Hive Fleet Inferno

"*I was about to shoot the Carnifex apart, when every thing went red. Huge flames engulfed our tank and the heat alone almost killed me and my men. Then the walls of the tank started melting. The metal was too hot to touch. Molten metal was about to consume and kill us. The only way I survived, was because the Carnifex itself ripped the tank apart and attacked my men first.*"
— Unknown Soldier describing how a Flame-Screamer took out a tank
**Hive Fleet Inferno** is a Tyranid Hive Fleet currently located in the Segmentum Obscurus. Since the late M40 this Hive Fleet has terrorised and consumed many planets on its path. Its black and red colours stand out from other Hive Fleets. The Name Inferno comes from the Hive Fleets fire-based combat. Before engaging in battle, most organisms have smoke coming out of their mouths. The reason for that is the ability to create heat, sometimes even shooting out flames. The organisms themselves are fireproof.

## Background

### Damarus X

Alongside the much bigger Hive Fleet Leviathan, Hive Fleet Inferno appeared in the Galaxy. The first planet to be consumed was Damarus X. The first sign of a tyranid invasion were the sudden civil wars, occurring on the Hive World. But those little threats were overshadowed by Hive Fleet Leviathan and so, the Imperium didn't pay as much attention. As the ongoing civil wars grew and caused more and more casualties, nobody realised that the sky began to darken. All of a sudden, the planet lost it's connection to the rest of the Imperium and was left alone against the horrors of the Inferno.

 Before the Tyranids made landfall, the resident population managed to exterminate the Genestealer Cult, which was causing the civil wars. This gave them a fighting chance. So they thought. The first wave were spores. Millions were raining down on the planet. The resident soldiers managed to obliterate the majority of these spores, but some managed to make landfall. Then came the horrors of the Inferno. Endless Hormagaunts and Termagants made landfall and started attacking the people. The Inferno-Spores killed many other humans, by fatally raising the air temperature.

The soldiers were pushed back, but as all hope seemed lost, they found a place, in which they could bunker in and keep back the Tyranid organisms. But before they could truly regroup, the Hive Fleet deployed it's *Flame-screamers.* These Carnifexes stood out of the smaller organisms, just by their massive size. The soldiers thought that the bunker could resist these monsters, but these Carnifexes had a secret weapon. Within minutes, their fiery breath melted the bunker and the hot metal killed the soldiers within. They managed to send one message out, as a warning to the Imperium, before the planet was consumed.

After this event the Inferno continued north, consuming planet after planet. They finally were met by the Iron Drakes, as the Hive Fleet reached the three planets known as 'Dragons Lair'. It was there were Hive Fleet Inferno and the Iron Drakes battled for survival.

### The Dragons Lair

The Dragons Lair were three planets which always moved in a perfect triangle. The planets were so close to each other, as a moon is to it's planet. Every planet was inhabited, which made them the perfect new prey for an infernal predator.

## Unique Features

* ***Fire-breathing -*** Most of the larger organisms of the Hive Fleet have the ability to breath fire. While the organisms that come in swarms can generate heat, only the bigger organisms can actually breath fire. Because of this fire usage, every organism of the Hive Fleet is fireproof.

## Unique Strains

* ***Flame-screamer -*** A variant of the Carnifex, this formidable beast can breath flames, that are hot enough to melt entire tanks. No other organism of Hive Fleet Inferno can generate such hot flames. In addition of being incredibly hot, the flames, that these creatures breath, can reach massive sizes. Entire tanks have been engulfed and melted by these intese flames.
* ***Inferno-Spores -*** These spore are placed during the first few attacks of the Hive Fleet. They are used like land-mines. As soon as anything comes near them, they heat up the area. The heat is enough to melt the armour of Astartes. This makes the Space Marines crumble, because of the pain of melted metal on their skin.