Open main menu

Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum β

Forgotten Fleets

Tyranid logo.png Tyranids Portal

Forgotten Fleets was a concept inspired by an excerpt from Codex: Tyranids. Six Games Workshop hobbyists created their own Tyranid creatures using existing Games Workshop models and then wrote background details to go with them.

The excerpt reads: "Many of the Magos Biologis who claim to be experts in the true nature of the Tyranid threat believe that the Tyranids of Behemoth were not the first to enter our galaxy. They were merely the first to arrive in large numbers. Archaeological evidence indicates there were potential Tyranid contacts long before the 41st millennium.

"We can only speculate whether these contacts were from proto-hive fleets, a long-range scouting force, or even creatures fleeing ahead of the oncoming Tyranid fleets."[1]

Ramblin' Snapper

Ramblin' Snappers are powerful and resilient creatures, that can be found on many worlds, especially Death Worlds.[2]

They are known to adapt well to their environments and despite the Snappers' size, the creatures are unusually stealthy. When they attack, their favorite tactic is to build up a little speed before charging at their prey. The Snappers will then trample their victims beneath their bulk and then use their massive razor-sharp claws to tear their prey apart. However the creatures are rather clumsy due to their bodies being very top heavy, which can be used against them. Guardsmen who have enough time to notice a Snapper's attack, can usually dodge the creatures' initial charge and are able to kill them before the Snappers can attack again.[2]

Kromlok Dangler

Kromlok Danglers are exceptionally dangerous winged creatures, that are found on the mountain regions of Kromlok, which they are named after.[3]

They hide in the mountains, during the day, but once Kromlok's sun sets, the swift Danglers use their exceptional vision to begin hunting for food. The creatures do so in complete silence, even when they descend and skewer their prey with a barb extended from the Danglers' torsos. They have quick reflexes and rely on hit and run attacks to kill their prey. If the victim is small enough, though, the creatures can quite often use their momentum to lift the prey up into the air and use the remains to feed their young. The largest Dangler killed to date was measured at 5 metres and is estimated to have been able to carry approximately 65 kg. However as not many of the Danglers have been killed, it is difficult to estimate how large the creatures can be. Though as men larger than that have gone missing on Kromlok, it can be assumed that much larger Danglers prowl the world's mountains.[3]

Arenea Stalker

The Arenea Stalker is a zero-G armored arachnid, that dwells on the asteroid TK421, which drifts between systems in the Mordant Zone.[4]

It was discovered by the crew of an Adeptus Mechanicus Mining Barge, that was sent to harvest TK421's resources. The Servitors assigned to the Barge, then proceeded to create a lattice of tunnels within the asteroid, which allowed the Arenea Stalker to cast its webbing to drift in the tunnels' zero gravity atmosphere. This then led to twenty Servitors being caught by the Stalker, along with the two Tech-Adepts who went searching for them. They were all then drained of their blood by the creature and only the Servo-Skull accompanying the Adepts escaped this fate. It later returned to the Mining Barge with the video recording of the Arenea Stalker, which provided proof of the creature's existence.[4]

Debilithrax

Debilithraxes are scorpion-like burrowing creatures, that dwells beneath the deserts of Erakeen and emerge to attack prey, before quickly sinking back underground with the remains.[5]

They have a tough armored body with the head of a Lictor, along with eight legs that end in translucent tan claws and a whip-like tail that has poison filled barbs. Debilithraxes have the ability to sense prey above ground and use their quick reflexes to emerge and strike them with their tail. The creatures' poison quickly kills Humans and the attacks are so silent, that the only noise Debilithraxes make before they strikes is the rustling of sand as they emerge from the ground. This is followed by the death cries of their victims, and a swish of sand as the remains are pulled underground. This causes craters to be formed in the sand, which are the only evidence that is left behind of the Debilithraxes' attacks. The creatures are also capable of pulling entire tents underground as well.[5]

Colossus

Or Zoats. A centaur-like race aboard Hive Fleet Colossus. Bore many similarities to other Tyranid Hive Fleets, but had obviously encountered unique environs and thus evolved differently. Chief among these strange traits were their ability to use normal Tyranid weapon-symbiotes (although it seems that equipping themselves with these bio-armaments is quite painful), and the unique talent of communicating telepathically with other organisms. Although the Colossi claimed to be slaves escaping some unnamed oppressor, these aliens turned on Imperial forces. Thus began the xenocidal 50-year Zorastra-Attila wars that ended with the destruction of the entire Hive Fleet Colossus.[6][13]

Leaping Thornsnake

Leaping Thornsnakes are horned, burrowing creatures, that are considered to be a degenerated form of the Tyranids' Ravener species.[7]

They can be found on a variety of worlds in the Eastern Fringe and attack by springing out of the ground and launching razor-sharp needles from their heads. The Thornsnakes will then use their quick reflexes to propel themselves into the air with their powerful tails, as the creatures leap to close in on their prey. They are deadly threats to Imperial colonists and explorers, as the Thornsnakes remain unnoticed until it is far too late to escape the creatures' grasp unscathed.[7]

Dakkarian Brain Slug

The Dakkarian Brain Slug are parasitic creatures, that are found in the dense jungles of Dakkar.[8]

They turn their prey into puppets after directly attaching themselves to a host's nervous system. This is done by breaking the dermal layer of skin on the back of the host's skin, where the creatures feed themselves on their victims' blood. Once under the Slugs' control, the hosts become the creatures' puppets and can move even when dealt deadly wounds, that would normally kill them. When the Slugs are directly threatened, though, the parasites can also hide within the opening they made, and then extend a small breathing tube out so they can pass undetected amongst uninfected creatures. Combined with the ability to quickly change hosts, regardless of their size, Brain Slugs are possibly the most insidious and deadliest creatures Dakkar has to offer. There are even persistent rumors that the parasites have sought to gain passage off-world by purposely attaching themselves to Imperials destined for Astra Militarum Conscript Barges. However even the slightest hint of a Brain Slug infestation, will have Guardsmen with flamers unleashed to cleanse entire Conscript contingents. Though given the parasites' abilities to quickly hide or infest different hosts, it is near impossible to ensure that a Brain Slug infestation has been completely eliminated.[8]

Gorzal Swamp Lurker

Gorzal Swamp Lurkers are massive spiked and heavily armored creatures, that are found in the desolate swamps of Gorzal.[9]

Most of their enormous bulk remains hidden under Gorzal's clouded waters, and the Lurkers use their crab-like legs, which end in tentacle-claws, to move across the Swamp World's surface. Only the creatures' many-eyed ocular stalks jut from the water, as they do so and search for prey. When some come within range of the creatures, the Lurkers burst forth and use their large, bladed arms to skewer the prey, before the creatures drag the remains down into their mouths. The Lurkers also has the ability to regenerate any damage they suffer as well. Worse still, it is not unheard of to encounter specimens that are 120 metres in length and some claim they have narrowly survived encounters with Lurkers that are three times that size.[9]

Brood Crawler

Brood Crawlers are nimbly armored clawed creatures, that are believed to be a hybrid of a Termagant and Carnifex.[10]

Since they no eyes, the Brood Crawlers must instead rely on the natural sonar within their massive claws to sense both attackers and prey, as well as to propel their movement. These claws are also the main way the creatures feed themselves, as while they have extremely sharp teeth, the Brood Crawlers' claws, short necks and small mouths get in the way of the creatures using them. The creatures way of solving this problem, is to chop up their prey into pieces and then tossing the remains into their mouths. However when drawback that the Brood Crawlers have, is that they are rather slow-witted.[10]

Horror of Icthiam

The Horrors of Icthiam are psychic parasites that may be descended from the Tyranids' Zoanthrope species.[11]

By themselves, the Horrors are weak and can barely move on their own using their psychic powers. However the parasites are able to send out a telepathic call that is heard by weak-willed Humaniods, who the Horrors convince that it is in their best interest to work with the creatures. Those Humanoids that fall under the Horrors' sway become physically connected by the back of their heads to the parasites, through the creatures' long tendril, and becomes their slaves. The creatures are then able to fully control theirs hosts and feed on their victims' psychic energy. Once empowered, the Horrors give off a fearful presence and are able to use their hosts' energy to fire mental blasts and also augment their slave's strength when necessary.[11]

Shelled Slasher

Shelled Slashers are deadly, burrowing shelled creatures, that are native to the Imperial Desert World Drisdan III.[12]

As Drisdan III is in the projected path of Hive Fleet Leviathan, it is believed that the Shelled Slasher was originally a Tyranid seed-creature from the Hive Fleet, that landed on the Desert World. They have since adapted to their new harsh environment, as the Shelled Slashers' hard carapace shells and heavily armored bodies protect them from Drisdan III's punishing sandstorms. These same physical abilities, however, have made the creatures a threat to the Imperial population that dwells there. Among the reasons for this, is that the Shelled Slasher' shells resemble Drisdan III's Sandcrab creatures, which make them difficult to identify, especially when they are partially buried beneath sand. When they are found, though, their bodies are able to resist harm from most conventional weapons and the creatures become particularly difficult to kill, once the Shelled Slashers pull nearly 90% of their bodies beneath their shells. The Shelled Slasher is also a deadly combatant, as they explode from the ground and rush towards their prey in a flurry of razor-sharp talons and vicious head-butts.[12]

Trivia

  • The Ramblin' Snapper[2] and the Kromlok Dangler[3] were created by the Games Workshop employee Ken Kennedy.[2][3]
  • The Arenea Stalker[4] and the Debilithrax[5] were created by the Games Workshop employee Bryan Barnes.[4][5]
  • The first Colossus[6] and the Leaping Thornsnake[7] were created by the Games Workshop employee Tim Hucklebery.[6][7]
  • The Dakkarian Brain Slug[8] and the Gorzal Swamp Lurker[9] were created by the Games Workshop employee Jeff Hall.[8][9]
  • The Brood Crawler[10] was created by the Games Workshop employee Adam Bjornholm.[10]
  • The Horror of Icthiam[11], Shelled Slasher[12] and the second Colossus[13] were created by the Games Workshop employee Rick Smith.[11][12][13]

See also

Sources

Related Articles

Retrieved from "https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Forgotten_Fleets&oldid=594351"