'Taken to the Emperors Grace'?

[Minigiant]

In the Forgeworld Imperial Armour Badab War Books

 

Details on one of the Howling Griffons says 'Taken to the Emperors Grace'

 

What does that mean? I cannot find reference to it anywhere else

[Lord Marshal]

I would assume it means he's dead.

[Minigiant]

I would assume it means he's dead.

That is what I thought and would be logical.

 

I just get confused when others are said to be 'lost' or 'slain'

[Brother Tyler]

Yes, it's just one of the many euphemisms for being killed in action. The variations reflect in-universe variety, much like we see these days in obituaries and on tombstones.

[No Foes Remain]

Could mean he had to be given the Emperor's Mercy by the Apothecary attending him prior to the removal of his gene seed? Especially since the others are, as you have said, labled as Lost or Slain.

[Brother Tyler]

There are a number of different possible meanings, all having to do with ultimately dying. The issue is that there are different labels in different images. We don't know who the [in universe] authors of those entries are, nor do we have a solid understanding of the details behind each. It's entirely possible that different "authors" are responsible for different articles. In this case, however, it appears that there is a specific usage behind "Taken to the Emperor's Grace" as a euphemism for being killed in action.

 

The "Taken to the Emperor's Grace" description only appears in the articles for the Fire Hawks, Marines Errant, Fire Angels, Raptors, Novamarines, Howling Griffons, Salamanders, Sons of Medusa, Minotaurs, Exorcists, and Star Phantoms Chapters - all loyalists in that conflict. Of the loyalists, only a few of the individuals shown that were killed have something other than "Taken to the Emperor's Grace" as a euphemism for being killed. The Salamanders have some members that were "Taken to the Emperor's Grace" and others that were identified as either a "Martyr of the Chapter" or "Fell in Action and Lost to the Flame" as descriptors for dying. One other character succumbed to his wounds and died. Other than the few exceptions, however, all of the loyalists that died are described as "Taken to the Emperor's Grace" (the other exception being dreadnoughts that are usually described as "Destroyed"). All of the "Slain" descriptions appear for traitors (Astral Claws, Mantis Warriors, Lamenters, and Executioners).

So it seems much more likely that the "Taken to the Emperor's Grace" description is merely a way of saying that a loyalist was slain, differentiating them from the traitors that are implied to have died outside of the Emperor's Grace.

[Captain Idaho]

Using real world analogies, it's replace "Emperor" with "God" and it makes more sense.

 

I like No Foe Remain's take on it being a different way of saying they've euthanised a someone, though that would mean euphemism for a euphemism (The Emperor's Mercy) so could perhaps not be the case.

 

Lost in the Warp is an interesting idea, or at least lost in action. The former in particular is a very real 40K problem!

[WARMASTER_]

As brother Tyler said above it’s much the same a killed one action the story in universe is supposed to be wrote by a base line human so saying taken to the emperor’s grave would make sense to him as he think Big E’s a god, my personal favourites from those books is Martyr really hammers home the whole “zealous crushing knight vibe”

 

Alan Bligh was a master at making those strike forces of marines and conflicts feel real, the Badab War & fall of Orpheus books are still my favourite campaign books to date. Everything from showing an astartes progression through the ranks in sequel books to the incredibly flushed out wargear sections and chapter cults … just gold

[Minigiant]

Does anyone have any other ways of saying it without mentioning the Emperor?

[Brother Tyler]

...The Salamanders have some members that were "Taken to the Emperor's Grace" and others that were identified as either a "Martyr of the Chapter" or "Fell in Action and Lost to the Flame" as descriptors for dying...

Those are the ones used in the Badab War books (author: Alan Bligh).

 

The first Imperial Armour campaign book, The Taros Campaign (authors: Warwick Kinrade and Tony Cottrell), didn't feature the depictions that appeared in later books. Instead, this book had a picture of a lone Space Marine with two pages describing his panoply. He doesn't appear to have been killed or gone MIA during that campaign.

 

The second campaign book, The Anphelion Project (authors: Warwick Kinrade and Tony Cottrell), was the one in which the squad images first appeared. This book used straightforward descriptions, however:

• Brother Mawdri is listed as "KIA on Beta Anphelion IV."
• Brother Ramtha is listed as "WIA on Beta Anphelion IV."

All three of The Siege of Vraks books (author: Warwick Kinrade) continued the use of the squad images:

• Brother Adama, Brother Maor, and Veteran Brother Gideon of the Dark Angels are listed as "WIA on Vraks."
• Veteran Brother Ares, Brother Aharon, and Brother Xaron of the Dark Angels are listed as "KIA on Vraks."
• Veteran Brother Daml and Brother Utsz of the Red Scorpions are listed as "KIA on Vraks."
• Brother Captain Mattan, Veteran Brother Maran, Brother Tasc, and Brother Ranh of the Red Scorpions are listed as "WIA on Vraks."
• Veteran Brother Sagie, Brother Hiram, and Brother Gavyn of the Grey Knights are listed as "KIA on Vraks."
• Brother Azariah of the Grey Knights is listed as "WIA on Vraks."
• The Red Hunters squads shown don't get individual descriptions of their fates, only a listing of the number of missions in which they participated. The two Tactical Combat Squads (presumably the halves of the same Tactical Squad) are both listed as "...cut off and annihilated in the battle."
• The Angels of Absolution and Red Scorpions squads shown don't get individual descriptions of their fates, either, only a listing of the number of missions in which they participated.

The use of such descriptions appears to have started with the Badab War books, the first authored by Alan Bligh. Previous books were much more clinical. For example, Raid on Kastorel-Novem (author: Warwick Kinrade):

• Brother Yiraka and Brother Naasori are simply described as "KIA on Kastorel-Novem."
• Brother Artaibo is described as "WIA on Kastorel-Novem."
• The images of the Astra Militarum and Orks are shown as examples rather than after action, so they lack such descriptions.

Authors of the books that followed the Badab War books appear to have taken inspiration from Alan Bligh's work (as we all should) and incorporated similarly in-universe descriptions, though this was often only with the Adeptus Astartes and not their opponents.

 

The Doom of Mymeara (author: Talima Fox):

• Skyclaw Brother Leifir, has what looks like a variation in "...Cast into the Warp by blasphemous Eldar weaponry. May the Emperor protect his soul."
• Grey Hunter Naemr has a not-quite-slain variation in "Lost to the Wulfen"
• Wolf Guard Harok has "Lost within the waters of the Bakel Straits whilst in combat with an Eldar Wraithguard" - whether that's MIA or KIA is open to interpretation.
• Any Eldar that are shown aren't given such flowery descriptions of their deaths.

The Fall of Orpheus, also by Alan Bligh, is much different in its presentation. Most of the squads/individuals have a paragraph description rather than caption descriptions (other than their names).

 

Those are the variations that have appeared in the official works. Hobbyists have used variations in their DIYs. For example, in my article for the Adepta Sororitas Militant Order Minoris, the Order of the Faithful Sword, two of the sisters are listed as "Martyred" in their captions. That article was written after, and inspired by, Alan Bligh's Badab War books.