Genestealer Cult Lore

[GraaEminense]

So I'm jumping on the bandwagon, what with SW:A and Necromunda and having secured a box of Overkill on the cheap.

I'm looking around for rules for Genestealer cults in Necromunda, and I'm only moderately satisfied with the offerings. I'm considering tweaking them a bit to accomodate all the glorious new cultist models.

However, I'm uncertain about what is the established lore regarding Genestealer hybrids and the evolution of the cult. I know the cult is founded when a Purestrain infiltrates a human society, but what happens then? Are the many-armed and clawed hybrids the first new generation and the offspring become more human over the generations or is it the other way around? Do individual hybrids become more or less human over time? Do the hybrids reproduce sexually or do they continue to reproduce through implantation of genetic material? When do Magi appear? When do new Purestrains appear?

So many questions, so little clue!

 

[nooker]

Did you find this ruleset? While I don't think you'll like the rules themselves much (my buddy who played them several times thought they were overpowered), the background is pretty solid (at least I remember it being so).

 

[GraaEminense]

Yeah, I did. It's got plenty of good ideas, but the background material is a bit limited in detail for my use and the reproduction cycle doesn't quite make sense. I've been trawling the Lexicanum and found a couple of decent articles there, including the below image, so I've got a place to start but would appreciate more input.

Spoiler: Genestealer cycle

 

[GraaEminense]

This cycle makes a lot of sense, by the way, as the critters become more human over time. However, it's kind of hard to write as gang rules, as they reproduce through human generations (so outside the scope of the game) and the most powerful and unusual hybrids are the youngest versions:
1) Purestrain infects human.
2) Human mind-slave's children are many-limbed monsters.
3) Many-limbed monsters' offspring (through humans, *shudder*)
Edit: So this is actually unclear: Do non-human hybrids reproduce sexually or through infection like the Purestrains? It does affect how the cult would work.
4) The offspring of each subsequent generations becomes slightly more human.
5) Magi appear in the fourth generation.

 

[Ardavion]

This cycle makes a lot of sense, by the way, as the critters become more human over time. However, it's kind of hard to write as gang rules, as they reproduce through human generations (so outside the scope of the game) and the most powerful and unusual hybrids are the youngest versions

I'm understanding that the "most powerful and unusual" cult members are the oldest/earliest in the cult's history. This would make them the less numerous of the cult's members.

One fundamental way to look at how a cult gang can be put together with the different generations: the cult has been around far longer than just the creation of the gang, and the gang is just one small part of the cult's influence and reach. They could make a gang just to allow some cult members in official roles an excuse to increase weapons manufacturing "to supply to local law enforcement" or some-such part of the master plan.

Creating the gang would start mostly from the most human-looking members as they're starting to make their move, consolidating power to allow the earlier generations more freedom to move openly. Oh, they're around all right, in the shadows, biding their time, waiting.

Making a gang which actually follows the cycle, as you rightly point out, would take too long within the confines of a campaign, and would also mean your gang is just a Genestealer for the first game.

Edit: So this is actually unclear: Do non-human hybrids reproduce sexually or through infection like the Purestrains? It does affect how the cult would work.

From the image you posted, it seems like normal breeding all the way after the initial infection, otherwise the image would have said that they infect more natives.

Remember that Genestealers would still be able to go around infecting people to produce other infected natives that could create "safe spaces" for the cult to operate in, and as the word "cult" implies people might easily get indoctrinated into performing in rituals or initiations that get those earlier generations reproducing, so it would be quite easy to get a host of captives, or cult followers willing to be baby farms.

The less palatable consideration is that those earlier generations could, in the same way that the Purestrains infect natives, stalk, entrance and/or kidnap, and sexually assault their victims; the infection could make the victims predisposed to not aborting their baby even after their ordeal if allowed to rejoin society, and they could even be influenced to forget that the incident even occurred, in the same way some rape victims can develop a mental block on their traumatic ordeal.

Given that this is understandably not really well covered in lore opens this up to speculation about how they would actually go about it, but if you apply how real cults work (and even some organised religions) it is a good analogue; you can get to the point where a cult is so large, and has so many members in influential positions of power and authority, that they can get away with anything and no-one outside the cult would know about it; if someone did, they might "disappear" or be so intimidated that they do nothing about it.

 

[andrewgpaul]

The original source material is White Dwarfs 120-122 (collected in the Warhammer 40,000 Compilation) and 1st edition Space Hulk.

IIRC, 1st and some 2nd edition Hybrids have the same ovipositor as a purestrain 'stealer. They reproduce in the same way, by infecting a host (2nd generation hybrids without an ovipositor can infect hosts via medical means). 3rd and 4th generations reproduce sexually. Magi are strong psykers amongst the 4th generation hybrid population. The offspring of 4th generation hybrids are either humans with a telepathic link to the brood (brood brethren) or purestrain genestealers, which can continue the cycle (and presumably delivered in the same way as a normal human baby. Best not to think about it).

The initial host when infected by the purestrain 'stealer (that goes on to become the Patriarch) has a drive to: form a family and have plenty of offspring, to keep this family sheltered, protected and often isolated, and to nurture their offspring despite then being horrible monsters. The same compulsions are communicated to their mate and their offspring, along with any future brood members infected by later generations.

Broods often try to gain a position of power, hence forming cults (which often look innocuous to outside observers such as the Ecclesiarchy and Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors) and infiltrating other power structures (the military, bureaucracy, industrial clans, etc). One brood managed to infect a large number of Imperial Guard by operating a brothel in the "cleared" zone of a planet which the Guard were attempting to clear of a brood infestation.

Necromunda has already been the site of a genestealer infestation; a brood established in a hive spire was cleared by Space Marine terminators who cordoned off the spire and flooded the ventilation ducts with nerve gas.

 

[GraaEminense]

That's a lot of useful info, thanks guys.

I've had a look through the new GSC codex and the various versions of Necromunda GSC gang rules I've been able to track down. Basing it on human late-generation hybrids or mentally enslaved cultists seems the reasonable way to go (≈ human gangers), with some options for mutant critters. That would allow the gang to function mostly as a standard gang, and it would work as a representation of various scenarios: the Downhive face of a powerful cult, remains of a cult hiding from Imperial law enforcement (obviously their true nature is still a mystery, or there'd be Space Marines and Inquisitors all over the place), or a small cult still working to establish itself.

Spoiler: Oh and I think we know how Purestrains are born...

 

[Commissariat]

@andrewgpaul Could you please post your source on the Necromunda Genestealer Cult? It'd be very helpful!

@GraaEminense While I claim no perfect adaptation, I did make an adaptation of those ORB Genestealer Cult rules for NCE with some tweaks and they can be found in my signature, if you are interested.

 

[Fold]

That's a lot of useful info, thanks guys.

I've had a look through the new GSC codex and the various versions of Necromunda GSC gang rules I've been able to track down. Basing it on human late-generation hybrids or mentally enslaved cultists seems the reasonable way to go (≈ human gangers), with some options for mutant critters. That would allow the gang to function mostly as a standard gang, and it would work as a representation of various scenarios: the Downhive face of a powerful cult, remains of a cult hiding from Imperial law enforcement (obviously their true nature is still a mystery, or there'd be Space Marines and Inquisitors all over the place), or a small cult still working to establish itself.

I agree completely and in fact this is how I started off the GC gang in my campaign (not played by me personally) - I just asked the guy to make an Orlock gang and then once we're a bit further in, he can start adding mutants. Eventually (and by the time he's probably outlawed) there'll be loads of mutants... then a purestrain appears and we're in Inquisimunda territory!

 

[Gharan O'hen]

I agree completely and in fact this is how I started off the GC gang in my campaign (not played by me personally) - I just asked the guy to make an Orlock gang and then once we're a bit further in, he can start adding mutants. Eventually (and by the time he's probably outlawed) there'll be loads of mutants... then a purestrain appears and we're in Inquisimunda territory!

Do you mind if I use that idea in a campaign that I am planning? I'm planning a setting with lots of mystery and RPG elements and that would be a good way to surprise the players if it turns out one of their allied warbands is a Genestealer cult.

 

[andrewgpaul]

@andrewgpaul Could you please post your source on the Necromunda Genestealer Cult? It'd be very helpful!

1st edition Space Hulk Campaigns, the "Necromunda" campaign. There's not much background (An infestation was uncovered, Space Marines turned up to kill them, the end. I can't even remember if it says which Chapter they're from) and it was written years before Necromunda came out, so there's no mention of any of the Houses by name. It might not even have been the Palatine hive.

 

[andrewgpaul]

Other useful background might be Bill King's "Deathwing" short story - that has a tale-within-a-tale where one Marine recalls being part of an Inquisitorial delegation to the Hive World of Thranx to find out why the Governor hadn't paid his tithes. Turned out it was because the Governor was a Magus in a 'stealer coven, and the entire hive world was infested.

Or the beginning of Ian Watson's "Inquisitor"/"Draco", which depicts a 'stealer cult uprising/civil war on the hive world of Stalinvast.