Demiurg

From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
Jump to: navigation, search

The Demiurg are a group of the Kin of the Leagues of Votann who, like many other kin through the history of the greater galaxy, had been misidentified as a minor xenos race, particularly by humanity and the Tau.[10a] Within Kin society, they are referred to as the Seran-Tok Mercantile Leagues.[13] Among the Seran-Tok Mercantile League, the Thurm Kindred in particular are known to trade heavily with the Tau Empire.[10c]

Biology

Main article: Kin

As kin, the Demiurg are humanoid[10e] - a form of abhuman.[13a] Their physiology is close to rest of humanity and abhuman-kind that the same medical training used to treat complex injuries and trauma on men, ogryns, and ratlings is able to treat them,[13a] unlike the much more foreign physiology of a truly xenos species such as the Aeldari.[13b]

Nevertheless, as is the case many times with the reclusive Kin through history, they have been mistaken as a minor xenos race. The Demiurg are but one of many such created, assumed, or mistaken identities for the Kin by the other denizens of the galaxy alongside Squats, Heliosi Ancients, Gnostari, Grome, and Kreg.[10a] To this very day, the Tau believe the Thurm represent the entirety of the supposed minor xenos species of Demiurg (rather than members of the greater whole of the Kin).[14]

History

The Demiurg, particularly those of the Thurm Kindred, are known to trade most heavily with the Tau Empire.[10c][14] Indeed, the Thurm were the ones who shared the secrets of ion technology with the Tau, for like the rest of the League they have a good familiarity with the technology.[10d][12] The are known to utilize powerful Energy Drills, which they often trade to the kin of the Ironhead Squat Prospectors of Necromunda.[11]

Main article: Leagues of Votann Fleet

As with the rest of the Leagues of Votann, the ships of their fleet will tend toward enourmous sizes and sturdy builds, with such vessels as the Stronghold-class and Bastion-class mining vessels matching the size of cruisers of other races for size, shielding, and weight of fire. Such ships use electro-magnetic fields to scoop up interstellar hydrogen, which is then compressed inside the vessel and ejected towards the rear, creating a form of ram-jet engine. Their Warp Drives and "Gellar rampart" technology is superior to anything humanity comprehends, and travel in short controlled "plunges" into the warp which while slower than conventional human warp travel or Tau slipstream drives, ensures their ships arrive where they want and when they want consistently nearly every time.[7b]

Squat Logo.png

This article, article section, or source is based on material that predates the release of the Leagues of Votann and Kin which recontextualised older Squats (Rogue Trader) material. As such some of the detailed information here may or may not be in conflict to established Leagues of Votann lore.

During the Great Crusade they came under the notice of the Imperium of Man, who learned that they were a technologically advanced race that maintained cordial relations with several xeno cultures. They rarely enter the territory of mankind but by this era they maintained a clandestine mining installation at Tenebrae 9-50 with its existence not being widely known by the Imperium.[5]

To the Imperium (at least prior to the Era Indomitus), [See Notes] it is unknown if 'Demiurg' refers to some culturally distinct group of what they perceive as a greater Squat species, or the species as a whole.[1] By M41, their once rarely sighted vessels began to be seen within increased frequency in the Ultima Segmentum in recent centuries. Imperial fleet strategists postulated the link for the increased Demiurg presence to expansion of the Tau Empire in the Eastern Fringe. Among the Demiurg, the "Srry'Tok Brotherhood" are known to have joined the Tau Empire.[7a] [See Notes] Three sightings of Demiurg have been made among Tau and Kroot fleets around the Damocles Gulf. Some, however, believe that these activities are simply the result of Demiurg attempting to capitalize on the disruptions caused by the Tyranid hivefleets.[6]

The Demiurg are known to avoid Imperial space unless invited in, making them a very uncommon sight,[1] and are described as defensively-hostile and non-militaristic.[2]

Although the Demiurg normally live in enormous space-bound starships, they are known to colonise worlds unusually abundant in minerals, such as the worlds of the Poretta system.[4]

By the Era Indomitus, the Demiurg continue to fight alongside the Tau Empire as part of the ongoing Kor'or'vesh Initiative[17]

  • Demiurg ships allied with the Tau Fleet.

  • Demiurg fleet preparing to fire upon the Imperial Navy upon the signal of their Tau Allies during the Kor'or'vesh Initiative. Observe that their fleet is not disrupted or damaged by the asteroid field, thanks to their expertise in space mining.[18]

"Demiurg brotherhood responding. Open fire."

— Demiurg commander coordinating with a joint Tau fleet[17]


Technology

Bastion-class Vessel
Demiurg ships deploying space miners, these will harvest material from debris and asteroids which can be used to repair their vessels even in the middle of a battle.[18]

The Demiurg have a high level of technology invested in their vessels as they are required to perform a number of tasks: Stronghold-class vessels, for instance, are used as factories, processing units and as a base for mining fleets, while the Bastion-class vessels are often configured for use in asteroid mining. These vessels are largely automated. The engines are relatively slow in comparison to Imperial technology, however the complex shielding the system requires and the beneficial side-effects of its use are as of yet still unfathomed by the Adeptus Mechanicus.[1][8]

A known tool is the Demiurg survey glass which is a penetrative visual tool used for mineral detection at depths of up to two kilometres.[2]

A Demiurg survey glass

Aside from the development of ionic weapons, the Demiurg appear to remodel a lot of their weaponry from technology already developed for use in resource gathering and manufacturing. Two examples of this on board their spacecraft are the Cutting Beam, which appears to have been adapted from high powered lasers used to mine asteroids, and automated mining machines, which, once reconfigured, are launched as attack craft against enemy ships.[1][7b][8]

Demiurg operated a number of automated mining machines that harvest rare and precious metals. These operated on shunt networks across regions of space that consist of unmanned electromagnetic conveyer stations that propel resource-rich asteroids that are sent from prospecting fields to xeno client homeworlds. Such a process takes hundreds of years but by the time the asteroid reaches in-system the automated mining machines excavate as well as process the arranged shipment.[5]

Notable Battles

Notes

TriviaScrollTrans.png

The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

See also

Sources

Uncited

ServiceImage.jpg

This article purports to rely on sources which are not cited in the body of the text.
For help on citation see the citation guidelines.
You can help Lexicanum by fixing it.

  • Post on Specialist Games Epic forum, by Jervis Johnson (6th post down). [1]. (saved archive page, dated 21 February 2007, last accessed 9 July 2024)text-middle[Pre-League of Votann]


Tau Empire
Castes

Ethereal • Air • Earth • Fire • Water

Allied Races

Anthrazod • Boaburi • Brachyura • Charpactin • Demiurg • Domati • Formosian • G’nosh • Galg • Greet • Humans • Hrenian • Jagordian • Ji'atrix • Kroot • Morralian • M'uh'ja • Nagi • Nicassar • Ostense Council • Phosiab • Pohu-Agg • Ranghon • Tarellians • Thraxians • Vespid • Vorgh • Yabi-Yabi

Military

Fire Warriors • Kor'vattra • Merchant Fleet • Auxiliaries • Information Awareness

Culture

Sept • Greater Good • Tau Lexicon

Notable Characters

Aun'Va • Aun'shi • O'Shaserra • O'Shovah • Puretide • El'Myamoto • T'au Sha'ng


Leagues of Votann
Major


Lesser
Retrieved from "https://lex.124811.xyz/mediawiki/index.php?title=Demiurg&oldid=727149"