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Hello!

Basically, I'd like to add an interesting, evil and (fairly) unique antagonist faction into my fan-lore (see my signature). I have a general idea but that's about all I have. Is there a good soul to help me out to forge a truly despicable, but sensible faction?
Here is the list of general ideas. Things can be changed, I'm not insisting on anything written bellow.

- They are either human or alien (humanoid or not), not affiliated with Kroot, Dark Eldar, Chaos or Tyranids.
- They are space capable, living in a hidden asteroid base or on moon or such. They don't want to be discovered easily
- They raid Imperial convoys and capture the crews, and are usually not very interested in the cargo or the vessels.
- The crews (and colonists from nearby planet too?) are abducted in large numbers. They need them for food / horrible experimentation* / controlled mutation** / indoctrination** / resources** / slave labor / breeding / any other inhumane and evil intentions
- The raids are usually lightning-fast and little resistance is usually utilized before they disappear again, leaving the site (usually) completely empty.
- They are likely to possess stealth technologies, mind-controlling devices and/or devices affecting a person's neural system

Inspiration:
* Unit 731 / Dr. Mengele
** Reapers/Collectors from Mass Effect

Not sure how familiar you are with the Raven Guard and their experiments with gene seed manipulation hastily trying to replenish losses following the drop site massacre? Instead of Astartes the things they created were hideous and degenerate but were none the less needed for the war and so they were thrown in to the grinder in desperation. It's a shameful chapter of the Raven Guard's history condemned to the secrets of time but what if that research has made it into the hands of your antagonist faction who are abducting these people to create sub-Astartes Warriors either for sale or for their own nefarious schemes.

Lots of possibilities to explore there with potential Inquisition and Astartes complications. No chaos required just good old fashioned greed and inhumanity.

Space pirates abduct ship crews and colonists to turn them into a wide variety of slaves, from menials, through human guinea pigs to sex slaves. The more capable ones are turned into living abominations, undergoing similar procedures as is the creation of a Space Marine, only with horrible results. Enhanced both genetically and bionically beyond recognition, serving only to their new masters, with only one purpose...

That's not a bad idea. Not bad at all! Meaningful and possible.
To be honest, I'm not very familiar with HH era lore, so I'll have to look at it in detail. Thanks!

I'd like to hear other ideas as well. The more the better.

So, this is with what I came up with, after brainstorming and long discussions.

_______________________________________
There is an alien. A single spider-like individual that posses a great, psychic strength. In order to keep its strength, it has to consume psychically active species (which humans are, albeit not much. They are just easily accessible). When it was just a young, small spider, it infiltrated a bulk-hauler and it used its psychic strength to alter the crew's mind to see it as the new god they had to worship. First, a single human for a week was necessary, but as the alien grew bigger and stronger, it demanded more, so the crew, now loyal followers, raided another space vessel and captured its crew. Some were fed to the spider-god, some were enslaved, some accepted the spider-god as their leader and joined voluntarily.

Time went on and the crew, originally counting just a several dozen now counter tens of thousands. They became space pirate Warband, running several ships in a small fleed and now they dared to ambush and raid larger fleet and abduct larger amounts of people. As before, part is fed to the spider-god, part join and most of them are enslaved. Women mostly as sex slaves and breeders for the pirates (powerful leaders have whole harems), men are kept around as menial workers, gladiators or they are genetically turned into weak-minded towering brutes and indoctrinated into the cult, following blindly. Some slaves are also experimented upon, undergoing horrific surgeries, frequently resulting in painful death or just tortured for fun by the more sadistic pirates. Sometimes the slaves are sold to the highest bidder, with their fate unknown.

Individual leaders and gangs frequently fight each other over the god's favor and its evergrowing hunger for flesh result in an endless spiral of violence and suffering, for both the pirates and their victims. Nobody wants to experience the spider god's wrath. Nobody wants to be turned into a mindless husk, a cannon fodder incapable of anything but drooling, bawling and waddling around.

Individuals who manage to please the spider-god are likely to get rewarded with power, or mutations. (that are often beneficial, often not so much) The process of undergoing the mutation is not a pleasant experience, but the loyal subjects are happy to undergo it.

That kinda sounds like a wannabee gsc though.

Yes and no. There might be some similarities, but there is no relation.

Consider a necron slave caste. They are willing or mindshackled slaves of a necron dynasty- but you never see the necrons. If you like it doesn't have to be necrons.

Could continue with the spider- spiders a psychic beast he can dominate prisoners and 'covert them' by force.

The reason its helpful for the antagonists to have mind domination is that it offers them to possibility to infiltrate and subvert Europan society . It adds a compelling reason why an external local enemy is such a threat- not just to the system but to the Imperium at large.

It also ramps up the threat of capture- all secrets could be pulled from your brain- or you could re returned to betray all you loved.

Finally, mental domination allows interspecies co-operation, if voluntary worship of spider gods wasn't getting you there. You can have a much more diverse and interesting enemy

The spider itself is mostly defenseless on its own (very vulnerable against firearms. A (couple of) frag missile(s) will most probably cripple it at least, while a lascannon to the head would be most probably fatal) so it relies on psychic domination to use its puppets/slaves/worshippers for its own protection and well-being. Since it grew to the size of a decent house, it can't effectively hunt on its own anymore.

I wasn't planning to add any other Xeno species, but I can add a less known species here and there. And some Tau individuals as well and have them die in some gruesome, painful death. <sinister chuckle>

 Hawky wrote:
Hello!

Basically, I'd like to add an interesting, evil and (fairly) unique antagonist faction into my fan-lore (see my signature). I have a general idea but that's about all I have. Is there a good soul to help me out to forge a truly despicable, but sensible faction?
Here is the list of general ideas. Things can be changed, I'm not insisting on anything written bellow.

- They are either human or alien (humanoid or not), not affiliated with Kroot, Dark Eldar, Chaos or Tyranids.
- They are space capable, living in a hidden asteroid base or on moon or such. They don't want to be discovered easily
- They raid Imperial convoys and capture the crews, and are usually not very interested in the cargo or the vessels.
- The crews (and colonists from nearby planet too?) are abducted in large numbers. They need them for food / horrible experimentation* / controlled mutation** / indoctrination** / resources** / slave labor / breeding / any other inhumane and evil intentions
- The raids are usually lightning-fast and little resistance is usually utilized before they disappear again, leaving the site (usually) completely empty.
- They are likely to possess stealth technologies, mind-controlling devices and/or devices affecting a person's neural system

Inspiration:
* Unit 731 / Dr. Mengele
** Reapers/Collectors from Mass Effect

The Lorths!!! https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/745885.page

Self promotion aside, I suggest a species of xenos with mild metamorphic abilities. They can alter their form to look like a wide variety of humanoids, but not quite perfectly. The disguise works as long as they don't interract too long else their behavior feels odd. The are secretive pirates who plunder cargo to steal the crews for their genetic material and to produce vat-born flesh golem as slaves, the basis of their work force and sometimes food. Once upon a time, they were a thriving expentionist empire who relied on sabotage and deception before launching its invasion. Their spies used to take the appearence of their targetted race to pass through their security. They try to gain access to key personnel to pillage their minds thanks to especially designed borrowing micro-implants. The proccess isn't perfect, memories are frequently mixed or partial, and can take time for the data to be gathered, but in addition to traditionnal intelligence work, it can prove to be devastating. Other implants can produce different effect, like making a person subject to hallucinations or paranoia as it disturbs their neural network. This is ideal to make people lose confidence in their leaders or key people. Their entire society collapsed when they encountered the Imperium during the Great Crusade and were left only with a handful of secret bases, but have started to expend again as the Imperium weakens itself. They are organised as some sort of technocratic fascist state ruled by a council of their most highly qualified scientists, thinkers and strategists named the Elohir. What do you think?