Derkallen



"They come out of darkness, their souless hearts filled only with domination. They seek not only to steal our worlds or our lives. They come to steal our humanity itself. May the Emperor have mercy."

- A Surviver from a Derkallen raid

The Derkallen are a mysterious species of Xenos of an unknown origin. The race as a whole possess a unique mindset that make it nearly impossible for other aliens to relate to them. They utilize numerous technologies that are not commonly employed by the rest of the galaxy. Due to their Purpose, they are seeking to become the only sentient force in the material galaxy, giving all other races only one choice, Convert or Die.

Biology
The basic Derkallen is approximately the same size as a human being with a very lean physique. The Derkallan Have a darkly colored exoskeleton that serves as their skin. The exoskeleton is formed of hard overlapping plates that provide the Derkallen with protection. As such the Derkallen have no need to wear artificial armor. They have no orafaces on their body to be seen and it is widely believed by those Imperial scientists, who have had the fortune to study a Derkallen specimen, that their bodies have perfect Homeostasis. This means that they have no need for gas exchange or the consumption of nutrients to continue to live. As such they have no mouth, nose or indeed any external opening in their body. They are able to survive due to their complex internal anatomy that constantly recycles and resynthesizes the chemicals within the Derkallen's body. The body is completely air tight and as they do not require to breath, they can survive underwater and in a vaccum indefinatly. They have two rows of three small spikes on their heads that are parallel to one another. It is a commonly held belief that these are how the Derkallen communicate amongst themselves as they lack a visible mouth. Instead the Derkallen 'speak' to other organisms with a form of telepathy, using these horns to project their thoughts for anyone in range to hear. When a Derkallen speaks its thoughts, the one who is hearing them naturally translates the message into their own language, only ever hearing foreign words when something is spoken of that the listeners language does not have a word for. The Derkallen's eyes are usually the only facial feature present. They are completely white, lacking any pupil or iris. They glow faintly with violet light when in complete darkness. Derkallen are said to possess perfect night vision. Their hands possess three fingers and a thumb on each hand and usually sport sharp claws that the Derkallen use as the tips of their fingers. The feet possess two large taloned toes. Derkallen are said to have excellent dexterity. Finally Dekallen are genderless possessing no sexual organs, though Derkallen use male pronouns for convenience in conversation with aliens. The anatomy described above is the basic anatomy of a rank and file Derkallen of the Warrior Breed. Derkallen of other ranks and Breeds may sport different characteristics. Due to a number of unusual biological attributes, it is widely believed by Imperial biologists that the Derkallen are a race that was genetically engineered.

Breeds
The Derkallen are seperated both socially and biologically by their Breed. Each Breed has its own function, contributing to the the welfare of their race as a whole in different ways. For instance, the Warrior Breed are the Derkallen that specifically fight other races on behalf of the race as a whole. They generally do not interact with Derkallen of other Breeds and have their own leadership and chain of command that does not apply to Derkallen of other Breeds. Meanwhile the Worker Breed is entirely concerned with carrying the manual labour and menial tasks for the race. The members of each Breed are perfectly adapted for their particular job, both physically and psychologically. This means that members of different Breeds have considerable physical differences and think in fundementally different ways from each other.

Warrior Breed
This Breed is in charge of all military action that the Derkallen take. They operate in large military forces called Covens. Each Coven is lead by a high rankng Warrior Derkallen called a Sovreign. The Covens typically act independently of each other. As they are the instruments of The Purpose, the Warrior Breed are given high favor and authority.

Worker Breed
The work horses of Derkallen society, the worker Breed is in charge of manuel labor. Physically the Worker Breed has increased strength and endurance. This is offset by the Worker's low intelligence and poor reflexes. Which is why they do not take part in warfare. They may be pressed into warfare if a Coven finds itself depleted of proper Warrior Breed Derkallen. Their primary function in Derkallen society is construction and maintenance. As such they are the most lowly of the Derkallen Breeds with even the highest ranking among them having little authority.

Arbiter Breed
The exact function of this Breed can be hard to define. The most accurate way to describe their job is Greasing the Wheels. The Arbiter Breed Generally act as a liaison between the various Breeds. In general the other Breeds do not directly interact with one another. This is primarily do to the fact the members of different Breeds have drastically different ways of looking at things. As such Arbiters, who are given a flexible mindset and diplomatic skills, facilitate when members of two Breeds need to interact. Also, in each City Fleet, there is always a kind of senate made up of the Arbiter Breed that act as an administrative body and make decisions about the daily workings of the City Fleet. However, it is important to note that these councils must still defer to the Sovreign of their Fleets Coven.

Scholar Breed
The Scholar Breed are the Derkallen whos job is to perform scientific study in order to further the Derkallen cause. This is generally the most intelligent of the various Breeds as intellect is essential for their job. The studies performed by these Scholars takes numerous forms. Some Scholars devote themselves to researching new technology in order to develope new weapons and tools. Some study the logistics of battles hoping to scientifcally produce a strategy that will assure a Coven's victory. There are even some that attempt to develope new Sub-Breeds in order to respond to a troublesome new situation. Regardless of what a Scholar devotes itself to the ultimate goal is to further the cause, and as such a Scholar's research will always have immediate practical applications.

Half Breed
These are those Derkallen that suffered from Partial Conversion. The reason why these Partial Conversions happen is very much a mystery even to the Derkallen. Still, These Dark Hybrids are still fully functioning Derkallen and maintain loyalty to The Purpose. A Dark Hybrid maintains many traits that it had from before it's conversion. These traits include their soul, parts of their personality, and some physical traits of their previous species. Due to this the skills of Dark Hybrids tend to vary wildly and the may be found working with just about any other Breed. Due to the fact that the Half Breed has no place in the command structure of the Derkallen, Dark Hybrids are subordinate t ojust about every other Breed besides the Worker Breed.

High Breed
This is an extremely rare Breed that has authority over all other Derkallen. They are the closest thing the Derkallen have to nobility and even the Sovreigns are subject to their authority. They come in two varieties. The first are the Void Princes. These Derkallen are those that rule over the few planets that the Derkallen settle on. Due to the Fact that their might be one Derkallen world in a sector, and that there will only be one Void Prince on that planet, it is extremely rare to encounter one. The only other time in which a Void Prince will be present is when they are commanding a large campaign composed of multiple Covens. The other variety are the Void Kings. These are the highest ranked of all Derkallen and are the ones that act as the leaders of the race as a whole. There are only five Void Kings. They make up the Council of Five that acts as the mouth piece to the Higher Authority. The Void Kings have never been encountered by other races because they never leave the Derkallen homeworld. What information the Imperium have on them is based upon references by the other Derkallen.

Sub-Breeds
Derkallen Sub-Breeds are are groups of Derkallen that are adpated for a specialized function within their Breed. While each member of a particular Breed is perfectly adapted for the general necessities of their job, sometimes there are also situations that require a specialized Derkallen. An example of this are Infiltrators. These Derkallen are still members of the Warrior Breed, and as such their job is to ensure martial domination of other species by the Derkallen. However, they are of the Infiltrator Sub-Breed that specializes in the espionage, infiltration and sabotage of worlds in preparation for a full scale invasion and other covert operations which require stealth. As such, Infiltrators have adaptations which are most suited for stealth. Their bodies are able to blend with their surroundings in a similar fashion to a chameleon. They are also more sleek and lightweight than the average warrior, allowing them to move very quickly without making much noise. Finally they have extremelly sharp senses in comparison to the rest of the Warrior Breed. This allows them to sense nearby hostiles so that they can avoid them or launch a surprise attack, track and effectively gleen more intel from their surroundings. As one can see, the Infiltrators are warriors but they are specialized warriors which are perfectly adapted for covert warfare.

Rank
A Derkallen's rank within his Breed or Sub-Breed also effects what kind or anatomy and attributes they have. A higher ranking Derkallen will always have superior adaptations to those below them. Apaptations include stronger armor, increased speed or strength and numerous other possible adaptations depending on the Dekallen's Breed. The highest ranking Derkallen are even allowed to make use of B.E.T.s (Biologically Engineered Tools), giving them access to to further abilities and adaptions for different situations.

Conversion
As stated above the Derkallen have no sexual organs. Initially, It confused the Magos Biologis as to how the Derkallen were able to reproduce. The answer was eventually discovered by Inquisitor Artos Relatas when he made the first ever raid into a Derkallen capital ship. He managed to rescue some captured Imperial citezens, who then informed him that the other captives were being transformed into Derkallen. It became apparent that the Derkallen cannot reproduce by themselves. Instead they capture other species and put them through a process called Conversion. The end result is that the victim loses it's former identity and becomes a full Derkallen themselves. The Derkallen keep a small population of various species in order to breed for the purpose on Conversion. It is believed that Conversion can only take place with intelligent life forms because as of yet there have been no reports of Derkallen Converting animals.

Partial Conversion
While usually being Converted results in an individual losing their identity and becoming a complete Derkallen, it is possible for an individual to undergo a Partial Coversion, causing the individual to retain some of their racial traits, their personality or both. These occurences do not happen often and are a point of interest to many scientists. Regardless of the fact that the individual remains partly themselves, the process inevitably changes them both physically and psychologically. There are only two ways that a Partial Conversion can occur. The first involves an abnormal Conversion done by the Derkallen. The other involves a species assimilating Derkallen traits. The second type is almost always done by Tyranids or Kroot. Regardless of what method is used and the results the Derkallen consider all Partially Converted entities to be a part of their Half Breed.

The subject of the first form of Partial Conversion are called Dark Hybrids. The Hybrids are creatures that became Derkallen but retained particular traits from their own species. Technically speaking they are considered full Derkallen but they are too different to be classified into the other Breeds. Just like the other Derkallen they have a Palash, the Derkallen's surrogate soul. However, unlike most other Derkallen they also retain the soul they had before. This means that Hybrids have the capacity for actual emotion instead of the faux-emotions that other Derkallen are subject to. They also retain their physical abilities and personality. Ork Hybrids for example are large and well muscled, and they remain considerably stupid and violent as they were when they were just Orks. Due to the range of skills that these Hybrids may have they are often incorporated in to the work of the Other Breeds. This Partial Conversion can occur by accident or induced purposely by the Derkallen. In the case of the first instance, the individual simply does not Convert properly, though it is said that it helps if the person is of strong will and mentally resists the change. The other case is when the Derkallen find a person of particular worth, Having traits that could help the Derkallen but would be erased during a normal Conversion, these individuals are allowed to keep a part of themselves so that the same skills and personality that made them great before can now be used for the Purpose. Despite the increased indivudality of the Hybrids, they are all still loyal to the Derkallen.

The other type of Partial Coversion happens when other life forms somehow assilate Derkallen traits. This Primarily happens to Kroot that eat too much Derkallen. As with all Kroot, as they eat more of a particular species they begin to become more and more like what they eat. The same goes for Derkallen. In this case the Kroot that eat them gain in intelligence, grow a carapace like armor and more often than not show a decrease in their emotions and an increased need to dominate other species. As such shapers tend to be cautious about eating the Derkallen. Eating the Palash will cause an accelerated change in the Kroot, that is why the Kroot have made a practice not to eat that particular part.

The Tyranids are suceptable to Partial Conversion when they devour the Derkallen's Palash. Despite this there have been few instances of this happening. The Derkallen act as a bit of a catch 22 for the Tyranids. On one hand they are all wonderfully engineered and because they convert their number from a large number of species they provide Tyranids with good genetic material. On the other hand, should a Tyranid force consume too many of the Derkallen and their Palash, the Tyranids can be effected by them. There is only one major instance of this. Hive Fleet Rakhasa managed to locate one of the Derkallen's few colonies. In this particular instance the Tyranids won an overwhelming victory and devoured the world. However, the large number of Palash that were devoured began to effect the Hive Mind. In the end Hive Fleet Rakhasa split off from the Hive Mind and developed one of it's own. Since then the Hive Fleet has undergone massive changes.

It is important to understand the diffence betwwen the Dark Hybrids and the Kroot and Tyranids that have been Partially Converted. The Dark Hybrids do show traits of their original race but are still Derkallen and are a part of the Derkallen forces. The others are not. They have merely taken on the traits of the Derkallen and have changed. They have no allegiance to the Derkallen and in turn the Derkallen activly hunt them down. This is because a Partial Convert cannot be fully converted anymore and as such these creatures stand in the way of the fulfillment of the Purpose.

Behavior
The Derkallen are a race that possess a very unique mindset. Other species find it nearly impossible to interact with the Derkallen and are at a loss to explain their behavior. The first thing that an individual must realize is that the Derkallen have no soul. This makes them unable to feel proper emotions like most other species do. The only notable exception to this rule is the Dark Hybrids, who retain their souls and some of their traits when they are Converted. Unfortunatly Derkallen nature is far more complicated than simply having no soul. This is because all Derkallen possess something called a Palash which is a surrogate for a soul. While the Palash does not allow the Derkallen to feel emotion, It does allow them to feel something. Instead of emotions the Palash generates instincts and urges that the Derkallen will act upon. So while a Derkallen cannot feel anger, it has been seen that they can go into a berzerk state that resembles rage. The fact that Derkallen can go into these irrational states of mind without being able to actually feel anything is a very disturbing concept for other species. Besides these fits of irrational behavior, The Derkallen think with a cold logic and are extremely intelligent.

At the lower end of the hierarchy Derkallen become less intelligent and independent. Conversely, higher ranking Derkallen show an increase in both intelligence and independent thought. Members of the same Breed who possess the same rank tend to think the same way. This means that a Derkallen would almost never have any dispute with another Derkallen of the same circumstances. However, disputes do occur when two Derkallen of an extremelly high rank come together, as each is highly intelligent and have their own independant thoughts, unlike Derkallen of a lower rank. Another important psychological aspect of the Derkallen is their obediance. A Derkallen will never disobey or even question an order given to it by it's superior. This has caused many to belive that the lowest ranked Derkallen are similar to Necrons, having no will of their own. However, this is completely false, as even the lowest rank of Derkallen can think independently if they are forced to.

Another interesting part of their mindset is in the division of the Breeds. Derkallen tend to think about problems and situations in terms of their function. Derkallen of two different Breeds will usually come up with different solutions to the same problem. For instance, if there were an incoming invasion of a Derkallen world a Worker Breed Derkallen would think of building a shelter to survive. Meanwhile a Warrior Breed Derkallen would most likely conclude that the best solution is to destroy the hostile force before it arrives. This is a result of the fact that the members of each Breed have a mindset that perfectly fits their function.

Finally one of the most important things to understand about the Derkallen is that the species as a whole has a psychological need for purpose. Derkallen find that they crave a purpose to give their life meaning. Without one a Derkallen will slowly go insane and likely commit suicide. Luckily the species as a whole has been given The Purpose by the Higher Authority and so they rarely need to worry about this problem. It is not uncommon for an individual Derkallen of high rank to make his own personnal purpose. This purpose is always something that will aid in the Completion of The Purpose. A Derkallen will do whatever it can to further it's purpose, even sacrificing themselves if they believe it will be of any value.

The Palash
The Palash is the pseudo-soul that all Derkallen possess. It is a thing of great significance as much of the Derkallen behavior and mindset is shaped by the Palash. The primary function of the Palash is to produce the false emotions that shape Derkallen behavior. These false emotions are not felt by the Derkallen themselves but rather acted upon by the creatures. The Palash can send a Derkallen into numerous states of mind resembling things such as rage, joy, melancholy and even compassion. These states of mind are produced by the Palash based on their usefulness in a given situation. For instance if a Derkallen is taken prisoner by a hostile force and the creature is trying to manipulate it's guards into letting it out, the Palash might cause the creature to go into a state resembling depression in order to gain sympathy.

The Palash itself has several unique properties that make it differ from a proper soul besides it's use. The Palash is a physical part of the Derkallen body. It takes the form of a small iridescent, crystalline orb that rests somewhere in the Derkallens chest. The Palash is implanted into a sentient being during Conversion and while it takes more than just the Palash to fully convert, it does bestow upon the unfortunate being Derkallen traits. As it is a false soul, it does have a presence within the Warp. This means that Derkallen are as susceptable to Daemonic posssesion as any other species. However The Palash's presence within the Warp seems unnatural to Daemons. The broad majority of Daemons choose to avoid the unuasual and somehow sinister looking Palash, making possession of Derkallen a rarity. Still, some Daemons choose to ignore their instincts and possess the Derkallen anyway. This is a poor choice on their part and the consequences will be discussed later.

One of the most important states of mind produced by the Palash is a passive one. That being complete and utter devotion to The Purpose. The Palash is what makes the Derkallen docile before their superiors and devoted to The Purpose which they never chose for themselves. In other words the passive states that are induced by the Palahs make a Derkallen rebelling against the rest of their society utterly impossible.

Another important thing to understand about the function of The Palash is that when several Palash belonging to Derkallen of the same Breed and rank are in close proximity to each other, the effects become connected. That is to say that the states produced by the Palash of one Derkallen can effect the state of the other Derkallen's Palash. This can manifest in numerous ways. An example is that a Derkallen warrior goes into a berzerk state, there is a chance that the rest of the Derkallen's squad will go into the same state. Conversely, The state of one Palash may cause another Palash to go into a complimentary state. For instance when interrogating a prisoner one Palash may cause a docile state while the other Derkallen exibits hostile behavior. In other words Good Cop Bad Cop. Squad leaders can sometimes trigger these reactions at will.

As stated in the Behavior section, higher ranking Derkallen have a greater degree of individualism. This does not only apply to freedom of thought but also to the sates produced by the Palash. Low ranking Derkallen are essentially enslaved to the whims of their Palash and will respond immediately and accordingly to any state that has been induced. However high ranking Derkallen can control there actions even when under the effects of their Palash. It can be simply put that just as a man feels an emotion strongly does not mean that he has to act on it. Basically high ranking Derkallen have a high degree of self control. Furthermore these Derkallen can even control the Palash themselves, inducing states by their own will in order to suit their purposes.

Psykers
One would think that because the Derkallen are soulless that they would not possess any psychic potential. Unfortunately this is not the case. It is true that Derkallen do not use the Warp to fuel their powers. Instead the Palash is the source from which Derkallen derive their powers.

All Derkallen have some degree of Psychic apptitude. The Psychic abilities mostly depend on the rank of the Derkallen. Low rankiing Derkallen can only project their thoughts as speech and operate the Telapathic Control devices that the Derkallen make use of. High ranked Derkallen on the other hand can use abilities like a normal Psyker. This means that any Derkallen commander has some Degree of Psychic power that they can put to practical use. The Warrior Breed has a Sub-Breed called Magisters. These are Derkallen whos sole purpose is to the Derkallen's full potential in Psychic combat. They usually assist Conquerers and Sovreigns.

The fact that a Derkallen's psychic abilities revolve around theri Palash gives their powers some special qualities. Derkallen Psykers tend to be weaker than traditional Warp based Psykers. That is not to say that a Derkallen can not be a particularly potent psyker. It simply means that if a Derkallen Psyker were to face off against a Psyker of another species who is at a similar level, that Psyker would pack more oomf into their powers. Because of this Derkallen Psychic powers usually focus on effectiveness over raw power. Also important is the fact that the Palash slightly changes the mechanics of their powers. This makes Derkallen Psykers less vulnerable to the predations of Anti-Psykers such as Blanks and Pariahs. Furthermore Derkallen are immuned to the instictive fear that Pariahs produce in Psykers due to the fact that The Derkallen themselves are Soulless.

The Broken
As previously mentioned, it is possible for a Derkallen to be possessed by a Daemon, just like any normal creature. The Derkallen that was subject to the possesion will undergo the normal symptoms, mostly being driven insane and eventually perishing. The unique aspect of Derkallen possesions is that they Have an effect on the Daemon as well. Daemons that attempt to possess a Derkallen become trapped in the Derkallen's Palash until that Derkallen dies. This usually does not take long. However, the little time spent in the Palash drives the Daemon mad and warps their nature. they emerge as one of the Broken. The Broken can be summoned to battle by Derkallen Psykers

The Bereft
While the Palash and the effect it has on a Derkallen's everyday life are essentail to functioning properly in Derkallen society, Dekallen can survive upon losing their Palash. As the Palash is a thing that is not only spiritual but also a physical part of the Derkallen's bodies, it can be removed or destroyed by many methods. Those Derkallen that have lost their Palash are called the Bereft

The effect on the creature in question is very drastic. The Palash Does not simply produce pseudo emotional states, it also maintains the standard Derkallen frame of mind. Things such as the utter devotion towards The Purpose and the species as a whole are maintained by the passive states produced by the Palash. It is also what ensures obedience towards Derkallen of higher rank. Any being that has only rationality to fall back on would not follow orders that could harm them. As such the Bereft lose a large part of the Derkallen mindset, particularly the part that keeps them proper Derkallen citezens.

The Bereft lose their connection to The Purpose and their blissful obediance and begin thinking strictly for themselves. The independent thought gained by the Bereft does not bother high ranking Derkallen as they were more or less already doing that, though this loss of guidence can be truamatic for lowly Derkallen. The real problem lies in their loss of purpose. As stated above in the Behaviour section, the Derkallen have a deep psychological need for purpose. Without it a Derkallen will almost certainly go insane. This is the fate of most of the Bereft. Despite this there are some who manage to survive their loss.

These Derkallen are those that are able to cope with the initial psychological pressure of becoming Bereft. They use their own reasoning to make a purpose all their own in order to fill the gap. The Bereft often leave the rest of their kind and venture out into the galaxy. They usually become mercenaries or pirates. The latter is far more common because most of the galaxy has learned to despise the Derkallen and would not work with them. The mainstream Derkallen look at these creature with indifference as they are at least Derkallen and thus pose no threat to The Purpose. Though if a Bereft were to act in opposition, the Derkallen would most certainly hunt them down.

An intersting thing happens when a Dark Hybrid becomes Bereft. With the Palash gone the Dark Hybrids regain their former state of mind. They regain their former identity and memories, which the Palash keeps them from thinking about. Unfortunately this does not reverse their transformation into a Derkallen. It is perhaps due to this that most Dark Hybrids that Become Bereft commit suicide. This is especially prevalent in human based Dark Hybrids as they would rather die than live on as a Xeno.

By
"You may fight back as much as you want humans. In the end your struggles are futile. Your species has had it's time now it is ours, and while your empire is still mighty, it is only a matter of time before it crumbles before us."

- Arlocrom, Sovreign of the Fear-Killer Coven

About
"WHAT THE FUCK!!! Why are these Xeno scum going berzerk?! These bastards were as cold as Valhalla not two seconds ago!"

- An Imperial Guard Sergeant