Xenos

"Beware the alien, the heretic, and the mutant."

-- Thought for the Day.

"Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd."

-- Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays.

Xenos is a Greek word which means "stranger" or "alien." "Xenophobia," or "fear of the strange," comes from this root. 4chan's "Paranormal" board is named /x/ after it.

Warhammer 40,000

In Warhammer 40,000, the Imperium of Man uses "xenos" as a catch-all term for any non-human life forms. For example, the Ordo Xenos is the branch of the Inquisition which deals with aliens, and they have whole litanies about what happens to Xenos they get their hands on, like "Mark of the Xenos" (also the name of a Deathwatch supplement).

Please note that "Xenos" is the plural AND singular spelling of the noun and adjective. This practise of using the unified form of this term for both singular and plural is inconsistent with the actual declension of 'xenos', which takes Greek inflections to reflect case and number as a noun, and case, number, and gender as an adjective. The technical plural form of 'xenos' in the nominative is 'xenoi' and accusative as 'xenon.' "xeno-" is a prefix used to denote the xenos origin of something, and Xeno is a character from Tau Quest whose name derives from "xeno-abomination".

If a scenario like that of Alien Nation or Men in Black happened in which extraterrestrials come to Earth in search of citizenship, the word Xenos would quickly become listed as Hate Speech due to the actions of /tg/.

Xenos in the Galaxy

The setting of 40k is full of Xenos that are completely original and in no way inspired by any other source (quietly kicks a copy of Lord of the Rings discreetly under the table)

Each Xenos faction comes with its own rich and engaging history, play style and unique aesthetics that set them apart from their foes. They also bring a nice change of pace from the constant presence of the Adeptus Astartes. Do you play the brutish ramshackle Orks, the elegantly swift Eldar or the never ending chittering swarms of the Tyranids the choice is yours?

Each faction presences a powerful threat that could eventually prove to be the Imperium’s doom should the forces of the Emperor falter in their duty or weaver in their devotion. To be a human in the armies of the 41st Millennium is to face powers beyond imagining. To stand against such nightmarish enemy’s, that even now move to bring doom upon the domains of man is to stare into the very face of madness and despair.

Although playing a more support role within the setting with the Imperium taking up the primary protagonist’s role and the main antagonist being the forces of Chaos, it would be madness to underestimate them, and only the foolish would dismiss them as some form of trivial annoyance.

With the Fall of the Eldar and the calming of the Warp storms that had up until then isolated the many human colony’s that were spread across the galaxy the Emperor took advantage of the newly created galaxy wide power vacuum to launch his Great Crusade. During the Great Crusade the Emperor announced that Humanity had a preordained destiny to rule the star’s and was the one to pen the phrase "Suffer not the alien to live". The armies of the Emperor of Man spread across the width and breadth of the galaxy butchering all that stood in their way, including many human civilizations that had survived the horrors of Old Night and refused to bend the knee in submission to this man that claimed the title of Master of Mankind. The resulting genocides led to the extinction of entire species including many of the older races that had existed since before humanity had first looked up at the stars.

With the dimming of the light at the end of the 41st millennium humanity may find that the old proverb “as you sow, so shall you reap” may hold more truth then they might want to believe.

Xenos Factions

"Ork map"

• Orks -The Orks are the endless green tide ready to sweep across the galaxy in an unstoppable waaagh should they ever be united with a singular purpose. It is the saving grace of the other inhabitants of the galaxy that they remain a divided force devoid of a central command. If a Warboss was ever able to unite the many Ork klans under one banner then the very heavens would tremble in fear.

They are the most numerous Xenos species native to the galaxy, or at least most numerous until such a time as the Necron are all awakened as some fluff has implied the Necron are just as numerous if all are awakened. Orks are actually a bio-engineered warrior race, or at the very least a degraded version of a bio-engineered warrior race, known as the Krork. Orks live for conflict and battle, their entire society and civilization revolving around it, and as a result are perpetually in conflict or, otherwise, seeking a conflict. This behaviour has also left the Orks disunited as a species, with Orks being prone to battling each other as much as other species.

"Eldar map"

• Craftworld Eldar -The Eldar are the dying light in an ever darkening galaxy but even as their flame flickers they refuse to allow themselves to be extinguished. Many among their kind seek to regain what was lost and to transform their weak flame into a burning light to bring about a new dawn for their race; but if this is to be their end then they will face the growing darkness standing with blades ready in hand not cowering upon their knees.

Craftworld Eldar live, predominantly, within enormous ships known as Craftworlds that at one time served as vast trading vessels for the Empire of old. Within the Craftworlds the Eldar try to preserve what remains of their Pre-Fall history and culture as best they can but even they cannot stop the slow and inevitable degradation of time as older generations are lost and the memories of their glories pass into myth and legend. Like all Eldar, they are survivors of the calamitous event known as The Fall, which destroyed the old Eldar Empire. Those who live on the Craftworlds attempt to control and direct their emotions and psychic power in order to prevent it corrupting them like it did their ancestors, and thus have a highly regimented social system known as the Paths.

• Dark Eldar – The Dark kin are the very incarnation of cruelty in all its many forms. From their shadowy nightmare realm the strike out to bring misery and horror upon an unsuspecting galaxy. Those who know of them know that it is better to die then be taken by these sadistic bastards. Pray they do not take you alive.

The largest surviving percentage of the Eldar species the Dark Eldar represent the portion of the population which has refused to give up on the cruel and barbaric lifestyle which caused The Fall in the first place. Instead, they have moved into the alternate dimension known as the Webway and mostly exist within the enormous Port City of Commorragh. Dark Eldar must feed on the pain and suffering of others to stave off their souls being consumed by She Who Thirsts, and as a result have developed a society and culture predicated on the capture and torture of others in increasingly inventive manners. Dark Eldar are among the most notorious corsairs and raiders of the Galaxy and are the bain of many an Imperial admiral.

• Exodites - The original Eldar exodus, the first to notice the decay of their old Empire and leave it, were the Exodites, effectively Eldar Hippies of a sort who decided to renounce advanced technology in the belief that it had fostered decadence and spiritual corruption. Instead, they live lives in tune with the nature of their Worlds, attempting to eke out peaceful existences there.

They live an almost nomadic existence following the great herds of “dragons” and although they may appear highly vulnerable to attack they are still capable of defending themselves with their Dragon Knights and their reptilian dragon mounts. They also in time of great need have their own guardian equivalents of the Wraithknights known as the Fire Gale’s, Bright Stallion’s and Towering Destroyer’s. Against greater threats such as a large Ork waaagh however they are still heavily dependent upon the Craftworld Eldar to defend them from harm.

• Harlequins - One of the smallest but also the most elite the of the Eldar groups, the Harlequins are Eldar who worship the sole intact and surviving Eldar God: Cegorach. Masters of moving through the Webway, Harlequins are mostly devoted to attempting to find ways to defeat the Chaos Gods. They serve as negotiators between the different branches of the Eldar society, helping to forge alliances between the different groups in the name of a greater cause at times.

"Necron map"

• Necrons -They are the terror from a forgotten age that intends to reclaim the Galaxy from the weak parasitic races that now claim ownership of what was and always will be theirs. To the Necrons there is no war in the future only pest control.

Among the oldest species of Xenos in the galaxy, Necron are a largely mechanical species of ancient Xenos who are beginning to awaken throughout the Galaxy. Due to a process in the distant past most Necron have become little more than mindless robots, with only their leaders displaying true self-awareness or intelligence. The Necron are an ancient and powerful species, who's numbers are bolstered by the consistently increasing number of their worlds which are reactivating.

"Tyranid map"

• Tyranid -Fear the shadow in the Warp for they are coming to consume all and when they are finished nothing will remain.

A Xenos race not native to the Milky Way Galaxy, the Tyranid are a voracious species of Xenos linked through a gestalt intelligence known as the Hive Mind which directs the species. The Tyranid are largely a predatory species, seeking to consume as much biological matter as possible in order to make use of it for themselves. Thus far their forays into the galaxy have usually been blunted before they made significant headway, but due to the nature of their existence as a species outside the Milky Way Galaxy, it is difficult to know the extent of the Tyranid at current.

• Genestealer Cult - One of the most nefarious weapons deployed by the Tyranid are the Genestealer Cults. These cults, born from the intermingling of Genestealers with other beings, can emerge on numerous worlds and work to undermine the defenses of said planet due to a mistaken worship of the Tyranid as saviours, in turn making it far easier for the Tyranid swarm to consume.

"Tau map"

• Tau Empire - A recently emerging faction within the Galaxy, the Tau Empire is an expansionistic state which seeks to incorporate other Xenos into it where possible. Adept at technological advancement and well-known for their ideological commitment to the Greater Good, or Tau'va, the Empire is at current still very naive regarding what is waiting for them beyond their boarders. Within the confines and safety of their boarders the Tau confidently look towards the future but they are blissfully unaware that although they may be the big fish in a small pond at the moment, within the deeper waters there are leviathans waiting to be discovered.

Xenos Roles

Within the galaxy of Warhammer 40,000 Xenos are the least important and influential of the three main factions. Whilst the Imperium are the Protagonists of the setting and Chaos the primary Angtagonists, Xenos tend to fill a spectrum of lesser roles in between these two poles. Broadly speaking Xenos can be divided into three broad categories concerning their Role in the narrative;

The NPC:

These are the Xenos who tend to exist as a largely faceless horde of mooks who are gunned or chopped down in droves, usually with little dramatic tension, and more as a way to demonstrate how badass or awesome the protagonist is. These Xenos tend to play the role of a lesser antagonist, not as dangerous as Chaos, and having little true power, but an antagonist nonetheless. These are the antagonists against whom it is most common for the protagonist to win bloodless victories or overwhelming victories, to demonstrate the difference in strength between the protagonist and these lesser antagonists. Similarly the NPC Xenos also often plays the role of demonstrating how powerful Chaos is, without allowing Chaos to actually beat the Imperium, by either losing or being supplanted by Chaos at a point in a story line, to make clear the true threat was Chaos all along. Orks, in particular, are adept at this tactic of being an initial, rather minor, threat who is then replaced by a more severe Chaos threat later.

Examples incude:
* Orks 
* Tyranids

The Ally:

This type of Xenos usually poses little to no actual threat to the protagonist, although expect the story to usuall start with the protagonist battling them to showcase the protagonist's superiority. The Ally is almost always in possession of some critical knowledge or device, usually relating to a Chaos Threat, which the Ally will prove impotent to handle on its own, instead resorting usually to giving the protagonist the role of actually ending the threat, often after trying and failing themselves. Although a betrayal is not always necessary, and more than enough of these alliances will not have a betrayal occur, expect at times a final twist in which the protagonist also kills the Ally before they can backstab them.

Although in general these alliances tend to be momentary and not have longer lasting ramifications, it should be noted that the recent plot development of the Ynnari subfaction of Eldar seems to have seen the Imperium gain a possible permanent allie Xenos faction

Examples include:
* Tau
* Eldar
* Necron

The Uprising:

These are Xenos who fall into the same category as the oft-mentioned 'there was a Cult Uprising' fluff extracts in 40k. These are characterised by tending to be nothing more than a mention of their existence, before a quick mention that they are now all dead, usually due to some Space Marine force attacking. These Xenos tend to not even have an illusion of threat, such as NPC Xenos, and are very much just hand-waved away the same way Cult Uprisings tend to be.

Due to the very nature of their existence there are few examples of these types of Xenos, seeing as they tend to simply exist as a single name mentioned to have already been destroyed.

Examples incude:
* Genestealer Cult 

Xenos and Chaos

As a whole the Chaos Gods seem to have little interest in Xenos as humanity on its own provides them with such an abundance of easily manipulated and corruptible beings that they have quickly become the Ruinous Powers favourite play things. With the sole exception of Slaanesh's desire to devour the Eldar there is rarely much attempt by the forces of Chaos to corrupt the more well known xenos species. There is not normally a great number of influential followers or servants from any Xenos faction. During the Great Crusade there were a number of Xenos who worshipped Chaos, but these were rather quickly and effortlessly annihilated by the Imperium; but not before they had spread their teachings to those within the Imperium itself who proved to be far too easily swayed. By the 41st Millenium there are no known large or significant concentrations or factions of Xenos serving Chaos. This is most likely due to the xenos actually having a working knowledge of Chaos and therefore are actually prepared for what they might have to face, which is the direct opposite of the Imperium that still thinks it’s a good idea to keep the whole thing secret from the vast bulk of humanity.

• Eldar- despite having souls that burn brighter and stronger within the Warp are not taken by the other gods as they the sole property of Slaanesh who claims and devours their soul upon their deaths, unless precautions have been taken to avoid such a fate. There is a chance that certain Eldar might seek out the protection of one of the other Ruinous Powers but that at the moment is little more then speculation.
• Necrons – they are what you could describe as being the very opposite of what the Chaos gods are looking for as they are essentially emotionally dead, and although Chaos is able to corrupt inanimate objects the lack of a soul is likely to keep the gods blind to the Necrons presents.
• Tyranids – The Shadow in the Warp provides pretty good protection from their corrupting influence. When the two sides come into conflict it’s like watching a battle between an immovable object and unstoppable force as the daemons are weakened by the presents of the Shadow and the Tyranid’s gain nothing by eating the daemons as their physical forms are not real.
• Tau Empire – the Tau have a very weak presents in the Warp and are likely simple overlooked thanks to the far more substantial meals on offer.

Despite this there are still examples of Chaos affiliated Xenos in recent Fluff; a Genestealer Cult corrupted by Nurgle, a commune of Eldar worshipping Slaanesh, but these are never large or substantial groups, usually being very small and inconsequential incidents. It does, however, indicate the possibility of corruption. Most likely the lack of corrupted Xenos can be put down to either their resistance to Daemonic corruption, although it could also be that like the Imperium, who have their holy symbols that hold the Ruinous Powers at bay, that some xenos like the Eldar with their Runes and the Orks that create effigies to “scare” away the creatures of the warp, may be in possession of their own effective counter-measures against Daemons.

See Also

• Rak'gol
• Tau
• Hrud
• Saharduin
• Slaugth
• Orks
• Eldar
• Dark Eldar
• Tyranids
• Necron
• Kroot
• Vespid
• Q'Orl
• Alienhunters
• Monstergirls, which is what happens when xenos meet Rule 34.
• Skaven, apparently.
• Nicassar
• Old Ones
• Demiurg

External Links

• Ultimate Lesser Xenos List