Mahir - Culture: The world's few surviving Humans are descended from those who fled the Imperial colonies to establish their own outposts as the world's civilisations collapsed.These hardy folk know little of technology and only have the most rudimentary of language skills. Much of their technology consists of weapons and tools crafted from the shells of the world's countless insect analogues.Extended exposure to Mahir's harsh environs and separation from advanced Imperial medical technology has clearly had ramifications as well. Ultimately, these primitives are of Human stock, but they have suffered enough minor mutations that the Inquisition might no longer deem them acceptable.Only a rigorous analysis of genetic samples could effectively resolve this concern. If such a study was completed and no anomalies were found, Imperial forces might be able to reintegrate these Humans with the Imperium.Their beliefs are clearly derived from Imperial teachings, such that missionaries could quickly purge the heretical elements and accept their devotion.The T'au forces that initially travelled to Mahir did so with the intention of examining the planet. This contingent of xenos had only a minimal military presence, and instead was comprised primarily of members of the Earth Caste. It is unclear how long they were involved in their research prior to the arrival of Tyranid forces within the Mahir System.However, the Velk'Han Sept committed a substantial amount of resources to the world once they became aware of the Tyranid incursion. While the T'au have only a limited degree of historical experience fighting Tyranids, their presence on Mahir could swiftly change this.By all indications, the T'au are engaged in a deliberate effort to completely repel the Tyranid attack without actually destroying the planet's biosphere. Currently, they lack the required forces within the system to succeed at this task.They would need to send additional troops to Mahir to aid in these battles, but doing so could be extremely advantageous for the Imperial forces within the Canis Salient.The T'au could be deliberately delaying from committing additional troops until they see how Lord Commander Sebiascor Ebongrave deploys his forces within that region of space.The Tyranid incursion on Mahir is still at a fairly early stage, but it is clear that the world's ecosystem is incapable of directly contesting the xenos threat. Nearly twenty percent of the planet's surface has already been devoured by the swarm.Only those places that the T'au are actively defending are capable of standing up against the incursion. Were it not for these xenos, it is likely that Mahir would already have fallen to the Tyranids.Indeed, the Tyranids have already begun to adapt to Mahir's environment. The Mahir Leaper is a notable gaunt-variant first observed on this world. The creature is smaller than most known gaunt specimens, but is also faster and more agile.Reports suggest that this biomorph is an adaptation enabling it to more effectively wage war among the branches of the planet's massive trees.In these locations, the reduced size and added agility enable it to more effectively hunt in the arboreal habitats. This is likely to target some of the native life forms, rather than the limited Human population -- those Humans are simply too poorly armed to offer any significant threat against the Tyranids.