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A race of fierce warriors, some of the Kroot ply the stars selling their skill at arms to the highest bidder, but most fight exclusively for the Tau Empire. Travelling in their barely warp-capable warspheres, they can be found battling alongside many alien races throughout the galaxy. With their propensity for eating the flesh of those they defeat, it is a brave foe who dares to stand against them.

The Kroot originated on the world of Pech and, though their physiology is humanoid, there is evidence to suggest that the roots of their evolution may be avian in origin. They retain vestigial beaks and have a light, almost hollow bone structure, with four digits on each hand and foot. Their skin is rough with small, barbed spines, similar to the elongated quills on their heads, protruding from various locations on their flesh. Skin pigmentation ranges from earthy brown colours and dappled greens to vibrant oranges and everything in between. Depending on the feeding directions of the Kroot Shapers (more of which later) the coloration of each family grouping, or kindred as they are known, can vary quite considerably. It is also common for Kroot from each kindred to have particular tribal markings painted onto their skin. Kroot mature quickly, with their most rapid period of growth occurring in the first ten years of their lives. By the age of twelve they are considered adults and it is not unknown for Kroot to live to over a hundred years old, their skin becoming increasingly pitted and leathery in their last few years of life.

Kroot are tall and their bodies have a wiriness to them that appears deceptively fragile. In actuality, Kroot musculature is extremely powerful and composed of dense fibre spindles with a greater power-to-mass ratio than is found in humans. Swift muscle contractions create a whiplash effect, allowing the Kroot to deliver powerful blows with great rapidity. On the ground, the Kroot tend to move with a bounding, hopping gait but, when in dense forests, they can spring from tree to tree at great speed. The Kroot favour primitive garb: harnesses worked from the hides of animals and adorned with bones, handcrafted amulets and circlets.

The limited specimens that have been made available for study are found to have brains composed of a front and rear hemisphere. It appears that the larger, frontal hemisphere controls the functions of logic, reasoning and memory while the rear, less developed hemisphere is more attuned to imagination and creativity. If this is indeed the case, it would go some way to explaining the pragmatic approach to life of the Kroot and their current technological stagnation. The Kroot head is crowned with a great mass of tough, flexible quills that appear to be a part of the Kroot's' sensory apparatus. These quills contain what seem to be ganglia running from the frontal lobes of the alien's brain and, in this position, would be extremely efficient at receiving and interpreting information on the surrounding environment. The olfactory cavity within the Kroot skull is also enlarged, with multiple sense organs within both it and the mouth. Their eyes are without pupils and generally a milky white. It is likely that they are able to see further into the infrared end of the spectrum and can sense the body heat generated by their prey. Therefore, the Kroot make excellent trackers and would be extremely difficult to sneak up on.

The Kroot generate little in the way of waste, excreting in the form of a pungent, oily sweat that has a variety of properties, depending on what the Kroot has consumed. The most apparent benefits are that this sweat appears to be heat retardant to a degree, has antibiotic properties and can cause a poorly aimed blow to slide clear. It is suspected that the Kroot can alter the properties of this secretion in order to leave pheromone trails, mark territories, leave warnings and even communicate with one another. This may also be some form of control that extends to lower life forms such as birds and animals, as there is evidence to suggest that the Kroot employ empathic pheromones to prevent such creatures from being startled by them and giving away their position in battle. Combined with this method of communication, the Kroot can learn new languages at an astounding rate, matching posture and tone to the sound of foreign words in order to discern their meaning. Their own verbal communication is a mixture of clicks and whistles, possibly reinforced by these pheromone exudations.

By far the most odious habit of the Kroot is their practice of eating the flesh of the dead. In battle, this leads them to ritually devour the corpses of those they have killed, and almost nothing is beyond their tastes. The Kroot digestive system is extremely efficient, capable of breaking down almost any organic material into an energy form that can be stored in specialised organs scattered throughout their bodies called nymunes. Should anything inorganic and indigestible be consumed, the Kroot must regurgitate it, with considerable discomfort. However, the strangest quirk of Kroot digestion is their ability to extract potentially useful strands of their food's DNA. Adeptus Mechanicus Genetors have long been aware that much of the double helix structure of DNA is in fact blank, used to separate those areas that do contain genetic information. The Kroot have somehow inherited the ability to incorporate useful DNA codes into their own genetic makeup. Larger Kroot, called Shapers, who have an instinctive understanding of this process, can direct their kindred to consume certain prey in order that, in successive generations, they may take on elements of those genes.

This process is not an exact science and there are many examples of where it has gone awry, leaving some Kroot trapped in evolutionary cul-de-sacs, the Krootox and Kroot Hounds being the most visible evidence of this. At some point in their evolutionary history, both sub-species of Kroot fed upon creatures that were possessed of traits they wished to take on, but, in doing so, atrophied their intelligence. The Krootox are now much larger and stronger, but became lumbering creatures, more akin to forest dwelling herbivores than their smaller, more intelligent, kin. The Kroot Hounds became faster and leaner but, like the Krootox, their intelligence was reduced, becoming little more than vicious predators. There are other variations, such as the smaller, flying Kroothawk and the serpentine Krootworm, as well as other, more terrifying, creatures. Deep within the forests of Pech, there exist beasts that were once Kroot, but have since descended hideous evolutionary paths to become monsters that feed on their own kind. Such places have become cursed and only the bravest or most foolhardy Kroot ever venture within their haunted depths.

Pech is located in the Ultima Segmentum, in the north west of the Tau empire and some three thousand light years north of Ultramar. It is a planet similar to Terra, with a comparable oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, but slightly lower gravity. There are three main continental masses: a warm, temperate primary continent upon which life flourishes, a parched, desert continent which is largely uninhabited and, finally, a cold, temperate landmass that is continually wracked by violent rain storms. Hardy evergreen forests of Jagga trees that sprawl from the northern and western highlands to the Kamyon Mountains in the east cover the prime continent. Those few areas of land not forested are rocky and inhospitable. The Kroot live in family groups known as kindreds and most dwell in arboreal homes in the trees constructed from hides bound together with regurgitated dead wood. Other kindreds live in the remains of what were once Kroot hives, now fallen into ruin and left for the forest and animals to reclaim.

Thousands of years ago, when an Ork asteroid fortress, known as a Rok, crash landed on Pech, the survivors found themselves in the unenviable position of being outnumbered by a warrior race with a taste for flesh. The Orks were quickly destroyed and their bodies consumed by the Kroot. The Kroot laired in the Rok and, several generations later, they manifested the ability to mimic certain aspects of technology learned from the DNA of the dead Ork Meks. Around the remains of the shattered Ork Rok, the first Kroot city began to take shape as the inherited knowledge of technology became more commonplace.

Within the space of a few thousand years, Pech's prime continent was home to five Kroot hives, and factory farming and mining were commonplace. This became known as the Kroot expansionist phase and saw the Kroot construct warp-capable warspheres to take them to the stars.

Here, the Kroot met the Orks once more, but this time the balance of power had changed. Untested leaders and untried ways of war failed the Kroot in the face of Ork brutality and they were pushed back on every front by the more aggressive Greenskins. However, each world the Orks took remained a thorn in their side as Kroot guerrillas continued to fight the invaders. Eventually, the Kroot were forced to take service as mercenaries with various alien races in order to survive. After twenty years of war, the Kroot (with Tau assistance) were able to reclaim their worlds with minimal resistance as the Orks had simply engaged in looting and destruction on a massive scale before moving on. The Kroot now looked to rebuild their worlds as they had been before the Ork incursion, but those Kroot who had remained behind to fight the Orks had other ideas. They were not about to rebuild a society that had led them into war and then failed to defend them. Led by a visionary leader named Anghkor Prok, they advocated a return to the old ways, to the time before the coming of the Ork Rok. There would be no rebuilding and the Kroot would revert to the traditional ways that had served them perfectly well for thousands of years. A compromise was reached where each kindred would spend time as mercenaries and fight for other races, returning to their home world periodically to pass on any useful genetic material they had acquired following their victories. A number of warspheres remained on Pech to guard against further invasions and the mercenary Kroot departed to ply their trade amongst the stars.

Today Pech is a wild and untamed world; the forests still cover most of the prime continent and the hives that were once home to millions of Kroot are now overgrown and provide shelter to many Kroot kindred. There are no cities on Pech, though there are places sacred to the Kroot, such as the enormous carved Jagga tree on the slopes of Mount Kaikown that marks the final resting place of Anghkor Prok, the Oathstone on the Plain of Bones, where he first swore loyalty to the Tau empire, and the Grove of Ancestors in the Kamyon Mountains. There are also places that the Kroot avoid, cursed and haunted regions like the Ygothlac Forest wherein dwell terrifying monsters evolved from the Kroot genus thousands of years ago. Such places are shunned and are places of twisted, black trees and polluted ground, as though the land itself understands that what lives within is evil and a corruption against nature. Some kindreds use these dark woods as proving grounds for their warriors to display their courage and manhood, but such practices are few and far between, as only a fraction of those who venture within are ever heard from again.

Imperial forces first encountered the Kroot during the Damocles Crusade on the world of SyTkell when troops from the 17th Brimlock Dragoons were ambushed en route to the front from their landing zone. The Dragoons' forward scouts were killed by Kroot carnivore squads without alerting the following troops, and the remainder of the column was attacked as it advanced through a narrow, forested defile. Acting in fearsome concert, three Kroot kindreds fell upon the unsuspecting Guardsmen, killing scores in the opening moments of the battle. Only the steadfast leadership of Colonel Konstantin Griffin and Commissar Eigerman held the Imperial troops together long enough to fight their way clear of the trap. The Kroot continued to harry the soldiers through the forests until Colonel Griffin was able to link with Space Marines from the Scythes of the Emperor. Thus reinforced, the Imperial forces turned to destroy their attackers, but the Kroot had vanished back into the forests.

Further, less violent contact has since been made with the Kroot; indeed some mercenary kindreds have been known to fight alongside Imperial forces in return for weapons and food. Most Kroot fight for the Tau, but it is not unknown for mercenary forces to be found fighting alongside Eldar, human renegades, the dread legions of Chaos and even Orks. The Kroot have no deeply held prejudices against any particular alien races and give little or no thought to who they fight, only that they are paid.

Having found plentiful employment with the Tau and other alien races, the Kroot have had many hundreds of years to hone their skills in battle. While they are adept at copying and employing the weaponry they are given, the Kroot brain lacks the ability to innovate to any great degree, and thus their method of war has remained largely unchanged for centuries, relying a great deal on their viciousness in close combat. The Kroot are ably equipped to fight in close combat, with powerful limbs and long rifles fitted with lethally sharp combat blades. They are skilful warriors, stronger and more furious in an assault than an Imperial Guardsman, perhaps even the equal of a member of the Adeptus Astartes, though without the resilience, weapons, armour and faith of a Space Marine.

Kroot rifles can deliver a powerful punch, but lack the power to consistently penetrate thick armour. Bigger Kroot guns can only be carried on the backs of the hulking Krootox and these weapons deliver a much more potent hit. Vicious Kroot Hounds that spring ahead of the main advance often accompany Kroot into battle, with supporting fire coming from Kroot guns mounted on the back of the lumbering Krootox. While they are undoubtedly proficient killers, they are unable to mount sustained campaigns of siege and must rely on more technically adept employers to provide logistical support and heavy equipment, such as siege weaponry and engineering machinery. However, they excel in guerrilla warfare, and their self-sufficiency and skills at foraging enable them to live off the surrounding lands for many years.

Kroot weapons range from primitive black powder rifles to those that have been adapted by the Tau to fire charged pulse rounds that increase their penetrative properties and the kinetic energy delivered by a hit. Kroot guns are the known limit of Kroot battlefield weapon technology. While the Kroot have relatively limited warp-capable ships, their understanding of their workings is an innate one, gleaned from eating the flesh of Ork Meks rather than a learned one. Aside from weapons technology, the Kroot have little in the way of advanced equipment, preferring to rely on handmade implements and a feral world level of technology.

The Kroot are a primitive race with a low threat index and there is no current Imperial campaign to exterminate them. However, on several occasions the services of Kroot mercenaries have been employed by frontier outposts and it should be remembered that such contact with aliens remains a crime and punishable by death. The Kroot do not themselves have any xenocidal tendencies and do not actively seek out other races to kill. Although their warriors are motivated by a strong sense of honour, they are mercenaries at heart and fight for money or goods that they themselves cannot produce.

The most important social group in Kroot society is the kindred, a family collective not unlike a tribe, consisting of extended families and groupings created by mating. Seniority within a kindred is one of instinctive recognition, with those Kroot able to direct the feeding of the group to better absorb useful DNA, known as Shapers, rising to become the leaders of each kindred. Kroot reproduce by the male placing his hands upon a female's back and secreting an oily sweat containing his genetic structure. The DNA of the male is merged with that of the female and the resultant infants grow within one of the female's nymune organs until they are ready to be born. In much the same way as indigestible food is disposed of, the females regurgitate the Kroot infants. A Kroot female can give birth to seven or eight infants each year, though only around a quarter of those will survive to adulthood. Once born, the energy stored within the mother's nymunes serves to provide the stimulus required for the Kroot young to begin their accelerated growth. The young Kroot mature at an astonishing rate, with most new-borns able to take their place within the kindred before their tenth year. Kroot family groupings care for and protect their young for several years, until they are strong enough to fend for themselves and begin establishing their own family.

The Kroot place great respect on those that have gone before them, their genetic forefathers, and ancestor worship is extremely common on the Kroot home worlds. Older Kroot are respected for their accumulated wisdom and the genetic material they have gathered throughout their lives. When a Kroot dies, his immediate family consumes the body and thus precious genetic material is preserved within the kindred. Family is important to the Kroot and they will fight to protect their kindred, although if family groups are forced to rapidly displace due to war, famine or other calamitous events, the old and young are killed and eaten by the kindred in order to facilitate their speedy relocation. While outsiders would no doubt consider this practice barbaric, to the pragmatic Kroot it is considered a noble sacrifice that the young and old allow their genetic material and heritage to be saved in this way for future generations.

The Kroot are fearsome opponents in close combat. Their fighting ability is without doubt greater than that of most humans and is a product of their corded muscle structure and superior vision. Kroot are stronger than humans although they have comparable tolerances to injury. However, unlike Imperial soldiers who fight secure in the knowledge of the Emperor's benevolence, the Kroot fight solely for reward and this is reflected in the unpredictable level of their battlefield discipline. The Kroot fight with a rifle, which, while relatively primitive, is capable of delivering a charged round more powerful than a standard issue lasgun. These weapons are generally adorned with a collection of deadly close combat attachments that enable the skilled and long-limbed Kroot to fight without specialised assault weaponry. More powerful armament comes in the form of the Kroot gun, mounted on the back of the Krootox beasts. These guns fire a larger, more powerful charged round, capable of smashing lightly armoured vehicles and killing even the most powerful individual with a single shot.