Ordo Xenos Background/Fluff

[Vorlon]

Greetings BoLS. Im ready to begin large scale painting on my Ordo Xenos army but I want to take one last look at all of the available background info (books, novels, articles, ect) to provide as much "character" for my army as possible. Does anyone have any suggestions for background info? Books and the like? Thanks in advance!

[Freefall945]

If you can hang in there for a couple of months, Fantasy Flight Games is about to crank out the [URL="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=108&enmi=Deathwatch"]Deathwatch[/URL] RPG, which you can bet your bottom dollar will both expand upon the military structure of the Ordo Xenos, and also fill in the blanks out of their own creativity. And don't forget the obligatory Ret-Con!

[Just_Me]

Freefall945 makes a good point, if you can wait for Deathwatch (I know I am) you should have more info.

I actually have my own Ordos Xenos army (using the Witch Hunters codex), so I've had to do most of the same searching, and the truth is there isn't much out there. Some of the most helpful to me have been the Dark Heresy books, Xenology and Imperial Armour Volume 4: The Anphelion Project both paint a picture of the sorts of more dubious activities they might be involved in, the Tyranid codex actually makes mention of the actions and efforts of the Ordos Xenos (specifically Inquisitor Kryptman), and there is a little in the Inquisitor rules.

The problem is most sources seem most concerned with the other two branches of the Inquisition, so they have been most fully developed to the point that most literature paints the entire Inquisition as an all but purely anti-daemon anti-heretic force. For instance in Abnett's books even though both of his Inquisitor characters are Ordos Xenos most of what they do is fighting Chaos, very rarely do we see and Inquisitor doing specifically anti-alien things.

Generally in terms of method and "feel" they seem to rely more heavily on straightforward technology rather than the pseudo-mysticism (e.g. hexagramic wards, true names, etc.) that the others need to use. They also seem (generally) more inclined towards pragmatism than faith and fervor (though there are exceptions of course), and are more inclined towards information gathering and even occasionally willing to acknowledge the harmlessness or even usefulness of certain alien species (e.g. the Jokaero). To my mind they are something of a mix of investigator, exterminator, (mad) scientist, and imperialist exploiter.

[Melissia]

The Ordo Xenos isn't just the Deathwatch-- in fact, given that the Ordo Xenos is the oldest of the Holy Ordos (at least IIRC-- It goes Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus), I'd say that it has far, far more servants than that.

[Old_Paladin]

If you can find the old white dwarf articles 'Index Astartes' there's one about the DeathWatch and Grey Knights; it's actually quite short, but helpful.

It might also be helpful to go to the Lexicanum website and look under deathwatch and Ordo Xeno's (as those have both information, and a full works cited section.)

[Madness]

Malleus was founded by the Emperor itself (and the only one to be founded by him), so unless some rogue agent founded it behing the Emperor's back while he was still alive it can't be older.

As far as it having more agents, of course, it's just that Deathwatch are the iconic ones, just like GK for Malleus.

[Nabterayl]

Nevertheless, our sources for Ordo Xenos data are pretty paltry - even the Eisenhorn novels have essentially nothing, and their protagonist is an Ordo Xenos inquisitor. I'd expect Deathwatch to be the single richest vein of Ordo Xenos data to date, even though it's not going to focus on the ordo.

[eldargal]

We don't know precisely when the Ordo Xenos was founded, but from memory it is believed to be of similar age to Malleus. Seems quite likely to me that when the Emperor gave Malcador orders to found the Inquisition, both Orders were founded at the same time.

Malleus was founded by the Emperor itself (and the only one to be founded by him), so unless some rogue agent founded it behing the Emperor's back while he was still alive it can't be older.

As far as it having more agents, of course, it's just that Deathwatch are the iconic ones, just like GK for Malleus.