Setting:Transformers

Optimus Prime and his Autobots on the left, and Megatron and his Decepticons on the right.

Since the time past written memory, the technological race known as the Transformers have always been a driving force in the galaxy. While not as ancient as the Eldar or Necrons, the Transformers have existed long before humanity had began to even crack rocks together to create fire. At the cusp of the 41st Millennium, however, they are scattered across the galaxy; fragmented and more divided than they have ever been. The lines between their original factions, Autobot and Decepticon, have been blurred and are probably nonexistent to some. The chief reason most Transformers fight is simply for survival. Ever since their Great War some 50,000 years ago, the entire race as a whole have scrounged across the galaxy in search of more of their lifeblood and energy source: Energon. It can be found either in its pure, natural form within a planet’s crust or refined from any type of energy, be it electricity or fossil fuels.

Transformers, like the Necrons, are living machinery composed of an almost “living metal.” However, unlike the Necrodermis of the Necrons, the biology of the Transformers is much more akin to that of normal organic beings. From their core structure of cybernucleic acid (CNA), to their robotic-skeletal structure, and even their mechanical parts similar to that of biological organs, the Transformers are like a strange, larger than life mimic of most sentient races. Despite that, the ability that serves as their namesake makes them far more different than any other race that has ever existed. All Transformers have an innate ability to to copy and transform into an alternative, typically vehicular, mode. Because of this they're often called “robots in disguise” due to their ability to mimic literally any kind of vehicle they set their optics on. Anything from an Ork Trukk to an Imperial Baneblade is within the realm of possibly as long as the size is appropriate to the Transformer. They are not limited to vehicular modes as mentioned before, however. Some are known to have alternative quadruped forms, usually an animal of some sort. Others can turn into lethal weapon platforms, signal arrays, and according to legend, entire cities. Imperial xenologists are unsure how a Transformer’s body adjusts when it acquires a new form.

Relations with the other races of the Milky Way galaxy are hesitant and strained at best. Overall the Transformers are on the defensive, only enacting a major campaign when they're very existence is threatened, like an oncoming Tyranid invasion or stealing energon from a forge world. Autobots are the only ones who may sometimes fight based on an ideology, typically derived from the ancient words of the great Optimus Prime himself. Decepticons may conquer in order to subjugate and enslave the local population, or wage war just for the sake of fighting similar to the barbaric Orks. Of course, age old rivalries may transcend quarrels with other species. Autobot and Decepticon are known to clash to this very day, mimicking their civil war all those centuries ago. Despite that, there have been a few occasions where the two band together against a greater threat, such as Transformers under the command of Ultra Magnus and Soundwave holding back the Ork WAAAGH! McSmasher on Sampson II. After the battle, despite simmering hatred between the two factions, both commanders withdrew their troops without haste.

Factions

Autobot insignia.

• Autobots: Eons ago, it was said that the Autobots were heralds of peace; bringing justice to all sentient races and defending the inhabitants of the galaxy from the Decepticons. While that may be true, that has fallen lower on their list of priorities. They fight a constant war of attrition with the galaxy, where simply staying alive is an achievement in of itself. After the disappearance of Optimus Prime during the Horus Heresy, Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus founded the Covenant of Primus; a coalition of the various Autobot subgroups and factions, similar to that of the Dark Angels and their various successor chapters. While having their own tactics and leaders, member groups of the Covenant are in constant contact with one another and often heed the call to aid another faction. Despite the name, they all proudly wear the Autobot insignia of old, in memory of Optimus Prime, wherever he might be.
  • Wreckers: Led by Ultra Magnus, the Wreckers are the most proactive group of the Covenant of Primus. They are always on the front lines, harassing or outright obliterating enemy scouting teams and armies. Currently they are in a hasty but mutually beneficial agreement with the Imperial Inquisition in sabotaging supply lines to Abaddon’s 13th Black Crusade.

Decepticon insignia.

• Decepticons: Few things have changed about the Decepticons over the millennia, even after the disappearance of Megatron. They believe the Great War with the Autobots continues to this day, and any ordinary Decepticon would attack an Autobot on sight. After Megatron vanished the Decepticons fell into civil war, known to them as the Fracture. Unlike the Autobots who typically seek peace, the Decepticons see the other races of the galaxy as nothing more than target practice. If they can't outright annihilate their enemy they will try to manipulate or enslave them. The Decepticons overall split into three separate factions:
  • Starscream: Megatron’s former conniving lieutenant, his initial attempt to seize power led to the Fracture in the first place. The only Decepticon who advocates ending the Great War entirely arguing that the Cybertronians have allowed themselves to become too weak and scattered in this hostile galaxy. Though smallest of the major Decepticon factions, he is the most ready to ally with the Autobots and has even made tentative attempts at brokering peace. Starscream is determined to exploit any potential source of strength the galaxy offers, and whereas the other Decepticons ignore or despise organics, he recognizes their potential usefulness. To this end, as well as raiding, he makes heavy use of Pretenders, transformers imbued with the unique ability to disguise themselves as organics and walk amongst them, in order to infiltrate and subvert organic societies. Mostly this takes the form of Pretenders attaching themselves to positions of power in order to fund fuel and physical resources to Starscream's forces, but the ever-ambitious Decepticon warlord is more than willing to make use of cults and attempt to subvert organic societies to a near-religious reverence of Transformers, that he may use them. This has led to Starscream's forces controlling a small, but slowly increasing, number of colonies where humans and/or other aliens work for the service of Decepticon masters. All of this would be acceptable to the other Decepticons, but Starscream has gone beyond that; when the warlord recognizes an organic's potential, he takes them and places them under the cyber-conversion process, transforming them into near-Cybertronian mechanical entities that are partnered with other Decepticons, creating Targetmasters, Powermasters, and the rarest of all; Headmasters.
  • Soundwave: Megatron's former right-hand mech and unflinchingly loyal to his master. He still believes Megatron lives and is determined to find him, leading a small but hardcore faction of loyalists. Their goal is to find Megatron and lead him back to his rightful place. Constantly picks fights with Autobot groups, as their dedication is to winning the Autobot/Decepticon war. Loosely allied with Shockwave's faction, but looks down on him for his abandoning of the Great War; their relationship is based on Shockwave's need for Soundwave's fighting skills (his own hyper-logical processor often proving disadvantageous in the madness endemic to the 41st Millenium) and Soundwave's need for Shockwave's resources and strongholds. Soundwave is the most zealously anti-organic of the Decepticons, often unleashing his forces against organic targets for no reason but their destruction. Why this is remains unknown; he may simply enjoy using such rampages to keep his troops sated, but others have proposed alternative reasons - a grudge against all organics for interference when Megatron ruled the Decepticons, or that their presence pains this biomechanical pseudo-telepath.
  • Shockwave: Former chief strategist of Megatron, Shockwave is driven by logic. He has turned the Decepticons to the cause of surviving and rebuilding their power base, earning the loyalty of the vast majority of Decepticons. He holds an unsteady peace with Soundwave; he needs Soundwave's fighting skills, but he considers prosecuting the war at this current state of affairs to be illogical.

Cyberform insignia.

• Cyberforms: Orginally a splinter group of Decepticons during the early stages of the Great War, they have evolved into their own fully competent faction. What differs them from the other Transformer groups is their discover of a new form of reproduction: bio-morphic reproduction, or "budding." The process is asexual, where a "bloodline" is formed via copying of the parent Transformer. The main downside to this is each generation is increasingly less sentient and emotional, making Cyberform society as a whole more logical and detached from other Transformers. They view themselves as the peak of all life, and have taken on a harsh expansionary policy similar to the Tau. Even though they abhore being associated with their Decepticon brethren they take the former's beliefs to the extreme; exterminating a planet's population and cyberforming it before colonization. They are at odds with quite literally every race in the galaxy and are considered the foremost threat among all Transformers.

Relationship with Organics

Imperium (General): In general, the Imperial/Transformer relationship is very similar to that of the Imperium and the Craftworld Eldar, with a little Imperium/Tau relationships thrown in for spice. The two races will collaborate on occasion, especially given that the Autobots claim to remember helping humanity in ages long past. However, Imperial doctrines of xenophobia, combined with Decepticon depredations and the occasional need for Autobots to interfere to try and prevent the Imperium from doing something too stupid (especially when it comes to messing around with things the Autobots are guarding for a reason), keep the two races well at arm's length. In general, an icy distrust that occasionally flares up into small conflicts is the norm.

• Adeptus Mechanicus: The Transformers and the Tech-Priests of the Imperium are bitter enemies. The Adeptus Mechanicus loudly proclaims the Transformers to be Abominable Intelligences and seeks to destroy them on religious grounds, but even as they do so, many Tech-Priests, especially those of a more radical bent, eagerly seek to plunder the secrets of Cybertronic technology and bio-mechanics. Decepticons generally squash Tech-Priests and Skitarii on principle, though a surprising number of Hereteks have found their way into Starscream's forces, some even being promoted to the level of Headmaster. Autobots try to be more patient, in theory, but often end up brutally killing the Mechanicus in self-defense.
• Inquisition: The primary interaction between the Transformers and the Inquisition comes with the Ordo Xenos, though of course firebrands of the Ordo Malleus are eager to justify Transformers as "mechanical daemons" as well. The Ordo Xenos is locked in a constant cold war with Transformers, constantly trying to understand their enemies. Many come to display intense paranoia as they learn more about the capabilities of their foes. Starscream's use of Pretenders to steal precious resources, subvert human civilizations and found Decepti-cults has made him a particular enemy of the Ordo Hereticus as well.
• Space Marines: As the Imperium's elite warriors, it should be unsurprising that the Adeptus Astartes and the Transformers have battled frequently, and with far less success than the Imperium likes to admit. Though bitter enemies, as with all outsiders of the Imperium, some Chapters have developed the begrudging respect for Transformers that one may come to feel for a particularly skilled and dangerous foe. Autobots are known to sometimes profess a similar respect, even lamenting on how the Space Marines have fallen from the days of the Heresy; they might have been enemies all along, but when one's enemy has visibly declined over the centuries, and you've lived through it, that becomes mortifying. Decepticons usually don't show similar respect, except for the more honorable members of their ranks, but do delight in taunting the Astartes on how their prowess and technology has crumbled since the Heresy.
• Adeptus Soritas: The Ordos Militant have a particular hatred for the Transformers, as much because their Cybertronian enemies often dismiss them as inferior compared to the Adeptus Astartes as because of their fanatical faith in the Imperium's xenophobic credo of manifest destiny. A number of sisters of the Ordo Dialogous are dedicated to studying the language of Transformers, and are often found in the entourages of the Ordo Xenos; some allow this to become an obsessive drive, to the extent that there have even been rare occasions where they have willingly worked with the Adeptus Mechanicus to mutual benefit.
• Rogue Traders:It is not unheard of that some Rogue Traders harbor a Transformer or two on their ship, ranging from mercenary work to simply refuge aboard their vessel. It usually ranges from trader to trader how they interact, as no dynasty openly associates with Cybertronians. Despite that, there have been many famous trader out in the frontier of space that are known to often work with Autobot and Decepticon alike.

Chaos: The Warp is something that terrifies all Transformers. While not as suceptable as humans, Cybertronians are still capable of being corrupted and falling to Chaos. If this were to happen, their link to Primus will be severed, meaning that their spark will travel to the Warp instead of becoming one with the Allspark after they die. The possibility of not joining the Allspark is nightmarish to even the most deviant of Transformers, but the offerings of the Dark Gods are sometimes so tantalizing it makes it hard to resist. When fallen to Chaos, Transformers are so thoroughly corrupted through spark and mind that it is impossible to reverse them to their old selves. For the most part they avoid anything Warp related since most Chaos forces are extremely dangerous to engage.

• Chaos Space Marines: The Traitor Astartes are some of the most dangerous enemies the Transformers have ever faced. Not only can they not see reason, their strength and firepower can rival most Cybertronian weaponry. And even then, they're still buffed with gifts from the blasphemous gods. Even though they generally stay away from them, there is only one group that most Transformers have a "kill on sight" policy towards: the Iron Warriors. Whenever the iron skull of the sons of Perturabo is seen, most Cybertronians are reminded of the horrific memories of the Horus Heresy, when the IVth Legion enmasse experimented on Transformers to turn them into daemon engines. The hatred for the is shared by every Transformer, and it is not unheard of for Autobot and Decepticon alike to rendezvous and join forces when an Iron Warriors warband is spotted.
• Daemons: The fear of daemons come from the fact that not only are they terrifying, but they are also a paradox of everything that is. Besides the worship of Primus, Cybertronian society is for the most part based on reason and science. So to see a literal embodiment of emotion and fear tearing at their sparks is far more terrifying than any Ork or Tyranid. Not only that, but anything from the rusty blade of a Plagebearer to the psychic hailstorm of a Lord of Change can rip most Cybertronians asunder. And that doesn't include the possibly of daemonic possession, turning their body into a mere host for an unworldly entity. If a daemonic summoning occurs on a world, they will work to immediately vacate the planet if there is any possibly to escape.
• Lost and the Damned: Besides heavy artillery and the occasional daemons, renegades aren't terribly dangerous to Cybertronians. Most are incompetent, violent warbands that fall into disarray when their leader is killed. Decepticons, however, aren't above hiring them to do their dirty work. Some have even pledged their devotion to them, usually called "Decepti-cults." On the flip side, individual Transformers might join some of these renegade groups, exchanging their services for energon and protection.

Orks: Living to fight as they do, Orks particularly enjoy the chance to fight Transformers, who are "big, stompy and shooty - right proppa scrappin'!" Big Meks in particular enjoy the prospect of stripping down Transformer wrecks to rebuild them into machines for the Ork Waaagh! Needless to say, the Transformers do not appreciate the attention and make it their duty to exterminate Orks wherever they can. Orks are one of the few occasions where even Autobots will unleash their most powerful anti-biological weapons, capable of breaking the cycle of Ork reproduction. Some of the most common sightings of Autobots in Imperial territory have come when one or more emerged from hiding/dormancy to annihilate an invading Ork Waaagh! or to purge its adopted world of Feral Ork tribes.

Eldar: Though Eldar arrogance prevents them from ever truly allying with any race, if there is one species they can admit to holding some respect for, it is the Transformers. Both races have no home world(s) to return to, they're race is dying and scattered, and both have extreme longevity and ancient wisdom. Because of this, Transformers and the Eldar have formed a strange but peaceful kinship that few races can claim to have. Though their relationship with the Decepticons is more strained, it is not unheard of for a Craftworld to allow a Cybertronian refuge if they seek help. Autobots and Eldar have one of the few relationships that can be considered relatively close, in the 41st Millennium.

• Exodites: More so than their Craftworld Kin, Exodites can admit to respecting the Transformers, most specifically the Autobots. Although they generally keep them at bay, this is because the Cybertronian ability to assume the form of labor-saving machines is against the codes their lives are built on. Transformers who assume the shape of beasts or weapons have been known to live alongside Exodites, and when under attack by superior forces, even war-machine-formed Autobots are welcome; Exodites are many things, but they are not stupid.
• Harlequins: As a race on generally good terms with the Eldar, as much as that is possible between Eldar arrogance and the realities of the 41st Millennium, Transformers are amongst the very few individuals who can be said to have met Harlequins on peaceful terms. There are even accounts of Autobots, or more rarely Decepticons, who have seen the Harlequins perform.

Dark Eldar: If Autobots and Craftworld or Exodite Eldar can be said to be on good terms, that cannot be said to be the case for their dealings with the Dark Eldar. Even the Decepticons don't like the Dark Eldar. These vampiric degenerates disgust the Transformers, especially since there are elders who can remember the time before the Fall and see how the Dark Eldar have learned nothing. Meanwhile, the existence of the Transformers offends the Dark Eldar to the depths of their shriveled, bleeding souls; by their very existence, Cybertronians put a lie to the Dark Eldar's claims to be the only race that really matters, diminishing the glory of their heritage. They eagerly seek the destruction of all Transformers, striving to draw them into their labs to be tormented; the soul-stuff of a Transformer is unimaginably potent, compared to that of a human or an ork.

Tyranids: Although one might think that their artificial nature makes Transformers inedible to Tyranids, to do so is to underestimate their drive for raw material. They absorb minerals as readily as protein and calcium, but even beyond that, Transformers are organisms in their own right, with their own alien genetic materials to assimilate. The Transformers respond to the Tyranids with the same ferocity they show against the Orks, deploying their most powerful weapons and striving to burn them from the stars. The Decepticons and Autobots readily find common cause, as both races see the Tyranids as needing to be exterminated. Just they prospect of an entire Hive Fleet assimilating Cybertronian biology is terrifying enough for the Imperial Inquisition to cooperate with the defense of a Transformer world.

Tau Empire: please kill me

Necrons: Transformers and Necrons have a uninque relationship, being alike yet different in so many ways. They're both races of living machines with highly advanced technology and many seek to rebuild their once great ancient empires. Yet Necrons are soulless while Transformers have souls in the form of sparks, and Necrons are almost always zealously seeking the extermination of other races or driven by insanity and their own selfish goals. Autobots will sometimes have shaky alliances with Necron Lords in exchange for fuel and protection. Decepticons, however, are not above either taking Tomb Worlds for themselves or ally themselves with more extreme and omnicidal Dynasties, most notably the Maynarkh Dynasty. On another note, there have been terrifying but unconfirmed sightings of Cybertronians who have fallen victim to the dreaded Necron flayer virus. The truthfulness of these claims is unclear, but the simple premise of Flayed Transformers is terrifying enough for both Autobot and Decepticon alike to take extreme precautions when dealing with Flayed Ones.

Specialist Transformers

Multi-formers: Although all Cybertronians can transform, shifting between more than two forms at once is a specialised skill, and one held in much esteem by the majority who cannot. Most multi-formers are only capable of shifting between three different forms, though often diametrically different. The process requires a considerable amount of mental flexibility to master, and there are stereotypes portraying multi-formers as dangerous and/or unstable as a side effect. Even if the skill is developed, actually achieving it requires extensive physical modifications to the chassis, allowing a Cybertronian to actually shift between its various forms. Multi-formers are about equal between the Autobot/Decepticon divide; the Autobots are generally more mentally stable and disciplined, making it easier for them to successfully attain this status, whilst Decepticons are more likely to care about the combat boost over the risk to the Cybertronian's mental health.

Combiners/Gestalts: Akin to multi-formers, combiners and gestalts are unique transformers on both a mental and a physical basis. On a practical level, both variants are the same; transformers who can physically merge together in order to assume a single, more powerful form. The difference is in the numbers; combiners consist of only two individuals, whilst gestalts consist of three or more. Beyond that, the actual mechanics for the merging varies widely from partnership to partnership; a merging transformer may come together to form a unique vehicle mode, a beast mode, or, more iconically, a gargantuan humanoid mode. As a general rule, combiners tend to be more stable than gestalts, and many combiners are in fact transformer mutants who can divide their sparks between two chassis as once. Gestalts, however, are always based on multiple individual transformers, and this resultant combination of minds often goes wrong. Many gestalts in their merged form are insane, as personality conflicts are magnified and exaggerated, leading in the worst cases to transformers literally at war with themselves. Others are too sane, with their mental similarities intermeshing and strengthening each other until they become equally deranged. Stereotypically, combiners are more common amongst the Autobots, who tend to be better at getting along in such a fashion, whilst the Decepticon prize of lethality over sanity means they are more willing to risk gestalts becoming dangers to their own side as well. In truth, both types of merger can be found on both sides of the alignment divide.

Pretenders: Although any Cybertronian can assume any kind of form, when it comes to organic based alternate forms - beast forms - the results are less than convincing. Even the best of such disguises are clearly mechanical, cybernetic monstrosities that can't hope to walk amongst organics. The pretenders, however, have achieved a whole new level of realism. Using rarer advanced mechanisms for transformation, these Cybertronians can alter their size and mass as well as their bodies, allowing them to walk amongst organics undetected. Though one may think that the Autobots make greater use of this technology, in truth, they have almost as little need for it as most Decepticons do; the Imperium is a nightmarish horror that the Autobots want nothing to do with, whilst amongst Tau or Eldar, their true form is better for mingling. Only one faction makes extensive use of this art as a group; Starscream's Brigade. These elite Decepticon agents infiltrate, manipulate and subvert human civilisation to further their own goals, and are one of the greatest nightmares that the Inquisition has faced. For as realistic as the shell may look, that is all that it is; many Imperial Assassins have fatally underestimated their targets and been torn apart when their victim proved more than meets the eye.

Masters: Another breed of Cybertronian associated mostly with the exploitative Decepticons allied to Starscream in these dark days, transformer masters form unique partnerships with organics. Cybernetically converted into pseudo-cybertronians, these "partners" are mentally and physically linked to a Cybertronian warrior, enhancing both in specific and deadly ways. This level of trust is almost unheard of in the 41st millennium; most "partners" are recruited from Decepti-cults, or, more likely, were literally bred for the role, on lost human or xenos worlds that have fallen under the sway of Cybertronian influence or been completely conquered by transformers for generations.

• Targetmasters: The most common of the master types, the partners for these Cybertronians assume the form of powerful weapons. With the partner's own independent mind and senses, they have unparalleled accuracy and drastically heightened response time - at least, such is the theory. Stereotypically, targetmasters tend to be either elite snipers, delivering death with nanometer precision, or walking artillery batteries, sweeping the enemy aside under a torrential deluge of firepower.
• Powermasters: Rarer than targetmasters, powermasters are Cybertronians whose partners transform into their engines. Such transformers are typically incapable of independently transforming, requiring the interlink of their partner to catalyze the shift between forms, but they gain considerable advances; their partners are capable of fighting alongside of them in either form, ensuring they always have an ally literally to hand. Furthermore, when interlinked, a powermaster's partner supercharges the Cybertronian's physical structure. Such a transformer has increased speed and strength, their reflexes are heightened drastically and even their self-repair systems operate more smoothly. Powermasters are often adrenaline junkies and speed demons, with a propensity to nervous twitches.
• Headmasters: Rarest of all, even amongst Starscream's Brigade, a headmaster is the ultimate transformer-organic interface. Physically transforming into the cranial processing unit of their transformer partner, a headmaster is a fusion of two minds, offering increased perspective, knowledge, skills, processing power and abilities. When they interlink, the two can think faster and clearer than ever... assuming their personalities are compatible; the risk of lethal madness is another factor keeping these transformers rare. What makes them especially valuable, particularly to Starscream, is that headmasters are the only transformers who can use psychic powers. The organic mind within grants them a connection to the warp, whilst the Cybertronic mind enhances the organic's ability to protect itself from daemonic predators and channel warp energy. Though active skill is traditional psionic powers is uncommon, headmasters tend to be experts at countering psychic powers and master daemon-slayers, channeling warp energies in ways even the Eldar are hard-pressed to match to rend daemons asunder.

Famous Transformers

Primus: (insert text here)

Unicron: (insert text here)

Optimus Prime: (insert text here)

Megatron: (insert text here)

Rodimus Prime: (insert text here)

Ultra Magnus: (insert text here)

Grimlock: Of all the senior Autobots, Grimlock was the only one that refused to join the Covenant of Primus. After the establishment of the Covenant, Grimlock when out on his own, obsessively searching for his team of Dinobots who had disappeared in the aftermath of the Horus Heresy. If there are any sightings of his teammates in a given system, one can be sure that Grimlock will be the first there, cutting bloody paths through whoever gets in his way. The most famous occurrence was on the moon of a dead world, where Grimlock dueled a Bloodthirster in order to find his comrade Slag. When Grimlock discovered he wasn't there, he proceeded to butcher every daemon on the moon, from the smallest Bloodletter to the lead Bloodthister. Rodimus Prime and other members of the Covenant worry that the Blood God is somehow manipulating Grimlock into falling to Chaos, but whether he has succeeded in doing so has yet to be seen. Over time he has developed a small retinue of Autobots who gather around the powerful Dinobot for protection and to help him in his quest of searching for his brethren.

Galvatron: (insert text here)

Soundwave: (insert text here)

Shockwave: (insert text here)

Starscream: (insert text here)

Transformers Timeline

M30:

M31: A daemon world, a world of ashes and fire in the realm of Khorne, disappears. All that's left in its place is rubble and spiraling Warp energy. It becomes the first in the next several millennia to disappear in and around the Eye of Terror.

See Also

• Codex: Transformers - The official attempt to make a 40k codex to use with this fluff.

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