[Net Epic ML] Re: On Imperial armies and original fluff

From: Luca Lettieri <magnus_at_...>
Date: Mon, 29 May 2000 17:19:48 -0000

> new. Also some of the novels has inferred that the Emperor may not
be "all
> there" and is losing his grasp on reality. This is where the Star
child.
> Illuminati deal comes in. Nice touch. Too bad GW doesn't update
things in
> any serious manner.

Yep, but this is where WE can fill in the gaps. Reading your last
post I think we've almost reached an agreement about what's believable
(the general situation) and what's not (said situation extending
10000 years without anyone taking exception). I still think the
Imperium is run so badly as to not needing any external force to make
it crumble, but this is not TERRIBLY important as we've that force in
place so who cares.

My proposal: let's unify fluff by rewriting the official timeline
(and then maybe extending it... heh, big opportunity for new
units/armies/etc.).

I'd start by compressing those 10000 years to 4/500 or so. It's not
difficult at all, considering nothing really important happens after
the Heresy, except the Tyranid invasions.

My first tackle (general history only; dates are completely made up,
of course; any comments greatly appreciated; this is based on
original fluff, especially StD and LaD, minus the novels which I
don't have access to):

year 0
 end of Horus Heresy. The Imperium is is a sorry state, the Emperor
 gets confined in the Golden Throne. The remnants of the Chaos fleets
 hide into the Eye of Terror

years 0 - 50
 general rebuilding and reorganization. The Imperium is still fully
 functional at this point, because the Emperor is still around giving
 orders. The vast majority of galactic space is brought back under
 Imperium rule. The Space Marines' Chapters get split and reorganized.
 Founding of what will become general imperial military doctrine
 (separation of troops and fleets, etc.).

years 51 - 100
 the Emperor progressively loses touch with material reality. The 12
 High Lords of Terra further an Agenda of religious propaganda and
 repression, in an attempt to retain control of the Empire when the
 Emperor will no longer be functional. Institution of the Galaxy-wide
 Inquisition. Founding of the Grey Knights. Exterminatus policy
 becomes part of standard imperial doctrine. The AM gets decapitated,
 with all the most brilliant leaders executed for heresy or "retired"
 to meditate on "their sins". A flourishing of fanatical death cults
 results in the founding of some of the most extreme Imperium
 organizations (e.g., Adeptas Sororitas, the Assassins' temples).
 The Illuminati faction is born, when some of thew survivors of
 Greater Daemon possession meet and share their experiences. Senseis
 in the Galaxy become dimly aware of some sort of destiny waiting
 for them.

years 101 - 200
 the Emperor permanently loses the faculty of speaking. No further
 direct communications with him are possible. Things get even worse
 at this point, with the huge and elephantiac imperial bureacracy
 gaining control of the executive aspects of general Imperium
 administration under the guise of "interpretation of the Emperor's
 will". This results in a massive efficiency loss throughout the
 whole Imperium.
 Meanwhile, religious propaganda has become institutional; witch-hunts
 are a regular "feature" of most planetary societies, resulting in
 terrible losses of both scientific knowledge and psychic personnel.
 The institution of psychic sacrifices to the Golden Throne doesn't
 help things to get any better. At this point, every imperial
 istitution (Astronomicon, AM, SM etc.) is heavily permeated by
 fanatical religious zeal.
 The Illuminati faction grows slowly but constantly and gets some
 organization. The first of the Illuminati are allowed access to the
 Eldar Black Library. Great (if secret) breakthroughs are made in the
 understanding of the Warp.
 Meanwhile, Senseis in the more peripheral regions of the Imperium
 rise to prominence in the local solar systems. A few of them get
 hunted down and killed by Imperium armies. Two of them get "invited"
 by the Illuminati, who kill them during researches on Warp reality.

years 201 - 250
 First and second contact with Tyranids result in massive shockwave
 to the Imperium's organization. Estimate danger to the Imperium is
 quickly assessed to be far too high for the High Lords of Terra to
 be comfortable. Resurgence of genetic engeneering and xenobiology
 is the first immediate result.
 Several peripheral systems, many of which lead by Senseis, secede
 from the Imperium. Many of these rebellions are put down in a
 bloodbath. The most extensive ones actually manage to repel
 imperial assaults. The most shrewd planetary governors continue to
 pay lip service to the Imperium and most of them escape imperial
 attention while building massive defense fleets which, while not
 warp-capable, are more than a match for any imperial fleet.
 The Illuminati quickly seize the opportunity given to them and
 "acquire" some of the youngest and most brilliant genetic engineers
 to launch the Star Child Project.

years 251 - today
 The Imperium is crumbling. Its fleets are barely able to protect
 (and subjugate) the core systems. A new and more capable generation
 of High Lords is frantically trying to reorganize the various
 imperial organizations, but hundreds of years of religious propaganda
 make this a nearly desperate attempt. Scientific research resurges,
 in an attempt to cope with the crisis at hand.
 Many of the fringe solar systems have, by all means and purposes,
 secluded themselves from the Imperium. A new colonization wave
 expands the borders of human-controlled space. Many of the colonists
 meet Eldar colonies on the "new" planets. Initial contacts result
 in several destructive wars, followed by peace treaties; the cultural
 interchange marks the birth of a new technology when Eldar and Human
 scientits exchange their knowledges; the Exodite worlds are born
 [now THIS is a good reason to have a separate TG list...]
 The Illuminati continue their quest for the Star Child, convinced
 that only the full-fledged return of the Emperor can grant humanity
 release from Chaos. Orks raids increase in size and frequency, taking
 the opportunities given to them by the lack of a central defense;
 Chaos cults flourish while religious repression takes a back seat.
 Meanwhile, a small group of Senseis concot a bold plan: to stop
 forever the Golden Throne, thus letting their father finally reach
 Godhood.....


Well... whew.. that took a while, even if made on the spur of the
moment. Let me know what everyone thinks about this.


Luca Lettieri
Received on Mon May 29 2000 - 17:19:48 UTC