State of the Imperium: Abhumans

Hi!

As part of my ongoing series of a reimagined Imperium, I've decided to spend a little time working on the various subspecies of Humanity!

Abhumans

Abhuman is a catch all term for stable strains of mutations such as Squats, Ogryns, Ratlings and Beastmen, all of which have in the past had a very difficult relationship with the Imperium. Often seen as subhuman and different, the average Imperial citizen once treated these beings with a deal of suspicion and fear.

In the last thousand years or so there has been an explosion in the subspecies and most have been accepted into Imperial society and many have even risen to positions of authority and in most core sectors they are such a common sight that they don't even raise an eyebrow from passers by. Further out on the frontier, they are less common but mostly accepted, other than by those who follow the old teachings of the Ministorum.

Squats

Perhaps the most common of the Abhumans, the Squats are the descendants of human settlers who formed communities towards the galactic core on a number of high gravity worlds. Over generations these hardy peoples adapted to the new conditions they found themselves in by becoming shorter and more sturdily built. 

Unlike most of the Abhumans, Squats retained a high level of autonomy in the Imperium being classed more as valued allies than subjects and the current incumbent on the Golden Throne, Lionstone, thinks no differently. Squats form their own Imperial Guard regiments and even their own fleets and can be relied on to be staunch supporters of the Imperium itself.

Squat Mining Facility

Squat civilisation centres around ancestor worship and each of the guilds that form its core are led by honoured ancients, many of whom are well over three hundred years old. While Squats will happily settle pretty much any world, they excel at exploiting heavy G worlds which contain large quantities of metal deposits. These planets are less likely to be mined by normal humans as the crushing gravity makes such operations prohibitively expensive but the Squats can cope with anything up to 3G's without difficulty and their extensive use of robotics and heavy machinery allows them to exploit mineral wealth that other races cannot.

It is the duty of any young Squat to work in the family mine until they reach the age of  50 (a mere whippersnapper in the eyes of most Squats) when they can choose to stay on in the mines or go out and explore the galaxy to earn honour for their clan. As such, it is common to see Squats out on the frontier as members of guild run mining teams or ships engineers as well as traders and merchants. These fiery individuals are still intrinsically linked to their homeworlds and often act as prospectors for larger expeditions and it is not uncommon for the appearance of a small number of Squat miners on a frontier system to herald the arrival of a larger mining fleet should they strike paydirt.

Squats are fiercely independent and as such will not submit to unreasonable demands from Imperial governors and there have been a number of conflicts that have risen out of the stubbornness of Squattish pride. Similarly, Squats take great pride in solving problems themselves so it is unlikely that protection rackets, pirate raids or similar situations will be brought to Imperial authorities such as law enforcement. Instead the Guild takes care of its own and thugs trying to shake down a Squat trader are known to either get a beating or simply vanish and if the situation is serious enough, a Squat security detachment won't hesitate to draw weapons and blast their way out of a confrontation. 

This gung ho attitude often causes friction with local law enforcement but many Imperial citizens like the no nonsense approach and it isn't uncommon for Imperial colonies to contract Squat security forces to protect them from the less savory elements of society. In recent years a few Humans have even been given membership of one or two of the more progressive guilds, much to the outrage of the more traditionalist elders.

Ogryns

Ogryns are another offshoot of Humanity that settled on high gravity worlds. Unlike the Squats, the mutation that effected the Ogryns ancestors resulted in them growing to almost twice the height of a normal human and bulked up skeletal structure and large amounts of muscle mass resulted in a being that resembled the Ogre from ancient Earth mythology. Unsurprisingly the name stuck and even now the hulking humanoids are seen as muscle bound oafs by many.

Interestingly, evidence has recently surfaced that the Ogryn genome was artificially created hinting at an early attempt by Humanity at genetic engineering to create a form more suited to heavy gravity. It is also worth noting that the increased muscle mass, heavy skeletal structure and impressively thick skull also make for excellent warrior material and it is surmised by Imperial scholars that the first Ogryns were developed as soldiers but their lowered mental facilities meant the project was abandoned.

This isn't to say that the military doesn't want Ogryns, quite the opposite in fact. Their unquestioning loyalty, resistance to damage that would kill a normal human and brutal effectiveness in combat makes them highly sought after as shock troops and most Ogryn worlds make much of their income from raising companies of troops for the Imperium.

It is a mistake to think of Ogryns as stupid. While they may appear dim, they do have intelligence, even if it is a certain, low cunning and the development of the Bonehead bionic upgrade has resulted in some really rather smart Ogryns who have risen to surprising heights. Sadly Ogryns also act as hired muscle for organised crime and even Orkish warbands who appeal to the more brutal members of the race.


Ratlings

One of the rarer Abhumans races are the diminutive Ratlings, so called due to their child like stature and tendency to scuttle around in the shadow of normal humans. While Ratlings don't have the vast physical strength of Ogryns or the engineering knowledge of Squats, they do make excellent scouts due to their light footedness and ability to move almost anywhere undetected. 

Ratling colonies are formed around extended family groups and can be found pretty much anywhere in the Imperium if you know where to look. Settlements range from farmsteads on frontier worlds to concealed townships in the pipeworks of hive worlds and even in forgotten holds of spaceships. 

A retiring people, most Humans will never see these small folks, even if living within a stones throw of them as Ratlings live quite happily beneath the radar. Living such an existence leads to all manner of rumour and speculation amongst the Imperial population and a certain level of mistrust, not helped by the Ratlings having no concept of personal property and tendency towards light fingeredness resulting in the discovery of a Ratling settlement being met with concern and the occasional vigilante action.

Unsurprisingly, Ratlings are found extensively in the underworld as their natural abilities make them excellent burglars and pick pockets. It is usually following their arrest for assorted misdeeds that most Ratlings find themselves with the option of a long prison sentence or joining the Imperial Guard. Surprisingly, many Ratlings enjoy serving in the Guard as it gives them chance to feed their insatiable curiosity and when they eventually finish their tour of duty, they can return home and tell wild tales of their adventures.

Beastmen

Long reviled in the Imperium with the image of the stereotypical savage and brutal goat headed humanoid, the Beastmen have undergone a huge turnaround in fortunes in recent centuries. Born from mutation caused by a mixture of poorly shielded colonies, contaminated supplies or even genetic manipulation, the Beastmen actually come in a bewildering array of shapes and sizes but all appear to be some sort of combination of human and animal. 

Beastmen are now an accepted part of Imperial society, seen as exotic and different but not generally to be feared, these beings form a significant minority in many Imperial worlds and have used their unusual abilities to further their standing in all fields of Imperial endeavor, especially the military.

The change in attitude came back in the mid 40th Millenium when the then Empress, Maud, while on tour of the Imperial world of Rudox Vult was attacked by an assassin who had infiltrated the Imperial household. She was saved by the quick thinking of a servant Beastmaid called Nala who jumped upon the would be assassin and tore out his throat with her catform claws. The Empress made the lowly servant a noble there and then and for the remainder of her reign, Maud pushed Imperial opinion until it accepted the Beastmen as full citizens. Nala became the Empresses constant companion and bodyguard and her descendants still fulfil the role as Imperial bodyguards.

The modern Imperium raises full regiments of beastmen as their ferocity and ability to adapt and live off the land is highly rated while many Megacorps also make use of Beastman specialists as do the Arbites and even PDF forces. This isn't to say that all Beastmen live within the law as many form criminal gangs or the rebellion but most of these malcontents come from worlds where Beastmen are still stigmatised.

Whee!


Hopefully that will help lay out my thoughts on the Abhumans and I will be moving onto the Posthumans next including Psykers, Next Generation Space Marines, Clones and more!

All the best!