Pursuer Beast

The Iron Lynx Pursuer Cadre of the Silent Sisterhood during the Horus Heresy, preparing to release their Pursuer Beasts -- in this case Cyber-mastiffs -- to hunt down a target.

A Pursuer Beast is a cybernetic or robotic construct in the form of a Terran animal like a Cyber-jackal, Cyber-mastiff or Steeltalon Hawk used by the Pursuer cadres of the Sisters of Silence to hunt down their prey, usually Rogue Psykers, insurrectionaries or any others who would interfere with the Imperium's collection of the Great Tithe of psykers.

These creatures come in a wide variety of types and are augmetically-enhanced with various bionics for their role. Some are a mixture of organic flesh and machine, while others are almost wholly mechanical with only the central nervous system using vat-grown or three-dimensional printed organic layers created by Adeptus Mechanicus genetors to take the cortical imprint. There are a great variety of Pursuer Beasts which are selected from the most deadly wildlife found across the Imperium. They are hand-reared by their Pursuers and mnemonically conditioned to obey their handlers without question.

Notable Pursuer Beasts

• Cyber-mastiff

• Cyber-jackal

• Steeltalon Hawk

• Cyber Felidae - Cyber Felidae are created through the cybernetic conversion of many of the great hunting cat species to be found across the galaxy.

• Cyber Raptor - Much like a Steeltalon HAwk, a Cyber Raptor is created from one of the species of great hunting avians that can be found on many of the Human-settled worlds of the Imperium.

• Cyber Caiman - A Cyber Caiman is a vicious cybernetic reptile created from aligatorid caiman species. These Pursuer Beasts are particularly useful at hunting prey on Ocean Worlds and Swamp Worlds and excel at underwater ambushes.

Sources

• Horus Heresy: Collected Visions (Art Book), pg. 152
• The Horus Heresy Book Seven: Inferno (Forge World Series) by Alan Bligh, pg. 271
• Warhammer: The Horus Heresy Second Edition - Liber Imperium (Specialty Game), pg. 59