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Zagdramelek
Chaos Patron of Genestealers
The Chaos Patron Zagdramelek (Zag-DRAH-meh-lek) represents the amalgam of the psychic outrage suffered by all Genestealer Patriarchs who have had their children usurped from them by the Tyranid Hive Mind.
Upon approaching a planet upon which Genestealers and their hybrids have gotten a thriving foothold, Tyranids reach out with their collective hive mind to take possession of the Genestealers and their ilk, psychically dominating them all, obliterating their free will, and putting them to use as frontline shocktroops in the Tyranids’ immediately forthcoming violent occupation of the planet.
After the psychic domination of the cult, the Tyranids nearly always commit to battle the Genestealer cult first of all their forces in their ferocious war to subdue the planet. And if any pathetic survivors should remain alive at the end of it all, they are not thanked for their servitude nor even allowed to live on but merely added to the slurry of creature-materials harvested from the conquered world so that the Tyranid fleet may expand still further into the cosmos and inflict their horrors on countless other worlds populated in part by Genestealers and their hybrid families.
Their minds freed at the moment of death, so many Genestealer Patriarchs have felt such soul-rending outrage at the awful fate of their families and children that somewhere deep in the shimmering, swirling eddies of Warp Space their collective indignation long ago coalesced into a single awesome and terrible being; the Chaos Patron of the Genestealers, Zagdramelek.
However, it is noteworthy that even amongst Genestealer cults, knowledge of the existence of the Chaos deity Zagdramelek is comparatively uncommon, as many Genestealer cults begin and in fact spend their whole existences in complete isolation from the countless other Genestealer colonies scattered about the cosmos. If it is known, it is usually due to the visitation of the god to a Patriarch or Magus in a dream or vision. Even then, worship of Zagdramelek is confined strictly to the upper tier of the cult hierarchy, for it would not do for the families and children of the Genestealers to know what fate awaits them once the Tyranids eventually arrive to conquer, occupy, and effectively digest the planet. In many Genestealer cults, awareness of Zagdramelek represents a secretive inner circle; a cult within a cult.
Even so, in a few Genestealer colonies, Zagdramelek is known and worshipped by all as the sole god of the Genestealers and knowledge of him is common to all the family. Indeed icons and triptychs of him might be prayed to in every dwelling and chapel in the cult’s compound. Yet the more esoteric understanding of the god and what he truly represents is kept from the lay members of the cult and retained only by the guiding leaders and their most trusted initiates.
Worship of Zagdramelek often consists of first an offering to the god in the form of consolatory prayers for his legions of lost children and their collective shadow in the Warp (which are part of the god himself) and then a prayer that he rejoice in those children of his which are still proliferating in the physical realm. After this may follow various other rituals such as divination of the present position of the Tyranid Hive Fleets relative to the cult homeworld, or the summoning of one of Zagdramelek’s daemons for guidance or counsel, or for the performance of some errand; be it the theft of some coveted book or artefact of power, assassination, the revelation of desirable secret information, or the bringing of the cult’s influence upon the planet’s conventional authorities through an intimidating demonic visitation.
From his dwelling place deep in the Warp, Zagdramelek will often direct his psychic resources to render assistance to those Patriarchs who make the most regular and generous offerings and prayers and who are in the most danger, sending his daemons in a disembodied state to attempt to influence the hated Tyranid Hive Mind away from the cult’s homeworld with misdirecting whisperings, so that the children of his favoured Patriarchs may continue to thrive and multiply unmolested.
Zagdramelek is depicted as a huge Genestealer squatting from the weight of his ponderous belly which represents hope and good fortune for his worshippers; the bountiful favour he shows his devout children in the physical universe. His ovipositor tongue protrudes representing the forward momentum of the procreation of his children in spite of the Tyranids periodically usurping and liquidating them. In his clawed hands he holds aloft the legendary ovoid scrying gem called the Book of Zagdramelek, which shows him astral records of all the works and deeds of his Patriarchs and their children throughout history. Be they glorious or shameful, long or brief, Zagdramelek sees and watches the lives of his children, bestowing upon his most magnificent and pious children his chaos gifts.
It is not unusual (though by no means common) for a Genestealer coven which has turned to chaos to facilitate a faster road to power, by worshipping Khorne or Nurgle for example, to actually be guided by a tiny inner cabal which itself secretly worships only Zagdramelek.
It is only upon learning that a Tyranid Hive Fleet is approaching their system that the cult authorities would finally reveal to their followers the whole truth about the existence of Zagdramelek, for in him lies salvation; the cult’s only hope of resisting being taken over by the Tyranid Hive Mind and being utterly subsumed into its numberless legions. It is then that the Patriarch and Magus lead the entire brood in a special deep meditation ceremony in which the cult family’s collective solidarity, along with a great amount of psychic help from their Chaos patron Zagdramelek, surrounds and isolates their collective brood mind in a protective pocket-maelstrom of warp energy that is maintained by him until the crisis reaches its conclusion. Rendered immune from the influence of the encroaching Tyranid Hive Mind in this way, a Genestealer cult protected by Zagdramelek is sometimes able to fight it’s way to a space port, locate a suitable space freighter, and escape to start a new colony on the other side of the galaxy, leaving their original planet behind as doomed. Other times the cult has no choice but to stand and fight, often shoulder to shoulder with the planet’s untainted indigenous population however unlikely the alliance. Many times however, despite being immune to the domination of the Hive Mind, the cult’s resistance may prove to be in vain against the sheer might of the awesome Tyranid juggernaut, and the cult will be totally wiped out along with the rest of the planet’s species to feed the ever hungry hive. It is on these occasions however, that the extinguished cult’s collective wraith-shadows will join Zagdramelek and the rest of his immortal spirit-children in the Warp, and in continued defiance of the Tyranids, coalesce in the form of a new greater demon to join Zagdramelek’s slowly growing demonic legions...
The name of Zagdramelek is said to be a portmanteau of the Old Kingdom Ymgarlese words meaning “ancestor-father”, “sanctuary” or “refuge”, and “indignant ghost”. This latter word, (melek) having connotations of a wrathful spectre that returns from the grave to avenge it’s murdered family; the term melek being found perhaps most notably in the Ymgarl Saga of the Glass Sea in which it is employed in just such a capacity, denoting a spirit avenger that delivers a grizzly comeuppance to the antagonists at the end of that evocative mythic ballad.
Genestealer cults which worship Zagdramelek are sheltered from the controlling effects of the Tyranid Hive Mind by their chaos patron and may engage in battle against Tyranids.
If fighting Tyranids, an entire Genestealer cult or Genestealer coven which has a Patriarch and Magus that worship Zagdramelek Hates all Tyranid synapse creatures, as the cultists have been whipped up into a fury after hearing oration on the subject of how Genestealer families throughout the universe are incessantly usurped and exploited; used as cannon fodder by the utterly ruthless Tyranid Hive Mind, and that afterward they stand only to be brutally absorbed back into the great breeding chambers of the Hive Fleet, the large families they struggled so hard to raise and maintain reduced merely to so much recycled protein...
The Daemonic pantheon of Zagdramelek
Daemons of Zagdramelek are most frequently sent into the material universe to assist his devout worshippers in resisting Tyranid attacks against a cult’s homeworld. But these Daemons are known to be glimpsed operating in physical matter under other circumstances as well. Daemonic representatives are frequently sent to support Zagdramelek’s most favoured children in battle against any force which threatens to actually eradicate them.
All Daemons of Zagdramelek Hate Tyranid synapse creatures but are otherwise totally immune to psychology.
The Greater Daemon of Zagdramelek:
The Dreadliche of Zagdramelek
M 6/WS 7/BS 3/S 10/T 7/W 6/I 10/A 5/LD 10/INT 9/CL 10/WP 9
Based on Genestealer Patriarch
Has all natural abilities thereof
Daemonic Trappings:
1. Chaos Armour
2. wings, horns, tail
Chaos Attributes:
1. Crossbreed with Liche (profile from WHA Undead)
2. Teleport [may teleport himself or anyone; see the chaos attribute rules]
3. Skull face with a prominent knobbled ridge of a Genestealer Hybrid extending vertically up the forehead. His horns jut from the sides of the head and point forwards
4. Invent your own: Breathes warpfire: exactly as flamer special weapon but causes D6 automatic wounds against Tyranid creatures)
5. Razor Sharp Claws [in the form of two paired sets of GS tri-claws]
6. Enormously Fat
7. Fast
The Lesser Daemon of Zagdramelek:
Warp Wraiths of Zagdramelek
M 5/WS 5/BS 0/S 4/T 4/W 1/I 5/A 3/LD 7/INT 7/CL 10/WP 8
[The Warp Wraith looks like the upper half of a Genestealer with a long ghostly tail wisp trailing from the waist. Mounted on flying base. Can be black as shadow or spectrally glowing.]
Based on Genestealer
Has all natural abilities of Genestealers and Wraiths [WFB]
(Although it is a fusion of a physical and an ethereal creature, it is in fact a solely daemonic creature, and can behave as one or the other at different times.)
Chaos Attributes:
1. Crossbreed with Wraith
2. Skull or hooded face
The Demonic Mount of Zagdramelek:
Direspawn of Zagdramelek
M 7/WS 6/BS 0/S 6/T 5/W 3/I 2/A 3/LD 9/INT 5/CL 8/WP 5
Based on a Giant Spider
[Looks like a furry Genestealer torso with five spider legs, four tentacles, 2 oversized GS claw arms, and a ridged GS face peering out from the furry torso.
Chaos Attributes:
1. Crossbreed w/ Genestealer [gains 2 GS claw arms, torso, and GS head]
2. Overgrown body part [GS claw arms]
3. Additional arms +2
4. Tentacles [two legs]
5. Furry
6. Headless, face in torso
One leg lost during daemonic steed creation
The Daemonic Beast of Zagdramelek:
Warp Shadow of Zagdramelek
M 6/WS 5/BS 0/S 5/T 4/W 1/I 6/A 3/LD 9/INT 3/CL 9/WP 8
Based on Astral Hound
Has all natural abilities of Genestealers and Astral Hounds
A black amorphous mass with numerous protruding Genestealer claws.
Eyes, teeth, and spidery pseudopodia are sometimes glimpsed.
Chaos Attributes:
1. Crossbreed with Genestealer
The Daemonic Servant of Zagdramelek:
The Genestealer Familiar
[see rules for familiars elsewhere]
A Daemon Prince of Zagdramelek:
Gorzazeloch Phantasmodaiathan (formerly Bozz Nasheridite of Voldyggia)
M 7/WS 10/BS 1/S 10/T 8/W 8/I 10/A 6/LD 9/INT 10/CL 8/WP 8
Originally a Genestealer Magus
Became a Daemon Prince in the service first of Khorne and then Zagdramelek
Chaos Attributes:
1. Chaos Lord: S+2, T+1, W+2, I+3, A+3, Ld+1, Int+3
2. Fast M+3
3. Weapon Master WS+6
4. One eye
5. Long nose
Chaos Gifts:
1. Mark of Khorne
2. Cabochon of Zagdramelek
3. Hates Tyranid synapse creatures
4. Strength +3
5. Warpfire Breath
6. Chaos Armour
7. overgrown Genestealer claws exactly like a Direspawn; WS+1, S+1, T+1, W+1, A+2, I-1
8. Chaos Armour (Save 3+, bonded to body; T+1
9. EYE OF GOD (Becomes Daemon Prince; Sx2, T+2, Wx2, Ix2)
The Chaos Gifts of Zagdramelek
After generating a Gift of the Gods result on the Chaos Reward Table, roll a D100 and apply the result to Zagdramelek’s champion, Patriarch, or Magus follower:
01-06 Face of a Dreadliche [the champion’s face becomes a horned skull with a prominent knobbled ridge of a Genestealer Hybrid extending vertically up the forehead.]
07-15 May become Ethereal at will and when ethereal gains a Chill attack exactly as Warp Wraith of Zagdramelek
16-22 Chaos Lord (see the Chaos attribute)
23-27 Gains an additional pair of overgrown Genestealer claws exactly like a Direspawn; WS+1, S+1, T+1, W+1, A+2, I-1
28-33 If the champion is a Psyker he can now draw a single random bonus power from the adeptus, Librarian, or Inquisition deck each battle in addition to his Tyranid powers. If the champion is not a Psyker, he is given a characteristic gain of M+2, WS+1, S+1, and T+1
34-39 gains Rapid Regeneration (see the Chaos attribute)
40-44 Hates Tyranid synapse creatures
45-50 becomes pot-bellied and fat like Zagdramelek; T+1, I-1, Ld+2
51-54 Gains D6 additional Genestealer claws; increase Attacks characteristic accordingly.
55-58 Magic Artefact:
D4:
1. Medallion of Zagdramelek
If reduced to zero wounds, the champion may apply the effects of the chaos attribute Rapid Regeneration once per battle. Additionally, the effective range of Hypnotic Gaze is increased by 12” for this character
2. Cabochon of Zagdramelek
Can nullify a psychic attack on 4+
Against Tyranids this may be re-rolled once each turn.
3. Staff of Zagdramelek
Functions as a force rod. If unable to wield weapons a Genestealer may pass this on to one of his followers.
4. Diadem of Zagdramelek
The wearer may attempt to summon and command a single Warp Shadow of Zagdramelek per battle in exactly the manner of an Astral Hound.
59-62 Crossbreed with Direspawn
63-69 Teleportation (just as Dreadliche)
70-77 Genestealer Familiar
78-84 Warpfire breath (see Dreadliche)
85-93 Rune of Zagdramelek
94-97 Daemonic Name
98-00 Chaos Attribute
The Chaos Rune of Zagdramelek
