The Kroot are a
species of humanoids who evolved from avian creatures. Kroot are tall aliens
(a good half-meter taller than most humans), their avian ancestry giving
them a bird-like beak and long quills protruding from their heads like hair.
Smaller quills, possibly the evolutionary remnants of feathers, can be found
scattered over their bodies.
A unique feature of the Kroot is that they evolve by selecting traits of
their defeated foes to absorb by eating them. Due to this, the many Kroot
warbands across the galaxy often look radically different. Kroot leaders are
known as Shapers; they are generally the Kroot with the best ability for
recognizing desirable traits in defeated foes and tell his Kindred (the word
for a Kroot clan) what to eat to suit the task at hand. For instance, a
Shaper who wants his Kroot to gain muscle mass will take on campaigns
against Orks to acquire the right DNA, while extensive feeding on flying
predators will allow the Kroot to grow wings. This eating of their foes ties
in with the religious beliefs of the Kroot: they believe that when a warrior
of any race dies, his warrior spirit should be kept, and the only way to do
this is by eating his flesh. The Kroot practice this in their "burial"
customs, in which the body of the deceased is consumed by the kindred.
Kroot who prey extensively on a particular species will begin to take the
characteristics of that creature. In sentient species such as Orks and
Humans, they may also take on cultural aspects of that race as well. Kroot
who have fed on Dark Eldar, for example, soon begin to show signs of the
cunning and intense cruelty the Dark Eldar are known for.
In the case of animals, this sometimes leads to evolutionary dead ends. A
Kindred will find itself locked into an animalistic and unintelligent form,
unable to evolve themselves any more. Species such as Tyranids who also
absorb the DNA of their prey are particularly dangerous for Kroot to prey
upon, as they may acquire too many undesirable Tyranid characteristics. The
ecology of the Kroot homeworld of Pech includes many species of animal that
are partially Kroot, the results of a kindred's evolutionary missteps. The
Kroot use these related creatures as laborers, pack animals, and even as
weapons. The most common examples are the canine Kroot Hounds, the lumbering
and powerful ape-like Krootox, the dromaeosaurid Knarloc riding beasts, and
the massive dinosaur-like Great Knarlocs. Another creature of note is the
Kroothawk, an animal held sacred by the Kroot, possibly because it may be
their evolutionary ancestor. There are other Kroot sub-species that are
considered outcasts in Kroot society and are killed by Kroot if found.
In order to gather genetic material from all over the galaxy, the Kroot
offer themselves as mercenaries, and sell their services to anyone willing
to pay them. They travel the galaxy taking limited contracts from both major
and minor races (most of which are too small to be included in the game),
and are regularly employed by the Tau. While the contract with the Tau is
supposed to be an exclusive one, the Kroot regularly send out their
warspheres to continue their mercenary trade amongst the wider cosmos.
Second Take on the Kroot
The Kroot originated on the world of Pech and, though their physiology is
humanoid, there is evidence to suggest that the roots of their evolution may
be avian in origin. They retain vestigial beaks and have a light, almost
hollow bone structure, with four digits on each hand and foot. Their skin is
rough with small, barbed spines, similar to the elongated quills on their
heads, protruding from various locations on their flesh. Skin pigmentation
ranges from earthy brown colours and dappled greens to vibrant oranges and
everything in between. Depending on the feeding directions of the Kroot
Shapers (more of which later) the coloration of each family grouping, or
kindred as they are known, can vary quite considerably. It is also common
for Kroot from each kindred to have particular tribal markings painted onto
their skin. Kroot mature quickly, with their most rapid period of growth
occurring in the first ten years of their lives. By the age of twelve they
are considered adults and it is not unknown for Kroot to live to over a
hundred years old, their skin becoming increasingly pitted and leathery in
their last few years of life.
Kroot are tall and their bodies have a wiriness to them that appears
deceptively fragile. In actuality, Kroot musculature is extremely powerful
and composed of dense fibre spindles with a greater power‑to‑mass ratio than
is found in humans. Swift muscle contractions create a whiplash effect,
allowing the Kroot to deliver powerful blows with great rapidity. On the
ground, the Kroot tend to move with a bounding, hopping gait but, when in
dense forests, they can spring from tree to tree at great speed. The Kroot
favour primitive garb: harnesses worked from the hides of animals and
adorned with bones, handerafted amulets and circlets.
The limited specimens that have been made available for study are found to
have brains composed of a front and rear hemisphere. It appears that the
larger, frontal hemisphere controls the functions of logic, reasoning and
memory while the rear, less developed hemisphere is more attuned to
imagination and creativity. If this is indeed the case, it would go some way
to explaining the pragmatic approach to life of the Kroot and their current
technological stagnation. The Kroot head is crowned with a great mass of
tough, flexible quills that appear to be a part of the Kroot's sensory
apparatus. These quills contain what seem to be ganglia running from the
frontal lobes of the alien's brain and, in this position, would be extremely
efficient at receiving and interpreting information on the surrounding
environment. The olfactory cavity within the Kroot skull is also enlarged,
with multiple sense organs within both it and the mouth. Their eyes are
without pupils and generally a milky white. It is likely that they are able
to see further into the infrared end of the spectrum and can sense the body
heat generated by their prey. Therefore, the Kroot make excellent trackers
and would be extremely difficult to sneak up on.
The Kroot generate little in the way of waste, excreting in the form of a
pungent, oily sweat that has a variety of properties, depending on what the
Kroot has consumed. The most apparent benefits are that this sweat appears
to be heat retardant to a degree, has antibiotic properties and can cause a
poorly aimed blow to slide clear. It is suspected that the Kroot can alter
the properties of this secretion in order to leave pheromone trails, mark
territories, leave warnings and even communicate with one another. This may
also be some form of control that extends to lower life forms such as birds
and animals, as there is evidence to suggest mat the Kroot employ empathic
pheromones to prevent such creatures from being startled by them and giving
away their position in battle. Combined with this method of communication,
the Kroot can learn new languages at an astounding rate, matching posture
and tone to the sound of foreign words in order to discern their meaning.
Their own verbal communication is a mixture of clicks and whistles, possibly
reinforced by these phenomena exudations.
By far the most odious habit of the Kroot is their practice of eating the
flesh of the dead. In battle, this leads them to ritually devour the corpses
of those they have killed, and almost nothing is beyond their tastes. The
Kroot digestive system is extremely efficient, capable of breaking down
almost any organic material into an energy form that can be stored in
specialised organs scattered throughout their bodies called nymnes. Should
anything inorganic and indigestible be consumed, the Kroot must regurgitate
it, with considerable discomfort. However the strangest quirk of Kroot
digestion is their ability to extract potentially useful strands of their
food's DNA. Adeptus Mechanicus Genetors have long been aware that much of
the double helix structure of DNA is in fact blank. Used to separate those
areas that do contain genetic information. The Kroot have somehow inherited
the ability to incorporate useful DNA codes into their own genetic make up.
Larger Kroot, called Shapers, who have an instinctive understanding of this
process, can direct their kindred to consume certain prey in order that in
successive generations, they may take on elements of those genes.
The process is not an exact science and there are many examples where it has
gone awry, leaving some trapped in evolutionary cul‑de-sacs, the Krootox
and Kroot Hounds being the most visible evidence of this. At some point in
their evolutionary history, both sub‑species of Kroot fed upon creatures
that were possessed of traits they wished to take on, but, in doing so,
atrophied their intelligence. Thee Krootox are now much larger and stronger,
but became lumbering creatures, more akin to forest dwelling herbivores than
their smaller, more intelligent kin. The Kroot Hounds became faster and
leaner but, like the Krootox, their intelligence was reduced, becoming
little more than vicious predators. There are other variations, such as the
smaller, flying Kroothawk and the serpentine Krootworm, as well as other,
more terrifying, creatures. Deep within the forests of Pech, there exist
beasts that were once Kroot, but have since descended hideous evolutionary
paths to become monsters that feed on their own kind. Such places have
become cursed and only the bravest or most foolhardy Kroot ever venture
within their haunted depths.
Technology
Outwardly, the Kroot seem to be a simple pre-industrial society, seemingly
incapable of achieving (powered) flight, much less traveling through space.
However, Tau observers on Pech have noted evidence that may point to an
industial base hidden on or even inside of some mountains. It's probable
that the Kroot deliberately keep their general level of technology low,
using it only for weapons and interstellar travel, in order to keep their
species strong.
The primary weapon deployed by the Kroot is a rifle whose design is derived
from the fighting staffs used by their ancestors. This weapon is fitted with
blades on the stock and the end of the barrel, which the Kroot make deadly
use of in close combat. Originally a slug-thrower, the weapon was modified
by the Tau to fire a charged particle similar to their own Pulse Rifles.
This modification quickly became standard for all Kroot.
The Kroot Rifle is not the only weapon the Kroot make use of. There is the
large Kroot Gun, which is tied onto the backs of Krootox. Next, there is the
Kroot Hunting Rifle. Longer then the Kroot Gun, the Kroot Hunting Rifle has
a longer range, but in order for that to happen, the Kroot must take off the
blades. Kroot Mercanaries often bring back weapons from previous employers,
so such a sight is not rare.
