Guess the Emperor!

[Clewz]

I see him more as a Merlin rather than Arthur

[Aegnor]

Malcador was Merlin. Isn't that the theory?

[Torva Minoris]

 

 

Me. He's definitely not me.

Only the truly Imperial deny their Emperorness!

He's not the Messiah! He's a very naughty boy!!

[Vesper]

Malcador was Merlin. Isn't that the theory?

I highly doubt Malcador was there before the rise of the emperor.

I think Malcador might be the guy that was behind the creation of the imperium.

[depthcharge12]

The Emperor is Matt Ward.

 

There. I said what you were all thinking.

 

Thank me or curse me at your discretion.

 

Or maybe the Emperor is Alanis Morissette....one of the two....

[Deus de Mortalis]

We know for sure according to the fluff that the Emprah was St. George who defeated the dragon. Also it is said that played an inactive role in human development, so I think political leaders, kings, religious figures are out of the question. It is said that he just stepped back and for the most part let history take its course, although from time to time he helped advance and/or protect humanity as a historical figure.<br /><br />As for Malcador, I believe he was just a very powerful psyker that the Emperor found on Earth before or during unification, but whose psychic power was like a whisper to a hurricane when compared to the Emperor. In the book Legion by Dan Abnett, John Grammaticus was a powerful psyker on Earth during unification. He was the most powerful psyker he knew of until he met the Emperor and he told Grammaticus that as such a powerful psyker he could help the Emperor.

[Conn Eremon]

Torva Minoris, on 08 Jul 2013 - 01:51, said:

 

Wade Garrett, on 07 Jul 2013 - 12:10, said:

 

Cormac Airt, on 07 Jul 2013 - 11:51, said:

Me. He's definitely not me.

Only the truly Imperial deny their Emperorness!

He's not the Messiah! He's a very naughty boy!!

I uhm . . . I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take that last part. Please tell me you were referring to the Emperor.

Vesper, on 08 Jul 2013 - 04:30, said:

I highly doubt Malcador was there before the rise of the emperor.

I think Malcador might be the guy that was behind the creation of the imperium.

Why do you think that? Not trying to sound dismissive, I'm honestly curious about Malcador's past. I'm sure you don't mean the power behind the throne, though it is probably pretty accurate to say that. He's certainly the guy who runs the majority of the small things, freeing the Emperor to focus first on the Great Crusade and second on the Webway portal. I hope they give him a novel, since I'm not into audiobooks.

depthcharge12, on 09 Jul 2013 - 11:33, said:

Or maybe the Emperor is Marie Antoinette....one of the two....

Edited to show what I thought you said when I first read it.

 

 

Soon-to-be-Emperor's List of THINGS TO DO:

Convince a bunch of people to walk on a seabed without drowning

Be their Messiah

Give a king a cool new table

Kill giant dragon, throw it into space

Give people cake

Starve yourself to show them how to be good

Invent catniparchs

Post list of THINGS TO DO online anonymously

CONQUER THEM ALL WITH FIRE AND FURY

SHORTEN NAME TO 'EMPEROR'

[Vesper]

 

Why do you think that? Not trying to sound dismissive, I'm honestly

curious about Malcador's past. I'm sure you don't mean the power behind

the throne, though it is probably pretty accurate to say that. He's

certainly the guy who runs the majority of the small things, freeing the

Emperor to focus first on the Great Crusade and second on the Webway

portal. I hope they give him a novel, since I'm not into audiobooks.

 

Don't know. I just have the impression that Malcador does stuff, while the emperor just get the chicks. He feels like the brain behind the emperor.

I can see him being the guy who told the emperor "hey, let's make the imperium happen, you know".

[depthcharge12]

 

 

Why do you think that? Not trying to sound dismissive, I'm honestly

curious about Malcador's past. I'm sure you don't mean the power behind

the throne, though it is probably pretty accurate to say that. He's

certainly the guy who runs the majority of the small things, freeing the

Emperor to focus first on the Great Crusade and second on the Webway

portal. I hope they give him a novel, since I'm not into audiobooks.

 

Don't know. I just have the impression that Malcador does stuff, while the emperor just get the chicks. He feels like the brain behind the emperor.

I can see him being the guy who told the emperor "hey, let's make the imperium happen, you know".

 

"What are we going to do tonight Brain?"

 

"The same thing we do every night Pinky...errr...Emperor. Try to take over the world/galaxy!!!!"

 

There, and i figured out who the emperor and malcador are too - just cartoon mice - killed two birds with one rok

[Conn Eremon]

To me he seems like the most valued lieutenant, the Emperor's right hand man. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment, as it makes it sound like Malcador might be more than the Emperor. I certainly think Malcador is the biggest power in the Imperium than even the Primarchs, though. More of a "I'm going to build the grandest empire mankind has ever seen. I need you to rule it with me."

[Torva Minoris]

 

 

Torva Minoris, on 08 Jul 2013 - 01:51, said:

 

 

Wade Garrett, on 07 Jul 2013 - 12:10, said:

 

 

Cormac Airt, on 07 Jul 2013 - 11:51, said:

Me. He's definitely not me.

Only the truly Imperial deny their Emperorness!

He's not the Messiah! He's a very naughty boy!!

I uhm . . . I'm not sure how I'm supposed to take that last part. Please tell me you were referring to the Emperor.

Oh, sorry mate.

 

Direct quote from Monty Python life of Brian

[Vesper]

To me he seems like the most valued lieutenant, the Emperor's right hand man. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment, as it makes it sound like Malcador might be more than the Emperor. I certainly think Malcador is the biggest power in the Imperium than even the Primarchs, though. More of a "I'm going to build the grandest empire mankind has ever seen. I need you to rule it with me."

Thing is, I don't believe the emperor took over Earth one day just because he had nothing better to do that perticular day.

To make him change his mind so drastically, something must've changed in his life. And I think that thing was Malcador.

Could be absolutly wrong, though. I mean, we're in speculation land.

[Conn Eremon]

Well, I also don't believe that and the idea that Malcador was the game changer does have some allure to it.

 

It really depends on the when and how of Malcador's arrival to the scene. When the Emperor first went to war, was Malcador alongside him? Did he find him along the way? As what, a hermit? A rival warlord? Or, and here's an interesting one, did the Emperor create Malcador? According to Betrayal, the Emperor was playing with genetics long before the Thunder Warriors, to purify Terran humanity and later to rebuild the Navigator houses. What if Malcador was a part of that, perhaps even a precursor to the later Primarchs like the Thunder Warriors were to the Legions.

[High MarshalGR]

 

To me he seems like the most valued lieutenant, the Emperor's right hand man. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment, as it makes it sound like Malcador might be more than the Emperor. I certainly think Malcador is the biggest power in the Imperium than even the Primarchs, though. More of a "I'm going to build the grandest empire mankind has ever seen. I need you to rule it with me."

Thing is, I don't believe the emperor took over Earth one day just because he had nothing better to do that perticular day.

To make him change his mind so drastically, something must've changed in his life. And I think that thing was Malcador.

Could be absolutly wrong, though. I mean, we're in speculation land.

 

Quite a good line of thought. There are a few other speculations I can think of other than that one. One I think is valid has to do with the fall of Eldar and the birth of the 4rt Chaos God, Slaanesh. The reason is, the Emperor, as the greatest psyker, has unkown abilities in speculating the Immaterium and forseeing the future. When Eldar fell, the power of Order became weaker in the universe while the power of Chaos rised. Emperor might have realised that and the Cosmos itself guided him to be the equalizer, the power of Order restored, the anathema to the now more powerful force of Chaos. 

 

Another one is the realization after the millenia he walked on Terra guiding and helping that for all his efforts, humans were susceptible to "falling" and creating another Chaos God, thus ending in the annihilation of humanity. Uniting them under one banner could be what held them from following this course along with the fact that humanity was really scattered pre-Imperium (taking into account the "Old Night" of course). All remains speculations until they decide to throw some light into the Emperor's motive.

[frostclaw222]

First off, Malcador has been described as exceptionally long-lived, but is not (insofar as we know--unless I missed something) a Perpetual. Granted, by M30-31 (and likely a good deal beforehand), juvenat tech and possibly other sciences could have enabled him to live far longer spans of history (Merlin under the mountain), I think the Sigilite is a fairly new addition to the Emperor's inventory.

 

As for the Big E himself, I'd always thought of him as a mostly behind-the-scenes, puppet master type, who occasionally had to take an active hand in things. So, more an advisor to Alexander than Alexander himself. More often a scientist or scholar than a politician or outright power broker. 

 

So, I think E was Merlin. Maybe Archimedes. Possibly some behind-the-scenes dude on the Manhattan Project. Maybe even an early science fiction writer or two, or at least a psychic nudge/muse for them. Sure, he may have been a warlord once or twice, though. But if he was guiding humanity to a certain place, he had to be sure they were actually ready and able to go there, so a more hands-off approach would be required to check their progress most of the time. Occasionally, like with the Dragon, he was required to step in directly, sure. But I think most of the time, he was a power behind the throne, not sitting on the throne. 

 

The interesting question is why he shifted approaches when he did. Did he grow tired of lurking in the shadows? Did he realize we weren't ever going to get there through gentle nudging? Or did we pass some critical waypoint/milestone that told him it was time to take an active hand? It wasn't just the storms dying down. He could've waited a few more centuries or millennia more and guided us further. Something had to have changed aside from the storms abating.  

[Hyaenidae]

I'll settle the debate once and for all.

 

It's me. I'm the Emperor of Mankind.

 

Sorry it took so long to admit it, I'm just shy.

[RolandTHTG]

So, I think E was Merlin. Maybe Archimedes. Possibly some behind-the-scenes dude on the Manhattan Project. Maybe even an early science fiction writer or two, or at least a psychic nudge/muse for them. Sure, he may have been a warlord once or twice, though. But if he was guiding humanity to a certain place, he had to be sure they were actually ready and able to go there, so a more hands-off approach would be required to check their progress most of the time. Occasionally, like with the Dragon, he was required to step in directly, sure. But I think most of the time, he was a power behind the throne, not sitting on the throne. 

 

Great, now you have me wondering if it was Asimov or Heinlein that was the Emperor...

 

or 1000heathens

[High MarshalGR]

First off, Malcador has been described as exceptionally long-lived, but is not (insofar as we know--unless I missed something) a Perpetual. Granted, by M30-31 (and likely a good deal beforehand), juvenat tech and possibly other sciences could have enabled him to live far longer spans of history (Merlin under the mountain), I think the Sigilite is a fairly new addition to the Emperor's inventory.

 

As for the Big E himself, I'd always thought of him as a mostly behind-the-scenes, puppet master type, who occasionally had to take an active hand in things. So, more an advisor to Alexander than Alexander himself. More often a scientist or scholar than a politician or outright power broker. 

 

So, I think E was Merlin. Maybe Archimedes. Possibly some behind-the-scenes dude on the Manhattan Project. Maybe even an early science fiction writer or two, or at least a psychic nudge/muse for them. Sure, he may have been a warlord once or twice, though. But if he was guiding humanity to a certain place, he had to be sure they were actually ready and able to go there, so a more hands-off approach would be required to check their progress most of the time. Occasionally, like with the Dragon, he was required to step in directly, sure. But I think most of the time, he was a power behind the throne, not sitting on the throne. 

 

The interesting question is why he shifted approaches when he did. Did he grow tired of lurking in the shadows? Did he realize we weren't ever going to get there through gentle nudging? Or did we pass some critical waypoint/milestone that told him it was time to take an active hand? It wasn't just the storms dying down. He could've waited a few more centuries or millennia more and guided us further. Something had to have changed aside from the storms abating.  

 

I agree here. This is what I tried to speculate with my previous post. What was the motive or the prophetic insight (don't forget the most powerful psycher in the universe) that drove the Emperor towards actively uniting Terra and expanding? Some reasons I find logical.

[frostclaw222]

 

So, I think E was Merlin. Maybe Archimedes. Possibly some behind-the-scenes dude on the Manhattan Project. Maybe even an early science fiction writer or two, or at least a psychic nudge/muse for them. Sure, he may have been a warlord once or twice, though. But if he was guiding humanity to a certain place, he had to be sure they were actually ready and able to go there, so a more hands-off approach would be required to check their progress most of the time. Occasionally, like with the Dragon, he was required to step in directly, sure. But I think most of the time, he was a power behind the throne, not sitting on the throne. 

 

Great, now you have me wondering if it was Asimov or Heinlein that was the Emperor...

 

or 1000heathens

 

^ This. So very much this. Heinlein. "So, I'm just gonna write about a fascist future, where we go to war with all sorts of aliens using marines in powered exo-armor. Then, let that percolate for a few hundred generations. I'm like JFK up in this thing with his moonshot. Except not nearly as fun and fluffy. Just letting you guys know the plan a little in advance." 

 

Seriously, though. I have to think he stayed behind the scenes until events called for him to intervene (like the Dragon), or the time was right to take control (as he did during the Unification Wars). Perhaps it was strange calculus of the warp storms subsiding, Martian religion embracing the Omnissiah idea, and Terra's warring fiefdoms being fractious enough to permit his initial power plays. But something made him wait til that specific moment to step out of the shadows and begin Unification. Until that point, looking back and pointing to old generals and politicians I think is inaccurate. More likely, he was bankrolling those types, advising them, and pushing things his way from behind a veil or shell companies, secret societies, power blocs, and the like, so that, should things turn against his pawns, he could shift his support elsewhere, and continue. There's a reason he often is depicted talking about regicide/chess. Most of the folks noted earlier on in this thread were likely pieces he moved across a board. Hitler, Churchill, Gandhi...I reckon they all met the Emperor at some point, or one of his proxies, but likely never knew just who it was that was influencing them to any accurate degree. Although, strangely enough, you look at certain types (Hitler for one) and their fascination with the arcane and occult, and maybe that would explain said obsessions. 

 

If we accept the Emperor's supposed role in this fictional future universe, then the World Wars are likely a mechanism of his, pushing us towards industrialization of warfare, and whatnot. M2 and M3 are likely the commencement of a second phase of his plan, having taken us into a more scientific world through the first phase. 

 

Although, I find two things curious: the persistence of religion all the way up to Unification if the Emperor detested it so much (you'd think he'd have stamped it out earlier, or perhaps his very influence kept it going while he lurked in the shadows?), and permitting the wholesale slaughters that preceded Unification during the post-apocalyptic period before he took a more active and visible hand in things. Curious, those. But, obviously, we're trying to take actual history and make it fit a fictional influence, so it's never going to hammer out smoothly, no matter how hard we try. And that, actually, allows for some of the ambiguity GW tries so hard for in certain elements of the fluff (two missing legions, etc) to actually occur naturally, which is kind of cool. 

[High MarshalGR]

 

The Emperor, who had himself been responsible for the development of several of the major religions once prevalent on Old Earth, had dedicated his entire existence to the ultimate benefit of Mankind. Yet time and time again, he had seen the principles he had propounded in the form of religion become twisted by human nature, transforming a faith based on the tenets of love and respect for one another into bloody creeds of violence, repression, murder and holy war that actually strengthened the Chaos Gods.

After the onset of the Age of Strife brought an end to humanity's previous interstellar Golden Age and savagery consumed human civilisation, the Emperor decided that his long policy of hiding his true nature from his fellow men as he sought to guide them towards a better future had failed. He needed to take a far more active role in shaping his species' future, so he created the persona of the Emperor and intended to use his own potent psychic abilities, intellect and extraordinary knowledge to reunite the entire scattered human race, by force if necessary. The Emperor came to this harsh conclusion because he feared that unless all of Mankind was united, it would eventually be destroyed piecemeal by the hideous dangers lurking in the galaxy, including Chaos and the other alien races. By promulgating the Imperial Truth on every world inhabited by humanity in the galaxy, the Emperor ironically hoped to eventually create a psychic well of belief in reason and science so strong that the Chaos Gods, who thrived and grew stronger on Mankind's darker psychic emanations, would be fatally weakened.

Of course, the Ruinous Powers were aware of the Emperor's intentions and they moved from the beginning to destroy this plan and actually make it work in their favour. They first corrupted several of the Primarchs almost at the moment of their birth when they were stolen from the Emperor's gene-laboratories beneath the Himalayan Mountains and scattered through the Warp across the galaxy. They next corrupted Lorgar and used him as their instrument to corrupt Horus and eventually all of the Primarchs and Traitor Legions who turned against the Emperor. Their corruption destroyed the Emperor's dream of a united Imperium opening a new Golden Age of reason and progress for Mankind. In the end, the Emperor miscalculated, deeply underestimating Mankind's basic need to believe in something larger than itself beyond the stale confines of science and technology. Ironically, what ultimately presented the only hope for Mankind surviving the Age of the Imperium that unfolded after the end of the Horus Heresy was religious faith in the Emperor himself. Humanity's collective faith in the God-Emperor empowers his psychic form within the Warp, allowing him to combat the destructive influence of Chaos and providing his servants with the psychic power to defend themselves against the threats of daemons, aliens and Heretics alike. Though the price for the survival of the Imperium has been incredibly high, a cost far greater than the Emperor hoped humanity would have to bear, a new version of the Imperial Truth has become predominant among the million worlds of Mankind. This is a truth whose first principle is the cornerstone of the Imperial Creed: the Emperor protects

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Truth

 

I think this can give us a fresh perspective on the subject of why he chose to spread the Imperial Truth.

[emptyglass]

^ Yes. Everyone says how hes the good part of human history. I can see him as Himmler, Or maybe Bormann. Jack the ripper, Guy Falkes, Lee Harvy Oswald.

Thought the love and respect thing is hippie talk. Please stick a flower in a blood thirsters nose, and it will hit you with daffydills

[Týr]

Nicolas Cage

[depthcharge12]

He is Alpharius

[High MarshalGR]

He is Alpharius

 

I would argue and say he has some of the traits Alpharius does using them as he sees fit and is not Alpharius by any means. Alpharius is Alpharius and the Emperor is the Emperor in my opinion.