Re: [NetEpic ML] Re: Netepic Background

From: Daryl Lonnon <dlonnon_at_...>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:20:25 -0700 (MST)

Comments intersparsed below,

Peter wrote:
> Hi!
>
> The Ogre stuff was meant to be "peak" age of technology units, of
> course they are very powerful, standard 40k units are only a
> shadow of those.

The "background" fluff of (which I came up for when writing) the Ogre stuff:
(* 40k fluff is marked with a (*))
(o Ogre-40k fluff marked with a (o))

* Slann "create" the earth (rearrange continents) using massive
  amounts of warp technology (giant warp gates on either pole)
* Slann create humans (eldars,squats,ratlings,(I have a vague
  recollection reading something about Orks being from a time before
  Slann))
* Slann see a downfall about to come (warp entities created from the
  massive influx of matter (from the polar gates on their planets)
  devouring their souls/demanding sacrifices (for protection)).
* Slann create warp bouy's, that protect certain planets from the
  warp and dissappear. Earth is one of those planets.
* The Emperor is born. (Past wise ones forsee a time when Earth's bouy's
  will fail and "create" the Emperor).
* The Emperor guides/unites humanity from secrecy.
o Two groups of humans leave Earth (in a slower than light ship, the
  Earth's warp bouy preventing warp travel near earth).
o Something bad happens to the slower than light ship and it "drifts".
* Most Eldar (whose psyche the Slann thought was strong enough to resist
  warp entities) finally succumb to the hunger of a warp entity (the
  rise of Slannesh) and creation of the Eye of Terror, massive warp
  storms released.
* These storms destroy the Earth's Bouy's. The Emperor steps forth
  to lead mankind.
* The Horus Heresy.
o The ship arrives in a star cluster of worlds which is also protected
  by warp bouy's, two factions form amongst the survivors.
o The colonists expand through the star cluster.
o The colonists begin leaving the protection of the warp bouy's and
  meet the other races of the galaxy.
* Now.

So how far off am I on the "official" 40k fluff? Most of this stuff
I recall from early 2nd edition days, back when I used to follow it
closer.

(I also have a vague recollection that it used to be that the 4 big
 chaos powers were created when/during the downfall of an
 entire race. That Nurgle came about when the Brain Boys psyche's
 were devoured/wiped out (perhaps with some help by the Slann), Tzeenetch
 (sp?) when the Slann disappeared, Slannesh when the Eldar got
 gotten, and Khorne rose to illustrious height (as a big 4) during
 the Horus Heresy).

Also in the Ogre background, I mentioned an idea which I once read
in a short story that I thought was very applicable to the 40k
universe. In the short story, It was mentioned that the Earth
was invaded by aliens. The aliens were at a bronze level of
technology and had just recently discovered firearms.

The gist was that at some point in your scientific development, you
either realized a relatively simple model that led you down
a path that resulted in faster than light travel, and anti-gravity,
but that's where it peaked.
Or you missed the model and took a harder path, that resulted in
understanding electronics, and nuclear weaponry, and had a much
higher peak (as far as technology which could be obtained from
it).

The key to the story, was that the two scientific models were
contradictory (but both applicable to the universe as a whole).
And that the simpler path tended to win out over the harder path
(and given time, just the knowledge of the simpler path gutted
scientific development on the harder path (if I can explain why
electron Y moves like it does using simple model A, why try
to explain it using complicated model B).

I immediately thought of Warp Mechanics and the 40k universe. Right
now in our development, we are "protected" from the simple model
provided by Warp Mechanics (by the Warp Bouy). After that
protection is lost, as technology we'd developed prior to understand
Warp Mechanics was lost ... so too was the ability to regain it
(since Warp Mechanics explained the Universe just as well as our
complicated models ... and was easier).

It was a cute idea (not that it has one shred of scientific proof ...
but hey ... it's fantasy), which I thought had some bearing on why
the 40k Universe's technology never really progressed (while allowing
for more technologically advanced races).

Or another way to look at it, contact with the warp (keep in mind
it affects everybodies psyche) results in stagnation.

Rune wrote:
> Well, the Ogre rules did look very cheesy indeed if i remember correctly :)
>
> Rune

So what was wrong with the Ogre rules? :-)
(still looking for feedback! :-)

DarylL
Received on Tue Oct 30 2001 - 21:20:25 UTC