn physical frailty or small stature, as these are traits associated with their shamans and mystics, the Maga-Thiem. In the diversity of the LEX Era galaxy, this manifests as a kind of formal respect for any individual that is a master of their craft, whether it be ship repair or melee combat.