vizn3r/warhammer40k-lore huggingface dataset:
Rahkoz - Deathwatch Intelligence: The Deathwatch itself has little or no knowledge of the activities of the chronomancer, for thus far he has proven extremely adept in covering evidence of his manipulating key events.There are those within the Dead Cabal, however, who have become increasingly aware that someone or something is working against them.Whether or not it is the Dead Cabal that Rahkoz himself detects working against him as "the stranger" remains to be seen, and it is entirely possible that other, as yet unrevealed intrigues are unfolding across the Jericho Reach and beyond.
Raid on Greyshroud - Raid on Greyshroud: The Raid on Greyshroud was an assault by the Drukhari's Kabal of the Poisoned Tongue on the Imperial Hive World of Greyshroud that succeeded in carrying off millions of men, women and children to serve the foul appetites of the denizens of Commorragh.It has been used by many Imperial scholars as a classic example of how a Drukhari slave raid unfolds on Imperial territory in their never-ending search for more victims to assuage the pull of Slaanesh upon their shrunken souls.
Raider - Raider: A Raider is a Drukhari anti-gravity combat skimmer that is used as the primary troop transport for Kabal raids into realspace from the Webway.The first indicator of a Drukhari raid into realspace is always a viridian light in the sky, that unfolds and spirals outwards into a shimmering, multidimensional portal that blazes with green flame.Through this gateway comes dozens of bladed anti-gravity assault skimmers, that angle downwards to seize their unexpecting prey. The most common of these anti-gravity combat transports are known as Raiders. Raiders are the most favoured vehicles of the Drukhari and are in use across the galaxy.Lightweight and extremely manoeuvrable, the Raider epitomises the Drukhari's belief that velocity always triumphs over durability. Unlike the lumbering vehicles of the Human Imperium, a Raider does not carry its passengers within heavily armoured ceramite shells.Instead, these skimmers are terrifying imitations of the gliding, anti-gravity pleasure yachts once common on the homeworlds of the ancient Aeldari Empire, modified to enhance their speed and fitted with blade-sharp fins and jagged keels to slice apart any foes.The primary motive power for a Raider comes from its compact, air-breathing jet turbine engines. The transport is held aloft by anti-gravity emitters built into the vehicle's ventral ribbing. This technology allows a Raider to skim even the most rugged terrain at an extraordinarily rapid speed.Though each of these transports is customised by the Kabal that owns it and is adorned with the severed body parts of past victims, all have certain basic features in common, including a repulsor keelblade manned by a talented steersman, Aethersails to harness the multidimensional shear energies that flow from the Webway portal from which they emerge, and a prow-mounted heavy weapon, usually a Dark Lance, to sow slaughter amongst the unexpecting enemy.The curved hull of every Raider possess sweeping fairings and its metal deck is pierced through with tesselating designs intended to lessen the skimmer's weight and increase its speed.Sickle-blades, Electroshock Rams and Splinter Rifle racks are also frequently mounted on Raiders, for the Drukhari will always use any weapon available in their vast arsenal of pain.
Raider - Role: The Raider's primary function is to serve as a troop transport during a realspace raid and it has a passenger capacity of 10 Drukhari warriors, whether they are drawn from a Kabal, a Wych Cult, a Haemonculi Coven or from one of the various mercenary Drukhari groups of the Commorragh.Such is the surety and confidence of its Drukhari occupants that they can hang onto the balustrades and trophy-hooks of the Raider with ease even as it races forward at breakneck speeds, rejoicing in the thrill of the hunt as the enemy's shrapnel bursts all around them.It takes them but a second to detach from the transport and drop into the midst of the enemy, already savoring the screams to come. Once the foe has been vanquished, any enemy survivors are lashed or chained to the Raider or even simply impaled, still living, upon its trophy hooks.The corpses of those Drukhari who died in the raid are also carried back to the Dark City with a distinct lack of dignity or sentiment, heaped in a bloody tangle of limbs or hung like macabre mannequins from the Raider's spiked hull. The Drukhari have no pity for the dead, whether their own or of other species.
Raider (Spacecraft) - Raider (Spacecraft): A Raider is a fast and deadly warship larger in size and tonnage than an attack craft that is commonly utilised by pirates, Renegades and other reprobates to strike at poorly armed Imperial merchant vessels, freighters and unprotected planetary colonies.Vessels of this class have sometimes been used by the Navis Imperialis and Rogue Trader fleets when larger and less manueverable vessels would prove to be at a tactical disadvantage.
Raider (Spacecraft) - Destroyers: Iconoclast-class Destroyer
Raider (Spacecraft) - Escorts: Infidel-class Raider
Raider (Spacecraft) - Scout Sloop: Viper-class Scout Sloop
Raider (Spacecraft) - Raiders: Havoc-class Merchant RaiderHazeroth-class PrivateerMeritech Shrike-class Raider
Raider Pattern Combat Bike - Raider Pattern Combat Bike: The Raider Pattern Combat Bike, also called a Raider Combat Bike or just a Raider, is a variant of the standard Space Marine Assault Bike created by Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl in the Era Indomitus for the Primaris Space Marines who make up Outrider Squads.The Raider Combat Bike shares a lot of similarities with the Firstborn Assault Bike, including a twin-linked bolt weapon load-out -- in this case twin Bolt Rifles -- and double exhausts. However, the engine block is even more heavily armoured, and the front suspension has undergone quite an evolution.While speed, weapons and armour are certainly important for a combat bike, they are nothing when compared with performance. The Raider Pattern Combat Bike is also excellent on the battlefield as long as its rider can dominate its bellicose Machine Spirit. With battle-brother and bike in harmony, victory is all but assured.
Raider Pattern Combat Bike - Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications: Other than the schematic above prepared of the Raider Combat Bike by Belisarius Cawl, the Adeptus Mechanicus has not made the technical specifications of this vehicle publicly available.
Rail Rifle - Rail Rifle: A Rail Rifle is a Tau ballistic Rail Weapon that makes use of electromagnetically-induced linear acceleration to fire a projectile at hypersonic speeds. A potent weapon, the Rail Rifle makes use of the same technologies as the larger Railgun and Heavy Rail Rifle, albeit on a smaller scale so that it is infantry portable. Possessing an impressive long range and ability to deal great damage, its true strength lies in its armour penetration capabilities. The Rail Rifle's projectile is able to punch through even Terminator Armour with ease. As a dedicated elite infantry killer, enemy units that manage to survive a Rail Rifle fusillade are often pinned down temporarily afterwards, unable to do anything in the face of such deadly fire. The Rail Rifle also proves effective when used against light vehicles. Rail Rifles have only recently been authorised for issue to frontline Tau units, having just completed an extensive field-testing phase. As of the Third Sphere Expansion, Rail Rifles are only issued to Pathfinder scout teams to provide them with their own much-needed heavy weapons support.A Rail Rifle uses a series of super-conductive electrodes to electromagnetically accelerate small, solid and conductive projectiles to hypersonic speeds. The resulting high levels of kinetic force imparted to the weapon's projectile then allows it to penetrate and kill the most heavily armoured of enemy infantry at long ranges. Because the projectile is capable of achieving a velocity of anywhere between six and ten times the speed of sound, it strikes its target with such force that it produces more damage than what would be produced by an explosive charge of the same size. Such is the speed of the projectile that those near its ballistic path will often find the breath sucked from their lungs.The size of the weapon determines the size of its power source and thus the kinetic force imparted to the type of projectile used as ammunition. Rail Rifles fire single, solid projectiles, and because the actual projectiles fired are so small, large numbers can be carried by the weapon's operator at a time; usually up to a hundred rounds of trilium-tipped solid darts. However, the energy requirements of the weapon are too great to be met by its internal power cell, and additional cartridge cells provide limited surplus power, fulfilling a role that can be likened to a ballistic weapon's ammunition magazines. A Rail Rifle makes an iconic "whip-crack" sound when it fires, which is created when the Rail Rifle's round breaks the sound barrier.The basic physical principle behind Rail Weapon technology is well known to the Adeptus Mechanicus, but the Imperium has never been able to utilise it due to the myriad of issues inherent in the operation of such weapons. The limitations of such technology include the staggering amount of power required to propel the projectile along the rail, and the dissipation of the heat generated by the process. The Rail Rifle manages these issues through the use of several pre-charged disposable capacitors which are replaced after every shot.
Rail Rifle - Rail Rifle Mechanics: A Rail Rifle functions through the manipulation of electromagnetic force. An electromagnetically responsive projectile in an electrically conductive sheath is inserted between two conductive rails attached to a power source, making a complete circuit. As the current moves through the circuit, it generates an electromagnetic force that pushes outward, forcing the projectile down the rails. The further the projectile moves down the rail, the greater the current generated and the stronger the electromagnetic force becomes, causing the projectile to accelerate along the full length of the rails. This allows it to achieve a tremendous velocity by the time it passes the end of the rails and breaks the circuit. After this, another round can be readied as soon as enough charge can be built up to power the next shot.To achieve the necessary charge to fire a shell at combat velocity typically requires a bulky array of capacitors attached to a powerful generator, which a Rail Rifle provides via disposable capacitor packs that augment the weapon's own internal power supply. While a Rail Rifle is conceptually simple, manufacturing and fielding one presents several engineering challenges, requiring highly conductive materials with strong resistance to thermal expansion, efficient cooling systems, very precise machining processes, and methods of quickly servicing and re-machining the rails in the field to keep their interior surfaces in pristine condition. Even minor wear can have a significantly deleterious effect upon the weapon's performance.
Rail Weapons - Rail Weapons: Rail Weapons are large T'au and Leagues of Votann kinetic weapons that make use of electromagnetically-induced linear acceleration to fire a projectile at hypersonic speeds. Rail Weapons typically possess an extreme range, and are particularly renowned for their destructive capabilities upon single targets, especially against armoured vehicles or fortifications.Rail Weapons use a series of powerful electromagnets and super-conductive electrodes to accelerate small, solid and conductive projectiles to hypersonic speeds. The resulting high levels of kinetic force imparted to the weapon's projectile allows it to devastate and destroy the most heavily armoured vehicles on impact, even at extremely long ranges. Few vehicles are able to withstand a direct hit from a Rail Weapon without suffering critical damage. Because the projectile is capable of achieving a velocity of anywhere between six and ten times the speed of sound, it generates a tremendous force when it strikes its target that is often far more than would be produced by an explosive charge of the same size. As such, the speed of the projectile is enough to punch through virtually any amount of armour. The size of the weapon determines the strength of its power source and thus the kinetic force imparted to the type of projectile used as ammunition.Rail Weapons usually fire single, solid projectiles and rely on the projectile's speed to penetrate armour, even at long ranges. Because the projectiles are so small, large numbers can be carried by the weapon's operator at a time. However, when used against infantry, a Railgun can have a devastating effect in which the impact of the round will simply vaporise the target. Those near the travelling path of the projectile will also literally find the breath sucked out of their lungs, such is its speed. A Railgun makes an iconic "whip-crack" sound when it fires, which is created when the Railgun's round breaks the sound barrier. Many enemy soldiers have learned to dread its distinct noise, which is only heard after the round has already hit home.The basic physical principle behind Rail Weapon technology is well known to the Adeptus Mechanicus, but the Imperium has never been able to utilise it in a worthwhile form due to the myriad of issues inherent in the operation of such weapons. The limitations of such technology include the staggering amount of power required to propel the projectile along the rail, and the dissipation of the heat generated by the process. The Tau appear to have implemented solutions to these problems, and many Hereteks amongst the Adeptus Mechanicus would very much like to understand how this was accomplished.
Rail Weapons - Theorised Railgun Mechanics: A Rail Weapon functions through the manipulation of the electromagnetic force. A magnetically responsive projectile in an electrically conductive sheath is inserted between two conductive rails attached to a power source, making a complete circuit. As the current moves through the circuit it generates a magnetic force that pushes outward, forcing the projectile down the rails. The further the projectile goes out, the greater the current that goes through and the stronger the magnetic force becomes, causing the projectile to accelerate along the full length of the rails, achieving a tremendous velocity by the time it passes the end of the rails and breaks the circuit. After this, another round can be readied as soon as enough charge can be built back up for the next shot.To achieve the charge necessary to fire a shell at combat velocity typically requires a bulky array of capacitors attached to a powerful generator, which tends to limit the use of most battlefield Rail Weapons to dedicated vehicles. While a Rail Weapon is conceptually simple, manufacturing and fielding one presents several engineering challenges, requiring highly conductive materials with strong resistance to thermal expansion, efficient cooling systems, very precise machining processes, and methods of quickly servicing and re-machining the rails in the field to keep their interior surfaces in pristine condition as even minor wear could have a significantly deleterious affect on the weapon's performance.
Railgun - Theorised Railgun Mechanics: The railgun functions through the manipulation of the electromagnetic force. A magnetically responsive projectile in an electrically conductive sheath is inserted between two conductive rails attached to a power source, making a complete circuit. As the current moves through the circuit it generates a magnetic force that pushes outward, forcing the projectile down the rails.The further the projectile goes out, the greater the current that goes through and the stronger the magnetic force becomes, causing the projectile to accelerate along the full length of the rails, achieving a tremendous velocity by the time it passes the end of the rails and breaks the circuit. After this, another round can be readied as soon as enough charge can be built back up for the next shot.To achieve a charge necessary to fire a shell at combat velocity typically requires a bulky array of capacitors attached to a powerful generator, which tends to limit the use of the battlefield railgun to dedicated vehicles. While a railgun is conceptually simple, manufacturing and fielding one presents several engineering challenges, requiring highly conductive materials with strong resistance to thermal expansion, efficient cooling systems, very precise machining processes, and methods of quickly servicing and re-machining the rails in the field to keep their interior surfaces in pristine condition as even minor wear could have a significantly deleterious affect on the weapon's performance.
Railgun - Heavy Railgun: A Heavy Railgun is a larger version of the standard T'au railgun with greater range and stopping power and is usually only mounted on the Manta, Moray and Tiger Shark AX-1-0 aircraft. Heavy Railguns fire larger rounds at higher speeds, and the projectiles are fin-stabilised to provide extra lift, and therefore extra range, whilst in an atmosphere.The Heavy Railgun's submunition shell is equipped with a drone processor that is programmed to direct the shell accurately towards its target. This capability is mostly used during void combat to find weak points in the armour of enemy starships as standard submunition rounds lack the necessary penetrating power.They are also useful in ground combat, however, as the shell can saturate an extremely large area with its submunitions and deny cover more effectively to enemy forces due to being fired from the air.
Railgun - Starship Railgun Batteries: Despite recent T'au advances in superconductor technology, railguns mounted on T'au starships are of such enormous size and require such large amounts of energy to fire that they are grouped into batteries and fired one barrel at a time in sequential order, ensuring the first barrel is loaded and ready before it is charged again.T'au starship railgun batteries are considered comparable in firepower and effectiveness to the weapons batteries comprised of macrocannons employed by Imperial Navy starships.
Rainbow Warriors - Rainbow Warriors: The Rainbow Warriors are a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter and a Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines, raised during an unknown Founding. The Chapter's homeworld is called Prism. The Chapter's current status is unknown.
Rainbow Warriors - Notable Campaigns: Blood Star Campaign (748.M41) - A massive Daemonic incursion into the Scarus Sector was heralded by the star Ares turning an ominous blood red. The Rainbow Warriors, Relictors, and Fire Lords eventually halted the invasion but took grievous casualties, including the loss of all three Chapter Masters. The Imperium grieved for three of its mightiest heroes.
Rainbow Warriors - Chapter Homeworld: The homeworld of the Rainbow Warriors is a planet called Prism. It should be noted that in the Imperium's records of Space Marine Chapter Homeworlds, there is a map displaying the galactic locations of the various Astartes homeworlds. But in the case of the Rainbow Warriors Chapter, instead of displaying its planet with the Chapter's name, it simply says "record deleted" where its homeworld should be. By looking closely, it is clear that the Chapter badge of this deleted Chapter is that of the Rainbow Warriors.
Rainbow Warriors - Chapter Colours: The Rainbow Warriors wear dark blue power armour with a multi-coloured rainbow stripe through the centre of their helms. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest armour is yellow.The white squad tactical specialty symbol -- battleline, close support, fire support, Veteran or command -- is indicated on the right shoulder guard.
Rainbow Warriors - Chapter Badge: The Rainbow Warriors' Chapter badge is a white winged lightning bolt on a field of dark blue.
Rainbow Warriors - Trivia: A Rainbow Warriors Chapter badge is present in the Command Centre space on the board of Milton Bradley's board game Space Crusade. It is possible the Chapter was named after the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, sunk in 1985 by operatives of the French intelligence service.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol: The Rak'Gol are vicious xenos marauders and a relatively new threat within the Koronus Expanse of the Halo Stars adjacent to the Calixis Sector, encountered first in the dim stars past the Alenic Depths a little more than a standard century ago.Striking from the blackest reaches of the Alenic Depths, the violent and cruel Rak'Gol have become the byword for death and terror in the Koronus Expanse. Horrific, eight-limbed alien monstrosities, twisted and warped, the Rak'Gol seem to exist only for slaughter, descending on voidships and isolated colonies like a plague, and disappearing again into the cold depths of the void.Though the underlying impetus for the Rak'Gol's seemingly random attacks remains a mystery, those who suffer their predations rarely live to tell the tale. A xenos breed of which little is known for fact, they take the appearance of rough-hewn and irregular stone reptilids, eight-limbed and over three metres long.Chalky white in colour and mantis-like in bodily arrangement, Rak'Gol warriors favour cybernetic augmentation to increase their abilities and replace lost limbs. Their point of origin remains unknown, as does the motivation for their sporadic attacks on human-held worlds and vessels, other than to slaughter indiscriminately and steal minerals and weapons.Their rasping, screeching language remains incomprehensible, and no successful communication between the Rak'Gol and humanity has been recorded; no Rak'Gol has ever been captured alive. Indeed, even their name is taken from children's stories of mythical monsters from the settlement of Footfall's slums, legends which they superficially resemble.
Rak'Gol - History: Across the Expanse, there is one intelligent xenos race that is known to all, but seldom spoken of -- the Rak'Gol. When their name is mentioned, the speaker may well make the sign of the Aquila for protection -- for to speak the name of these vicious marauders is said to invite them to attack. The Rak'Gol are one of the single most feared, reviled, barbaric, and inhuman xenos species encountered in the Koronus Expanse to date. Their excesses are only surpassed by their brutality. Though they can be found throughout the Koronus Expanse, these near-primal, cannibalistic hunters are especially common near the ill-travelled Alenic Depths, where their packs of voidships lurk and wait for prey.Beyond the God-Emperor's Scourge, deep within the Unbeholden Reaches, lies a region of clouded space -- the Alenic Depths. Dust clouds and shadowed nebulaechoke the region of light, wrapping a few frail stars in thick black cloaks. Navigation is next to impossible in this part of space, where even the light of the Astronomican grows dim and nebulous, and astropathic communications seemed muffled and indistinct. The outward appearance of the Depths discourages mostfrom venturing there, as even the starships of the Disciples of Thule avoid that section of space. Those few who journeyed within the Depths (most in the early centuries after the Maw was opened) were inevitably well-armed and well-provisioned. They spoke of star systems cluttered with debris and half-formed planets, asteroid rings, rock fields, and dust clouds. Those few worlds capable of supporting human life were often dry and cold, cloaked in the omnipresent whips of dust. By day, their feeble suns scarcely illuminated the surface, while the nights were completely dark -- no stars can pierce the shroud of the Depths. Little was discovered that encouraged expeditions into the Depths, and in later centuries, most Rogue Traders ventured into more profitable regions of the Expanse such as Winterscale'sRealm and the Heathen Stars. Only a few desperate or visionary individuals journeyed to the Alenic Depths before the Rak'Gol appeared on the edges of the Koronus Expanse. Now, only the insane venture within the shrouded nebulae.None know when the Rak'Gol first left their accursed lairs in the far reaches of the Expanse and began to maraud across it. So few ships journey in to the Unbeholden Reaches that several missing vessels went unnoticed by all but their close peers. Even then, the Expanse is wild and lawless space, and few could muster the interest to search for a few minor missing voidships.
Rak'Gol - First Contact: In 710.M41, a vessel from the Disciples of Thule stumbled across the wreck of the Imperial merchant brig Solace of Dawn, drifting without power near System Designate 368-2VR-3D. Only the ship's salvation beacon still operated on its isolated power storage, and the rest of the voidship was cold and dead. Inside, it was immediately apparent that the Solace had been boarded and her crew slaughtered by something unknown. Vox fragments and Auspex logs recovered from the remains of the bridge spoke of a new, unknown xenos species, something perhaps from beyond the Alenic Depths.Uncharacteristically for their closed order, the Disciples sent a message containing all information gleaned from the wreck to Altar-Templum-Calixis-Ext-17. In turn, the Adeptus Mechanicus gifted the information to an infrequent Imperial Navy patrol travelling through the Maw. Word spread -- a new threat had emerged in the Koronus Expanse. It would be decades and countless atrocities before anyone knew more about this xenos race -- the burning of Monastery 20, thousands dead on Savolis, the Daughter of Regals. Eventually, however, the xenos had a name, the Rak'Gol -- although their motives remained as secret as when the Solace of Dawn was firstdiscovered. As they push deeper into the Expanse, more than a few brash Rogue Traders have vowed to find their homeworlds and visit on them the same destruction the Rak'Gol bring. However, given how deadly the Rak'Gol have proven thus far, such boasting seems idle at best.Since that time, dozens of additional confirmed losses have been attributed to Rak'Gol attacks. The Rak'Gol may have victimised countless more, but limited communications and the lack of any remains means that any numbers would be speculative at best. Over the decades, Rak'Gol sightings continue to occur throughout the trailing and rimward portions of the Expanse. In recent years, other human voidcraft have also confirmed encounters with these marauding terrors in the Cauldron and Heathen Stars, indicating their spread across the Expanse. Unfortunately, very few have survived an encounter with these xenos to tell the story of their conflict. Even fewer have retained sufficient sanity to make the stories believable.
Rak'Gol - Nypson's Prize: The Imperial world of Nypson's Prize was once held by human colonists, lost to theImperium for several millennia. The inhabitants lived a simple, agrarian lifestyle on a planet that possessed long growing seasons. Most of them lived contented, peaceful lives of quiet contemplation and farming. Their advanced technology regressed and stagnated, to the point that their agricultural equipment was primarily powered by native animals. Vessels associated with House Ma'Kao re-established contact with Nypson's Prize in 784.M41. At that time, they created agreements to exchange substantial portions of the world's agricultural output in trade for off-worldcommunications, information, and a selection of Imperial supplies. The arrangement worked effectively for just over a decade of regular shipments and communications.Then, the Sacred Testament arrived to find the world a toxic wasteland, its population completely eliminated, its landscape devastated with huge craters, and its atmosphere a radioactive hell. Ship's sensors suggest that a Rak'Gol vessel may have crashed into the surface of the planet, unleashing the scouring radiation. No further details have been recovered, though rumours suggest House Ma'Kao has made several failed attempts to recover the remains of the crashed xenos starship.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Homeworld: Stories conflict over whether the interior of the Alenic Depths is the location of the Rak'Gol's profane homeworld, or simply the route they have taken from a more distant region. The few brave, or insane, souls who venture into the Depths to search for an answer never return, although pieces of them or their ships occasionally show up amidst the trophies recovered from Rak'Gol vessels. Most consider the idea of seeking the Rak'Gol homeworld with anything less than a full battlegroup of warships, or an Imperial Crusade, to be the height of lunacy. Matters have grown considerably more complicated since reports started filtering into Port Wander ofthe xenos marauders claiming worlds beyond the boundaries of the Depths, for unknown reasons. It is unknown when such encounters first began occurring, as the rumours were not substantiated until the recent Battle of Holtsfall, in 801.M41, was fought in orbit of such a stronghold. The battle's victor, Lord-Captain Patronius Holt, was forced to destroy the xenos structures with an orbital bombardment in order to claim the world for his dynasty, and the rubble left few clues as to their original purpose.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Worlds: Regardless of whether the Rak'Gol simply seek to expand their holdings, as would be expected of a less deranged species, or if they have some other unfathomablegoal in mind, certain common factors have been found among all Rak'Gol habitations discovered to date. In most cases, the bulk of the xenos actually dwelled in orbit and reduced vast swathes of the planet to irradiated deserts for no discernible reason. In some cases, the Rak'Gol constructed their warrens and fortresses in the midst of the poisonous expanse they had created, while on other worlds, they avoided setting foot in any of these areas, even when driven back by assaulting troops.All Rak'Gol worlds are marked by special territories known as Rad-Zones, even those that normally lack territories of any kind. These territories are considered to possess desolate and virulent traits, although the ill-effects of the latter are due to the high levels of radiation present, as opposed to toxins. Thenumber of Rad-Zones present on a Rak'Gol planet depends on its development level. Rak'Gol planets frequently house a fleet presence as well, with even minor encampments being defended by at least a single warship. Their more significant holdings often have a major battlegroup patrolling the reaches of the star system.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Colonies: Newly-established Rak'Gol holdings have been found across much of the Koronus Expanse. They are most commonly encountered in the area between the God-Emperor's Scourge and the Phaineal Echoes, a region of space already plagued with significant activity by their kind. Interestingly, these encampments often seem temporary, as if set up as part of a grander effort. The matter is further clouded by claims of Rak'Gol holdings far from any known activity by their fleets. There are a handful of verified reports regarding such activity, as far afield as Winterscale's Realm and the Foundling Worlds. Rak'Gol planets have yet to be found near striking distance of Footfall and the Maw, but many fear it is only a matter of time. As far as can be told, establishment of a Rak'Gol colony is always preceded by a devastating barrage of nuclear fire, to create one of their infamous Rad-Zones. The colony's main warren is often, but not always, established in or near the Rad-Zone, but its purpose remains unclear to outside observation.
Rak'Gol - Orbital Habitation: The Rak'Gol sometimes construct vast orbital stations, housing a population similar to those found on their colonies. As far as can be determined by the examination of reported encounters, there is no comprehensible pattern determining which worlds are occupied from the surface, and which from orbit. Issues of atmosphere, potential foodstuffs, and resources, do not seem to play into whatever alien priorities govern the decisions of the Rak'Gol in this matter. A widely circulated but unverified tale even claims that the xenos aboard an orbital station were once discovered in the process of examining their planet's surface, only to turn the void station's weaponry on the continent they occupied, reducing it to rubble as soon as the observers were detected.In all recorded encounters with Rak'Gol orbitals, their void stations were heavily armed and well-protected, with even the most densely-populated habitats being the equivalent of dedicated defence stations. They bristle with the infamous Howler Cannons and Roarer Beams found on their warships, although they usually lack torpedoes or launch bays for void fighters. Imperial strategists suggest that this could be due to the fact that the xenos are known to construct variants designed exclusively for raiding and slave-taking, rather than as actual weapons. Though Rak'Gol in orbital habitation do not seem to make significant use of the planet they circle, they still scar it with the Rad-Zones for which they are known. It is believed that their stations are often constructed with a weapon specifically designed for such work, although this is impossible to verify, since no example has been capturedintact.
Rak'Gol - Voidfarers: Major Rak'Gol worlds beyond the Alenic Depths remain scattered and rare for the time being, but each is a unique horror, surrounded by a fleet devoted to no other goal than annihilation. As long as a single such stronghold of foulness and depravity exists, it remains too many for the Imperium's comfort, and their numbers are far greater than that. Where these worlds are known, they are denoted on every chart, rutter, and navigational primer as an area of extreme peril, but unfortunately, many more remain undocumented. Those star systems which their ships can easily reach are often subjected to the same treatment, as an additional precaution. The surface of these planets are usually reduced to nothing but a radioactive wasteland, broken only by cyclopean monoliths and hideous fortresses, with walls like enormous knives or fangs thrust forth from the earth. Innumerable minor Rad-Zones mark the surface like a pox, and larger examples stand out like enormous scars. Mercifully, the Rak'Gol have concentrated most of their planets at this development level in or near the Alenic Depths, and the majority of the remainder can be found in the stretches of the Expanse known for Rak'Gol activity.
Rak'Gol - Contact with Other Species: When the Rak'Gol come into contact with another intelligent species, only one side ever survives. No exceptions to this rule have been encountered anywhere in the Expanse, unless one counts conflicts as yet unresolved. As such, a star system determined to have inhabitants on multiple planets cannot have Rak'Gol planetsalongside the holdings of other species. Instead, Rak'Gol planets are often found near worlds with archeotech caches or xenos ruins, but these are usually of limited abundance, given the extremely thorough destruction that the Rak'Gol visit on their enemies.
Rak'Gol - Society: The Rak'Gol are savage and brutal. They are likened to primal beasts instead of an advanced xenos species, yet they have progressed to the point of being able to build crude voidships and bionics. Rak'Gol are very effective hunters, and they areutterly remorseless killers. They are led by a caste known as the Abominations -- aptly named, for outsiders regard their entire appearance, from their patchwork, stitched-together hides to their crude bionics, as utterly grotesque. Their societal system seems hierarchical in nature, with older and more powerfulAbominations controlling groups consisting of several vessels and their attendant crews. They have never shown the slightest interest in communicating with other intelligent species, or interacting in any way save slaughtering all they come across. Althoughseveral sects of the Magos Biologis in the Adeptus Mechanicus have attempted to capture Rak'Gol alive, every attempt thus far has failed. When faced with capture, Rak'Gol go completely berserk, throwing themselves at any containment without regard for their own well-being until they escape, destroy themselves, or must be put down by their captors.Surprisingly little is known about Rak'Gol society. Most of what is known has been extrapolated through various encounters and tales of their attacks on the colonies within the Expanse. Their language is indecipherable -- consisting of nothing more than screeches and rasps. No one knows their point of origin, or even if they originated within the Koronus Expanse. It is possible that they have a homeworld (or clutch of several) where they issue from and construct their warships. If this is true, the world must be far beyond the explored bounds of the Expanse, or hidden from prying eyes by some sort of phenomena. There appears to be no explanation as to why they attack the ships or colonies of the Expanse, and it might very well be an inscrutable aspect of their alien psychology.The Rak'Gol are pack hunters. Within their society there is nothing more important than the kill, and much of their society revolves around slaughter. From a young age, the brood are taught to work together, meshing their strengths with others' weaknesses so the pack as a whole succeeds where the individual would not. As they grow older, they are taught different types of tactics and eventually they are sent out with a Clutchmaster to be blooded, or die in the process. Once a Rak'Gol has seen combat, they are often "gifted" with bionics and cybernetics by their Clutchmaster in order to make them more effective at death and slaughter. Eventually those who manage to live long enough will appear to be more machine than living, a brutal and remorseless killing engine of death.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Carvers: Rak'Gol Carvers are a subset of this species that have recently been seen spearheading their lightning assaults. These creatures are slightly smaller than many of their compatriots, though they still tower over humans, built for speed in lieu of raw power and armed with savage melee weapons. Their presence is often a precursor to the larger Marauders, Broodmasters, Abominations, and occasionally, the dreaded Techno-Shamans.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Marauders: Marauders are the "foot troops" of the Rak'Gol. Most of these wretched xenos are modified with at least one type of cybernetic implant, though it is far more common for them to have more. These creatures have blooded themselves on hunts and survived to join in others. They are crazed and bloodthirsty, revelling in the destruction they wrought. Though they are capable of some level of tactical cunning, Marauders usually overwhelm their opponents with speed and raw ferocity. When they attack and board other ships in the void, it is the Marauders that defenders most face, each with their own combination of weapons and gear. Marauders are also rarely encountered alone; they tend to hunt in packs of ten to twenty, making the most of their terror-mob tactics. Marauders are unsubtle in their brutal tactics. Many simply go for the direct kill, but they are not mindless brutes. Those that man the various gunnery and helm stations of their vessels show ingenuity and a grasp of spatial tactics that belies their primitive stature.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Broodmasters: The Broodmasters are the commanders of the Marauders. These vicious creatures follow the directives of the leadership-caste Abominations and lead the numerous raids against the other races of the Expanse. The Broodmasters are also the oneswho captain the larger ships of the Rak'Gol forces, and they tend to do most of the tactical planning with input from the Abominations above them. They are typically distinguished by the amount of bionics and cybernetics their bodies support, and by the fact that they inspire the loyalty of the other Rak'Gol (especially the Marauders). These horrid xenos organise packs into frenzied mobs, and work them into a wild fury, foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the kill.Some of the tactics employed by the Broodmasters resemble those of bestial predators, yet there are some that are distinctly Rak'Gol in nature. One of the most common methods employed involves a single Rak'Gol voidship laying in wait along a known Warp route. When the ships travelling that route transition from the Warp to change course or get a navigation fix, the Rak'Gol strike, attempting to disable the other vessel. Once disabled, the Rak'Gol board the vessel and kill any they find left alive, except for a chosen few. These they leave alive, shocked and horrified, to summon rescue through Vox or astropathic signal. In the meantime, the Rak'Gol reinforce their position with a host of other ships, laying in ambush until the rescue ship gets within range. It has even been reported that the Rak'Gol leave behind a few of their own brood aboard the damaged ship, lying inwait for any potential rescuers. Once the leaders determine the proper moment to strike, the entire mob attacks in a frenzy of blood and gore; storming ships, tearing through bulkheads, and leaving barren vessels open to the void in their wake.There is also a sub-class of Rak'Gol leaders called Clutchmasters. These are the lesser leaders of the caste, often acting as "lieutenants" or mob-enforcers during combat. Typical packs of Rak'Gol are almost always led by a Clutchmaster, who takes direction from either the Broodmasters, or the Abominations above them. Clutchmasters also captain the lesser Marauder ships of the Rak'Gol broods. It should also be noted that there is little to distinguish a Broodmaster from a Clutchmaster in close combat.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Abominations: The Abominations are the rarest caste of Rak'Gol encountered by the denizens of the Koronus Expanse, and appear to be the leaders of the Rak'Gol species -- it is unknown if there are any other castes higher than them. Each one’s appearance is unique and heavily modified. Many of them possess the bionic and cybernetic implants that are ubiquitous to the Rak'Gol -- yet they also have been modified by what appear to be implants and devices very similar to those of the Yu'vath. In fact, there has been some speculation amongst the Magos Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus that the Rak'Gol may have stumbled upon ancient Yu'vath technology and somehow formed some manner of relationship with it. However, there exist no records of the Rak'Gol having served the Yu'vath during the Angevin Crusade. The Rak'Gol only appeared within the Koronus Expanse a little over a century ago, far too late to have fought with the Yu'vath in the Angevin Crusade. As well as leading the Rak'Gol in battle, Abominations are thought to be their spiritual leaders -- but like so much of Rak'Gol society, no concrete evidence exists to support this theory. It is thought that these Abominations also plan all of the Rak'Gol raids, positioning their warriors across the Koronus Expanse as if following some mysterious plan. Should this plan reach fruition, it could spell disaster for the other intelligent races of the Expanse.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Renders: Mercifully rare, Renders are larger and even more violent than typical Rak'Gol. They are easily recognised, even in isolation, as they never carry any additional armaments and typically are almost totally covered with protruding cybernetic modifications. Reports indicate that these specimens are almost universally encountered at the forefront of Rak'Gol voidship attacks. In most instances, fewer than ten Renders are present. Their additional implants and muscle mass serve them well as they present the largest targets in such conflicts. Renders universally showed a thirty to forty-five percent increase in muscle mass when compared to Marauders with a comparably-sized skeletal structure. Renders also showed a marked structural change in overall neural structure. It is unclear if the increase of overall number and types of cybernetic enhancements are all fully functional within the specimens examined; it may be that some of these implants served only as additional armoured protection. Few of the implants present in the examined specimens appeared functional. Alternatively, it might be that some of the additional cybernetics were used to transform a Marauder into a Render. Previous studies suggest that Rak'Gol may be capable of biological change in response to cultural pressures.
Rak'Gol - Techno-Shamans: Rak'Gol hunting parties, and by extension their ships' complements, sometimes contain one or more psykers, or Techno-Shamans. The normal prey of a Rak'Gol hunting party is weak in comparison to the beasts that stalk them. For these hunts, a pack of three to ten Rak'Gol hunters is more than sufficient to ensure that no being escapes. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, a Techno-Shaman may lead the hunt. These creatures are terrifying destroyers, blurring the line between mind and machine and unleashing brutal torrents of invisible annihilation from strange, crystalline implants that seem to have grown into their bodies. Some superstitious voidsmen also claim that these abominations have the ability to corrupt Machine Spirits to their own destructive ends, though numerous reputable Explorators in the Expanse have dismissed these claims as both heretical and ridiculous.Available Imperial records do not spell out reasons for the difference between normal Rak'Gol attacks and these other, more disturbing accounts. Deeper research and bribes to the right officials, however, get access to accounts that are not part of the standard Imperial documentation. These backroom conversations and hurriedly relayed transmissions show that there is one connecting factor between all appearances of Techno-Shamans: the lost technology and lore of the long-dead xenos species known as the Yu'vath. If the target of a Rak'Gol hunting party contains a person with either an artefact of Yu'vath origin or knowledge (subconscious or otherwise) of Yu'vath technology, then a Techno-Shaman may well lead the marauders, guiding them to this individual for some unknown, sinister purpose.
Rak'Gol - Rak'Gol Bionics: The Rak'Gol have a noticeable propensity for the use of crude bionics. Possessing primitive technology by the standards of the Imperium, Rak'Gol implants lack the utilitarian elegance exhibited by more advanced races. Yet, the Rak'Gol have somehow managed to successfully merge the biological with the mechanical. However, with the exception of the unblooded, all Rak'Gol possess at least one implant or prosthetic. They also possess implanted ceramic plates to reinforce their already resilient hides.Once a Rak'Gol has seen combat, they are often "gifted" with bionics and cybernetics by their Clutchmaster in order to make them more effective at death and slaughter. Eventually those who manage to live long enough will appear to be more machine than living, a brutal and remorseless killing engine of death. For example, a Rak'Gol Broodmaster is typically distinguished by the amount of bionics and cybernetics their bodies support. The rare caste known as Abominations possess the bionic and cybernetic implants that are ubiquitous to the Rak'Gol, yet they also have been modified by what appear to be implants and devices very similar to those of the xenos known as the Yu'vath.Like Abominations, Rak'Gol Techno-Shamans seek out the technology left behind by long-extinct species and implant these often horrifying artefacts into their bodies. Imperial scholars have no insight into why they seek out the cursed machines of the Yu'vath and other dead empires, and most scholars of the Koronus Expanse deny that these monstrosities even exist. The implants grant their bearers certain supernatural abilities akin to psychic powers, even if the bearer's species does not otherwise display such potential.