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Hi Guys

This is some fluff I'm working on for a new faction within the WH40K universe. Please let me know what you think of it. It will entail new miniatures, and the overal aim of the project is to create a faction that can be used in other games as well, like AT-43, Infinity, etc.....

Anyway, on to the fluff as it applies to WH40K!

The origins of the Hsien start way back before the creation of the galactic Imperium. During the Great Expansion, and not long after the discovery of the Warp. During the great expansion many colony fleets were lost to raging warp storms or general craft malfunction. Such was the presumption for the loss of Fleet Hsien. As it entererd the churning mass of the warp all contact was lost with the fleet, and it was entered into the lost records as being another casualty of mans ignorance of the true nature of this new method of star travel.

In truth, Fleet Hsien, was sent trillions upon trillions of light years away from its intended course, and deposited an impossibly long way away from what would be defined in later years as the Imperium. Far from simply accepting their lot, the survivors of the fleet made the most of their new circumstance and learned how to first adapt, and then to grow in their new enviroment.

Over many centuries the humans who comprised the fleet of the Hsien grew, they prospered, and made many contacts with the indigenous life-forms of the new galaxy, they decided that it was time to change their ideals on life, society and their sense of self. Forging an Empire based on tolerance, peace and understanding the humans of the Hsien entered an age of enlightenment never before experienced by a sentient being. Unlike many Empires that rose and fell, because of the ideals of the Hsien, all aggression from outside elements was diffused without the need for military or martial might. Over the many thousands of years of shared enivorment, the most developed beings within the Empire ceased to be seperated by the boundaries of race....until eventually, all that was once "human" or alien, became one race...one people, one Empire.

The beings of the Hsien, went through many physical changes, and the development of their technology went from strength to strength, touching on the very fabric of reality itself. The Hsien developed a new kind of engineering known as Matrice Singularity Construction (MSC). This techonology was based on the very building blocks of what we know as reality, the MSC engineers developed ways in which to control this techonology with their highly evolved minds, which were in direct contact with existance itself. From mere thoughts, the most complex structures and mechanisms could be created. To newly encountered life-forms, it appeared that the Hsien would magically create the thing of dreams from the air itself.....of course, these thoughts were not too far from the truth.

Another facet of their path of development from seperate ignorant beings to enlightened lords of reality, was real, undiluted, Immortality....if a Hsien was ever injured beyond its ability to repair itself, it simply thought of a new form in which to inhabit....previously, in human history, there was theories of re-encarnation, the process utilised by the Hsien is somewhat similar if not more accelerated and focused.

Perhaps the most important development of the Hsien is their concepts and learning, and what they have called "The Message".....it is a message of peace, and it holds more importance than simply the ability to live together in harmony. The Hsiens theology of peace extends to the actual taming of the warp. Long ago, it was discovered that without the hungry and uncontrolled emotions enjoyd by most sentient beings, the warp became instantly becalmed, and warp travel would be used without fear or danger. More importantly, through the practice of The Path of Peace, or The Path, beings of the warp could be completely overcome, similar in a way to the Pariah gene used by the Necrons, but ultimately more complete and to Daemons, utterly destructive.

Deep galatic probes that have been traversing the warp and real space for an unimaginable length of time, have finally brought back word of their discovery of Earth....the cradle of humanity. What was first greeted with calm meditative introspection, was also greeted with concern, not only was Earth still the cradle of man, but man had shockingly not developed much beyond the shackles of what the Hsien left behind generations ago.

A council of elders was called, and it was agreed that a delegation was to be assembled, and they would travel to Earth with The Message, and The Path. The Council ruled that all beings, human or otherwise would be offered the ways of the Hsien, in order to trancend their own barbarity, and to put an end to the inevitable destruction of all life in that galaxy.

A group of envoys were selected, and given the means by which to transmit their message to the unenlightened races of Imperium.......and so the story of the Hsien began.

Please let me know waht you guys think of this first attempt of fluff. In game rules are still under development, as well as army details. I'll add more as it becomes firmed up!

Well thought.


Any chance to have this peaceful minds in 40k?
Grim dark future,only war and such.........

Some of the basic rules we're playing with have been very difficult to tie in with the fluff. For example, you have a race preaching peace, but then its a battle game...so how do these things go together?

Our thoughts are, there are two modes of general play. Offensive scenarios and defensive scenarios.

An offensive scenario would be one where the Hsien approach a planet to deliver The Message, and are intercepted and attacked out of ignorance. When this happens, all combat is resolved in the usual way, but when an opponent is reduced to zero wounds, rather then being removed from play as "dead" he is said to be in a stasis state......so if the Hsien win the objectives (which would normally be to deliver The Message) or if the Hsien are defeated, then the enemy army is no longer in stasis and they go back to normal. There would be no point in the Hsien spreading a message of peace, especially to a dead planet!

The other mode of combat is defense. So for example, a Space Marine boarding party infiltrates a Hsien Envoy ship, then the rules of combat would be as normal, and death for the opponent would be death (although not in every case....scenario and game dependant) to represent the fact that an Envoy ship is not a mobile prison for prisoners of war

Just two ideas of how this could work in game terms.

Perhaps you could create a rule that enhances the combat ability of a unit that takes damage. It would fit well with the idea of absolute defence.

Also, how do you pronounce this races name? Mis-pronounciation is a real mood killer.

pronounced His - ian (Hsien) its from Chinese Mandarin, and means Immortal....but I hope to god no Chinese speaker ever sees this thread

As I said, we're working on specific rules right now, and the possible miniatures line to go with it. The current idea is that an Envoy would be a HQ choice and would have stats similar to a Daemon Prince, with line troops being clone like warriors "created" specifically for combat. One thing we're looking at is having the Envoy regen, after all its wounds are spent, into the nearest Clone squad troop leader.....and maybe having the Envoy doing this a number of times before he is sent back to the Envoy vessel to recoup....

Also, one would assume that these cats have little to fear from dying, due to their abilities. Is fearless too obvious?

The Hsien stun their opponents? Wouldn't this restrict their weapon-arsenal too much?
Maybe they should have more unused features.

*Stun weapons.
*A grasp on time,to evade damage and change the flow of battle.
*The abiltiy to Heal. (themselves or others)
* been to angelic too be attacked. (Ld test like whfb)
*The ability to stop the flow of energy,so their opponent can lose a turn whilst his crew reiinitates the engines.

Turn the Grim dark war into the bright sunny peace of immortal friendship?
The Hsien need also a dark secret. Or a drawback. Something to be not too perfect.

Ok, yes, I'd probably include something like Fearless as a trait. However, the Hsien would fear more than anything The Message not being spread....that its ignored is one thing, but that it never gets spoken in the first place is the ultimate fear. And as we know, they're ultimate destination is Earth, and by defacto the Emperor...so who knows where this could go

1hadhq

Interesting point. In terms of fluff, I would not put anything "dark" in there....there is enough of that with the Dark Angels and the such. This is more than flowers and ice-cream, this is a well spring of hope that there is something better for man, and indeed all races in the galaxy. At the moment the picture is dark and it seems that ultimately chaos will win.....the Hsien represnt the other side of the coin, the balance if you will, to this endless slaughter. The Hsien also present that the Universe is a big place, and everything in it has a place.

I think, the weapons and play of the Hsien will be a lot more challenging than any other army out there, specificaly becuase you arn't necessarily trying to simply kill the other player......I think we'll make it work....in the end.

It's a nice read, but building an army like this from stratch could be really difficult. I'll keep an eye on this threat and hopefully some modeling project soon

It's a strange one. Obviously you have the Tau who march with their ideal in mind, but are obviously very naive. With this race, they have nullified the main threat to themselves (the warp) so they will be much more clued up than their opponents on a lot of matters.
But I'm sure that even these celestial beings would have limited patience. Seeing as their cause is to reinvigorate the Imperium (starting from the top downwards). I'm sure that they wouldn't have any qualms about destroying any misguided fools that stand in their way.

I'm thinking a pretty elite force, big on invulnerable saves and flashy gear (either to represent advanced wargear or ethereal weaponry, for example). Also, they should suffer at the hands of stubborn enemies. Perhaps the ''message'' can be interpreted in game terms with lots of demoralising attacks. Fearless enemies obviously couldn't care less, and as a result will have to be ''convinced'' through less subtle means.

Pretty good stuff, I like the initial thrown off course idea. But i have one major problem with it, these guys seem to have hardly any weaknesses (i dont mean 40k rulewise). One thing you should think about when creating fluff is the negative aspects. So what are they?

I think their weakness is / will be, when they come up against thigs like Tyranids and Orks, or even Necrons. As these guys certainly won't want to see a Path for peace!

And maybe this is something that needs to be included in the "Codex"....The Message is only intended for Humans, Eldar, Tau and the such. I think because of this, the weakness could be introduced in the "way" you have to use them when playing against these opponents. Of course thats no recompense when playing against Nids, Orks and Necrons...so I think an obvious mechanism for balance would be in points cost!

What do you think?