Re: [Epic] The ages of Warhammer was mixing (long)

From: Oki Purwanto <oki_at_...>
Date: Tue, 02 Sep 1997 00:41:05 +0800

At 09:40 AM 9/1/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Aaron P Teske wrote:
><major snip>

(Major snip)

>2) Some time between then and "now" there was something called "The Age of
Apostasy"
>

From, Codex Sisters of Battle :
"The name most infamously connected with the Age of Apostasy and the
architect of the Reign of Blood was Goge Vandire, 361st High Lord of the
Administratum......"
The fluff covered like 6 pages !!! After which he was replace by Sebastian
Thor, who did much to reform the Ecclesiarchy. During his tenure as the
Ecclesiarch, the High Lords of Terra issued a decree "Decree Passive
0001288/M36 which amongst other things forbid the Ecclesiarchy from
controlling any 'Men under arms', which of course led to the official
formation of the Sisters of battle.

The Age of Apostasy lasted for quite some time; one noteworthy heresies was
the Plague of Unbelief which was started by Cardinal Bucharis, which was
halted by (who else :P) Space Wolves.


Also, an interesting fluff byline.

The Purge of Lastrati
On the hive world of Lastrati, a sect known as the Divine Army gained
control. Their rigid code of behaviour was ruthlessly enforced. Any person
suspected of even the slightest digression would be hideously tortured and
then executed. Whole swatches of the population were eradicated by
genetically attuned viruses which picked out particular traits which did not
conform to the Divine Army's image of a human being.

Millions were enslaved and worked with no food or water until they died,
running huge factories and mining ore from the depths of Lastrati. So many
died that later gangs of slaves, hundreds of thousands strong, were used to
dispose of the bodies before their own rotting carcasses were added to the
funeral pyres that blackened the sky. The flames weren't restricted to the
dead either, and the burning of heretics in one hive reached such terrible
proportions that it is claimed the highest dune outside its walls is made
entirely from the ashes of humans. It is known locally as the Hill of Heretics.

The pilgrim who visits Lastrati can also see such sights as the Plain of
Purity: 2,500 square miles packed four feet deep with polished bones, each
individually inscribed with the Litanies of Faith in tiny letters. These are
not heretics, but the bodies of the faithful, who were laid out in massed
open graves so that the Emperor could see those who had been loyal.

Then there is the Path of Damnation. Stretching for 5,300 miles, this road
is lined on both sides with gibbets every pace. Hung from these are the
bodies of blasphemers who spoke out against the torture and burnings.

Such was the carnage wrought by the Divine Army that when contact was
re-established with the Imperium there were only two and a half million
inhabitants left on a world that had originally boasted a population of 14
billion...

Phew !!!


>3) At one time Squats were a part of the IG. This is not an assumption,
this is a fact
>((Warhammer 40,000 Compendium, page 31 see 3rd, 62nd, 17th & 5th regiment).
>
>3.1) Beast men were at one time allowed in the IG ((Warhammer 40,000
Compendium Page 148) or for
>that matter Epic 2nd Ed.)
>
>4) Squats are no longer in the Imperium and beast men are Chaos only.
>
>5) This is important one....
> "Nowadays there are no Squat Stronghold planets in the Imperium it self,
the last having
>secceded during the Age of Apostacy". (Codex: Imperial Guard, page 8,
paragraph 6)
>
>Which leads me to 2 simple statements
>1) The current rules are set after the Age of Apostasy and

From the Codex Sisters of Battle, you are right :)

>2) Warhammer 40,000 (Rogue Trader) and Epic Space Marine 2nd Ed are set IN
the Age of Apostasy or
>before.
>

Not quite sure about the "before' part. Remember, Epic SM already had
Tyranids, whose incursion was fairly recent. And the first hive fleet was
defeated (Codex Tyranids) by Marneus Calgar 250 years ago (?), the current
Lord Macragge.


>This explains why the "old" WH40K rule's fluff was so much darker than the
current rule's fluff.
>We are comparing WWII Nazi Germany with, say NATO in the Gulf War. Both
were major wars, to be
>sure, but in general life is a little better now than in the 1940's
>

But did you notice that the fluff is getting darker recently. True, it is
not quite like the good ole days, but it has gotten darker since the days of
Codex Space Wolves where Logan Grimnar (SW Great Wolf/commandeer) is one of
the most recognised face in Imperium, "well loved by masses of the Imperium"
or something like that. Blah !!!

>The three (at least) ages of the Imperium, and what rules go with what age,
all straight from GW
>sources.
>

Ah, just an excuse to bring newer miniature range.


Regards
Oki
p.s. Does anyone has the reference to the fluff where it said that over 800
SM commandeers met together with other Imperium leaders to re-pledge their
loyalty to the Imperium ? I think that was done near the end of the age of
Apostasy.

 
Received on Mon Sep 01 1997 - 16:41:05 UTC