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Post by ZoomDog on Jan 2, 2004 16:31:22 GMT -5
So after several generations of genestealers, the beacon is lit? I don't think it works that way, IIRC the 'beacon' is always 'lit', but it's strength depends on the strength of the cult. This works in two ways, first, the strength of the cult is usually repsective to the population of the world, so alarge cult means a large population and lots of tasty bio-matter. Second, the larger the cult the easier it will be for the 'Nids to conquer the world. So, a 'Nid fleet would ignore a pathetic little beacon, but a huge one would attract entire Hive Fleets.
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Post by CELS on Jan 3, 2004 6:01:33 GMT -5
Ok, cool. Then I propose a genestealer infestation on the iceworld in the Proteus sector. Now, the planet only has some tens of millions citizens, which is really perfect. The citizens live in self-sufficient mining installations, often separated by hundreds of kilometers of frozen oceans and icy mountains. It would take a long time for a genestealer cult to spread on this world, and they'd do so mainly through genestealer hybrids and with the aid of genestealer magus (magi?).
Suddenly one day you'd have a bald guy showing up on your doorstep, saying he came from the neighbouring installations up the valley. Then you have people missing, you have genestealer cults, and voilá - another installation is taken by the genestealers.
Of course, the world wouldn't be very attractive to the hive fleet, but then again genestealer cults know nothing of the tyranids before the hive fleet arrives and takes control of their minds directly.
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Post by malika on Jan 3, 2004 6:21:47 GMT -5
this could be sweet, some sort of big civil war between the genestealer cult(s) and the still pure humans
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Post by CELS on Jan 3, 2004 6:29:39 GMT -5
Except this world is very peaceful, and its PDF would be completely laughable, if they did have one. But I guess they would have to have a PDF (?)
Anyway, another interesting part of such a conflict, would be the war between the workers and the genestealers. You'd have those Sentinel lifters grappling with genestealers, workers modifying high pressure water cannons into flame throwers, etc.
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Post by zholud on Jan 3, 2004 6:48:39 GMT -5
I generally assumed several Genestealer infestations in my Hiveworld due to constant arrival of ships (remember smuggling and thus unregistered transportation), but it never was large enough for create beacon.
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Post by CELS on Jan 3, 2004 6:59:40 GMT -5
But what would stop it from growing? The local police and Arbites? The problem with hive worlds is that there are so many people that getting a genestealer cult to grow is just too easy. I do agree that there would be a great risk for genestealer infestations on such a heavily trafficked world, but... with the seemingly relaxed and peaceful attitude of the Meksumians, an infestation would destroy the world in less than a decade ;D
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Post by zholud on Jan 3, 2004 7:16:03 GMT -5
The Genestealers cult has to have 4 generations, right? With usual Earth generation idea of 20 years it is almost a century, just enough time to find tainted individuals and kill them. I think that Genestealers powers are overestimated and at the beginning their cult is rather slow and weak and it is common for hives in general.
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Post by CELS on Jan 3, 2004 7:29:53 GMT -5
I wasn't actually being serious Well, if they are indeed common and also vulnerable, I would be very comfortable with a genestealer cult or two on Meksum. They shouldn't be limited to one planet in the sector, after all. Who would root out these cults though? Ordo Xenos or locals? And when did genestealer cults start to appear around the Imperium, and in the Anargo sector?
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Post by zholud on Jan 3, 2004 7:52:10 GMT -5
I wasn't actually being serious ell, if they are indeed common and also vulnerable, I would be very comfortable with a genestealer cult or two on Meksum. They shouldn't be limited to one planet in the sector, after all. Who would root out these cults though? Ordo Xenos or locals? My guess locals on the first stages, more via monitoring spread (block-posts on every route from space port with x-raying, etc) and checks, some kind on militia on the space dock itself. if the knowledge about infection became wide spread inquisitors came, both from Xenos and Hereticus Ordos, after all cults do not show their xenos origin. And when did genestealer cults start to appear around the Imperium, and in the Anargo sector? The first officially recorded contact with Genestealers: Ymgarl’s moons, somewhere in M34(?) no date on IX: Genestealer. In Anargo, I guess M37 is the safe date.
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Post by Verm1s on Jan 5, 2004 13:23:23 GMT -5
Sorry to butt in late again, but there's a coupla concepts near the start of the thread that don't mesh with what I've read on genestealers (a favourite subject of mine).
1. The first point was the issue of Patriarchs born into the cult. I was going to say about patriarchs being theoriginal genestealer to arrive at a world and begin the infection/infestation, but then I thought about what would happen if a single infectee travelled to another planet. A thorny issue that I might have to look up again.
2. Non-psychic genestealers. It's this psychic ability which controls and keeps the stealers, hybrids and (probably) the infected together. A miniature, seperate hivemind with less of an iron grip. It's in the 40K game as 'brood telepathy'. And it's what creates the beacon that was mentioned above. If the cult lacked this psychic bond, the members would merely disperse into society and would probably be buchered individually.
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Post by Femerenden on Mar 3, 2004 14:01:32 GMT -5
This is what i wanted to see. Just i am thinking of writing some stories about a Deathwatch team i have jumped uppon Genestealer cults. I am now waiting for the citizens to raise alarms to the govenrment and it to reach the Ordo Xenos. You point i write ;D
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Post by Sojourner on Mar 9, 2004 5:49:51 GMT -5
Pretty much. It's part of your obligations as Imperial Commander.
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Post by AtomSmasher on Mar 17, 2004 3:26:45 GMT -5
Sorry to butt in late again, but there's a coupla concepts near the start of the thread that don't mesh with what I've read on genestealers (a favourite subject of mine). 1. The first point was the issue of Patriarchs born into the cult. I was going to say about patriarchs being theoriginal genestealer to arrive at a world and begin the infection/infestation, but then I thought about what would happen if a single infectee travelled to another planet. A thorny issue that I might have to look up again. 2. Non-psychic genestealers. It's this psychic ability which controls and keeps the stealers, hybrids and (probably) the infected together. A miniature, seperate hivemind with less of an iron grip. It's in the 40K game as 'brood telepathy'. And it's what creates the beacon that was mentioned above. If the cult lacked this psychic bond, the members would merely disperse into society and would probably be buchered individually. These statements are correct. It would be interesting, however, given the psychic nature of a Genestealer's 'Mesmerizing Stare', what kinds of things a Pariah (an Untouchable - to use the Eisenhorn Trilogy term, which I'm much more fond of anyways) could get away with. If s/he wasn't killed outright, they wouldn't be able to corrupt him/her...and his/her presence would throw any Genestealers in close proximity into confusion because they would be cut off from the 'hive mind' of the Brood. Also, you're required to have a PDF, its part of being a part of the empire. The amount of money you raise (and troops you recruit) is entirely dependent on the planet - ergo a a Hive World would have a PDF numbering in the millions, whereas a feral world may have an imperial commander who remains in orbit with ~a company of IG (thats what, 4-5 platoons, about 400 troops total?). That large a PDF would be sufficient to guard any planetary forays on the part of the Imperial Commander (have to guard against the feral humans on the planet) and to guard whatever natural resources are there. Those resources would most likely a mine of some sort on a feral world - if it was an agricultural product, the entire planet would be co-opted into growing it, requiring civilization and training of the entire planets population for most efficient production, and the Imperium is all about efficiency (at least of production & consumption of goods that is - the immense beauracracy of the Imperium can't be efficient as an entirety, but sections of it do become streamlined)
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Post by Insidious Threat on Sept 2, 2004 2:53:43 GMT -5
I know that this thread has died a bit, but I did not want to have to repeat a thread so here goes... I think a Genestealer cult (or maybe several minor ones) would e a 'good' thing for the Sector in a fiction sense, because it will add the impalacable alien intelligence/corruption theme (chaos does deal with corruption, but in a different way). Also, it is a good excuse to show the Alien Hunters in a heroic light as opposed to the usual 'Rascism/Eugenics' theme that suffuses most of the imperium. I already have a Cult army with a background (Church of Salvation's Light) and am more than willing to adapt any of the locations, stories and characters to suitable host worlds if the situation cals for it. I am new though, and o ot know how to go about posting my ideas at the moment, as it all seems pretty organised and I do not want to step on any toes if I can help it Sokahr
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Post by malika on Sept 2, 2004 4:40:00 GMT -5
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