Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Which raises the following question of, if Spyrer Suits are an expensive blend of Xenos tech?
Who is or war doing the blending?
That's certainly my view:
Charax wrote:I didn't think it was all that ambiguous:
There was a period immediately following the 3rd edition Tau codex release where people were all "Tau words sound like Spyrer names = Spyrer suits are Tau tech" despite the suits not even remotely resembling anything the Tau have technology-wise, and Necromunda being on the other side of the galaxy from Tau space
They're a mishmash of technologies from various places. some of it may be from the Tau via Kin trading, what's more likely is that each suit is bespoke, and "Orrus", "Yeld", "Jakara" and "Malcadon" are just broad categories of designs with similar capabilities rather than exacting blueprints that are followed to the letter.
So the heavily armoured spyrer suits are "Orrus" suits regardless of whether they achieve it through archaeotech, Eldar technology or bartered Tau/Kin tech. One may be entirely human technology whereas another could be barely recognisable melding of various xenotechs. this also accounts for the vast difference in aesthetics between the Orrus suit models (and they would diverge further as they gain boosts
As to whom? given their almost exclusive use by Imperial noble houses, almost certainly Hereteks (pretty much by definition anyone blending technologies in such a way will be a heretek), ones with sufficient access to be able to craft the suits from such rare materials and the connections to provide them to high-paying nobles. I can't see anyone in the mechanicus (at least, anyone
loyal within the mechanicus) either engaging in that kind of experimentation or selling the results, the Mechanicus would keep them internal for Mechanicus use.
In my headcanon there are hereteks of particular skill out there, either working alone or as a cabal. they gather together technologies and through their skills are able to blend them into something new, a battle rig that can turn a person into a beast, capable of growing as the wearer's skill increases.
Rumours grow about this suit until a noble hears of it. Maybe carried by rogue traders who supplied some of the materials. Some Lord during a dinner party laments that their child is bored and feckless, that he wishes he could send them into the lower levels to see the brutal realities of life, to ignite some spark of purpose in them, but alas, doing so would be certain death.
"Well, your grace, I have heard tell of some artificers who have crafted a suit that could protect your child as they mingle among the riffraff and scum of the lower levels, and return them safely to you"
And so a deal is struck, and as is the way of things the other houses get wind of what has occurred, how the young scion returned invigorated from his jaunt and ready to take his place at his parents' side. Well, they have equally lackadaisical offspring, why shouldn't they be able to do the same thing? A word with the right Rogue Trader later and a business arrangement is made, the houses will provide the money, the trader will provide the materials, and the Hereteks will provide the skill. Each suit is a bespoke masterpiece, the components are never quite the same but patterns emerge. The tank, the flyer, the duellist, the silent hunter. Ancient archaeotech merged with Xenotech and new innovations, whatever is required to complete the suit. Perhaps one Orrus has a T'au forcefield, but another has an Archaeotech one, and yet another has a Power Field that has been stripped down enough to be portable, it doesn't matter - The Orrus suit has a forcefield, regardless of how it gets one.
Over generations the Hereteks pass down and hone their skills, while the Nobles lose the knowledge of where the suits come from, exactly, they just know it's a tradition to pay a particular Rogue Trader dynasty (or dynasties) for a suit, and the old ones are preserved and handed down wherever possible. They aren't Battle Rigs anymore, they're Hunting Rigs, not for mere survival but catering for the increasingly depraved bloodlust of the young Nobles as they descend below not to pick off the citizenry. After all, they're Nobles, what are the citizens but cattle for their approval?
Maybe some of the original cabal break off over time to form new groups, sharing their knowledge. Or perhaps multiple groups of curious and skilled individuals arise who start experimenting with technologies until they converge upon a similar arrangement.
And that's how you end up with super-science "not exactly xeno" hunting rigs in the hands of bratty nobles
