| abstract
| - Genestealers are known to change over the generations. The different variations between broods can be quite marked, but the Ymgarl Genestealer is truly unique because it possesses the ability to alter its own flesh to react to incoming attacks or to change its colour like a chameleon so that it can blend into its surroundings and remain unseen until it escapes or attacks. Its claw-tipped fingers can suddenly elongate and fuse together to form curved blades and barbed hooks or split apart into tentacles of sinewy alien flesh to slash or entangle those victims who try to escape. Under assault its chitinous carapaces can thicken and help its leathery hide absorb the energy of incoming melee or ranged assaults. Some Imperial observers who have had contact with this creature have even reported this strain of Genestealer's ability to change the colour of their skins, so as to better go undetected in the darkness of night or other extreme light conditions. But this extreme adaptability comes at a high price for this bioform. Ymgarl Genestealers must feed on large amounts of biomatter, and feed often. Ymgarl Genestealers' most distinctive feature is the mass of writhing tentacles that replaced the fanged mouth found on the standard strain of Genestealer which they use to pierce their victim's flesh to better feed upon the blood within -- this strain's only source of real nutrients. Those Ymgarl Genestealers that cannot obtain adequate nourishment to feed their raging metabolisms in this way will be forced to enter a state of dormant hiberation or starve to death. Within this state they will wait until something living -- and filled with fresh blood -- comes to disturb their dreamless sleep. The origins of the Ymgarl Genestealers remain a complete mystery to Imperial savants, for they do not seem to have been a strain of bioform created by any of the Hive Fleets already known to have invaded Imperial space. It may be that they are the last survivors of a Tyranid reconnaissance of the galaxy before the arrival of Hive Fleet Behemoth. Even stranger, whilst the survival instincts of the other Genestealer strains leads them to flee the oncoming arrival of their parent Hive Fleets, Ymgarl Genestealers actively seek them out, as if they hope to once again hear the comforting presence of the Hive Mind that has long been absent from their thoughts. They spread across the galaxy searching for these inhabited planets that lie in the path of an approaching Hive Fleet. Once there they will lie dormant in hibernation until the Hive Mind reasserts contact with them and they can hunt alongside the rest of the Tyranid swarm. However, the Hive Mind has no desire to reabsorb their biomass or genetic legacies, lest their known instability spread throughout all of the bioforms in the Hive Fleet. Once the target world has had all of its biomass devoured, the Ymgarl Genestealer brood is abandoned by the Hive Mind, forced once more to enter hibernation. Unfortunately, many human starships ofen investigate the Dead Worlds left in the wake of a Tyranid attack. They come to learn more about the horrific xenos, in the forlorn hope of discovering some miraculous survivors or as scavengers come to pick over whatever wealth may remain. These fools and idealists often leave the world with a far more deadly cargo hidden within their holds, ready to spread the cycle of death and terror anew.
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