Changes: Grotesque

Revision as of 21:15, 25 September 2020

"Forgive you? My dear, what is there to forgive when you will be my greatest masterpiece to date?"

— Krallyx, Haemonculus of the Altered

Grotesques are hulking, monstrous Drukhari creations with incredible strength and weaponry, horrors that the Haemonculi often use as shock troops to break enemy lines. Unlike Wracks, none join the ranks of the Grotesque willingly. Most who undergo the long, excruciatingly painful process of transformation are captured slaves of Drukahri raids or other subjects who have displeased their Haemonculi or their Archon.

Many Haemonculi believe the creation of fleshy horrors to be the pinnacle of their esoteric craft. They maintain that to take an uninspiring form and transform it into a work of dark magnificence is to prove oneself superior to the idiot biology of nature. These master flesh-crafters constantly try to out do each other by crafting ever more violent and outlandish Grotesques.

Some of their creations are seething hulks of muscle and hypersteroid, others living weapons platforms that boast a variety of large scale torture implements. These musclebound horrors are gathered together into loose cells and led into battle by their creator, their destructive capabilities thoroughly field-tested upon their master’s chosen victims. Once their killing fury abates, they are gathered up and returned to the slab for further ‘modifications’.

Role

Birth of Grotesque — A Drukhari Grotesque comes to life by an unknown Haemonculi

The process by which a captive becomes a Grotesque begins with a series of painful and humiliating body modifications. Though the process often takes years to complete, the hapless victim is constantly pumped full of growth elixirs, macro-steroids and muscle stimulants until their form has swollen grossly out of proportion. Bone growth is driven into hyperactivity by injections of osseovirals, resulting in external spines that curve over the meaty back of the tortured recipient.

After its transformation the Grotesque is usually clinically lobotomised, though some are left dimly aware of their surroundings, the better to understand the full horror of what has befallen them. Either way, the Grotesque becomes mindlessly obedient, able to comprehend and execute only the simplest of tasks. Their slack and terror-etched face is sealed forever behind a mask of black iron, and they lumber dripping from the Haemonculi flesh-pods a new and entirely subservient creature whose only desire is to serve their dark master.

Grotesque in Battle — A Drukhari Grotesque slaughters an Ork Warboss

On the march to battle, these meat-hulks shamble forlornly after their macabre keepers, but when given the command to kill, they transform into engines of destruction. With a great muffled roar the Grotesques thunder into battle, butchering all within reach with hook, claw and cleaver. They absolutely will not stop until they receive their master’s command to cease. If this command is not heard, perhaps because their master is temporarily dead or the din of war is too great, the Grotesques will continue to kill everything within reach -- including other Drukhari.

Whether the tiny spark of the individuals left within the Grotesques take a measure of satisfaction in this unbridled carnage can never be known, but one thing is certain -- a Grotesque has plenty of pent-up aggression within its bruised and muscular frame, and it is not a good idea to be nearby when it is released.

Unit Composition

3 Grotesques

Wargear

Gnarlskin
Liquifier Gun
Flesh Gauntlet
Monstrous Cleaver

Sources

Codex: Drukhari (8th Edition), pp. 71, 98
Codex: Dark Eldar (7th Edition), pg. 83
Codex: Dark Eldar (5th Edition), pg. 39
Codex: Dark Eldar (3rd Edition), pg. 8
Dark Heresy: Enemies Without (RPG) (Cover), pg. 116
Haemonculus Covens - A Codex: Dark Eldar Supplement (7th Edition)
Games Workshop site - Grotesque
Warhammer 40,000: Conquest Collectible Card Game (Picture)

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 The process by which a captive becomes a Grotesque begins with a series of painful and humiliating body modifications. Though the process often takes years to complete, the hapless victim is constantly pumped full of growth elixirs, macro-steroids and muscle stimulants until their form has swollen grossly out of proportion. Bone growth is driven into hyperactivity by injections of osseovirals, resulting in external spines that curve over the meaty back of the tortured recipient.
-After their transformation Grotesque is usually clinically lobotomised, though some are left dimly aware of their surroundings, the better to understand the full horror of what has befallen them. Either way, the Grotesque becomes mindlessly obedient, able to comprehend and execute only the simplest of tasks. Their slack and terror-etched face is sealed forever behind a mask of black iron, and they lumber dripping from the Haemonculi flesh-pods a new and entirely subservient creature whose only desire is to serve their dark master.
+After its transformation the Grotesque is usually clinically lobotomised, though some are left dimly aware of their surroundings, the better to understand the full horror of what has befallen them. Either way, the Grotesque becomes mindlessly obedient, able to comprehend and execute only the simplest of tasks. Their slack and terror-etched face is sealed forever behind a mask of black iron, and they lumber dripping from the Haemonculi flesh-pods a new and entirely subservient creature whose only desire is to serve their dark master.
 [[File:Grotesque in Battle.jpeg|thumb|250px|A [[Drukhari]] Grotesque slaughters an [[Ork]] [[Warboss]]]]