Spyrer

Spyrers (or Spyre Hunters) are a subsect of high nobility from some hive worlds in the Imperium.

Overview

Within the industrial underhives of a hive city, where the gangs of the ruling houses compete for the scarce resources, the upper nobility also commit their own groups of "gangs" to the underhive conflicts for a different purpose.

Traditionally Spyrer groups are composed of the unproven youths of the noble houses born in the upper levels of the hive where they have known little want or hardship. These groups then descend into the lower levels to undertake a vow that has been impressed upon them by a sponsor Patriarch or Matriarch, either to survive unaided in the depths of the undercity for a designated length of time, or to obtain a designated number of kills. They are not permitted to return until their task is complete.

In this way the unproven individuals of the decadent noble houses will prove themselves as ruthless and resourceful and thus suited for leadership roles within hive politics.

Occasionally some individuals gain such a taste for the hunt that they return to the underhive as part of other Spyrer hunts, or they sponsor future groups as Patriarchs or Matriarchs themselves.

The names for the non Patriarch/Matriarch suits have been noted to match up pretty well with words from the Tau lexicon. No official word on the matter has been issued.

Equipment

Each Spyrer is granted a unique Hunting Rig which is a miraculous piece of technology which outstrips much of the combat materiel used by any other Imperial organisation, perhaps even the Adeptus Astartes. Hunting Rigs act as a suit of armour with built-in weaponry and cybernetic enhancements.

It is self-sustaining, providing sustenance to the wearer so that they are not burdened by the requirement of food. It is also self-repairing, so that they do not require regular maintenance.

However the most important feature of the hunting rig is their power boosting system. As the wearer fights and gains experience in combat, the hunting rig will adapt and evolve to suit the wearer by increasing power to certain systems, (essentially Leveling up) unlocking previously unavailable abilities and new potential as the hunt continues.

Dark Heresy presents pieces of wargear built by the Jokaero for nobles in the Calixis sector, which are essentially the same as the ones found on Necromunda, these suits are scary as hell. Boosting the wearer's WS, Strength, Agility and Perception as well as granting a butt-ton of additional talents, turning the wearer into a 40k Ninja. However, the actual armour protection of the suit itself amounts to very little, so the user must rely on their enhanced reflexes to avoid injury or on some suits alternative defensive capabilities such as force fields or shields.

These suits are locked onto implants connected to the wearers central nervous system ensuring a seamlessly perfect fit, though make it practically impossible for someone else to wear the suit and even then they would have to have exactly the same body size and shape, so they are essentially useless as loot items or salvage.

Hunting Rig Classifications

Although each Hunting Rig is unique, they are designed to incorporate ritualised combinations of weaponry, so that groupings of hunting styles can be identified. But as the suits adapt to suit the wearer, even two suits that were similarly designed may be completely different by the end of the hunt.

• The Orrus is the most brutal of the Spyre aspects. Specialising in brute force, they are characterised by oversized, piston-powered arms containing Bolt Launchers built into the fists. They are also protected from shooting attacks by a force field. Orrus rigs typically evolve by increasing the caliber and firing rate of the Bolt Launchers or by increasing the effectiveness of their force field.
• Jakara are the lightest but most agile of the Spyre hunters, specialising in speed and mobility. They are equipped with a Sword with a Monomolecular edge and a unique Mirror Shield which can absorb energy-based attacks and fire it back at their enemies. Jakara rigs evolve by increasing the mobility and speed of the wearer, as well as increasing the sharpness of their sword. They also adapt by expanding the types of energy absorbed by their shield.
• Malcadon are the most subtle and cunning of the Spyre groups. They are armed like spiders, with Web Spinnarets designed to immobilise the enemy so they can be torn apart by their vicious claws. They are also equipped with climbing hooks and hydraulic pistons to allow the wearer to reach perfect ambush points. The Spinnaret weapons can also be used to generate strands of web to aid in climbing. These suits evolve by synthesising neurotoxins for application to their claws, or by increasing the range and area of their Spinnaret weapons.
• Yeld are the most peculiar Spyrers, being equipped with Chameleonic armour and razor-edged wings. They are armed with multiple laser tubes built into their gauntlets. Though their wings do allow them to fly, they make for better gliders. Their wings also incorporate the chameleonic technology which makes them difficult to track. Yeld can evolve by increasing the chameleonic response and the sharpness of their wing-blades, as well as by increasing the focus and fire-rate of their laser gauntlets.
• Patriarch armour offers the best protection of all the Spyrer armours, and it is only worn by those who have already proven themselves and cannot evolve further. It is equipped with four Mechadendrite arms; two wielding power claws and two with pulse lasers that can track and target multiple opponents simultaneously due to the advanced sensor arrays built into the rig.
• Matriarch armour is designed for quietly stalking opponents from the shadows and slaying them up close, equipped with a camo-cloak to hide their position and mask their movements so that they cannot be tracked either at range or in melee. They expertly dual-wield a large chainscythe and a monomolecular blade. Their armour offers the highest levels of speed and mobility and cannot evolve any further.