Introducing THE BROOD


In the mysterious swampland known as the Blackmire, scientists from a United Worlds corporation worked in secret on terrible living weapons. When the UW economy collapsed only the most successful samples were loaded from transport off world. The rest were unceremoniously dumped into the swamp. Most died; one did not.

The creature that was to become the Brood Mere had been designed to be capable of locating and communicating with soldiers across a battlefield. Now she sought out two of the other prototypes, nicknamed Helexa and Mean Jellybean, with whom she had developed a close bond. The evacuation was confused and chaotic, and the young Mere was able to free her two companions before they were sent off-planet. Vanishing into the swamp the three lay low and waited for the humans to leave.

Once the facility was cleared they moved back in. Huge data banks had been left behind and the Mere studied them with interest, avidly learning as much human knowledge as she could. Meanwhile outside the fertile swamp-waters seethed with dumped bio-matter. New creatures sprang into life, then died and sank into the primordial stew, only to be recycled into new life forms. The telepathic Mere felt the pain of every birth, and the loss of each death. Driven mad she fled into the marsh, merging herself with the great spawning pool and taking control of it.

From that point on she was able to use the pool as a womb, creating children to her own specifications. The Brood were born. Whilst other races must master technology the Brood can simply evolve new creatures, perfectly suited to the task in hand. Thus were formed the tiny puds and the massive numbskulls, the vicious sawblades and the fast moving gazelles. Helexa and Mean Jellybean have remained with her through the centuries, training and preparing each new child for war. For the Mere teaches them all the same doctrine; to prepare for the return of the human “creator gods” who abandoned them long ago, then to sweep from the swamps and destroy them.

For half a millennium they have waited, until Saint John led his southern crusade over the Forked-Tongue River and into a green hell.

Regeneration Even when terrible wounds have been suffered Brood flesh repairs itself. Their powers of healing have proved a nasty surprise for many enemy commanders when they found wounded Brood recovering before their very eyes.

Bio-Gens The Mere has equipped some of her children with the ability to carry tiny symbiotic life forms into battle with them. The Brood player chooses these creatures ahead of the battle, and they provide their host with powerful additional abilities.

Acid Blood When their enemies first encountered the Brood they found them to be full of nasty surprises. Some of the more powerful of the Mere’s children have powerfully acidic blood flowing in their veins, and wounding them in close combat can reward the attacker with a spray of corrosive gore.

Puds In spite of their tiny size the ravenous puds have become a firm favourite with Brood commanders. Hurled into battle as living ammunition they display the ferocity and aggression of a creature ten times their size.

You’ll find out more about the Brood in Evolution, which also covers the Forsaken troops commanded by Saint John as he leads the dangerous Southern Crusade.