Editing Nobledark Imperium Drafts (section)

=== Xenos Classifications ===

As the Great Crusade made its way across the stars, back before the Eldar joined and the Imperium was merely the Imperium of Man, the nascent Imperium encountered numerous forms of sentient alien life. Some were non-aggressive towards humanity but merely wished to be left alone, something the Steward was more than willing to oblige. The point of the Great Crusade was to strengthen and unite humanity, not start a hundred petty wars that could weaken humanity in the future via a death of a thousand cuts. Other races, like the Kinebrach or the Eldar of Colchis, were interested in interacting with humanity on peaceful terms, either coexisting as equals or acting as trading partners. The Steward allowed this with some reservation, though he probably told the Xenos in no uncertain terms if he ever found out they were antagonizing or abusing humanity his response would be swift and vengeful. And still others, such as the Nephilem and the Laer, were just so destructive and antagonistic that they simply could not coexist with humanity and had to be destroyed. Any Xenos that would enslave or prey upon proud humanity, and as it often happened other meeker sentients alongside them, would be put to the sword.

It is these types of interactions that led to the modern Xenos classifications that we know today. Today, the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition recognizes three major types of sentient alien life:

'''Xenos Familiaris''' – Literally “familiar Xenos” in this case. Used to refer to any Xenos species that is a member of the Imperium. Eldar, Tau, Tarellans, and Demiurg are all representatives of this category. Ironically enough humans also fall into this category if used by a non-human Imperial citizen, as the term essentially means “species that are not my own that are part of the Imperium” as opposed to a human-specific term.

'''Xenos Independens''' – Xenos races that are rational enough that they can negotiate with the Imperium, but for whatever reason are not part of it. Some engage in heavily restricted trade with the Imperium (usually through Rogue Traders, as the Imperium likes to use free trade with the rest of the Imperium as a selling point for minor races to join). Others are aloof and territorial and may have even fought minor skirmishes with the Imperium, but are generally smart enough to sue for peace before things escalate beyond the point of no return. The Q’orl and the Jokaero represent the aggressive and affiliative extremes of this category, respectively. Ordo Xenos Inquisitors like to monitor Xenos Independens like a hawk, as they are ideal tools for Chaos to subvert and use against the Imperium. Most modern Xenos Familiaris (with the exception of humans, eldar, kinebrach, and a few others) were treated as Xenos Independens prior to M36, when the Demiurg were inducted as the first official non-human, non-eldar member state of the Imperium. Interestingly, the [[Nobledark_Imperium_Xenos|Necron Star Empire]] was in this category at one point when the Imperium thought they could be negotiated with until the Silent King started getting unreasonable.

'''Xenos Horrificus''' – Hostile xenos. Xenos that are aggressive, destructive, cannot be negotiated with, or have express aims to make total war upon the Imperium, and therefore should be eradicated whenever possible. A declaration of Xeno Horrificus is essentially an all-out biological declaration of war on the species. Orks, tyranids, Crone Eldar, Rak’gol, Slaugh, and Barghesi, among others, all fall into this category.

There is also a fourth category recognized, though not commonly used, by the Order Xenos to refer to Xenos that the Imperium knows little to nothing about: '''Xenos Obscuras'''. Most of the time this classification is used to refer to long-dead races that are of little to no threat to the Imperium, though sometimes it will turn out the species is not as dead as everyone once thought. This doesn't stop entertainment media from using it to explain Inquisitorial heroes finding knowledge of rarely-glimpsed xenos of rumor. If the Inquisition decides that rumors of a xenos species have enough truth to warrant a classification, it is listed as Independens (Pending) or Horrificus (Pending).

Although some Imperial citizens mistake abhumans for Xenos, there is actually a very clear line between the two. If an organism is an Earth-based lifeform originally descended from humanity, it is an abhuman, no matter what it looks like. Anything else is a Xenos, with few possible edge cases concerning ancient extraction of biological samples form earth species by Xenos later developing on other worlds.

{| class="wikitable"
!|Xenos Familiaris
!|Xenos Independens
!|Xenos Horrificus
|-
|style="width: 33%" |'''Humanity''' (including abhumans)<br> '''Eldar''' ([[Nobledark_Imperium_Notable_Planets#The_Craftworlds|Craftworld]] and Exodite)<br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Member_States#Tau_Empire|Tau]]''' (joined M39)<br> '''Demiurg''' (joined M36)<sup>1</sup><br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Member_States#Watchers_in_the_Dark|Watchers in the Dark]]''' (joined M36)<sup>2</sup><br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Member_States#Kinebrach|Kinebrach]]''' (joined M36)<sup>3</sup><br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Member_States#Tarellians|Tarellians]]''' (joined M38)<br> '''Nicassar''' (date unknown, M36-37?)<br> '''Kroot''' (joined M39)<sup>4</sup><br> '''Poctroon''' (joined M39)<sup>5</sup><br> '''Vespid''' (joined M39)<sup>5</sup><br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Member_States#Diasporex|Diasporex]]'''<sup>6</sup><br> '''Enoulians'''<br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Drafts#The_Pale_Wasting_and_the_Thexian_Trade_Empire|Thexians]]'''<sup>7</sup><br>
|style="width: 33%" |'''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Xenos#Hrud|Hrud]]'''<br> '''Jokaero'''<br> [[Nobledark_Imperium_Forces_of_Chaos#Saruthi|'''Saruthi''' (the Sane)]]<br> '''Q'orl'''<br> '''Thyrrus'''<br> '''Zoats'''<br>
|style="width: 33%" |'''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Xenos#Da_Orkz|Orks]]'''<br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Forces_of_Chaos#The_Crone_World_Eldar|Croneworld Eldar]]'''<br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Xenos#Dark_Eldar|Dark Eldar]]'''<br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Xenos#Necron_Star_Empire|Necrons]]'''<sup>8</sup><br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Xenos#Tyranids|Tyranids]]'''<br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Drafts#The_Rangdan_Xenocides_and_the_Slaugth|Slaugth]]'''<sup>9</sup><br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Xenos#Rak'gol|Rak'gol]]'''<br> '''Barghesi'''<br> '''[[Nobledark_Imperium_Xenos#Medusae|Medusae]]'''<br> [[Nobledark_Imperium_Forces_of_Chaos#Saruthi|'''Saruthi''' (the Broken)]]<br>'''†Khrave'''<br>'''†Laer'''<br> '''†Nephilem'''<br> '''†[[Nobledark_Imperium_Drafts#The_First_and_Second_Viskeon_Wars|Viskeon]]'''<br> '''†Yu'Vath'''<br>  
|}
† - Considered extinct by the Imperium<br>
<sup>1</sup> - First non-human, non-eldar species to officially join the Imperium. Offered alliance in recognition of the great help they gave the Imperium during the Age of Apostasy and the Imperial Civil War <br>
<sup>2</sup> - Were allied with the Dark Angels as early as the Great Crusade, officially didn't exist until Imperium began admitting other species in M36<br>
<sup>3</sup> - Were a protectorate of the Interex until M36, at which point they obtained separate representation <br>
<sup>4</sup> - Originally allied with the Tau, carried over when the Tau joined the Imperium. The Kroot technically don't see themselves as part of the Imperium, rather the Imperium are "preferred clients", but given they dislike Chaos as much as the rest of the Imperium does and the Necrons and tyranids don't hire mercenaries the difference is almost academic.<br>
<sup>5</sup> - Originally allies of the Tau Empire, still associated by proxy<br>
<sup>6</sup> - Technically a union of multiple species, including humans. Treated as distinct because it's unclear what species, if any, is in charge.<br>
<sup>7</sup> - Formed a Xenos Independens empire called the Thexian Trade Empire with relatively good relations with the Imperium until its destruction in M34 due to the [[Nobledark_Imperium_Drafts#The_Pale_Wasting_and_the_Thexian_Trade_Empire|Pale Wasting]]. Inducted as Xenos Familiaris when surviving representatives were found.<br>
<sup>8</sup> - Were Independens until M40 and the war sparked by the return of the Silent King, still some exceptions like the Gidrim (Nemesor Zahndrekh) and Solemnace (Trazyn the Infinite) Dynasties who are mostly Independens.<br>
<sup>9</sup> - Declared extinct multiple times