FILE REFERENCE: 4922-KX-KROOT SUBJECT: Kroot (Kroot Carnivora) CLASSIFICATION: Xenos Mercenarius / Barbarus CLEARANCE: Violet // Imperial Guard Command Level DATE: 999.M41 (Standard Terran Cycle)
The Kroot are a tall, avian-descended humanoid species native to the jungle world of Pech in the Ultima Segmentum. To the casual observer, they appear as primitive savages, adorned in fetishes of bone and leather, wielding blades and primitive slug-throwers. This assessment is a dangerous underestimation. While their culture is tribal and atavistic, they possess the capacity for interstellar travel via massive, warp-capable migration ships known as "Warspheres."
Politically, the Kroot are most frequently encountered as "Auxiliaries" within the expansionist T'au Empire. However, the Administratum classifies them primarily as mercenaries. They act with a degree of autonomy that frustrates their T'au overseers, often selling their services to Rogue Traders, planetary governors, and even, on occasion, Eldar corsairs. They fight for payment, but their currency is not throne gelt or promethium; it is meat. Fresh, genetic material is the cornerstone of their existence.
The defining characteristic of the Kroot, and the source of the Ordo Xenos's revulsion, is their unique genomic instability. The Kroot digestion system is a marvel of biological engineering that allows them to isolate and absorb the DNA of the creatures they consume.
When a Kroot devours the flesh of a prey animal or enemy combatant, its body synthesizes the victim's genetic traits. If they consume Orks, they become muscular and resilient. If they consume Aeldari, they gain agility and reaction speed. If they consume swift predators, they grow wings or additional leg musculature. This process is known as "Directed Evolution." It is a heresy against the fixed and holy human form. It renders the Kroot a biological wildcard; a Kroot kindred that has been campaigning against the Death Guard will be tougher and more disease-resistant than one that has fought light infantry.
This genetic malleability carries a grave risk. Without guidance, the Kroot can evolve into evolutionary dead-ends, losing their sapience to become feral beasts. This is the origin of the various "sub-species" often seen alongside them, such as the Krootox (brutish beasts of burden) and Kroot Hounds. These are not separate species; they are Kroot who ate the wrong things and devolved.
To prevent this, Kroot society is led by "Shapers." These elders possess an instinctive understanding of genetics. They act as chieftains and spiritual leaders, strictly dictating the diet of their Kindred to steer their evolution towards valuable traits (strength, intelligence, dexterity) and away from bestial regression. The Shaper is the priority target in any engagement. Remove the Shaper, and the Kindred loses its tactical cohesion and its long-term genetic direction.
In combat, the Kroot are light infantry skirmishers par excellence. Their avian heritage grants them hollow bones and powerful tendons, making them incredibly fast in dense terrain. They are masters of the ambush, able to move through undergrowth in total silence.
Their primary armament appears to be a crude, bladed musket. However, analysis by the Adeptus Mechanicus reveals these "Kroot Rifles" utilize a pulse-energy adaptation likely gifted by the T'au, firing charged particle rounds capable of piercing standard Flak Armour. They are also vicious in close quarters, using their beak-like jaws and immense strength to tear enemies apart. A Kroot assault is a frenzy of violence, after which the victors will immediately begin the "field dressing" (consumption) of the fallen. This act is not merely for sustenance but is a ritualistic absorption of the enemy's spirit and strength.
While generally designated as Xenos Horrificus, the Kroot occupy a grey area in Imperial foreign policy. Sanctioned Rogue Traders are permitted to employ Kroot mercenaries under the "Sanctioned Xenos" provision, provided they are kept away from civilized populations. Their tracking skills are undeniable.
However, Kroot who have tasted the flesh of the Warp - specifically Chaos worshippers or Daemons - are to be purged immediately. Such consumption leads to rapid corruption and mutation. Furthermore, the Kroot themselves possess a strong taboo against eating Tyranid flesh, which they revile as "inedible" or "poisoned," recognizing that the Hive Mind's biology overwrites their own. The greatest danger to the Imperial Guard is when Kroot consume the flesh of the Adeptus Astartes. A Kroot that absorbs the gene-seed enhanced biology of a Space Marine becomes a "Face-Eater," a monster of terrified potency.
The Kroot is a scavenger, a genetic thief that builds nothing and invents nothing. They are parasites that feed on the strength of better races. While their martial utility is recognized by the more pragmatic elements of the Imperial military, they are never to be trusted. They are savages who view a fallen human soldier not as a tragedy, but as a meal. They are to be exploited where useful, and exterminated where they pose a threat to the purity of the human gene-pool.
Thought for the Day: The alien does not fight for our cause; he fights for our corpse.
@Kroot Carnivore (Kroot)
@Kroot Shaper (Kroot)